Al Emmo's Postcards from Anozira (HOG)

[AGD2]

Just wanted to drop a note here that we've released a Hidden Object Game named "Postcards from Anozira". I started this side-project as an experiment, purely out of curiosity to see how effectively the AGS engine might handle a Hidden Object game capable of storing multiple user profiles etc. 

This is a "straight" Hidden Object Game, meaning, it's not an Interactive HOG with adventure-game elements. (As far as I'm aware,  it's the first HOG developed using AGS?)

Story
The Mayor of Anozira needs your help to drive tourists to the town! Explore the vast desert land and learn about the local stops and interesting wilderness areas as you use your Hidden Object skills to attract new people to the area and help local business survive. Explore the exotic world of the Wild West and discover a host of unusual treasures. (Okay, most of it's junk, but still...) Enter the homes of the town's many colorful inhabitants. Descend into the fabled Lost Dutchman's Mine and uncover riches beyond your craziest imaginings. Do all this and more as you challenge your perception and observation skills.

Select from 5 playable characters: Al Emmo, Rita Peralto, Kevin the Bartender, Koko the General Store Manager, or Mayor Herbie Trinkwasser. Choose to play casually in "relaxed" mode, or challenge your quick-thinking with the timer on. Dare you venture into the world of sand, sun, and silliness?


Screenshots







FEATURES
---------------------------------
-Explore the desert land of Anozira and challenge your observation skills.

-5 Playable characters: Rita, Kevin, Koko, the Mayor... and, of course, Al Emmo.

-Thousands of Hidden Objects, randomized each time you play.

-145 Postcards to collect.

-Collect Bonus Tokens to boost your score and enhance your game.

-Solve a variety of entertaining mini-games.

-Full voice acting & lipsyncing.

-Timed or Relaxed mode. Choose your playing style.


Obviously, this title is aimed predominantly at the casual gaming market, and I'm not sure how much interest there is for Hidden Object games amongst the more cerebral adventure-gaming community, but if you're actually into these kinds of game (or would just like to see AGS do something else it wasn't intended for), then take a look!

The game costs $6.99 USD. It's exclusive to Big Fish Games, so the demo can only be downloaded from their site. You can read more detail and view some screenshots at the links below:

Al Emmo's Postcards from Anozira Information Page

Download Demo (1 hour free trial) & Buy Game links

[Buckethead]

I hate to disappoint you but I made a hidden object game for the OROW not long ago:

Here

This game is obviously much better though.

I will certainly check out the demo as I wanted to make a full game with hidden objects for a while now myself.

[Peder 🚀]

Will this be available through Plimus?
Reason I ask is because I'd like to sell it through www.agsarchives.com .

Looks very interesting and I will certaintly buy a copy in the very near future!

[Chicky]

I have noticed that HOG's have cropped up everywhere in the UK, almost every single supermarket stocks a fair few of them for PC and DS.

This looks just like them, so congrats on that! Maybe you can publish it to stores 

[Buckethead]

Ok I've played the 60 min trial. It was rather fun but I don't think I will ever buy. Mostly because I already have sooo many Hidden object games already.

I think you did a good job with doing this AGS. The effects, score and hint system work nicely and all the objects move away from the screen in a nice fashion. I also enjoyed the casual puzzels between object hunting.

But there were also alot of things I disliked about this game:

- The graphics outside the objects is a nice hand draw style but the object rooms look messy with all the obvious pictures planted in. Also it's full things that make no sense.

- Finding objects for the sake of finding things isn't really fun.

- Objects are sometimes hidden in the most anoing ways possible, for example some objects were very transparent. Or some objects looked very different from what you would expect.

- 2-3 hints per screen can be too little, I found myself randomly clicking around too often.

- You have way too much time to find things. I was in the first room which felt like forever. I personally wouldn't find it a problem to redo a room as long as it isn't because I couldn't find that one last object.

[AGD2]

Buckethead: Ah, I wasn't aware that you'd already taken a shot at this type of game. Mixing a 3D environment with traditional HOG gameplay is an interesting style and a nice way of making the genre seem more original.

In regards to your feedback, yes, the game is what it is, really - an experiment to see if I could mimic the gameplay style of some other HOG games using AGS, and without having to invest too much into it as a side-project. The casual audience can be a difficult crowd to please, because thousands play these games and most players offer different feedback on the ideal number of hints granted, time allowed etc. Strangely enough, most feedback indicates that players prefer not to have a timer at all (in combination with having unlimited hints that recharge after a certain amount of time). Personally, I think this level of hand-holding reduces all challenge to being merely an interactive walkthrough. But you can't argue with the majority... and apparently that's what they want.

Peder: I have to check our agreement again to see if it allows us to sell the game independently. But if so, sure, I'll make it available via Plimus for affiliates.

Chicky: Almost like a cancer, eh? I must admit I was taken aback the last time I set foot inside a large chain store and saw mostly HOGs lining the shelves of the PC section and a complete absence of AAA titles -- especially when a cursory glance at the Wii section resembles the Great Wall of China. I have no desire to "sell out" to this genre, but if releasing the occasional HOG can generate some extra cash for us to fund more original adventure games in the future, then it's a means to an end.

[paolo]

I recognise that font from somewhere...

[SuperDre]

When I look at the games laying around in the shops (which also seem like they are all from bigfish) I just can't get a feeling that they all use the same engine and only have the graphix changed...
But appearantly it's a big business as there are sooooooo many... Just whished I thought of that and whished I could draw good enough to create the content..

[Buckethead]

Actually lots of HOG games on Bigfishgames use the same SDK. I think it's called Playground SDK or something. It even has a bundle with starter graphics and sounds etc.