The Shiver: Vanishing Hitchhiker game has just been released in Collector’s Edition format, and it’s a spooky hidden object adventure game that sends you searching for a missing hitchhiker.

I don’t know about you all, but as much as I love being on the road, I can’t imagine going hitchhiking these days. I can understand the attraction, but it’s risky business…my Mom lost a friend this way a few decades back, so maybe that influences my thoughts on the topic. Maybe it’s part of the ‘culture of fear’ we’ve got brewing, I don’t know.

Anyhow, I’ve strayed off topic! Back to the game. The game itself has you progressing through the story by exploring dark and spooky environments, solving puzzles, and hunting for objects which are hidden in dark scenes. The environment is definitely suspenseful, and the object searches are about midway in difficulty. You do get recharging hints, and that helps.

For noobs, let me explain Collector’s Editions. Basically, these games cost a few dollars more, but you get extra game play, and some little extras like wallpapers or screenshots, and a strategy guide. Games that sell well in collector’s editions also tend to dictate what types of new games are produced, so it’s also like a vote. The cheaper versions come out a few weeks later. If you buy six games in the month, you also get a free one, an a collector’s edition counts as 3 games towards your monthly total. It makes sense if you buy a lot of games.

The Collector’s Edition of Shiver: Vanishing Hitchhiker is available exclusively on Big Fish Games, and includes a free downloadable trial. The standard (budget) version will be released in a little over two weeks.

To play, you need to meet these system requirements:

* OS: Windows XP/Vista
* CPU: 1.6 GHz
* RAM: 1024 MB
* DirectX: 9.0
* Hard Drive: 339 MB

Here are a few screenshots, to give you some idea what to expect: