Ahidden object game, also calledhidden picture orhidden object puzzle adventure (HOPA), is a subgenre ofpuzzle video games in which the player must find items from a list that are hidden within a scene. Hidden object games are a popular trend incasual gaming.[1][2]
Time-limited trial versions of these games are usually available for download, although many are free to download onapp stores. They primarily make money through in-app purchases and ads. Popular themes includedetective crime stories,adventure,gothic romance, andmystery.[3]
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 theirinventory. A hidden object puzzle within the game provides more objects or clues that will assist the playing in completing the game.[4]
Hidden object games (HOGs) are categorized into several subtypes based on gameplay:
Each subcategory offers a unique mix of object-finding and other gameplay elements.
Boosters andhints in hidden object games are essential tools that enhance gameplay and help players progress through levels. Here is a list of some common types of boosters and hints:
Some boosters are accessible as daily rewards or can be obtained through in-game currency.
Hidden object games originated in print publications such as theI Spy books or a regular feature inHighlights for Children, in which the reader was given a list of objects to find hidden in a cluttered illustration or photograph.[3] An early hidden object game wasMother Goose: Hidden Pictures, released for theCD-i in 1991. Other early incarnations are the video game adaptations of theI Spy books published byScholastic Corporation since 1997.[3]
Mystery Case Files: Huntsville, released byBig Fish Games in 2005, came at the rise of casual gaming in the mid-2000s.Mystery Case Files: Huntsville established many of the principles in both gameplay and narrative that would be predominant in hidden object games since then.[3]
More recently withinindie games, new takes on the hidden object genre have changed the approach. For example,Hidden Folks is considered more of a searching game, where the players have to find one character among hundreds on the screen that look similar to each other, similar toWhere's Wally?.[3]
Huntsville broke prior sales of casual games, and the series' third iterationMystery 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 puzzles with little animation.[3]
Hidden object games draw players who were fans of games likeMyst.[3] In 2021, Big Fish Games' player base was 85% female, 76% of whom were over the age of 55.[3]
Mystery titles, particularly hidden-object games, have become a hugely popular segment of the casual-game market.
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