Game: Shy Dogs Hidden Orchestra
Genre: Hidden Objects, Music, Puzzle
System: Nintendo Switch (Also on Steam (Windows) and Xbox One/X/S)
Developer | Publisher: Enchant Games | Mens Sana Interactive
Age Rating: US Everyone | EU 3+
Price: US $4.99 | UK £4.49 | EU € 4,99
Release Date: July 12th, 2024
A review code was used, with many thanks to Mens Sana Interactive.
Here at Ladies Gamers, we like hidden object games, especially when they are animal-related. We’ve generally searched for cats, but not exclusively. We’ve also looked for capybara and dinosaurs. Now, it’s the turn of dogs in Shy Dogs Hidden Orchestra, the much-anticipated sequel to Shy Cats Hidden Orchestra.
Will I be howling in delight when I find all the musicians or growling in frustration when I can’t find the last puppy?
Before Starting the Search for Shy Dogs
Even before starting the main objective in Shy Dogs Hidden Orchestra, you get a chance to play with the puppy musicians! Click on them as they pop up from the bottom of the screen, and once you’ve caught enough and muted one, the game will give you the ‘play’ option (but you can always ‘skip this’ mini-game).
You are then given the briefest of instructions – find the 20 puppies and 3 clue pieces in each world. (Although, technically, the 20th puppy is only unlocked when you solve the clues, but more on that later!)
There are 10 different worlds in all, ranging from peaceful villages to snow-covered mountains, from futuristic landscapes to underwater cities. The best thing is you don’t need to complete a world to be able to start a new one. You are also not restricted by a timer, so chill out and take your time!
The Wonderful Worlds of Shy Dogs Hidden Orchestra
When you enter a world, you are presented with a fantastical vista with a distinct colour palette. The puppy musicians could be hiding anywhere in that vista. In fact, there are at least 3 musicians and a puzzle piece hiding in the photo above! The shy dogs take the colour of the object they are hiding by, but the puzzle pieces will be the main colour on a cream bone shape.
Luckily, you can zoom into the picture to get a better look, although, at times, I wished I could have enlarged the picture even more! When you find a puppy, they move to the stage below the landscape and start playing their instrument. It becomes quite a racket when the 19 musicians are playing, but each puppy can be silenced by clicking on them. You can then select your favourite instruments to listen to whilst you solve the clue to unlock the shy vocalist.
The Mystery of the Hidden Orchestra
The puzzle pieces can be found at any time; you don’t have to wait until you’ve found the 19 musicians. However, they are not necessarily easy to interpret. The clues in the first world show you the three musicians needed to play the tune to unlock the secret musician. After that, you are given more subtle hints as to which band members to select.
My nemesis in Shy Dogs Hidden Orchestra was World 3 called Alaska. I’d already taken a dislike to the snowy world with falling snow and white mist rolling in, but trying to unlock the final shy dog was very frustrating. With hindsight, the answer is obvious, but my gaming buddies and I spent at least 30 minutes staring at the clue – hoping for some ‘bolt of brilliance’!
Gameplay
The Shy Dogs Hidden Orchestra plays well in both docked and handheld modes, although I wish the puppies enlarged a little bit more when clicked on, as it was sometimes difficult to distinguish the instruments on the small screen. There is touchscreen functionality, although it sometimes took a few attempts to ‘dab’ in the right place to release the puppy, especially if I wasn’t zoomed in on the shy dog. However, the on-screen cursor and camera movement, controlled via the sticks, work perfectly fine.
I didn’t experience any issues with framerate, even with the falling snow and wind-moving trees. The game autosaves and I didn’t have any issues exiting at any point.
The downfall of Shy Dogs Hidden Orchestra is that there is no help or hint function, so it can be disheartening to be left with just a couple to find. However, as the collected musicians move to the stage, systematic sweeping of the landscape usually uncovers the pesky pups.
Generally, a world takes about 15 minutes to complete, so there is around 2-3 hours of gameplay overall.
Where Are They?
Conclusion
If you enjoy finding objects, Shy Dogs Hidden Orchestra is a great game to add to your collection. The cute puppies and glorious landscapes, together with no timer and all the worlds available at the start, make for an enjoyable experience.
The added twist of solving a puzzle to unlock the final shy dog adds an extra challenge. If frustration sets in at finding those last few pups, conduct your collected puppies to play a pleasant tune instead!
Final Verdict: I Like it 
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