If you’re familiar with Cleverside Games, you know what you’re getting into. This company is responsible for some of the most enjoyable visual puzzle games on mobile devices today, including Find the Difference and Relax Puzzle. Along that same vein comes Bright Objects: Hidden Object. This is an exceptional, well-done entry into the finding objects genre that deftly accomplishes its main tasks of keeping you busy, entertained, and sharp. The game is designed to get you up and running as quickly as possible, from the moment of installation. From there, you can either choose one of Bright Object’s many free simple visual puzzles, or you can leap into one of the app’s many categories and go from there.
The premise behind Bright Object is to locate fifteen hidden items located in images that are very well done. The title “Bright Object” comes from the idea that the items located in each image stand out, contrasting against the background. You can use pinch and zoom to close in on any aspect of the image that you please, but this is often unnecessary as the objects stand out quite well. The game strikes the balance of fun and challenge in a manner that makes it stand out even amongst other Cleverside games. Items aren’t so difficult to locate that the game becomes frustrating, but they are challenging enough that you can lose several hours on a rainy day hunting them down.
Bright Objects offers the largest selection of free content I’ve ever seen in a freemium title. Traditionally in games like this, you get about a tenth of the overall offering and then have to wade through unskippable ads to get to the rest. I kept expecting this from Bright Objects only to be surprised. Without paying its considerable (and thankfully optional) price tag, I played this game for roughly two hours before I realized the sun had moved. I was able to skip through most ads, and like other titles in the genre, you can watch ads in exchange for free hints. You can upgrade for ten dollars, but this isn’t necessary as you get so much for free, and doing so will not remove all ads. Cleverside might want to rethink this price tag; it’s asking s lot.
The app also offers one of the cleanest user interfaces I’ve ever seen. For those who don’t know, the user interface determines how you interact with the game. If the game has a flaw, and there are a few, it’s that you may not be satisfied with the initial free offerings. There is a lot to get into from the outset, but a dedicated player can get through the free offerings in about a day. This game is very much designed for casual players. The more hardcore gamer would be better served elsewhere.
Overall, Bright Objects: Hidden Objects is one of the best visual puzzle games I’ve ever played. This is a great title to kick back with and just let time go by, the ads aren’t so obtrusive you’ll get annoyed.
