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:
Help the Park Rangers run Pinecreek Hills for another fun season!
Overall rating
5
/
5
Ah, vacation!
PostedSeptember 8, 2023
dancemom1
fromYakima, WA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Family, Hidden Object, Strategy, Word
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Short, sweat and to the point...I love this series. It's a straight HOG, with the challenge being to find all the collectables. And, it's fun! Yep, I have all of them and have added this one to my collection.
Sometimes, you just need a simple game. Play on!
I recommend this game!
A struggle for the truth in a city of deceit!
Overall rating
5
/
5
4 of 8 found this review helpful
Magic and the paranormal - what more can you ask for?
PostedAugust 7, 2023
dancemom1
fromYakima, WA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Card & Board, 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 those who can do a much better job on it than I do. We have another addition to this interesting series. We have bright true colors, not the least bit over powering. Very nice graphics, with only the usual slight blur. Excellent animation, very smooth and realistic, even the facial and eye movements are well done. Voices are very nice, being age and character appropriate. Characters show emotion and some have a well done sinister side. We have a lot of character interaction in this game, which makes it more "realistic." You can click through most dialog, if you read faster than they speak. Game play was excellent, with no glitches or issues during the demo. SFX are nicely done as well. Didn't pay much attention to the music. If it doesn't draw my attention, then it wasn't annoying.
HOPs are the same as always in this series, nothing new or really different so far. Scenes are fairly clear and items are not difficult to find. I did not see that you could switch to something else. Puzzles are not difficult, but some do take a bit of time and thought to complete. I always demo on "easy" mode to get a feel for the game. I found most of the puzzles in this one to be quite simple in easy mode, but a couple did take me a little time to get through. I didn't see as much back tracking in this one, as we have had in others in the series. We do have the jump map, which shows if you have missed a collectible in a particular area. Hint system is quite helpful, but I did not run across a transport feature during the demo.
Collectibles are not bad at all. We have to find various morphing items. These can be challenging, as some are fairly small and easy to overlook and morph fairly quickly. We also have sunflowers. These are fairly large, but opaque and not as easy to spot as you think. So far, we have two of each in each scene.
The story is well done, and quite easy to follow. I especially like the increased amount of character interaction we have in this one. There is enough action and movement to keep you interested. I was disappointed when the demo suddenly threw me out...went quickly. To me, losing track of time is the sign of a good game. This addition grabbed my interest from the very beginning. Definitely going to play this one out. I believe all levels of players will find this one entertaining. A game has to be exceptional in all aspects for me to give it a 5...this one came close. I downgraded simply because there were very few HOG's during the demo. Hopefully that increases as the game progresses. I gave this one a 4.75 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. Play on!
I recommend this game!
Can you stop a forgotten god before it’s too late?
Overall rating
5
/
5
4 of 4 found this review helpful
Ghost Cats!!
PostedJuly 29, 2023
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 who do a much better job than I. Another fine addition to this series. Graphics were quite nice, and fairly clear. Game play was very good. I had no problems during the demo and the scenes fit my large screen very well. Animation was smooth and realistic for the most part. Voices were quite nice, being age and character appropriate and did have some emotion and urgency. You can click through dialog if you read faster than they speak, and not miss anything of importance. Occasionally, we do have "choose dialogue," which I do not care for, but it wasn't all the time. Colors were not too bright and were clear. We have a special tool that allows us to see special hidden areas. Sound FX were okay, when we had them, but the game was fairly quiet.
HOPs were interactive and somewhat cluttered. Still, items were not difficult to find. You can switch to a match 3 game if you prefer. Puzzles were different, not difficult, but did take some time and thought to complete. You can choose between easy or hard. Hint system is helpful and it does transport you to longer locations. Jump map is easy to follow and areas of interest are clearly marked, with only one area being opened at a time. Sound FX are okay, but not much.
Collectibles weren't bad, but most were quite small and hard to see. We need to find 50 various objects, mice and birds, and one of them will morph; 20 puzzle pieces that can be somewhat difficult to see. Other than being a bit small, the collectibles were pretty nice.
I was easily drawn into this story line pretty quickly and especially liked how my name is interjected into the game as a player. This game is not real challenging, but there was enough action and interaction to keep me interested. I feel this game will appeal to most all players. Yes, I will be adding this one to my long list of CE games. Gave it a 4.75.
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 quite interesting and fun. Play on!
I recommend this game!
Medium:
Can you navigate three chilling stories and find a new path?
Overall rating
4
/
5
7 of 7 found this review helpful
Choose wisely!
PostedJune 25, 2023
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
3
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Hello, friends! As always, I review mostly on the game play and not the story, but I do sneak a comment or two in about it anyway. Animation was quite nice, very smooth movements. Voices were age and character appropriate and we seemed to have more in this game than we have in the last few, which makes a game far more interesting. Colors are not too bad, some a bit to bright, but not really over powering. Background sounds are almost non-existent...not a lot of SFX or music. You do have to choose dialogue in this game.
HOG's seem to be pretty much straight interactive lists. Didn't see where you could switch to anything else. Puzzle are actually very simple. Took no time or brain power to figure them out. We do have a jump map and a transport feature. This is a great help, as you do a lot of back tracking from one place to another.
Collectibles aren't too bad. We have 24 puzzles pieces that are quite difficult to see, so be on the lookout. They aren't necessarily shaped like a puzzle either. And we have 12 Egyptian Mythology books to find. Haven't had a problem finding them. If you do, just take a look at the strategy guide. It shows you where they are hidden.
I was pleasantly surprised by this game. At first I found it to be a bit slow and somewhat boring. However, as the game progressed, I found it to be refreshingly different and I became quite curious as to where it was going. I do not care for the "choose your dialogue" in any game and this definitely has it. It is necessary, based on what the game is all about...choices. It was not a difficult game, but as I said, I am curious. I made one mistake, now I have to see if I learned anything and can do much better with the other two stories. Gave this one a 4.25. Yep, I am going to add the game to my long list of HOG's.
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. Play on!
I recommend this game!
Witches only exist in old fairy tales...right?
Overall rating
3
/
5
6 of 9 found this review helpful
Nice beginner game
PostedJune 25, 2023
dancemom1
fromYakima, WA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Card & Board, Family, Hidden Object, Strategy, Word
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
I do like these games and love it when a new one comes out. This developer never disappoints, but this time, I was. I expected more. Colors were a little muted, but still quite nice. Graphics were well done, voices well done. Music was annoying, but most music on these games is. Not much in the way of SFX.
During the demo, I did not see any collectibles, but I did during the beta. They weren't bad, just very disappointed that they didn't give us a chance to play any now that it's out for purchase.
The beta was enjoyable, but still lacked something. I think it was just the same old story, different day kind of game. Very simple game, which is geared more towards the beginner.
Reading the reviews above, I must have missed something. Sorry to see that there have been negative comments made to reviewers. Absolutely no reason for people to be mean or disrespectful to others here or anywhere. A lot of things have changed since BF sold and not to the good, I'm sorry to say. They don't have as much in the way of HOG's anymore, which is a huge favorite of mine and many others. Hope to see you all back soon. I support your decision.
As always, try the game 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.
I recommend this game!
Who could turn down an opportunity to change the past?
Overall rating
4
/
5
3 of 3 found this review helpful
Lots of messages...
PostedMarch 30, 2023
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! Another addition to this fine series. As usual, I mostly review on the game play and not the story line, as others do a much better job of that than I. As usual, this addition has excellent clear graphics, with a lot of detail. Animation is well done, and the movements are realistic and fairly smooth. Beautiful true colors throughout the game. Game play was excellent, with no problems during the demo and the scene fit my large screen quite nicely. Voices are very well done, being age and character appropriate, with emotion and urgency. You can skip through dialog if you read faster than they speak. There is quite a lot of character interaction, which helps bring you into a game and makes it a bit more realistic. The sound FX aren't too bad, mostly music and not a lot of other background sounds.
HOPs are nicely done, but not varied at all. We only had interactive lists during the demo. I did not see that you can switch to another game. Items are not difficult to see, but are often be somewhat hidden. Puzzles far more challenging than most games we've had lately and take a bit more time and thought to complete. Hint system was quite helpful. I did see a transport once, but haven't seen it since. Mostly, I just ran between one room and another and no long distance. There is a lot to do in each scene. There is a jump map
Collectibles nicely done, although some where a bit small. Still, you could see them if you paid attention. We needed to find 52 medallions, two in each scene and one of which morphs. This is the real challenge here. We also needed to find 20 small jigsaw puzzle pieces. Some are well hidden in a scene and blend well with the background in most cases.
I found the story interesting, but nothing new so far. For some reason, I found that I was drawn into the story fairly quickly. I definitely need to find out what's happening here and why. Other than the morphing collectible, there isn't much challenge within the game itself, but the game flowed well and was easy to follow. You were constantly on the move, and I was drawn in fairly quickly. I think most all levels of players will find this one interesting and worth the price of a CE. Gave this one a 4.75 on my scale. Yes, I am adding this one to my collection.
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. Play on!
I recommend this game!
The Lost Lands don't let go easily.
Overall rating
5
/
5
54 of 73 found this review helpful
Sand everywhere!
PostedMarch 12, 2023
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
5
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Hello friends! Finally, a new addition to this wonderful series. As always, I review mostly on the game play and not so much on the story. Even though the faces seem a bit cartoony, the graphics are excellent, very clear. Animation is well done. Color was very nice throughout. Game play was excellent, no problems during the demo. Voices were quite well done, being age and character appropriate, with emotion, fear, urgency. There was no annoying or monotonous music. Sound FX are very well done when outside a building, with bird and wind background sounds.
HOGs are a combination of interactive lists, find and use items and silhouettes. Scenes are fairly clear and and items are not difficult to find. You could not switch to something else. I found the puzzles to be challenging and taking a bit more time and thought to complete than expected. Hint system is very helpful and transports to longer locations by way of a jump map. The map is well done, and shows you where collectibles and morph items can be found in case you miss one, as well as which area to search next. Areas are clearly identified by name and picture.
We have a lot of collectibles...the more the better for me. Most of them are very small, making it a challenge to find them. I chose to not have the cursor give me a hint when looking for collectibles. This really makes finding them a challenge. A couple of times, I have to look at the Strategy Guide to see exactly where they are located in the scene, because I could not find them. We need to find 30 morphing items, which morph quickly and are very easy to miss. We also need to find 10 manuscript pages, which are easy to spot. Then we have varied collectibles - horseshoes 7; shoes/boots 8; hourglasses 8; turtles 7 and wheat stalks 12. Some are quite small, but most are not that difficult to find.
This is one of my favorite series. The story flows very well, even though I'm not yet sure what the story line is. The opening scene was quite well done, but did not give you any hint of what or why. Still, it drew me in from the very beginning. We don't seem to have quite as much character interaction in this addition, but hopefully that progresses as we move through the game. You are constantly on the move, and do a lot of backtracking for one item. This game is challenging and fun. I feel that all levels of players will find this one well worth playing. Yes, I am going to add this to my ever growing collection.
I do not give 5 stars easily, a game must be exceptional in all aspects for that. However, this one comes very close. I gave it a 4.75 only because I felt we needed more character interaction.
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. Play on!
I recommend this game!
Solve a series of near-hopeless cases full of suspense and drama!
Overall rating
4
/
5
8 of 11 found this review helpful
One down, how many to go?
PostedFebruary 26, 2023
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 to tell. Graphics are very well done in this game. Game play was excellent, with no problems during the demo. Animation is excellent, with realistic body and facial movements. Colors are clear and bright, but not over powering. Voices were age and character appropriate, and we did have quite a lot of character interaction, which makes a game more realistic and engaging. You can click through the dialog without missing any clues or additional useful objects. We do have the occasional "choose the dialogue." Sound FX are well done when we have them...an occasional horn of some sort.
HOG's are very well done, with interactive lists, and picture pieces. Items are not difficult to find and the scenes pretty clear. You can switch to a Match 3 game if you prefer. Puzzles are challenging even on easy mode. Definitely need to stop and think these through. Hint system is helpful and we do have the transport feature for longer locations. Not a lot of back tracking, but enough to keep you moving. We do have a jump map, which does show you where a collectible is found, or missed.
Collectible are very well done. We have 14 various morphing objects that are not easy to spot. We also have 14 records that are fairly large and so far easy to see. Of course, we have a room that we have to furnish with something or other, so we need to find 70 beverage stickers, that look more like wooden coins. Quite easy to forget to pick them up.
This story is nothing new, but it is well done. You are constantly on the move and there is enough challenge in the puzzles and collectibles to keep you interested. I was drawn into this one and now I have no choice but to play it out and see where it goes, even though it does have the choose dialogue, which I do not care for...I prefer not reading the game, I prefer playing it. That said, I think all levels of players will find this one fun and challenging, and I feel this one is worth the price of a CE. Yes, I am adding this one to my CE collection. I gave this one a 4.5 on my scale, which includes a downgraded score, only because it also has a click penalty!
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. Play on!
I recommend this game!
Can you uncover the truth behind a deadly shadow entity in time?
Overall rating
4
/
5
4 of 5 found this review helpful
Sneaky, very sneaky
PostedFebruary 26, 2023
dancemom1
fromYakima, WA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Card & Board, Family, Hidden Object, Strategy, Word
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Hello friends! As usual, I review mostly on the game play and leave the story to others to tell. Another addition to this series. Graphics are very well done, with very little blurring. Game play was excellent, with no problems during the demo. Animation is fairly smooth. Colors aren't bad, clear and bright for the most part, but some slightly muted. Voices were age and character appropriate, and we did have quite a lot of character interaction, for a change, which makes a game more realistic and engaging. You can click through the dialog without missing any clues or additional useful objects. Music was soothing and unobtrusive. Sound FX are well done and move in and out with whatever is happening at the time.
HOG's are very well done, with interactive lists, silhouettes, highlighted words and picture pieces. Items are not difficult to find and the scenes pretty clear. Puzzles had a combination of challenging and not easy, but not difficult either, with some taking a bit more time and thought to complete. Hint system is helpful and we do have the transport feature for longer locations. This is quite helpful and a time saver, as we do have to backtrack quite a lot. We do have a jump map, which is nothing special, but it does show you where a collectible is found, or missed.
Collectible are very well done. We have eye silhouettes that are well blended into the background and not easy to spot. Some are a bit small as well. We also have 12 character figurines to find. These are fairly easy to spot, as they stand out in a scene.
This story is nothing new, but it is well done. You are constantly on the move and there is enough challenge in the puzzles and collectibles to keep you interested. I was drawn into this one and now I have no choice but to play it out and see where it goes. I think all levels of players will find this one fun and challenging, and I feel this one is worth the price of a CE. Yes, I am adding this one to my CE collection. I gave this one 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. Play on!
I recommend this game!
Treacherous villains attempt to deprive the world of the Christmas spirit!
Overall rating
3
/
5
15 of 15 found this review helpful
Por Santa, again...
PostedDecember 16, 2022
dancemom1
fromYakima, WA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Family, Hidden Object, Strategy, Word
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
Hello friends! Was wondering when we'd start getting some Christmas games...few and far between. This one has very bright colors. They are not overpowering. Very clear, nice graphics. Age and character appropriate voices, when we have them. Music isn't the usual Christmas stuff we get but is nice and soothing. Not much in the way of sound FX either. We had a little wind now and again, but otherwise, fairly quiet. Animation is very nice, no glitches so far. Game play was quite good.
HOPs aren't bad, a little different and a little maddening at times. You can switch to a match 3. We have a very helpful jump map. Yes, we do a lot of back tracking in this game.
Collectibles are not too bad, but some are quite small and difficult to see and some morph. You really have to look to find any of them. They don't just jump off the page at you. Here is our challenge. Look for 15 Christmas stockings; 70 candy canes and 15 various other Christmas items.
The gist of it is that I was very disappointed in this game. It is a very slow story, very quiet and there is a click penalty...hate that thing. Now and then you have to choose dialogue...something else I don't care for. At one point, the game told me that if I leave this room, I will not be able to go back to collect anything I missed. I found myself doing way too much "clicking around." Nothing made me want to buy this one. I'm sure there will be those who find it fun and challenging, but I did not. I was really looking forward to it too. I will recommend this one for beginners, or for someone who has nothing better to do. Gave this one a hard 3.
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. Play on!
I recommend this game!