Photo hunts are one of those “no instructions necessary” kind of games that can be played alone or with friends. As such, they’re hugely popular both online and off. If you’re familiar with any of the variety of PC games or touchscreen bar games, then you’ll know what just what to do when you pick up 4 Bugs from Root9 Medialab.

Although it’s wrapped in a cutesy bug theme, 4 Bugs is mostly a photo hunt game like any other. The player (that’s you) is presented with a pair of photos and must find the differences between the two — a different shadow, an extra petal on a flower. Find all four anomalies and with a tap of the finger, you win.

If only real life was so simple. 4 Bugs is the hardest photo hunt game I’ve played. Out of the 20 or so pictures I tried, I found all the differences in less than half the photos. Now, to be fair 4 Bugs includes 500 images, so it’s possible there are a few easier ones hiding among the pack.

Seasoned photo hunt players will probably enjoy the challenge, however it would be nice if the app included a difficulty setting for the rest of us. Prior to playing you can discard a photo if it looks too hard, but you are limited to 3 discards and it’s difficult to tell whether how hard an image will actually be to solve until you are faced with the pair side by side.

4 Bugs includes a two-player mode so you can compete against a friend by passing your device back and forth. The app lets you input your names and features some cute animated characters that express excitement and defeat between rounds. You don’t have the option to skip an image when using two-player mode, what you see is what you get. The game will calculate your score based on how quickly you solve the puzzle.

Players with the skills to complete the game will appreciate this deluxe photo hunt. And, if you’re so good that even 4 Bugs becomes easy? Well, you can show off and play against the clock by decreasing the timer.

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category: Games, Photography, Worthwhile Apps