Game review: Christmasville

Christmasville is another hidden object game on Big Fish Games. The game plays a lot like Paparazzi, except you aren't using a camera. Santa Claus is missing so a Yeti (or Abominable Snowman) comes to you, an ace detective, for help. It is your job to find objects and interview suspects in order to track down the missing Santa before Christmas. Not only will you talk to the Yeti, you'll also talk to an elf, a reindeer and a snowman, among others.

This wasn't a bad game. I played it with my five-year old daughter and we had a lot of fun. There were a couple of mini-games that she had trouble with but that was where I could step in. She pretty much handled the rest of the game on her own. I think the Christmas theme really got her into the game too. So while an adult might find this on the boring side since there isn't a whole lot to differentiate it from any other hidden object game, the kids will enjoy trying to find Santa.

Game review: Holly: A Christmas Tale

My daughter frequently asks to play hidden object games with me. Since she's learning to read, the lists help her recognize words. For the Christmas season, we decided to give Holly: A Christmas Tale a try. You help Santa as he prepares to deliver toys on Christmas Eve. This game actually has two parts - a hidden object part and a find the differences part. Sadly, it is extremely difficult. Objects are frequently hidden behind other objects in both sections. We were able to tough it out and stick with it through the entire 60-minute demo but it's not something that we will be paying for. I probably would have given up on it if I was playing by myself. People are who looking for something more difficult than a normal hidden object game might enjoy this but I think that it will be too frustrating for most people.

Game review: Amazing Adventures: The Lost Tomb

Welcome to Egypt! Amazing Adventures: The Lost Tomb is a hidden object game where you are an archaeologist searching through areas of Egypt to find a lost tomb. Meanwhile, you also need to find clues to direct you where to go next! I thought this was a great game. There are a multitude of things to keep you interested. In the hidden object levels, you also need to find hidden scarabs in order to find a special treasure at the end. And in between the hidden object levels are a variety of puzzle levels including a match game, a jigsaw puzzle and a moving tiles puzzle. None of these were extremely difficult so I didn't find myself getting aggravated with any one piece of the game. While I don't think that younger players would be able to do very well due to some wordplay in the hidden object clues, this is definitely a great game that keeps adults on their toes instead of putting them to sleep.

Game review: Mystery Case Files: Madame Fate

The Mystery Case Files series is what got me into hidden object games. My daughter and I frequently play Ravenhearst together. So I was ecstatic when I saw a new MCF game called Madame Fate. In this version of the game, you are helping Madame Fate, a fortune teller at a carnival, who has foreseen her own death. You have to figure out which of the quirky carnival workers is slated to kill her and stop them. All in a day's work, right?

This game was a little more difficult than the other MCF games. In some levels, there are objects you need to put together to form a whole object on your list. For example, you might be searching for an ice cream cone. In order to get one, you need to put the scoop of ice cream on an empty cone. There are also hidden areas in some areas of the carnival. They are usually easy to find as the "hidden door" does this glowy-blinky thing. The final puzzle of each level is a different form of hidden object puzzle. Instead of having an entire list of things to find, you are given a multitude of two objects. For example, you may need to find 10 letter Ms and 10 musical notes in one scene.

True to its form, I did enjoy Madame Fate. The end-of-level puzzles were rather difficult as many items are hidden in shadows but it wasn't a deal breaker for me. I hope that I'll get some time to play through it more to see how the higher levels are.

Game review: Hawaiian Explorer: Pearl Harbor

While the website was down late last week, I gave Hawaiian Explorer: Pearl Harbor a try. Yet another hidden object game, I was expecting something along the lines of Hidden Expedition: Titanic, which was an extremely enjoyable game. However, Hawaiian Explorer was nothing but a disappointment. The typical list of objects to find is often times confusing. When you find something from your list, you need to click on a specific spot on the object or you will lose time. This, of course, makes you think that isn't the object you are looking for when, in fact, it is and you just didn't click on the special spot. If you run out of time, you have to start the level over again with a slightly different list.

In between levels, there is a map piece puzzle. Basically, there is a ripped up map and you have to piece it back together. If you fail to do accomplish this within the time limit, you get tossed back to the previous hidden object level. It is frustrating to say the least.

Hawaiian Explorer: Pearl Harbor is probably the worst hidden object game I have ever played. While some of the graphics are pretty, the gameplay is atrocious.

Game review: Forgotten Riddles - The Mayan Princess

Forgotten Riddles - The Mayan Princess is an awesome new take on the hidden object genre of casual games. Instead of just giving you a list of objects to search for, they give you a list of riddles. Each solution is an object in the room. Some of the riddles are really easy but some do make you think a bit. There is a storyline behind the game. You are an archaeologist researching the history of the royal Mayan family. Each level reveals new clues about the life of the Princess and her father.

I loved this game. I think that anyone who enjoys hidden object games but is looking for a little bit more from their entertainment would have a lot of fun. The riddles aren't ridiculously difficult and this is coming from someone who generally sucks at riddles. A+ from me all the way!

Game Review: The Scruffs

While I was fairly busy this weekend, I did take some time out to play The Scruffs, a hidden object game available exclusively at Big Fish Games. Here is the description from the website: "The Scruffs have enlisted your help to save their beloved family home from being sold. Grandpa Scruff has come up with a solution - an elaborate scavenger hunt to recover valuable artifacts, he's hidden around the house. But in a surprising twist, Grandpa Scruff also reveals that he's been hiding something else - a shocking family secret. Help the Scruffs stave off this looming family crisis and uncover the secret that will change their lives forever."

This was a really fun game. Not only is there the typical hidden object game where you are given a list of things to find in a picture but there are two other mini-games to play as well. In each level, there is a family picture hidden among the other objects. Once you find it, you can play a mini-game where you have to identify 20 'scribbles' on each picture. These 'scribbles' are really easy to find as they are bright and colorful in comparison to the picture. Also, every time you complete a level, you have to piece together an old photograph. Within that photograph is a picture of a special object you'll have to find in one of the rooms in the hidden object level.

Sounds difficult, doesn't it? It's not that hard; it's just not easy to explain. I had a ton of fun playing it and I was sad when the demo ended. Once I have a bit more free time, I think I'll purchase this one.