12 Best Free Hidden Object Games (2024)

Hidden object games just don't get as much love as they deserve. Too many games are microtransaction-filled nightmares that use the same images over and over again. While the genre once had its heyday, it clearly isn't being taken seriously as of late. Still, there are plenty of hidden (pun intended) gems out there.

While there are plenty of great hidden object games available for the PC and consoles, they tend to cost money. The majority of free hidden object games are for mobile devices, with some being free to play on Steam or in your computer's browser. So, to save you the trouble of searching, here are some of the best free hidden object games worth your time.

Updated on August 16, 2024 by Rowan Cardosa: Previously, all games on this list were for mobile devices. We've scoured the internet for more hidden object games and added a few that can be played on your computer to give this list a little more variety. Consequently, every entry now has a line specifying what device it's meant to be played on.

12 Find N Seek

Android & iOS

No fuss, no frills. No story to worry about. What does Find N Seek have to offer? What else but one of the largest treasure troves of hidden object levels in the app store? Find N Seek is a pretty basic hidden object game, but quantity is part of its quality. There's something to be said about simplicity here.

It's not just that Find N Seek's library is especially large, either. There's something for everyone in its expansive repertoire of levels, with a variety of different difficulty levels and art styles represented. This is the game for you if you don't care about story and just want a bite-sized hidden object game to keep you entertained for short sessions.

11 Letters From Nowhere

Android & iOS

Letters from Nowhere is a game with solid hidden object fun to be had, but what makes it really shine is the story. Here, you'll find yourself saving your town from a looming supernatural threat. If you're a fan of shows like Charmed and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, you might want to give this game a try.

There's a few additional minigames sprinkled in to keep you on your toes, but the bulk of the gameplay revolves around solving different hidden object levels. Letters from Nowhere is a great game to download if you want something cozy and witchy to go along with your hidden object escapades.

10 Bubble People

Free To Play On Steam

Sure, the art style is simple, but that doesn't make Bubble People any less engaging. Objects pop like bubbles when you find them in this game, and there are several other interactions you can have with the world that earn you more achievements. It's short, but Bubble People is an extremely satisfying game for what it is.

As one of the few free hidden object offerings on Steam, Bubble People is a cute little game you can beat in about 15 or 20 minutes if all you want is to beat the main story. There's also an endless mode, where you can search, point, and click to your heart's content.

9 June's Journey

Android & iOS

If you've been on the internet at all in the past few years, you've probably heard about this game through sponsored ads from your favorite YouTubers and podcasters. It's well worth the hype. June's Journey combines an engaging story, great art, and a diverse cast with the familiar hidden object gameplay we've all come to know and love.

The story starts out fairly similarly to other games in the cozy mystery genre, with protagonist June out to solve the murders of her sister and brother-in-law. That being said, the 1920s setting adds a dose of character, and the writing is top-notch. June's Journey is one of the most popular hidden object games out there for all the right reasons, and has a large and growing community of fans.

8 Coastal Hill: Dark Legends

Android & iOS

At first, we weren't going to give this game the time of day. It seemed like your standard 'solve puzzles while renovating an old spooky mansion' game, and those are a dime a dozen on the app store. Then we found out about Coastal Hill's surprisingly large community of fans.

In addition to thrilling hidden object gameplay and a surprisingly in-depth avatar customization system, Coastal Hill buries one hell of a lede. The game's page on the app store doesn't mention this, but you can use the power of hidden object investigations to fight Lovecraftian monsters menacing the sleepy New England town. We think that warrants giving it some more attention.

7 Love Is In Small Things

Android & iOS

While most hidden object games on this list use the simplicity of the gameplay to contrast a murder mystery plot or intense supernatural happenings, a few lean into the casual nature of the genre. Such is the way with Love is in Small Things, a hidden object game that's more therapeutic than thrilling.

You can find all the hidden objects in each scene at your own pace, and enjoy a sweet, domestic romance while you do it. To keep up the variety, there's also a few minigames for you to play, although hidden objects are still the bulk of the gameplay here. We can't imagine a better way to relax.

Free To Play On Steam

Much like its name suggests, 100 Hidden Frogs has you searching for a hundred hidden frogs in a variety of scenes. The game is mostly in black and white, but the frogs you find are colored in as you progress. It's a simple game, but it's a great way to keep you occupied for a few hours.

100 Hidden Frogs might not make any innovations where hidden object games are concerned, but it's a fun, engaging and relaxing game that's perfect for kids. The only real complaint is that it might be a little short for your liking, but if you want something cute, you'll certainly get it.

5 Murder In The Alps

Android & iOS

Rounding out our trio of mystery-themed games on this list is Murder in the Alps. The plot is pretty much exactly what it says on the tin, but unlike other mobile games in the genre, Murder in the Alps doesn't pull punches when it comes to its writing. The narrative is every bit as dark and bone-chilling as a murder mystery thriller should be, even if it's not straight up horror.

Most of the gameplay is hidden-object themed, but Murder in the Alps keeps you on your toes by incorporating other gameplay elements as well. It's a bit like your standard hidden object games took cues from both old-school point-and-click adventure games and the Zero Escape series. If that sounds like it's up your alley, give this game a try.

4 Find It Out

Android & iOS

If you loved Highlights for Children or Where's Waldo as a kid, then Find It Out is for you. This charming mobile game presents a variety of different scenes for you to peruse through, trying to find all of a particular person or object. There's always some sort of theme, usually dependent on whatever scene you're playing through.

The best part of this game by far has to be the art style, which is one of the most nostalgic things we've ever seen. It's easy to get lost for hours studying all the small details and funny background events in each scene, even if that takes away from the precious time you could spend finding hidden objects.

3 The Very Organized Thief

Game Jolt Website

The Very Organized Thief is an unorthodox hidden object game, but it provides some much-needed innovations to the genre. Being 3D instead of 2D is just a start, but the game combines finding hidden objects with some stealth and light horror elements. It's not as popular as its heyday in the 2010s, but you can still play it in your browser.

The first phase of gameplay starts off with you being given a randomized list of objects to steal from the house you've broken into. Take too long, however, and the homeowner returns, chasing you down once they see you. It's a great way to switch up the gameplay.

2 I Commissioned Some Bees 0

Free To Play On Steam

Under most circ*mstances, having to find a horde of bees is daunting. In I Commissioned Some Bees 0, it's a downright relaxing task, as you search for your missing bees to complete each level. Like 100 Hidden Frogs, there's not much variety in the objects you're looking for, but that's hardly the point.

The art in this game is charming, and it's hard to deny that I Commissioned Some Bees 0 is one of the cutest games on this list. If you want a hidden object game for your computer that doesn't demand much from you, it's hard to beat swarms of adorable, stealthy bees.

1 ProverbIdioms

Android & iOS

ProverbIdioms is certainly one of the more interesting twists on the hidden object genre. Instead of finding objects within a scene in a more straightforward fashion, each level presents you with one of several surreal panoramas by painter T.E. Breitenbach. Each scene contains several English idioms, portrayed literally. For instance, "wearing one's heart on their sleeve" is represented by a person wearing a giant heart on their shirt sleeve.

ProverbIdioms can be a bit daunting if English isn't your first language. Still, it can also be used as a great educational tool for teaching idioms and other turns of phrase. With thousands of puzzles, it's hard not to love this game. The best part? Unlike other hidden object games, which often have a time limit, ProverbIdioms lets you relax and find objects at your own pace.