A very short-lived pro-environment info-video disguised as a game | Review - DOMINO The Little One
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✨Overview
DOMINO: The Little One is a hand-drawn 2D adventure through a world where the consequences of global warming and ecological catastrophe take on the form of a apocalyptic trash-filled landscape with monstrous entities lurking in the background. The game aims to intertwine personal introspection with real world problem going on with our environment, offering an interactive journey that encourages players to reflect on their own impact on the planet.
The game released on Android, iOS, and PC; and is completely free-to-play, no in-game ads or purchases, so it’s really all about the message.
🟩Pros
+Charming visuals and art style
+Pro-environmental advocacy
🟥Cons
-Falls flat as a video game experience
-Unresponsive controls
-No subtitles to clearly understand the important message
-Very very short runtime (under 40 minutes)
⭐️Score: 3/10
Saving the world is cool, facing monsters is badass, but doing both at the same time? DOMINO: The Little One aims to do just that. Well, the game promises to be an immersive interactive narrative experience that will test your wit and determination.
📖Story and Premise
The narrative unfolds as Domino is awakened by a mysterious voice promising guidance through their mystic yet modern world filled with the manifestations of environmental degradation – plastics, pollution, global warming, and man-made climate change. Domino's mission is twofold: navigate the treacherous landscape and nurture a delicate Lilac flower, a symbol of hope. The overarching theme revolves around the interconnectedness of personal growth and environmental stewardship.
🎮Gameplay
The gameplay of DOMINO: The Little One is very simple, with only two commands: jump and interact. The platformer mechanics are basic, with a double jump and gliding feature to navigate the environment. Interact is primarily used for pushing blocks around to reach higher platforms, adding a puzzle-solving element to the otherwise straightforward gameplay.
The environmental undertones are reflected not only in Domino's internal struggles but also in the puzzles and challenges encountered throughout the journey.
Throughout the game, DOMINO must continuously collect floating light orbs which will nurture and fuel her Lilac flower, failing to do will result in a failure and return to the last checkpoint. This mechanic both serves as a navigational marker and time limit for players to progress.
Honestly, it's less of a game and more of an interactive environmental info-video disguised as a children's book platformer with very simple game mechanics. There isn't much to do, and the controls are awful. The movement feels floaty, especially with touch controls, which were unconfigurable and unreliable.
📊Technical Performance
Besides the aforementioned awful controls, the game occasionally stutters on my Snapdragon 888 device (ROG Phone 5), even with its seemingly limited and undemanding visuals. There are no subtitles to help understand what the narrator/guide is saying, so some of the intended message – the essence of the game – might be lost on the audience.
⚖️Conclusion
I appreciate the beautifully hand-drawn art style and the pro-environmental advocacy, but it hasn't affected me profoundly, and it probably won't resonate effectively with others as well. I prefer the approach of the game Terra Nil instead, which provides compelling strategy gameplay to complement its environmental advocacies. In my review of that game, I requested for more games like that —unfortunately, DOMINO: The Little One couldn't quite replicate that element. I appreciate what it tries to do, but I have to be fair and rate it as a video game experience — and I'm not quite impressed.
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