I’d Buy That For A Dollar: Treasure Seekers and Treasure Seekers 2

Treasure Seeker: Visions of Gold $2.99 (iPad $4.99)

Treasure Seekers is a game where you seek treasure, which is probably an assumption that you have already made, but that is not all you do. There are puzzles to be solved, and character developments to be witnessed, as well.

Treasure Seekers is the digital version of those Eye Spy books that you may or may not remember from your childhood. Those books featured well photographed images of clutter, and young readers were tasked with finding a number of specific items. These weren’t books by the normal definition of books. There were no stories, or even really any text to read, but they had pages, and were contained within a book like binder, so our teachers didn’t mind that we were “reading” them during story time.

The main difference between those books, and the Treasure Seekers game, is that there are tangible rewards to finding these hidden items, like level progression and new story revelations.

The game puts you in the eyes of Nelly as she searches for treasure and clues with her brother to unravel the mystery of her pirate grandmother’s past. This means that you will be staring at pretty screens, looking for hidden items and solving puzzles. You can pinch and zoom into and out of the well rendered still shots, and there is very little penalty for using offered hints when you get stuck.

It can sometimes be difficult to see where to go next, and zooming into a pre-rendered image can be unflattering at times, but overall the game is a fun, casual experience that is surprisingly long. The good graphics, contemplative music and thoughtful animation all come together to make Treasure Seekers a relaxing enjoyable experience. If there are any more complaints to be had, it is that it is too easy, and that the iPad version of the game must be purchased separately for a higher price.

Treasure Seekers 2: The Enchanted Canvases $4.99 (iPad $6.99)

Treasure Seekers 2 picks up after the first Treasure Seekers, but not anywhere close to where the original left off. Nelly is now an adult, and she’s got to track down her brother by entering a series of paintings and talking to Genies and Fishermen Ghosts. Needless to say, the second Treasure Seekers is slightly more fantastic than the first.

The goals are relatively the same here, but the second game earns it’s extra $2 (it costs a little bit more than the original Treasure Seekers) by offering a more diverse experience, and one that seems to move along a brisker pace. The first game had you trolling houses, and attics in need of a visit fro the television show Hoarders. The second game has you exploring magical towers, lighthouses, and even venturing underwater. It’s all just a little a less grounded in reality, but it makes it all more interesting.

The iPad version of the game has a slightly different interface, and won’t allow for pinching to zoom into the images. Obviously, the iPad offers more screen real estate, but pinching and zooming is useful for reasons other than ability to get a closer look at an image. It lets the player zone off certain areas of the search-able landscape, and work your way through the image. For this reason, I actually enjoyed playing the game on the iPhone more, but it cannot be denied that playing a search and find game on a bigger screen has it’s own advantages.

The two games compliment one another well, and I can confidently recommend both, with slightly more favor being offered to the sequel. The first game is a little bit cheaper though, so if you would like to save the extra couple of bucks there, you can’t go wrong.