Playdom is taking a Parisian vacation, and it wants you to come along via Facebook. Go on. Look at the latest fashions, take in some fabulous French food, observe a little theatre—oh, and while you’re there, why not put a wandering spirit to rest by shuffling through some crowded hidden object scenes? Threads of Mystery has an interesting setting and story, but otherwise, there’s very little about this hidden object game that you haven’t experienced before.
Playdom is taking a Parisian vacation, and it wants you to come along via Facebook. Go on. Look at the latest fashions, take in some fabulous French food, observe a little theatre—oh, and while you’re there, why not put a wandering spirit to rest by shuffling through some crowded hidden object scenes? Threads of Mystery has an interesting setting and story, but otherwise, there’s very little about this hidden object game that you haven’t experienced before.
When you begin Threads of Mystery, you’re introduced to a great aunt who was murdered under mysterious circumstances. Her killer was never found, and until auntie finds out who whacked her and why, her spirit will continue to haunt Paris. Unfortunately the murder has fogged up her memories, so you need to help her go through hidden object scenes in search of clues.
Gameplay is Threads of Mystery is pretty standard HOG stuff. You’re given a list of objects to find, and you click on each object laying around on the scene—the faster, the better. Threads of Mystery ranks your speed and combo score as well as your accuracy, so precision counts.
For the most part, the hidden object scenes in Threads of Mystery are easier to get through than most HOGs. That’s partially because the game (usually) puts things where they belong: You typically find an eraser on a desk, for instance, instead of on the ceiling or whatever. However, the more laid-back difficulty in Threads of Mystery is also owed to the fact that there’s a lot of repetition between each scene. Prepare to be on the lookout for lots of flowers, wine bottles, croissants, and corkscrews. Sure you’re in Paris, but sheesh.
Playing each hidden object scene takes ten energy, and needless to say, you have a limited amount to spend before you need to back off and recharge. This downtime presents a good opportunity to mess around in your “Fashion House,” which is more or less your standard Facebook playhouse to tool around with. As usual, you can decorate with furniture and accessories (a lot of which requires the game’s hard currency to buy). As you decorate, more hidden object scenes are unlocked, and the story can proceed.
Threads of Mystery has one notable trait: As you play hidden object scenes, you can find materials that can be used to make fashionable dresses. Sometimes said dresses are necessary to move forward in the game, and in many cases, you need to call on your friends for plans, materials, etc. Threads of Mystery is definitely tailored (ha ha) for a multiplayer experience, so you’ll miss out on quite a bit of the game’s content if you’re not playing with friends.
Playdom has been something of a HOG factory on Facebook, and compared to their earlier games like Gardens of Time or even Disney Animal Kingdom Explorers, Threads of Mystery is perfectly average. The story is fun to follow, the graphics are lovely, and the fashion element is sure to please some players, but you probably won’t stay engaged nearly long enough to give poor auntie the closure she needs.
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