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:
Witches only exist in old fairy tales...right?
Overall rating
5
/
5
46 of 105 found this review helpful
QUALITY FAMILY TIME FOR GRETEL
PostedMay 25, 2023
sunnyglow
fromFrom another world? Looking at an old bracelet from childhood encrusted with fake crystal rhinestones on an elastic band, perhaps I too could end up in another world with a birdbrain as my familiar!
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
4 Chapters Plus a Bonus Chapter – Strategy Guide: 40 pages
4 Chapters Plus a Bonus Chapter – Strategy Guide: 40 pages
There is no place like home! No clicking one’s ruby red slippers here, but an amulet which transports Gretel back home. Join Gretel as she returns home after years of residing upon another world. Her memories may be gone of her former life, but her amulet contains a raven which will help jar her memory as she treks through this game. This is an incredibly beautiful game and one which can be played by the entire family. It is a fairy tale come-to-life. However, there are some minor discrepancies within the storyline and was hoping the game would explain why Hansel thought Gretel was his sister, when obviously this is not the case. Nevertheless, kudos to Friendly Fox for another gorgeous, incredibly well-crafted game.
The game has everything a player would look for in a fairy tale game. There are plenty of activities set against a rather unique story. There are some surprises which await Gretel as she learns about her past. The collectibles are red morphing crystals and tarot cards. If you collect all the collectibles, you can play a card game against one of the witches. I felt the morphing crystals a little hard to locate, but, to me, that is a good thing! However, the collectibles were not so tiny that you could not see them as with some other developers’ games.
MECHANICS:
• Four (4) levels of play including a customized version.
• achievements.
• Collect 50 jigsaw pieces (tarot cards) and 50 red morphing crystals. If the player collects all, they can play a card game.
• 7 Wallpapers along with 6 screensavers, concept art, music, and video sequences
• Replay 19 HOP scenes and 12 Mini-Games
• Magical amulet to use to battle evildoers
• Four (4) levels of play including a customized version.
• achievements.
• Collect 50 jigsaw pieces (tarot cards) and 50 red morphing crystals. If the player collects all, they can play a card game.
• 7 Wallpapers along with 6 screensavers, concept art, music, and video sequences
• Replay 19 HOP scenes and 12 Mini-Games
• Magical amulet to use to battle evildoers
BONUS CHAPTER:
It is a prequel and explains how Greta was zapped into another world as a child. The chapter is lengthy; however, I feel it lagged somewhat and believe this may be to the numerous HOP scenes. I counted only three (3) mini-games and seven (7) HOP scenes. That is hardly an even mix! I am not an aficionada of HOP scenes, preferring to play puzzles instead. After one HOP scene after another, I became somewhat bored. Nevertheless, it is a good addition to the game and if someone likes playing successive HOP scenes, they will probably love this chapter.
It is a prequel and explains how Greta was zapped into another world as a child. The chapter is lengthy; however, I feel it lagged somewhat and believe this may be to the numerous HOP scenes. I counted only three (3) mini-games and seven (7) HOP scenes. That is hardly an even mix! I am not an aficionada of HOP scenes, preferring to play puzzles instead. After one HOP scene after another, I became somewhat bored. Nevertheless, it is a good addition to the game and if someone likes playing successive HOP scenes, they will probably love this chapter.
HOP SCENES AND MINI-GAMES: From what I have counted there are fifty (50) mini-games and twenty-two (22) HOP scenes with numerous mini-HOP scenes with a small number of items to be located. There is an amulet provided which is used to fight off foes. A puzzle appears when there is some enemy to battle. Friendly Fox did include some puzzles which can be played in either a casual or hard version. None of the mini-games are challenging and the casual versions of the puzzles are easy. Most of the mini-games are variations of may of those seen in the past.
Some of the HOP scenes are cleverly designed. I always love the ones in which the player must open drawers or boxes to find items which are used to open other drawers and boxes. There is one of these within this game. There are the usual standard lists of items which are very interactive and creatively designed. There are matching scenes, silhouette scenes. There is a silhouette scene in which cut-outs are placed on the items to be removed. I always enjoy those as well.
MY VERDICT: This is almost the “perfect” HOP game. Unlike many other times, I agree this game should be give the “Editor’s Choice” designation. For me, the time passed quickly playing this game. It is a long game, and for the money, it is well worth every penny!
SPOILERS: HERE ARE SOME OF THE MINI-GAMES AFTER THE DEMO:
A. Casual/Hard. Assembly puzzle. Place shards into an amulet in the proper locations. In the hard version the player must rotate the shards.
B. Tracing puzzle. Create an image on a grid which matches a given diagram
C. Casual/Hard. Assembly puzzle. Place pieces of a map into position. The casual version has 3 pieces in place upon starting, in the hard version, the player must start from scratch Pieces stay in place if correctly placed.
D. Jigsaw puzzle. Place pieces into position to create a shield to protect you from an evildoer. 3X
E. Connection puzzle. Restore a net by moving a rope through the missing segments. You can only go through each knot in the rope once.
F. Climb every mountain! Strategy puzzle. Choose the correct spot among several spots to climb up a hill avoiding weak spots and creepy Texas-style scorpions.
G. Come Fly With Me! (Man, I need to stop listening to Michael Buble while playing) Fly away with me on my broom. Control a broom by using arrows to help you dodge obstacles on your way to save the world in which you are living!
H. Connection puzzle. Connect stones with lines so they all connect with each other and the lines do not cross each other. 3X
BONUS CHAPTER:
I. Strategy puzzle. Place runes into a grid based upon numbers at the top for each column and side of the grid for each row. 3X
J. Strategy puzzle. Catch the Baddies. On a grid with pentagon shaped squares, entrap a boy and his father by landing on those squares putting up barriers until the are entrapped.
B. Tracing puzzle. Create an image on a grid which matches a given diagram
C. Casual/Hard. Assembly puzzle. Place pieces of a map into position. The casual version has 3 pieces in place upon starting, in the hard version, the player must start from scratch Pieces stay in place if correctly placed.
D. Jigsaw puzzle. Place pieces into position to create a shield to protect you from an evildoer. 3X
E. Connection puzzle. Restore a net by moving a rope through the missing segments. You can only go through each knot in the rope once.
F. Climb every mountain! Strategy puzzle. Choose the correct spot among several spots to climb up a hill avoiding weak spots and creepy Texas-style scorpions.
G. Come Fly With Me! (Man, I need to stop listening to Michael Buble while playing) Fly away with me on my broom. Control a broom by using arrows to help you dodge obstacles on your way to save the world in which you are living!
H. Connection puzzle. Connect stones with lines so they all connect with each other and the lines do not cross each other. 3X
BONUS CHAPTER:
I. Strategy puzzle. Place runes into a grid based upon numbers at the top for each column and side of the grid for each row. 3X
J. Strategy puzzle. Catch the Baddies. On a grid with pentagon shaped squares, entrap a boy and his father by landing on those squares putting up barriers until the are entrapped.
I recommend this game!
Something evil is trapped between two worlds.
Overall rating
1
/
5
43 of 67 found this review helpful
WHEN WILL DOMINI RELEASE A GAME WITHOUT GLITCHES?
PostedMay 13, 2023
sunnyglow
fromSitting here waiting for someone to fix the technical issues on this game.
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
1
/
5
Level of Challenge
1
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
Got the same error message. This is not a review of the game but a review of the developer.
Domini has started to crank out assembly line games and not taking their time to test them for playability. This is not the first game I could not download nor finish. In almost all their games nowadays, this is a recurring problem.
I played the demo as well and truly wanted to play the entire game as it seemed as if it would be a great game. Love the story behind the game and the activities in the demo were superb as always.
However, all that game excellence is lost when the game has various technical errors.
Slow down!, Domini! Work on producing a game which is playable until the very end. You do not need to produce two to three games monthly.
I don't recommend this game.
Can you stop a cosmic catastrophe from destroying your world?
Overall rating
3
/
5
68 of 93 found this review helpful
WATCH TIME GET DEVOURED BY PLAYING THIS GAME
PostedMay 11, 2023
sunnyglow
fromNow I know why I can't get things done on time or am late somewhere. Glimborg has eaten my time
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
Beware the Glimborg as you join the Detectives United on another adventure! This ancient monster has awakened, after lying in wait for eons to devour time from Earth, leaving it desolate and barren. Helping the detective trio will be a teen, Ewan, who is a legacy member of The Secret Order of Time Defenders, founded by his great grandparents. Only Ewan can destroy this monster; however, as the sole surviving member of the Florence family, he will need assistance from the detective trio.
This is a short game; however, it has a good pace. I liked the story behind the game but had a hard time trying to make sense of the storyline. To me, the story is somewhat illogical; however, I play these games for the HOP scenes and puzzles and not for the stories. It is more of a sci-fi thriller than a detective story. However, I could not understand why there is a warning for disturbing material attached to this game. To me, it seems rather tame – nothing disturbing about this game. There is no blood nor gore nor anything even remotely frightening. However, what I do find disturbing is that this developer’s HOPA games are getting shorter and shorter with less activities and extras. This may be a financial decision on their part, but this game is even shorter than the last one offered on this site.
The collectibles are twelve (12) items and twenty-four (24) puzzle pieces which are used to play a jigsaw puzzle upon completion of the game. There is an Easter egg with the inclusion of the Mystery Trackers dog, Elf, (dressed in a chic yellow sweater) at the beginning of the game. Could this be a hint that another Mystery Trackers game is in the works?
There are some surprises within this game. This developer has been shaking up their game series lately – getting rid of some of their series, starting new game series, getting rid of characters within some of their series, and bringing in new characters. I enjoy seeing change; however, I feel Elephant is eliminating some of their best loved series and best loved characters as well. I believe they wish to make their games more relevant to today’s culture; however, I do believe some of the changes they are making may not be the best. Again, this is only my opinion but truly do miss some of the comic relief from Anna Gray’s father, Richard, and the loss of the debonair Rick Rogers from Paranormal Files. This series is heading in a new direction as well.
MECHANICS:
• Four (4) levels of play including a customized version.
• 22 Achievements.
• Collect 24 puzzle pieces and 12 personal items.
• 6 Wallpapers along with a screensaver, concept art, music, and video sequences
• Expedition room in which to return to scenes to retrieve collectibles.
• Replay 8 HOP scenes and 9 puzzles. (Getting less and less of these to replay)
• Four (4) levels of play including a customized version.
• 22 Achievements.
• Collect 24 puzzle pieces and 12 personal items.
• 6 Wallpapers along with a screensaver, concept art, music, and video sequences
• Expedition room in which to return to scenes to retrieve collectibles.
• Replay 8 HOP scenes and 9 puzzles. (Getting less and less of these to replay)
BONUS CHAPTER: Get out your yoga mat and help a young teen, Ewan, chant his way to controlling his magic! Ewan from the main chapter accompanies Anna back in time to solve a case of a stolen amulet at a museum. Anna’s ability to freeze time is altered due to young Ewan’s inability to control his magic! Join Ewan as he tries to remedy the situation before Anna ages her way into a nursing home! Ewan’s great grandfather will guide him in meditation as he tries to understand his true magical power. I found this chapter short and boring. There are five (5) HOP scenes and nine (9) puzzles. There is not special about this chapter and I do not feel the content was worthy of a collector’s edition game.
HOP SCENES AND PUZZLES: There are twenty (20) HOP scenes, eight (8) of which can be replayed upon completion of the game. Several of these only consist of locating six or seven items. They consist of matching, standard lists of items, narrative (relating story content) and silhouette. There is a spot-the-difference scene, two fragment scenes, and a search and replace scene. I only found one which I thought was exceptional. It involves locating fragments within a space map with constellations. There are twenty-five (25) puzzles, nine (9) of which can be replayed upon completion of the game. The puzzles are easy. I found none challenging. It appears that the developers are providing fewer puzzles and HOP scenes to replay. This is the least I have ever seen in a collector’s edition game.
SPOILERS: HERE ARE SOME OF THE PUZZLES AFTER THE DEMO:
A. Matching puzzle. Defeat the demon. Fill in 3 bars for your tokens by connecting 3 or more of each one before the demons fills in his 3 bars.
B. Lock puzzle. Assembly puzzle. Press on segments on a key so that their shape matches the tumbler underneath each segment.
C. Sequence puzzle. Click on 5 skulls in the correct sequential order so all their eyes light up and stay lit.
D. Matching puzzle. Match up like images on a grid.
E. Connection puzzle. Create an uninterrupted chain connecting every sphere and symbol in the proper order based on a given guide. If you make a wrong connection, you must restart. 3X
BONUS CHAPTER:
F. Switch puzzle. Move music notes around until all are in the proper location on a piece of music.
G. Matching puzzle. Find matching pairs of yoga positions.
H. Matching puzzle. Match musical notes with those in bubbles.
A. Matching puzzle. Defeat the demon. Fill in 3 bars for your tokens by connecting 3 or more of each one before the demons fills in his 3 bars.
B. Lock puzzle. Assembly puzzle. Press on segments on a key so that their shape matches the tumbler underneath each segment.
C. Sequence puzzle. Click on 5 skulls in the correct sequential order so all their eyes light up and stay lit.
D. Matching puzzle. Match up like images on a grid.
E. Connection puzzle. Create an uninterrupted chain connecting every sphere and symbol in the proper order based on a given guide. If you make a wrong connection, you must restart. 3X
BONUS CHAPTER:
F. Switch puzzle. Move music notes around until all are in the proper location on a piece of music.
G. Matching puzzle. Find matching pairs of yoga positions.
H. Matching puzzle. Match musical notes with those in bubbles.
I recommend this game!
A fun and relaxing hidden-object experience!
Overall rating
1
/
5
16 of 45 found this review helpful
ANOTHER TORTUOUS, BORING FIASCO
PostedMay 4, 2023
sunnyglow
fromMy location? Anywhere but playing this boring, difficult game.
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
1
/
5
Level of Challenge
1
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
I purchased this game. I believe in second chances thinking this HOP game may be better. Sorry, but my opinion remains the same.
This is yet another boring HOP game - the fourth one within two weeks from Boomzap. I tried to play it to its entirety but just could not get through repetitive HOP scenes. For me, this game was a waste of money. This one is even worse than the previous ones from this developer because most of the items are so well-hidden they are almost impossible to locate.
MECHANICS: Just one boring HOP scene after another with notecards describing the origin of some flower or plant. There is one scene after another of locating a list of items (with an inset providing another scene in which to locate ever more items). The extras include searching for one picture and three morphing objects. The picture is easy to locate; however, those morphing objects are not easy to find. I had to wait for over a minute before that “morphing object” appeared. It does not actually morph; instead, it appears and then disappears. Some of the items are so well-hidden, it became painful to even play this game. The player is timed in this game as with previous games; however, it is almost impossible to get a gold star because of the miniscule items within the scenes. Impossible to locate some of them.
The mini-games include even more hidden object scenes – many are divided into two scenes in which to search for even more items. There are some matching scenes. I played a paint scene in which all the player did was move a mouse to go back-and-forth to fill in color on an image of some plant. No creativity here.
CONCLUSION: This game is a cookie cutter game. It is also very similar to those from at least one other developer whose HOP games I do enjoy. However, this game is not from that developer and designed differently. If you are not super-fast, your score also goes down quickly. I did not win one gold star. When a game is this boring and excruciatingly difficult to play, I just give up. I did not play the game to its entirety.
I hope this is not the future in gaming from this company. I realize we will be getting fewer HOPA games; however, these HOP games are horrible. We are getting a steady diet of these from numerous developers.
If BFG is forced to offer these HOP games, at least provide a story or some interesting mini-games. I played an hour into this game and by end of that time, I was half-asleep and tired to searching for miniscule items and playing beyond-boring mini-games.
I don't recommend this game.
So much stuff to dig through in this off-the-wall hidden-object game!
Overall rating
1
/
5
16 of 34 found this review helpful
SO MUCH STUFF FOR SO MANY BORING GAMES
PostedApril 29, 2023
sunnyglow
fromHad the choice between playing this lame game or cleaning my home? Should have done latter so I too could attain the coveted title of "Cleaning Queen" with my "crystal clean home!"
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
1
/
5
Level of Challenge
1
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
Tired of boring, rip-off games? So am I. I usually only write reviews for HOPA games except for those from Casual Arts or Puzzles by Joe. These companies produce quality games, which is lacking in this game and its predecessors as well. They also don’t produce a game a week, but rather take months to create a quality game.
We have had three Boomzap/Tiny Little Lion (wow – should I be impressed? Boomzap now has an alter ego) games within the past two weeks. They are all cookie cutter versions of each other as well. This developer used to have wonderful HOPA games, but it now appears they are now developing straight HOP games. There are other developers who do create this type of game, but there is a story behind their games and more puzzle-like activities.
I became alarmed when I posted a screenshot from one of Boomzap's games to our forum. The screenshot is a scene which was copied from another developer’s game. I would recognize the candy from that scene anywhere! It is in all the games from that particular developer. The matching activity for that scene was a far cry from the challenging activity from the developer’s games from which it was copied.
I agree with cbtx, who is a guy not a gal. I played this game for a short period of time. I can only tolerate playing a boring game for a short period of time. No, this game is not based on the entire game. I usually try to play the complete game before reviewing it; however, this game is so boring, I could barely get through an hour of playing this game before my eyes began to glass over. The scenes and activities lack creative design, are masses of clutter, and makes me wonder if they designed them or took them from other developers’ games. I love clutter games, but this is not the type I play nor does it have the challenge from another developer’s games.
Final Thought: This is the shortest review I have ever written as well. We have so many of this developer’s games on BFG lately. Hopefully, BFG will provide better games from different developers. From the reviews I have read, I believe most here are looking for some better games. To see the reviews for the game out Thursday to those for this one is illustrative of the difference in quality between the games.
I don't recommend this game.
Can you solve the riddle of the dancing men in time?
Overall rating
5
/
5
141 of 196 found this review helpful
ELEMENTARY: MY DEAR WATSON AND HOLMES STAR IN ANOTHER FANTASTIC GAME!
PostedApril 13, 2023
sunnyglow
fromHappy 20th anniversary Elephant Games! Hopefully we will see many more years of exciting games from your studios!
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: 41 pages (My Time: 5 Hours)
3 Chapters Plus a Bonus Chapter – Strategy Guide: 41 pages (My Time: 5 Hours)
What a "sleuth-tastic game! Join Detective Sharlotte Holmes on a case based upon one of her granduncle Sherlock’s cases. Someone has kidnapped blushing bride, Olivia Cubitt, right before her wedding. Everyone who is acquainted with the bride has received strange letters coded with cryptic dancing men. Oscar Watson, her sleuthing cohort, received one of these letters and has asked Sharlotte to help unlock the mystery of the missing bride. Expect some twists and turns in this game as you solve this whodunit. The culprit or culprits will not be as easy to ascertain as in some other games.
I LOVED this game! For me, this is my idea of the perfect game. This game has all the elements I look for within a game. The story behind the game is well-written and kept me engaged. I enjoyed the story – it is a fantastic whodunit! I had my suspicions as to the guilty party behind the kidnapping; however, I was still guessing until the very end of the game as to the culprit. The length is perfect – it is not too long and drawn out nor too short. I play these HOPA games for the puzzles, and there are an ample number of them. The puzzles are interspersed at regular intervals. I found most of them enjoyable to play. None of the puzzles are difficult nor nerve wracking; however, they are not ridiculously easy either.
The collectible puzzles pieces (magnifying glasses) are too large, I must admit; however, the other collectibles which were items identified with Sherlock Holmes cases, are more difficult to locate. I played the game in a little over five (5) hours; however, for a HOPA game, for me this is the perfect length. And one nice thing about this game - I encountered no glitches as I do with some other developers’ games. The Expedition Room allows the player to return to scenes to retrieve any missing collectibles from the twenty-five (25) scenes from the game. The Secret Room contains the jigsaw puzzle in which those puzzle pieces must be placed. I believe most people will have no issues playing the jigsaw puzzle; there is not much effort involved in solving it once you discover the sequence of the pieces around the frame.
HOP SCENES AND PUZZLES: First, I am ecstatic to see a developer call puzzles by their proper name, “puzzles” instead of calling them “mini-games.” I have never understood why that name was assigned to what is a puzzle. There are twenty-six (26) puzzles, thirteen (13) of which can be played upon completion of the game. Some of these puzzles are “deduction puzzles,” in which the player must take the evidence collected and summarize it by placing those summary statements in sequential order. I think that is a great way to summarize a sequence of events within this game. The other puzzles are varied, and I was rather freaked out by the last puzzle in the bonus chapter! I will not go into the details of the puzzle so as to not ruin the story; however, the critter within that puzzle was not one I enjoy seeing - ever! Living in Texas, that is the last thing I want to see anywhere!
The HOP scenes included the usual standard lists of items, silhouette, narrative (items silhouetted within a story), and matching. There is a spot-the-differences scene, and several mini-HOP scenes in which six (6) items must be located. There are sixteen (16) scenes intermixed with numerous mini-HOP scenes. They are interactive. I am not a great fan of playing HOP scenes, but I felt these were decent and enjoyable. My favorite scene was one featuring six (6) adorable dwarfs. Remove the hats from the dwarfs to uncover items to be matched with those under the hats of the other dwarves. Just adorable!
MECHANICS:
• Four (4) levels of play including a customized version.
• 19 achievements.
• Collect 11 artifacts from old Sherlock Holmes cases and 25 jigsaw puzzle pieces (look like magnifying glasses)
• 6 Wallpapers along with a screensaver, concept art, music, and video sequences.
• Replay 13 puzzles and 13 HOP scenes.
• Expedition room which allows the player to return to the 25 game scenes and search for collectibles not found while playing the game.
• Secret room which contains a jigsaw puzzle in which uses the pieces collected during the game.
• Four (4) levels of play including a customized version.
• 19 achievements.
• Collect 11 artifacts from old Sherlock Holmes cases and 25 jigsaw puzzle pieces (look like magnifying glasses)
• 6 Wallpapers along with a screensaver, concept art, music, and video sequences.
• Replay 13 puzzles and 13 HOP scenes.
• Expedition room which allows the player to return to the 25 game scenes and search for collectibles not found while playing the game.
• Secret room which contains a jigsaw puzzle in which uses the pieces collected during the game.
BONUS CHAPTER: Play Olivia from the main game as she sleuths her way onto a college campus to discover what is causing teachers and students alike to become deathly ill. Olivia’s friend, Elizabeth, asks for her help when she ends up in a hospital with an illness. With no visible family members to help her, Olivia feels the need to help her. However, is it an illness plaguing the campus or is it possible someone is poisoning the staff and students? Along the way, Olivia will get some help from Sharlotte Holmes in this case. I loved the story behind this chapter and probably liked it more than the one from the main game. This chapter has some surprises and again, I could not figure out the culprit(s) until the very end of the game. There are seven (7) puzzles and four (4) HOP scenes with two mini-HOP scenes. I found the ending surprising and was not expecting the true culprit causing all the problems for the college.
SPOILERS: HERE ARE SOME OF THE PUZZLES AFTER THE DEMO:
A. Sequence puzzle. Move a pendulum right or left 5 times. If correct the weight rises, if not, it returns to its original position. Discover the proper sequence.
B. Sequence puzzle. Turn on all lights surrounding a roulette wheel. Click on 2 arrows to spin the wheel where each arrow will either turn on a light or turn it off if it is lit. One arrow moves one space counterclockwise and the other moves 2 spaces clockwise.
C. Matching puzzle. Switch rings on skeletal bony fingers so that symbols on the rings are connected to matching ones.
D. Logic/Switch puzzle. Switch buildings on a map so they are in the proper location as per given clues.
BONUS CHAPTER:
E. Picture puzzle. Rotate and place pieces of a picture onto a frame to restore it.
F. Rope puzzle. Untangle ropes within a grid.
G. Entrapment puzzle. On a grid, choose squares to close off and entrap a critter, moving it into a basket.
B. Sequence puzzle. Turn on all lights surrounding a roulette wheel. Click on 2 arrows to spin the wheel where each arrow will either turn on a light or turn it off if it is lit. One arrow moves one space counterclockwise and the other moves 2 spaces clockwise.
C. Matching puzzle. Switch rings on skeletal bony fingers so that symbols on the rings are connected to matching ones.
D. Logic/Switch puzzle. Switch buildings on a map so they are in the proper location as per given clues.
BONUS CHAPTER:
E. Picture puzzle. Rotate and place pieces of a picture onto a frame to restore it.
F. Rope puzzle. Untangle ropes within a grid.
G. Entrapment puzzle. On a grid, choose squares to close off and entrap a critter, moving it into a basket.
I recommend this game!
Sometimes there is far more than meets the eye.
Overall rating
5
/
5
88 of 152 found this review helpful
SOLVING THIS CASE WILL BE AS EASY AS ABC
PostedApril 1, 2023
sunnyglow
from“Shepfir:” I love learning new vocabulary words from Domini Games. Never have seen the word “shepfir” before. According to this game, “shepfir” is a fabric used to make “cheapie” clothes, ones that cause a rash. Watch out for the shepfir label!
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
4 Chapters Plus a Bonus Chapter – Strategy Guide: 47 pages (My time - around 12 hours)
4 Chapters Plus a Bonus Chapter – Strategy Guide: 47 pages (My time - around 12 hours)
Our crime detective turned novelist returns in a second whodunit. Three people have been murdered and the only things the murders have in common is that the victims were killed in alphabetical order. Although the murders seem unconnected, further investigation will disclose hidden ties between all three. An actor, a dress boutique owner, and a businessman are the victims; however, what ties them together? Travel to various locations throughout the city on a lengthy investigation to locate the culprit(s) behind the murders. However, with your experience, detective, solving this case should be as easy as ABC!
This is a lengthy game, one that is as long as many adventure games which I play. This game took me around 12 hours to play, perhaps even longer. It is chock full of activities. Domini Games always provides spectacular games, providing those extras that none of the other developers provide. This game will not appeal to everyone. It is a little more challenging than games from other HOPA game developers, including other Domini games. This is not an “easy breezy” game. I even found some the HOP scenes somewhat challenging. I like the theme of the story but some of the threads do not tie together in this game. I still do not see the connection between the murderer and the actor nor the boutique owner. The actor disappears and is not even mentioned after the second chapter. I am still trying to figure out the connection, but after reading my notes, I still don’t see any. I am also delighted I could play the game without glitches as in some other of this developer’s games. Overall, to me, this is one of Domini’s better games. It does become tedious to play in some parts; however, I play HOPA games for the puzzles, and this one is chock full of them.
The framework of this game is the same as in Domini’s other games. There are three (3) collectibles. There are fifteen (15) morphing pieces of evidence and fifteen (15) miniatures of inventions. There are also seventy (70) brooches to be collected which are used to exchange for items in a boudoir. Returning is the sidebar on the left side which indicates the number of collectibles which have been located plus lights up when one of them is within a scene or in a close up from the scene. The difficulty for the puzzles can be set in the menu; yet can be changed while playing the puzzle if it turns out the puzzle is too easy or too hard. I also love the optional extra footage within the game. The player can play this footage by visiting an extra room with extra puzzles or HOP scenes. However, the player can opt out as well and skip the extras. There are three extra rooms in this game – one is Arnold Adams’ workshop. The second is a bedroom belong to the Willoughby girls and the third is in the bonus chapter which is Fred Jones’ office.
MECHANICS:
• Four (4) levels of play including a customized version.
• 38 achievements.
• Collect 15 morphing pieces of evidence and 15 invention miniatures.
• Collect 70 brooches which can be exchanged for items to place within a boudoir.
• 15 Wallpapers along with concept art, music, and video sequences.
• Replay 23 HOP scenes and 21 mini-games.
MECHANICS:
• Four (4) levels of play including a customized version.
• 38 achievements.
• Collect 15 morphing pieces of evidence and 15 invention miniatures.
• Collect 70 brooches which can be exchanged for items to place within a boudoir.
• 15 Wallpapers along with concept art, music, and video sequences.
• Replay 23 HOP scenes and 21 mini-games.
BONUS CHAPTER: It is a sequel. Our crime novelist returns on a follow-up to the main game. Fred Jones, from the main game has taken over his father’s fashion house. He has become famous, even outfitting the famous actress, Whitney Winslow. However, this actress is suing him for developing an allergy from the type of material he used in making the dress. Fred vows that he is not the blame for the dress causing the allergy as he ordered only the finest material to create it. It appears someone altered the material used in the dress. Now, you must investigate who is behind this switch. This is a nice sequel to the main game and this chapter is long as well. There are six (6) HOP scenes and twelve (12) mini-games. And although Domini changed Fred’s name from Jones to Johnson in the bonus chapter, this minor error did not decrease the quality of the chapter.
HOP SCENES AND MINI-GAMES: There are twenty-three (23) HOP scenes, all of which can be replayed upon completion of the games. As stated previously, I found some of the scenes puzzle-like and difficult. In many the player must combine an item with some other item within the scene to remove it. Some of the items are also in the dark or hard to see. Some are also well-hidden There is a nice variety of scenes as well including standard lists of items, silhouette, and matching. There are also narrative scenes with highlighted items which add to the storyline of the game. There is a spot-the-differences scene and a couple of search-and-replace scenes in which items are either placed into the scene in the proper location or searched for and then returned to the scene in the right location.
There are thirty-five (35) mini-games, twenty-one (21) of which an be replayed upon completion of the game. Most of the puzzles are available to be played in either an easy or hard variation. There is quite a variety of mini-games and some of the hard variations are challenging.
SPOILERS: HERE ARE SOME OF THE 35 MINI-GAMES FROM THIS GAME:
A. E/H. Connection puzzle. On a grid, use a water drop as a magnet to connect all flames to it within the grid The hard version has more flames to connect
B. E/H. Cryptic puzzle. Enter a word password into a lock via clues around the safe. Letters in separate grids allude to the letters needed to open the lock. The hard version has more letters to decipher.
C. Switch puzzle. Switch spools of thread so no threads cross each other.
D. E/H. Switch puzzle. On a grid, switch neighboring pieces to recreate an image. The hard version has more pieces to switch.
E. E/H. Physical puzzle. Click on 3 levers when 2 sliders reach a green area on a sliding scale. The slider on the hard version moves faster.
F. E/H. Click on matching bales of hay wrapped in wire. If a match is underneath another bale, it cannot be matched until the bale above it is matched. The hard version has more bales to match.
G. Maze puzzle. Get a chip to the exit while avoiding obstacles. Use arrows and do it in the dark.
H. E/H. Paint by number. In this case, paint by symbol. The easy version provides 6 paints, the hard has only 3 and the player must create the other paints by combining them together.
BONUS CHAPTER:
I. E/H. Rotate and place pieces of a key into position. The easy version allows the player to rotate the fragments. The hard rotates them randomly.
J. Connection puzzle. Place fragments with prongs into slots so that all connect with each other. The easy version has less pieces to connect.
K. E/H. Maze puzzle. Go through the city through alleyways. Look for items which can be used within the maze as well.
B. E/H. Cryptic puzzle. Enter a word password into a lock via clues around the safe. Letters in separate grids allude to the letters needed to open the lock. The hard version has more letters to decipher.
C. Switch puzzle. Switch spools of thread so no threads cross each other.
D. E/H. Switch puzzle. On a grid, switch neighboring pieces to recreate an image. The hard version has more pieces to switch.
E. E/H. Physical puzzle. Click on 3 levers when 2 sliders reach a green area on a sliding scale. The slider on the hard version moves faster.
F. E/H. Click on matching bales of hay wrapped in wire. If a match is underneath another bale, it cannot be matched until the bale above it is matched. The hard version has more bales to match.
G. Maze puzzle. Get a chip to the exit while avoiding obstacles. Use arrows and do it in the dark.
H. E/H. Paint by number. In this case, paint by symbol. The easy version provides 6 paints, the hard has only 3 and the player must create the other paints by combining them together.
BONUS CHAPTER:
I. E/H. Rotate and place pieces of a key into position. The easy version allows the player to rotate the fragments. The hard rotates them randomly.
J. Connection puzzle. Place fragments with prongs into slots so that all connect with each other. The easy version has less pieces to connect.
K. E/H. Maze puzzle. Go through the city through alleyways. Look for items which can be used within the maze as well.
I recommend this game!
Can you stop your lookalike from destroying the flow of magic?
Overall rating
3
/
5
111 of 154 found this review helpful
SOME MAGIC IS LOST IN THIS GAME
PostedMarch 30, 2023
sunnyglow
fromBrevity may be the soul of wit; however, it does not make for an outstanding game.
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
REVIEW BASED UPON THE ENTIRE GAME
3 Chapters Plus a Bonus Chapter – Strategy Guide: 38 pages
3 Chapters Plus a Bonus Chapter – Strategy Guide: 38 pages
What a nice way to celebrate International Woman’s Month by playing an adventure with supernatural detective, Anna Gray! Unfortunately, it will be a short adventure. Enjoy a short romp shuttling between realities with Anna. Join Anna as she battles her evil doppelganger, Lady A, from another reality. This time, instead of Daddy Dearest, Richard, she takes her mother, Anastasia, along with her – enclosed within a cameo. The cameo will glow when Anastasia wishes to communicate magically with her daughter. Unlike the sweet and adorable Anna, this evil twin is out to gain power by absorbing all the magic from the other realities. The aged Keeper of the portals to the other worlds has tried to stop this evildoer, but without success. Now he has asked Anna for her help to defeat this nefarious evildoer.
What has happened to Elephant Games? Their games are getting shorter and shorter. This one took me only five hours to play which included playing the main game and the bonus chapter. This also included playing all HOP scenes and mini-games. However, despite the game’s brevity, I feel he story behind the game is well-written. I enjoyed playing what there is to this game, and although there are fewer HOP scenes and mini-games, I feel the quality of both is the same as in previous games. One element I do not like is that Elephant cut out the replay of the HOP scenes and mini-games. There are a couple mini-games I would like to replay, but this game does not provide this option. The collectibles are twenty-four (24) fragments to create a jigsaw puzzle hidden away in a secret room. There are also twelve (12) chimeras to collect. I found all the collectibles easy to locate.
WE WANT RICHARD GRAY! WHERE IS RICHARD GRAY? What happened to our dearly departed Daddy Dearest? Seems that Richard Gray, as with some retired actors, has departed this series for good except for a few cameo shots. Hopefully he will return. I, along with others from our forum, want him to return to these games. Richard Gray provides much needed comic relief to this series. Hopefully, Elephant will resurrect him since there are now some unresolved questions which have cropped up from this game. Is Richard Gray the father of Lady A or is he a doppelganger of Anna Gray’s father? "Enquiring" minds want to know the truth! Hopefully, we will discover Richard back from his vacation in the afterlife to join Anna in her next adventure. Her mother, Anastasia is helpful and nice; however, having Anna together with her mother is like putting sugar on top of super-sweet Lucky Charms – not exactly magically delicious! How much sweetness can a person take?
MECHANICS:
• Four (4) levels of play including a customized version.
• 21 achievements.
• Collect 24 fragments to create a jigsaw puzzle in the Secret Room.
• Collect 12 chimeras.
• 5 Wallpapers and a screensaver along with concept art, music, and video sequences
• There is an Expedition Room with 25 scenes which allows the played to return to locate missing collectibles.
• Gimmicky cameo sitting on the inventory bar which lights up when Anna can contact her mother.
• Four (4) levels of play including a customized version.
• 21 achievements.
• Collect 24 fragments to create a jigsaw puzzle in the Secret Room.
• Collect 12 chimeras.
• 5 Wallpapers and a screensaver along with concept art, music, and video sequences
• There is an Expedition Room with 25 scenes which allows the played to return to locate missing collectibles.
• Gimmicky cameo sitting on the inventory bar which lights up when Anna can contact her mother.
BONUS CHAPTER: It is a sequel. Play the Keeper of the portals to the different realities. Lady A returns in another attempt to gain power by sucking all the magic out of the other realities. Thwart her efforts to succeed where she failed in the main chapter. I feel this chapter is comparable to the main chapter. There are six HOP scenes and six mini-games. I feel the HOP scenes and mini-games are better designed in this chapter.
HOP SCENES AND MINI-GAMES: There are twenty (20) mini-games and twenty (20) HOP scenes. Unfortunately, none can be replayed. There are also a couple of mini-HOP scenes with six (6) items each to be located. The HOP scenes include standard lists of items, silhouette and narrative scenes in which items are highlighted within a narrative to flesh out the story behind the game. There is also a couple of matching scenes and a spot-the-differences scene. There are some creatively designed scenes for the HOP scenes.
I found most of the mini-games easy. Most are variations of ones seen in other games. There are assembly puzzles in which ingredients are gathered and combined in sequential order to create a magical potion. The Match-3 puzzle returns in this game – the one which allows the player to defeat an evildoer by filling up three tubes with the player’s three tokens before the evildoer’s tubes are filled. The mirror puzzle returns, using mirrors to direct light beams to matching colored crystals. My favorite puzzle was on in the bonus chapter in which musical notes must be placed in the proper position on a piece of music. This puzzle has also appeared in other games, but this one is longer (with two lines of notes) which makes it a little more time consuming and difficult.
SPOILERS: HERE ARE SOME OF THE MINI-GAMES AFTER THE DEMO:
A. Assembly puzzle. Create perfume based upon Lady A’s recipe.
B. Sneaky Snake puzzle. Lock puzzle. Count the number of each of 4 snakes surrounding a lock to provide the numbers needed to open the lock.
C. Mirror puzzle. Ye old beam of light mirror puzzle. Place mirrors into position to direct 4 colored beams of light to their matching, colored crystals in the center of the grid.
D. Match-3 puzzle. Fill your three tubes by matching 3 or more of your colored tokens before your adversary, Lady A, fills hers.
BONUS CHAPTER
E. Connection puzzle. Rotate green tubes so that a flow of green energy flows from the top to the bottom of the grid.
F. Assembly puzzle. Place musical notes on a sheet of music so that all turn green when placed in the proper position.
G. Assembly puzzle. Click on tokens on the outside of a grid so that lines are created to enclose geometric figures. Each choice results in the tokens moving. 3 X Each figure has more lines to place.
B. Sneaky Snake puzzle. Lock puzzle. Count the number of each of 4 snakes surrounding a lock to provide the numbers needed to open the lock.
C. Mirror puzzle. Ye old beam of light mirror puzzle. Place mirrors into position to direct 4 colored beams of light to their matching, colored crystals in the center of the grid.
D. Match-3 puzzle. Fill your three tubes by matching 3 or more of your colored tokens before your adversary, Lady A, fills hers.
BONUS CHAPTER
E. Connection puzzle. Rotate green tubes so that a flow of green energy flows from the top to the bottom of the grid.
F. Assembly puzzle. Place musical notes on a sheet of music so that all turn green when placed in the proper position.
G. Assembly puzzle. Click on tokens on the outside of a grid so that lines are created to enclose geometric figures. Each choice results in the tokens moving. 3 X Each figure has more lines to place.
I recommend this game!
Who could turn down an opportunity to change the past?
Overall rating
4
/
5
229 of 297 found this review helpful
JUST IN TIME FOR ST. PATRICK’S DAY – WEARIN’ OF THE GREEN – GREEN ENERGY THAT IS
PostedMarch 16, 2023
sunnyglow
fromIs the answer to becoming immortal, green energy? As Dalimar’s victims and the Master Detective discovered – like Kermit the Frog – “It’s not easy being green.”
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
REVIEW BASED UPON THE ENTIRE GAME
4 Chapters Plus a Bonus Chapter – Strategy Guide: 33 pages
4 Chapters Plus a Bonus Chapter – Strategy Guide: 33 pages
You will be seeing “green” in this game. What a perfect game to play for St. Patrick’s Day and one which is environmentally friendly as well. It is chock full of “green energy.” Master Detective! Your long and illustrious career is being honored in a special celebration at the opening of a new headquarters. However, as you leave your chauffeured vehicle, you enter a time vortex, and are whisked away back in time, returning to 1895, to the time of the infamous murderer, Charles Dalimar. Unfortunately, you have also shifted bodies and are now in the body of Charles Dalimar. The main game is aptly titled, “Past Atrocities.” Find yourself in Blackpool, England. During this time period, Charles was building Ravenhearst and conducting numerous experiments on several victims in his search for immortality. Despite the dreadful circumstances in which you find yourself, you take the opportunity to correct the past atrocities and hopefully change the sordid history of this loathsome soul. You will encounter characters from past games as well as some new ones. Your aim is to change the past, to aid Dalimar’s victims, and hopefully find a way back to your own time.
This game is different from others within this series. I found this game not as good as others in the series; however, I did not find it as bad as some of the others either. To me, it is a decent, mediocre game. There is no “wow” factor for me within this game. Many of us expect something spectacular within the Mystery Case Files games. This game does not provide that. I found the demo better than the rest of the game. To me, it is comparable to every other collector’s edition game offered and there are some from this year which are better than this game, including this past Saturday’s game. I loved the story behind this game. It combines science fiction with elements of a murder mystery. I loved the whimsical character, Robert the Robot. The game is short; however, the activities are decent. There are a few parts in the which I found game slowed down and became somewhat tedious.
The collectibles are puzzle pieces and medallion parts. Half the medallion parts are morphing. I found the collectibles difficult to locate in some of the scenes. Both the puzzle fragments and medallion parts are well-hidden. More than once did I need to check the guide to see where some items were located. One element I love about this developer’s games is they provide a sidebar on the left side of the screen which indicates how many collectibles are within the scene and how many you have collected. I wish more developers would offer this feature. I also love the fact I had no issues playing this game, which is a current problem plaguing recent games from other developers.
MECHANICS:
• Four (4) levels of play including a customized version.
• 15 achievements.
• Collect 52 morphing medallion parts and 20 jigsaw pieces to play a jigsaw puzzle upon completion of the game.
• 10 wallpapers along with concept art, music, and video sequences.
• Replay 11 HOP scenes and 11 mini-games.
• 15 achievements.
• Collect 52 morphing medallion parts and 20 jigsaw pieces to play a jigsaw puzzle upon completion of the game.
• 10 wallpapers along with concept art, music, and video sequences.
• Replay 11 HOP scenes and 11 mini-games.
BONUS CHAPTER: It is called "Escape." It fleshes out the story behind Angelica, one of Dalimar’s victims from the main game. Join her in her escape of Dalimar’s clutches and help her reach the police department with valuable evidence against Dalimar. Meet a feisty cat named Goliath as he helps her escape a spider robot trying to stop her from reaching the police. This is a short chapter which is spent in traveling from the Dalimar den to the town of Blackpool, England. There are five mini-games and only three HOP scenes.
MINI-GAMES: There are twenty-four (24) mini-games, eleven (11) of which can be replayed upon completion of the game. However, most of these are Rube-Goldberg puzzles which will have up to four or five mini-puzzles within the framework of a larger puzzle. I found the mini-games easy. Some of us expect more challenging puzzles within this series. This game does not provide that. Some of the puzzles are ridiculously easy. In one of the first puzzles the player simply clicks on geometric shapes sequentially based upon how many sides they have. Some of the puzzles only require entering a code to open a lock or door. And, unlike other games in this series, the number combinations are spoon fed to the player, written down on paper and then placed into the inventory. Usually, no hints like this are given in the Mystery Case File games.
HOP SCENES: There are fourteen (14) HOP scenes, eleven (11) of which an be replayed upon completion of the game. For me, the best part of this game are the HOP scenes. There are some creatively designed scenes within the game. I actually found the scenes harder to navigate and somewhat more challenging than the mini-games. There is an awesome stained-glass window scene which requires rotating three circles to combine halves of items to remove them. I loved locating items on three chalk boards which rotate sides. I found one scene especially difficult in matching similar Greek gods and goddesses. The scenes are highly interactive with many items to be located. They include standard lists of items, silhouette scenes, matching scenes, and search and replace scenes.
SPOILERS: MOST OF THE MINI-GAMES ARE RUBE-GOLDBERG PUZZLES. HERE ARE A FEW PUZZLES AFTER THE DEMO:
A. Rube Goldberg puzzle.
1. Switch puzzle. Switch tokens with triangular and circular cutouts so that the triangular ones are all together on the left side of the grid and the ones with circular cutouts are on the right.
2. Strategy puzzle. Beat the computer. Fill in circles on a square so that you have more of your tokens on the board than your opponent’s tokens. Landing next to your opponent’s tokens will turn them to your tokens and vice versa.
3. Strategy puzzle. On a grid with empty spaces, click on lose brick rectangles to fill in the gaps. Your goal is to close all holes
B. Ye Olde Mirror puzzle. Place mirrors into the right position to direct a light beam to the lower right corner of a grid. Flowers within the grid prevent the beam from going further.
C. Rube Goldberg Puzzle
1. Sequence puzzle. Based on given clues, click on parts of a painting which are related to 4 clues
2. Connection puzzle. Draw a continuous line from 0 to 7 in sequence landing on and activating all switches within the grid.
3. Block puzzle. Move blocks out of the way to maneuver a key from the top of grid to the bottom of the grid.
4. Switch puzzle. Switch the positions of 3 lilies with 3 roses. Each can only go in the direction of their arrows – lilies up and roses down, but they can jump over one flowered tile.
5. Block puzzle. Move blocks in a grid to remove a key from an exit point on the grid. Continuation of 3
BONUS CHAPTER:
D. Jigsaw puzzle. In this case, switch fragments to create a complete picture. There are 4 segments.
E. Connection puzzle. Connect points on a cat’s collar using wire clamps
F. Matching puzzle. Configure a green line to match up with a sine wave on a telephone. Use arrows to manipulate the green line.
1. Switch puzzle. Switch tokens with triangular and circular cutouts so that the triangular ones are all together on the left side of the grid and the ones with circular cutouts are on the right.
2. Strategy puzzle. Beat the computer. Fill in circles on a square so that you have more of your tokens on the board than your opponent’s tokens. Landing next to your opponent’s tokens will turn them to your tokens and vice versa.
3. Strategy puzzle. On a grid with empty spaces, click on lose brick rectangles to fill in the gaps. Your goal is to close all holes
B. Ye Olde Mirror puzzle. Place mirrors into the right position to direct a light beam to the lower right corner of a grid. Flowers within the grid prevent the beam from going further.
C. Rube Goldberg Puzzle
1. Sequence puzzle. Based on given clues, click on parts of a painting which are related to 4 clues
2. Connection puzzle. Draw a continuous line from 0 to 7 in sequence landing on and activating all switches within the grid.
3. Block puzzle. Move blocks out of the way to maneuver a key from the top of grid to the bottom of the grid.
4. Switch puzzle. Switch the positions of 3 lilies with 3 roses. Each can only go in the direction of their arrows – lilies up and roses down, but they can jump over one flowered tile.
5. Block puzzle. Move blocks in a grid to remove a key from an exit point on the grid. Continuation of 3
BONUS CHAPTER:
D. Jigsaw puzzle. In this case, switch fragments to create a complete picture. There are 4 segments.
E. Connection puzzle. Connect points on a cat’s collar using wire clamps
F. Matching puzzle. Configure a green line to match up with a sine wave on a telephone. Use arrows to manipulate the green line.
I recommend this game!
The Lost Lands don't let go easily.
Overall rating
5
/
5
288 of 438 found this review helpful
ANOTHER AWARD-WINNING ADVENTURE GAME FROM FIVE-BN
PostedMarch 11, 2023
sunnyglow
fromLocation? Trying to find my way back from the Lost Lands from the maps provided within the game. However, with its unique landscape, magical creatures, and wondrous activities, who would want to? Maybe I will stay and play this game forever!
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
6 Chapters Plus 2 Bonus Chapters – Strategy Guide: 90 pages
6 Chapters Plus 2 Bonus Chapters – Strategy Guide: 90 pages
Susan the Warmaiden returns, leading us adventure lovers on another fantastic trek through the mythical, magical Lost Lands. As a grandmother with a winsome granddaughter, Kiana, Susan feels her days of adventure are over. She has retired from her adventure seeking days in the Lost Lands – or has she? When her son, Jim returns from an excavation in Kherson, he needs her help in opening a chest with the insignia of the Lost Lands. Unbeknown to Susan, the chest is cursed, and when she opens it, her son picks up an hourglass and immediately turns into a sand statue. Now, she must return to the Lost Lands and with the help of a former colleague, a magician named Maaron, find a way to lift the curse and restore her son to his human form and restore peace to the Lost Lands. Lifting this curse will result in hours of gameplay, searching the wasteland, forests, and caves of the Lost Lands to discover the history of this curse and the method to stop it.
What an amazing game! To me, this is one of the best HOPA games out this year and worthy of an excellence in gaming award. There are so few adventure games of this quality developed any longer. A great deal of creative effort went into producing this game. Five-BN does not produce many games; however, the ones they produce are gaming masterpieces. The graphics reflect the magic of the Lost Lands. The characters have a life-like appearance. This is a long game and to me, more of an adventure game than a HOPA game. There are HOP scenes throughout, but the quality and difficulty of some of the puzzles within the game are more indicative of what one would find in an adventure game. There is no hand holding in this game. The player will need to write down lock combinations and puzzle information as it will not be given on a sheet of paper within the inventory to be used when needed. There are a wide variety of collectibles, (ninety-two - 92) and most scenes have two within them. Most scenes have a morphing object and/or a manuscript with information needed to play the game. I found some difficult to locate.
I love this game for the most part; however, there are two minor elements I dislike. I dislike the location of the strategy guide. The player must return to the menu to access it. I feel the player should be able to access the strategy guide directly from the game screen as it is with most games. I wonder why Five-BN has the guide located within the menu when it would be as easy to place it next to the inventory bar? I also experienced a modicum of discontent with the story’s theme. I do believe this developer is trying to appeal to the grandmothers out there by having Susan’s granddaughter, Kiana, as her assistant in the game. Personally, I did not like this aspect of the game; however, I can appreciate those who would find this “adorable” – a true “Grandma and me” moment. Personally, I do not want my adventure games to be “adorable” or have “cutesy” elements within them. Nevertheless, neither of these made the game any less enjoyable for me.
MECHANICS:
• Four (4) levels of play including a customized version.
• 22 achievements.
• Collect 8 hourglasses, 7 horseshoes, 7 turtles, 8 shoes, 12 spikelets (wheat stalks), 10 books, and 30 morphing objects
• Collect 10 manuscripts.
• 10 wallpapers along with concept art, music, and video sequences
• Replay 8 Puzzles and 22 mini-games
• 22 achievements.
• Collect 8 hourglasses, 7 horseshoes, 7 turtles, 8 shoes, 12 spikelets (wheat stalks), 10 books, and 30 morphing objects
• Collect 10 manuscripts.
• 10 wallpapers along with concept art, music, and video sequences
• Replay 8 Puzzles and 22 mini-games
BONUS CHAPTER: Toddler Time! Remember this golden rule - a troll is not a troll if he has friends to play with. What? I thought this was a game for adults – not toddlers. Kiana, Susan’s granddaughter is the protagonist within this chapter. She has a nightmare about river creatures grabbing her (a watery hand from the river) and taking her away. The chapter is short and has the feel it was just thrown into the mix. Having a child tromping around by herself within the dangerous kingdom of the Lost Lands seems surreal, bizarre, and unsettling. I especially thought the developer lost the essence of the game by having the small tyke, Kiana, as the protagonist in this chapter. It had the feeling of “Sesame Street visits the Lost Lands.” I expected Big Bird to tackle the troll with hugs and kisses. It is juvenile and seems more designed for elementary school children. However, this chapter is not designed for children. The activities are the same as in the main chapter and some of the puzzles are somewhat difficult. Most children could not solve these puzzles. So why the developer made this chapter into one which seems more designed for children is beyond me. There are ten (10) puzzles and three HOP scenes. I also thought the ending was somewhat abrupt. I believe the developer wants the player to either come to his/her own conclusion on the ending or is setting up a sequel to this game. This is the only part of the game I truly disliked; however, again, it did not offset my enjoyment of the game.
HOP SCENES AND MINI-GAMES: This game is puzzle intense and they are somewhat difficult as well. I play games for the puzzles and this game has oodles of them. I counted sixty-one (61) mini-games, and all are superb. Twenty-two (22) of the mini-games can be replayed upon completion of the game along with eight puzzles. Many are on the easier side; however, there are some challenging ones as well. Kudos to the developer for designing some new, innovative puzzles and not regurgitating the same ones from other games. Some of the puzzles are repeated within the same scene, especially toward the end of the game. Several of the puzzles are repeated three (3) or four (4) times, increasing in difficulty. However, I did enjoy replaying the repeated mini-games as they increased in difficulty.
As with most Five-BN games, there are not as many HOP scenes. However, there are more than in their previous games. I feel they are better designed as well. I counted twenty-one (21) scenes of various types. Unfortunately, there is no ability to replay any of the HOP scenes. In past games, this developer had only silhouette items which, once located, were returned, and used, within the same scene. This game has more variety in the scenes. There are silhouette scenes; however, there are also lists of items, matching, rebus clues, fragment scenes, and search and replace scenes.
SPOILERS: HERE ARE A FEW OF MY FAVORITE PUZZLES FROM THE 61 WITHIN THE GAME:
A. Tangram puzzle. Place board pieces into position to create a bridge on a scaffold. 3X
B. Switch puzzle. Slide animal tokens along paths leading them to the background of their suitable habitats.
C. Maze/Strategy puzzle. Move a gold token from one end of a maze to the other opening gates where possible and using other tokens to open them as well. Some tokens will open gates where others will not.
D. Weights and Balances puzzle. Place 8 weights on two sides of a scale (4 on each side) so they balance.
E. Strategy puzzle. Move heads for statues so each head is on top of its proper statue body. Plot a course moving rows back and forth, dropping the heads. Plot so that the heads end up on the proper body. (Repeated 4 times)
F. Rotate obelisks so they are situated as per a given prophecy.
G. Connection puzzle. Connect dots on a grid in the desert to summon the sand spirit.
FINAL PUZZLES – All are repeated through the final scenes.
H. Beam of light/mirror puzzle. Move stones with light emanating from them so all blue stones are lit.
I. Click on skulls so that all light up. Clicking on a skull will either light or turn off all those next to it.
J. Click on colored stones to move them so all are within their matching, colored slots. Stones will continue moving until they hit another stone or wall.
K. Move yellow chains so each yellow square is covered by a part of the chain.
BONUS CHAPTER:
L. Jigsaw puzzle. Place pieces into position to restore a stained-glass window.
M. Connect flowers within a grid so all pathways are connected without retracing steps. Also avoid obstacles (knives).
B. Switch puzzle. Slide animal tokens along paths leading them to the background of their suitable habitats.
C. Maze/Strategy puzzle. Move a gold token from one end of a maze to the other opening gates where possible and using other tokens to open them as well. Some tokens will open gates where others will not.
D. Weights and Balances puzzle. Place 8 weights on two sides of a scale (4 on each side) so they balance.
E. Strategy puzzle. Move heads for statues so each head is on top of its proper statue body. Plot a course moving rows back and forth, dropping the heads. Plot so that the heads end up on the proper body. (Repeated 4 times)
F. Rotate obelisks so they are situated as per a given prophecy.
G. Connection puzzle. Connect dots on a grid in the desert to summon the sand spirit.
FINAL PUZZLES – All are repeated through the final scenes.
H. Beam of light/mirror puzzle. Move stones with light emanating from them so all blue stones are lit.
I. Click on skulls so that all light up. Clicking on a skull will either light or turn off all those next to it.
J. Click on colored stones to move them so all are within their matching, colored slots. Stones will continue moving until they hit another stone or wall.
K. Move yellow chains so each yellow square is covered by a part of the chain.
BONUS CHAPTER:
L. Jigsaw puzzle. Place pieces into position to restore a stained-glass window.
M. Connect flowers within a grid so all pathways are connected without retracing steps. Also avoid obstacles (knives).
I recommend this game!