“I would like to see anyone, prophet, king or God, convince a thousand cats to do the same thing at the same time.” – Neil Gaiman
Overview
Hidden Cats in Spooky Town is a cheerfully spooky hidden object game from Nukearts Studio, creators of the earlier, shorter game Hidden Cats in Paris and its sequel Hidden Cats in London. All three games feature adorable cats hiding in temporarily monochromatic illustrations of each location or setting!
Developer: Nukearts Studio
Released: 20th October 2023
Price: £3.39
Platforms: Windows
Available on: Steam
Engine: Unity
Gameplay
Hidden Cats in Spooky Town offers a range of hidden cat levels starting with normal which has 120 cats in fixed locations to find. This is followed by an advanced level that includes 200 randomly placed cats, 20 people and 12 special named cats to find. Successfully locating all of the special cats will unlock 6 bonus levels including a ghost house, a mad doctor’s lab and a vampire lair. These each include a different amount of cats to find, totalling 425. If that wasn’t enough content, completing the bonus levels unlocks After Party which has 200 mixed objects to locate. The cats are hidden well and the search is both fun and satisfying.
The cats are hidden with a range of difficulty, this is especially true in the advanced mode where the randomised placement means it is possible for a cat to be only just visible which can prove incredibly tricky. It also affords the game some replayability as the cats will be in new positions each time the game is played.
Narrative and Styling
Each level in Hidden Cats in Spooky Town features a densely detailed cartoon illustration with bold lines filled with lots of fun Halloween-themed objects and antics. As cats are found the outlines are filled with a mix of vibrant and darker, muted colours creating a spooky aesthetic. There are also a number of horror references in the images, such as depictions of the Addams Family, the three witches from Hocus Pocus, and Jason Vorhees. The images are still and there is no animation, however, in some of the bonus levels, there are movable, interactable parts that hide certain feline friends!
The soundtrack has a nice amount of variety for a relatively short game and includes mysterious Jazzy numbers that match the visuals perfectly. The cute sound effects are a highlight with meows aplenty. These can be helpful when there are not many cats left to find as they can indicate which part of the image the elusive moggy can be found in.
The gameplay is the focus of Hidden Cats in Spooky Town and there is no overarching story in the game but the illustrations are filled with an eclectic bunch of characters and creatures having a host of adventures providing a subtle narrative aspect that definitely adds an element of fun to the overall experience.
Summary
Hidden Cats in Spooky Town is another great example of a hidden object game from Nukearts. It will take less than two hours to complete and includes over 970 objects to find. It offers cute, spooky visuals, delightful and immersive sound design and a range of satisfying levels and bonus content to keep things interesting. Overall, it is a fun and wholesome experience that I highly recommend to cat lovers and fans of hidden object games!
Looking for more hidden cat games? You might like these reviews:
A Building Full of Cats – A Colourful Hidden Object Game – Cats in Time – Travel the World in Search of Lost Cats! – A Castle Full of Cats – Can You Find the Cursed Felines?
