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There are many hidden object games on Steam, and several of them are parts of a series. While whole collections can be great, some titles end up more popular than others. Whether part of a series or a stand-alone title, hidden object games provide players the same joy as Where’s Waldo? in an adult format and with more items to find.
Updated on October 24, 2022, by Chris Birsner:Even though this genre has been around for a long time, hidden object games continue to evolve to incorporate new ways to interact with the game while at its core still being about finding specific things in an environment. To this day, developers in the indie space are coming up with unique twists to engage the player such as allowing players to walk around in the space they are trying to find things in or incorporating puzzles to unlock certain objects. The best hidden object games are the ones that have looked to innovate, especially among some of the more recent entries.
13 Space Legends: At the Edge of the Universe
Space Legends: At the Edge of the Universe is about a sci-fi adventure to another planet at the end of the universe. The player must use their in-game journal and clues to save everyone and escape before everything is destroyed by a comet.
In this galactic game, players can do everything from repairing emergency ships and handling bad weather to healing a princess and trying to avoid being sent to jail. There are a variety of locations to explore with different detailed scenes. The game includes puzzles, mini-games, and stunning scenes of hidden items.
12 Toem
It is rare for some of the best hidden object games, even with solid stories, to truly feel like an adventure. Toem changes this as it puts the player in the shoes of a character who is on their way to see a landmark that needs to be seen to be believed.
Toem is a photography game, but not one that focuses on getting the perfect photo. Instead, the camera is used to identify objects that players must capture to complete quests that will help them reach new areas. Along the way, there are also plenty of characters to interact with along with a beautiful soundtrack.
11 Hidden Through Time
In Hidden Through Time, players travel through the four great ages on various levels. Levels include the Stone Age with dinosaur eggs, Medieval Times with crowns, and more. Players enjoy discovering secrets while exploring the history of the world.
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This colorful game includes cryptic hints and cute hand-drawn items to uncover. Players can even create and share their own worlds using the map editor.
10 Sizeable
Hidden object games are all about poking around in an environment to find the specific items the player is expected to find. But what if there wasn’t a laundry list to identify, and instead it was three pillars that could be found by solving puzzles?
That is the general premise of Sizeable. Each level is a diorama of a specific setting or time period and the goal of the game is to resize different objects to see how it or the level itself changes. Through fiddling with the different items, players will discover each of the three pillars they need to complete the level.
9 100 Hidden Frogs
100 Hidden Frogs is one of the games in the 100 Hidden games by Anatoliy Loginovskikh. This is a free-to-play game set in a magical forest full of frogs. Players must look closely at the black-and-white landscapes of multiple levels.
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The hand-drawn and cartoon art style add to the uniqueness of this game and make it look like a coloring book. This is emphasized when the found frogs become the only color on the screen.
8 Enigmatis: The Ghosts of Maple Creek
Enigmatis: The Ghosts of Maple Creek is the first game in the Enigmatis collection. The plot centers around a character whose body remembers events that their mind can’t recall. Players must not save themselves from a lurking evil but also find a missing teenage girl. The story is immersive, with many layers to keep players adventuring for hours.
This game showcases rural Vermont during autumn. Along with hidden objects, players must complete puzzles, and riddles, collect evidence, and more.
7 Tiny Lands
In a similar category to hidden object games are “find the difference” games, where someone is presented with two photos that look similar with the goal of finding all the ways the photos are unique from each other. Tiny Lands takes this concept and adds a third dimension.
Players will be able to look at the two dioramas on each side of the screen and zoom in to see all the details if they need help finding the difference. The stages can also be rotated to make sure any sneaky hidden differences can be caught by the player. While it is a different variant of the genre, Tiny Lands should still be considered one of the best hidden object games.
6 Labyrinth City: Pierre the Maze Detective
Labyrinth City: Pierre the Maze Detective is named after the bestselling children’s book series “Pierre The Maze Detective”. Pierre must solve puzzles to recover a magical Maze stone stolen by the villain Mr. X and save Opera City. Players go through literal works of art, adventuring through colorful and detailed worlds.
Players take the role of a detective with all the levels tying into an overarching narrative like that of a novel. The game features hilarious and eccentric characters, hand-drawn illustrations, and more than 100 hidden objects and trophies. There are items to find, interesting puzzles, and many mini-games to play.
5 A Building Full Of Cats
Sometimes, it is nice to have a relaxing time and just look for one type of object throughout a hidden object game. As the name would suggest, A Building Full of Cats is all about finding felines in every corner of rooms throughout the home.
Each room tends to be one gradient tone to make sure the cats are blended into the environment well. Along with finding these adorable house pets, there are some secret cats that are hidden so well that players will need to interact with specific furniture in the room. There may also be a mystery to solve along the way.
4 Grim Legends: The Forsaken Bride
Grim Legends: The Forsaken Bride is the first game in the Grim Legends series. The game is set in the gloomy village of Ravenbrook near an ominous, ancient forest. Amid a wedding, a stranger appears in the town and an adventure filled with dark secrets begins. The Forsaken Bride features setting such as spooky forests, forbidden temples, and abandoned temples.
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The game has multiple hidden objects hidden in hand-painted scenes. Players can interact with a variety of characters, collect Spirits of the Forest, and learn the story of a local legend with The Book of Elusive Objects. Plus, players get a cat companion to join their journey.
3 Eventide: Slavic Fable
Eventide: Slavic Fable is the first game in the Eventide collection and is based on Slavic mythology. Players control a famous botanist who needs to save an endangered plant in Heritage Park. The plot becomes more sinister when the villain Boruta captures the player’s grandma and plans to use the park’s ancient magic to destroy the world.
The park is full of mythical Slavic creatures that the character must make alliances with if they want to save the world and solve the mystery of the Fern Flower. The game features tons of diverse and mysterious locations that allow the player to explore an old, mythical world through hidden items.
2 Wind Peaks
A normal camp trip takes a turn where a mysterious map points the way to something deeper lurking in the forest. That is the premise of Wind Peaks, a hidden object game that is actually a lot more wholesome than its premise may give off.
Emulating some of the best hidden object games, Wind Peaks features both scenarios that involve finding a specific item and going through extra steps to discover other things that are on the list. There are also some fun twists in this game, so it is truly a delightful experience to solve hidden object puzzles for adults and kids alike.
1 Hidden Folks
Hidden Folks is a casual indie game with drawings of items players must find in the scenes. There are tons of hand-drawn mini landscapes with interactive elements in this point & click game. Players can cut through plants, open tents, poke animals like crocodiles, and more.
The game features tons of original sounds and unique interactions. Three different color modes include the normal black and white, sepia, and night mode.
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