‘Quoth the Ravenhearst: “Nevermore”’

Have you ever wished to search for objects on a time travelling steam train, or craft grappling hooks in order to cross the picket line of protesting cult members? If so then, the rich and varied world of Hidden Object games is for you. This expansive genre of games is often overlooked despite its vast array of titles and an engaged, mainly female audience. Building on the work of Chess (2014a, 2014b, 2017) and Consalvo (2009) this paper will offer a glimpse into the gothic aspects of Hidden Object Games. Unusually, these games do not identify themselves with more commonplace tropes seen in videogaming culture, but instead use elements of narrative storytelling seen more commonly in romance and mystery fiction. With a focus on beautiful artwork and breath-taking locations, feisty heroines, dashing heroes, evil warlocks, and mysteries of lost uncles, Hidden Object games deliberately present the Gothic as a central discourse.
This paper examines how the genre has developed, and discusses how it answers the changing needs of an underrepresented gaming audience who are hungry a very different type of gaming experience. Despite the lack of critical attention, this genre forms a huge, and lucrative subculture within casual gaming markets which presents a very different, feminist image of the typical gamer.