Lil' Guardsman
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| This article, Lil' Guardsman, has recently been created via the Articles for creation process. Please check to see if the reviewer has accidentally left this template after accepting the draft and take appropriate action as necessary.
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| Lil' Guardsman | |
|---|---|
| Developer(s) | Hilltop Studios |
| Publisher(s) | Versus Evil |
| Platform(s) | PC, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Play Station 5, Switch |
| Release | January, 23, 2024 |
| Genre(s) | Puzzle |
| Mode(s) | single-player |
Lil' Guardsman is a puzzle video game inspired by Papers, Please. It was developed by Hilltop Studios and published by Versus Evil. The game was released on January 23, 2024, for PC, Nintendo Switch, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.[1]
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),[3] 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 six 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.[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]
Reception
| Aggregator | Score |
|---|---|
| Metacritic | 83/100 PC: 84/100 Switch: 83/100 |
| OpenCritic | 84/100 |
| Publication | Score |
|---|---|
| Nintendo Life | 8/10 |
| RPGFan | 90/100 |
Lil' Guardsman has a rating of 83/100 on Metacritic.[5] It also a rating of 84/100 on OpenCritic, with 96% of critics recommending it as of February 3, 2024.[6]
References
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ a b c d "Lil' Guardsman Review". RPGFan. 2024-01-23. Retrieved 2024-02-03.
- ^ "Review: Lil' Guardsman (Switch) - A Disarming Fusion Of Classic LucasArts And 'Papers, Please'". Nintendo Life. 2024-01-23. Retrieved 2024-02-03.
- ^ "Lil' Guardsman". Metacritic. Retrieved 2024-02-01.
- ^ "Lil Guardsman Reviews". OpenCritic. 2024-01-26. Retrieved 2024-02-03.