[wakane]

Seems like there are MANY Hidden Objects games these days. Too many. Most of them categorize themselves as adventure games. Do you consider them as adventure games?

Just curious.

[Fien]

No.

[Dwagginz]

Yes and no.

I think they sit on this strange border between adventure and, say, puzzle/casual. Some of them have a fairly strong storyline (Such as Death at Fairing Point) or wider selection of puzzles beyond just finding the hidden objects.

As long as they have a good story and a selection of puzzles, I don't see why not.

[Lucien21]

Describing them as "games" is a stretch, never mind being an adventure.

So the answer is a resounding <NO>

[Monolith]

Originally Posted by Lucien21

Describing them as "games" is a stretch, never mind being an adventure.

So the answer is a resounding <NO>

How is it describing them as games a stretch? Did the definition of games change?

[Lucien21]

Game Definition
An activity providing entertainment or amusement

They provide neither.

[Dwagginz]

Originally Posted by Lucien21

Game Definition
An activity providing entertainment or amusement

They provide neither.

You =/= Everyone.

[Mohlin]

Originally Posted by Lucien21

Describing them as "games" is a stretch, never mind being an adventure.

So the answer is a resounding <NO>

That's pure snobbery!
I love HOGs and casual puzzles. Who are you to tell me that what Im doing is not gaming/playing? What am I doing in your opinion?

My problem is actually that AGs have changed from exploring and puzzle solving to either pure storytelling (backtracking and talk, talk, talk) or inventorybased try-everything-on-everything.
To play (yes!) the type of games I like, I had to turn to HOG, which now are morphing into a mix of HOG/puzzles/AG an I really enjoy that.
I also like that they are cheap and not so enormously big, if you don't like it you don't feel that you have wasted a lot of money.

[Mohlin]

Originally Posted by Lucien21

Game Definition
An activity providing entertainment or amusement

They provide neither.

How come there are so many of them?
I find them amusing and entertaining, time to accept that people are different?

[Monolith]

Hmmmmm, pay for a $30 game that might have a mediocre story with cheap visuals, or 5$ for a puzzle light with some pretty creative stories, beautiful visuals, and easy to pick up and play.

EDIT: I got to admit though, I haven't played an HOG in a lil while. A little tired of doing the whole HOG part of the gameplay of the games. The good thing is that when I do feel like playing them, they will always be there.

[Lucien21]

Originally Posted by Mohlin

How come there are so many of them?
I find them amusing and entertaining, time to accept that people are different?

There are so many of them becasue they cost developers about ÂŁ5 to make.

For years people have been complaining about pixel hunts in adventure games and now that they have built an entire game around that concept we are supposed to cheer at the future of adventure games being distilled down to the lowest common denominator.

Feck that.

[Mohlin]

Originally Posted by Lucien21

There are so many of them becasue they cost developers about ÂŁ5 to make.

For years people have been complaining about pixel hunts in adventure games and now that they have built an entire game around that concept we are supposed to cheer at the future of adventure games being distilled down to the lowest common denominator.

Feck that.

I started playing AG around 1990 and I don't mind a bit of pixelhunting. The searching and exploring is for me the fun part. I think that AGs have change to a absolutely boring character-interacting running-around mess that i find less challaging. But if people enyoj it - peace on earth.

It is of course ok for you not to like the more casual games, but do not judge me, and tell me what to like and not like. Who do you think you are, reelly?

[dekaneas297]

Every two months the same thing...

[Mohlin]

Originally Posted by dekaneas297

Every two months the same thing...

You are right.
Actually I think Im leaving this forum, it has become too elitist and narrowminded.

[Lucien21]

Originally Posted by Mohlin

You are right.
Actually I think Im leaving this forum, it has become too elitist and narrowminded.

So much for not judging.

[Jadefalcon]

First post in a while here.

The whole Hidden Object game debate again...well, it depends on how you look at it, there are a hell of a lot of them and I fear some of them are very amateurishly done, however some are presented nicely.

Example, the Womens Murder Club games despite unashamebly being HOG's do attempt to have a decent story to them, there's decent use of sound. I've played three of the WMC games on the PC, I don't know if there are more, though the DS I know has a different one.

On the other hand there are some pretty poor ones.

What I think might be upsetting some people based on comments I've seen on Amazon is game franchises that were point and click turning to HOG. Apparently both the Chronicles of Mystery and Art of Murder games latest instalments are HOG's.

[ozzie]

Hidden object games are somewhat related to the adventure genre. There's an overlap of things they have in common, and not few HOGs tend to consciously lean towards the adventure genre with a pronounced story and some more traditional adventure elements thrown in.
Yet, RPGs also offer many typical adventure elements, like story, dialogues, exploration, that's why also many adventure fans like them. It's similar with puzzle games like World of Goo. Yet, those are clearly not adventures. But what do categories matter anyway! Either way, it's just of main importance that it's a good game!

I find it fascinating that such a popular genre was born by focusing on one of the least popular elements of adventure gaming: pixel hunting. But honestly, it's bit more than that, it's pixel hunting with the knowledge what you're generally looking for. With a clear goal tedium, boredom and frustration becomes somewhat fun.

[marcd2011]

I think some can be classed as adventure games but with some it's quite a stretch. Having a cutscene between object searches does not an adventure game make..

Games like Drawn and Drawn 2 though, are fantastic games with part hidden object, part inventory puzzle, part logic puzzle and all are combined so seamlessly that they do feel like a proper adventure game.

[Monolith]

Originally Posted by ozzie

Hidden object games are somewhat related to the adventure genre. There's an overlap of things they have in common, and not few HOGs tend to consciously lean towards the adventure genre with a pronounced story and some more traditional adventure elements thrown in.
Yet, RPGs also offer many typical adventure elements, like story, dialogues, exploration, that's why also many adventure fans like them. It's similar with puzzle games like World of Goo. Yet, those are clearly not adventures. But what do categories matter anyway! Either way, it's just of main importance that it's a good game!

I find it fascinating that such a popular genre was born by focusing on one of the least popular elements of adventure gaming: pixel hunting. But honestly, it's bit more than that, it's pixel hunting with the knowledge what you're generally looking for. With a clear goal tedium, boredom and frustration becomes somewhat fun.

On the bright side, it isn't pixel hunting when done right. I hate poorly photoshopped scenes with crappy photographs of items in impossible locations on the screen. Good games will give logic and reason to the way things are set up, and those are at least bearable. Next step is actually painting everything, which I like.

If you haven't already, and if you liked Dire Grove, go play 13th Skull. I'm REALLY digging it, especially with a lot of the adventure game elements.

To be honest, its no more of an adventure game than Myst. Just with more features and more radical movement between areas.

[donatelli]

Have to agree, a thundering NO.