The Original Hidden Object Games Were Retro Adventure Classics

The history of Micro-Computer gaming is hugely accentuated by the growth, popularity, and evolution of the classic adventure game. From the beginning parser-based all-text, to graphics and text, and finally to the Point-and-Click variety, adventure games in whatever literary genre, be it Mystery, Horror, Fantasy, Romance, Science Fiction, or a combination of 2 or more, was propagated throughout the entirety of gaming.

When it came to Point-and-Click gaming, playing was slowed down for the mind to kick-in. The quick reflex gameplay found in both arcade and shooter games gave way to a more leisure but reactive form of gaming where progress depended on logic, wit, observation, and being able to solve problems and puzzles. These games were generally attractive to both sight, thought, and hearing as well. Most of the graphics were professionally hand-drawn by talented graphic artist despite the 2D nature of majority of these games.

When the game had audio narration, it was generally done by professionals and even showbiz celebrities giving more credence and market value to the game. Music was mostly awesome and professionally composed as many remain soundtrack classics in the annals of gaming. As the game genre evolved, not only 3D but FMV (Full Motion Video) adventures came into popularity where video scenes with real actors were central to the game, all under the control of the mouse, the pointer, and the click.

Early classics of the genre relied on action instructions displayed on the screen (which of course had to be clicked). These included verbs like "Look At", "Open", "Talk To", "Use" and many more which was needed to accomplish interaction with that displayed on screen. Game avatar movements were usually controlled by the “Arrow Keys” or moving the pointer to a location you needed your character to go to and clicking it. Even with the FMV variety, you had to point to certain control icons and or objects to interact with them.

In many, options still existed to use word and phrase parsing as a method of action, providing the old “Zork” interface where you type what you want done. Go West, Go North, Go East, Say Hello to the Grue, and so on and so forth. However, the mouse became the ultimate medium as it was quite flexible, especially when attending to “Inventory Management” where you had to organize or use the stuff that you have come across and collected.

Two of the most notable game companies that specialized in Point-and-Click adventures were LucasArts and Sierra Online. Classics like “The Secret of Monkey Island”, “Grimm Fandango”, and “Maniac Mansion: Day of the Tentacle” were developed and released by LucasArts. Popular Fantasy-based adventures like the “King’s Quest” series, the “Gabriel Knight” series, and several awesome FMV games like “Phantasmagoria” were created by Sierra Online. A notable mention is the “Myst” FMV Mystery Puzzle Adventure series created by Cyan, is considered a classic among classics in the world of Point-and-Click.

The entirety of the Point-and-Click adventure game revolution and evolution laid down the foundation for today’s hidden objects games online genre which has become the foremost current-day Point-and Click gaming variety. Let’s take a closer look.

From Point-and-Click to Hidden Objects

Over the years, game designers have continued to come up with unique and clever ways to keep gamers immersed in gaming. One such innovation is the Hidden Object Game genre which if you look closely, resembles the old Point-and-Click adventure game variety in many ways. Evidently, the HOG developers focused on a certain game mechanic of the old classic adventures, and isolated and simplified it. The Point-and-Click process.

In the classic adventure Point-and-Click game mechanic, one of the biggest challenges for the player was to locate certain very important objects which were really hard to spot. Finding them and clicking to get, was of utmost importance to the progress of the game. This was called "Pixel Hunting", and it frustrated most gamers to no end. To this, HOG developers took the game mechanic, frustration, and all, and made it the primary selling point for the HOG genre. They turned the searching, finding, and clicking process into the main objective of the game converting the once stressful adventure game activity, into an immersive puzzle solving game.

Since the objective of the game was already simplified and focused on a single activity, the game interface was hugely simplified. Adventure gamers had to worry with factors such as the story, movement, location, inventory, interaction, reaction, and a lot of other things. Thus the controls had the tendency to become cumbersome and complicated. With HOGs, one just had to search, point, and click, to which the item disappears or goes into a collection stack. Any narrative or reaction in the game simply depends and results in all the required objects being found and clicked.

If there’s one thing that stood out with the old classic adventures, it was the awesomely done background. The superb artwork generally brought to life by vibrant colors, and at times, animations. The narratives, the soundtracks and the ambiance, all lending a hand to present a mind catching and immersive experience. Hog developers make it a point to include these as well in their games even if just a stripped down version of it, as the player has to stay at a single location at a time to collect all the hidden objects there.

Finally, adventure games are story-based games, and the HOG developers made it a point to include this essential in their designs. Hidden Object and free hidden object games may be a way lot static than the old narrative movement-driven classic adventures, but HOGs rely on a game narrative or at least a short back-story as well to present itself as a viable Point-and-Click game. To this, genre defining HOG storylines like the “Mystery Case Files: Huntsville (2005)” detective mystery retained the exact same narrative themes as classic adventure games.

The Point-and-Click game mechanic over the years, has come a long way to spawning other hybrid game genres, but the Hidden Object Games genre has proven to be the most popular and prolific of them all.