August 23, 2007
Obsessing about: hidden object games
If I’m going to waste all of my time playing games, it seems only fair I should share them with you, right? Just to mainatain the fiction that there’s actual human contact in my life, you know?
My latest obsession is hidden object games. Have you ever played any of these? I’ve played a few over the last few months, but I found myself in trouble when I found a whole teasure trove of them. In case you’re not familiar with them, the gameplay is relatively simple. You’re shown a picture of a cluttered scene (I can relate!) and given a list of items to find. So you might be looking at a scene from a garage sale and be told to find a broken dish, three digital cameras, a camel and a tulip. Some of the games “reward” you with other games of different types every time you complete a set number of scenes. There’s a theme that runs through all of the scenes within a game: solving a crime, reassembling a lost work of art, planning a wedding. The treasure trove I mentioned is at Big Fish Games, which currently lists over twenty-five hidden object games.
As you can see, the scenes are desinged to make those of us living with clutter feel right at home. In Interpol: The Trail of Dr. Chaos you are collecting clues that will lead to the capture of a dangerous criminal. The actual purpose, of course, is to suck the life out of you and turn you into a zombie.
Travelogue Rome 360: The Curse of the Necklace takes the rich visual experience to a higher level. See that compass at the bottom? It allows you to pan around the entire room, zooming in whenever you want a closer look. This is not just a rotation around the walls of the room. You can climb the walls to get a Spiderman-type view of the ceiling, or drop down for a toddler-eye view of the floor and lower parts of the room. As you move about the picture, the items on the list are highlighted when they’re in view.
The menu of hidden object games at Big Fish Games is extensive, but since I’m obsessing I have to plan for the future. A link from Yahoo! Games first led me to Big Fish, so I went back there to see what else might be available. I entered “hidden object games” into the Yahoo! Search box and, wouldn’t you know it - I won’t be running out of games any time soon. Make sure you use the quote marks when you search. It will narrow the search field from over five million to a measly 150,000 or so results.
So, what are you doing with your spare time lately? Any good games you’d like to tell me about ? (I’d insert an evil-face icon here, but then you might not come back and tell me about any games you know of that aren’t already on my list. 
)
[tags]games, hidden object games, Big Fish Games, obsessions, Yahoo! Games[/tags]
Posted by skeet @ 1:23 pm • Games, Just stuff
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August 23rd, 2007 at 1:58 pm, Charlotte Says:
OMG.. I’m addicted to them too. Right now I’m playing The Magicians Handbook. I’ve played the two you talked about in your post. I LOVE these games. I’m always looking for more.
August 23rd, 2007 at 2:03 pm, Flo Says:
I am so hooked on these games it’s not funny. I will sit up way past my bedtime playing these games. I just finished the one I had last night. Now I know where to go and find more - ahhhhhhh!!!
August 23rd, 2007 at 2:30 pm, Jules Says:
I can’t WAIT to get home and try these out!
August 23rd, 2007 at 4:34 pm, skeet Says:
I really liked the Magician’s Handbook. I got it somehwere else - Incredimail Games, I think - that doesn’t automatically turn it off after your free hour is up. I played it for hours on end, lol!
August 23rd, 2007 at 4:36 pm, skeet Says:
I’ve done that way too many times, Flo. I was up late last night and , well - I didn’t have any jobs scheduled for today so - well, you know! I might brush my teeth & take a shower before edtime, but my sleep dress has been so comfy all day …
August 23rd, 2007 at 4:37 pm, skeet Says:
Ha! Snared another one! Have fun, Jules!
August 24th, 2007 at 4:11 am, Jennifer Says:
Pogo has a few on ToGo… as long as you don’t close the game, you can keep playing long after the trial is up. I need to check out these other ones– it didn’t occur to me to search the internet for more versions of the same thing! DUH!
August 24th, 2007 at 5:12 am, Chuck Foxtrot Says:
Great! Another new obsession guaranteed to reduce my productivity and sleep…
Thanks for the links. I’ll be on them when I get home from work
August 25th, 2007 at 7:26 am, Jules Says:
Reporting back, I am HOOKED! I fell asleep with my laptop on my lap playing last night. I just couldn’t stop! LOL!
August 25th, 2007 at 4:35 pm, bartman62707 Says:
I love these hidden object games and have played them all. Are there any new games out there??? Really dont want to buy any, but if you know of a really good one I may consider.
Thanks
August 27th, 2007 at 1:33 am, skeet Says:
Hope you found some time for hidden object games over the weekend, chuck. Let me know how you enjoy them!
August 27th, 2007 at 1:34 am, skeet Says:
Hee hee, Jules! You can’t claim I didn’t warn you that hidden object games are addictive. Did they suck up most of your free time over the weekend?
August 27th, 2007 at 1:36 am, skeet Says:
Bartman, I found a few games that I hadn’t played yet over at: http://www.games2download.com/free-hidden-object-games/index.htm
I don’t know if they were newe games or just a couple that I hadn’t seen yet. I’m slowly working my way through the sites listed when I google “hidden object games,” so I hope I’ll find some more.