Mystery Case Files is back again with Return to Ravenhearst. Two games back, in the original Ravenhearst, you are solving the mystery of the missing Emma. The last outing with MCF had us at a really creepy carnival — where Madame Fate had a less-than-happy encounter with Charles, the spirit of the person behind Emma’s disappearance. Now, back at Ravenhearst, we need to stop the evil once and for all.

It probably doesn’t sound like I’m describing a hidden-object game at this point, and you’d kind of be correct. Return to Ravenhearst is so much more involved than just finding hidden objects on a screen. Yes, you’ll still be doing that, but that’s really only the tip of the iceberg.

Along with the usual finding of hidden objects, brain-twisting puzzles abound. Some puzzles you can solve just by figuring out the puzzle on that screen. Some require objects that you find while exploring the environs or solving the hidden-object levels. Others need clues from your explorations — some in your case file and some not — in order to solve them. Just a small hint here: If you ever see something that looks like it might be important and the game tells you it’s probably not important, jot it down on a piece of paper anyway. It will save you some backtracking later.

Your case file will be critical to your successful journey through Return to Ravenhearst. This is a journal that keeps track of (nearly) all the discoveries and odd codes and whatnot you find in the game. Believe me, you would be taking tons of notes if this journal wasn’t built in. Not only does it keep track of pertinent clues, it’s interesting in its own right to read through as the story unfolds.

In Return to Ravenhearst you’re playing through a ghost story. The hidden-object puzzles and the brain-bending locks are just pieces of the whole. You will quickly discover that Rose Sommerset and her daughters are the unhappy spirits that are bound to this place. You need to figure out where and how and then free them — hopefully all the while avoiding a really angry Charles.

Unlike previous Mystery Case File outings, you won’t be jumping around between locations and hidden-object puzzles. You’ll play this story through from beginning to end. You won’t be backtracking or jumping to where you want in the story. This doesn’t mean that you don’t have freedom. Sometimes you almost have too much freedom. You arrive at the front gate of the manor and you get to figure out what to do next. Yes, some things have to be done in a certain order, but some things don’t. You have to explore the area, collect clues, collect objects, and put it all together. It’s more like an adventure game, such as Myst, than your traditional hidden-object game. Note: You will be revisiting locations as you work through the story — you just won’t be jumping to them randomly and out of order. If you want to get from the front porch to the graveyard, you’re going to walk — not teleport.

Don’t worry — it is easier than Myst, but you’re still going to be using those brain cells if you want to solve it. Areas of interest often sparkle to tell you to take a closer look. Your cursor turns into a little hand if you can click something. A magnifying glass lets you take a closer look. The Ravenhearst puzzles, though — some are truly brutal. Even the ones where I knew what I needed to do — there were two in particular that I just didn’t have the patience to work through, but that didn’t end up being a show stopper.

You’ll find that Return to Ravenhearst doesn’t have a time limit. I think the developers wanted you to take the time and really appreciate their creation. You just can’t do that when you’re working against the clock. What Ravenhearst does have is a game timer that keeps track of how long you’ve spent in the game. You won’t run out of time solving this game, but you will always have the option to play through again and try to beat your best time. If you get stuck on a puzzle, you always have the option to skip it. The only penalty is that it adds 30 minutes to your overall time for the game. In the two cases I’m thinking of, it was worth it. I didn’t get the satisfaction of beating those two challenges, but I did get to continue enjoying the story and pace of the overall game experience.

As with all of the Mystery Case Files games, the graphics are wonderful. The ghosts and animation in Return to Ravenhearst are particularly good. After you solve the game, watch the end credits and the clips from the filming of those parts of the game. It’s worth it. The music and sound effects are done quite well, and the voice acting really keeps to the mood of the story.

You’ll be able to have multiple save games if you want to share with a family member, but I would strongly recommend that you not allow a younger child to play this game. I think some of the scenes and themes are too spooky for a little one. I know I’m not letting my third-grader try this one out.

I highly recommend Mystery Case File: Return to Ravenhearst. It’s a richly developed, challenging game that really engages the senses. I’ve played it through once, and it’s still grabbing my interest on the second time through. Yes, the puzzles are the same, but the hidden-object challenges vary other than around things you have to find to do the puzzles. Even knowing how a puzzle was solved the first time — you still have to work it to get through again.