In my youth while my older siblings would complete word searches, crossword puzzles and logic problems I would spend some of my spare time doing the slightly taxing puzzles of spot the difference. A simple yet entreating game where you would have to find the differences between two seemingly identical pictures.

Well things have moved forward a little since then and the way we consume such games with the new technologies at our disposals. The modern version of spot the difference is the hidden puzzle style game where your task is to find a myriad of hidden objects in a complex picture.

These are particularly popular on touch screen devices where the ability to touch the objects directly on the screen with you finger makes them very intuitive. The latest for the iPhone and iPod Touch is Ankh the Lost Treasures which is available now in the App Store.

More and more of these games now have narratives to move the game along and Ankh is no different. Ankh is based in Ancient Egypt and you play the title role of Thara as she attempts to help her sick father and solve the mysteries. The story is enjoyable enough and it’s told with a slice of humor and is beautifully illustrated in cartoon style graphics.

The pictures themselves look good too with plenty of detail, although when zooming in on some of the pictures some of the clarity is lost. This doesn’t stop the enjoyment of the game though as you hunt the various pictures for the hidden objects that are listed at the bottom of the screen.

As with many of these titles there are two game modes, a relaxed mode where there is no time limit on each puzzle and Normal mode where you are up against the clock as you attempt to find all of the hidden objects.

Unfortunately while the story is well written and the puzzles a lot of fun ultimately the game is too short especially when you consider the $5.99 price tag which is definitely towards the high end of this genre.

The other thing that is unclear about the game is the randomness of the auto save feature. At some points when you exit the game you’ll find yourself taken back to a prior place where as at other times you will back where you started. So while it appears that there are check points through the game it’s not clear where they occur.

If you’re a fan of hidden object games then you’ll probably enjoy this too but if you are a first-timer you may want to look elsewhere to find better value for money.

Pros

• Entertaining story line
• Well hidden objects

Cons

• Not great value for money
• Too short
• Lack of clarity on certain pictures

Price: $5.99 (iTunes Store)
Category: Games
Released: May 28, 2010
Reviewed Version: 1.0
Size: 50.0 MB
Languages: English, French, German
Seller: Softdistribution GmbH
© Prime Games GmbH
Requirements: Compatible with iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. Requires iPhone OS 3.0 or later.