Super Mario Odyssey is actually the best venue for virtual hide-and-seek ever

Super Mario Odyssey is one of the most delightful 3D Mario games. Flourishes such as Mario being able to ride a moped through a place called New Donk City, or the fact that you can turn into a whole dang dinosaur and smash through worlds, distinguish it even among the fierce competition of other Mario games. It has always been good, but now a group of content creators are playing it in an entirely new way by turning its colorful world into a giant playground for hide-and-seek.

In a video called “Mario Odyssey Hide and Seek just got CLASSIC,” YouTuber and streamer Cjya, a creator known for speedruns and challenge runs of Mario games, joined up for a lighthearted stream playing a modded version of the game with five other streamers: SmallAnt, Fir, GrandPooBear, EazySpeezy, and CraftyBoss925.

The group is a chaotic mix of players with high technical abilities who like to put unique spins on streaming Nintendo games. GrandPooBear became well known for his ability to beat super difficult Mario ROM hacks and his completion of a marathon of expert levels in Super Mario Maker 2. SmallAnt became popular for modded content and challenges in Pokémon. Every person finds ways to put their own twist on classic games, which makes them the perfect group to get together for hide-and-seek.

Super Mario Odyssey contains countless nooks and crannies to hide the game’s many Power Moons, virtual collectibles that Mario is tasked with finding in the game, and now those make for the best hiding spots. The seekers count, the rest of the players hide, and then it’s up to the seekers to find and tag the other players to win the round.

In one notable moment, Cjya chases SmallAnt across the Cascade Kingdom, which prompts a high-flying, hat-flinging goose chase where at one point SmallAnt barely escapes via a perfectly timed roll.

Being able to hear everyone at once makes it feel like hanging out with friends. What’s more, viewers can switch between streams so when one person is seeking, viewers can see where the others hide.

“I love the Smant and Fir as Goombas because on the other’s screen Smant looks like he’s all chill taking a stroll on air, meanwhile Fir is a graceful flying angel Mario coming down to take out Crafty,” BabygirlCupid said in the YouTube comments.

Playing hide-and-seek in Super Mario Odyssey is a time-honored tradition that stretches back years with this particular group. SmallAnt commissioned the mod from CraftyBoss and the two released a mod that added online multiplayer to the game in 2022. Since then, this form of content has become a mainstay for content creators focused on Mario. In another version of the game, some of the group played “Prop Hunt,” which allows players to disguise themselves as random objects in the environment and add an extra challenge.

With the current lull in releases, there’s never been a better time to find new ways to enjoy old games. Not everyone will want to go through the trouble of installing modded games on their Nintendo Switch, but that’s OK. Streams and videos like these don’t require any downloads and can deliver the perfect combination of bumbling antics fit for a recess playground and watching highly skilled players.