Almost more an animated short than a game, Later Alligator is a mini-game collection centered on an incredibly strong central theme - you're an alligator person in Alligator New York City solving alligator mysteries to save Pat, your new Alligator Pat. Or are you trying to save him..?
The writing is very sharp (although a tad too wordy in some places) and though you meet 30~odd characters through this story and only spend maybe 5 to 10 minutes with each, they are all very well done and have a strong connection to the story or place they're in. Favorites include Pat's dad who is going through a thinly veiled existential crises, his grandmother who is a mummy that hands out fortune telling cards, a niece who LOVES pancakes, a baby just trying to sleep... shit I could list out half the characters right now off the top of my head and I love basically all of them. The lovable writing is matched by an impeccable art style and music direction. It is a old-timey cartoon style, like something from Early Disney and mostly black and white outside of the Green on the gators or the occasional plot item the game wants to draw your eye to. I even added some of the songs to my spotify hahaha..
Gameplay wise (because it is a game), each family member has some little new minigame for you ranging from the very simple (lose at hide and seek, literally pick anything that's NOT the hider) to the vexing (flappy jacked bird is tough okay) and basically none of them outstay their welcome and have surprising diversity. After each you collect that family members "Token" to fill out a family tree of relations to Pat. Some of them even have a "You suck at this, just click this button and win okay?" on them that prevent frustration.
The story focuses on a paranoid young Alligator named Pat, who is the scion of a 'crime' family in the city who fears that someone is out to rub him out. Each member of the family you meet is tight-lipped about what is going on, the hints are pretty clear its just a regular surprise birthday party... or is it?!?! Yeah, it is. Or is it?!?!? The main story is interesting only in how there are multiple endings, and the game's first ending is unfortunately too "good" of an ending, I would have stopped there until I checked and saw a guide that said there were two more! And thankfully I did since that provide's context to the main character's actions (Why did you come to Alligator New York City and why are you helping Pat??), along with some actual mystery about if and who is trying to kill dear old Pat. There is also one moment of seriousness in the story, when it is revealed who is sending you tips about maneuvering about the city and getting to a hidden location. It provides a nice contrast to the generally flippant attitude of the rest of the game and stands out.
Overall this game was a delight and had one of the best damn trailers for a game I've ever had the pleasure to watch. It's one of the many indie games I'm trying to spend more time/money on rather than big budget stuff and this was well worth them both. It has a wonderful cast of characters, impeccable art, cute mini games and a satisfying climax (albeit one that shouldn't require 3-odd playthroughs...)
The writing is very sharp (although a tad too wordy in some places) and though you meet 30~odd characters through this story and only spend maybe 5 to 10 minutes with each, they are all very well done and have a strong connection to the story or place they're in. Favorites include Pat's dad who is going through a thinly veiled existential crises, his grandmother who is a mummy that hands out fortune telling cards, a niece who LOVES pancakes, a baby just trying to sleep... shit I could list out half the characters right now off the top of my head and I love basically all of them. The lovable writing is matched by an impeccable art style and music direction. It is a old-timey cartoon style, like something from Early Disney and mostly black and white outside of the Green on the gators or the occasional plot item the game wants to draw your eye to. I even added some of the songs to my spotify hahaha..
Gameplay wise (because it is a game), each family member has some little new minigame for you ranging from the very simple (lose at hide and seek, literally pick anything that's NOT the hider) to the vexing (flappy jacked bird is tough okay) and basically none of them outstay their welcome and have surprising diversity. After each you collect that family members "Token" to fill out a family tree of relations to Pat. Some of them even have a "You suck at this, just click this button and win okay?" on them that prevent frustration.
The story focuses on a paranoid young Alligator named Pat, who is the scion of a 'crime' family in the city who fears that someone is out to rub him out. Each member of the family you meet is tight-lipped about what is going on, the hints are pretty clear its just a regular surprise birthday party... or is it?!?! Yeah, it is. Or is it?!?!? The main story is interesting only in how there are multiple endings, and the game's first ending is unfortunately too "good" of an ending, I would have stopped there until I checked and saw a guide that said there were two more! And thankfully I did since that provide's context to the main character's actions (Why did you come to Alligator New York City and why are you helping Pat??), along with some actual mystery about if and who is trying to kill dear old Pat. There is also one moment of seriousness in the story, when it is revealed who is sending you tips about maneuvering about the city and getting to a hidden location. It provides a nice contrast to the generally flippant attitude of the rest of the game and stands out.
Overall this game was a delight and had one of the best damn trailers for a game I've ever had the pleasure to watch. It's one of the many indie games I'm trying to spend more time/money on rather than big budget stuff and this was well worth them both. It has a wonderful cast of characters, impeccable art, cute mini games and a satisfying climax (albeit one that shouldn't require 3-odd playthroughs...)