Mint's Hints

About

"Mint's Hints" is a horror-themed puzzle adventure game where you, the former showrunner of a canceled children's show, are abducted and must escape the abandoned studio. Collect paw-shaped "Hints" and use your "Happy-Go-Lucky Notebook" to uncover the show's secrets, all while avoiding the vengeful stars of the series. The game boasts stunning visuals, intuitive gameplay, and unique characters and lore, providing a thrilling experience in just 30 minutes.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

80%

Audience ScoreBased on 232 reviews

gameplay26 positive mentions

stability6 negative mentions

The game features a charming art style and nostalgic elements reminiscent of Blue's Clues, which many players found appealing.
The unique flashlight mechanic adds an interesting layer to the gameplay, allowing players to reveal hidden objects and clues.
Despite its short length, the game has a compelling story and potential for future chapters, leaving players excited for what's next.

The chase sequence is often criticized for being frustrating and poorly designed, with many players feeling it lacks clarity and fairness.
Performance issues and optimization problems have been reported, with some players experiencing low frame rates and crashes.
The game is perceived as being too scripted and linear, with some puzzles feeling overly simplistic and lacking depth.

gameplay
63 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
41%
54%
5%
The gameplay of "Mint's Hints" is characterized by an innovative flashlight mechanic that reveals hidden objects and clues, providing a unique puzzle-solving experience. While many players appreciate the engaging and intuitive mechanics, some feel that the puzzles can be vague and the overall gameplay is short-lived, leading to mixed feelings about its execution. Overall, the game shows potential for growth in future chapters, particularly in expanding the use of its core mechanics.
- “The gameplay is pretty good and has an interesting idea; basically, you are given two flashlights that can reveal clues and invisible objects depending on which flashlight you use. It's actually an interesting concept, and I hope it's utilized more in chapter 2.”
- “The variety of puzzles keeps the experience fresh, with new mechanics introduced as you progress, ensuring players are constantly engaged.”
- “With its charming visuals, engaging gameplay, and clever puzzles, it’s a game that will keep you entertained while challenging your mind.”
- “Puzzles feel vague but unsatisfying; the story didn't seem to be very intriguing, and I thought it was kind of predictable. The main gimmick mechanics don't really feel very puzzle-like; they feel more like novelties to me.”
- “I really want to recommend this game, but it went from a fun and unique experience to just another infuriating gameplay.”
- “Although I think that a Blues Clues inspired horror game would have been a great idea, this game doesn't really execute it that well gameplay-wise.”
graphics
59 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
37%
58%
5%
The graphics of the game have received praise for their vibrant, whimsical art style that effectively captures the nostalgic aesthetic of "Blue's Clues," creating an inviting atmosphere. However, some players have reported performance issues and optimization challenges, particularly on lower-end devices, which detracts from the overall experience. Despite these concerns, the unique visuals and charming character designs contribute significantly to the game's appeal.
- “The vibrant colors and whimsical art style create an inviting atmosphere that perfectly complements the lighthearted gameplay.”
- “The art style is so unique and cool - it's stunning and adds a lot to the overall atmosphere of the game!”
- “On top of that, the graphics and models are just amazing.”
- “The graphics during the house look a bit too simplistic and this doesn't seem right for a game that is using up to 80-90% of my GPU.”
- “Chapter 2 doesn't seem to have better looking graphics and this makes me very concerned for the future of this game.”
- “The note I'll give is, I did struggle with the graphics a bit, as they gave me a hard time being able to move around or do actions in some points of the game.”
story
53 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
51%
43%
6%
The story of "Mint's Hints" is generally well-received, with many players appreciating its unique blend of horror and nostalgia, drawing inspiration from shows like "Blue's Clues." While some find the narrative predictable or cliché, others are captivated by its mystery and character development, expressing excitement for future chapters. Overall, the game presents an engaging and endearing storyline that keeps players invested, despite its short length.
- “The story was soooooo very interesting, kept me hooked from start to finish!”
- “So the story is good; it takes a lot of inspiration from Blue's Clues, even the one human character is essentially Blue's Clues Steve, but it all has a horror twist. It has a good mystery that sets up how the show got canceled with visual cues and character dialogue that you can piece together what happened, but still leaves you with plenty to theorize.”
- “I can’t wait to dive back into this world and see where the story goes next!”
- “The story seemed incredibly cliché, especially for this particular sub-genre of horror.”
- “The best part about this game is gathering the clues to figure out the story, despite how little there seemingly was.”
- “There is hope to see the game completed, and I'm hoping to see more character and story development.”
optimization
15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
53%
20%
The game's optimization is a mixed bag; while some players report smooth performance on mid-range setups and no bugs, others experience significant performance issues, particularly on weaker hardware. Many reviewers feel that the game requires better optimization, especially given its short playtime and the performance of similar titles in the genre. Overall, while the graphics and voice acting are praised, the optimization leaves much to be desired.
- “It also runs pretty smooth on my kind of mid computer setup, so well optimized.”
- “On a positive side, I love the graphics; also, top-notch performance from voice actors.”
- “I also want to give huge props to the dev for the game's performance - I didn't experience a single bug throughout my entire playthrough, and it ran flawlessly.”
- “And for the next chapter, this game needs to be optimized way better in every way, given that every other mascot horror game out there runs immensely better than this, especially considering how little content this has.”
- “It is horribly optimized for a game that literally takes about 5-10 minutes to beat.”
- “One thing to note, the game isn't that well-optimized and can run poorly on weaker hardware.”
atmosphere
13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
46%
31%
23%
The game's atmosphere is characterized by vibrant colors and a whimsical art style that create an inviting yet slightly eerie environment, enhancing the lighthearted gameplay. While many players appreciate the unique aesthetic and nostalgic elements, some feel that additional polish could elevate the overall experience. The atmosphere shifts effectively during chase sequences, though the playful design sometimes diminishes the intended sense of dread.
- “The vibrant colors and whimsical art style create an inviting atmosphere that perfectly complements the lighthearted gameplay.”
- “The art style is so unique and cool - it's stunning and adds a lot to the overall atmosphere of the game!”
- “A bit more polish to help crank up the atmosphere could help.”
- “The atmosphere in the beginning was just right, erring between the line of being nostalgic/whimsical and the feeling of dread and that something is so obviously wrong.”
- “Speaking of atmosphere, it does get a bit better when you're getting chased by mint and fuchsia but once again, they make me want to jump onto them and hug them rather than run from them.”
humor
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game features a strong element of dark humor, with standout voice acting and a nostalgic, absurd premise that blends horror with playful references, such as a Blues Clues-inspired setting. Players appreciate the quirky characters and the amusing requirement of using two flashlights, contributing to the overall comedic experience.
- “I highly enjoyed the dark humor.”
- “I think the voice acting is well done, and the nostalgic setup is also rather hilarious -- I never would've thought I would see a Blues Clues-inspired horror game, lol.”
- “Funny, silly, amazing characters!”
stability
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game suffers from significant stability issues, including frequent glitches and freezing, even on low settings. Players report that the game can freeze entirely, making it difficult to access settings or resolve the problems, which detracts from the overall experience.
- “It freezes the entire game.”
- “And if I close it and re-launch to try and get to the settings as fast as I can, I only reach the graphics option before my screen freezes mid-transition, leaving me with a black screen.”
- “Please fix the tearing issue though, I can run more demanding games at 60fps without issue, but this game, even at the lowest specs, glitches nonstop at the end.”
character development
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The character development is enhanced by charming and stylized designs that evoke nostalgia for the original "Blue's Clues," complemented by smooth animations. The appealing visuals contribute positively to the overall experience, making the characters feel engaging and lively.
- “The animations are smooth, and the charming character designs add to the overall appeal.”
- “The graphics art style is good, nice and stylized with a good use of color and designs that actually feels a lot closer to the original Blue's Clues, especially with the character designs.”
- “+ fun character designs in the house”
music
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
33%
17%
The music in the game is generally well-received, featuring enjoyable tracks and a catchy chase theme. However, some players noted that the chase music may not trigger if the player is too far away, which can detract from the overall atmosphere.
- “The music is good; it has nice tracks to listen to.”
- “The chase song was really catchy!”
- “The music is good; it has nice tracks to listen to.”
- “The chase music doesn't play if you're a certain distance, which can ruin the mood.”
grinding
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and frustrating, particularly during the chase sequences that require near-perfect timing to succeed. While some appreciate the hidden objects mechanic and recognize the creator's passion, the overall experience is marred by the repetitive and dull nature of the grinding elements.
- “They're barely in the game apart from a tedious and mind-numbingly dull chase.”
- “The flee section is a little tedious because you have to be nearly frame perfect to complete it (a single half second wrong turn or double clicking e accidentally on a door is enough to kill you).”
monetization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization strategy of the game is perceived positively, as players feel it was designed with care rather than as a cynical cash grab.