But like every other game I play, I can be very picky and thus have found a couple of my favorites that have kept me relatively happy. Then there are the ones which were simply a waste of time.
Hurricxne's to a hidden object game that isn't a waste of time (or one that doesn't cheat you of your feelings):
1. Storyline
This is important. What I've noticed is that some of these games have really amazing storylines. Sure some of them are fairytale spin-offs (meaning the main premise was based on a fairytale) but oh my the way they twist the tale and the cliffhangers and plot turns are truly amazing. I was hooked on a fairytale series that combined Snow White and the Snow Queen and I was enthralled. Of course there are others that just fell short and the plot is just too straightforward and predictable. But I continued anyway for reasons that I will explain in awhile.
2. Graphics
SO PRETTY! I know I feel like my sister here when I just say that it's so pretty. I am absolutely AMAZED by some of the artwork. It's really like... wow. I would expect the artwork in a children's book or some other high-end game but this was really one of the main selling points for majority of the games that I chose to play till the end. Absolutely gorgeous! I'll upload a couple of screenshots in later posts just to show you what I mean.
3. Puzzles
Apart from finding things, puzzles are the main framework for any HO game. Be it matching things together or arranging things according to the instructions. Some of them really really test your analytic skills because they can be quite challenging. My favourites are the kinds whereby I'm supposed to untangle a knot or solve an animated sequence. I know I use the word 'amazed' so liberally (or just a little too much) in this entry but I swear it's true. Of course when I've been stuck at a puzzle for more than 15 minutes I can just press skip and move ahead. I can always go back to them at the end of the game because by then I'd have unlocked all the bonus content allowing for me to re-play any of the puzzles that I enjoyed. The puzzles are a reason why even if the storyline for the game is thin and lacking, I'll still persevere because I just like playing the puzzles.
4. Bonus Content
Not all of these games will have bonus content. I find that those by Blue Tea Games will offer you an additional bonus game that is sometimes related to the current game or a prelude to another game that they've released. They're a lot shorter and easier to complete (puzzle-wise) but still fun to play.
You can find these games on the Apple Store and they can range from USD5 to USD7 (that's like almost SGD13 for me). They have those for PC as well. I got a lot of it from my sister who is a huge HO buff. At first I faced a brickwall because they don't run on OSX but then realised that I could actually play these games on Parallel. Absolute win!
2. Graphics
SO PRETTY! I know I feel like my sister here when I just say that it's so pretty. I am absolutely AMAZED by some of the artwork. It's really like... wow. I would expect the artwork in a children's book or some other high-end game but this was really one of the main selling points for majority of the games that I chose to play till the end. Absolutely gorgeous! I'll upload a couple of screenshots in later posts just to show you what I mean.
3. Puzzles
Apart from finding things, puzzles are the main framework for any HO game. Be it matching things together or arranging things according to the instructions. Some of them really really test your analytic skills because they can be quite challenging. My favourites are the kinds whereby I'm supposed to untangle a knot or solve an animated sequence. I know I use the word 'amazed' so liberally (or just a little too much) in this entry but I swear it's true. Of course when I've been stuck at a puzzle for more than 15 minutes I can just press skip and move ahead. I can always go back to them at the end of the game because by then I'd have unlocked all the bonus content allowing for me to re-play any of the puzzles that I enjoyed. The puzzles are a reason why even if the storyline for the game is thin and lacking, I'll still persevere because I just like playing the puzzles.
4. Bonus Content
Not all of these games will have bonus content. I find that those by Blue Tea Games will offer you an additional bonus game that is sometimes related to the current game or a prelude to another game that they've released. They're a lot shorter and easier to complete (puzzle-wise) but still fun to play.
You can find these games on the Apple Store and they can range from USD5 to USD7 (that's like almost SGD13 for me). They have those for PC as well. I got a lot of it from my sister who is a huge HO buff. At first I faced a brickwall because they don't run on OSX but then realised that I could actually play these games on Parallel. Absolute win!
