First and foremost are definitely the detective themed plots. Perhaps the key reason behind the popularity of detective themed plots is the fact that they just synergize nicely with the way hidden object games play. The responsibilities of an actual detective are actually quite similar to the things you’re usually doing in hidden object games. You need to analyze situations, locate things that are cleverly hidden and solve many different kinds of amazing puzzle so the whole synergy between detective plots and hidden object gameplay makes this plot type such a popular choice.

Then there are the time travel plots. It’s pretty incredible how many games use the time travel plots despite this being a concept that many people would consider rather unoriginal but regardless of that, games with this plot type tend to be really enjoyable since they all have multiple different dimensions and times for the players to explore. It’s pretty fun to travel back in time and then see what a place looked like many years back and then travelling back into the future to see its current state.

Mystery murders are definitely the staple hidden object plot and there’s no doubting this. As of right now there are multiple different hidden object series, Danse Macabre for example, that have dedicated themselves solely to providing plots that revolve around creepy and mysterious murders that not even the cleverest people can solve. These games are great fun because they often require you to think and focus much more than you normally would so it’s really satisfying to fully complete them.

Possessed animals are another hot topic when it comes to plots for hidden object games. There have been various kinds of games in which you have to deal with a problem like wolves gone crazy or cats disappearing or something similar and these games are pretty fun since they often feature fun mini-games that revolve around these animals and those are things that you can’t find in any other hidden object game.

Perhaps the most popular plot type is the one that revolves around mysterious artifacts. If you start counting how many hidden object games have a plot of this type then you’ll probably be busy for a couple of hours since there are just so many. The reason behind the popularity of this plot type is that it allows the developers to experiment with stuff and implement a lot of unique gameplay features into the mix that deliver players a fresh experience. The artifacts are really powerful which opens up a lot of room for fun gameplay opportunities that would otherwise be impossible to implement.

All said and done, the aforementioned plots are those that, as of right now, are the most common in hidden object games and rightly so since they’re so much fun.