Little Inferno is terrific the way it is, and doesn't need to conform just to fit inside a box. In the end, it's enough to just snuggle up around the fire and keep it well fed.
One of the most clever and addictive games Wii U has to offer at the moment. If you've just bought Nintendo's new console this is one of the e-shop games that should be on the top of your wish list.
The premise of Little Inferno may sound a tad odd: You buy stuff, and then you burn it. Over and over again. But in fact, this is a game unlike any other this reviewer has ever played, and in a good way. Granted, it is a small game, but it is original, self-aware, self-ironic and self-referencing bordering on the postmodern. It even creates a brand new genre for itself, namely the burn 'em up.
The creepy atmosphere, the single-minded focus on extremely minimal actions, and the mocking self-awareness all contribute to a deft statement on games and how we play them.
This is a charming arcade-puzzler with an interesting approach on storytelling. The concept worked on the PC and it works well on Wii U. But in the end it is just a small appetizer: After little more than three hours the fire is extinguished.
SummaryLittle Inferno is an adventure that takes place almost entirely in front of a fireplace that's about looking up up up out of the chimney, and the cold world just on the other side of the wall.