Haunted Hotel

Introduction

Haunted Hotel is a timed hidden-object adventure and the first entry in what became a long-running franchise, checking players into a spooky hotel to uncover its mystery room by room. Developed by Elephant Ar and published by BFG Entertainment, it was originally released in 2008 and ported to Steam on 21 October 2016. Its 19 English-language reviews sit at 42% positive, Mixed. This review read all 11 negative reviews in that sample alongside every one of the 8 positive reviews.

A dated but sincere starting point

Reviewers on both sides of this sample reach a strikingly consistent verdict. "Not a bad hidden object game but dated and nothing that stands out," reads one detailed review, calling the game "rough" as expected for a series opener. Even the strongest praise in this small positive sample leans on nostalgia rather than the game holding up today: "I remember buying this game at office depot when I was like 10, for anyone without nostalgia it's not that good of a game but its close to my heart nonetheless." Another reviewer credits genuine potential in the premise: "the plot is quite interesting but needs further expansion."

Genuinely dated presentation

Set against that sincerity, this review's negative sample converges on presentation problems that reviewers say haven't aged well. "Too small, can't see the objects. Can't play fullscreen," reads one review. Another, more detailed: "The low-resolution graphics don't do the visuals any favours," while a third notes bluntly: "It was released in 2008 and feels like 1995." Several reviewers specifically flag the hidden-object design itself as a problem, not just its age: "the hidden object scenes are extremely repetitive and a lot of the objects are obscured by other objects that are not removable."

A franchise's rough beginning

Multiple reviewers explicitly frame this entry as a starting point the series moved past. "Unless you're a die hard fan of the Haunted Hotel games, I'd skip this," reads one, naming several other, better-regarded hidden-object series by comparison. A separate reviewer who worked through the franchise's games in order confirms expecting exactly this kind of rough start: "I decided to buy the Haunted Hotel series and give them a go in order. As this is the first I expected it to be a bit rough."

Verdict

Haunted Hotel has a genuinely interesting mystery premise at its core, and this review's full sample confirms reviewers recognise real sincerity in the attempt even eighteen years on. But dated, hard-to-read presentation and repetitive, sometimes deliberately obscured puzzle design make it a tough recommendation today outside of pure franchise nostalgia. Series completionists should expect it as a rough starting point; everyone else is better served by the franchise's later, more polished entries.