Hidden Paws Mystery

About

Hidden Paws Mystery is a single player casual quiz game with a kids theme. It was developed by Manic Hyena and was released on December 18, 2018. It received very positive reviews from players.

Hidden Paws Mystery is a casual detective game where players uncover clues and solve puzzles to find a missing maned wolf. Interact with various animal characters, explore different environments, and use clever detective skills to unearth the truth. With its engaging story and charming art style, Hidden Paws Mystery offers a unique and entertaining gaming experience.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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93%

Audience ScoreBased on 178 reviews

music25 positive mentions

story4 negative mentions

Beautifully crafted environments with a variety of themes, enhancing the exploration experience.
Relaxing gameplay with soothing music and charming cat sounds that create a calming atmosphere.
Accessible for casual gamers and achievement hunters, with no missable achievements and a hint system for yarns.

Controls can be clunky and frustrating, particularly for camera navigation, leading to potential motion sickness.
Some objects, especially yarns, are difficult to find due to poor visibility and color blending with backgrounds.
Repetitive gameplay mechanics and lack of narrative progression may lead to boredom for some players.

music
44 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
57%
36%
7%
The music in the game is widely praised for its soothing and relaxing qualities, effectively complementing the tranquil atmosphere and enhancing the overall experience. While some players noted that the soundtrack can be repetitive or reminiscent of royalty-free tracks, many found it pleasant enough to keep the game enjoyable. Overall, the gentle melodies and ambient sounds contribute positively to the gameplay, making it a fitting backdrop for the hidden object mechanics.
- “The music complements this perfectly—gentle piano melodies and ambient tones blend with the sounds of nature, creating an experience that feels meditative and relaxing from beginning to end.”
- “The atmosphere was great for the fall season, the graphics were very nice, and the music was actually pleasant enough that I didn't mute it.”
- “The music is soothing and calm, consistent with the way the game is played.”
- “The music is teeth grindingly repetitive, and the balls of yarn are sometimes ridiculously difficult to find because of their colorations and the clumsy way in which you rotate and tilt the islands to look for objects, but none of these objections stopped me from really enjoying myself.”
- “Recommended, but beware of the repetitive music and the frustrations involved in making the islands move around so you can see every side and from every angle.”
- “My only complaint is that the music was pretty lackluster.”
graphics
43 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
33%
7%
The graphics in the game have received widespread praise for their beautiful art style, blending low-poly design with rich lighting and soft gradients that create a charming atmosphere. Many reviewers noted significant improvements over the previous installment, highlighting the unique environments and varied level themes, although some mentioned performance issues and occasional unfair hiding of objects. Overall, the visuals are described as cute, colorful, and well-executed, contributing positively to the game's appeal.
- “The art style blends simplicity with elegance—low-poly design enhanced by rich lighting and soft gradients that create a soothing, almost storybook-like atmosphere.”
- “I'm absolutely in love with the visuals of this game.”
- “Graphically beautiful, I love discovering each new island, either super cute or mysterious.”
- “Unfortunately, this game still has the same issues as the previous one: awful controls and making the graphics card go insane.”
- “I wish the devs did something about that, but they decided to focus on the visuals instead.”
- “Graphics are basic but colorful and cute.”
story
17 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
18%
58%
24%
The game emphasizes visual storytelling through its beautifully crafted environments, where each island conveys its own narrative through object arrangement and the behavior of hidden cats, despite the absence of a traditional storyline or character development. Players embark on a quest to discover hidden cats across various whimsical locations, but the experience is largely driven by exploration rather than a cohesive narrative. While some reviewers appreciate the relaxing, story-free gameplay, others note the repetitive nature of the tasks involved.
- “It’s a game that celebrates visual storytelling; even without dialogue or text, each island tells its own quiet story through its arrangement of objects and the playful behavior of its hidden feline inhabitants.”
- “A hut in a forest of fireflies, a spooky mansion stranded on an island, a forest of gigantic mushrooms, or a surreal chessboard lost in space - each of these seems to tell its own distinctive story.”
- “The art style blends simplicity with elegance—low-poly design enhanced by rich lighting and soft gradients that create a soothing, almost storybook-like atmosphere.”
- “There is little narrative progression or overarching story to tie the experience together beyond the act of discovery itself.”
- “No story, no characters, just extremely repetitive gameplay; move awkwardly and look for cats and balls of yarn, that's it, nothing else.”
- “That's it, there's no story to it.”
atmosphere
13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
31%
46%
23%
The game's atmosphere is characterized by a soothing, storybook-like quality, enhanced by low-poly art, rich lighting, and relaxing music, creating a whimsical yet slightly spooky ambiance. Players appreciate the unique atmospheres of different islands, with elements like cat meows serving as both hints and atmospheric enhancements. Overall, the blend of elegance, fantasy, and seasonal themes contributes to a captivating and immersive experience.
- “The art style blends simplicity with elegance—low-poly design enhanced by rich lighting and soft gradients that create a soothing, almost storybook-like atmosphere.”
- “Music is relaxing and the meows of the cats do add to the game's atmosphere - and also work as hints as to the cats' locations.”
- “Just buy it and enjoy its cute and mysterious atmosphere and unstoppable meows.”
- “Well, it's another game in the hidden paws series but with a different theme; this time it will not be a Christmas atmosphere, but something more gloomy, Halloween-type.”
- “You get to boop cats & find all the yarn balls in this spooky, ethereal atmosphere!”
- “The atmosphere has a very strong fantasy with a dash of Halloween feel to it.”
gameplay
13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
23%
54%
23%
The gameplay in "Hidden Paws Mystery" is straightforward and intuitive, allowing players to focus on exploration rather than complex mechanics. While it provides a calming experience with beautiful landscapes and a few hours of content, the repetitive nature of the tasks—searching for cats and yarn balls—may lead to a lack of replay value and novelty for some players. Overall, it caters well to casual gamers and hidden-object enthusiasts, though those seeking more dynamic gameplay may find it lacking.
- “The controls are intuitive, designed to minimize frustration so that the player can focus on exploration rather than mechanical difficulty.”
- “For cat lovers, hidden-object fans, or anyone seeking a gentle break from intense gameplay, it offers a few hours of calm, creativity, and satisfaction.”
- “The colours are calm, the gameplay easy, and the music soothing.”
- “The mechanics, while charming, do not evolve significantly over time, meaning that players who prefer constant novelty may find the experience somewhat repetitive after several islands.”
- “No story, no characters, just extremely repetitive gameplay; move awkwardly and look for cats and balls of yarn, that's it, nothing else.”
- “Of course, when you find all of the cats and yarn balls, the game is over, so it doesn't have much replay value and depending on how good you are, it won't give you very many hours of gameplay either.”
grinding
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and repetitive, often leading to boredom due to the lack of variety in tasks and poor execution. Despite frustrations with the gameplay mechanics and music, some users still manage to enjoy the experience, aided by external guides for difficult objectives.
- “Yes, you do the same thing on all levels; maybe it wouldn't be so tedious if the game was well coded and executed. Nevertheless, I and many others got bored.”
- “Boring, tedious, why am I playing this?”
- “The music is teeth-grindingly repetitive, and the balls of yarn are sometimes ridiculously difficult to find because of their colorations and the clumsy way in which you rotate and tilt the islands to look for objects.”
optimization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game features appealing graphics and creative level designs, but players have reported performance and camera issues, as well as frustrations with some unfairly hidden items. However, there have been notable improvements in performance and visuals.
- “Performance and visuals are greatly improved.”
- “Overall, a hidden object game with nice graphics and cool level designs.”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the game emotionally engaging, highlighting its heartwarming qualities, though some experience discomfort due to the movement mechanics.
- “Yet another heartwarming game from Manic Hyena.”
replayability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game's replayability is limited, as players can complete it by finding all the collectibles, such as cats and yarn balls, which may lead to a lack of incentive for multiple playthroughs. Additionally, the overall gameplay duration may vary based on individual skill levels, further impacting its replay value.
- “I personally am unsure about the replay value, since I have not gone another round yet.”