It's not because I just returned from visiting Pixar Animation Studios that I find similarities in the story between the animated flick, Ratatouille, and Alawar's new hidden object game, Mystery Cookbook. After all, both follow a mouse/rat who wants to be a skilled chef. Um, sound familiar? While we won't dock points for story unoriginality, we must in the gameplay department, and for other issues, which we'll soon get to.

The civil war between the Union and Confederate armies was a bloody and turbulent chapter of American history, and one that Gunnar Games and GameMill attempt to capture in the seek-and-find adventure Hidden Mysteries - Civil War. While a narrative chock full of historical details should be enough to intrigue those with an interest in the time period, the gameplay itself largely fails to hold up its end of the equation, resulting in an uneven effort that doesn't quite live up to its obvious potential.

Foodville is holding its annual Restaurant Row Chef's Challenge and you've earned a spot in the prestigious contest. With a limited budget and a ticking clock, Cooking Quest is all about seeing whether you have what it takes to assemble the best ingredients and hustle in the kitchen to prepare five-star dishes that will impress the judges.

Art theft and intrigue? Munch's "The Scream" and Picasso's "Maya with Doll" are just two paintings which have been stolen in real life, and within just the past four years! Often, the thieves seek to exchange these pilfered paintings for a hefty ransom, and since these masterpieces may be worth millions the risks and pay-offs are high. In the hidden object mystery Enigma, some of the world's most famous paintings have been usurped, and museums across Europe are in a panic.

Never in the history of game shows have you had to work so hard to earn that blender or barbecue than in The Hidden Object Show. With 30 hidden object scenes and more than 100 rounds peppered with 10 different random mini-games, reaching the final prize is a test of endurance that is guaranteed - at the very least - to leave you feeling that you've gotten your money's worth.

When hidden object game developers tackle a sequel, they attempt to recreate the experience of the original while adding new twists. Not much thought goes into creating scenes and sprinkling objects around, so with hidden object games the hard part comes in spinning an intriguing story and features that keep players hunting. Unfortunately, Mystery P.I. - The Vegas Heist does the opposite of what most would expect in a sequel to Mystery P.I.: The Lottery Winner.

You may not have heard of Walter Wick, but he's the genius responsible for arranging and photographing the scenes in the wonderful I Spy book series - so in a way, you could call him one of the founding fathers of hidden object games. Can You See What I See? features some of Wick's most striking scenes in a charming seek-and-find adventure game.

Museums tend to be rather quiet, studious locales apart from the occasional grade schooler visits (and, not counting the events of Night at the Museum with Ben Stiller). But, not today. All h-e-double hockey sticks has broken loose at the National Museum of History following a 7.6 magnitude earthquake that rocked the city. In fact, it's a frantic room-by-room search and rescue in Escape the Museum.

The second most famous Egyptian queen, behind Cleopatra of course, is the beautiful Nefertiti. Her death and burial remain a mystery that archaeologists and historians around the world would love to solve, and Curse of the Pharaoh: Quest for Nefertiti explores that in a unique adventure based a fictional search for her tomb that centers on step-siblings Anna and William.