For a long time, casual games were primarily the domain of digital distribution. Small in size, quick to download, and easy to pick up and play – oh yeah, and cheap to buy – hidden object games in particular seemed a perfect fit for impulse shopping at the nearest online portal. But then, of course, publishers began to notice that they were doing big business, and lately we’ve started seeing more and more of the most popular franchises released as full retail boxed products, some even on multiple platforms.

At the same time, the more ambitious seek-and-find games have been undergoing something of a metamorphosis, gradually transitioning into something not dissimilar from adventure games. Although we couldn’t possibly stay on top of the endless stream of hidden object games available, we are interested in those titles that hold crossover interest for curious adventure gamers, either by featuring common protagonists or by broadening gameplay in ways that should particularly appeal to adventurers open to lighter fare.

Our latest feature highlights four franchises whose debut releases can be found on regular store shelves (though three of four have download-only sequels at the moment). From the largely traditional hidden object Hardy Boys mystery to the is-it-or-isn’t-it-really-adventure Samantha Swift series, from the story-centric Cate West games to the exploratory Mortimer Beckett titles, there’s a little something here for everyone, even if you insist on holding a shiny disc in hand.

If you’d like to skip ahead, simply click on the following links to jump there directly.

Page 1: The Hardy Boys (no skipping necessary)
Page 2: Cate West
Page 3: Mortimer Beckett
Page 4: Samantha Swift

The Hardy Boys

Having recently jumped into the full adventure fray on both PC and DS, the Hardy Boys are now plying their trade in casual games as well. Strangely, their first endeavour is the least adventure-like of any of the titles discussed here. Far more unfortunately, The Perfect Crime comes nowhere close to living up to its name, unless perhaps in its ability to separate gamers from their money. While it makes an admirable attempt to weave a continuous narrative throughout its 50-odd hidden object screens, there’s very little connection to the actual gameplay, presented only through non-interactive dialogues between levels. Even as a backdrop, the story about local accidents and thefts escalating to issues of real estate fraud and political scheming is so devoid of actual intrigue or player input that you’ll have lost interest long before its absurdly overwrought ending.

Plot failings can easily be forgiven in casual games, of course, if the gameplay delivers. Surprisingly, however, this game manages to get even the most fundamental issues wrong. Hidden object sequences take up the vast majority of the action, and aside from a few late carnival scenes, the locations are often drab and repetitive (if you’ve seen one hardware store or storage room, you’ve seen ‘em all, but here you get more anyway, including the same ones again), and the artwork is unimpressive. Worse still, many of the objects are simply too small and indiscriminate to make out, even if you’re looking right at them. The good seek-and-find games make you deride yourself for failing to see what’s plainly in front of your face, not curse the developers for making you hate pixel hunts all over again.

The Perfect Crime is fairly user-friendly, at least. Each screen is timed, but the twelve minutes allotted for only ten or so items will never pose a problem, especially since items are sometimes identical to the ones you found the last time you visited. When you inevitably do get stuck, you could spend the leftover minutes scouring for those last few hazy smudges that are apparently objects, but to speed things along, you’ll likely use the apparently-limitless hints available. You’ll need to be eagle-eyed to spot even those, though, as the “highlight” is so small, indistinct, and quick that they’re easy to miss as well. You could also resort to clicking randomly, which penalizes you only by de-activating the cursor for a few moments. I mention this not to suggest it’s a viable approach, but because you’re likely to encounter it as you click things just because you have no idea what they actually are.

Along with the hidden objects, there are a few standalone puzzle types repeated three or four times each throughout the game, but none of them are at all interesting. Two are ultra-easy circuit connection tasks, another is a brain-dead-easy jigsaw, and still another is a trial-and-error only task of identifying colour sequences. The common denominator should be pretty obvious, just like the puzzles themselves. And while one might speculate that this is suitable for a younger demographic interested in the Hardy Boys, it’s unlikely any would find these tasks particularly engaging, and there’s nothing about the rest of the game that would otherwise interest kids. I’m all for some less strenuous puzzles, but there’s easy and then there’s “That’s it?!” You can probably guess where this game falls along those lines.

Like most casual games, there is no voice acting here, but The Perfect Crime goes one step farther (backwards, that is) by neglecting any music as well. Soundtracks are a staple of hidden object games that force you to spend long periods in one place, but here? Nope. Then again, given the discretion shown in selecting the absolutely horrid sound effect that plays whenever you find a correct item, silence is probably the better option. The constant “reward” aspect is one of the main appeals of casual games, but here you’ll come to almost dread being right, cringing at the mere thought of hearing that wretched noise again. Needless to say, there’s really no reason NOT to simply turn the sound off and listen to something else while you play. I’m obliged to add that there are no cutscenes, animations, or character close-ups of any kind, but presumably that’s expected by now.

The main draw of any Hardy Boys game should the license itself, but there isn't a lot done with it here, unless you count helping the police chief find his missing keys every single time you see him. The two boys do banter occasionally between levels, and some of their personality manages to shine through. Yet even their small, static portraits look totally generic, and for the most part this game could have been called the Smith Boys and you'd never have noticed the difference. There's nothing really done wrong with the property; it simply doesn't capitalize much on the opportunity.

It’s hard to do a hidden object game too badly, since it follows such a basic formula, and given the light detective nature of their mysteries, the Hardy Boys should really be a good fit for casual games, as the Women’s Murder Club and Nancy Drew Dossier series have proven to be. But The Perfect Crime manages to fail at just about every turn. From subpar production values to uninteresting story framework to entirely underwhelming gameplay, you can seek quality fun all you want in the three-plus hours it will take to complete, but you won’t find it here. The many corners cut are disappointing enough in a budget download, but in a boxed game for a renowned franchise like this, there’s simply no excuse. Frank and Joe deserved better, and players do, too.

Next up: Cate West...