Review by: Neilie Johnson

Over the last three years, popular casual game publisher Alawar Games has been steadily growing. Starting in 2007, it began acquiring small European game studios and one of those brought into the fold was Friday's Games, maker of the popular garden-themed match three title, Flowery Vale. These days, Friday's Games' outlook is considerably darker, resulting in the spooky and sometimes outright disturbing hidden object game, Stray Souls: Dollhouse Story.

The game starts idyllically enough, with newlyweds Sam and Danielle relaxing at home together. Due to a strange and sudden occurrence, Sam vanishes and from that moment on, your job—as Danielle—is to find out what happened to him. Before you start, you're given a choice between two modes: Beginner and Expert. The difference between these two modes consists mainly in the amount of on screen interactive sparklies there are, as well as the time it takes for the hint button to refresh. Once that bit of housekeeping's over with, the adventure really begins.

Losing your brand-new husband can't be easy but you're helped throughout your search by a unique (and decidedly creepy) sidekick who soon reveals that your new groom is not exactly who you thought him to be. Your guide takes you to a surreal place, presumably Sam's home town and it's there you begin to uncover the secret of your husband's past. Stray Souls for the most part, plays out like many another spooky hidden object game, with hidden object sequences alternating with puzzle-solving. What makes it unique is the startling way it makes use of cutscenes. More than a couple of times, you'll be calmly moving through the game only to find yourself unexpectedly jumping at some sudden, disturbing image. It's this and other things that make Stray Souls a bit more sinister and interesting than your average hidden object mystery. (I have one word for you – “clowns”.)

As far as atmosphere and story go, the game is pretty solid. Few things are as scary as realizing you might be married to a stranger, and the game's core mystery alone is good enough to keep you playing. The game's puzzles too are strange and surreal (if not always logical) and the spare piano and strings soundtrack augments the game's eerie feel, sounding at times like it belongs in a 50's horror B-movie. These are the game's significant strengths, but it has a few weaknesses as well. Hidden object players have come to expect a wide variety of puzzles and locations and Stray Souls is a bit light on both. The result is that you have to revisit the same locations more than you'd probably like, and repeatedly replay the same hidden object scenes. This state of affairs extends to the game's bonus content, which is set twenty-five years in the past. In it, you play a cop (whose cheesy mustache makes him look a lot like Burt Reynolds in his Cannonball Run days) and spend roughly another half hour playing through the exact same settings yet again.

Stray Souls plays through at 2-3 hours (depending on your skill) and even with the extra half hour bonus adventure, still feels somewhat short. This being the collector's edition, many gamers will expect more for their money, and the game's extras—which include a novelization of the story, concept art, deleted scene artwork, wallpapers, game music clips and a strategy guide—don't really make up for its short playthrough.

In spite of that, Stray Souls: Dollhouse Story is a polished hidden object adventure that moves the genre beyond spooky to outright scary. Its compelling storyline, evocative soundtrack and expertly-done graphics make for an entertaining few hours even if it's prevented from moving from “good” to “great” due to its short play time and lackluster bonus adventure. The collector's edition may not be worth the money, but hidden object fans should definitely pick up the regular version the minute it becomes available.