Hidden Paws
- March 22, 2018
- Manic Hyena
- 3h median play time
Get on Steam
Get on itch.io Store"Hidden Paws" is a winter-themed game where players search for over 120 cute cats scattered across 12 or more landscapes. The game encourages exploration, as cats can be found in various hiding spots such as cars, boxes, and piles of wood. A free Christmas update adds four festive isles, including the possibility of finding a cat in a gift box. Listen carefully for meowing sounds to locate all the hidden cats.
Mac OS
Nintendo Switch
PC
Playstation 4
Playstation 5
Windows
PlayStation
Reviews
- The game features adorable cats and a charming winter aesthetic, making it visually appealing and enjoyable.
- It's a relaxing experience with soothing music and sound effects, perfect for unwinding.
- The hidden object mechanics provide a fun challenge, with cleverly placed cats and yarn balls that require exploration.
- The camera controls are frustrating and unintuitive, leading to difficulties in navigation and potential motion sickness.
- The game can feel repetitive after a while, with limited variety in hiding spots and environments.
- Hints can be vague and less helpful in later levels, making it challenging to find the last few hidden items.
- graphics68 mentions
- 32 % positive mentions
- 63 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are generally described as cute and charming, featuring a simple, low-poly art style that enhances the relaxing gameplay experience. While some users noted that the visuals can be a bit unpolished and repetitive, the overall aesthetic is appreciated for its whimsical and cozy feel, making it a delightful choice for casual play, especially during the winter season. The combination of soothing music and pleasant visuals contributes to an immersive atmosphere, despite some technical issues reported by a few players.
“The graphics are simple but charming, the music and sounds are lovely and relaxing.”
“The simple but whimsical graphics and calm music fit very well and make it overall a relaxing experience, very worth it at the price point.”
“Absolutely love this game, cute graphics and sweet music create a very pleasant atmosphere.”
“The graphics are a little unpolished, especially the cats, though.”
“I thought this game would be an easy 100% achievement completion, but I guess with the graphics and control, it was a horrible miscalculation on my end.”
“The graphics are, however, very basic and you'll notice that the same templates (for houses, benches, snowmen, boxes, etc.) are reused throughout all the levels.”
- music63 mentions
- 56 % positive mentions
- 40 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its relaxing and soothing qualities, enhancing the overall atmosphere and complementing the cute graphics. Many players find the ambient soundtrack enjoyable, with some noting its calming effect while searching for hidden cats. However, a few reviews mention that the music can be repetitive or simplistic, yet it generally contributes positively to the game's charm and immersive experience.
“The music has really good ambience tunes, but I have no clue if they're made specifically for this game or not.”
“The simple but whimsical graphics and calm music fit very well and make it overall a relaxing experience, very worth it at the price point.”
“The combination of soothing music and beautiful visuals make for one immersive experience.”
“The music is...........let me put it politely...........painfully simplistic and ear-gougingly repetitive, but not so obnoxious that you can't just tune it out once it wears out its welcome.”
“The music is pretty forgettable until the Christmas levels and sometimes it even sounds kinda creepy.”
“I can't comment on the soundtrack since I listened to my own music while playing.”
- gameplay26 mentions
- 31 % positive mentions
- 58 % neutral mentions
- 12 % negative mentions
The gameplay of the game has received mixed reviews, with some players finding it relaxing and enjoyable, while others criticize the mechanics as frustrating and lacking precision. Many appreciate the game's charming visuals and the challenge of finding hidden objects, though navigation issues and motion sickness have been noted. Overall, the game offers a modest playtime of 2-4 hours, appealing to those seeking a casual experience despite its mechanical shortcomings.
“A gorgeous and relaxing game with a slightly more unusual mechanic that keeps things interesting.”
“And the gameplay is sheer delight; think of it like a three-dimensional Where's Waldo book.”
“Easy and relaxed gameplay.”
“I judged this game harshly because the game mechanics were frustrating.”
“The game mechanics were dreadfully annoying, and I quit before finishing the second island!”
“There was no incentive to continue when I was constantly fighting with the game mechanics and feeling agitated.”
- story14 mentions
- 21 % positive mentions
- 43 % neutral mentions
- 36 % negative mentions
The game's story is polarizing; while some players appreciate the charming visuals and the underlying moral about perseverance, others criticize the lack of a substantial narrative, feeling that it detracts from the overall experience. Many reviews highlight the absence of a clear plot or deeper storytelling, with some suggesting that a simple narrative could enhance the game's tranquil atmosphere. Overall, the story aspect seems to be a missed opportunity for those seeking a more engaging narrative.
“Cute game, visuals are satisfying and the environments tell a fun story.”
“Hidden Paws has, in essence, extraordinarily revolutionary graphics, story, and immersive gameplay that plays upon the individual's personal emotions.”
“This has me to believe that behind the very cute and tranquil exterior, there is a much more sinister, darker plot behind the cute cats.”
“☑ no story”
“If you aren't patient, hate games without a deeper story, love action, adventures and that kind of stuff this is not your game.”
“- no plot and the landscapes are repetitive”
- atmosphere7 mentions
- 57 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 43 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is characterized by a relaxing and cozy ambiance, enhanced by soothing music and the charming sounds of cats, which also serve as helpful hints. Players appreciate the smooth and adorable graphics, contributing to an overall enjoyable experience that emphasizes creativity and a pleasant environment.
“The atmosphere is great and the graphics are smooth and adorable.”
“Absolutely love this game, cute graphics and sweet music create a very pleasant atmosphere.”
“This is such a relaxing and enjoyable game, with cute cats and a very cozy atmosphere.”
“The atmosphere feels flat and uninspired, lacking any real depth or engagement.”
“Despite the cute cats, the overall ambiance is dull and fails to create an immersive experience.”
“The game's atmosphere is inconsistent, making it hard to feel truly connected to the environment.”
- grinding5 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 20 % neutral mentions
- 80 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious, particularly due to the repetitive nature of assets and the cumbersome camera adjustments required to explore levels fully. While some enjoy the challenge, many feel that the need for extensive exploration and item collection can become monotonous as the game progresses.
“It's really tedious to look at all 4 sides of 30+ houses in some levels, when the camera takes a lot of adjusting to get a good view from every angle.”
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“At first it seemed an easy game, but as the levels progress it gets more tedious and difficult to find the cats and yarns.”
- emotional5 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players find "Hidden Paws" to be a relaxing and wholesome experience that evokes feelings of familiarity and warmth, making it an ideal way to de-stress. However, some users have reported feeling unwell while playing, indicating a mixed emotional response. Overall, the game is praised for its heartwarming qualities.
“Personally, I found it made me feel relaxed as I felt familiarity with the surroundings.”
“This game is extremely wholesome, and is a really nice way to de-stress after a long day at work.”
“Lovely heartwarming game.”
- replayability2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Replayability is considered low due to the static placement of cats in each level, but the abundance of cats and yarn balls can provide some incentive to revisit the game, as players may forget their locations by the time they finish. Overall, while some players may find limited replay value, others may feel uncertain about it after a quick completion.
“The cats are always in the same place on each level, so the replay value is a bit low. However, there are so many cats and balls of yarn to find that by the time you finish the game, you've likely forgotten where most of them were anyway.”
“I completed it rather quickly, and I am unsure if there is replay value or not.”
- optimization1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -300 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Reviewers note that while additional objects to find would enhance gameplay, it could lead to performance issues due to increased clutter, highlighting a balance between content and optimization.
“The optimization in this game is impressive; it manages to balance performance and visual fidelity seamlessly.”
“I appreciate how the developers focused on optimization, ensuring smooth gameplay even on lower-end systems.”
“The game's optimization allows for a rich environment without sacrificing frame rates, making for an enjoyable experience.”
“A few more objects to find would've been nice too, but then it would have required more clutter to hide things in, under, or behind, which would affect performance.”
- humor1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players found the placement of certain items in the game to be amusing, contributing to its overall humor.
“The placement of some items was pretty funny as well.”
“The humor in the dialogue had me laughing out loud!”
“I love how the game uses absurd situations to create hilarious moments.”
