Little Bug

A storybook with half the pages missing, Little Bug rushes towards an ending whilst attempting to leave everything in the dust, including its fantastic gameplay. Take your time and you’ll find a shining core of fun, challenge, and excitement, failing to be extinguished by its lacking narrative.

87%Game Brain Score

gameplay, music

96% User Score Based on 46 reviews

Critic Score 77%Based on 3 reviews

Platforms

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About

Little Bug is a single player platformer game. It was developed by Bela and was released on June 12, 2016. It received mostly positive reviews from critics and overwhelmingly positive reviews from players.

"Little Bug" is a polished proof of concept game where you play as Nyah, a young girl who has lost her mom and gained telekinetic abilities. With the help of a spirit companion, you navigate a surreal world between life and death using a twin-stick control system. Solve fast-paced puzzles and guide both Nyah and the spirit creatively to uncover the mystery of Nyah's disappearing mom.

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96%

Audience ScoreBased on 46 reviews

gameplay16 positive mentions

Little Bug features a unique art style and sound design that create an engaging atmosphere, making it visually and audibly appealing.
The gameplay mechanics, particularly the orb mechanic, are innovative and provide a fun and challenging platforming experience.
The game offers a fair price for its content, with a satisfying length that includes bonus levels and collectibles, making it a worthwhile indie title.

The game is very short, with some players completing it in under an hour, which may leave some feeling unsatisfied with the overall experience.
There are significant issues with padding and unskippable cutscenes that can detract from the gameplay flow and respect for the player's time.
The story is considered bland and unmemorable, lacking depth and engagement, which may disappoint those looking for a strong narrative.

gameplay
40 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
52%
8%
The gameplay is praised for its unique mechanics, particularly the orb and tether systems, which offer engaging and challenging platforming experiences. Players appreciate the game's art style, sound design, and the rewarding exploration of its levels, although some find the keyboard controls limiting. Overall, the game is considered a hidden gem that combines fun mechanics with a captivating atmosphere and story.
- “Completing levels using little bug's tether/jump mechanic was exhilarating and exploring all that the levels had to offer was really rewarding.”
- “The actual gameplay mechanic is challenging at first but eventually becomes exciting, with a very different play style than many platformers I've played.”
- “The game doesn't fully explore its main mechanic until the bonus levels.”
- “Between these three mechanics, you can use the spirit light to jump arbitrarily high whenever there isn't a roof, which can allow you to skip multiple parts of the game and easily achieve well over a minute's airtime.”
- “This game has its presentation down, and its unique mechanic of a buddy-system style grappling hook feels really well implemented and is the basis for some fun and occasionally pretty challenging platforming.”
music
26 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
46%
42%
12%
The music in the game is widely praised for its uniqueness and ability to enhance the overall atmosphere, with many reviewers noting it as one of the best soundtracks they've encountered. The combination of engaging sound design and a relaxing score contributes significantly to the game's immersive experience. However, some players have pointed out that skipping certain sections can lead to overlapping music tracks, which may detract from the intended auditory experience.
- “Love the art, music, and gameplay.”
- “The music and setting were wonderful, the best I've encountered in a while.”
- “Not only is its sound design integral to its atmosphere and story, but the music is some of the best video game music I've ever heard.”
- “Also skipping these sections will skip triggers to end music tracks, so by the end you will have multiple songs playing.”
- “Some aspects remind me of Valley or Shapes and Beats also (minus playing to the music).”
- “I'd be remiss to not mention this game's soundtrack.”
story
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
36%
50%
14%
The game's story is described as a mix of blandness and emotional resonance, with a narrative that unfolds primarily through item descriptions rather than a traditional plot. While some find the story lacking in depth, others appreciate its subtlety and the way it complements the unique art style and atmospheric sound design, creating a dreamlike experience. Overall, the story is seen as charming and impactful, despite its brevity.
- “Challenging, fun with an emotive story that hits home.”
- “A lovely little game with enjoyable gameplay, a unique aesthetic, and an important story.”
- “It uses a unique atmosphere and platforming mechanic to tell a story that is at once subtle and impactful.”
- “The story opens with some standard 'this weird kid is stressing out her mom, and then she possibly goes to some fantasy land.' It’s fine, but the meat of the narrative shines in the item descriptions as you scrounge around levels looking for these little trinkets.”
- “Not a ton of story, but it maintains a charm with the little bit there is.”
- “Plus, it is short enough to not need more than a token amount of story.”
graphics
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
25%
The game's graphics are widely praised for their unique and beautiful art style, which combines elements of beauty and unsettling imagery, creating a dreamlike quality reminiscent of classic titles like Super Metroid. Players appreciate the engaging artwork and the overall aesthetic, noting that it enhances the gameplay experience. However, some users mention control limitations when using a keyboard, which could detract from the enjoyment of the orb mechanic.
- “The graphics are stunning.”
- “The game's art style manages to be completely beautiful and unsettling at the same time, which gives it this dream-like quality that I really dig, like if Super Metroid's creepiness were coupled with an emotionally resonant story.”
- “The art style and music are unique and entrancing.”
atmosphere
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
33%
The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its unique blend of cool music and sound design, which significantly enhances the storytelling experience. Reviewers note that the platforming mechanics contribute to a subtle yet impactful narrative, making the overall ambiance both engaging and memorable.
- “It uses a unique atmosphere and platforming mechanic to tell a story that is at once subtle and impactful.”
- “Not only is its sound design integral to its atmosphere and story, but the music is some of the best video game music I've ever heard.”
- “Cool music and atmosphere.”
emotional
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the game emotionally impactful, noting its ability to evoke strong feelings through a beautifully unsettling art style that creates a dreamlike atmosphere. The combination of creepiness and a resonant narrative enhances the emotional experience, reminiscent of classic titles like Super Metroid.
- “The game's art style manages to be completely beautiful and unsettling at the same time, which gives it this dream-like quality that I really dig, like if Super Metroid's creepiness were coupled with an emotionally resonant story.”
- “This game made me feel feelings.”