May 31, 2008
Mystery Cookbook - new hidden object game
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I was really excited about Mystery Cookbook when I first opened the game and started playing. I think hidden object games are a great activity for parents to share with their children online, but many of them are too sophisticated for the little ones to play. This one looked perfect - cute animals looking for everyday objects that kids would recognize, a cute storyline, nothing scary or adult going on. Alas, my first assessment was wrong.
I’ve ranted before about games that I feel don’t honor the spirit of fair play. Here I go again! In the first screenshot above you see spices on the list of items to find. There are no bottles or jars of spice visible, so perhaps it’s one of the little bunches of leafy greens? Nope - it’s the condiment tray with oil, vinegar, salt and pepper. Not exactly something that most folks would call “spices.” If that were an isolated sanfu it wouldn’t be so bad, but such confusion occurs throughout the game. The pot on the list for the second screen shot is not one of the pots on the stove. It’s the little black jar next to the fan. See can on the list? There’s some kind of canned goods on the counter over to the left - obviously a can. That’s not what’s wanted, though - try clicking on the clear glass jar at lower right instead. It’s a canning jar, so somewhat acceptable, but certainly not in the spirit of fair play. This could reflect cultural differences. I’m not sure where the game’s creators live. Maybe a jar is a can to them and condiments are spices? Whatever - this just doesn’t work for U.S. players.
Several modes of play are presented throughout the game, including find-the-differences, locate X-number of similar items and rearrange the puzzle pieces. The hidden object menu can be either a list of words or a series of silhouettes. The silhouettes are frequently just blobs which are too indistinct to tell the player what to look for - a pet peeve of mine.
I’m still a huge fan of Big Fish Games. They’ve got the best selection of games at the best prices of all of the game sites I visit. I’m giving Mystery Cookbook a thumbs down, though. It’s just not up to my standards. Why take my word for it, though? You can download the demo for a free hour of play and make up your own mind. Big Fish has released several new hidden object games recently and I’m playing catch-up this weekend so I can check them all out. I’m pretty sure I’ll like the next one better than the last one!
Browse through all of my hidden object game reviews and find yourself a fun time-suck for this weekend. Each review has a link that will allow you to test-drive the game for an hour before you decide whether or not to buy.
[tags]Big Fish Games, games, hidden object games, Mystery Cookbook[/tags]
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June 2nd, 2008 at 4:47 am, Jenny Says:
Woo fun fun!
June 3rd, 2008 at 1:16 pm, Thom Says:
beautiful…but not true
June 11th, 2008 at 5:19 pm, Hidden Object Game Cheats Says:
[…] Awards for Casual Games New Game: Laura Jones and the Gates of Good and Evil « Joyboost Blog skeet’s stuff » Mystery Cookbook - new hidden object game The Geek Within » Blog Archive » Game review: Sherlock Holme.. The Secret of Margrave […]