Denver, USA – September 11th, 2023 - Independent game studio Hilltop Studios, in collaboration with Versus Evil, have released a new Dev Diary video going behind the scenes on the creation of their upcoming narrative-driven deduction adventure game Lil’ Guardsman. This latest video, Everyone Has a Story, offers an interview with developer Hilltop Studios co-founder & game director Artiom Komarov, co-founder & creative director Scott Christian, and writer & game designer Matt Bernard as they explore their influences behind Lil and the game’s enormous cast, discuss coming up with a multitude of wild and wacky scenarios, and debate their favorite characters. Don’t worry: they keep things as spoiler-free as possible.

'Everyone Has a Story' offers a look at the narrative elements of Lil’ Guardsman, as you meet throngs of people with their own unique reasons for wanting into the kingdom. Since much of the game is from the perspective of a kid covering her dad's job at the castle guard shed, this teases some of the strong stories you’ll encounter while doing your job.

Due later this year on PC, Switch, PlayStation, and Xbox Series consoles, Lil’ Guardsman is a narrative deduction game inspired by the classic point-and-click genre and the mechanics of Papers, Please. Set in a high-fantasy world with the comedic sensibility of Monkey Island and other 90s Lucasarts adventure classics, Lil’ Guardsman puts players in the role of a young girl who finds herself tasked with covering for her dad, the head castle guardsman. What could go wrong?

As you interrogate an array of eccentric characters trying to gain entry to the city walls, you must discover each visitor’s true intentions through cunning dialogue and a clever use of your toolbox of investigative items. You’ll have to make tough decisions as Lil, deciding who to allow into her castle home. Consequences can be severe, so you must make clever use of your abilities to uncover mass conspiracies and protect Lil’s castle and family from devious interlopers.