Presenting our 2023 Award Winners!

Game of the Year

Mystery Case Files: The Dalimar Legacy Collector's Edition
Player Review: "Thank you for listening to your fans, this game is ABSOLUTELY what we were hoping for.....for the loyal MCF fans like us!!!!"

Best HOPA

Mystery Case Files: A Crime in Reflection Collector's Edition
Player Review: "This game had everything for me! Visually pleasing, great storyline, challenging, and length of game play. Not to mention great music."

Best Hidden Object

Clutter RefleXIVe: The Diceman Cometh Collector's Edition
Player Review: "Puzzles by Joe are phenomenal games PERIOD! Joe pours his heart and soul into these games; literally..."

Best Time Management

Golden Rails: Valuable Package Collector's Edition
Player Review: "The game is great. Additional letters and packages have been added for delivery to the right house. Great. I love the addition of these new things."

Best Artwork

Lost Lands: Sand Captivity Collector's Edition
Player Review: "This game was amazing! The graphics were superb! Story line good, animation good. Colors fabulous. Absolutely loved this game! The series keeps getting better & better."

Best Mystery

Whispered Secrets: Purrfect Horror Collector's Edition
Player Review: "... brilliant game grandma keep up the good work YOU ARE OUTSTANDING this is the game I have been waiting for."

Best Fantasy

Knight Cats: Leaves on the Road Collector's Edition
Player Review: "The claws are out in Catstown! Normally a peaceful cat burg... a gang of traitorous felines are out to cause turmoil!"

Best Holiday

Christmas Wonderland 14 Collector's Edition
Player Review: "Christmas is here at last! This is another great game in the series from Casual Arts. But this year's addition adds a devious slant to Frosty the snowman."

Best Detective

Ms. Holmes: The Case of the Dancing Men Collector's Edition
Player Review: "What a "sleuth-tastic game! Join Detective Sharlotte Holmes on a case based upon one of her granduncle Sherlock’s cases."

Best Story

Dark City: Kyiv Collector's Edition
Player Review: "This one not only does not disappoint, it reminds me of why I began playing HOGs in the first place ... Great storyline, visually stunning, and generous game play! "

Best Debut

Wilde Investigations: The Zoo Kerfuffle Collector's Edition
Player Review: "... brilliant game grandma keep up the good work YOU ARE OUTSTANDING this is the game I have been waiting for."

Creepiest

Crossroads: What Was Lost Collector's Edition
Player Review: "Three eerily beautiful stories are told about a woman. Ghosts aren't missing either, so there's definitely a little spooky factor."

Best Animal

I Love Finding Furbabies Collector's Edition
Player Review: "Well, apparently, I still DO love Finding these adorable animals! The scenes are beautiful, the animals are adorable, the mini-games are fun, and the features are top-notch."

Best Travel

Finding America: The Pacific Northwest Collector's Edition
Player Review: "It's refreshing to see something of the Pacific Northwest. It is very beautiful and has lots of interesting sites and history."

Best Love Story

Connected Hearts: The Musketeers Saga Collector's Edition
Player Review: "A big yes for me. It is a funny and whity game... No ghosts and scary stuff but a love story. Yes Yes Yes for me. Keep those coming!"

Best Match 3

Spellarium 9
Player Review: "Always have liked Spellarium games and this one is up to their usually great quality. Nice match 3 to pass the time on a rainy day!" 

Best Puzzle

All I Want For Christmas Are Subgames Collector's Edition
Player Review: "So much fun for everyone! ... hours of fun to take you from now to beyond Christmas!"

Best Mosaics

Daydream Mosaics 3: Shards of Hope
Player Review: "This game isn't just designed for Mosaic fans; Jigsaw geeks will be thrilled, Hidden Object fans will rejoice."

How Were Winners Selected?

All winners earned this honor based on overall purchases and sentiment provided in player reviews. The following factors were used to determine the winners:

  • First seven days sales
  • A game can only win one award (i.e. if a game wins "game of the year", it cannot qualify for "Best Hidden Object Game", etc.)
  • Game classifications are determined by the site editor. Many games cross several genres and award categories.
See Mac Winners
See French Winners
See German Winners