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:
Grace and James Anderson are newlyweds with a new antiques business. Help them find new items by traveling across America!
Overall rating
3
/
5
6 of 7 found this review helpful
Middle-of-the-Road
PostedJuly 26, 2012
rosekaufmann
fromLos Angeles
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
Delightful somewhat lengthy game with lots and lots of levels. Newlywed Mrs. stays and minds the store while Mr. hosts sidewalk sales for friends and family throughout the U.S. Crisp and clear graphics; most antiques actually look like antiques. Good detail. Blue grass music throughout game. During sales, customers will tell you what they want, sometimes in the form of a riddle and, in timed mode, the price will continue to decrease if you take too long to find the item. After each sale, there is a a mini-game for earning more money. Nothing new - about 6 games going through a recyling process (jigsaw, spot differences, match pairs or find one that is different). With the combined earnings of the sales and minigames, you can furnish and refurnish your antique store.
Two modes: timed and untimed. I recommend timed. It is not a countdown where you have only so much time to complete the sale. Instead, your time is added up. At the very end, you will revisit each of 15 locations and find the entire list of objects. A game easily played in spurts.
I recommend this game!
Meet the difficult challenges set before Tara by a magical peacock, and explore a mysterious realm to fulfill her destiny!
Overall rating
4
/
5
37 of 40 found this review helpful
Relaxing Fun Afternoon Entertainment
PostedJuly 26, 2012
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
3
/
5
Completed game of 22 chapters in a little over 2 hours. Only one mode of play. Very colorful game. Each chapter follows this pattern:
1. Colorize a scene (place several colored objects into a black and white scene)
2. 2 HOS; objects are vivid, good detail and easy to find. A few items go into inventory to be used at end of chapter.
3. Complete a special task, using the inventory.
4. Mini-game or two. The usual suspects; most common involve cards and jigsaw puzzles, but there is a smattering of other types. Nothing difficult and not seen before.
Map reflects your progress. Voice-overs are pleasant. Hint system is a peacock; very fast recharge.
1. Colorize a scene (place several colored objects into a black and white scene)
2. 2 HOS; objects are vivid, good detail and easy to find. A few items go into inventory to be used at end of chapter.
3. Complete a special task, using the inventory.
4. Mini-game or two. The usual suspects; most common involve cards and jigsaw puzzles, but there is a smattering of other types. Nothing difficult and not seen before.
Map reflects your progress. Voice-overs are pleasant. Hint system is a peacock; very fast recharge.
A nice relaxing afternoon of an entertaining game.
I recommend this game!
Susan Anderson is back, following the clues of a mysterious benefactor, searching the world for the treasures of legend.
Overall rating
4
/
5
42 of 46 found this review helpful
Search for Lost Treasure
PostedJuly 26, 2012
rosekaufmann
fromLos Angeles
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
Somewhat lengthy, depending on your expertise in finding well hidden items. Some adventure but majority is HOG. Interactive map. Generally, your locations are static. Your journal will give you a list of clues, usually one clue per location. HOS are somewhat challenging; items are very well blended in. You have an item finder, hammer, brush and lighter throughout the game to help you find hidden items. Whether playing casual or difficult mode, the protagonist talks a lot and is constantly giving you clues of what to do, which can get annoying, especially if you don't want the help.
Each location tells you what % of items and whether a geocache (one in each location) have been found. You are not told what the geocache is. Tells you “Location Complete” even if the geocache hasn’t been found yet. Once you return to the museum, you will be given the chance to revisit locations to find the geocache and a new list of items to earn a gold star. Graphics are good, though a bit bland in some locations. Items are detailed but very well blended into background. Music is okay. No puzzles.
I recommend this game!
When a young woman is found comatose by the side of the road with a bloody knife beside her, it’s up to you to unravel her story!
Overall rating
5
/
5
45 of 56 found this review helpful
A Sequel Worthy of the Name Surface
PostedJuly 26, 2012
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
Surface became my favorite game of all time within 5 minutes, but I couldn't rate it above 5 stars. And I wish I had bought the CE instead of the SE. This game is definitely worth 5 stars. The actors are real; the scenery gorgeous and very detailed; the storyline well developed; the narration fantastic; the colors out of this world; the detail so clear. Interactive map. Music suspenseful in the appropriate places. Good hint system. And you get to collect flowers and buy things for your office, which holds a shelf of achievements throughout the game. A must buy. The extra hour of CE is worth the price.
I recommend this game!
A bomb is aboard the Titanic II, a replica of the famous cruise ship! Search the ship and solve a 100-year old mystery!
Overall rating
4
/
5
1 of 1 found this review helpful
Well thought-out plot
PostedJuly 26, 2012
rosekaufmann
fromLos Angeles
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
A little more than average length HOG-adventure game. Graphics were terrific, bright and detailed. The storyline was very good. Though not the on-ship romance shown in the movie, the on-ship mystery with its colorful characters adds that extra something to the atmosphere and the investigation contributes a lot to the gameplay. The HOS, pretty as they were, were too repetitious. The handy diary not only told the story but added interesting points about the real Titanic. Not a difficult game; has a reasonable number of hints. The ending provided closure. This would be a good game for someone without a lot of HOG experience, but it should hold the interest of those who are more experienced.
I recommend this game!
You, as Jennifer, have to solve a perplexing mystery and save her only daughter in Silent Scream: The Dancer!
Overall rating
3
/
5
1 of 1 found this review helpful
Weird but Nice
PostedJuly 25, 2012
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
3
/
5
Watching all cutscenes and not skipping puzzles, game takes 3 to 3 ½ hours in casual mode. This is a somewhat strange but likeable linear game. Not everyone will like the artwork style or the weirdness of the story, which is a little creepy and doesn’t always make sense until you play the bonus chapter (included in the SE). I have mixed feelings. A couple scenes are so unexpected that they will cause you to jump out of your seat. Note there are also a few little monsters here and there, if you carefully watch the edges of the screen.
You may find annoying: Someone whispers “get away” everytime you pick up a HOS object. When not in a HOS, there are clanky sounds every time you click on something with a hand cursor , even if you can’t pick it up yet. I'd give it 3 1/2 stars; rounds closer to a 3 than a 4.
I recommend this game!
Appease terrifying ghosts before they kidnap and punish the entire city of Sunnyvale in this dark and mysterious Hidden Object game!
Overall rating
5
/
5
9 of 10 found this review helpful
HMMMM - Is this were the House of 1000 Doors began or ended its career?
PostedJuly 24, 2012
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
Based on complete game, casual mode. About 4-5 hours of play for casual gamers. Widescreen actually works.
Storyline: Again, you’re a writer investigating death and sudden appearances and disappearances of a mysterious house. Though it’s been done before, it’s an enjoyable game. The Russians always seem to put together a very well developed and well paced story; this is no exception. Some humor: the clown lost his head, boat leaves the pier without you (although it stops a little later to allow you onboard), you lose your coins. The conclusion: I was slightly jolted that the writer (you) determined who the real killer was, considering the odd evidence available (but it’s a game, so I’ll forgive you).
Sound and special effects: The constant downpour, roof leaks and thunder in the 2nd half of the game was fairly realistic as far as games go. (I’m from LA, so your mere rain is nearly a rain storm here). Graphics were usually clear. The atmosphere was supposed to be somewhat.
HOS/Puzzles: Plenty of interactive HOS. Objects were well defined and fairly sized. There were a few cloudy spots, but that seemed to fit the ambience of the game. HOS were revisited with objects being static. With all the locations, though, this hardly seems to be a fault. Puzzles were varied and most were average difficulty. I only had one that I had to skip near the end of the game.
Voiceovers: No offense, but the voice actor should not quite his day job. Some amateur actor could probably be talked into doing the voiceovers for free.
Journal provides a good narrative of the story and provides insight into your investigation and hints of things to investigate. Music was usually relaxing, but there were a couple scenes where it was more edgy.
CONS:
1. As with the McInroy Manor game, there was an annoying huff every time you picked up objects. I started feeling like I was out of breath from exercising.
2. An interactive map would have been helpful. In the 2nd half of the game, there is a lot of traveling between scenes (and there were a lot of scenes once you crossed the lake); it would have been nice if we could just go there directly.
1. As with the McInroy Manor game, there was an annoying huff every time you picked up objects. I started feeling like I was out of breath from exercising.
2. An interactive map would have been helpful. In the 2nd half of the game, there is a lot of traveling between scenes (and there were a lot of scenes once you crossed the lake); it would have been nice if we could just go there directly.
I recommend this game!
Emma Roberts has been tasked with writing a story about an old haunted manor. Help her explore the McInroy Estate!
Overall rating
4
/
5
1 of 1 found this review helpful
McINROY MANOR - A GHOSTLY TALE
PostedJuly 23, 2012
rosekaufmann
fromLos Angeles
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Based on complete game, casual mode. Average length.
Storyline was fluid, with a mild creepy sensation (creepy caretaker and ghostly apparitions appearing frequently). Hints available in the HOS or to direct where you should head next in the gameplay; they recharged slowly (about 80 seconds). I did have to think a few times about where to go or what to do next. Visual effects were solid; the best effects were at the end. The HOS were fairly sized, not too dark, clear and well defined, although they were somewhat dreary. Puzzles were the usual suspects – nothing very difficult. Music itself was okay – not creepy although the storyline could easily lend itself to suspenseful music. Sound effects: see “Cons.”
Cons:
• An interactive map would have been nice instead of traipsing forward 4 times, then back 3.
• Everytime you picked something up, there was a very annoying huff. But I enjoyed the rain sound and other effects, so didn’t want to turn off all the sound.
• A nitpick: Clicking outside of a closeup screen did not close it automatically; you had to physically close it (clicking on the “X”).
• An interactive map would have been nice instead of traipsing forward 4 times, then back 3.
• Everytime you picked something up, there was a very annoying huff. But I enjoyed the rain sound and other effects, so didn’t want to turn off all the sound.
• A nitpick: Clicking outside of a closeup screen did not close it automatically; you had to physically close it (clicking on the “X”).
I recommend this game!
Sherlock Holmes and the Hound of the Baskervilles
Charles Baskerville is the latest victim of a centuries-old curse! Help Holmes break the curse before the next murder occurs!
Overall rating
4
/
5
2 of 2 found this review helpful
SOLID SHERLOCK HOLMES
PostedJuly 23, 2012
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
Based on complete game, both casual and hard modes. Moderate length (a few hours).
Gameplay: Straightforward. 7 cases of Baskervilles need their coats of arms restored in order to be released from their eternal gloomy nonexistence. Along the way, you acquire super powers like materialization and perception (which is really illumination) so you’ll be breaking a lot of things and lighting a lot of dark places. Travel is between the past and present through portals in each Baskerville room and, once you have all the pieces for the coats of arms, you are given a chance to immediately go to the pictures to complete the coats of arms. Of course, this being about Sherlock Holmes, all the cases are solved.
HOS were well defined and decently sized. The difficulty of the varied puzzles was easy to moderate. Graphics were clear. Music and sound was good. You are notified when all activities in a location have been exhausted. Of course, we know all the cases were solved, or this wouldn’t be a Sherlock Holmes game.
Beginners will be able to play the game without pulling all their hair out.
I recommend this game!
Help The Fool become a hero and save the beautiful princess Catherine from the jaws of a terrible dragon!
Overall rating
3
/
5
13 of 14 found this review helpful
A Couple Really Hilarious Short Scenes
PostedJuly 22, 2012
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
Based on complete game, casual mode.
Storyline: Typical fairy tale. The hero has to save the kingdom to gain the princess. He flubs the first attempt and has a lot of adventures trying to fix the problem. The poor dragon with a sore mouth got my emphathy.
Special Effects: Good. I had to especially laugh at the cute adorable furry little monster near the end who burst out of the wall, shimmied about, ate some locks and disappeared out a locked door. He should have a game of his own or at least be a sidekick to a hero. Did I say he was cute and adorable? The earphones for the dog in the cemetary and sheet costume were also worth a laugh.
Graphics: Crisp, clear and vibrant colors; fairly well detailed. Even the horses looked much more natural than in most other games.
Voice-overs and music: okay, non-intrusive. Narrator was a bit cheesy sounding at times.
HOS: Nicely detailed and fairly sized. Some interaction, such as baking bread, breaking a light bulb for cracked bulb.
Puzzles: Variety, easy to intermediate difficulty.
Ending: A little abrupt.
Voice-overs and music: okay, non-intrusive. Narrator was a bit cheesy sounding at times.
HOS: Nicely detailed and fairly sized. Some interaction, such as baking bread, breaking a light bulb for cracked bulb.
Puzzles: Variety, easy to intermediate difficulty.
Ending: A little abrupt.
CONS: It was a little odd that our hero is in a thoroughly modern elevator in the last chapter when the story is set in the middle ages.
Hints are available only for the HOS. Otherwise, you're on your own in determining where to go and what to do.
Hints are available only for the HOS. Otherwise, you're on your own in determining where to go and what to do.
I recommend this game!