Little Goody Two Shoes review: Unique horror will be too slowburn for some

Little Goody Two Shoes is a surprising horror game, to say the least. While the initial introduction to the game and how it plays out feels much like a resource management sim or a cutesy dating game with a 90’s anime aesthetic, it takes a dark turn, sending you into a surrealist environment full of eyes that are always watching - and where inanimate objects come to life!

Featuring a twist on the classic tale of Little Goody Two Shoes, the story follows Elise in the town of Kieferberg. Starting off with a seemingly wholesome tale of a girl who is incredibly bossy and has to work hard for even a loaf of bread, it all turns on its head as she finds a pair of beautiful red shoes in her garden.

Stylish Shoes

Little Goody Two Shoes has a brilliant art style, drawing on both 90s anime and chibi horror games, dating it slightly but also working to create a unique atmosphere that’s all its own while meshing those influences together to form a surprisingly cohesive whole. 

There’s also somewhat of a European storybook feel here too, with hand-drawn elements scattered throughout, including surrealism for the horror aspects, such as eyes on the wings of butterflies. 

Whilst the backgrounds have a European feel to them and are visually impeccable, the chibi-style characters feed into an almost anime aesthetic - with large eyes and dramatic bouncy hair alongside grainy effects layered over the top of the scenes making it feel like a TV show. Not only this, but mini-games give a dated arcade feel, with a stage set like an arcade machine with buttons and joysticks where you have to complete them in order to complete a task and earn Tiffe, Goody Two Shoes’ currency.

Whilst all of these various combinations work well together, it’s hard to describe for someone without them seeing it.

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What genre is it really?

The more I played Little Goody Two Shoes, the more unsure I felt about what genre it actually is. In front of you are elements of a resource management game, where you’ll balance Elise’s hunger and health carefully alongside her sanity. 

Not only this, but you have to manage your time carefully and decide whether you’re going to work for Tiffe or romance someone in the village to unlock special cutscenes. To top it off, you have to make sure that you’re keeping suspicion low so that people don’t think that Elise is a witch. On top of all of this, you’ll also have to head into the ‘Nightmare’ realm to complete puzzles 

That’s not even half of what to expect in Little Goody Two Shoes, either, as the horror element snakes its way in through the day phases, becoming creepier and more unsettling once you reach the nighttime. Suffering from vivid nightmares, these prey on Elise’s biggest dream - to live in a castle and be surrounded by fortune. In these nightmares, there are surrealist drawings, which showcase hallucinations and Elise’s continued spiral downward.

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Phantasmagorical horror

In the grand scheme of things, Little Goody Two Shoes is a slow burn when it comes to its horror elements. Whilst there are the tiniest of jumpscares at the start of the game, it takes a while for it to really pick up and build any form of intense atmosphere. Instead, you spend a lot more time doing resource management and picking out a potential suitor for Elise whilst trying to pacify the townsfolk. 

The horror elements that are there take place often in the nighttime and have a phantasmagorical aspect to them. Upon meeting a special character in the middle of the town square, Elise is tasked with a mysterious quest in which she has to deliver Testaments to “Him”, who lies out in the woods. 

I enjoyed the mystery element to all of this, and how eager Elise was to complete the mission set out in front of her. The game took a lot of turns that I wasn’t expecting in the slightest, and overall I found myself enthralled and eager to know more. 

After all, how could a simple folk tale possibly go badly?

Overall, Little Goody Two Shoes is a great time, but it’s equally bizarre, especially the mini-games that you can play when you are tasked with helping the villagers. It felt much like a storybook with the art style, but also like a 90s anime combined with surrealism to represent a descent into insanity.

The horror elements of Little Goody Two Shoes kicked in a bit too late for me, and took me out of the experience, as it previously felt very much like a calm relaxing visual novel at the start, and while Doki Doki Literature club fans will no doubt appreciate the jarring mix of styles here, it's something I couldn't get on board with.

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The Verdict

Overall, Little Goody Two Shoes is a lot of fun, but may not be what you’re looking for if you’re on the hunt for a more traditional horror experience lending more to a slow-burn style of game with a lot of different elements tossed into the mix, from resource management to quests, and mini-games.

It's a little unfocused, and while that works for its unique visual stylings, I found myself wishing for more horror than the constant diversions it offered.

Reviewed on PC. Review code provided by the publisher.