[H1]The dogs finally unionized and made their own HOG[/H1]
Dog lovers, your time has come! After an endless parade of hidden cat games, somebody finally handed the dogs the microphone. This review only covers the base game, as I'll tackle the [url=https://store.steampowered.com/app/4176650/Hidden_Dogs__Winter_Wonderland/?curator_clanid=45639970]DLC[/url] separately.
I'll put it simply: this isn't the biggest, longest, or toughest hidden object game out there, but it has a goofy little personality that makes the hour fly by if you're looking for something light and relaxing. The premise alone was enough to make me smile a bit: a bunch of dogs deciding they've had enough of cats dominating the genre and setting out to make their own game.
The structure is very straightforward. There are 15 levels spread across 6 different areas, and for most of the game you can choose which location to tackle next. Each map contains dogs and bonus items to find, with progress saved automatically, a reset option available and a whistle-based instant hint system. I really enjoyed that one since instead of directly revealing the answer, it places little exclamation marks over remaining dogs. It's quick and, as far as I could tell, doesn't interfere with achievements. Add in fullscreen support, resolution options, audio sliders, multiple languages, and even a warning before exiting the game, and the QoL settings are solid for such a small project.
The biggest issue is difficulty, or more specifically, the lack of it. Most levels contain somewhere around 15 to 25 dogs and a dozen side items, but the maps are very small. Once you've found most of the targets, deduction does the rest because the remaining empty spaces become pretty obvious. HOG veterans will likely breeze through everything. The zoom system doesn't help either. You can zoom in, but only at a fixed level using the magnifying glass or right mouse button. There's no mouse wheel zoom and no way to fully zoom out, which feels restrictive given the size of the maps. Tracking collectibles can also become annoying because once all dogs are found, a completion flag appears on the area select screen even if you're still missing side items, leaving you to guess which map needs revisiting.
A few smaller issues stood out too. Some achievements are locked behind the DLC, which completionists probably won't appreciate. The onboarding screens occasionally felt more confusing than helpful, and in the fete level, some dogs hidden behind objects seemed mixed up with items instead of appearing at the end like in previous levels, though I'm not sure whether that was intentional. A brightness slider and an optional timer mode would also be welcome additions. And for players who dislike finding nothing but a tail, nose, or tiny fragment of an animal, consider yourself warned: this game [i]loves[/i] partial dog sightings. Oddly enough, because the overall hunt is so accessible, it bothered me far less than it usually would.
For me, this game is worth a look, but preferably with a [i]deep[/i] discount. The content is a bit pricey for roughly 1h of gameplay, the challenge level is very low and the achievement situation may frustrate completionists. But the funny atmosphere, unique hint system, plus the possibility of future content (including Weenie's dream of a princess-themed project) give it a lot of potential. If you're happy with a short, cheerful dog hunt and don't need your hidden object games to fight back, there's plenty here to enjoy.
[quote]For more reviews like this one, please check out [url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/45639970-Ele%2527s-Little-Recommendation-Corner/][b]Ele's Little Recommendation Corner[/b][/url]!
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