Sophia the Traveler, this week's Epic Games Store freebie, forces you to slow down and relax
The variety of the Epic Games Store's freebie program is a constant source of delight for me. Rather than sticking with the popular genres, they seem content to try a bit of everything. Last week, we had TMNT: Shredder's Revenge for some glorious beat-'em-up fun and before that, Construction Simulator 3. And while that didn't resonate with me, I admire the willingness to put something more niche out there. Keeping that eclectic approach alive, this time they've opted for the hidden object puzzler, Sophia the Traveler.
And it's come at the right moment for me, personally. As Dann pointed out in a recent feature, mobile games overdo it with constant dopamine hits, nagging you with notifications, adverts, and sparkly animations whenever possible. I don't always realise how much this overloads my brain until something like Sophia the Traveler forces me to slow down. Frankly, we should all do that now and then.
Most of us are familiar with Where's Wally (Or Waldo, depending on your location), and that's pretty much everything you need to know. In each level, you'll need to find a bunch of people, animals and objects, ticking them off an ever-growing list. Every six minutes, you receive a magnifying glass that will find one item for you. Thankfully, it's not in-your-face about its arrival, and, since this is usually a premium game, there are no pop-up adverts trying to sell you extras.
Take some time to appreciate time
And not using the magnifying glasses is the best way to go about it. Completing a level isn't truly the goal. Instead, it's about kicking back, enjoying the lovely art style while searching for bones, painters or the titular Sophia. Tapping on an item on the sidebar gives you a clue to its location. Some are useful, some are not, but it's not overly important. If you're in a rush to find that last flower pot, that's a good sign you need to take a breath and slow down.
While it might be giving the loose narrative too much credit, Sophia loves travelling, specifically taking in the sights. That's simply something you can't truly do if tearing through each level is your priority. The developers have created some stunning, expansive scenes here that deserve appreciation. If you were the art museum type, you wouldn't sprint through the gallery without checking out the Van Goghs, after all. Be like Sophia. Slow down and take it all in.
In all likelihood, you'll already know whether Sophia the Traveler is for you. Not everyone enjoys a laid-back, glorified shopping list, after all. And that's fine. But if, like me, being forced to chill out for a bit is appealing, then grab it while it's free on the Epic Games Store. You have until July 9th to download it.
