The Last Campfire (2020)

I got this game by chance, it was recommended to me by Nintendo. It was fast to finish, it took me 7 hours I think.

It was cute and the puzzles were cool to follow and solve, I also enjoyed the little tale, about moving on after death. (At least that was my reading on it), some souls looked lost and stuck in their flaws and couldn't move on, so the puzzles were like their mind stuck in the limbo.

Gameplay: 8 Graphics: 9 Audio: 7 Longevity: 8 Personal Impression: 8 Final vote: 8

Played on Switch. The graphics are very good although there are sometimes some slowdowns (which do not particularly bother you). The settings are very beautiful and help to create the right atmosphere. The audio is nothing incredible but it is adequate. The longevity is right. The puzzles are moderately simple, but it doesn't matter. This little game takes you on a fantastic and poetic adventure. In its simplicity it manages to provide great emotions. And that is the most important thing. Extremely recommended.

I had a whole long review that I was working out in my brain but really all I want to say is

• the puzzles are good but sometimes you could botch a solution and there is no easy way to reset the puzzle other than undo all your work or hard reset the game which is bad IMO
• the story is simple but nice and I even like the asides which state that isolated people are not puzzles to be solved. Good stuff. However, I did not like the one size fits all "finding hope through companionship in the face of extermination" beat. Idk. I'm trying not to be the obnoxious tweeter who says "Not all people feel this way" when the story doesn't say all people feel this way, but that is the only stories that the Last Campfire tells. It didn't ruin the game for me (three stars baby), but it did start to bug me about half way through the game and the feeling never fully left.

I still had fun and got it on sale for three dollars and that is less than like a McDonald's Strawberry Banana Smoothie, and I do think this is better than a McDonald's Strawberry Banana Smoothie.

The title says it all. I cannot express how much I enjoyed this sweet cozy game.

The world is built so beautifully. The music is serene, as is the overall atmosphere.

The story is so touching. You play a little Ember seeking the way to the end, where all embers go as their flames begin to fade, but you've gotten lost, and as you make your way to the last campfire you help others and find your own path and journey. Plenty of metaphors for human emotions, some truly heartbreaking.

This is a puzzle adventure game. Your character can run a little bit but truly it's about solving puzzles to continue the journey. There is a sprinkle of RPG in there, as the puzzles are quite seamlessly integrated into the environment and you interact with some characters and complete quests to move on.

The puzzles are not too difficult - I think I only got a bit frustrated with one of them. You'll probably find yourself flying through the game.

If you enjoy cozy games with a lot of heart and depth, I strongly recommend this one!

Played on the Switch. This game was great, it got 5/5 stars for me because it was really good at exactly what it was trying to accomplish. I think entering the game I had a set of expectations that were all surpassed by this wonderful little game. It is not a long game

There isn't some overarching narrative on a large scale, it's a simple and concise one: help the (super sad-looking) spirits to help yourself via puzzles and answer the question, "Who is that guy following me?" I always love finding smaller titles like this, especially ones that manage to pack an emotional punch without asking me to do a lot of legwork in order to be invested. Spiritfarer is what this title brings to mind as a comparison because you have a death-related, well-drawn, nice soundtrack, platformery "cozy" game. Unlike spiritfarer we are not given narratives to follow or asked to invest ourselves in different characters. I can't emphasize how well this game can warm your heart/make you kind of sad without asking you to even read much.

The writing, soundtrack (sound effects and voiceovers included here), and art are wonderful; they are the reason the game feels so sincere.

I don't seek out puzzle games, ever, but TLC includes amazing puzzles which had me celebrating wins. To really enjoy this game I think you need to be the kind of person who watches the opening scene of a videogame and can appreciate the sentimentality. I played through it at the same time a friend was and although he really enjoyed it and thought it was fun to get through the puzzles (neither of us fans of puzzle games in particular), I enjoyed it more because I was really trying to experience the dialogue and gameplay as I imagine the writers and developers intended.

The game does what it is going for well.

the good:

• the last campfire is a calm and relaxing adventure. the story is emotional and well narrated. a wholesome experience.
• adorable characters, you simply have to love those little embers and all kind of odd creatures and animals in the game.
• despite being most of the puzzles pretty casual, there are still some fun and entertaining puzzle mechanics.
• decent narration throughout the game. it needed some time to get used to, but they did a great job there.
• cute artstyle and graphics. nothing too impressive from a technical aspect, but pretty beautiful nonetheless.
• wonderful and heavy soundtrack, fitting the games laid back atmosphere.
• almost no ui, improving the immersion even further.

the debatable:

~ the puzzles are generally bare bones and quite easy, so keep that in mind and don't expect a brain crumbling puzzle experience or you'll be disappointed. if you're not that good with more complex puzzles and/or just want to have a good time without any bigger sticking points and a decent game flow, this is the game for you.

the bad:

• animations and controls of the boat parts later in the game were horrendous.

PROS

• Gots that old-school adventure game charm to it
• Somber setting has a nice little air of mystery to it
• Good diversity in puzzle types
• Overall structure and design feels organic and not overly rigid

CONS

• Saccharine, cutesy fairytale-esque plot is a bit much
• Only a few of the puzzles have any real challenge to them
• Having a single actor both narrate and voice every character in the game was not a great idea. I understand working on a budget, but going without VA entirely would've worked much better.
• Surprisingly buggy and unpolished for such a simple game

So sweet! A really nice experience with the perfect length. The puzzles jut fit and are well balanced. Without any stress - just simple delight . Each Forlorn brought me to Zelda's Shrine - so It was definitely a bonus.

The only thing that bothered me was the narration in general. The game has such a powerful visual that the intermittent voice of God felt redundant. But it didn't affect my enjoyment. The end was perfect - a story about grieve and hope, and I'am still trying to say goodbye to that little world.

This game was something special. From the opening moments if the game to the shirt but satisfying ending I was entranced and enthralled and couldn't take my eyes if the screen. When I wasn't playing I was thinking about playing and that's always the mark of a great game.

Ember has got to be one of the cutest little characters I've ever had the pleasure of playing. From his climbing animation to his running to how he helps and interacts and saves his people is very endearing. I loved the graphics in this game. They are just so smooth and crisp and feel perfect for this world that's been created.

And the world is like the perfect size. Each space that I began to explore and find my way around I thought I was going to lose track of where I was. But not once did that happen. The game does a great job of teaching you where you're at and what you're doing without hand holding and it feels brilliant.

The puzzles in the game were very well done. I never once felt like I was a genius, how some puzzle games can make you feel, buy I did feel like they were at an almost perfect difficulty for this game. You'll have to manipulate the environment with your trusty Lanthorn, adjust pipes, and roll blocks and barrels to figure out how to accomplish these things. I only got stuck twice, and only one of those times was it rage inducing. Overall a strangely relaxing set of puzzles that I would gladly do more of.

I gotta talk about the narration briefly too. It was absolutely perfect. I loved it! From the moment she started talking it just felt so perfect, like most everything in this game. Absolutely wonderful.

I highly recommend this game. It's got a whimsical story and feel to the whole game and it's been one of my favorite games I've played this year. And I've played some great ones so far. Hello Games deserves to be applauded for this gem and I hope we see more games similar to this from them.