Searching for lost treasure is an exciting experience. Throw romance and a love triangle into the mix and it becomes even more so. That's the case in the Jewel Quest: Mysteries: The Oracle of Ur, as this upcoming installment in the classic match-three (and now hidden object) franchise will allow you to travel back in time to find the best jewel board of (literally) all time: the Oracle of Ur.
It's been a while since we've seen the Scruffs. Back in 2008, this tight-knit, googly-eyed family hit the casual game scene in an entertaining and unusually creative hidden object title called unsurprisingly, The Scruffs. This year, the Scruffs are back in a fun and hilarious sequel called The Scruffs: Return of the Duke. And this time, the family's goal is twofold: to oust the usurper of Scrufford Castle, and to restore Grandpa Scruff to his rightful place as the Duke of Scrufford.
Do you enjoy English literature but find yourself thinking, "I wish this were available on Facebook?" Will fret no more oh highborn nobleperson, as BBC Worldwide will soon be releasing the Legacy developed Jane Austen's Rogues and Romance on the platform. The game is set to feature Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy of Pride and Prejudice fame, and will follow their lives after their wedding.
In a far away fairytale kingdom, the land's prosperity and happiness is provided by a magical gem. When a would-be suitor to the kingdom's princess destroys the gem as a way to force the King to offer him his daughter's hand in marriage, the princess calls out for Munchausen's help. As the clumsy yet resourceful Munchausen, you'll travel far and wide through the kingdom, collecting pieces of the broken gemstone in an effort to stop the evil suitor from actually marrying the princess.
Some uncharted lands should remain that way, as you'll discover in Alawar's upcoming hidden object adventure game Natural Threat: Ominous Shores. Science has long abandoned a forgotten island in the middle of the Pacific, but your friends have been captured there by unforgiving mutations of humanity. You'll need to use every ounce of observation and courage available to you to fight the threat that is stalking you and save your friends before it's too late.
Can lightning strike twice? Playdom is sure hoping so. The Disney-owned studio single-handedly popularized the hidden object genre on Facebook with Gardens of Time last year, and while we've seen a few other games follow in its footsteps since (Hidden Chronicles, Hidden Haunts), we haven't seen another HOG from Playdom directly - at least not until now.
In the hidden object genre, a sure-fire recipe for success goes something like this: start with a 19th century setting, mix in a train, an abandoned village or a dusty manor, toss in a madman bent on revenge and voila! OK, maybe I'm exaggerating (a little). The truth is, it takes deft handling of these oft-used ingredients to make a good game, and Alawar Friday's Games, the makers of Dark Strokes: Sins of the Fathers, know just how to do it.
Remember the hours you spent poring over Where's Waldo books? Remember how some jerk in your family or at your school library would inevitably circle Waldo with a black marker on every page, thereby ruining the experience for everyone? "Hidden object" games like Hidden Haunts for Facebook provide a potent dose of the hunt-and-find thrills we used to have with Waldo--and you can be assured nobody is going to ruin your fun with a permanent marker before you even get a chance to start playing.