Little Bug is a tough platformer that adds some unique gameplay mehanics that ultimately result in a more frusturating than pleasurable experience.

Pros
+ the plot (when present) definitely tugs at heart strings

Cons
- Gameplay is more frusturating than rewarding
- Controls feel very icy (strongly recommend a pro controler if playing on switch)

Overall: Worth a play if you are big platformer fan, and/or enjoy very challenging games. I would be describe this as a game I'm happy exists, but i'd rather watch a let's play or speedrun on youtube rather than actually play the game.

You play as Nyah, a young girl walking home from school. Then, after a fight with her mother, she’s thrown into a dangerous fantasy world and must make it back home, facing all kinds of obstacles along the way. And making offerings to a dead cat.

Visuals

I love the look of Little Bug. It’s a 2.5D sidescroller that takes primarily in the dark. While light is minimal, I wouldn’t describe the game as having a dark aesthetic. It’s actually quite vibrant in places as light is what’s guiding Nyah to her destination.

The backgrounds start out urban and then move into desert.

Sound Effects + Music

I am not a fan of the music in Little Bug. It got repetitive and grating really fast.

Gameplay + Controls

Little Bug could probably best be described as a puzzle platformer. There’s definitely platforming in a sense, as Nyah has to navigate her way across the screen through various obstacles. But she can’t jump or climb or do anything except walk left and right. So how does she get over obstacles? There’s a ball of light that grabs her and swings her over and under. It’s similar to the Pull Stars in Super Mario Galaxy. If you’ve played that one, then you’ll know exactly how to move Nyah.

The only difference is, you have to move the light into position yourself. Which is why I’d consider this a puzzle game as well. The first level has the light in place for you. But once Nyah sets out on her main journey, you have to move the light along with her, often times ahead of her to light the way and pull her across gaps. It’s not always clear where you have to place the light to get Nyah somewhere safe, especially since you can’t see what’s off screen, and there’s no way to move the camera to see. There will definitely be plenty of trial and error.

There’s no combat in Little Bug, but Nyah does have to evade enemies. The one being these glowing hands along the bottom, top, or even sides of the screen depending on the environment. You can’t touch them!

Of course, there are some collectibles to be found along the way. Nyah can pick up random treasures and store them in her lunch box. However, once it’s full you’ll have to decide what to keep and what to give as an offering to this dead cat Nyah finds at the start of the game. I have no idea if it matters what you keep or what you offer. But your offerings do fill in an “Altar” page on the main menu, so that’s interesting.

Replayability

I do believe that Little Bug has replayability. Since it tracks your stats, you could easily set challenges for yourself, like getting through subsequent playthroughs with fewer Ouchies, or go faster, etc. It’s also a great game for speedrunning, if that’s your thing. It’s not mine, but I can see how finding the most optimal routes and working on your timing could be rewarding.

Overall

I enjoyed Little Bug. It was nice to play with an uncommon game mechanic which also happens to be in one of my all-time favorite games.