When a famous shapeshifting alchemist is charged with looking into the murder of the king's most trusted agent and friend, the last thing she expects to discover is an intricate network of shadowy criminals, intent on bringing chaos to the land.
OVERVIEW: Welcome to a world of whimsy in this 5-star game full of magic. Magical creatures and enchanted items abound in this uplifting game, in which you are able to fly! This beautifully crafted game can be enjoyed by all members of the family. I, personally, do not like fantasy games; however, I do admire the craftsmanship of the developer in creating this lovely game.
The gaming script is well-written. The story is a variation of the themes of “Red Riding Hood” and “Robin Hood.” You play an alchemist, carrying your own handy alchemy kit, to create potions. In this case, you are solving a murder mystery - fairy tale style! It is a well-crafted game with some very creative puzzles. There a variety of collectibles including 15 figurines and 34 jigsaw puzzle pieces. You receive an alchemy kit and will be preparing all types of potions throughout the game!
HOP SCENES: The scenes are lists of items with some interactivity and silhouette scenes. To me, this is the weakest part of the game. They are decent; however, not as well-crafted as the puzzles.
PUZZLES: The puzzles are all easy; however, they are all creatively designed. They include an assembly puzzle to create a potion. There is also include a multiple-step map puzzle in which you traverse a route to a castle with four puzzles dealing the obstacles of wind, mountains, birds, and lightning. The other puzzles include a jigsaw puzzle to create a picture, a couple of sequence puzzles, and a matching puzzle involving DNA from the crime scene.
STORY: You, as an alchemist, have been summoned to the castle to solve a crime. Wolf has been murdered. You, as a fairy land detective will traverse all over the kingdom to get evidence and solve the murder.
LEVELS: Casual, Advanced, Expert, and Custom Hints - 5 to 90 seconds: Hints in HOP scenes: - 5 to 60 seconds: Skips - 5 to 120 seconds
EXTRAS:
Map is given to you at the start of the game 15 Achievements Receive a “potion kit” in which to create needed potions. Collect 15 figurines Collect 34 puzzle pieces Strategy guide - 46 pages 8 Wallpapers, 6 Concept art, Music
HERE ARE THE DETAILS (SPOILERS) FOR THOSE WANT MORE INFORMATION ON THE HOP SCENES AND PUZZLES
HOP SCENES:
• 3 consecutive lists of items to collect • FROG • 3 consecutive silhouette scenes
PUZZLES: : Puzzle Rating: (1) Extremely easy: (2) -Easy: (3) A little difficult or time consuming: (4) Moderately difficult: (5) - Difficult
A. Assembly puzzle. Follow a recipe to create potion by setting the conditions (between four settings for temperature) and addition the correct ingredients according to a spell book. Rating: 2 B. Multiple-step Map puzzle. Interact with a map and solve problems which halt you from proceeding to a castle. Every time the arrow stops, you must tackle a mini-puzzle to continue in your flight. You will solve four mini-puzzles involving wind, mountains, birds, lightning all with sequence, matching, removal puzzles. Rating: 2 C. Jigsaw puzzle. Create a picture by using jigsaw pieces. Rating: 1 D. Sequence puzzle. Using an iron glove, remove thorny vines in sequence. Rating: 2 E. Sequence puzzle. Using a diagram, match up symbols with notes on a diagram, ring bells in order Rating: 2 F. Matching puzzle. Using two slides containing “DNA”, Match up 3 “DNA” molecules in blood samples – one from each slide. Rating: 2
fromHave a ghost infestation in your home? Don't call a ghostbuster! Cash in on your dilemma! You, your ghost and your house can become Hollywood celebs by telling your “phantasmic” story on a nationwide paranormal reality show!
5 CHAPTERS PLUS A BONUS CHAPTER - REVIEW BASED ON THE DEMO PLUS CHAPTER 3
OVERVIEW: “Go away! You shouldn´t be here!” Perhaps not, but after a car crash, you find yourself at the abandoned Silent Waters Hotel. You won’t find 5-star accommodations at this rundown ghost infested rat trap; however, you will find yourself treated to a 5-star game! The ghost story behind the game is well-written. The pace is excellent with plenty of activities to keep you ghost hunting. Of course, you won’t want to stay at this hotel; however, with well-constructed, creative puzzles and HOP scenes, you won’t want to miss this game! Besides the ghosts, watch out as well for the infestation of rats, bugs, and spiders!
HOP SCENES: There six scenes in the demo and they are varied and well-done. In the demo they include a silhouette sequence in which you must use a flashlight to locate the items. There is a storybook scene in which you locate items and replace them back within the scene while learning a little history of the ghostly mansion. There are couple of lists of items to locate, a matching scene, and a mini-HOP scene as well.
PUZZLES: There are eight puzzles in the demo and they are varied in both style and difficulty. Most of the puzzles are easy; however, there are few difficult ones as well. Puzzles from the demo include: a sliding tiles puzzle, a switch puzzle involving flowers, a matching puzzle involving dials, a pipe puzzle, and an assembly puzzle.
FAVORITE PUZZLE: Fiendish maze puzzle containing a unique twist. Create a path by rotating squares to move a token from the top right to the bottom left. What makes this puzzle unique is that you must also switch the squares around within the scene.
STORY: A vengeful ghost is out to settle the score in a family rivalry. Does the ghost feel he has been cheated out of an inheritance? As you wander this ramshackle hotel, encounter a teen, Clark, whose main squeeze, Maggie has been kidnapped by this ghost. Be warned! Clark, will go to any means to get her back!
AFTER THE DEMO: Chapter 3: You will spend more time meandering around the hotel. I found the puzzles and HOP scenes to be consistent with the demo. Puzzles: 2 manual dexterity puzzles involving a sling shot and baking a statue, a fiendish tangram puzzle, and replacement of items back into a scene. HOP Scenes: One silhouette scene and 3 lists of items (one using a flashlight)
LEVELS: Casual, Advanced, Hardcore, Custom Hints and Skips: 15 to 90 seconds
EXTRAS:
Map is given to you at the start of the game Numerous Achievements Strategy Guide: 52 pages Collect 29 parts of hotel crest Collect 13 items for a music room 22 Morphing objects: Replay 13 Mini-games and 16 HOP scenes 10 Wallpapers, 13 Concept Art, Music, Screensaver, and a Secret Room
HERE ARE THE DETAILS (SPOILERS) FOR THOSE WANT MORE INFORMATION ON THE HOP SCENES AND PUZZLES IN SEQUENCE
HOP SCENES:
A. Silhouette. Locate items using a flashlight. B. Mini-HOP scene. Locate 5 metal rods. C. Replacement. Search for items and replace them into the correct locations in an old diary which tells the story of the original owners of the hotel. D. List of items to locate. E. Matching. Uncover and match up pairs F. List of items which uncover skull pieces
PUZZLES: Puzzle Rating: (1) Extremely easy 2) Easy (3) A little difficult or time consuming (4) Moderately difficult (5) Difficult
A. Sliding tiles puzzle. Slide 5 buttons into position according to color. Rating: 2 B. Maze puzzle. Move a token from left to right using arrows to create a path for the token. Rating: 3 C. Switch puzzle. Switch the locations of four flowers on a wall so they match up with their chalk images. Rating: 1 D. Matching puzzle. Rotate 4 dials so that they match clues on a diagram. Switching one dial affects the others. Rating: 2 E. Sequence puzzle. Pull down chords on five angels in proper sequence. 3X Rating: 2 F. Logic puzzle. Rotate three stars connected to three balls so that the two halves of each ball are the same color. Each segment of the stars contains a color which will match with one half of each ball. The balls change color to match the colored segment of the star. Rating: 3 G. Pipe puzzle. Connect segments of pipe between two valves. Rating; 2 H. Assembly puzzle. Use a drilling machine to create a lever. Rating: 3
Dozens of top-notch nonograms are popping out today on the BFG gaming site! A BIG THANK YOU to BFG for providing more nonograms (same as griddlers, O’Ekaki, Pictograms and mosaics). This is a beautifully created 5-star game which provides a wide range of these puzzles.
STORY: You are Cate, pursuing a career in landscape design. Your Grandma Ann has been invited to participate in the “Best Garden” competition. However, lately she has been unable to take care of her gardens. She has enlisted your help to resurrect them.
DETAILS: Here is the outline for the game:
• Grids which produce realistic final pictures • 3 colored screens for each puzzle • Choice between 7 different styles of tile sets, which is unique. • 50 levels - 120 puzzles. • Achievements to be earned based on your skill in solving these without errors. • Collect coins to purchase power ups or items for your garden. • Choice between Casual and Expert modes (Expert mode does not clear a line until the game is completed and there are no power-ups). • A certain number of mistakes (4 in the demo) before having to restart the game. • Eye – allows you to open up a random square • Hammer - allows you to open a specific square • Grid – Allows you to open up a chosen area
OVERVIEW: ERS kidnaps our attention in a blood-splattered 3-star game. Enter a dark world of mechanical puppetry, masked criminals, kidnapping, and a star-crossed couple in love. This a horror-lite game with an engaging story bogged down by a slow pace. For me, the slow pace is due to the lack of any challenge from the puzzles, the consistent back-and-forth movement between the scenes, and the annoying presence of a helper – a mechanical cat. Using a colloquialism from the British Isles - it is a “bloody” bore! To complete my lack of excitement to play this game are the sounds of animals which permeate throughout the entire game.
With an excellent story line and graphics, I might have purchased this game, despite the lackluster puzzles and HOP scenes. However, I was completely repelled by the incessant animal sounds and the “mechanical cat.” Sneakily, this helper appears about half way through the demo. First, you must assemble him, and then, he is used frequently in the game performing all types of time consuming antics. And, for those who love those adorable little helpers, this cat is anything but adorable. With his piercing robotic eyes, he is one nasty cat! You will also be serenaded by the baying of dogs or wolves throughout the game. Animal sounds are heard in almost every scene. So annoying!
In the demo there are more puzzles than HOP scenes. You are able to choose not only your gender but also your appearance in this game which is a nice touch. The collectibles are puppets. You are able to replay the HOP scenes and the puzzles.
I recommend this game - just not for me!
STORY: The story deals with love gone wrong. James, a man who is critically ill, is in love with a beautiful wealthy young woman, Marjory, who is under the control of her father. Her father does not approve of her relationship with this man. Both lovers are kidnapped and held for ransom. You are off to save both.
HOP SCENES: To me these were the best part of the game. There are not many in the demo. I enjoyed the first scene which is a replacement scene in which you replace items back into the scene. It is interactive and creative. The other two from the demo include a FROG to assemble the helper cat, and a somewhat interactive list of items to locate.
PUZZLES: Most of the puzzles from the demo are ridiculously easy. There are several matching puzzles. One is no more than matching up four symbols on lock pins with those on four locks. This puzzle is one a small child could solve. The other two matching puzzles involve matching up dollar bills and matching creepy eyes in a box. There is a switch puzzle to restore a picture. I found only one puzzle which is slightly difficult. It is a logic problem in which you play against the computer to accumulate the most tokens on a chess-like board.
LEVELS: Casual, Advanced, Hard, Custom Hints and Skips: 5 to 200 seconds
EXTRAS:
Choose your character by gender and appearance Map is given to you at the start of the game 12 Achievements Collect puppets Replay 19 HOP scenes and 17 Mini-games 10 Wallpapers, 5 Screensavers, 8 Concept Art, 4 Soundtracks, and 15 Movies
HERE ARE THE DETAILS (SPOILERS) FOR THOSE WANT MORE INFORMATION ON THE HOP SCENES AND PUZZLES IN SEQUENCE
HOP SCENES:
A. Replacement. Place items back into their proper locations in the scene. B. FROG. Assemble a helper robotic cat C. List of items to locate.
PUZZLES: Puzzle Rating: (1) Extremely easy 2) Easy (3) A little difficult or time consuming (4) Moderately difficult (5) Difficult
A. Matching puzzle. Swap and match up 4 lock pins with their symbols. Rating: 1 B. Logic problem. Playing against the computer, fill a type of checkerboard with more chips than the computer. When a chip moves a square is changes the color of all chips surrounding it. Rating: 3 C. Switch puzzle. Switch tiles to restore a picture. Rating: 2 D. Matching puzzle. Create and match up monetary bills. Rating: 2 E. Matching puzzle. Match up eyes in a box. Rating: 1 F. Moving tiles puzzle. Rotate tiles so that four masks are in the center of the scene. Rating: 2
WALTZ THROUGH VIENNA TO THE TUNE OF SOME VIENNESE SCHMALTZ
PostedSeptember 10, 2016
sunnyglow
fromThere is a need for black hooded robes. They are used in almost every game nowadays. Someone can make a fortune selling them to game developers as well as secret cults, monks, and Star Wars characters.
OVERVIEW: Be on your toes as you tour Vienna in this 3-star mystery game. Your best friend Maria, a prima ballerina, has been kidnapped off a ship and you are off to save her. This is a mediocre game which is similar to other games from this developer. The game has a good mystery story; the graphics are beautifully illustrated; the HOP scenes are duplicates of those from previous games; and the puzzles are extremely easy. I feel that the pace is a little slow due to the lack of challenge in the game. Am I suffering from déjà vu? I do feel as if I have played the same game before.
There are an equal number of puzzles and HOP scenes. Many of the HOP scenes and puzzles are cookie cutter reproductions from other games. However, to be fair to them, I do feel EIPIX does provide a couple of new concepts for their HOP scenes and puzzles. There is a new style of logic puzzle in this game. There is one HOP scene which seems to be slightly different than those from previous games.
Repeating myself now for the umpteenth time, I wish EIPIX would develop some new gaming strategies for some of their series. This is yet another series which has gone stale. I also wish they would include one or two challenging puzzles as they did in the past. Even better would be to offer puzzles with both an easy and hard option. This game will appeal to those who like ballet, mysteries and easy breezy games. Personally, I find it another boring assembly line production of previous games in this series and it will be a non-purchase for me.
Extras include the same collectibles as in all of their other games (signs). There are the same morphing objects in the HOP scenes. You can also replay the Match-3 game, HOP scenes and puzzles.
HOP SCENES: The HOP scenes are better constructed than the puzzles. There are several multiple-step ones. They include lists of items, silhouette, matching and cryptic clues. The “old” EIPIX HOP scene is back again in this game – locate 5 of two items, releasing a list of items to locate. You also have the option to play a Match-3 game instead of the HOP scene.
PUZZLES: The puzzles are extremely easy. The puzzles include a matching puzzle to open a gate. There are two map puzzles in the demo. In one of them you must formulate a route for 3 ships within a certain number of moves. The other map puzzle is similar to a HOP scene in which you eliminate items from a scene. The demo includes a sequence puzzle and another matching puzzle as well. There is a logic puzzle involving ribbon in which you must run various types of ribbon across and down a square piece of cloth so that each ribbon covers patches of the same design.
LEVELS: Easy, Medium, Hard, Custom Hints: 10 to 120 seconds Skips: 10 to 400 seconds
EXTRAS: Map is provided as you play the game 15 Achievements Collect 39 signs (music boxes?) 16 Morphing objects: (in HOP scenes) Replay Match-3 Game, 16 HOP scenes, and 22 Puzzles 4 Concept art, 8 Wallpapers, Music, Souvenirs, and replay of Movies
HERE ARE THE DETAILS (SPOILERS) FOR THOSE WANT MORE INFORMATION ON THE HOP SCENES AND PUZZLES IN SEQUENCE:
HOP SCENES: You have the option to play a Match-3 game in lieu of the scene.
A. The good “old” EIPIX HOP scene. In case you don’t remember. (1) First locate 5 of two items. (2) List of items to locate. B. Matching. Match up earrings which are listed in silhouette. C. Multiple step. (1) List of items to locate. (2) Cryptic clues D. Multiple step. (1) Cryptic clues. (2) List of items
PUZZLES: Puzzle Rating: (1) Extremely easy 2) Easy (3) A little difficult or time consuming (4) Moderately difficult (5) Difficult
A. Matching puzzle. Rotate parts of a gate so that they match. Actually, all you need to do is just rotate the parts until a light appears. Ridiculously easy! Rating: 1 B. Map puzzle. Move 3 ships decorated with their country’s flag to their home port. Each boat has a certain amount of moves you are allowed. Rating: 2 C. Map puzzle. Use a map and clues from a note to remove items from the map. After you have removed the items you will be given the location of an address. More of a HOP scene than a puzzle. Rating: 1 D. Sequence puzzle. Insert tokens in the proper sequence to complete a picture. Rating: 2 E. Matching puzzle. Place notes on one side of a diagram so that both sides match up. Rating: 1 F. Logic puzzle. On a board of patterned tiles, match up ribbons so that the top ribbon matches up with the tile on the bottom. Rating: 2
PICK UP A BOOK AND OPEN UP A WHOLE NEW WORLD – A GAMING MASTERPIECE
PostedSeptember 8, 2016
sunnyglow
fromNo need now to purchase those virtual reality devices – just find these tomes and the quill. Open a tome and experience virtual reality without those cumbersome devices! Better yet – as with any writer - write and create your own worlds.
REVIEW BASED ON THE DEMO PLUS CHAPTER 3 - 6 CHAPTERS PLUS A BONUS CHAPTER
OVERVIEW: WOW! WHAT A GREAT GAME! The world of books is coming to life in this 5-star puzzle fest! In a labyrinth of secret passage ways and booby traps, you, as a literary historian, are off to locate some legendary rare books. These tomes have the ability to literally open up new worlds! This entire game is a creatively designed puzzle. I LOVE the story behind the game. Enter a literary labyrinth – a virtual library with tomes for different styles of literature. The graphics are colorful. The pace is excellent with many activities within the game. There are an equal number of HOP scenes and puzzles in this game; however, the HOP scenes themselves either contain puzzles or are puzzle-like themselves. Such a beautifully created game. So creative – a gaming masterpiece!
Extras include a collection of coins to purchase figurines of characters in the game and jigsaw pieces to create some jigsaw puzzles. Now – put down that book and stop a madman bent on destroying this world by creating his own with a special quill and paper! Sounds rather like any writer, doesn’t it? Does that place writers into the category of madmen creating their own virtual realities? This game was an automatic purchase for me!
HOP SCENES: In the demo they are very creative and include quite a variety of different types of scenes as well. There are sentences with items to be located highlighted in yellow letters. There are also a series of three scenes involving pictures in which you must locate the differences between the pictures. There is a FROG sequence, a list of items to locate, and a silhouette scene. There is an optional Match-3 game to play in lieu of the HOP scenes.
PUZZLES: Based on the demo there is quite a variety of puzzles and they vary in difficulty from easy to moderately difficult. As stated, the complete game is a puzzle. There is a logic problem in which you must deduce the order in which 5 symbols must be pressed according to clues given. There are two matching puzzles. In one, you match up bells so that symbols above them match those on the bells; in the second puzzle you create a maze so that tokens are able to take a path to their matching symbol on the sides. There is an easy, storybook maze puzzle involving moving obstacles out of the path of a horseman. There is a paint-by-number puzzle; however, this one is a little tricky and requires some logic to complete it.
AFTER THE DEMO: You will enter other literary worlds. The next is the world of horror, my favorite genre. (I bet you thought it was humor – but you are wrong!) More great puzzles continue in this literary labyrinth. There is a fiendish moving tiles puzzle with tokens which must be moved into their proper locations. Other puzzles include a logic problem, a slider puzzle, and an easy manual dexterity puzzle. I only played one HOP scene and it was an interactive search and replace scene.
LEVELS: Casual, Advanced, Hard, Custom Hints and Skips: 1 to 100 seconds
EXTRAS:
Map is provided as you play the game 15 Achievements – some with multiple parts Collect coins to purchase 8 figurines Collect puzzle pieces for 6 jigsaw puzzles Strategy guide - 58 pages 16 Concept Art, 10 Wallpapers, Music, 6 Levels of a Tome Maze
HERE ARE THE DETAILS (SPOILERS) FOR THOSE WANT MORE INFORMATION ON THE HOP SCENES AND PUZZLES IN SEQUENCE
HOP SCENES: Optional Match-3 game
A. Sentence. Locate items listed in YELLOW letters and then interact with the scene. B. Find the differences. Locate 6, 9 and 12 differences between two scenes with 3 sets of pictures. C. Jigsaw puzzle. Locate pieces and create a scene. D. FROG E. Replacement. Mini-scene in which you locate items and replace them back into the scene F. Silhouette. Interactive. Locate and replace items back into the scene. G. Mini-HOP scene. Locate 10 feathers H. List of items to locate AFTER THE DEMO: I. Sentence. Locate items listed in YELLOW letters. Interactive
PUZZLES: Puzzle Rating: (1) Extremely easy 2) Easy (3) A little difficult or time consuming (4) Moderately difficult (5) Difficult
A. Logic puzzle. Deduce the order of five symbols by a given set of clues. Rating: 3 B. Moving tiles puzzle. Uncover tiles so that all of them are uncovered. Moving one affects the others. Rating: 3 C. Matching puzzle. Ring 5 bells until the image on the bell matches the image above it. Ringing one affects the others. Rating: 2 D. Maze/Matching puzzle. On a circular board, move the outer circle so that the tokens on the inside of the circle are able to amble through a maze to connect with its like image. Rating: 3 E. Maze puzzle. Help a horseman get back to his castle by interacting with the environment to remove obstacles in his path. Rating: 2 F. Weights and balances puzzle. Move 5 chains containing tokens to the same height as their corresponding token on the side of the scene. Moving one token affects the others. Rating: 3 G. Rotating circles puzzle. Rotate three interconnecting circles until images on the circles correspond to a matching groove. Rating: 2 H. Paint-by-number puzzle. Paint a picture by selecting the color from three pots of paint which will then fill in that section. However, you can only paint a section which is next to either the pot of paint or the color. Rather difficult. Rating: 3 AFTER THE DEMO: I. Logic puzzle. Move a token from left-to-right two spaces at a time. You may not backtrack and must exit exactly using two spaces. Rating: 3 J. Slider puzzle. Rotate rings to recreate an image in the center of the circle. Rating: 2 K. Manual dexterity puzzle. Bulls eye! Hit two chains with pots of acid when the chains are in the center of the target. Rating: 2 L. Moving tiles puzzle. Move a whole lot of tokens into their proper location. Rating: 4
OVERVIEW: EIPIX returns with another whodunit in this 3-star game. Travel up north to Alaska where the railroad tycoon, Seth Savage, has been murdered. Working on a railroad tunnel in the snow packed north, he developed quite a few enemies in his path. Who killed the railroad magnate? With the host of suspects, this will not be easy.
This game is hot off the assembly line and a carbon copy of the one from last week and the dozen or more previous to that. I found the demo boring. However, there are a few aspects I do like about the game. I like the graphics. I feel they well depict the characters and an Alaskan mining town.
I feel the story is a well-written whodunit and keeps you guessing as to who is behind the murders. However, the pace is slow due to the lack of activities and the back-and-forth movement between scenes in the game, I have no desire to continue in this investigation. To me, this game lacks creativity. The HOP scenes, with the exception of one, are similar to ones from previous games. The puzzles are boringly easy.
Returning are all the same props from the previous games in the series including the evidence board. You will question suspects as to the veracity of their statements, examine bodies as in the other games. Basically you play the same game – with a different storyline. The same collectibles return as well. You collect the same signs which look like fish to me. Also making its encore appearance are the morphing objects within the HOP scenes. Most, if not all, of the achievements are the same. However, you are able to replay the puzzles, the HOP scenes and the Match-3 game.
If you have not played many EIPIX games, you will probably love this game. However, having played the SAME GAME repeatedly, their games have now become hackneyed. We are offered so many EIPIX games on this site that they are now blending together.
HOP SCENES: There are more puzzles than HOP scenes than HOP scenes. And although EIPIX returns with their classic HOP scene (locate two of five items, interact with those two items to open up a list of items), there is a new approach to one of the HOP scenes. Numbers are associated with items which you remove in the scene. You must locate the numbers and NOT the items per se.. Very creative! You also have the option to play a Match-3 game instead.
PUZZLES: The puzzles are ALL easy. I realize that some like puzzles which are easy; however, the simplicity of the “puzzles” in this game is ridiculous. There is a Simon Says puzzle which requires you to repeat the sequence of TWO birds singing. One bird sings and then the other sings. You press two switches to repeat the sequence of TWO birds! That is the complete puzzle! Really?
As usual, there are a couple of multiple-step puzzles. You also must gather information on the suspects. You ask questions to determine if the suspect is telling the truth or lying as in previous games. You also inspect the murdered victim(s) as well. Other puzzles include switch puzzles, sliding tiles puzzles, maze puzzles and matching puzzles.
LEVELS: Officer, Deputy, Sheriff, Special Agent (Custom) Hints 0 to 120 seconds Skips 0 to 400 seconds
EXTRAS: Map is provided as you play the game Detective notebook with an evidence board. 13 Achievements (Some have 3 parts) Collect 40 signs (Look like some type of fish) 13 Morphing objects: All within the HOP scenes Replay 23 puzzles, 13 HOP scenes and the Match-3 Game 8 Wallpapers, 4 Concept Artwork, 6 Videos, Music, and a Souvenir Room
HERE ARE THE DETAILS (SPOILERS) FOR THOSE WANT MORE INFORMATION ON THE HOP SCENES AND PUZZLES
HOP SCENES: Match-3 game to play in lieu of the scene
A. List of numbers associated with the items which must be removed. A nice creative touch! B. The standard EIPIX HOP scenes which is used in every game. (1) Locate 5 of two items, then interact with the scenes to uncover (2) list of items to locate. This is now getting SO OLD AND STALE! C. List of items to locate
PUZZLES: Puzzle Rating: (1) Extremely easy: (2) Easy: (3) A little difficult or time consuming: (4) Moderately difficult: (5) Difficult
A. Multiple-step. (1) Switch puzzle. Switch “file folders,” so that their lines connect to create a pattern. (2) Sliding tiles puzzle. Slide tokens into the proper locations according to the letters A, B, and C. Rating: Both puzzles 2 B. Matching puzzle. Find similarities between two ropes – one from a story and one from the crime scene. Rating: 2 C. Matching puzzle. Match up related hiking items. Rating: 1 D. Multiple step puzzle. (1) Matching puzzle. On a large map, match up a tracing of a segment of a map with the actual map. Use arrows to rotate the scrap of paper. (2) Maze puzzle. Create a route by going through numbered tokens. You cannot use the same point or route twice. Rating: 2 E. Simon Says puzzle. Repeat a sequence of lights on two birds. Rating: 1 F. Moving tiles puzzle. Move 3 keys to the proper slot using arrows to move them. Along the way there are blocks which you must use to be able to get them into the proper location. Seems difficult but actually fairly easy if you use logic. Rating: 2
HERE COME THE BRIDE – ALL DRESSED IN BLACK – WITH A CRIMSON HOURGLASS UPON HER BACK
PostedAugust 25, 2016
sunnyglow
fromAre the Gray and Dalimar families related? If so, there would be a new bunch of relatives to add to Auntie Gray’s psycho family tree. The patriarchs in both these families give a whole new meaning to Daddy Dearest!
6 CHAPTERS PLUS A BONUS CHAPTER – REVIEW BASED ON THE DEMO
Auntie Gray (the younger version of herself) is back in another sequel, an excellent 5-star plus game, and to me, the best in the series. I LOVE this game! This time Auntie is involved in a web of young black widows, their leader, and a creepy psycho serial killer and warlock (good friends of good old psycho Dad –like minds think alike – right?). To me, this is a much improved game for this series. In this spider’s web, you will be wondering who is the victim and who is the prey.
An excellent game script with multiple themes and surprises make this an action-filled game with a quick moving pace. The graphics are beautifully illustrated as usual for Elephant Games. The game almost has a Victorian era feel about it. This a puzzle-intense game and there is quite a variety both in style and difficulty. Most of the puzzles are easy; however, there are a couple of puzzles which are somewhat difficult.
There are quite a few extras in this game. The collectibles include morphing objects, portraits from the Black family, and puzzle pieces to create some screensavers. There are a number of achievements. You will inherit a skull from your Daddy Dearest who will pop up to help you in the case. You also will use the “Artifact of Time” to go back in time. The only thing I disliked about this game was the constant pop-up of the task board. Auntie Gray truly needs to stop carrying around that task board!
HOP SCENES: The same fare we see in all games. There is a multiple- step scene in the demo. You will locate four of one item releasing a list of items to locate. There are also a couple of silhouette scenes. My favorite is the morphing HOP scene. It is a cleverly done scene; however, you do have to wait until an item morphs before you can remove it.
PUZZLES: Superb! This game has a variety of puzzles. There are 11 puzzles in the demo. Most of the puzzles are very creative. They include a couple of logic/mathematical puzzles which I found a little time consuming and difficult. One involves using arrows to place blocks into position to open a lock. The other slightly difficult puzzle involves rotating the hands on three clocks so that each one is set at midnight. Usually these are relatively easy; however, I found this one a little difficult.
Other puzzles (much easier) involve a sequence puzzle in which you remove chains in sequence, an excellent maze puzzle to get Anna to the middle of a maze, a switch puzzle to restore a picture and a manual dexterity puzzle which involves you fighting Dorian using a tracing puzzle.
WHY DID THEY CHANGE THIS PUZZLE? There is a puzzle which involves moving 16 metal balls between two segments so that each segment has 8 balls each. This puzzle was changed from the beta and I AM VERY DISAPPOINTED. This was a difficult puzzle which was modified so it is easier!
LEVELS: Casual, Advanced, Hardcore, Custom Hints and Skips: No times given
EXTRAS: Map is given to you at the start of the game 18 Achievements (From what I could count) Collect 10 portraits of the Black Family Collect puzzle pieces for jigsaw puzzles to create screensavers Morphing objects: throughout game 8 Wallpapers, Archives, Secret Room, 3 Screensavers which are jigsaw puzzles, 8 Concept Art, Music
HERE ARE THE DETAILS (SPOILERS) FOR THOSE WANT MORE INFORMATION ON THE HOP SCENES AND MINI-PUZZLES IN SEQUENCE FROM THE DEMO:
HOP SCENES: A. List of items to locate. B. Silhouette items. C. Multiple-step. Locate four of one item (locks) followed by a list of items to locate D. Silhouette items. Combined with morphing objects. You do have to wait for the items to morph,
PUZZLES: Puzzle Rating: (1) Extremely easy 2) Easy (3) A little difficult or time consuming (4) Moderately difficult (5) Difficult A. Matching puzzle. Select three words to enter into a computer to search for information concerning the case. 3X Rating: 2 B. Logic puzzle. Switch 16 metallic balls between three locations using arrow so that two of the sections contain 8 balls each. Rating: 2 C. Assembly puzzle. Using arrows, manipulate blocks to create a pattern to open a lock. Rating: 3 D. Sequence puzzle. Remove locks on 4 chains in the proper sequence to open a lock. Rating: 2 E. Logic problem Formulate moves on a checkerboard using black checkers to encircle and trap a white checker. Rating: 2 F. Logic/Mathematical puzzle. Move the hands on three clocks so they all are set at midnight. Rating: 3 G. Maze puzzle. Move Anna to the center of a maze in 46 moves using an arrow. Rating: 2 H. Matching puzzle. Play a piano matching up keys from a code. Rating: 2 I. Matching/Memory. Match up symbols on a long lost bride’s gown. If you make a mistake, you must start over again. Rating: 2 J. Switch puzzle. Switch tiles to restore a picture. Rating: 1 K. Tracing puzzle. Using your mouse – trace a symbol in a fight sequence. 5 X (a little excessive?) Rating: 1
A BIG THANK you BFG for providing this game today. I have completed all the latest nonogram games available and was wondering when another would appear. This is one of my favorite gaming genres. It does not have the color spectrum or the variety of screens as some other nonogram games; however, it does have the feature of auto-fill. In this game, it does eliminate – not just X out – the blank spaces.
Having created a few of these (by hand, no less), I can appreciate the work involved in creating these puzzles. This is a great puzzle to play if you are working on a project and need to concentrate your thoughts. I usually don’t care for the “muzac” in these games; however, the soundtrack is rather mellow and relaxing in this game.
There are 5 levels with 20 puzzles per level, or 100 puzzles in total. The grid varies in size which is a nice feature. It seems you get 5 fairies (hints) to help you and there are 3 stars you can earn based on the amount of errors you create or the fairies you use. There is nothing spectacular in this game – no gimmicky extra screens, bold colors, or story involved. It is just a nice relaxing game creating pictures based on the theme of the woodlands. Actually, I prefer simplicity in these games.
I see others have detailed the game. I am short of time today to go into any detail; however, I did want to express my gratitude.
A GAMING ASYLUM FOR THOSE CRIMINALLY ADDICTED TO HOP GAMES
PostedAugust 20, 2016
sunnyglow
fromBeing “paranoid” about creepy shadows, I was “split” in my decision to purchase this game. Half of me wanted to purchase it and the other didn’t. Driven by a “compulsion” to play it, however, I purchased it.
5 CHAPTERS PLUS A BONUS CHAPTER - REVIEW BASED ON DEMO PLUS CHAPTER 3
Is your sister criminally insane? Welcome to the Iron Gate Prison Asylum, home to a 5-star plus insanely great game – so good it is criminal! I LOVE this game and have been waiting anxiously for it to appear! You, as Sarah, are on an undercover assignment to prove your sister Layla, innocent of the murder. She has been diagnosed as a paranoid schizophrenic and is considered dangerous. You are given only one shot at proving her innocence. Uncover a vast spider’s web of undercurrents in this game as you try to save your sister. Encounter shadows which are attacking people within the asylum as well as evidence of secret experiments.
You will up to your “eyeballs” in this den of horrors. Which reminds me – you will also be collecting BIG EYES throughout the game and morphing objects in the HOP scenes as well. You can also replay those HOP scenes, but disappointingly, NOT the puzzles, which I found a little strange. Feeling paranoid that everyone is watching you? All eyes will be on you as you try to save your sister! Better hurry (you can keep track of your time in this game) or your sister may become another member of the “black-eyed” children.
This is such a great game and a nice change-of-pace from the sugar fest of fantasy games we have had lately. The story is excellent and will definitely keep you engaged. The graphics are well-done and provide a dark ambiance to this game. The pace is excellent with a multitude of activities. In the demo there are an equal amount of HOP scenes and puzzles.
HOP SCENES: There are five HOP scenes in the demo. Two of these are mini-HOP scenes locating a small amount of one item. There is an interactive list of items, a story sequence with items listed in BOLD letters within sentences. There is a NEW TYPE OF HOP SCENE. You are given a list of items to locate. Using two arrows (one on the top and the other at the side) align two displays so they match up to release the item. Awesome and creative
PUZZLES: I found two of the puzzles easy and two somewhat difficult in the demo. The puzzles include a moving tiles puzzle in which you must move tiles to connect wires to open a cell door. There is a slightly difficult switch puzzle which requires you to switch slats between 4 columns to restore a design on each of the columns. There is an easy sequence puzzle in which you must place pictures in correct sequence. There is a slightly difficult moving tiles puzzle in which you must slide slats up, down and sideways to move 9 tokens so that each row has tokens of the same color and symbol
AFTER THE DEMO: Of course you will discover the mystery behind this asylum. In Chapter 3, I discovered that the puzzles are better than in the demo. I encountered a rather easy sequence puzzle using the magic lamp, an awesome maze puzzle which has you completing the maze in the dark with the aid of only a small circle of light, and a fiendish mathematical puzzle to open a lock. I also played another mini-HOP scene involving nails and a silhouette scene with multiple items to be located.
LEVELS: Dusk, Nightfall, Midnight, and Eclipse (Custom) Hints and Skips – 15 to 90 seconds
EXTRAS: Map is provided as you play the game You receive a mystical lantern to fight the ghost. 11 Achievements: Some have 3 sections Collect 38 big eyes Morphing objects: In the HOP scenes Replay 18 HOP scenes Strategy guide – 55 Pages Usual wallpaper, artwork, screensavers, 20 Wallpapers, 16 Concept Art, A Labyrinth, A Puppet Theater
HERE ARE THE DETAILS (SPOILERS) FOR THOSE WANT MORE INFORMATION ON THE HOP SCENES AND MINI-PUZZLES
HOP SCENES: A. List of items to locate. Somewhat interactive B. Multiple step. Mini-HOP scene. (1) Locate six pieces of a note and then complete a jigsaw puzzle to put it together. (2) Locate countries on a globe using the reconstructed note. C. Story sequence. Items are listed in BOLD letter while relating relevant information pertaining to the game. D. List of items in which you must use two arrows (one on the top and the other on the side) of a chart to align two displays of the items - a new type of HOP puzzle. Very Cool! AFTER THE DEMO: E. Mini-HOP scene. Locate 6 nails. F. Silhouette scene. Locate a multiple of items for each silhouette.
PUZZLES: A. Moving tiles puzzle. Rotate tiles to make a connection between wires to open a cell door. Rating: 2 B. Switch puzzle. Move slats into their correct position by color on four columns as room allows. You will then need to restore the design for each column. Rating: 3 C. Sequence puzzle. Put the pictures of the “Evolution of Man” in correct order D. Sliding Tiles puzzle. Using arrows, slide 3 slats to move 9 tokens into correct position so that each row has three tokens of the same color and symbol. AFTER THE DEMO: E. Simon Says puzzle. Repeat a sequence to defeat the Shadows. 2X Rating: 1 F. Maze puzzle. Complete a maze in the dark with only a small circle of light. Rating: 3 G. Mathematical puzzle. Fiendish. Solve a mathematical puzzle to open a lock. Rating: 4