The art and animation in this is impressive. I strongly like the art direction for the environments and props as well as the characters. That includes the lineart, and that includes the color scheme.

It is sturdy enough that each thing looks like it has body; it is stylistic enough to be distinctive; successfully disturbing to various degrees; yet pleasant to behold.

Red herself in particular is is pleasant to look at, and I don't just mean because you've made her so very attractive- and yes you have, I will not apologize for my Y-chromosome's say in my opinion.

The items that can be taken and interacted with, oddly enough, are portrayed successfully in a way that marks them as such while also letting them seem natural in their placement - or, if their placement is unnatural, then still at least a part of the world, the successful identifying and taking of which feels satisfying.

The ways the game is mixed up from basic point and click makes it very a very engaging experience I am glad to recall even now. The stealth element of using shadows to hide from the wolf very so often and sneak upon her in the climax- which aspect, by the way, makes this an *actual* horror *game* unlike those walking sims through spooky imagery- the platforming  to avoid the frog-men and the bat-men; and the potion mixing takes me right back to the Jumpstart game days, my favorite line of computer games from back in the day. It's great to get to use math for fun again.

The soundtrack admittedly sounds like a mixtape backtrack, but via the power of gaming, what would be obnoxious is instead formidably eerie and works well with the game world's own dire nature.

The hands-off way of telling the plot between the opening and the climax is among my favorite forms of storytelling, and I like that you save the dialogue-heavy exposition for first and last and let us discover the middle. The dialogue itself is written quite well.

Lastly the fact there are two different endings makes it. One main problem I've had with point and click games is that they're too linear, including in ending.

My main complaint really comes from a natural consequence of the game having been made on such short notice: I wish there was a little more of everything in the gameplay. The freakishly humanoid enemies, a la the frog-men and the bat-men, are oddly fun to dodge- the bat-men more-so, I think the frog-men should be a sliver more forgiving- and I could have gone for more of that; the stealth options are both fun and truly terrifying, and I would welcome more of a chance to use that, and to mix it up, especially if there were some task to do while hidden; and the math riddle is a major victory in my mind, enough I would like to give a try at least two more in a slightly longer imagining.

Still, all that would be superfluous. There's one more strong point that I need to share: The plot works perfectly for such a short game. I've yet to play many of these "short" games, but those I have played seem inclined to rush the plot, or leave it obscenely gaping and unfulfilled; or they try their pest to pace and wrap it up but it feels awkward. However, The Little Red Lie's plot works perfectly for what it is, like a Grimm's fairy tale in its own right to be read at night in one sitting.

--

I am strongly impressed. The Little Red Lie has become my favorite non-educational inventory-based adventure game that I can remember to date. Your success is strong here and I wish you each well in keeping your victories here with you as you go forward.