The Scruffs - More Than Just a Hidden Object Game

When I saw this game first, I though - hm, must be funny. A very funny and somewhat crazy family (looking pretty much like The Adams) are trying to solve their financial hardships and rummage through the piles of lumber stocked in every room of their chaotic house.

The first thing to know about Scruffs is that this is the first game that blends hidden object game play with comic plot and wacky characters. So, no person or animal was kidnapped, harmed or cast under spell during the game development.

But when I launched it and went through the introductory story and got to know of the characters, I realized that there was much more about it than just a game. First of all, every hero of the game has its strong personality, and it is not just for decoration like in all other games. Every character has its own mission:

First, of all, Father - a seemingly self-confident man(but in fact as wacky as the rest of his family members) who gets a boot at work...

A Son and Daughter - just average kids - and naughty and annoyingly noisy. But from time to time they show up with useful tips and invite you to play so-called Scribble-game(more on it - below).

Grandpa - a good-old man with strong heart and weak memory. He was the one to hide a terrifying family secret in his Cryptum and the one who brought about all this chaotic story.

In order to open the Cryptum you'll need to uncover each of the digits of the secret code.

Don't worry - you won't need to do this randomly. In order for each digit to be revealed, you just need to play a stage of the game that consists of several levels of different mechanics:

-. Hidden Object Levels - means sleuthing for the tiny and cleverly-hidden objects in the lumbered rooms of the house that seems to be lumbered just as well as the sinister manor where Emma Ravenhearst spent the rest of her days. But those rooms have humoristic touch and are so bright and eye-catching.

Scruffy - a cute dog is a real decoration on every hidden-object level. He is the one to watch over every level and guide you through it.

Scruffy will even show you the tip - the object you couldn't find yourself. After you treat him with a bone, mouse over the room and Scruffy will start barking and jumping when you get closer to the object.

- Scribbling mini-games - means finding the scribbles on the family photo. You can get to play Scribbing by finding a photo on the hidden object level. There will be 20 of scribbles appearing one at a time, and each time you are to click on the latest scribble. If you click the scribble you have pointed to before, you'll lose the game.

- Jigsaw levels(and those, too, seem to parody hair-raising Ravenhearst levels) - you will have to solve jigsaw puzzles(but they are easier since you won't have to rotate puzzle pieces) and get the pictures of some breath-taking episode of The Scruffs family life.

The other great thing about the game is that The Scruffs is much more than puzzle-packed title.

The Scruffs is a parody to many great games and movies - at least it sounds so.

Thus after getting to know family secret the Father says in the voice of Forrest Gump - "Life is Like a box of chocolates - you never know what you gonna get".

There are much more references to games and movies that you are yet to discover, much more rooms to be scoured and lots of mysteries left to be discovered. Too pity, I cannot cover them all in one short game review. But I guarantee: this game is enough to keep you laughing and hidden object hunting during the coming weekend.