Nif Nif: The Review

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Hello ladies, gentlemen and those of a non-binary nature, my name is Daibhi and this is the Gamerhub. Nif Nif was a game that hit us all by surprise here at the Hub. Deckbuilding roguelikes are becoming more and more common in our industry, but we thought we’d seen the best of this genre with Slay The Spire. Seriously, I’m writing about it for this site after this one. It won the coveted Golden Joystick awards, and we can’t wait for the sequel coming soon. So, with all that being said, will Nif Nif, a roguelike deckbuilder about an adorable pig wanting to clean a forest, match up? Did I lose plenty of sleep playing this game? Did I spot all the references to British pop-culture hidden in the game? All this and more will be revealed.

Nif Nif is a roguelike deckbuilder developed by Springfox Games and is currently available to play on Steam as a demo game. The game was launched via Kickstarter on August 14^th 2024, and is due for a Steam and Nintendo Switch launch in 2025. Springfox are a relatively new studio and the game has been developed by a very small team, but their turnaround time is incredibly impressive. Their Universal Selling Point (what makes them unique) is that they are making “smart games for the family”. So, with all that in mind, I logged on to my Steam account, activated the code and off we went.

Graphics

Nif Nif isn’t what you would consider your typical game of this genre. It doesn’t have manga style graphics or background artwork that will make you stop playing simply to admire it. Nif Nif does something else entirely. Because this game is made for the whole family, the graphics focus on making the characters as adorable as possible. From the titular pig, who seriously makes me hanker after some bacon, to the other characters. Everything in this game is designed to be as soft visually as possible. That’s a good thing though, as some of the jokes in this game wouldn’t work in other art styles.

One final thing I’ll mention here: There is a Doctor Who related joke with an owl that absolutely sent me. It had me in tears of laughter. I’m not joking. When you get chance to play Nif Nif, you’ll know why. Having an art style similar to Forged In Shadow Torch or Slay The Spire would likely give peerie kids a nightmare. This art style for the owl works perfectly here, softening the sharp edges and darker colours.

Gameplay

Nif Nif is a roguelike video game and thus bears all the gameplay trappings of the genre. The game makes you choose what to do using a series of cards, all with different effects as Nif Nif attempts to clean up his home: The forest. Along the way, our titular adorable piglet comes across a number of obstacles. From snails and slugs, to litter, to random things jumping in the way, Nif Nif has a lot to do. How he does that? Well, that’s entirely up to you. Basically, the crux is each of the actions helps clean your forest friends back to their normal state.

Red cards help to clean up the goo permeating the forest and covering the critters. Blue cars are used to protect you from any harm, and there aren’t nearly enough in the deck to let you go through each encounter unscathed. Yellow cards are a bit different: They can only be used once in a battle and have a variety of effects. The apple gives you health, while others help your defence in the next turn. Since our beloved cute piglet is a swine, he loves himself a munch. You can take up to three food items in your pack, and they become very helpful. I’ll be honest, I became pork scratchings a few times before beating the demo, but it was totally worth it.

As far as difficulty goes, this isn’t Dark Souls. You won’t find yourself screaming at your laptop when something goes wrong. Neither will any kids around you. However, be prepared for not much in the way of hand-holding, so getting good at this game is simply a case of trial and error. It took me five attempts to beat the boss in this demo before I managed it, and each time, it was a case of simply underestimating the game. It’s here where this game’s strength lies. By luring you in with a false sense of security, this game has the potential to be the most addictive and yet difficult game of this genre.

Playing experience

Nif Nif reminds me a bit of Splatoon, but in reverse. Instead of trying to cover every nook and cranny in paint, you’re desperately trying to get rid of any mess. It’s a unique angle to a game, and it really made me laugh at times. On your way to the boss, you’ll come across a mystery, which will be a reference to pop culture. There’s a very funny one involving The Matrix and a rabbit, the Doctor Who (or should it be “Doctor Hoot”?) reference had me on my f***ing arse laughing, and the snail looks curiously like one called Gary.

Nif Nif is both difficult enough to give adults a challenge while fun enough to keep younger gamers occupied, and that seems to be what Springfox Games are going for. I applaud them for that, as this game is spectacular for all. It’s a family friendly romp of a game with an important message about looking after the environment thrown in for good measure. I can’t wait to get the full game on the Nintendo Switch next year.

Final Thoughts

Nif Nif is a really fun, cutesy roguelike with a lot to love about it. It’s graphically fun, challenging enough for us grownups, cutesy for the peerie ones, and incredibly wholesome. The gameplay makes this game worth sinking a few hours into and best of all, I can play this game on my laptop in the University library and nobody is any the wiser. I wish the demo had more than just one level, and that the game had a brief skippable bit explaining what it is, but other than that, I have no negative things to say about it. Just try not to laugh if you’re playing this in a library on your laptop, when the library is full of students revising.

Also, Springfox Games, if you’re reading this (and I hope you are), thank you for a really enjoyable game. I can’t wait to play the full version when it releases next year.