While writing this review, I found that the developer, Seedbolt Studios closed in 2025 so it's unlikely this game will see any future development. However, for anyone else that might be inspired to make something similar I've decided to leave my feedback as it would have gone to the original team.
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I really wanted to give this game a good recommendation but there's just so much that I didn't love that it makes it hard to do so. My initial interest in this came from watching a few playthroughs of "My Friendly Neighborhood" and the puppets in "Hello, Jacob" reminded me of that. The concept is solid - children's media being used as propaganda or cover ups for other horrific things (Ex. Amanda the Adventurer, Poppy playtime) can be an interesting story element and there are nods to this in Hello, Jacob but not really well executed.
My initial reaction is that there were developers who wanted two different kinds of games - One as a hidden object and the other as an FMV. I've played "Her Story" which is what piqued my interest in FMV style games to start with so I can see why the developers tried to mash them together. However, the concept of how those two styles interact with each other, and the player within "Hello, Jacob" needed to be explored and fleshed out more.
The main use of FMV is as a transition between the scenes and a few bonus clips. Otherwise, 90% of the time is spent doing the hidden object search. The FMV portions are disappointing because they show that this game had so much potential to be something bigger. From what I can tell, this isn't a situation where it was a game jam game or a school project. If so, I'd be more willing to cut some slack on how little the FMV was used. But based on the research that isn't the case. I wish they'd taken time to really build up the story. Who is Chandler? How did he (we) get involved on this show? There's a brief overview of this in the intro text but the way characters interact with the viewer (because there's no ability for the player to interact with the puppets like some other FMV style games) suggests that something more sinister is at hand. A more fleshed out story and understanding of WHY the FMV portions are critical to the story would have made this a thousand times better.
One reviewer mentioned that the scenes are written in such a way that they didn't want to watch more than they had to and I would agree. I watched them fully hoping that it would give a better understanding of what's going on but they just seemed random and didn't connect together well. The voice acting was OK for the price of the game but the lines were repetitive. I jokingly mocked one character at one point because they ended their scenes the same way multiple times. The puppets themselves as art are well made. They reminded me of Sesame Street with the way the mechanical pieces to move the arms showed at times which is unfortunate because once again, they had the potential to be more animated in the FMV portions and it just wasn't taken advantage of.
The hidden object portion was much better but could have been integrated into the FMV portions more naturally. The art is beautiful and also overwhelming. There's just so much to look at and it all blends in together sometimes, meaning that you don't see any of the individual items at all. Obviously the goal is to look for items but some were so mixed into the artwork that I would never have found them with out a hint.
This next bit ties in with the general need to flesh out the concept more but the hidden objects could have done so much more to help push this idea of propaganda. There are a few things hidden throughout the art that causes you to pause and go, "is that what I think it is?" and reminds you that it's goal wasn't a "cute" hidden object game but otherwise it's unclear at times at how items further the storyline. (EX. How does one use a nudibranch to overthrow the state??)
There are some minor things that need to be cleaned up too. Another reviewer mentioned that the UI for the clues covers part of the screen so you have to close it and reopen it to see if there's anything else in that area that's on your list. Although it may not be an issue for other players, the movement on some of the scenes caused feelings of motion sickness for me. It would have been nice to be able to turn that off.
The music is good and dips its toe into being a proper story telling element but like most things in this, it seems like the team just didn't fully want to commit. When searching the captains room, there's a swell in it like you're about to be caught, but nothing happens. It's a small detail that changes the players emotional state, especially since in the FMV you've just been told not to get caught while going through his stuff.
All in all, I wish this would have fully been given the time and talent it deserves because as far as the concept goes, it has the potential to be an amazing game. Right now though it feels more like a demo. I purchased this game during the Summer Sale so I don't feel like a refund is necessary. It's short, simple and at times, very funny. However, if somehow the development team could get back together and do a re-release of this game with more intention and more content, I would consider downloading/purchasing it.
