Are you a fan of casual puzzle games? For you, we heartily recommend hidden object games — and thankfully, there’s a good selection of them on Xbox. If you’re unfamiliar with the term, a ‘hidden object’ game is typically similar to an easy, accessible point-and-click game. You’ll be given a mixture of puzzles to solve, but several of them will have you hunting for specific objects in an image. Think Where’s Wally, but instead of looking for a dude in a stripy sweater, you’re hunting down a list of various objects.
Usually, the best hidden object games on Xbox will have a story running through the heart of them. Whether you’re hunting down a killer or dabbling with ancient magic, the narrative will guide you from one puzzle to another. We love these games because they’re pretty relaxing; even if their stories are tense, puzzles can usually be completed at your own pace, which we really appreciate when we want to unwind after a hard day at work.
You’ll find a range of hidden object games on Xbox in our guide below. Many of these come from developer Artifex Mundi, but we’ve also thrown a few others into the mix too. No matter which game you pick, we promise you’ll have a great time — as long as you enjoy hunting down hidden objects!
This article was first published in March 2020 and has been periodically updated since.
1. Hidden Through Time 2: Discovery
Hidden Through Time 2: Discovery does away with the notion of having other puzzles in the mix: this is purely a hidden object game, and it’s an utter delight. Colourful and cartoonish, you’ll make your way around various environments — you’ll find yourself in a Victorian-era city, a noir-inspired mystery world and even outer space.
Each environment you find yourself in has a list of objects to be found. They may be hiding in plain sight, or maybe they’re inside a box, or within a building that you’ll first have to click on to reveal its interior. You’ll need to keep a keen eye about you in order to find everything.
With dozens of levels to work through, there’s plenty of fun to be had with Hidden Through Time 2: Discovery — and when you’re done with it, you can seek out Hidden Through Time 2: Myths & Magic, offering more of the same but with different locations. Together, they make for some of the best hidden object games on Xbox.
Read our full review of Hidden Through Time 2: Discovery
2. Noir Chronicles: City of Crime
Noir Chronicles: City of Crime puts you in the shoes of private eye Alfred Fox. It comes to his attention that a woman from his past is in danger, and he takes it upon himself to protect her. That means investigating some mysterious goings-on.
The majority of Artifex Mundi’s games are set in fantastical realms, so Noir Chronicles’ gritty and realistic setting makes it stand out. The murder mystery-style story keeps you gripped too, and the range of puzzles on offer makes it an entertaining game all round.
We were on the edge of our seats as we followed Alfred Fox through his paces. We don’t always care about the stories in these games, but this one sets itself apart. Noir Chronicles is one of the best hidden object games on Xbox, particularly if you love a noir thriller.
3. Hidden Cats in Paris
If you like cats, this is the hidden object game for you. Hidden Cats in Paris, if you didn’t guess from the title is about… well, hidden cats in Paris. The main game gives you a huge, living scene of Paris. Starting out as a black and white line drawing, colour will be added in piecemeal as you find cats from around the scene. It’s a wonderful, whimsical thing to see the world suddenly come to life — and with over 100 cats to find, there’s plenty to keep you busy.
Away from the main scene, you’ll find smaller levels, all filled with dozens of cats for you to locate. These remain black and white, with colour simply being added to the cats — but they’re equally fun to play. If this all sounds good, you’ll be pleased to know that Hidden Cats in Paris is just one of a series. You’ll find Hidden Cats in Berlin, Hidden Cats in London, Hidden Cats in New York and more. Cat lovers rejoice!
Read more: Hidden cat games are my new jam (and My God there’s a lot of them)
4. Dreamwalker: Never Fall Asleep
With a mixture of real-world and fantasy settings, Dreamwalker: Never Fall Asleep weaves a very interesting narrative. You play as the titular dreamwalker, a psychiatrist with a very unique skill: you can enter people’s dreams. It’s a skill that comes in handy for the residents of a small Austrian village; you see, many of them happen to suffer from a strange sleep disorder. By entering their dreams and freeing them from their own minds, you can help the village get back to normal.
Like many of the best hidden object games on Xbox, Dreamwalker contains a mixture of hidden object puzzles and other brainteasers. Its weird and wonderful story will keep your attention, and its dreamscape scenes provide some wonderfully unique environments to explore.
5. Clockwork Tales: Of Glass and Ink
A steampunk adventure that takes place in an ominously Nazi Germany-esque country, Clockwork Tales: Of Glass and Ink is perhaps one of the best hidden object games on Xbox. Don’t let the fact that it’s now several years old put you off.
It continues Artifex Mundi’s trend of using striking hand-drawn artwork for environments. The steampunk setting, however, makes a welcome change from its usual fairytale theme. Hidden object puzzles are outnumbered in Clockwork Tales, however. But its solid mixture of other types of puzzles ensures you’re always kept entertained.
With giant robots, steampunk pseudo-Nazis and a mechanical raven as your sidekick, Clockwork Tales: Of Glass and Ink isn’t your typical adventure in a small town. But it’s all the better for it.
Read our review of Clockwork Tales: Of Glass and Ink
6. Dark Arcana: The Carnival
What stands out most about Dark Arcana: The Carnival is its foreboding atmosphere. It’s set in an abandoned fairground, and it makes for an intense and spooky environment to explore. This isn’t a horror game by any stretch of the imagination, but it oozes eeriness at every turn.
However, since The Carnival first released on PC in 2012, its visuals aren’t quite as sharp as more modern releases. That doesn’t stop the artwork being impressive, though. With a wide range of puzzles alongside plenty of hidden object challenges, there’s more than enough to get stuck into. Dark Arcana: The Carnival will take around three hours to complete, and you’ll be entranced in its far-fetched but entertaining story for the whole journey.
7. Grim Legends: The Forsaken Bride
Like its title may suggest, Grim Legends: The Forsaken Bride tells a story that feels ripped straight out of a fairytale book. With witches, princes, princesses and an evil bear, it’s certainly a very tall tale. Thankfully, it does a great job of keeping you entertained for its three-or-so-hour running time.
As with most of the hidden object games on this list, don’t expect anything amazing when it comes to animations and voicework. These are far from AAA levels of production, but they offer a certain charm; a je ne sais quoi, if you will. Naturally, Grim Legends: The Forsaken Bride is no different. Gorgeous hand-drawn artwork makes up the backdrops for you to explore, looking like pages from a Hans Christian Andersen book. It makes other rough edges easier to forgive.
And of course, Grim Legends: The Forsaken Bride has puzzles aplenty. You’ll regularly come up against those traditional hidden object puzzles, but there are plenty of other logic puzzles to keep you busy, too. For its breadth of variety, The Forsaken Bride is one of the best hidden object games available on Xbox.
