dancemom1's Profile
Stat Summary
- Average Rating:3.6
- Helpful Votes:13,287
- Reviews Submitted:872
- First Review:April 15, 2012
- Most Recent Review:April 10, 2025
- Featured reviews0
Status:
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!
Can you restore your town's faith in the spirit of Christmas?
Overall rating
2
/
5
12 of 12 found this review helpful
Zzzzzzz
PostedDecember 5, 2022
dancemom1
fromYakima, WA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Card & Board, Family, Hidden Object, Strategy, Word
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
Hello friends! This is not my usual review. I love these Christmas games, but this year, not so much. The story was slow and boring. Not any real challenge and the collectibles left a lot to be desired. I rarely don't recommend a game, even to a beginner, but I just couldn't get into this one at all, so no buy for me. I'm sure someone will find it fun and worth the price of a CE.
Give it a try and see what you think. We all have different tastes in games and this may be just what you are looking for today. Play on!
I don't recommend this game.
Can you save literature’s most famous story worlds from ruin?
Overall rating
5
/
5
74 of 79 found this review helpful
Books, I Need More Books!
PostedOctober 28, 2022
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
5
/
5
Hello, friends! As always, I review mostly on the game play and leave the story to others who do a much better job than I. Finally, a new game and not just another addition to an already too long running series. The graphics in this game are very well done, very clear. Colors are bright and clean and not over powering. Animation is nicely done. Game play was excellent, with no glitches or hic-ups along the way. Voices were age and character appropriate with some emotion. We had a lot more character interaction than anticipated, which I think makes a game far better. You can click through the dialogue without missing any hints, if you read faster than they speak. Sound FX are well done when we have them. Didn't note much in the way of music, but I must admit, I wasn't really paying attention either.
HOG's are very well done and a bit different than what we see all the time. We have a nice combination of highlighted words, duplicate items, color patch match. Puzzles were also a little different. Not extremely difficult, but did take a bit of thought and time to complete. We do have a jump map, which is greatly appreciated. We spend a lot of time in the first location, running back and forth, which was getting monotonous, but then we moved on and all was good.
Collectibles aren't bad. We have 20 puzzle pieces to find. Not as easy as you think. They are large enough to see, not shaped like a jigsaw piece and quite easy to miss. We also have 22 morphing items to find...books that morph into anything they choose. They morph slowly, so they are easy to miss if you bounce around the page.
I was pleasantly surprised by this game and how quickly I got caught up in it...after I got out of the first room. Yes, the story is a "search for someone/something" type of story, but a little different than most. We have storybook characters who show up here and there to help us out. They are inserted at just the right time, and are are tied into the books we find in our collectibles. Very well done. This game isn't all that challenging, but the story was interesting and different and, as I said, I was drawn into it completely by the time the demo ended. I think all levels of players will find this one fun and interesting. Oh yes, I am definitely adding this one to my CE collection. (one of these days, I'll count how many I have). A game has to be exceptional in all aspects to get 5 stars from me. This one fell a hair short, because we needed more background sounds...gave it a 4.75.
As always, try the game out for yourself. We all have different tastes in games and you may not care for this one at all. I'd be surprised if you didn't. Play on!
I recommend this game!
A magical mystery across three of the world's largest cities!
Overall rating
4
/
5
14 of 15 found this review helpful
Getting hot in here!
PostedOctober 20, 2022
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 line to those who can do a much better job on it than I do. We have another addition to this series. The graphics are pretty clear, with little to no blurring. Colors are bright, but not over powering, and are much improved over the last one in the series. Game play was excellent, with no problems during the demo. Animation is very smooth and realistic, even the facial and hand movements are well done, although body movements were stiff and choppy. Voices are very nice, being age and character appropriate. 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, but be careful that you don't miss a clue when you do. We seem to only have sound FX when something is about to happen or is happening at the time. Otherwise, fairly quiet, except for the music, which isn't too bad.
HOPs are quite well done, with some set up as clues. Scenes are fairly clear and items are not difficult to find. We have a combination of silhouettes, interactive HOPs, and find and place items. Very nicely done. 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. You do a lot of back tracking in this addition. 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 50 various morphing items. These can be challenging, as some are fairly small and easy to overlook. We also have 50 cards to collect. These are fairly large and not that hard to miss.
Yes, we follow the clues and put together our deduction board to figure out who is doing what and solve the mystery of why. This game is well done. The story is well done, but you still don't know what is really happening. That makes for a pretty nice "whodunit" and is interesting enough to keep me wanting more when the demo ended. Naturally, it really started to pick up when the demo ended! I believe all levels of players will find this one entertaining. Not a lot of challenge, but a nice game. Yes, I am adding this one to my 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!
Can you save your sister from a carnival of monsters?
Overall rating
4
/
5
2 of 2 found this review helpful
Clowns, werewolves and vampires!
PostedOctober 18, 2022
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 a bit on the actual story. Game play was very nice, with no problems during the demo. This one has bright, true colors, but they are not over powering. Excellent, clear graphics. Wonderful animation, with eye, mouth and body movements that look almost realistic. Voices, which are few and far between, are quite appropriate to the game and character speaking at the time. Music is sinister, but disappears throughout the game, leaving a very quiet background.
HOP's are quite well done and varied with silhouettes, fortunes and riddles. The puzzles are not bad, some very different and some that take a bit of time and though to complete, but not too difficult. Even in easy mode, there is some challenge. The map shows that a collectible has been missed, if you choose to have that hint. There is a lot of backtracking, but when in doubt, the hint system is quite helpful, as is the strategy guide.
Collectibles are somewhat challenging and often small. We have 15 morphing circus items to find. They do morph fairly quickly. There are various awards to find as well. Not that easy to spot. We also have circus tickets to find. These are large enough not to miss, you just have to remember to look for them. Not sure what happens when you find all of them...no hint there.
I wasn't quite sure what the story line was, other than my sister is missing, again. We do have clowns and monsters, but nothing scary. Of course, it is a Halloween game. The game was quiet for the most part and had little character interaction. What it did have was well done. Naturally, the game started to pick up at the end of the demo, so now I have the need to play it out and see what's happening and why. Not a real challenging game, but nicely done so far. I think most all levels of players will find it fun. Yes, I am going to add this one to may ever growing list of CE games. Gave this one a 4.75, not for the challenge, but for everything else about it.
As always, try it out 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 an ancient evil and escape in time?
Overall rating
4
/
5
7 of 9 found this review helpful
Disappointing...
PostedOctober 8, 2022
dancemom1
fromYakima, WA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Card & Board, Family, Hidden Object, Strategy, Word
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Hello friends! As usual, I review mostly on the game play and leave the story line to others. Another addition to this series. Graphics are very well done. Game play was excellent, with no problems during the demo and it fit my large screen quite nicely. Don't remember any animation during the demo. Colors aren't bad, but could be a bit brighter...a little bit of purple, but not overpowering. Voices are okay, but we don't have much character interaction. Sound fx are mostly music and an occasional sfx now and then. The music moved with whatever was happening at the time, and often was a bit sinister.
HOGs varied, with straight lists, silhouettes, highlighted words. Items are not difficult to find and scenes are fairly clear of clutter. I didn't see where you could switch to anything else. The puzzles were really simple, except one that did take a little time, but no thought...very disappointing. Hint system is very helpful and we do have the transport feature. We do a lot of back tracking in this one. Map does show if there is a collectible to be found or missed.
Collectibles are okay. Puzzles pieces for two puzzles and various collectibles. No challenge here at all. This addition definitely needed more in this department.
Again, without much character interaction, a game seems to move very slowly. The story wasn't anything new and other than music, was very quiet. As a Halloween game, it fell short of spooky. There really wasn't any challenge. Just seemed like we were walking through the game. Maybe it picks up as the game progresses, but the demo was quite disappointing. I'm sure there will be those who find this one fun and worth the price of a CE, but I'll hold out for a really good buy and maybe get it then. Still, I gave it a 4.0. It just didn't have what it needed to make me want to buy it now right now.
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!
Take a hidden-object adventure through the great outdoors!
Overall rating
5
/
5
29 of 31 found this review helpful
Back to the Park!
PostedSeptember 10, 2022
dancemom1
fromYakima, WA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Strategy, Word
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Simply put, I love this series and have them all. I buy them without trial anymore. Straight HOP is a nice change now and then. I never get tired of them.
Waiting for more Cruise Director and the like. Just messy fun!
I recommend this game!
You won’t need to call her three times… She’s already here!
Overall rating
4
/
5
5 of 6 found this review helpful
Challenging collectibles
PostedJune 27, 2022
dancemom1
fromYakima, WA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Card & Board, Hidden Object, Strategy, Word
Fun Factor
4
/
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 not the story line, but I do comment on that as well. The graphics in this game are quite well done, very clear. Colors are vibrant, but not over powering. Voices are well done, when we have them. Animation is very nice, realistic eye and mouth movements and the body movement is not choppy like most. Sound fx are practically nil. Mostly what I heard was the sound of wind and a chime when an item was found or something accomplished. Music was okay but got monotonous after a while.
HOP's were a variety of lists, place items, silhouettes and highlighted words. If you didn't want the HOP, you could switch to a Match 3. Scenes were fairly clear and items were not difficult to find. We do not have a pop up jump feature as such, but you can jump through the map. There is a lot of running back and forth form one area to another, so this comes in quite handy. The map does show you where you have missed a collectible. Puzzles were took time and thought to complete, and some a little challenging even in easy mode. I always demo in easy mode to get a feel for the game.
Collectible were varied as well. We have to find 15 morphing ghost pictures, which are very difficult to find. They are opaque, morph quickly and small. We also have 15 various office items to find...again, very small. The only collectible not hard to spot are the bookmarks...we need to find 70. You just have to remember to look for them. We use these to furnish the office.
The story line is nothing new and it was a very quiet game. We had minimal character interaction. The only challenge was finding the very small collectibles. Most games flowed well, so you knew where you were going or what you needed to do. This is not one of them. There was no real guidance, just a lot of running back and forth to other scenes. It's not a bad game, just not something I would jump at purchasing. That said, if a good sale comes along, I will get it, just for the challenge of finding the collectibles. Gave this one a 4.25.
As always, try it for yourself and see what you think. We all have different taste in games and this may be exactly what you are looking for right now. Play on!
I recommend this game!
Can you take on Goldilocks’ mantel and protect the kingdom?
Overall rating
5
/
5
31 of 40 found this review helpful
Roar!
PostedJune 16, 2022
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
4
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Hello friends! We have another addition to this very long series. As always, I review mostly on the game play and not the story, as others do a better job of that than I. This game has excellent graphics. Colors are quite nice, and not over powering or bright. The animation is very well done, very realistic, with smooth movements. Game play was excellent, with no problems during the demo and the scene fit my large screen very well. Voice overs are nice and are age and character appropriate, with some emotion, fear, urgency and not just someone reading a script. We didn't have a lot, but what we had was well done. Didn't really notice a lot in the way of sound FX, but we did have some, mostly a musical sound when a quest was accomplished or item found. Music was the usual for this series.
HOPs are nothing new and I didn't see that you could switch to something else. We have interactive HOPs, lists and silhouettes. Scenes are fairly clear and items are not difficult to spot. Puzzles were not difficult at all, but a couple did take a little time and thought to complete. The hint system is very helpful, but it did not transport you to longer locations during the demo. We do have the jump map and areas are clearly identified by name and picture. The map does show you that you may have missed a collectible.
Collectibles are not bad. We have to find spirits, which are opaque and not as easy to spot as you think. There is more than one in each scene, so be on the lookout. You also collect morphing runes, which are also not easy to spot. This is the challenge in this game.
I got so engrossed in this game, that I forgot to keep notes! The story line is not different, but it is interesting. The game was easy to follow and flowed quite well. As I said above, the real challenge is finding the collectibles. You are constantly on the move in this one, so you don't realize that the HOPs are few and far between, and you don't get bored. I think this will appeal to all levels of players. I like this one I will be adding it to my CE collection. 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 not care for this one at all. Play on!
I recommend this game!
Can you stop the paranormal from terrorizing an award-winning winery and hotel?
Overall rating
4
/
5
19 of 33 found this review helpful
And what was the storyline again?
PostedMarch 31, 2022
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
4
/
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 who a much better job than I. Another addition to this long series. Graphics are very nice, with minimal blurring. Game play was excellent, with no problems during the demo. Colors are a bit muted, but not bad. Animation is fairly smooth, except for whole body movements that were very stiff. Voices were age and character appropriate, with some emotion and not just someone reading a script. Music was just okay. Sound FX were few and far between, mostly a windy sound rather than what you would hear in the forest.
HOPs were just interactive lists during the demo. Rather boring, but items are not difficult to find and the scenes are fairly clear. I did not see that you could switch to something else, if you got bored with the HOPs. Puzzles did have a little challenge to them. Mostly took time and thought to complete. Hint system is helpful and we do have the transport feature for longer locations. We do backtrack quite a lot in this one, again for one item to pick up or use. We do have a jump map, with areas of interest clearly identified by name and picture.
Collectible weren't too bad, but not as good as in other games in this series. This is where the challenge comes in for this game. We have 12 rag type dolls to find. They are large enough not to miss, but easy enough to overlook. We also have eyes that blend very well into the background colors, and are very easy to miss. Most are fairly small and well hidden. Didn't see anything else..no real challenge. Needed something extra.
This story was a little confusing. We are looking for someone, but the reason, other than that, was not clear. The story moved slowly, and there wasn't any action, adventure or need to run and hide. This addition seemed to have that little something missing that keeps you interested and wanting to play on. Hopefully it picks up as the game progresses, but I'm doubtful. I gave this one a 4.0 (I'm hopeful), and am putting it in my puddle for now. If a really good deal comes along, I may add 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 find this one to be exactly what you are looking for. Play on!
I recommend this game!