Chillin by the Fire Switch 2 Review

Chillin by the Fire Switch 2 Review
Version Reviewed: Nintendo Switch 2

Some of my favourite memories while travelling this great Southern Land were sitting by a fire under the stars and enjoying the quiet nothingness of it all. I would often stare into the flames, either deep in thought or completely zoned out and no matter what, I always felt at peace. When I saw “Chillin by the Fire” by Oink Games on last night’s Nintendo Direct, I was rather intrigued. How can you make a video game about sitting around a campfire, and how can that be fun from a gaming standpoint? Curiosity got the better of me, so I decided to buy Chillin by the Fire to find out. What’s it Like? Chop up some wood, bring some matches, and don’t forget the marshmallows as we review Chillin by the Fire on Nintendo Switch 2.

Warm up

Chillin by the Fire simply tasks you with building a fire. You have a selection of areas, like a beach which is dry and warm, a glade which has some rain, and even a snowy landscape that makes building a fire rather difficult. Players will collect logs, chop them into various sizes, and stack the fire pit to hopefully create a level 10 fire. There’s no pressure in the default gameplay mode, as logs randomly spawn, allowing you to build your fire at your own pace. There is no penalty should your fire fizzle, as you can simply restart it, adding an almost cozy vibe. There’s a set of achievements in each level to unlock, which helps you earn currency for cosmetic unlocks.

Players looking for a challenge can play Survival mode, which is unlocked after completing a level. In this mode, players have a single log which they have to make a level 3 fire last up to 30 minutes. Survival mode felt like a completely different game, and had me constantly checking the temp and moisture levels of the wood, constantly moving the positioning of kindling, and carefully blowing on the flames to keep the flame alive. It’s challenging and fun, and I found it really hard to put down.

I sat by the dwindling fire, pondering how one would go about reviewing this sort of game… I restarted my game and started chopping and stacking kindling atop the fire starter, meticulously placing pieces of wood carefully over the fire starter to ensure maximum exposure to the heat. Then, I started planning out which logs I would chop up and stack them downwind of the fire to both dry out and warm up, and then it hit me… Chilling by the Fire is both a social experiment and a clever puzzle game; you just might not realise you’re being challenged while playing it. Much like a real campfire, it will ultimately enchant some players, while leaving others looking for something to do.

The Oldest Social Network…

The biggest potential for Chillin by the Fire is, unfortunately, the one thing I couldn’t test out, and that’s grouping up with friends via gameshare and gamechat to build your own fires and use the conversation starters to learn a bit more about your friends. There’s a lot of potential here, and I could see myself catching up with mates while building fires and just talking about nothing and everything, and in that sense, Chilling by the Fire is unique, offering both a game and a simple social space to hang out.

Graphically, the game features a low-poly art style, offering a simpler environment for players to occupy. The fire mechanics and physics work well, with wind playing a big part in both visuals and strategy for building your fire. It’s nothing spectacular, but it works. There are plenty of cosmetic upgrades you can spend your achievement points on, too, allowing players to have different camp chairs, tools, and even tents. The game is backed by a chill and lo-fi soundtrack that blends into the background, and the relaxing cackle of the fire works well. For my campers looking into accessibility, there are no specific options to speak of. As always, I recommend further research to see if Chillin by the Fire suits your needs. I was initially put off by the $22 AUD price tag, thinking there wouldn’t be much of a game here, but roughly 6 hours later, I’m still not done with some survival challenges and am missing plenty of achievements in the later levels, so there’s still plenty of fire left to flame. While performance is rock solid, there are some issues that got smoke in my eyes. Mainly, for some reason, there’s a jump button, but not a crouch button, which would have helped a bit better with positioning, and there are a few questionable physics when stacking logs. I also found the pace at which looking and moving, despite being set to max, is rather slow, and I understand this is meant to be a game at a relaxed pace, but sometimes it feels almost a little too relaxed.

For the price of some firewood

I purchased Chillin by the Fire initially due to the odd Nintendo Direct trailer, thinking that surely, this can’t be a game, right? I was expecting somewhat of a tech demo, or perhaps a quirky title that didn’t have much beneath the surface. Instead, I got a relaxing and clever puzzle game that asked me questions about myself while I tended to the fire. It somehow managed to give me moments of quiet reflection, making me ponder the questions it asked me about myself, and also took me back to those nights under the stars in the Outback, enjoying my calming solitude. It’s certainly not for everyone, and the entertainment value may enchant some players, but the flame may blow out rather early for others. For me, I found Chillin by the Fire to be a nice palate cleanser in between Labyrinths, Parties, and Hunting. Chillin by the Fire is a rather unique concept, and a quiet escape that I think many will enjoy.

So What’s it Like? Chilling by the Fire is like… chilling by a fire.

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