Game Review: Goosebumps: Terror in Little Creek (Xbox Series X)

It is strange that, considering the wide appeal of R.L. Stine’s Goosebumps series, there haven’t been more games based on the franchise. Either by taking literal points from the books or using the core idea to create something new. There have been Goosebumps games, but good Goosebumps games? Those are rarer and Goosebumps: Terror in Little Creek isn’t changing that.

It’s not a bad game by any stretch, and there is fun to be had with it (especially if you are within the range of its target audience), but it’s not especially memorable and far too short/limited for the full asking price. I did enjoy the game, but there was definitely some buyer’s remorse come the end.

So, Goosebumps: Terror in Little Creek is aimed at a younger audience, arguably the age that many are when they first start to read the books. With that, comes a light story featuring spooky shenanigans, minor touches of horror, tongue in cheek silliness and humour, and colourful visuals. It’s a very good-looking game, eerie but not overly so, and with plenty of charm. Much of which comes from voice actors who give their all, really working to bring their characters to life.

One such character is Sloane Spencer, a ‘nerdy’ and nosey teenager who, alongside her friends, is determined to uncover the truth behind their town’s recent spate of monster sightings. Something that has resulted in the authorities imposing a curfew (a handy way for the developers to empty the town). Sloane and her friends need to be careful as they explore the town to uncover its secrets, it’s not just monsters that are out to get them.

Players control Sloane, with gameplay coming the from the 3rd-person perspective and being made up of exploration, puzzle solving, minor combat courtesy of a slingshot, and light stealth sections. Don’t shudder, it works well. You must explore the town and some its more iconic buildings (a museum, library, and theatre for example), a fairly linear place to begin with, but one that opens up nicely as you unlock areas and shortcuts. Exploring the town is great, and while it’s not a huge environment, it really is a surprise that more games based on Goosebumps haven’t gone down this route.

It’s also a surprise that more haven’t gone the original story route either, albeit heavily inspired by the series and with plenty of fun Easter eggs along the way. Do you know how refreshing it is to not hear the name of Slappy in a Goosebumps piece of modern media!?

It’s also refreshing to have a game aimed at a younger audience and not have the game insult them by being too easy. Not that it’s a difficult game either, rather it tries to offer varied challenges via its puzzles and stealth sections (combat is a joke and not a major component of the game) and suitably ramps things up when necessary. There’s some clever stuff going on, and one involving a train, was actually a little bit of a head scratcher to begin with. There’s nothing too taxing, but it’s nice to see the developers actually put some effort in.

Effort that does pay off, as I said before, it’s a game with charm, spooky charm.

Alas, the more you play it, the more its issues become prevalent. Some, like the small environment are forgivable, but others like the dumb AI, the unnecessarily forgiving damage system, and repetitive stealth sections are less so. However, the worst thing is how the story runs out of steam around the final third, and at that stage, the game is only around four hours into its six-hour playtime (and that’s being generous).

For me, this is what stops Goosebumps: Terror in Little Creek being a good game, even though I can see younger fans of the franchise really enjoying it. That’s a positive thing and serves as a strong reminder of just how accessible, important, and long-lasting the series is. It’s just a shame that this never seems to translate to games.