sunnyglow's Profile
Stat Summary
- Average Rating:4.3
- Helpful Votes:80,068
- Reviews Submitted:758
- First Review:November 27, 2011
- Most Recent Review:September 12, 2024
- Featured reviews0
Status:
Can you save Redwood National Park before it’s too late?
Overall rating
4
/
5
84 of 148 found this review helpful
GIVE A HOOT DON'T POLLUTE
PostedJanuary 13, 2022
sunnyglow
fromFrom Flora to Fauna! As people change into plants in this game, Amanda Jones changes careers. Beginning the game as prize-winning botanist, by the end of the game she has changed her career to that of a biologist.
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
REVIEW BASED UPON THE ENTIRE GAME
4 Chapters Plus a Bonus Chapter – Strategy Guide: 69 pages
4 Chapters Plus a Bonus Chapter – Strategy Guide: 69 pages
Give a hoot and don’t pollute as you join Amanda Jones’ trek through Redwood Forest. As Amanda, you have been asked to investigate plants which look like humans and contain human DNA. However, as you investigate, you discover this forest is on the brink of ecological disaster. With the help of owl-clad Children of the Forest and a sheriff, search for culprits involved in illegal logging of the majestic sequoias, and poachers stealing the magical animals from the forest. And, hopefully, you can return those vegetative humans back into their human form. And this game proves it is not easy being green! Just ask Kermit the Frog, the human plants in this game, or any ecologist!
This is a fantastic game for HOP lovers, ecologists, and animal lovers! This game has more HOP scenes than mini-games. It is chock full of flora and fauna and the activities are thematic, with trees and animals galore. I did not especially care for this game. The story did not interest me. However, although the story was not to my taste, it is a creatively designed game. There are two collectibles, morphing objects and animals. I found the animals well-hidden in scenes. There are two of each type of collectible in each scene. The animals collected are exchanged for five (5) forest animals and opens an additional HOP scene upon completion of the game. This HOP scene can be replayed with new lists of items each time.
There are two gimmicks in the game, glasses, and Gray the dog. The player receives a pair of glasses which are used upon locating an animal. Using the glasses, the player searches for fragments which combine to create an item which provides a narrative to further the storyline. At the end of the narrative, the player receives an animal power such as falcon vision or bear strength. There are five (5) scenes like this in the game. The other gimmick, Gray the dog, is not used that often. He sits in the inventory and is used to dig up buried items.
There are two gimmicks in the game, glasses, and Gray the dog. The player receives a pair of glasses which are used upon locating an animal. Using the glasses, the player searches for fragments which combine to create an item which provides a narrative to further the storyline. At the end of the narrative, the player receives an animal power such as falcon vision or bear strength. There are five (5) scenes like this in the game. The other gimmick, Gray the dog, is not used that often. He sits in the inventory and is used to dig up buried items.
MECHANICS:
• Four (4) levels of play including a customized version.
• 15 achievements.
• Collect 52 animals which unlock 5 animals in the forest and another HOP scene which can be played with a series of lists.
• Collect 52 morphing objects.
• 10 wallpapers and 5 screensavers along with concept art, music, and video sequences
• Gimmicky glasses use with animals you locate throughout the game.
• Helper Gray the Dog – used to dig up inventory items
• Replay 17 HOP scenes and 13 mini games
• 15 achievements.
• Collect 52 animals which unlock 5 animals in the forest and another HOP scene which can be played with a series of lists.
• Collect 52 morphing objects.
• 10 wallpapers and 5 screensavers along with concept art, music, and video sequences
• Gimmicky glasses use with animals you locate throughout the game.
• Helper Gray the Dog – used to dig up inventory items
• Replay 17 HOP scenes and 13 mini games
BONUS CHAPTER: It is a sequel. You, as Amanda Jones, are the new park director. You have restored the beauty of the park. However, a storm is brewing, a typhoon. You must save your Aunt Tina and her group who are unaware of the impending storm. I found this chapter equal in quality to the main game. There are six (6) HOP scenes and five (5) mini-games. I found it a nice addition to the game and provides a nice ending to the game. Continue to collect the collectibles within the chapter.
HOP SCENES: There are nineteen (19) scenes in the game, seventeen (17) of which can be replayed upon completion of the game. The scenes consist of standard lists of items, matching and silhouette. However, there are also scenes in which items are placed into the scene in the proper location and scenes with a narrative containing items in highlighted letters which are to be located in various formats.. I found most blasé and nondescript. They are the same as those found in most games. I did not find any which I would consider exceptional in design.
MINI-GAMES: For me, the best part of this game are the mini-games! There are seventeen (17) mini-puzzles, thirteen (13) of which can be replayed upon completion of the game. Surprisingly, this developer has included more puzzles which can be played in two different levels of difficulty – casual and hard. I am happy to see this developer providing this option for those who want a little more challenge in playing a game.
SPOILERS: HERE ARE SOME OF THE MNI-GAMES AFTER THE DEMO:
A. Casual/ Hard. Assembly puzzle. Move colored liquids between test tubes so that each tube contains liquid of the same color. Transfer liquid between the tubes. There are 2 extra tubes to store liquid in.
B. Alignment puzzle. Using knobs on a monitor, synchronize 3 sine waves on the monitor.
C. Casual/ Hard. Connection puzzle. Light up fuses on a diamond-shaped grid according to the numbers near them. The fuses lit surrounding each number should match the number
D. Casual Hard. Knight Chess Puzzle. Use buttons with directions on them to pass a target through all cells. The movements are the same “L” shaped moves made by a knight in a chess game.
BONUS CHAPTER:
E. Maze puzzle. Get out of a forest through the limited vision of a telescope, locating items to help you overcome obstacles
F. Checkers puzzle. Exchange the position of 3 red flames on the left and 3 blue flames on the right. Flames can jump over each other to a free space or move to a free space.
B. Alignment puzzle. Using knobs on a monitor, synchronize 3 sine waves on the monitor.
C. Casual/ Hard. Connection puzzle. Light up fuses on a diamond-shaped grid according to the numbers near them. The fuses lit surrounding each number should match the number
D. Casual Hard. Knight Chess Puzzle. Use buttons with directions on them to pass a target through all cells. The movements are the same “L” shaped moves made by a knight in a chess game.
BONUS CHAPTER:
E. Maze puzzle. Get out of a forest through the limited vision of a telescope, locating items to help you overcome obstacles
F. Checkers puzzle. Exchange the position of 3 red flames on the left and 3 blue flames on the right. Flames can jump over each other to a free space or move to a free space.
I recommend this game!
Two people are in danger and are awaiting you to help them!
Overall rating
4
/
5
109 of 206 found this review helpful
I SEE A BAD MOON ARISING FOR THESE STAR-CROSSED LOVERS
PostedJanuary 6, 2022
sunnyglow
fromSeems like weddings are in store for the couples in this game. Bet this kingdom has some wonderful “furtographers” to capture those special moonlit nights!
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
I SEE A BAD MOON ARISING FOR THESE STAR-CROSSED LOVERS
REVIEW BASED UPON THE ENTIRE GAME
3 Chapters Plus a Bonus Chapter – Strategy Guide: 47 pages (My Time – 7 Hours)
3 Chapters Plus a Bonus Chapter – Strategy Guide: 47 pages (My Time – 7 Hours)
Travel to the village of Bamberg, a village nestled in the woods, known for its coven of witches and a legendary werewolf. Join sweethearts, Riviera, a healer-in-training, and her beau, Mark, an alchemist, as they join forces to battle a misguided witch hunter, Gregor, who sees Riviera as a witch-in-training instead. Complications arise when Mark is attacked by a werewolf, finding himself under the curse of the werewolf as well. This is another good game with an decent story which has some twists and turns and surprising evildoers as well.
Play both Mark and Riviera as they tag team, taking turns saving each other in this game. When one finds themselves imprisoned or injured, the other is off to the rescue. Domini provides more game for the money and this one is no exception. This game follows the same pattern as their other games. There are three collectibles, morphing statues of monsters, feathers to add to dreamcatchers, and potions which can be exchanged for items to outfit a witch’s hut. I found most easy to locate. There is an indicator bar at the left side of the screen lights up when an item is within the scene.
It appears Domini is making some improvements to their games. I welcome the fact that Domini now has an arrow which can be clicked to return to the previous scene. The pace is excellent for the most part; however, I did find some parts toward the end dragged. In my opinion, some of the last sections of the game should have been cut. I realize that this developer probably wanted to showcase some HOP scenes and mini-games; however, I do believe the plot became overcomplicated and the game should have ended sooner than it did. To me, it seemed there was a lot of filler, running to-and-fro searching for inventory to use in another location to get yet even more inventory items.
It appears Domini is making some improvements to their games. I welcome the fact that Domini now has an arrow which can be clicked to return to the previous scene. The pace is excellent for the most part; however, I did find some parts toward the end dragged. In my opinion, some of the last sections of the game should have been cut. I realize that this developer probably wanted to showcase some HOP scenes and mini-games; however, I do believe the plot became overcomplicated and the game should have ended sooner than it did. To me, it seemed there was a lot of filler, running to-and-fro searching for inventory to use in another location to get yet even more inventory items.
STRATEGY GUIDE ERROR: For some reason, Domini has occasional problems with the strategy guides for their games. I always check the guide to see if I have all the collectibles. This game is missing the scenes “E” and “F” illustrating the collectibles and the pictures on the last page of the strategy guide are out of order.
MECHANICS:
• Four (4) levels of play including a customized version.
• 39 achievements.
• Collect 15 morphing figurines and 15 feathers to decorate dreamcatchers
• Collect 70 potions to exchange for items to outfit a witch’s hut
• 11 wallpapers along with concept art, music, and video sequences
• Replay 18 HOP scenes and 17 mini-games
• Four (4) levels of play including a customized version.
• 39 achievements.
• Collect 15 morphing figurines and 15 feathers to decorate dreamcatchers
• Collect 70 potions to exchange for items to outfit a witch’s hut
• 11 wallpapers along with concept art, music, and video sequences
• Replay 18 HOP scenes and 17 mini-games
BONUS CHAPTER: It is a sequel, years after the main game. After settling down to wedded bliss, Mark and Riviera, have a daughter, Canissa, who is preparing to marry Prince Wolfus. However, on the day of the wedding, Canissa is abducted by a wolf. As Prince Wolfus, you are off to rescue your bride. I found this a decent bonus game. There are five (5) HOP scenes and seven (7) mini-games. There is an incredibly beautiful HOP scene in this chapter, one which features bird nests with a wide array of colorful eggs. To me, this is chapter well-worth the collector’s edition designation.
HOP SCENES: There are eighteen (18) HOP scenes, all of which can be replayed upon completion of the game. A thematic Match-3 game can be played instead of the scenes. Although they are best-known for their puzzles, in my opinion, Domini provides the most creatively designed HOP scenes of all the other vendors. There is a wide variety of different styles, and all are thematic and highly interactive. My favorite scene is one in which three colored lenses provide three different scenes. This scene usually has the player searching for items; however, in this scene, the player must return items back into the scene and determine which scene the item should be located. I found this one somewhat challenging.
MINI-GAMES: There are twenty-five (25) mini-games, seventeen (17) of which can be replayed upon completion of the game. However, one of the puzzles, a map puzzle which has the player choosing paths to take throughout the town contains three additional puzzles within it. As in other games, most of the puzzles can be played in either an easy or hard version.
SPOILERS: HERE ARE SOME OF THE MINI-GAMES FROM THE GAME: (E = Easy; H = Hard)
A. E/H. Maze/Gear puzzle. Move an owl along the paths of a maze using gears to change the paths. Some paths may need to be revisited several times The hard version has more gears within the maze.
B. E/H. Sequence puzzle. Play a melody on a harp by plucking strings sequentially using hints written in a music book. If correct, you will fill in one musical item on the side of the harp. In the easy version there are 3 to locate and in the hard version there are 5.
C. E/H. Connection puzzle. On a stained-glass window, move a bee so it passes through each square once without retracing steps. The hard version requires formulating a more complex path to cover each square
D. E/H. Assembly puzzle. Move funnels into position to allow a stream of sap to flow down a tree trunk and into a container. The easy version has more funnels within the proper position whereas the hard version has them well-jumbled
E. Climb every mountain. Scale up a cliff by moving hand and feet icons to spots on the cliff. 4X
F. Bullseye. Adjust 2 bullseyes so they connect with each other using 3 sliders to adjust them. 3X
G. Matching puzzle. Locate 54 pairs of inedible berries.
H. E/H. Connection puzzle. Move stair steps back and forth so that lines imprinted upon them connect bowls at the bottom with 2 at the top of the grid. The easy version has 3 bowls at the bottom and the hard has 4 at the bottom.
BONUS CHAPTER:
I. E/H. Pull on colored cords up-and-down until each one aligns with a matching, colored circle on the left side of the grid. Moving one cords affects the others. The easy version has 5 cords, and the hard version has 7.
J. E/H. Matching puzzle. Rotate a circular grid on a tree so that gears with cutouts can fit on top of the shapes on the grid. The easy version has 8 of reach and the hard version has 10.
K. Paint by Number. Paint a picture as per a given diagram.
B. E/H. Sequence puzzle. Play a melody on a harp by plucking strings sequentially using hints written in a music book. If correct, you will fill in one musical item on the side of the harp. In the easy version there are 3 to locate and in the hard version there are 5.
C. E/H. Connection puzzle. On a stained-glass window, move a bee so it passes through each square once without retracing steps. The hard version requires formulating a more complex path to cover each square
D. E/H. Assembly puzzle. Move funnels into position to allow a stream of sap to flow down a tree trunk and into a container. The easy version has more funnels within the proper position whereas the hard version has them well-jumbled
E. Climb every mountain. Scale up a cliff by moving hand and feet icons to spots on the cliff. 4X
F. Bullseye. Adjust 2 bullseyes so they connect with each other using 3 sliders to adjust them. 3X
G. Matching puzzle. Locate 54 pairs of inedible berries.
H. E/H. Connection puzzle. Move stair steps back and forth so that lines imprinted upon them connect bowls at the bottom with 2 at the top of the grid. The easy version has 3 bowls at the bottom and the hard has 4 at the bottom.
BONUS CHAPTER:
I. E/H. Pull on colored cords up-and-down until each one aligns with a matching, colored circle on the left side of the grid. Moving one cords affects the others. The easy version has 5 cords, and the hard version has 7.
J. E/H. Matching puzzle. Rotate a circular grid on a tree so that gears with cutouts can fit on top of the shapes on the grid. The easy version has 8 of reach and the hard version has 10.
K. Paint by Number. Paint a picture as per a given diagram.
I recommend this game!
A mysterious bartender gives extraordinary guidance to those in need.
Overall rating
5
/
5
101 of 184 found this review helpful
ELEPHANT IS ON THE RIGHT PATH WITH THIS INNOVATIVE NEW SERIES
PostedDecember 30, 2021
sunnyglow
fromIs this game Elephant’s salvation? Hopefully, Elephant will continue down this path, giving the player more choices as to the direction their games will take.
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object
REVIEW BASED UPON THE ENTIRE GAME
4 Chapters Plus a Bonus Chapter – Strategy Guide: 30 pages (My Time: 5 Hours)
4 Chapters Plus a Bonus Chapter – Strategy Guide: 30 pages (My Time: 5 Hours)
Feeling you are going down the wrong path in life? Are you finding yourself at a crossroads? Do you need direction as to how to solve dilemmas about your life? You may find salvation at the Crossroads Bar, a place situated between nowhere and everywhere. You hostess will be Mistress Eve, who, with a flick of her quill, will try to rewrite the story of your life without changing your fate.
For me, this is one of the best games Elephant has produced. Hopefully, this is not a one-game series as I would love to see more games forthcoming. I loved playing this game and it is different from anything they have done in the past. It is nice to see Elephant Games move in a new direction and try their hand at something different than detective stories and sugary tales of love and romance. I never replay HOPA games; however, this is one I will replay to increase my score in the game!
The story is well-written. There are three different tales portrayed in a comic book setting. The subject, a social worker who is suffering from erroneous decisions he made in his life, is taken into the world of comics where he must meet three trials to see if he can succeed in redeeming himself and choosing a path to redemption. There are three (3) comic book tales, and the player can play them in any order he chooses. This game reminds me somewhat of the “Creepshow” franchise.
What I enjoy the most in this game is the ability to make choices which influence how the game will proceed. The choices will not significantly change the game framework, but it will change it slightly. At the end of the game, the player is evaluated as to his success. The player is also allowed to return to each of the comic book tales and try to better his score.
There are two collectibles, puzzle pieces and comic books. I found both easy to locate within the game. The puzzles pieces provide a jigsaw puzzle to complete at the end of the game and the comic books provide a narrative concerning Mistress Eve and how she was able to become a source to guide mortals to the right path. I did not find this game scary nor a psychological thriller. To me, it is more of a morality tale of redemption.
MECHANICS:
• Four (4) levels of play including a customized version.
• 12 achievements. Some with multiple parts
• Collect 24 puzzle pieces and 12 comic books
• 6 wallpapers and screenshots, along with concept art, music, and video sequences
• Secret room which contains a jigsaw puzzle to complete upon the end of the game.
• Expedition Room which allows the player to return to scenes and locate missing collectibles
• Archives room which contains 13 HOP scenes and 13 Mini-games which can be replayed.
• 12 achievements. Some with multiple parts
• Collect 24 puzzle pieces and 12 comic books
• 6 wallpapers and screenshots, along with concept art, music, and video sequences
• Secret room which contains a jigsaw puzzle to complete upon the end of the game.
• Expedition Room which allows the player to return to scenes and locate missing collectibles
• Archives room which contains 13 HOP scenes and 13 Mini-games which can be replayed.
BONUS CHAPTER: Mistress Eve’s quill, one which she uses to write stories to rectify the lives of humans, has disappeared. Play this deity of balance as she tries to retrieve this quill which has fallen into the wrong hands of one of the comic world’s denizens. The comic world is in chaos with stories and scenes being switched. The perpetrator is in trouble as well. Help her restore order to the world of comics. This is a nice addition to the game and sets up the next story in the series. (And I do hope there is another game in this series). There are five (5) HOP scenes and six (6) mini-games.
HOP SCENES: It is always difficult for me to define what Elephant considers a HOP scene. Some of their “scenes” consist of no more than searches for six or less items which I call “mini-HOP” scenes. However, I counted sixteen (16) which I consider standard HOP scenes, thirteen (13) of which can be replayed upon completion of the game. For me, these are some of the best scenes I have seen from Elephant. There are some creatively designed scenes within the game. In one, the player uses binoculars to search for items. Another scene uses cars on a Ferris Wheel which move into position for the player to search for items within them.
MINI-GAMES: There are seventeen (17) mini-games, thirteen (13) of which can be replayed upon completion of the game. There are not as many mini-games as in other games; however, for me, I would rather play a creatively designed game which has a good story and a good pace than one which is heavy laden with puzzles and is boring and slow-paced.
SPOILERS: HERE ARE SOME OF THE MINI-GAMES AFTER DEMO: (IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER AS THE 3 CHAPTERS CAN BE PLAYED IN ANY ORDER)
A. Maze puzzle. Move a car down a road avoiding trees and obstacles within its path.
B. Escape puzzle. Lead a comic book character out of a grid by moving one space-at-a-time avoiding evil skeletons in her path.
C. Switch puzzle. Switch origami animals so their shadows match up with the stained-glass figures on a window.
BONUS CHAPTER
D. Rotating disks puzzle. Rotate 3 disks to restore an image.
E. Strategy puzzle. On a diamond-shaped grid, press on buttons on the grid to light them up so that the number of lights surrounding each button matches the number next to it.
F. Card game puzzle. Play a card game where both you and the dealer expose your cards at the same time and the higher card wins. Play until your 5 cards of good qualities defeats your opponent’s bad quality cards.
G. Switch puzzle. Switch pipe pieces to restore water flow within a water system.
B. Escape puzzle. Lead a comic book character out of a grid by moving one space-at-a-time avoiding evil skeletons in her path.
C. Switch puzzle. Switch origami animals so their shadows match up with the stained-glass figures on a window.
BONUS CHAPTER
D. Rotating disks puzzle. Rotate 3 disks to restore an image.
E. Strategy puzzle. On a diamond-shaped grid, press on buttons on the grid to light them up so that the number of lights surrounding each button matches the number next to it.
F. Card game puzzle. Play a card game where both you and the dealer expose your cards at the same time and the higher card wins. Play until your 5 cards of good qualities defeats your opponent’s bad quality cards.
G. Switch puzzle. Switch pipe pieces to restore water flow within a water system.
I recommend this game!
Can you uncover who’s behind the haunting of the McKirk estate?
Overall rating
4
/
5
122 of 189 found this review helpful
DECK THE HALLS WITH MURDER
PostedDecember 23, 2021
sunnyglow
fromDeck the halls with murder? While you are eating your Christmas turkey or goose, remember somebody committed a murder most “fowl!”
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
REVIEW BASED UPON THE ENTIRE GAME
5 Chapters Plus a Bonus Chapter – Strategy Guide: 47 pages (My Time: 5 Hours)
5 Chapters Plus a Bonus Chapter – Strategy Guide: 47 pages (My Time: 5 Hours)
Super sleuth, Sharlotte Holmes, (Sherlock’s copycat relative), returns in another whodunit! Discover who is behind a rash of robberies at an old English manor, the McKirk Estate. Are ghosts involved, or could there be a less ethereal, flesh-and-blood culprit behind the missing McKirk jewels? Unfortunately, this case will develop into more than theft - find yourself investigating a murder as well. Can ghosts commit murder? Enjoy your romp in the English countryside as you deal with the estate’s conniving butler and rude staff. Watch out for "ghosts" as well!
This is a nice relaxing game for detectives of all ages. This is an “okay” game. I use the word, “okay,” because there is nothing spectacular nor sensational about this game; however, it is a decent game. For me, it is a nice change from the overabundance of sugary, glittery Christmas fare. I welcomed playing a game which did not reek of angels, goody two-shoe elves, Rudolf, Santa, nor a ton of tempting pictures of high-calorie, sugary delights. After being “over-glitterized,” and Christmas caroled to death, having a good detective game to play was a nice change of pace and a treat!
The game has the same format as Elephant’s other games. There are two collectibles, detective paraphernalia, and puzzle pieces which produce a picture at the end of the game. I found the picture pieces easy to locate; however, it seems that this developer along several others have begun designing collectibles which appear smaller and smaller within the scenes - in other words, hard to see. I realize this is a detective game; however, I don’t’ want to use a magnifying glass to search for collectibles, nor do I wish to go blind. Again, I make my plea to this developer to please make those collectibles easier to see within the scenes. The game is short, but I feel it has a good pace throughout. It is not the best game this developer has produced; however, it is a decent game and a nice whodunit for those who enjoy this type of game.
BONUS CHAPTER: Detective Holmes is off on another case involving a hotel, the Tower Bridge Guest House, which may be housing some criminal elements. Uncover the secrets of this guest house. I uncovered a chapter which is identical to the main game. Continue to search for the hard-to-see collectibles. There are four (4) HOP scenes plus a few mini-HOP scenes with searches for six items. There are five (5) mini-games. Personally, I had a difficult time assessing what the story was about in this chapter. To me, there seems to be a lack of clarification of the storyline at the beginning of the chapter.
MECHANICS:
• Four (4) levels of play including a customized version.
• 19 achievements.
• Collect 12 items belonging to Sharlotte Holmes.
• Collect 23 puzzle pieces which create a picture upon completion of the game.
• 7 wallpapers along with concept art, music, and video sequences
• Expedition room allows the player to return to scenes to retrieve missed collectibles.
• Replay 13 HOP scenes and 13 mini-games hidden within the Archives room.
• Four (4) levels of play including a customized version.
• 19 achievements.
• Collect 12 items belonging to Sharlotte Holmes.
• Collect 23 puzzle pieces which create a picture upon completion of the game.
• 7 wallpapers along with concept art, music, and video sequences
• Expedition room allows the player to return to scenes to retrieve missed collectibles.
• Replay 13 HOP scenes and 13 mini-games hidden within the Archives room.
HOP SCENES: There thirteen (13) HOP scenes, all of which can be replayed upon completion of the game. In my opinion, they are standard fare, lackluster in comparison to those from other developers. They include scenes with standard lists of items, silhouette scenes, story centered scenes which flush out the story behind the game, and matching scenes. There are also quite a few mini-HOP scenes with searches for six items.
MINI-GAMES: There are twenty (20) mini-games, thirteen (13) which can be replayed upon completion of the game. They are easy puzzles and ones which have appeared in other games in one variation or another. I thought two were somewhat creative. I enjoyed an escape puzzle in which the player must encircle a fishing rod with a net so it cannot escape the grid. The net has squares which cover several squares of the grid. I thought that was a unique approach to this puzzle. The other I enjoyed is a connection puzzle in which the player must recreate a given image by connecting dots within the grid to defeat a criminal. However, overall, I was not enthralled with puzzles within the game.
SPOILERS: HERE ARE SOME OF THE MINI-GAMES AFTER THE DEMO:
A. Gear puzzle. Switch gears which have picture fragments on them, so they restore the complete image.
B. Assembly puzzle. Create medicine by following given instructions. 3X
C. Block puzzle. Create a path for a fastener to reach the end of a grid by pushing blocks out of the way to create a path.
D. Switch puzzle. Switch two rows of clamps (8 on each side) so that each two which face each other mesh.
E. Escape puzzle. Surround a fishing rod in the “water” by using a net to enclose it so it cannot escape. The net will close off squares within the grid There are only 6 moves to trap the item so it cannot escape
F. Connection Puzzle. Create a given pattern on a grid with dots. If you fail 3 times the game restarts. 6 images
BONUS CHAPTER:
G. Sequence puzzle. Move gems on a peacock to the top of the plumage so that all are on top. Moving one affects the others.
H. Picture puzzle. Rotate and place hexagonal picture fragments into position to restore a picture on a hexagonal shaped grid.
I. Chess puzzle. Use a knight to defeat a queen on a chessboard. 2X
B. Assembly puzzle. Create medicine by following given instructions. 3X
C. Block puzzle. Create a path for a fastener to reach the end of a grid by pushing blocks out of the way to create a path.
D. Switch puzzle. Switch two rows of clamps (8 on each side) so that each two which face each other mesh.
E. Escape puzzle. Surround a fishing rod in the “water” by using a net to enclose it so it cannot escape. The net will close off squares within the grid There are only 6 moves to trap the item so it cannot escape
F. Connection Puzzle. Create a given pattern on a grid with dots. If you fail 3 times the game restarts. 6 images
BONUS CHAPTER:
G. Sequence puzzle. Move gems on a peacock to the top of the plumage so that all are on top. Moving one affects the others.
H. Picture puzzle. Rotate and place hexagonal picture fragments into position to restore a picture on a hexagonal shaped grid.
I. Chess puzzle. Use a knight to defeat a queen on a chessboard. 2X
I recommend this game!
Bring an end to the Swamp Witch’s terror!
Overall rating
5
/
5
127 of 200 found this review helpful
OFF ON A WITCH HUNT TO DRAIN THE SWAMP
PostedDecember 18, 2021
sunnyglow
fromThis game proves that nothing is worse than a witch with a bad attitude! These two witches woke up (resurrected) on the wrong side of the broom!
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: 45 pages (My Time: 7 Hours)
3 Chapters Plus a Bonus Chapter – Strategy Guide: 45 pages (My Time: 7 Hours)
Get your amulets charged and head off to the town of Liberville to partake in a witch hunt in this premiere game in a new series. Play a royal advisor to the king who investigates unusual happenings within the kingdom. In this game, you will get two witches for the price of one – a pretty, nasty one in the main game and an ugly crone in the bonus chapter! Hopefully you can drain the swamp of these two hags causing chaos in the kingdom.
This game follows the same pattern as previous games from this developer. There are three collectibles, amulets, morphing witch’s belongings, and coins. I found most easy to locate; however, I did feel some were too small to be identified. I do hope Domini will enlarge the collectibles in future games. The coins are used to purchase items for a witch’s garden upon completion of the game. The stories are well-written for both the main game and the bonus chapter. I found the pace excellent with plenty of activities within this game. As always, Domini provides more game for the money with an incredible number of creatively designed puzzles and ingenious HOP scenes.
In summary, for the cost, and in comparing this game to other developers’ games, this game is well-worth the price for the entertainment value. For those who love puzzles (like me) these "puzzlemeisters" provide an exceptional number of creatively designed puzzles, most which can be played in an easy version for a light-hearted, easy, breezy game or in a hard version for those wanting more challenge. Although they are best-known for their puzzles design, I found the HOP scenes in this game ingeniously designed. This is my favorite designer and seldom am I disappointed in the quality of their games.
MECHANICS:
• Four (4) levels of play including a customized version.
• 38 achievements.
• Collect 15 amulets and 15 morphing witch’s belongings
• Collect 65 witch’s coins used to purchase items for a Witch’s Garden
• 10 wallpapers along with concept art, music, and video sequences
• Replay 18 HOP scenes and 18 mini-games
• 38 achievements.
• Collect 15 amulets and 15 morphing witch’s belongings
• Collect 65 witch’s coins used to purchase items for a Witch’s Garden
• 10 wallpapers along with concept art, music, and video sequences
• Replay 18 HOP scenes and 18 mini-games
BONUS CHAPTER: It is sequel. As the king’s advisor you are off to Rainville, a town plagued by bad weather, the result of another nasty witch out for revenge. This story is a continuation of the story from the main game. There are five (5) HOP scenes and seven (7) mini-games. I found the story a nice sequel to the original game with activities like those within the main game. This is a long chapter and a nice addition to the game.
HOP SCENES: There are eighteen (18) HOP scenes, all of which can be replayed upon completion of the game. Again, Domini provides more variety in creation of their HOP scenes than any other HOPA game designer. I have several favorites in this game. In one scene, the player must place items used to create a potion on the proper numbered squares. Another favorite of mine involves locating fluttering butterflies – just incredibly beautiful. Another has morphing frogs which I found amusing – Ribbit! Most have more than one scene in which to search for items and I loved one in which scenes are brought down using ropes.
MINI-GAMES: There are twenty-seven (27) mini-games, eighteen (18) of which can be replayed upon completion of the game. Most can be played in an easy version for a hard version. This can bet set in the menu, but the difficulty can be changed if the puzzle proves to be too easy or too difficult.
SPOILERS: HERE ARE SOME OF THE 27 MINI-GAMES FROM THIS GAME: (E = Easy; H = Hard)
A. Assembly puzzle. Place boards into position to create a set of stairs with no gaps between the boards. Correctly placed, boards stay level.
B. E/H. Maze puzzle. Ride a horse. Ride a horse while avoiding obstacles in your path. Hard version has more obstacles blocking your path
C. E/H. Switch puzzle. On six circles, each with 4 flowers, rotate them so that flowers which are next to each other are the same. In the hard version, you must not only rotate the circles to match up the flower but you must switch the circles as well to get it to work properly.
D. E/H. Position gems on bracelets so they match up to a given image. Gems can move up-and-down on the bracelets using arrows. You can also switch gems within the same row. The easy version has 3 bracelets and the hard version has 4.
BONUS CHAPTER:
E. Map puzzle. Find a way out of a forest avoiding obstacles in your path. Pick up items along the way to help maneuver through the forest.
F. E/H. Connection puzzle. Use the rays of a lantern to scare away cave creatures. All pairs of eyes must be hit by the rays. The hard version has more eyes to connect to the rays of light
G. E/H. Sequence puzzle. Click on 4 lions in the proper sequence following a given guide. The hard version has a more complex sequence to follow.
H. E/H. Climb up a cliff to get to the top choosing the correct objects. If you choose wrong stone or stump, you restart. The hard version has more choices to ponder.
B. E/H. Maze puzzle. Ride a horse. Ride a horse while avoiding obstacles in your path. Hard version has more obstacles blocking your path
C. E/H. Switch puzzle. On six circles, each with 4 flowers, rotate them so that flowers which are next to each other are the same. In the hard version, you must not only rotate the circles to match up the flower but you must switch the circles as well to get it to work properly.
D. E/H. Position gems on bracelets so they match up to a given image. Gems can move up-and-down on the bracelets using arrows. You can also switch gems within the same row. The easy version has 3 bracelets and the hard version has 4.
BONUS CHAPTER:
E. Map puzzle. Find a way out of a forest avoiding obstacles in your path. Pick up items along the way to help maneuver through the forest.
F. E/H. Connection puzzle. Use the rays of a lantern to scare away cave creatures. All pairs of eyes must be hit by the rays. The hard version has more eyes to connect to the rays of light
G. E/H. Sequence puzzle. Click on 4 lions in the proper sequence following a given guide. The hard version has a more complex sequence to follow.
H. E/H. Climb up a cliff to get to the top choosing the correct objects. If you choose wrong stone or stump, you restart. The hard version has more choices to ponder.
I recommend this game!
Can you break a curse in time to save Christmas?
Overall rating
3
/
5
152 of 220 found this review helpful
ALL DRESSED UP FOR CHRISTMAS BUT LACKING THE SPIRIT
PostedDecember 16, 2021
sunnyglow
fromIf the second star to the right and straight on till morning takes you to Never Never Land, what is the route to Christmasland?
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
REVIEW BASED UPON THE ENTIRE GAME
4 Chapters Plus a Bonus Chapter – Strategy Guide: 34 pages (My Time: 7 Hours)
4 Chapters Plus a Bonus Chapter – Strategy Guide: 34 pages (My Time: 7 Hours)
You are off to Christmasland; however, your trip will not be filled with the warmth and merriment of the Christmas spirit. Your nephew, Peter Pan Junior, has contacted you as his last hope to save his land from a winter curse. This curse has caused the inhabitants to become angry and aggressive. Now with the help of your nephew and his pixie, you must try to restore the inhabitants to their former selves and the land to its congenial happiness.
This game is loosely based on the Peter Pan story with many of its characters taken from the original story. It is decked out in Christmas fare, but, to me, lacks the spirit of the season. I did enjoy the game and loved the whimsy of the adorable kittenish pixies; however, to me, this game has nothing to do with the spirit of Christmas. To me, it is more of a fairy tale game than a Christmas game. I also believe some might find it “surprising” that, according to the game, the Christmas holiday originated within this land and is the “reason for the season.”
This is not my favorite Christmas game this year and to me, not nearly as good as the other two games. I was shocked this was designated as an editor’s choice game. I found some of the HOP scenes were repeated and many are not well-designed. This is a long game; however, I also feel that there is a lot of filler to make the game longer. This filler made the game boring in some places. It did not get me into the Christmas spirit as the other games did. There is no Christmas background music nor message. The story has nothing to do with Christmas. Nevertheless, it is a good family game which can be enjoyed by everyone. Most of the puzzles are easy making it an easy play.
The game is set in the same format as other games by this developer. There are two collectibles, morphing stockings and pixies. Each scene has two of each. I found some difficult to locate and needed to search the strategy guide to locate some of those collectibles. At the end of the game if all collectibles are found, the player can play another HOP scene which is timed. There is helper in this game – a pixie which sits on the inventory bar and charges personal items with pixie dust to help restore good memories.
MECHANICS:
• Four (4) levels of play including a customized version.
• 26 achievements – some with 3 parts.
• Collect 50 morphing stockings and 50 pixies
• There are 2 collectibles within each scene.
• 6 wallpapers and 5 screensavers along with concept art, music, and video sequences
• Replay 17 HOP scenes and 10 Mini-games
• Helper pixie who sits at the left side of the inventory bar
• Four (4) levels of play including a customized version.
• 26 achievements – some with 3 parts.
• Collect 50 morphing stockings and 50 pixies
• There are 2 collectibles within each scene.
• 6 wallpapers and 5 screensavers along with concept art, music, and video sequences
• Replay 17 HOP scenes and 10 Mini-games
• Helper pixie who sits at the left side of the inventory bar
BONUS CHAPTER: It is a sequel. In celebration of Christmas, Junior wants to celebrate the holiday in grand fashion. Junior along this his two friends are each responsible for providing something to make the celebration fantastic. The chapter is divided into three (3) activities, one assigned to Junior and one each to his two friends, Amelia, and Fang. These chapter sections can be played in any order the player wishes. Amelia is responsible for providing the food, Fan is responsible for creating figurines used as presents, and you, as Junior, are responsible for creating an ice rink. I found this chapter creatively designed and I feel it does a better job of providing the Christmas spirit than the main game. There are ten (10) mini-games and seven (7) HOP scenes.
HOP SCENES: I had a difficult time ascertaining what this developer considers a HOP scene. I counted twenty-two (22) HOP scenes, seventeen (17) of which can be replayed upon completion of the game. There are also several mini-HOP scenes which have small number of items to be search for within the scenes. They are varied in style. I must admit some of the scenes are creatively designed. I loved the one with the farm animals and the bonus scene provided at the end of the game. There is a wide range of scenes such as lists of items, silhouette, matching, and rebus clues. There are scenes in which items are to be placed into the scene.
MINI-GAMES: There are forty-three (43) mini-games; however only ten (10) can be replayed at the end of the game. I cannot believe with all these mini-games in the game, the developer did not provide more for replay. Unbelievable! There are some which can be played in either a casual or hard version. However, for the most part, I found most of the puzzles easy. There is one repetitive slider puzzle which is used to narrate the story of the characters who have been affected by the winter curse. Sliders are switched to provide 3 different pictures for each of five (5) different characters. Each picture, once completed, provides a background narrative for the characters.
SPOILERS: HERE ARE SOME OF THE MIN-GAMES AFTER THE DEMO:
A. Casual/Hard Strategy puzzle. Arrange scarves on rows and columns so no row nor column contains the same color nor symbol. The casual version has 5 rows and 4 columns. The hard version has 5 rows and 5 columns
B. Mathematical puzzle. Find how many of each food item are needed to fill a basket by figuring out a given mathematical equation.
C. Assembly puzzle. Using logic, figure out the sequence and symmetry on each string of ornaments on a tree, then place given ornaments into position to fill empty spots.
D. Casual/Hard. Jigsaw puzzle. Assemble a map. The hard version has more pieces. Then plot a route based on given coordinates
E. Mirror puzzle. Click on lanterns so that the beams of lights radiating from them pass through each of 10 flowers
F. Connection puzzle. Pipe puzzle. Connect pipe segments so that water flows in an unbroken path from top left to bottom right
G. Maze puzzle. On a cryptex with 5 segments, rotate each segment to create a path for 3 tokens to reach their matching slots on the other end of the cryptex.
BONUS CHAPTER:
H. Rope puzzle. Move knots on a rope so that no parts of the rope touch each other.
I. Checkers puzzle. Switch sides between two sets of chips – 3 in each set – so that they are reversed in location. Tokens can only move by jumping over each other or moving one space at a time.
J. Switch puzzle. Switch books on a bookshelf so it matches a given setup on the bottom of the bookshelf
K. Paint-by-Number Puzzle. Paint 4 figures according to a given diagram
B. Mathematical puzzle. Find how many of each food item are needed to fill a basket by figuring out a given mathematical equation.
C. Assembly puzzle. Using logic, figure out the sequence and symmetry on each string of ornaments on a tree, then place given ornaments into position to fill empty spots.
D. Casual/Hard. Jigsaw puzzle. Assemble a map. The hard version has more pieces. Then plot a route based on given coordinates
E. Mirror puzzle. Click on lanterns so that the beams of lights radiating from them pass through each of 10 flowers
F. Connection puzzle. Pipe puzzle. Connect pipe segments so that water flows in an unbroken path from top left to bottom right
G. Maze puzzle. On a cryptex with 5 segments, rotate each segment to create a path for 3 tokens to reach their matching slots on the other end of the cryptex.
BONUS CHAPTER:
H. Rope puzzle. Move knots on a rope so that no parts of the rope touch each other.
I. Checkers puzzle. Switch sides between two sets of chips – 3 in each set – so that they are reversed in location. Tokens can only move by jumping over each other or moving one space at a time.
J. Switch puzzle. Switch books on a bookshelf so it matches a given setup on the bottom of the bookshelf
K. Paint-by-Number Puzzle. Paint 4 figures according to a given diagram
I recommend this game!
The bad kids are taking over the Polar Express!
Overall rating
5
/
5
134 of 248 found this review helpful
GET ON BOARD FOR A GOLDEN HOLIDAY ADVENTURE
PostedDecember 9, 2021
sunnyglow
fromHere's what we know about Santa. He sees you when you're sleeping. He knows when you're awake. He knows if you've been bad or good. I think he's with the NSA.
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
REVIEW BASED UPON THE ENTIRE GAME
7 Chapters Plus a Bonus Chapter – Strategy Guide: 64 pages (My Time: 7 Hours)
7 Chapters Plus a Bonus Chapter – Strategy Guide: 64 pages (My Time: 7 Hours)
Were you good or bad this year? If you were good (and we know you were), then board the Polar Express for a trainload of Christmas good cheer! Here is your golden ticket to experience an excellent game, one to usher in the holiday season. It is decked out in holiday cheer with snow, elves, reindeer, glistening Christmas trees, oodles of toys, and Santa, of course. This is a game which can be played by the entire family. Your help will be needed by Santa this year. He will have more than his share of headaches within this game as he battles some mean boys and a disgruntled elf. And always remember - Santa knows if you've been bad or good, "so be good for goodness sake!"
As usual, Domini does not disappoint with this game. They always provide more game for the money and this one is no exception. The graphics and musical background provide a game rich in the Christmas spirit. Bright and cheerful Christmas music (repeated "12 Days of Christmas" serenades throughout the game) sets the background for this game. The game has the same format as their previous games. There are three collectibles. The collectibles are morphing Christmas items, Christmas cards, and gingerbread cookies. After the game is completed, the player can read about holiday traditions in other parts of the world on the cards. I found this a nice touch. Upon completion of the game, the gingerbread cookies can be exchanged for items to decorate a boudoir with Christmas regalia.
MECHANICS:
• Four (4) levels of play including a customized version.
• 20 achievements.
• Collect 15 Christmas cards relating information about Christmas celebrations around the world
• Collect 15 morphing Christmas items
• Collect 70 gingerbread cookies to exchange to items to decorate a boudoir
• 15 wallpapers along with concept art, music, and video sequences
• Replay 18 HOP scenes and 19 mini-games
• 20 achievements.
• Collect 15 Christmas cards relating information about Christmas celebrations around the world
• Collect 15 morphing Christmas items
• Collect 70 gingerbread cookies to exchange to items to decorate a boudoir
• 15 wallpapers along with concept art, music, and video sequences
• Replay 18 HOP scenes and 19 mini-games
BONUS CHAPTER: Become Santa’s helper as you try to save Christmas from being destroyed by one of Santa’s disgruntled employees, an elf named Georgie. Time is of the essence as you try to keep Georgie from destroying elements which create Christmas magic. There are eight (8) mini-games and five (5) HOP scenes. I found this chapter a nice Christmassy addition to the game. For me, it is a worthy addition to make this game a collector’s edition.
HOP SCENES: There are eighteen (18) HOP scenes, all of which can be replayed upon completion of the game. The scenes are jam packed with Christmas items. They are varied in style. In my opinion, Domini provides some of the most ingenious and creatively designed HOP scenes. My favorite is one in which the player reads children’s letters to Santa Claus and then chooses the present alluded to in the letter. I also enjoyed searching for holiday desserts from around the world in one of the scenes. And as in previous games, a thematic Match-3 games can be played in lieu of the puzzles.
MINI-GAMES: There are twenty-eight (28) mini-games, nineteen (19) which can be replayed upon completion of the game. The majority can be played in either an easy or hard version. As in all their games you can choose the difficulty level in the menu; however, the difficulty can be changed while playing the puzzle. They are also varied in style, and the puzzles have been created to reflect the Christmas spirit of the game.
SPOILERS: HERE ARE 12 MINI-GAMES OF CHRISTMAS APPEARING AFTER THE DEMO: (E = Easy: H = Hard)
1. Partridge in a pear tree. Map puzzle. Lead a balloon through the air avoiding birds within the path. Choose between 4 paths at the proper moment
2. Turtle Doves. E/H. Block puzzle. Move a red candy to the right end of a lock. Open the blocked paths by moving green candies to create a path for the red candy. The hard version has 2 scenes to solve.
3. French Hens. E/H. Switch puzzle. Switch boards to restore a sign. In the easy version, the player can switch the 8 boards in any order while in the hard version, the boards can only be switched with adjoining boards.
4. Calling Birds. E/H. Sequence puzzle. Press on piano keys with notes imprinted on them so they match up sequentially with those on a sheet of music. The hard version has a longer sequence of notes
5. Gold rings. E/H. Sequence puzzle. Remove interconnected bars in sequential order. The easy version has 10 bars, and the hard version has 12.
6. Geese-a-Laying. Open 4 doors to 4 rooms and search for items which are out of place, then place them into their proper locations.
7. Swans-a-Swimming. E/H. Connection puzzle. Connect snowflakes in the proper sequence until all are connected. The harder version has more snowflakes to connect
8. Maids-a-Milking. E/H. Maze puzzle. Move keys along 5 different paths so each colored key matches up with is same-colored lock. The easy version has 4 keys and hard version has 5.
9. Ladies Dancing. E/H. Matching puzzle. On a circular grid with 3 rings, match up sets of 3 lights each which are the same color until all are lit. In the hard version, the rings of lights rotate after each move
10. Lords-a-Leaping. E/H. Checkers puzzle. Capture all your opponent’s tokens. Capture them by jumping over them. The hard version starts out with one more of your opponent’s token.
11. Pipers Piping. Sequence puzzle. Enter a 5-digit code using a dial on a circular grid to point to the items. The dial can be moved 3, 5, and 7 spaces either clockwise or counterclockwise.
12. Drummers Drumming. E/H. Sequence/Assembly puzzle. Select arrows to rotate and center crystal pieces to create a flower. Pieces must be placed in the proper sequence so all fit. The hard version has more pieces to assemble
2. Turtle Doves. E/H. Block puzzle. Move a red candy to the right end of a lock. Open the blocked paths by moving green candies to create a path for the red candy. The hard version has 2 scenes to solve.
3. French Hens. E/H. Switch puzzle. Switch boards to restore a sign. In the easy version, the player can switch the 8 boards in any order while in the hard version, the boards can only be switched with adjoining boards.
4. Calling Birds. E/H. Sequence puzzle. Press on piano keys with notes imprinted on them so they match up sequentially with those on a sheet of music. The hard version has a longer sequence of notes
5. Gold rings. E/H. Sequence puzzle. Remove interconnected bars in sequential order. The easy version has 10 bars, and the hard version has 12.
6. Geese-a-Laying. Open 4 doors to 4 rooms and search for items which are out of place, then place them into their proper locations.
7. Swans-a-Swimming. E/H. Connection puzzle. Connect snowflakes in the proper sequence until all are connected. The harder version has more snowflakes to connect
8. Maids-a-Milking. E/H. Maze puzzle. Move keys along 5 different paths so each colored key matches up with is same-colored lock. The easy version has 4 keys and hard version has 5.
9. Ladies Dancing. E/H. Matching puzzle. On a circular grid with 3 rings, match up sets of 3 lights each which are the same color until all are lit. In the hard version, the rings of lights rotate after each move
10. Lords-a-Leaping. E/H. Checkers puzzle. Capture all your opponent’s tokens. Capture them by jumping over them. The hard version starts out with one more of your opponent’s token.
11. Pipers Piping. Sequence puzzle. Enter a 5-digit code using a dial on a circular grid to point to the items. The dial can be moved 3, 5, and 7 spaces either clockwise or counterclockwise.
12. Drummers Drumming. E/H. Sequence/Assembly puzzle. Select arrows to rotate and center crystal pieces to create a flower. Pieces must be placed in the proper sequence so all fit. The hard version has more pieces to assemble
I recommend this game!
When Santa’s sleigh is damaged as he’s leaving the North Pole on Christmas night, only one person can save the holidays. You!
Overall rating
5
/
5
108 of 169 found this review helpful
WRAPPED UP WITH THE MAGICAL PRESENCE OF CHRISTMAS
PostedDecember 2, 2021
sunnyglow
fromAt the North Pole searching for reindeer, elves, toys, and children’s letters- all well hidden within Santa’s state of the art robotic workshop!
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Merry Christmas! Get ready to immerse yourself in the sights and sounds of Christmas. This is a festive game chock full of Christmas goodies. If this game does not get you into the holiday spirit, nothing will!
I do not play most HOP games, preferring HOPA games instead. I played my first game from this developer last year and became a “Winter Wonderland” aficionada. This game is as good as the one I played last year and has a similar format as well.
It is a long game jam-packed with all the beauty and merriment of the holiday season. One thing I like about this game are the extra goodies which are provided such as the wide array of Christmas songs and Christmas wallpapers. I love the Christmas songs playing in the background. The menu allows you to choose between twenty (20) Christmas songs to listen to. Do you want to add Christmas wallpaper to spruce up your computer? There are eighteen (18) beautiful wallpapers to choose from. This year there is an advent calendar with twenty-five (25) numbered slots to open throughout the game, each containing a present.
The game consists of a series of HOP scenes in which you search for items within a festive Christmas environment including Santa’s headquarters at the North Pole As you locate items, you are rewarded coins which can be used to purchase Christmas presents.
Within the HOP scenes there are gold angels and lost objects to locate. A photo must be taken within some of the scenes. There are also many interactive activities to engage in to find some of the items. The scenes are jam packed with items and I found some difficult to locate. You can earn three (3) stars for each scene played - one for finding all the angels, one of finding all the lost items and one for finding all the items listed. You can also earn eighteen (18) achievements.
Alternating between the HOP scenes is a puzzle. The puzzles are varied. There are various types of picture puzzles - jigsaw puzzles, flipsaw puzzles, and rotating tiles puzzles. There are also other puzzles such as matching, word searches, concentration puzzles, and spot-the-difference puzzles. There are forty-eight (48) additional puzzles which can be played at the end of the game. In this game you are timed.
MECHANICS:
• Three levels of play – Casual, Challenge, and Extreme
• 48 additional puzzles to play
• Collect coins to purchase 16 Christmas presents.
• Collect gold angels and lost items
• 18 Lost and Found items within the scenes
• 18 Achievements
• 18 Wallpapers
• 20 Christmas songs to choose form as background music
• Advent calendar with 25 days, each hiding a present
• 48 additional puzzles to play
• Collect coins to purchase 16 Christmas presents.
• Collect gold angels and lost items
• 18 Lost and Found items within the scenes
• 18 Achievements
• 18 Wallpapers
• 20 Christmas songs to choose form as background music
• Advent calendar with 25 days, each hiding a present
FINAL NOTE: This game provides a lot of gaming pleasure for the price. Kudos to Casual Arts for another fantastic Yuletide delight.
I recommend this game!
Can you stop a merciless arsonist from destroying San Francisco?
Overall rating
5
/
5
122 of 209 found this review helpful
A WONDERFUL THANKSGIVING WEEKEND SURPRISE!
PostedNovember 27, 2021
sunnyglow
fromWhat a happy Thanksgiving weekend surprise! No turkey here – just a fantastic holiday treat.
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 a Bonus Chapter – Strategy Guide: 52 pages (My Time – 10 Hours)
6 Chapters Plus a Bonus Chapter – Strategy Guide: 52 pages (My Time – 10 Hours)
Enjoy sleuthing your way through a new crime mystery series from Domini Games. Play a budding crime reporter out to get the scoop on bizarre and seemingly unsolvable cases, all while helping solve the crime. In the premiere episode, find yourself in San Francisco where an arsonist known as the Plague Doctor is out to exact revenge upon those whom he feels escaped punishment. This game will not only test your detective skills, it will also test your endurance skills as you solve numerous puzzles and tackle many HOP scenes as well.
Domini again provides an exceptional game and one which I feel is worth every penny I paid for it. I do not mind paying for quality and this game is a good example of what a HOPA game should be. This is a very long game chock full of puzzles and HOP scenes. This game is one of the longest HOPA games I have ever played.
The framework for this game is the same as in most of their games. Most of the puzzles have the option to be played in either a hard or easy version. The difficulty of the puzzles can be set in the menu but can be changed while playing the puzzle if it seems too easy or too difficult. There are three collectibles, one of which is exchanged to outfit some room or office. There is a sidebar which lights up when a collectible is within a scene.
The story is excellent; however, there is a lack of surprise as to the evildoer. The player will know who the evildoers are before the end of the game. The game is a period piece with graphics reflecting San Francisco in the early 1900’s. The three collectibles are newspaper clippings, morphing building figurines and stone tokens. Two of the collectibles alternate between scenes. The stone tokens can be exchanged for items to outfit a newspaper office.
FINAL NOTE: There were two HOPA games out this week, something rare nowadays. If I were going to choose only one to play, it would be this one. It is far superior in my opinion than the other game. It is another little gem from this developer. This is my favorite developer for HOPA games, and this game is illustrative of what a HOPA game should be.
MECHANICS:
• Four (4) levels of play including a customized version.
• 38 achievements.
• Collect 15 newspaper clippings and 15 morphing building figurines
• Collect 70 stone tokens to exchange for items to furnish an office
• 15 wallpapers along with concept art, music, and video sequences
• Replay 18 HOP scenes and 19 mini-games
• Four (4) levels of play including a customized version.
• 38 achievements.
• Collect 15 newspaper clippings and 15 morphing building figurines
• Collect 70 stone tokens to exchange for items to furnish an office
• 15 wallpapers along with concept art, music, and video sequences
• Replay 18 HOP scenes and 19 mini-games
BONUS CHAPTER: It is another story with the same crime reporter. This time you will travel to Quietown, New York to investigate the death of a recently divorced woman who finds herself in dire financial straits. After she borrows money from an unscrupulous moneylender, she ends up dead. Get some help from her ex-husband as you both try to discover who murdered her. This is a long chapter with five (5) HOP scenes and ten (10) mini-games. Continue to collect the three collectibles. This is an exceptional chapter and worthy of a collector’s edition designation.
HOP SCENES: There are eighteen (18) HOP scenes within the entire game. All can be replayed upon completion of the game. There is a variety of different styles. All are highly interactive, with some having puzzle-like aspects to them. For a developer who is best known for their mini-games, it should be noted they also provide some fantastic HOP scenes as well. Most of the scenes are standard lists of items, silhouette and those items which are located within a storybook setting. However, there are also matching scenes, cryptic clues scenes, spot the differences scenes, and search-and-replace scenes. My favorite is a scene in which items are located in sequential order, after which they are returned back within the scene to locate the next item on the list. And for those who dislike these scenes, Domini provides a thematic Match-3 game in lieu of the scenes.
MINI-GAMES: Domini does not disappoint in puzzle design. It always amazes me their genius in constructing puzzles which can be played in two different versions, easy or hard. Amazing! I counted thirty-four (34) puzzles within the game. However, there are a few instances when there are sequential puzzles, which I counted as one puzzle. Unfortunately, only nineteen (19) of these can be replayed upon completion of the game. I truly wish all could be replayed but understand the need for brevity in design.
SPOILERS: HERE ARE SOME OF THE 34 MINI-GAMES FROM THE GAME: (E = EASY; H = HARD)
A. E/H. Weights and Balances Puzzle. Place weighted spheres on pedestals arranging them from lightest to heaviest. The easy version has 4 spheres and the hard has 6.
B. E/H. Sequence Puzzle. Open drawers in a cabinet to locate items which are then placed back into the scene in slots on the drawers. Upon placing an item, the drawer opens to disclose another item. Continue until all items are placed. Find items in the hard version in the dark with only the light of a flashlight.
C. E/H. Switch puzzle. Switch pharmaceuticals and place them into the proper position on two shelves based upon clues on scraps of paper on the side. The easy version has 6 to switch and the hard has 8.
D. Map puzzle. Two-part puzzle. (1) Lead a horse through a path avoiding obstacles within its path. (2) Cross a street by moving the horse through oncoming car traffic.
E. E/H. Matching puzzle. Uncover leaves to match like symbols. The hard version has more leaves than the easy version.
F. E/H, Maze puzzle. Move an amulet to the other end of a grid by pressing piano keys – each one representing a direction and number of spaces it will move the amulet. The hard version has a more twisted path than the easy version.
BONUS CHAPTER:
G. E/H. Assembly puzzle. Jigsaw puzzle. Assemble a picture by placing fragments into position. Fragments turn green when placed correctly. The easy version provides an outline of the image the hard version does not have.
H. E/H, Rope puzzle. Untangle a rope so no parts cross each other. Move knots.
I. E/H, Sequence puzzle. Press levers up-and-down to match those on a given diagram. Moving one lever affects the others. The hard version has 6 levers and the easy has 4. 3X
B. E/H. Sequence Puzzle. Open drawers in a cabinet to locate items which are then placed back into the scene in slots on the drawers. Upon placing an item, the drawer opens to disclose another item. Continue until all items are placed. Find items in the hard version in the dark with only the light of a flashlight.
C. E/H. Switch puzzle. Switch pharmaceuticals and place them into the proper position on two shelves based upon clues on scraps of paper on the side. The easy version has 6 to switch and the hard has 8.
D. Map puzzle. Two-part puzzle. (1) Lead a horse through a path avoiding obstacles within its path. (2) Cross a street by moving the horse through oncoming car traffic.
E. E/H. Matching puzzle. Uncover leaves to match like symbols. The hard version has more leaves than the easy version.
F. E/H, Maze puzzle. Move an amulet to the other end of a grid by pressing piano keys – each one representing a direction and number of spaces it will move the amulet. The hard version has a more twisted path than the easy version.
BONUS CHAPTER:
G. E/H. Assembly puzzle. Jigsaw puzzle. Assemble a picture by placing fragments into position. Fragments turn green when placed correctly. The easy version provides an outline of the image the hard version does not have.
H. E/H, Rope puzzle. Untangle a rope so no parts cross each other. Move knots.
I. E/H, Sequence puzzle. Press levers up-and-down to match those on a given diagram. Moving one lever affects the others. The hard version has 6 levers and the easy has 4. 3X
I recommend this game!
Pendle Tower was once a lavish high-rise hotel, but a new renovation has awakened a long-dormant secret within its foreboding halls.
Overall rating
4
/
5
85 of 144 found this review helpful
HOTEL RENNOVATION CAN BE A “PHANTASMIC” EXPERIENCE
PostedNovember 23, 2021
sunnyglow
fromHappy Thanksgiving and Black Friday! After playing this game, I have found the perfect holiday gift for my cat – telekinetic white mice! Floating through the air, I want to see him try to get those mice!
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
5
/
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 (My Time: 6 Hours)
3 Chapters Plus a Bonus Chapter – Strategy Guide: 38 pages (My Time: 6 Hours)
Welcome back Master Detective! In this year’s case, you will be in for a “phantasmic” time as you make repairs to a hotel suffering from a distortion in the time/space continuum. The paranormal energy is out of control, the result of an experiment performed by a misguided scientist in 1920. The spirit world has infested this building and with the help of a spirit medium, hopefully you can restore this building to its normal state.
As with other games within this series, your wit and puzzle skills will be tested by a series of mini-games, many of which are either two-part or Rube-Goldberg puzzles. Nevertheless, Her Majesty has all the confidence in your skills to follow through. Keep calm and carry on. This game is not challenging. This is not the best game within this series; however, it is an enjoyable one, especially those who like games with a lot of easy puzzles.
One element I find helpful in this developer’s games is the sidebar on the left side of the screen which indicates how many collectibles are within the scene and the number remaining to be located. There are two collectibles, jigsaw puzzle pieces and stain glass shards. I found the collectibles difficult to locate, especially the jigsaw puzzle pieces. They are well-hidden in the game. I needed to consult the strategy guide a few times to find where they were hiding. For me, locating the collectibles was the most difficult part of the game!
MECHANICS:
• Four (4) levels of play including a customized version.
• 15 achievements.
• Collect 52 pieces of stained glass (some morphing) and 20 jigsaw puzzle pieces
• 10 wallpapers along with concept art, music, and video sequences
• Replay 13 HOP scenes and 14 mini-games
• 15 achievements.
• Collect 52 pieces of stained glass (some morphing) and 20 jigsaw puzzle pieces
• 10 wallpapers along with concept art, music, and video sequences
• Replay 13 HOP scenes and 14 mini-games
BONUS GAME: Return to 1920, and as the medium, Millicent Keaton, relive the events which led to you being trapped in the spirit world. I feel this prequel provides a little more clarity to the story behind the main game. The setting is the same; amble around the hotel trying to stop Dr. Corman’s experiment which has gotten out of control. It is a short chapter with only two (2) HOP scenes and five (5) mini-games. However, the mini-games include a couple two-part puzzles and a lengthy Rube-Goldberg puzzle.
HOP SCENES: There are not many HOP scenes in this game, only thirteen (13), all of which can be replayed upon completion of the game. Most of the scenes are standard lists of items. However, the scenes are highly interactive and involve manipulation of items within the scenes. There are also a few silhouette scenes and a scene set within the pages of a storybook.
MINI-GAMES: As with other games in this series, this game is puzzle-laden. There are seventeen (17) mini-games. However, these include several two-part mini-games and two (2) Rube-Goldberg puzzles. There is a wide variety of mini-games. Most of the puzzles are easy. Since this series is known to be more challenging than other HOPA games, I would have liked a few more brain crushing, thought provoking puzzles.
SPOILERS: HERE ARE A FEW OF THE MINI-GAMES AFTER THE DEMO:
A. Two-part puzzle: (Repeated throughout game)
1. Sequence puzzle. Click on 4 planetary bodies in the proper sequence according to given riddles to open a cache.
2. Sequence puzzle. Press on hanging weights in sequential order so all are aligned with each other.
B. Rube Goldberg puzzle:
1. Logic puzzle. Move clock hands into position on two clocks based on clues given beneath them.
2. Maze puzzle. Move balls within two mazes on both sides of a central panel so that each ball reaches its destination. Player will need to open gates to enter new paths to complete the puzzle.
3. Move a group of 4 large circles, each with smaller colored circles within them, so that each small colored circle is within the larger circle with a planetary body of the same color. Four of the smaller circles will have two colors – each half is to face the same color as the large color it faces.
C. Matching puzzle. On an oscilloscope, turn knobs so that two sine waves match up with each other. 2X
D. Switch puzzle. Switch mirror fragments to restore an image.
BONUS CHAPTER:
E. Connection puzzle. Draw lines from 3 geometric shapes to their matching counterpart within the grid. Lines cannot cross each other
F. Rotating rings puzzle. Rotate rings to restore an image of the building. Rotating one ring affects the others
1. Sequence puzzle. Click on 4 planetary bodies in the proper sequence according to given riddles to open a cache.
2. Sequence puzzle. Press on hanging weights in sequential order so all are aligned with each other.
B. Rube Goldberg puzzle:
1. Logic puzzle. Move clock hands into position on two clocks based on clues given beneath them.
2. Maze puzzle. Move balls within two mazes on both sides of a central panel so that each ball reaches its destination. Player will need to open gates to enter new paths to complete the puzzle.
3. Move a group of 4 large circles, each with smaller colored circles within them, so that each small colored circle is within the larger circle with a planetary body of the same color. Four of the smaller circles will have two colors – each half is to face the same color as the large color it faces.
C. Matching puzzle. On an oscilloscope, turn knobs so that two sine waves match up with each other. 2X
D. Switch puzzle. Switch mirror fragments to restore an image.
BONUS CHAPTER:
E. Connection puzzle. Draw lines from 3 geometric shapes to their matching counterpart within the grid. Lines cannot cross each other
F. Rotating rings puzzle. Rotate rings to restore an image of the building. Rotating one ring affects the others
I recommend this game!