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:
When entering another's dreams, you'll have to play by a different set of rules.
Overall rating
2
/
5
2 of 5 found this review helpful
No Dreamin' Here...
PostedSeptember 10, 2014
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
1
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
Hi all. Well, I was looking forward to a nice SE for a change, but... This one has pretty good graphics, for a cartoon like picture. Looks sort of like there were two separate drawings that were just placed over each other for a complete picture. Does that make sense? Graphics are clear and clean. Colors are very bright...almost too bright, which makes it very tiring on the eyes very quickly. Game play was good, no problems. There are no voice overs, which this one could have used, and a lot of reading. It does have nice sound FX. Music wasn't too bad, but got annoying after a while.
HOPs were straight forward and quite simple. Items were easy to find. HOPs were very quiet in that there was no ding, ring, snap, jingle or click when you find something. The item just fades away, so if you don't pay attention, you may not realize you found an it. Puzzles were very simple and nothing new. At first, this seemed like an old game, but did not have the click penalty that the old ones had. There is a compass, which is no help at all. All it does it point directions you can take and often points to multiple locations...choose one. Hint is far more helpful, but does take a while to recharge.
The story and game didn't feel like it flowed well. There was no reason why things happened. One minute you walk into a room, faint and wake up somewhere else. Okay, why? This might, and I say might, be an okay game for a beginner, but definitely is a no for me. There was nothing that kept my interest or made me want more, so 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 don't recommend this game.
Margaret's soul has been broken into fragments and strewn across multiple worlds. Can you find them all and save her?
Overall rating
4
/
5
12 of 15 found this review helpful
Nice game!
PostedSeptember 6, 2014
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, guess I'm going to be a little different today. I always demo in casual mode and never give 5 stars to any game, unless it is perfect in every way. I found the graphics to be nice, not a pile of blue and pink for a change. Colors were very bright and graphics were clear. Game play was good, no problems during the demo. Music was nice, but at times was quite over-powering even at 50%, so made it difficult to hear what was being said. Good thing there was written dialog, which you cannot click through if you read faster than they speak. Voice overs were good and appropriate for character and setting. There is a Harlequin that seemed to be just sort of tossed in as something else to use and was not necessary at all.
At first the SG didn't want to stay on the last page visited, but somewhere in the first chapter, it decided to behave itself and work...so far. Really don't like clicking through pages every time I need to look at the SG. Definitely a deal breaker. Hint system works quite well and is very helpful. It transports you to the map, where is shows you the location you need, you then click on it and are transported that way. An extra, unnecessary step, but it works. Hint doesn't fill quickly, but doesn't creep along either.
HOPs are interactive and pretty standard. Items not hard to find. You can switch to a jigsaw puzzle, which I like, except that they were extremely simple. Puzzles are not difficult, but there seem to be more puzzles than HOPs in this one. No brain strain here either.
The only collectibles I found are coins, which let you visit a museum. Don't know how many you need, but I didn't collect enough to go anywhere during the demo. Also, you collect masks to visit the boudoir, but only if you buy the game. These masks are not as easy to find as you may think. Some are, but others are quite small and well blended. This is the challenge to this game. There are also 4 portals you need to find parts for in order to travel to other dimensions. This looks promising.
This is a very quiet game in that there is more running around for one item than there is dialog. There just didn't seem to be much of a flow to this game. Hopefully it picks up as you play. The collectibles intrigue me, so I need to get this one to see what happens in the museum and boudoir. This is not a bad game, and I like it well enough to buy.
As always, try it for yourself and see what you think. We all have different tastes in games and you may not like this one at all. Thanks for the reviews.
I recommend this game!
Save your cats and investigate a series of leopard attacks.
Overall rating
4
/
5
43 of 55 found this review helpful
A fairly new storyline!
PostedSeptember 4, 2014
dancemom1
fromYakima, WA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):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. Wow, talk about a short demo...why give us 90 minutes when we have 63 left at the end of the demo! Naturally, I have the first 2 in this series and liked them both. This one is much of the same, but a new story line, although a bit muddy in the beginning. The graphics are very clean and clear. Yes there is blue, but it is night (so far) and not over-powering like most of the others who use the color. Animation is excellent, right down to the movements of animals and faces. Game play was very good, very smooth and no glitches. Voice overs are also very good and the character voices don't sound like they are reading a page of lines. Music is quiet and rather soothing, until it needs to make you pay attention to what is about to happen. Sound FX are very good, e.g., wind, crunching snow, creaking doors, fire, etc. There is a jump map, with areas well identified and areas of interests marked accordingly.
HOPs are very well done and change up as you go, from silhouettes to standard words to place this item, etc. Very clean and clear and items not too difficult to find. You don't just click around, you have to think about it first. Puzzles are not difficult, but do make you think and plan ahead in most cases. Part of the puzzles are the storyboards, which I find fun. They are not difficult at all and they do give you more insight into the story. Hint system isn't too slow and is quite helpful, including transporting you to your next location (I really like this feature).
The only collectibles I found are sketches that are suppose to give you more information about Snowville, but I haven't looked at them yet. I agree with other reviewers, it would have been a nice addition to the collectibles to add cats...maybe morphing cats. Ooh, I like that idea.
It is not a particularly challenging game, but it has an interesting story and I was drawn in fairly quickly. Anyway, I like this game and find the need to play it out and see where it is going. Pretty sure I know, but I am enjoying it and am going to add it to my collection. I believe all levels of players will like this one.
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!
Mr. Turner was surrounded by people who could all benefit from his death, but who actually murdered him? Play the detective in this classic whodunit mystery!
Overall rating
3
/
5
7 of 11 found this review helpful
Not so perfect...
PostedSeptember 3, 2014
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
3
/
5
Hi all. Well I guess I'm going to be among the few who disagree on this one. The graphics weren't too bad, a bit old school, and a lot of blue and pink again. Game play was a little choppy. Voice overs were pretty good, but these guys had some very silly things to say. Dialog left a lot to be desired. Music wasn't bad when it played, but seemed to disappear on a regular basis, leaving no sound other than the annoying sound you got every time you found something. Very little sound FX anywhere.
HOPs were extremely simple and nothing new or exciting...pretty straight forward and items too easy to spot. Puzzles, well, a couple were rather fun and different, but otherwise very simple, and skip is very long. Hint system recharge was extremely slow, but it was helpful and it does transport you to the location you need, along with a hint before you get there. For some reason, it doesn't feel like a very long game, but I could be wrong.
This could have been a very nice SE, but it was lacking a flow to the story line. There was no rhyme or reason for most of the movements. I love a good whodunit, but this one just didn't do it for me. No excitement, no challenge, no buy. I'm all for a lazy day simple game now and then, but I'm not even sure a beginner would find this one all that much fun.
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 reviews.
I don't recommend this game.
An amulet purchased in an antique shop has awakened an ancient and terrible evil. Help rescue your beloved and save mankind from the coming eternal frost!
Overall rating
4
/
5
21 of 24 found this review helpful
Almost missed this one!
PostedAugust 27, 2014
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. Wow, an SE for a change. Found this one to be rather fun. Sound FX are very good and very detail oriented. There are no voice overs, but it doesn't seem to need them. There is a lot of dialog to read, but you can skip it (lettering is a little small and color makes it hard to read, so some eye strain). Of course, it doesn't hurt either. Graphics are a bit old school but they fit this game very well. Game play was good, no problems, other than the slight lag between scenes...some longer than others. Inventory bar does not lock, so it constantly jumps up and down, very annoying. Music has a bit of a sinister feel to it. Yes, there is a lot of blue, but this is a "frozen" land, so "it is what it is," if I may quote my son. You do need to find various ways and items to melt the ice in order to obtain items or move to other locations. A bit of creativity here.
No jump map, but items you find are usually used in the same scene, or fairly quickly after you find them. This saves you a lot of running back and forth. Don't get me wrong, there is some. At least you don't store of pages of items before you can use them. HOPS are fairly clean and clear and items are not difficult to find. They are repeated more than once, but with different items to find. Puzzles were quite simple. Nothing new here.
There was nothing extremely challenging in this game and even without voice overs, I did enjoy it. Story line is a little different, but easy to follow. This is one of those lazy day games that doesn't tax your brain, but one that you can enjoy. I think this will appeal to most players of any level. Yes, I am going to add this one to my every growing collection of 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!
Manor Memoirs Collector's Edition
Help Scarlett write her next novel!
Overall rating
4
/
5
2 of 4 found this review helpful
A fun "no brainer" for a change.
PostedAugust 23, 2014
dancemom1
fromYakima, WA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Word, Adventure, Hidden Object, Card & Board, Strategy, Puzzle
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Hi all. Well okay, I admit it, I am a nerd when it comes to this type of game. Yes, I really like the spooky, action, mystery, whatever type of games, but I really like this one too. Yep, got them all, Gardenscapes, Antique Road Show, Dream Wedding. It's like decorating with someone else's money and it's fun. Okay, so it's not House Beautiful, but it is fun.
This one is the same set up as Gardenscapes, only with a woman. The story line is a little different, as you are also finding hints for a book she is trying to write, so there are a few extras. Not sure that makes it a CE, but we will see. Game play is very good, as were the graphics, which were a bit cartoon-like, but it fit the game. Colors are very bright and clear. Music is the same as all the others and does get a little annoying after a while, but I just turn it down. Sound FX are very nice and appropriate for what is happening at the time, e.g., fireplace, storm, TV, etc.
HOPs are a bit of a junk pile, but it's an old house with "junk" stored everywhere, so it should be junky. Items weren't that difficult to find. What is challenging is finding the extra coins in each scene. They are very well hidden, in, around and behind other objects. What would be nice is knowing exactly how many coins you needed to find in each scene...most had 3 #I think#, and one had 5 so far.
As I said, I'm not sure this is CE worthy, but I did enjoy this one and I will get it to add to my collection. I think this one will appeal to anyone who just wants something different for a change and doesn't want to strain the brain to get 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!
Sable Maze: Forbidden Garden
Your parents always told you to stay away from the mysterious maze behind their house... and you're about to find out why.
Overall rating
4
/
5
21 of 27 found this review helpful
Added to my collection!
PostedAugust 22, 2014
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, I gave the CE a go and didn't feel it was CE worthy. Not to mention the fact that all the blues and pinks really make my eyes tired very quickly. I always give the SE a shot, since I have often changed my mind about a game after playing it again, but very seldom go back and purchase the CE version. My thoughts on this one didn't change much.
The graphics and game play were nice and clear, even with the blue and pink colors. Some day, hopefully, the devs will pay attention to the reviews. Music is nice. Voice overs and animation were very good. Jump map was well done and areas identified by name and picture, in case you forget what something looks like. There are some very nice sound FX in this game.
HOPs were a little different and fun and each was played a little differently than the last, so you don't get bored with the same thing all the time. Items were not too difficult to find, but took some thought to complete. The puzzles were quite simple and nothing new. Disappointed in how slowly the skip and hint button filled. Hint system is quite helpful, but didn't use it all that much. Mostly I used the jump map, since it told me where there was something to do and I didn't have to do any back-tracking.
I still did not find that this game was CE worthy and even for an SE, it was not all that challenging. However, since I have all the others in this series, and a punch that is about to expire, I am going to get it and add it to my collection of games. Besides that, I really liked how the HOPs are set up and I find the need to see where this story is going, other than saving the fiance.
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!
PuppetShow: Lightning Strikes Collector's Edition
The women of Paris are being turned into puppets! Can you find out who's pulling the strings?
Overall rating
3
/
5
30 of 42 found this review helpful
Creepy Puppets are Back!
PostedAugust 21, 2014
dancemom1
fromYakima, WA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Word, Adventure, Card & Board, Strategy, Puzzle
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
Hi all. Well, finally another addition to the Puppet Show series. This is the 6th in the series: PS: Souls of the Innocent; Destiny Undone; Lost Town; Mystery of Joyville (the only one not originally a CE); Return to Joyville and now this one. Naturally, I have the first 5 already. This game is pretty much the same as the other. Yes, there are blues and pinks throughout, but they are not over-powering like so many others. Graphics are very clear and clean. Game play was good, but did seem to lag a bit and froze at the ship helm, but no problem since restarting. Music is pretty much the same as all the others in the series. Voice overs are well done and appropriate for the character.
There is a jump map, but not too keen on the set up (the street lamp lights up when there is something to be done in a location). It does work quite well. Hint system is very helpful and does transport you to locations. It takes 40 seconds for it to recharge and I didn't see where you could change that.
HOPs are very clean and clear and items were not difficult to find. They are set up somewhat differently than most, which was fun. You can switch between word hints for items, or a list of items. Puzzles were not difficult at all, actually very simple.
The only collectibles I found were piggy banks, which are not hard to see. They are larger and pretty much in the open. You collect coins from these banks in order to "re-build" and "repair" two landmarks. Nothing morphing or anything else. Sort of boring.
This game did not grab my attention like the other 5 and seemed more simplistic. Same old creepy puppets, but not really exciting or challenging. Very disappointing. I don't see that just repairing two landmarks is worth the price of a CE. I think I will wait for the SE version on this one, but I have been known to change my mind.
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!
The shadow of the Jabberwocky, a terrifying fantasy creature glides above Wonderland! Help Alice restore peace and harmony back to the land!
Overall rating
2
/
5
7 of 24 found this review helpful
Nothing new or exciting!
PostedAugust 19, 2014
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. I always read the reviews while I'm waiting for a demo to download, and never base my decision on whether to purchase a game or not without trying it for myself, no matter how bad the reviews may be. This game had very nice clear and bright colors, and the graphics were pretty good, although a bit cartoon like. Game play wasn't too bad, but the cursor was a little sluggish. No voice overs, but a lot of dialog to read. Music got very annoying very quickly.
Didn't care for the fact that you had to click and hold an inventory item and then move it to where it needed to be used. Your hand gets tired quickly. There is a click penalty as well. This alone makes the game feel very old. HOPs were very simple, but items were not all that easy to see. Some were quite dark and others were the same color as where they were hidden, e.g. a brown apple, or not exactly what you were suppose to find, e.g. 2 clothes brushes and not a paintbrush, while other items were so small you could barely see them at all. Hint system was helpful but filled very slowly and constantly sparkled, which is quite distracting.
This could have been a very nice game without much extra effort, but I'm sorry to say that I couldn't even finish the demo, which I think has only happened one other time. I'm not even sure a beginner would enjoy this one. I seldom do not recommend a game, even if I don't care for it, but this one has too many minuses. A 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. Thanks for the reviews.
I don't recommend this game.
Lynn’s wedding is interrupted by a ghost from Edward’s past.
Overall rating
4
/
5
22 of 27 found this review helpful
The Imp is back!!
PostedAugust 16, 2014
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 addition to the Witches Legacy series. This is number 4 and yes, I already have the other three. The graphics and animation is well done, but again, we have the blues and pinks, which are very tiring on the eyes and certainly not natural. Even at that the other colors were very bright, almost too bright. When will the devs read the reviews? Game play was very good, but the Imp takes too long to get where he needs to go. Yep, he's back and helpful as ever. Gets to places you can't, in order to retrieve items. According to the game, you need to use him 14 times to get these inaccessible items. Music was pretty nice and relaxing. Voice overs are well done, but some dialog was a little silly.
Jump map is very helpful and each area is well marked and identified. The pictures are a little small and cannot be enlarged, but you can still see what it is. I like that each location is also marked if there is a morphing object or collectible to find as well. That is quite different. HOPs are fairly clean and clear and items are not difficult to find. They were set up differently and were fun. You can switch to a match 2 game, which I happen to like and it helps keep my brain sharp. Of course, playing these games helps as well. Puzzles were not difficult, but a couple took some time and thought...I especially liked the maze. Hint system is very helpful and fills very quickly, but does not transport.
There are a number of collectibles: 35 puzzles pieces that may not be there the first time you visit an area, or under something else; 35 morphing objects that can be almost anywhere; 10 items for the Imp (not sure what these are, but I accidentally found a few).
This one is somewhat different with much nicer HOPs and puzzles than the first 3 games. It's been a while since I played the others, but I believe the story is pretty much the same, or close to the others. Story is clear and easy to follow. For some reason, I was drawn to this game and I'm not sure why...even with the colors. I find the need to purchase this one and add it to my ever growing collection. I think this will appeal to all levels of players. By the way, I think we need some good SE games so I can use my credits before they expire!
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!