I’ve just spent a most lovely day playing board games with a good friend from back home in Colorado.  Yet even so, I managed to find time to download the newest in Disney gaming, a hidden object game which pairs you up with Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde as they search for hidden objects at various crime scenes in an effort to solve crimes and point the finger of blame at adorable yet sinister animals.  Let’s take a look-see.

From the Devs

An un-fur-gettable hidden object adventure!

Partner up with ZPD officers Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde and unleash your crime solving skills in this wildly fun puzzle game! Sniff out crime scenes, discover clues, and analyze evidence to restore paw and order to Zootopia!

JOIN FUR-MILIAR FACES
Work with Officer Judy Hopps, Nick Wilde, and call for backup from ZPD’s finest including Clawhauser, Grizzoli, Rhinowhitz, and Chief Bogo.

INVESTIGATE CRIME SCENES
Use your animal instincts to hop around Zootopia and discover hidden objects.

COLLECT CLUES
Visit the laboratory where Hurriet the sloth will… help… you… analyze… your………. evidence.

ACTIVATE SPECIAL ABILITIES
Unleash boosters like the Sloth Slowdown, the Tiger Tracker, and the Cheetah’s Charge to help you tail and outfox suspects, and crack cases!

UNLOCK ZOOTOPIA LOCATIONS
Discover iconic Zootopia places like Savanna Central Station, the Plaza, Lemming Bros. Bank, Little Rodentia—and more!

Don’t forget to get Zootopia on Blu-ray, Digital HD, and Disney Movies Anywhere!

What is it?

While I know what Hidden Object games are in theory, I had never actually played one.  The idea here is that most of the game is spent going into areas and, while being timed, searching for a specific list of items among a plethora of garbage.

You can also bring along a friendly cop friend to give you hints.  These guys are great but they will take time to be ready to go out for another mission.  They aren’t like us.  They need rest and sleep.

Yet, while this is the main meat of the game, there is a lot more to found here.  You’ll use items you find during your investigation to research in order to find clues as to who your suspect is.  You’ll be building a profile and looking for whatever will lead you to your culprit.

This means that lots of other investigatory techniques come into play.  You’ll have to interview suspects and analyze evidence to further your investigation.

This all lead you to some sticky situations as you try to pin the crime on one critter in particular.  You’ll need to use everything you’ve gathered to pick the right culprit.

And once you blame someone, of course the water works come out as they try to explain why they did it!

Why You Should be Playing It

There’s a couple thing to consider here.  Sure, maybe hidden object games might not be your slice of pie, BUT consider that the artwork is fantastic.  It’s great getting to spend more time with these characters and everyone is animated lovingly, with lots of color, to really make the world come to life.

Also consider that there is a lot more to do here than just finding objects.  Yes, okay, that is the main point of the game, BUT I really like the aspect of following stories and researching crimes in order to pin down a murderer.  It really makes me feel as though I’m accomplishing something amidst all the searching and that is what really keeps me coming back for more.

Also, I like that some of the animals are sort of trashy…

Final Thoughts

My initial reaction to seeing that the new Disney game of the week was a Hidden Objects game was not a great one.  I believe it was accompanied by a heavy sigh.  But then I found myself really getting into it.  The story is fun to read through and I love searching for items for a greater cause of catching a perp.  The art is lively and colorful and lots of fun.  I am actually looking forward to playing more of this game and I have been impatiently eyeing my phone as I’ve written this post.  If you like Zootopia or hidden object games OR both, give this FREE game a download.  I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised.