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:
Can you escape the mirrored world to save your love?
Overall rating
3
/
5
5 of 6 found this review helpful
Very simple game...
PostedSeptember 30, 2016
dancemom1
fromYakima, WA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Card & Board, Family, Hidden Object, Puzzle, Strategy, Word
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
Hi friends! This was a little different game, in that it is quite simple. The graphics are not bad at all, very clear for the most part. Colors are fairly true. Game play was good, and no problems during the demo. Animation isn't bad and most movements are pretty smooth. Voice overs aren't bad, but it seems games lately have had fewer and fewer. This one seems to have more dialogue than what we've seen lately and is done quite nicely. Music is fairly quiet, but unobtrusive. Not much in the way of sound FX. We sort of have helper in the way of creepy looking dolls. I have a feeling they aren't good guys. Be aware that there are bright lights now and then.
HOPs are a combination of interactive lists, straight lists, match items, find differences. The scenes are pretty clean and items are not difficult to find. The circling lights when an item is found, is quite annoying. I did not see that you could switch to something else, if you don't care for the HOPs. Puzzles are very easy and nothing new. Hint system is helpful, but it didn't transport to longer locations. The jump map did come in handy and areas are well marked with picture, location name and whether or not there is an objective. I didn't even look at the SG.
The only collectibles I found are very, very large champagne glasses. This game definitely needed more in the way of collectibles. Very disappointing.
I found this game to be very slow in the beginning. Naturally it began to pick up when the demo ended! This is not a challenging game at all. The story is a little different, but predictable. I do not feel it is CE worthy, simply because of the lack of collectibles. Obviously the devs did not pay attention to suggestions made for the beta. Personally, I think it is geared more toward beginners. Yes, I do recommend it for beginners, but not for seasoned gamers who want a little more in their games, unless you just want a simple no brainer game for a change of pace. I will put this one in my puddle and see if the SE suits me more. I frequently will get the SE when I do not feel a game is CE worthy.
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. Thanks for the review.
I recommend this game!
Can you stop the fiery witch before it’s too late?
Overall rating
4
/
5
12 of 13 found this review helpful
Witches....
PostedSeptember 29, 2016
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
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Hi friends! Well, we have #5 in this series. I really like this series, but... The graphics were mostly good, unless you were going in or out of a cut scene or changing locations, then the graphics were quite blurry. Don't understand why they can't make a smoother transition. Colors are very nice and bright for a change. Game play was good, no problems during the demo. Voice overs were well done, with some emotion and urgency when needed. The music was tolerable and moved with whatever was happening in the scene at the time. Animation was very well done. Sound FX were nice, but not a lot.
HOPs are a nice combination of interactive and silhouettes. Items are not hard to find, scenes are very clear and clean. There seemed to be more HOPs in this one, which I do like. You can switch to a match 3 if you get bored with the HOPs. Puzzles were nothing new, but they did have somewhat of a challenge to them. I especially like the jump map and the way it is set up. Locations are well marked by name and whether or not there is an objective, as well as a missed collectible. SG is the standard and is helpful if needed. I did not see that there was a transport feature, but this game flowed fairly well, without a tremendous amount of back- tracking.
Very nice collectibles. We need to find 15 morphing items that belong in a dungeon. These are not difficult to see, but morph quickly. There are also 36 Tarot cards to find. These can be anywhere, any color, any size. We also have pages from the witches spell book to find. These are just laying around here and there and can easily be overlooked. Nicely done.
We need to use glasses that let us see into the past to explain what and why something is happening in the future. This is an okay feature, but I really did not care for the "wavy" past scenes at all. They already look ghost like, which would have been plenty. I like this game and I like the story, which isn't really anything new either. Things sometimes jump out at you, so be prepared. I'm just not sure I want to go with the blurry graphics and the wavy past scenes. My eyes didn't much care for either. I will hold onto this one and see if a really good sale comes along and then I will surely purchase the game. If you can get past the "I didn't care for" items I mentioned, you will like this game.
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. Thanks for the review.
I recommend this game!
Can you save your boyfriend before it's too late?
Overall rating
4
/
5
9 of 12 found this review helpful
Nice addition to this series...
PostedSeptember 25, 2016
dancemom1
fromYakima, WA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Arcade & Action, Card & Board, Hidden Object, Puzzle, Strategy
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Hi friends! Well, we have #5 in this series, unless my count is off. As always, I mostly review on the game play and not the story line, as others do a far better job of that than I. The graphics in this game are very well done, very clear and nice. Even the cut scenes are pretty clear. Colors are true, without the blues and pinks that are so annoying. Game play was really nice, with no problems during the demo. I really liked the music, which I usually always turn way down. This time, it was a bit suspenseful where needed and nicely done. Voice overs are fairly well done, but they are few and far between. At least we had a lot of sound FX to fill in the gaps. We don't have a "helper" as such, but we do have a book that lets us pick what we want to use to help move along in the game. I actually found this to be fun. I almost had an uncontrollable urge to pick something silly to see what happened, but was afraid I would get stuck and not be able to fix it. Do be aware that because you are traveling between worlds or time, there are very bright lights now and then.
HOPs are a combination of interactive lists, straight lists and silhouette type where you find a certain number of the same item. Items are not difficult to find and the HOPs are pretty clean and clear. Pay attention, because there are morphing items found in the HOP scenes. I did not see that you could switch to a match game or anything else. The puzzles were not challenging or difficult, but one did take me a little bit to complete. Hint system is helpful, but I did not see a transport to longer locations. Maybe because I really didn't go all that far for the items I needed. SG is the usual and does show where all the collectibles are located, in case you miss one.
Collectibles are really lacking in this game. All I've found so far are very large "signs," which look like double rings. Can't help but see them. This was very disappointing.
I beta tested this one way back in March...long wait! I see that the devs must have actually listened to some of the suggestions for a change. Of course, they didn't listen when I suggested more in the way of collectibles, but that's not a deal breaker in this game. I like the story and the game has enough action to keep you moving and interested. The demos went much too quickly. As I said, this is not a really challenging game, but I like the story and how nicely it flowed, so I didn't have to use the SG or the hint...okay, I did use the hint button twice. How else am I going to know if it works or not? I think this game will appeal to all levels of players. Yes, I am adding it to my 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 reviews
I recommend this game!
An arsonist is burning down the Mountain Kingdom's forests!
Overall rating
2
/
5
52 of 61 found this review helpful
Very disappointing...
PostedSeptember 23, 2016
dancemom1
fromYakima, WA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Card & Board, Family, Hidden Object, Puzzle, Strategy, Word
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
1
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
Hi friends! Well, unless my count is off, this will make #12 in this series. As usual, I mostly review on the game play and not the story, as others do a much better job of that than I. If you have played any of the others in this series, you will know what I'm talking about in my review and why. The graphics are well done, very clean and clear. Colors are somewhat faded in some scenes and very nice in others. Game play was very good. There is very little character interaction and therefore, very little dialog. Sound FX are only when something is about to happen. This leaves only the music, which really started to grate on my nerves very quickly. This game is just way too quiet.
HOPs are the same as all the others, FROGs. I don't mind fragments, but not for the entire game. You cannot switch to a match 3 or anything else. This got very boring very quickly. Items are not difficult to find, but most scenes are quite cluttered...again, the typical of this series. Definitely needs an upgrade. Hint system was mostly helpful and it does transport to longer locations. This is a good thing, since you are constantly returning to the same locations. Puzzles were painfully simple and nothing new.
Collectibles were the usual large "signs", 39 in all and are in all the scenes so far. There are also morphing objects, but aren't all that easy to spot. This was very disappointing. Definitely needed more in this area.
I used to really enjoy this series, but unlike others, they just can't seem to update and move with the times. I haven't purchased the last few of this series for that reason. I got tired of running around to the same locations and got quite bored with the whole thing pretty quickly. Still, I keep playing to the end of the demo, hoping it would pick up...it didn't. No challenge, moved slowly, too quiet. Geared more toward a real beginner. There will be those who find this game fun for them, but I wasn't one of them. I rarely give a bad review, at least trying to find something good about a game to recommend it, but I'm at a loss on this one. This will be one of those extremely rare times when I won't even bother trying the SE. When I beta tested it, I gave it a 1.5...still feel the same. I often will find that the SE version is a much better game, but this game does nothing for me. 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.
I don't recommend this game.
When a famous shapeshifting alchemist is charged with looking into the murder of the king's most trusted agent and friend, the last thing she expects to discover is an intricate network of shadowy criminals, intent on bringing chaos to the land.
Overall rating
4
/
5
25 of 32 found this review helpful
Varied HOPs, nice simple game...
PostedSeptember 20, 2016
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
4
/
5
Hi friends! We have a very nice little game today. The graphics are very well done, very clear, with bright true colors for a change. Animation is exceptional. Game play was very good, with no problems during the demo and the scene fit my large screen very nicely. Voice overs are pretty well done, being age and character appropriate. It was annoying that you could click through some dialog, but not all, so you had to listen to the entire thing before moving on. Had some emotion, but not a lot, still nice. Music was mostly soothing until something was about to happen, then off it went. Sound FX aren't too bad, but only seemed to show up when something was about to happen. Otherwise, you pretty much just hear the music.
HOPs are extremely well done. I think this is what I like the most about this game. We have a variation of interactive HOPs, FROGs, silhouettes, puzzle pieces, match and find various objects. If you don't care for the HOPs, you can switch to a match 2, where you turn over coins to match to something related, e.g. broom/witch hat, etc. I certainly didn't get bored with the varied HOPs, but I did with the match 2...I prefer the standard match 3 game. Puzzles are very simple and took no time or thought to complete. Hint system is quite helpful, but it does not transport you to longer locations. That's okay, because you don't really travel great distances at a time. I didn't even look at the map, but I assume you can use it to jump locations. SG is the standard and does show you where all the collectibles are found. This is the only reason I ever look at the SG, in case I miss one.
Collectibles aren't many, but aren't badly done either. We have to find 34 puzzle pieces, which are fairly large and can be obscured a bit by something else. We also have 15 varied figurines...no, they are not the game characters. I almost forgot to look for these, as they are large enough to see, but because they are all different, they just looked like part of the scene.
This game is not challenging and the story is nothing new. However, I really liked the HOPs and the story enough to want to play it out and see what happens. This is the perfect game for one of those "I don't want to do anything else" kind of days. I'm not too sure this is CE worthy, but for some reason, I want the CE version. I think most levels of players will find this one a bit of fun. Yes, I'm adding it to my 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 reviews.
I recommend this game!
Can you escape Silent Waters before it's too late?
Overall rating
4
/
5
11 of 16 found this review helpful
Excellent addition, lots of collectibles, varied HOPs!
PostedSeptember 17, 2016
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
4
/
5
Hi all! Wow, I believe we have #12 in this series. Nope, don't have them all, but close. I usually tell you how I feel about a game at the end of my review, but not this time. I beta tested this one a while back and really liked the game play and everything else about it. Yes, we are still in the a dark and dreary, broken down hotel, but this one by far has the best graphics and game play of all the others. We actually even have color in this old hotel, and not just gray and rust everywhere. Voices are very well done and are a bit creepy. Our good guy, understandably, is quite scared and shows it in his voice. Music moves with what is happening at the time. Sound FX are exceptional and there didn't seem to be any lag in sound or music. We do have "spirit" ghosts that pop in and out now and then, but none that jumped out and scared me. At least not yet.
HOPs are varied and quite well done. We have interactive lists, straight lists, silhouettes, and find pairs. There is not an over abundance of HOPs or puzzles, but enough to keep you moving and interested. Interesting use of some of the items we collected along the way. I did not see that you can switch to something else. The puzzles were not difficult, but I found most did take time to complete. Hint system is very helpful and it does transport to longer locations. Big time saver, since you do return to the same location quite a lot. Still, I didn't get bored. SG shows you where everything is, in case you get lost of confused at some point.
Collectibles are wonderfully done as well. We need to find 22 morphing items, which morph fairly quickly but are not difficult to find. We also have 29 crest parts, which aren't as easy to see as you may think. They show up in many different places. We also have to find "music room" pieces. Actually, they are things that were in the music room, but not necessarily musical. That's the only hint you get.
This game drew me in almost from the very beginning...excellent lead into the game play. Naturally we have another stormy night with lots of rain and a car accident, but what follows is very well done. You are constantly on the move in this game, but not just running around, you have a purpose. I think all levels of players will find this one entertaining and interesting. I give this one 4.5 on my game scale. Yes, I am going to add this one to my 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 reviews.
I recommend this game!
Can you save a woman’s fiancé before it’s too late?
Overall rating
4
/
5
23 of 25 found this review helpful
Excellent addition to this series...
PostedSeptember 15, 2016
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
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Hi all! Well, we have #9 in this series. As always, I review mostly on the game play and not the story like, as others do a much better job on that than I can. This game follows along the same as all of the others, except that I feel that the graphics are far better and extremely well done. Animation is exceptional, with really nice facial movements. Colors are bright and clear and this game does not have the "fuzzy" overlay that most of the other in this series had. Game play was excellent. The story line is the usual, but for some reason, feels a little different. Maybe because the animation makes it feel a lot more realistic. Voice overs are very well done, age and character appropriate. We also have emotion and more realism, fear, urgency, etc. The "bad guys" are wearing masks, and their voices actually have that muffled sound you get when you wear a mask. Music is nice, but moves with whatever is happening at the time. Not a lot of sound FX, but enough for more realism. We have a helper in the way of a mechanical cat. When not in use, he is sleeping, so he is not bothersome. He is very useful and not just for high places either.
HOPs are nicely done. I didn't run across a lot during the demo, but we did need to match items and we also had straight lists. The scenes are clear and items are not difficult to find. I didn't see that we could switch to something else, but I wasn't really looking either. I was engrossed in the game. Puzzles were interesting and a couple were a bit new and took me some time and thought to complete. Very well done. Hint system was helpful, but occasionally did say "nothing to do here at the moment." Don't you just hate that! We do have the transport feature in this game, which is helpful since you do a fair amount of back tracking.
We don't have much in the way of collectibles, which is a disappointment. If I'm going to pay the CE price, I want more collectibles, other than figurines of the characters. Maybe I missed something. They are in various places within a scene and do not jump off the page at you. We also do not have them in every scene, so not many at all.
I like this series, and have all of the others. This one is not all that challenging, but I liked the story line and the beautiful graphics, colors, etc. When I beta tested this one, I wasn't all that kicked out about it, giving it only a 3.5, but I see that the devs listened to our suggestions and made a number of changes. Personally, I think this is the best of the bunch. I think all levels of players will find this one entertaining. Yes, I am going to add it to my collection and I have upgraded it to a 4.5, simply because of the lack of collectibles.
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.
I recommend this game!
What secrets are hidden in the legendary McCordan Library?
Overall rating
4
/
5
11 of 18 found this review helpful
Very nice game, excellent HOPs...
PostedSeptember 8, 2016
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
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Hi all. Well, we have #6 in this series. As always, I review mostly on the game play and leave the story to others who do a much better job than I. I beta tested this one back in May and really liked it. Game play was excellent, with no problems at all. Colors for the most part are quit clean, clear and true. Graphics and animation are very well done. Not a lot of music, but it was there when needed to liven things up a bit. I especially liked the sound FX. Mostly you hear them when you are outside, e.g. birds, frogs, etc. Voice overs are few and far between in the demo, but are quite well done. Voices are age and character appropriate. Your voice is never heard, but you can read whatever it is you are saying to another character.
HOPs are a very nice combination of interactive lists, silhouettes and fragments. The scenes are very clear and items are not difficult to find. You are not over-run with HOPs and you can switch to a match 3 if you wish. Puzzles are not difficult, but a couple did take me a little time and thought to complete. Hint system is very helpful and you do have the transport feature for longer distances. There is quite a lot of running back and forth, but for some reason, I didn't get bored with it. SG is easy to follow if you need it, and the pictures of where collectibles can be found are quit clear and large enough to actually see.
Collectibles are not many, but are well done. There is a morphing jigsaw puzzle piece in each scene. They blend fairly well, but are not all that difficult to find. You will have 6 puzzles to complete, so there are a lot of pieces to find. You also find "coins" that are quite large and have a book in the center of them. You use these coins to purchase statuettes of the characters. Didn't see that they did anything else.
I really like this series, and I do have all of the others. The dev seems to change them up just enough to make each one a bit different and interesting, so you don't get bored. This story is a little different and I found it to be quite entertaining. I don't give 5 stars easily to any game. It has to be exceptional and this one comes close. When I beta tested it, I gave it a 4.5, mostly because I felt it needed more challenging collectibles. I had fun with this one, it kept my interest throughout, and I think all levels of players will find it fun. Naturally, I am going to add this one 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.
I recommend this game!
Help young Sam save Princess Aurora and stop the villain from seizing control of the Kingdom of Aurelia in this puzzle adventure.
Overall rating
4
/
5
19 of 25 found this review helpful
Nice, lazy day game...
PostedSeptember 7, 2016
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
4
/
5
Hi all! Just gave this SE a try and was pleasantly surprised. The graphics weren't bad, but looked as though they were overlaid to a stationary background. Colors were a bit muted, but were pretty nice just the same. Game play was very nice, with no problems during the demo at all. Voice overs, although few and far between, were well done and were age and character appropriate. Music was quite soothing. Sound FX are nicely done as well.
HOPs are interactive silhouettes, e.g., find a part and use it in the HOP to find another useful part. I only ran across two during the demo, which was quite short. The HOPs are clean and items are not difficult to find, or figure out where they are to be used next. Puzzles also are not many and not difficult. I did like how you find something near by and use it, rather than run around all over the place and gather multitudes of items before using them. Hint system is helpful and it does transport to longer locations.
I did find using the "eye" to be a lot more help than I really wanted, so only tried is once. This game is quite easy to follow, so unless you are a beginner, you probably won't use it. You do have a helper in the way of a robot by the name of Tim. Tim is quite helpful in reaching items that are too high for you. He is very quiet and sits on his perch until he is needed. Even then, he is quiet. This is not a challenging game, but one that is well done and perfect for one of those lazy days when you just want to relax and play a nice simple game. I think we all have those days. Yes, I am going to use a coupon and add this game to my 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 reviews.
I recommend this game!
Can you uncover the secret of the Qin dynasty?
Overall rating
4
/
5
62 of 76 found this review helpful
Nice addition to this series...
PostedSeptember 1, 2016
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
4
/
5
Hello friends! Well, unless my count is wrong, this makes #10 in this series. I have most, but not all. As always, I review mostly on the game play and not the story, as others do a much better job of that than I. The graphics in this game didn't seem quite as clear and crisp as in the others, but wasn't bad either. Colors weren't as bright as in most of the HE game, but were nicely done. Game play was very good, with no problems, and the scenes fit my large screen very well. Some of the voice overs sounded like they were just going through the motions, but for the most part, they were well done, and age and character appropriate. The music was nice, but not quite as heavy on the Asian sound as others. Sound FX are very well done.
HOPs are a combination of silhouettes, interactive lists and picture riddle type (not sure what they are really called). They are clean and clear and items are not difficult to find. You do have to find a morphing object in each of 15 HOP scenes. They morph fairly quickly, so be on the lookout. I did not see that you could switch to another game if you did not care for the HOPs. Puzzles were not difficult, but a couple did take me some time and thought to complete. Hint system is helpful, but occasionally just say "move elsewhere," which is annoying. We do have the transport feature for longer distances.
Collectibles are not many in this game. We have to find 40 "signs" which look like a figure 8 of two dragons connected together. They are plenty large enough to see and not difficult to find. We also have fact cards that give you more information about various aspects of the game and the characters. All in all, very simple.
This story was a little different, predictable. Some interactive items were quite small and those areas did not zoom in for a cut scene. I accidentally found something I needed, but couldn't see what it was until it landed in my inventory. I really like this series, and as I said, I have most all of the games...8 of the 10. I was disappointed in a few things, as listed above, but I like this well enough to add it to my collection and make it 9 out of 10. There is not a lot of challenge in this game, but I think all levels of players will find this one interesting.
Give it a try 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.
I recommend this game!