In Between
In Between
Game
Game2024
Lil' Guardsman
Developer Hilltop Studios
Lil' Guardsman is a puzzle video game developed by Hilltop Studios and published by Versus Evil and TinyBuild. The game was released on January 23, 2024; it is one of the last video games published by Versus Evil after their dissolution in 2023. In Lil' Guardsman, the player takes the role of Lil, a 12-year-old girl who must do her father's duties as a guardsman. Players must decide to admit, deny, or (later) arrest… From Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
286 reactions from 4 sources (Steam reviews, Bluesky, Mastodon, Lemmy) · newest Nov 3, 2026 · last updated Nov 5, 2026 · How this works
Audience score
89
LovedLoved
170 positive · 20 negative
95% range 84–93%
| Source | + | − | = |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steam reviews | 170 | 20 | 0 |
| Bluesky * | 40 | 1 | 46 |
| Mastodon * | 1 | 0 | 5 |
| Lemmy * | 0 | 0 | 3 |
* shown, not counted in the score (label accuracy below our 85% bar or not yet audited).
Steam's own rating
Very Positive
930 of 987 reviews positive (all languages, per Valve)
What players are saying
89% recommend · 167 yes, 21 no
Counted from the reviewers’ own thumbs up/down on the 188 English Steam reviews we collected, not by the AI. Valve’s all-language rating: Very Positive (1,259 of 1,341 positive).
Players praise the game's humor and voice acting. [1][2][3] Some find the gameplay repetitive and choices less impactful than expected. [4][5][6] The game is compared favorably to Papers, Please but with a comedic tone. [7][8][9]
Liked
Representative posts
- [19]
This game lives and dies on its writing and it just wasn't hitting for me. It is a weird blend of cutesy and crass. It seems like it is constantly trying to wink at you, elbow you in the ribs, and say "funny, isn't it?" Also, there are just some really odd gameplay choices. Like every action you take taking 3x as long as it should. Why is walking so slow? Why is switching characters so slow? Additionally, I thought …
- [7]
Lil' Guardsman was more a visual novel with options or gate guard simulator than a standard point-and-click adventure. For each person coming to the guard gate, you had nine options: using one of five tools with limited uses (truth spray, X-ray, metal detector, decoder ring and bullwhip), calling one of three advisors or just talking. Talking was by far the most commonly used option. You could only use three options …
- [2]
This game is so damn funny, I can't recommend it enough. A good time all around, even if I feel some of the choices where it says that it will "have an impact" do not actually impact anything. However, that there are choices to begin with is awesome and fans of "Papers Please" and (surprisingly enough) "Monkey Island" will definitely enjoy this one!
- [3]
Good game. The animation is cute, voice acting is spot on, and the humor actually made me chuckle a few times. Love that there is chapter select, nothing worse than playing a game that wants you to go back for alternate endings and expects you to do a full play through each time. It's a bit long for what it is, but definitely worth playing.
- [4]
+ Fun and clever in its simplicity, engaging on a first playthrough + Good balance of humor - Wants you to replay, but it feels repetitive since the story barely changes, no matter your choices
Summarised from 34 of the 281 public posts collected about this game; every point cites the posts behind it ([n] opens the post) and the split is counted from the posts’ own ratings. Updated Oct 12, 2026. How summaries are made
RottenBot@rottenbot · automated account
89% of the 188 Steam reviewers we collected recommend Lil' Guardsman. The complaint that keeps coming up: choices feel less impactful than promised. Deal-breaker or nitpick?
Critics, per Wikipedia
Lil' Guardsman has a rating of 84/100 on Metacritic for the Switch version, 81/100 for the PC version, and 86/100 for the Xbox Series X version. It also a rating of 84/100 on OpenCritic, with 93% of critics recommending it as of February 29, 2024. The game was nominated for "Debut Game" at the Indie Game Awards.
From the “Reception” section of Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Critic context only — not part of the audience score.
Reactions
60 of 286 · most liked first📢 INDIE GAME FOGHORN Go check out the next game from my friends at Hilltop Studios (creators of Lil' Guardsman)
neutral · AI labelView post →Happy first birthday Lil' Guardsman!!! So proud of the love for our off-beat, weird and wonderful game. Thank you for your support this year - may you keep your goblins out of the dungeon, find that fantastic hat, and get that 4-star guardshift score! Making Lil' Guardsman changed my life.
positive · AI labelView post →Some behind the scenes Lil' Guardsman lore: Initially we had the player balance the favour of the three advisors, inspired by Reigns. Ultimately it proved cumbersome with the other systems, but this element definitely shapes the dynamic between Lil and the advisor trio through the game!
neutral · AI labelView post →I played a bit of Lil' Guardsman today and really love figuring out whether to admit or deny the eclectic characters who want entry into the Sprawl. Your choices matter and I've already reached my demise once thanks to a murderous Disney princess 😅 Game: Lil' Guardsman Platform: PC + Consoles
positive · AI labelView post →🚨 Lil' Guardsman is 80% off! 🚨 If you're curious about our funny, heartfelt, surprisingly deep, award-winning indie, there's never been a better time to jump in. Every copy sold helps make the next game. At full price it's a deal. At 80% off? Ridiculous! store.steampowered.com/app/1924360/...
positive · AI labelView post →We are SO close to 'overwhelmingly positive'. If you haven't reviewed Lil' Guardsman yet, please get on it and help tip us over the edge!!! Player reviews mean so much for indies like ours. store.steampowered.com/app/1924360/...
positive · AI labelView post →Preparing for a new playthough of Lil' Guardsman! I loved the demo for this fantasy narrative deduction game with serious consequences so I can't wait to play through the whole story. Twitch.tv/FaunAndGames Thank you so much @playhilltop.bsky.social for the key! 💖
positive · AI labelView post →Hey you! Are you one of the 120k people who've wishlisted Lil' Guardsman? Biding your time, waiting for that perfect sale to get your hands on our AWARD-WINNING INDIE GEM? Now's your chance!!! Note: If this isn't you, kindly disregard, or, even better, check it out yourself!
positive · AI labelView post →"Bear Talks Games: Haha Funny or Funny Peculiar?" There's a game I played two years ago, Lil' Guardsman, on the Switch. I'd caught the trailer and thought, "yeah, alright, Papers, Please as a comic fantasy. I've heard worse ideas for a game." Wounded up blocked by its director on twitter.
negative · AI labelView post →Curse of Resthaven is the upcoming game from the developers of Lil' Guardsman, an intriguing time loop premise with roguelike elements, and some very gorgeous artwork indeed. And they just launched a demo, which I've not had the chance to try yet, but go check it out yourselves!
neutral · AI labelView post →A moment of bluesky feeling like the glory days of twitter - a random/fun/funny interaction with @peagle05.bsky.social turns into one of the coolest pieces of coverage Lil' Guardsman has ever gotten. Really, really appreciate it - thanks for the kind words and glad you're loving the game!!!
positive · AI labelView post →Greb is now switching to Lil' Guardsman on stream brought to us by @playhilltop.bsky.social go give them a follow! See Greb cause chaos as it's put in charge of a castle's border control! www.twitch.tv/iggymaid
neutral · AI labelView post →This game lives and dies on its writing and it just wasn't hitting for me. It is a weird blend of cutesy and crass. It seems like it is constantly trying to wink at you, elbow you in the ribs, and say "funny, isn't it?" Also, there are just some really odd gameplay choices. Like every action you take taking 3x as long as it should. Why is walking so slow? Why is switching characters so slow? Additionally, I thought the voice acting was poor in a number of cases that pulled me out of it. On…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I'm actually so proud of this! If you haven't already, check out the Lil' Guardsman soundtrack - I really tried to bring the world of the game to life through its music. open.spotify.com/album/4GKqWf...
positive · AI labelView post →Greb, alongside its emotional support nuclear weapon will be back in the guard shed in Lil' Guardsman for todays stream! Likely finishing the game today upon which Greb yearns to return to space in KSP so come join the chaos live in 15 min - www.twitch.tv/iggymaid All shares/lurks appreciated ♥
neutral · AI labelView post →I absolutely hate the type of game where, if you aren't following a guide, or haven't played it before, or don't get extremely lucky, then you can't get the optimal outcome. It really takes away from the detective experience (and guardsman experience) if, say, you encounter an obvious vampire whose solution is a bag of rice you didn't confiscate (for no good reason) earlier. Or, if you run out of charges on a tool you need because you didn't know you would have to upgrade that specific tool, to…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →#ICYMI I'm so proud that Lil' Guardsman was nominated for 'best debut game' at the @indiegameawards.gg! Every time our 'hidden gem'/'?approaching cult-classic' punches way above its weight like this it's a THRILL. Thanks to everyone who has supported the team and our game on this journey!!!
positive · AI labelView post →Continuing our adventure in Lil' Guardsman this afternoon! What other monarchs can I embarrass and turn away? 😇✨ Twitch.tv/FaunAndGames Thank you so much @playhilltop.bsky.social for the key! 💖
positive · AI labelView post →I'm disappointed. But first, the most important part, options. There are music and sound sliders. Fullscreen mode can be turned off, so I can play in a window, and there are various resolutions to choose from. That makes it playable to me! It also remembers the position of the window. I had this on my wishlist since some Steam thing had various games broadcast, forgot details. It looked like a fun game. Now it was on sale for 3.40 euro, still more than I normally buy games for, but I…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I want to share one of my favourite game design/art things from Lil' Guardsman, and do a little peek behind the scenes. In each level the core mechanic changes, expands, or is subverted - and in the second half of the game where the kingdom is at war, you must draft visitors into the army! (cont.)
neutral · AI labelView post →It's been a dream of mine to have a game as part of a Humble Bundle, and that dream came true this week! Lil' Guardsman right there next to some absolute classics, to boot. The deal of the century, I tells ya!!!
positive · AI labelView post →This is a big #icymi - we are super proud that a Lil' Guardsman Nintendo Switch PHYSICAL EDITION was released by @superraregames.bsky.social last summer, and they're almost sold out. Our indie hidden gem Lil would look beautiful guarding the rest of your physical media collection!
positive · AI labelView post →Lil' Guardsman made Dual Shockers' list of '10 Amazing Cozy Games With No Farming' 🚫🧑🌾 We didn't set out to make LG 'cozy', but the word means different things to different players. So proud of how much the cozy community has embraced our game!
positive · AI labelView post →At the CGA congrats to anyone who made under the heavy snowstorm. My chips are on #Balatro which I played an unhealthy amount of, but rooting for the Lil' Guardsman #cga #CanadianGameAwards #gamedev #videogames
neutral · AI labelView post →BEYOND PROUD that Lil' Guardsman is nominated for Best Art Direction, Best Soundtrack, Best Narrative, Best Audio Design, and Game of the Year at the Canadian Game Awards!!! Amazing to be shoulder to shoulder with so many incredible Canadian games and studios! cgameawards.com/categories
positive · AI labelView post →I spy with my lil' eye Lil' Guardsman in the recent issue of @debugmag.com. Appreciate all the support of our indie hidden gem. And there's nothing like seeing your game in print!!! Also congrats to @oddment84.bsky.social wrapping up his tenure as editor-in-chief. Can't wait to see what's next!
positive · AI labelView post →Greb will be live on the channel in just 15 minutes with Lil' Guardsman from @playhilltop.bsky.social! Join our agent of chaos as it enables a goblin revolution & deals with the inevitable consequences of its actions Live at - www.twitch.tv/iggymaid Share as we push for partner status ♥
neutral · AI labelView post →I haven't shared about my soundtrack for Lil' Guardsman in a sec: I wore many hats on the game, and in a weird way composing the music felt like the smallest part (music was my career before gaming, so it was just a given that I'd do it). I'm proud of it - check it! open.spotify.com/album/4GKqWf...
positive · AI labelView post →As a huge NPR fan, this absolutely made my week: Lil' Guardsman is one of their 'best games of 2024', as picked by their staff. Go Lil, go!!! Big thank you to @kahwittela.bsky.social for choosing us. www.npr.org/2024/07/16/g...
positive · AI labelView post →Great piece at @screenrant.bsky.social interviewing @carledwin.bsky.social about the Canadian Game Awards tomorrow! Still such a thrill to see Lil' Guardsman up there with so many powerhouse Canadian titles released last year. So proud! screenrant.com/canadian-gam...
neutral · AI labelView post →Greb is returning to the guardhouse to determine the fate of wizards, goblins, vampires & more in Lil' Guardsman! Join the chaos at - www.twitch.tv/iggymaid Find the game at - store.steampowered.com/app/1924360/... Shares appreciated for our last stream of the week ♥ live in <10 min!
neutral · AI labelView post →Lil' Guardsman was more a visual novel with options or gate guard simulator than a standard point-and-click adventure. For each person coming to the guard gate, you had nine options: using one of five tools with limited uses (truth spray, X-ray, metal detector, decoder ring and bullwhip), calling one of three advisors or just talking. Talking was by far the most commonly used option. You could only use three options before deciding to admit the person or not. I loved the simple concept which…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This is a Jeremy Lapalme appreciation post. Jer is one of Lil' Guardsman 's co-writers, and also voices some of the most iconic characters in the game! youtu.be/fFklWpVpSno
neutral · AI labelView post →Really appreciate this lovely review of Lil' Guardsman from @pawkt.bsky.social! I'm delighted that folks are still finding our game!!! www.youtube.com/watch?v=J0Aw...
neutral · AI labelView post →Very proud that Lil' Guardsman made @itsmissbubbles.bsky.social's top 10 cozy games of the year list!!! So glad you enjoyed our lil' game Miss Bubbles. www.youtube.com/watch?v=FLrV...
neutral · AI labelView post →We are always delighted by the small but mighty Lil' Guardsman fandom! Lil's mom is only mentioned a few times, and the only visual representation in-game is a tiny photo next to Lil's bed. The fact that fans are bringing her (back) to life with art is amazing!
neutral · AI labelView post →There's a good game in here, but the core gameplay is frustrating. I'd love a lighter version of Papers Please and this gets close to achieving that but it ultimately fumbles it for me. The following issues made it a game that I probably won't pick up again unfortunately: The tools: The game gives you tools to aid in determining if someone should be admitted or denied. The fact that you can run out of uses for a tool feels bad. If I'm doing well and get to the last person realizing that I need…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I don't like this game. I'm the problem; the game is great. The voice acting is superb. When the singing arsonist appeared like a singing Disney princess, I died. It is not a point-and-click game that I expected, but a choice matter game in the style of Papers, Please. You're a gate guard, and you have 3 actions before you allow or deny entry. But there is like one solution to every problem, and you can close yourself off from the best because you lack the funds to do so. And this frustrates me…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The developers behind one of our favorite super-accessible games, Lil' Guardsman, just announced their new game TODAY. We took an early sneak-peek and can confirm, we think it's *great*. Really excited for what's to come for this game!
neutral · AI labelView post →Had a great chat with Toronto's @playhilltop.bsky.social about their just-revealed game, Curse of Resthaven! 🇨🇦 We talked about the marked departure from Lil' Guardsman's LucasArts-style whimsy to gothic horror, deeper mechanics with roguelite & deck-building elements, the striking art style & more.
neutral · AI labelView post →Proud that Lil' Guardsman is part of Playing With Posters: an exhibit celebrating game history through its iconic art. Game preservation matters, and this is such a tangible way to do it. Great piece from @bradshankar.bsky.social at @mobilesyrup.com: mobilesyrup.com/2026/01/15/t...
neutral · AI labelView post →Missed the refund window unfortunately, so I had to finish the game. Art style is cute. Voice acting is decent. Gameplay is okay I guess. The story doesn't make sense but whatever. But the real issue is that the game tries very hard to be funny, but is hardly funny at all, partly because of all the breaking-the-fourth-wall jokes that are being doled out regularly. Nothing is more immersion-breaking than that.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Another piece from the Lil' Guardsman archive: Lil gets to explore the Sprawl, but much of the game is set within the guard shed at the castle gates! Still amazed at how much life the art team squeezed in (not to mention easter eggs!). Note the old versions of the character designs!
neutral · AI labelView post →Here's my #NintendoSwitch #indiegame highlight for today! 🎮👍🏼 Game - Lil' Guardsman Developer - @playhilltop.bsky.social Publisher - @tinybuildgames.bsky.social Release date - January 23, 2024
neutral · AI labelView post →I just cleared Lil' Guardsman today and it was a fun game. It has great deduction based gameplay, wonderful characters, and an enjoyable story with excellent humor. I hope one day we'll see more of Lil and her friends and family someday in a sequel.
positive · AI labelView post →I want express appreciation to the streamers and creators who absolutely made our year. Indie devs absolutely COULD NOT do it without you. One of our amazing early champions is @ravynia.bsky.social who named Lil' Guardsman their best new game of 2024!!! youtu.be/VGc5rWM7FNA?...
neutral · AI labelView post →Congrats to the @interactiveontario.com team on a phenomenal party last night! The theme of music and gaming was right up my alley, and it was an honour to the Lil' Guardsman soundtrack included next to some absolutely massive 2024 Ontario game releases and composers!
neutral · AI labelView post →Game logic = get loot. However this moment in Lil' Guardsman is a lot of folks' first game over if they confiscate the Marvagh Envoy's weapons! (Fun fact: the first batch of screenshot still featured the wood-grain UI, which you can spot with the action points in the top left!)
neutral · AI labelView post →I am still on cloud nine that Lil' Guardsman won the @indiecade.bsky.social Performance Award on Saturday! One of our 'big bets' for Lil' Guardsman was going fully voiced, using some of the funniest and best actors here in Toronto. It truly brings the game to life (cont.)
neutral · AI labelView post →It was so fun to get the Lil' Guardsman writers together to talk to @katyar.bsky.social about our game! Really lovely feature, and PERFECT spotlight while the game is just a few bucks for Steam Summer Games Fest! Subscribe to her newsletter if you haven't already.
neutral · AI labelView post →At first, I thought it would just be a simple game where you decide who can enter the castle, but it quickly became much more interesting. You play as a 12-year-old girl who takes over her dad’s job as a castle guard. Every visitor you meet has their own story, secrets, and personality. You spend your time asking questions, choosing dialogue options, and using tools to figure out who people really are. You only get a few chances to talk to each person, so every choice matters. The game also…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Lil' Guardsman from indie studio @playhilltop.bsky.social has been completed on stream today and... I love it. The design and writing was brilliant and it was plainly obvious the devs enjoyed making the game. Point n Click x Border Control adventure. #GameReviews #GamesMedia #IndieGames #IndieDev
positive · AI labelView post →Pretty much in the "visual novel" genre that I generally don't like - if that's your favorite thing, this review is not for you. Sound and graphics are fine. There's a lot of time spent waiting for transition animations to complete, or walking across rooms (I eventually realized double-clicking makes that slightly faster but it's still too slow), which is my pet peeve. Story-wise it's... fine again. Not good, just fine. Most of the interactions are super obvious, and those that aren't…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I've finally managed to find time to get the next review up on QuickPlay! I played (and really enjoyed) Lil' Guardsman, a game that hasn't seen enough love. open.substack.com/pub/quickpla...
positive · AI labelView post →Playing Lil' Guardsman, it's like Papers Please meets Discworld, great fun!
positive · AI labelView post →reading reviews and somebody mentioned Discworld purchased the game on the spot Game holds up and comparison checks out - no part of your day is saved if you quit. if you quit to main menu it tells you all unsaved progress will be lost. if you quit the game it doesn't tell you ♥♥♥♥! assume it saved after you dealt with each person and lost almost a full day. + fully voice acted + art style + story more people should read Discworld, read them all. if i could only read book series for the rest of…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game is so damn funny, I can't recommend it enough. A good time all around, even if I feel some of the choices where it says that it will "have an impact" do not actually impact anything. However, that there are choices to begin with is awesome and fans of "Papers Please" and (surprisingly enough) "Monkey Island" will definitely enjoy this one!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Deciding who gets in or not can be stressful, but Lil' Guardsman turns that task into something genuinely fun. It's one of the few games where I've messed up and ended up laughing at my own decisions. I'd love to see a series based on this game #indiegame #indiedev
positive · AI labelView post →So proud that Lil' Guardsman made it onto @bradshankar.bsky.social's Top 10 Games of the year list! @mobilesyrup.com is one of Canada's biggest tech and gaming outlets, and I'm so thrilled they love our game. Just saying: Lil' Guardsman would make a phenomenal gift :P
neutral · AI labelView post →Another batch of serious, silly, and seriously silly games that were played! #TheUseOfLife - www.youtube.com/watch?v=P5Sy... #PlanetOfLana - www.youtube.com/watch?v=aAcr... #LilGuardsman - www.youtube.com/watch?v=vWmA... #Tchia - www.youtube.com/watch?v=X6aW... #VTuber #VOD
neutral · AI labelView post →
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