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:
Once upon a time in the small, undistinguished town of Silentville people started disappearing. Help uncover the mystery behind these disappearances and save the town from a curse!
Overall rating
4
/
5
1 of 2 found this review helpful
Terrific Game
PostedJuly 1, 2012
rosekaufmann
fromLos Angeles
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Played entire game in casual mode. Good storyline, good graphics except for the people you meet, good length and interesting but doable puzzles. Good number of places to see and things to do. HOS are interactively unique and objects are nicely defined. On a HOS list of 12 items, an average of 9 need to be completed. Sometimes it’s combining 2 items but occasionally more (such as finding a match, striking it on a matchbox, lighting the candle and finally collecting the lit candle). Also unique is items appearing in blue can be collected; those in white need to be completed before they turn blue. Make more of this type of HOS.
When changing locations, the scenery shakes. Easy to feel motion sickness while sitting at your computer. There is an interactive map, but with a misty overcast – what’s that all about? Liked how the ending played out.
I recommend this game!
A mysterious fortune teller has foreseen her demise at midnight this very day. Can you find the soul who seeks to kill Madame Fate? You be the detective.
Overall rating
3
/
5
3 of 4 found this review helpful
Needs a magnifier
PostedJune 30, 2012
rosekaufmann
fromLos Angeles
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
Based on complete game. Very long. Oodles of HOS. Many miniscule objects and eyestrain is a real possibility. The game should come with a magnifier available for searching the scenes. Might be less of a problem if you have one of the huge (height and width) monitors.
Puzzles are unique, but have no instructions. Could figure out some of them, but had to resort to the walkthrough for the rest.
A good game for those who really like a challenge (especially playing the timed mode) and have exceptional eyesight with a large monitor.
I recommend this game!
Investigating her parents’ deaths, Edwina rekindles a centuries old tale of love and revenge. End the curse of the severed heart!
Overall rating
4
/
5
7 of 7 found this review helpful
Only one negative
PostedJune 25, 2012
rosekaufmann
fromLos Angeles
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Based on entire game. Overall very enjoyable. Cutscenes were well done and artwork was lovely. Music was good. Human voices were pleasant. The high-pitched voices for the non-human characters done in unison were amusing. Hint system can nudge you in the right direction if you’re not sure what to do next. One negative: there is a bit of backtracking. A map would be nice (indicating where you are, especially after a lapse of several days between playing); an interactive map would be even better.
HOS: Objects were readily identifiable and the scenes not too dark. [I have my monitor set to be more bright than dark.] Puzzles: Nice variety, ranging from easy to intermediate difficulty, with a fair number of dream card puzzles (needed to name the ghosts that are encountered). No “that’s only done in the movies” or similar irritating remarks when you do something incorrect in a puzzle. Several recipes are needed to release the animal spirits imprisoned in the Shadowlocks. Finding the ingredients was not difficult and casting the spells was fun.
I recommend this game!
Help Princess Isabella lift the evil curse that has been placed on her castle! Solve perplexing puzzles and save her friends!
Overall rating
2
/
5
4 of 5 found this review helpful
Won't be buying any sequels
PostedJune 22, 2012
rosekaufmann
fromLos Angeles
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
2
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
Based on entire game. Of the approximately 300 games I own, there are 5 or 6 that I wish I hadn’t bought. This is one of them.
There is a blabber mouth fairy helper that is at least among the 3 most annoying “helpers” I’ve seen. She keeps flitting around the scene everytime you do anything or even hover over an object for at second. She comments on everything. Her voice is somewhat grating on the nerves.
A map is included with 2 good points: (1) you can click on the room you want and you’ll be transported there. You find out once you've collected all mirror pieces that you can be directly transported to the mirror room and then back to where you were. I found out by error near the end as I was going round and round in circles that you can do that at anytime. (2) the rooms in which there is something to do are marked. After that, the map is useless. It keeps turning (it’s shown in upper left corner) even if you went straight because the map showed a room there. The map even shows room to the left of your present location, but you actually have to go right and maybe it was my imagination, but the rooms shown downward on the map seemed to actually be upward.
I don't recommend this game.
Stop the magician pirate BlackLore! From talking trees to prankster ghosts, get ready for a Hidden Object adventure like no other!
Overall rating
4
/
5
12 of 13 found this review helpful
Witchy Game Not As Easy As It Seems
PostedJune 21, 2012
rosekaufmann
fromLos Angeles
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Just played this very witchy game a 2nd time. At first glance, the graphics make it appear to be relatively easy and aimed at kids, but it is actually quite difficult. If you like to be challenged, give it a try.
Game Play: 11 Chapters, each self-contained with a map and are graded. You choose the order to visit the scenes, as well as viewing the short or complete story. Difficulty is casual or timed. Completing the game with an A average for the chapters adds “magician” to the difficulty levels. Because of the HOS containing a few small items, the puzzles and releasing the fairies, I can’t imagine playing the timed mode because of the difficulty in finding everything.
Sound and Visual Effects: Very good. Really add to that witchy atmosphere. The croaking, fluttering books flying through the air, ghosts, and snapping flowers were bothersome at first, but then I started looking forward to provoking the flowers and flicking the books. But you will likely need to become used to them and I'd suggest giving it time (took me about 5-6 chapters to look forward to them).
Music is rather jaunty and whether you like it is personal to you.
HOS: Items aren’t hidden behind other objects and are fully visible, but are well blended into the scene. Some are very small. 10 items per scene.
Puzzles and Releasing Fairies: Most are very difficult. The fairies are hidden in various HOS. Can use Hints here.
Keys: Used to open chests containing parts of various wands. About half are easily visible; the other half not so easy. Map shows how many keys are in each scene. Don’t worry if you don’t find them all – you don’t really need all the wands to average an A for the entire game.
Ending: As expected, but sequels are promised to address new questions.
I recommend this game!
End a centuries-old war between the Guardians and the Clan of the Nine in 9: The Dark Side!
Overall rating
4
/
5
5 of 5 found this review helpful
Very Challenging Adventure Game
PostedJune 14, 2012
rosekaufmann
fromLos Angeles
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Based on complete game.
Gameplay: More an adventure game with numerous puzzles and a few HO scenes. Long game, with total time quite dependent on ability and patience in solving the puzzles (see below). Hint: When an apparition disappears, look around to see if anything useful appeared in the scene (besides any item you were specifically given).
Gameplay: More an adventure game with numerous puzzles and a few HO scenes. Long game, with total time quite dependent on ability and patience in solving the puzzles (see below). Hint: When an apparition disappears, look around to see if anything useful appeared in the scene (besides any item you were specifically given).
Visuals: Quite nice.
Journal: Gave a lot of story background and detail, which was certainly interesting.
Journal: Gave a lot of story background and detail, which was certainly interesting.
Storyline: Found the story difficult to follow. An amulet and a Gateway to the Dark Side together made up the artifact. The Guardians stole and hid the amulet and the priests opened the Gateway to release a deadly mist. So why would the priests want to help the last Guardian find the amulet? I just couldn’t get my arms around it. Usually I don’t care if the story is very good. But this was an interesting story, so I did want it to make complete sense.
HO scenes: The list of items needed to more clearly differentiate between found and unfound objects. The slight contrast between them meant it was very difficult to determine what was outstanding. It looked like different items were outstanding every time I shifted my position or tilted the screen.
Puzzles were many and some were terribly challenging (much more than merely difficult). Quite a few depended on reading glyphs and putting them in the correct order. Sometimes the information could be found elsewhere, but too often it seemed like I should have taken a couple more college-level logic classes to solve them. I apparently had an unknown time limit to solve puzzles, because I used the skip button because I just gave up.
Not quite a 4 1/2 star game because of difficulty in logic of the storyline.
I recommend this game!
Who knew a single butterfly not flapping its wings would cause a chain reaction through time? Can you help Helen correct history?
Overall rating
3
/
5
7 of 7 found this review helpful
Way Too Long
PostedJune 12, 2012
rosekaufmann
fromLos Angeles
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
Thought the game would never end. I stopped after the 27th invention because it became so tedious that I just couldn't take it any more; apparently there are 30 inventions. I became anxious for the game to end after the 15th or 16th invention even though I only played about 6 inventions per sitting.
Hint system just shows a large circle in which the item is found. Sometimes, the item is very tiny, and was still difficult to find even though it was in the circle.
Misclicks: You have to misclick an awful lot to be penalized. I did click all over to find the tiny items, but still got only 3 or 4 penalties in the 27 chapters I completed.
Inventions: You don't have to actually assemble the pieces for the inventions. Just find the missing pieces and they will assemble themselves. The pieces will be in the main scene and usually 2 subscenes (which your cursor will point out). Once you find all the pieces, the yellow gears show where one of the pieces goes. Didn't take any brain power. No challenge at all.
Still, the premise was good, so 3 stars and a recommendation to buy if you don't mind repetition or can spread out the playing time over a few days. 3 days was enough for me. Good for an advanced beginner.
I recommend this game!
Miranda Calomy and her robot Sprocket are setting off on an adventure! Help find Miranda’s parents who mysteriously disappeared!
Overall rating
4
/
5
30 of 35 found this review helpful
LOOKS EASY, BUT IT ISN'T
PostedJune 10, 2012
rosekaufmann
fromLos Angeles
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Based on entire game.
Several scenes (including HO scenes) were either zoomable or scrollable.
No clicking penalty - yeah!
HO scenes: nicely sized and not overly cluttered.
Puzzles: very challenging.
Map: allows you to jump to any scene on the map (it was in fact the only way to get to a new scene).
Journal: needed because solutions to some puzzles are recorded here.
Graphics: not spectacular, but they were clear. Sprocket was cute (reminded me R2D2).
Story: When I reached the anticlimactic point, I wondered if I missed something during the play. I still had a squirrel in inventory. Storyline made sense for this type of game.
No clicking penalty - yeah!
HO scenes: nicely sized and not overly cluttered.
Puzzles: very challenging.
Map: allows you to jump to any scene on the map (it was in fact the only way to get to a new scene).
Journal: needed because solutions to some puzzles are recorded here.
Graphics: not spectacular, but they were clear. Sprocket was cute (reminded me R2D2).
Story: When I reached the anticlimactic point, I wondered if I missed something during the play. I still had a squirrel in inventory. Storyline made sense for this type of game.
I recommend this game!
Find the Tomb of Isis and finish the search that Robert's Grandpa started! Travel the globe and find clues that will help you!
Overall rating
3
/
5
30 of 44 found this review helpful
Could Have Been a 5-Star
PostedJune 8, 2012
rosekaufmann
fromLos Angeles
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Based on entire game. Recently replayed. Music and Visuals are okay, but the main character looks more like a sleazy sinister villain. Storyline and ending were good.
The GOOD:
1. There are tons of HO scenes. The scenes are not excessively cluttered and the objects are decent sized.
2. Game has 8 chapters (including the prologue which is a decent length) and is fairly long. Occasionally, a panoramic view happens automatically; it can be surprising if not expected.
3. Inventory: Occasionally, inventory items are used in the HO scenes and a few carry over into the next chapters.
4. Map: The journal has a map showing all locations in each chapter. Clicking on a location takes you there immediately if you don't want to go back and forth (though that is generally limited to a small number of scenes). Question marks indicate locations that aren’t yet available; a checkmark shows that the location is completed; an exclamation point shows where more actions are required.
5. Hints: Start with 3 hints; earn additional hints by finding “Special Items.” And, if you find all special items in the chapter, you get a bonus of an additional 2 hints. If you run out of hints, the meter will recharge (don’t know how long that is).
1. There are tons of HO scenes. The scenes are not excessively cluttered and the objects are decent sized.
2. Game has 8 chapters (including the prologue which is a decent length) and is fairly long. Occasionally, a panoramic view happens automatically; it can be surprising if not expected.
3. Inventory: Occasionally, inventory items are used in the HO scenes and a few carry over into the next chapters.
4. Map: The journal has a map showing all locations in each chapter. Clicking on a location takes you there immediately if you don't want to go back and forth (though that is generally limited to a small number of scenes). Question marks indicate locations that aren’t yet available; a checkmark shows that the location is completed; an exclamation point shows where more actions are required.
5. Hints: Start with 3 hints; earn additional hints by finding “Special Items.” And, if you find all special items in the chapter, you get a bonus of an additional 2 hints. If you run out of hints, the meter will recharge (don’t know how long that is).
The NOT SO GOOD:
1. Too much dialogue. You can’t click an object, move in or go to another scene, or take anything from inventory until the dialogue has been exhausted.
2. Puzzles: Has many, none with instructions. Some were so obtuse that they make a “challenging” puzzle from other games look like a piece of cake. Had to consult the WT for the solution a few times and still they made no sense. You could use a hint on the puzzles, but that was pretty useless.
3. Special Items: Unfortunately, you are not even told that there are special items to find and there is no clue of what the item is. It is different for each chapter (labels, masks, rings, scrolls). You find them accidently by just clicking items because the cursor will not change shape, but then you run the risk of the cursor turning into a whirling dervish. Some of the special items also appear in the HO scene, but are not listed among the objects to find.
4. Journal: The journal shows only the locations available and how many special items have been found; there are no entries of information found. So information needed to solve puzzles had to be taken from inventory, but also through pen and paper.
1. Too much dialogue. You can’t click an object, move in or go to another scene, or take anything from inventory until the dialogue has been exhausted.
2. Puzzles: Has many, none with instructions. Some were so obtuse that they make a “challenging” puzzle from other games look like a piece of cake. Had to consult the WT for the solution a few times and still they made no sense. You could use a hint on the puzzles, but that was pretty useless.
3. Special Items: Unfortunately, you are not even told that there are special items to find and there is no clue of what the item is. It is different for each chapter (labels, masks, rings, scrolls). You find them accidently by just clicking items because the cursor will not change shape, but then you run the risk of the cursor turning into a whirling dervish. Some of the special items also appear in the HO scene, but are not listed among the objects to find.
4. Journal: The journal shows only the locations available and how many special items have been found; there are no entries of information found. So information needed to solve puzzles had to be taken from inventory, but also through pen and paper.
Because of what I perceive to be so many and annoying negative factors that don't outweigh the good, I cannot give it the 4 or 4.5 stars it would otherwise deserve. Still it is a bit more than just a 3 star game.
I recommend this game!
Follow Edwin through Mystic Gateways! After unlocking ancient portals, Edwin sets off on an adventure and asks you to follow!
Overall rating
4
/
5
4 of 4 found this review helpful
Good Straightforward Game
PostedJune 6, 2012
rosekaufmann
fromLos Angeles
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Based on entire game. No bad guys. More of an adventure game rather than a HOG. Intermediate length. Not too difficult.
Story: You follow Edwin through a series of portals, looking for relics in the desert of Egypt, the lush greenery of Brazil, the mountains in the Crimea and the beach of Easter Island. In each location, you’ll be helped by various spirits with an “I’ll help you but only if you help me” attitude. They give you several tasks to accomplish before they will direct you to the relic and next portal.
Game Play: Each location has several scenes, which you may visit several times. Movements in each location are rather intuitive and you’ll sometimes need to return to a spirit for additional guidance as you try to complete the tasks. The game is not a traditional HOG. Rather you will find parts of whatever you are looking for scattered among 2 or 3 scenes. So going back and forth is limited. You will find a brush, hammer and shovel early in the game. They are located where your picture is and you will use them quite a bit. Other items go to inventory until needed. However, they will not appear until they are needed for a task, and sometimes is that is after you return to speak to a spirit. And it is not always obvious when you need to speak to a spirit – so if you get stuck, just go see a spirit to see if they have anything to say.
Puzzles are not too difficult, and you can skip them. Hints recharge quickly, but they generally show where you can go, not necessarily where you will find something to collect or do. Visually were colorful and clear.
SPOILER ALERT!
After you enter the last portal, it seems to be an “everything is hunky-dory” ending. Then Whammo!
After you enter the last portal, it seems to be an “everything is hunky-dory” ending. Then Whammo!
I recommend this game!