HOPAs (Hidden Object Puzzle Adventures)

[Gingergal]

Tips and reviews

[Gingergal]

Things to know about

artifex mundi games

- All hidden object scenes are open in extras area of main menu BEFORE you reach them in game. You can't unlock any achievements there but you can practice for the timed and no mistake achs there making them easy. Mostly the list is the same but keep redoing them till you see everything.

- If you miss a collectable no need to start game from scratch. Replay game under same profile. All collectables you had found previously will still be found/gone from scene but when you find the missing one you will get 'all collectables' ach no need to finish game.

- The above works (been a long time since I've used it though) with skip puzzle, use hint in hos etc. If you replay game until you come to puzzle you previously skipped and play it - the 'play all puzzles without skipping' ach will pop. same with a hos if you accidentally used a hint.

[Gingergal]

Things to know about

FIVE-BN games

- Some games have the worst timed achievement for individual puzzles (I don't have 1 achs - lost lands four horsemen is the worst }
- Collectibles. While one game the following was broken, if when you finish the game you have missed a collectible there is an area in the main menu where you can go and pick it up! Extras - finish my collection. It will jump map you to the scene and if you still cant find it use the hint button and it shows you your collectible!

- More timed/reaction puzzles than AM and a bit harder but some of AM games are frequent.

- These games cater to the more puzzle/story orientated player than AM and generally puzzles are a bit harder or more involved than AM.

- Can get specific puzzle achievements in extras - replayable mini-games/puzzle section. If an achievement needs you to do something in one go, don't hit reset, back out and select puzzle again.

- Can't get any achievements for HOS in extras as there never is any you have to get them in game.

- Not many standard HOS more and more it's more of a puzzle than an actual HOS.

- But at half the price of AM games and easily double the play time with way more usable extras like swap tiles puzzles and extra bonus puzzles they are hands down the best value for money and I much prefer them over AM games even with above cons.

- Way harder achievements ie play on hardest mode which doesn't give you map hints although it's hard to find a HOS to play for the timed ach there usually is one standard hos which I could do easily under the allotted time.

[Gingergal]

Legendary Tales: Stolen Life

FIVE - BN games

The only reason I don't do full fledged positive reviews on recent FIVE BN games is they usually put in a couple of tightish or impossible timed achievements on a couple of puzzles. But if that doesn't bother you then I recommend their games and this one. This one was OK re timed achievements.

Although you might think at the end of the main game you'd know what the bonus story would be you'd be wrong. Bonus story is a complete bonus story it’s tied to a very minor character how they wound up in the situation when you as the main character find them. The main characters aren’t in it at all.

- No profile options (seems a glitch as the big fish version offers you different profiles)
- One tightish timed achievement – erudite but I got it on second try so not bad
- Usual couple of timed achievements for puzzles
- Has strategy guide (this is the complete CE version) but doesn’t have a guide for the bonus
-puzzles in extras which an achievement is tied to, sometimes the SG will, but not in this game. The bonus puzzles were all a new type - using different 'tracks' move coloured pieces to their correct places.
-There were no puzzles that required timing ie no avoid obstacles type puzzles only thing timed were achievements to do it in a certain amount of time.

Puzzles were really good, story was standalone don't need to have played any other of their games. It is a start of a new series.

Read general info about this developer here & achievement tips in post 2 of this thread (see above)- all is true here apart from a lot more 'normal' list type hos in this one.

[Gingergal]

Legendary Tales: Cataclysm

FIVE-BN games

Number 2 in the series - Stolen Life is the first in the series (see above for that review). This is the CE version (minus profile options) with built in guide (including all collectables) all extras like replayable minigames from main game, extra 20 new minigames and 5 swap tiles puzzles. Bonus story.

see 2nd post in this thread for general info/100% tips that is specific to this developer

Play mainly as the good witch that was in the first game all other characters are in it but the sister and brother from the first game were only in one scene for a very short while. The bonus story was a prequel of another character the baddie which you play so the ending you see in the main game is the same ending even if you play the bonus. This is usually the case with this developer one of the reasons why I like it, as if you ever choose to play the SE version elsewhere you aren't missing out on the main storylines just maybe more background for some characters.

I thought the storyline for this game was OKish bit meh, but I can see it maybe building into a good series with some characters they might bring back. The adventure gameplay was standard but if you are a puzzle players this is where it shines more so than maybe normal for this developer. Some fresh puzzles and a new type for this developer and I haven't seen before as a full puzzle in the bonus 20 extra new puzzle area. So really recommend it if you love puzzles. There was nothing timed or those avoid the obstacles type puzzles. There was 1 HOS which had 30 secs as a timer on the scene but I repeatedly ignored it and took as long as I wanted in it.

I do think the area you explore/play, has been smaller in the past couple of games but the puzzles maybe slightly harder than normal so it all takes the same amount of time. But still longer than AM games . The voiceovers weren't great sometimes especially with the playable character but mostly acceptable.

HOS

Again for this series more list type than normal, some find "x" same item, silhouette and less than normal for this dev, the integrated find and use things which seem more puzzle.

100%

There is one typo in an achievement "skillful" where it says 22 mins. You have to do it under 2 minutes and I also think perfectly - no extra clicking or mistakes in a find two the same game.

Like all their games go into extras (minigame) if you don't get a puzzle achievement in game you can get all individual puzzle achievements in this developer's extras area.

I was OK with their timed puzzle achievements but then I'm used to certain types - if you have problems look at the in game strategy guide to memorize or look youtube walkthroughs.

The 20 bonus puzzles do have solutions to them in the puzzle itself (sometimes they don't) so no need to worry but I found them very zen.

[Gingergal]

Pride and Prejudice: Blood Ties

Telltales games ltd

This suffers from a developer's nervousness that a story could be boring so let's fling everything at it in hopes that either people won't notice it makes zero sense and is unfollowable or at least is interesting enough. Sadly the story is so awful (take a great classic story but that's not good enough adding vampires to it will make it good!!) but I'm used to that in some HOGs here it has to be the most nonsensical story of a HOG I've played and I've played a few.

It also doesn't make sense that some puzzles descriptions have been written by a person who's English is a second language (and in other places) and hasn't been proof read by anyone.

I do have hopes for this developer if they teamed up with a basic HOPA game writer and write a basic decent story. As the one thing which wasn't bad and was quite good was the HOS scenes which was varied - Fragmented object scenes, list, and if you like your hidden object scenes the best not bothered with puzzles and don't mind a dreadful story you might like it. The HOS has a decent amount more so than the puzzles (which were boring or annoying).

It has the extras you expect in a CE - built in guide, jump map, in game achievements (as well as steam) collectables, and a variety of game modes including custom. It has a bonus story which made no sense but does offer more of a complete ending and is also long.

100%

The steam achievement descriptions give you nothing but if you go into the game achievement descriptions it does help. Just a FYI I did play not skipping or not using hints but as nothing new regarding achievements happened I do believe it is as simple as it described so -

- Don't skip 3 puzzles
- Don't use hints in 3 scenes or hints in 3 hidden object scene

There doesn't even seem to be an achievement for getting all collectables (the bat one I got finishing a puzzle shooting bats by matching game).

- I did get one achievement 'the artist' one after I finished the mirror puzzle in the balcony in the main game. So on the safe side play that jigsaw one? I got an achievement after the bat one in the bonus game. There might have been one or two more re puzzles but those are the ones I remember. The rest were story auto given.

Regarding a story choice you make in the game near the end I don't think it affects any achievements.

You also have to finish bonus game.

[Gingergal]

First time in Paris

Pure HOG with puzzles. No adventure. Puzzles aren't the sometimes fussy type of clean something to 100% it's either spot the difference, rotate circles to make a picture or swap things to make a picture. All easy.
There is a timer that you can't switch off but you never get kicked out of anything it's more an info thing for you.
There are collectables - a "?" which is in EVERY scene. This is the 'fun fact'.
It's the CE version - unlimited play which is all 30 scenes with a choice of 8 different modes you can play it in. In game achievements as well as steam achs.

Story isn't as intrusive as the antiques games, you are never interrupted in the middle of a HOS or puzzle for the story but before every scene/puzzle and after every scene you get a story. You can skip it but there isn't a skip button in main menu to skip all story you would have to skip each scene. Story is exactly what I usually look for in these type of games - essentially a non story more a day in the life of someone and who they interact with. Nice and pleasant background type.

There is a storymode area in main menu but there is no scroll bar so when I went to check my progress late in 'adv/story' mode it lost my progress so I had to replay a few days (you can replay any part of any day but this will over ride your save progress). If you do this the story does disappear that you've seen before and will only appear again once you get to a new area. So I would advise not to go in there later in the game and just hit continue etc from main menu.

UNLIMITED AREA
30 scenes each with a choice of 8 different kinds of HOS (no vowels, picture from scene, riddle, list, silhouette, find pairs, find same item 'x' number of times, scramble word)
It tells you how many collectables you have gotten ie. 2/5 for that scene. And how many modes you have played.
The 30 scenes while they have different objects in them, there are quite a few of day/night scenes so the game doesn't have 30 different background scenes.


ACHIEVEMENTS
- Find 150 "?" across every scene. Need to play the unlimited area - each 30 scenes need to be played 5 times in total. These have been played at least once in main game. There are 5 "?" collectables, in each scene different location each time (or most times). Don't need to do 5 different types for each scene, you can do 1 type 5 times. The 'collectable' (find same item) are always in the same place but collectable "?" does move.

- Only need to do 10 puzzles then skip or use hints for the rest.

- You can play on easiest (faster hint time) as there isn't any achs for playing in harder modes.

- Timing achievements are really easy to get - do a scene in under 90 secs which by the end of replaying these scenes you will know and get easily.

- Can use hints don't seem to be a penalty.

[Gingergal]

Lunar Axe

Hand drawn graphics are VG although mostly very dark. Story good slightly different. Gameplay good. Jump map to different places which you can leave and go back to old ones, but no jump map around the places you are in.

There is no hint button, the lantern is for collectables which there are only 4 or 5. most if not all are hatches/boxes on walls and are the rotate rings puzzles. But they don't open if you line up all same colors, just opened when I was moving the rings. There are also documents for you to find but they are in obvious places.

Pixel hunting, some items are very dark or small against darkness in graphics.

There is no bonus game or extras or guide/walkthrough. Choice of hardness, and a new game option but no profiles. No hint or skip even on easy mode.

While the negatives let down the game for me I do look forward to the Developer's future games.

PUZZLES

- One music/tone puzzle which gives you a "weird symbols" comment which you get on some other locations pictures, so you might not have to do the dowel puzzle in the church unless 100% the game.

- Boss at the end which is timing/reaction which took a while and far harder than any other 'boss' type puzzles I had to do in other HOPAs. (redoing the game on easy the boss is far easier than on hard)

- 2 click at the right moment puzzles - reaction puzzles.

- 1 timed 3 stage puzzle. When a guide comes out most should manage them, but the last one was hard to work out and do.

- you can't skip any and there are no objectives to them, you have to work out the objectives for the puzzle.

- Apart from the timing/reaction ones I thought the others were straightforward.

HIDDEN OBJECT SCENES (HOS)

There are only 5 HOS in the whole game and all are list type. Sometimes these are pixel hunting, and are hard to see due to type of graphics. Click on EXACT item, lots of times I was off by a couple of millimetres.


End of game if you hit continue, it takes you back to before boss fight so if you back up you can go to any location to try and get the 'explore' achievements. N.B To date I don't have any of the explore achievements so these aren't obvious or easy to get.

[Gingergal]

Lost Lands : Sands of Captivity

FIVE-BN games

100% info see end of post.

Not a standalone story as still part of series but setting this series up for fresh lead? Bonus as (mostly) usual, is a prequel, although it is one of the main characters the girl - what happened when you left her till you catch up with her again in main game

Seriously it did wind me up how Susan was dressed - ill fitting trousers supposedly Grandma clothes that looked like they were put in a charity shop previously worn by multiple people. She must be about 50? not 70 really stupid looking. Also leaving a young child unattended. I usually don't bother with things like that but it all just added up.

HIDDEN OBJECT SCENES
Like this series there are lots of integrated puzzle type HOS. A few interactive list type and about 4 find 'x' of same item.

PUZZLES
Have no idea why they did this, but if you found your usual clue/info needed to complete a puzzle it wasn't recorded in any diary or given at the side of the puzzle for reference. On some this was a right pain as you had to get into the habit of taking screenshots of everything if you didn't want to go to guide. And a couple were just tedious (spot the difference mosaic got to keep switching between pictures). But there were a couple of fun ones that felt fresh. But overall I feel most casual HOPA players will not like these puzzles, not that they were really hard but due to above just annoying. There were a couple of sliders which I don't think there was any solution/picture anywhere for them, you had to work out what the solution would be then do it. I know a lot of people don't like sliders.

Bonus 20 puzzles.
I loved them in the beginning but they were ltd moves with no undo at the end it was 50 moves per puzzle. It does take playing around with them to figure out game mechanics - when you can move 2 or just 1 places and what happens clicking on fixed objects etc. I found it hard by end, or maybe it was more a patience thing but for a HOPA some of these were hard. So FYI (but there is an in game guide if needed for them).

I liked some of the adventure places and I thought a lot of the gameplay was VG, but the above did annoy me enough to not love this game, not dislike it but not raving about it either. VG quality as usual and great value for money at full price.

100%

- Saw there was a walkthrough in the in-game guide for the bonus puzzles - the "unstoppable" achievement.

- For the first time with this dev,(as I recall) there was an actual timer on the last 4 puzzles of the main game. To 100% you must do them within the time given. If you fail (thing in cage will remain in cage) you can retry as many times in game as needed. Click on first puzzle again to get the sandglass to appear then redo it and the others. You can skip it but then you wouldn't get the don't skip puzzle achievements. I didn't really understand what was going on the first time doing it, and I needed to redo it but got it easily on my 2nd try so it's not hard. But then if you aren't working them out yourself and doing it with guide it might be different and tight?

- Usual 2 timed puzzle achievements on top of the above mention of the last 4 timed puzzles. One I got naturally 'erudite' achievement (that puzzle is a variant of the 'surround your opponent' with blocking them so they can't move. Aim is to try and move your opponent to the walls/edge/corner so you can put your ltd number of blocks around him.)

The 'specialist' achievement, the other timed achievement is on a rare type puzzle. It's the hinge/barrier puzzle, where you can only move your chip through a barrier if the barrier where that would be going would be an empty space. I didn't get that one naturally, had to go to extras puzzle area to play it (can get all specific puzzle achievement there) and took me about 10 mins after working it out to remember and execute the moves so it wasn't bad. But working it out takes a while.

- All ltd moves puzzle achievements I got naturally working it out and doing it in game so they were straightforward.

- Collectables 'complete my collection' area in extras, after main game. I did miss some so went there, and used the hint button and it didn't affect my 'don't use hints in main/bonus game' ach. There are screenshots of them in the guide.

- There are a handful of 'find x amount items' HOS. So the under 3 min ach for HOS should come naturally there no problem.

[Gingergal]

Tearstone: Thieves of the Heart

Dragons Eye Studio

With some attention this class "C" HOPA (nothing wrong with that) could have mostly been decent. The cutscenes half the time the voiceovers didn't work. I think was a blessing as some were appalling. I've played the first and although I don't remember much, it certainly was nowhere near as bad as this was. The story here, was dreadful. But the worst was the utterly dreadful English translation both in some cutscenes and gameplay, but was nothing compared to the guide.

IN-GAME GUIDE
I wanted to see if the guide had escaped the dreadful English translation and errors. Sadly it hadn't but it was even worse than that. Looking through it, if anyone needed to actually use the walkthrough part, it was very badly made. Didn't seem that there were many if any picture solutions even to the puzzles. But you shouldn't have a problem with the standard type puzzles. Lots of use item on item, but no descriptions or picture didn't have click on "zyx". You would probably get there in the end but it's certainly not an old style standard of big fish games walkthroughs.

HAD A VG, IN GAME, PICTURE SOLUTION OF ALL COLLECTABLES.

There was one timing/accuracy mini-game.

GOOD
If you don't like standard HOS this I don't think had any, lots of find items by shape, match 2, and I thought the slight twist on how they presented them was actual good. The graphics were a decent quality.

100%

Don't skip cutscenes, don't skip puzzles and don't use hints anywhere, get all collectables (in game guide). The developer has fixed the broken achievements. As long as you aren't fussy when some drop. Just in case they are still buggy I'm listing here how I played it. I don't think you need to play it like me, but I can only comment on how I played it.

- I never skipped the intro cutscene.
- I never clicked continue in dialogues, waited for any animation to finish.
- I played on hard (that way there is no skip or any hints to accidentally click)
- I changed difficulty for bonus game and used skip and hint and still got the finish bonus game (all other achievements dropped at end of main game.)

[Gingergal]

True Fear: Forsaken Souls Part One

It's a cliffhanger both at the end of the main game which you need this CE to play the bonus but at the end of the bonus it's a cliffhanger as well. So if you are expecting any kind of answers or normal, most things are tied up you'll be disappointed. It seems like it's one large game (the 3rd part not made yet) and it's just chopped up.

They have removed the timed HOS/puzzles achievements and fixed the rest. So you don't need to do an old depot download of the old version when all achs worked.

While you can play this with different profiles, to 100% you have to gain all achievements under one profile at one time due to 'the boss' achievement. As after you finish the game if you missed any achievements it won't allow you to play again under the same profile.

If that's not bad enough, there is an achievement that requires you to play main game in one sitting (don't close down the game) which is beyond annoying. You can get the 'HOS' achievements even playing on adv which is by default, (instead of HOS scenes you get put item 'x' on another thing etc like a mini puzzle.)

But if you aren't into achievements, there is a choice of how hard you like your puzzles, and it's not your usual story re HOPA. And the gameplay is VG still stands years later as this is an older HOPA.

I missed 1 collectable, if I ever have the patience to replay this again I'll update this if needed -UPDATE - I didn't get the boss achievement when I got my last missing steam achievement, 'the boss ach' it is tied to the in-game achievements NOT steam achievements and will only unlock when you get all other achievements in one profile.

[Gingergal]

True Fear: Forsaken Souls Part 2

I don't think there is a CE anywhere else, this doesn't have bonus gameplay like the first. It's a cliffhanger. While the first game I thought was long, this is way longer than that and harder. Not just because you can choose your adv as well as puzzles easy or expert, but sometimes it's just obscure 'try everything in inventory on items' type gameplay. More so than normal. I really enjoyed the gameplay (despite the occasional above mention) even more so than the first. Here I would say it didn't have as much 'horror' feel as the first and played more like a normal HOPA.

Unlike the first here there is no option for HOS there isn't any, it's a pure adventure game playing like a HOPA, with transporter maps (which could have been better done). The story mostly took a break from the first game and I was more interested in the story in the first game than finding out what happens next, but the gameplay was good and do hope they finish it as trilogy's, especially steam games, as they have a habit of not finishing them, I don't like.

100%
They still have a couple of annoying achievements but nowhere near as bad as the first game. The 'boss' achievement came before the end (for me) so if you did have to replay it to get 1 that you missed at least you only have to do that one and not all of them again in one profile. Which you still can't replay the game under the same profile, but as the 'boss' achievement is popping a bit early that aspect shouldn't be a problem.

Some people have reported problems with the 'play for 3 hrs in one sitting' achievement. I got this after 4 hrs and the only thing I can think of the delay was I went into main menu once near the beginning and then options later, which could have reset the clock. I played fullscreen, moving mouse never idling as I was playing the game, never hitting 'escape' alt/tab out, visiting steam, doing anything else but being in game playing it.

[Gingergal]

New York Mysteries: Power of Art

FIVE-BN GAMES

100%

The puzzle for the eurdite achievement is not in the bonus mini-game section area in extras in main menu, meaning the 'complete the game in under a minute' must be completed in main game. This is technically in the bonus game which is the middle/2nd chapter which the chapter can be restarted in game but to make life easier for myself (and you) I suggest you manually save your game before doing the puzzle.

To do this you must remember to turn cloud save off BEFORE you start the whole game or the following won't work. The save game file is in
C – users – your name – appdata -roaming – five-BN games - save games
Backing out of the puzzle if it's going slowly does reset the time but didn't try the reset button itself to see if that also works.

This is tight more because you will have to work out the puzzle then reduce the moves it takes you or have a remarkable good memory going to a walkthrough (I counted 12 steps in one walkthrough which is way better than what it took me.)

The other two timed puzzles I had no problem with as you didn't really have to work it out it was more mechanical. And of course as usual with this Dev you can get the achievements in the bonus area and these puzzles are in it.

There is a complete guide and the bonus game solutions are in the main menu. This time the bonus game was quite easy - it's the how many leads coming out of a button type only being allowed the amount it tells you to have on each button.

GENERAL
This developer usually has a completely bonus story for the CE version (not needed to understand or finish the main story.) This is more in the grey area, if you bought the basic standard version elsewhere I'd have felt I was missing out in understanding the story or fleshing the main story out, it's not really needed but.....

It's not as good as the great first couple in the series, the main voice acting (for this series) is not good but I liked the puzzles. Although I'd suspect that I'd be in the minority regarding the puzzles. I liked the plot although the writing for the story could be a bit tighter. Nice game not great.

[Gingergal]

CATEIA GAMES

MYTHS OF ORION

100%

You may be able to save scum this game to save you playing twice but thing to note. I played this one on easy mode then at the end as you can switch hardness I switched to challenge mode and it wouldn't give me the ach for playing on challenge (gave me the other ach for playing any mode). So try playing on challenge first to unlock that first then you might get the other ach reloading it at end

GENERAL

While most of their other games are mostly adv or a different kind of HOPA (which I don't class as a HOPA) this is a HOPA. There is a jump map but here no help on challenge mode. I found this to be a good game and would have given it a curator recommendation if not for the hard timing puzzles.

PUZZLES
There are a lot of timing/reaction puzzles in this one. I would class two of these as hard, if you don't like any kind of timing/reaction then give this game a miss.

Also there is a 'simon says' puzzle. There usually are with this developer but here I found it difficult not due to the very long sequence but they also switch things around so you also have to remember where the bell ended up and I found that really hard doing two different types of memory things at once!

TIP FOR SIMON SAYS -
One of their games there is a really long memory sequence and I got past it by putting cling film over my screen and with a non permanent marker I would write 1, 2 , 3 etc it's the only way I get past some of them. This may help with above but I didn't here find it helpful just a general tip for you in other games.

[Gingergal]

where angels cry tears of the fallen

cateia games

100%
-There is a guide in main menu complete with locations of both collectables (doves) as well as the crows which you need to click on to view all videos. But you can't access guide while in game for some reason.

-They have fixed broken ach in the bonus game.

-The archery minigame is in extras in main menu (after you finish main and bonus game) but as there was no way I was 100% that twice, I couldn't tell you if you can get the ach for a perfect score there or not (I played it safe and save scummed that many times in main game). You need 100 points so if you get a 5 point, start over.

- I played on challenge mode and saved scum at end to get other ach so you can play this (like the others) once and 100%.

GENERAL
I really enjoyed the story especially the video backstory as you play. The bonus story is a prequel and didn't further the current situation. While it's not a great HOPA and rather hum-drum although OK, the story did carry it somewhat. It's just that it's disappointing if going into viewing it as a sequel to the adventure game 'where angels cry' the feel of it different. The story has nothing to do with each other.

n.b There is an avoid obstacles puzzle, and I'm normally not bad at them in a HOPA but this one was a right pain. There are a couple of timing elements puzzles.

[Gingergal]

Brightstone Mysteries: The Others

CATEIA GAMES

It does have the feel of a dated game but I enjoyed their story more than any of their other HOPAs, and thought the standard was VG - a "B" class HOPA (which is very good!).

Their puzzles were good - some old school mixed with slightly different. If you've played any of their other games, especially their HOGs (fox series) you will see some of the puzzles from there here. But if you haven't it's not the same old. There are a couple of timing/arcade puzzles but nothing bad like some of their other games, and I did them all first time.

The HOS were all list type and you never repeated a scene, this is important as if you play on expert mode there are no sparkles but here you don't have to keep going back to old scenes to see if you've triggered another one.

They have a jump map and 3 different types of play. There is no guide, or bonus game (not needed as don't think there is a CE elsewhere?). The extras in the main menu consists of replayable HOS and puzzles.

100%

Most achievements popped upon closing but some popped in game bit later than they should.

- Unlike their other games you only need to play this once (yeah), no save scumming etc.
- Play on expert - and don't use hints or skips
- Rest of achievements are auto - not sure about the coffee if you've to make it right the 1st time - just in case it is missable -

coffee

clues are around his office but solution is 2 sugar, milk, espresso - short.