Little of Naiad Entertainment’s debut title Sneaky Sneaky is revolutionary. The game looks like the recent PSN title Road Not Taken, with character models so similar you might initially mistake one for the other. When you look past that, however, you will find a game that is intuitive, easy, challenging and above all, fun.
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Games are getting more and more complicated these days. There are rules, expansions and now a lot of titles even feature companion apps that help you keep track of all the numbers. Sneaky Sneaky is delightful in its minimalism. There are few stats to keep track of and the objective of each and every mission is ‘escape’. It’s elegant, old school. The game does not even bother to hand you a tutorial mode, it just tosses you into the game after a brief cut-scene and you’re off to the races.
Sneaky Sneaky may be the most intuitive game you’ve played on the phone. From the moment you fire it up on your phone, you’re transported back to a simpler time. The game culls inspiration from early Zelda entries, rogue-likes and stealth titles. Just looking at the first level, you automatically know precisely what it is you’re supposed to do. That sense of familiarity and ease made Sneaky Sneaky very, very addicting.
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Full disclosure: a lot of games sent to review feel like work. Not once did Sneaky Sneaky ever become a slog to get through.
After a heist, the game’s protagonist Sneaky has his score stolen by a bird and he has to get it back. To accomplish this, he has to sneak, maneuver and backstab his way through forests, deserts and cities. The game is a hybrid turn-based strategy and adventure game, with easy and familiar elements of each. Players have to position themselves behind objects or inside cover to avoid detection from guards, animals or other wandering beasties. Unlike most stealth games, while you are encouraged to slip past everyone unnoticed, there is ample opportunity for silent ‘Stealth’ kills which earn you extra points and experience at the end of a level. Backstabbing guards (or shooting them with arrows) never gets old and players will experience that quick burst of adrenaline whenever you dispatch the enemy into a puff of smoke.
While undetected, you can move relatively freely about. Enemy units have a field of vision that is represented by boxes extending out in front and to the side of each creature, letting you know when it's safe to move about all stealth-like. The game is fixed on a turn-based movement system which, when not engaged in combat, feels like a hindrance. When detected, however, it makes more sense. Depending on certain conditions, namely: did you initiate an encounter or were you discovered, Sneaky Sneaky enters into battle mode in which combatant (you and the enemy) has three actions to eliminate the threat or return to hiding. The objective of combat is simple: knock the other guy’s hearts down to zero before he does the same to you.
Aiding you in your adventure is Squeaky the mouse, who sells various items that make your life easier but beyond their introduction, are not necessary for completing the game. Of all the various tools at your disposal - rock hammer, barrel (akin to Metal Gear’s cardboard box) to name a few - you’ll probably use the health potion the most. The game has an unnerving way of keeping you in combat even after you’ve made a poor move, forcing you to complete the encounter. This wouldn’t be so much of an issue except that upon dying, you get to start that particular room over again. I found myself uselessly hitting buttons in hopes of speeding things up, or at least wishing that Naiad would allow me to start the room over.
There is an option to restart the entire level, but getting to the final room and then mis-stroking can be frustrating. None of this is strictly necessary, as there is little penalty for dying in an encounter except for a loss of pride, points and achievements. Enduring a battle is but a small price to pay for one’s mistakes.
Sneaky Sneaky’s gameplay never gets too difficult. The puzzles are fairly easy to figure out, though there is not always a set pattern for the guards. If anything, the last few levels feel comically easy compared to what came before. This is not a painstaking stealth game (like the recent Styx: Master of Shadows), and being found out and forced to fight in a room is hardly a hindrance.
There is a lot to love in Sneaky Sneaky. The character design is delightful, the gameplay itself provides just enough challenge and enjoyment for quick sessions while waiting for the dentist (for instance). Unfortunately, the game feels incredibly short. Just as it feels like it has introduced every new kind of twist and turn into the proceeding, the game ends up on a somewhat unceremonious note. A game can be short and still offer up a satisfying experience - Monument Valley is the perfect example of a short game that feels complete - so hopefully Naiad is hard at work creating new content. Dedicated players can burn through Sneaky Sneaky in a very long play session, but it offers little replay value at the current time.
Though lacking in enough content, Sneaky Sneaky is fully formed and well conceived and can offer a perfect entry point for players looking for something a little less casual on their phones and tablets.
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Sneaky Sneaky was reviewed on an iPhone 5S using a code provided by the developer. The game is available for iOS for $2.79 and on Steam for $4.99.
