As a parent, I can tell you that there is no substance on planet Earth more dangerous and destructive than goo. Maybe chewing gum, but slime still edges it for me. It took my sweet little darlings mere days to ruin the last new carpet I had fitted by spilling a liberal portion of goo all over it. I’m going to wait until they move out before I bother again.
What I’m trying to say is: slime is the perfect enemy in Nif Nif, a super cute little video game about a piglet who likes to clean things. Playing as the eponymous pig – or one of its friends – you set out on an adventure filled with goo-covered forest animals, and it’s up to you to clean them up and return them to a state of cuteness.
As mentioned, Nif Nif is a deckbuilder. That means you spend a lot of time collecting new cards to improve your deck, always trying to ensure that you’re ready to take on any challenge that awaits you.
In terms of mechanical depth it’s quite basic, as you’d expect from a game that is aiming at such a young demographic. Having said that, it still relies on classic deckbuilder staples and ends up being rather engaging despite its relative simplicity. You’ve got to attack, you’ve got to defend, and you’ve got to do it all as efficiently as possible.
Nif Nif on Kickstarter
I’m writing about this playful card game by Springfox Games because the studio is today launching a Kickstarter campaign. The team hopes to raise the money required to finish the game and bring it to PC and Nintendo Switch. Having played for an hour or so, I hope they succeed – I’d have probably backed it myself but I fear my own sproglets are just a bit too old for it.
The bright and breezy presentation is built around some picture book worthy art. It looks fantastic, and the accessible setting makes it the perfect kind of game for playing with a younger child on a rainy afternoon. I think Nif Nif would appeal to most primary school children under the age of 10, and it helps that the text is kept to a minimum, making it an option for reluctant readers, too.
All told, I’ve been quite impressed with this little deckbuilder, which is replayable thanks to a roguelike framework that reshuffles things for each new attempt. You move through a map filled with different events and encounters, and you’ve got opportunities to prune your deck, rest for health, and party with any friends that you meet.
You can upgrade your cards and push your deck in different directions, meaning there is some light strategy elements to consider. Once upgraded, some of the cards are downright overpowered, yet the luck of the draw means that you can’t always rely on that one card you need to come out.
But best of all, Nif Nif is a non-violent and friendly introduction to the genre. If you’re after a game to help your younglings prepare for future Slay the Spire addictions, or even if you’re just after something for them to play that doesn’t involve guns, I think it’s worth taking a closer look at the Kickstarter campaign.
