Introduction to Hidden Object Games
According to the website PC Games Junkie, the first ever hidden object game was "Mystery Case Files: Huntsville" in 2005.
Since this time, HOGs or Hidden Object Games for your PC have become more and more popular.
So who is playing all these 'Find and Seek' games? What is the appeal? Are they not all the same after awhile? I shall endeavor to answer these questions as I look at this genre of games.
I have explored Game Forums and Sites, read reviews, played the games, and have written a few reviews myself, and all the while I have asked myself, "Why do I keep playing these games?" Hidden object games usually have stunning graphics, beautiful music, cunningly clever hidden items to find, a story-line to follow, and extra mini games and puzzles to solve.
The story-line most often involves a mystery to unveil, clues and/or keys to gather, secrets to reveal, and adventures to experience! But where most HOGs have these core elements in them, many offer small twists and variations, unusual settings and different mini puzzles, to keep them interesting! Hidden Object Games come under the casual games sector, which means they can be downloaded from various sites and you get a standard 60-minute free trial.
This allows you to fully explore a game before deciding if you want to actually pay for the full version or not.
Alternatively many Hidden Object Games also have an online version.
This is usually a scaled down version of the full game and may only have a limited number of levels, but they do allow you to play the games instantly without having to download anything first.
These are great if you are looking for a quick game to play during your lunch break.
When a game starts up you are often told that you have been charged with a very important quest to solve the mystery of such-and-such...
You are then transported to a brightly-colored, beautifully drawn and cluttered room, filled with every imaginable object from an armchair to a zebra, supplied with a list of items to find, and given a set amount of time and hints.
With this task before you there is no time to loose, the clock is ticking so dig in.
You begin searching the screen for rutabagas and rhinos, clicking on lemons and lions, and chuckling with satisfied glee as you finally uncover the dog and the doughnut! Pride fills your chest as you successfully complete the first room, smug with the knowledge of how observant you are, how quick you are, and how clever...
Many years ago as a child, I remember playing games of 'I Spy, with my little eye" while lying in the dark bedroom I shared with my two younger sisters.
Our powers of observation and memory were often sorely tested as we took turns and described items in the room, hoping the others had forgotten or never noticed them before.
It can be very rewarding to undertake a challenge and complete a level.
As a means of relaxing after a rough day at work, or simply looking for some escapism from the mortgage and orthodontist bills for a few hours they are ideal.
You can refocus your mind and become caught up in the adventure, searching for hidden objects, keys and clues to the mystery.
My research has found that most HOG players are in fact adults, relaxing and/or obsessing over inventory lists and missing treasure maps, secret codes and mysterious mansions.
The best Hidden Object Games I have played so far have to be Escape Rosecliff Island and Mishap: An Accidental Haunting.
They both have excellent graphics, music, story-line, and hidden objects that are challenging without being so frustrating that they leave you pulling your hair out by the roots! You can find my reviews of both these two games plus free downloads at GrandMatrix.
com.
So, the next time you are looking for something a bit different, try a Hidden Object Game and go on a scavenger hunt.
You just never know what you will find!
Since this time, HOGs or Hidden Object Games for your PC have become more and more popular.
So who is playing all these 'Find and Seek' games? What is the appeal? Are they not all the same after awhile? I shall endeavor to answer these questions as I look at this genre of games.
I have explored Game Forums and Sites, read reviews, played the games, and have written a few reviews myself, and all the while I have asked myself, "Why do I keep playing these games?" Hidden object games usually have stunning graphics, beautiful music, cunningly clever hidden items to find, a story-line to follow, and extra mini games and puzzles to solve.
The story-line most often involves a mystery to unveil, clues and/or keys to gather, secrets to reveal, and adventures to experience! But where most HOGs have these core elements in them, many offer small twists and variations, unusual settings and different mini puzzles, to keep them interesting! Hidden Object Games come under the casual games sector, which means they can be downloaded from various sites and you get a standard 60-minute free trial.
This allows you to fully explore a game before deciding if you want to actually pay for the full version or not.
Alternatively many Hidden Object Games also have an online version.
This is usually a scaled down version of the full game and may only have a limited number of levels, but they do allow you to play the games instantly without having to download anything first.
These are great if you are looking for a quick game to play during your lunch break.
When a game starts up you are often told that you have been charged with a very important quest to solve the mystery of such-and-such...
You are then transported to a brightly-colored, beautifully drawn and cluttered room, filled with every imaginable object from an armchair to a zebra, supplied with a list of items to find, and given a set amount of time and hints.
With this task before you there is no time to loose, the clock is ticking so dig in.
You begin searching the screen for rutabagas and rhinos, clicking on lemons and lions, and chuckling with satisfied glee as you finally uncover the dog and the doughnut! Pride fills your chest as you successfully complete the first room, smug with the knowledge of how observant you are, how quick you are, and how clever...
Many years ago as a child, I remember playing games of 'I Spy, with my little eye" while lying in the dark bedroom I shared with my two younger sisters.
Our powers of observation and memory were often sorely tested as we took turns and described items in the room, hoping the others had forgotten or never noticed them before.
It can be very rewarding to undertake a challenge and complete a level.
As a means of relaxing after a rough day at work, or simply looking for some escapism from the mortgage and orthodontist bills for a few hours they are ideal.
You can refocus your mind and become caught up in the adventure, searching for hidden objects, keys and clues to the mystery.
My research has found that most HOG players are in fact adults, relaxing and/or obsessing over inventory lists and missing treasure maps, secret codes and mysterious mansions.
The best Hidden Object Games I have played so far have to be Escape Rosecliff Island and Mishap: An Accidental Haunting.
They both have excellent graphics, music, story-line, and hidden objects that are challenging without being so frustrating that they leave you pulling your hair out by the roots! You can find my reviews of both these two games plus free downloads at GrandMatrix.
com.
So, the next time you are looking for something a bit different, try a Hidden Object Game and go on a scavenger hunt.
You just never know what you will find!
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