The Secret Order 6: Bloodline

My Playtime: 3h (100% achievement, finished the game)
Grindy Achievement(s): No.
Optional Achievement(s): Yes (16 achievements).
Difficult Achievement(s): No.
Intro
The Secret Order 6: Bloodline is the sixth installment of The Secret Order series, a hidden object game published by Artifex Mundi. It tells the continuation from the previous title where you need
Pros:
- 3 difficulties
- Indicator whenever a collectible exists in an area
- Map shows available action in each area
Cons:
- The story is hard to understand if you haven't played the previous titles
- Annoying hidden object scenes where you need to spam-click on everything to find a random object
Specs
Steam Deck: AMD Zen 2 4c/8t 2.4-3.5GHz, 16 GB RAM, 8 AMD RDNA 2 CUs
Should you buy this game?
Yes.
Don't buy it for the story. It has mediocre gameplay, but note that it's very short.
In-Depth Review
Visuals
Just like other Artifex Mundi games, The Secret Order 6: Bloodline was displayed in beautiful-looking backgrounds with a heavy use of lighting. Characters are using 3D models that might look weird whenever they are moving. The cutscenes are a bit blurry, but I assumed that it was because the game tries to make it optimized for most devices.
Story
The story is all over the place. It might be because I didn't play the previous titles, but I didn't understand what was happening most of the time. The plot tells about a certain flower at the beginning, yet fails to make it important at the end of the game. It ends up presenting us with something else for the ending which shows up out of nowhere. Moreover, the ending cutscene doesn't make any sense. There are too many plots uncovered and questions left unanswered, yet everyone acts as if there was nothing else. I know that the developer wants to cover it in the sequels, but having the ending presented like everything has been solved like this won't make me interested in playing the continuation.
The Game
Gameplay
The gameplay is just like any other Artifex Mundi game. It has some point-and-click elements where you need to pick up some objects and use them with other objects. Most of them are just emblems or keys that can be popped into other objects, although others require you to combine them. These items are usually easy to spot, especially since there is a marker in the inventory whenever they require other items before they can be used.
Most point-and-click elements are straightforward, and the introduction of the map system makes it very easy to progress. The map shows all available actions in the area, so you can just use it whenever you are stuck and pixel-hunt the area marked on the map. You won't need to use this feature if you play the game in one sitting and have a great memory, but it helps me a lot since I didn't fit either case.
Hidden Object
There are a lot of variations of hidden object scenes in the game. The most memorable one is the default one where you need to search for some objects from the provided words. The other variations include having to search objects from the given image and having to click almost everything on the screen to use it for other interactable objects. I hate the latter one since it feels more like a pixel hunt rather than a hidden object. That being said, you can switch it to a game of pairs if you want at the risk of losing some achievements.
Speaking of hidden objects, some collectibles are available to get. They hide in the screen, making it look like you are playing a hidden object outside hidden object scenes. There are 6 types of collectibles to get and the game makes it easy to find them - there is this indicator that will flash whenever there are some collectibles in the area.
Minigames
Just like other point-and-click games from this publisher, The Secret Order 6: Bloodline also has minigames. The minigames differ from each other, with most of them being hard to understand without checking the instruction at the beginning. They are all easy to solve except for one minigame in the bonus content. I had to resort to using the skip button for that one.
Length and Difficulty
I finished the game in 3h with all achievements, which consist of both the main game and the bonus content that is unlocked after finishing the first one. That's also accounting for the time that I used to test the game with my Steam Deck and deal with the awful control before I gave up and plugged in a mouse to play with it. Both the controller and the trackpad work, but the controller isn't that precise for point-and-click games and I couldn't click on anything I wanted to, while the trackpad was too exhausting to use due to its small region. I couldn't click as fast as I could like when I was using a mouse normally.
As for the difficulty, the game offers 3 difficulties when you start the game. I played in the easiest difficulty and have no issue with it. If you are having trouble with the progression, there is always a hint button for the point-and-click element and a skip button for both the hidden object and the minigame sections after a few minutes in.
Conclusion
If you are looking for a game with a good story, stay away from this game. The Secret Order 6: Bloodline only gives a mediocre hidden object game with a short playtime. If you know what you are signing up for, feel free to get this game, but do remember that it won't be as amazing as you think.

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Quick review before I start The Secret Order 7: Shadow Breach and start getting things jumbled together in my mind. The games in this series are very similar and it's very hard to separate them in my head.
We really have jettisoned The Order of the Griffins, the namesake of the franchise! What a bizarre direction for Sunward to go! I don't think the Order was even mentioned in Bloodline. They certainly didn't help against the villain, who was introduced as the leader of the rival Order of the Dragons in TSO5. Maybe they're "The Secret Order," now?
This series is workmanlike; just faithfully repeating the same basic formula. I enjoy this game design, but it's nice to play through a series and see improvements or innovations.
I've got two games left, and only a few days remaining. I'll start TSO7 tonight and I think I can finish the series before time runs out early next week.
Dang it, I wish The Order of the Griffins hadn't banned time travel. Not just for the sake of this hidden object adventure game series, but for myself.

Bloodline is one of the better titles in The Secret Order series. The puzzles are generally easy and fun without being too complex or difficult. The graphics look nice and there is improvements, if only minor, to the cut scenes and voice acting over the earlier titles.
Overall this title makes the series worth continuing!
+ Beautiful background graphics
+ Hidden Object scenes are good
+ Puzzles make sure your bring is on occasionally but aren't frustrating.
+ All achievements work properly and can be finished in a single play-through.
+ The music is good and mood fitting.
Nothing negative to report on this one.