Little misfortune Game Review

The thing about Misfortune Ramirez Hernandez—the star of Little Misfortune—is that she doesn’t have many animations, and one of them is her face-planting into the ground. Fitting, really, given her name and the rough hand she’s been dealt in life.

But every time she falls, she gets back up. And when that’s not enough, there’s always glitter.

Interactive Sadness with a Side of Glitter

Little Misfortune is a dark fairytale, more Grimm than Disney. It kicks off when a mysterious voice in Misfortune’s head offers her a chance to play a game to win “eternal happiness.” She agrees, wanting to give that happiness to her mum. She also names the voice “Mr. Voice”—a bit on the nose, but hey, her own name is Misfortune, so creativity clearly isn’t a family trait.

From there, it’s an interactive side-scrolling adventure. You explore the world at your own pace, click on stuff to hear what Misfortune and Mr. Voice have to say, make choices that may (or may not) matter later, and most importantly—you can throw glitter at literally any moment.

And honestly? It’s both clever game design and completely charming. The world around Misfortune is constantly full of little tragedies, but that sparkle-toss isn’t just for fun. Sometimes it’s used to reframe a traumatic moment into something magical—like a child coping the only way she knows how. It’s not subtle, but it is sweet. And if you’re like me, you’ll probably start using it as a kind of emotional defense mechanism—flinging glitter at whatever weird or awful thing the game throws your way.

Because this game does not shy away from heavy stuff. Abuse is a big theme, and it’s handled with at least some weight. But other topics—like suicide—feel like they’re dropped in for shock value and then never really followed up on. That uneven tone shows up a lot. You’ll go from a genuinely upsetting scene to a poop joke in the blink of an eye, and the tonal whiplash can get rough.

Some moments are just plain awkward. Like when Mr. Voice starts talking to Misfortune (who’s eight, mind you) about puberty in a weirdly clinical and creepy way—telling her that her body is “preparing to create life.” What?? Then there’s the moment she mishears “hormones” as “homos,” which… yeah, that one lands with a thud too. There are several of these cringe-y bits that really stick out, especially since the game lives and dies by its story and dialogue.

That said, when the writing works, it really works. Unlike bigger choice-driven games that struggle to make your decisions feel meaningful, Little Misfortune’s short runtime (about three hours) lets your choices echo back in small but satisfying ways. Not everything gets followed up on, but when it does, it lands. I weirdly cared a lot about one specific fish.

In general, it’s easy to keep going just because you care about Misfortune and want to see her stand up to Mr. Voice. Even when the game reuses some of Misfortune’s lines—like her cute little “mmm-okay” and “yikes forever”—they’re charming more than annoying. And hearing her say the same shy “thank you” every time Mr. Voice gives her one of his creepy compliments? That contrast is chilling in a really effective way. The game makes you feel complicit, like you’re also playing along with Mr. Voice’s twisted game… until you find a way to help Misfortune push back, even just a little. Those moments feel like small, rebellious victories—like sharing a secret wink with a kid under a blanket fort.

Through all the messed-up stuff she faces, Misfortune never gives up. She always gets back on her feet. And when the game falters or takes a weird turn, you can too—just toss some glitter and keep going.

If you like this review and want to see more, you can click here.  My snapchat is Cara_lynn97. Twitter and Instagram are the same. I stream on twitch multiple days a week! Be sure to follow me to see the live playthroughs of games and anything else I might do and post online.