What’s so good about Little Goody Two Shoes?

This twisted treasure from Indie developer AstralShift is celebrating its first Anniversary! Here’s why it’s the perfect Halloween treat.

By Duncan Heaney

Tags: Square Enix,Little Goody Two Shoes

Today is a special day: it’s the first Anniversary of Little Goody Two Shoes!

This delightfully dark adventure, developed by talented Indie developer AstralShift, is a treat for fans of horror, classic-style RPGs, and anyone who enjoys a good story. Since its release last year, it’s gained critical acclaim, multiple award nominations, including at the International Games Festival, and a passionate fan following.

In other words, it’s a genuinely brilliant game. To celebrate its milestone anniversary (and because Halloween is the perfect time to talk about its darkest secrets) we thought we’d take a moment to appreciate this timeless and twisted treasure.

So, what makes the game scarily good?

It tells a supremely sinister story

The story of Little Goody Two Shoes is like no other game out there.

You play as Elise - a young woman who lives in the seemingly idyllic village of Kieferberg. While the villagers are (mostly) happy with their quaint, rural lives, Elise has her mind set on greater things.

Primarily, to become filthy rich!

Of course, that’s easier said than done considering she spends her days assisting her neighbors with their errands just to put food on the table. What she needs is an opportunity.

That opportunity comes when Elise discovers a pair of mysterious red shoes buried in her backyard. When she tries them on, she is flung into a frenzied song and dance about her deepest desires. She also learns of a mysterious entity in the woods who can grant her wishes.

Thus, Elise embarks on nightly excursions into these dark and dangerous woods, rebelling against the status quo while trying to conceal her sacrilegious motives from the superstitious villagers. But will she achieve her dream… and how far will she go to get it?

Well, that’s partly up to you, but let’s just say that Elise isn’t afraid to do what it takes to get ahead…

It has a killer aesthetic

Developer AstralShift has a deep love for classic Japanese RPGs and 90s manga and anime… but we probably don’t need to tell you that. One look at the screenshots and the beautiful 2D visuals should be enough for you to see that for yourselves.

But if you do want more evidence, check out the amazing opening movie:

It all gives the game a truly remarkable aesthetic, as it bashes that stunningly vibrant hand-drawn art against… well, frankly, some really messed up stuff.

There’s so much gameplay variety

Of course, there’s so much more to Little Goody Two Shoes than its looks and story. It’s also really fun to play.

It’s essentially split into two phases. By day, you’ll do your best to maintain the appearance of a normal life. You also have to eat, which means you’ll have to do some work for your neighbors. Don’t assume these chores are boring, however: each of these menial tasks takes the form of an arcade-style minigame. They’re fast, fun, and definitely have that ‘one more go’ factor.

By night, you’ll venture deep into the scary woods - a murky maze of trees, thorns, and terrible monsters. It’s a tense journey because Elise doesn’t have a lot of ways to defend herself from threats. Instead, she must use her wits to solve satisfying puzzles and avoid trouble.

It’s a compelling mix, where new gameplay mechanics and ominous subplots are introduced regularly to keep things interesting. Plus, the need to avoid your neighbors becoming too suspicious (they do seem eager to burn witches) while maintaining your own sanity makes it all surprisingly tense.

Your choices matter

You’ll have all kinds of decisions to make over the course of Elise’s journey. Some will be simple, such as which of the lovely three lasses you might want to spend time with, while others will test just how depraved you’re willing to get to achieve your goals.

Your choices have a big impact too – there are a total of ten endings to unlock, making it a game with a plenty of replay value.

It’s hand-crafted

When you play Little Goody Two Shoes, it’s obvious how much care’s been put in every scene. Every element of the game, from the visuals to the gameplay has been hand-crafted for maximum effect.

Key cutscenes feature mixed media visuals like an old story book, and every single element of the user interface is designed to fit in with the painterly, maximalist style of the game. Every inch of the layered, watercolor environments make you feel like you’re walking through a painting… because you are!

You feel it when you play it - AstralShift have put all their passion into every element. No shortcuts, no compromises - they’ve made the game they want to make. And as a result, it just oozes quality.

The music is utterly memorable

With more than 60 all-original tracks, the Little Goody Two Shoes soundtrack brings everything together.

Delightful vocal numbers reminiscent of an animated musical echo throughout the game, while emotive instrumentals frame every scene and time of day. But at night, the bright jingles are replaced by discordant and creepy themes that will get under your skin.

Like the game itself, the soundtrack is simultaneously beautiful, memorable, and unnerving. And hey - you can listen to it on music streaming services like Spotify and Apple Music right now:

It’s gloriously horrifying

Finally, we’ve been alluding to this throughout this article, but just to make it clear: Little Goody Two Shoes is a horror game. It’s a horribly wonderful horror game, in the best way possible.

Exploring the woods can be genuinely unnerving. As you traverse through claustrophobic caves and nightmarish dreamscapes, you start encountering bizarre horrors from the phantasmagorical realm that lies beyond.

But it’s also psychologically terrifying, with a palpable sense of dread as the story expands. We’re dancing round spoilers here, but let’s just say there’s no path that doesn’t require some kind of sacrifice.

And then there’s Elise herself. She may appear to be all sweetness and light from her innocent attire and playful charm but, when it comes to her ambitions, the lass is more twisted than the mangled branches in the depths of the woods.

Plus like all good horror, it has something to say about the world. It will certainly resonate with anyone who’s ever experienced prejudice or felt like they don’t quite fit in.

So happy birthday to Little Goody Two Shoes, you wonderful, horribly unforgettable game. If you’re yet to experience it, Halloween is the perfect time. It’s available on PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch and Steam!

Get Little Goody Two Shoes

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