NUTS: Three things to know about the animal study adventure
Observe nature, for it is your duty
NUTS is one of the more unique games that's available on Apple Arcade. It's a game about observing nature and the life of squirrels. It has a bit of Firewatch vibes with its graphical presentation and such as well as the first-person point of view throughout.
You're a researcher hired to take photos of squirrels each day. In short, you're a photographer or videographer of sorts too as much as you are a researcher. You then send the pictures over to your boss, Nina, a veteran researcher to evaluate your findings.
You take pictures during the day by placing your cameras in different locations. And then, at night, you review your footage until you see a squirrel in action. From there, you shoot your image(s) over to Nina. Here are a few other things to know about NUTS.
A Bit of Self-Learning
NUTS is big on observation and being curious. So one of the things you'll notice is that it doesn't hold your hand throughout the experience. It's also not as simple to do certain tasks as you might think, adding a slight layer of challenge to the game.
Even some of the most basic things can be a tad confusing at first, such as pulling an image from your journal (which is really simple to do once you get over said confusion). It might be frustrating for some, but for others, it is something that they might embrace.
I tell you what; faxing over that first squirrel image is quite satisfying, considering the learning you had to do when starting out. Trust me when I say that you'll get the hang of it once you get through the first few tasks in the game. There's a manual in the caravan that you'll use that can give you a little help.
Photographers and Videographers Might Appreciate it
As mentioned, you're a researcher and your duty is to capture footage and images of squirrels. If you're someone who is a photographer or some who likes to shoot film, then you might have a unique appreciation for NUTS without going nuts (cheesy, I know).
You'll set up cameras all around the forest as you progress. In the beginning, you're using just one camera to get your feet wet. Butt after a while, you'll be setting them up in different areas, and capturing film of squirrels in their natural habitat.
No, it won't necessarily make you a better photographer (although you're likely already great), but maybe there are some minor things you can learn. But really, if you're just a fan of the art, then you may appreciate the artistic nature of NUTS.
It Can Be Relaxing
NUTS is a relatively easy-going game. There's no major stress or enemies of course (watch out for those squirrels....just kidding). It can feel kind of tedious in the beginning when you're brand new to the experience and are going in blindly.
But with that being said, once you get used to things, it can become a pretty chill routine in your mobile gaming world. Place cameras, capture some images, send to Nina, and rinse and repeat. She'll ask you to grab certain kinds of shots at times but that's about it.
It's good that she gives you a variety of angles to approach images as well as some other small tasks. This helps keep the experience pretty fresh. It also lets you get creative too if you're feeling artsy. But it's a pretty chill game that's cool to play with headphones on. Once you get past the beginning, you'll get pretty comfy with it.
