Snap and Grab Episode 1 - Review
Each year I make sure not to miss the Day of Dev's conference during Summer Game Fest, as it's full of unique indie titles willing and able to try something different. As a big fan of puzzle games, the reveal trailer for Snap and Grab sparked my imagination for what it could end up becoming.
Developed by No Goblin, Snap and Grab is an often humourous photography puzzle game set in 1987. You play as renowned fashion photographer, Nifty Nevada, a confident, globetrotter with a criminal hobby - stealing anything of value wherever she goes. However, she's attracted the attention of Detective Rio Rivers, who is certain Nifty is behind thefts of treasures around the world. But as she gets closer to finding the truth, she also finds herself getting too close to her target.
After a brief dose of comedic exposition and a short tutorial, a nicely animated intro sequence cements the fun tone. But what's even better is the decision to fully voice the game. Nifty is given the bravado you'd expect from a popular photographer meets genius thief, Rio is a self-assured woman that can't stop herself from getting nervously tongue-tied around Nifty, Brick is a loyal henchman known for his strength, and the Conversationalist is incessantly chatty and morally grey.
The side characters are also given the same attention, like the host of episode one's penthouse party, Erik Pop. They maximise the effectiveness of a few lines to create very distinct characters. And when this is combined with lovingly crafted 3D models that all scream the vibrant and different cuts of 80s fashion, you're firmly in the decade and feel you know each character a little better.
Released episodically, each episode sees Nifty Nevada and her henchmen visit rich, well guarded and exotic locations filled to the brim with treasures that she cannot resist the temptation to steal. Episode One is set in Erik Pop's penthouse during an extravagant party - a multi-floored penthouse that opens up more with each level you unlock.
No Goblin smartly begins with an easy to complete tutorial to onboard the basic gameplay mechanics: you use Nifty's camera to shoot objects of interest, sometimes needing to change lenses, zoom in or out, or refocus the picture to capture a clear shot of your subject. You start by taking a simple photograph, which highlights the key items or interactable points, with short sentences that hint at how to use them. Like when you photograph a fountain and learn you can turn it away from the pool of water to soak the floor. This lures the guard over and causes them to slip over and knock themselves out - a perfect distraction to slip past a guard and enter a forbidden area unseen.
But in order to take every photograph Nifty needs to complete a puzzle and steal a treasure, she must first stake out the area. Learning how to use interactable objects like hot dogs to throw them at chefs to steal their hats, which also develops into a new skill as Nifty learns to throw objects further. Once disguised as a chef, she is able to enter the kitchen without a guard being called - a feature her henchmen cannot do. Then, you can snap photographs of whatever might be of use in the upcoming heist.
Although, this doesn't all come together without setting up the heist itself. Think of it as a board where you construct all the useful pieces into a workable order. To steal a diamond encrusted skull, Nifty needs to get her henchman down into a restricted area. So, you cycle your photographs and select the fountain with the appropriate action to turn it to soak the floor. Next, you set your henchman to go and grab the skull. This is an easy heist, but when objects have multiple actions to select and heists have multiple solutions, later missions get far more complex.
After these initial easy puzzles onboard the general mechanics, puzzles ramp up in difficulty to include ten selectable actions split across multiple crew members. Snap and Grab gives you the tools and freedom to invent your own solution from the photographs you decide to take. Eventually, heists need two henchmen to complete, like a laser puzzle where you can either find a code to deactivate the lasers, sabotage them with something, or use something reflective to counteract the security measures. I chose to do the third option, and found out that you can use two henchmen at the same time in certain scenarios, adding another layer of complexity. It really did remind me of a puzzle game meets a simplified version of the exploration and freedom of choice from the modern Hitman trilogy.
Thankfully, the developers smartly take their time introducing these mechanics and by the time you're let loose, you feel ready to solve the puzzles but also experiment. It also helps that Snap and Grab has a useful waypoint system if you get stuck, descriptions of how objects can be used as you cycle through their many actions, and vague hints of how to setup the basic bones of a heist plan. This encourages trial and error and experimentation. It doesn't punish failure. You simply activate a heist and watch which parts succeed and then adapt to fix the parts that failed.
After you complete a heist, Nifty returns to her homebase penthouse which you can decorate with your treasures and unlock additional areas to present objects by spending the stars you gain by completing heists in particular ways. Additional challenges found in Nifty's notebook which is activated by pressing on the globe in the biggest room of the penthouse. Adding replayability by encouraging players to figure out new ways to complete the same heists.
Beyond these mini challenges, there are photography side missions where you're given a sketch of a target to photograph. Requiring Nifty to figure out how to make the sketch happen. One early example sees you given a sketch of a dog with a hot dog in its mouth. So, you're tasked with reenacting the picture and capturing it with your camera; fun and sometimes tricky mini puzzles that add an optional layer to the episode.
You get back into the action by accessing the globe and selecting the main heists. Gradually, heists evolve and begin to involve solving a puzzle within a puzzle. It's this evolution that makes me hopeful of what Snap and Grab can become once every episode is out. At the moment, there's plenty of options for the first episode, but I did find myself reusing solutions to solve particular problems within each heist. But I hope future episodes makes solutions even more varied.
Outside of the puzzle gameplay, Nifty moves around with a nicely animated walk and sprint, as her stylised hair bounces around the neon coloured rooms and dancefloor. Even the score is on point, grounding everything in the 80s.
That isn't to say everything is perfect. There are frequent visual glitches and other bugs like V Sync not staying selected on launch. All things that I'm certain will be patched quickly. Although, I also believe some hints offered too much help, and I instinctually became reliant on reusing puzzle solutions within my heist plans. However, from what I've seen from the later puzzles in episode one, I believe future episodes will remedy this. But for now, it's a strong foundation to continue on with Nifty and her group's campaign of thievery.
No Goblin has made a solid start to a unique photography puzzle game in Snap and Grab. Episode One has three plus hours of game to complete, and more, if you want to complete the photography and extra mission plans. I really look forward to seeing how Snap and Grab develops over its five episodes, as it has an entertaining and solid foundation to build into a truly great puzzle game.
Although, it's 80s tone won't appeal to everyone, if you're a puzzle fan, there's more than enough fun puzzles to solve, to justify purchasing an enjoyable first episode.
