Lost in a surreal world, somewhere between life and death, Nyah is searching for her mother. Aided by a powerful spirit and her own telekinetic abilities, Buddy System’s Little Bug has a big world to explore.
The twin stick arcade platformer is Fig’s latest crowdfunding offer. I’ve been a bit apprehensive in the past about Fig’s ability to balance what their investors like with delivering more creative or unique games. After all, crowdfunding tends to be the domain of niche titles that don’t necessarily look like a solid investment.
You know, the weird stuff.
Little Bug throws this concern to the wind. Not only does it have a bizarre premise and strange graphics, it doesn’t rely on boring or tired mechanics. Instead players are tasked with simultaneously guiding both Nyah and her spirit companion through a fast-paced puzzle-solving adventure.
Teamwork Makes The Dream Work
Using the connection Nyah shares with her companion, players are able to melt barriers and move objects. Their connection is also integral to moving both characters through the dreamlike gameworld. If the pressure gets to be a bit much, you also have the option of handing one of the controls off to a friend for some exciting local co-op.
Along the way, players will discover secret areas, new abilities, and fill a jar with a variety of both living and dead items. Okay, I don’t fully understand that last part, but it probably makes sense in context. The point being, Little Bug actually looks the way a quirky crowdfunded game should look. And it does it while still being able to appeal to Fig investors.
There is already a demo available. The $35,000 Fig goal will go towards completing the game with enhanced visuals and features. A wise choice since some of the current art on the campaign page looks a bit too blurry for my liking. New hand-drawn sprite animations and environment details would really make Little Bug soar.
