Launching along with the Wii U eShop, Little Inferno is a game not like many others. Many, in fact, wouldn't even call it a game. The spirtual successor to World of Goo, Little Inferno from indie developers Tomorrow Coroporation is a completely different type of narrative game, and one that feels more like a sandbox than a true game which can be won or lost.

Our former Features Editor Tyler Ohlew was on the review, and he loved the experience: "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." Despite the praise, it's been a game that's viewed wildly differently by those who have played it. We asked our staff to take a look back at Little Inferno, and with the benefit of hindsight, briefly review the game once more.

You can also check out our previous Review Revisits, including Paper Mario: Sticker Star, and Professor Layton and the Miracle Mask! Is there another recent release you'd like to see be revisited? Hit us up in the comments with your suggestions!

Review from Justin Baker, Reviews Editor

Little Inferno has been called a satire of how we play games by its creators, which is quite a hefty claim considering the game attempts to satirize the hobby by being intentionally boring. The entire puzzle element revolves around figuring out which groups of items to burn together based on the (usually) tongue-in-cheek names given to the combinations. This in turn allows you to collect money and, after enough combinations are unlocked, open new catalogs to advance the story. The game forces you to wait for a timer to run down before you can burn anything you’ve ordered. The more expensive an item is the longer you have to wait for it to be “delivered.”

After the first two catalogs are through, the novelty of burning hordes of children’s toys begins to wear off, and you’re left sitting and waiting to actually play the game. Every time you discover a combination you’re rewarded with “Tomorrow Stamps” which allow you to expedite the delivery of an item, but you rarely have enough to feel like they’re worthwhile. To Little Inferno’s credit, there is a very cute story as well, and the visual aesthetic can be downright creepy at times. You encounter a handful of characters through letters mailed directly to your inventory, and the world around the game seems very lovingly crafted. The final portion of the game is interesting, but by the time it hit I was ready to simply be done with the game. Unfortunately a twist ending and some funny characters don’t make up for the fact that the majority of my three hours spent with Little Inferno were wasted waiting on little circles to fill up.

Review from Neal Ronaghan, Site Director

I wasn't one of those people who lost my shit over World of Goo. I enjoyed it, but I was never too over the moon about it. However, with Little Inferno, I was taken with the experience almost immediately. It isn't so much a game as it is an interactive story in the style (that I usually detest) of Tim Burton. You basically just buy things and burn them. The ingenious part is that it creates a whole gameplay mechanic out of just burning items, as you try to create combos of different items using a variety of cues, ranging from visual to textual. Sometimes the combos are a little obtuse, but for the most part, it's just a wonderfully engaging puzzle game.Little Inferno isn't that long, as it didn't take me much longer than three hours to 100% it, but it was a game experience I will always cherish, because it mixes experimentation with some honest-to-goodness twists. I just really dug the game from start to finish.

Review from Guillaume Veillette, Radio Free Nintendo Editor

Little Inferno could be more aptly titled: Kyle Gabler Is A Talented Dude - The Game. The music and the art are beyond reproach. However, I didn't find the "game" aspect of it very satisfying. Little Inferno's humor takes a shot at many things, but the gameplay apes time-wasting casual games even as it makes fun of them. I find it to be about as tedious as they are.I think that Little Inferno is an attemp to get the player to think about what they choose to spend their time on and to question if they keep playing because it's fun or because of compulsion. But I already am wary of "addictive" games and I abandon games that have lost their fun very quickly, so the game only drew a "So what?" from me. I don't think the message (if that is the message and I'm not reading too much into it) has reached the intended audience. The game has only preached to the choir, and the choir is bored.

So now we turn to you: what did you think about the Wii U's fireplace sim? Share it in the comments! Do you have any other games you'd like to see revisited by NWR?  Send us a note or tell us in the talkback.