A hidden object game, also called hidden picture or hidden object puzzle adventure (HOPA), is a

puzzle video game 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 solving, spatial recognition, and word completion. H ...

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

casual gaming 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 ...

. Time-limited trial versions of these games are usually available for download, although many are free to download on

app store An App Store (or app marketplace) is a type of digital distribution platform for computer software called applications, often in a mobile context. Apps provide a specific set of functions which, by definition, do not include the running of the c ...

s. Popular themes include detective crime stories,

adventure An adventure is an exciting experience or undertaking that is typically bold, sometimes risky. Adventures may be activities with danger such as traveling, exploring, skydiving, mountain climbing, scuba diving, river rafting, or other extreme ...

, gothic romance and mystery.

Definition

In a hidden object game, the player wanders from one place to another to discover objects that allow the player to finish the game. The player adds objects to their inventory. A hidden object puzzle within the game provides more objects or clues that will assist the playing in completing the game.Hidden Object Games Are Mindless Fluff, And That's Why I Love Them
By Mike Fahey from Kotaku.com. May 1 2016. Hidden objects generally tend to feature: * Courageous, adventurous female protagonists * Characters who need to be rescued from something and have relations to the main protagonist *

Fantasy Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction involving magical elements, typically set in a fictional universe and sometimes inspired by mythology and folklore. Its roots are in oral traditions, which then became fantasy literature and d ...

themes with

supernatural Supernatural refers to phenomena or entities that are beyond the laws of nature. The term is derived from Medieval Latin , from Latin (above, beyond, or outside of) + (nature) Though the corollary term "nature", has had multiple meanings si ...

elements and themes of romantic horror * Visuals of hand-painted 2D art that can be playable even on weak

personal computer A personal computer (PC) is a multi-purpose microcomputer whose size, capabilities, and price make it feasible for individual use. Personal computers are intended to be operated directly by an end user, rather than by a computer expert or te ...

History

Hidden object games originated in print publications such as the ''

I Spy I spy is a guessing game where one player (the ''spy'' or ''it'') chooses an object within sight and announces to the other players that "I spy with my little eye something beginning with...", naming the first letter of the object. Other players a ...

'' books or a regular feature in ''

Highlights for Children ''Highlights for Children'', often referred to simply as ''Highlights'', is an American children's magazine. It began publication in June 1946, started by Garry Cleveland Myers and his wife Caroline Clark Myers in Honesdale, Pennsylvania (the pr ...

'', in which the reader was given a list of objects to find hidden in a cluttered illustration or photograph. An early hidden object game was ''Mother Goose: Hidden Pictures'', released for the

CD-i The Compact Disc-Interactive (CD-I, later CD-i) is a Digital media, digital optical disc data storage device, data storage format that was mostly developed and marketed by Dutch company Philips. It was created as an extension of Compact Disc Di ...

in 1991. Other early incarnations are the video game adaptations of the ''I Spy'' books published by

Scholastic Corporation Scholastic Corporation () is an American multinational publishing, education, and media company that publishes and distributes books, comics, and educational materials for schools, parents, and children. Products are distributed via retail and on ...

since 1997. '' Mystery Case Files: Huntsville'', released by

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 ...

in 2005, came at the rise of casual gaming in the mid-2000s. ''Mystery Case Files: Huntsville'' established many of the principles in both game play and narrative that would be predominate in hidden object games since. More recently within

indie game An indie game, short for independent video game, is a video game typically created by individuals or smaller development teams without the financial and technical support of a large game publisher, in contrast to most "AAA" (triple-A) games. ...

s, new takes on the hidden object genre have changed the approach these take. For example, ''

Hidden Folks ''Hidden Folks'' is a hidden object game developed by Adriaan de Jongh and Sylvain Tegroeg. In the game, players are presented with a series of animated, interactive scenes and must find hidden characters, objects, and animals. The game was relea ...

'' is considered more of a searching game, as to find one character among hundreds on the screen that look similar to each other, similar to ''

Where's Wally ''Where's Wally?'' (called ''Where's Waldo?'' in North America) is a British series of children's puzzle books created by English illustrator Martin Handford. The books consist of a series of detailed double-page spread illustrations depicti ...

''.

Popularity

''Huntsville'' broke prior sales of casual games, and the series' third iteration '' Mystery Case Files: Ravenhearst'' was the third best-selling game on personal computers during the end-of-year sales period of 2007. This motivated gaming companies to expend in this sort of storytelling that focuses on still puzzles with little animation. Hidden object games draw players who were fans of games like ''

Myst ''Myst'' is a graphic adventure/puzzle video game designed by the Miller brothers, Robyn and Rand. It was developed by Cyan, Inc., published by Broderbund, and initially released for the Macintosh in 1993. In the game, the player's charact ...

'', and player demographics skew toward women who are over 55 years of age . In 2021, Big Fish Games' player base was 85% female, 76% of whom were over the age of 55.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Puzzle Video Game Video game genres

Definition

History

Popularity

See also

References