Hiya, gamers! I’ve got a hot scoop for you from across the pond. The folks over at independent game studio Hilltop Studios have pulled back the curtain on their latest project, ‘Lil’ Guardsman’, in collaboration with Versus Evil. The game’s heading your way later this year, primed to launch on PC, Switch, PlayStation, and Xbox Series consoles. So, buckle up and prepare to be wowed!
‘Lil’ Guardsman’ invites you into the enchanting world of a young lass who steps into her dad’s rather large shoes as the head castle guardsman. The catch? An eccentric crew of visitors are lining up at the castle gates, and it’s up to you to figure out their motives. Your toolset? A beguiling combo of quirky dialogue and a treasure trove of investigative gadgets.
Speaking of gadgets, Hilltop’s latest blog post reveals the arsenal of gizmos Lil has at her fingertips. There’s the cryptic Decoder Ring for those complex codes, the tell-all Truth Spray for those not-so-honest visitors, and the all-seeing X-RAY machine when you really need to see what’s under the hood. And if everything else fails, Lil can always whip out… well, the Bullwhip. Mind you, guardsmen don’t generally whip people around, but sometimes, you need to be a bit firm!
‘Lil’ Guardsman’ is a love letter to classic point-and-click adventure games, infused with a dash of the deduction mechanics found in ‘Papers, Please’. We’re talking a high-fantasy world where the jovial spirit of ’90s Lucasarts adventures like ‘Monkey Island’ reigns supreme. As Lil, you’ll have to make some tricky calls on who gets access to your castle. And remember, every decision can have serious consequences, so keep those wits about you!
This whimsical endeavour is the brainchild of Hilltop Studios, a team born out of a series of “what if” chats back in 2020. They’ve been making waves in the digital storytelling, gaming and multimedia spheres since. Collaborating with them is Versus Evil, a US-based publisher renowned for their work on hits like ‘First Class Trouble’, ‘Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire’ and ‘The Banner Saga’ trilogy. Lil’ Guardsman is available to wishlist now on Steam.
Now, it’s time for you to join the fun! Share your thoughts on this upcoming game in the comments below or pop over to the Gaming.Buzz Community Discord. Let’s get this conversation started, shall we? What do you reckon, are you up for a bit of whimsical detective work?