During the Christmas break, I had a morning routine of helping my mum and then settling down for another five minutes of Lil Gator Game on my Switch. Maybe ten minutes. Or fifteen. And then a few more during the day in between writing sessions. And then sometimes a quick blast at night when going through the new If Books Could Kill podcast. I was hooked. Those mysterious days between the Christmas break and the start of a new year always feel more freeing and relaxed, like a long, unexpected weekend during childhood.
Gunvein reviewPublisher: Playtonic GamesDeveloper: MegaWobblePlatform: Played on SwitchAvailability: Out now on PC and Switch
Released through Playtonic’s publishing arm, Lil Gator Game has you in control of a little alligator who’s filled with energy and ready to jump around and play with everything in sight. However, he’s mostly interested in playing with his older sister, bugging her to finish her work so she can join him, just like they did when they were kids. In fact, shadows of their former selves are seen playing across the island, and you can replay dialogue from his memories.
While you wait for her to join you, you’ll end up stumbling across other animals, completing small tasks for them on their behalf and befriending them in the process. Over the course of the game, you’ll end up increasing your climbing stamina, you’ll gain new hats for the lil guy to wear, and obtain different items to carry.
What’s so remarkable about the game is how easily it draws you in, not just with its charm, but by letting you interact with the different objects and places you come across. A reasonably tall hill may appear beyond your abilities at first, but you’ll quickly have the skill to glide across the gap and reach the top in no time. And when you begin trying to catch a particular bug for the study group you stumble across, you’ll end up distracted by the different pots you’ll want to break in order to collect the confetti currency that populates this little world.