NUTS Review
When I started playing NUTS, I had almost no idea what I was getting into. I love to experience unique indie titles that are trying something new and NUTS is certainly that. NUTS is a first person adventure game where you play as a scientific researcher who studies squirrels in a forest. As you progress you begin to uncover a mystery about what is going on in the forest.
As you play you are introduced to puzzle solving mechanics as you place cameras throughout the forest to find where the squirrels are nesting. You then watch your video footage through monitors as you start and stop the footage to keep track of your squirrel subject. The game does a great job of making you feel like you’re on a scientific stake-out as you set up cameras during the day and then transition to night to monitor the footage from your trailer/homebase.
The story centers around your character as you explore the forest. You receive phone calls from your supervisor who sends out on research missions. This system of storytelling and interactions reminded me of titles like Firewatch, however the dialogue is one sided as your character doesn’t speak. Your character also keeps a journal of your findings that you can refer back to as you are exploring and solving puzzles. The setup of the story had me incredibly engaged. The mystery of why this big corporation is in the middle of a forest and the impact of their actions on the wildlife felt intriguing and made me want to continue playing. But by the end, I felt that I was less interested as the story didn’t go anywhere incredibly interesting. Without getting into spoilers I didn’t feel that the game had a meaningful conclusion after setting up the mystery of what is really going on in the forest.
The game showcases an amazing hand drawn art style that utilizes bright colors to illustrate your surrounding forest environments. Additionally the sound design in the game is really well done. From twigs breaking or a squirrel scampering away, the ambient noise in the game really helps immerse you into this scientific adventure.
I highly recommend NUTS if you enjoy playing unique indie experiences. While the story didn’t come to a satisfying conclusion for me, I think the fantastic premise, art-style and sound design make it well worth playing. Clocking at about four hours for my playthrough, NUTS is a perfect Sunday afternoon game to sit back with and enjoy something different.
