Images courtesy of Springfox Games
Who could have predicted that Slay the Spire would kick off such an extended renaissance of digital deckbuilding games, back when it was released in 2019? Yet that’s exactly what happened, with countless titles being released in its wake, many of which build in very interesting ways upon the roguelike, card-based formula which Slay the Spire seemed to pretty much perfect, right out of the gate.
Titles such as Monster Train and Inscryption, among many others, brought some truly unique elements to the genre, retaining the addictiveness that just about all deckbuilding titles have. But one thing that deckbuilding titles often lack is a non-violent approach to their subject matter, which is where Nif Nif comes in.
What is Nif Nif?
It won’t surprise you to learn that Nif Nif (by Springfox Games, available on Steam) is a roguelike, digital deckbuilding game. What makes it special, however, is that it’s family friendly. The story sees little pig Nif Nif (or Cat, as there are two characters, each with their own set of cards, to choose from) making his way through the forest, cleaning up all of the animals which have been covered with a mysterious goo-like substance.
When Nif Nif successfully cleans up an animal, they become friendly again, and Nif Nif can move on to the next encounter.
Along the way, Nif Nif will take on elite encounters, find mysterious allies (who’ll give him bonuses), buy new cards at shops, and rest at campfires, before attempting to clean the biggest antagonist of them all at the end of the trail: a forest guardian who’s also been corrupted by the strange goo!
Of course, the animals and the forest guardian that Nif Nif finds himself up against aren’t keen on getting clean, and they’ll do their best to corrupt the little pig with the goo too.
How to Play Nif Nif
If you’ve played a digital deckbuilding game before, you’ll be right at home with Nif Nif. Despite having a family friendly aesthetic and “combat” encounters based around cleaning, rather than actual fighting, as well as the terminology being more tuned towards a kid-friendly tone, the structure and mechanics of Nif Nif will be immediately familiar to deckbuilding fans.
You’ll pick a location from the randomly generated map. The symbols themselves are easy to decipher straight away, but just in case you (or the younger player getting their hands on Nif Nif) are new to deck builders, each map symbol can be hovered over to tell you what it is before you move. The same goes for just about every visual element of the game.
Cleaning an animal (or animals, as you may face off against multiple dirty forest critters in one encounter) is a case of using cards which “swipe,” such as tissues or scrubbing brushes, and Nif Nif can protect himself from goo using cards which “protect,” such as showers or fountains. Bonuses can be given to Nif Nif with fruit, or other types of card.
Fully cleaning an animal ends the encounter, netting Nif Nif coins and new cards; coins can be spent at shops on new cards or other accessories such as soup, which can be consumed to give bonuses. Mystery encounters are fun little bonuses, which can allow players to upgrade cards, restore cleanliness (which is Nif Nif’s health) or even get rid of cards to streamline your deck.
There’s also a very simple gardening mini-game, where you can water vegetables between attempts at the main adventure, and when they’re fully grown, they can be used in the kitchen (again, between runs) to make soup which can be taken on your next journey through the forest. Though described as mini-games, the cooking and gardening extras are little more than pressing a button on the correct element, or choosing what to cook with a single button press, so these are both somewhat disappointing if you’re expecting more.
Experience is earned along the way, so even if your run through the forest isn’t successful, you’ll still be unlocking new cards for your collection, or skins to cosmetically change Nif Nif’s look. Hats can also be unlocked, and these aren’t just cosmetic; they offer special bonuses if you wear them on your adventure.
Is Nif Nif Fun to Play?
There’s plenty to like about Nif Nif, with its cozy, adorably cute aesthetic and admirable attempt to move away from the darker themes and combat which are so prevalent in many deckbuilding games. Steam Deck compatibility, with well implemented touch screen controls, as well as undemanding technical specifications, mean that it isn’t a game which requires an expensive PC to play.
Nif Nif is also a very easy game to pick up and play, with a reasonable number of cards and hats to unlock, and the different characters have unique play styles too. The mystery encounters all include fun pop culture references, including nods to Star Wars, The Matrix, and more.
Unlockables aside, it does feel a little thin content-wise. Though runs are randomized, it does feel as if you’ve seen most of what the game has to offer once you’ve successfully defeated a forest guardian. The very first time I played Nif Nif, I made it all the way to the forest guardian with no trouble at all, and continued to only fail at the very last hurdle on each subsequent run. The game feels very forgiving right until the forest guardian is encountered, and then the difficulty suddenly spikes.
As you won’t likely defeat the forest guardian easily, it does feel as if there’s something to aim for until you do, at which point it does feel as if there’s little left to continue playing for.
However, I must strongly stress that this is a game aimed at much younger, far less experienced players who may not be so au fait with deckbuilding games. Though the concepts and execution will be very familiar to fans of games such as Slay the Spire, or any number of countless others, and it’s not the only cozy deckbuilder available (check out our Cobalt Core review for another example), Nif Nif’s kid-friendly design and focus on non-violence is really refreshing, and very appealing. It’s the perfect introduction to deckbuilders for young gamers, but more experienced deckbuilding aficionados might find that it doesn’t hold their interest for very long.
The Card Gamer Verdict
Cute, cozy and instantly appealing, Nif Nif is a refreshingly colorful deckbuilding game with an admirable focus on non-violence.
It may prove to be a little too familiar for veteran deckbuilding gamers, as well as being rather easy too. With a lack of increasing difficulty levels and sterner challenges to take on once a run is completed, Nif Nif might not last very long for older players, though it does still have some charm even for the most seasoned card game fans.
However, the intended audience for Nif Nif is younger players, and it succeeds in being a fantastic introduction to deckbuilding games. Its vibrant and family friendly audio and visual design, as well as its challenge level, is pitched at the perfect level for kids.
If you’re new to deck building games, check out our guide to the meaning of the word “Roguelike”, which is something you’ll hear a lot when it comes to games such as Nif Nif. Also, for one of our all time favorite roguelike deckbuilding games, take a look at our review of poker-based digital card game, Balatro.
