Little Things is not a flashy game. Chances are, you’ve already played a hidden picture game similar to this before. You stare at a screen packed with tiny images, waiting for a lightbulb to go off in your head as you find an owl, or a cotton swab, or a donut, or whatever is on the list. In an App Store full of shooters and fast-paced physics games, Little Things Forever might seem dull in comparision. But if you have the patience, it’s actually quite refreshing.
It doesn’t hurt that Little Things Forever is a beautiful game. Each level is shaped like an item, and when the camera zooms in, you find that the item is made up of hundreds of smaller items. All of the items (or “Little Things”) are clearly presented on a monochromatic background. You can pinch and un-pinch to zoom in and out, and you can drag your finger across the screen to scroll. When you find the item you’re after, you tap it and it shimmers to indicate that it’s been found.
Much like its predecessor, the game contains several puzzle types. The most common type gives you a list of items to find in the clutter and lets you have unlimited time to do it. Occasionally you’ll encounter a level that gives you a two minute time limit and only lists one item at a time for you to find. Then, when you’ve beaten a given number of levels, you have to solve a standard puzzle by rotating and rearranging squares in order to make an image. Solving these puzzles opens up new level shapes.
The game also shines in the details. Tap a word in the list, and the game speaks the word– great for kids who can’t yet read. Also, a hint system dims the screen and introduces a spotlight that slowly hones in on the objects you’re asked to find.
There’s not much to Little Things Forever, but that seems to be the point. It’s entirely possible to blissfully zone out as you play and lose all track of time. It doesn’t bring much new to the landscape of gaming, but it accomplishes what it sets out to do: taking a well-known game type and presenting it beautifully. Pick this one up for the kids or the casual gamers in the household.