ZekesPeach's Profile
Stat Summary
- Average Rating:2.9
- Helpful Votes:1,076
- Reviews Submitted:56
- First Review:December 18, 2011
- Most Recent Review:March 6, 2021
- Featured reviews0
Status:
In this scholastic escape room puzzler, help Mya to freedom after she’s locked up in school!
Overall rating
5
/
5
40 of 51 found this review helpful
Be Curious!
PostedMarch 6, 2021
ZekesPeach
fromMidcoast Maine
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Puzzle
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Like many reviewers, my initial impression (based on the graphics and simplicity of the first few rooms) was that this was a game for young children. WRONG! As you progress, you will encounter rooms that require math, science, foreign language skills, and so much more. It is also a LONG game!! And, if you get so deep into playing that you lose track of time, fear not, for the clever developers have made it so the clock in each room is running and displaying what time it is where you are!
Don't take things at face value! I found that being curious and not jumping too quickly to conclusions were the key (no pun intended) to figuring out many of the most complex rooms.
The only downside is the lack of a skip option. Like at least one other reviewer stated, I had the same problem with hand/mouse coordination on a few rooms and had to ask my husband to complete those or else I would not be able to continue playing. Serious error by the developers!
I hope this game will start a new and regular trend in BFG offerings, and that we get more from these clever developers! It is a refreshing and much needed change to the standard offerings.
I recommend this game!
A serial killer has resurfaced, and he’s calling you out!
Overall rating
3
/
5
14 of 15 found this review helpful
One star won't shine in this review...could've had 5
PostedAugust 31, 2020
ZekesPeach
fromMidcoast Maine
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Puzzle
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Things were going along great until both my husband and I (playing separately) decided to skip one puzzle. As a result, the one item we needed to proceed failed to be automatically added to our inventories and there's no way to access that location again. Game over!
Sadly, there is no forum established or help page to report this, and no fix has appeared in the Game Manager, so we are out of luck. Which is a shame because we were enjoying playing.
Word to future players: Be careful what you choose to skip! I would recommend the game if you don't skip anything and/or if a fix was available.
Take on a thief’s quest to recover a sorcerer’s recipe book from her deadly tower!
Overall rating
5
/
5
1 of 1 found this review helpful
MORE, MORE, MORE!!!!!
PostedAugust 5, 2020
ZekesPeach
fromMidcoast Maine
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Puzzle
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Don't know what happened to BFG, but everything offered these days seems to be mostly time management, mahjong, and lightly tweaked old games...until this one! It is a true exercise for Covid-quarantine weary minds!
The dialog is sprinkled with humor that lulls you into doubting your inner puzzle master's ability to spot and act on clues that are right in front of your eyes; you will solve one puzzle, then, as you pat yourself on the back, you will be filled with angst as you realize you've been duped.
This is a great game to play alone or with a friend to work out the tougher puzzles with (my husband and I played side-by-side on our laptops). It isn't a really long or short game...like Baby Bear said, it's just right.
Please, Big Fish, give us more of these! Other similar games you've given us include Leaves: The Journey, and Leaves 2: The Return...please give us more!
I recommend this game!
When Leitan Keyes, a famous inventor, finishes his latest invention a sudden visit from the future will shatter his world.
Overall rating
2
/
5
39 of 64 found this review helpful
Wait, wait...DON'T tell me!
PostedApril 18, 2020
ZekesPeach
fromMidcoast Maine
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Puzzle
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Level of Challenge
1
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
Couldn't even finish the demo. Banners, banners, everywhere! Banners telling me what to do next, congratulating me on what I just did...and they just HANG there, taking up the screen, blocking me from actually PLAYING THE GAME!
Then there are the downright silly parts, like a computer that shows the solution to your entry code when you turn it on, champagne for breakfast (okay, breakfast of champions!), and that a corkscrew is used to open the champagne (sacrilege!) which is corked with a regular still wine cork (NEVER!). And, being too dim to know what to do when setting a table (after wifey telling me where we keep the fine dining plates), the outlines of plates and glasses appear on the table to help me out. Now, with all the finery and special touches, I'd expect to see linen serviettes...nope...just plain ol' paper napkins to wrap the flatware in. Now, maybe I'm being too picky, but when my patience is being tried by all those annoying banners, it does tend to set my teeth on edge and make me a bit grumpy and less likely to overlook most of these types of annoyances. All that frustration set loose in the first 10-15 minutes did nothing to make me want to continue in hopes it would improve.
So, here's a short list of what I found to be pros and cons:
Pro:
-- Modernistic graphics that fit the storyline.
-- The one HOP I encountered didn't hold my hand or make it too easy to find what I was looking for.
-- There were places where touching objects produced a reaction, which I always find enjoyable.
-- There was a collectible in each scene, and they weren't 'in your face' obvious.
-- There was a morph in every other scene, but they were a bit too obvious.
-- It is possible to skip through conversations and cut scenes.
Pro:
-- Modernistic graphics that fit the storyline.
-- The one HOP I encountered didn't hold my hand or make it too easy to find what I was looking for.
-- There were places where touching objects produced a reaction, which I always find enjoyable.
-- There was a collectible in each scene, and they weren't 'in your face' obvious.
-- There was a morph in every other scene, but they were a bit too obvious.
-- It is possible to skip through conversations and cut scenes.
Con:
-- Lots of nonsensical busywork tasks that break the forward momentum of play (and hopefully aren't counted as puzzles).
-- Annoying gadget 'watch'.
-- Information banners for literally everything, that hang around to block the screen and prevent you from playing.
-- While I liked most of the graphics, that was totally destroyed by the clumsy and exaggerated presentation of the characters.
-- Lots of nonsensical busywork tasks that break the forward momentum of play (and hopefully aren't counted as puzzles).
-- Annoying gadget 'watch'.
-- Information banners for literally everything, that hang around to block the screen and prevent you from playing.
-- While I liked most of the graphics, that was totally destroyed by the clumsy and exaggerated presentation of the characters.
I never play with voices activated, and seldom with music, effects, etc., so can't comment on how they were in this game.
I think this one will appeal to beginners, young players, and those who aren't looking for much of a challenge.
Play for yourself before buying.
I don't recommend this game.
A mysterious fog hides a small town’s secrets… and something even darker!
Overall rating
5
/
5
86 of 105 found this review helpful
At Last!
PostedFebruary 16, 2020
ZekesPeach
fromMidcoast Maine
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Mahjong, Match 3, Puzzle, Word
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Hooray! Here is a very nice, old-style (in a good way) game that offers just enough challenge to keep things interesting without making you tear your hair out. There are those who complain that there are too many HOs and not enough puzzles...well, this IS a Hidden Object game! There has been a recent influx of releases that are labeled as HOGs, but are extremely puzzle heavy for some reason. Perhaps BFG (or the gaming industry) should create a new category for such games: PHO or PHOG, to show there are more puzzles than HOs? That will allow buyers to select the type they prefer, instead of expressing disappointment and lowered ratings.
There have also been comments that there isn't anything/enough to 'do'. I'm not sure what they expect to 'do', unless they are wanting to mix potions, create spells, perform medical tests on corpses, or tend to the injured...all of which require running around to find myriad ingredients, book pages, surgical tools, bandages, and people to observe and interrogate. I am in the camp that opposes running back and forth multiple times to gather bits and pieces of something just to open a door or a mailbox, and the less I have to engage with characters using a drop down list of questions, the better I like it. I'd much rather play a long HOP to acquire the key. But, to each their own.
While there were comments that the game went from HOP to puzzle, to HOP, rinse, repeat, without much roaming around and 'doing' things, it happily reminded me of Madam Fate type games.
Here's what I didn't like while playing the demo: There was no toggle to stop 'helpful tips', which leads to there being entirely too much 'instructing' instead of letting me explore and see if what I clicked on did anything or found anything...I don't like a character/the game telling me to find specific things that are obvious or would let me use my brain to figure out. If it's part of a conversation during a joint activity (like disarming a bomb, or assembling a remote control), it would be expected for the character to ask for a pair of wire cutters or batteries; but please don't suddenly flash the command "Find a battery" just before adding 'Battery' as the last object for the HO list in progress. And don't flash "Block the door" and then have the found objects magically fly over and block the door without any cursor help from me.
What I liked: The atmosphere is appropriately dark, sort of steam-punk and lightly creepy. There are no fairies, half-animal/half-humans, no spells, no gadgets, no concoctions, no assistants or helpers, very little dialogue and the ability to skip them. The game advances in an orderly and relatively linear fashion -- no jumping back and forth between places to find little things to open something just so you can get out of the house. I loved the frequent HOs and puzzles! Many of the objects took a bit of careful looking, which is why they are called 'hidden objects'...I loved that the darker atmosphere added to the challenge. Loved that there were collectibles in the location scenes AND at least some of the HOPs (I wasn't checking), and the puzzles (so far) have been varied and require some thought.
I don't play with the sound up most of the time, so can't comment on voice performances, effects, etc.
Overall, I have enjoyed the demo and plan to buy this and hope BFG and the devs will give us more like it.
Don't just read the reviews, try it and see how you like it. You might be surprised!
I recommend this game!
Match cards, rescue mystical Faeries, raise Magical Pets, and explore many enchanted worlds!
Overall rating
5
/
5
10 of 12 found this review helpful
A whole new world!
PostedJanuary 11, 2020
ZekesPeach
fromMidcoast Maine
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Puzzle
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
I am a long-time HOP/Puzzle player, but have lately been branching out into clutters and other types. Mahjong solitaire is a first for me and I am loving this one!
The method of play was easy to pick up, and I am discovering little strategic methods of increasing my scores on each round. The colors and music are pleasant and soothing; the storyline can be followed along with, or not, without detracting from the gameplay, and the pets and fairies are cute without being 'cutesy'.
There are plenty of locations to play through, and they can be played many times if you want to increase your points to help your pets evolve and achieve other bonuses (I'm still learning about them all). The explanation of gameplay seemed a bit overwhelming to me when I first started, but the beauty of this game is you can just jump right in and play -- there are no penalties, and the help section will get you through.
This should appeal to most ages and all skill levels. You can play as fast or slow as you please, and it is easy to get right back into it if you put it aside for any length of time.
If you are looking for a nice relaxing game that still offers some challenge and rewards, give this one a try! I hope there will be more of this type from this developer!
I recommend this game!
Can you help people escape their magical prisons in time?
Overall rating
1
/
5
9 of 22 found this review helpful
Busy, busy, busy...
PostedJune 22, 2019
ZekesPeach
fromMidcoast Maine
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Puzzle
Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
2
/
5
Level of Challenge
1
/
5
First negative: I was forced to speak to one of the characters before I could really look at or explore the surroundings. After that, I needed to find something to help me gain entrance to the house, found it, used it, and was instructed to find yet another item to complete opening the door or window!
Second negative: No challenge, no intrigue. Just seemed like there was more chasing after bits and pieces than advancement. And while others have found the graphics to be well drawn and the colors pleasing, I found everything to look like a children's storybook and the colors bordering on garish.
Nothing there held my interest or made me want to even try to spend more time in the off chance things would improve. Some will love it, I'm sure, but I'm not among them.
I don't recommend this game.
Can you find out who’s kidnapping jurors before it’s too late?
Overall rating
2
/
5
16 of 25 found this review helpful
Leave Me Alone!
PostedMarch 25, 2019
ZekesPeach
fromMidcoast Maine
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Puzzle
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
1
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
Another game that requires players to jump through all sorts of hoops before being able to freely explore. For example, in the very first location, I had to have at least one conversation, and literally do five other tasks before I could explore the room or even touch the collectible feather! And it doesn't get any better after that. There are, in my opinion, way too many cutscenes...again hindering progress...and while you can skip most dialogs and cutscenes, it is a never ending exercise in frustration that slows the whole game down. Dupin (or whatever his name is) adds nothing to the game...he basically stands around making inane comments about things that are obvious. Then there are the games where you need to replace things (like shards of mirror) and you are actually shown the outlines of each piece within the mirror frame. Where is the fun in that? The HOPs were fine; the feathers were easy to find. The morphs don't change into something else, they simply disappear, and reappear again after a fairly long pause. They can be very hard to spot if they are located on something dark in the scene.
And where is there anything even remotely connected to Poe?? This whole series is just using his name to draw people in.
Play the demo...you might like it...but I found it tedious and frustratingly slow.
I don't recommend this game.
Return the Guardians to slumber to keep evil from the universe!
Overall rating
3
/
5
46 of 70 found this review helpful
Stop Talking and Let Me Think For Myself!
PostedDecember 29, 2018
ZekesPeach
fromMidcoast Maine
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Puzzle
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
I will cut to the chase: Too many conversations and cutscenes, too many little banners flying out from the left side of the screen to tell you everything you did and now need to do (I DO have a brain and like a challenge rather than be spoon fed), too many scenes where you can't do anything until you've spoken to someone.
The storyline wasn't terribly interesting to me, and there seemed to be a lot of odd things to do or find just to advance.
The HOPs were pretty good, as were the puzzles. Morphs weren't hard to find, but why not have them in all of the HOPs? And why not more HOPs? I liked that a match-3 was available if I wanted to change things up. Coins and bats weren't always obvious, but you can go back and find what you missed after completing the game and the bonus game. There was a slide out tally keeper for the bats in each scene, and an owl's head that shows when a morph was present in a HOP.
Without all the chatter, cutscenes and objective/task banners, I might have purchased this on a discount day just for the few HOPs and puzzles, but it just was too annoying unless it was a freebie...maybe not even then.
I am sure it will appeal to many who like this sort of storyline and interaction, but I found it tedious and boring.
Try it and see what you think.
A powerful artifact is stolen, threatening to shatter time itself.
Overall rating
3
/
5
16 of 27 found this review helpful
Stop talking!!!
PostedOctober 15, 2018
ZekesPeach
fromMidcoast Maine
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Puzzle
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
Another game with more talk than action, more handholding than challenge, more back-and-forthing than progressing.
Same old storyline where some evil thing or evil doer has cast a spell on someone or run off with them. There is an evil gadget, a floating wife, an injured husband, and loads of easy to find morphs and simple HOPs and puzzles with confusing or poorly written instructions. YAWN!
I hope you really like talking if you buy this game, because there's lots of it, and it happens very slowly...you also can't do anything until you sit through it or keep trying to skip through it.
I don't recommend this game.