Quite often, my daughter likes to play hidden object games with me. I usually let her pick which game we're playing. Her choice this time around was Enchanted Fairy Friends: Secret of the Fairy Queen. In the game, you are trying to find the name of the Fairy Queen. Each of the Queen's Rose Court fairies has a hint. Put these hints together to guess her name. This game was actually well suited for my child. It not only had the hidden object part but there were also find-the-differences and puzzle parts as well. None of them were particularly difficult. (Though the puzzle part was based on matching shapes so younger children may need help with it.) The graphics were bright and colorful and each level was themed to a specific fairy's flower. Obviously, this was no geared toward boys but I think any fairy-loving girl would enjoy the game.
Game review: Natalie Brooks: Secrets of Treasure House
In Natallie Brooks: Secrets of Treasure House, you play Natalie Brooks. Her recently deceased grandmother left a house to Natalie, who now has to unravel all of the secrets around it in order to save it from being taken by the bank. This is another hidden object game that has taken gameplay to another level. Each location has a list of objects you need to find but, in order to find the big object in each location, you need to find other objects that will open a drawer or something along those lines. It changes the game from a hidden object game to more of a role playing game (RPG) much like King's Quest or Zork back in the day. The only difference is that you don't have to travel to different locations to get the items you need. They are all right there in front of you. You just need to find them.
This is one of the few games that I actually enjoyed the storyline. Most of the time, I just skip past the cut scenes because they are boring and don't add anything to the gameplay. However, I found the story here to be rather compelling. I wanted to know what grandma was scheming before she died. Treasure House is definitely a game I'd recommend to anyone.
Game review: Miss Teri Tale
You are Miss Teri Tale, a famous mystery writer. Your neighbor's prized pooch, Jason, has been dognapped and it is up to you to find him. Sneak into each of your neighbor's houses and rifle through their things in order to find which one of them has it out for the prize-winning show dog. This hidden object game, not-very-cleverly named after the heroine, is vaguely interesting. You start out in your office when a video message comes across your laptop with instructions on how to play the game and where to go. For the most part, this is a typical hidden object game. However, since you are breaking into your neighbor's houses, there are a few puzzles where you need to solve the alarm code in order to enter. In my opinion, the best part of this game is the way you can 'refill' your number of hints. When you run out, simply head back to your office to collect more four leaf clovers. There is usually two or three each time you go back.
While there is nothing new offered in the gameplay, it is still pretty fun. I didn't care much for the constant interruptions from the mystery person in the laptop videos, which is how the game advances the story, but luckily those don't last long. If you like hidden object games, give it a try.
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.