Available for iOS, Android (version played) and PC

Though hidden object games and visual novels are hugely popular games, particularly among mobile and casual gamers in general, I don’t have a great deal of exposure to either type of game. So it was quite a pleasant surprise when I played Darkarta: A Broken Heart’s Quest on my Android device; the production values are extremely high, with a superbly produced, fully voice acted intro.

Those production values carry over to the main game, with wonderful sound design, an impressive soundtrack and beautifully vibrant high resolution visuals. The puzzles are taxing, with some surprising types of interaction involved in the solutions – and if you’re as bad at lateral thinking as I am, you’ll be making good use of the excellent hint system.

It’s a nice introduction to the world of hidden object games if that’s something you’ve been curious about but never tried before; with a variety of collectables and unlockables to discover, there’s a lot here to work your way through too. I found Darkarta to be quite a relaxing, gently taxing absorbing experience and it’s certainly made me want to check out more hidden object style adventures.