Mom Hid My Game! Review

​Screw Waldo, Where is My Switch??
By Edwin Velez
Reviewed on Nintendo Switch
Released on December 21st, 2017 for Nintendo Switch and 3DS
Developer: KEMCO  Publisher: KEMCO

Not to toot my own horn, but growing up I was always a good boy for lack of a better term. Since I was six, I have always had some sort of handheld, portable gaming system. From Game Boy Color, to 3DS and Vita, and everything in-between, I have been playing handheld systems for close to 20 years. Never once in my adolescence did I have to worry about it being taken from and hidden thankfully, but now the sad story of love and loss comes to the Switch in the form of Mom Hid My Game, the incredibly unique “escape” game from Kemco. It tells the tale of a boy and his game system, which his mom most sinisterly hides each and every day. What follows is 50 stages of increasingly wacky and out there “Where’s Waldo” type levels, in which you must use your wits to find your game system. With the humor of a Warioware game and the casual appeal of many mobile games, Mom Hid My Game is a brief but fun experience that takes advantage of the Switch’s multi-segmented appeal. 

Mom Hid My Game! is the first of its kind that I have seen on Switch, which is actually a surprise because after playing through the entirety of the 50 levels, the genre fits really well on Switch (like many others.) The Switch has a lot going for it, and its portability makes it that much more open to a market that is typically reserved for cell phones. A game like this would feel perfect on my phone, but feels damn good on the Switch too. I never bothered playing it docked, as I did not feel like it would deliver the same experience. The game can be played with a cursor, or with the touch screen. I preferred the touch screen as it felt a lot more natural. In each level, you have the simple goal of finding your game device, while avoiding alerting your mom to your goal. The game is hidden somewhere, and you can find it with a variety of items and interactions. Be warned though! Mom is hiding on every level too, so one wrong search can reveal her which ends the level.

The game is hilarious, in addition to being fun and clever. A lot of the situations are incredibly humorous, from digging your game out of elephant poop, having grandpa wrestle you for picking a bad hint, or to finding Mom in a microwave, there are plenty of laugh out loud moments worth finding out. Failure is not a deterrent in this game at all, because it reveals a lot of those funny moments, in addition to making you think outside the box. Sometimes it is as simple as trying a different item, or snagging something you did not think you could add to your inventory. It is a very clever game, but short lived too. The 50 levels can be beat in just over an hour. Beating the game unlocks a minigame, but it doesn’t add much to the overall experience outside of just a bit more playtime.

At $5, this is a great little experience. Its visuals are seemingly intentionally plain, but boy does it deliver when it comes to how funny the game is. The one lone track that plays in the game may drive you crazy by the time you are done, but you can always mute it as an easy solution. I had fun burning through every level, and honestly would have enjoyed another 50 had they been available. It’s not the most complex or rewarding title, but it is fun and comedic, and totally worth the play if you are into casual games of this nature. Get cracking, look out for momma, and get your game back!

*Note: A copy of the game was provided by KEMCO for the purposes of the review

Final Score: 7.5/10

​+Hilarious
+Fun, Casual Approach

​-Experience Does Not Last Long Enough