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Hidden object games are simple, fun, and addicting, perfect for some simple brainwork and basic entertainment. There are a lot of them so finding out the best-hidden object games from the crowd is quite like playing one, except you don’t really know what you’re looking for.
It’s easier now though than it was a couple of years ago with the likes of Steam, Gamers Gate, and others offering real-time user reviews and ratings on the most niche of genres.
Just what we’ve taken help of and then tried them out a bit ourselves. Here’s our hard work done, hunting out the best hidden object games in 2022!
17 Best Hidden Object Games
17. Hidden City
This is the first one to start off the list and like most other games, this is a free hidden object game available on both Android and iOS as well as on Windows.
The difficulty level is quite high, and you will rarely come across readily identifiable objects, often beyond common comprehension, although you are the detective and supposed to seek them out (in time.)
The underlying storyline is of mystery and intrigue, spread across 70+ locations with enough quests binding them together to keep you busy for some time.
Monotony will creep in though as you move from one quest to another. Thing is, there are too many quests to complete and too few hidden objects across them.
This is the threshold as far this list is concerned. Let’s move on to bigger and better ones!
Available on – Android, iOS, Windows
16. Mystery Hotel
You can get this seek and find game on Steam, reason enough for us to include it here.
Mystery Hotel plays on a similar storyline of a detective on an innocent visit to Hotel Noir, a quaint, peaceful place suddenly embroiled in a murder just when you thought about laying low!
Part of the same genre and line-up, Mystery Hotel will throw a milieu of quests at you and some levels will impel you to move on to other games. But this is a bit better than Hidden City, with its animations, 3D objects, and clever little puzzles budging in between the levels.
Available on – Android, iOS, Windows
15. Hidden Objects: King’s Legacy
A bit lighter on the mood but not easier on brainwork, King’s Legacy chucks the detective for simpler gameplay where you are straight-up finding the objects.
King’s Legacy is fun and colorful, full of enchantments, lore and a signature mystery although light-hearted. There are a lot of objects though, close to 2000 of them so you can’t really undermine the difficulty.
The fantasy-theme is in keeping with the royalty whom you are trying to help by finding the hidden objects. Complete each mission within the allotted time and you will be rewarded handsomely.
Available on – Android, iOS, Windows
14. Hidden Hotel: Miami Mystery
Another iteration of the Hidden Hotel, this one takes you from Western Europe straight to the West Coast.
But unlike the detective searching for hidden clues to solve a murder, here you’ve inherited a hotel from your father, and you need to find the hidden items to keep it running.
Find missing objects hidden in plain sight or solve well-crafted but simple puzzles to gain items and redecorate the hotel which may just be haunted as well!
You would do well to keep track of the storyline that is tied to the game progression. But then again, this is no RPG so you can just enjoy each level as it comes and goes by!
Available on – Android, iOS, Windows
13. Hidden Objects: Evil Prince
We are back to finding hidden objects again in a fantasy-riddled world but there’s a twist here.
Hidden Objects: Evil Prince is the flip side of the coin (read King’s Legacy.) It’s just as much fun though with 2000+ objects to find out. There’s a bit of darkness to this game, however, not as lovey-dovey as most other hidden object story games on the list.
Objects may include among others skeletal remains, meant more for intrigue and less for harm.
There’s no time limit to the amount of time you can choose to spend on each level. Still, complete them as fast as possible to earn bonus points and more.
Available on – Android, iOS, Windows
12. Criminal Case
Rated among the best hidden object games around based on popularity, Criminal Case banked on what most other games avoided, serious crimes.
Know that this simple hidden object story game will throw a couple of severed limbs and quite bloody murder scenes at you. Finding hidden objects in such dramatic and somewhat graphic scenarios may not be your cup of tea (or is it.)
Criminal Case is not the easiest to solve either with plenty of objects you are used to seeing hiding in plain sight.
There’s a lot of content available on it and the storyline behind each episode will take some remembering – hints and clues are part and parcel of the hidden objects you need to seek out.
This game may not be suitable for children and potential users are advised that some scenes may contain blood and other forms of severity. If not the case, you would have surely found this game way higher on this list.
Available on – Android, iOS, Windows
11. Crime City Detective
Crime City Detective is a bit more than the modest detective games you have come across so far.
At its heart, this is still a game about finding hidden objects. You will find a lot of levels, numerous scenarios and quests, and a large range of objects to keep busy. But there’s a lot of crime-solving going on in the background storyline and you will need to follow up on it.
Crime City Detective arguably has the highest difficulty levels so far as you progress through it. Some users have found the scenarios a bit too dark to find the hidden objects at all and some puzzles are tough enough to keep you at it for the hour and then the next day.
All said though, this is for hardcore gamers who are adept and skilled at puzzle-solving other than the much necessary keen eye to detail.
This is one of the best hidden object games around especially if you’re looking for proper brainwork!
Available on – Android Only
10. Time Gap: Mysteries of the Lost Civilization
Time Gap is an interesting take on a substantially limited gaming genre and worth playing just so.
The game starts with you right in the thick of it, as the only one left in the world. Not post-apocalyptic but there’s no one else around, other than ghosts from the past.
These are no ordinary ghosts either, from Abraham Lincoln to Cleopatra, all helping you solve the myriad of hidden object scenarios, puzzles, and more.
There’s a lot happening on Time Gap and the narrative keeps things interesting throughout. If you love hidden object story games just for the sake of it, this is a must-play!
Available on – Android, iOS
09. Grim Legends: The Forsaken Bride
This is perhaps the hidden object game with the longest subtitles; worth reading, and they do add value to the game.
Grim Legends: The Forsaken Bride is a strange tale of even stranger lands. Hidden object scenes are strangely colorful to the point of overkill with objects you least expect together.
There are a lot of mushrooms though, the whole species of them.
Puzzles are interestingly challenging and varied unlike in most other games of this genre. There’s a 2.5D feline to help you out when you’re stuck as well!
Available on: Android, Switch, PS4, Windows, macOS, Linux
08. Murder in the Alps
You’re the pretty blonde Anna Myers now instead of a detective and there’s murder in a hotel nestled in the Alps just when you’re visiting it.
Murder in the Alps ranks a lot higher than most other detective hidden object games in this list even though it shares the same plot simply because it offers a lot more room to play through.
Developers Nordcurrent were forced to include a PC release of this runaway hit, obviously inspired by Agatha Christie’s tales.
Kudos to them for keeping things well-knit and interesting in every episode. As for the games, they are right between frustratingly difficult and boringly easy.
We loved it and there’s a high chance you will too. This is perhaps the best free hidden object game for PC you can lay your hands on!
Available on – Android, iOS, PC.
07. Eventide: Slavic Fable
Another popular seek and find game from Artifex Mundi, Eventide: Slavic Fable tells a rare story and knits a well-rounded game to it almost to perfection.
For a hidden objects game to boast of demons, goblins, ogres, and apocalypse only to go back to object finding and puzzle-solving to save the world is a challenge. Eventide does it without breaking sweat, delving into Slavic folklore and East European mythology, replete in almost every game scene.
Each scenario is meticulously crafted with colors and shades meant to make you look around. There is an imminent darkness to it (not for the faint-hearted), but the creators know when to let go of the creative throttle now and then to not overdo it.
As for the game itself, the story will take you through several hidden object scenarios, bonus challenges, and mini-games to keep you interested for some time.
Available on – Android, iOS, PC, PS4, Xbox One
06. Darkarta
This is perhaps the freshest take on HOPA yet and we only wish we could rank it higher as the best hidden object game in 2022.
Darkarta delves into its mythology (you may find some attires striking similar to the Hindu mythology) with an evil god rising from oblivion, entwining the fate of a kidnapped child in a fantasy universe replete with loads of details carefully placed for the keen-eyed gamer.
Powered by excellent dialog and script, Darkarta will keep you engrossed more in the story than in the game although the latter’s just much full of surprising elements.
Straying from the beaten path, this game does have limited hidden object scenarios although we will say that these are probably the most fascinating scenes we have come across yet.
The artwork is fantastic and demands a gander. You have the option to interact with the objects as well as a novel match-3 mode that seemingly ups the ante. It has more puzzles to play on, ranging from the easy to the time-killer.
Darkarta is a must-play if you love hidden object games. It’s even on Steam!
Available on – PC Only (That’s how serious this game is!)
05. CSI: Hidden Crimes
CSI Hidden Crimes takes the basic concepts of detective hidden object games and adds the CSI oomph of forensics and analysis for an exhilarating gaming experience.
What helps this game make it this high on the list is that everything starts from finding the hidden objects in a designated crime scene.
Unlike Criminal Cases, scenes are much less graphic and blood is not used as part of the scene although dead bodies will lie about whether you like it or not.
Once you have recovered the hidden objects from the crime scene, the game takes you further into the interconnected crimes, a network of suspects, and a huge number of objects. You are required to intuitively follow up on the right clues and find the culprits.
Worth mentioning, there’s a lot of thought behind weaving the stories and you will need to put in the effort for some crimes.
CSI Hidden Crimes is one of the best hidden object games in 2022 simply because it’s just a really good game to play!
Did you know that the brains behind this are none other than the gaming gurus at Ubisoft?
Available on – Android, iOS
04. Enigmatis 3: The Shadow of Karkhala
If you’re looking for some more flavor in free hidden object games, this should be your first choice.
Enigmatis 3 brings back the nameless detective searching for the evil preacher up in the serene but dark Himalayas. Darkness is the central theme of this smartly conjured hidden object game, but there’s a lot more to it.
Veteran casual adventure game developers Artifex Mundi finally added their signature touch to the series.
So, you’re not looking for hidden objects, instead, you can interact with certain objects and even merge specific stuff to complete levels.
Enigmatis 3 borders on being a hidden object game and instead moves forward into the adventure game genre.
The settings are morbidly beautiful, well-designed to say the least. There’s a lot of puzzle-solving features added to certain levels and the central story progression as well.
We recommend this game!
Available on – Android, iOS, Windows, Linux, macOS, Switch, PS4
03. The Room 2
An award-winning sequel to another award-winner, The Room 2 follows up from where the previous version left off with a fascinating hidden object and puzzle game.
The simplicity of the plot and the complexity of the scenarios created are what made The Room an immediate hit, winning Apple’s Game of the Year in 2012.
The Room 2 only takes this a notch higher with better graphics, an excellent soundtrack, a more vigorous scenario, and enhanced gameplay.
You start in a dark room and right there’s a bright box asking you to open it. That’s where the game begins as the box is a maze of contraptions, switches, panels, and whatnot. The clues and cues you need to sort it out are strewn across the room.
What makes The Room 2 excellently fascinating is the extremely well-knit gameplay. These are perhaps the best puzzles on any hidden puzzle game around, they are simple once done but irksome till then.
Also, the game demands patience and almost always rewards it brilliantly. There is a certain constancy to this cycle of hustle and payout, a sign of a truly well-designed game.
For us, this is arguably the best hidden puzzle game. The only reason it does not rank higher is that The Room 2 has less to do with hidden objects than with its puzzles. If only!
Available on – Android, iOS, Windows
02. June’s Journey
If you’re looking for a free hidden objects game that has a bit of everything to it, this should be your first choice.
June’s Journey is all that you can expect from a HOPA and it has a bit of farming too! There’s a lot of detective action and thick plots to enjoy while finding hidden objects from crime scenes. It does end not there though.
The game revolves around the myriad of activities you can do with objects found and puzzles solved.
What adds even more strength to it is the social lounge feature where multiple players can work towards one goal collectively to advance through in-game events.
June’s Journey is a very happening game, meant to keep the clock ticking without boring you down.
There’s almost too much to do on it with multiple events running simultaneously on separate game sections.
This is a must-play and perhaps one of the few games that you will find hard not to log in to every day!
Available on – Android, iOS, PC
01. Morphopolis
This the best hidden object game in 2022 but then again, it’s so much more than that.
Morphopolis takes you into the undergrowth, a world of insects, fallen leaves, humongous plants, and the paraphernalia of Mother Nature.
The artwork is what will impress straight up, as if the colors, objects, hues, shadows, were brushed onto the screen. This is one of the most aesthetically pleasing video games yet.
On the inside, it is still a hidden object finding game with a strong emphasis on intuitive puzzle-solving.
You play, in essence, as an insect on the way to metamorphosing into the final stage. It is this journey that will meander its way through the world scaled down so artistically that you will keep playing just for the sake of new scenes.
Morphopolis mixes the basics of hidden object scenarios and puzzles seamlessly.
Find hidden objects and interact with them for easy-but-fun puzzles that will unlock a new group of objects to find, and the circle continues – intelligent and brilliant.
This is the one game we want you to play now. It’s not free but it’s not going to burn a hole pocket either.
Morphopolis is on Steam. Check it out now!
Available on – Android, iOS
Conclusion
Hidden object games are among the most popularly played games considering the huge number of mobile device users. Although there’s little that developers can do other than changing the premise and the gameplay progression, HOPA or HO games continue to rack in serious user counts despite common plots. But these are the best hidden object games of the lot and there are few better you can get your hands on right now. Still, feel free to add on a few suggestions as you want.
