Weird A.F.
Platform: iOS & Android
Price: Free – ad supported
Overview & setup
Hidden My Game By Mom! and its sequel Hidden My Game By Mom! 2 were short, episodic escape room-style puzzlers with the same basic problem running through all 60 levels:
My mother had hidden my handheld video game console and I needed to find it.
It was utter nonsense. It was bizarre, funny, and entertaining.
Puzzles
Each level took place in an exceptionally simple 1-room or 2-room structure. Within each room, I needed to find the items necessary to recover my beloved gaming handheld.
Everything was minimalistic, but the levels were filled with instant failure traps like snakes and of course… mom.
These puzzles ranged from predictable to some of the strangest lateral thinking that I’ve seen in any puzzle game.
Standouts
Many of the puzzle solution and failure states were hilarious. I actually laughed out loud at the crazy shit that went on in these games.
One of the puzzles in Hidden My Game By Mom! 2 might have had the most genuinely funny puzzle solution that I have ever encountered.
These were fast-paced, quick plays. Together, both games took me about an hour.
Both games were free.
Shortcomings
The music, sound effects, and some of the menus got a little annoying.
Some of the puzzle solutions felt repetitive.
A few of the puzzle solutions were a bit too out there for me.
Should I play Hidden My Game By Mom! & Hidden My Game By Mom! 2?
I got a kick out of both Hidden My Game By Mom! & Hidden My Game By Mom! 2 when I played them on long flights. They were straight up strange and equal parts clever, annoying, and funny.
They were games of trial and error; level failure was inevitable. I was fine with this. In fact, as I got better at the games, I found myself deliberately failing levels when I suspected that it would achieve a particularly humorous fail-state… Hidden My Game By Mom! frequently made me giggle.
These were not high production value games, but they each provided a solid half hour of entertainment. I’m still amused that these games even exist.
Download Hidden My Game By Mom! & Hidden My Game By Mom! 2 today.
