Lil' Guardsman

Last updated
Lil' Guardsman
Lil' Guardsman Cover.jpg
Developer(s) Hilltop Studios
Publisher(s) Versus Evil, TinyBuild
Platform(s) Windows
macOS
PlayStation 4
PlayStation 5
Nintendo Switch
Xbox One
Xbox Series X/S
ReleaseJanuary 23, 2024
Genre(s) Puzzle
Mode(s) Single-player

Lil' Guardsman is a puzzle video game developed by Hilltop Studios and published by Versus Evil and TinyBuild. The game was released on January 23, 2024; it is one of the last video games published by Versus Evil after their dissolution in 2023. [1]

Contents

In Lil' Guardsman, the player takes the role of Lil, a 12-year-old girl who must do her father's duties as a guardsman. Players must decide to admit, deny, or (later) arrest different characters, and the player's choices have an impact on the story. [2]

Gameplay

In Lil' Guardsman, the player takes the role of Lil (short for Lilith), a 12-year-old girl who must do her father's duties as a guardsman for the fantasy kingdom of the Sprawl. Players must decide to admit, deny, or (later) arrest different characters, and the player's choices have an impact on the story. Lil has three action points for each character who wishes to enter the Sprawl. Each action point can be spent on interrogation, calling one of the three royal advisors for their opinion, or on one of five tools available. The tools also require power crystals to operate, and they can only hold a limited amount. However upgrades can be purchased to provide the tools with more uses. Players can also retry any interaction, but they only retry a limited number of times. [3]

The player can also travel to other parts of the Sprawl between shifts, allowing players to see the results of their decisions and occasionally making them do something which impacts the story. [3]

Plot

The game starts with Lil's father Hamish, who is a guardsman in the Sprawl, making Lil fill in for him at the guard shed so he can make a bet on a goblinball game. [4] Lil is reluctant to take her father's job because she is still a kid. What she thinks is a one-time event becomes routine because she proves to be very good at the job. Lil also becomes a test subject for a time machine called the Chronometer3000, which helps as it allows her to go back in time to retry any interaction. [3]

Development

Lil' Guardsman was developed by Hilltop Studios, and was supposed to be published by Versus Evil. When Versus Evil shut down in December 2023, [5] the game was moved to the parent company, TinyBuild. [6]

Reception

Lil' Guardsman has a rating of 84/100 on Metacritic for the Switch version, 81/100 for the PC version, and 86/100 for the Xbox Series X version. [8] It also a rating of 84/100 on OpenCritic, with 93% of critics recommending it as of February 29, 2024. [9]

Awards

The game was nominated for "Debut Game" at the Indie Game Awards. [10]

Related Research Articles

Link (<i>The Legend of Zelda</i>) Protagonist of The Legend of Zelda

Link is a fictional character and the protagonist of Nintendo's video game franchise The Legend of Zelda. He was created by Japanese video game designer Shigeru Miyamoto. Link was introduced as the hero of the original The Legend of Zelda video game in 1986 and has appeared in a total of 21 entries in the series, as well as a number of spin-offs. Common elements in the series include Link travelling through Hyrule whilst exploring dungeons, battling creatures, and solving puzzles until he eventually defeats the series' primary antagonist, Ganon, and saves Princess Zelda.

In the Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) fantasy role-playing game, alignment is a categorization of the ethical and moral perspective of player characters, non-player characters, and creatures.

<i>Doom 3: Resurrection of Evil</i> 2005 video game

Doom 3: Resurrection of Evil is a survival horror first-person shooter video game developed by Nerve Software and published by Activision. It was released for Microsoft Windows worldwide on April 4, 2005, as an expansion pack and sequel to Doom 3 and on October 5, 2005, for the Xbox video game console. The Xbox version does not require the original Doom 3 in order to play, and includes The Ultimate Doom, Doom II: Hell on Earth and Master Levels for Doom II. A remastered version of Resurrection of Evil was included with Doom 3: BFG Edition.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Indie game</span> Class of video game, generally independently published

An indie video game or indie game, short for independent video game, is a video game created by individuals or smaller development teams without the financial and technical support of a large game publisher, in contrast to most "AAA" (triple-A) games. Because of their independence and freedom to develop, indie games often focus on innovation, experimental gameplay, and taking risks not usually afforded in AAA games. Indie games tend to be sold through digital distribution channels rather than at retail due to a lack of publisher support. The term is analogous to independent music or independent film in those respective mediums.

Evil Hat Productions is a company that produces role-playing games and other tabletop games. They are best known for the free indie RPG system Fate, Blades in the Dark, and Thirsty Sword Lesbians, all of which have won multiple awards.

Construction and management simulation (CMS), sometimes also called management sim or building sim, is a subgenre of simulation game in which players build, expand or manage fictional communities or projects with limited resources. Strategy video games sometimes incorporate CMS aspects into their game economy, as players must manage resources while expanding their project. Pure CMS games differ from strategy games, however, in that "the player's goal is not to defeat an enemy, but to build something within the context of an ongoing process." Games in this category are sometimes also called "management games".

Ashley Graham is a character in the Resident Evil survival horror video game series created by the Japanese company Capcom. Introduced in the 2005 video game Resident Evil 4, she is the daughter of the game's sitting President of the United States. She is briefly held captive by the Spanish cult Los Iluminados as a means of gaining influence over the United States President before being rescued by the game's protagonist, Leon S. Kennedy.

No Time to Explain is a platform game developed and published by tinyBuild. Designed by Tom Brien and Alex Nichiporchik, it is the successor to Brien's browser game, released on January 6, 2011. No Time to Explain has been released on Linux, Microsoft Windows, and OS X. A remastered version of the game, No Time to Explain Remastered, was released for Linux, Microsoft Windows, OS X, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. A Wii U version was planned, but never released.

<i>Transformice</i> 2010 video game

Transformice is an online multiplayer free-to-play platform and indie game by Atelier 801. Created by French game designers, Melibellule produces the game's artwork and graphics, while Tigrounette programs the game's functions and mechanics. Transformice was released as a browser game on May 1, 2010, and on Steam as a free-to-play game on January 30, 2015. Transformice requires either a web browser running Adobe Flash Player 9.0+, Adobe AIR to run the official standalone or Steam to play the game. As of 2012, the game has 10 million accounts created, 60 million as of 2015, 70 million as of 2017, and 100 million as of 2019.

<i>The Adventures of Shuggy</i> 2011 video game

The Adventures of Shuggy is a puzzle-platform game developed by British studio Smudged Cat Games and published by Valcon Games. It was released June 15, 2011 for the Xbox 360 via Xbox Live Arcade, for Microsoft Windows on June 13, 2012, and for Linux and OS X on October 30, 2015. It follows the vampire Shuggy as he seeks to rid his newly inherited mansion of its undesirable inhabitants.

<i>Cinders</i> (video game) 2012 video game

Cinders is a visual novel video game based on the Cinderella story that was developed and published by Polish indie studio MoaCube for Windows and Mac OS X in 2012, Nintendo Switch in 2019, and PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in 2020. The game was developed and published by MoaCube.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Powered by the Apocalypse</span> Design framework for tabletop role-playing games

Powered by the Apocalypse (PbtA) is a tabletop role-playing game design framework developed by Meguey Baker and Vincent Baker for the 2010 game Apocalypse World and later adapted for hundreds of other indie role-playing games.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Versus Evil</span> US-based video game publisher

Versus Evil LLC was an American video game publisher founded by former ZeniMax Online Studios marketing director Steve Escalante to focus on the independent video game market. Versus Evil was bought by another publisher, tinyBuild, in November 2021. On December 22, 2023, all Versus Evil staff were laid off and the company was shut down.

tinyBuild American video game publisher

tinyBuild Inc. is an American publisher of indie games based in Bellevue, Washington. The company was established by Alex Nichiporchik and Tom Brien in 2011 to expand Brien's game No Time to Explain into a commercial release. Building from the success of the game's Steam release in 2013, tinyBuild partnered with DoubleDutch Games for the development and release of SpeedRunners, which landed tinyBuild further publishing deals. Since March 2020, the company has been founding or acquiring new studios to expand. It became a public company on the Alternative Investment Market in March 2021.

<i>Clustertruck</i> 2016 video game

Clustertruck is a 2016 platformer game developed by the Swedish independent studio Landfall Games and published by tinyBuild. The game consists of nine worlds in which the player must navigate by jumping on moving trucks to avoid obstacles and the ground, culminating in a boss fight. This concept originated from Landfall Games's founder, Wilhelm Nylund, picturing himself leaping across trucks to escape traffic. Clustertruck was released for Linux, macOS, the PlayStation 4, Windows, and the Xbox One in September 2016, followed by a version for the Nintendo Switch in March 2018. While praised for its gameplay, graphics, and original soundtrack, Clustertruck's Nintendo Switch port was primarily criticized for its controls.

<i>Hello Neighbor</i> 2017 video game

Hello Neighbor is a survival horror stealth game developed by Dynamic Pixels and published by tinyBuild. Initially released as public alphas from 2016 to 2017, it received a full release for Windows and Xbox One on December 8, 2017, and later for PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, iOS, and Android on July 26, 2018.

<i>Hades</i> (video game) 2020 video game

Hades is a 2020 roguelike action role-playing game developed and published by Supergiant Games. It was released for macOS, Nintendo Switch, and Windows following an early access release in December 2018. It was later released for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S in August 2021, and was released for iOS in March 2024 through Netflix Games.

<i>Town of Salem</i> 2014 video game

Town of Salem is an online multiplayer game with social deduction and strategy elements. It was developed and published by indie game developer BlankMediaGames, and released on December 15, 2014. Early alpha and beta versions were browser-based and free-to-play. On October 14, 2018, the game was released for iOS and Android mobile devices after a successful and long-supported Kickstarter fundraiser.

<i>Paralives</i> Upcoming video game

Paralives is an upcoming life simulation indie game by Paralives Studio for Windows and macOS. The game, heavily inspired by The Sims, features house building and management in a small town. It is scheduled for release in early access in 2025.

<i>A Short Hike</i> 2019 video game

A Short Hike is an adventure video game by Canadian indie game designer Adam Robinson-Yu. It is an open world exploration game in which the player is tasked with reaching the summit of a mountain to get cellphone reception. The game was released for Microsoft Windows, macOS, and Linux in July 2019, for Nintendo Switch in August 2020, and for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in November 2021.

References

  1. ↑ Williams, Demi (2024-01-10). "Lil Guardsman is coming to PC and consoles this month, inspired by Papers, Please and Night in the Woods". TechRadar. Retrieved 2024-02-03.
  2. ↑ Bishop, Rollin (2024-01-26). "When you're a 12-year-old gate guard covering for her dad, sometimes you have to jail a horse that's two men". gamesradar. Retrieved 2024-02-03.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Lil' Guardsman Review". RPGFan. 2024-01-23. Retrieved 2024-02-03.
  4. 1 2 "Review: Lil' Guardsman (Switch) - A Disarming Fusion Of Classic LucasArts And 'Papers, Please'". Nintendo Life. 2024-01-23. Retrieved 2024-02-03.
  5. ↑ Stedman, Alex (December 22, 2023). "Indie Publisher Versus Evil Is Shutting Down, Entire Staff Laid Off". IGN . Retrieved December 22, 2023.
  6. ↑ "Yes! Our games will still be available as part of tinyBuild's catalog going forward, including our upcoming releases". X (formerly Twitter). 2023-12-23. Retrieved 2024-02-29.
  7. ↑ LeClair, Kyle (February 6, 2024). "Review: Lil' Guardsman". Hardcore Gamer. Retrieved September 20, 2024.
  8. ↑ "Lil' Guardsman". Metacritic. Retrieved 2024-02-01.
  9. ↑ "Lil Guardsman Reviews". OpenCritic. 2024-01-26. Retrieved 2024-02-03.
  10. ↑ Hannah, Zoë (November 19, 2024). "The Indie Game Awards its nominees for Game of the Year 2024". Polygon . Vox Media . Retrieved November 19, 2024.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.