Lil' Guardsman

Lil' Guardsman is a fun game that expertly combines story and gameplay. It’s built around a loveable central character who finds herself at the core of an interesting although familiar narrative. The deduction mechanics require players to pay attention, but the game also smartly gives them a rewind ability if they want to retcon some choices. There are a few rushed moments toward the end and a few choices feel frustrating. But these are small problems given how good everything else is. I love Lil’ Guardsman because it kept me engaged, gave me space to interact with a wide cast of characters and allowed me to rewind time when my teasing didn’t lead to the expected results.

Lil’ Guardsman is a superb game that excels in just about every area, held back only by a couple of notable flaws that prevent it from earning full marks.

Lil' Guardsman is a truly wonderful comedy game, with Papers, Please style border guarding gameplay in a charming fantasy setting.

It's not like there's a particularly memorable overall narrative here, and it would have helped Lil' Guardsman to feel as mesmerising on a broader scale as it does when you're just... well, being in it. That said, this is an awful lot of charm for the amount of money it costs.

Lil’ Guardsman is so much fun to play. Players will be laughing out loud from the very beginning and will enjoy the fun references and silly jokes throughout. And those that like to play games multiple times will be able to see all of the different options and outcomes. Sure, this is a pretty easy game, but for something that’s mostly about the story and the characters, we didn’t find this too disappointing. If you’re looking for a relaxing, funny time, Lil’ Guardsman is well worth picking up.

Lil' Guardsman is a Papers, Please who never takes itself too seriously. Not for this it is a mediocre video game, indeed: in its fantasy setting Lil' Guardsman can say a lot, thanks to its high-quality writing, allowing the gamer to have a lot of fun with the crazy stories of those who desperately try to enter the castle of Sprawl. Too bad for a space of possibility perhaps too large provided to the player from the first moments of the adventure: a more marked sense of progression would have perhaps guaranteed a more fulfilling experience.

Lil’ Guardsman is a silly, high-fantasy take on Papers, Please that mixes deductive gameplay with goblins and wizards – what more could you want? Well, a tighter story with more consistent quality would have been great, but the end result is still very much worth playing for comedy fans.