Every child of the 1990s remembers the wildly addictive book series "Where's Waldo?," as do many optometrists who no doubt profited greatly from the cases of eye strain and other optical conditions we suffered while trying to find that nerdy, affable-looking chap in the striped stocking hat and matching sweater.
There was a mind-numbing quality to those books, yet they each required intense focus to find Waldo amid those vast and colorful landscapes teeming with vandals, beachgoers and old-timey Western folks.
But finding him provided a fleeting sense -- in a kind of bizarre way -- of true accomplishment, which seemingly vanished from the pop culture landscape when Waldo's popularity went the way of Pokemon, Pet Rocks and those 3-D posters with the hidden image that you had to cross your eyes to see.
That is, until "Little Things."
From Australian game developer KlickTock, "Little Things" is a gorgeous and cleverly designed iPhone and iPad game that requires the player to find, well, little things hidden inside one big thing.
For example, one puzzle requires the user to locate two or three different-shaped cassette tapes, a rolling pin and a lawnmower hidden among hundreds of other similarly tiny objects that make up a picture of a giant owl.
Another puzzle will have you searching for sneakers, snowmen and starfish hidden in an oversized slice of watermelon.
And yes, you can zoom-in on a certain portion of the puzzle to study the items more closely so no need to worry about eye strain. Sorry, optometrists.
"Little Things" is fun, frustrating and endlessly playable. It is the perfect game for a long layover, a lengthy wait at a doctor's office or if you're just plain bored.
Follow reporter Patrick Donohue at twitter.com/IPBG_Patrick .
"LITTLE THINGS" TRAILER
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