Hidden Folks

This is charming and silly and gentle and fun, ridiculously intricate and lovingly crafted. It's not hardcore, it's not going to outfox you, but it doesn't want to be doing that. This is one of those instances where you wish "casual" hadn't become a meaningless nonsense term in gaming, because it would nicely capture the feeling of a puzzle book that's magically come alive, a Where's Wally where you get to poke and prod the characters. It's a calm, calming and pleasingly silly game.

Hidden Folks may be on the short side, and has its occasional hair-pulling moment, but the hefty amount of charm it has in even the smallest individual, combined with some particularly clever puzzle design, make it worth taking at least one quick spin with.

I have to say that despite its simplicity, Hidden Folks really entertained me, and I can’t wait for the developers to add more images or create a new game. After finishing the game, you can sign up for a newsletter about new levels, which I didn’t hesitate to do. You can also play it on mobile devices. It’s perfect for killing time on public transit or in the bathroom, but playing on a phone can be a bit limiting due to the smaller screen. When searching through the largest images, you’ll appreciate the overview a large monitor provides. The only downside I see is that you can’t start a new game without deleting your previous progress (the Steam version). So if multiple players are using the same account, you have to take turns.

Hidden Folks is good as a mild diversion, but doesn't offer much beyond that. The development team seems to have missed what made Where's Wally books truly special - it wasn't simply in packing the books full of stuff, and then challenging people to find the proverbial needle in the haystack. It was in filling the books with vibrant, exciting, and imagination-stirring scenes. Hidden Folks doesn't do that.

If you like Hidden Folks' trailer, buy it. It's that simple.

The lovingly hand-drawn world of Hidden Folks is overabundant with charm and invites players to explore at their own pace.

It is hard to say the game's hand painted illustrations, funny voices or smart tips are the strong points. Hidden Folks will leave you in a very big universe and let you find your own way. The variety and detail of the levels are the other strong points of the game. You will never get exhausted by looking at the cities and the jungles. Searching for something has never been this enjoyable and fun!

It’s hard to tell whether it’s the mouth-made sound effects, nifty clues, or funny characters that are the cutest part of Hidden Folks, but it’s easy to lose yourself in its strange and captivating world for a couple of hours.

Encapsulating the essence of the Hidden Object books of yesteryear, Hidden Folks offers a breath of fresh air with its unique visual style and humorous sound effects.

Hidden Folks is a little obtuse at times but otherwise it's delightful and compelling.