HOGs - How to build a successful (and profitable) one.

[BiboGames]

Do you tried to made a HOGs (Hidden Object Game) and you failed?
Do you want to start in this "niche" but you think it's too late?
Do you think you will fail?

Here you are the (free) "Complete Guide to Build a Successful Hidden Object Game" ready for Big Fish Games portal.

(NOTE: this guide was written by me and translated by me from Italian... sorry for the bad English)

Short introduction to Casual Games and Portals

We are not talking of little tiny games of "Fashion", "Shopping", "Makeup" and "Dressup", build on Flash and available for free on many "portal" that have as focus little girls! We are talking of a really important audience, that want to spend good money in good games. But we don't want to make general Casual Game: we want to make HOGs for BFG.

HOGs are games with simple gameplay, but they are the most wanted games on "Big Fish Games" portal. These games are for adult women (30->60 y.o. and up). We will focus on BFG because we will have many advantage for the Marketing aspect when our game will be ready for publishing (exclusive publishing is the best choice).

Building HOGs can seem easy at first but as soon as you start to make one you will discover that it's not: there are many pitfalls if you don't know what you are doing. If you don't want to loose money you will better follow my suggestions ;-).

What people want: Good Art, Good Story, Good Balanced Gameplay, Rewards

Many people hate HOGs but many others love them. Why? Our target audience love to do an easy task and to be part of a funny adventure. They will love your character and the story. But this is not enough: you need to make optimal hidden object scenes.

How to build a good Hidden Object Scene:
-do not make dark scenes where it is too difficult to spot objects from background (poor eyesight for our players)
-do not fill your scene with tiny objects
-pay attention on object descriptions and story texts (good and clever English... not like mine :-)
-try to make a list of "useful objects" for the story
-no doubled objects in the same scene (even of different shape) when you need to find only one
-try to limit "out of context" objects (cell phone on mediaval room, if we aren't "time traveler" :-)
-try to limit too "tech" objects (women don't like them...)
-do not use one of the following way to hide an object:
more than 50% hidden behind another object
an unusual color (purple orange?!?) to adapt with background
irrealistic proportions (giant or tiny unnatural objects)
object on screen borders or, even worst, corners
too transparent objects
-if you can, try to avoid fog and other atmospherical effects, at least try not to fill the whole scene.


So how we can hide our objects?
Here you are:
-Partially visible objects but at least 60%
-Object near others of similar color or similar shape
-Object in a series of different objects (ex: a tree-trunk in a series of pillars)
-Object a bit out of place (red apple near red balls)
-many, many objects in the same scene!

What women want: Ancient places rich of luxury with vivid colors (but not too childish)
What women don't want: Technical and futuristic places.

Thing you need to do: play many HOGs

About gameplay:
-Avoid non skippable "cut scenes"
-insert "skip all" button for cut scenes
-if the player click the mouse on a cut scene go to the next "texts"
-Avoid too technical minigames
-Avoid arcade minigames
-insert a map and a journal with the current state of the game and the story so far.
-build a reactive interface and speed up loading
-insert a good (skippable) tutorial at the start of the game
-try to make a scene replayable for many times.
-Avoid to start the game with a too innovative gameplay element (you can introduce this later, when player start to like your story).
-Object list must be well done and varied
-many people don't like "fragment" objects, but you can make a list of object parts (torch an battery, etc)
-Today's HOGs have some form of adventure elements, so it's good if you have some "inventory" and some Puzzle based on that inventory, even really simple one.

About story.
Avoid to tell childish story or too "sappy" novel. Good lite horror story are OK. You don't need to explain why you are searching for objects from a list and who wrote that list. But you need to avoid story pitfall like "I need to clean up this room": player (women) want to explore, not to do "houseclean". It's better if you say: "I need to investigate". Player want to play! The psicological aspect of what the players do in the game is really important!

Standard of Game Interface:
-many named Players, each one with a dedicated "save" file
-options: music and ambient volume, full/windowed screen, Hardware/Custom cursor (if you have one)
-periodical autosave, and on exit
-integrated tutorial
-refillable unlimited (timed) hints for hidden object scene and puzzles (if possible)
-game journal
-game progress indicator or map (optional)

About Art: don't think that women like cute childish art. Take a look at modern HOGs and you will see that successful one are made with beautiful painted and really polished background! Find good artists if you aren't one of them. Attention: Art it's really expensive: try to use (and reuse) it in a clever way .

Story Themes:
-Solve a mystery
-Investigate about a (personal) story
-find the solution of an enigma
-Find the "lost artifact"
-Investigate about a crime
-...

Story to avoid:
Hospital theme
Sad Stories
Boring Stories (boring gameplay)

RECAP: If you make a game with good level design, pleasant art, good story, and good balanced gameplay you will success!

Instead, you will fail if:
-story is bad
-H.O. scenes are bad
-English is bad (find a good translator and proofreader)
-game start slowly and player does not feel immediately involved
-level are always the same (in art and/or in gameplay)
-game/story does not transmits emotions
-there are technical bugs
-game is too short (you need at least 4 hours)


Hope you liked...


Marco

[JGOware]

Hi - Could you please point us to one of your successul hidden object games? Would love to see what you've done. Thx.

[Roman Budzowski]

Maybe he didn't make any games, but he's notes make a lot of sense and some are advised by portal representatives, so you should be safe reading them and it shouldn't hurt you if you use them

[BiboGames]

Maybe he didn't make any games, but he's notes make a lot of sense and some are advised by portal representatives

I'm making a HOG. I've started more than a year ago. I had contacts with a BFG representative (I sent him my 10 levels demo). I got a lots of feedback on what to do to improve my game and on how to do it.

I made a "looong" marketing research on this subject.

And what I wrote is (part) of what I learned.

HOGs are very risky business today (but profitable, if well done) so I think that some advices could be very useful to everyone that think to start making this kind of games

BTW if there is someone that have more (and better) suggestions... let us know

Marco

[Jack Norton]

I find it funny that even on HOG women don't like tech/futuristic stuff. One day someone needs to explain me WHY since seems to be a constant

[BantamCityGames]

...HOG women...

LOL

Even though I have no intentions of making a HOG, I think the info presented here would be very useful in making one and save someone alot of rework.

As a side note, apparently the majority of HOG players are non-technical women with poor eye-sight, slow reflexes and a short attention span

[BiboGames]

Even though I have no intentions of making a HOG, I think the info presented here would be very useful in making one and save someone alot of rework.

Thank you

As a side note, apparently the majority of HOG players are non-technical women with poor eye-sight, slow reflexes and a short attention span

You don't know how what you said is real

[Scharlo]

Great recap Marco!
You are 100% right. We made some of those mistakes and even though our HOG's did fairly well, I know if we followed all the rules listed here they would do much better.

[JGOware]

fwiw...I never doubted the ot poster, I just wanted to see one of his hogs. And yep, the ladies just don't like space.

[vbovio]

thanks for sharing the info!
question: would a HOG with 3D graphics be a bad idea ?

[jpoag]

It's a little 'funny' to make a guide on "How to build a successful (and profitable) [HOG]" without actually building and releasing a successful or profitable HOG.

However, I'd like to point out 2 things:

1. The author's tips and suggestions are 100% accurate.
2. The list is not comprehensive.

I guarantee that you can satisfy every item on the checklist and submit it to BFG and they will still give you valuable feedback and suggestions for changes.

For that matter, the 'article' should have been titled "How to design a successful or profitable HOG." The logistics of building a HOG go way beyond these valuable tips, which seem to only address design issues.

(A side note, it is possible to create a profitable HOG without creating a 'successful' one; see HH1 and HH2)

[electronicStar]

I thought it was going to be a sarcastic thread, I'm a bit disappointed.

[jpoag]

thanks for sharing the info!
question: would a HOG with 3D graphics be a bad idea ?

http://www.bigfishgames.com/download...bel/index.html

http://www.bigfishgames.com/download...ris/index.html

http://www.bigfishgames.com/download...ace/index.html

http://casualcharts.com/games/detail/annabel.html

[joe]

Thing you need to do: play many HOGs

The killer reason to NOT do an hidden object game :-)

But very good and true article/post I think (altough I have no experience with HOGs)

[Wrote A Game or Two]

thanks for sharing the info!
question: would a HOG with 3D graphics be a bad idea ?

I've thought about this too, but decided against it, other than using prerendered 3d graphics for characters and backgrounds.

As for the original list, seems like most of it is spot on, but anyone who spends a few hours looking at the player reviews of new releases on BFG could have figured this out on their own. Much of what was said here can be found in reviews from players.

It's also very easy to say "write an interesting story without relying too heavily on cut scenes." It's quite another to pull it off. And how profitable can you be when everything BFG releases ends up on wares sites on the day it comes out? I've even seen some BFG releases on wares sites BEFORE they come out on the official site! Whaddapwidat?

We're going to take one last shot at the pot of gold hiding at the end of the BFG rainbow, but if this one doesn't pan out, we're done with casual games (at least until we have half a million dollars inhand so we can compete with the big boys). Right now I'm leaning more towards dropping out of sight for a couple years and throwing all my spare time into creating a good free-to-play MMORPG with microtransactions. At least then you don't have pirates stealing your work the day it comes out (just hackers and botters but that's another rant). But we've committed to at least finish the project we're on right now, so I'll see it thru and see what happens. With piracy being what it is, plus the current market saturation and the huge budgets the big boys throw at these HOG's, however I'm not holding my breath that we'll be happy with the sales results. In other words, I don't think I'll be quitting my dayjob with this one.

[Wrote A Game or Two]

http://www.bigfishgames.com/download...bel/index.html

http://www.bigfishgames.com/download...ris/index.html

http://www.bigfishgames.com/download...ace/index.html

http://casualcharts.com/games/detail/annabel.html

2 things.

1. Top ten numbers are downloads, not buys.
2. Lots of people said this game made them feel sick because of all the spinning and turning.

See: http://forums.bigfishgames.com/posts/list/26732.page

I thought of using realtime 3D for our latest HOG project too, but decided against it after talking to our product manager at BFG and reading comments like the ones I linked above. HOG players don't like 3D.

[jpoag]

2. Lots of people said this game made them feel sick because of all the spinning and turning.

Yepp, I've heard the same thing. I've been told that's why they axed the Travelogue series.

The charts were to show that the game was an under-performer.

I totally agree.

[rioka]

I find it funny that even on HOG women don't like tech/futuristic stuff. One day someone needs to explain me WHY since seems to be a constant

Possibly because it's science-based and historically and currently speaking, there just aren't that many women who are into that subject. Some may be even put off because it becomes too technical (jargon, equipment, etc) and that goes beyond their comfort zone and area of knowledge.

On another point of view, what's romantic about technology? Cold, metallic items and settings with nothing but the black void of space in front of you unless you're at an alien planet with an exotic looking locale. If you're going to do sci-fi for women, don't focus too much on the technology.

Re spinning and turning>>
This is probably because they're not used to it. I felt the same during the conversion from 32-bit to 64-bit consoles. I basically stopped playing any video games for awhile (read: years) because it was simply nauseating.

[Wrote A Game or Two]

@jpoag: Ah, misunderstood the charts link... although peaking at #6 in downloads is loads better than my two games have done - I'd be thrilled if they got anywhere near the top ten!

@rioka: Totally off-topic but my kids are going to love you for that Manga Tutorial site in your sig. I'm gonna turn 'em loose with that link tonite when I get home (and I might even use some of that info myself).

[papillon]

I find it funny that even on HOG women don't like tech/futuristic stuff. One day someone needs to explain me WHY since seems to be a constant

all kinds of reasons I'm sure. A tech/futuristic HOG might be likely to have cold blue-and-grey color schemes that are boring to look at compared to other HOGs? Or far too DARK! People who are really into sci-fi tend to sneer at casual games, and people who are tired of being sneered at assume sci-fi is for jerks? Scifi as a genre, while it has come a long way, has a history of being misogynistic and many women have built up an aversion to the subject? (Heck, I'm a big scifi fan but anything with a Space Marine Dude on it puts me right off. I still haven't played Mass Effect, and I've heard many rumblings about it being clearly written for male players.)

This stuff changes over time but it does take time.

As for just putting techie things in the item list - more of the audience has no idea what an electrolytic capacitor is supposed to look like, making it hard to find? Futuristic items could look like anything, since they don't actually exist yet, so that's definitely likely to confuse.

[Grey Alien]

I love HoG adventure games (play them with my kids and wife) and would love to produce/design one. Do you hear me BFG!? I'm your man.

Yeah good list btw.

[BiboGames]

It's a little 'funny' to make a guide on "How to build a successful (and profitable) [HOG]" without actually building and releasing a successful or profitable

As said my "knowledge" come from marketing research: I think it's really important to do research before you enter a market. Anyway it's possible to make a successful game even if you don't know exactly how you do it

I guarantee that you can satisfy every item on the checklist and submit it to BFG and they will still give you valuable feedback and suggestions

I know you have a lot of direct experience in this field: could you share some suggestions with us? Thank you James.

[jpoag]

As said my "knowledge" come from marketing research: I think it's really important to do research before you enter a market. Anyway it's possible to make a successful game even if you don't know exactly how you do it

You haven't misrepresented yourself in anyway. Everything you said is 100% accurate for a developer doing market research and receiving feedback for an in-dev game from BFG.

It's a 'cart before the horse' situation (not bad, just funny). This would be a great postmortem.

I know you have a lot of direct experience in this field: could you share some suggestions with us? Thank you James.

Suggestions? Nah. What works for one game doesn't necessarily work for another. Most of my experience is learned from making mistakes. Once you start developing a title, getting feedback from playtesting and publisher demos, reading BFG forums, Gamezebo reviews and playing the games of the competition (which is depressing), you're already on your way to becoming a good HOG producer.

I will say this: be prepared to make changes. I've seen people not make changes to the game because of the amount of time already invested in the current design (that's not working). When you're invested in a section of design or code, time-wise or emotionally, it's hard to scrap the offending piece.

[jpoag]

I love HoG adventure games (play them with my kids and wife) and would love to produce/design one. Do you hear me BFG!? I'm your man.

Do it.

If I were in your position (working for BFG) I would draw up as much design as possible and get some fellow artists (working in the same studio) to mock up some drawings.

Schedule an appointment and pitch the idea to higher-ups. You already have experience as a presenter/speaker.

Try to think of as many questions as possible and answer them in your pitch. What sets this game apart? What engine do you plan on using? (Drawn's SDL engine or MCF's Flash stuff?) I know of several games that need to get 'pitched' at BFG before they are green lit.

When executives look at a project, they look at 2 things:

1. Can the game perform well in the market?
2. Can this person deliver this game on-time and under-budget?

They need to believe in the game and they need to believe that you can deliver it. Worst case scenario? They say no. I've heard one project get rejected but the guy presenting it got hired to a different project (he worked in the mail room, so getting moved to the studio floor was a promotion).

[Grey Alien]

Thanks James. It's a matter of resource allocation. BFG decides who makes HOGs and who makes Facebook games (which are also fun to make). It's just that I really like HOGs and have always wanted to make one. Maybe one day...

[AlexWeldon]

A few things I can contribute to the thread:

1) Without going into detail, I worked for a bit on a HO game with someone from this forum, and it ended amicably, but unsuccessfully (well, for me... he's still working on the game), because it was the first time for both of us. If you're making your first HO game, make damn sure your primary art guy has worked a completed one before. If you've already made a successful one, then presumably you know what skills and how much time are required, and can recruit appropriately.

2) As has been mentioned before, the OP's advice more or less repeats what I've heard elsewhere, and most of it is common sense.

3) Regarding women and sci-fi, it's probably a combination of lots of factors, but I can tell you that it's not limited to video games only... I do a lot of work for a local board game company, and the owner nixed a robot mascot I'd suggested for a game for little boys... he said the boys would love it, but they don't buy the games, their mothers do, and moms don't buy stuff with metallic/electronic looking stuff on the box. Dads do, but they're not doing most of the gift shopping for kids under 10, apparently.

4) Women obviously don't hate all sci-fi though, because I know lots of women who profess to dislike sci-fi in general, yet were as addicted to Battlestar Galactica as all my nerdy guy friends. What is it that made BSG palatable to them? Figure this out and become rich.

5) I just asked my girlfriend why women don't like robots and she said, "Do Transformers count as robots?" and I said yes, and she said "I liked Transformers as a kid. I asked for one, and it was my Barbie's boyfriend." I'm not sure that's useful to the thread, but I just wanted to say that I have an awesome girlfriend.

[Wrote A Game or Two]

5) I just asked my girlfriend why women don't like robots and she said, "Do Transformers count as robots?" and I said yes, and she said "I liked Transformers as a kid. I asked for one, and it was my Barbie's boyfriend." I'm not sure that's useful to the thread, but I just wanted to say that I have an awesome girlfriend.

Hahaha, nice! You've got a keeper there.