Some of the most fun we had when we were kids was going through books like “Where’s Wally?” and “Where’s Waldo?” Looking for a single person hidden in gorgeously illustrated spreads really made us feel like detectives. These days, though, there’s a lot more to choose from for that sort of sleuthing!
The members of the popular r/FindTheSniper online community share images with hidden objects in them and invite folks to find them. It’s a really enjoyable pastime, as it tests your awareness and helps sharpen your observation skills. We’ve collected some of the coolest and newest hidden object pics to share with you, Pandas. Scroll down to check them out, and be sure to let us know in the comments if you were able to spot what was camouflaged!
Bored Panda got in touch with the team running r/FindTheSniper. One of the moderators, u/Electrical_Middle78, was kind enough to answer our questions and even shared some advice that might help anyone new to hidden object hunts. You’ll find our full interview with them below.
We have to be honest with you, Pandas. Even though we absolutely love hidden object photos, illustrations, and games, some of us (hi there!) are pretty bad at them. (Or, to put it in slightly geeky Dungeons & Dragons terms, yours truly has a -2 in the Perception skill and needs to buff Wisdom ASAP.)
The good news is that our observation skills are exactly that—skills. Even though some people are naturally good at spotting camouflaged people, animals, and things, it’s not like we can’t sharpen our senses and our environmental awareness through (lots and lots of) practice. Their usefulness goes beyond finding hidden animals and/or Waldo, though: they can help you spot people in a crowd, identify someone’s micro-expressions, and avoid potential danger, too.
We were curious to hear about why the subreddit resonates so much with so many internet users. “I think the ‘thrill of the hunt’ makes this community a little more interactive than your normal ‘answer this question’ or ‘react to this meme.’ We challenge our users with each approved post to put their knowledge of finding things to the test,” u/Electrical_Middle78, one of the main moderators running r/FindTheSniper, shared their thoughts with Bored Panda.
The content itself is extremely versatile. “We go beyond the basic ‘have you seen my keys’ to ‘there is a snake looking right at you, do you see it’ mentality, which I believe adds an element of adrenaline and danger to each post. We also cater to the other side of the spectrum—find my cute animal hiding in plain sight—so that our focus brings in multiple viewpoints and audiences.”
