The Last Campfire

The Last Campfire is a beautifully told tale with a fantastic blend of smart puzzles and eye-catching art direction.

I wanted to play The Last Campfire because I was curious what Hello Games could do with this type of game. What I found was a story I needed, and a game I didn’t want to put down. You’ll likely pull some of your own meaning out of The Last Campfire’s world and characters, but it is a meaning worth looking for. Beyond its narrative value is an excellently designed puzzle adventure that manipulates a few simple mechanics in an incredible variety of ways. The Switch version does have some performance issues and wasn’t without an odd glitch or two, but these were momentary setbacks in a wonderful journey. While the entirety of the Last Campfire only lasts around five hours, it is an adventure you’re unlikely to forget anytime soon.

The Last Campfire is proof of the creators of No Man’s Sky’s ability to conjure up an exciting game of a wholly different genre and scope. This is not a risk, this is a game that leans heavily on those that came before it, but the end result is a comfortable, emotional adventure made to fill one fine afternoon.

The Last Campfire is an unusually freeform puzzle adventure that stuffs its six-hour playtime with conundrums of every kind. While a few puzzle designs deserve more time in the spotlight – or could support whole games by themselves – the game's commitment to new ideas makes for a refreshing change of pace. This is proof that Hello Games don’t have to build a universe from scratch to entertain. More of this, please.

While The Last Campfire might not be bristling with new ideas for the genre, it packs more or less every kind of puzzle you could expect and embellishes the package with immerse charm and creative ingenuity.

The Last Campfire might not be big, but it's clever in all the ways that matter, using its puzzles to represent relatable concerns and obstacles that, sometimes, need a little helping hand to overcome. It's a succinct, complete, so-called 'small' game that's actually got more substance to it than many narrative titles billed as brief experiences, and greater emotional depth than its artwork might suggest. It's a memorable adventure that will appeal to anyone who prefers a mental challenge to a physical one, and who cherishes the small things that make us all who we are, for better and worse.

But when The Last Campfire captivates--which it does so often--it's difficult not to sink into its breezy pacing and satisfying puzzle-solving. It never overstays its welcome or stretches puzzle ideas beyond their limits, letting each one leave an impression despite their brevity. The Last Campfire's narrative contextualizes each of these with small anecdotes, letting your imagination fill in the blanks of its world between worlds to the backdrop of its colorful imagery. It's a consistently relaxing and pleasant experience.

The Last Campfire teaches us that a flame can be rekindled and that we should not be let down by difficulties encountered throughout our lives. What a pity that the technique does not always follow… without these little clashes, The Last Campfire would come close to perfection in its category.

The Last Campfire is a meaningful journey totally worth making.