The Last Campfire

 Switch
User Score
7.7

Generally favorable reviews- based on 54 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 37 out of 54
  2. Mixed: 13 out of 54
  3. Negative: 4 out of 54

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  1. EnigmaXtreme
    Oct 11, 2020
    7
    It’s surprising to know that Hello Games is still live and kicking following the whole No Man’s Sky fiasco, me personally I really had no issue with the game when it first came out but then again I never bought into the hype. While it is true that the game has seen major upgrades and revamps since then, I wouldn’t have been surprised to see the initial failure collapse the small studio.It’s surprising to know that Hello Games is still live and kicking following the whole No Man’s Sky fiasco, me personally I really had no issue with the game when it first came out but then again I never bought into the hype. While it is true that the game has seen major upgrades and revamps since then, I wouldn’t have been surprised to see the initial failure collapse the small studio. But Hello Games have perceived and just released their latest title, a much more simple and heartfelt story in the Last Campfire.

    I say story as the game is entirely narrated like it was some sort of bedtime story. You play as Ember who can be charitably described as a tiny walking sock puppet finding themselves washed up in an area that has been described as a place between two others, if you are confused by that statement then you haven’t been playing the same amount of games focused on death as I have lately.

    Like, seriously why are soooo many games focusing on death lately.

    The narration used in the game help convey conversations as well as offer some mysterious insight to the world around you, where even a simple blocked path feels like a serious part of the story. The main goal is to essentially save Similiar sock puppets like yourself who have become “forlorned” in this mysterious place, these are done by entering little puzzles to receive the flame almost like mini versions of Breath of the World’s shrines.

    The puzzles themselves are fairly simple and otherwise harmless which is really what I can say to this game in general, there is no combat whatsoever with the closest thing to death being a hungry pig devouring a giant Venus fly trap plant. The main problem is that the game ends up feeling incredibly respective after a few hours, you arrive at a camp area where you meet a spirit informing me of my fellow travelling sock puppets who are now forlorned, you travel the area, finding the aforementioned sock puppets, finish puzzles that usually amount to “push it-pull it” puzzles and travel to the next area to do it again.

    Ok, it might be a bit unfair to label the game as repetitive. Each area does have its own unique style with some interesting characters to meet along the way and a few curve balls, but most of the time if you are not helping forlorns you are taken Item A to Person B or using your new powers that help you move bigger objects like blocks. However there also seem to be serious performance issues as I found the game would freeze for a second of two while loading up new areas, or just wandering around the world. There were also a few times I found myself getting stuck in areas with no ability to move, forcing me to close out of the game

    The Last Campfire is a simple yet heartfelt story that really anyone can pick up and play, by biggest gripe with it all is that it is far too short and would have really liked to have spent more time in the world with the game barely clocking in at 8 hours. The game is presented in an almost cartoony art style similar to games like Fe and the cel-shaded Legend of Zelda titles, with collectibles scattered around to find. It really is excellent seeing Hello Games learning some lessons from the debacle No Man’s Sky turned out to be, instead of hyping and promising the moon (18 quintillion moons if we are being honest) we instead get a quiet storytime while gazing at the stars.    … Expand
  2. HappyDonnie
    Aug 29, 2020
    9
    Cozy hidden gem, a redemption for the developers. The voice acting is great and makes the game a great experience.
  3. jimbroof
    Sep 22, 2020
    0
    good game w/ puzzles and cute characters. you know what i mean? it's a cute game!
  4. Kristusss
    Aug 31, 2020
    6
    I’m in love with the design, story and mechanics but the visual glitches can’t be denied. Constant frame drops and a lack of polish ruins the experience for an otherwise gorgeous game. If this was supposed to be the redemption of Hello games the bar is set very low. Too bad.
  5. jordanbuck
    Sep 17, 2020
    5
    If you're trying to decide whether this game is worth $14.99: it is. I joined Metacritic just to write this review. This game kept me up last night, it was so fun I didn't want to put it down. The puzzles are creative and the simple game mechanics become more complex as the game moves along. It's a relaxing game, everything about it is designed to make the player feel at ease. It'sIf you're trying to decide whether this game is worth $14.99: it is. I joined Metacritic just to write this review. This game kept me up last night, it was so fun I didn't want to put it down. The puzzles are creative and the simple game mechanics become more complex as the game moves along. It's a relaxing game, everything about it is designed to make the player feel at ease. It's refreshing. I will definitely be playing the game again sometime… Expand
  6. Isthari
    Sep 20, 2020
    0
    Amazing! Great and nice graphics and stylization. Good puzzle game that is not so difficult but sometimes neither easy!
  7. lebk2440
    Feb 9, 2022
    7
    An absolutely beautiful and cute game. This 3D puzzle game had me scratch my head more than once trying to figure out its many puzzles. I was pleasantly surprised with the difficulty. I usually find puzzle games to be somewhat on the easy side with only 1 or 2 more difficult ones. But in The Last Campfire, there was quite a handful of puzzles that I was like: « how the hell am I supposedAn absolutely beautiful and cute game. This 3D puzzle game had me scratch my head more than once trying to figure out its many puzzles. I was pleasantly surprised with the difficulty. I usually find puzzle games to be somewhat on the easy side with only 1 or 2 more difficult ones. But in The Last Campfire, there was quite a handful of puzzles that I was like: « how the hell am I supposed to do that ? » Next thing you know I figured it out and every time it was very satisfying. I thought that most puzzles were above average in their design. It was quite nice to have the narrator talk a bit to indicate that I had made progress in the puzzle, a welcomed hint during those hard ones.

    There were definitely some puzzles that were quite easy but I think it was deliberate to fit in with the context of the story.

    The goal of the game is to reach the last campfire. However you have a journey ahead of you which involves a few different areas. In each area you have a campfire and you must find and help enough Forlorns to progress to the next area. Forlorns are others of your own kind that are frozen in stone due to their lost of hope or personal issues. Each time you reach one, you are presented with a puzzle and upon completion, the Forlorn is saved. To reach every Forlorn in an area you have to navigate this intricate map full of puzzles and a few interesting NPCs.

    I’ve had quite a few issues with the frame rate and loading times. Too often, the game freezes for a few seconds to load. This is quite annoying because it could happen anywhere not just when you change to a different part of the map, it could be right in the middle of a 1 room puzzle. Often, the frame rate randomly dropped significantly. The game was still quite playable though. The game crashed on me once when leaving the last area to reach the end.

    Narration was perfect, that voice fit perfectly with this game. Sound design was extremely good, the stones moving, water, everything was high quality in that department.

    Music was excellent and memorable in some cases.

    5-6 hours to complete.
    7/10    … Expand
  8. rubbadubba
    Dec 7, 2020
    9
    I bought this game for ten dollars and was not disappointed. The art style and narrative draws you in quickly and does not let go. The puzzles were challenging enough but not too hard to the point you want to bash your head against the wall. My only complaint was that were frame rate drops during game play but nothing that hindered my game play. Loved it
  9. arh3399
    Oct 13, 2020
    8
    Really like this game. Its a fun puzzler game with some exploration involved. No combat. Its got a pretty melancholy tone which I really liked and the narration through the game gives it a really storybook type vibe which really worked for it. It took me around 6 hrs to 100% it, but it was def worth the 15 I paid for it. There's a good variety of puzzles and environments to the gameReally like this game. Its a fun puzzler game with some exploration involved. No combat. Its got a pretty melancholy tone which I really liked and the narration through the game gives it a really storybook type vibe which really worked for it. It took me around 6 hrs to 100% it, but it was def worth the 15 I paid for it. There's a good variety of puzzles and environments to the game so I would definitely recommend if you are looking for a shorter budget experience. The game doesn't run super great on sift though, sometimes it freezes for a second or two while it loads, but nothing game breaking.… Expand
  10. Tkellgren
    Nov 22, 2022
    8
    If you're overwhelmed with intense combat in games, the last campfire is a very welcome break, fantastic puzzles, very charming characters, and great aesthetically.

    There is some stuttering on the switch, but it doesn't detract too much from the experience. Highly recommend this if you like puzzle games like portal, Talos principle, things like that. It's not quite as hard as the    If you're overwhelmed with intense combat in games, the last campfire is a very welcome break, fantastic puzzles, very charming characters, and great aesthetically.

    There is some stuttering on the switch, but it doesn't detract too much from the experience.

    Highly recommend this if you like puzzle games like portal, Talos principle, things like that.

    It's not quite as hard as the aforementioned games, bht still presents a decent amount of challenge.    … Expand
  11. Kacek1996
    May 22, 2021
    7
    The Last campfire is the game which we were told we would get (they didn't lie!). It's a comfortable, casual, peaceful and cute puzzle game. It does expect of us to use our braincells, but at the same time it's a game which you can finish in two sessions like I did. The last campfire is really the comfiest game I played in a while, I haven't wanted to finish my session it was that nice.The Last campfire is the game which we were told we would get (they didn't lie!). It's a comfortable, casual, peaceful and cute puzzle game. It does expect of us to use our braincells, but at the same time it's a game which you can finish in two sessions like I did. The last campfire is really the comfiest game I played in a while, I haven't wanted to finish my session it was that nice. Beating it with 100% rather than just finishing didn't make it impossibly hard, so that was nice.. Oh, yes I praised the graphics, but the sound in this little gem is really nice. As I said it's a gem, and that's a thing which brings me back to the indie and puzzle genre.… Expand
  12. sepinoodgames
    Nov 9, 2020
    9
    Story = 8
    Graphics = 8
    Music / Sound = 8
    Game Design = 9
    Game Play = 9

    best puzzle game
  13. ArtOfGaming
    Aug 28, 2020
    8
    Simplemente nos encontramos ante un viaje de lo más emotivo, que cuida los detalles y busca ser bonito ante todo. La calma durante todo el juego la transmite muy bien, es un juego relajante, de lo más placentero que he jugado en todo el año.
    En cuanto a la jugabilidad y las mécanicas nos encontramos con muchos tipos de puzzles, variados y agradables, además no muy complejos. Permite en    Simplemente nos encontramos ante un viaje de lo más emotivo, que cuida los detalles y busca ser bonito ante todo. La calma durante todo el juego la transmite muy bien, es un juego relajante, de lo más placentero que he jugado en todo el año.
    En cuanto a la jugabilidad y las mécanicas nos encontramos con muchos tipos de puzzles, variados y agradables, además no muy complejos. Permite en muchos casos que te pierdas y busques más allá coosas secundarias, que explores el mundo.
    Muy bueno y totalmente recomendable. Mejor en PC, la experiencia en Switch no me ha sido la más agradable, aunque ha sido por fallos muy pequeños.    … Expand
  14. mercurypool
    Aug 29, 2020
    8
    The Last Campfire is a serene, unassuming game. It isn't groundbreaking, it isn't a herald of a new genre. However, all the things it does - it does them well.

    The Last Campfire is an exploration puzzle game. The story drives you between explorable areas, where you find items to advance the story, and stumble upon small puzzles reminiscent of Captain Toad or the shrines in The Legend of    The Last Campfire is a serene, unassuming game. It isn't groundbreaking, it isn't a herald of a new genre. However, all the things it does - it does them well.

    The Last Campfire is an exploration puzzle game. The story drives you between explorable areas, where you find items to advance the story, and stumble upon small puzzles reminiscent of Captain Toad or the shrines in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of The Wild: They are short, have a certain theme and are not extremely frustrating (apart from one or two).

    The story is sweet and characters are charming. The voice acting by the narrator (UK version) is extremely enjoyable. The animation is smooth although I have experienced several severe episodes of dropped frames and one crash while i was playing (Day 1 release).

    All the technical issues can cause some frustration to those who look for a smooth and uninterrupted experience. But all things considered, this is a very pleasant game and I would definitely recommend it to Indie lovers and those who enjoy spending time solving puzzles.

    8/10 for story, music, voice acting and style.
    Points deducted for hardware issues, length (6 hours total) and general lack of ingenuity,    … Expand
  15. sharkeee
    Aug 29, 2020
    9
    An excellent little game. Unassuming, calm, sometimes a little silly and sometimes a little sad.

    The puzzles are not very hard, but fairly diverse (with more than one nod to the Zelda franchise). The characters are adorable, with an altogether colourful and plushy animation style. The whole experience is about 5-6 hours long, perfect for one or two rainy cold winter nights. The voice    An excellent little game. Unassuming, calm, sometimes a little silly and sometimes a little sad.

    The puzzles are not very hard, but fairly diverse (with more than one nod to the Zelda franchise). The characters are adorable, with an altogether colourful and plushy animation style. The whole experience is about 5-6 hours long, perfect for one or two rainy cold winter nights. The voice acting of the narrator is great and carries on throughout the whole game, together with the atmospheric music it creates the soothing narration of a children's book. There's no epic showdown, no blatant moral, no achievement hunting, just moving on, helping others, with a happy melancholy.    … Expand
  16. SplatGrl91
    Sep 1, 2020
    9
    This one was not on my radar, but the art design is what drew me in, and I stayed entranced by its fable about perseverance and mental illness. I nearly cried at the end for how beautifully ended, but I seriously wanted more. For the four-six hour playtime, it's worth the $15, and I can see myself doing multiple play-throughs. None of the puzzles were extremely difficult (except forThis one was not on my radar, but the art design is what drew me in, and I stayed entranced by its fable about perseverance and mental illness. I nearly cried at the end for how beautifully ended, but I seriously wanted more. For the four-six hour playtime, it's worth the $15, and I can see myself doing multiple play-throughs. None of the puzzles were extremely difficult (except for maybe one). Knocking off a point for lags and difficulty loading in puzzles, which took me out of the game for a quick second.… Expand
  17. Pollolishes
    Sep 8, 2020
    8
    I enjoyed the cute graphics and the calming music, it can be a little depressing but it’s cute. The puzzles are great, I’m a little disappointed with the last puzzle. I was expecting a very challenging puzzle at the end but overall good game.
  18. abrus
    Jun 26, 2021
    9
    What a gem of a game this is. The graphics and music are lovely, the story is intriguing and the puzzles and adventure components are really engaging. The stand out feature for me though has to be the superb narration. The narrator's voice is 'mystical' and really enhances the dreamlike atmosphere of the game. I completed the lot in 8 hours over 2 days and thoroughly enjoyed theWhat a gem of a game this is. The graphics and music are lovely, the story is intriguing and the puzzles and adventure components are really engaging. The stand out feature for me though has to be the superb narration. The narrator's voice is 'mystical' and really enhances the dreamlike atmosphere of the game. I completed the lot in 8 hours over 2 days and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. I never got 'stuck' on any of the puzzles and I really love the way this game encourages you to reflect on your own life's journey. If you like the look of the trailer you should definitely give this game a try!… Expand
  19. Antsterr
    Jan 3, 2021
    8
    This was a terrific bargain game. It kind of felt like Captain Toad meets Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver in terms of how the puzzles and world. The story was charming but I may have missed the overall metaphor if there was one to it.
    Wonderful fun game, I'd suggest it to anyone who enjoys puzzle and story based games.
  20. bak64
    Dec 23, 2020
    8
    A beautiful puzzle/adventure with heart-warming message carefully planted in the subtext about mental health. The puzzles are smart and provide a fair challenge, graphics are eye-pleasing and have a sweet Zelda vibe that's always a plus for me. I experienced a bit of framedropping on docked mode but not something to worry about, plays best handheld. A nice little gem overall.
  21. Woofwoof1
    Jan 1, 2021
    10
    This is a great puzzle game that also has a deep meaning for a game. You will feel emotional playing this game, in a positive way. The animation is very cute, the puzzles are clever but not too tough, and the narrator does a fantastic job guiding the story.
  22. Fragproof
    Feb 21, 2021
    7
    The art direction, atmosphere, story, and narration carry this game (I really loved the single narrator for all text - I felt like someone was reading me a story). The puzzles are just fine but not noteworthy. Performance and resolution on the Switch isn't great. I experienced some glitches and one crash.
  23. JAG7
    May 27, 2022
    8
    Beautiful game. Great story , a gem of game.
    Only small things I experienced on my playthrough :
    1.Puzzles- some are pretty easy others are a little complicated.Hit a couple of invisible walls. Had to use a guide. The ingame diary /journal notes don’t help at all. They’re just poetry and story. 2.Framrate- had a couple of crashes and frame drop issues. Nothing that will break the game at    Beautiful game. Great story , a gem of game.
    Only small things I experienced on my playthrough :
    1.Puzzles- some are pretty easy others are a little complicated.Hit a couple of invisible walls. Had to use a guide. The ingame diary /journal notes don’t help at all. They’re just poetry and story.
    2.Framrate- had a couple of crashes and frame drop issues. Nothing that will break the game at all. Pros:
    1.Visuals- are beautiful. Love the music and the graphics.
    2.Story- very whimsical. Very thoughtful .Created a relaxing mood. 3. Controls: work well and are simple
    4. Music: excellent. Complements the mood and ambience of the game
    Overall had a great time. Very relaxing and chill gameplay. Recommended.    … Expand
  24. Stacca
    Aug 22, 2021
    10
    This was one of the most beautiful games I have ever played. The bed time story feel, to the animation and music all assisted in telling deep story about hope, life and death which had me balling by the end. The game play itself is calm, there's no threats to your character and interesting puzzles to complete alonypur journey. This will be my favourite game and one I will recommend to everyone.
  25. Draspe
    Mar 3, 2022
    10
    Simple but varried pussels. Watch a wounderful story unfold. Sometimes made me feel with the guts.

Awards & Rankings

27
#27 Best Switch Game of 2020
46
#46 Most Discussed Switch Game of 2020

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
83

Generally favorable reviews - based on 11 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 10 out of 11
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 11
  3. Negative: 0 out of 11
  1. IGN
    Jan 29, 2021
    90
    The Last Campfire is a beautifully told tale with a fantastic blend of smart puzzles and eye-catching art direction.
    Read full review
  2. Games.cz
    Sep 25, 2020
    80
    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.
    Read full review
  3. Nintendo Life
    Sep 11, 2020
    80
    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.
    Read full review
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