There’s fewer cozier strips and comics out there than good old Peanuts or Snoopy depending where you’re from.

Don’t get me wrong, there’s a biting wit to these too, which helps them resonate with adults, but there’s a reason why this little beagle has endured for many, many years.

And yet, he has only starred in a handful of games, especially in recent years, so we’ve been long overdue to get back into the world of Charlie Brown and the gang.

So Snoopy and the Great Mystery Club is exactly what you’d expect, the series take on Detective Pikachu but with a lot more mystery and exploration.

Though unlike the Detective Pikachu games, this is a lot more simplistic, the production values definitely aren’t as high, though it maintains the heart and soul of what the Peanuts strips should be about.

After looking around the neighbourhood to find some missing snacks, Snoopy and the gang decide that maybe they should form their own little detective agency and start solving mysteries around the neighbourhood. I guess they’re forming their own little Scooby gang.

And so, in his Sherlock Holmes esque attire, Snoopy finds himself slowly studying and analysing the environment for footprints, hidden clues and other secrets as he tries to help Patty find her football, find out what happened to a missing kite, all while taking part in some cute and simple mini games along the way.

It’s not a particularly long game – and it’s absolutely made and designed to play with the little ones in mind – but there’s a loving sense of charm reverberating through this one, especially as you build your team and the game mixes up the content throughout.

One minute you’re test-driving a car through road obstacles and trying to throw footballs to pinning evidence together, Sherlock Holmes style to solve a mystery. Cradle Games have done a really good job of making the game feel quite fresh and different across its short playstyle.

It is quite slow, though, and you’ll find that getting from one area to the next can be a bit of a slog at times with the game’s surprisingly large playspace, despite only usually requiring you to look around at a particular area. I did also sometimes find I had to brute force through some of the pathfinding sections as it wasn’t always clear where they were leading.

But the game really wins itself back again and again with the fun dialogue, the changes in Snoopy’s costume as he quickly switches from being a gardener to a pirate and more besides, using these different skills to dig up or discover the clues for each particular case.

And on Switch 2, it’s a perfect little handheld title with a lovely visual flair and style about it that truly does justice to the world and characters in it, complimented by a soft-soothing easy score and some niec voice acting.

There’s a lot here for classic Snoopy fans who will know and love many of the key areas the gang visit and kids will adore the fun, simplistic gameplay as well as try to perfect the mini games and show off their skills. It’s a great game to connect with and play together to unlock everything, even if it’s a little short and the price seems a bit steep.

All told, it’s a wonderful little surprise package where adults and kids alike will find something to love.

Verdict

Snoopy and the Great Mystery Club is just such a lovely recreation of the gang’s adventures and gameplay wise, Cradle have found smart ways to keep it fresh, interesting and relevant to the source material. The game can be slow at points but the mechanics always stay fresh, interesting and compelling to keep you through, particularly with the mini games in-between. They’re not always all hits and some sections do need a bit of brute-forcing, plus the price can be a little bit eye-watering, but there’s few games out there both adults and kids alike will love and enjoy playing together and keep both entertained at the same time in very different ways.

Snoopy and the Great Mystery Club is out now on PC, Xbox, PS, and Switch 2

Played on Nintendo Switch 2

Code kindly provided by Game Mill for review purposes