sunnyglow's Profile
Stat Summary
- Average Rating:4.3
- Helpful Votes:80,084
- Reviews Submitted:815
- First Review:November 27, 2011
- Most Recent Review:March 25, 2025
- Featured reviews0
Status:
You won’t need to call her three times… She’s already here!
Overall rating
5
/
5
90 of 158 found this review helpful
BLOODY MARY, BLOODY MARY – BLOODY GOOD GAME
PostedJune 25, 2022
sunnyglow
fromMirror, Mirror on the wall, you are a danger to us all! Bloody Mary, Candyman, Ghosts, or Alice, you never know who is going to pop out of the mirrors within your own palace!
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
REVIEW BASED UPON THE ENTIRE GAME
7 Chapters Plus a Bonus Chapter – Strategy Guide: 50 pages (My Time: 9 Hours)
7 Chapters Plus a Bonus Chapter – Strategy Guide: 50 pages (My Time: 9 Hours)
Bloody Mary, Bloody Mary, (Oops! not going to say that name a third time!) Don’t want Mary coming through my mirror to sweep me away into the Mirror World! However, I did enjoy watching the game characters go back-and-forth between Mirror World and the real world, dealing with ghosts and a crazed warlock. This game is a wonderful ghost fest, a spooky little adventure involving a novelist in search of inspiration for her novels. Help this famous writer learn the truth behind the legends by uncovering the true story and the actual evildoers behind those legends portrayed in both the main chapter and the bonus chapter.
Do Games, AKA Domini Games (or whatever their company name is nowadays) is my favorite HOPA developer. By whatever name, they produce fantastic games! I love their games because they provide more game for the money. This developer provides a longer game than other devs, with more puzzles, more collectibles, and even a choice in the difficulty of the puzzles. The player can also play an optional Match-3 game in lieu of the HOP scenes. No other developer provides the quality nor creativity of this developer. To me, this game is one of the best games Do Games has developed this year.
Speaking of creative new features, this developer has added a new one within this game. This game gives the player optional activities throughout the game. The player is asked if they would like to visit another location where another puzzle or activity is presented. The player can opt out if they don’t wish to engage in the activity. I love this new feature and hope they will continue to provide it. Other developers should check out this new feature as well.
As in other games, this developer has three collectibles. The collectibles are trapped ghosts and morphing writing supplies (for the most diligent writer). These two collectibles alternate between scenes. Bookmarks are collected throughout to exchange for supplies to deck out a writer’s office upon completion of the game. My only complaint is the miniscule size of the collectibles. I could not even recognize the writing supplies and could only find them if I waited to see them morph. They are too small in appearance as are some of the trapped ghosts. I found the bookmarks in some locations were hard to see as well, although most times, they were easy to locate.
MECHANICS:
• Four (4) levels of play including a customized version.
• 35 achievements.
• Collect 15 items from a writer’s desk and 15 trapped ghosts within mirrors
• Collect 70 bookmarks to exchange for items to deck out an office
• 11 wallpapers along with concept art, music, and video sequences
• Replay 21 HOP scenes and 20 mini-games
• Four (4) levels of play including a customized version.
• 35 achievements.
• Collect 15 items from a writer’s desk and 15 trapped ghosts within mirrors
• Collect 70 bookmarks to exchange for items to deck out an office
• 11 wallpapers along with concept art, music, and video sequences
• Replay 21 HOP scenes and 20 mini-games
BONUS CHAPTER: Our renown writer from the main game is off to La Llorona (crying woman in Spanish) Recreation Center to investigate the legend of the ghostly figure, La Llorona. The Latin American legend does not match up with the story portrayed in this game, but I can understand why the developer took the story in a different direction. This story involves another ghost and an evildoer involved in her death. I liked this chapter and felt the activities were comparable to the main game. Continue collecting the collectibles. There are four (4) HOP scenes and eight (8) mini-games within this chapter. I feel it is a good addition to the game and worthy of a collector’s edition designation
HOP SCENES: There are twenty-one (21) scenes all of which can be replayed upon completion of the game. There is also a Match-3 game to play instead of the scenes. One of my favorite parts of this developer’s games are the creatively designed HOP scenes. While most HOPA games include boringly similar standard lists of items (ho-hum), Do Games provides new variations for their HOP scenes. All are interactive with some well-designed scenes. Many scenes are storybook in nature, providing information about the storyline. There are many search-and-replace scenes or placement scenes in this game. Either the player searches for the items and uses them back within the scenes or is given an item to place within the scene. My favorites are the rebus scenes and there are two of them within this game.
There are also matching scenes. However, my only other complaint concerning this game are the lock and chains which appear if you click too often within the scenes. Please Do Games – Stop locking the matching scenes. The matching scenes require clicking on objects to uncover the items which are to be matched. How can the player find where items are hidden if you can’t click on all the objects within the scene to find them?
MINI-GAMES: There are thirty-three (33) mini-games, twenty (20) of which can be replayed upon completion of the game. Most of the mini-games can be played in an “easy” mode or for more of challenge, a “hard” mode. Very few of the puzzles do not have this designation. There are no puzzles, in my opinion, which are brain busters. In this game, Do Games placed some mini-games within the HOP scenes which I feel makes them more enjoyable to play.
HERE ARE SOME OF THE MINI-GAMES FROM THIS GAME: (E = Easy H = Hard)
A. E/H. Maze puzzle. Choose between 3 paths at the right time to traverse and exit a maze in the woods while avoiding ghosts. 3X
B. E/H. Assembly puzzle. Move the body parts of a plastic figure to match that of a given diagram. The easy version keeps the diagram in front of the player while playing the puzzle; in the hard version, the diagram must be pulled up to reference it.
C. E/H. Domino puzzle. Move domino-type pieces so that the ends of dominoes which abut each other have the same symbol on them.
D. E/H. Switch puzzle. Switch colored tokens and move them to slots of the same color by using gears to transfer them. The easy version has 4 colored tokens and the hard has 6.
E. E/H. Connection puzzle. Run wires between numbered boxes so the number of wires emanating from each box equals the number on the box. The easy version has smaller numbers on the boxes making it easier to solve.
F. E/H. Tangram puzzle. Fit all items into a box without overlapping the items. the easy version has added blocks into the box to help with assessing where different shaped items can be placed.
G. E/H. Strategy puzzle. Use machetes to clear a 10 x 7 (70 squares) grid of bushes. The easy version gives you 3 machetes and hard gives you 4. You cannot use a machete if you arrive at a place where there are no bushes in front of you to remove.
H. Chess puzzle. Using the “L” shaped moves of a knight, place 4 chess pieces on a square of the same color
I. E/H. Switch puzzle. Switch sides of swallows and eagles using paths to guide them to the other side. Different birds cannot stand on neighboring squares. The easy version has 3 of each bird and the hard has 4.
BONUS CHAPTER:
J. E/H. Jigsaw puzzle. Place pieces into position to create an image. The hard version has more pieces to place. (Optional puzzle within the museum)
K. E/H. Physics puzzle. Place billiard balls into the pockets on a billiards table. The hard version has more balls to pocket
L. E/H. Strategy puzzle. Zipline through the trees in this puzzle. Use switches to avoid obstacles in your path as you use ladders and walkways to maneuver between the trees.
M. E/H. Rotating rings puzzle. Rotate rings on the front of a ring to create an open space. A latch will release when the gaps are produced.
N. E/H. Tangram puzzle. Place wires on a 6 x 5 grid (30 connectors) so that the complete grid is filled without wires intersecting each other.
B. E/H. Assembly puzzle. Move the body parts of a plastic figure to match that of a given diagram. The easy version keeps the diagram in front of the player while playing the puzzle; in the hard version, the diagram must be pulled up to reference it.
C. E/H. Domino puzzle. Move domino-type pieces so that the ends of dominoes which abut each other have the same symbol on them.
D. E/H. Switch puzzle. Switch colored tokens and move them to slots of the same color by using gears to transfer them. The easy version has 4 colored tokens and the hard has 6.
E. E/H. Connection puzzle. Run wires between numbered boxes so the number of wires emanating from each box equals the number on the box. The easy version has smaller numbers on the boxes making it easier to solve.
F. E/H. Tangram puzzle. Fit all items into a box without overlapping the items. the easy version has added blocks into the box to help with assessing where different shaped items can be placed.
G. E/H. Strategy puzzle. Use machetes to clear a 10 x 7 (70 squares) grid of bushes. The easy version gives you 3 machetes and hard gives you 4. You cannot use a machete if you arrive at a place where there are no bushes in front of you to remove.
H. Chess puzzle. Using the “L” shaped moves of a knight, place 4 chess pieces on a square of the same color
I. E/H. Switch puzzle. Switch sides of swallows and eagles using paths to guide them to the other side. Different birds cannot stand on neighboring squares. The easy version has 3 of each bird and the hard has 4.
BONUS CHAPTER:
J. E/H. Jigsaw puzzle. Place pieces into position to create an image. The hard version has more pieces to place. (Optional puzzle within the museum)
K. E/H. Physics puzzle. Place billiard balls into the pockets on a billiards table. The hard version has more balls to pocket
L. E/H. Strategy puzzle. Zipline through the trees in this puzzle. Use switches to avoid obstacles in your path as you use ladders and walkways to maneuver between the trees.
M. E/H. Rotating rings puzzle. Rotate rings on the front of a ring to create an open space. A latch will release when the gaps are produced.
N. E/H. Tangram puzzle. Place wires on a 6 x 5 grid (30 connectors) so that the complete grid is filled without wires intersecting each other.
I recommend this game!
Can you take on Goldilocks’ mantel and protect the kingdom?
Overall rating
5
/
5
88 of 144 found this review helpful
THE SPIRIT OF GOLDILOCKS RETURNS IN A “BEARY” GOOD GAME.
PostedJune 16, 2022
sunnyglow
fromWhat a wonderful surprise to see the return of Friendly Fox! My prayers have been with them during this difficult period and happy to see them creating their superb games again.
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
The spirit of Goldilocks and her bears return in this delightful, remastered classic. Play Goldilocks’ prince of a son as he discovers the truth about his past while fighting a force out to destroy his family. With the help of his mother’s ghost, he is off to save his father and his kingdom from being destroyed by an evildoer.
I could “bearly” contain my delight in playing this game. The game is much improved from the original classic. The graphics have been heightened and the sound quality is richer. More puzzles and HOP scenes have been added. This a long game and one which I enjoyed playing. Friendly Fox has added some creative touches to this game without altering the format from the original game.
Play two characters throughout the game. Play a human and then transform into a bear when bear strength is needed. As a bear you will you use your claws, your sense of smell, and your bite to traverse throughout the game. There are two collectibles, sprites, and morphing runes. I found both difficult to locate. Some of the sprites are blended into the scenes and are difficult to see. I found the morphing runes hard to locate because of their small size. Upon completion of the game, there is an additional picture puzzle which can be played if all the sprites are collected. It consists of two scenes where circular pictures fragments must be exchanged and rotated to complete the final pictures.
MECHANICS:
• Four (4) levels of play including a customized version.
• 29 achievements.
• Collect 76 sprites used to exchange for 5 larger sprites
• Collect 34 morphing runes
• If all 76 sprites are collected, another picture puzzle with two scenes is made available to play.
• 7 Wallpapers along with 5 screensavers, concept art, music, and video sequences
• Replay 15 HOP scenes and 18 mini-games
• 29 achievements.
• Collect 76 sprites used to exchange for 5 larger sprites
• Collect 34 morphing runes
• If all 76 sprites are collected, another picture puzzle with two scenes is made available to play.
• 7 Wallpapers along with 5 screensavers, concept art, music, and video sequences
• Replay 15 HOP scenes and 18 mini-games
BONUS CHAPTER: It is a sequel. If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again. The evildoer from the main game is out to revive his beloved once again. Play Goldilocks’ son who is now married to Sheridan from the main game. Their precocious child, Jenny, is lured by the evildoer to assist him in resurrecting his true love. Now you and you wife must save your daughter from this evildoer. I loved this chapter much more than the main game. This chapter is long, creatively designed, and well-worth the price of the collector’s edition. Collect the sprites but not the morphing runes. There are ten (10) HOP scenes and twelve (12) mini-games. There is one puzzle which can be played in either a casual or hard mode. There is an awesome HOP scene within a dollhouse in the inventory. This is the first game I have seen with a HOP scene within an inventory item.
HOP SCENES: I counted thirty-nine (39) HOP scenes within the game, fifteen (15) of which can be replayed upon completion of the game They are highly interactive and include lists of items, silhouette, and matching. Most of the scenes are reused for more than one search of items. There is a diary within the game and throughout the main game, items are searched within the pages of the diary to further the story behind the game. There are some beautiful scenes within this game. I particularly enjoyed searching for items on a stained-glass window (which is used twice for searches).
MINI-GAMES: There are forty-one (41) puzzles within the game, eighteen (18) of which can be replayed upon completion of the game. Most of these puzzles are the original ones from the original game; however, there are new ones included as well. I found most of the puzzles of easy or moderate difficulty. There are three (3) puzzles which can be played in either a casual or hard mode.
SPOILERS: HERE ARE SOME OF THE MINI-GAMES AFTER THE DEMO:
A. Matching puzzle. Match up 5 keys with their proper keyholes
B. Assembly puzzle. Place gears where they belong according to size and shape
C. Switch puzzle. Rotate and switch hexagonal picture tiles until an image is created.
D. Round maze puzzle. Lead a ball in a circular maze to the center by rotating the grid back and forth.
E. Casual/Hard. Complete an image by dragging fragments to where they belong in a circular frame. The easy version has images on the fragments whereas, the hard does not – only shapes to go by.
F. Maze puzzle. Move through a dark maze lighting up paths as you proceed.
G. Sequence puzzle. Repeat a sequence of lighted skeletons
H. Arrange 3 rows and columns of a wind chime so no 2 of the same items are within the same row or column.
BONUS CHAPTER:
I. Jigsaw puzzle. Place puzzle fragments onto a circular frame to restore an image
J. Switch puzzle. Switch zodiac symbols so they are in the proper location
K. Switch puzzle. Switch picture tiles for 5 pictures to restore the images of 5 of the game’s characters.
L. Casual/Hard. Assembly puzzle Rotate and place mirror shards back into position within the mirror. The hard version does not have a framework as to where to place the shards
M. Maze puzzle. Find your way through a labyrinth within a dungeon.
N. Switch puzzle. Using a rotating disk in the center of a grid to pick up and move tokens, move 8 tokens to their proper slots around this central disk.
B. Assembly puzzle. Place gears where they belong according to size and shape
C. Switch puzzle. Rotate and switch hexagonal picture tiles until an image is created.
D. Round maze puzzle. Lead a ball in a circular maze to the center by rotating the grid back and forth.
E. Casual/Hard. Complete an image by dragging fragments to where they belong in a circular frame. The easy version has images on the fragments whereas, the hard does not – only shapes to go by.
F. Maze puzzle. Move through a dark maze lighting up paths as you proceed.
G. Sequence puzzle. Repeat a sequence of lighted skeletons
H. Arrange 3 rows and columns of a wind chime so no 2 of the same items are within the same row or column.
BONUS CHAPTER:
I. Jigsaw puzzle. Place puzzle fragments onto a circular frame to restore an image
J. Switch puzzle. Switch zodiac symbols so they are in the proper location
K. Switch puzzle. Switch picture tiles for 5 pictures to restore the images of 5 of the game’s characters.
L. Casual/Hard. Assembly puzzle Rotate and place mirror shards back into position within the mirror. The hard version does not have a framework as to where to place the shards
M. Maze puzzle. Find your way through a labyrinth within a dungeon.
N. Switch puzzle. Using a rotating disk in the center of a grid to pick up and move tokens, move 8 tokens to their proper slots around this central disk.
I recommend this game!
Time is running out when a killer targets a fellow detective!
Overall rating
5
/
5
99 of 216 found this review helpful
JUSTICE IS SERVED IN A WHODUNIT WITH A HEART-WARMING BONUS CHAPTER ON THE SIDE
PostedMay 26, 2022
sunnyglow
fromLocation? In a happy place to see a new HOPA game out today. Thank you BFG for bringing a smile to HOPA game lovers!
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
REVIEW BASED UPON THE ENTIRE GAME
5 Chapters Plus a Bonus Chapter – Strategy Guide: 37 pages
5 Chapters Plus a Bonus Chapter – Strategy Guide: 37 pages
The wait is over! After a brief hiatus from publishing new HOPA games, BFG has returned with an exciting psychological whodunit! Join sleuth, Dana Strange, and her partner as they investigate who is out to exact revenge against those who escaped punishment through the justice system. This game also comes with a heart-warming bonus chapter which I feel is better than the main game!
The game has the same format as most of the Elephant games. The collectibles include twelve (12) playing cards and forty-eight (48) puzzle pieces which are used to create four jigsaw puzzles upon completion of the game. I found the cards easy to locate; however, I found some jigsaw pieces well-hidden within the scenes. Most of the scenes have numerous collectibles within them. Since there are several within a scene, I had to return to the Expedition Room to see where I missed some of those jigsaw pieces. As in most of Elephant’s games, there is a Secret Room which provides more items to be located within the game scenes after completion of the game.
HOP SCENES: There are thirteen (13) HOP scenes, all of which can be replayed upon completion of the game. Most are standard fare, most being lists of items or search and replace scenes. I love the search and replace scenes in which items must be found and returned to the scene in the proper location. There are numerous mini-HOP scenes (ones with only six or seven items to locate) within this game. There are as many mini-HOP scenes as the standard ones.
MINI-GAMES: For me, the mini-games are the best part of this game. The bonus chapter has several which are more like HOP scenes than puzzles. There are twenty-two (22) mini-games, including two (2) Rube-Goldberg puzzles.
MECHANICS:
• Four (4) levels of play including a customized version.
• 22 achievements.
• Collect 48 puzzles pieces for 4 puzzles
• Collect 12 playing cards
• 5 wallpapers along with concept art, music, and video sequences
• Replay 13 HOP scenes and 13 Mini-games
• Expedition Room taking the player back to scenes where missing collectibles can be collected.
• Secret Room returns to scenes within the game to search for more items within the scenes. The player is timed within this room.
• Four (4) levels of play including a customized version.
• 22 achievements.
• Collect 48 puzzles pieces for 4 puzzles
• Collect 12 playing cards
• 5 wallpapers along with concept art, music, and video sequences
• Replay 13 HOP scenes and 13 Mini-games
• Expedition Room taking the player back to scenes where missing collectibles can be collected.
• Secret Room returns to scenes within the game to search for more items within the scenes. The player is timed within this room.
BONUS CHAPTER: Jack Goldwin’s beloved Grandpa Ralph has died and left him an inheritance. However, what has he inherited? Grandpa has left Jack a key and being a lover of riddles and puzzle, he now expects his grandson to figure out where his inheritance is located. What does the key open? Does it open a safe with large stash of cash, or something even more valuable? Find out in this incredibly creative chapter. I loved this chapter more than the actual game. The HOP scenes and puzzles are much better than the main game. This chapter is worthy of a collector’s edition price. Continue to collect the collectibles. There are six (6) mini-games and four (4) HOP scenes. However, some of the puzzles are more like HOP scenes.
SPOILERS: THERE ARE SOME OF THE MINI-GAMES AFTER THE DEMO:
A. Checkers puzzle. A modified version in which you use white balls to defeat your opponent’s black balls. Landing your ball next to your opponent’s balls turns them to your color and vice versa. Win by filling up the 8 x 8 board (64 squares) with more of your colored balls than your opponent’s.
B. Strategy Lock puzzle. Enter a passcode to open a door lock by pressing the 3 given symbols. However, pressing down one symbol affects the others around it. Push buttons until the 3 which open the door are the only ones pushed down.
C. Rube Goldberg Puzzle.
(1) Switch puzzle. Switch 8 segments of a circular disk until an image is restored.
(2) Matching puzzle. Uncover 8 squares by pushing on them to match like-tokens
(3) Switch puzzle. Take the red square discovered in #2 and place it where it belongs then switch the positions of the colored squares so the 3 red ones are where the 3 blue tokens are and vice versa.
(4) Rotating tiles puzzle. Rotate 5 circles so that they create a picture.
D. Assembly puzzle. Dress a samurai warrior in war attire. Choose items and put them into the proper position to create the warrior matching a given picture 3X
E. Connection puzzle. Match up nodes on the left with those on the right to create a circuit.
F. Rube Goldberg puzzle. Free your hands from being tied up.
1. Tracing puzzle. Move a knot across a string to release the string. There are 3 different colored strings.
2. Rope puzzle. Untangle a rope so no sections overlap with each other.
3. Slider puzzle. Slide 4 colored knots to their like- colored spaces.
G. Maze puzzle. Lead a lab rat to a button at the end of a maze using 4 sets of control buttons to guide him on his path. You must open gates along the way.
BONUS CHAPTER:
H. Map puzzle. Using a map, go to designated points and locate 3 symbols at each point within an underground part of a college.
I. Connection puzzle. Connect 9 pictures with thread. Each picture has the number of connections which must be made.
J. Search and replace puzzle. Locate items out of place within the scene and put them in the correct position (More like a HOP scene)
B. Strategy Lock puzzle. Enter a passcode to open a door lock by pressing the 3 given symbols. However, pressing down one symbol affects the others around it. Push buttons until the 3 which open the door are the only ones pushed down.
C. Rube Goldberg Puzzle.
(1) Switch puzzle. Switch 8 segments of a circular disk until an image is restored.
(2) Matching puzzle. Uncover 8 squares by pushing on them to match like-tokens
(3) Switch puzzle. Take the red square discovered in #2 and place it where it belongs then switch the positions of the colored squares so the 3 red ones are where the 3 blue tokens are and vice versa.
(4) Rotating tiles puzzle. Rotate 5 circles so that they create a picture.
D. Assembly puzzle. Dress a samurai warrior in war attire. Choose items and put them into the proper position to create the warrior matching a given picture 3X
E. Connection puzzle. Match up nodes on the left with those on the right to create a circuit.
F. Rube Goldberg puzzle. Free your hands from being tied up.
1. Tracing puzzle. Move a knot across a string to release the string. There are 3 different colored strings.
2. Rope puzzle. Untangle a rope so no sections overlap with each other.
3. Slider puzzle. Slide 4 colored knots to their like- colored spaces.
G. Maze puzzle. Lead a lab rat to a button at the end of a maze using 4 sets of control buttons to guide him on his path. You must open gates along the way.
BONUS CHAPTER:
H. Map puzzle. Using a map, go to designated points and locate 3 symbols at each point within an underground part of a college.
I. Connection puzzle. Connect 9 pictures with thread. Each picture has the number of connections which must be made.
J. Search and replace puzzle. Locate items out of place within the scene and put them in the correct position (More like a HOP scene)
I recommend this game!
The Puzzle Box is packed full of mind-bending challenges that are easy to play and difficult to master!
Overall rating
5
/
5
13 of 16 found this review helpful
ENJOY A GAME WITH A TREASURE TROVE OF PUZZLES
PostedApril 21, 2022
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
What a fantastic puzzle game! I love enigmatology (the history, design, and creation of puzzles), and am looking forward to many enjoyable hours playing the wide array of puzzles in this game. This is a must-have for puzzle lovers. It is a nice compendium of puzzles which can be enjoyed by the entire family!
A lot of work went into designing this game. Very few games have the number and variety of puzzles as in this game. The game provides puzzles in a variety of difficulty levels from easy to insane. There are even separate puzzles provided for children in the Kid's Corner at the bottom of each puzzle section.
Puzzles can be personalized in a range of options from the difficulty to the size of the grids, and by theme. There is also an option to be timed or untimed while playing them. There are well-written instructions for every puzzle; as well as an option to watch a video of a sample puzzle on You Tube. There are twenty-nine (29) achievements which can also be earned. This is a game which will provide many hours of enjoyment.
PUZZLE TYPES AND DESCRIPTION:
I have listed the puzzle types and provide a brief description on what is included in each of the 10 types offered.
1. Find Objects: 5 Levels – easy, medium, hard, challenging, and insane. Choose between timed or untimed. There is also a special timed section which only gives you 20 seconds to find an item. Hints are limited, unlimited, or off. Items can be located by word or by picture of the item. Three items are pictured at the top of each scene during play. The more difficult levels have a scene which must be moved back-and-forth to see all the items.
2. Word search. There are 6 grids to search for words. 8 X 8, 10 X 10, 12 X 12, 14 X 14, 16 X 16, 18 X 18. There are 23 categories. Travel the world or choose the animal kingdom as theme – or select one of 23 other themes.
3. Rememberry: Look at a scene and test your memory as to what items were seen within the scenes. There are 3 types of puzzles - easy, medium, and hard. There are 8 themes to choose from in this memory game
4. Photo Puzzles. Pictures are divided into tiles which are scrambled. The tiles must be switched and placed in the proper location. There are 24 different themes. You can also get hints (limited, unlimited, or none). Each theme has 18 puzzles. The picture puzzles have the option of tile rotation, tile swap, or split tiles. The grids range from 6 X 4 to 21 X 14. Pictures can be adjusted in size to small, medium, or large. There is button which allows you to see what tiles still need to be switched.
5. Geography quiz. Test your knowledge of the world on 14 topics. You can choose the number of questions you wish to answer from 10 to 50 in increments of 10. I learned quite a bit about flags and maps of the various countries around the world in this section.
6. Spot It. Spot 10 differences between 2 pictures. There are 24 pictures in each of 10 categories.
7. Word Ninja. (A favorite of mine). Create words from 3 to 7 letters long from letters given. The difficulty levels are – easy, medium, and hard. The player is given the number of words associated with a theme and must click on letters to fill in the empty blanks to create the words.
8. Zombie attack. This the same as Hangman. Guess the letters to create a given word. Words are from 5 to 8 letters. Choose the theme from 13 categories
9. Find Numbers. Same as finding objects except the grid is composed of numbers. Levels are - easy, medium, and hard. Number grids range from 1 to 50 to 1 t0 200.
10. Match Pairs. Levels are easy, medium hard, challenging, and insane. There are 14 themes to choose from to match like items.
FINAL NOTE: Doing my happy dance today! For those of us puzzle enthusiasts, I hope BFG will publish more of this type of puzzle game and also sneak in some escape room games as well.
I recommend this game!
Find and collect adorable critters as you visit incredible places all over the world!
Overall rating
5
/
5
79 of 131 found this review helpful
NOAH’S ARK IS NEEDED FOR THIS COLLECTION OF CRITTERS
PostedApril 9, 2022
sunnyglow
from“The critters went in two by two. The monkey and the kangaroo. They went into the ark for to get out of the rain.” (Children’s song)
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
REVIEW BASED UPON THE ENTIRE GAME
You are off on another fantastic world-wide adventure, searching for critters from cities around the world. This game is jam-packed with animals of all species! Visit eighteen (18) cities switching between two scenes searching for a list of items while locating twelve (12) critters and three (3) morphing butterflies. Then play a Spot-the-Differences puzzle which contains three (3) more critters.
The format is the same as in the other three games, “Cats,” “More Cats,” and “Pups.” Unlike other HOP games, which I find extremely boring, I find this series more to my liking. The game is fast paced, which can be partially attributed to searching between two scenes for the items. Not all the items to be located are displayed in the beginning. The player must bounce back-and-forth between the two scenes to get more items added to the list. I liked that. Also, the critters and items are not easy to locate which made the game more puzzle-like. Another factor which kept my interest are the puzzles. There are more puzzles in this game which breaks up the constant stream of searches found in other straight HOP games.
After finding the items and collectibles, each city will have a Spot–the-Differences puzzle. Search for 12 differences between the scenes. I found some of those differences difficult to locate. After that puzzle, there are matching puzzles or one of a variety of jigsaw puzzles to solve. Some of these are somewhat difficult with round pieces and a background which makes it difficult to create the scene
BONUS LEVEL: There are six bonus cities. The format is the same as within the main game. I felt this was worth the price of a collector’s edition. The six extra cities provided a nice amount of extra gameplay for this game.
MECHANICS:
• Collect 12 critters per location – for a total of 456 critters.
• Critters are different within each city visited. Search for adorable hedgehogs, manic monkeys, quacking ducks, clucking hens, sneaky snakes, wide-eyed otters, peeping chicks, fiendish ferrets, lurking lizards, nutty squirrels, timid turtles, pompous parakeets, and freaky frogs to name a few.
• There 3 more critters to be found in the Spot-the-Differences scenes.
• Collect 72 morphing butterflies within the scenes - 3 per scene. I found two butterflies within the main scenes and one within the secondary scene.
• Upon completion of the game release the butterflies (each butterfly provides 3 circular puzzle pieces) to provide 12 picture puzzles of butterflies.
• 27 Wallpapers
• Developer Animal Collection. A section within the bonus content which provides some entertaining information about the developer’s animals.
• Critters are different within each city visited. Search for adorable hedgehogs, manic monkeys, quacking ducks, clucking hens, sneaky snakes, wide-eyed otters, peeping chicks, fiendish ferrets, lurking lizards, nutty squirrels, timid turtles, pompous parakeets, and freaky frogs to name a few.
• There 3 more critters to be found in the Spot-the-Differences scenes.
• Collect 72 morphing butterflies within the scenes - 3 per scene. I found two butterflies within the main scenes and one within the secondary scene.
• Upon completion of the game release the butterflies (each butterfly provides 3 circular puzzle pieces) to provide 12 picture puzzles of butterflies.
• 27 Wallpapers
• Developer Animal Collection. A section within the bonus content which provides some entertaining information about the developer’s animals.
WHERE ARE THE MISSING UNICORNS? I LOVE FINDING FAIRY FOLK!
No unicorns? Unfortunately, those critters missed the voyage on Noah’s Ark. However, they are still living in the fairy tale kingdom. It would be wonderful to play a HOP game with travels to the cities of the fairy tale kingdom in search of those missing unicorns, along with fairies, elves, ogres, witches, gremlins, leprechauns, dwarfs, mermaids, flying monkeys, wizards, and other fairy tale denizens which hide within the trees or under mushrooms within the forests.
No unicorns? Unfortunately, those critters missed the voyage on Noah’s Ark. However, they are still living in the fairy tale kingdom. It would be wonderful to play a HOP game with travels to the cities of the fairy tale kingdom in search of those missing unicorns, along with fairies, elves, ogres, witches, gremlins, leprechauns, dwarfs, mermaids, flying monkeys, wizards, and other fairy tale denizens which hide within the trees or under mushrooms within the forests.
I recommend this game!
Can you stop the paranormal from terrorizing an award-winning winery and hotel?
Overall rating
5
/
5
81 of 165 found this review helpful
BACK TO THE FUTURE IN THE ETERNAL SEARCH FOR RICK ROGERS
PostedMarch 31, 2022
sunnyglow
fromIf Rick Rogers and Rachel Cowell wait long enough to wed, they can both use wheelchairs to escort them down the aisle
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
REVIEW BASED UPON THE ENTIRE GAME
3 Chapters Plus a Bonus Chapter – Strategy Guide: 38 pages (My Time: 6 Hours)
3 Chapters Plus a Bonus Chapter – Strategy Guide: 38 pages (My Time: 6 Hours)
It is back to the future for Rachel and her ghostbusting gang in a fantastic new game! If you are fan of this series, you will want to play this one! For me, it is better than the previous ones in this series, and will reveal more information concerning heartthrob, Rick Rogers. I would suggest purchasing the collector’s edition and not wait for the standard edition of this game. The bonus chapter has information which is relevant to the story behind this series!
It is 2034 and Rachel’s love, Rick Rogers is still missing after 13 years. While searching online, Rachel discovers Rick Roger’s name carved into a tree on an island with a world class vineyard. She is off with her ghostbusting crew to this island to get clues as to Rick’s whereabouts. While investigating the island for clues, she and her crew help a family plagued by disgruntled ghosts, a family curse, and help them deal with a vendetta which reaches from beyond the grave.
At first, I was not going to play this game as I hated the last two within this series. However, this game is much better. Rachel’s ghostbusters travel with her to the island; however, there are no tag teams involved in this game as in the previous ones. I absolutely hate tag team games, especially when there are multiple characters involved. It becomes very confusing for me.
The pace is excellent with plenty of activities set against a great ghost story with vengeful ghosts. The graphics well depict the story behind the game. There are two collectibles, figurines of the game’s characters (which to me looked more like voodoo dolls) and eyes which transform into pieces for a jigsaw puzzle. The jigsaw puzzle is played upon completion of the game. The figurines practically jump out at you within the scenes; however, some of the eyes I found difficult to locate. They are very small and well-hidden.
MECHANICS:
• Four (4) levels of play including a customized version.
• 10 achievements.
• Collect 12 figurines of the game characters
• Collect 23 eyes (puzzle pieces) to complete a jigsaw puzzle at the end of the game.
• 5 wallpapers along with a screensaver, concept art, music, and video sequences
• Replay 13 HOP scenes and 13 puzzles
• Four (4) levels of play including a customized version.
• 10 achievements.
• Collect 12 figurines of the game characters
• Collect 23 eyes (puzzle pieces) to complete a jigsaw puzzle at the end of the game.
• 5 wallpapers along with a screensaver, concept art, music, and video sequences
• Replay 13 HOP scenes and 13 puzzles
BONUS CHAPTER: I loved this chapter! After receiving an unexpected letter, Rachel returns to the island, the setting from the main game. Upon arrival, she discovers more unsettling facts about the founder of the Russell Vineyards and tries to quell more ghosts still residing on the island. This is a long chapter and well-worth the collector’s edition designation. There are four (4) HOP scenes and numerous mini-HOP scenes and seven (7) puzzles. This is an important chapter and provides information about Rick Rogers.
HOP SCENES: I counted sixteen (16) HOP scenes; however, there are some of what I call “mini-HOP scenes” which contain a small number of items (seven) to locate. For some of the scenes, I was unable to ascertain if they should be classified as standard HOP scenes, so my total may be off from another player’s count. I found the scenes much better than what Elephant has provided in the past. There are the usual lists of items and silhouette; however, Elephant has also included some storybook scenes, pattern scenes and even a slider scene in which two halves much be matched to remove the item from the scene. Elephant has upped their game with some creatively designed HOP scenes within this game.
PUZZLES: There are twenty (20) puzzles, thirteen (13) of which can be replayed upon completion of the game. I enjoyed playing some of these puzzles. I loved playing dominoes against a skeleton. I won on the first try – but still think he tried to cheat! I also enjoyed fishing and trying to trick an ornery little frog from trying to keep me from snagging the red, green, and blue fish from a river That annoying frog was hard to evade, stopping me at every turn, but eventually I learned how to outsmart him – Ribbit!
PUZZLES: There are twenty (20) puzzles, thirteen (13) of which can be replayed upon completion of the game. I enjoyed playing some of these puzzles. I loved playing dominoes against a skeleton. I won on the first try – but still think he tried to cheat! I also enjoyed fishing and trying to trick an ornery little frog from trying to keep me from snagging the red, green, and blue fish from a river That annoying frog was hard to evade, stopping me at every turn, but eventually I learned how to outsmart him – Ribbit!
SPOILERS: HERE ARE SOME OF THE PUZZLES AFTER THE DEMO:
A. Maze puzzle. Lead 4 colorful butterflies to spots of the same color on the sides of a grid. You cannot touch them to move them; however, if you approach them, the butterflies will move in the direction you approach them.
B. Tangram puzzle. Place boards into position to create a bridge. The board pieces must mesh with each other so there are no open spaces between them.
C. Go Fish. Catch fish using a makeshift fishing pole with a hook until you reach 100 points. Each fish is worth points. The red fish is worth 7points; the green fish is worth 10; the blue fish is worth 14. However, a sneaky little frog will try to keep you from catching those fish.
D. Switch puzzle. On a 4 x 4 grid with 16 slots with wine bottles within them, switch the labels on the bottles according to city at the left side and the items associated with each geographic location on the top.
E. Connection puzzle. Rotate 3 different colored tubes so each of the tubes connect with those of the same color in a continuous flow.
BONUS CHAPTER:
F. Domino puzzle. Play dominoes with a skeleton. Match up ends of the dominoes to beat him by playing all your dominoes before he does.
G. Maze puzzle. Create a path by switching parts of a spider’s web to lead the spider to an exit point.
H. Map puzzle. Lead a boat through a river avoiding whirlpools, lightning, and a shark in its path.
I. Gear puzzle. Connect gears so they connect with each other in a smooth line.
B. Tangram puzzle. Place boards into position to create a bridge. The board pieces must mesh with each other so there are no open spaces between them.
C. Go Fish. Catch fish using a makeshift fishing pole with a hook until you reach 100 points. Each fish is worth points. The red fish is worth 7points; the green fish is worth 10; the blue fish is worth 14. However, a sneaky little frog will try to keep you from catching those fish.
D. Switch puzzle. On a 4 x 4 grid with 16 slots with wine bottles within them, switch the labels on the bottles according to city at the left side and the items associated with each geographic location on the top.
E. Connection puzzle. Rotate 3 different colored tubes so each of the tubes connect with those of the same color in a continuous flow.
BONUS CHAPTER:
F. Domino puzzle. Play dominoes with a skeleton. Match up ends of the dominoes to beat him by playing all your dominoes before he does.
G. Maze puzzle. Create a path by switching parts of a spider’s web to lead the spider to an exit point.
H. Map puzzle. Lead a boat through a river avoiding whirlpools, lightning, and a shark in its path.
I. Gear puzzle. Connect gears so they connect with each other in a smooth line.
I recommend this game!
A breathtaking voyage through dreams, reality, and places in between!
Overall rating
5
/
5
97 of 166 found this review helpful
ENJOY A BLAST FROM THE PAST IN ONE OF THE BEST GAMES OF THE YEAR
PostedMarch 17, 2022
sunnyglow
fromCongrats to Dragonseye Ltd. for a fantastic sequel to the first Tearstone game. Hopefully, it will be less than a decade until the next game within this series is published.
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
7 Chapters Plus a Bonus Chapter – Strategy Guide: 45 pages (Includes page for collectibles) (My Time: 7 Hours)
Make a nostalgic trip back to the kingdom of Tearstone, one which will bring back memories of those fantastic HOPA games of yesteryear. Ten years have passed since your last visit to this kingdom. The Heart of the kingdom is missing, and the King has sent two of his emissaries, Todd the Ghost, and the Monk to enlist your help in locating it. You and your companions will venture throughout the kingdom, moving through several portals to locate the Heart, meeting new characters and spending time with those from the past. Hopefully, along the way you will enjoy a game which encapsulates the features we enjoyed within the HOPA games from the past. They just don't make HOPA games like this any longer!
What a fantastic game! For once, we HOPA lovers have a game which is not a cookie cutter, assembly game. This game is a masterpiece, one the entire family can enjoy. The game is a beautiful fairy tale delight, one with creatively designed HOP scenes and easy puzzles. The graphics are just incredible! The artwork from this game is in a league of its own. The characters are hand drawn, fine-tuned with much detail incorporated into each character. The characters drawn in this game rival anything created by other HOPA developers or even Disney.
I loved the fact the game is divided into chapters. I wish more developers would provide this feature. For me, it makes it easier to follow the story behind the game and to locate hints in the strategy guide if help is needed. I also love the notes provided throughout the game. The notes provide the historical background of the game for those who did not play the original Tearstone. And there is some tongue-in-cheek humor throughout. I am certain many of us would love to take a baseball bat to our alarm clocks at times – especially this week with the scourge of the return of Daylight Savings Time!
There are three collectibles, Symbols of Luck, morphing objects, and Cards of Destiny. I found most easy to locate. However, I missed locating one card and my only regret is that there is not the ability to return to the scene to retrieve it. Thus, I was not able to play the extra game for locating all the seven cards. However, this is a game I will replay. Hopefully I will locate that one card in a future play of this game. One thing I loved about this game is the layout for the screenshots of the collectibles. They are larger than those from other developers and it was easy to locate most of the missing collectibles. I still can't quite understand how I missed locating that one card with these easy-to-view screenshots. Again, I wish more developers would create larger screenshots for the collectibles.
MECHANICS:
• Four (4) levels of play including a customized version.
• 12 achievements.
• Collect 32 Symbols of Luck
• Collect 11 Morphing Objects
• Collect 7 Cards of Destiny (There is a card in every chapter)
• 32 Screenshots
• 6 wallpapers along with concept art, music, and video sequences
• Replay 12 HOP scenes.
• Four (4) levels of play including a customized version.
• 12 achievements.
• Collect 32 Symbols of Luck
• Collect 11 Morphing Objects
• Collect 7 Cards of Destiny (There is a card in every chapter)
• 32 Screenshots
• 6 wallpapers along with concept art, music, and video sequences
• Replay 12 HOP scenes.
BONUS CHAPTER: I loved this chapter! It is unlike most of the bonus chapters provided in other HOPA games. You enter a surreal world as Todd the Ghost. However, there is no story behind this chapter. The chapter centers on solving a series of puzzles and HOP scenes in consecutive order. There are three (3) HOP scenes and three (3) mini-games. There are no collectibles within this chapter. I loved the surreal graphics and maneuvering between one activity to another.
HOP SCENES: There are twelve (12) HOP scenes, and all can be replayed upon completion of the game. There are also some scenes which require searching for a small number of items. These scenes are puzzle-like, interactive, and just amazing! To me, they are some of the best HOP scenes I have played recently. The ingenuity of some of the scenes is incredible. In one scene, items to be removed are presented in a frog’s mouth; in another scene, two items must be located together; and in a third, items to be removed are painted on an artist’s canvas. One of my favorite scenes has the player searching for brown bags by rummaging through a series of drawers in a cabinet, removing items to find those bags.
MINI-GAMES: There are eighteen (18) mini-games. None of them can be replayed upon completion of the game. Most of the puzzles are easy so I, for one, would not replay them anyway. However, it was nice to play some new puzzles, ones which are different from those from other developers. There is even one Rube-Goldberg puzzle toward the end of the main game.
SPOILERS: HERE ARE SOME OF THE MINI-GAMES FROM THE ENTIRE GAME:
A. Assembly puzzle. Press on 5 square tiles so that their pattern matches that of a given diagram.
B. Two puzzles together. (1) Switch puzzle. Switch pieces on a television screen to create an image. Use television dials on the television to switch the images (2) Sequence puzzle. Press on bricks on the wall according to the image created on the television screen.
C. Switch puzzle. On a 5 x 4 grid with 20 squares, switch them to restore an image. If the squares are in the proper location, they can no longer be moved. The completed image is random in design
D. Matching puzzle. Follow the path of sinuous, curving wires which lead from the top to the bottom of a grid. Each wire is numbered at the top. Choose a number along the sides of the grid to place on a slot at the bottom so it matches the number at the top of the wire.
E. Sequence puzzle. Click on cans to expose hidden numbers, then. click on the cans in sequential order.
F. Rube Goldberg puzzle.
1. Assembly puzzle. Rotate 7 rings until a given image is formed as shown at the bottom of the grid.
2. Sequence puzzle Repeat a given sequence of lights as they are lit.
3. Match-3 variation. Click on symbols at the bottom of an hourglass which will match up with those on the top of the hourglass so that all are matched and removed.
BONUS CHAPTER:
G. Assembly puzzle. On a grid, rearrange ribbons so that the layout matches that on a given guide.
H. Switch puzzle. For each of 3 tokens, switch pieces surround each one so that the pieces, when combined, create the image in the middle.
B. Two puzzles together. (1) Switch puzzle. Switch pieces on a television screen to create an image. Use television dials on the television to switch the images (2) Sequence puzzle. Press on bricks on the wall according to the image created on the television screen.
C. Switch puzzle. On a 5 x 4 grid with 20 squares, switch them to restore an image. If the squares are in the proper location, they can no longer be moved. The completed image is random in design
D. Matching puzzle. Follow the path of sinuous, curving wires which lead from the top to the bottom of a grid. Each wire is numbered at the top. Choose a number along the sides of the grid to place on a slot at the bottom so it matches the number at the top of the wire.
E. Sequence puzzle. Click on cans to expose hidden numbers, then. click on the cans in sequential order.
F. Rube Goldberg puzzle.
1. Assembly puzzle. Rotate 7 rings until a given image is formed as shown at the bottom of the grid.
2. Sequence puzzle Repeat a given sequence of lights as they are lit.
3. Match-3 variation. Click on symbols at the bottom of an hourglass which will match up with those on the top of the hourglass so that all are matched and removed.
BONUS CHAPTER:
G. Assembly puzzle. On a grid, rearrange ribbons so that the layout matches that on a given guide.
H. Switch puzzle. For each of 3 tokens, switch pieces surround each one so that the pieces, when combined, create the image in the middle.
I recommend this game!
Can you uncover who's trying to destroy the Osmont family in time?
Overall rating
5
/
5
126 of 221 found this review helpful
GRANDMA! WHAT A BIG HIT YOU HAVE!
PostedMarch 3, 2022
sunnyglow
fromSending prayers and well wishes to the staff at GrandMA Studios along with their fellow countrymen in the Ukraine. May peace come soon to this region.
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
GrandMA! What a big hit you have with this game! All the better for us to sink out teeth into! It has been some time since we have seen anything from our GrandMA; however, this game has made it worth the wait! This game has it all – a well-written story, a good pace, and creatively designed HOP scenes and mini-games. This is a HOP lover’s delight! The HOP scenes in this game are puzzle-like and highly interactive. Most of the items require some interaction with other items within the scene. I found some of these scenes somewhat perplexing in trying to figure out what steps I needed to do to remove the items!
I love the story behind this game. I found it a suspenseful thriller. Play a detective on a case involving a spendthrift Bluebeard with a penchant for wealthy women. However, his trips down the aisle are sidetracked by a ghost from his past who will help you save his victims.
There are three chapters within this game. The main game is called “Mysterious Attack.” The bonus chapter is called “Coffin Breathing” and there is a third chapter called “The Beginning of the Nightmare.” The third chapter is a HOP scene which narrates the prologue of the game. It is a storybook HOP scene in which the player moves from scene-to-scene searching for items and then returning them to their proper location within the scenes. After locating all the items, a story unfolds telling the fate of the main characters of the game.
There are two collectibles, morphing flowers and jigsaw puzzle pieces. I found some of these difficult to locate. Many of those morphing flowers are blended in with other flowers, making them difficult to locate. The jigsaw puzzle pieces are tiny and well-hidden, usually within a dimly lit or dark background. I needed to consult the strategy guide to locate some of them. There is an indicator bar on the left side of the screen which indicates how many collectibles are within each scene and how many are remaining to be located. Most of the scenes contain two morphing flowers and one jigsaw puzzle piece hidden in a close-up scene.
MECHANICS:
• Four (4) levels of play including a customized version.
• 15 achievements.
• Collect 20 jigsaw pieces used to assemble a jigsaw puzzle at the end of the game. The puzzle creates a screen saver you can download.
• Collect 48 morphing flowers
• 10 wallpapers along with concept art, music, and video sequences
• Replay 14 HOP scenes and 9 mini-games
• Four (4) levels of play including a customized version.
• 15 achievements.
• Collect 20 jigsaw pieces used to assemble a jigsaw puzzle at the end of the game. The puzzle creates a screen saver you can download.
• Collect 48 morphing flowers
• 10 wallpapers along with concept art, music, and video sequences
• Replay 14 HOP scenes and 9 mini-games
BONUS CHAPTER: It is a prequel. Play Annabelle, Count Victor Osmont’s newest bride. As a lonely woman, recovering from the death of your father, you are burdened with running the family business. However, Count Osmont has offered to help you with running this business and you have given him contractual rights to do so. After saying “I do,” find yourself trapped by the count’s cohort, Uric. Battle this evil sorcerer to gain your freedom. I found this a nice addition to the game. There are three HOP scenes and four mini-games. It provides more background and clarification for the main game.
HOP SCENES: There are fifteen (15) HOP scenes with the game, fourteen (14) of which can be replayed upon completion of the game. The scenes are lists of items, silhouette scenes, and matching scenes; however, they are extremely interactive, puzzle-like, and well-designed. Every scene requires searches for items which are combined with another item or used in some way to locate the item to be removed. These are some of the best HOP scenes I have seen in some time.
MINI-GAMES: There are twenty-one (21) mini-games, nine (9) of which can be replayed upon completion of the game. I loved playing these puzzles because some are unique, different than those from other developers. I found most of the puzzles easy or of middle difficulty. I did not find any which were challenging. I feel some of the HOP scenes were more difficult to play than the mini-games.
HERE ARE SOME OF THE MINI-GAMES AFTER THE DEMO:
A. Switch puzzle. Switch pieces of a picture to restore it. The left side is in black-and-white and the right side in color. Each time a piece is switched, the color changes from black-and-white to color and vice versa.
B. Strategy puzzle. Turn and manipulate 5 valves so that 3 colored pressure indicators have their pressure set to the numbers as indicated in the center of the grid.
C. Sequence puzzle. Arrange books on a bookshelf according to a given pattern.
D. Maze puzzle. On a circular disk, rotate 3 circular rings, each containing path segments so that paths are created for each of 3 colored marbles on the inside of the grid, linking each one to like-colored tokens on the outside of the circular grid.
E. Rope puzzle. In this case, untangle a fishing line so the lines do not overlap each other
F. Map puzzle. Reach a cemetery by going down various paths, locating items along the way to use within the scenes. The player will need to retrace their steps and perform some actions before receiving all the inventory needed to reach the cemetery
BONUS CHAPTER:
G. Sequence puzzle. Open a pair of handcuffs by repeating the sequence in which the tumblers are pressed. 2X
H. Matching puzzle. Find pairs with the same symbols to defeat a dragon. The tokens are scrambled after each 2 matches.
B. Strategy puzzle. Turn and manipulate 5 valves so that 3 colored pressure indicators have their pressure set to the numbers as indicated in the center of the grid.
C. Sequence puzzle. Arrange books on a bookshelf according to a given pattern.
D. Maze puzzle. On a circular disk, rotate 3 circular rings, each containing path segments so that paths are created for each of 3 colored marbles on the inside of the grid, linking each one to like-colored tokens on the outside of the circular grid.
E. Rope puzzle. In this case, untangle a fishing line so the lines do not overlap each other
F. Map puzzle. Reach a cemetery by going down various paths, locating items along the way to use within the scenes. The player will need to retrace their steps and perform some actions before receiving all the inventory needed to reach the cemetery
BONUS CHAPTER:
G. Sequence puzzle. Open a pair of handcuffs by repeating the sequence in which the tumblers are pressed. 2X
H. Matching puzzle. Find pairs with the same symbols to defeat a dragon. The tokens are scrambled after each 2 matches.
I recommend this game!
Can you save your kingdom from a malevolent creature in time?
Overall rating
5
/
5
115 of 221 found this review helpful
A FAIRY TALE WITH A BITE
PostedFebruary 24, 2022
sunnyglow
fromTo save the kingdom, you may want to keep this princess in her glass coffin and tell Prince Charming to stay away. A kiss from this maiden will awaken more than a budding love affair.
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
REVIEW BASED UPON THE ENTIRE GAME
3 Chapters Plus a Bonus Chapter – Strategy Guide: 34 pages
3 Chapters Plus a Bonus Chapter – Strategy Guide: 34 pages
OVERVIEW: Enjoy a fractured fairy tale, one in which Snow White’s reputation as a poor sweet, doe-eyed princess bedeviled by a mean, vain stepmother is turned upside down. In this game, our usually purer-than-the-driven-snow maiden is showing her fangs and wicked attitude. Meanwhile, her stepmother, usually portrayed as the Queen of Mean is a kind, sweet mother figure trying to save her stepdaughter and the kingdom as well. Play the stepmother, Martha, as she traverses the kingdom searching for her husband, the King and a witch who may hold the key on how to save her stepdaughter.
Overall, how did I feel about this game? I loved it! Elephant Games, I feel, put a lot of effort into this game and it is a definite improvement from many of their offerings of late. I feel the game is in the Goldilocks zone - is the right size – not too short and not so long it becomes monotonous and boring. I did encounter a few minor problems, but, overall, I enjoyed the tongue-in-cheek humor throughout the game along with some fantastic puzzles and HOP scenes. I feel the pace is excellent with a good number of creatively designed HOP scenes and puzzles. It is not the best game I have played lately; however, it is a decent game.
MECHANICS: The game has the same format as Elephant’s other games. There are two collectibles, one being puzzle pieces. The puzzles pieces appear in the closeup shots within the scene. They are used to play four (4) jigsaw puzzles upon completion of the game. The other collectibles are dwarf dolls representing the seven dwarfs and the royal court. I found both easy to locate. The dolls, which look like voodoo dolls to me, practically jump out from the screen! The graphics are excellent, giving the game a sugary fairy tale feel combined with a touch of the macabre. I would have preferred the screenshots for the collectibles be lettered or numbered. And, unfortunately, some of the screenshots are not in the correct sequential order. The Expedition Room allows the player to return to the scenes to locate any missing collectibles. The Secret Room provides for more searches of new items within the gaming scenes.
In Summary:
• Four (4) levels of play including a customized version.
• 23 achievements.
• Collect 48 puzzle pieces for 4 jigsaw puzzles which are played upon completion of the game
• Collect the 12 dwarf dolls representing the 7 dwarves from the Snow White fairy tale plus the royal court
• 5 wallpapers along with concept art, music, and video sequences
• Replay 13 HOP scenes and 13 mini-games
• Expedition room which allows the player to return to the scenes to collect missing collectibles
• Secret room which allows the player to find more items within the scenes of the game. This is timed
• 23 achievements.
• Collect 48 puzzle pieces for 4 jigsaw puzzles which are played upon completion of the game
• Collect the 12 dwarf dolls representing the 7 dwarves from the Snow White fairy tale plus the royal court
• 5 wallpapers along with concept art, music, and video sequences
• Replay 13 HOP scenes and 13 mini-games
• Expedition room which allows the player to return to the scenes to collect missing collectibles
• Secret room which allows the player to find more items within the scenes of the game. This is timed
BONUS CHAPTER: It is another story. The Dwarf Kingdom is planning their yearly celebration commemorating the founding of the kingdom. Play a detective contacted by the Dwarf King to locate their missing music conductor and decorations for the celebration. Sleuth throughout the kingdom to discover what happened to both. I thought it was a nice addition to the game. The chapter has four (4) HOP scenes and seven (7) puzzles. There are two puzzles and one HOP scene which I feel are exceptional. I loved the ending to the chapter.
HOP SCENES: There are thirteen (13) HOP scenes, all of which can be replayed upon completion of the game. Most of the scenes are either lists of items or silhouette. There are also quite a few mini-HOP scenes consisting of searches for six (6) items. There are storybook scenes as well, with items highlighted within a narration which must be located within the pages of some book. Most of the scenes are interactive. I feel these scenes are better than they have been within the recent past. My favorite is one in which items are placed on a vanity with a mirror. The items must be placed so they are mirror images of the item seen in the mirror.
MINI-GAMES: There are twenty-two (22) mini-games. I feel the puzzles within this game are also a vastly improved from previous games as well. There is a Gold-Ruberg puzzle in this game. It consists of three sequential puzzles. I especially enjoyed playing a variation of a Match-3 game within the Bonus Chapter. This puzzle requires placing strings of tokens into the grid trying to create a string of 6 of the same token which results in removing the string of tokens.
SPOILERS: HERE ARE SOME OF THE MINI-GAMES AFTER THE DEMO:
A. Rotating rings puzzle. Rotate 3 intertwined rings, each with 3 colored gems on them, so that each gem is next to its matching color on a grid.
B. Sliding tiles puzzle. Rotate and slide 9 tiles on a grid to restore an image.
C. Map/Escape puzzle. Escape dark creatures who are following you through the catacombs. Choose one of 3 paths at the right time to avoid guards from stopping you. 3X. The segments Increase in difficulty with 3 guards at the final escape.
D. Rube Goldberg puzzle.
1. Tracing puzzle. Use 3 colored knots to trace their same-colored strings to release your handcuffs.
2. Rope puzzle. Untangle a rope so no parts of the rope cross each other.
3. Switch puzzle. With the same rope, switch colored gems by sliding them on the rope with each resting on its matching color slot.
E. Switch puzzle. Switch the body parts of 3 birds – each with 3 parts so the birds have parts of the same color Use skeletal hands to move the parts.
F. Switch/Connection puzzle. Slide tokens with path segments on them so that a path is created from a bat’s mouth on the left to one on the right. 3X Paths created become more complex with each turn
BONUS CHAPTER:
G. Switch puzzle. Switch puzzles pieces to create an image. The player works with half the board at a time.
H. Alignment puzzle. Match up shadows with the actual items in a theater scene. Use arrows as well to increase or decrease the size.
I. Match-3 or more puzzle. Place tile clusters into a grid, placing the tokens in such a way to get 6 of them concentric with each other to remove them. Do this with all the tokens to fill 3 vats of water. When every chain of 6 items is removed, a vat get water added to it.
J. Assembly puzzle. Create a key by choosing the proper drill to create the indentation, using arrows to position the drill as well.
B. Sliding tiles puzzle. Rotate and slide 9 tiles on a grid to restore an image.
C. Map/Escape puzzle. Escape dark creatures who are following you through the catacombs. Choose one of 3 paths at the right time to avoid guards from stopping you. 3X. The segments Increase in difficulty with 3 guards at the final escape.
D. Rube Goldberg puzzle.
1. Tracing puzzle. Use 3 colored knots to trace their same-colored strings to release your handcuffs.
2. Rope puzzle. Untangle a rope so no parts of the rope cross each other.
3. Switch puzzle. With the same rope, switch colored gems by sliding them on the rope with each resting on its matching color slot.
E. Switch puzzle. Switch the body parts of 3 birds – each with 3 parts so the birds have parts of the same color Use skeletal hands to move the parts.
F. Switch/Connection puzzle. Slide tokens with path segments on them so that a path is created from a bat’s mouth on the left to one on the right. 3X Paths created become more complex with each turn
BONUS CHAPTER:
G. Switch puzzle. Switch puzzles pieces to create an image. The player works with half the board at a time.
H. Alignment puzzle. Match up shadows with the actual items in a theater scene. Use arrows as well to increase or decrease the size.
I. Match-3 or more puzzle. Place tile clusters into a grid, placing the tokens in such a way to get 6 of them concentric with each other to remove them. Do this with all the tokens to fill 3 vats of water. When every chain of 6 items is removed, a vat get water added to it.
J. Assembly puzzle. Create a key by choosing the proper drill to create the indentation, using arrows to position the drill as well.
I recommend this game!
As a newly recruited agent, it’s your job to uncover what lies behind the real declassified UFO sightings in this chilling hidden object game.
Overall rating
3
/
5
58 of 140 found this review helpful
ARE EXTRATERRESTRIAL SPACECRAFT OR THOUSANDS OF WEATHER BALLOONS INVADING OUR AIR SPACE?
PostedFebruary 23, 2022
sunnyglow
fromLooking up and watching the universe. From the 1947 Roswell UFO crash to the present day SETI Institute, we are patiently reaching out, listening, and waiting for extraterrestrial contact!
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Prepare for an alien invasion! Return to the 1950’s, when everyone liked “Ike,” Ding Dong School and Howdy Doody were considered children’s programming and bomb shelters popped up in case some Commie dropped an atomic bomb. However, rest assured, if children were in school, no need for a bomb shelter, merely hiding under their desks would suffice as a protective measure against that mushroom cloud.
After the end of WWII, besides the Red Scare, flying saucers with aliens were seen as the next threat to U.S. national security. Thus, Project Blue Book, a secret clandestine governmental operation was founded by the military to keep track of any little green aliens plotting to attack the world in an alien invasion.
I am a huge fan of the History Channel’s Project Blue Book series. However, I am less enthusiastic about this game. I am surprised this game was endorsed by the History Channel. It falls short of what one would expect from this award-winning series. The graphics are very primitive. However, it does provide some relatively realistic scenes from that period. The game does include cartoon caricatures of the main characters from the series. However, there are no voiceovers, at least none which I found in playing the first chapter and part the second. The voices of famous actors are supposedly within this game; however, I did not hear any voiceovers at all. Perhaps they appear later in the game?
The stories and the characters are from the beginning of the series. The game follows the story of Dr. Allen Hynek, an astrophysicist from Ohio State University ,enlisted to study UFO sightings. Starting his research as a skeptic in the beginning, his view changed later in life, embracing the reality of an alien presence on this planet both in the present and in the past as well.
The player will play 3 different cases. Each case involves searching through number of scenes for clue items. Successive HOP scenes are played until all clue items are discovered from that scene. Upon locating a clue item, the player is asked to investigate it and add it to his Blue Book for further analysis. At the end of the case, the player is involved in manipulating the clue items in some way. The first case is Case 101: The Fuller Dogfight. The second case is Case 102: The Flatwoods Monster. You collect five stars per scene and those are earned by playing numerous scenes until you have earned all 5 stars.
There are no directions on how to play the game. It was through trial and error that I figured out what to do within the game. I wish there was more guidance given on how to operate the game. The game has a case, Case 100, which is completed, and I have no idea why that was included within the game. It serves no purpose but may relate to the ending of the game. Having this case added made the game seem even more confusing to me.
MECHANICS:
• Each case has numerous scenes in which you play several HOP scenes until you collect the clue items which you investigate. Scenes have between one to four clue items. The number of scenes increases as you proceed in the game. In case 101 there are 7 – in case 102 there are 9.
• Scenes alternate between lists of items, silhouette, and searches for one item at a time
• Play each scene until you are awarded 5 stars and have collected all clue items.
• Upon receipt of a clue item, you are taken to the investigation section where the item is recorded and added to your Blue Book.
• There are four (4) partitions within the menu of the game:
a. Mini-games – provide games in which to earn hints
b. Active Leads – after collecting enough clues, provides information about the case
c. Story – provides the background story for the game
d. Blue Book - collects the clue items and analyzes the items.
• The player is timed and scored. The score is based upon the time used in searching the scenes for the items times the number of items located. If a scene is not finished in the allotted time, the scene must be replayed. Hints can be used to locate items, which are earned by playing mini-games.
• The player can either play multiple HOP scenes within the same scene (most have 10 plays or more) or switch back and forth between scenes within the case.
• The player moves up in rank as they proceed in the game. Begin with Airman First Class, which is followed by Staff Sergeant.
• Hints: You can play mini-games to receive hints., usually one hint per game played. The games are:
a. Image Swap, a switch puzzle in which fragments of the scene are switched until all are placed in the proper location
b. Match-3 puzzle in which items are switched to get a score of 3500 points before the clock runs out of time.
c. Jigsaw puzzle which is also timed. Jigsaw pieces stick together if connected correctly
d. Redaction puzzle. Place 4 fragments with cutouts in them so they fit together to redact (block out) lines of text.
• Scenes alternate between lists of items, silhouette, and searches for one item at a time
• Play each scene until you are awarded 5 stars and have collected all clue items.
• Upon receipt of a clue item, you are taken to the investigation section where the item is recorded and added to your Blue Book.
• There are four (4) partitions within the menu of the game:
a. Mini-games – provide games in which to earn hints
b. Active Leads – after collecting enough clues, provides information about the case
c. Story – provides the background story for the game
d. Blue Book - collects the clue items and analyzes the items.
• The player is timed and scored. The score is based upon the time used in searching the scenes for the items times the number of items located. If a scene is not finished in the allotted time, the scene must be replayed. Hints can be used to locate items, which are earned by playing mini-games.
• The player can either play multiple HOP scenes within the same scene (most have 10 plays or more) or switch back and forth between scenes within the case.
• The player moves up in rank as they proceed in the game. Begin with Airman First Class, which is followed by Staff Sergeant.
• Hints: You can play mini-games to receive hints., usually one hint per game played. The games are:
a. Image Swap, a switch puzzle in which fragments of the scene are switched until all are placed in the proper location
b. Match-3 puzzle in which items are switched to get a score of 3500 points before the clock runs out of time.
c. Jigsaw puzzle which is also timed. Jigsaw pieces stick together if connected correctly
d. Redaction puzzle. Place 4 fragments with cutouts in them so they fit together to redact (block out) lines of text.
SAME ITEM OVER AND OVER AGAIN. This is a HOP game so one would expect successive HOP scenes. However, what I disliked about the game is the repetition of items to be located, all within the same scene. Some of the items to be located are in EVERY HOP scene. Why? Why not provide a variety of items to locate? I still cannot understand why this game has the player search for the same items in up to ten or eleven searches within the same scene. However, some of the items are moved in successive searches, but still, it became monotonous searching for the same items repeatedly.
I recommend this game!