Indie Spotlight – Hidden around the World brings iconic cities to life in a cozy hidden-object adventure

Story Highlights

Hidden around the World is a cozy hidden-object game set across hand-drawn cities with a photography twist.
Mr. Steve Duran, a dev at Ogre Pixel shared insights about the game’s concept, design choices, challenges, and more.

Ogre Pixel, known for games like Lonesome Village, has released its new game, Hidden around the World. It’s a relaxed hidden-object adventure available now for a one-time purchase on Android and iOS. Players can enjoy a cozy experience finding hidden items and taking charming photos while exploring at their own speed.

Featured Column – Indie Spotlight

GamingonPhone’s Indie Spotlight highlights promising new game studios and developers, helping them gain recognition and visibility. We share overviews of their work and include thoughts directly from the developers themselves. If you’re an indie studio interested in being featured, please contact us at editor@gamingonphone.com.

Game Overview

Hidden Around the World is a charming puzzle adventure game where you travel to famous cities with Laly and her fairy friend, Coronya. You’ll explore beautifully illustrated locations like Paris, Tokyo, New York, Venice, and Mexico City.

The game involves more than just exploration – you’ll also search for hidden objects and take pictures to finish tasks. Completing these tasks rewards you with tickets for a prize machine, which you can use to decorate lovely places and improve the look of the cities. As you progress, you’ll discover new locations and gather special souvenirs.

Take a break from exploring charming homes, lively cafés, and serene parks to enjoy petting adorable dogs! Hidden around the World offers a relaxing and fun gaming experience with its hidden-object puzzles, interactive elements, 12 famous cities to discover, 4 hours of gameplay, level editor, calming music, and delightful art style – perfect for today’s gamers.

Why you should play Hidden around the World

It offers a cozy, hidden-object gameplay experience with beautifully hand-drawn cities.
Lets you create your own levels, share them with the world, and try ones made by others.
Relax with peaceful exploration, petting adorable dogs, and more at your own pace.
Packed with interactive mechanics, 12 stunning cities, collectibles, a soothing soundtrack, and adorable visuals.

From concept to creation: Developer Insights

In an interview with GamingonPhone, Steve Duran, the developer of Ogre Pixel, discussed his game, Hidden around the World. He talked about what inspired the game, its unique art style, and the difficulties he encountered while creating it.

Mr. Duran, who develops games as part of the indie studio Ogre Pixel in Aguascalientes, Mexico, described his team as a group of enthusiastic creators. They’re dedicated to bringing imaginative fantasy concepts to life through games that resonate with players, with the ultimate goal of creating a positive and lasting impact.

Beautiful blend of hidden objects with photography

I was interested in learning how the game’s unique idea came about, so I asked the creator. He said it began with wanting to make a hidden-object game that also involved decorating things.

It was awesome when they stumbled upon an Instax camera! That’s when it really clicked – the idea of using found objects to create little scenes and capture them in photos. It’s amazing how something as simple as an Instax can spark such a creative experience, honestly. It just made everything come together!

Finding its place in the cozy genre for Hidden around the World

I asked Mr. Duran about how his game, Hidden Around the World, fits into the popular ‘cozy game’ genre, and he was very optimistic. He believes it will “find a good place among the rest of cozy games” because of its charming look and the interesting way you play.

Balancing between relaxation and challenges

Mr. Duran emphasized that the main goal for the game was to create a relaxing experience, explaining that they wanted players to be able to unwind and enjoy themselves. I appreciated that they included helpful hints to find objects, which I think really contributes to a stress-free gameplay experience.

How the studio designed the right amount of content

The game takes about 4 hours to play through the main story, or over 7 hours if you try to find everything. I asked Duran how the developers determined these lengths, and he said it all depended on what felt right for the game.

He highlighted the game’s 12 distinct levels, based on real cities, and its sandbox mode, explaining that together they offer excellent value for the cost.

Challenges the studio faced behind the scenes

According to Mr. Duran, one of the biggest hurdles during the game’s development was recreating real-world buildings and landmarks. He explained that they had to break down these large structures and locations into smaller, manageable parts so they would fit within the game.

He also found that creating a system to manage where all the objects appear in the game was surprisingly difficult.

The process of making every city feel unique

I was really curious how they managed to make each city feel so distinct, and the developer explained they started by pinpointing the most iconic real-world buildings and landmarks to include in the game. They also put a lot of effort into capturing the unique natural environment, or ‘bioma,’ of each city and building the levels around that. It’s that attention to detail that really makes each place feel special!

Real-world inspiration, with a twist

Interestingly, most of the references actually came from online search. He admitted they “googled most of the places” since the team hadn’t visited many of them. And jokingly said that the only “place we all knew was Mexico City, hehe.”

The studio focuses on a rewarding, non-grindy experience

Mr. Duran highlighted the team’s dedication to creating a reward system that was both fair and fun. He explained that players earn coins by playing and finishing each level, allowing them to collect all the items for sandbox mode. This design choice was deliberate, ensuring the game doesn’t feel repetitive or require excessive effort.

The team beautifully added replayability through creativity

We then talked about how to make the game replayable. Mr. Duran explained that because the levels don’t change – the objects are always in the same spots – they needed to add something to encourage players to return. They did this by developing a sandbox mode.

Ideas that missed the final version

According to Duran, the team had to cut some ideas during development, as often happens with independent projects. They originally planned to include more cities like Barcelona, San Francisco, and Wellington, but ultimately decided to focus on just 12 to ensure the game was completed on time and to a high standard.

A lasting memory for players according to the dev

As our conversation wrapped up, I asked Mr. Duran what feeling or memory he hoped players would have after experiencing their new, relaxing game. He beautifully explained that the team wants players to feel a connection to the game’s cities, so that if they ever visit in real life, they’ll remember them as they appeared in the game.

Final Verdict from the Editor

Hidden Around the World is a relaxing game where you can explore beautifully hand-drawn cities for just $2.99. You’ll stay entertained by searching for hidden objects and taking lovely photos along the way.

Hidden Around the World is a relaxing and enjoyable hidden-object game. It features charming graphics, 12 famous cities to explore, a creative sandbox mode, and plenty of collectibles. If you’re looking for a low-stress adventure to help you unwind, this game is a great choice.

You can get this cute and fun game for $2.99 by downloading it from the Google Play Store or App Store.

2026-05-10 17:13