bluesycat's Profile
Stat Summary
- Average Rating:2.9
- Helpful Votes:1,094
- Reviews Submitted:151
- First Review:July 25, 2012
- Most Recent Review:August 2, 2020
- Featured reviews0
Status:
Follow the clues found within these beautifully illustrated jigsaw puzzles to uncover an amazing story!
Overall rating
5
/
5
42 of 48 found this review helpful
Best Simulation Ever
PostedAugust 2, 2020
bluesycat
fromAlbany, NY
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Puzzle
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
I've tried a lot of jigsaw games over the years. All of them have been basically annoying. This game is the BEST jigsaw simulation I have played. Although in the mode in which I demoed this puts all the pieces "right side up" that doesn't take away from any of the fun or challenge of placing a jigsaw piece in a 3D setting. And the artwork is EXQUISITE.
So if you like doing jigsaws in 3 dimensions, give this 2 D version a try.
p.s. There's a story, but it is not necessary to enjoy the play of this game.
I recommend this game!
Creating beautiful images has never been easier with new paining game, Polygon Art!
Overall rating
2
/
5
25 of 32 found this review helpful
Not the greatest
PostedMay 13, 2020
bluesycat
fromAlbany, NY
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Puzzle
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
2
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
This is like other fill in the box with color games, except these boxes are not pixel shaped. It could be interesting, but for two shortcomings which make it more annoying than fun for me.
(1) You must click on every single box to fill it. There is no option to drag your cursor through a collection of adjacent boxes and fill them all. Every - single - box - must - be - clicked.
(2) Might only matter to me. I like to select the order in which I fill in color on these. Look at the boxes and choose which ones to do next. But you can't choose because you don't know what color the boxes are. So you have to fill them in order: all the 1's, all the 2's, all the 3's, etc. I prefer to fill in the outsides first and them fill in adjacent colors inside the outer edges. You would have to click in all 24 colors each color change to do this.
Sadly, this is not for me!
I don't recommend this game.
Who will save Fairytale land when Dame Gothel threatens to end Christmas forever?
Overall rating
3
/
5
7 of 8 found this review helpful
Bah, Humbug
PostedDecember 30, 2019
bluesycat
fromAlbany, NY
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Puzzle
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
Based on completion of the CE game, including the Bonus Chapter.
Bah, humbug. I have trouble dealing with "Christmas" stories that focus on unspeakably evil villains who want to ruin this magical season for everyone. Vile, violent, antithetical to everything that Christmas is about.
The game is not all that well constructed either. There are many, many beautiful scenes, but the actions to be taken are not very intuitive and I spent a LOT of time running back and forth.
The game has a couple of other things that I don't like in game play, as well. You are carrying around a lot of items, and even though you may know where and how to use an item, the game structure will not let you use the item until the pre-determined story line thinks you should. There are also some loose ends in the main story, such as what happened to a character who was turned into an animal. And the bonus chapter was basically the same story as the main game, just with different characters.
Do I recommend this game? Not really. And particularly not for children, due to the evil characters.
I don't recommend this game.
Can you save the city from nature’s destructive forces in time?
Overall rating
5
/
5
16 of 24 found this review helpful
Best HOP game Ever!
PostedDecember 22, 2019
bluesycat
fromAlbany, NY
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Puzzle
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
Based on the demo, which wasn't long enough!
This game makes HOS what they should be: no junk piles in the corners of scenes. Each scene is a HOP, many with puzzles embedded. And not all items are easy to find. But so much FUN. This is how I always envisioned HOPs being, not just a collection of meaningless junk piles.
Now I usually like story based games, and this one fails a bit there. At least through the demo, the story does not progress much. One agent is looking for a missing agent, and goes through many scenes, looking here and there. But the way the game progresses lets me forgive that.
There is a unique map that instead of helping your move around, is an integral part of the game, showing you where to go next and sometimes offering clues to what is in the scene. Not sure I like that as much as the sidekick map.
Overall, I loved this game. Mindful of some of the negative reviews, you're gonna love it or hate it, so demo it first.
I recommend this game!
Can you help the train’s passengers save their holidays in time?
Overall rating
4
/
5
1 of 1 found this review helpful
Not the worst game, but fun so far as it goes
PostedDecember 18, 2019
bluesycat
fromAlbany, NY
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Puzzle
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Based on completing the CE version of the game.
I really enjoyed the adventure and the play of this game, except for the evil conductor on the train. What was that all about? Thankfully, his evil intentions didn't thwart the good work of the children who are the protagonists in this game. Good wins out in all the stories, although the best one is the bonus chapter, IMHO.
The colors are beautiful and rich, just like a Christmas story should be. I had the sound shut off, so I can't comment on the music or the voices.
The CE has morphing objects and puzzle pieces and some critters to collect, which is all well and good, but my aged eyes often miss many of these, and this developer doesn't let you go back in the game to find missed special items. I don't want to pay twice as much for a CE and not be able to enjoy all of the bonus materials. That's why this is 4-star and not a 5.
I recommend this game!
Can you stop the fiery witch before it’s too late?
Overall rating
3
/
5
6 of 6 found this review helpful
Stupid Story
PostedNovember 1, 2019
bluesycat
fromAlbany, NY
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Puzzle
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
Yes, I like story-driven games. While the play on this game was pretty good, and I loved the interactive HOPs, the story was so utterly idiotic that I had trouble staying with it. There were just too many times I had to listen to the angry witch with the glaring eyes growl about how much she hated everyone and was going to kill everyone.
So if playing the various HOPs and puzzle games is what it's about for you, this is OK. If it's about story, skip it.
I don't recommend this game.
Can you stop townspeople from turning into crystal in time?
Overall rating
2
/
5
5 of 7 found this review helpful
Dreadful
PostedJune 3, 2019
Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
Based on the completed game.
People who read my infrequent reviews know that I like games with strong stories and characters. While the demo held promise, this game fell apart after the introduction.
Pointless action, much to and fro, 20 items in inventory that made no sense. No logical progression in the game. The same went for the bonus chapter. Saving grace: the game was long, but when everything you're doing lacks rationale, length is simply frustrating.
And regarding the bonus materials: Another thing I don't like is CE games that don't let you go back and find morphs and collectibles that you missed. I missed 2 of the approximately 40, but with no re-do, was deprived of completing the final bonus puzzle. No way I was going to run through the entire pointless game again for those two missing pieces.
I gave it two stars because the graphics are beautiful and the HOS are exquisite and logical to complete. Logical within their own context, but mostly not logical in the context of the game.
Basically, I hated it. (p.s. I number of the puzzles did not like my solution when it was the "right" solution, so I'm passing that off to my outdated operating system and not the game.)
I don't recommend this game.
Solve a series of devious puzzles to escape Arcana manor and uncover the dark secrets of the mysterious magician once lived there.
Overall rating
5
/
5
I LOVED this puzzle game!
PostedApril 22, 2019
bluesycat
fromAlbany, NY
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Puzzle
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Based on the completed game.
This is a great game for puzzle lovers, not so much for anyone else. There are a variety of types of puzzles that repeat, but the degree of difficulty changes for puzzles that appear more than once. The further you get in the game, generally, the harder the puzzles are. I had to skip a bunch of them, even with the help.
I'll join with others in complaining about the mostly useless map, but having to travel for it made you really remember where you were and what you had seen there. Often you cannot finish a location on your first visit, so the map was occasionally helpful. What was not so helpful, but oh, so much fun, is the Cheater's Compendium. It's worth the read through, just to feel how useless and stupid you are, even when you have actually solved something. The tone is hilarious.
The hints are scant, although there are lots of clues - you just have to remember to look for them. I also found that some of the solutions in the Cheaters Guide did not work (or maybe I couldn't follow the directions). The graphics, while old style, are exquisite.
The game plays more like a CE than and SE and I had a great time spending a few hours over several days with it. Then I went back and played it again as another player. Someone else noted that you can't go back and play the games you've skipped, and that would be a nice fix.
I wholeheartedly recommend this game (which I don't often do)!
I recommend this game!
My Brother Rabbit is a beautifully drawn adventure set in a surreal world that mixes reality with a child’s imagination
Overall rating
3
/
5
14 of 21 found this review helpful
Mixed feelings
PostedApril 20, 2019
bluesycat
fromAlbany, NY
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Puzzle
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Based on the demo.
Visually stunning, with a great mix of fine line drawings and child like animation. Lovely story about two small siblings taking care of one another, while one is sick.
There is no written material at all in this game. Everything is based on visual clues, including all of the help and instructions. I found this challenging. Figuring out what to do is challenging, and I don't think this is a game for kids at all, even though the appearance would delight children.
I'm not sure about buying this game. There is a lot of back and forth to find and gather items needed to meet the next goal, and there is no map. But it's innovative, harking back to some of the sweetness of older Artifex Mundi games, like "Drawn."
I guess I recommend it, even though I might not buy.
I recommend this game!
Mosaics Galore is back with 100 new glorious mosaics! Solve unique puzzles and save the realm from a wicked curse!
Overall rating
3
/
5
12 of 14 found this review helpful
OK Game - Not for me!
PostedMarch 19, 2019
bluesycat
fromAlbany, NY
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Puzzle
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Based on 20 minutes of the demo.
I usually enjoy these puzzle games. Rich colors and generally pretty easy. This one fit the bill for the colors, shapes and level of difficulty.
But I had to get rid of this game before even finishing the demo. The images of the women on this "glorious" journey are downright creepy. Instead of finding the women beautiful and comforting, I found them ugly and disturbing. Maybe that's just me, but check this out before buying. Make sure the images make you feel happy.