Where to find those pesky kids playing hide and seek in Shenmue 3

shenmue 3 hide and seek
(Image credit: Ys Net)

Where are the hide and seek locations in Shenmue 3? When you first visit the Sunflower Field in Yu Suzuki's third Shenmue outing, you’ll run into a group of kids. They’re willing to help you with your investigation into the whereabouts of the thugs in Bailu Village, on one condition.

Before they're ready to assist you, you need to play a game of hide and seek with them. You have limited time with which to complete the game, and it’s required to move the central plot forward. So, naturally, I'm going to help you find each one of them with this Shenmue 3 hide and seek guide.

Shenmue 3 hide and seek locations

This minigame begins automatically when you first enter Sunflower Fields, and from there, you have about three in-game hours to find all four children. They’re all still within the area, but it can be difficult to find them if you don't know where to look. You need to wait until tomorrow if you fail, so I'm here to ensure that doesn't happen.

First head into the field of sunflowers. The child hiding amid the flora will take the longest to find, so don't worry if you find yourself taking a wrong turn. At the very least, you'll have the chance to pick up some nice herbs along the way. The tough-to-find child is near the end of the field, hiding in the tall grass behind some sunflowers. A cutscene will trigger when you’re close, so you'll know when you're in roughly the right spot.

Now, exit the maze of sunflowers via the closet exit: the next child is very close by. He’s hiding behind the carts you see up ahead.

To down, two to go. Head behind the row of houses, and you’ll see some pens with cows in them. If you look at the houses, you’ll see one with a ladder: the child is sitting on the roof, so approach the ladder in order to trigger the next cutscene.

While the previous three children can be found in any order, this child can only be found last, as finding him progresses the plot. Where he’s hidden is also kind of cheating: rather than outside, he’s hiding inside someone’s house. From where you found the kid on the ladder, you can see the roof of another house. Navigate down the hill, and you’ll find the house with a bunch of stone statues in front of it.

Approach the door to find the last child; you’ll be able to move forward the plot by investigating Xu’s house. Now you're all done. Make sure to pick up the forklift toy and give it back to the kid later.