The Indie Informer

In my review of the base game, I characterized Lil Gator Game as playful, vibrant, joyful, and earnest. Lil Gator Game: In the Dark, though set underground and dominated by Darklord (a small pig in evil cosplay), maintains this core brilliantly. With the addition of charms offering fresh traversal and attacks, a colorful new cast, and a novel narrative that blends whimsy and compassion, our scaly hero’s latest chapter is soul-refreshing.

I stand amid my accomplishments. Colorful towers soar above the playground’s swing set and jungle gym. A crowded market buzzes with community. The all-seeing mystic (my older sister) sits pacified and watchful. And King Tom, the alpaca, has descended from his lofty chambers to deliver a proclamation.

My attire is powerful beyond reckoning. The headband crowning it all grants me super-speed — achieved, of course, by letting my arms flow motionless behind me as I sprint. The sticky arm plastered to my side works as a nearly reliable grappling hook. My impervious pot-lid shield stands ready to defend me against all enemies.

All enemies except the piglet.

Cloaked in darkness — AKA a handmade cape a few sizes too big — the self-proclaimed Darklord threatens the peaceful realm with certain destruction. Luckily for our hero, the onslaught depends on a horde of teenagers who fail to materialize. But that only delays the inevitable. The forces of darkness, the pink villain insists, will rally on the “other side” of the island and be back to crush them all.

These events flow with a seriousness belied by Darklord’s adorable teacup appearance and Lil Gator’s enthusiasm for discovering a new quest. The combination lights a warming candle in me and ignites my eagerness to find the new location.

The “other side,” it turns out, is more underneath. A chasm yawning in the verdant surroundings to tempt my merry crew down into the unknown. Its passages are vast and lead to an interconnecting series of cyclical caverns. The beating, subterranean heart takes the form of a chamber lit by an enormous, glittering lantern. This is where all my companions — old and new — gather.

Three distinct biomes color the world. One sparkles with gushing water. Another rushes with mechanical whirs. The last overflows with myconid life. All contain a teenage minion I need to overcome. To accomplish this, I found myself swinging through the air with reckless abandon, tip-toeing through enemies to deliver silent blows, and running through a choice-filled cinematic episode. The confrontations find creative ways to make me smile.

In between these large clashes are secrets, gear, and side quests stuffed into every crevice. One of my favorites involves an intensely dedicated cryptid hunter who asks for my help in his very real studies. Another introduction exclusive to In the Dark, Charms, opens up new weapon actions.

One grants my weapon the ability to hover when in the air, and I stuck with this type of charm throughout my playtime. A (thankfully inoffensive-looking) spider also gifted me the ability to truly tumble through the air, making traveling through the cavernous room both quick and enchanting.

For all its whimsical offerings, Lil Gator Game: In the Dark finds its true strength in the authentic compassion of its narrative. The villain’s pushy nature and unbending demands stem from a very relatable and vulnerable place. Seeing this, our hero persists, when everyone else has given up, in reaching out to his caped nemesis. When all the heartening action of the game fades from my memory, its uplifting final note will remain.