hbgroadends's Profile
Stat Summary
- Average Rating:4.8
- Helpful Votes:407
- Reviews Submitted:21
- First Review:December 20, 2011
- Most Recent Review:August 28, 2022
- Featured reviews0
Appraise Malgrey Castle, learn about it’s enigmatic inhabitants, save your boss, and learn what drove your co-worker mad!
Overall rating
5
/
5
16 of 16 found this review helpful
A light-hearted vampire story that's fun to play
PostedFebruary 21, 2012
hbgroadends
fromHouston, TX
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Word, Adventure, Time Management, Hidden Object, Large File, Puzzle, Strategy
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Even though this is a vampire story, it is not dark or spooky in any fashion--rather, it is pretty cute and amusing. You are playing an agent tasked with appraising a mansion that is being sold by the government, only to find out that said mansion is filled with friendly vampires and ghosts.
The game play is a lot of fun--mostly puzzle with some HOG scenes. For those looking for games that are predominantly HOG scenes, this game is not for you, but for those looking for puzzles with a good mix of HOG scenes, this game is a good match. Definitely more adventure game than HOG in my opinion, but I never needed a strategy guide to get around. The puzzles were interesting, and you are able to skip a puzzle, but only after the Skip button charged, which took a while. However, most of the puzzles were challenging but doable.
The graphics were okay--a little hokey, but not bad. The voice-overs were first rate. The characters and storyline were very entertaining.
Be sure to check this one out if you are looking for something not so dark and scary, but a lot of fun to play.
I recommend this game!
Chocolatier
Elusive ingredients, high prices and conniving competitors make being a chocolatier more fudge-strating than you thought!
Overall rating
5
/
5
13 of 15 found this review helpful
A really fun resource management game
PostedFebruary 21, 2012
hbgroadends
fromHouston, TX
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Word, Adventure, Time Management, Hidden Object, Large File, Puzzle, Strategy
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
For those looking for games that don't have timers or stress you out, but challenge you to think a little, give this game a try. The first in the Chocolatier series, it is set in the late 1800s and you are tasked with going around the world to purchase supplies, track down recipes, and make and sell different types of chocolates.
The only part of the game that has any type of "time-management" to it is the setting up of a recipe in a factory. Outside of that, there is no time management part. You are given requests to fulfill, but given plenty of time to do it in.
The main purpose of the game is resource management. You have to make sure to keep supplies on hand, make sure you have enough money to purchase supplies, factories, and travel.
The quality of the graphics are good but not great, but considering how old this game is, that is understandable. The storyline is engaging, and the characters interesting. The length of the game is long--it took me several days to finish--so a good bang for your buck.
Definitely check this one out if you are looking for something a little different.
I recommend this game!
Play as Ginger and save the county`s homesteaders from Agrocorporate assimilation in this fun Time Management game!
Overall rating
5
/
5
29 of 34 found this review helpful
One of the funnest farming games out there!
PostedJanuary 29, 2012
hbgroadends
fromHouston, TX
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Time Management, Hidden Object, Large File, Puzzle, Strategy
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
I've had this game for a couple of years now, but I don't delete it out of my game manager because it is so much fun to play. While the storyline is hokey, there is something about the game play that is absolutely addicting.
There is a timer on this game, but it is for getting gold, so you can play a level for however long you need to, then go back and replay it to get a better score.
The initial levels go pretty quick--5 minutes or so. Just know that the later levels can take anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour to play, so it's good to make sure you have enough time to play a level.
For those looking for a farming or gardening game that is different from Farm Frenzy or Farm Mania, I highly recommend this game.
I recommend this game!
Search for a town consumed by fog! Unlock forbidden doors and uncover mysterious items!
Overall rating
5
/
5
67 of 88 found this review helpful
Great game with the good balance of HOG and puzzles
PostedJanuary 29, 2012
hbgroadends
fromHouston, TX
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Time Management, Hidden Object, Large File, Puzzle, Strategy
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
This is a well-crafted game with great voice-overs and characterization, and the graphics well-done. For those of us who don't care for constant HOG scenes, this game offered the right mix of HOG and puzzles, so you don't get bored. The HOG scenes are standard junk-pile scenes.
The storyline is well done, and held my interest through the end. The puzzles were challenging. We all have certain puzzle types we hate, and I was happy I could skip some of those puzzles that I don't like playing.
As to whether or not the CE was worth the money, there was one extra chapter at the end. While the chapter spun off of the original story, it does not affect the original story, so those choosing to by the SE wouldn't really miss it. The extra chapter was about an additional hour's worth of game play.
Where the CE price made it worth it to me was having the integrated strategy guide. That came in real handy, since this is a non-linear game and sometimes I needed to figure out where I needed to be.
In any case, a great game overall--as much fun as the Midnight Mysteries games.
I recommend this game!
Become the hero of the hit reality show TV Farm! Grow plants, sell products, and improve your farm in this Time Management game!
Overall rating
5
/
5
89 of 97 found this review helpful
Fun TM game with lots of strategy involved
PostedJanuary 29, 2012
hbgroadends
fromHouston, TX
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Time Management, Hidden Object, Large File, Puzzle, Strategy
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Some TM games can become boring after a while, but this one held my interest all the way to the end. The different products needed to grow, develop, and sell kept the game from getting stale, as well as coming up with the best strategy to get gold on all of the levels. For instance, sometimes it was better to purchase products already manufactured than it was to make them.
When it comes to TM games, I like the ones where you are not on a set timer, which tend to stress me out. You can play the level as fast or as slow as you want--longer times only mean you won't get gold or silver. This allows you to go back and play those levels in order to improve your times. Also, getting gold was not an impossible feat, as some TM games are set up.
Overall, this game is worth the money and a lot of fun to play.
I recommend this game!
Someone is killing the guests at a mountain resort, and you could be next if you don't figure out the mystery and solve a Mountain Crime!
Overall rating
5
/
5
1 of 1 found this review helpful
Great adventure game!
PostedJanuary 29, 2012
hbgroadends
fromHouston, TX
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Time Management, Hidden Object, Large File, Puzzle, Strategy
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
For those who are looking for the standard HOGs, this is not the game for you. Someone else stated in a review that this game is more adventure than HOG, and I agree with them. However, for those of us who like adventure games, this game is a lot of fun!
The voice-overs and characterizations were very well done, as were the graphics. This game has a thriller/mystery vibe to it that definitely keeps you guessing while you try to solve the murders. The gameplay is non-linear, and I really liked how the areas with puzzles or requiring some kind of action would become inactive once they were solved (unless there was some clue in the scene that you might want to go back and read).
While there are some HOG scenes in the game, they were infrequent and involved finding objects to put something back together in order to obtain a needed item for another part of the game. I found the HOG scenes rather refreshing because they weren't your standard FROGs, which tend to make me nuts.
Excellent game, and well worth the money.
I recommend this game!
The King turns once more to you, his trusted city planner, to save the faraway land of Middleshire in Royal Envoy 2!
Overall rating
4
/
5
The first one was better in my opinion, but still a lot of fun
PostedJanuary 29, 2012
hbgroadends
fromHouston, TX
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Time Management, Hidden Object, Large File, Puzzle, Strategy
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
The play action of this sequel is identical to the first one. Royal Envoy is one of my all-time favorite games, so I was jazzed when the sequel came out. The visual/sound quality and level of challenge matched the first game. I really liked the fact that the collector's edition gave you an additional 60 levels, giving you more bang for your buck, just like the first one did.
The only reason why I didn't give the game 5 stars is because I feel the developer got a little lazy with this version. There was no real storyline like the first one. Also, the additional 60 levels was a repeat of the first 60 levels. It would have been a lot more fun if they had changed the goals in the expert mode.
In any case, the game is definitely worth buying!
I recommend this game!
Sinister thrills await you in this gorgeously dark and unsettling real-life ghost story from New Orleans’ shadowy history!
Overall rating
5
/
5
57 of 64 found this review helpful
One of my favorite all time games!
PostedDecember 20, 2011
hbgroadends
fromHouston, TX
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Word, Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File, Strategy, Puzzle
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
This game was beautifully crafted, from the graphics to the voice-overs. The story line was fabulous, the game play challenging and interesting. It had a great mix of hidden object as well as puzzles--a good enough balance to please HOG lovers while not boring non-HOG lovers.
I keep hoping they will make a sequel to this game.
I recommend this game!
Battle evil forces from the future and help Vera save her fiancé Tom in this time-warping Hidden Object game!
Overall rating
5
/
5
34 of 39 found this review helpful
Cheesy graphics and cornball voice-overs make this game a hoot!
PostedDecember 20, 2011
hbgroadends
fromHouston, TX
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Word, Adventure, Time Management, Hidden Object, Large File, Puzzle, Strategy
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Yes, the graphics of this game are cheesy, however the story line is very cute, and the voice-overs are so goofy they make you laugh. I still laugh thinking about the dinosaur, and I haven't played the game in 2 years!
In any case, the game play was a lot of fun, with a great mixture of puzzles and interesting hidden object scenes.
An absolutely delightful game!
I recommend this game!
Strange Cases - The Lighthouse Mystery
Clair's partner has turned up dead, and police claim it was a suicide. Discover the truth in this fun Collector's Edition!
Overall rating
4
/
5
27 of 32 found this review helpful
For those who like mostly HOG scenes, this is a fun game
PostedDecember 20, 2011
hbgroadends
fromHouston, TX
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Word, Adventure, Time Management, Hidden Object, Large File, Puzzle, Strategy
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
For those people looking for HOGs that are mostly hidden object and less adventure, this series is for you. I have played both the first one and this one, and the play is the same in both--mostly HO scenes. From that perspective, the game play is good, the story line interesting, and the voice-overs well done. The music was repetitive, but could be turned down.
I tend to like more Adventure HOGs with much fewer hidden object scenes, so I got a little bored at times. So, to those people who get tired of HO scenes, this game and series is not for you.
I recommend this game!