Hidden Stories in the World of Nippets

While hidden objects games have thrived in print for many years, with book series such as I Spy and Where’s Waldo?, their impact on gaming has been much less noticeable. That’s not to say there aren’t successful games in the scene at all, as there have been popular titles in the independent and mobile spaces. However, as a whole, there still seems to be a niche within the genre that is longing to be filled.

Enter Nippets, a hidden object game that brings its own unique spin to the genre. Created by the indie studio Vatnisse Interactive, Nippets is a game in which the player must find certain objects and return them to their proper place. It’s a simple enough concept, but the developers cleverly inject a story into each object. Finding the objects is one thing, but also returning them to their proper place based on narrative clues is what makes Nippets a more fulfilling experience. This combination of story and gameplay is something that sets Nippets apart as a new take on hidden object games.

In a fashion fitting of a relaxing, cozy game, Nippets is quite simple to control and understand. Everything is done with the mouse, and the player’s only real job is to explore the map and find the missing objects. In addition to just clicking objects, Nippets also tasks the players with creative problem-solving puzzles. Sometimes, the objects are interactive. For example, to free a ball from a tree, you may have to shake the tree using the mouse. Some hidden objects are also hidden behind windows which the player must lift manually. They’re small challenges, but they make the world feel that much more vibrant and exciting.

As mentioned earlier, each object you find gives you a hint related to where you must return it. This may be Nippets’ greatest strength as it turns the game from a simple hidden objects game into a true narrative-driven, puzzle-solving experience. The clues are brief yet effective as they give you just enough information to solve the problems but not enough to simply give them away. It’s a small sample size, but it’s hard not to praise the writing of Nippets as it does so much to bring the world to life with very little clutter.

All of these mechanics are complemented by colorful illustrations and a soothing lo-fi soundtrack that truly pulls everything together. Each found object is complimented by a “click” sound effect that adds to the satisfaction of solving a puzzle. The faceless characters are still surprisingly emotive, and the animals spread throughout the city are a joy to find and interact with. A sometimes overlooked graphical achievement is that the hidden objects stand out from the background in just the right way to make them difficult to spot but not impossible to find. Striking that delicate balance is enough to garner praise for the hand-drawn illustrations of Vatnisse Interactive.

While the game only exists in the form of an approximately ten-minute demo right now, the devs have announced their intentions to add more maps and challenges to the world of Nippets. Even in just ten minutes, Nippets manages to charm by creating an overarching narrative and injecting it with colorful visuals and satisfying puzzles. This first hidden object puzzle took place in the city, but the possibility of other exotic locations is enough to be excited about as Vatnisse Interactive expands the hidden world of Nippets into a more robust experience.