Faircroft’s Antiques: Treasures of Treffenburg – Review

Boomzap is back! Yes, you read it right – Boomzap Entertainment, the once-prolific studio behind hidden object all-timers from Awakening to Dana Knightstone to Otherworld is back with a brand-new hidden object game. In Faircroft’s Antiques: Treasures of Treffenburg, travel with Mia Faircroft to the beautiful Austrian city of Treffenburg as she embarks on her quest to search for a collection of antiques once belonged to the Harcourt family.

Back in the day, Boomzap was mostly known for their hidden object adventure extraordinaire, but it is also important to note that they also developed the Antique Road Trip series, which was a straight-up hidden object property. Faircroft’s Antiques: Treasures of Treffenburg is a retro-style hidden object game, with a big focus on hidden object scenes and mini-games, and less so on the adventure side. You get to jump from one stunning location to the next as you search the scene for objects. There is a nice variety of hidden object formats offered and items are neither too obvious nor too obscure.

By being a traditional hidden object game, Faircroft’s Antiques: Treasures of Treffenburg does not forgo storyline altogether. In fact, the storyline is what really kept the momentum of the game going. While the game is quite heavy on dialogs, the characters are likable and their conversations are interesting to follow. It is definitely not a heart-racing game with action sequences and thrills, but its leisurely-paced gameplay and easy-going vibe remind of the famous Big City Adventure games from a few years back.

Faircroft’s Antiques: Treasures of Treffenburg is truly a relaxing experience. The graphics are slightly muted in colors, but they do not compromise on the intricate details. Each location is wonderfully drawn and painted and the music is effective in building a pleasant atmosphere. The game consists of 16 levels, with multiple hidden object scenes and two mini-games per each level. Although it can get repetitive, there is no denying the game’s charm.

If there is one major issue with Faircroft’s Antiques: Treasures of Treffenburg, it would be the game’s controls. For some reason, the game needs you to be very specific in where you click – for example, when you click to collect objects or to navigate mini-games. This can be quite frustrating and hopefully will be addressed in future updates. Otherwise, the game is pretty much spot-free if you are a fan of the genre. The Collector’s Edition includes five more levels and not much else, so I’ll leave it to you to decide for yourself whether you want to spend the extra bucks on it.

Faircroft’s Antiques: Treasures of Treffenburg a charming pure hidden object experience. It doesn’t have fancy features, but it nails all the basics.