It’s amazing how small things can take us back in time — how a smell, a taste, a sound, a sight can trigger surprisingly specific memories, from surprisingly far back. The “Mystery Case Files” series is a powerful trigger. Its hidden-object puzzles remind you how much fun you used to have with “I Spy” books, and how long it’s been since you’ve had to find hedge trimmers disguised in the spokes of a ship’s wheel, or a snake hiding in a pile of rope.
The folks behind “Mystery Case Files” have parlayed this small slice of nostalgia into one of the best-selling game series out there, but the true mystery is why someone would choose to revisit this age-old pleasure in video game form. The age-old pleasure is too sleepy for adults to experience solo, and it would seem far more special for a parent and child to explore a tangible book, right in front of them, than stare at a screen across their living room.
