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Developer(s): Tomorrow Corporation
Composer(s): Kyle Gabler
Platform(s): Wii U, OS X, Windows, Linux, iOS,
Android, Switch
Release date(s): November 18, 2012
Mode(s): Single-player

Soundtrack: for free available here

From wikipedia:

Little Inferno is a 2012 video game developed by independent game developer Tomorrow Corporation. The game was released as a downloadable game for the Wii U, OS X, Windows, and Linux platforms.

Little Inferno was developed by Tomorrow Corporation, an independent game developer consisting of three people: Kyle Gray, Kyle Gabler, and Allan Blomquist. Gray previously worked on Henry Hatsworth in the Puzzling Adventure, while Gabler and Blomquist worked on World of Goo.

From the official site:

Congratulations on your new Little Inferno Entertainment Fireplace!
Throw your toys into your fire, and play with them as they burn. Stay warm in there. It's getting cold outside!

Burn flaming logs, screaming robots, credit cards, batteries, exploding fish, unstable nuclear devices, and tiny galaxies. An adventure that takes place almost entirely in front of a fireplace - about looking up up up out of the chimney, and the cold world just on the other side of the wall.

Tomorrow Corporation (Windows now, Mac/Linux unlock later)
You can get it here. If you already got the game and would like to update to the final build, just re-download from the Humble Store. If you lost your download link, you can always retrieve it here. This purchase also comes with a Steam key.

Steam (Windows now, Mac/Linux unlock later)
You can also get the game directly on Steam. (Should be final in 2 or 3 hours, if not already by the time you read this.)

Nintendo Wii U eShop (Wii U)
You can get the Wii U version directly from your brand new Wii U console!

Teaser

Trailer 2




Reviews from the worst to the best rating (more or less):


IGN 50%

The vague story and uninspired puzzles weren't special enough to keep my attention after that initial sense of awe waned, though, and when viewed alongside some annoying constraints that make the gameplay feel unnecessarily constrained, Little Inferno's few great ideas fall apart like so much ash.

Edge Magazine 60 %

There's enough charm here for Little Inferno to get by, but sometimes you might consider taking its advice and stop feeding the flames.

4Players
60 %

Little Inferno is a charming arcade-puzzler with an interesting approach to storytelling. But as soon as your curiosity gets worked up the game is already over. Nonetheless an interesting snack for your lunch break.

GamesRadar 70 %

Though it's a little too short and a little too expensive, the mostly unseen world outside the Little Inferno Entertainment Fireplace is charming and impressive, and absolutely worth experiencing.

Vandal Online 70%

It's surprising and satisfying, but definitely not for everyone. Actually, it's not a standard game and not even close to World of Goo. Recommended for those who enjoyed games like Doodle God or simply love that "special something" Tomorrow's Corporation's titles have.

Eurogamer 80%

Its central mechanic is truly empty and truly compulsive, and yet the barest, most devastatingly mindless circuit of its interactions is redeemed by the wonderful art and the sly imagination on display.

SpazioGamers 80%

Tomorrow Corporation's first work is a total success. The story, the game mechanics and the atmosphere are awesome, and we totally recommend playing this title.

Honestgamers 08 out of 10

On one hand, it’s a little disappointing that a company with such a strong puzzle background decided to make a toy instead of a puzzle game. On the other hand, it’s a pretty interesting toy with a great atmosphere and a story that may actually make you think. (More ambivalence! How meta.) Don’t play Little Inferno if you’re looking for something in the family of World of Goo in gameplay terms (aesthetics are a different story, though, since both games share a similar style). It has more in common with The Unfinished Swan and Dear Esther than Henry Hatsworth. Little Inferno is something you should play if you appreciate weirdness and humour, with a well-crafted atmosphere… no matter how unsettling it can sometimes be.

3DJuegos 88%

An original videogame with much more than it appears. It's an enchanting story about the friendship and the life from the point of view of a child that enjoys burning toys.

Joystiq 4 Stars out of 5

You might think that Little Inferno sounds boring, but even though it willfully and intentionally wastes your time, it's not a waste of time itself. 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. And even though it gleefully wastes our time, it doesn't waste too much of it – it might take you a few hours to complete, even with a healthy bit of screwing around.

NintendoWorldReport 9 out of 10

So is Little Inferno a game? I'd wager that it doesn't even matter. Adopting the rigid structure of a more traditional game would do more harm than good in its case. 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.

Jay is Games
4.8/5

But what really makes Little Inferno work, more than its striking original design and simple addictive gameplay, is its clever storytelling. I bought Little Inferno for myself because after reading all the information and watching the trailers, I still wasn't sure what it was all about. I sat down to play it to evaluate it, and couldn't quite pull myself away from it until I finished it hours later. If you're not going for 100% combo completion, you can likely spend around four hours or more on it, but in that period of time Little Inferno manages to convey a surprisingly affecting story and some unexpected emotion. I may have possibly considered the notion of maybe tearing up a little bit at the end. It's beautiful, sneaky, strange, and with a style all its own, and serves up its addictively simple gameplay with a dose of heart to boot. Little Inferno is the sort of game that sneaks up on you, and if its striking atmosphere and intriguing concepts draw you in, it'll keep you warm as long as you park yourself in front of the hearth. Just don't forget... you can go as far as you want.

Negative World 91 %

In the end, I believe that despite some weaknesses, Little Inferno works, and it does so on two levels. On the first level, you have what is perhaps one of the most poignant commentaries that we have seen in video games, taking corporatism, consumerism, isolation, environmental concerns, and more and tying them all together in a brilliant (if understated) narrative. On the second level, it taps into the primal urge to BURN EVERYTHING IN SIGHT. Our ability to recognize and appreciate the subtext of the game while still enjoying the gratuitous nature of the gameplay may just add a third level to the mix, revealing the hypocrisy in us all.

Now leave me be. I need some more time to bask in the warm glow of the flame...

Other reviews:


Shacknews

By the time I reached the finale, I wasn't quite sure what I had just witnessed. Somewhere along the way, the game had transformed from an entertaining way to spend some down time to a commentary on life, and the haunting music in the background at the end definitely added to the surreal experience. Definitely not something I expected when I burned my first plushie.

Some may not care for the ending, while others may not mind a little sentiment. Either way, Little Inferno's creativity and style are refreshingly entertaining and definitely worth experiencing, even if all you're looking for is an homage to those camping trips of yore.

NeoGAF impressions:

Just played and beat it the other day. I'm missing a few combos, but I think I am done with it. It was a surprisingly addictive experience. It is a semi-game of sorts, with a really interesting story happening in the background as you are burning things. It gets emotional and has a good twist at the end. I ended up picking it up for the Wii U, but I would be amiss if I didn't mention how short it was for the $15 price point. I finished the game in 3:30~ hrs, and, as I mentioned, only have a handful of combos left.

So it is a great experience that is a bit too short for its price.


PS: Amazing music.

Hooray, an OT.

That honestgamers review is by me.

Love this thing.

spent an hour with this weird thing... still weird

I got this last night and played for 2.5 hours straight. There's something really captivating about it that's non-conventional. It's even like that in the manual and tutorial text. "There's no levels, no score, no time, and you make more money than what you spend. But is there an end?"

I got 34 combos. Just before opening up Catalog #7. Now the combos are getting more challenging and require some creative thought & reading of the catalog item descriptions.

I strongly suggest playing this game. The presentation & pacing is great for being so simple.

I also finished it in about that same amount of time, but I probably had more combos missing. I agree that the ending was a little bit abrupt in terms of timing, but it was kinda neat story-wise. It was definitely engaging/confusing/intriguing, and I played it to the credits in one sitting. I spent another hour or so getting the rest of the combos and collecting everything.

I probably went quicker through the completion phase because my wife had gotten a lot of the combos on her account. She only unlocked the next catalog after getting all the previous combos, which seemed to help in terms of figuring out what's needed for certain combos. Her final game time on the save is almost 10 hours.

2 hours in and I love it. Definitely not for everyone, but I think it's great.

You posted my review (Negative World.) Sweet! I loved this game! I'm still playing it now, trying to finish up the last few combinations (couldn't get them all done in time for my review, and don't want to cheat and look them up.)

I also introduced my brother-in-law to it at Thanksgiving and he seemed to not "get it" right away but like 20-30 minutes later everyone else was eating dinner and he was still sitting there in the basement burning things while my sister was like COME ON, GET SOME FOOD ALREADY. I think I made another fan!

My brother didn't play it but he watched and he seemed to think it was hilarious. I'm not sure if he will ever sit down and play it himself (maybe?), but I know he is going to be talking about it...

Finished it and I really love it, the ending was great too.
But the game is really short, I finished it in 3 hours with nearly all combo.

Finished the game. Well worth it. Still have a decent amount of combos to go back to try and get.

bought this game on the strength of World of Goo and it did not disappoint! played with the fiance' for a good while, not moving on until we complete every available combo along the way. some of them are really clever! the mood and atmosphere is awesome and unsettling in that cheerfully melancholy way. some may be put off by the length but honestly i'm not even done yet and i feel like i got my moneys worth.

this is a nearly perfect palette-cleansing game, with all the style and sharp wit that made World of Goo stand out from he crowd

Spent a while playing this game today.
Still no idea where it's going or what the point of it is, but it keeps you hooked.
There's a bit of a Twilight Zone vibe going on.

One of my favorite games on the Wii U.

Moving, addictive, funny...

Yeah, these guys are one of my favorite developers.

Its AWESOME.

Too bad i don´t have alot of time to spent on it atm!

Had a lot of fun with this. Took me five hours of playtime to get to 100%.

The

Spoiler

final sequences really surprised me.

Additional:

The soundtrack is now available for free!

Heres the first 30 minutes of the PC version, to give you guys an impression:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5D9TvlDz78M

First Impressions by NintendoLife

Giant Bomb played it for about 10 minutes:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ehk-UmHfkbs&feature=youtu.be&t=41m20s

Can the game be played exclusively on the Wii-U gamepad?

Yes! My wife and I are traveling to visit family, and we brought along the Wii U. We played plenty of Little Inferno without a TV. Just plug in the console's power, and you're good to go.

WiiU gameplay

 

[Davidion]

That's a shame to hear that it's short.

However, it is highly likely that I will be purchasing this game. I'm looking forward to the experience.

 

[Smiles and Cries]

okay broke down... downloading now

 

[Kevtones]

Damn those are good reviews. May have to buy.

 

[adroit]

Giant Bomb played it for about 10 minutes:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ehk-UmHfkbs&feature=youtu.be&t=41m20s

 

[NewFresh]

Just played and beat it the other day. I'm missing a few combos, but I think I am done with it. It was a surprisingly addictive experience. It is a semi-game of sorts, with a really interesting story happening in the background as you are burning things. It gets emotional and has a good twist at the end. I ended up picking it up for the Wii U, but I would be amiss if I didn't mention how short it was for the $15 price point. I finished the game in 3:30~ hrs, and, as I mentioned, only have a handful of combos left.

So it is a great experience that is a bit too short for its price.


PS: Amazing music.

 

[Smiles and Cries]

Warning don't play with Fire... hmmm

Giant Bomb played it for about 10 minutes:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ehk-UmHfkbs&feature=youtu.be&t=41m20s

useless if you want to play this game

 

[Gummb]

This, Chasing Aurora, and Nano Assault Neo have made the Wii U eshop so attractive.

Such diversity, it's wonderful.

[Edit] Speaking of which, you should probably mention the developer's name, the format we can find it on, and the price in the OP. I don't think a lot of people know what this is.

 

[Roto13]

Hooray, an OT.

That honestgamers review is by me.

 

[SteveWinwood]

Bought this today, looking forward to see what it has in store. I loved just the feel and "story" stuff in World of Goo, so even if it's just that, I'll be happy.

 

[bryehn]

Love this thing.

 

[KillerTravis]

This, Chasing Aurora, and Nano Assault Neo have made the Wii U eshop so attractive.

Such diversity, it's wonderful.

[Edit] Speaking of which, you should probably mention the developer's name, the format we can find it on, and the price in the OP. I don't think a lot of people know what this is.

I don't really like Chasing Aurora that much, Mighty Switch Force HD is a much better choice in my opinion.

 

[Gummb]

I don't really like Chasing Aurora that much, Mighty Switch Force HD is a much better choice in my opinion.

Eh, all I really meant was that these titles were timed-exclusive (or exclusive outright). Yes, I forgot MSF! Solid game.

[edit] I just checked, I guess Little Inferno was not a timed exclusive like I thought (or rather it was for about 10 hours or so).

 

[Oersted]

Giant Bomb played it for about 10 minutes:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ehk-UmHfkbs&feature=youtu.be&t=41m20s

[Edit] Speaking of which, you should probably mention the developer's name, the format we can find it on, and the price in the OP. I don't think a lot of people know what this is.

Love this thing.

Hooray, an OT.

That honestgamers review is by me.

Just played and beat it the other day. I'm missing a few combos, but I think I am done with it. It was a surprisingly addictive experience. It is a semi-game of sorts, with a really interesting story happening in the background as you are burning things. It gets emotional and has a good twist at the end. I ended up picking it up for the Wii U, but I would be amiss if I didn't mention how short it was for the $15 price point. I finished the game in 3:30~ hrs, and, as I mentioned, only have a handful of combos left.

So it is a great experience that is a bit too short for its price.


PS: Amazing music.

Thanks guys.

Eh, all I really meant was that these titles were timed-exclusive (or exclusive outright). Yes, I forgot MSF! Solid game.

[edit] I just checked, I guess Little Inferno was not a timed exclusive like I thought (or rather it was for about 10 hours or so).

Console-exclusive for WiiU.

 

[GiantEnemyGoomba]

I really want this, but I'm not sure if it's worth $15. I have enough to play for now, so I'll just wait for a sell.

 

[Smiles and Cries]

spent an hour with this weird thing... still weird

 

[Out of Working Order]

Goo is one of my favourite games.

Will buy when I pick up a Wii U!

 

[xvszero]

You posted my review (Negative World.) Sweet! I loved this game! I'm still playing it now, trying to finish up the last few combinations (couldn't get them all done in time for my review, and don't want to cheat and look them up.)

I also introduced my brother-in-law to it at Thanksgiving and he seemed to not "get it" right away but like 20-30 minutes later everyone else was eating dinner and he was still sitting there in the basement burning things while my sister was like COME ON, GET SOME FOOD ALREADY. I think I made another fan!

My brother didn't play it but he watched and he seemed to think it was hilarious. I'm not sure if he will ever sit down and play it himself (maybe?), but I know he is going to be talking about it...

 

[jgkspsx]

Too expensive for the playtime.

But I've listened to World of Goo's soundtrack enough that Kyle Gabler surely has some extra money coming from me.

 

[SteveWinwood]

2 hours in and I love it. Definitely not for everyone, but I think it's great.

 

[Mardak]

I finished the game in 3:30~ hrs, and, as I mentioned, only have a handful of combos left.

I also finished it in about that same amount of time, but I probably had more combos missing. I agree that the ending was a little bit abrupt in terms of timing, but it was kinda neat story-wise. It was definitely engaging/confusing/intriguing, and I played it to the credits in one sitting. I spent another hour or so getting the rest of the combos and collecting everything.

I probably went quicker through the completion phase because my wife had gotten a lot of the combos on her account. She only unlocked the next catalog after getting all the previous combos, which seemed to help in terms of figuring out what's needed for certain combos. Her final game time on the save is almost 10 hours.

 

[Tuck]

Can the game be played exclusively on the Wii-U gamepad?

 

[Mardak]

Can the game be played exclusively on the Wii-U gamepad?

Yes! My wife and I are traveling to visit family, and we brought along the Wii U. We played plenty of Little Inferno without a TV. Just plug in the console's power, and you're good to go.

 

[stolin]

I got this last night and played for 2.5 hours straight. There's something really captivating about it that's non-conventional. It's even like that in the manual and tutorial text. "There's no levels, no score, no time, and you make more money than what you spend. But is there an end?"

I got 34 combos. Just before opening up Catalog #7. Now the combos are getting more challenging and require some creative thought & reading of the catalog item descriptions.

I strongly suggest playing this game. The presentation & pacing is great for being so simple.

 

[ColdBlooder]

Heres the first 30 minutes of the PC version, to give you guys an impression:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5D9TvlDz78M

Its AWESOME.

Too bad i don´t have alot of time to spent on it atm!

 

[adroit]

I probably went quicker through the completion phase because my wife had gotten a lot of the combos on her account.

Does the game show you the "solution" to a combo if a different account has already solved it?

 

[Kouriozan]

Finished it and I really love it, the ending was great too.
But the game is really short, I finished it in 3 hours with nearly all combo.

 

[Mardak]

Does the game show you the "solution" to a combo if a different account has already solved it?

No, but my wife was asking me for help, so we worked out solutions on her account, and I just remembered some of them when playing my account. Some of the combos are just noticing interesting little aspects about the items, e.g., in the description or animation or how they burn.

 

[warerare]

Looking forward to this when I get my console on Christmas Day, seems right up my street.

 

[Roto13]

You get a slightly altered ending if you

Spoiler

keep the free hug coupon until the ending.

 

[eudaemonic]

You get a slightly altered ending if you

Spoiler

keep the free hug coupon until the ending.

What happens? I

Spoiler

kept my ticket but since I never complained about my house burning down, it never came up.

Overall, I'm a huge fan. I like games that just let you play. My only complaint

Spoiler

was the timer for opening the boxes. I think if they would have stuck with just the restock timer, it would have been a little better. Double dose of delivery and restocking sucked. Playing on the Wii U, that time equals battery life.

 

[Kryptonic]

Decided to pick this up tonight for Wii U, played for a couple hours, enjoying it quite a bit so far.

 

[Roto13]

What happens? I

Spoiler

kept my ticket but since I never complained about my house burning down, it never came up.

Overall, I'm a huge fan. I like games that just let you play. My only complaint

Spoiler

was the timer for opening the boxes. I think if they would have stuck with just the restock timer, it would have been a little better. Double dose of delivery and restocking sucked. Playing on the Wii U, that time equals battery life.

Spoiler

You get a hug.

Have you noticed that any time you're not burning anything, it seems kind of cold? You can hear the wind blow and the light isn't warm any more. I think that's part of the reason behind the shipping time.

 

[Phife Dawg]

I'd totally buy this but I guess it'll be 15 € in Euro-country, which is a bit on the steep side for what appears to be a short game with no replay value.

 

[eudaemonic]

I'd totally buy this but I guess it'll be 15 € in Euro-country, which is a bit on the steep side for what appears to be a short game with no replay value.

It has replay value if you didn't complete the entire list of combos on your first run thru. However, if you stop and complete them all before going for the ending, you can easily dump six or more hours in this game. Least that's what I got out of it.

I'm sad this thread hasn't seen more action so far. It's probably one of the most enjoyable games I've played this year. And that commercial jingle... I walk around the house singing it now.

 

[Kryptonic]

Finished the game. Well worth it. Still have a decent amount of combos to go back to try and get.

 

[Taxman]

So I burned the

Spoiler

ending combo, but now the gears are turning like crazy and everything is rumbling, etc, but nothing is happening besides that. I can't seem to burn down my house!

What am I supposed to be doing?
Edit: Ok it took me half an hour but I figured it out. Nevermind.

 

[Mardak]

We've got 3 completed save files now with almost 20 hours combined. The latest playthrough was to get every combo and item while keeping the free hug ticket. Nintendo Land still probably has the most time played, but Little Inferno is well ahead of NSMBU for us right now.

 

[jaypah]

bought this game on the strength of World of Goo and it did not disappoint! played with the fiance' for a good while, not moving on until we complete every available combo along the way. some of them are really clever! the mood and atmosphere is awesome and unsettling in that cheerfully melancholy way. some may be put off by the length but honestly i'm not even done yet and i feel like i got my moneys worth.

 

[Chopper]

Will definitely be picking this up as soon as I load up the eShop for the first time this weekend. Looks insane.

 

[Joeshabadoo]

this is a nearly perfect palette-cleansing game, with all the style and sharp wit that made World of Goo stand out from he crowd

 

[axisofweevils]

Spent a while playing this game today.
Still no idea where it's going or what the point of it is, but it keeps you hooked.
There's a bit of a Twilight Zone vibe going on.

 

[TheGreatMightyPoo]

One of my favorite games on the Wii U.

Moving, addictive, funny...

Yeah, these guys are one of my favorite developers.

 

[Brazil]

Had a lot of fun with this. Took me five hours of playtime to get to 100%.

The

Spoiler

final sequences really surprised me.

 

[Oersted]

Updated with your impressions ( once again, thank you guys) and added some new reviews.

 

[axisofweevils]

Posted this in another thread yesterday. More people should play this game!

Wow. Little Inferno is amazing.
Yes, it is short (the fact that I've beaten a Wii U game barely one day after EU launch should tell you a lot) but apart from a few minutes of Nintendoland and Mario, that's all I've played today. I'd rather have a short game I'll remember in 5 years than 30 hours of forgettable dross.
And yes, the game almost entirely consists of you burning things to get more coins in order to burn more things, but it is still awesome.
A word of advice - go in completely blind, don't read any spoilers on the internet.

I'm now going to play it again and try for 100%

 

[djlr181]

Here's a video review from NWR for the Wii U version.

 

[Wok]

I'd totally buy this but I guess it'll be 15 € in Euro-country, which is a bit on the steep side for what appears to be a short game with no replay value.

Use the Humble Store for a decent foreign exchange rate.

 

[Phife Dawg]

Use the Humble Store for a decent foreign exchange rate.

Thanks but actually want to get that for Wii U - off screen is possible, right?

 

[TheGreatMightyPoo]

Thanks but actually want to get that for Wii U - off screen is possible, right?

Yes.