Artifacts of the Past: Ancient Mysteries

In London, a researcher of antiques nicknamed "Dr. Artifact" is summoned by a man named Simon, claiming to be the keeper of the British Museum, to investigate a mysterious break-in where no object was apparently stolen from the renowned establishment. As the scientist starts to investigate the case, a connection between Royal secret agencies and ancient forgotten devices becomes more apparent, leading Dr. Artifact to a worldwide expedition for lost relics.

Artifacts of the Past: Ancient Mysteries is a hidden object game with adventure elements, where most of the time the objective is to find and click on all the items listed at the top of the screen, on various locations filled with assorted paraphernalia. The list entries can be replaced by new ones with the shuffle button at the top-left, where buttons with other options are also available: a magnifying glass to enlarge portions of the scene and make the search for objects easier, the journal where important clues are automatically noted, and the ? hint button that shows the position of one of the required items when activated, but takes some time to recharge after use.

Mini-games appear between locations, where the scientist must analyse some piece of evidence using his equipment. The player must manipulate some sort of mechanism to reveal secret paintings on ancient papyrus, assemble jigsaw puzzles, connect a circuit board, and complete other similar challenges. They can be optionally skipped after a few minutes.

In some scenes, the goal is to find all the scattered segments of objects to complete a series of inventory items necessary to solve puzzles. After being reassembled, these objects are stored inside slots at the top, from where they can be dragged and dropped on appropriate scenery portions to complete a required task.