Hidden Adventures: Shadows of London casts players in the role of a rookie detective tasked with solving various crimes around the city of London in the 19th century. This is accomplished by repeatedly completing hidden object scenes and occasionally fulfilling special objectives. Unlike many other popular hidden object titles, there is no "citybuilding" aspect to the game — simply a map screen from which levels may be selected and the hidden object scenes themselves.

Hidden Adventures: Shadows of London is a competent hidden object game. Its visuals are good quality and clear, making the hidden objects challenging but fair to locate. Its sound is rather low in audio quality, but is made up of a number of catchy but unobtrusive background themes accompanied by satisfying sound effects that give the player feedback on how well they are doing.