Art Mogul
Game Review

Art Mogul is a hidden object game by newcomer Funzai! You play the role of an art dealer, and you spend the game traveling all over the world trying to buy expensive art and selling them elsewhere for higher prices. You will also be in for a treat if you appreciate art, because the paintings in the game are actual paintings by real artistic geniuses throughout history. Famous pieces by artists such as Monet, Rembrandt and Klimt are showcased, alongside the work of other less popular but equally brilliant artists.

The game doesn't play like other hidden object games. Instead of solving puzzles and experiencing a fixed story, this time you create the story. The game provides you with all the available options and tools, and it is entirely up to you how you acquire paintings and generate cash in your bid to become the world's premier art mogul. In that sense, the game is more similar to strategy games such as the Chocolatier series, even though there is plenty of hidden object gameplay here.

However, the game isn't a do-whatever-you-want sandbox game where you are left entirely to your own devices. It still provides you with short-term goals to nudge you in the right direction. These goals are pretty general, such as obtaining a specific amount of wealth or fame, or acquiring your own art gallery. It is up to you exactly how you want to achieve these goals though, and there are quite a few ways to do so.

You start with access to only the art scenes in New York and San Francisco, but will be able to travel to other cities like London and Paris as you gain fame. The first method of trading paintings is by buying and selling them at local galleries. When you buy the paintings, you are given a list of hidden objects that are found on the paintings. The more of them you find, the bigger a discount you get. Selling paintings is pretty similar. When you travel to a new city's gallery, you will get a list of hidden objects for the paintings they are willing to buy. If you can find those objects on a painting in your portfolio, they will buy it from you (hopefully at a price higher than what you paid for it).

You can also obtain hard-to-find paintings in the local cafes. The problem is some of these paintings are fakes. You can try to expose fakes by trying to spot differences between a painting and a photo of the original. This is harder than it sounds because the two pictures aren't next to each other, and you need to flip between them to find any inconsistencies. Once exposed, you can buy the fake at a very low price if you want. You can then choose to go the unscrupulous route and attempt to pass it off as an original to an unsuspecting buyer!

There is also the auction house which is arguably the most fun (and most stressful) building in each city. One of the things you can do there is to check what painting they want you to acquire for them (for a fee of course). They will just provide you with a random object from the painting, and you have to keep an eye out for it in your travels. The other thing you can do at the auction house is to actually bid on paintings. You are faced with three other bidders who will constantly outbid you until you can "stun" all of them. When you outbid someone, an object is listed that you need to locate on the painting. You only have a split second to find that object before someone outbids you. Do this well and you will get the painting for cheap. Otherwise, the price may climb way beyond your means.

There are other buildings, such as the bank where you can take loans or deposit savings. You will also be given the task of acquiring your own gallery and filling it with thematic paintings of your own choosing. Given all these buildings and tools, it is then up to you how you want to buy and sell paintings to achieve both your short-term and long-term goals.

The ambient artwork and music in the game aren't exceptionally impressive, but the game does get points for introducing the strategy aspect to the hidden object genre, giving you control over how the game unfolds. Art Mogul is definitely worth a try, especially if you like globe-trotting games such as the Interpol series, or similar strategy games such as the Gourmania series. And if you appreciate art, it is a no-brainer!

If you like these type of games and are interested in more of the same, do check out the strategy game reviews on our sister site at Game Pudding.

Related PC Games at Big Fish Games:

Interpol 2: Most Wanted

Gourmania 3: Zoo Zoom

Chocolatier: Decadence by Design

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