Neroli's Opinion: Good, standard hidden object game adventure, with plenty of puzzles.

Game Genre: Hidden Object

Release Date: September 1, 2009

Platform/OS: Windows XP/Vista

Developer: Anarchy Enterprises

Screenshot:

Game Review:

The premise of Hide & Secret 3: Pharaoh's Quest reminds me a bit of the The Mummy Returns. You are trying to help two Ancient Egyptian lovers to reunite by returning stolen treasures. This means hidden object game play, so you have to seek out different items in different Egyptian-themed scenes. The story picks up loosely where Hide & Secret 2: Cliffhanger Castle left off, but you don't need to have played that game in order to enjoy playing this one.

It's untimed, and there's no penalty for incorrect clicks, so it's a generally laid back game. The objects are fairly well drawn, although you can see that some of different items were layered on the backgrounds. I'd have to say the art is quirky, and brightly colored, plus you revisit the same scenes a few times.

Finding the objects can be tough! Instead of clutter, items are color-blended into the scenes. In adventure game style, Hide & Secret 3: Pharaoh's Quest also has some inventory puzzles, which are completed using “handy items.” I guess this is a nicer way of referring to the weird junk you collect? You acquire these handy items as you play. As you manipulate items in the scenes, you'll uncover new handy items, and the cycle continues.

As for extra hints, items sparkle if you can do anything with them. Blue sparkles mean you can pick an item up. Red sparkles mean you need to do something else first. A magnifying glass means you need to click to look closer.

What I didn't like is that it was fairly short (just a couple hours). It's also not very different than most other hidden object games, so it will mostly appeal to people who love HOGs.

Where to get the game, or play the free demo:

DOWNLOAD TRIAL

Big Fish: $6.99

Disclaimer: Casual game companies change their prices like most people change underwear! Always check before you buy.