When comparing Shadowrun Returns vs Little Inferno, the Slant community recommends Little Inferno for most people. In the question“What are the best Android games without in-app purchases/paywalls?” Little Inferno is ranked 5th while Shadowrun Returns is ranked 39th. The most important reason people chose Little Inferno is:
Certain items may have odd properties or work together with other items to create unexpected results. A list of combinations, where the only hint is the name of the combination, gives the game another puzzle-like layer that you are required to solve to progress further. For example, a somewhat vague sentence (such as Wooden Block Combo) will be given and the player must analyse and choose the correct materials in order to process further.
Specs
Ranked in these QuestionsQuestion Ranking
Pros
Pro Intuitive battle system
With a set amount of moves and action points it is fairly easy to understand how the battle system works. Everything is tun based and tactics are the main component to gameplay. Users must judge where they want to move, what attacks they want to use while taking into account the environment, if anything in it could shield them and then base all of these decisions off of their allotted action points.
Pro Fleshed out interesting world
There has obviously been painstaking care taken in crafting the world and story of Shadowrun Returns. A noir cyberpunk story that sees the main character trying to solve a murder-mystery intertwined with a conspiracy. Throughout the game are characters who the main protagonist crosses paths with that have a tin of great dialogue written for them that is entertaining to read and also flesh out his cyberpunk world.
Pro Intriguing wordplay-based puzzles that keep the player guessing
Certain items may have odd properties or work together with other items to create unexpected results. A list of combinations, where the only hint is the name of the combination, gives the game another puzzle-like layer that you are required to solve to progress further. For example, a somewhat vague sentence (such as Wooden Block Combo) will be given and the player must analyse and choose the correct materials in order to process further.
Pro Delightfully warped gameplay makes for an amusing way to burn digital objects
You spend most of your time throwing things in an ill-conceived invention for kids called the Little Inferno fireplace. By setting things on fire you get money that you can spend to buy more things to throw in the fireplace. There is a subtle plot that may make you re-evaluate your actions.
Pro Minimalistic, eerie puzzles, gameplay and narration pointing out how the games we play manipulate us
Cons
Con Limited RPG paths
The story gets played out basically the same way on every play-through. Player choice only has moderate impact on the flow of the game.
Con Grammar errors
Needed a proofreader as their is tons of grammar errors which gives a rushed unfinished feeling.
Con Most of the time is spent waiting and not on puzzles
The game revolves around deliveries that take time to arrive to your fireplace. There are time constraints on these deliveries that force the player to wait, unless you purchase postage stamps by unlocking combo's. As such, most of the time played in the game will be in a more 'idle' situation waiting on the deliveries instead of actually using the deliveries to solve the puzzles.
Con Costs too much
Con The game is quite short
Little Inferno is a short game. On average, the main story takes a little bit over three hours to complete, while completionists need about four hours to explore everything.
Con No puzzle diversity or large number of mechanics added
The gameplay mechanics in Little Inferno stay the same: you use the fireplace in order to burn materials and create combo's. Even when unlocking newer catalogs with new materials to burn, not much changes in terms of gameplay. The puzzle hints that are provided also are quite similar, which can make the game feel rather monotonous.