As prior games in this series, the graphics are crisp, the locations varied, and the content is quite large. So far, the mini-games are generally interesting. I can figure out "pigeons" vs "pigeon", "spade" vs "spades", etc. Certainly not confusing (as opposed to "torch" vs "flashlight".) It expands my knowledge of british vs american english, just like colour vs color, etc.
Despite being an Armenian company, AVI understands correctly that "America" actually refers to more than the US; Canada and Mexico are also part of America. Hence the name "United States OF America". Sort of a similar concept to "England" versus "United Kingdom".
I too could go on about the diversity of games on the website, and how many developers are now using cookie-cutter methods to replicate earlier games; AI also contributes in generating content, so large developers are publishing their games elsewhere as the market share is bigger and most players can actually interact with the devs on those platforms. BFG has decided to keep its tags for "Top Reviewer" and "Key Contributors", which need to disappear. I'm glad that more people now contribute feedback, but please remember 3 things:
1) Reviews are not intended to report tech issues. 2) Reviews are not intended to criticize BFG's choice of games and how the company operates. 3) Reviews are intended to help "visitors" get a sense of the experience of players WHO PLAYED THE GAME... not first impressions of the first 10 minutes (especially in games with progression in difficulty). Reading first impressions from others is of absolutely no value to me as I can try the game myself. I find it of TREMENDOUS value that BFG allows us to try EVERY GAME for ourselves; larger platforms (like s-team) rarely do.
Did I mention I'll probably get this game: it's relaxing, informative and tickles my brain, even if it's not particularly original.
I was able to open the game just fine on Windows 11.
Like prior releases in the series (this is the 5th as far as I know), it has great graphic quality, smooth mechanics and a few alternate playing methods (e.g. strips, swap, etc.).
Not sure how the images were created... entirely AI or not; they are Christmas-themed (lots of trees!) and you can upload your own and download completed images.
Not as versatile/configurable as my fave jigsaw developer (Graphium), but a decent offering.
PS: As always, if you're experiencing technical problems, place a support request, not a 1-star review!
For quite a while now, Domini has added a star system to their games; it amazes me that after all this time, self-proclaimed "experts" haven't taken the time to understand that the game uses a star system to determine which branch of the story you'll be playing. It is NOT a reward system, like many reviewers have said in the past, to show you've made the "right" choice... there is NO RIGHT CHOICE, just a series of decisions that will navigate you through the different outcomes of the game. Think of them as forks in the road, so you get the ability to replay the game and obtain a different experience. That's MORE BANG FOR YOUR BUCK. They even tell you which choice earns you a star, which one doesn't... so take notes as you play along and make different choices NEXT TIME. That being said, it is a fairly standard game in the Domini tradition: great graphics, bright colors, diverse mini-games. Play the demo with an open mind; if you've bought a previous game from their offerings, try what I've explained above... it'll give you a new perspective on the "gold star" system. And, for crying out loud, STOP talking about being REWARDED with a gold star for making the RIGHT choice like a young child in school. It's a gimmick, but it's a clever one once you understand its true purpose.
From the folks who bring us the Quadrium and ClearIt games (Flashburn Studios) comes this match-2/match-3 game. Just like their other series, it features colorful graphics and marbles of many configurations. I've only played a portion of the demo and I'm finding that it is more strategy-focused than the other 2 series. This is the 1st game in the series, which currently counts 10 releases. Don't think it's "just another ClearIt"; it's not. Try the demo and play at least to level 4. It is quite addictive, especially since it has no timer to stress the player.
The folks at Casual Arts (that bring us those beloved "Cruise Director", "Park Ranger" and "Christmas Wonderland" games) have decided to make a 4th game in their "Halloween" series (yes, one of them was called "Halloween: The Pirate's Curse").
This installation will require extra preparation like having to "repair" something that's probably not broken and installing something else (Visual C++) for which you have a more recent version. I can already predict the number of reviews with tech issues where people will diss the game instead of following directions and/or submitting tickets.
The game has, as is tradition, bright graphics with an array of Halloween-themed scenes, with golden pumpkins to find (instead of golden angels). The format is identical to their other games.
It's been almost 10 years since their last "Halloween" game, and this is the 1st time they've "upgraded" to a CE.
If you think the extra content is worthy of paying double the price, you'll have more play time. I sometimes wish devs would understand that very few people buy CEs because of soundtracks and wallpapers, so those to me should be treated as freebies, with no monetary value attached to them.
Is a Halloween game a children's game? I'm sure someone will think so... me, I've enjoyed what I've played and will buy at a later point in time.
I bought the CE and I have to admit the extra levels/objects made it worthwhile for me; I never care for soundtracks and wallpapers.
Colorful graphics and a sweet story will surely trigger janeypat's rant about this being a childish game; let me assure you that the level of challenge is sufficient for my taste, where strategy is required to finish the level and "get the gold".
If on a tight budget, get this version, but if you can wait for a sale, splurge for the CE. Adepts of TM game should enjoy this one.
This was a great game, in the traditional quality of this series. Perhaps I'm a bit biased as I was a beta-tester for this game.
I completed the game in both "relaxed" (no time limit) and "casual" (i.e. normal) modes, earning 3 stars and collecting all jigsaw pieces. I also like that, if you have the time or are curious, you can click on parts of the scene (trees, chickens, bones, etc.) and interact with them.
Some levels have a much tighter time allowance, and the interactive guide is sometimes missing steps to achieve the 3 stars (like forgetting a step to upgrade a mine to earn enough coins), but if you use your own tweaks, you can make it.
5 sectors/chapters, each with 10 levels, plus a bonus level in each sector if you get 3 stars in each of the 10 levels. Each level, except the bonus one, has a "hidden" token (with an "H" on it) that unlocks a piece of a jigsaw.
There is also a "super bonus level" (you can call it level 56) that unlocks once all levels are completed.
I can confirm that all levels can be done with 3 stars in "casual" (I haven't tried the hardest "expert" setting), but sometimes you have to trigger the booster that "gives freebies" (aka "Gifts from Gods") a few times to get enough resources. Not a clever strategy, but it'll do the job, especially in level 5.9 which another player is struggling with.
I'm not sure the CE will be worthy for everyone, but it's a nicely animated and fairly long game, especially if you want to get 3 stars on each level.
I have both a DRM-free and the WildTangent version of this game, and they work fine.
People tend to think that download/installation errors are the fault of the developer... they are not. Each developer submits their games to BFG (and other platforms) and it is then handled by the platform to generate a "package" that triggers the download, installation and activation of the game, as well as any (if at all) clean-up process following the installation.
It is also the platform that "unlocks" the game to eliminate the "time limit of the demo" when you buy the game. This is done by each platform, independently of the devs.
I understand the frustration of people who want to try the game and their posts about the game not working as it should, or having problems with the installation.
So please don't judge the merit of the devs and/or they QA process as it not necessarily their fault... sometimes it can be, but sometimes it isn't.
Anyway, once this game works properly on BFG, try it out. In the meantime, you can play a free trial on WildTangent (they have both the SE and CE) without having an account, or wait here for the issue to get fixed. However, you won't be able to make changes to your review, should you feel the need to, if you've already posted one.
This is a great game; it looks like some members use their game reviews as a platform to criticize the seller instead of giving useful feedback to the developer about what they like or don't like about some features of the game.
That's unfair to the developers because you don't like what BFG decides to sell or at what price. Perhaps feedback to Customer Support would be more helpful as nobody in management bothers to read all our comments.
I, for one of possibly many, enjoy the NEW YANKEE series; they require strategy and have colorful (not to be confused with "childish") graphics. A nice and long game for an SE.
When BFG released the 1st fragment back in May, I mentioned that the full game (sold elsewhere) has multiple expansion packs; the base game is free and you add levels/locations through those expansion packs. Once again, BFG releases other fragments of the master game to build this release (this time there's a big "2" in the artwork). I guarantee there are more releases to come!
This is basically a colorful mobile port that doesn't have the "in-app purchases" feature: as far as gameplay is concerned, you basically click on items in your restaurant to serve customers, earn stars in doing so, which you can use to "renovate" your decor and equipment. There might be many more releases here to include all the available content that exists for this game. It feels like I'm buying 5 jigsaws at a time from a game that originally has 50. Possibly kinder, in the short term, to my wallet... like mortgage payments LOL.
For those who enjoy the genre, it has bright and large graphics, typical of a mobile game... as well as a difficulty progression noticeable after the first 5 levels.