OVERLOOK, in all caps, is a hidden object game released today on Steam. Oh great, another one of those fiendishly addictive Where’s Wally?/Waldo? illustrations, with an alarming amount of tat to find. Not really.
First, I managed to finish this in an hour, and second, it’s an animated affair and a little bit interactive, too. While Omidjm’s adventure doesn’t rewrite the genre with a complex premise or irrelevant narrative, it does make the experience enjoyable from start to finish.
Sometimes with these hidden object games, you can hit a lull with one or two elusive things to find, and without a hint. The pace of OVERLOOK is spot-on, as you can complete it in one sitting due to a decent balance of level design and items to find. With one map, you’re searching for a handful of items, and another, about 12 or so.
These maps are lived-in environments with NPCs going about their daily business, raving in the wilderness, or worshipping some obscure cult. Locations can be interacted with immediately through the camera, using the sticks on the Steam Deck to shift, or dragging and navigating that way, along with a really practical zooming feature that helps you appreciate the illustrations and absurd characters and their activities.
Some of these items are hidden in plain view, while others require a bit of heavy lifting in the form of opening doors and windows, locating a knife to slash away at the grass or plushies, or plugging into power cables to power infrastructures. Still, it’s quite linear, and the somewhat unhelpful hint book isn’t really needed as it’s relatively straightforward to move from one area to the next.
OVERLOOK stands out from other hidden object games not through the underdog stance of a solo dev, but the illustrations, chill soundtrack, and ultimately, its wit. A map might seem a tad small and lacking, only for you to click on an interactive eye to delve deep into a hidden area, locate science experiments, or flush a turd. It really is a lot of fun, both with the treasure hunting and the quirky animations.
It’s not necessary to 100% each map, but it makes sense to do so. Even then, the hidden items displayed are the bare minimums. In addition to this, there are subtle references hidden throughout, an interactive ghetto blaster (nice reference, Grandad) that allows you to skip back and forth to your favourite chill vibe, plus a host of stickers for completing mini feats.
Yes, OVERLOOK is quite a quick playthrough, though it has replay value for the extras and just how charming it is. And in reality, how many times have you aced one of these games to replay and not been able to replicate it? Do not… overlook this amusing little gem. You have the time, so don’t make any excuses about your backlog.
