Little Things for iPad Review

There is nothing more irritating to me than losing something, my keys for instance, and having to scour my house until I find them. Why, then, do I enjoy hidden object games like Little Things so much? I'm hard-pressed to answer my own question, but there is no doubt in my mind that the appeal of Little Things lies in its devotion to a spare, meticulously-crafted presentation.

My first thought when opening the app was that its art style was either designed by or inspired by graphic artist and children's book author J. Otto Seibold. The clean, clever drawings and color pallette certainly seem influenced by him, and the style adds a real sense of whimsy to a genre of game that has become more about inane backstory (all of those hidden object "Mystery of..." games) than about the simple joys of seeking that which is hidden.

And simplicity is what Little Things is all about. There is no story element, no code breaking quest you've been sent on by some secret society. The game presents you with an object, say a wheelbarrow, then recreates the object with a collage of common, everyday items. Then, you are given your task: locate six pairs of high heels, for example, or ten telephones, among the cacophony of stuff. Solve the puzzle, and you may be rewarded with an achievement or a piece of a jigsaw puzzle that you assemble after several rounds. The goals are small, and the rewards are minor, but the whole is somehow greater than the sum of the parts.

Little Things is a game where atmosphere is everything and everything contributes to that atmosphere. Minimal keyboards serve as music, and there are only the slightest hints of sound effects, but both of these pair with the graphical style to enhance the total impact of the game.

It won't change your life, but you may find yourself having a quiet zen moment staring at and searching through the screens of Little Things. Sometimes, that's just what we all need.