[Review] Mom Hid My Game! – Nintendo Switch

Mom Hid my Game!

Developer: KEMCO
Publisher: KEMCO
Category: Puzzle, Simulation, Board Games, Adventure
Release Date: 12.21.17

I was once a young gamer, hiding my game boy under the covers with a flashlight after bed time so that I could get just a little more gaming time in. Sometimes, I got caught by my parents and was grounded from my game boy for a few days. I think this is a struggle that most gamers have experienced at one point or another in their lives.

And this is where Mom Hid my Game! pulls on the heart strings of traumatic memories of losing access to our precious video games.

When I first heard of the concept of a game themed around having your video game hidden from you, I was definitely intrigued. Upon seeing the graphics, I couldn’t say that I was horribly impressed, but the intrigue for how this game would play out still remained, so I pursued playing it to see what KEMCO had offered us.

The game begins like a childhood memory. This little Japanese boy is sitting on the ground playing his game and minding his own business (but probably neglecting to do chores and homework). Mom comes in, clearly pissed off, and nabs the game from little J here and hides it. J freaks out and starts looking everywhere for his game and finally screams out “My Game is Lost!”.

This is where our game begins. Clearly, little J here is your average gamer whom gets it taken away on a daily basis for neglecting to do whatever it is he is supposed to do. The dialogue is in Japanese, so I can only go based on what I’m sure is happening…based on my own memories.

Each level is referred to as “days”, thus assuming that little J here gets in trouble every single day. Instead of putting the time in to doing whatever it is his mother is upset about him neglecting, he does the obvious thing…the thing we would all do in his situation…go search for your game so you can keep playing.

But watch out, don’t get caught by mom or else you lose!

Mom Hid My Game! is your typical Japanese humor which is always enjoyable. I have to be honest, while I was intrigued by the concept, just based on the graphics I didn’t think I would enjoy it too much. However, once I sat down and got in to it, I found that I enjoyed it a lot more than I originally thought.

The game starts off simple enough, find the game…avoid mom. It doesn’t stay simple for long, through. Mom will be hiding in unexpected places and you will have to figure out how to use items to get to your game. For instance, making someone go pee because for some reason they are camped out on top of your game. Items are crucial in this game. Don’t rush it, sit and think about how best to use your items to get your game back.

While the graphics may be very simplistic, the game is quite complex. The music is what I would expect from a puzzle game; nothing too exciting but the perfect background music. I don’t see myself sitting down and playing this game for hours, but it is a casual game that I enjoy playing while I am bored or when I cannot dedicate myself to bigger games that suck you in completely. So parents, this is a perfect game for you. Mom Hid My Game! is a game I could easily see being a mobile game, and as such it is a great game to have with me while I wait in line at the DMV.