There is the apocryphal story that The Legend of Zelda was based on Shigeru Miyamoto playing in the woods as a kid. Well, this game dares to ask: what if YOU were a little kid playing in the woods?

I've been following this game's development for a good while, and while at first blush it felt like it was cribbing a little too much from Breath of The Wild, I think it does a very good job at imitating the base mechanics, and ultimately what is the same and what is different serves the themes very well.

This is a game about growing up, about the importance of confrontation, and the joy found in creating things. It's also a very silly game about a little alligator boy who can unlock the ability to ragdoll on command.

Short and sweet and certainly a favorite of mine from this year. $20 base price might look a little steep but I can assure you it's well worth it.

This game feels like it really gets what *I* want from the Cozy subcategory of game genres. First and foremost it's just extremely fun to play. The shield surfing especially is just Instantly fun. But as the game progresses and you gain access to more goofy movement tools, like the ragdoll, the bubblegum, and even the sticky arm, the game just continues to decide to do the most fun thing it can.

On top of that, the game is funny, and it very much earns the heartfelt story it's trying to tell. Almost every joke lands for me, and the overarching story feels incredibly personal and relatable, without being cheap or hamfisted.

9/10, would sticky hand spin around a tree and launch myself into infinite stamina bubblegum flight again.

A wonderfully cute, funny, sweet little game that for as simple as it is, hit me way more than I thought it would've because of just how immediately precious and kindhearted its cast of characters are. It hits the perfect balance of a large open island to explore and do things in with as much freedom as the player wants, while also keeping it just small enough to not be overwhelming plus the benefit of giving the player extra tools solely for the sake of making 100% completion not only encouraged, but importantly comfortable.

I think the story it wanted to tell was also one that I think I really needed, that people move on and grow up in pursuit of their goals and dreams, but that also everybody needs time to take a break and be with those who are most important to them. It's so simple and yet I can't believe it got me to struggle choking up by the end of this short but sweet journey. It reminds me a lot of A Short Hike both in its theming, visuals, gameplay, and even just the sense of humor (which, if you liked that game, those might as well be selling points) and Lil Gator Game goes the extra mile in making all of it work in a 3D environment, bumping up the scale just a smidge more and trying to tell its story through connections to others rather than just one small singular adventure. One of my favorite games of the year, hands down.

Really adorable game that takes me back to the good old days. I was doubting it at the start, but once I really got into the thick of it I was having a great time hopping around and meeting cute new characters. The movement feels wonderful and moving between points of interest is very fun to do. The writing is also entertaining and I never found myself mindlessly skipping through it. Ending had me catching feels (haven't done the introspection to decipher why).

I had a single nitpick early on that I have since forgotten about. It has been erased by fuzzy feelings. I don't think I would implore everyone I meet to play this game, but I thought it was great.