- "We're gonna go hide somewhere, and if you find us, we're gonna run! You gotta try to catch us. Easy as that, bud! We won't hide indoors or nothin', and we won't leave this island, so look for us around in the shadows and behind buildings and stuff. If you catch all four of us, we lose."
- — Ivan
Hide-and-Seek, sometimes stylized as Hide 'N' Seek, is a recurring mini-game in the Legend of Zelda series. Based on the real-life game, this mini-game is frequently played by youth gangs. The objective of Hide-and-Seek is to find the gang members, who have hidden within the local area, and, unlike regular Hide-and-Seek, to tag them to count as a find. Other stipulations are also added occasionally.
Appearances[]
Spoiler warning: Plot or ending details follow.
The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask[]
Hide-and-Seek is played with the Bombers Secret Society of Justice in Clock Town. The rules are slightly different from the traditional rules, in that all the five Bombers must be found by the dawn of the next day in the three-day cycle. Usually, whoever manages to win the mini-game is made a member of the Bombers and given a Bombers' Notebook as well as the password to their hideout; however, after the mischievous Skull Kid was thrown out of the group, they were forced to allow only Terminan Hylians into their group.
The first time the game is played, Link is stuck in a Deku form. He needs to complete the mini-game in order to gain access to the Bombers' Hideout. The Bombers hide in various areas of Clock Town, utilizing surroundings such as trees, pillars and rooftops. If Link gives chase, they occasionally attempt to hide away from view inside crates, though this can prove counter-productive as they stay in one spot to do so, allowing Link to catch them with ease. Due to his current form however, he is not given full membership, only the password to their hideout. Link can later return when his form is restored to become a full member of the Bombers. However, the entire mini-game can be skipped the second time around if Link remembers the password on his own; upon telling it to the hideout guard, the Bomber leader, Jim, appears and is impressed with Link's deductive skills, to the degree that he is made a member.
The Lunar Children living at the Moon also enjoy playing a game they refer to as "hide-and-seek", in which they hide at the end of a mini-dungeon filled with puzzles where Link must navigate through to find them. When all four Lunar Children have been found, Link will be left with no masks, and when speaking to the Lunar Child representing Majora's Mask the child will note Link has no masks left and grant him the powerful Fierce Deity's Mask.
The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages[]
Though slightly different from other games in the series, Link is forced to play a game referred to as "hide 'n' seek" with three fairies in the Fairies' Woods to progress further in the game. After completing the Spirit's Grave and traveling to the Fairies' Woods, the three fairies confront Link and set up a game of Hide-and-Seek, transforming the woods into a maze. After finding all three fairies, they set the woods back to normal, allowing Link to continue to the location of the next dungeon.
Later in the game, one of the fairies will find Link in the Nuun Highlands. She explains that while playing hide-and-seek, Link's animal companion got lost in the woods and can't find its way out. Link must then travel back to the woods and repeat the game. Instead of looking for the fairies, however, Link must find the lost animal. After rescuing his companion, Link will be able to use its abilities to navigate the entirety of the Nuun Highlands.
The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker[]
Hide-and-Seek is played with the Killer Bees on Windfall Island. There are no changes from the traditional rules of the game; however, they have a large area to hide in. When Link has successfully located the four Killer Bees, he gains their respect, convinces them to change their attitude towards school, and is made an honorary Killer Bee. From this point on, the gang treats him as their friend. Their teacher, Mrs. Marie, who reached out to Link for help regarding their situation, thanks him by giving him a Purple Rupee.
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess[]
A game of Hide-and-Seek is played twice with the Skull Kid in the Sacred Grove. Here, Link must find and attack the Skull Kid while fending off an infinite amount of Puppets. If Link can find the Skull Kid enough times, he will ultimately be lead to the point of destination. At the end of the first game, Link will find the resting place of the Master Sword, while the second game will result in Link finding the Temple of Time.
Spoiler warning: Spoilers end here.