Lil Gator Game is a simplified Zelda-like, presumably aimed at children. While a bit fundamental in its gameplay, this charming little title promises a fun adventure for both younger gamers and veteran players looking for something not too strenuous.
The heart of Lil Gator Game is its story about a kid brother and his now-estranged older sister, back from school on fall break. The titular little gator, remembering how he and his sister used to play, is excited she has returned. Unfortunately, Big Sis is too busy studying to have fun. Rather than take no for an answer, the young protagonist sets off to design a game so good his sibling will be forced to join.
Lil Gator embarks on an imagination-filled fantasy adventure that requires him to solve quests for other anthropomorphic animal characters around the island, recruit new friends to help build up the playground, and swing his sword at countless cardboard monsters. Essentially, he and his friends set up a Zelda-inspired campaign similar to what Lil Gator and Big Sis used to play.
The biggest difference between Lil Gator Game and other titles in the genre is that there are no health bars or fall damage. The kid-friendly mechanics are more targeted toward exploration than combat. And admittedly, the exploration aspect of the game does satisfy. Every nook and cranny of the world hides either a character, side quest, or potential unlockable item. I can’t remember a single time I ventured somewhere and was disappointed when I got there. Honestly, my only complaint about the exploration is the lack of a map.
I kept trying to justify it to myself as I played, thinking things like, “Well, kids probably wouldn’t carry a map around.” But with every circle I unintentionally walked in, I couldn’t help but think I’d be having more fun if I could just orient myself. That said, I eventually did get a decent sense of the island’s layout and was able to navigate it with relative ease by the end of the campaign.
Still, while the game ditches genre staples like health bars and fall damage in the name of fun, it unwittingly loses some of the joy in the process. Don’t get me wrong, games don’t need to be difficult to be fun, but Lil Gator Game’s enemies never pose any threat whatsoever. In fact, the cardboard baddies don’t even move.
While the monsters’ cute aesthetic fits the game and the world around it, the lack of any challenge whatsoever dampened my enjoyment a bit; whacking stationary objects with a stick gets old fairly quickly. The runtime of the campaign only lasts a few hours, but I imagine I was bored of the combat within the first 20 minutes or so.
Again, the game is designed to be a fun open-world romp for younger players, but I would think even inexperienced gamers would prefer some pushback from the game’s antagonists. It’d be one thing if combat wasn’t such a major component of the game, but such a large percentage of my time was spent smacking cardboard cutouts just to collect a few more scraps of paper – AKA currency. However, the currency is worthwhile as it leads to one of the game’s best features, its unlockable items.
There are four different collectible categories in the game: headgear, swords, shields, and a final section for projectiles and miscellaneous items. While most of the unlockables serve little tangible purpose, they’re still incredibly fulfilling to collect. I constantly found myself switching out all of my wacky weapons, shields, and hats as I obtained them. Paper shuriken, a paint gun, nunchaku, a net, a skateboard, an inflatable donut, a trash lid, and even a serving plate are just a few of the items I equipped at one point or another. I eventually settled on my favorites, but most were worth playing around with for at least a little while.
My favorite collectible item was obtained during a memorable sidequest in which I settled a dispute between a group of kids pretending to be ninjas. After I brought the group back together, I received a headband that allowed me to run with my arms behind my back like a character from the Naruto anime.
Side quests are the primary way to recruit new friends to join the game. This is a great hook as the various interactions between characters are truly clever and often funny. Whether it be playing out scenes in a theater troupe’s eccentric narrative or unclogging a whale’s blowhole, Lil Gator Game had me chuckling consistently throughout. And after a few hours of light-hearted fun, the final moments turned the tables and made me emotional with its story anchored in the sibling relationship. I won’t delve into spoilers, but Lil Gator Game’s message about what it means to grow up feels surprisingly poignant when it finally arrives.
Whether it be levity or depth, the narrative seems to tackle it all in a way that feels approachable for gamers of any age. The jokes are juvenile but clever. The themes are simple yet profound. And at no point did I ever feel as though I was being talked down to.
Even the item descriptions are worth reading as they can offer funny anecdotes. For example, the blurb for the nunchaku reads, “the ultimate weapon against both your enemies and yourself.” This sort of clever writing permeates just about every aspect of Lil Gator Game from various character interactions to basic tutorials.
Regardless of its rudimentary combat or the lack of a map, Lil Gator Game is simply a delight, thanks to strong writing, worthwhile collectibles, thoughtful exploration, and rewarding sidequests. Lil Gator Game is certainly an easy recommend for younger gamers, but it might also strike a chord in those who long for an imagination-filled afternoon in the park.
