Little Inferno

Little Inferno turns the simple act of throwing things into a fireplace into the whole game, and that strange little idea is what carries it. By our assessment, it is strongest as a puzzle box about burning objects, combining items, and watching the catalog of weird purchases slowly open up. The downside is that the loop is narrow on purpose, so once the joke and the logic are clear, there is less room for variety than in a broader puzzle game. In practice it is a game of waiting, experimenting, and reading small bits of text while the fire does most of the work. It sits somewhere between toy, puzzle, and satire, and that mix is what gives it its name. Little Inferno suits players who enjoy compact systems and odd humor, and it will feel thin to anyone who wants action or open-ended progression.