This has been a struggle, because every single pixel of Lil Gator Game screams a word beginning with “f” that I forbid myself from using in reviews, one that sends a chill down my spine and a cold sweat down my head - fun. If you thought it was another f-word then shame on you, this game’s for kids.

I might have erased that word from my vocabulary long ago, but ‘fun’ is Lil Gator Game’s whole spirit and something that it constantly makes you feel, unlike any other game I’ve played in recent memory. Thanks to its wholesome vibes, charming writing, and an overwhelming sense of childlike wonder and adventure, Lil Gator Game is easily one of my favourites of 2022, and up there with some of my all-time favourite indie games.

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Lil Gator Game has you playing as the titular small alligator as he attempts to drag his older sister, now focused on her university work, into a fantasy game they made up many years ago. To do this, Lil Gator must (or so they believe) befriend everyone on the island by completing ‘quests’ for them to get them involved with the game until their sister can’t possibly refuse to join in one last time.

Lil Gator Game screenshot.

Even though the main plot mostly takes a backseat to exploration and smaller interactions with characters, it hit me pretty hard as a younger sibling who also refused to grow up. It’s rare that we see a story from the perspective of the younger sibling, but the tale here is relatable, heartfelt, and told through witty writing that effortlessly manages to swap between childlike joy, Zelda references, and more mature and deep moments.

It might be easier to label Lil Gator Game a platformer, but it’s more accurate to call it an exploration game. The handmade RPG that Lil Gator and their friends are playing is just a kid’s game crafted with cardboard, so there’s no fall damage, no risk of getting hurt from the wooden slimes, and nothing to consider beyond a stamina meter. It’s a bit like the Whispering Rock segments of Psychonauts, but made into a whole game and with the psychic bears removed.

Since platforming is so risk-free, it isn't really the focus of Lil Gator Game, despite how satisfying climbing up cliffs a la Breath of the Wild and skating, jumping, and running all around the island feels thanks to responsive controls and a weighty gator boi. Instead, the impetus is on exploring the world and choosing how to interact with it. What makes that so much fun (ack) is how creative Lil Gator Game gets.

Lil Gator overlooking the island in Lil Gator Game.

In Breath of the Wild, one of the coolest things that you can do is surf on your shield. At any point, Link can do a flip, land on whatever pot lid he’s using to protect himself, and use it to merrily glide along the floor. As rad as that sounds, the fun will eventually come to an end with the sound of smashing glass and the view of Hyrule’s champion eating the floor.

Lil Gator Game takes that shield-surfing mechanic (and a lot of other Breath of the Wild mechanics, thankfully), politely shuffles the degradation system out of the back door, and encourages you to shield slide all around the island as much as you please, without any consequences. That fun-first approach sums up Lil Gator Game’s philosophy with everything it does, never letting restrictions get in the way of a good time.

As you collect friends around the island, each of them will also give you recipes for new variants for your sword, shield, and glider. A select few of these are just cosmetic and only serve to let Lil Gator style it out, but most of them have unique effects, like the ninja headband making you run like Naruto, or the trampoline shield causing you to bounce all over the place when you use it as a sled.

Lil Gator on his phone in Lil Gator Game.

These items, combined with the lack of any real kind of danger or ways to fail, meant that some of my favourite moments were just messing around on the island, trying to do cool tricks and take funny photos while using whatever tool I’d just unlocked. It perfectly captures that childlike feeling of adventure, exploration, and mucking around like no other game I’ve played. It’s like ignoring the quests in GTA, but without the crime.

Even after I’d hit 100 percent completion and seen everything there was to see on the island, I was still running around the gorgeous areas to take photos with the in-game camera, using different items together to see what would happen, and taking in the sights, sounds, and vibes of the island.

I do wish there was a bit more to do, though. Lil Gator Game’s easygoing vibes suit a shorter experience, but fully finishing the game took me around four hours total, which feels just a little too brief. I guess I wasn’t ready to say… see you later, alligator.

Still, if my only real complaint is that I wanted more, that shows just how much I enjoyed Lil Gator Game. Its unique approach to platforming and exploration, combined with its gorgeous visuals, heartfelt story, and charming characters make it one of my favourite gaming experiences of 2022.

Lil Gator Game review card.

Lil Gator Game is available on Nintendo Switch and PC. We tested the PC version for this review. Review code was provided by the publisher.

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