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“Labyrinth City”: This mobile game is one of Jörg Breithut’s tips
Photo: Pixmain
So-called hidden object books are part of the basic equipment of many children's rooms. The search volumes of Ali Mitgutsch, who died in 2022, and the red and white striped sweater from “Where is Walter?” have long since achieved cult status. But it's not just printed hidden object pictures that are fun: there are numerous search game apps that go beyond the purely static search bustle and also guarantee adults a few entertaining hours of play.
It makes a big difference when the characters move: in typical hidden object games, pigeons flutter through urban canyons or monkeys tumble out of jungle palms. There is now a large selection of search games for iPhones and Android smartphones. Here we present five of our favorites.
»Hidden Through Time 2«: Search for treasure with Sinbad
Monkeys on palm trees, scorpions in the desert sand, glowing magic lamps in gold chests: “Hidden Through Time 2” takes players through hidden-object fairy-tale worlds from the Arabian Nights, Greek mythology, the Middle Ages and the 1980s. It all begins with oriental tales in which, among other things, Sinbad, the sailor, fries the egg of a giant bird in a pan while sifting through the beach for bananas and treasure chests.
An opulent soundtrack accompanies the comic-style app, which has more than 30 levels. You can turn the sun off and on again using a toggle switch. This is the only way all objects will appear. Because the dog only barks at the sausage chain at night and the cat only roams the corridors in the dark. Some treasures can only be discovered by lifting up a ship's hull or uncovering a secret chamber. The second part of the successful game can easily keep up with its predecessor.
“Hidden Through Time 2”, for iOS and Android, ages four and up, around three euros
»Hidden Folks«: A chicken crouches in the undergrowth
“Hidden Folks” is also celebrated
the hidden object hustle and bustle: Dutch developer Adriaan de Jongh has created huge winter landscapes, tent camps and jungle worlds in a cute doodling style, sometimes accompanied by funny beatbox monkey sounds. More than 30 levels await the players.
Some search tasks are quite tricky because everything is black and white and many search objects cannot be recognized at first glance. The players first have to roll up a beach mat to find a pair of sunglasses. Or you have to shake a sleeping monkey out of the tree. The app is particularly user-friendly: the hidden object images can be browsed not only in portrait but also in landscape format, and zooming in also works. This makes searching for a chicken in the undergrowth much easier.
“Hidden Folks”, for iOS and Android, ages four and up, around six euros or free via Apple Arcade
“Krispee Street”: Party with bears and flower heads
If you think you're a hidden object world champion, you've come to the right place: finding monsters in the mobile game "Krispee Street" from Netflix is tough. In a single picture there are hundreds of colorful bears, blops and flower heads chilling in the city park, skateboarding and dancing to DJ beats. Trying to cheat your way through with random clicks doesn't work: a mini symbol in the center of the image has to be placed precisely over the location in order to reveal a wandering ghost or a slumbering cat.
The game scenes are lovingly designed and shine beautifully sharply on the cell phone display. However, “Krispee Street” lacks a bit of hidden gags and stories. This is really just about looking for characters; you won't find any nice subplots. There is also a lack of movement: some of the monsters appear as if they were poured onto the playing field in a virtual bucket. You can use “Krispee Street” at no extra charge if you have a subscription to the video streaming service Netflix.
»Krispee Street«, for iOS and Android, ages four and up, only for Netflix subscribers
“Labyrinth City”: Dead ends can be so beautiful
Pierre, “the maze detective,” is actually a classic hidden object book icon. He has already searched for Mr. X in several printed illustrated books and rummaged through chaotic double-page spreads. With the “Labyrinth City” app, the developers at Nuverse Games are finally bringing movement into the busy world of the investigator, who, with his beret and trench coat, is reminiscent of the children's version of Sherlock Holmes. The detective is now chasing Mr. X on Apple devices through urban canyons, treetop paths and dark castle vaults.
The goal: Pierre has to make his way through the hidden object worlds, which constantly lead to dead ends with blocked ladders, barricaded stairs and stubborn passers-by. Keeping track of the right path isn't easy: there's a lot going on in the mazes. Pigeons repeatedly flutter through the picture, water fountains spray from fire hydrants and children jump out of their cardboard hiding places. It takes a lot of patience to discover the solution despite constantly digressing.
“Labyrinth City”, only for iOS, ages four and up, around six euros
»Find 100 Hidden Owls«: looking for owls in the Krakelwald
The name says it all: The beautifully simple search game “Find 100 Hidden Owls” is about finding 100 owls on a black and white drawing. That sounds simple at first. But the search is not that easy. Because the owls merge with the intricate lines of spiral staircases, window frames and roof tiles. As soon as an owl is tapped in the scrawl forest, it lights up red and is checked off. This is a meditative clicking experience.
If you like it a little more difficult, you can activate chaos mode. Then things get really wild: house roofs rise upside down into the picture, doors are tilted 90 degrees and owls nest in the middle of this bizarre sketch landscape. Unfortunately, apart from a few elves fluttering around, there are hardly any animations - and otherwise the hidden object landscape seems a little too static. But the app is free and handles advertising banners carefully. With an in-app purchase for two euros, you can turn off the ads completely and unlock additional maps.
»Find 100 Hidden Owls«, for iOS and Android, ages four and up, free with in-app purchases