Nippets – A Delightfully Puzzling Hidden Object Game

“It is a joy to be hidden, and disaster not to be found.” – D.W. Winnicott

Overview

Nippets is a delightful, hand-drawn, hidden-object game in which players must solve mini-puzzles and find a selection of lost objects.

Narrative

Nippets is set within four seasonally themed levels: spring, summer, autumn, and winter, with an additional bonus level, Susan’s Dream. While there is no prominent overarching narrative throughout the game, each individual level tells a brief story, revealed gradually as the player completes it. They are all simple, people-watching, slice-of-life type stories, and they won’t have players on the edge of their seats, but they do provide a fun bit of context and exposition for the different scenes and the hidden objects within.

Gameplay

Each of the five Nippets levels includes a selection of lost items for the player to find. Unlike in similar games, the lost objects are not shown in full, merely as outlines, with clues to indicate what they might be and where they might be hidden. These clues, alongside additional interactions, such as opening curtains or shaking trees, that are sometimes required in order to locate an object, contribute to the game’s puzzle aspect and elevate Nippets beyond a simple hidden object game.

Nippets also features a bunch of additional, amusing interactions. Within the levels, these might trigger animations or change a small section of an element of the scene. Outside of the main game, the menu is also interactive, granting players the ability to do things such as rearrange fridge magnets or make additional finds for achievements.

Styling

Nippets uses a fun, 2D cartoon art style that utilises bold outlines and vibrant, solid colours to create a cute but clean aesthetic that is perfect for a hidden object game. The illustrations and charming animations are crisp, leaving no ambiguity about what objects within a scene are. Each level has a different seasonal theme, providing a nice amount of variety whilst staying consistent in terms of style. The game’s soundtrack consists of relaxing, upbeat music that works as an ideal, unintrusive backdrop for the gameplay, and a plethora of quirky and adorable sound effects really bring the different scenes to life.

Summary

Overall, Nippets is a wonderful example of a hidden object game that will provide around 3 hours of entertainment. It offers cute, stylised cartoon visuals, a gently lively soundtrack, and delightful sound effects that all work together to create a charming aesthetic that works very well for this genre of game. The gameplay is a lot of fun, with additional mechanics on top of those that might be expected of a hidden object game. I thoroughly enjoyed playing Nippets; I only wish that it were not quite so short. I shall certainly be keeping an eye out for future updates or DLC. I would happily recommend this game to fans of hidden object or casual puzzle games.

Looking for more top-notch hidden object games? You may also enjoy these reviews:
Lost and Found Co. – A Planet Full of Cats – Hidden through Time 2: Myths and Magic