Just over a decade ago, Lucas Pope revolutionized the indie gaming scene with the release of the now-classicPapers, Please.While it wasn’t the first game to be based around a menial job, it was the first to do so in a way that worked with a greater narrative, making players simultaneously feel like a cog in the machine as they work at being a border guard in Arstotzka who’s just trying to help their family survive, while also putting them in a position where they actually have a chance to impact the stories and lives of others as well, down to the eventual fate of Arstotzka as a whole. All while the challenge of having to properly admit or deny entrants based via spotting inconsistencies in their paperwork was genuinely fun and enjoyable.
As expected, the success ofPapers, Pleasehas led to a lot of similar games based around various menial jobs since then, ranging fromNot For Broadcastto the more recentHome Safety Hotline,to name a couple of examples. And yet with the exception of theNot Tonightgames, there have been few games that have tried to copy the same general structure and feel of Pope’s game, possibly because it has just simply been too unique to even try and copy. But here we are now, with developer Hilltop Studios and their comedic fantasy take on the formula,Lil' Guardsman.Can it actually end up as a worthy successor to the throne of surprisingly enjoyable paperwork?
Parchments, Please
Lil' Guardsmanis the story of, appropriately enough, a young twelve-year-old girl by the name of Lil, who lives above a dive bar with her loving dad in the kingdom of the Sprawl, home to all manner of all manner of fantasy characters, from knights to goblins and even the occasional mole person. One day, while her dad sneaks out to place a wager on the local goblinball game, Lil has to cover for him at his job as the city’s guardsman, determining who does and doesn’t get to enter the city. Things become more complex, however, when Lil somehow finds herself in possession of the Chronometer3000, a device that can rewind time for her while in the guard booth. And then things get evenmorecomplex when Princess Desdemona has to choose a suitor to marry as part of a political alliance, with a wedding set to happen in mere days. So not only is our tween heroine in possession of a powerful magical item, but they’re also in a position where they can use it to potentially shape the Sprawl. Unsurprisingly, chaos soon ensues…
The mere mention of the ability to rewind time might seem like the most obvious way thatLil' Guardsmandifferentiates itself fromPapers, Please, butit’s actually a lot more unique than it first appears. Sure, Hilltop Studios aren’t exactly subtle in wearing their influences on their sleeves, even including at least one direct shout-out to the game. But one you begin playing, it becomes more clear thatLil' Guardsmanhas been able to put its own fresh spin on the formula. Yes, you still go over everything a person can give you and ultimately decide to let someone in or not, then get rated on your performance and earn a paycheck (or get fired, if you messed up too much), but that’s where the biggest similarities end. Where deduction is part of the puzzle inPapers, Please,here it’s way more at the forefront.
Just One More Thing…
Instead of having to process as many people possible within a certain time limit,Lil' Guardsmangives you a specific amount of people to deal with in each level, who you can each take your time with. And instead of dealing with their paperwork, you have to just listen to them and their testimonies and simply use your best judgment, sometimes choosing between following the rules and deciding what’s best for the people yourself. Lil thankfully also has access to a bunch of magic-powered tools to help them out as well, including truth spray, an x-ray and a decoder ring. On top of all of that, Lil can also call up one of the three Council members, be it Councilwoman Ashe, Lieutenant Stryker or Court Jester Malcolm, and get their advice as well. Sounds easy, right?
Well, this is whereLil' Guardsmanthrows a nice curveball at you, that being the fact that you only havethreeaction points to use with each person. you may talk to them, use an item to scan them, call up a council member, or any combo of the above, but once you use up your three chances, you have to make the decision to let them in or not, ready or otherwise. This is where the challenge level presents itself nicely, as you try and get the proper read on someone with a limited amount of opportunities to figure them out. Each character is colorful and wacky, but this can easily disguise their level of importance. And even if you can figure out whether they should or shouldn’t be allowed in, that’s not necessarily going to get you a four-star rating on its own.
To truly excel inLil' Guardsman,you need to figure out the proper combinations of actions to use with each person. Sure, you may be able to spot that someone innocent-looking is a possible murderer and deny them entry, or you can use the x-ray, get their weapon, confiscate it and use that as basis to throw them in prison instead. Not only does this make for stellar gameplay that feels oh-so rewarding when you figure out a four-star solution, it makes for a more rewarding story as well, as you get more insight into each character and the overall role they can play in things. Basically, the better you do at your job, the more intriguing the Sprawl and its inhabitants become.
Return of the Obra Dinn, Next Title from Papers, Please Creator, Out Next Week
Cracking the Code
If it sounds like the gameplay can feel too trial-and-error, that almost feels intentional, thanks to the Chronometer3000. Not only do you have a limited amount of action points with each person, but you also have a limited number of rewinds that you may use each day as well. AndLil' Guardsmanperfectlyfinds ways to integrate the desire to re-do things into the gameplay. When you take your sweet time interrogating a person who insists to be let in immediately and are notified afterward that their ice sculpture actually ended up melting, all it takes is one rewind to be able to put your newfound knowledge to good use, letting them in instantly and getting those four sweet stars. It all adds up to terrific puzzle design that perfectly weaves the narrative into it.
There’s a catch on top of all of that, though. That being the fact that your shed’s items also need power crystals to function to begin with. You get three per day, but luckily you can purchase more in between levels, or at least settle for the knock-off kind that have a fifty-fifty chance of working. Or you can always use the money to upgrade the items, giving them more slots for more possible uses per level. So now there’s a bonus challenge in having to properly manage resources and finances, sometimes selling confiscated items in return (assuming you don’t keep them under the basis they can come in handy with future visitors) or wandering around town during Lil’s time off in order to find ways to make a few bucks. At the very least, you have the opportunity to converse with the locals, who are all well-written, likable, have amazing chemistry (Lil and her goofball dad are unbelievably adorable together) and even terrific voice acting to boot.
A Fantasy Workplace Comedy, You Could Say
Lil' Guardsmanalso has a shockingly good story, in case that wasn’t made clear already, with all sorts of threads including a goblin revolution, a possibly sinister Mages' Guild, and Princess Desdemona’s issues with being seen as little more than a figurehead, clearly having doubts with the wedding as well. There’s deeper stuff as well, including more genuinely-heartfelt moments, but that would be dipping into a bit of spoiler territory. The game also has a great sense of humor as well, with a lot of wit and great delivery put into each bit of dialogue, as well as a clever, droll epilogue for each character at the end of each chapter, based on your choices. The bright, cartoonish, gorgeous art style and magic-fueled anachronistic tech also allow for a ton of terrific sight gags and observations from Lil, from inane morning radio banter that starts each day to nakedly transparent attempts to impersonate important political figures.
Lil' Guardsman’shumor based around a blend of modern and fantasy worlds is easily one of its biggest strengths, leading to a lot of good laughs, but it also leads to one of its few flaws, that being an overabundance of jokes built around pop culture references. There are unsubtle nods toThe Simpsons, Beauty and the Beast, Monkey Island, The Wizard of Oz, Friday the 13thand more, down to a reference toThe Red Green Show.Heck, Malcolm, a major character, is basically a walking reference to theLegend of Kyrandiagames (though I appreciate any opportunity to get those games into the public eye again). It’s a testament to the writing that none of these jokes are any real groaners (save for at least one nod to relatively-current political events), but they do tend to get distracting at times.
Aside from that, though, the only other possible flaw inLil' Guardsmanis the occasional awkwardness during the point-and-click sections between levels, where sometimes the game demandsextremeprecision when it comes to getting Lil into the right spot to examine something. Still, that doesn’t stop things from being enjoyable, and with its terrific gameplay, fresh spins on the forumla, excellent wit, and lovely visuals and music,Lil' Guardsmandoes Lucas Pope proud, and easily gets to ascend to that precious throne (or a throne next toPapers, Please, at the very least).
Closing Comments:
Lil' Guardsmanis a fantastic game that perfectly captures the feel ofPapers, Pleasewhile standing out as its own unique creation thanks to clever gameplay tweaks such as a main focus on deduction, the use of time travel and a limited amount of actions and resources to manage. On top of all that, it has a stellar cast of characters with perfectly humorous writing accompanying them, all backed up with eye-catching visuals. Fans ofPapers, Pleasewill love it, and so will everyone else, so don’t turn down this job opportunity as it leads to something special.
