Who would have thought that a game inspired by a mundane and often annoying task would look so much fun. Where’s My Keys? offers exactly what the title suggests - the mission of finding those pesky keys before the timer runs out.
Entered into the Global Game Jam 2021, a group of designers named “Team Bouldy” have created a thrilling, 3D, first-person game to simulate the stress of losing your keys. Composer and SFX artist Louis Klein, 3D Artists Brandon Orden and Zach Rubenstein, engineers Jaiden Gerig and Brad Mader, and producer Brandon Garcia all had a part in developing this basic premise full of humor and destruction, as you tear your house apart in search of the main prize.
The game’s tagline states that you’re running late for an event and, of course, you can’t find your keys. This game encourages you to find them within a certain time limit “AT ALL COSTS”, and judging by the screenshots, you have to leave no household object unturned. Judging by the provided game clip, you will have around 2 minutes to find your jingle-jangle essentials, and from the start of the timer, things get pretty erratic. The graphics are basic, solid blocks of color representing objects within the house, but that doesn’t mean that it isn’t fun to fling everything from wall to wall.
The title’s comical side is represented firstly through a fast-paced piano score, that imitates the chaotic nature of this frenzied treasure hunt. Another aspect involves a picture hanging on the wall, which is simply a hand holding some keys - mocking you as you frantically search every nook and cranny. Once you do manage to find your keys, however, you simply take them to the door and your mission is complete. The game ends with another amusing frame as the camera shows you an overhead view of the inside of your house, letting you see your path of destruction.
The color palette featured in Where’s My Keys? is relatively similar to that of House House’s Untitled Goose Game - except the incessant honking has been replaced by the timpani of broken furniture. Goose has recently crossed over into the popular multiplayer game Fall Guys, where you can play in a Goose-themed costume.