Developer: Tomorrow Corporation Released: November 2012

Played on: Wii U (also available on PC, Mac, Linux, iOS, Android)

I just wanted something to play on my nifty new Wii U gamepad while we watched TV. ANYTHING! Because after Mario Bros U I was out of Wii U Love. Little Inferno was on sale so I snapped it up, the art-style looked cool and it was the same developers as World of Goo, which I’d liked quite a bit. Played it for about 10 minutes before dismissing it and lamenting my wasted money. It was a game where you chose things to put in a furnace and burn them. And then you watch them burn. And that was it. Turn off the Wii U for a month.

Out of boredom I fired it up again and this time something clicked; there was an extremely intelligent, charming, satirical puzzle game in there! And it was a game brave enough to not spell it out for impatient players like me, but to trust in the player to discover the depth of the game themselves. The main mechanic is as simple as burning items, but the puzzles start with a challenge list that involves burning the correct items together. Each item is unique and needs to be purchased with fake in-game money, that you earn by burning things and solving the puzzles. The pay mechanic and waiting for items to regenerate is a direct jab at modern mobile games, and the burnable items range from directly satirical to completely random.

As you slowly work out the meaning of each clue and open up more of the game, the mechanic remains the same – there is not a whole heap of variety. But its fun to play on the couch with the touchpad, and in the end I spent around 6.5 hours playing Little Inferno and quite enjoying it!

There is a story that runs through the game which is keenly self-aware, and the ending is one of the most unexpected surprises in recent memory. Definitely worth playing it through if you enjoy the game! No further spoilers.

Verdict: If you want a charming and simple word/clue based puzzler that requires a fair bit of patience, or you just like to watch things burn, Little Inferno is for you. Not sure I would’ve enjoyed it as a game that was my sole focus, but I loved it as a distraction while in front of the telly.

Should Bradley play this: Probably not. This is a very quirky game and I’m not sure who to recommend it to. Certainly would recommend it if it turns up cheap on Google Play and Brad is keen to play on his tablet while watching TV.