Hiding Stuff in Video Games for Fun

The transition from paper to digital was quite slow for the hidden puzzle mechanic. The 'I Spy' creators made the first venture into the video game world with their line of 'I Spy' CD-ROM games, with one of them being 'I Spy Spooky Mansion' released in 1999. While the games retained the charm their book counterparts had, hidden puzzle games as a whole had yet to break through to a wider gaming audience beyond children.

 A sample of gameplay  can be found here.

This changed with the release of 'Mystery Case Files: Huntsville' by Big Fish Studios in November 2005. Hailed as the first true hidden object video game, $1 million worth of digitally distributed copies were sold in under three months, breaking all previous casual game sales records by over 100%. Hidden puzzle games were not just for children anymore.

Today, games that primarily use hidden puzzle mechanics dominate a large part of the casual games market. Several casual games studios have at least one hidden puzzle game or series. The genre continues to transform as designers find more ways to include secondary puzzle mechanics and compelling narratives to keep the hidden puzzle mechanic interesting.

Some notable puzzle games or series that focus on hidden puzzle mechanics:

- Mystery Case Files

Sample Gameplay of Dire Grove

- Phantasmat

  Sample Gameplay of Phantasmat

-Dark Parables

 Sample Gameplay of the Exiled Prince

-Awakening

 Sample Gameplay of the Dreamless Castle

-Nightfall Mysteries

Sample Gameplay of Curse of the Opera

-Hidden Expedition

 Sample Gameplay of the Uncharted Islands

As video games continue to make their way into the mobile gaming market, hidden object games will reach out to a new audience on a new platform.

- CSI: Hidden Crimes

 Sample Gameplay of Hidden Crimes 

-Hidden Objects: Mystery Crimes

Sample Gameplay of Mystery Crimes