Mystery Manor on Facebook

Strange things are happening at Mystery Manor. The staff is terrified. Objects move of their own accord. Some conspiracy is plainly afoot. But who really is surprised? After all, the place is called Mystery Manor. Was anyone surprised when Lou Gehrig got Lou Gehrig ’s disease (his parents were deranged naming him after a disease)?

But enough about baseball’s great tragedy. Mystery Manor is a decent example of hidden object games, if not one of the prime cuts off the genre’s shanks. The game begins by introducing the player to the strange happenings at the mansion and sending you out to find clues. The first thing you’ll want to know about the game is play it on full screen, otherwise you’ll be forced to search each level with a magnifying glass which makes things a little more difficult (this may only be a matter of preference so feel free to experiment with both views). The living room is the first stop; there you will be shown the basic objectives of the game.

If you’re acquainted with hidden object games already this will be familiar enough as most of these games follow a basic foundational principle of gameplay, which is a good thing (too much deviation really destroys the point). Those who are not so familiar with the genre don’t worry, these games are easy to pick up and, for the most part, a decent challenge and decent fun. This HOG can be described best as average. It is nothing fancy, but fans of the field will surly find enough redeeming factors and challenges to make this game worth the time and effort to play. However, it does seem to lack some of the mystic and appeal of the hidden object best. The levels of Mystery Manor are pretty basic, there aren’t hordes of objects to find, at least in the early levels, but only 4 or 5 each turn. You’ll also be required to play the same levels over and over again with little variation before being able to progress to new rooms.

The game does get better as you progress. The little complaints over the design and gameplay shouldn’t be a deterrent. This game is fun, challenging and has a certain originality that, if nothing else, makes it stand out in the congested world of hidden object games and mystery games. It is a challenge, and like most games of facebook origin it has certain recognizable characteristics that add an additional challenge. Beginning a level requires energy, coins must be collected and rooms unlocked. The latter can be accomplished a number of ways. The best way to experience this game is simply to play it and see if it appeals to your tastes as a gamer. As a casual game it works and is a great way to unwind and relax with a simple, fun game.

Blackwood & Bell Mysteries - Become a World Class Detective!

The goal in Blackwood & Bell Mysteries is very similar to that of Gardens of Time (makes sense seeing as how they were created by the same game studio: Playdom). For those of you who haven’t played Blackwood & Bell Mysteries before:
You travel to solve mysteries and crime and preserve evidence in your Evidence Yard. You are greeted by James Blackwood and informed that he is a partner of Blackwood & Bell, consulting detectives. Catherine Bell joins you and tells you that "your" new case just made the front page! This dialogue becomes much more dramatic when the paper reveals that an opera singer, Helga Von Hertz, has gone missing and a stagehand has been murdered! Oh no! They will need your help to investigate! The next mission is to preserve items in your yard. This gives you a higher reputation and a higher reputation unlocks your next quest. The next quest is to visit the scene of the murder at the Royal Opera House. Every scene has a special highlighted clue that will help you solve the case.

In this quest I have discovered a tiara that must have belonged to Helga Von Hertz herself. This is very much a mystery sort of plot with hypotheses and deducing answers from ponderous statements… And very dramatic. They suggest you play each level multiple times to uncover more clues and to earn more stars. As I revisited the first scene, London Alley, I notice there was a shady man posted against a wall. Talk about creepy. I suggest you try to always get 2 stars at least on each level. The game will sometimes ask you to earn more on certain levels. However, watch your energy levels. I don’t like to go below 10. When you start getting low add things to your garden, it will help you get more reputation AND energy. Next I am invited to visit a neighbor, George, in his yard and challenge him to find out who is a better sleuth (whatever that means). This earns you silver to buy things for your yard and XP that unlocks new items to display in the yard.

I find out next that Helga was last seen on stage and must scour the stage for clues. On the stage you find a poison bottle said to contain chloroform explaining why Helga did not scream when she was abducted. How cruel! Next thing to do is find the source of the chloroform at some of the chemist’s shops nearby. I have run low on energy because they keep making me visit the same place to find a clue for a second time. In the meantime I have to buy things for my yard to open a new quest and gain more energy. The graphics on this game are good, everything is dark and dreary and that adds greatly to the whole mysterious ambiance. Even at my Evidence Yard. I like the landscape around my yard too. It has a mansion behind it and a cobblestone outline around the yard with a road outside of that surrounding my yard.

If you like the whole idea of solving mysteries in hidden object games then you should definitely look at playing some more detective games and mystery games.