SirPrimalform: Damn, as a point and click fan I've never really given hidden object games a chance (mostly because I was annoyed with the way they were marketed as adventure games). I guess I should actually give one a go some day.

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Lol. You correctly identify the term 'Point & Click' as applying only to Adventure games, and also describe exactly why I was always prejudiced against HOG/Casual games--the fact that they were shamelessly marketed as "Adventure" games.

I actually recently overcame my prejudice and have come to accept the genre for what it is. I'm not positive, but I think it was actually the demo of The Tiny Bang Story that was responsible for my conversion. There are also demos for Lost Lands: The Four Horsemen and New York Mysteries: High Voltage which are worth checking out, as well as other games in those series.

Aha, that is saddening to hear. I'm totally new to this genre so I didn't know there's been such a development. Is this something the established developers are doing, or is it a problem brought with waves of new indies?

Unfortunately only one Artifex Mundi game is available on Gog Connect . :(

It's more of a problem with the newer, more popular titles. Some like it, some don't. The latest HoGs, such as "Christmas Stories: Alice's Adventures", is one example of simplifying the genre, making the game way too easy. Spirits of Mystery, another new release that is just awful, too easy, and (again) shapes instead of text in Hidden Object scenes.
I really miss older HoGs, with well drawn graphics, great music, and more importantly - decent Hidden Object scenes with hard-to-find objects. Scenes where you have to really stare at the screen for while, to find objects.

Well, certainly there were a lot of badly made adventure games in the 90s, but there are plenty that I remember having actually discernible logic. :P
I just discovered (remembered) that I have some Artifex Mundi games in a Humble Bundle, so maybe I'll check them out some time soon.