rosekaufmann's Profile
Stat Summary
- Average Rating:4.2
- Helpful Votes:18,036
- Reviews Submitted:831
- First Review:April 2, 2012
- Most Recent Review:July 27, 2014
- Featured reviews0
Status:
Robinson Crusoe is a story of a man who survives a terrible shipwreck and finds himself cast away on an island in the Caribbean.
Overall rating
4
/
5
3 of 3 found this review helpful
NOT TOO DIFFICULT FOR NOVICES
PostedJune 7, 2013
rosekaufmann
fromLos Angeles
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
Storyline: Robinson’s ship has crashed, leaving him stranded alone (well, there is his cute dog) on a deserted island. Help him build a ship so he can escape and go home. Length: 6 chapters, 6 stages each. At a relaxed pace, took me about 50 minutes for the 1st chapter and intro, and an average of ½ hour for each subsequent chapter.
Gameplay is straightforward; about half of the stages are relatively easy, while half is slightly more challenging. You start each chapter with 10 hints. The objects in the HOS are very well hidden. Frequently starts with finding a number of a specific object; then finding hidden objects from a list. There is some interaction required. Scenes are usually bright, although there are a few that are dark. Puzzles vary and are not too difficult. Music is apropos to this type of adventure. Good game for novices.
I recommend this game!
Return to the House of 1,000 Doors to save mankind from annihilation!
Overall rating
5
/
5
146 of 157 found this review helpful
ANOTHER FUNTASTIC GAME
PostedJune 6, 2013
rosekaufmann
fromLos Angeles
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
I was apprehensive that this was a House of 1000 Doors game, which I absolutely love, because the description of the game made it sound like only the title was being used without regard to having the House in site. I was gladly wrong.
This time you are inside the House, which is the only place on earth which is able to protect itself from the flames and demon snakes taking over the earth. The House decides which doors you can enter and exit and it was a surprise when a couple unexplicable poofed into whispy poofs.
A skillful story - a bit more complicated than the other Houses in that you have been brought into the house by a stranger who became unconscious. And you can't go outside without becoming a victim of the disaster devouring the people out there. Who is he? How did he know to bring you to the House? There are a lot of places to go - including outside. Although the House can protect it's own outside premises, we find out that it has more than a garden.
The HOS are brilliantly detailed and colorful. But adventure is the majority of gameplay. So there are also a lot of things to do, which can be done in whatever order you want in the carefully crafted environments. Puzzles are varied in type and in difficulty, but don't seem to be impossible to old hands to HOGs.
There are 40 beyond objects and a bonus chapter. Two modes of play. This certainly joins my other House games - too bad I have them, because then I could get them all on a great sale.
I recommend this game!
Journey to a foreboding island as you go on the hunt for a murderer in Elixir of Immortality, a fun Adventure game!
Overall rating
4
/
5
4 of 4 found this review helpful
NICE SOLID FAIRLY LENGTHY GAME
PostedJune 5, 2013
rosekaufmann
fromLos Angeles
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Entire adventure-HOG game a little over 5 hours. STORYLINE: Play a detective who goes undercover as a handyman at a castle, because every handyman ends up dead. Investigate the physicist, magician, alchemist and botanist to see if they are behind the deaths. Surprisingly, they each end up dead – so who is the culprit? The unknown castle owner? Ending was a surprise.
GAMEPLAY: Plenty of clear, nicely done HOS (although a couple were slightly darker). Well developed story keeps you guessing to the end. You help each person with a task before they die and you keep getting mysterious notes about who not to trust. You have a diary with a task list to aid your investigation. There is some back and forth, but it’s hard to get lost. Puzzles varied and not too difficult – you could skip if you need to – and they tie to the story. Graphics are very nice and you keep moving along to your solution. There are no voice overs of the characters – just a “hmmm” sound. You have to read the dialogue. There was a kitten meowing through much of the game, but I never found it. Nice solid game.
I recommend this game!
Investigate a painter's mysterious disappearance and solve a chain of cold blooded murders in this chilling Hidden Object game.
Overall rating
5
/
5
58 of 65 found this review helpful
A BUY FOR ME - NO DARKNESS OR POOR GRAPHICS
PostedJune 3, 2013
rosekaufmann
fromLos Angeles
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
I don't know why there seem to be so many complaints about dark screens, poor graphics, small screens and blurry texts. I have a 27" screen and the game took up the entire frame. The graphics were great (in fact, quite pretty and bright), and text was clear. Guess you have to test on your computer to see what you get (it's never worth changing my screen resolution for one game, so I can understand anyone not wanting to go that far.
I played hard mode, which gives you more complicated mini-games than the easy mode. Hard also supposedly has a slower hint recharge, but it was still plenty fast. No voice overs, but I prefer text to badly done voices. My only complaint: awful music, so I would minimize music. Diary has a lot of information which is not from gameplay, so it's best to read it if you want the entire story, which includes clues to follow. This game is a buy for me.
I recommend this game!
Track down a missing detective and fight an evil curse!
Overall rating
5
/
5
32 of 34 found this review helpful
BEAUTIFUL AND DELIGHTFUL
PostedJune 2, 2013
rosekaufmann
fromLos Angeles
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
The graphics on this game are just lovely and the game is very well developed. Skillful story, even though its premise is quite old. Lots and lots to do - even from the very beginning - and it stays that way. The map is a little unusual and quite refreshing in that it shows the location and you if move over the location, it tells you all the tasks that you have to complete for that location. Puzzles are many and varied in difficulty. Quite a delightful game.
I recommend this game!
Discover the origins of an intrepid foundling and thwart the Sea Lord's destructive plans in this enchanting Hidden Object game!
Overall rating
4
/
5
8 of 8 found this review helpful
VERY NICE HOG
PostedJune 2, 2013
rosekaufmann
fromLos Angeles
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
About 3 ½ hours. Play as Hannah, an archeologist, who travels to Atlantis, followed by a treasure hunter, Wyatt. Game tracks your time and has a map which marks your progress. Subtle background music until the very end. Voice overs can be turned off, but I think the narrator and character voice overs sound natural and pleasant. Hints are replenished by finding hidden jewels within the scene – can be anywhere from 1 to 4. There are 5 colors of jewels, but you cannot collect a jewel if you already have one that color. Unfortunately, you’re not told ahead of time how many jewels or what colors will be in the scene.
HOS are silhouettes and finding the parts of objects, which are then used in the scene to move on to the next one. True, there are objects to find that didn’t exist back then, but this is a game, so I don’t care. The ending was sort of dorky, but we do leave the game knowing there will be a sequel in which Hannah must find Zeus in his temple to save the world from Neptune. Nicely developed game.
I recommend this game!
Dark Dimensions: City of Ash Collector's Edition
A dark dimension has fallen over Phoenix Hill, turning its residents into volcanic ash. Help them rise from the ashes.
Overall rating
5
/
5
6 of 7 found this review helpful
AWESOME
PostedJune 2, 2013
rosekaufmann
fromLos Angeles
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Don't understand the somewhat negative reviews. I think the graphics are very good - but maybe I've played too many drab and dingy games lately so that I'm thrilled to finally play one that brightens my day. Like that it has a control specially for voice volume - although I think the voice overs are nice and natural sounding. I always like games with interactive maps showing where you are and where tasks need to be done. The collections is a nice touch also. Game holds my interest, as do the other Dark Dimension games. A must buy, but since a couple reviewers have already finished the game, I'll wait for SE since it's so short.
I recommend this game!
A rash of murders has struck, and it’s up to you as an FBI agent to find the murderer in Mystery Valley, a dark Hidden Object game!
Overall rating
3
/
5
7 of 7 found this review helpful
MISSED - COULD HAVE BEEN MUCH BETTER WITH A LITTLE EFFORT
PostedJune 1, 2013
rosekaufmann
fromLos Angeles
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
2
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
Game took 3 ½ hours. Game had great potential that was missed. You play an FBI agent who visits her hometown. Story turns into a mystery once you find out you were born after your mother died and delve into a few adventures, including a harrowing escape, as you pursue what really happened. Ending seemed sudden and a lot more could have been made out of the ending given the subject matter. It was like they ran out of imagination - and what became of our heroine?
Started out with a nice voice over, telling about a recurring childhood nightmare; then suddenly, there were only cutscenes with no voices, which couldn’t be sped up. They could have continued the voice overs to add interest to the characters, since they were necessary to the game. You have a diary with clues and reminders - no help. There are only a few things to do in each scene, which is okay with me – not a lot of back and forth. But a couple times, I had to wonder what I was supposed to do.
Hints worked only in the HOS. Artwork was drab and dingy – even visiting a currently open museum in the hometown looked like it was abandoned 50 years ago. When will developers learn that dark and grimy isn’t what makes a HOG good – it’s cleverly hidden objects and the adventures. Okay, to be fair, there were a couple locations that weren't too dingy. There were dark ghostly apparitions floating in some of the scenes, but no mention was ever made of them. They could have been included in the story and gameplay to make it more interesting. Now I’ll just have to go through life wondering what and why they were and what became of them.
That being said, I did like what there was of the game while it lasted.
I recommend this game!
A piece of jewelry, the Moonstone, has been stolen, and it`s up to you to track it down! Investigate the suspects to catch the crook.
Overall rating
4
/
5
23 of 25 found this review helpful
MID-1800s MYSTERY
PostedJune 1, 2013
rosekaufmann
fromLos Angeles
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Almost 4 hours. STORYLINE: A moonstone diamond for Rachel’s birthday has disappeared and it appears to be an inside job. Help the detective interview the 9 people in the mansion at the time of the disappearance to find the culprit. GAMEPLAY: There are 4 rooms per suspect. The HOS encompasses the entire room, which is somewhat cluttered but orderly. Some of the objects are very well hidden. Occasionally you may need to examine another room to get a tool (such as a scissors, teapot with boiling water) for solving simple puzzles.
After each investigation, the detective interviews the suspect and prepares a profile, including his/her testimony and the detectives observations. At the end, you determine who the culprit is. You can skip the interview since it is included in the profile. SUMMARY: Charming and simple HOS with nice voice overs and lovely graphics, appearing true to the mid-1800s circa of the case.
I recommend this game!
A wonderful story of the citizens of Joyville. Can you change their destiny? You will see – nothing is impossible.
Overall rating
4
/
5
3 of 3 found this review helpful
ANOTHER DELIGHT
PostedJune 1, 2013
rosekaufmann
fromLos Angeles
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
This continuation of the Puppetshow games follows the same format with lots to do. Puzzles make sense. Voiceovers are well done, except for Felicia (the voice just doesn’t sound like an authentic child). This time, Felicia’s dad has disappeared but it’s too early for the police but not for you to investigate. We’ve met some of the characters previously (my favorite is the spider puppet – he amuses me greatly and I’m glad he’s back). The artistry isn’t as good as the prior games and leaves an overall impression of flatness in the scenery (deduction 1 star). Entertaining environment; well executed details. I find the Puppetshow games a delight to play.
I recommend this game!