Play Das Geheimnis der Happy Hippo-Insel (english translation) Online

Oh man, Das Geheimnis der Happy Hippo-Insel—or The Secret of Happy Hippo Island if you don’t speak German—is one of those weird little Game Boy Color games that somehow sticks with you. You start off washing ashore on this island full of cheerful, pastel-colored hippos, and suddenly you’re running around solving puzzles, collecting fruit (for some reason), and playing these oddball mini-games that feel like they were dreamed up by someone who really loved both Mario and Saturday morning cartoons.

The whole thing has this goofy, low-stakes charm—like, one minute you’re helping a hippo chef make soup, the next you’re sneaking past sleeping crocodiles. It’s not deep, but it’s got this weirdly cozy vibe, like playing with a toybox full of forgotten ’90s Happy Meal toys. And yeah, the graphics are simple, but the colors pop in that classic GBC way, all bright greens and pinks.

Honestly, it’s the kind of game you’d rent as a kid, beat in a weekend, and then randomly remember years later with a weirdly fond smile. If you’re into retro oddities, this one’s a sweet little time capsule.