Thelma Fantastic

[H1]Hidden-object chaos starring the boldest grandma around[/H1] Thank you to Weird Pumpkins Studios for the curator copy. This is nonetheless an impartial review. Writing about this one is super hard, because Thelma [i]is[/i] fantastic for hidden object fans, yet it has so many tiny limitations that slowly appear the longer you play. You play as Thelma, an octogenarian detective who barges into hoarder houses searching for random junk all to figure out who murdered someone in the neighborhood. Yes, it’s as wild as it sounds, and the intro animation sets the tone perfectly. The whole thing is absurd, funny, and surprisingly engaging. As you locate the requested objects, you uncover clues pointing to the culprit. Since the items are randomized every run, the hunt stays fresh and very replayable. Content-wise, there’s a lot to chew through. You get 6 premade cases with specific clues and culprits, a daily run, and a random run mode where you tweak the number of items and suspects. The item pool always shuffles, no matter the mode. On top of that, Thelma’s wardrobe unlocks accessories that modify gameplay (extra hints, timers, removing the rain in the search screen, increasing your chances to identify the killer, etc.) Dressing up grandma while adjusting the rules gives a fun sense of progression, even if it's easy to jump straight to the stronger upgrades. The hidden-object side is where things really shine. Each case asks you to locate roughly 35 to 90 items, and the game even estimates the playtime before you start. Hints highlight a general room instead of the exact object, and they don’t affect achievements, which is always welcome. Achievements themselves aren't too much and clearly described. Controls feel mostly intuitive, misclicks don’t seem to carry any penalty, and the challenge level is surprisingly intense. I honestly didn’t expect a HOG to make me sweat this much. The only odd detail is the feedback when clicking an item: nearby objects shake as if you misclicked, even when you selected the correct one hiding underneath, which makes the moment less satisfying. The deduction phase, however, doesn’t feel quite as refined. Outside of the premade cases, you can often identify the culprit after only 2-3 clues. Random-run backstories are usually a single line, and suspects tend to give themselves away through obvious habits or favorite colors. It’s a fun idea and fits the theme, but the detective side never reaches the same level of excitement as the searching itself. There are also some systems that raise a few questions. Cases award up to three stars, but the exact scoring criteria are unclear. Stars serve as currency for wardrobe items, yet they have no impact on achievements so it’s not that bad, but it’s still a question worth noting. Some achievements also require quite a bit of repetition. Since unlocking the best version of an accessory doesn’t automatically unlock earlier versions, chasing the final achievement can mean farming multiple cases too. A few usability quirks also show up over time. There is no save system: if you leave the game entirely, your current case disappears. You can only see 10 searchable items at once, meaning you scroll through the list while scanning the scene. After a handful of runs, it also becomes easier to recognize which objects are interactive, which turns the hunt into more of a memory test. The hint interface is also a little odd: you first select the item in the list, then trigger the hint from the corner. It works, but the flow isn’t immediately obvious. Even with those quirks, there’s a huge amount of replayability here thanks to the randomized runs, customizable settings, and wardrobe progression. If you love tearing apart cluttered scenes and tracking down every last object, this game provides a ton of content for the price. Just keep in mind that the real star is the hidden-object challenge, the deduction side is more of a light bonus than a deep detective puzzle. [quote]For more reviews like this one, please check out [url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/45639970-Ele%2527s-Little-Recommendation-Corner/][b]Ele's Little Recommendation Corner[/b][/url]![/quote] [quote]For reviews covering all types of indies, recent and old, don't hesitate to drop by [url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/32732116-IndieGems/][b]IndieGems[/b][/url]![/quote]

This game is so much fun. It's one part murder she wrote, one part guess who, one part eye spy. Thelma is probly one of the cutest old ladies ever, and solving mysteries while finding items rules. Love the fact also that you can make a brand new map so the game isn't just done once you beat it once. You can play as much as you'd like! Absolutely recommend this. It's cozy good fun.

The game is split into 2 parts. In the 1st you must seek random items at difference locations. In the 2nd you must find the bad guy. The 1st part is timed so if you linger too long you'll get less stars for solving the case. The items are random. Now comes the big....[b]BUT[/b] I must confess that for the most part I just look for items that are out of place. If it is small and in the background of the picture...well you can be certain that it is one of the items. If say a ball is on a bookcase it is one of the items. Only for the last few items have I looked at their picture and real searched for them....and hey, I got 3 Stars. The 2nd part could be fun to solve a mystery. Well It could be, but it isn't. It's far to easy. You don't need an Hercule Poirot to solve this. Still you can play this over and over. It's a lovely way to waste time. But if you look for an interesting Hidden game...look elsewhere.

This game was so adorable and so much fun to play. I loved the streamer mode so that my community could help me find things that I may have missed. It was a fun and cozy game to play and vibe to with my chat. There are so many different possibilities with the wardrobe function that make the game even more challenging. I tried the pink glasses to make the game all pink and the level of difficulty and fun that added was crazy. Definitely grab this one to enjoy either by yourself or with your community if you are a streamer.

Thelma Fantastic has to be one of the single greatest hidden gem games I’ve played in years. Take the role of centenarian sleuth Thelma Fantastic and find out "who done it", that’s right, MURDER. Thelma Fantastic is like Hidden Folks or Where’s Waldo meets Clue. It is refreshing to see a main protagonist as an older woman, and the game developer continues to make inclusive titles, especially for the LGBTIQA2S+ community. In-game character profiles are wonderfully written, allowing you to learn more about each person, including their gender. Players start a case by entering a house and finding hidden objects; after clearing a house, you receive clues in the suspect menu. The more clues you uncover, the easier it is to find the culprit. The better your playthrough, the more stars you earn for cosmetics that provide actual in-game benefits. For example: buying a watch allows you to see the in-game timer for your current case. There’s even a random mode that allows for unlimited fun. In a world where AI is taking jobs, Thelma is taking on a BIG job with the help of the dev, Weird Pumpkin Studios, who hand-draws ALL of the art. (Or should I say his art, because Patrick is a one-man team!) If you ever want to see the magic in action, you can watch him live on Twitch drawing the game. Patrick even commissioned DJKennethA for an original, really chill soundtrack available on Spotify and Bandcamp. At times, I even caught hints of the Kerbal Space Program OST. I streamed this game to my org’s community and folks were instantly jumping in to help. The in-game grid overlay, called “Streamer Mode,” makes it super easy for anyone to join in on the case. I can easily see this becoming a couch co-op game for an in-person party, or even having great applications for schools and retirement homes. Thelma Fantastic launched March 2026 at $4.99, and the solo dev is incredibly quick to address bugs. During my playthrough, I noticed the random mode wasn't truly randomizing certain details. Luckily, out of my 17 suspects I still picked the right one—and Patrick is already on the case!

Started playing today and it pulled me in pretty quickly. The art style is one of the first things that stood out to me — it has a lot of charm and gives the game its own personality right away. The music also fits really well and adds to the overall feel while you play. I especially liked the daily random game because it gives you something extra to do and makes it feel worth coming back to. Overall it feels thoughtful and easy to get drawn into. I can't wait to play more cases!!!

I absolutely adore this game! It's like Where's Waldo meets Guess Who meets Clue. It's so easy to get absorbed into this cozy little hidden objects game. I played this on stream for nearly five hours in one sitting. It was so hard to pull myself away. There are a few game mode options. First are the pre-built cases. There are a pre-determined number of houses to visit, objects to find, and clues to work with. Second is the random daily build where you can see how you compare in times with other folks. Lastly is the customizable case option where you can choose how involved of a case you'd like to work/play. I have yet to try the daily option, but I plan to hop into that soon. As an aside, I really appreciate that there's a customizable streamer mode grid. It's been so fun to play this with my community. Not to mention the developer has been an absolutely pleasant human who is so quick to respond to any bugs in the game. Highly recommend this game if you enjoy hidden objects games plus solving a little mystery. The Clue/mystery-solving portion isn't too hard, but it's worth mentioning that deductive reasoning puzzles make my brain go brr. As do the little sounds for finding things. I'm a simple human. (:

Search through cluttered houses for items that unlock clues and help you identify the murderer in simple cases without any mystery. The star of the game is an elderly woman named Thelma, who is obsessed with reading crime stories and solving cases. This also gives her a convenient excuse to snoop through various houses in search of seemingly random items that may or may not be relevant to the investigation, all while trying to point the finger at the right suspect. There are six cases in total, but there is little mystery behind them and not much personality either. Each begins with a brief note that a murder has been committed. Aside from the group of suspects, who sometimes appear in several cases, the main difference lies in how many stages you must complete to collect every clue and earn a gold star. Another difference comes from the game’s main feature, randomness. You begin each case in a house where you must search for a list of items. The twist is that the house is always random, with randomly generated rooms packed with a huge number of random objects. It often feels as if every house belongs to a hoarder. Clicking around is not penalized and you can take as long as you like, unless you want to complete the entire case within the gold star time requirement. You do not have to find every item, but doing so means you will miss part of the bigger picture. Each discovered item fills the case progress bar, which either unlocks a clue or opens a new house where you must search for another batch of items. All clues are revealed only if you find every item in every house. The number of objects in the game is not endless, so you will soon begin to notice the same items appearing across multiple runs. Although they are usually not difficult to spot, the game often hides required items behind other objects so that only a small part of them sticks out. Even this is rarely a real obstacle if you search room by room and use the powerful zoom feature. In fact, you may start noticing items before you even know they are on your list. Clues appear in the suspects menu, where you eventually have to identify the culprit. When you click on a suspect’s profile, you can see their favorite things, habits, place of residence, profession, net worth, and even a hair sample. There is also a short bio, though the only important clue is a single word written in capital letters. Your task is to compare the clues with each suspect’s information and eliminate those who do not match until only one person remains. You get only one chance to make an accusation. If you are wrong, you must restart the case. You can earn up to three stars per case, and they are not limited to a single playthrough, so you can repeat stages to collect more. Stars are used to buy wardrobe items that grant bonuses. Hand items provide hints, while shoes add a few extra minutes to the case timer. However, because the six main cases have predetermined suspects, you can simply replay one of them, select the culprit in a few seconds, and earn a star each time. Once you finish the main cases, the only remaining activities are a daily random challenge and a custom random run where you choose the number of houses and suspects. It is not a huge amount of content, but it suits the game’s low price.

Quirky art, fantastic soundtrack, and a fun mix of hidden object and logic puzzle, including a daily challenge! This game has value. Full disclosure: While I did purchase this game, I was part of the original playtest.

Such a cute cozy game! Thelma is such a cute character and got hooked immediately on finding items. The music is a perfect balance of being relaxed while also adding suspense. Would recommend for anyone looking to have a peaceful time while solving mysteries. Also perfect for streaming to have chat be involved <3