Hidden object games have become extremely popular ever since Facebook exploded into the market and the recent boom of the smartphone industry only fueled its reach. It is a type of game that caters to everyone out there, being very casual in its approach but fun and addictive when it comes to the gameplay. It is near to impossible to choose one from the other since they are mostly identical and hence we decided to put together a list of the better ones out there for everyone’s convenience. So go ahead, check them out and do let us know if you have any suggestions and we will consider adding it to this one. You can play these top hidden object games online.
9. Family Relic – Lost Key
‘Family Relic: Lost Key’ is one of the most chilled out hidden objects game that I have played in a while. The game is entirely browser based, so there is no requirement for you to download any external files on to your hard drive. You just need an access to the internet connection and you are all set, no matter where you are! When you boot up the game, you are presented with a short backstory that provides you with the necessary information that you require during the campaign, which is not much, to be honest. After this, you are left on your own and are free to explore the area as you please. You play the character of an unnamed man who has broken his key to the family house. Not only that, the fragments are all scattered throughout his house and being the good Samaritan that you are, you decide to help the poor man out.
At this point, you need to travel through each of the rooms looking for various objects and the fragments of the key. Each room will present a new challenge to you along with a list of objects that you need to find within it. Sometimes you are required to locate more than one version of an object mentioned in your list, adding to the challenge. However, there are no timers present and this is extremely surprising since there are not many hidden objects games that do not limit the player with a timer.
In addition to this, there are no penalties for misclicking as well. Every once in a while if you randomly keep clicking, lightning will strike the room but save for a few seconds, you don’t lose much in terms of gameplay. A flashy animation plays out, which probably means that you have angered Zeus but he probably leaves you alone to your business because he finds out that it’s just a hidden objects game. Remember what I said about the game being chilled out? Yeah! This is the perfect game to hit up if you want to introduce your grandparents to the wondrous world of the internet; so if that’s on your checklist, this is the perfect opportunity to strike it off!
8. Uptasia
‘Uptasia’ is a beautiful hidden objects game developed by Upjers GmbH for android, iOS and web browsers. It is quite popular among fans of the genre due to its simplistic AI, accessible game design and stunning images that add depth to the gameplay. There are no new mechanics added here but the developers have made sure that the final product is as polished as possible. It takes you back to the 19th century where there were no hassles of digital communication or heavy traffic during rush hour. Life was simple and people were content with the limited comforts they had. This is something that the game reminds you at every single step, making you miss a time that you have never even lived in.
There is something about kids running around the neighborhood on a sunny Saturday morning with all the glory and joy reflected in their eyes! The objects that you need to find are also somewhat aged and reflect upon the necessities of that time. The level designs are also quite varied, taking the opportunity to mix things up by alternating between sequences. One time you find yourself searching through the dingy mess of an attic while the next moment you find yourself on the front porch with the sunlight blinding your eyes! In addition to the basic hidden objects mode, there is also a ‘Find the Differences’ mode, which is an interesting addition to the genre to say the least. Here, you are presented with two seemingly similar pictures with the objective of finding out the differences within them. Even though this is not a feature that breaks the game or elevates it to the status of the best title ever, it is still a welcome addition that the devs of the genre should definitely look into.
7. Seaside Hideaway
‘Seaside Hideaway’ is another hidden objects video game that found popularity through ‘Facebook’, like a lot of the other games on this list. It seems like ‘Facebook’ was an important platform for indie gaming and played an intricate role in making such games available to the general public. We highly doubt that we would have so many polished hidden objects games if not for Facebook, so a bit of credit is definitely due.
Anyway, ‘Seaside Hideaway’ plays like any other hidden objects game that you may have played but also adds in a town builder alongside the core gameplay mechanics in order to keep it interesting. This is one concept that we found a lot of devs were toying with at that time but only few managed to perfect it with even fewer reaching the popularity that they deserve. The concept is pretty straightforward — find the hidden objects within the levels in order to earn rewards and then use those to construct your town, which has been destroyed. Even though there are no penalties for taking your own merry time, there are huge bonuses if you manage to complete it quickly. So it is always advisable to complete the quests as quickly as possible. And oh, don’t go around clicking on the pictures randomly. The game knows and will punish you for it!
6. Hidden Express
‘Hidden Express’ is another popular hidden objects game that first found popularity on the popular social media platform, ‘Facebook’. As soon as the community caught on to the addictive gameplay elements of the title, it exploded literally overnight. Soon, the game was adapted for mobile handheld devices and was released for android and iOS systems. The gameplay is very similar to other hidden objects games where you are presented with a picture with the aim of finding all the objects mentioned within a list. And of course, there is a timer that limits the amount of time you can spend exploring, because why not? It’s the job of the game devs to make our lives harder and they get paid for it!
Anyway, the developers of this one do seem to understand our pain and has hence devised a unique method of keeping time, just so you know, we don’t feel that bad when we lose the mission. Except that we do, each and every time! Here, instead of an analogue clock that simply tells you how much time you have left in the level, you are given a train with the list of objects that you need to find. If you don’t happen to find the objects on the list within the given amount of time, the train departs, leaving you stranded. Who said that this timer is better? If so, it actually feels worse. No one likes missing the train, not even in a video game and with over 1800 levels within the campaign, they have made sure that you get used to the fact! So the next time you have a train to catch but delay it till the last possible moment, you know whom to blame!
However, if you do manage to clear a level during the set period of time (you know, catch the train), then you are rewarded with in-game powerups. There is another form of reward, that is, tickets, which act as the premium currency. These are rare to find but allow a variety of options like clearing the last object in a level and buying boosters. Even though there are several mechanics that limit long play sessions, it is possible for one to grind by logging in at set intervals. Also, the game rewards quite handsomely when you complete a level, so there’s that.
5. Pearl’s Peril
‘Pearl’s Peril’ is Wooga’s sixth game and quite frankly their best one till date. Wooga happens to be the fifth largest game developer for the popular online platform Facebook and is located in Germany. At the time of release, this was their fastest growing game and generated a lot of hype reaching 1 million players within the first 24 days of its release. That’s correct! 24 days! It did not even take them a month to generate 1 million players, so if this does not convince you to play the game… then we have more, please read on.
At the core, it plays like any other hidden objects game where you are required to find a certain number of objects within a given picture in a set amount of time. The faster that you manage to find all the objects, the higher your score will be. There is also a score multiplier for finding objects at quick succession and pro players use this feature in order to time their matches perfectly and score huge bonuses. However, if you find yourself getting stuck on a level, there is a handy hint option as well which will help you to locate certain objects within a level. However, these hints are hard to collect and should be used only when absolutely necessary.
In addition to the core gameplay, there is also a base building isometric metagame where you are required to build a house from scratch on an island using materials that you have gathered during the missions. In between each mission, you also have the option to assemble key components in your inventory in order to construct key items that are required in certain stages. We highly recommend you try out this one since the gameplay is polished, the mechanics in-depth and also manages to keep the players engaged.
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4. Hidden Haunts
‘Hidden Haunts’ is a pretty well made hidden objects video game that never really managed to gain popularity. The concept of the game is pretty solid and the narrative is quite well rounded, yet it never generated the hype that it deserved and hence we want to take this time out and urge everyone to show the game some love. It is presently available on Facebook as well as your browsers, so there is no reason for it to not find popularity. Yet, the blog’s pretty empty, the feed lonely, with only a handful of people populating the servers. We seldom find such an intriguing back story tied along with a hidden objects game, so we definitely want this one to find the light. It helps to motivate the developers and ensures that there are constant updates that polish the gameplay mechanics on a regular basis.
As soon as you start playing, you understand that this one is a bit more on the darker side. Generally, you will find hidden objects games to feature colourful and uplifting posters but not this one. Your peaceful hometown has been hit with a deadly curse and all of its citizens have been damned, and its up to you to solve the mystery behind the strange happenings. All the residents of the town have disappeared and have been replaced by their ghosts and being the detective that you are, you intend to get to the bottom of this. You must solve all the puzzles presented to you and find all the hidden objects within them in order to restore the town to its former glory. During the course of the campaign, you will slowly be able to rebuild the village from scratch while reuniting the people with their loved ones. Quite a happy ending for a morbid game, I must say!
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3. Criminal Case
‘Criminal Case’ is an exceptional hidden objects game that followed shortly after the success of ‘Mystery Manor’ and even managed to surpass it in terms of popularity. Seldom do we see a game being this influential in such a short period of time and hence it finds a top 3 spot on our list. Now there might be many more hidden objects games out there that are better than ‘Criminal Case’ but we doubt there are many more out there that can reach that level of popularity while keeping the gameplay intuitive and interesting.
There was a time on Facebook back in the year 2013 when you simply could not log on to the website without finding a notification for a Criminal Case and at times even I got tired of it. But come to think about what this means for the marketing team. We are sure there were a lot of happy faces in that lot. When you consider all of this, it’s not even surprising that it was crowned as the ‘Facebook Game of the Year 2013’. Now, that’s something to brag about! And if that wasn’t enough, it went on to gather one million active users within just a span of two months after launch.
When it was awarded the game of the year award, the game was not even accessible worldwide and had just been translated into 9 languages; but it was already generating 8-digit revenues for the company, cementing its place in video gaming history. Another surprising fact about the title is that the majority of the players are women who are between the ages of 30 and 55, so take that how you will but we found it interesting and decided to add it in. You know, for some added information for our prized readers. Anyway, if you feel like checking it out, you can definitely head on over to Facebook where it still dominates a huge chuck of the gaming audience. Additionally, it’s also available on the android and iOS playstore along with the five expansions released for it!
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2. Mystery Manor
‘Mystery Manor’ is a critically acclaimed hidden objects game that first gained popularity through the social media platform ‘Facebook’. Often regarded as the first hidden objects game on the platform, it spread like wildfire within the first few months of its release. Developed and published by Game Insight in the year 2010, it was soon ported over to iOS in the year 2012 due to its massive popularity. The premise of the game is short and simple: escape from the mansion that you are trapped in. However, this is not an easy task as there is no direct way out. Instead, you need to solve the various puzzles within the mansion in order to escape. The fact that you don’t even remember how you got inside the mansion in the first place does not help either.
At the start of each level, you are given a list of objects that you need to find within a given scene. Time is of the essence as there is a timer that’s always ticking away behind your back, constantly pressurizing you to complete the task at hand. There are several powerups that you can collect, which can help you in manipulating these aspects such as snails and hourglasses. Snails will add time to your counter while hourglasses will freeze it for a short duration. These are not easily available though, so use them wisely.
In addition to the basic gameplay, there are several modes like the word mode and the night mode which add depth to the experience. All of these manipulate the list that you are provided with in order to keep the gameplay fresh and challenging. You will also meet several characters during the campaign, all of which tell the story of how you landed up in the manor and why it’s rigged with all the traps. This one is highly recommended to fans of hidden objects games, though we think there are only a few left who haven’t played it yet.
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1. Gardens of Time
‘Gardens of Time’ is a spectacular hidden objects video game that took the entire gaming community by the storm when it first came out. The gameplay is very similar to other hidden objects games. But it still manages to keep it fresh and interesting by introducing new mechanics into the mix. For starters, it ditches the linear gameplay format that we are so used to with hidden objects games for a more open gameplay format. There are various ages within the game that you can travel to and solve various mysteries. It starts off with an extensive tutorial that teaches you all the nifty details about the game. After that, you are free to explore the world as you please.
There are three main objectives within the game, speaking in a very broad sense: one is the time machine which allows you to select any time and location of your choice and then travel there. The second is the actual hidden objects mission that you need to pass in order to complete the quest and the third is a garden that you can decorate according to your choice with objects you collect from various missions. Completing the tutorial actually provides you with various benefits that really help you during the first few missions, so we highly recommend that you don’t skip them altogether.
In addition, completing the quest also provides you with pretty decent rewards, which really help with the gardening aspect of the game. Actually, building and decorating the garden is the addictive part of the gameplay, with the missions providing you with bonuses that you can add to the same. As you can tell, it contains a surprising amount of depth when it comes to gameplay mechanics for a browser-based hidden objects game and developers do deserve some credit for providing us with such a polished experience. We highly recommend you try this one out if you’re looking for an extensive hidden objects games to play on your browser right now.
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