Sophia the Traveler is an adorable and refreshingly challenging hidden objects game developed by Thermite Games. Akin to other favorites, like Where’s Waldo (or Wally) and Hidden Folks, players are tasked with finding a certain amount of items and characters hidden throughout different maps.
It appears to be innocuous at first, but as players travel through each scene, the game becomes increasingly more difficult!
This title was released April 11th, 2024 to both Steam and the Nintendo Switch.
The adorable little cousin of Where’s Waldo
Sophia is a sweet little traveler who enjoys photography, music, and writing postcards. She alongside her beloved dog and parrot are set out to explore the beautiful landscapes and attractions of Venice, Italy. The game immediately throws you to the ropes after witnessing some cute photos of Sophia’s travels to each location.
There are ten full levels, or “scenes,” in total. According to Thermite Games, there are over 1,800 different characters and more than 300 unique sound effects! This is rather impressive. Sophia the Traveler is certainly jam-packed with charm and liveliness, operating as if you are flipping through a hand-drawn picture book. It may seem overwhelming at first due to its immense details, but this is what makes Sophia the Traveler so immersive and challenging.
Scenic views and helpful clues
As you progress through each scene, the maps become more expansive and complex, which means there are more objects and people to find. On the sidebar, clicking on a thumbnail of a person or item can give you a hint to its whereabouts. Sometimes these hints are immensely helpful, and other times it is rather vague.
If you continue to struggle, players can also receive magnifying glasses, which zoom in on the location of the next object that is left to find. These magnifying glasses recharge (and stack up) after a six minute time period.
I appreciate the challenging nature of the game, but the six minute recharge is a bit . . . much. Some objects are extremely well-hidden, and having to wait for this chunk of time can be a huge lull. Perhaps it would make more sense if the wait time were one to three minutes instead. Playing on hard mode removes these hints completely.
However, the scenes themselves are not timed. There is no rush for players at all, so take your time and enjoy the animated, vivacious scenes of Venice!
A relaxing tour through Venice
The art style itself is cute and picturesque, reminding one of flipping through a children’s book! The softness of the art and the soundtrack emits this nice, relaxing feel. After successfully finding a hidden object, several of Sophia’s friends jump onto the screen and cheer for you. While this is nice and encouraging, the particularly sound effect is kind of too loud.
Another neat aspect of Sophia the Traveler is the amount of easter eggs players can find sprawled out through the scenes. Without spoiling too much, you may come across some familiar faces . . . like Pinocchio or Darth Vader! These little nuances brings a smile to my face.
Final thoughts
Sophia the Traveler is a charming edition to the hidden objects genre; the game is adorable, surprisingly challenging, and genuinely reflects the real landscapes of Venice quite nicely. Playing through the scenes can be a relaxing way to spend your time . . . sometimes. There are several instances where the smaller objects, like the dog’s bone or a key, was near impossible for me to find. This became slightly irritating, especially when accompanied with unclear hints. While it is cool that players can click on the tiniest of windows and drawers to open them, there are dozens to sift through.
Regardless of the above complaints, Sophia the Traver is highly recommended if you are looking for a fun, scenic point-and-click game that simultaneously challenges the brain.
