My Little Universe Review

My Little Universe is an exploration sandbox co-op title developed by Estoty and published by SayGames some might recognise it for its mobile roots in both iOS and Android devices. In it, you focus on collecting materials from around each of the seven worlds as you upgrade your gear, allowing you to unlock new ones and progress even further. Though it might sound dull, read further ahead to learn more!

Because I played and thoroughly enjoyed Forager, I thought the game was a mix of that and Minecraft, where you'd collect and craft things to unlock new areas until you reach the end. And although it does have some elements of the former, it doesn't play exactly like it, and it doesn’t resemble the latter at all. The gameplay loop is much more simple than I had originally anticipated, as I always assume dungeons will be full of puzzles and rare items. Instead, in My Little Universe, there are nine worlds total, and in each one, you'll find a series of "sub-worlds" called dungeons that play similarly to the overworld but usually contain the unique items necessary to open the next planet. In each new area, you'll find a series of enemies, materials, and NPCs who will trade with you, and although there are some changes here and there, it's never anything very deep.

Simply put, My Little Universe started off as a mobile title, and the gameplay is as simple as one would expect from a game birthed for phones. That being said, however, I didn't think it was a bad thing! Once I got into the flow, I put on some music and started mindlessly working on my item goals while catching up on my playlist, which I barely get to listen to. I could have also watched a YouTube video had I not needed to focus as a reviewer, meaning that this is a fantastic title to pick up when you've got some downtime or time to kill. There aren't too many mechanics aside from collecting stuff, so don't expect any actual puzzles, customisation, or even dialogue — My Little Universe is perfectly explained as a mobile version of Forager, or even bordering an idle game. 

Despite the combat being a bit clunky, it’s not too bad. Every time you level up, you get a new perk to choose from up until you get to level 10, where you stop getting XP altogether. If you happen to die, you lose every level you have, plus all the perks you had chosen, which was a bit jarring the first time it happened to me. Whilst I got a bit frustrated after dying repeatedly in stupid ways and losing great perks I’d chosen, it’s not too hard to stay alive when you don’t play like a moron, especially once you can get gear and upgrade it. In this area, I do feel like there could have been more depth, as it would’ve been cool to have more levels and perks. Getting only up to 10 is a bit anticlimactic!

If you go into it knowing exactly what you'll get and expecting nothing more, I have no doubt you'll enjoy it. The animations are great (I love the bounciness!), collecting the outfits and getting everything to 100% is super fun, and there's a great variety of things to smack and gather. I also particularly love that there's an option for auto-foraging, meaning you won't need to do anything else aside from literally walking and moving the camera, and that's a huge relief for my tendinitis! This was useful since it offered the opportunity to play it like an idle title by leaving it running in the background collecting materials while I was busy elsewhere. 

Although I didn't get to try it with my wife in co-op during my review, I think the game would be fun enough to play with someone else. The grinding would become a bit less overbearing, for starters! But I can't imagine it would cause that much of an impact, considering there's not much to do. Still, I am very happy for any game to add the possibility for me to play with my spouse!

My Little Universe is a simple title that barely has any mechanics to explore, yet what it does have is relaxing and fun to do. If you've got a Steam Deck or a ROG Ally, this is a perfect title to cosy up with a pet and watch some TV while you mindlessly farm for items to get every world to 100%!