Wooga is one of the studios who strongly believe in a good narration for player’s immersion into the game and it is very evident within June’s Journey. The game carefully paces the content by revealing periodic clues as the player completes or masters a scene. Interactive narratives at the end of each chapter add a nice touch, and different characters in the story arrive at the right moment and leave a good impact. Each scene in any chapter got a strong storyline narrated through the clues and this gives a strong immersion towards the gameplay in that particular scene.

Core Gameplay

June’s Journey - Hidden Object was released in March 2017 by Berlin-based game developer Wooga and a successor of the popular narrative game - Pearl’s Peril with the promise of more features and enhanced gameplay. The game’s objective is to find a point on all listed hidden objects through a series of static scenes and score multipliers for completing the task quickly. Rewards earned by players are directly invested in the building meta. Players are also given a hint feature during difficult scenarios. In between various levels, puzzles require players to find and assemble images of specific items relative to the story.

Hidden Objects Scene

Hidden objects are basically the evidence in the storyline of June’s Journey. Each scene is a static image where various objects are hidden. You will find the list of hidden objects that you need to look for at the bottom of your screen. Occasionally, a suitcase icon will appear when you find a specific item. This just means that you have found a special bonus. At the end of the scene, when your result is calculated, the suitcase contents will be revealed. Each evidence is important to the development of the story, so make sure to find them all.

Clues

These are special items that you will find while playing the Hidden Object Scenes. Each of them will help you unveil a little bit more of the game’s many mysteries. This also gives players a sense of progression. Every chapter in the game hides two clues that you will need to find in order to continue with the story. At the bottom of your screen, you will find the list of hidden objects you can find in the scene in front of you. Players must have a keen eye as tapping on the wrong item makes them lose points.

Economy

There are currently five currencies in June’s Journey - Hidden Object: coins, diamonds, energy, stars, and daffodils. Each one of them is equally important and serves different purposes.

1. Coins - it can be acquired by completing levels and are used in building the island.

2. Diamonds - it is very valuable and this currency can be used to speed up timers.

3. Energy - it is used to play each level.

4. Star - it is acquired through completing levels and is used to open new chapters.

5. Flower - it is acquired through island upgrades and is given as a reward for new scenes in a chapter

Stars and Starboxes/Chests

For every hidden object scene, you get coins as a reward. The number of coins that you will get will be based on several factors like an ideal rating which rewards players with a cash bonus. You can also collect coins from the estate, you will see a coin icon appear above it with the indicated amount. You can spend these coins to purchase seasonal sets/seasonal jewelry collection in the in-game store every month.

Diamonds

This is another currency that can be earned through the game but also can be purchased in the in-game store. You can use them to speed up construction in the estate, purchase missing materials, and replenish your energy. You can also acquire them by removing trees and stones in Orchid Island. They are sometimes awarded after completing hidden objects scenes if you are quite lucky.

Energy

This is essential just like anything else in the game. This is your ticket to play the hidden object scenes. On a regular basis, you will need to spend 15 energy units for each scene. 1 energy unit is replenished every 2 minutes so if you run out of energy, you will need to wait at least 30 minutes before you can play again. Just like other currencies, Energy units are rewarded and can be bought from the store. Increased Energy Scale is an offer from the store that increases the scale from the regular 110 to 150 permanently.

Flowers

To unlock the next chapters in the game you will need to complete the Adventure Scenes. Together with that, you will need to meet certain Flower requirements. There are various ways you can do this, in order to earn more flowers and increase your flower level. You must improve Orchid Island, upgrade the estate, renovate landmarks, and place and upgrade buildings. You should also consider buying decorations for the island, but be a wise buyer or you’ll end up consuming all the space on the island. You can also use your diamonds to purchase more flowers in the in-game store.

June’s Journey: Character Cards

These items are acquired through the star chests or boxes. Players must collect pieces of various character puzzles in order to solve a small interactive puzzle that will reveal some useful secrets. Once the puzzle is solved, players will be rewarded with a full bar of energy. Character Card collection is an interesting content in the game, it is an engaging meta that reveals more plots of the story and secrets within the world and its characters. Collect the card sets to learn more about the other characters like Virginia, Sam, Jack, and all your other favorite June’s Journey characters.

Monetization

Since June’s Journey is set in the 1920s, most of us aren’t familiar with how things used to look like. If you are looking for a specific item and can’t seem to find it anywhere and you see an unfamiliar odd-looking object, just tap on it. There are greater chances of that odd-looking item being the hidden object that you are looking for. However, you have to be open to the idea that if you were wrong, you lose points. Also, keep in mind that tapping way too much will lock you out for a few seconds.

Image Source: Venturebeat.com

Not All Objects are Hidden

As you progress, the game becomes more difficult and you will develop the habit of looking and concentrating too hard on certain aspects of the image. The thing is, some of these objects are not actually “hidden”, you will be busy inspecting all the intricate details of the scene and already on the verge of frustration that you won’t notice the item is just in plain sight. Some objects are often in places where you could easily overlook them. This just proves that June’s Journey is a master in visual illusions so make sure to keep this tip in mind.

Check The Decor

Did you find yourself doing all those three tips and above and still nothing? Already wanting to give up and accept defeat? You might want to reconsider that. If you can’t seem to find the hidden object listed, maybe it’s time to consider that might not be an actual item, but it’s in the item; for example, a photo. There are times that some listed hidden objects can be found in the portraits or photos in the scene. So, take a good look at those, they can be in the background or worn by the person in the photo.

Image Source: youtube.com/watch?v=OjXtYSJoBy

Take Mental Notes

Playing June’s Journey - Hidden Object is a great way to exercise your visual and mental/memory ability. As you already know, the game has a core loop gameplay, you will be given the same scene numerous times but the list of objects that you will need to find changes. It is a great rule of thumb to take mental notes of all the noticeable odd objects that you come across during your playthrough. More often than not one or more of those items will appear on the list of hidden objects the next time you are given the same scene.

How to Reduce Energy Cost

There are various events you can participate in June’s Journey. Any of these events can start at any time and their duration varies each season. Before an event takes place, an indicator will appear on the island indicating the time when the event begins. Detectives Wanted are time-limited events during which you can earn additional rewards, including diamonds, coins, and compasses. The number of tokens collected is displayed on the event screen along with the other rewards. As the event brings to an end, the badge will be seen, allowing you to collect the non-received rewards and see your progress.

June’s Journey During the Pandemic

Wooga had implemented the initiative “Murder Most Fowl Campaign” during the Covid-19 lockdown last June 9th to 12th as a way to keep the community connected. It brought old and new players together as they solved the game’s mystery. Wooga head of marketing Melanie Zimmermann said that although June’s Journey is usually associated with individual gameplay, there was an increased interaction between players during the lockdown and through the campaign, they intend to make these bonds grow stronger.