Nuts: a Surveillance Mystery review – squirrel snapper's delight takes a dark turn

Noodlecake Games, iOS (version tested)/PC/Nintendo Switch
Springwatch fans who crave mystery may enjoy this slow-burning minimalist adventure

Combine the acclaimed rural mystery game Firewatch with an episode of the BBC's nature cam series, Springwatch, and you have Nuts, a stylish and involving new adventure from remote indie studio, Noodlecake. You start the game as a naturalist employed to watch squirrels in the picturesque Melmoth forest - this involves setting up cameras to record the little critters then tracking them back to where they stash their food.

The world is rendered in a lovely minimalist style, with scenic details washed in subtle shades of orange and maroon, and the ambient sounds of birds chirping and streams flowing is wonderfully immersive and relaxing. It can take several attempts to get the cameras set up correctly to capture the squirrels' nightly activities, but this sense of slow progress and patient observation suits the game's calm, impressionistic environment.