Hidden Expedition: Everest

Hidden Expedition: Everest is an adventure-puzzle casual game developed by Big Fish Studios, and distributed by Big Fish Games. It is the second installment in the Hidden Expedition series (Hidden Expedition: Titanic, Hidden Expedition: Everest).

Story
On the heels of Hidden Expedition: Titanic, Hidden Expedition: Everest pits the player against the highest mountaineering peak in the world - Mt. Everest. As a member of the Hidden Expedition Club, you are competing against three other expedition clubs (The Scholars, the Scarlet Hat League, and The Gamers) to see who can reach the top of Everest first. Unfortunately, the passage targeted for your ascent is blocked. Your only hope is to find a mysterious adventurer hidden somewhere in Latin America who knows of a hidden passage.

Once you arrive in Latin America you must complete a collection of hidden object games, puzzles, and other challenges in hopes of finding enough clues to locate the missing adventurer. Locations you will visit include the Amazon rainforest, a Bolivian witches market, Peru's Machu Picchu, Mexico's El Dorado, the Mayan Wall, and the Chichen Itza ruins.

Once each of the locations in Latin America has been successfully completed, the game moves to Europe, then to Asia, then finally up Everest itself.

Gameplay
Like all Hidden Expedition titles, Hidden Expedition: Everest relies heavily on the hidden object puzzle. However, other challenges have been added to increase the overall challenge. These include jig-saw puzzles, piecing together a skeleton, and other clever mind benders.

To increase the overall pressure on the player, you can monitor how the other expedition clubs you are competing against are doing. This is communicated through an icon at the bottom of the screen.

If you get stuck, you have a couple options. First, you have a limited number of hints you can activate to help you. Second, Hidden Expedition: Everest features world class mountaineer, Ed Viesturs, to help you with tips and advice throughout game play.

Theme and production values
Hidden Expedition: Everest features pre-rendered puzzles with many moving parts, as well as high quality orchestral audio and outstanding character voicing. Also, National Geographic images and videos are featured from actual Mt. Everest expeditions.

Reception
According to independent tracking site game-sales-charts.com, following its release on June 1, 2007, Hidden Expedition: Everest climbed into the top 10 on nearly every major casual game distribution site. Moreover, it held the #1 sales spot on 6 of these sites.

Leading casual games industry outlets such as Gamezebo.com and JayisGames.com have featured extremely positive reviews of Hidden Expedition: Everest.