dancemom1's Profile
Stat Summary
- Average Rating:3.6
- Helpful Votes:13,287
- Reviews Submitted:871
- First Review:April 15, 2012
- Most Recent Review:November 26, 2024
- Featured reviews0
Status:
The Abomination threatens to erase all worlds from existence!
Overall rating
4
/
5
20 of 39 found this review helpful
Let's create a spell for that...
PostedFebruary 28, 2019
dancemom1
fromYakima, WA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Card & Board, Family, Hidden Object, Strategy, Word
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Hello friends! As usual, I review mostly on the game play and leave the story to others. Looks like this might be #7 in this series. Graphics are very well done, very clear, with no noticeable blurring at all. Excellent animation, with realistic eye and mouth movements. The body does sway a bit, but not much. Very nice true colors, bright, but not over powering. Game play was very good, no problems during the demo, and the scenes filled my large screen very well. Voices are well done, and are age and character appropriate, with emotion and urgency. Really liked the sinister voice of the "bad guy." Didn't notice much in the way of music, but we did have some. Sound FX were very quiet...the storm sounds could have been much heavier for effect. Map is boring, but useful for jumps to other areas.
HOGs are a variation of highlighted words, find symbols, silhouettes and lists. Scenes are fairly clear and items are not difficult to find. We do have the addition of a morphing item in each HOG, for a little extra challenge. Some puzzles were a little challenging, but not really difficult, they just took more time to complete. Hint system is very helpful, but we did not have a transport feature during the demo. We do enough back tracking, where one would have been quite helpful and time saving.
Collectibles were okay. We have a symbol that is a "flames" sitting on a star. These are large and pretty easy to see. We also have morphing items in the regular scenes as well. They morph fairly quickly, so be on the lookout for them.
We have a spell book, to create spells to use as we progress through the game. We are on the hunt and travel through portals to different realms to find what we need to save our world. Not a new story, but interesting. Even though the game seemed to move a little slowly, it was easy to follow. Didn't seem to have as much action in this one, as in previous games in the series, but enough to keep us moving. This game is not all that challenging, but it does have its moments. The demo was quite short, so it wasn't easy to get a real feel for the game. What I played, I liked, and it was well done. I think this addition will appeal to all levels of players, and I feel this one is worth a 4.5. Yes, I am adding this one to my ever growing collection of CE games.
As always, try it for yourself and see what you think. We all have different tastes in games and you may not care for this one at all. Thanks for the reviews. Play on!
I recommend this game!
Escape a terrifying hotel with a haunted past.
Overall rating
2
/
5
5 of 14 found this review helpful
Quiet, slow, boring...
PostedFebruary 23, 2019
dancemom1
fromYakima, WA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Card & Board, Family, Hidden Object, Strategy, Word
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
Hello friends! As usual, I review on the game play and leave the story to others...most of the time. I lost track of how many we have in this series, but it's a lot. No, I don't have them all. Graphics were a bit blurry, and worse in close up scenes, but the scene did fit my large screen. Voice overs were not bad, but we had very little character interaction in this addition. Game play was good, no problems during the demo. Animation was pretty nice as well and movements seemed smooth, with mouth and eye movements. Colors were a little muted in most instances and non existent in others. We have a creepy house and equally creepy ghosts. Music wasn't bad and changed depending on what was happening in the scene at the time. Mostly we had music and not much in the way of sound FX in this one. We needed storm sounds to add to the creepy.
HOGs are a combination of straight lists, interactive lists, silhouettes, highlighted words and riddle type HOG. The scenes are mostly clear and items are not difficult to find. If you don't care for the HOGs, you can switch to a bubble shooter game. This time, we have a morphing item in 19 of the HOGs. These are not that easy to spot either. There seemed to be a lot more HOGs in this addition to this series. I found the puzzles had more challenge than I originally thought, but still were not all that difficult, just time consuming for the most part. Hint system is quite helpful and it does transport to longer locations. This is a good thing, as you do back track quite a lot.
Collectibles: 45 signs that looked like shields. These are fairly large, but most have very little color, so they don't stand out. Needed a little something extra here.
This series hasn't been all that great since the first couple, but there has been one or two in between. Personally, I think it's a little early in the year to be putting out a game that is so dark and dreary. The story was okay, but moved very slowly, and did not have enough action or interaction to keep me interested or wanting to continue playing after the demo ended. The only real challenge in this game were some of the puzzles. Even if I do not care for a game, I try to find something good to say about it, so I can recommend it to others. This one did not have enough good things to make me want to recommend it even to beginners. No buy, no recommendation, even though I am sure there will be those who will like this one.
As always, try it for yourself and see what you think. We all have different tastes in games and you may not care for this one at all. Thanks for the reviews. Play on!
I don't recommend this game.
When a young man is apparently abducted by spirits at an abandoned movie theater, you rush to investigate. You arrive to find truth to the tales as you encounter specters from the very movies shown in the theater! Can you navigate dangerous films to save the living in time?
Overall rating
4
/
5
8 of 16 found this review helpful
All about the money...
PostedFebruary 21, 2019
dancemom1
fromYakima, WA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Card & Board, Family, Hidden Object, Strategy, Word
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Hello friends! As usual, I review mostly on the game play and leave the story line to those who do a much better job than I. The usual slight blur in the close up scenes, but otherwise very nice graphics. Colors have cleared up very nicely since the last game in this series, and seem to be more true. Game play was excellent, with no glitches or problems during the demo. Animation was excellent and realistic, with eye and mouth movement, and for the most part, they are smooth. Voices were age and character appropriate, with some emotion, but our main character seemed a little bored at times. Music was well done and moved with whatever was happening at the time. Sound FX are done very well.
HOGs are varied a bit, but mostly interactive lists and sliding bar during the demo. The scenes are very clean and items were not difficult to find. We do have a morphing object to find, which are not easy to spot. I did not notice that you could switch to something else, but I wasn't looking for it either. Puzzles were quite simple and nothing new. Hint system is helpful, and again, there is no transport to longer locations. Yes, we have a jump map, which is set up rather oddly. However, a transport would have been very helpful, due to all the back tracking we do in this one.
Collectibles weren't too bad. We have morphing items within the scenes, which aren't easy to see. These are extra to the morphs in the HOGs. We also have to find movie clapboards. These are often difficult to find, as they can be solid, outlines or even ghost-like.
This is not a new story, but one of greed and jealousy and yes, money. Even at that, I liked this story. You are constantly on the move and have quite a lot of interaction with other characters, making the game a bit more realistic and interesting. The only real challenge during the demo, was finding the collectibles. I think most all levels of players will find this one enjoyable for one reason or another. I think this game is a nice addition to this series. Yes, I am adding this one to my collection. I gave it a 4.5 on my scale.
As always, try it for yourself and see what you think. We all have different tastes in games and you may not care for this one at all. Thanks for the reviews. Play on!
I recommend this game!
Can you save the city from the dangerous criminal Quasimodo?
Overall rating
4
/
5
13 of 29 found this review helpful
Save the girl!
PostedFebruary 16, 2019
dancemom1
fromYakima, WA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Card & Board, Family, Hidden Object, Strategy, Word
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Hello friends! Unless my count is off, this one makes #10 in this series. As always, I review mostly on the game play and leave the story review to others who do a much better job than I. Graphics are very well done, even with the occasional blur, which isn't bad at all. Colors are very bright and clear, and have a lot of purple and blue, but is still quite nice. Animation is exrtemely well done, very smooth and realistic. Game play was excellent, with no problems during the demo. The voices okay, and are age and character appropriate. Didn't notice as much emotion in the speaking as in other games in this series. Still, nicely done. Sound FX were okay, but not a lot of them.
HOPs are a variety of silhouettes, and highlighted words. Hopefully there is more than this as the game progresses. Scenes are very clean and clear and items were not difficult to find. As usual, you can switch to a match 3 game. Puzzles were not difficult, and did not take any time or thought to complete. We can still choose between easy and hard for the puzzles and the full game play as well, for those who want more challenge. Hint system is very helpful and it does transport to longer locations, by opening the map and showing you where your next move is going to be. As always in this series, we have a great map. It clearly identifies the area by picture and name, as well as showing you where you may have missed a collectible. You can choose not to have this "hint" if you wish a bit more challenge here as well.
I like the collectibles in this series. Some are quite challenging to find, due to size or placement. We need to find 15 tarot card that also morph, making them a bit more difficult to easily spot; 70 gold bracelets that we use to buy items for the boudoir...these are easy to overlook; and 15 diary pages. These can be anywhere and different sizes.
The title tells you what the game is about, sort of. It is partially true to the real story, but so far, is well done. This game flowed very well and was easy to follow. Again, we can switch characters and play both sides. Most of the challenge was in finding the collectibles. Even though every game in this series is pretty much the same story, with just a different title and characters, I like them. There is not a lot of action, but enough character interaction to keep me interested. I think most all levels of players will find this one entertaining and somewhat challenging. I gave this one a 4.5. Yes, I am adding it to my collection of CE games.
As always, try it for yourself and see what you think. We all have different tastes in games and you may not care for this one at all. Thanks for the reviews. Play on!
I recommend this game!
Can you save the city from a dangerous magic-wielding criminal?
Overall rating
2
/
5
7 of 13 found this review helpful
For beginners...
PostedFebruary 10, 2019
dancemom1
fromYakima, WA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Card & Board, Family, Hidden Object, Strategy, Word
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
Hello friends! As usual, I review mostly on the game play and not the story line, although I do comment a bit. Graphics were blurry for the most part. Colors are very faded, which makes the graphics look even more blurry. Game play is good, no problems during the demo. Animation wasn't bad, but some movements were a bit choppy. Facial movements were quite good. Voices fit the age and character but sounded like they were just reading a script. Sound FX were quite well done, very realistic, but couldn't carry the game. Music was mostly just background noise and forgettable.
HOPs were varied, with a combination of straight lists, interactive silhouettes, and picture riddles. Some scenes were a bit cluttered, but items were not difficult to find. Puzzles were simple and took no time or effort to complete. Hint system is helpful and actually gives you a hint. The transport feature showed up at the end of the demo...finally. As in the previous game in this series, we do a lot of back tracking for one thing or another. The map was bland and boring, but was somewhat useful.
Collectibles were okay. We have to find 35 "signs" that are all spray cans of what looks like paint. These are quite large and very easy to spot. We also had 15 morphing items. This is the challenge to this game.
The story was the same old story and moved very slowly. No action and very little character interaction. The tattoo thing was boring and not needed. Might have worked better if it had been a handheld item of some sort. I'm sure there will be those who find this one fun, but it didn't do anything for me. I think it's geared more toward the beginner, so I will recommend for beginners only. No buy for me.
As always, try it for yourself and see what you think. We all have different tastes in games and you may find this one to be exactly what you are looking for today. Thanks for the reviews. Play on!
I recommend this game!
Can you save your brother and the worlds in time?
Overall rating
5
/
5
34 of 42 found this review helpful
My world, not yours!
PostedJanuary 14, 2019
dancemom1
fromYakima, WA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Card & Board, Family, Hidden Object, Puzzle, Strategy, Word
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Hello friends! As usual, I review mostly on the game play and leave the story line to others. Is this really #9 in this series? Graphics were fairly clear, although we did have a little blurring when going in and out of closeups. Colors were bright, but not over powering, and we did have a lot of blues mixed in as well. Voices were age and character appropriate and spoke with some realism, e.g., anger, fear, urgency, etc., and not just someone reading a script. Animation was very well done, with eye and mouth movements matching what is being said and/or done at the time. Game play was good, no problems during the demo. Music was rather soothing and mostly for back ground noise. Sound FX are very well done and are throughout game play. During the demo, I did not run across a "little helper" in this one. Please be aware that there are very bright lights when traveling through portals. Fortunately, not that often.
HOG's are very well done and varied. We have a combination of highlighted words, interactive lists, matching parts of pictures, and straight lists. You can switch to a Match 3 for something different now and then. Scenes are fairly clean and items are not difficult to find. Puzzles are nothing new, but we can choose the difficulty. Even is easy mode, some of them take a bit of time and thought to complete. Hint system is very helpful, and transports you to the map when you need a hint. This is my favorite map. All areas are shown and clearly identified with location name, and whether there is a missed collectible still to be found in that location. For the adventurous type, you can choose not to have that particular hint show up on the map. It takes 15 seconds for the hint meter to fill...personally, I think 10 seconds if plenty long enough.
Collectibles are well done and many. We have to find 69 tokens. So far, I have only found one in each scene, but with that many, it could double or triple as the game progresses. These are not easy to spot, as they blend into the scene quite well. We also have 21 card that give us info on characters. These are not in every scene and are often quite small and easy to miss. The last collectible is what they call "articles." They are actually wanted posters for the bad guys. We need to find 15 of them. These have been fairly easy to spot.
I really like this series and this addition is no exception. No, the story is nothing new...bad guy on the loose, trying to conquer the world and we need to stop him. However, the story is well done, flows well and is easy to follow. This addition is not exceptionally challenging, but there is enough action to keep you moving and not get bored. I think all levels of players will find this one entertaining and worth the price of a CE. I gave this one a 4.75 on my scale. Yes, I am adding it to my collection of CE games.
As always, try it for yourself and see what you think. We all have different tastes in games and you may not like this one at all. Thanks for the reviews. Play on!
I recommend this game!
Survive a fictional horror turned real-life nightmare in a creepy hotel!
Overall rating
4
/
5
20 of 27 found this review helpful
Not dark and creepy, very well done!
PostedDecember 28, 2018
dancemom1
fromYakima, WA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Card & Board, Family, Hidden Object, Puzzle, Strategy, Word
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Hello friends! As usual, I review mostly on the game play and leave the story line to others who do a much better job than I. Is this really #18 in this series? Graphics are very well done, even with a little blurring now and then. Colors are fairly nice, but we still have quite a lot of blue and pink. These are not over powering, but tend to be a bit tiring on the eyes. Animation is very well done, with mouth movements and all. Didn't care much for the jumpy movement of the skeleton in the cemetery, makes my eyes feel weird. Voices aren't bad, and are age and character appropriate. We do have some creepy and sinister voices when needed. Music is exceptionally well done, quiet but sets the mood of the game quite nicely. Sound FX are nice when used. There is a lot of background sound, but mostly the music.
HOG's are varied and quite well done. We have interactive lists, silhouettes and fragments. Items are not difficult to find and scenes are fairly clear and uncluttered. Puzzles are challenging, for a change, and take some time and thought to complete. Hint system is helpful and we do have the transport feature. This is quite helpful, as we do a lot of back tracking in this one and it is a great time saver.
Collectibles are very well done. We have to find 30 various morphing items, 14 character figurines and 20 puzzle pieces. None of these jump off the page at you, but if you just have to remember to look for them. There is a bit of a challenge here as well.
This one is probably the best in this series in a very long time. The story is interesting and no where near as dark and creepy as most of the others in the series. Some will find this story predictable, but quite well done. The story line is easy to follow and the game flows very well. I think most all levels of players will find this one fun and challenging. I gave this one a 4.75 on my scale. Downgraded only because of the color. Yes, I am adding this one to my collection.
I recommend this game!
In Christmas Wonderland 9 you visit Santa’s workshop, decorate the house, visit grandparents open presents and more. Have the best Christmas ever!
Overall rating
5
/
5
11 of 11 found this review helpful
Have to have it!
PostedDecember 10, 2018
dancemom1
fromYakima, WA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Card & Board, Family, Hidden Object, Puzzle, Strategy, Word
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Hello friends! Another addition to this wonderful series. Of course, I have them all! Yes, this is a straight HOG with no fancy stuff to add to it. We do have some extra items to find to gain more money to buy more goodies for ourselves and our game family.
The colors are bright and cheery, the music is sometimes annoying and we don't have people talking to us throughout the game. Don't need it. The scenes are chocked full of stuff to find, making it a challenge to find some items now and then, but still fun.
I love the puzzles as well. They aren't really all that challenging and they are always the same in each addition, but they are entertaining. My grand kids love to do these with me. We have a lot of fun trying to find everything.
My real challenge is finding the extras. I bought this one without even trying it. I love this series and it just wouldn't be Christmas without it. This addition gets a 4.75 from me, mostly because some items are just too small for my old eyes. There really isn't much of a storyline, but it's Christmas, what else do we need?
Give it a try and see what you think. Just might help get you in the Christmas spirit.
I recommend this game!
The Christmas spirit is vanishing all over the world, but why?
Overall rating
4
/
5
25 of 46 found this review helpful
Not a typical Christmas story...
PostedDecember 6, 2018
dancemom1
fromYakima, WA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Card & Board, Family, Hidden Object, Puzzle, Strategy, Word
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
Hello friends! As usual, I review mostly on the game play and leave the story to others. Looks like this is #7 in this Holiday series. Graphics were much better in this addition, much clearer. Santa didn't seem as "fat" as he usually is, but still okay. Colors are bright, but not over powering. Game play was very good, no problems during the demo at all. Music was monotonous and not Christmas-y at all. Voice overs are nice and character appropriate. Animation isn't too bad, but the characters mostly just move their mouth...no eye or facial movement. We do have a helper in this one...a Cheshire cat! Okay, he isn't used a lot and when bored, he juggles Christmas tree balls.
I do like how the HOPs are done. As usual in this series, we have interactive lists, silhouettes, place the item in the scene and match items. The HOPs are fairly clean and items are not hard to find. Puzzles were very simple and took no time or effort to complete. Areas with a collectible are marked on the map, in case you missed one. Hint system is very helpful and it does transport to longer locations. There is quite a lot of back tracking in this addition, to pick up or use one item.
Collectibles are very well done. We have 27 morphing items (hats to cards), which morph fairly quickly and are often small and not easy to spot. We also have 48 puzzle pieces, which blend well, but still are not difficult to find. They are fairly large. You just have to remember to look for them. Then, we have 12 character figurines to find. These do not jump out at you, so watch for them.
I really like this series, but was disappointed in this story line. Alice in Wonderland just didn't fit in a Christmas story for me. Maybe it was the Cheshire cat and his creepy grin. Mostly he sits in his corner, but moves enough to draw your attention to him and his constant grin. This game is not challenging at all, and the story seemed a bit slow. However, even though I don't care for the story line, I like this series and I especially like the numerous collectibles. I think most all levels of players will find this one worth the CE price, simply because it is Christmas. Yes, I am adding this one to my ever growing CE collection.
As always, try it for yourself and see what you think. We all have different tastes in games and you may not care for this one at all. Thanks for the review. Play on!
I recommend this game!
Can you stop a natural nemesis from destroying our land?
Overall rating
4
/
5
39 of 53 found this review helpful
Defeat the beasts!
PostedNovember 24, 2018
dancemom1
fromYakima, WA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Card & Board, Family, Hidden Object, Puzzle, Strategy, Word
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Hello friends! As usual, I review mostly on the game play and leave the story line to others. A new game for a change! Graphics in this one are the usual with this Developer. A lot of blurring when going in and out of close up scenes. Very nice animation, very realistic facial movements. Colors are bright, almost too bright in some areas, but still quite nice. Voices are well done, with anger, fear, pain, etc. We have lots of beasts in this game, but nothing really jumps out at you, in an attempt to scare you. Music is okay and does not interfere with the game or voices. Sound FX were nice for the most part. I did notice that in a few places, things that should have made a loud noise did not, e.g. when the first beast jumped onto the ground. There should have been a loud thud, but barely anything at all. There were some nice background sounds.
HOGs were a little disappointing. All we had were highlighted words. Some are good, but not throughout the entire game. We could switch to a match 3 game instead, but that gets old quickly as well. Most scenes were fairly clear and items were not difficult to see. Puzzles were simple, but did take a little thought to complete. Hint system is helpful and we do have the transport feature. We do a lot of back tracking, so this is a good feature to have. Of course, we have the perfect map. Areas are identified by picture and name, and it shows us if we miss a collectible. You can switch that helpful item off for more challenge. You can also decide whether you want easy or hard puzzles. This can be done either through custom mode in the beginning, or during the puzzle play. Nice to have a choice.
Collectibles are quite well done. We have 15 flower/plant seeds to find, which aren't that hard to spot, but you do have to look for them. We also have 15 statuettes to find. This is a little challenging, as they morph, but still not difficult to find. The most challenge here is finding the 70 butterflies. These can be anywhere and most do not jump off the page at you. Just remember to look for them.
Been waiting for this one to come out. Even the blurry graphics didn't stop me from wanting this one. Story is different and well done, with plenty of action to keep you busy and wanting more. However, I did have to laugh in the beginning, when our heroine is reading the letter. Those were definitely not the hands of a woman holding that letter. Still, I gave this one a 4.5. Downgraded a bit, since the Devs didn't pay attention to the beta review and clean things up a bit. I like this game, and have the need to play it out and see where it's going. I think most all levels of players will like this one. Yes, I am adding it to my collection of CE games.
As always, try it for yourself and see what you think. We all have different tastes in games and you may not care for this one at all. Thanks for the reviews. Play on!
I recommend this game!