The Little Red Lie

About

The Little Red Lie is a single player platformer game with horror and fantasy themes. It was developed by Tired Moon Studios and was released on April 6, 2021. It received very positive reviews from players.

2D side scrolling, adventure, horror game where you avoid monsters and solve puzzles.

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93%

Audience ScoreBased on 336 reviews

story52 positive mentions

replayability2 negative mentions

Beautiful and unique hand-drawn art style with a distinctive black, white, and red color palette that fits the grim fairy tale atmosphere.
Short and accessible gameplay that combines light puzzles, stealth, and platforming elements, making it an enjoyable experience for a casual playthrough.
Engaging reinterpretation of Little Red Riding Hood with an intriguing story, memorable characters like the cat, and multiple endings to explore.

The game is quite short with limited replay value and can feel padded by unnecessarily long and empty environments.
Lack of manual save options and unclear checkpoints make replaying for different endings somewhat frustrating.
Some gameplay mechanics are under-explained, such as crouching and potion use, and puzzles can be confusing without sufficient guidance.

story
97 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
54%
43%
3%
The story is a short, dark, and creative retelling of the classic Little Red Riding Hood fairy tale, enriched with a unique, eerie atmosphere and compelling twists. While some find it engaging and well-paced with multiple endings, others wished for a longer, more elaborated narrative. Overall, the story is praised for its fairytale-like charm, intriguing concept, and strong integration with the game's beautiful art and sound design.
- “A continuation of a well-known story, with enough of a twist to be absolutely worth experiencing.”
- “Everything seems so magical but in a weird way; the frogs, the dark ambiance, and the story all give a disturbing feeling that keeps you on your guard constantly.”
- “I'd recommend this game; it's a nice revisiting of a classic story with some twists made in an adventure game with monsters and puzzles, highlighted by its beautiful hand-drawn artwork, solid sound design, and fitting dark atmosphere.”
- “Then the story: in my opinion the cat talked and took away too much of the story by being nosy.”
- “I liked the dark fairytale theme but there was so little story that I couldn't stay interested.”
- “The story is barely there.”
graphics
94 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
64%
33%
3%
The game's graphics are widely praised for their unique, hand-drawn, monochromatic art style accented with red, which effectively creates a grim fairytale atmosphere that is both beautiful and captivating. Reviewers highlight the pleasing animations, charming character designs, and cohesive integration of interactive elements within the aesthetic. While some note the graphics are simple or occasionally low resolution, overall the art style is considered a standout feature that greatly enhances the game's mood and storytelling.
- “The artstyle is very fitting for the grim fairytale atmosphere, and the animations are very pleasing to look at.”
- “From the monochromatic black-and-white background with red accents, to the unique art style and sound design, this short and sweet game was beautiful and fun to play.”
- “I'd recommend this game, it's a nice revisiting of a classic story with some twists made in an adventure game with monsters and puzzles, the whole game is highlighted by its nice artstyle and beautiful hand drawn artwork, its solid sound design and its fitting dark atmosphere.”
- “No real guide as to what's supposed to be happening, could not for the life of me figure out the inventory system, underwhelming enemies and some low quality graphics, mainly the 'you died' screen.”
- “There's no options to change the resolution for the game or customise the graphics settings.”
- “There's no way for gamers to try improve the low quality graphics.”
music
32 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
56%
35%
9%
The music in the game is generally praised for enhancing the tense and spooky atmosphere, with several reviewers highlighting its strong contribution to the overall mood and storytelling. However, some note that the soundtrack is limited and repetitive, occasionally feeling out of place or headache-inducing. Overall, the music is well-liked and complements the art style, though a greater variety would improve the experience.
- “Great artstyle, thrilling music, and a short but involving sequel to the Little Red Riding Hood story; this game will entrance you for certain.”
- “The atmosphere in this little game jam is glorious; the color palette and music do some heavy lifting to make the game look just unsettling enough to keep you on your toes!”
- “The background music is more adventure-like for the most part until the wolf enters the screen, where it becomes appropriately spooky in combination with the wolf’s snarling.”
- “I do wish there were more music because it just loops the same song over and over.”
- “There's no interaction with your surroundings other than the objective, the music doesn't fit the game at all and feels like some sort of RPG techno shoot-em-up game.”
- “Regardless, I don't like the music and find it headache inducing.”
gameplay
27 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
41%
48%
11%
The gameplay is generally described as simple, accessible, and easy to understand, with enjoyable but not particularly challenging mechanics. While some find it pleasantly straightforward and engaging, others wish for more depth, variety, and length. The charming art style and interesting story enhance the overall experience despite the gameplay's simplicity and brevity.
- “The art style is gorgeous, and the twists make the gameplay super refreshing.”
- “The gameplay is super fun and the story and art are exciting.”
- “I'm not really a fan of the frogs, and the mechanics aren't necessarily as clear as they maybe should be.”
- “The mechanics are pretty simple so there's only so much time when they keep being entertaining and I feel that running from one side to another for 40 minutes really tests the patience.”
- “As for gameplay it doesn't offer as much since it's short, but it has an interesting puzzle and a compelling story.”
atmosphere
15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
40%
20%
The game’s atmosphere is widely praised for its fitting, grim fairytale vibe enhanced by a unique, dark art style and hand-drawn visuals. The soundtrack and sound design effectively build tension and spookiness without being intrusive, contributing to a captivating and immersive experience. Despite its short length, the combination of art, music, and storytelling creates a memorable and engaging atmosphere that resonates strongly with players.
- “The creepy atmosphere, the dark characters you meet, and the art style make this game a unique and engaging experience.”
- “I'd recommend this game, it's a nice revisiting of a classic story with some twists made in an adventure game with monsters and puzzles, the whole game is highlighted by its nice artstyle and beautiful hand drawn artwork, its solid sound design and its fitting dark atmosphere.”
- “The wolf: because I'm slow I didn't realize the howling wasn't just for atmosphere but it only took me about 20 minutes and 6 deaths to catch on.”
- “The atmosphere is fairly tense and definitely can give people a good spook.”
- “The atmosphere in this little game jam is glorious, the color palette and music do some heavy lifting to make the game look just unsettling enough to keep you on your toes!”
character development
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The character development is primarily praised for its distinctive and charming art style and design, which effectively complement the game's atmosphere and mechanics. While the designs are often described as simplistic, they are well-suited to the game’s tone, contributing significantly to an engaging and memorable experience.
- “I loved so much about the art, the character design, and I think the wolf has a really smart interpretation.”
- “To Red's lovely character design, to the ominous scenery, and of course the monsters with bizarre features - it's the perfect combination of charm and horror.”
- “The abnormal-looking frogs, the wolf design, and Red's character design are really unique and amazing.”
humor
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's humor is highlighted by charming character animations and witty commentary, particularly from the cat and wolf, which add a playful and lighthearted touch. The funny faces and sound effects enhance the comedic experience, contributing to an overall enjoyable and endearing atmosphere.
- “The wolf has a really hilarious up-and-down wiggle, which it does sometimes when you're hiding from it, and makes it hard to take it seriously, but the sound effects from the wolf are great!”
- “This short game is so good The art is adorable, the story is awesome, and the cat's funny faces are perfect!”
- “Plus, the cat has some funny commentary.”
replayability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game offers limited replayability, with users rating its replay value around average (5/10), indicating it may not encourage multiple playthroughs.
- “I also feel the game lacks replayability.”
- “Replay value: 5/10”
grinding
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users find that grinding in the game shifts from feeling engaging to becoming tedious and monotonous over time.
- “There comes a point where it stops being 'intense pacing' and starts just being tedious.”