Lil’ Guardsman blog post explains more about atmosphere the game
It may look “cosy”, but the developer of Lil’ Guardsman says in a new blog that it both is and isn’t fitting into that genre. In the post called “When Cosy met Chaos”, the idea is that developer Hilltop Studios wants to explain while it may look pretty, it also includes quite a bit of violence and mayhem.
The team explains: “Although cosy isn’t the primary genre attributed to Lil’ Guardsman, the game incorporates elements that exude a cosy atmosphere. Although the core puzzle sees the player conducting interrogations at the castle gates as Lil (not cosy!), these are not timed, and there’s a generous rewind mechanic woven into the story (cosy!). Each level is a day in Lil’s life, which breaks the game up into manageable, discrete bursts of play. Additionally, the game features nostalgic references, embraces diversity and inclusivity, and boasts an art style characterized by a gentle and inviting colour palette. Together, these elements combine to create a cosy ambiance that transports players back to the nostalgic comfort of tiptoeing downstairs to watch Saturday morning cartoons”.
Check out the latest gameplay trailer, as well as more from the developer’s blog, below:
Now there are also elements of ‘Lil’ Guardsman’ that separate it from other “cosies”, which include: scored decision-making, light violence and dark/adult humour. Some gamers may find the interrogation/decision-making more stressful than others, which may push it outside their definition of ‘cosy’.
Like other games where you play as a kid protagonist, at first glance, ‘Lil’ Guardsman’ may look like a game that is intended for younger audiences, but the humour, subject matter, game elements and themes are frequently aimed at an adult player. The game also draws mechanical inspiration from ‘Papers, Please’, which has very ‘non-cosy’ vibes to it. ‘Papers, Please’ dives into the moral and ethical dilemmas of immigration in a cruel, unforgiving world (based on a period of 20th century history) filled with propaganda, corruption and violence. Lil’ Guardsman is a fantastical, whimsical response to Papers, Please and is far less bleak. However, as the game goes on and your choices play out, the world events of the Sprawl become more intense and have higher stakes. The humour, light and cosiness never fully disappears from our game, thankfully – our game is going for ‘fun’ over ‘bleak’!
We got hands on with the game back in June, where Lyle said: “Lil’ Guardsman blends the border officer setup of Papers, Please with comedy stylings of a LucasArts adventure to create a truly wonderful experience. If the rest of the game is as good as this demo then it’s definitely going to be one to look out for in the next six months, and if you don’t believe that feel free to spray me with any leftover truth serum”.
Lil’ Guardsman doesn’t have a release date yet, but is coming soon to Steam for PC, where a demo is also available.
