Lil Gator Game review - A short, wholesome hike through the wilderness of imagination

Not many modern games, even in the indie scene, allow players to kick back and relax, but Lil Gator Game is here to change that.

Published by Playtonic Friends and developed by MegaWobble, the title is a charming adventure highlighting kids' innocence and playfulness. It also borrows influences from a couple of notable releases in the action-adventure genre for an experience that is equal parts relaxing and wholesome.

In an evergrowing industry of countless game releases, is Lil Gator Game worth your time? Let's find out.

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Lil Gator Game is all about cultivating a sense of wonder and awe from a new perspective

Lil Gator Game's entire concept, from its visuals and presentation to the fundamental design, is incredibly cute. Even the name itself permeates the child-like innocence that is obvious throughout the narrative.

Players control a Lil Gator who must convince his older sister to play with him after she returns from college for fall. Since she is burdened with work and assignments, he must find a way to rekindle her interest in having some fun.

For a game with a fantasy setting featuring anthropomorphic animals, Lil Gator Game embodies real-life scenarios and personalities as well as appropriate levels of maturity. The young protagonist and his friends take it upon themselves to convince Big Sis how embracing one's inner child can be exciting.

A grand adventure in the making (Screenshot via Lil Gator Game)

This humble adventure expands its ambition to cover the entire island the sandbox takes place in. It entirely relies on the protagonist's and the players' imaginations for full effectiveness.

Players will don a cute hat and venture forth into the realm of live-action-role-playing. This adventure is filled with "NPCs" to meet and save, cardboard "enemies" to defeat, and new ways to have fun.

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The world is yours to explore

Lil Gator Game is a 3D open-world action-adventure game that focuses on exploration and laid-back gameplay above all else.

The entire island is explorable (with some areas locked behind story progression). It is packed with activities to do, missions to undertake, and collectibles to find. Most of the key traversal options are available from the get-go. Lil Gator can waddle around, jump, and swim through water bodies.

What secrets await out there? (Screenshot from Lil Gator Game)

Eventually, players unlock new abilities like being able to scale surfaces (with a round, blue stamina wheel), soar through the skies using a glider, throw rocks at mid-air targets, and shield surf. This allows them to both climb and perch atop trees and quickly scale downhill.

There is a lot of verticality out in the open world, making for organic exploration as players do not have a mini-map to refer to. Instead, they must rely on the environment and their abilities to get to where they need to go.

If this all sounds familiar to Nintendo's The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, you're right. Lil Gator Game makes more than a few obvious nods to the acclaimed 2017 "open-air" adventure.

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Fun with friends

There's more to Lil Gator Game than running around and destroying scene props. The title has a proper narrative structure, and players will have to meet story requirements and objectives to proceed. These include talking to various NPCs and doing things for them.

Each personality in the game is unique, diversifying the experience. Some NPCs don't think it is worth disturbing Lil Gator's sister, while others will be happy to play along.

Breaking stuff never gets old (Screenshot via Lil Gator Game)

An example of an optional upgrade in Lil Gator Game is the ragdoll system, which can be pretty hilarious to use when running down mountains. With dozens upon dozens of props scattered around the island, players can spend hours wandering, finding optimal ways to collect everything in sight, and just take in the peaceful scenery.

However, there are other activities to do too. These include solving occasional riddles and participating in timed trials — all part of the plan to prove your worth as the savior hero.

Players will encounter and recruit new NPCs to their cause as other parts of the map unlock. They will engage in curious activities like establishing a whole town, including a fortress.

With no threat at hand or sense of urgency to pressure players, the game takes cues from another indie friend in its genre: A Short Hike.

Side quests are similarly charming. Some may see you help a little kitty convince her mother to take a break from her grown-up phone calls and participate in her tea-party play. Others are short, silly tasks like rock-skipping across water or aiding a chess enthusiast in unearthing a "new way" of playing the sport (read: knocking the board over).

Many curious characters await introduction (Screenshot from Lil Gator Game)

However, Lil Gator Game is not entirely flawless. Given the game's simplicity, players will discover that there is not much to do and see as a whole. Even the extra attention to detail, like interactive playground rides, will eventually fall short.

Having said that, when players enjoy the game in short bursts, they will discover that it delights at nearly every turn. It is an adventure best savored slowly as the journey will last about six to 10 hours (maybe a bit more if players choose to find every collectible out there).

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Graphics, sound, and performance

Lil Gator Game boasts a simple but cute celshaded aesthetic, which interestingly also brings to mind another Zelda title: The Wind Waker.

The HUD is minimal, and the inventory UI is also presented as a child's notebook. The camera can sometimes be a bit too close to the player, so an option to expand the field of view would have been good.

All in all, there is nothing worth complaining about here. The game offers plenty of options to tweak visual parameters. The music is chill and supplements the calm nature of the game.

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In conclusion

Lil Gator Game is the video game equivalent of reading a nostalgic children's fairy tale or coming across your favorite childhood toy that was stored away for years.

The title is wholesome and authentic in its efforts from start to finish. The relaxing, exploration-driven gameplay, adorable dialogue, and simple but sweet premise make this journey worth checking out. Additionally, it is refreshing to see things from a child's point of view.

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Lil Gator Game

Final verdict (Image via Sportskeeda)

Reviewed on: PC

Platform(s): PC, Nintendo Switch

Developer(s): MegaWobble

Publishers(s): Playtonic Friends

Release date: December 14, 2022

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Disclaimer: This article is subjective and solely reflects the opinions of the writer