Manor Matters
The release is signifant for two reasons.
First, it signifies the return of the company to one of the mechanics it actively used before switching to free-to-play. The Gardenscapes series was originally a series of hidden object games.
Second, it is the first launch of a game that was developed by one of the studios that Playrix acquired. Manor Matters was developed by Kiev-based Voki Games acquired by Playrix in 2018.
Manor Matters follows a classic hidden object structure. To progress the story, the player must go through scenes and look for objects. After comleting a level, the player is awarded stars. These are spent to decorate the mansion and to unlock pieces of history.
Today, there are three main players in the free-to-play hidden object market: German Wooga , Swedish G5 Games, and Russian MyTona. Each of them has their own approach to the genre. Wooga, for example, emphasised the narrative. Playrix has also identified its own approach. Judging by the first hours of the game, the games meta is taken from Gardenscapes and Homescapes.
The game has been in soft-launch in Canada, Australia and the UK since September 2019. The publisher does not disclose the project’s metrics prior to its global launch.