Papers, Please. This Lil' Guardsman Has Some Decisions To Make

What could be worse than being woken from a nightmare to find a grown-up sitting on your bed and geared up to give ‘the talk’. Bums and willies were the words expected from Lil’s old man; instead, he informs her that now is the time to be the understudy for his shift as he’s going down the pub.

That’s the opening of the Lil’ Guardsman, a ‘narrative-driven deduction adventure’ from Hilltop Studios and Versus Evil, currently available to play as a demo on Steam and releasing on PC and consoles later in the year.

When her dad clears off to watch the Goblinball match over a few ales, Lil masquerades as the head castle guards person, making on-the-spot decisions about whether each visitor can gain access beyond the city walls. Like Papers, Please, or the more recent Know By Heart, you consider the evidence presented and decide whether to let them in. 

Did I mention that you’re paid for each shift?

Lil’ Guardsman Preview

The art style might be the first thing that draws you into Lil’ Guardsman, or if you’re a reader, skimming over those choice words such as deduction, adventure, or even a reference to Papers, Please might be what appeals. The illustrations are excellent, mixing a Cartoon Network style with Netflix’s Hilda, with some pleasant voice acting to boot.

As for gameplay, a visitor will approach Lil and state their business in the city. Lil then has three attempts, or action points, to decide their fate. Options include 

• Interrogation 
• Inspecting an inventory bag for confiscated items or gifts/bribes
• A phone to ask a royal advisor for help 
• A tool cabinet that contains items like a truth spray and a bullwhip.

Once Lil has made their choice or runs out of action points, she uses the Wicket3000 to let them in or refuse entry.

Let The Right One In

Detective work should be evidence-based, but being limited to three actions is tricky. That added challenge comes with the tool selection as these need to be powered by crystals, and even then, they aren’t so reliable.

Interacting with the visitors offers up a few more options, and each time you activate an action point, an icon will show on the screen, allowing Lil to narrow down their decision. For example, a conversation with one of the first visitors went well, though it revealed nothing. However, a quick spurt from the truth spray confirmed that they had other plans. Denied!

After using the Wicket3000 and admitting or denying a guest, you’ll be given a rating screen, awarding four stars for a perfect result. The more you press, the better the result will be. In one scenario, I surmised the character in question was good to go in but received a three out of four score as I hadn’t obtained enough evidence.

There were moments where the Lil’ Guardsman demo felt like literal guesswork as it was not intuitive what to ask next. Still, that’s part of the appeal, and it’s now on my wishlist.

Verdict

Lil’ Guardsman gets admission with two action points remaining. It’s easy to see why these games are addictive, but I’m particularly drawn to the tools available and the associated mechanics. Great visuals, great concept – how about a release date?

Lil’ Guardsman is coming to the PC, Switch, PlayStation and Xbox later in the year. If you have a PC, give the demo a try now.