There are many types of gamers in this world. Some choose to play games for the sake of being involved in an intriguing storyline, while others just simply play a game for the fun of it. 100% Hidden Objects chooses to please the latter.
When I started playing the game, it was obvious that 100% Hidden Objects does not contain any form of story at all. After inputting my username of choice, I was whisked away to another screen where I had to choose between multiple "boxes."
Each box contained a series of challenges for the player to complete. I was completely taken by surprise when I realized that each box had a different theme to it. It is nice to see the time and effort that the developers of 100% Hidden Objects had put into their game. It was certainly the breath of fresh air this genre needed, and they managed to pull it off successfully by giving us a game that demonstrates an out-of-the-box approach to making a hidden object game.
Hmmm what’s inside this box? It’s a complete "Mystery." Get it?
Contents of the Mystery Box.
Open up the Mosaic Box and be greeted with this scene.
Hidden object games can be addictive and once again, the developers of 100% Hidden Objects attempts for a double whammy by including Achievements, which will make even the most casual of gamers turn hard core. The achievements range from easy to insanely difficult and it certainly adds on a new layer of challenge to the game, since there are 64 of them, in total, for the player to unlock.
I have been a gamer for more than 20 years, and I find the task of unlocking achievement after achievement in a game supremely difficult to ignore. Gamers can be compulsive sometimes and strive to unlock and complete every challenge, which means that this game will be the cause of many sleepless nights for all of us who decide to pick 100% Hidden Objects up.
The easiest achievement that is unlocked when you complete the first stage. Zero bragging rights...
Can you unlock ’em all?
I love the sound and the beat of the music in 100% Hidden Objects. I was greeted by a pleasant jingle at the login screen, which made me start to tap my foot and hum along to the repetitive melody. It was upbeat and it made me happy to listen to it. Once I began to play through the many themes contained within the game by selecting random boxes, the music would change accordingly to suit the theme that I was currently playing.
Like every other hidden object game, there are tools for assisting the player when it was simply near impossible to find that shell or crab hiding in that cranny. There are magnifying glasses that will shine a light on a random object on the list. There are bombs that will strike off 6 random objects from the list if the player chooses to use it.
I know that some games offer a "cool down time" or a period of time where the item is greyed out and can’t be used by the player that often. This game chooses to force the player to “purchase” tools from within the game.
Players can collect gold coins by finding items and completing the stage. The coins can then be used to purchase items from the in-game store. I find that this approach really sets the bar high for games in this genre, because the player is forced to think strategically when they want to spend their coins.
Save your coins!
Adding to the uniqueness of the game, is the inclusion of a chaining bonus called "Frenzy," which rewards a player with extra points when they manage to find items in quick succession.
And if the player tries to cheat by randomly clicking on every object in the map, a “punishment” screen will pop up.
100% Hidden Objects is a great attempt at redefining the hidden object game genre, and it manages to prove itself successfully by including so many features that one would not expect in a game within this category. I assure you, there will be many enjoyable (and frustrating) nights gleaned from 100% Hidden Objects.