''Hidden Expedition'' is a series of

single-player A single-player video game is a video game where input from only one player is expected throughout the course of the gaming session. A single-player game is usually a game that can only be played by one person, while "single-player mode" is usuall ...

hidden object Puzzle video games make up a broad genre of video games that emphasize puzzle solving. The types of puzzles can test problem-solving skills, including logic, pattern recognition, Sequence, sequence solving, Spatial ability, spatial recognition, ...

casual game A casual game is a video game targeted at a mass market audience, as opposed to a hardcore game, which is targeted at hobbyist gamers. Casual games may exhibit any type of gameplay and genre. They generally involve simpler rules, shorter sessio ...

s developed by the internal studios of

Big Fish Games Big Fish Games is a casual gaming company based in Seattle, with a regional office in Oakland, California, owned by Aristocrat Leisure. It is a developer and distributor of casual games for computers and mobile devices. It has been accused of k ...

for the first five installments (using Big Fish Games Framework as the engine, and with the help of Flood Light Games in the 5th game), and by

Eipix Entertainment Eipix Entertainment is a Serbian video game developer based in Novi Sad. The company was founded in 2005 and develops casual games for PC, Mac, iOS and Android, as well as virtual reality games. As of December 2019, Eipix is part of Playrix. ...

for all subsequent installments. Two latest installment was developed by Domini Games. As of 2018, a total of seventeen games in the series have been released. The ''Hidden Expedition'' series marks the second major

hidden object game A hidden object game, also called hidden picture or hidden object puzzle adventure (HOPA), is a puzzle video game genre in which the player must find items from a list that are hidden within a scene. Hidden object games are a popular trend in casu ...

brand from Big Fish Games. The second game in the series, ''Hidden Expedition: Everest'', would go on to be the first game Big Fish released on the iPhone.

Games

Big Fish Games Big Fish Games is a casual gaming company based in Seattle, with a regional office in Oakland, California, owned by Aristocrat Leisure. It is a developer and distributor of casual games for computers and mobile devices. It has been accused of k ...
(2006—2009)

''Hidden Expedition: Titanic''

''Hidden Expedition: Titanic'' was released on July 22, 2006, for Windows. It was released to iOS for the iPhone and iPod Touch on August 1, 2009. In this game, the player takes on the role of a

treasure hunter Treasure hunter is the physical search for treasure. For example, treasure hunters try to find sunken shipwrecks and retrieve artifacts with market value. This industry is generally fueled by the market for antiquities. The practice of treasure ...

working for the Hidden Expedition Adventure League (H.E.A.L.) to investigate the wreckage of the ocean liner ''

Titanic RMS ''Titanic'' was a British passenger liner, operated by the White Star Line, which sank in the North Atlantic Ocean on 15 April 1912 after striking an iceberg during her maiden voyage from Southampton, England, to New York City, United ...

''. The Titanic Museum Foundation has discovered a rare artifact - the Queen's jeweled crown - was on the ship and have hired H.E.A.L. to retrieve it, as well as any other pieces that may be of value to the museum. Players have a limited time to search hidden object scenes in each area of the ship, or their oxygen will run out. The game's music was composed by

Jean-Marc Lederman Jean-Marc Lederman is a Belgium, Belgian keyboard player and record producer, producer. He has worked with bands such as Fad Gadget, The The, Gene Loves Jezebel, The Weathermen (Belgian band), The Weathermen, Belgian rock band Streets, and Front ...

. According to independent tracking site game-sales-charts.com, following its release on July 22, 2006, Hidden Expedition: Titanic climbed into the top 10 on nearly every major casual game distribution site. Moreover, it held the #1 sales spot on 11 of these sites.

''Hidden Expedition: Everest''

''Hidden Expedition: Everest'' was released on June 1, 2007. As a member of the Hidden Expedition Club, the player is trying to reach the top of

Mount Everest Mount Everest (; Tibetan: ''Chomolungma'' ; ) is Earth's highest mountain above sea level, located in the Mahalangur Himal sub-range of the Himalayas. The China–Nepal border runs across its summit point. Its elevation (snow heig ...

ahead of three competing expedition clubs. But first the player must find a mysterious adventurer who can help them find a hidden passage up. This leads the player through a variety of locations in Latin America, Europe, and Asia before ending at Mount Everest. The game features a likeness of world-famous mountaineer and Mount Everest climber,

Ed Viesturs Edmund Viesturs (born June 22, 1959) is a high-altitude mountaineer, corporate speaker, and well known author in the mountain climbing community. He is the only American to have climbed all 14 of the world's eight-thousander mountain peaks, and ...

as an assistant who provides players with guidance on various locations. Viesturs was involved in the actual development of the game, along with

National Geographic Ventures National may refer to: Common uses * Nation or country ** Nationality – a ''national'' is a person who is subject to a nation, regardless of whether the person has full rights as a citizen Places in the United States * National, Maryland, ce ...

, which worked with Big Fish Games to incorporate some of "National Geographic's rich repository of video, photos, stories and other editorial from previous Everest expeditions and from National Geographic's incredible collection of exploration and adventure content" into the gameplay. An iOS version was released on May 14, 2009. This marked Big Fish Game's first foray into making games targeted at the then-emerging iPhone market. Lead Artist Shawn Wood and Lead Programmer Tyson Chihaya were given the job of remaking the game for the iOS platform. Due to the series' popularity and it being Big Fish's first iPhone game, Woods noted they "felt a bit of pressure to get it right." The team started by first playing through the PC version to determine what elements would need to be changed due to the differences in PC gaming and the iPhone, as well as to see what improvements could be made. They then had to deconstruct the original code and rewrite it, as the PC games were made with

Adobe Flash Adobe Flash (formerly Macromedia Flash and FutureSplash) is a multimedia Computing platform, software platform used for production of Flash animation, animations, rich web applications, application software, desktop applications, mobile apps, mo ...

and

Adobe Director Adobe Director (formerly Macromedia Director, MacroMind Director, and MacroMind VideoWorks) was a multimedia application authoring platform created by Macromedia and managed by Adobe Systems until its discontinuation. Director was the primary edi ...

, while the iOS game would need to be written in

Objective-C Objective-C is a general-purpose, object-oriented programming language that adds Smalltalk-style messaging to the C programming language. Originally developed by Brad Cox and Tom Love in the early 1980s, it was selected by NeXT for its NeXTS ...

. The significantly smaller screen of an iPhone resulted in the team having to redesign the buttons and hidden object scenes. Many of the original objects were too small to find once the pictures were rescaled to the 320x480 size, resulting in the scenes and some mini-games having to be changed. The team also leveraged the iPhone touch controls and zooming capabilities to render the scenes into a usable form. According to Big Fish, upon release the game quickly rose to the top of the iPhone sales charts and was rated 4 out of 5 stars by users. With the success of this game, Big Fish was committed to continuing to release games for the iPhone and iOS.

''Hidden Expedition: Amazon''

''Hidden Expedition: Amazon'' was released on June 20, 2008, for Windows. Two years after, on April 2, 2010, a version was released for

iOS iOS (formerly iPhone OS) is a mobile operating system created and developed by Apple Inc. exclusively for its hardware. It is the operating system that powers many of the company's mobile devices, including the iPhone; the term also includes ...

devices, including the

iPad The iPad is a brand of iOS and iPadOS-based tablet computers that are developed by Apple Inc. The iPad was conceived before the related iPhone but the iPhone was developed and released first. Speculation about the development, operating s ...

, iPhone, and

iPod Touch The iPod Touch (stylized as iPod touch) is a discontinued line of iOS-based mobile devices designed and marketed by Apple Inc. with a touchscreen-controlled user interface. As with other iPod models, the iPod Touch can be used as a music pl ...

. This version adds a multiplayer mode, allowing two players to compete against each other in a split-screen mode and integrates

OpenFeint OpenFeint was a social platform for mobile games for devices running on Android or iOS. It was developed by Aurora Feint, a company named after a video game by the same developers. The platform consisted of an SDK for use by games, allowing ...

's award system. The vice president of Big Fish Games Studios, Patrict Wylie, stated that these changes "transforms the device into a modern board game". A black-and-white version for

Amazon Kindle Amazon Kindle is a series of e-readers designed and marketed by Amazon. Amazon Kindle devices enable users to browse, buy, download, and read e-books, newspapers, magazines and other digital media via wireless networking to the Kindle Store. ...

followed on July 28, 2011. It is also available on Kindle. In this entry in the series, the player assumes the role of a member of the Hidden Expedition Adventure Club who goes to look for some folks who went missing in the

Amazon Amazon most often refers to: * Amazons, a tribe of female warriors in Greek mythology * Amazon rainforest, a rainforest covering most of the Amazon basin * Amazon River, in South America * Amazon (company), an American multinational technology c ...

, including their friend and a biologist. The game's music and sound effects were produced by SomaTone Interactive Audio. The iOS versions of the game were selected as a free "Pick of the Week" by

Starbucks Starbucks Corporation is an American multinational chain of coffeehouses and roastery reserves headquartered in Seattle, Washington. It is the world's largest coffeehouse chain. As of November 2021, the company had 33,833 stores in 80 c ...

on October 30, 2012, meaning Starbucks gave away free cards that could be used to purchase the game in the Apple App Store.

''Hidden Expedition: Devil's Triangle''

''Hidden Expedition: Devil's Triangle'' was released on October 24, 2009. As the leader of the Hidden Expedition Adventure Team (H.E.A.T.), the player must search for a pilot who disappeared in the

Bermuda Triangle The Bermuda Triangle, also known as the Devil's Triangle, is an urban legend focused on a loosely defined region in the western part of the North Atlantic Ocean where a number of aircraft and ships are said to have disappeared under mysterio ...

Big Fish Games Big Fish Games is a casual gaming company based in Seattle, with a regional office in Oakland, California, owned by Aristocrat Leisure. It is a developer and distributor of casual games for computers and mobile devices. It has been accused of k ...
, Flood Light Games (2011)

''Hidden Expedition: The Uncharted Islands''

''Hidden Expedition: The Uncharted Islands'' is the fifth game in the series, developed with Flood Light Games. The Collector's Edition of the game was released on PC on August 14, 2011, with a Mac edition following. A sequel to ''Devil's Triangle'', the game's main character attempts to leave the islands only to find themselves crash-landing on a previously undiscovered set of islands in the

. The player must search for a dangerous pirate who is also trying to escape the islands with stolen treasure. A Standard Edition of the game was released later in 2011. The Collector's Edition differs from the regular version in that it includes extra gameplay, a built-in strategy guide,

concept art Concept art is a form of visual art used to convey an idea for use in films, video games, animation, comic books, or other media before it is put into the final product. Concept art usually refers to world-building artwork used to inspire the ...

, and computer wallpapers.

Eipix Entertainment Eipix Entertainment is a Serbian video game developer based in Novi Sad. The company was founded in 2005 and develops casual games for PC, Mac, iOS and Android, as well as virtual reality games. As of December 2019, Eipix is part of Playrix. ...
(2013—2019)

''Hidden Expedition: Smithsonian Hope Diamond''

''Hidden Expedition: Smithsonian Hope Diamond Collector's Edition'' was released on December 20, 2013, for PC and Mac (later also released for iOS and Android), and is the sixth game in the series. Players take on the role of a new recruit for the Hidden Expedition League of Preservation (H.E.L.P.) team who is tasked with finding missing shards of the

Hope Diamond The Hope Diamond is a diamond originally extracted in the 17th century from the Kollur Mine in Guntur, India. It is blue in color due to trace amounts of boron. Its exceptional size has revealed new information about the formation of diamonds. ...

before a gang of thieves do. This is the first game of the series to be developed by

, who have been put in charge of developing all future sequels. In creating the game, Big Fish and Eipix were aided by the

National Museum of Natural History The National Museum of Natural History is a natural history museum administered by the Smithsonian Institution, located on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., United States. It has free admission and is open 364 days a year. In 2021, with 7 ...

, a part of the

Smithsonian Institution The Smithsonian Institution ( ), or simply the Smithsonian, is a group of museums and education and research centers, the largest such complex in the world, created by the U.S. government "for the increase and diffusion of knowledge". Founded ...

. According to Big Fish Games, this was the first such video game collaboration for the Smithsonian.

''Hidden Expedition: The Crown of Solomon''

''Hidden Expedition: The Crown of Solomon'' is the seventh game in the series. The Collector's Edition of the game was released on July 14, 2014, for PC and Mac, and later also made available for iOS and Android. The expedition continues as the player tracks down the fragments of King

Solomon Solomon (; , ),, ; ar, سُلَيْمَان, ', , ; el, Σολομών, ; la, Salomon also called Jedidiah (Hebrew language, Hebrew: , Modern Hebrew, Modern: , Tiberian Hebrew, Tiberian: ''Yăḏīḏăyāh'', "beloved of Yahweh, Yah"), ...

's crown and foils a madman's plot. In order to piece together the most powerful crown in history the player must travel around the world and prevent the fragments from falling into the wrong hands.

''Hidden Expedition: Smithsonian Castle''

''Hidden Expedition: Smithsonian Castle'' is the eighth game in the series. The Collector's Edition of the game was released on December 24, 2014, for PC and Mac, and later also made available for iOS and Android. It is the second game in the series developed in cooperation with the Smithsonian Institution. The adventure takes us back to the Smithsonian to uncover a mystery that dates all the way back to the founding of the institution. The player will have to dig deep into the Smithsonian's history to find the answers to the unusual and mysterious events of the present.

''Hidden Expedition: Dawn of Prosperity''

''Hidden Expedition: Dawn of Prosperity'' is the ninth game in the series. The Collector's Edition was released on August 27, 2015, for PC and Mac. A series of mysterious earthquakes in Montana, aligned with unusual activity in a long-abandoned science facility nearby, forces H.E.L.P. to send its operatives to investigate the events. It soon turns out that the suspicious activity is not coincidental, but a part of a mastermind's sinister plans threatening to bring devastation on a grand scale.

''Hidden Expedition: Fountain of Youth''

''Hidden Expedition: Fountain of Youth'' is the tenth game in the series. The Collector's Edition of the game was released on January 7, 2016, for PC and Mac. The player is on a mission to discover what happened with their H.E.L.P. colleagues who went to oversee a restoration of an archaeological site of Sigiriya, Sri Lanka. What looked like a case of jammed communication turns out to be an extraordinary adventure.

''Hidden Expedition: Midgard's End''

''Hidden Expedition: Midgard's End'' is the eleventh game in the series. The Collector's Edition was released on June 2, 2016.

''Hidden Expedition: The Eternal Emperor''

''Hidden Expedition: The Eternal Emperor'' is the twelfth game in the series. The Collector's Edition was released on September 2, 2016. A dig site uncovers the tomb of Emperor Qin Shi Huang, founder of the Qin dynasty and first emperor of a unified China. H.E.L.P. sends the player and their trusty partner Sam to watch over the exploration of Qin's tomb and ensure that all who enter come out alive. Things turn sour in the tomb, however, and what was to be a fun adventure of the final resting place of Qin quickly turns into a chase through Asia to stop a madman from world domination- just a regular Tuesday for a seasoned H.E.L.P. agent.

''Hidden Expedition: The Lost Paradise''

''Hidden Expedition: The Lost Paradise'' is the thirteenth game in the series. The demo version was released on October 1, 2016. Collector's Edition version was released on December 22, 2016.

''Hidden Expedition: The Pearl of Discord''

''Hidden Expedition: The Pearl of Discord'' is the fourteenth game in the series. The game was released on April 8, 2017

''Hidden Expedition: The Curse of Mithridates''

''Hidden Expedition: The Curse of Mithridates'' is the 15th game in the series. The game was released on October 28, 2017.

''Hidden Expedition: The Golden Secret''

''Hidden Expedition: The Golden Secret'' is the 16th game in the series. The game was released on February 10, 2018.

''Hidden Expedition: The Altar of Lies''

''Hidden Expedition: The Altar of Lies '' is the 17th game in this series. The game was released on July 21, 2018.

''Hidden Expedition: Neptune's Gift''

''Hidden Expedition: Neptune's Gift '' is the 18th game in the series. The Collector's Edition version was released on April 26, 2019.

Domini Games (2020—present)

''Hidden Expedition: The Price of Paradise''

Hidden Expedition: The Price of Paradise is the 19th game of the series. This is the first game of the series developed by Domini Games, and has one of the lowest user ratings and sales of any game in the series., The game was released on July 25, 2020.

''Hidden Expedition: Reign of Flames''

Hidden Expedition: Reign of Flames is the 20th game of the series, it was released on November 19, 2020.

'' Hidden Expedition: A King's Line''

Hidden Expedition: A King's Line is the 21st game of the series, it was released on June 17, 2021.

Acronyms used

In the series, several fictional organisations are mentioned, all of which use acronyms that contain the letters "H" and "E" (which stand for "Hidden Expedition" in all instances). # H.E.A.L. - Hidden Expedition Adventure League (in ''Hidden Expedition: Titanic, Hidden Expedition: Everest & Hidden Expedition: Amazon'') # H.E.A.T. - Hidden Expedition Adventure Team (in ''Hidden Expedition: Devil's Triangle & Hidden Expedition: The Uncharted Islands'') # H.E.L.P. - Hidden Expedition League of Preservation (from ''Hidden Expedition: Smithsonian Hope Diamond'', to the present games)

Merchandise

In August 2011, Big Fish Games released 1000 piece

jigsaw puzzle A jigsaw puzzle is a tiling puzzle that requires the assembly of often irregularly shaped interlocking and mosaiced pieces, each of which typically has a portion of a picture. When assembled, the puzzle pieces produce a complete picture. In th ...

s for the first three games in the series. The puzzles were made in partnership with the puzzle company Ceaco.

References

{{Reflist

External links

Official Hidden Expedition Website

Big Fish Games and National Geographic Team up to Take Consumers to Mount Everest and to Paris, France
- BusinessWire.com
National Geographic Distributes Video Games
- InformationWeek.com * http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20110728005605/en/Big-Fish-Launches-Hidden-Expedition%C2%AE-Amazon%E2%84%A2-Kindle * http://www.geekwire.com/2011/big-fish-brings-hidden-expedition-amazon-kindle/ * http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/big-fish-partners-with-the-smithsonians-national-museum-of-natural-history-to-bring-the-hope-diamonds-rich-history-to-life-231569821.html
The Price of Paradise Survey
Android (operating system) games Big Fish Games games Windows games MacOS games IOS games Casual games Hidden object games Video games developed in the United States Video games developed in Serbia Video game franchises