The Scruffs Review

There are hidden object games (average and unimaginative) and there are hidden object games (exceptional and inventive). The Scruffs is, predominantly, one of the latter. It offers the usual seek-and-find ingredients - varied locations brimming with "treasures" for Antiques Roadshow and a mix of interspersed mini-games - but it does so with greater panache than the majority of its contemporaries.

With a flair all its own, plus an abundance of witty banter, The Scruffs serves up a puzzle-filled package that includes a chapter-based storyline, 20 attractive locations, thousands of items to sift through, 15 historical artifacts to uncover, Timed and Relaxed modes of play, a unique hint mechanism, enjoyable mini-games and a set of charming characters.

Fans of primetime cartoons and BBC sitcoms will feel right at home with the Scruffs, a quirky extended family where parents, siblings and grandparents all dispense pleasantries with a distinctly British accent. Unfortunately, dear old dad's been sacked and the family's home hangs in the balance. But, all's not lost. Grandpa has a solution, an elaborate scavenger hunt to recover valuable hidden artifacts and to reveal a shocking family secret. Your help, however, is required to pull it off.

Beginning with fare that's part of every hidden-object game produced, play revolves around trotting from one location to the next in search of miscellaneous articles. And, a keen eye is needed to locate specific objects in what looks more like the inside of a local Goodwill store struck by a tornado than a room inhabited by anyone except the most extreme hoarder or compulsive spendthrift. Locate and click on an item from a supplied list and it's removed from the inventory and the room until all requisite objects are collected. But, don't click randomly or you'll "earn" a 30-second penalty (unless you're playing Relaxed Mode).

After you unearth all listed objects in the current locale, it's off to the next. Well, sort of, as The Scruffs mixes things up amid the seek-and-find process by dividing gameplay into chapters comprised of several locations. Also, hidden in many rooms is a family picture, 20 in all. Locate one and you're given the chance to pause your searching and proceed immediately to a mini-game. Called Scribbles, it challenges you to identify, in sequential order, 20 "scribbles" that have been added to a photo. Get 15 or more correct and you earn a silver star. Properly identify all 20 in a row and you receive a gold star (do the same with every photo and you'll learn a secret).

In addition, once you've completed each chapter you're whisked away to another mini-game, a photo-based jigsaw puzzle that reveals one of the hidden artifacts, which you then must retrieve. However, in another unique twist, it may be in the last room you completed... or it could be in one of several other rooms from the current chapter. A total of 15 relics are spread across an equal number of chapters.

For those struggling with a hard to find item (other than an artifact), a unique hint system incorporates the family pooch, Scruffy. Feed him a doggie treat and he'll guide you, barking more frequently the closer you get. As for canine goodies, three are provided at the start of each chapter with more hidden for your discovery throughout the Scruffs' homestead.

Another standout of The Scruffs is its superb production values, chief among which are the great British voice-overs. They're high quality, quirky vocals you usually don't find in a casual title. Music and sound effects are exceptional, too, while cartoon-style animations and photos of the Scruff's are excellent in their own right. Location and object graphics don't quite measure up to the animations, but are good nonetheless.

From the standpoint of perfection, nothing is... including The Scruffs. As with most hidden-object games, item locations are fixed. So, when replaying the game you already know where most objects are stashed, even though the list changes. Also, jigsaw puzzles lack challenge, as the pieces are rather large. Seek-and-find developers really need to start employing selectable difficulty levels that would, in this instance, adjust the size of the puzzle pieces. Still, these are small nits to pick in an otherwise great diversion.

If you're a fan of hidden-object romps, place The Scruffs on your short list. It's family friendly, fun to play and highly entertaining. Hopefully, it will follow in the footsteps of Mystery Case Files and Travelogue 360 and kick off a fresh series.

Wow! Sounds excellent. Getting a copy for myself right now!

Well done to the makers of the game - its the best game of this kind on the market by far IMO.

I adored the family in scruffs and was sad when I finished the game. But from the ending, it sounds as if a sequel is in the works. Oh, and speaking of the ending... even the credits were funny and witty! Stick around for them; they'll make you smile.

I played the demo and loved it... waiting for my
next Big Fish game credit so I can get the full
version.

Played the trial game for fifteen minutes and had to buy it. A great hide and seek game plus mini games in between. Be sure to try to collect the bones because they are handy to have
when the time is short and you have items to find. The only thing I missed was when you go to another location the amount of items you need to find is not listed you have to go back to the menu which takes up time. This would help to conserve bones. On the family picture game I wrote out where the scribbles were that I had already found on a piece of paper due to the fact CRS came popping up.

A GREAT game and can't wait for the sequel.

I got it and finished in a couple hours,lots of fun love the voice overs,i must have 20 hidden games by now,i hope my computer can handle all off them.getting ready to play again and beat my score..

Loved the game, just finished it, fun ending. Never ran out of time. Cute story and graphics. Five star rating. My favority hidden object after the mystery case files series.

I have been playing the Scruffs game and love it, but I cannot find the jewels at the end in any of the rooms. Any suggestions??
Thanks

I hate to be a wet blanket, but this game not only didn't grab me -- it actually kind of repelled me.

I'm a huge hidden object game fan (I have purchased, I think, pretty much all that are available) and, from the moment I first read about The Scruffs, I was anxiously awaiting it.

I like an integrated story (think Agatha Christie's Death on the Nile), but I found the story here -- with characters popping in and out -- to be almost intrusive. I found the squabbling children to be more annoying than enchanting, and the banter more insipid than witty.

I found the objects to be very easy to find and would have preferred them to be more subtle, more subtly placed and more integrated into the scene. I did try the "unique" hint solution, however, and found it inefficient (if I'm using a hint, I'm ready to move on).

And lastly, if you're not particularly enamored of British voiceovers, I think "superb production values" overstates the case quite a bit -- the graphics and music are, in my view, on the weaker side.

I'll take the overall quality present in AC Death on the Nile, MCF Ravenhearst or Hidden Expedition: Everest any day over a game like The Scruffs, which seems to me to be long on gimmicks, but short on substance.

Extremely disappointed!!

I also cannot find any jewels at the end of the game. Is this bug? Any suggestions?

I'm having difficulty downloading this game. I use SpySweeper from WebRoot software, and it insists that I'm downloading a Trojan and quarantines it. Big Fish was prompt in replying to me and said there was a problem with my spyware. WebRoot hasn't responded yet. Anybody else have this issue?

Hi!

Loved this game. For those who did not play the scribbles game right to the end... the kids secret is really cute... shhhh.
I did not have troubles finding the jewels/gems. They're not in all the rooms... only 5 of the 7 that are open. I can remember where 1 is off the top of my head - the topaz is in the attic. Await a sequel eagerly.

CJ;
Yes there seems to be a glitch at the end of the game. I had to un-install, and re-install, and then replay the game. The jewels were a breeze to find then, but in my first game, they were not there.
Good luck.
Penny

Loved it and finding gems was no problem. However, I am totally stumped, frustrated with the final sequence puzzle. Spoilers welcome!! Please help. I did skip most the scribbles games, do I need to complete those to find the secret to the sequence of final gems?

Hiya, just want to say this game is great! And was wondering if anyone knows the developers website? Sweet Tooth games and google turns up a lot of irrelevant links.

thx!

Hi Tito,

Try this: www.sweettoothgames.com

Ah Cheers! I should always make it a practice to type in a .com to see what comes up :)

thx

~t

I was disappointed with this game as it did not live up to the expectations of other seek and find games. The end was particularly disappointing as I was unable to find any of the jewels. Perhaps I need to re-install it as a previous person suggested before I get the correct result.

I have played The Scruffs in the time limit mode,
and have managed to find the gems. Opening the door is an enigma to me, no matter what sequence I try I cannot find the solution. There should be answers for those who find it difficult, after all we are not all geniuses!! Not being able to finish the game is very frustrating and not indusive to buying any more games.

@ Joan,

I posted this answer in the comment section for the tips and tricks article for this game. I am posting it here and I hope that it helps you as it did another player.

Regarding opening the door.Have a piece of paper next to you and write down the first color gem to appear. Let's say for example purposes that it is blue.

The next sequence will automatically flash blue again and the second color which we will say is green. Write down green next to your color sequence.Now it should say blue/green.

Next sequence will start with the same first two colors and it will stop at the third new color which will be green again.

Write down green next to the last green that you wrote.

Now the 3 colors you should have written down is

blue/green/green,

This will repeat until you get to the last gem which should be 12 sequences if I remember correctly.

All you have to remember is that it repeats the previous colors all over again until you get to the last one.Pay special attention to the last color.

If you mess up it will start all over again with a new color sequence.There is no time limit in hitting the sequences so you have enough time to write it all down.

I hope this helps and you can get that door open.

Margie B

Joan, there is no time limit on opening the door, so I wrote down the colors as I went along. There can be no answer because it changes sequence if you miss one. Try writing it down and see if you can do it.
Good luck.

I'm back, and now played thru the entire game twice, this time untimed (altho it is, just longer) and still not hit the last sequence right so totally frustrated. You must repeat each color exactly each time, and I have an excellent musical ear, think Close Encounters, but it is when they hit the same note (color) twice or three times at end and when I do same it folds.

For me it is the hardest of all the search item puzzles I have (13), very hard on the eyes and some are so hidden in the dark I have to find them by accident. That's with monitor bright to 100%. I keep going back to breeze thru Prime Suspects or DOTNile just to relax and not feel so stupid. Love the Blitz on Shop of Treasures and PI Lottery Ticket for fun. I love British humor but this got so annoying I play with the sound off, story is intrusive. I just like to look for things. 360 Rome makes me dizzy but beautiful. The more I play Scruffs the less I like it which is too bad for replay value.

It takes excellent memory retention to work the scribble puzzles, so I guess that is my weakness at 71. I like to play while listening to TV nights, so the easier the better. Now, if I could only find things around my home LOL.

Jewels are easy to see, just look for small colored dots that correspond with the gems shown on the side. I think the Topaz was an eye in an animal or bird if that helps. I probably won't play it again, really causes me eye strain but not sorry I bought it.

I downloaded this game first day out and cannot find any gems. I have looked where people say they are and swear they are not there in my game.

any help?

OK, I've read this entire thread. I don't see any gems either. I found a site that gave the rooms to find each gem in. I swear they are not in my game! Would someone please give me a specific location (room and exact location) for one of the gems so I can verify this in my game?
If after a specific clue, the gem is not there, I will try something else, like maybe an uninstall/reinstall.

Further to my other comments I have now mastered the game to the end. All the necessary help I received from downloading The Scruffs Tips & Tricks - Gamezebo.com (pages 1 to 16).
I now ejoy playing the game. I did find it hard opening the door at the end, so now I write down the sequence of the lights flashing which make it much more simple.

I was disappointed with The Scruffs. I love hidden object games but I wanted more from this game- better music, less of the kids & the silly side picture games. I can see younger gamers enjoying this adventure, but not me.

Played it and loved it! First time since MCF that a hidden object catches my eye!

Hey all,
I know how you all feel about not finding the gems. Frustrated !!! I had to un-install, and then re-install the game and play it all over again and the gems were there big as life.
Crazy huh???
Good luck.

I just reread the gem/door puzzle tips about writing them down. Now I see where maybe I go wrong even writing them down. Sounds like you don't repeat the last sequence, pick up where they add on more? That may be why when I repeated the whole thing each time before the new gems I hit the last then first and it folded, I'd hear and repeat the same note two times, so I'll try again just hitting the new notes.

I've played thru it twice, timed and relaxed, so have 2 doors to go back to. The rest of the story, people, side puzzles did get on my nerves the second time, and story becomes clutter. I think the designers are trying TOO hard and forgetting replay value, like the blitzes on some of the others just searching objects.
I'd say half the objects I "found" I never even saw in the dark spots and hit by accident. Some objects I hit just to see what the heck they are, so that's how I got to the end. Those technical tools aren't exactly your every day things a layman would be familiar with.

Okay, back to the door.

For whatever reason, it ran excruciatingly slowly on my PC. I have a fast (2G) CPU, lots of memory, pretty good graphics card, no trouble with any other game.

And, like some of the folks above, I thought the kids were tiresome.

I downloaded the demo of this game and loved it! I need to get the full version. Luckly, I'm a huge
fan of British related things, like Monty Python, and the Goodies. So I enjoyed the voice overs very much.

Can't find the Dehli thing! It says it is by the back fence behind the well? Well I looked there and see nothing! I checked all the places it gave me to look and there is no stupid hat or whatever it is! Help!

Can't find the Dehli thing either! I've looked all over the fence behind the well, but do not see it.

If you haven't found the dehli turban it is to the left of the well, you can just see the feather sticking out behind something.
the gems are:
sapphire - in the pantry on the far left
emerald - in the guest room behind the plant on the right bottom corner
ruby - in the shed kinda out in the open
diamond - in the cellar top right corner of the washign machine on the right
topaz (orange stone) - in the attic it's on the chest of the rocking horse on the left

had a great time playing this game and thought the mini games were complimentary to the searching.

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