It’s basically point-and-click games where you find things to further progress your story. What makes hidden objects great is their way of storytelling. The stories here are interactive, puzzling, and sometimes baffling, which wants players to explore more. Some have straightforward, casual approaches and are not so serious progression-wise. Although they have little to no story, this type of game is easy to pick up and fun to play anytime and anywhere.
The Best Hidden Object Games
Beautiful hand-painted scenery, smart puzzles, and great voice acting. We have it all in these hidden object games I am about to present to you. Below is the list of the 12 best Hidden object games that will keep you on your toes for hours.
The Room Two
It’s fascinating how a simple box opening game can turn into an addictive, fun puzzle. You start out by searching for a key inside a box by clicking and turning dials around. Usually, the key is located inside the complex contraception lying on a table. The game gives the vibe of you being in an old antique shop and finding beautiful pieces of the past that unravel the mysteries of the room. Its creepy atmosphere is rather haunting, but the mystery hiding behind the corners of the room keeps the player exploring more. Every piece of the puzzle leads you to a different room that adds to unraveling the hidden secrets of your existence in the room. The Room Two is a must-play for players who have the itch to solve box puzzles. In addition to intricate puzzles, the game also has a story to progress.
Criminal Case
It’s an intense game of finding hidden objects from the crime scene before the timer runs out. You have limited time to find every object to have a hundred percent completion of the stage. After a couple of tries, I was able to find everything the game told me to. It’s not just randomly clicking and finding objects as there is a combo meter too that breaks if you click randomly. The object we find from the crime scene allows us to further progress and find who the killer is. The game also changes its play from finding objects to puzzles as you piece together torn-up pictures you found on the stage. There are several stages where different stories take place. All the mini puzzles and short stories keep the gameplay fresh.
Hidden Folks
The game is a modern version of Where’s Waldo with the addition of interactive objects like windows to open, grass that cuts when you click them, and many more. Its visual is like that of a pen and ink line drawing with nothing but black and white like an old American comic you find in the back of a newspaper. People inside the scene do animation running their daily life. Farmer plowing the weed, the woodcutter is cutting the tree, and children are playing on the ground. In this world of working people, we have to find individuals slacking behind the bushes or inside the tent. Searching for them by opening secrets to an object gives the player a sense of exploration. Sound effects here are nothing but people chattering and every interaction with hidden objects gives an acapella sound effect. It’s a creative spin to audio that adds personality to the game.
June’s Journey
June’s Journey is a game of detective as you play as June Parker, an intelligent and sassy woman who goes on a journey to find the mystery of her sister’s death. Play scenes and challenge various events to earn coins. Use your coins and diamonds to decorate the Orchid island into a beautiful garden. The core of the game is to find hidden objects as you complete different scenes. Completing each scene with five stars will give you a star box. Starbox is like a chest loot, and upon opening them, it will give you random items, decorations, or currencies. It’s the element of surprise that wants the player to complete scenes with five stars. The story goes deep from finding objects to murder mysteries, so if you feel like out of place during the story, you can always go back and read the chapter.
Enigmatis 3: The Shadow of Karkhala
It’s not just a game; it’s an adventure! It’s like you’re playing an interactive movie where every action you do has an impact. The visuals are mind-blowing, and first-person interaction makes you feel like you’re in the scene. It’s the third installment to the Enigmatis series, but you don’t have to play the previous two to understand the story. With much better voice acting and animation, Enigmatis has outdone the cinematic department. Picking up pieces and completing puzzles is an absolute pleasure. Everything from audio/visuals to gameplay is perfectly balanced to make the game intriguing. It’s hard to put down the game once the story starts to pick up. It’s like binge-watching an entire season of your favorite series.
Eventide: Slavic Fable
Get ready to explore the world of Slavic and find your grandmother, who is taken by Barruda. A mystic world of Slavic legends where you find mythical creatures who will guide you through your journey. Its dark but pleasant ambiance welcomes players to its world, and its soothing soundtrack sets up a perfect scenario of hidden mysteries lurking in the woods. The game is stylized with hand-drawn images. The games let you collect items and combine them to solve situational puzzles like a house on fire and using a hose to pump water. Dive into the mysteries of Moorland and interact with colorful characters in this dark world of Eventide.
Machinarium
Machinarium takes you to the world of steampunk with its rustic yet beautiful world that comes alive with every interaction you do. The clever puzzle of finding objects to use for other specific purposes creates those eureka moments that make the player feel more intelligent. You play as a tiny robot whose purpose is to find his lost beloved friend, and as you head journey into the lands of Machinarium, you will meet different charming characters who will help you accomplish your goal. Every puzzle here is carefully crafted that matches the theme of the environment. When I completed the final puzzle, and the end credit started rolling, I was left with a feeling of craving more. The game was complete, but my desire to play more was still there. It’s a short but sweet game if you are clever enough to crack all the puzzles in the first attempt, but the satisfaction of finally solving some challenging puzzle after several attempts is what I think Machinarium is all about.
Mirrors of Albion
Another hidden object game but this time, you put together the wit of detective Sherlock Holmes and the fantasy of Alice in Wonderland. Mirrors of Albion takes place in the mystical world of Victorian England. Explore the mirror world and solve puzzles to find Alice. With the help of your detective cat, search the street to find hidden clues for the next mirror world to travel. There is a totally different dark world inside the mirror where Alice is trapped. Assemble found objects to further trace the tracks and unravel the mysteries. Uncover the secrets of locations as you roam from one town to another.
Milo and the Magpies
Every scene is hand-painted and made to come alive with characters and animals. People going on in their daily life while animals playfully create chaos is what makes this game so lovely. It’s a short but immersive game like watching a painting in a museum come alive. Its subtle way of presenting situational puzzles is a delight for the eyes. A pleasurable journey to have if you are into Impressionism interactive paintings. I suggest you not only play but feel the heartwarming atmosphere in Milo and the Magpies.
Labyrinth City: Pierre the Maze Detective
It’s the visual representation of Where’s Waldo’s book, but the book has just a bunch of pictures where you have to find Waldo, whereas, in Labyrinth city, it’s a whole new world. It’s a cute, funny, and bizarre game where everything is happening everywhere. A colorful interactive world from a top-down perspective where you control detective Pierre who is on the hunt for notorious Mr. X. The storyline is presented in a comical style that suits the graphical atmosphere. Although the game looks chaotic, and players may even find it confusing to navigate through such a difficult place, the art direction was exactly intended for players to get lost in the messy maze of confusing levels. This game will provide every pleasant problem that will stand between you and your goal because you will get lost exploring the wonders of the place. It’s a cozy game with no combat because the game wants you to relax and sink into its colorful and lively world of Labyrinth City.
When the Past was Around
You play as Eda, who has lost her loved one. The visual aesthetic is cute, but the story it tells through the eyes of Eda is complex and mature. Our purpose in each stage is to find the feather that brings back memories to soothe broken heart of Eda. The puzzles here are not that great, but the story presented is deep and meaningful. Some of the great puzzles happen to be music that revolves around the story. Just like music helps to soothe one soul, Eda finds solace in music played by an owl guy. Such balance and harmony created by music in this game is delightful, especially when the background music blends with puzzle pieces to make absolute sense of the situation. The story might be short, but the lasting impact it creates is sure to be remembered.
Wind Peaks
It has a great atmosphere of summertime vibes. Getting lost in the unknown but welcoming side of the woods always makes me calm. It’s the ambient sound of birds chirping, the swaying of trees, and the rustling of water that makes this game immersive and fun to play. If you have never played a hidden object, then you can start your journey by playing Wind Peaks. While other similar games complex the genre by adding thrilling stories and other intricate puzzles that somewhat break the tone of the hidden objects game, Wind Peaks just wants players to explore the interactive picture and find hidden objects. The story takes place in a jungle where groups of scouts are out in search of mythical creatures. The element of hidden objects is presented beautifully. It’s a short, simple, and easy-to-follow story. Everything a hidden object game should have and nothing more.
