Great Examples Of Quality Hidden Object Games And Visual Novels?

Im playing Steins Gate right now.

If you want something cheap I recommend Tricolour Lovestory.

Oh, I almost forgot. And if you want something for free. Play Doki Doki Literature Club!

There's a lot of variety in HOGs - what works best for me is an enjoyable story (the way they are put together really limits the narrative possibilities) and a certain cleverness and respect in the hidden-object puzzles. It always bothers me when a puzzle set under the sofa includes, say, hamburgers or clams. Because what would those things be doing under the sofa?

Some are fun because they just settle into the native silliness of the genre, ramp it up to about 50, and then let loose. That can be very different for different people, since the mood you're in and the vibe you pick up when you play can make or break the goofiness of them.

Artifex Mundi generally makes the best hidden object games, though they also publish a lot of lower-quality work from other studios. A couple of favorites of mine:

Grim Legends 3: The Dark City
All three of these are good; Dark City is my favorite, and much more complex than the other two (which are basically fairy-tale riffs).

Brink of Consciousness: Dorian Gray Syndrome
Odd interesting game. I did not love the sequel, though it tried to introduce some interesting mechanics, but most people do seem to like them both.

Nightmares from the Deep: The Cursed Heart
There are two sequels, and again all of these are good. The best is the third, probably, but these function more like a trilogy than most games in the genre.

The Zero Escape games. Part Visual novel, part escape room. Completely awesome.

Enigmatis
Grim Legends
The Secret Order
Nightmares from the Deep

Mostly all from Artifex Mundi are Awesome, cant do anything wrong with it. ;-)
Besides Steam, there are Grim Tales, some should be good. ^^

The House in Fata Morgana

If they aren't your type of game, they aren't your type of game. Hidden object games in particular generally fill a certain casual niche for people who want to be pleasantly distracted without being challenged, which won't be for everyone. The three HOG I like aren't the ones that are typically bundled (which are a sort of adventure game/hidden-object fusion), but closer to traditional I Spy games:

Hidden Folks: Where's Waldo with scribbly graphics, silly noises, and randomized search objectives. Everything's interactive, and it doesn't penalize you for clicking everywhere, which makes it fun just to mess around. It has goofy little hints to help you find each object or person, and you don't have to find every objective to move to the next level, which is a nice touch.
Under Leaves: Exceptionally pretty, with preset levels that have been carefully crafted to hide one specific object throughout them. You're rewarded at the end of each level with e.g. flowers blooming or animals coming to visit so you can admire the completed scene.
The Tiny Bang Story: A loose plot gives you a reason to drift through another delightfully interactive and pretty hand-drawn world. I also liked it because it's not bound by any logic, so you may find e.g. a wheel hidden in the pattern of the carpet. It tends to tell you to find a collection of something (like a key), which can all look a bit different, which forces you to be more observant than when you're hunting one specific image or shape.

Visual novels are also niche, because they're for people who just want to be told a story, and maybe make a few choices along the way to affect it. (Not all of them allow even that—kinetic novels have no branching choices.) For me, a good visual novel only has to tell a good story, because gameplay doesn't factor in at all. That said, some VNs combine mini-games or puzzle-solving with the traditional VN format and are quite good, too.

Quality non-traditional VNs:
Analogue: A Hate Story: You've been sent to investigate what happened to a space colony ship that never reached its destination. The gameplay's a unique combination of chatting with the ship's AI and diving into the ship's records.
The first two Danganronpa games: Gory, stylish murder games where you're in charge of figuring out whodunnit so everyone won't be killed. Filled with questionable fanservice, and most of its attempts at humour fall flat, but you're pretty much guaranteed to have some characters you love in among the wacky cast, and the mysteries/overarching plot are well done.
VA-11 Hall-A Neat fusion of simulation mechanics (you mix drinks and buy things for your apartment) and a VN. It's fun to be the bartender in a cyberpunk world, instead of the person in charge of fixing things.

Quality traditional VNs:
Eliza: A well-written story about the ethics of AI-powered therapy.
Butterfly Soup: Gay (and bi) Asian girls playing baseball and falling in love.
Genderwrecked: The world has ended and everyone's a monster. What does gender even mean now? This is strange and queer and very good.

I can't help you on the hidden object ones, however on VNs...
Free and short: https://store.steampowered.com/app/812810/missed_messages/
Free and VERY interesting: https://store.steampowered.com/app/698780/Doki_Doki_Literature_Club/
VNs that got made into anime, but is a much more wider experience as original (though redrawn ones are partially incomplete):
https://store.steampowered.com/bundle/709/Higurashi_When_They_Cry_Hou/
https://store.steampowered.com/bundle/5465/Umineko_When_They_Cry_Complete_Collection/
(P.S. Mind the gore/horror theme for both, mostly for prior, but amazing music and story, lot's of mind blowing mental puzzles and skepticism included.)

I can recommend some non-Steam too, but if you're willing to buy to try them out, these are it I guess. If you don't mind 18+ Visual Novels as far as plot is enticing, try Sengoku Rance (where you play in Sengoku era of Japan, conquering and saving the country! While also getting some girls...), Monster Girl Quest (where you're a hero who wishes to co-exist with monsters, and you try to overcome the complications as it's a norm for a hero to go against monsters, and kill them. Whereas if you end up losing, you'll end up being sexually devoured by monster girls). If you're okay with intimacy but no sexual content, definitely try Fate series (the ones that has a lot of anime, like Fate/Zero, Fate/stay night etc.)

As far as VNs go, I highly recommend Forgotten, Not Lost - A Kinetic Novel.

Ace Academy
Crystalline

These 2 VN's are made by PixelFade Inc

they make really good visual novels that is fully voiced, has comedy and lots of choices.

View attached image.

• Monster Loves You!
• Dracula: Love Kills
• Midnight Mysteries: The Edgar Allan Poe Conspiracy, Salem Witch Trials Devil on the Mississippi
• SEASON OF MYSTERY: The Cherry Blossom Murders
• Castle: Never Judge a Book by its Cover (far from great but if you like the show...)
• Choice of the Deathless
• House of 1,000 Doors - Family Secrets
• Brink of Consciousness: Dorian Gray Syndrome
• Brink of Consciousness: The Lonely Hearts Murders
• Grim Legends: The Forsaken Bride
• 9 Clues: The Secret of Serpent Creek
• New York Mysteries: Secrets of the Mafia
• Mystery of Unicorn Castle: The Beastmaster (not even close to top of the selection but can do in a dry time)
• Eventide: Slavic Fable
• Christmas Adventure: Candy Storm
• Lost Lands: The Four Horsemen
• ...

For Visual Novels, I highly recommend Over The Hills And Far Away. While it is a kinetic VN (which means there are no choices, it is just what it says, a visual novel), the story is quite good. https://store.steampowered.com/app/396860/Over_The_Hills_And_Far_Away/?snr=1_7_15__13

With regards to HOGs, here are some good ones (at least, the ones I've enjoyed so far).

1. Enigmatis trilogy. This is one of the series I'd try out first if I were you. The entire trilogy contains the same protagonist, and has continuity.

2. Nightmares from the Deep trilogy. While the first game looks poor graphically during the cutscenes, the rest of the game looks interesting. It also has the same protagonist and the story continues through all 3 games.

3. Grim Legends series. While I've only played the first 2 games so far, they've both been quite good. Different characters in the first two games.

4. Mind Snares: Alice's Journey. This one is very interesting, as it has a totally different vibe than the games mentioned previously. I liked it quite a bit!

Those games would be good choices to start with, and who knows? You may end up enjoying that genre of game!

A word of warning, however. Do NOT start with the TIme Mysteries series. That trilogy is one of the worst Artifex Mundi games I've ever played! The "live action" images they use for the characters is quite ugly and jarring. The plot is also jumbled and kind of trite.

I do hope you give some games from either the VN genre or HOG genre a try! :)

ETA: Fixed the wrong link for Over The Hills And Far Away

I might be stretching a bit the definition of a Visual Novel (I've kinda always wondered if a "true" visual novel is supposed to be one of those where you only ever press a button to advance the scene and maybe occasionally make a "choice"... but I haven't really played any of those) but how about Long Live The Queen? It has stat management (as in, what stuff to study between story stuff happening) and it's very very likely to die in it if you don't know what you're doing so I don't know how "pure" of a Visual Novel it is. It is a great game though. Think of it as a princess simulator in a very politically realistic-ish middle ages fantasy world (meaning almost everyone in a position of power is an asshole and the child suddenly put into the position of future queen is horribly unprepared for it). Fun fun. :D

Eventide was recommended by PC Gamer magazine at some point, and I enjoyed it. Grim Legends: The Forsaken Bride is on their list of best HOG's here:

https://www.pcgamer.com/best-hidden-object-games/

An engaging story and characters to keep you entertained.. though I guess people may as well read great books in the time it takes to read lengthy visual novels
There's the Muv-Luv Trilogy but I have no idea if you're looking for recommendations or just asking a curious question. The engaging part comes from MLA, and MLE and MLU are mostly build up for it.

Muv-Luv contains Extra and Unlimited which are the first two parts to the trilogy. It builds up the stage for the actual story, but it's a commitment since it's a ton of reading (60+ hours, but depends how fast you read or if you like to hear the voiced lines) for all three games (more if you do all routes, less if you don't for the first two parts). Muv-Luv photonflowers* isn't part of the main story but an extra with extra stories.
also, they're probably considered expensive. by sale prices, it's $18+$24 for both. though, I think for the entertainment value it's worth it.

The Ace Attorney series is off the beaten path from "typical dating sim" type of VN, but still VERY high quality. At its core, mostly a deductive reasoning puzzle game with LOTS of character-driven conversations. One could argue it has elements of a HOG while you're looking for clues outside the actual courtroom, but that's a bit of a stretch if we're being completely honest.

Adam Wolfe is also a high-quality HOG that isn't from Artifex Mundi.

In general, with HOGs, you just have to know what you're getting into. They're generally made of hidden object scenes and set-piece puzzles, connected by some beautiful background artwork, some cutscenes for plot, and inventory puzzles. If you you like these individually and will take them as they are, you'll enjoy the game. What you can't do, however, is start asking critical questions. If you start looking for the reason why an item is in a particular location, why the protagonist has to solve a puzzle in a particular way instead of taking an obvious alternative, etc., HOGs tend to just fall apart completely. So just don't go in expecting coherent and consistent worldbuilding.

I enjoy hidden games, most of my 100% are made up of them. Artifex Mundi and Big Fish are the safe bets. I find that HoGs are mostly targeted for the casual gamers. Its alot of hiding objects behind shades and reducing opacity of the objects. Rarely, there will be optical illusions. If you're not into them then you might not enjoy them. Just take it with a pinch of salt and just go and have fun.

Alot of the HoGs are accompanied by stories, I am sure you've had alot of examples above. I read you tried Melissa K, its not a good HoG, the game is Ok at best. It has more elements of puzzling and side games than usual HoGs. The achievement so pretty buggy that I removed it twice from my library, like the term, "Cousin twice removed". Once you get the concept of HoGs its pretty much the same but I enjoy the casual game play. Some of them has interesting stories like Artifex Mundi games.

One game I came across that I enjoy is Pickers which was from a $1 bundle, it has some interesting elements and RNG in it which I find interesting. Hero of the Kingdom series is actually a HoG with little RPG element. Its very enjoyable for me.

I've not played much VNs as I'm into reading and watching still images. Thou I feel the line of Point and Clicks, VNs and HoGs are often crossed. HoGs with a story and clicking to move around areas isn't it P&C? In P&Cs some employ the method of long paragraphs and not much voice acting so its essentially VNs?

AI: The Somnium Files, Danganronpa, Zero Escape and even STEINS;GATE, all same Devs so you know there are quality in them and they are all violent. XD Not really VN but more of a P&C I've recently completed Whispering Willows and enjoyed it alot. I however do not recommend Shuyan Saga unless you are not looking to 100% it and just want to read the story which is interesting in a way. There are battle element in the game and even at easy its very janky.

There games I have my eye on which I find interesting. which might interest you and you might had read them already:
Hidden Folks, My Brother Rabbit, The Coma: Recut, Gorogoa, Morphopolis

There is also a Hospital HoG that I find it interesting but I cant remember the name. If you came across and decide to play any HoGs that you find interesting do alert me of it. Best wishes on your hunt and have fun!
Warmest Regards and Cheers, Cruse~

Not mentioned VNs:
Aviary Attorney — that was my first VN, before it I didn't even know about the genre at all
Hatoful Boyfriend — second one

As for quality: they can be high-quality (and quite expensive), but still boring: PSYCHOPASS
High quality too, and pretty interesting, but can't really recommend for those who don't play VNs: XBlaze Code Embryo

Close to VN: Open Sorcery

As for HOGs: for me all HOGs are the same. And boring as hell ><
I even tried recent My Brother Rabbit that from trailer looks more like p'n'c, but no, it's still the HOG.

//There are a lot of romance/nudity VNs on SG and they all look the same, yep.

Just downloaded I_Love_You_Colonel_Sanders_A_Finger_Lickin_Good_Dating_Simulator and I hope the overwhelming positive reviews are legit :D

Best HO game

Quality HOGs:
Adam Wolfe
9 Clues 2 - The Ward

Quality VN:
Lake of Voices

If you are still interested (and if these weren't suggested already), I'd very much recommend you check these games out :)

VNs I've played and enjoyed despite my general resentment towards this genre in its traditional form:
Subsurface Circular & Quarantine Circular
OPUS: The Day We Found Earth
Alone With You (this one is a bit on a point-and-clicky side)
EMMA The Story
Leviathan: The Last Day of the Decade

I'm a big VN fan. I think I read above that you're not interested in the sexual content VNs, so I'd recommend these two as two of the best non-sexual VNs I've played:

Fatal Twelve: https://store.steampowered.com/app/620210/ (this made me cry :'( )

Our World is Ended: https://store.steampowered.com/app/940650/ (quite a few grammatical errors, but the story is great; though it does have a fair bit of innuendo in it, there's no sex or nudity)

Some of the sexual content VNs are actually not that "pervy" without adult DLC or patches, so I wouldn't necessarily discount those straight out. Highway Blossoms, for example, is a great game both with and without the DLC.