April 10, 1912, Margaret is getting ready to board the RMS Titanic when many mishaps occur in Mac hidden object game Hidden Mysteries-The Fateful Voyage. Margie just got married to a well to do gentleman in order to escape her life of retched poverty. Her mother pleads with her to not go on the boat trip because nothing good will come of it. Is this an enlightened omen from a wise, old woman or a ranting of a bitter poor hag?

The answers await you in this classic tale about someone who enjoyed the luxuries of this great ship. You play, as Margie, beginning with finding her boarding pass. Some search and find angles must be used to negotiate a deal with a young imp who may or may not have the pass. His passion for collectible sports card attached to cigarettes gives her leeway to get her ticket back in her possession. You must find a way to get into a wooden crate full of cigarettes, and then find 10 cards to give to the boy. The sparkling lights will zoom you into a hidden objects game or other puzzles to investigate. Once on board you will travel hidden holds where she encounters a strange builder of the ship. In order for Margie to stay on board, she must keep his secrets or get thrown off the ship with him. There are many tasks to complete before the action begins on board. In addition there is a side mystery of a sarcophagus in the cargo. Interact with different passengers and workers to advance your play. Learn their secrets from the many puzzles. The games run from logic to seek and find.

The artwork is beautifully executed in this ornate time period piece. The luxurious staterooms are a stark reminder that the upper crust always travels in comfort, and the severe, bare bones look of a sleek ocean liner offers an insight into the architectural crispness of the ship’s inner and outer workings. The music is pleasant and appropriate to the era. There are a lot of puzzles to do, but some are a little strange like moving the bird to the nest and putting a hard boil egg in the nest until you get access to another area.

Hidden Mysteries-The Fateful Voyage is an intriguing hidden object play, and you want to keep going to find out what happens even though you already know the outcome of the ship and its passengers. Take some time and travel across the ocean on the RMS Titanic for an interesting tale involving some mysterious guests, both paid passengers and a stowaway.

Features of Hidden Mysteries-The Fateful Voyage:
-20 Levels
-Over 20 Mini Puzzles
-Intriguing Tale

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Ben is in trouble and is worried about his beloved family zoo. He contacts his favorite niece, Anna, to help solve the problem. Someone went in and stole 5 rare animals, including Anna’s favorite elephant. Uncle Ben is in China and cannot get back in time for an official inspection of the zoo by federal officers on Friday. They will surely close the facilities if they find that there are missing animals. It’s up to Anna to find the animals and resolve the mystery in 3 days. This Mac game is a seek and find/hidden object/I spy play with many side puzzles.

The main play is the seek and find/hidden object game. You go from the zoo administration building to other locations in the town like the police station and local bar. The zoo director tells Anna that the police will not do anything about the missing animals without proper documentation. Unfortunately the paperwork is in the safe and the key to the safe is in the bottom of the piranha tank. Before you can get to the fish tank, you have to search for supplies needed to get past the flesh eating fish. The hidden objects are in the director’s office. When the cursor turns into a question mark you click to get information. If your cursor turns into a hand, you can use it to move the object to one side in order to see behind the item. The hint button will help you locate items you are searching for.

Incorporated in the main play are many mini puzzles to conquer. Fishing for the key is one such game and others are finding cups and plates for the bartender, sliding numbers in numeric order and a lot more. Another interesting play is the dinner plates with food outlined on it coming down a conveyor belt. You must select the food passing by at the bottom of the screen and click, drag the appropriate item to the platter before it reaches the customer. The plate must be full of food or the client is unhappy and you must start again. My favorite game is the donut hunt for the police chief. Some of the puzzles are simple and others are more difficult, but in any event you can skip some of the games and continue on the hidden object play.

3 Days: Zoo Mystery is not necessarily a hard game, but it is fun and I for one would like to find out what happened to the poor zoo animals. If you enjoy hidden object plays and a good mystery, try this game and solve the whodunit in 3 days and save the family zoo.

Features of 3 Days: Zoo Mystery:
-Detective Story Line
-27 Levels
-54 Mini Games
-Solve Mystery and Reveal the Criminal

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

I was really ready to not like this game, just from the hokey name and premise, but I was in for a nice surprise. Mac hidden object game Matchmaker – Joining Hearts is an enjoyable, engaging play. The story and the grandmotherly main character is a bit old fashion but both work nicely for this game.

The story is about a woman who after raising her 6 children and making sure they were matched with their perfect mates, is retiring to the seaside to live a quiet life. Immediately, she meets her neighbor who has trouble finding a sole mate and Helen Jones sets out to find her the right match. Through acute sense of observation she can find similarities in people.

The play is searching everyone’s habitat for hidden objects listed at the bottom of the screen. The cupid is the hint button where when clicked will shoot out and show you the object on the board. The heart with a number in it at the top of the list of items tells you how many more objects you need to search. What I liked about this HOG is when you find an object, it will print out the name of it. So if you find the shell, it will spell out “shell”. I like this feature because sometimes you are not sure what the object is or what it looked like. The second play is to find the silhouetted objects listed.

After you search a prospective suitor’s home or their office, you get a summary of the kind of items you found to determine what kind of person he or she may be and statistics on how you played (your score, how many hints you used, the number of mistakes you made). The different matches will be compared to the person you are helping by checking off the same characteristics. If there is a match, you compare the 2 scenes side by side and find the identical objects in both places. This is a clever way of using the same scenes for another play. The next step is to present your date with a meaningful gift. The archeologist will give a mask to her friend, but before she can do that, you must find all the pieces that the cat had scattered in her home. You click on the gems and gold embellishments in the scene. Another opportunity to use the same scene, but you knew you were coming back to this room or picture with many more items to be found. In addition to these plays you must set the scene for the first date by putting the objects listed below in the scene to set the stage for a romantic evening.

Matchmaker – Joining Hearts has a lot of things to do for all hidden object players. The objects are fairly easy to find except a couple that may not look like what you thought it should look like, but the hint button is always available as long as it is charged up.
The premise of this game is a bit grannyish but the HOG scenes are clear and interesting, and it is a relaxing way to spend the day especially if you click past the dialog. If you need a challenge, this is not the game for you. The timed mode is 20 minutes and that gives you plenty of time to find everything. Sometimes it does get repetitive since you are searching for similar objects and in the same locations, but hey, at least there’s no dead body. I guess Helen may be compared to Jessica Fletcher in Murder, She Wrote without the mystery, just matchmaking.

Features of Matchmaker – Joining Hearts:
-Many Hidden Objects
-Story Integrated Play
-Fun Scenes

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

A dramatic beginning for a classic Mac hidden object game Penny Dreadfuls Sweeney Todd. The music enhances the dark, bizarre mystery surrounding this classic 19th century tale of Sweeney Todd’s insane habit of slitting throats. London at that time was known to be dingy, murky and gritty. The HOG scenes in this game reflect the gloomiest of backgrounds.

You are the assistant for the chief investigator for the missing person, Mark, the fiancé of Johanna. The game has 2 modes where the casual play will help you with sparkles leading the way down the dark streets of London and with faster recharge for the hints. The hint lamp must be lit before you can use it again, and continuous clicking wrong items will result in a penalty of the found items being put back in the scene. The challenge mode is more difficult and will have you really seeking deeply in every nook and cranny. As in all standard HOGs you have your list of items you need to find at the bottom of the screen, and when you find an object, it will be crossed out with a bloody red line.

You collect your evidence and anything worthwhile will be placed in your inventory for later use. The map of London will take you through dreary and grimy streets, alleys and dockside searching for clues to the whereabouts of this recent sailor looking for work. The hand or cursor will direct you to more detailed areas or will grab an item.

There are many puzzles and mini games to solve that may piece together the mystery of the young man’s disappearance. In addition, songs from the musical of the same name will entertain you and break up the play. Also your investigation will be graded by the fussy and demanding inspector. The report will list your accuracy, the number of puzzles solved, hints used and time taken with a letter grade and rank.

Penny Dreadfuls: Sweeney Todd is a well made and entertaining HOG made for casual gamers and older kids. The scenes being your typical 19th century London and mostly at night are difficult to make out and is a challenge to find all the objects quickly. The tale is engaging and makes you want to keep searching for the lost man. The music and artwork are appropriate for the time period. So go down to Fleet Street and visit Mrs. Lovett’s pie shop and Sweeney Todd’s barber shop in merry, ole London.

Features of Penny Dreadfuls: Sweeney Todd:
-Challenging Hidden Object Plays
-Interesting Soundtrack
-Story of Sweeney Todd

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

The play begins with you selecting 2 characters, one a male and the other female. These 2 are a brother and sister team driving to a deserted hotel in a snowy isolated location high atop a mountain. Due to the snow storm the hotel is evacuated except for their father, the prominent Professor Burns. He calls Nancy to come quickly and rescue him, but before he could give her more information, the line goes dead. Once at the location, Nancy and Paul find the entire place deserted except for a lone dog, Sam. This is where the fun begins. You move your cursor around the grounds to find a key to enter the hotel. You need to look for things to use during your search and items for the health of Paul and Nancy. Food, rest and fun are needed to keep the characters going and searching for their father. For food, you can click on your character and drag them to the refrigerator to replenish, and they will go to the couch to rest when needed. Collecting the fish, lanterns, firewood will increase their fun scale.

There are other objects you find that need to be combined in order to use them. In order to turn on the TV, you need to find the remote control, but when you find the item, it’s out of batteries so you need to find those as well. You can combine them by clicking on both or by using the combine button at the top left. Some of the objects are locked in chests, behind safes or doors. In order to open these things you must find the item you’ll need to open them like keys, gears and other tools.

At the beginning of each level, you will be given objectives, goals or tasks to complete. These will be listed at the upper left corner to remind you of what you need to do. If you should get stuck, you can click on the hint bone at the lower left to get Sam to take you to what needs to be done and what to use from the inventory at the bottom center of the screen. The constant barking is annoying, but if you need the help, it’s there.

Throughout the entire game, you have many mini puzzles to complete. Most of the mini games are simple and should not be much of a challenge for anyone, but if you want to skip it, wait until the skip button fills up and exit the game. The mini games are trivia questions like what does the A on ABC stand for, spin the wheel to reveal a picture and other puzzles.

Each of your people will have their own skills that are needed in the game. Paul is more mechanical and strong while Nancy is a scientist and nimble. There are many entrances too small for Paul to fit through, but nimble Nancy easily fits through the gap. An annoying factor of this game is that once, Nancy squeezes through a crawl space, you have the option like in a rpg to decide whether she should enter or not. That part is okay, but in reverse when you need her at another location, you cannot click and drag her but you must answer another question whether to enter or not again. Since the game is a top-down view, you assume once she is in a spot, you can drag her out easily but that is not the case in this game.

Another irritating thing I found is the game will not let you string tasks together like picking up bones, lanterns, butterflies, etc. together. Once you click on your person and then on the object, you must wait until the task is completed before going on to another object. Other than those small annoyances, this game is fun to do solving puzzles and finding all your clues. The artwork is cute and colorful. It won’t stress you out (except maybe Sam’s barking) and the play is simple to complete for a relaxing time. I think since the game is fairly short, kids will be able to enjoy Great Adventures – Lost in Mountains as well.

Features of Great Adventures – Lost in Mountains:
-Many Objects to Find
-Over 15 Mini Games
-Mysterious Plot

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

The third installation of Dreams Chronicles: The Chosen Child is here and proves to be just as engaging and mysterious as the first. As in the first Dream Chronicles Mac game, this one is in a dream-like state where the main character is uncertain at what is happening with many challenging puzzles.

The main play is the individual wakening in an elaborate tree house searching for, not only the exit, but also what is going on. The crystal ball, after rescuing it from a fire by putting it out with water, is the help for this game. Brenna is confused because Fidget in the crystal ball keeps calling her Faye. He helps her get out of the tree house by searching for needed items to make the sewing machine work in order to sew up the rug leading to the exit. In each scene you search for needed items to do whatever is needed to find the daughter of Fay and Fidget. She’s been taken, unbeknownst to Brenna, by the Fairy Queen of Dreams, Lilith. If you played the first 2 Chronicle Dreams, you know Lilith cannot be trusted.

The journal at the bottom will keep all the records of your dreams and dream-like things. Dream pieces are scattered in each scene to discover, and gold nuggets will get you higher scores. Just click on each object for information. Many of the puzzles will need to be done in a specific order for it to operate correctly, and others, all you need to do is put it together.

Dream Chronicles: The Chosen Child is a challenging seek and find game with many side puzzles to solve. Once you finish the game, you can start again with the same name and you will discover objects will be in different locations changing the play somewhat. The graphics and sound effects are impressive as they were in the first 2 games. This Mac game will push you to solve these many difficult puzzles so you can find the answers to all the dreams.

Features of Dream Chronicles: The Chosen Child:
-Dream Jewels
-Multi-Scene Puzzles
-Great graphics
-Secret Prophecy

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Alexia is dreaming about women walking in a daze toward a temple. Why are they sad and why do they all seem to know her? Their Andean Inca town is on fire. Why does Alexia dream this story every night? In Mac hidden object game Lost Realms: Legacy of the Sun Princess you must look for the answers to this mystery by flying to Cuzco, Peru.

In this hidden object play you search for items you may need later in the story. When you move the cursor to the sides the screen will move a little so you can search for your object. When the icon of the crown appear on the upper right hand side of the screen, it lets you know you must search for a piece of the crown. There are 6 hints to help you look for the listed items. You will definitely need these hints and more. If you need additional hints, hit the get hints button to take you to the mini puzzles. There are 3 doors to pottery, painting or doll making. In pottery you need to make the blob resemble the pot to the right. This took a lot of doing so I went on to the painting puzzle. You will see a simple painting with different colors. Remember each piece’s color and paint the outlined scene as you remember it. The last puzzle door is the easiest. It is a hidden object play where you find the dolls outfit.

Lost Realms: Legacy if of the Sun Princess is a basic hidden object play with an Incan story line. The scenes are a little dark, murky and some objects are difficult to spot, but will be enjoyable to hidden object players. The movement of the screen is a little annoying but manageable. Since the scenes are challenging, you will go through your hint buttons and will need more. Luckily, the game provides you with earning more hints in your quest for hidden objects.

I liked this game for its interesting tale of the Incas and Alexia’s mysterious dreams, but the hidden object scenes were not always clear enough to make out the items even with the hints. Although the music is appropriate to the scenes and story, it becomes laborious enough to want to turn it off. The fun part of this game is the mini puzzle section behind the closed doors. Similar puzzles are Coyote Tale or The Count of Monte Crisco. Try it out for yourself and find all the objects.

Features of Lost Realms: Legacy of the Sun Princess:
-30 Locations
-Hidden Object Play
-Mini puzzles
-Quest of Self Discovery

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

A stranger, late one night, is at the doorway of Rosalie’s humble abode and there’s also mystic music sounding all around. The mysterious man demands a tarot reading before he would leave so she consents to do it. The tarot cards never lie and hold bad news and danger for him, but he turns it around and says that she is the one in danger in Mac hidden object/seek and find game Tarot’s Misfortune.

Before she knows what is happening, she blacks out and finds herself in jail without her precious tarot cards. She must find some way out of the prison and find out what happened. This begins your adventure into the hidden object and puzzle plays. The game play is the usual hidden objects search in various scenes where there are a lot of scattered items. The difference in this game is the scrolling scene where you go either to the right or left and the scene will move to reveal more of the screen. It’s like the Mac game Xplorer. The listed items to look for are at the bottom of the screen, and the names in blue can be found readily sprawled in the scenes. However, the gray items in italic letters cannot be found yet. You must do something to them before you get to your final object. The objects you will need to perform another act will be placed in inventory for later use. Also when you see a blue glow, you know there’s more to do. Keep your eyes on the globes on either side of the list, it will indicate how many objects are in that scene. If you scroll away from any area, you’ll see that the stars will either decrease or disappear. This is a great help for finding the objects, even though most of the time, you will not need help. The hint button recharges quickly and you get as many as you need. On top of finding the objects listed, you must also find Rosalie’s tarot cards. There are a few in each scene.

The mini games are also the usual puzzles where you must figure out combinations to either enter a location or get into a storage area. In addition you will encounter 2 tarot cards where you must find the difference in order to move on in the game.

The story continues after Rosalie escapes the prison across the countryside, in the town center and many locations. She finds the village people are enslaved by the wicked magician, and only she can save them. That’s about the extent of the story line. The artwork is exceptionally beautifully drawn, but the music is repetitious and got on my nerves a little. I turned it off. The HOG part of the play is easy except for the items blurred in the mist or sized differently. Luckily the developers are generous with their hints.

I heard some people had trouble starting this game, but I didn’t have any problems. Try the demo and see if you can help Rosalie save the town from the evil magician.

Features of The Tarot’s Misfortune:
-Many levels of Hidden Object Play
-Great Artwork
-Scrolling Scenes

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

What’s happening to all the animals? Sarah’s rabbit is missing and the dynamic duo, Anna and Justin, are hot on the case searching all the nooks and crannies of each location on Uncle Mark’s farm and the surrounding town. This juvenile detective team will flush out the culprit through the many hidden object plays in Mystery Stories – Animal Agents.

You begin this game by choosing your character, either Anna or Justin. During the investigation and in between the hidden object plays you will be solving puzzles in various locations. Like their other Mystery Stories (Berlin and Island of Hope) the seek and find plays are varied and many from silhouettes, sounds or sketches to find the desired hidden item. The objects are listed on the left of the screen. Also like the other prior games, there are many bonuses and helps to aid you in your search.

Mystery Stories – Animal Agents may be aimed towards kids since their story is not as intense or suspenseful as the other 2 mystery stories. However if you are a fan of their other hidden object games and mini puzzles, I think you will still enjoy Mystery Stories – Animal Agents. Graphics are good but not as picturesque as a Caribbean island or the city of Berlin. So help the kids find their beloved pets and uncover the deep, dark secret of this detective story in Mac game Mystery Stories – Animal Agents.

Features of Mystery Stories – Animal Agents:
-1000 Clues
-60 Levels and 20 Locations
-Adventure and Free Play Modes
-Detective Story

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Who killed supermodel and diva Amanda Manville? So far, 9 suspects have good motives for doing her in, but why? Hostile Makeover is a Mac hidden object game for you to uncover the murderer and the reasons for the premeditated killing of poor Amanda.

You are Lacey Smithsonian working as a fashion reporter and writer for the Eye Street Observer in Washington, D.C. Amanda Manville’s murder is big news in the fashion industry, and it is your job to get the scoop on the murderer’s identity. You go to different places in Washington, D.C. to find clues and evidence. The HOG is your typical cluttered scene for you to find the items listed on the left side of the screen.

To net huge points in the HOG you need to find the items in the order listed. This is not always easy to do since some of the objects are not easily recognizable. The blue hint button comes in handy, but will take time to reactivate. Also there are 2 modes of play: the timed mode and the casual mode. You go to the 9 different suspects from her sister to ex boyfriend looking for anything that will lead to the killer before he/she strikes again.

The other plays in this game are the HO with the silhouettes, find the difference in 2 scenes and acquiring outfits for abilities. By unlocking abilities you get sleuthing and female intuition to help you with your search.

I found Hostile Makeover okay to play but not very exciting. When you are in a rhythm searching a scene for items, someone pops in with some quip about the victim or one of the suspects, it disrupts your train of thought. You lose your concentration and have to regroup. Also some of the items were impossible to make out without the hint button. Even though you are in Washington, D.C., you are inside most of the time in a boutique, office, café, etc.

The story based on a mystery novel by Ellen Byerrum did not engage me in the story. The characters were definitely quirky, but not very memorable like the wacky people in Miss Teri Tales series. I gave this game a 3.0 for a so-so play.

Features of Hostile Makeover:
-13 WashingtCollect
-2 Modes of Play
-6 Outfits to Collect

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

G.H.O.S.T. Chronicles like the other Chronicle hidden object/seek and find Mac games is an intense and involved play. The premise of this game is that you are called into investigate a haunting of sorts at the Spears Renaissance Faire. You are the ghost buster to some unusual happenings at this entertainment facility.

The game is a hidden object play throughout the faire grounds. In addition to finding the listed items you must figure out puzzles and solve dilemmas. In one instance, you must cross over a bridge to reach the other side, but the bridge is broken and needs to be repaired. You need to find planks to rebuild the bridge, and in addition, you will need a tool to ply apart the wood. Not only will you be searching for items in a scene, you must move to different locations for things you need. The fairies throughout the scenes will help you so you need to look for them in each location. The magnifying glass, back button and the map will come in handy in this game.

G.H.O.S.T. Chronicles is a difficult and challenging Mac game but can be played in easy mode. However, there are many involved puzzles to get through each building of the faire. It reminds you somewhat of the other Chronicle seek and find games but the story is not as dramatic as Dream Chronicles 1, Dream Chronicles 2 or Chosen Child. Playing those games you are constantly reminded of the fact that you are looking specifically for someone. This game with its many hidden object plays can lose the main goal of the tale. The artwork as usual is well done and the many side puzzles are thought out to challenge your hidden object and puzzle skills.

Features of G.H.O.S.T. Chronicles:
-Hidden Objects
-Hidden Fairies
-Easy or Challenge Mode
-Is it Real or Hoax?

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

14, 281 B.C. a dramatic start to a mysterious hidden object play brought to you by the Youda Legend developers. Youda Legend: The Golden Bird of Paradise is full of puzzles to unravel and decipher the elusive treasures of the past.

You are brought back to the present in search of this great prize. It looks like the pyramid of Chichen Itza so I assume it’s somewhere in the Mexican Yucatan. This is one of my favorite places. The hidden object scenes are well done and clear depicting the small airport, festive market place and other areas. All these pictures are pristine and enjoyable to see. The items you must find are listed on the left side with blue highlighted objects needing move steps to complete. Like their previous HOG, The Curse of the Amsterdam Diamond, you search for blue stones instead of the sparkling diamonds.

There are many side plays involved in this game. Gold coins, pieces of a map and tools found in the scenes will help you along in your search. In order to open the cylinder like codex you must know the sequence of the symbols or icons. In addition, to be able to access different areas, you will need to know the correct path to take on the stone pavers. This is only the beginning of your journey. There are more scenes to search for objects and more puzzles to solve before coming to the end of your story.

I enjoyed the HO scenes and the many mini puzzles in Youda Legend: The Golden Bird of Paradise. The locations were all lively, full of interest and color. Some of the side games were challenging, but you can skip them if you wish. Where I thought this game was lacking was in the story. This was disappointing since their previous game was so intense and intriguing, and this one was more generic. I thought the scenes could be used in other stories. Even with that, I still liked this game. I gave Youda Legend: The Golden Bird of Paradise a 3.5 for its great artwork and puzzles.

Features of Youda Legend: The Golden Bird of Paradise:
-21 Hidden Object Games
-18 Mini Games
-Challenging Puzzles

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Recent graduate Laura Jones is called back to her university by her archeologist professor Dr. William Adams regarding a recent discovery in the Mac game Laura Jones and the Gates of Good and Evil. After a series of unusual occurrences Laura finds herself in and out of dreams or drug like state talking to the Professor about the strange effects of the artifact. Laura finds that Dr. Adams is really in a mysterious coma in the hospital. The Dr. is sick and trapped in his subconscious and needs a key to a mystical gate out of it. Anyone who is considered worthy must pass some sort of ordeal given by guardian spirits.

The main game is a seek and find play by placing the cursor over objects in a room in the university. Laura goes to several people and their rooms to discover any clues in order to help the professor. Sometimes after finding the object you must use it to perform another step like using matches against the match book to light a fire in the fireplace.

In addition to these types of tasks, there are mini puzzles to pass. One such game is the fishing play where you must catch fish swimming overhead of a fat cat, but you cannot just catch any fish, you must catch the one that the cat is displaying. There was another puzzle you had to piece together a torn photo, and find the difference in 2 pictures.

This game is engaging and you will want to know what is going on. The characters although suspicious are interesting if not a little odd. The plays are challenging and fun so getting to the bottom of this mystery will be enjoyable. Good luck in helping Laura solve this mystery.

Features of Laura Jones and the Gates of Good and Evil:
-Seek and Find Adventure
-Mini Games
-Funny Characters

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

You are entombed in the deepest ocean encased in a sarcophagus with no memory of who you are and why you ended up in this strange world. In order to survive and find the necessary answers to your questions, you must first escape this mausoleum into an underwater city. Yes, this story sounds familiar with a different setting, but the tale will keep you searching in this beautifully drawn Mac seek and find game. Empress of the Deep-The Darkest Secret will hook you along the way looking for any answers to your identity and the mysterious location you are trapped in.

Puzzles must be solved, passageways must be traversed and answers must be found in this hidden object/seek and find game. This is less hidden object play, and more seek and find and uncover puzzles throughout this environment type of game. The story is the main focus with the mini games enhancing the play.

You move your cursor over objects in a location to find secrets of your past. If the cursor changes to a magnifying glass, there’s more to do at that spot. You move around the room until you get a large arrow pointing to an exit. If you have completed that area, it will say so on the upper left side, but if not, you may need to return. The map will let you know in red where you are and illuminated circle will let you know where you need to go. There are other helps along the way with Jacob talking to you, and there is a little girl who will request you get 10 red orbs for her in different locations. Along the way you may collect strange symbols that will come in handy later in different puzzles. In addition, there are flowers you will pick up in the scenes. All your information will be available to you on the lower left side of the screen. There is also a hint button on the lower right side when you use it, it will replenish in time.

The many locations are easily accessible except the Vault of Science. Its entrance is destroyed, and you will have to find another way into that area. Each scene is full of interesting and strange objects. The mini games are the usual jigsaw puzzle and unravel the codes to enter places. Later in the game you must find 3 Imperial Relics that hold the secrets of your past.

Mac game Empress of the Deep-The Darkest Secret is an involved tale with you looking for your identity, who the terrible empress Pandora is and why this garden dome under water exists. I found this game interesting and easier to move around and explore than other similar games like the Dream Chronicles series. It is more like Princess Isabella but with less mini games. So unlock the clues and while away the hours with Empress of the Deep. Be careful along the way and can you really trust Jacob?

Features of Empress of the Deep:
-Over 140 Scenes
-Mini Games
-Stop the Evil Empress

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Murder, She Wrote, a long running TV show during the 80’s and 90’s starring Angela Lansbury, is now a Mac hidden object game. It features Jessica Fletcher, a best-selling novelist living in Cabot Cove, Maine, who manages to stumble on many murder mysteries in that area and wherever she travels.

There are five books you can click on to discover a fascinating murder mystery of Jessica Fletcher’s. These stories will take you through many hidden object scenes for you to uncover the culprit. During your investigation you will meet Jessica, the sheriff and others who will be involved in each crime. Many of these characters are familiar to people who have watched the TV shows. I, unfortunately, have not seen one episode. I’ll have to look them up. These people will occasionally pop up during the HOG in order to further the story.

The HOG part of the story is your usual scene full of items to click on and discover. The list of typed items initially has letters missing from them and you will need to search the scene for the typewriter keys. The missing vowels will not hamper your search since you can easily make out what the words are without the letters, however finding the blanks is part of the fun. The hint button will replenish on its own, but to hurry along the wait, you can click on the typewriter cartridge to speed the process. All those who do not know what an old fashion typewriter cartridge looks like, it has 2 black wheels connected with black inked ribbon. Don’t click on it unless you need it or you will waste time.

Some of the items on the list is highlighted in blue and these things will need more than one step to complete. Also when you find multiple items of the same thing (ie: life jackets), you will need to drag it into another object to complete. Another item you may have to put together things is the plunger in order to use it. I found trying to use the plunger a little difficult because you need to hit exactly at the right spot in the sink to unclog it. There are other puzzles you must piece together or match buoys to their owners. Another mini game is the memory game where you uncover 2 items and you must make a match. If you do not make a correct match, the 2 objects will change places making you remember the switch on top of the item. At least this game challenged you a little more than the usual matching games.

I like Murder, She Wrote even though the HOG was easy to play whether timed or not. Maybe lately other HOGs have some items so obscured you will never recognize their identity, making finding all the items impossible. I found I didn’t need the hint button in any of the scenes which is unusual for me. I did use the button to test it out and found it to be clear and useful, especially if you need it to replenish in a hurry. The only complaint besides the plunger is that you keep going back to the same scenes. However, with the story it made sense to go back either to confront the witnesses again or find additional evidence.

The scenes are clear and colorful, the characters and their voices represented the actors well and the music from the show is light and enjoyable. Even though the HO and mini games are not difficult this Mac game is a pleasure to play and discover the answers to each mystery.

Features of Murder, She Wrote:
-5 Murder Mysteries
-Based on TV Show
-More Than 20 Environments

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

For all you Miss Teri Tales fans, and I’m one of them, there is a third sequel to the life and events of Miss Teri Tales who lives in that infamous place Peektown. Miss Teri Tales 3 – Danger Next Door is another great hidden object Mac game we have all grown to know and love. Now that Teri is mayor she is involved in all aspects of the town including another murder. This time it involves a new neighbor who just moved into Peektown. Norman Montgomery’s body is found in this new neighbor’s patio.

The play is a little different from the last 2 games. You no longer start in Teri’s office looking for help objects to assist your search. Now you go directly into the play speaking to various people in town. You are Miss Teri Tales looking for clues with Sheriff Allen. You speak to all the witnesses at the party the new neighbor, Mike Mickaelson, threw the night before. Everyone was there that night.

You begin by speaking to people who may have had a little too much to drink that night and their memory is a little foggy, if not down right bizarre. The hidden object scenes are filled with hallucinations and strange objects. The items are easily found and if you need a hint, it’s available for you but you need to wait to recharge. Recovered objects will be useful for actions in the scene and actions are written in yellow. Sometimes you have to combine objects to use. Some of the hidden object scenes are a montage of separate pictures with many items to search for in each one (comic strip). Others are in different parts of Mike’s house. Each witness will lead you to different people and places. There are mini games you must remember the name of the kidnapped dog in order to get into the town hall, you must collect 10 fingerprints and search for someone’s telephone number.

This third sequel continues with the familiar people and animals in this small town and is still very humorous for a murder mystery. The hidden object scenes are good and original with fun mini games. Drop in on the old neighborhood and find Monty’s killer.

Features of Miss Teri Tales 3:
-New Funny Adventure
-More Than 60 Levels
-New Mini Games and Puzzles
-Relaxed or Timed Mode

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Eden’s Quest-The Hunt for Akura sounds like it would be a hidden object Mac game, but once you are in the adventure story, the HOG is secondary or minor to the many puzzles in this game.

Eden Hunt, a famous archaeologist, finds herself searching for the treasure of Akua and win $10,000,000 by doing so. This money will more than help fund her next excavation in the Andes. In order to reach her goal, she must complete challenges given by stone statues to pass through portals to each section of the island. In addition, she has competition from other adventurers who will do anything to get the prize.

The challenges come in forms of puzzles. There are logic, math, a little hidden object, comparing items and more. When a stone idol’s eyes are green, you can click on it to take on a challenge. You will receive points for completing each puzzle correctly. However if you need to buy a clue, you will lose some points. As the levels increase, the points increase. You need to use coins in order to be able to buy hints. In each scene, you will see occasional twinkling of light and if you click on the right spot, you can earn a coin. Another method to get more coins is to challenge the captain to a game where you move your icons horizontally and he moves his vertically to earn points. You go back to the captain when you need help.

Going through portals will advance you to other locations of the island. When a portal is red, you cannot pass. In order to unlock a portal, you must complete the challenge issued by the totems. When you click on an orange portal, you have to solve a puzzle to pass through. The puzzle is to get a red piece to cross over the laser beam in order for the portal to open. This puzzle is easy at first but does increase in difficulty further along the game.

After completing all the puzzles in a zone and getting enough points (if you do not have enough points, you can do catch up challenges to get a higher score), you must complete a Tangram (pieces you collected in each scene) and place pieces on a board correctly fitting them. Pieces can be turned by clicking on them and you can change positions if you need. If this type of puzzle is not your thing, you can skip it so you can continue on your journey.

I found some of the puzzles interesting but not all. I’m not a big math word problem solver even though they are not that difficult. If you are completely stumped, buy a clue. Some of the puzzles were too easy but others were more challenging. I liked getting the red device through the laser to enter the portal because Rush Hour is one of my favorite games. I would have liked it more if the HOGs were the main play with the other puzzles as minis. The story was interesting and involved you in the play. The artwork and music were good. I gave this Mac game a 3.0.

Features of Eden’s Hunt-The Hunt for Akua:
-More than 100 puzzles
-20 Settings
-Intriguing Story

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

A little Project Runway and a little Rachel Zoe project Weekend Party Fashion Show is an unique hidden object/seek and find and part paper doll dress-up Mac game. On top of all that you get to go shopping in a multi-level mall, do hair and make-up, and work the catwalk. This game is for all the fashion obsessed wannabe wardrobe stylists out there. You all have the it factor to choose your own style and clothes, so show off your taste and take credit for your glam or boho look.

Who wouldn’t want to go shopping for clothes and accessories to use in your up and coming fashion show. Lilly is a fashion consultant with a new assignment to hunt for the best clothes, purses and shoes in the trendiest of stores? The store clerk will greet you and give you an idea of what kind of things they carry in their shop. Your job is to find all the listed items across the bottom of the screen. Don’t click too much on wrong items or you’ll get a time penalty. If you are completely at a lost, ask the clerk for help. You have 3 helps per store so be very careful.

The mini games are incorporated in earning jewelry, hair and make-up. The jewelry game is a memory play where you flip cards over to match 2. Each match will garner a piece of jewelry. You need these pieces for later to dress up your model/celebrity for the party where they will show off everything you picked out. The hair play is to choose a fashionable do and with your cursor must cut to match the photo. Make-up is a jigsaw puzzle. With all these side games and the hidden object play you would think it is enough, but wait, the best is yet to come.

After finding all the hidden object items and playing the mini games, you are now ready to dress your star. You begin with the under garments, tops, pants, skirts, or dresses, and finish with the accessories. The accessories include your usual belts, shoes, glasses, hats and scarves. This part of the game reminds me of dressing up the paper dolls of years ago. Do they still have them or did they go the way of the dinosaurs? This is still not everything to this innovative game. After you style your client, you get graded on how fashionable you made her. This part is like Project Runway when the judges tell you that you are in or you are out. The culmination to all your hard work is the party where a fashion show is the main entertainment.

Surprisingly, I thoroughly enjoyed this game even though I am not a fashionista or mall girl as you can tell from my fashion score. It was a change of pace from the usual hidden object story. The graphics are good and the play quickly passes because you are so into finding clothes and dressing your model. If you have any talent for dressing stars, you can earn thousands a day like Rachel Zoe. So if a fashion svengali job is in your stars, Weekend Party Fashion Show is for you. Have fun with your first successful fashion show.

Features of Weekend Party Fashion Show:
-World of Fashion
-450 Pieces of Clothing
-Mini games

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Another sim time management/multitasking Mac game with a twist is Leeloo’s Talent Agency. Leeloo is born into a family of actors but she went the college route studying economics. However, as stories like these always end up with some connection to the past, Leeloo uses her education by opening up a talent agency looking for actors to play different roles for movies.

The sim play is easy to pick up with the tutorial. The many characters will arrive to take a chance at acting and making it big. Above their heads will appear what they want to do. An actor may want to look at scripts so you click on him and drag him to the chair to browse through treatments. He will ask Leeloo to come and select a script for him. You click on her to go and pick out the matching script. The role will appear at the top and the scrolling roles will appear at the bottom. You must click on the identical picture. Another person may want to go directly to the makeup table and another may want to go shoot their movie right away. After completion the actor will walk to the receptionist’s desk to sign his contract with Leeloo’s agency. The goal of the sim game is to meet the number of actors needed to cast in a movie.

The next part of the game is on the movie set where you will play a hidden object/seek and find play. Like other HOGs you will be finding items for your inventory and with that object you may need to use it for repairing things such as finding 4 wheels and replacing it on the wagon train. The movie sets could be a western, pirate, family life or many other movie scenes.

With upgrades you buy equipment, foods or more stations to accommodate clients. There are puzzles within the sim play such as the photo shoot you do for the actors so they will have pictures for their resume portfolios. After shooting the photos, you have to fit the correct size pictures into the page. In addition to the movie related actions you must make, you have addition duties making food for your hungry actors. You must match the correct food items to what the actor requested.

There are many different plays in Leeloo’s Talent Agency from sim to hidden object to puzzles. I like doing the different plays instead of playing a straight sim time management. It gives you time to recoup before the next one. Of course, I do prefer HOGs to sim plays and that may be the reason I like this game better. All the games are not difficult, but will increase in tasks as you increase in the levels. The music is light and lively and the graphics good. If you are a sim or HO player, this game covers both modes with a lighthearted story of Leeloo and her talent agency.

Features of Leeloo’s Talent Agency:
-70 Levels
-Hidden Object Challenges
-7 Different Movies to Make

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

This sequel to The Clumsys takes up with Grandpa returning home from the past in his homemade time machine, only to find he brought back a dead prehistoric butterfly. Everyone knows when you disturb anything in the past, it alters everything up to the present. This is proven by the historic photos Grandpa keeps on his wall to make sure he doesn’t change anything while time traveling. Helen, his daughter, takes matters into her own hands and decides to go back to the past and make things right again.

The Clumsys 2: Butterfly Effect is just as good and enjoyable as the first hidden object Mac game. The historic facts are brought to life when you search through Thomas Edison’s home looking for pieces of the famous phonograph. After searching rooms for all the pieces, you must put the machine back together again. These subtle historic facts are fun to experience in this detailed hidden object game. The items you need to find are pictured on the screen. After finding all the pieces, you recreate the broken inventions, and then you must remove the things that do not belong in the past like cell phones, cassettes and other more modern gadgets.

There are many discoveries by man and Helen has her hands full finding each one to repair and make correct. After a few inventions, you get the hang of putting things back together again using simple logic. Whenever you move your cursor over an area and it changes to gears, you need to exam that area closer.

Much of Clumsys 2 is reminiscent of the first Clumsys and could get tiring after awhile, but the educational aspect of both these games are great for children. I liked the facts that were given for each invention or discovery. It brought back memories of many hours of studying but in a pleasurable way. The hidden object part of the game is not challenging, but still a hoot to play. If you should need a hint, they are available and interesting in their own right. The artwork is good, clear and entertaining (unlike some other HOGs where you can’t make out the item). The sound effects are appropriate and Grandpa’s ranting is very funny. Enjoy yourself going back in time and re-inventing the many innovations of mankind.

Features of The Clumsys 2: Butterfly Effect:
-Help Helen Correct History
-30 Puzzles
-90+ Scenes
-3 Gadget Tools

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars