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:
PuppetShow: The Face of Humanity Collector's Edition
The mayor's daughter is missing and you must find her!
Overall rating
4
/
5
12 of 31 found this review helpful
Nice addition to this series...
PostedJanuary 21, 2016
dancemom1
fromYakima, WA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Adventure, Strategy, Word, Card & Board, Family
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Hi all! Well, we have #8 in this series...yep, got them all. I beta tested this a while back and even though I'm not too keen on the creepy spider puppet/robot, I find myself drawn to this series. The graphics, colors and animation are excellent. Game play was quite good, no problems during the demo and it fit my large screen. Voice overs are well done, with emotion and facial movements. You can click through the dialog if you read faster than they speak. Sound FX are very well done and fit the time, place and what is happening at the time. Music seemed to be the same as in the other 7 games, but I could be wrong.
HOPs were few and far between, but were clean and clear and items were not difficult to find. I didn't see where you could play a different game if you didn't care for the HOPs. I didn't see anything new or exciting in these, pretty much the same as all the others. Puzzles weren't difficult either, but one did take me a bit to complete and I did have to think about it. I didn't see many in the demo either. Hint system is mostly helpful, but it does say to move on if there isn't anything else to be done. I prefer a real hint. The hint will transport to longer locations, but you do a lot of short distance running back and forth for one thing or another. Didn't care much for the very bland jump map, but it was useful getting to a location quickly, and areas of interest are clearly marked.
The only collectibles I found are character statuettes. They don't jump out at you, but they aren't difficult to see either. SG didn't show collectibles, so I don't know if there might be something else or not. This is a little disappointing. You do find coins to use to buy items that are used to complete a task, but I don't really consider those collectibles.
When I beta tested this one, I gave it a 4.75, not because of the story line, but because of the excellent graphics and such, and I will stand on that rating. I don't give 5 stars easily and I don't feel this one qualifies either...needs more collectibles. Devs didn't listen to that suggestion. That being said, I do like this game enough to add it to my collection. It isn't all that challenging, but there is something about it that makes it worth the price of a CE. I think this one will appeal to all levels of players.
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!
The past isn’t set in stone. Now’s your chance to change it!
Overall rating
5
/
5
138 of 152 found this review helpful
Excellent game, new story line...
PostedJanuary 16, 2016
dancemom1
fromYakima, WA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Adventure, Strategy, Word, Card & Board, Family
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Hi all! Well, here I am, getting my review in late in the day again. Too much to do, too little time. As always, I review on the game play and not the story, but this one is a really good and different story. I have been waiting for this game to come out since I beta tested it back in October. This makes #5 in this series...yep, got them all. The game play is excellent, no problems at all and the scenes fit my large screen completely. I really liked the graphics, which include very nice animation and even appropriate facial movements, depending on what is happening and being said at the time. Colors are a little washed out while you are in the storm, but I think that gives more credibility to the storm. Once you are inside, they are very clear and true. Voice overs are excellent and fit the character very well. Especially like the sound FX. I'm not hot on thunder and lightning storms, but these sound FX are done very well and are very realistic.
HOPs are a combination of interactive HOPs, lists, find this number of that, etc., and are nicely done. They are very clean and clear and items are not difficult to find, but you do have to use your brain on a couple of them. They are different and fun. There is also a morphing item in each HOP, so be on the lookout, as it morphs fairly quickly. Puzzles were interesting and somewhat different as well. They are not terribly challenging, but they are nicely done and as I said, somewhat different. Hint system is very helpful, but I did not see a transport feature in this game. The jump map is very helpful as well, and areas of interest are clearly marked. This is a time saver, as you do a lot of back-tracking in this game. Didn't even look at the SG, since it doesn't have much and didn't list collectibles.
The only collectibles I found so far are a cloud with a lightning bolt running through it. These are quite large and easy to see. They can be in solid form or an outline, so watch for them.
As I said, I have been waiting for this one to come out. The story is different enough and the game is challenging enough to keep me interested and wanting more. I have the need to play this one out and see what happens. I think this one will appeal to all levels of players. I don't give 5 stars easily, a game has to be exceptional to get them from me, but this one came close. Wish we could do quarter marks on reviews, as I would give this one a 4.75. Since I can't, I'll give it 5 stars, even though it's just a bit lower. Of course I'm going to add this to my collection. It is well worth the price of a CE.
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!
You've been summoned to save the Fantastic Worlds from evil!
Overall rating
4
/
5
15 of 18 found this review helpful
Same story, still a nice game...
PostedJanuary 14, 2016
dancemom1
fromYakima, WA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Adventure, Strategy, Word, Card & Board, Family
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
Hi all! I seem to be getting later and later with my reviews these days. Must be the boring weather. As always, I review on the game play and let others review on the story line, as they are much better at that than I am. This is #3 in this series. I too liked the last one much better than the first, but I still have them both. This one started out with a lot of blue and purple, and I almost dumped the game right there. I kept playing and, even though the story is the same tired old thing, I found it better than I thought it would be. When I beta tested it, I only gave it a 3.0. Looks like the devs might have paid attention to the suggestions on this one. The colors did clear up and were quite nice. Voice overs were well done and fit the character, even with some emotion tossed in. Didn't pay any attention to the music, as I usually always turn it down. Sound FX weren't bad, but few. Animation was very good. Game play and graphics were also pretty good. I was pleasantly surprised. We do have a helpful owl that just seems to appear out of nowhere. He will get to locations we can't reach. You also have a couple of other handy tools to help find and decipher as needed. Not to keen on these, but it works with this game.
HOPs were a mixture of silhouettes, place object in scene and interactive lists. They were clean and items were not difficult to find. We do play the same HOP multiple times and don't seem to move to new areas very quickly. You can also switch to a match 3 game if you get tired of the HOPs. Puzzles were extremely simple and took no time or thought to complete...too simple. SG didn't show much, but I only use it for the collectibles anyway. Naturally, this one didn't even show any of them. Hint system was very helpful and it does transport you to longer locations. There is a jump map, which is very clear and areas are identified quite nicely.
The only collectibles I found are the floating eyeballs and there are 65 of them. They aren't as easy to spot as you may think, but then you have to remember to look for them...that always helps. There is more than one in some scenes. They are disguised as something other than an eyeball at first look. The one thing I didn't care for, was the inability to go back to see if missed one or not. Once you "complete" a level, you can't return. I was a little disappointed here. It just seemed to need a little more. Maybe there is and I just haven't stumbled on it yet.
This game is nowhere near challenging, but something about it makes me want to keep playing. Not sure what, not the story line, but something. I think this will appeal to all levels of players. Yes, I am going to add it to my collection. By the way, I upgraded my rating to a 4.0.
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!
The past isn’t set in stone. Now’s your chance to change it!
Overall rating
4
/
5
11 of 16 found this review helpful
Nice game, with a few fixes...
PostedJanuary 13, 2016
dancemom1
fromYakima, WA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Adventure, Strategy, Word, Card & Board, Family
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Hi all! Well, we have #3 in this series...naturally I have the other two. As always, I review on the game play and not the story, as others do a much better job than I can on that part of it. At first glance, I was a bit disappointed in the colors, but as the game progressed, they seemed to clear up and were quite nice. Graphics were very clear and nice. Game play was quite good, no problems during the demo and the game fit my large screen quite well. The game is fairly quiet, but the voice overs were very good, age and character appropriate. Sound FX were well done and music wasn't bad at all. This game even has time travel, which I do enjoy now and then. You don't get tired of looking at the same scenery throughout the entire game. Warning: if you don't like bright or swirling lights, beware. This game does have it when you do the time travel.
HOPs were done very well, and were a combination of interactive lists, find this to do that, riddles and find the morphing items. If you don't care for HOPs, you can switch to the match 3 game. Even though a couple of the scenes seemed a little messy, they were clean and clear and items were not difficult to find and tasks not difficult to complete. Puzzles were simple, but a couple did take me a little time to complete. SG is the standard, which I only use to make sure I have all of the collectibles. However, this time, I did have to use it. The skip button froze on the last leg of the map puzzle and I was frustrated, so I did cheat and look that one up to complete. The hint system is very helpful. In the beginning, I did a lot of running back and forth and thought maybe there was no transport feature, but it did finally show up...yay! Big time saver. The jump map was okay, but a bit cluttered. It does show you if you missed a collectible, and you can go back to get it later.
Collectibles are many: 18 artifacts, 15 figurines of the characters and 41 puzzles pieces. Not sure what this does for you yet. The collectibles are not hard to find, but they also do not jump off the page at you. You will find them in various places, so be on the lookout.
I do like this series. You are constantly on the move, and the story line was interesting enough to make me want to keep playing and see what happens. I think this one will appeal to all levels of players. There is enough challenge just finding the collectibles, to make this one CE worthy. Yes, I am going to add this one to my collection, if they fix the hint glitch.
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!
Hidden Expedition: The Fountain of Youth Collector's Edition
There’s more to this restoration project than meets the eye.
Overall rating
4
/
5
32 of 57 found this review helpful
Nice game, interesting story...
PostedJanuary 7, 2016
dancemom1
fromYakima, WA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Adventure, Strategy, Word, Card & Board, Family
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Hi all! Hope you had a great holiday. After spending Christmas Day in ER with the flu, all is well and now that our guest have gone, I am back to normal and catching up. As always, I review on the game play and not the story line. Others do a much better job than I can on that part of the game. This makes #10 in this series. No, I don't have them all, I only have 6. I like this series and was excited to beta test this one a few months ago. I was a little disappointed and gave it a 3.75 at that time, but it looks like the devs paid attention to the suggestions and cleaned this one up. Graphics and animation were nice. The colors are bright and clear. Game play was very good with no problems at all and the scene fit my large screen quite nicely. Voice overs are well done. I especially like the sound FX...animal sounds, jungle sound, bugs, etc. Not a lot of dialog, but the SFX make up for it. The music is nice and soothing and fit the scenery and game quite well.
HOPs are very clean and clear and you do have morphing objects in them, so be on the look out. I frequently forget to look for them. I didn't see many HOPs in the demo, nor were there a lot of puzzles. What we have it well done, not difficult, but some do take a bit of time and thought to complete. The fist punch puzzle was so simple, my grandson did it and he's 6. I didn't care much for the map, too plain and too many objectives opened at the same time, making it a little confusing as to where to go next. Hint system is helpful, but occasionally tells you to move on. It does transport to longer locations. I prefer this over the map any day. Didn't bother with the SG, since it didn't show the collectibles. I only use it to make sure I have them all and not for game play.
The only collectibles I found are 41 signs that actually look like very large medallions to me. Some are tucked into items, but most are very easy to spot. We also have 20 fact cards that give you more information on the areas we visit and things we see. These also are not difficult to find.
This game wasn't all that challenging, but I found it to be interesting enough to make me want to see how it plays out. I think it has just enough to make it CE worthy. This one should appeal to all levels of players. Since the devs "fixed" the beta, I have upgraded this one to a 4.0. I seldom give 5 stars to any game, unless it is exceptional. This game is not, but I do like it, so yes, I am going to add this one to my ever growing 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!
The mountain town of Glockenverk is in the grip of a dramatic and deadly cold spell. Set out with your trusty feline friend, Mr. Jenkins, to crack the case!
Overall rating
3
/
5
5 of 5 found this review helpful
Here kitty, kitty...
PostedDecember 21, 2015
dancemom1
fromYakima, WA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Adventure, Strategy, Word, Card & Board, Family
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
Hi all. Been busy wrapping Christmas gifts, so finally got to this one today. As always, I review on the game play and not the story line, as others do a much better job than I. We have #3 in this series, yep, got the other two. I like this series, but wasn't too sure about this one when I beta tested it. At that time, I only gave it a 2.5. It looks like the devs actually may have read the suggestions and upgraded a bit before putting this one out. Graphics aren't too bad, they are quite clear. Colors are bright, but still have a lot of blues...still not too over powering. Game play was good, no problems during the demo and it fit my large screen very well. Voice overs were pretty fair, but the watch apprentice's voice was somewhat "high" pitched and annoying and the mouth movements didn't fit the dialog very well. Music was okay, but didn't quite fit the story or what was happening at the time. It just seemed to be a bit too much. We have Mr. Jenkins again in this game. Okay, I like cats, even though I'm allergic, but this cat eats way too much! He doesn't do squat until you do feed him...fat lazy cat, and he really isn't used that much anyway.
HOPs are a combination of interactive lists, straight lists, and pairs so far. They are pretty clean and items are not difficult to find. If you want, you can switch to a match 3 game. I prefer the HOPs. Puzzles were very simple and took no time at all to complete during the demo. The one thing I really didn't care for was the need to find an animal to complete the extremely easy watch puzzle. That just seemed like a silly and boring addition to this game. Hint system is very helpful and it does transport to longer locations. You do a lot of back tracking, but not so much that you get tired of it. SG was the standard and quite easy to follow if you need it. Jump map is nice and areas are well identified. This looks to be a fairly long game, if the map is any indication.
Collectibles - the only thing I found are flower medallions. It looks like these have a monetary value attached to them and you use them to "upgrade" animals. Okay, why? What happens when we upgrade? They are not in every scene and are not all that easy to spot. This game fell short in this department and could have used more collectibles. This was disappointing.
I do like this game, but I'm just not too sure that this one is CE worthy, simple because of the lack of nice collectibles. At this point, I do not feel the need to get this one right now, but will put it in my puddle and either wait for a really, really good sale, or just wait for the SE version. Either way, I think this one will appeal to any level of player as one version or the other.
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!
Your long-lost relatives are excited to welcome you to the family… or are they?
Overall rating
4
/
5
13 of 20 found this review helpful
Nice game, CE worthy!
PostedDecember 17, 2015
dancemom1
fromYakima, WA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Adventure, Strategy, Word, Card & Board, Family
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Hi all! Another Phantasmat! This makes #5 and yes, I have the other 4. As usual, I review on the game play and not the story, but this story is interesting. At first you think it is the same old thing, but not quite. Graphics weren't bad at all and the scene fit my large screen quite nicely. Voice overs were pretty good when you had them, but they are few and far between. They did fit the characters quite well. Game play was good, no problems during the demo. Animation was pretty nice as well and movements seemed smooth. Colors weren't as bright as some of the games and were a bit muted, but it be might just to add to the "spooky" feel of the game. Yep, old mansion, murder, mayhem, the usual, but still a little different. Music wasn't bad and changed depending on what was happening in the scene at the time. Question...does no one ever carry a pocket knife? They would I find a tooth to cut open a package? Just a weird side note. Nice sound FX.
HOPs are a very nice combination of straight lists, interactive lists, silhouettes, find this and use it here to get that and find the morphing items. They are clean and clear and items are not difficult to find. If you don't care for the HOPs, you can switch to a match 3. I really liked the different combinations...you don't get bored with the same old thing all the time. Puzzles were not difficult, but fun anyway, and a little different. Some take a bit of time and thought to complete, but they do not tax the brain. You have silhouette cut scenes that give you more insight into the story and what is happening. I was a little disappointed in the artwork for these scenes, but okay. 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. The "smoking" hint was a little annoying. Guess my peripheral vision is better than I thought, as it kept drawing my attention.
Collectibles: 42 rocking horses, which are quite easy to spot. We also have 20 morphing objects that are not easy to spot. I accidentally found one and only found 4 during the demo. So far, they all seem to be statues of characters in the game. They morph fairly quickly, so be on the lookout for them.
This game didn't seem quite as exciting as some of the others in this series, but it did have it's moments. I didn't find it all that challenging, but what game is these days. Liked how they integrated my name into the game, making is a bit more realistic. I found the game interesting enough to want to continue playing when the demo ended, so naturally I am going to get this one. I just have the need to see how it plays out. This game will probably appeal to all levels of players.
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!
Join our heroines Lily and Madison as they follow a series of clues about a recent string of chilling murders.
Overall rating
2
/
5
18 of 21 found this review helpful
Eye strain...
PostedDecember 15, 2015
dancemom1
fromYakima, WA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Adventure, Strategy, Word, Card & Board, Family
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
Hi all! Well, I gave this one a shot, even though there were those who said it was a "bad" game. Again, I review on the game play and not the story line, as others do a much better job of that than I can. I found this game to be very old school in graphics, which are somewhat blurry, making it difficult to distinguish certain items, and animation, which is quite stiff when you do see it. You even have a click penalty that kicks in quite quickly. Game play wasn't bad. Voice overs were pretty good, but our main character does talk to herself a lot. That's okay, I do that sometimes too. Music does get quite annoying very quickly, so I turn it down to very light background noise. There are some sound FX, but not many. The most annoying sound is the one you year when you find something. You cannot lock the inventory bar in place either, and have to manually click on it to raise it up. You do have to click, hold and drag items from the inventory in order to use them. As I said, an old school game.
HOPs are straight forward lists with no interaction at all. The scenes are pretty clear and clean, but some items are extremely small, e.g. hummingbird. Wow, almost needed a magnifying glass to see that one. Puzzles were painfully simple and take no brain power at all. Hint system is helpful, but takes quite some time to fill and there is no custom mode in this one either.
This was not a "bad" game, if you like simple, no brainer games, which I sometimes do. The story was a little different and you did have time travel. The only thing I really didn't care for was the constant time travel for one item. I stopped counting after 6 jumps in the alley. If you jump to complete a task, okay, but not back and forth for one item, back to use it, back again to get something else, etc. You get the picture. This game may appeal to a beginner, or someone who just wants to rest their brain a bit. I will recommend it for them, but not for me. No buy today.
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 recommend this game!
Someone's out for revenge, and she'll stop at nothing to get it.
Overall rating
2
/
5
17 of 22 found this review helpful
Definitely not CE worthy, needs fixes!
PostedDecember 12, 2015
dancemom1
fromYakima, WA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Adventure, Strategy, Word, Card & Board, Family
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
Hi all! Wow, what to say about this game? I beta tested this one way back in July and only gave it a 2. It doesn't look like the dev even looked at the suggestions for fixes. Graphics are nice and clear and colors are bright and true. Game play was good, except that the skip button didn't work. I read faster than they can print the dialog and I just had to sit and listen. That was frustrating. I often wonder how some people can give a game 5 stars when it doesn't even work correctly. Do they even play it or just write the review? Music wasn't bad. There was very little dialog in this one and even less in the way of sound FX.
HOPs were straight forward and extremely simple. They were fairly clean and items were not difficult to find. Puzzles were extremely simple and took no time or thought to complete. There is a jump map, but it was not helpful at all. Had to move my cursor all over the place to find the right spot for the area picture to show up and it would not jump, it froze up instead. That's when I quit playing the game...about 30 minutes into it. The hint system works very well and there is a transport feature for longer locations.
The only collectibles I found are morphing objects, which are not difficult to see. The twirling thing in the bottom right corner tells you if you missed it or not...no challenge here. You also collect boxes for each child and in those boxes, you need to find personal "collectible" items for each child. Again, not difficult to find.
Personally, I found this game to be slow and boring and not just because of the fixes it desperately needed either. The story line has been done and redone too many times already. This is the 3rd in this series and definitely not the best. I have the first two and liked them both. This one leaves a lot to be desired. This game would probably appeal to a beginner, but not to a seasoned gamer. I will recommend it for beginners only, but still give it only a 2, and that's being generous. 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. Thanks for the review.
I recommend this game!
Turn back time to save your true love!
Overall rating
4
/
5
12 of 14 found this review helpful
Excellent game...
PostedDecember 10, 2015
dancemom1
fromYakima, WA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Adventure, Strategy, Word, Card & Board, Family
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Hi all! Well, we have a very nice game today. I beta tested this on in August...took long enough for it to come out. As always, I review on the game play and let others, who do a much better job, review on the story. The graphics in this one are excellent, very clean and clear. I loved the bright true colors. Game play was excellent, with no problems during the demo at all and it fit my large screen. Animation was well done and movements were very smooth. Voice overs were very well done and showed emotion, fear, comedy, etc., and were age and character appropriate. The one thing I don't care for is the need to choose my dialog. Fortunately it doesn't happen often, but often enough. Sound FX are all quite well done. Music is nice for a change and moves with whatever is happening in the scene at the time.
HOPs are the standard lists and silhouettes so far and are very nicely done. Items are not difficult to find and scenes are pretty clean. Puzzles were not difficult and some were painfully simple, and took no real brain power to complete. Hint system is very helpful, but I did not see that it transports to longer locations. You don't really do that much long distance back tracking. The jump map is easy to follow and areas are well marked. This is the time saver for running to other locations.
The only collectibles I found are 21 morphing items, which are not as easy to spot as you may think. You also have to find 20 portraits, which are small and round and not the usual large picture frame. These are the Count's past wives...he really did go through women quickly! These also are not as easy to find. The collectibles are your challenge and are well done. Haven't found anything else yet.
I really did enjoy this game and even though the story line is very much the same, it was interesting and well done. I find the need to play this out and see where it goes, so yes, I am going to add this one to my collection. I think this game will appeal to all levels of players. I do not automatically give any game 5 stars. A game has to be exceptional in all areas to get that number, and because of the "choose dialog" feature in this one, I downgraded a bit. Still, it's at least a 4.5!
As always, try it for yourself and see what you think. We all have different tastes in games and you may not care for his one at all. Thanks for the reviews.
I recommend this game!