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:
Off The Record: The Art of Deception Collector's Edition
A famous painter finds herself in over her head!
Overall rating
4
/
5
5 of 9 found this review helpful
Not a bad addition to this series...
PostedFebruary 8, 2015
dancemom1
fromYakima, WA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Family, Word, Adventure, Hidden Object, Card & Board, Strategy, Puzzle
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Hi all. Well, looks like this is number 3 in this series. I only have Italian Affair. Didn't care much for Shades. Graphics weren't too bad. Colors were somewhat muted and blurred, but still clear enough to see what's going on. Game play was good, no problems with demo and the game fit my large screen quite well. Voice overs are well done, with some emotion and urgency when needed, and the accents seem to make the game and people more real. Music is very soothing. The jump map was a little messy. The icon for the objective area seemed to blend into the other colors too much, but I seldom use it anyway. Did not care for the scrolling screen at all...made my eyes feel odd. Maybe because it moved too quickly and not at a nice easy slide.
HOPs were okay, but most were a more like junk piles to me. You had silhouettes and find this many of that, but nothing new or exciting. There really wasn't much color to clearly distinguish items either, so you did have to really look to find some items. Puzzles weren't difficult and so far, the only one I had to think about was the puzzle box. Still pretty simple. Hint system is helpful and it does transport you to long distances. This is good because you do a lot of back tracking in this game. Hint fills a an okay rate.
Collectibles I found are 17 alphabet letters which are blended but not difficult to find; 42 paint tubes, which is most cases are very small and not very easy to spot. There is a little icon in the bottom right that tells you if you found it or not. There are also 14 morphing objects which seem to be only in the HOPs. At least, that's the only place I found any, so you really need to be on the lookout for them.
Index listed only one chapter, so it is hard to guess at how long this one might be. I still had 41 minutes left at the end of the demo, so to me, that was pretty short. I'm just not too sure about this game. It didn't have anything that really drew me into the story. No "edge of your seat, I have to see what happens" type of play, but the story was a bit different, and I did like the variation of collectibles to find. This is not a difficult or brain taxing game, but I think most all levels of players would find it interesting. I'll put this one in my puddle and think about it a bit. Right now I'm leaning toward buying this game.
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!
Shiver: The Lily's Requiem Collector's Edition
Can you uncover what’s causing the strange symptoms in Blackwill?
Overall rating
4
/
5
20 of 26 found this review helpful
Not a bad game...
PostedJanuary 31, 2015
dancemom1
fromYakima, WA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Family, Word, Adventure, Hidden Object, Card & Board, Strategy, Puzzle
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
Hi all. Well, we have the 4th in this series...yes, I have the other 3. There was no real lead into this story, you just sort of were there running. I get where is is going, but it was lacking in a good opening scene. Graphics were very nice and clear. Colors are bright and true. Game play was good, except for one little freeze, but when restarted it worked fine. Game fit my large screen with no problems. Voice overs were nice, age appropriate and showed some emotion depending on what was happening. Not a lot of dialog. Sound FX were few. Music was okay and had a creepy feel to it now and then, but mostly slow and boring.
HOPs were silhouettes, straight HOP and some interactive. Scenes were a bit junky to me, but items were not difficult to find. Puzzles were all too familiar. Almost like I had played that exact game...maybe, since it is a sequel. Hint system is helpful, but takes a while to refill and does not transport to other locations. There is quite a lot of back tracking. Very useful jump map, saves on the sore feet. There seemed to be a lot of active areas all at once, so you did jump around a lot.
Collectibles are black pearls that you use to buy items for your house, and believe me, it needs upgrading. These are not as easy to find as you think, although some are. I accidentally found some in the HOPs. You also collect fish items to fill your fish tank in your home. These also do not jump off the page at you and vary in size and object, so don't just look for fish.
I'm not kicked out about games that require you to "pick" what you want to say. It takes away from the game play for me and breaks my thought process and flow. I know it's silly, but when I'm in a game, I don't want to read through a bunch of dialog and pick what I want to say, so that is a minus for me. This game was not all that challenging or exciting. Over the previous 3, I found that this one was somewhat disappointing. That being said, for some unknown reason, I have the need to play it out and see what happens. Maybe it's because I need to finish fixing up that house. I'm sure this game would appeal to all levels of players and yes, I am going to purchase for 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!
Sea of Lies: Burning Coast Collector's Edition
A mysterious plague is sweeping through towns along the coast, and you're the only one who knows the truth!
Overall rating
4
/
5
37 of 41 found this review helpful
Very nice game...
PostedJanuary 29, 2015
dancemom1
fromYakima, WA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Family, Word, Adventure, Hidden Object, Card & Board, Strategy, Puzzle
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Hi all. Well, this is the 3rd in this series...yes, I have the other two and really did liked them. This one is well done. Graphics are very clear, colors are bright and true, no pinks and blues to tire your eyes. Game play was very good, no problems with the demo at all and the game fit my large screen perfectly. Voice overs are very well done, age appropriate and show some emotion when they speak. You can click through the dialog if you read faster than they speak. I especially like this feature.
HOPs are clean and clear and item are not difficult to find. They give you a combination of straight HOP, with silhouettes and riddles. That way you don't get bored with the same thing throughout the entire game. You can also switch to Match 3 if that is what you fancy. Jump map is very helpful, not cluttered and easy to follow. Hint system is also very helpful and fills quite quickly. It also transports to longer locations. Really like this feature. I much prefer playing the game, rather than running back and forth all day. Puzzles are not as simple as you may think. The do take some time and thought to complete and are a bit challenging.
The only collectibles I found are what they call "glass balls," which look like snow globes. Some are very easy to spot, but others are quite tricky, so be on the lookout for them. There is an icon on the left that indicates if you have found the globe in the scene, which does help in case you get too engrossed in the game and forget to look for them.
The "beaked" bad guy is familiar, but I don't remember him in either of the other two. I've played so many, it's hard to keep them straight sometimes. There is enough action and suspense in this game to keep you moving. The story flows very well and is easy to follow, so I had no need to even look at the strategy guide. I found enough challenge in this game to keep me interested and wanting to keep playing to see how it comes out. I think all levels of players will find this one fun. Yep, got it....
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!
Living Legends: Wrath of the Beast Collector's Edition
Help Goldilocks’s son protect his village from invading bears!
Overall rating
3
/
5
12 of 14 found this review helpful
Just an OK game...
PostedJanuary 28, 2015
dancemom1
fromYakima, WA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Family, Word, Adventure, Hidden Object, Card & Board, Strategy, Puzzle
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Hi all. Well, here we have the 3rd in this series...yes, I have the first two and liked them both. The graphics seem different in this one, not as crisp and clear as the others. Colors were muted and somewhat blurry to me. Game play was pretty good, except that there was a bit of a lag between scenes. Voice overs were few and far between and had no real emotion attached, e.g. fear, urgency and especially no sinister voice to the "bad guy." The only emotion was in the bear. Nice sound FX.
HOPs are fairly clean, items very easy to find and are all silhouettes, find this and use it here to find that. This gets boring very quickly. Puzzles had no real challenge to them either. I found one that took some time and thought, but wasn't really difficult. Hint system is helpful, but takes way too long to recharge. Same thing with the skip button. Because of this, you are better off using the SG for guidance. Something I rarely do.
Collectibles are 34 morphing objects of different shapes and sizes. So far I have found most of them to be animals. I accidentally found that you could have more than one in a scene, so be on the lookout. They are not as easy to spot as you may think.
This story was nothing new. I was disappointed in this game, over the first two. There just wasn't anything exciting or that really held my interest. It didn't flow very well or lead into whatever was happening, it just happened and left me asking why that just happened. Now and then "Mom" would pop in with something to say like "hurry, he needs your help." Okay, that's why I was headed there in the first place. The demo was quite short, which makes me think the full game will be as well, but I could be wrong. I'm not sure this one is CE worthy, so I'm going to put it in my puddle and think on it a bit. I have been known to change my mind once I give it another shot, but then I seldom will purchase the CE version. I will recommend only for a beginner.
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!
Mystery Tales: The Twilight World Collector's Edition
A stay at a peaceful hotel turns into a nightmare when a witch from the Twilight World takes your daughter!
Overall rating
4
/
5
9 of 12 found this review helpful
Nice, simple game...
PostedJanuary 25, 2015
dancemom1
fromYakima, WA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Family, Word, Adventure, Hidden Object, Card & Board, Strategy, Puzzle
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Hi all. I agree, the quality of games has really gone down lately, but I look anyway. This is the 2nd in this series...yes, I have the first. This one doesn't seem to be as much fun, but it's not a bad game. Graphics are clear and nice. Very true nice colors. Game play was very good, no problems during the demo at all and the game fit my large screen. I did not even look at the SG, as this game was quite simple and easy to follow. I either didn't see a journal, or I need new glasses, but couldn't find one. Music was somewhat soothing, with nice sound FX. Voice overs were well done with emotion and and not just someone reading a script, even though I did lose the daughter's voice for a bit. The one thing I didn't like was that you could not click through dialog without skipping it completely. I read faster than they speak and want to move on and not wait for them to catch up.
HOPs were fun, silhouettes; riddles and match items is what I found so far. Items were not hard to find. Hint system was quite helpful and did transport to long distance locations, so you save on the constant clicking to back track. However, it did take quite some time to recharge. Very easy puzzles, with nothing new, but I found one that took me a little time to complete, and I had to think ahead to do it.
Collectibles I found were 40 cats that are quite easy to spot; magical items that help you within the game; postcards; notes and rabbits. Yep, rabbits. Not sure what that's all about...because it's related to magic probably.
Yes, we have magic, mayhem, witches and time travel all rolled up into one game. Careful, things do jump out at you, but they really aren't scary. It is a simple game, fut the story is a little different and I liked it. This is one of those "no brainer," lazy day games that I occasionally like to buy for fun. Even though the demo was short, I still had 52 minutes left at the end, I found that I wanted to continue playing to see what happens. I think this will appeal to most all levels of players and I am going to add 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!
Twilight Phenomena: The Incredible Show Collector's Edition
Underneath the big top, people aren’t always what they seem.
Overall rating
4
/
5
2 of 5 found this review helpful
Lacks extras...
PostedJanuary 18, 2015
dancemom1
fromYakima, WA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Word, Adventure, Hidden Object, Card & Board, Strategy, Puzzle
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Hi all. Well, we have the 3rd installment in this series. I have only one, Strange Menagerie. Didn't care for the other, since there were no HOPs in it. Anyway, this one is a little different than the other two. Graphics are the same, not too bad. Colors are somewhat muted and washed out, but clear. You would think they would be much brighter with being in a circus. Game play was good, no problems with the demo at all and the game fit my large screen quite well. Music was nice and moved with whatever was happening at the time. Same with the voice overs. Well done, but again, few and far between. Sound FX were very nice, birds, bugs, barking dogs, etc.
HOPs are few and far between, and are straight HOPs. Items easy to spot with no real challenge, other than finding them in the first place. If you don't click in the right spot, you won't find the HOP. Puzzles are way too simple, definitely no challenge here either. Jump map is very useful, as you do a lot of back tracking in this game. Didn't even open the SG, seldom do. Hint system is very useful as well, but does not transport you to longer locations, so grab the tennis shoes, you will need them. I really like that you can adjust the hint refill time.
Maybe I missed something, but I didn't really find any collectibles. No morphing items or anything. Guess running back and forth to pull the handle to get more coins is what they consider collectibles. You use the coins to feed animals, but I don't see that it makes a difference in the game play, at least not at this point. Yes, I fed the animals, that's just the way I am. You also take photos of everything, but not sure why.
The story line is a bit different, another mad doctor changing people into animals, but interesting. The game didn't seem to flow very well and is not really exciting or challenging. Most disappointing is the lack of collectibles. That being said, for some reason I have the need to play this one out and see what happens...must be the storyline. I think this will appeal to anyone wanting something a little different for a change.
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!
Lost Lands: The Four Horsemen Collector's Edition
The Lost Lands are in danger again... There's only one brave soul who can face the four evil horsemen to save it – you!
Overall rating
4
/
5
44 of 48 found this review helpful
Nice long game...
PostedJanuary 15, 2015
dancemom1
fromYakima, WA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Word, Adventure, Hidden Object, Card & Board, Strategy, Puzzle
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Hi all. Well, another CE today, and this one has time travel. I was a bit put off by the fuzzy graphics during the opening scenes and the cut scenes, but otherwise, everything was clear and crisp. Colors were very bright and true. Game play was very good for me, no glitches or problems at all and it filled my large screen. Not a lot of dialogue, but what there was, was well done and you could "click" through it if you read faster than they speak. Music was very nice and somewhat soothing. Nice sound FX as well.
HOPs were silhouettes that you find this piece to get that one. I didn't see that you could switch to something else and this was the only type of HOP I saw during the demo. Items were not difficult to find and the HOPs were pretty clean, no junk piles. SG shows a lot of chapters and since I took 45 minutes to get through two of them, it looks to be a fairly long game #yay!#. Not a lot of HOPs or puzzles in this one. Puzzles are not difficult, but do take some time and thought to complete #I actually had to skip one#. Hint system is quite helpful and fills quickly. When needed, the hint will open the map and show you where you need to transport using the jump map feature.
The collectibles are many, e.g. manuscript pages #20#; morphing objects #35# and machine parts #35#. These items are well hidden in most areas and do not jump off the page at you. This is the challenging part of this game, but the map tells you if you have something to find in each location. There is a lot to do in this game and you keep moving to get it done.
Not sure what it was about this game, maybe all the collectibles, but I liked it. I found it challenging enough to keep me interested and wanting more when the demo ran out. I think this game will appeal to all levels of players and yes, I am going to add this one to my collection today.
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!
Reveries: Soul Collector
Your wedding day gets interrupted when your fiancée is kidnapped!
Overall rating
4
/
5
47 of 50 found this review helpful
A fun, well done game!
PostedJanuary 9, 2015
dancemom1
fromYakima, WA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Word, Adventure, Hidden Object, Card & Board, Strategy, Puzzle
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Hi all. Well, we have the second in this series and yes, I do have the first. This one drew me in almost as quickly as the first game did. Graphics were clean and clear and game play was very good, no problems with anything and the game filled my large screen. Music was soothing, but increased in mode depending on what was happening at the time. Voice overs were excellent, e.g., sinister when needed, loving and kind, silly, loyal and all the emotion of same. Very well done. You do have a funny little helper that jumps and climbs to give you a hand, but he is not annoying.
HOPs were a bit different, interactive and straight HOP, but still different. No junk piles. Items were not difficult to find, but I had to think about a couple of them. You can switch to jigsaw puzzles if you wish, which is something I really like as well. Puzzles were not difficult, although a couple did make me think a bit harder. I especially like the riddles puzzle. Hint system is quite helpful and as far as I can see, it does not transport. You do have a lot of back tracking, but not far.
The story was a bit different. Yes, a love story of sorts, but I'm a sucker for love stories and I really like this one. It was not overly challenging, but enough to keep me interested and wanting more. The demo was much too short, as I still had 55 minutes left on the clock. Hopefully that isn't a sign that the game will be as well. I think this game will appeal to all levels of players. It was fun and interesting and yes, I am adding it 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!
Love Chronicles: A Winter's Spell Collector's Edition
A dark wizard awakens the ice queen using your daughter!
Overall rating
3
/
5
16 of 17 found this review helpful
Very slow and quiet....
PostedJanuary 8, 2015
dancemom1
fromYakima, WA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Word, Adventure, Hidden Object, Card & Board, Strategy, Puzzle
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
Hi all. Well, another addition to this series. Yes, I have the other three and really liked them all, but I won't be getting this one. Colors are very muted, but that's okay, it's a fairytale. Graphics were a bit too fuzzy for my old eyes and movements were somewhat choppy. Music was quite soothing and nice. Very few voice overs and not really much in the way of sound FX. This game is very quiet, except for the music.
There is a jump map that comes in quite handy, as you to a lot of back tracking. Hint system works very well and does transport to other locations. It also refills slowly. SG was a bit odd, in that when it opened, you were in the "extras" section and not in the game...weird. HOPs were "find the silhouette and use it to find something else." I don't mind these, but not an entire game. No items were not hard to find, but it got old real fast.
Collectibles are puzzle pieces that you use to "help" the characters in the game. They are hidden everywhere, so be on the lookout. I'm not keen on the fairytale type of story telling, e.g. find parts before you can find out more of the story. There are morphing objects in this one, but they are not easy to spot.
This game just seemed to move very slowly for me. The only challenge was find the morphing objects and I got frustrated with those #something I do like#. There was nothing in this game to make me want to keep playing after the demo ended. I was surprised I lasted that long. This may appeal to beginners, and that would be the only reason I recommend this game, but not seasoned gamers. 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 recommend this game!
Revived Legends: Titan's Revenge Collector's Edition
Stop a vengeful Titan from destroying Athens – and the world!
Overall rating
3
/
5
5 of 5 found this review helpful
Disappointing to say the least...
PostedJanuary 3, 2015
dancemom1
fromYakima, WA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Word, Adventure, Hidden Object, Card & Board, Strategy, Puzzle
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Hi all...Happy New Year! Is it just me, or is BF dipping in to the shallow end of the pool for these games? The graphics in this one aren't bad, pretty clear. Colors are true, but not too bright and not at all over powering. Voice overs are okay, but not much of emotion in them. Music got a bit annoying, so I turned it down.
HOPs are mostly interactive, very simple and easy to find items and fairly clean. You can switch between HOPs and match 3. Puzzles were exceptionally simple with no challenge to the ones I ran across during the demo. Hint is very helpful and does transports you to longer locations, which saves on shoe leather and time. Hint seems to recover a little slower than most.
The only collectibles I found are the statues. They are very easy to spot and do not morph, even though the SG said there are morphing objects. Didn't find anything else.
This is a very easy game and one that I do not consider CE worthy. There is no challenge and it seems a bit old school. Not sure if BF is just cleaning out their closets and getting rid of whatever is left over, or if the race track is doing it for them. Either way, I have been pretty disappointed in the games that have come out lately. I really was hoping the New Year game would start off with a bang, but got a fizzle instead. Hopefully it gets better. This might be a nice "no brainer" type of game for a rainy day, but again, not as a CE. I believe it might appeal to younger beginners, but not to me. No buy for me 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.