Looking for a super chill adventure game with swimming, fishing, mining and more? Look no further, Little Crossroads is all that. The full game should be great!
Why I like to Playtest
I find playtesting to be rewarding and fun. It’s rewarding because I am able to give feedback directly to the game devs, which sometimes causes a positive change in the game. Plus, I get to support small indie studios and help them create the best possible game to release. It’s fun because playtesters often congregate on the game’s Discord server and we share our opinions of the game, help each other, and generally get to know one another. I’ve met some really nice people through playtesting.
The Backstory of Little Crossroads
The game begins at The Crossroads, a place where you can leave your burdens behind. You awaken beneath a huge tree in a beautiful, dream-like landscape. You are met by Freya, a kind and self-proclaimed guide to newcomers. You have many unanswered questions, but it’s time to enjoy the atmosphere, meet the residents, learn some skills and harness the magic of the Crossroads to try and unravel its mystery.
The Look and Feel of Little Crossroads
When you begin the game, you get to choose from a wide range of characters; all are customizable and can be changed at any time. I chose to be a fox when I played; I wonder what you will choose. There is a day/night cycle in Little Crossroads, but you don’t need to sleep at night. Or ever. The difference between the two is that some items are only available in the day, others at night. The soundtrack also changes between day and night; in the day it’s bright and peppy, but at night it’s much quieter. And in the evening, I am treated to a lovely sunset and then a night sky full of dozens of shooting stars, so peaceful and calm. In addition, the characters are 2D while the environment is mostly 3D, which I thought was a really unique treatment.
The Gameplay of Little Crossroads
Little Crossroads is a peaceful sandbox game which can be played either solo or co-op. The dev team was heavily influenced by Animal Crossing, Webfishing and RuneScape, so if any of those games are on your “favorites” list, you’ll like Little Crossroads. Everything is low stakes; there were multiple quests available to me at all times, and I could choose which one I wanted to work on.
There were also side quests where I collected items such as fish, quartz and wood. I could trade those items for “charms”, which upgraded my abilities. There was no time limit for any of the quests or side quests, and they were not overly difficult. I especially loved the fishing! I dropped my line and waited. Soon an exclamation point appeared over the water, and I used a button on my controller. Boom – I had a fish! The dev told me that in the full game, fishing may get some additional challenges, but Little Crossroads will always remain super cozy.
There’s also crafting, bug catching and mining. Mining in Little Crossroads is simply breaking rocks to find desired items inside. Foraging will be included in the full game but wasn’t part of the playtest.
During the playtest, I met 3 different NPCs; two of them gave me quests. One NPC was named June and she was a cute cat who collected bugs; the other was a gruff yet tender badger named Cole who taught me about mining. When I had completed their quests, there was an indicator that I should talk with them again. I liked how I was subtly guided as I played, but I still could choose my own path. I also appreciated how items that I should interact with had a slight sparkle to them. Just enough to draw my eye there, so I could decide if that’s the next action I want to take.
There were no energy levels to maintain, which made the game so chill. There was also no combat or platforming. It was simply a quiet, peaceful way to pass some time. There is the option to paint with an easel and brushes, but at the time of the playtest, that feature was not working with my controller. It will be up and running for the full game, though, if that’s something that would interest you.
As the playtest progressed, I was able to unlock a glider, and with a little practice, I learned how to glide all over the environment. I was even able to glide up to the top of the large rocks in the background. Near the very end of the playtest, I unlocked the ability to dive deep underwater for a period of time. That was really cool. When I was underwater, the soundtrack and all other ambient sounds were muffled. Just like if I was really underwater. That’s some great attention to detail.
At the very end of the playtest, I unlocked wings!! Wings!! At that point I could jump up and fly for a while. That will open up tons of exploration in the full game. I can’t wait to play it.
Some Fun Mini Games add a level of Tension to Little Crossroads
For gamers who enjoy a little tension as they play, in Little Crossroads there are a variety of timed mini games, called events. Like the rest of the game, they are low stakes, but there is the slight tension of trying to do something before you run out of time. There’s a mining event which includes some pretty cool lightning, a fishing event and a wood-chopping one. I thought they were a lot of fun!
In the “Pyre Festival Event” below, I had to collect as much wood and stone as possible in the time allotted. Each type of event is different, and each presents its own interesting challenges. But they are all optional, so if you want zero tension, you can skip the events. It’s up to you.
Handy Features in Little Crossroads
There is a nice quest tracker that I can access. I like when games provide that for me, so I don’t have to play while using a notebook and pencil to keep track of what I need to do. There was also an inventory page and a page outlining my current skill levels in various areas.
Final Thoughts
Little Crossroads can be played solo or co-op; the choice is yours. I chose to play solo and had a really nice time. I expect the gameplay in co-op will be similar, except you will have some company as you go about your quests.
This game was developed by Red Merle Games, which is a husband and wife team. They have had a combined 25+ years in AAA game development, and have always wanted to make their own little games one day, on their own terms. That day has come. Their goal is to make games that will heal the stresses of modern life. What a lovely and heartfelt goal.
They began creating this game 8 years ago, and it’s gone through a few iterations. But two years ago they settled on what is now Little Crossroads and have been fine-tuning it ever since. At this point, there is not a firm release date for the full game, but they hope it will be 2027. They do not plan to release it until it’s perfect. They have a lot more features planned for the full game too. There should be a demo released at some point; if you put the game on your Steam Wishlist, you’ll be notified when it’s available.
I was told the playtest had about 10% of the content they expect to put in the full game. I played for over 7 hours and did not get bored!! So I believe Little Crossroads will be a nice, long adventure!
I will close with some sketches which one of the devs shared with me. They were drawn 10 years ago, and now those characters are in Little Crossroads. Oh, and one of the main characters in the game is modeled after their dog. How sweet is that?
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