Littlewood

At heart it's a checklist of chores. But it's such a wonderfully warm, endlessly charming checklist of chores that when they're all done, I'm not going to want to leave.

For people who loved the collect-craft-combat loop of Fantasy Life, this game might scratch that same itch, and it'll certainly take up a fair few hours – even if the "combat" part is missing. Littlewood is an incredibly impressive game for a solo developer, and though none of its ideas go particularly deep, it more than makes up for it in breadth. Fans of the life sim genre should definitely seek this one out.

Littlewood is a wonderful city builder, relaxing life-sim, and collect-a-thon game. I only wish that its social aspects had been a bit more centre focus for it falls short in comparison to all of the other systems in place.

Littlewood defies tradition with its unique premise, proving that Happy Ever Afters really can happen. Having control over how world reconstruction occurs is a huge bonus, enabling everyone to have an individual style with endless scope for personalisation, even with resident demands. Gameplay will stretch into dozens of hours, with you having the freedom to focus on whatever aspect of rebuilding you want, subject to certain quests being carried out.

Decent writing and a good art style keep this game above mediocrity and toying with the town building mechanics is enjoyable. But unless you're specifically looking for another entry in the town sim genre, it's hard to recommend this above other options already available on Switch. Then again, if the more simplistic approach is what you're looking for and the ability to change your town layout on a whim sounds appealing, there are things to enjoy in this quaint Littlewood.

Littlewood is so gosh darn cozy. From the charming characters to the low-stakes RPG fun, there's plenty to love in this interesting entry in the farm-sim genre. It may be the only game of its kind that is truly "pick up and play." Or, like me, you can sink in plenty of hours and get lost in all that cuteness.

Even though Littlewood is a peaceful town building and farming sim that doesn't offer anything new in the genre, it thrives in the soothing, meditative loop of its routines--from harvesting fruits to mining precious stones from ores. There are plenty to busy yourself with, but there's also plenty of time to get to them at your own pace. This means that Littlewood is mostly devoid of the pressures to optimise the grind--an issue that usually plagues other farm sims like Stardew Valley. It's, in short, a charming little distraction from the stresses of our real world.

Littlewood is a chilled out game, with positive vibes and a heart-warming story. The streamlined gameplay makes the game a joy to play, without the hassle of having to switch tools. Sean Young should be very proud of his little game and rightly so. For fans of this genre, Littlewood is a place you must visit. You will be warmly welcomed and live a life of peace and calm.

Littlewood is charming and bright, and wears its “indie spirit” on its sleeve. The developer has created something highly playable that also acts as a lovely homage to the Harvest Moon tradition. By all accounts, Littlewood has been a commercial success, too, on its prior release on PC. That success is deservedly so, but hopefully the developer can invest some of that into some refinements for whatever their next project is, but there’s more ambition in Littlewood than the scope of the budget allowed.

Littlewood is the kind of game where there’s no rush to do anything, because who needs to rush now that the bad times have all gone away? This is what life is life after the events of the main story. What does Link do once he’s rescued Zelda? He probably just chills in the long-grass and enjoys the serenity of a job well done. No one demands anything of the hero because this is their downtime, and by picking up a copy of this fine title you too can bask in the glory of a life where nothing much happens, and that’s just the way we like it.