Puzzle games are always something I enjoy sinking my teeth into. I love games that make me think or games that make me feel something. Interestingly enough, Fire Tonight tries to provoke both of those responses, but I’m not really sure it succeeds with either one.

Fire Tonight puts you in the roles of Maya and Devin, a young couple living in an undisclosed city. Maya has just moved to the city, and you discover through a conversation between her and Devin that the city happens to be where they met. Maya has reservations about living in a new place where she hardly knows anyone, but their relationship is strong. After the power goes out in her apartment during a phone call with Devin, she leaves to try and call him on a payphone.

This is where she discovers that a strange fire outbreak has started throughout the city, and she decides to travel to Devin’s apartment. This sets up the game’s story, and has you traveling through the city in a series of 8 “levels”. There are 5 levels for Maya and 3 for Devin, though Devin’s levels are mostly just Point-and-Click segments reminiscing about their relationship and items in his apartment.

The controls for Fire Tonight are simple. You move with the left stick, use an action button to interact with things and talk to people, use another button (depending on your platform) to utilize Maya’s walkman to spot gaps between the fires, and then you use the right stick to turn the camera. Puzzles may involve you needing to avoid police, find keys to unlock doors, and more.

Honestly, though, most puzzle varieties are only used once and the game itself can be completed in about an hour, two if you’re having trouble with something. It feels like the developers had an idea for various puzzles but never really had much in the way of longevity. The puzzles are simple and fun, but there isn’t much depth to them.

The visuals are nice, the music (and the game itself) also has a very 80’s aesthetic to it. Fire Tonight plays well, but the story is very sparse and linear. There isn’t really much to get you attached to the characters, and though they are drawn well, the game doesn’t have enough content to really flesh them out. That isn’t to say that Fire Tonight isn’t worth your time though.

If you’re looking for a short and sweet puzzle game with a mildly heartwarming narrative about a couple trying to reach each other despite a disaster going on, Fire Tonight could scratch the itch. The price is affordable too, so it isn’t like you’ll be breaking the bank for an hour-long game. I like Fire Tonight, but I think it could have had a bit more content to really make it a stellar experience. Maybe it is short enough to leave folks wanting more, rather than overstaying its welcome.

A Nintendo Switch review copy of Fire Tonight was provided by Reptoid Games for this review.

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Fire Tonight

$5.99

6.5

Score

6.5/10

Pros

• Nice Art and Visuals
• Great 80's Inspired Soundtrack
• Simple Controls
• Fun Gameplay
• Low Price

Cons

• Very Short
• Feels like a Demo
• Puzzles are Very Simple
• Not Much Character Development
• Lacks Depth