Pigs aren’t dirty, they’re clean, and Nif Nif proves this. When a mysterious goo invades the local forest, its inhabitants take a strange turn and begin to attack sporadically. Luckily, this little piggy didn’t go to market.
Nif Nif is a rogue-like deck-builder with a difference. Typically, the genre is associated with hair-pulling and frustration. Still, Springfox Games’ Kickstarter encourages younger players to get involved, and overall, it is a genuinely family-friendly game that’s fun.
Cue patronising tutorials and handholding, then send it to the next game. In the demo, a brief battle introduces the ‘combat’ not by depicting a health bar but a cleanliness one. Of course, like a health bar, if it reaches zero, it’s game over, though the emphasis here is on positivity and literally cleaning up the forest with tissues.
That’s quite a mean feat, though that’s Nif Nif’s arsenal. No blunt oversized hammers, poison-tipped blades or electrified whips – everything at the pig’s disposal is non-destructive. Naturally, there are types of cards that follow the genre convention: attack, defend and support.
There are two playable characters – the titular piglet and their cat companion. Interestingly, you can customise their appearance in the demo, from changing their skin to donning a hat with associated buffs. Essentially, both characters operate similarly, though their hand differs cosmetically.
When embarking on the journey, there will be a selection of paths, ranging from random encounters to elite enemies. Generally speaking, the turn-based element is very intuitive, so there’s no need for handholding for either children or adults. In Nif Nif, three action points can be applied to cleaning an enemy: laying down a shower card that serves as protection or a buff card that draws another or adds additional power.
Throughout the journey are set pieces where you can rest, upgrade a card or make soup. Soup is a consumable that can be played without using any action points and can provide protection or add more power points. It is a lifesaver when cleaning multiple enemies or the final boss, which is included in the demo on Steam. And where there’s soup, there’s hope.
It took a second attempt to run through Nif Nif in its entirety, yet even though it’s a demo, played a couple of more times as it’s a pleasing experience. The visuals are lovely and unlike any you may have seen before, and as mentioned, the gameplay is intuitive – ensuring it nails that goal of appealing to an expansive audience.
Now in a Kickstarter campaign, a playable demo is also available on Steam, which you should try if you’re a fan of deckbuilders but want something a little cuter than what’s currently on offer. More so, Nif Nif is an excellent entry point for younger players without having to hand them an axe to enjoy themselves.
