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Hidden object games: the (plotted) secret history
Hidden object games have been the biggest gaming genre for quite some time, lets look behind the curtain of this phenomenon in a semi-historical fashion.
Hide & Seek
At the heart of any hidden object games lies the notion of hiding and seeking. As a game, hide and seek as we know it can be traced back to ancient Greece, where Julius Pollux, an ancient wordsmith, described a game called apodidraskinda.
I Spy
Some 2,000 years later and people were still taking pleasure in the simple hide & seek game mechanic. Somewhere along the line, I-Spy split off from Hide & Seek to become a game it its own right.
By 1609 Shakespeare was in on the act, as this snatch of dialogue from Troilus And Cressida conclusively proves:
Paris: I Spy!
Pandaris: You spy! What do you spy?
The books go big
Then we arrive at the 1950s and I-Spy books. These were hugely popular series of 40 books based around key subjects e.g. cars, churches, with the reader required to spot hidden objects. Once all of the objects had been found, the book could be sent to the Big I Spy Chief – who ran the company – and he would send back a feather and a certificate. It’s pretty much a slow motion Mystery Case Files.
I-Spy books remained popular throughout the 1970s and 80s, peaking with the arrival of Where’s Wally in 1987. It featured a series of elaborately drawn images by Martin Handford, with the reader required to spot Wally in the picture. There was also a TV series – at least in the UK – though I may be making this up.
The downloadable games phenomenon begins
Hidden objects went blockbuster on the PC with Mystery Case Files Huntsville, and its follow up Prime Suspects. They wrapped the traditional I Spy mechanic with some decent visuals and mini-puzzles to break up the action. Once the success of Mystery Case files was established, it would not be long before everyone wanted to join the party.
Next: The definitive hidden object games guide – updated as new games are released
thegamesblog at 13:15:00 o'clock BST Blog about this entry |
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i think the hidden object games are good for stimulating your brain. just when you get into the swing of it your free i hour download has expired. great stuff
more of the same please.
30/03/08 11:48