Nuts is quite self-contained, it doesn't try to grasp more than it can, and maybe because of that the gameplay got old fast, and the story didn't expand upon itself as much as it could.

The artstyle and overall vibes, though, were nailed. The restrained color palette choices are good, despite being confusing at times, and contribute to the simplicity of the game.

Maybe, had I liked its story more than I have (I think it can be a better one for some people), I would have enjoyed Nuts more as a whole. In the end, however, it was worthwhile to chase after some funny little squirrels and just enjoy the serene forests it presents during the 3 hours I beat it in.

Completed with 100% of achievements unlocked. While photography-based games are becoming something of an expanding niche, NUTS's premise as a "squirrel surveillance" game is still an intriguing one. The game tasks the player with tracking squirrels' night-time movements across a series of forest areas with strategically-placed cameras, with an environmentalist story providing some narrative drive. While fairly simple, this mechanic works pretty well, with a couple of minor twists - though the later scenarios (there are six) do start to show its limits, as with their longer length the downtime between placing cameras (via first-person exploration), watching back the recorded footage, repositioning and repeating becomes evident - the traipse to and from the caravan observation point becomes increasingly tedious, adding little to the gameplay (though the inclusion of "walking simulator" in the game's official description does, I suppose, give fair warning of this). Overall, NUTS is decent while it lasts (somewhere around 3 hours), but I can't see it sustaining an experience that's much longer than that.

I've recently been watching Blue Planet with my girlfriend, and beyond putting me in complete awe at the pure majesty of the natural world, I keep thinking about the people behind the camera. The patience, the planning, the incredible lengths needed to get these amazing shots. Some require the crew to be at the exact right place at the exact right time of year, with less than a few minutes' margin of error, and have every single condition in their favour to get a once-in-a-lifetime shot that lasts less than a few seconds. And they do it.

Nuts also makes me think of that. Granted, the shots I get are somewhat more mundane, but if I'm honest with myself, I'll never not be in awe at the beauty of a squirrel enjoying an acorn.

You take photos of squirrels in this game. It's kinda great, honestly. You set up cameras each day, and then at night you watch back the footage. You note where the squirrel moves, and replace your cameras to follow its routine. It's surprisingly engaging, and the beautiful colour palettes give the forest an unreal, haunting appeal. It gives me a chance to appreciate the environments in the abstract, beyond the luscious greens, browns, and yellows I normally associate with the woods.

It does get repetitive at times, and wasting a whole day's work by placing your equipment in the wrong spot does foster a deeper empathy with the documentarians of the real world.

There's a story here too, about an insidious company ruining the forest, and about critters that are acting strangely. It sadly end up mattering very little in the end, as the finale is one of the most abrupt and unsatisfying I've ever seen. It doesn't end so much as stop, with almost no threads resolved, despite the intrigue ratcheting up massively towards the game's final hour.

Ultimately, Nuts doesn't have much to off beyond its central gameplay conceit, which is a shame. It's a little too short to provide a solid narrative and just long enough to not outstay its mechanical welcome. But it gave me a change to appreciate some fluffy-tailed critters in their own habitat and that's not nothing.

"Nuts" portrays the world of squirrels and highlights the impact of human influence on their habitats. However, it falls short in conveying the depth of this environmental struggle compared to titles like "Endling: Extinction is Forever."

The game works with predefined colour palettes, which look great most of the time, but I can imagine that they might be a bit annoying for some people.

You start a new job in the wilderness - the assignment: observe squirrels and send reports to your contact person. You will be equipped with cameras, monitors, a recording device and a fax. You set up the cameras during the day and watch where the squirrels go at night. Adjust the position of the camera accordingly the next day and repeat the whole process until you have found their stashes or nests.

I know, it doesn't sound very exciting. But the chapters are short, you get a new little map in each of the 5 chapters (there are 6, but the first one is a short introduction) and it was really fun to set up the cameras and see the squirrels in the shots and print pictures of them.

I really recommend taking a look.

uhhh, listen. this is a cute game n all, i like watching squirrels as much as the next guy. but when i take a picture of the thing you wanna see, then i should be able to progress in the game. rly wanted to play more but i have no idea how to get past the literal second objective. u want a picture of the squirrel at its stash? okay. i give u a picture of the squirrel at its stash. what do you mean it's not at its stash, it's literally eating nuts right there in the picture i took. its mouth is full of nuts.