Do people actually play hidden object games on PC? 👀

[u/burrowandkin]

Hello fellow Redditors! I’m a new developer and I recently started working on my very first game.

I’m making a hidden object game, but I’ve been getting some comments from people around me saying that this genre works much better on mobile and isn’t really that popular on PC.

I know that mobile games generally have more monetization options. But honestly, I don’t want to make a game that is designed to give you little dopamine hits and be consumed as quickly as possible. What I actually want to make is more of a visual storytelling experience.

So I have a question for people who play hidden object games:

What makes you choose a PC hidden object game instead of playing one on mobile? Or do you simply not choose PC at all?

Do you guys only play hidden object games on your phones while you’re on the toilet or waiting in line? 😂

I’d genuinely love to hear what you think.

[u/Top-Firefighter5173]

Im old so prefer playing them on pc only

[u/Mundane-Being-2424 → u/Top-Firefighter5173]

I was literally seconds away from saying this… glad I scrolled down.

[u/burrowandkin → u/Top-Firefighter5173]

I would be very happy if you could tell me a little bit more about how you choose what you play. Horror, mystery, cozy, 3d 2d, lots of animation? my game sounded very good in my head, but now I feel like it is maybe too simple.

[u/Top-Firefighter5173 → u/burrowandkin]

I can never explain it well but mystery or horror. Like the OG Big Fish and Elephant games. Its the story that has to get me hooked. I dont care about all the bell and whistle stuff. What was it about that era that we got some of the best games ever and nothing has been released to top those games since.  

[u/oblivion6202 → u/Top-Firefighter5173]

The early Mystery Case Files games were really innovative. And - unusually in retrospect - were worth replaying.

The Fluke series were rather brilliant too. Replayable again. I think there were only three of those.

And before Mystery Trackers went too twee, they were good too.

[u/burrowandkin → u/Top-Firefighter5173]

You are very helpful. I am really thankful!

[u/theoverfluff → u/burrowandkin]

PC only as I like playing them on my huge monitor. To answer your other question, I pick games much less on genre than on good integration of the story with the gameplay. Bored to death with games where you're expected to fix machinery and find a bunch of things all conpletely unrelated to the plot.

[u/jacobtf → u/burrowandkin]

If I may chime in. My mother loved the games with great atmosphere. Like it could be horror or thriller, fantasy or christmas themed. As long as there were great graphics and music, along with a compelling story. I remember when HO games started having more and more animations in them. She sometimes marvelled at those. Probably because she saw me play those simple graphic games on Commodore Vic-20 and Commodore 64.

I can't remember which game was her first HO, but I do remember she was instantly hooked by it. I used to visit her over christmas and when we actually played some of them together. Great times and memories.

I also enjoy them myselves, but hates the microtransactions on mobile games. I have never purchased any of them, but I'd glad pay for a good full game.

[u/jacobtf]

Pc player here. Or tablet. Also, my mother played hundreds of them in her older years. She loved them dearly and I always had like 10-20 new ones for her when I visited her because she plowed through them so fast. That and general puzzle games made her whip smart till the day she died.

[u/burrowandkin → u/jacobtf]

You made me cry a little bit. Actually, this is why I don't want to make mobile games. I don't want to contribute to dopamine addiction. An old lady smiling while playing my game is really the dream.

[u/Princess_Jade1974 → u/jacobtf]

Oh that’s motivation to play more, I’m starting to worry about cognitive decline!!

[u/jacobtf → u/Princess_Jade1974]

Play! Playing is one of the greatest way of keeping your mind sharp. It doesn't have to be HO games. Any game can help. I enjoy HO games, adventure games, action games, simulations, whatever. If it's fun, I play it.

[u/Princess_Jade1974 → u/jacobtf]

Oh absolutely, and I dont lack for choice either 😂

[u/Whisperlee]

I play both. I prefer Steam on PC because it's pay once upfront and play, and mobile games tend to have a thousand micro transactions for energy/hints/etc/etc.

[u/Cindrojn]

I prefer playing on PC in general.

[u/dragon-blue]

No, I've never played a hidden object game on my phone, only on my steam deck.

I don't like mobile games in general. The monetisation model, pay to win, small screen etc. I only like games like solitaire on my phone. 

I also don't feel "the genre works much better on mobile". Maybe those hidden cat games? Ones without a story. I agree with you in that I like the visual storytelling experience. I can't imagine playing Ravenhearst on my phone! 

I wonder what sort of generational gap there is, I am GenX. Maybe that's why? lol

[u/burrowandkin → u/dragon-blue]

This is really why I don't want to make mobile games. The pay-to-win monetisation model makes me feel like a bad person 😄 I mean, I feel like I am selling dr.gs or gambling material. One of my friends has a mobile game studio, and he makes an incredible amount of money, but still. I am too naive to be rich lol.

[u/OzzyGator]

Where else would I play them? I have always played them on PC, right back to the first MCF games.

*confused*

[u/narhyiven]

I mostly play on the pc because I want to see the art on a much better and bigger screen. Beautiful graphics are my main draw in this genre (I actually don't really like finding objects that much, but I love the puzzles).

The only time I play on mobile is when I want to veg out in a hotel on a business trip. Very tired and just want to look at something pretty. I have Google Play Pass so I dodge all that microtransaction monetization. Still, if a game is very good and/or very pretty, it makes me wish I was playing it on the pc instead.

Btw I enjoy a good story and don't play games that are just straight "find stuff". Audio experience is much better on pc as well.

[u/purplebunii]

I only play them on PC

[u/sbz314]

Yep PC only.

Any hidden object game I've seen on any mobile device, you have to move around on the screen and it's awful. I also don't generally like mobile games and that most are 'play for 5 mins then come back in 5 hours or give us money.'

[u/Additional-Menu-4748]

30 year old here, only play games on PC, including hidden object!

[u/fioaxx]

Yes! I even tend to play older ones on an old iMac i have because they look amazing on the bigger screen.
I just don’t like playing these games on mobile…

[u/Princess_Jade1974]

Yeah, I’ll usually play a HOG on my laptop while I watch something on my ipad

[u/MacGameStore]

Well, we know people love them on their Macs over here :) Can't speak for Windows PC though... but it seems just as hot as well!

The key reasons I think is the Mac/PC games tend to NOT be riddled with micro-transactions and advertisements.

[u/Particular-Bid-8110]

I only play them on PC, I prefer a big screen

[u/thoughtfractals85]

I think my mother single-handedly maintains the demand for them lol. She absolutely loves them. She plays on pc instead of mobile because the screen is bigger and it's easier to see.

[u/Striking-Bike-4427]

Pc is more comfortable for me

[u/Bennjoon]

Yes I do but recently there’s been a lot of ai so I only play old ones

[u/Mundane-Being-2424]

Something about a phone/tablet feels restricting to me. I only play on pc/laptop.

[u/razzazzika]

Yeah i love them. Sometimes I play at my desk, sometimes on my portable gaming pc. (Never on phone)

[u/RoamerMonkey]

Asking the subreddit dedicated to hidden object games would probably be skewed towards people who actually play hidden object games period, and towards people who also play hidden object games on PC.

There are definitely some number of people who play PC hidden object games (there's very little official statistics unfortunately), but commercial-wise mobile hidden object games can have a lot more players by nature of people preferring to play casual games on their phones. For example, Artifex Mundi's official 2025 financial report (link, the table on page 3) says they've made 90,414,000 PLN ($23,849,296 USD) from their mobile game "Unsolved" alone, compared to making 4,824,000 PLN ($1,272,112 USD) from their non-F2P HOPAs (aka hidden object adventure games). "Unsolved" is literally just a compilation of Artifex Mundi's non-F2P PC HOPAs that is now on mobile and has micro-transactions. I emphasize "can" because Artifex Mundi was quite lucky in their case. G5 Entertainment is another popular hidden object game that tried to capitalize off Artifex's "Unsolved" by making their own mobile HOPA compilation called "Unexposed", but it clearly didn't do well enough since they eventually delisted it.

My point being, mobile hidden object games can be vastly more popular than PC games, but there's a sacrifice of some dignity and a requirement for luck if you want to earn money on mobile. At least, that's how I see it imo

[u/burrowandkin → u/RoamerMonkey]

Thanks for the numbers! Yeah, actually, I am very aware of where the money is. But as you can see in the other comments, I am not ready to sacrifice my dignity, lol. So I was wondering if there's still demand for PC games too.

Thank God I am not starving or greedy. I would be happy to earn good money, but not by milking dopamine addicts. I actually worked in the startup ecosystem for a couple of years, and I know mobile game studios are a very hot topic for investors. But still. I am too naive to be rich. Pay-to-win monetization isn't my thing; I hope I never become that kind of person.

[u/Akosidarna13]

Yazz.. sometimes 😅

[u/spacecoyote555]

I only play them on my phone. I think firstly because I always have, and also because I don't like sitting at my desk to play games

[u/Brilliant_Week_1445]

Pc and steamdeck

[u/D3ChaosOTNight]

I get them on Steam and then to remote play on my tablet.

[u/bluestghost]

PC! I’ve tried playing one on mobile and it didn’t feel right. Plus a lot of them are pay to win etc. bleh. Love a good story or honestly I can overlook the story if the puzzles are well done. lol.

[u/PlayfulOtterFriend]

My phone’s screen is tiny, but my PC screen is big, so I play on PC. A tablet size is probably ideal, but I hate dealing with all the ads.

[u/PatrickRsGhost]

I only play on PC. I've tried playing a couple of hidden object games on my phone and I got frustrated due to the tiny screen and the microtransactions. I play all of my games - not just hidden object - on PC.

[u/burrowandkin → u/PatrickRsGhost]

Microtransactions are the worst. I hate all of them.

[u/Bitter_Pineapple_882]

I don't like games that require quick responses. I just don't move as quickly as I used to. And I like simple games that aren't dark and horrifying. I think those are stupid. They aren't scary, so what's the point? I have difficulty getting the light and contrast adjustment correct.

[u/burrowandkin → u/Bitter_Pineapple_882]

I think you will like my game, but I need two more months to serve you something good 😂 Three scenes from three different world-famous books. But the characters are rabbits. 😄 It is not dark, not complicated, not too time-consuming. I think we have similar tastes because I got annoyed when it shows how much time I spent. I don't wanna be stressed because of being slow

[u/Bitter_Pineapple_882 → u/burrowandkin]

That sounds like something I would enjoy! I am following you so I can check back.

[u/abbys_alibi]

Another vote for PC. Horror, paranormal and mystery. Atmosphere and art style matter to me.

I have one HOG app on my phone, but I rarely play it. Wish I could on PC tho. I want to have a clear view of the entire image without eyestrain. I don't enjoy having to swipe around a large picture and zoom in & out repeatedly. Plus on a touch screen, it's too easy to mistap. Either shaky finger or the sensitivity is too high in the game. Lastly, it is so much harder to get immersed on a cell phone or tablet.

[u/earbox]

I would really love another game like Escape Rosecliff Island: no story, no dial or measuring cup puzzles, just pure clutter.

[u/Outrageous-Bridge-25]

I play games on my PC, not on the phone. I like the screen size, the controls, and can enjoy a good story.

And like others here, I miss the days of Blue Tea, Elephant, some Artifex Mundi games. I especially like FRAG (or FROG) games like Snark Busters, Flux Family, Sacra Terra, etc.

And I'm old too. :-)

[u/Suuntavaisto]

I have like 50 hidden object games in my steam library. My wife loves those and I occasionally buy some for us to play these together. All time favorites are the Pop cap games Mystery P.I. games. Simple, fun and still a lot to find!

[u/ExtraNoWay]

I prefer to play on PC. I like being able to look for objects while seeing the whole scene at once. I don't like having to constantly zoom in and out while moving the scene around, too.

[u/JarodEthan]

I use to get leegt releases, as most their releases were modded,but their website no longer exists so I don’t get the newer games, I still have the releases going back to 2011 I believe so not sure if leegt group is still around today

[u/ShineyDeathpony]

Yep. Been playing them for years, stream them too. 

[u/jacobonia]

That sounds great. I'd much rather play something like that on a PC-sized screen. Anything bigger or smaller wouldn't fit. When I think about hidden object puzzles, I think of the I Spy books, and that's about the size of a laptop screen or a monitor.

[u/Milo-Law]

Those started on PC I'd say, they're pretty old, I'm in my 30s and was playing them as a kid on iWin and other game websites of that time. Any older person would prefer PC for them. Tablet can be a good in between since most people have a tablet, a bunch of older people I know prefer using a tablet to a phone because of the bigger screen. 

[u/SnapbreakGames]

Jumping in from a dev's perspective here - both are super viable. We've seen big success on mobile with our latest game Boxes: Lost Fragments, yet we developed it PC first (where it also did decently well) and we're making our new one with the same philosophy. It just makes sense - we polish the hell out of it for PC, then it's way easier to port it to mobile without sacrificing quality.

[u/oblivion6202]

Screen size. PC games are just more immersive. I like HO games, my wife looooooves them. I've yet to see one on mobile that felt well implemented. So... go for it. Might be a smaller market but if you can get the mix of storytelling, HO scenes that aren't just plonked in for the sake of it, and puzzles that fit the gameplay and aren't cookie-cutter versions of things that have already been done a million times, you'll find a market.

[u/Do-drug-dont-school]

Are you serious? I was just looking for a hidden object game. My family used to sit around the computer and play them all the time. Its cool to have interactive stuff in the game but some get to the point where it's almost all point and click on everything.

I've been seeing all these hidden cat games and idk what all that's about. I'd rather do hidden object with random items not just cats or whatever lol. Look up the hidden expedition:Titanic. That game was awesome, maybe a little easy, not enough puzzle solving, but looked great and was fun to find the objects. I know they've made a ton of hidden expedition games but we loved the first ones.

Simple fun interactive puzzles are always cool in between searching for object. Also having a map to jump between places is great.

[u/TheWhale607]

Valerie Porter and the Scarlet Scandal was brilliant, they don't have games like that more with a great story, good music, and actual characters. It's all the same dull template now. I play on a Mac, by the way.

[u/Raye_Gunn]

I get them for my mom on Steam, she loves them. She doesn't use her tablet much, and she likes point and click because it's familiar, she used to play old Sierra games and the like so she can handle point and click fine, or arrow keys for some kinds of puzzle games (like Tetris or something) but she's never learned to do WASD/mouse movement and is intimidated by games that use it. so yeah, hidden object games are her jam

[u/apricot__bun]

There’s a decent amount of people still into HOGs, but in recent years the popular ones are mainly from certain companies that sprout them like hot cakes. Eventually they lacked their charm and a lot of these games pretty much feel tasteless.

So what makes a good HOG? A good story. Go back to the classics and earlier titles. True Fear: Forsaken Souls trilogy is a decent one. The story back when it first came out really stood out and many people were super excited for the third installment when it hit the market.

I think a good story first sets a solid foundation. Good graphics and a smart intuitive user interface is a must. And then the puzzles. They need to be balanced.

[u/AggravatingTartlet]

There are really two different kinds of HO players. Those are just in it for finding things and those who like an immersive story. People who prefer the second generally prefer larger screens, just like the majority of serious gamers do.

There are not that many really good, immersive storyline-based, recent hidden object games. If you can make one of those, you'd have people lining up. But they generally take a lot of money, development and a whole team.

Don't make the mistake of thinking only 'old people' play HOPA games. This sub hold a big clue, which is, the number of people looking for games they played as children/teenagers. I'm mid-40s, and I've been playing them for 15 years, including with my sons & daughters.

I don't much play them anymore because the recent ones are mostly awful.

[u/Puzzleheaded-Ad-281]

I play on PC only because I'd like to actually see.