After a long 12 months, 2022 is almost over. It’s been a busy year on the gaming side, with challenging games like Elder Ring in the God of War Ragnarok eating hundreds of hours. If you’re looking for a quick low-stakes before the ball drops, Lil Gator game is the perfect adventure for your New Year’s weekend.
Lil Gator game is a short and delightful little adventure game that pays homage to the Legend of Zelda in the cutest way possible. It stars a young alligator who sets out on a mini-quest to free as many animals as possible in a small open world. Players simply have to complete quests for potential friends, which can be as simple as fighting some cardboard monsters or retrieving a lost, oversized pencil.
It is similar in structure A short hike, another small indie adventure game featuring animals, though it’s more direct and playful about its design inspirations. Early on, players get their first sword (a stick) and a shield (a pot lid) before finding a familiar “pointy floppy” hat. After a few short quests, the gator gains the ability to climb any surface and glide through the air wearing an oversized t-shirt — a mechanic that a frog lover will poke fun at as being from “another game in the series.”
Everything here, from gameplay to writing, is light and sweet. The island is a soft wash of natural colors that is relaxing to walk around. Traversal is streamlined and smooth. Its lack of a map or questlog made me feel a bit lost at times, but the world is compact and easy enough to get around that I never wandered for too long. Even when I was lost, I could always find a new friend to help by completing a simple quest that was easy enough for a child to understand
The last piece is the most important part. Lil Gator game is a “kid’s game”, but I don’t think it’s “a game for kids”. Rather, it is an adventure game that lets older players see the world through the eyes of a child. It transported me back to when I was young and goofed on the playground: a stick became a sword, a simple task became a quest, and a friend became a valuable ally in whatever imaginary battle I was fighting. Lil Gator game capture the youthful energy where the world is just one big playground.
If you are looking for a good game to play with your children, or simply want to understand their perspective, Lil Gator game is a breezy three-hour adventure filled with silly and sincere writing charm. Everyone could use more good-natured games that are just about making friends and spreading kindness—adults included.
Lil Gator game is now available on PC and Nintendo Switch.
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