Granny_Gruff's Profile
Stat Summary
- Average Rating:2.6
- Helpful Votes:22,850
- Reviews Submitted:883
- First Review:December 23, 2011
- Most Recent Review:November 23, 2022
- Featured reviews0
Status:
Accompany Mary Jane and Jack on a swashbuckling hidden object adventure!
Overall rating
3
/
5
13 of 17 found this review helpful
Not as Bad as It Could Be, Better Than Awful!
PostedJuly 8, 2019
Granny_Gruff
fromI'm thinking the parrot has the right idea - stealing bullets - it's so much better than having the villains armed!
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Mahjong, Marble Popper, Match 3, Puzzle
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
Mary Jane has hired Jack to help her find her father, a missing ship's captain named Mason, but Mary Jane and Jack's ship is attacked close to the port they are sailing toward. Armed with her father's magic compass, Mary Jane will take turns with Jack leading the game play and dragging us along for the ride.
Not-so bad stuff: The puzzles outnumber the HOPs by 3 to 2 and both game elements are lackluster. The characters seem to be going for humor with their accents - at least I hope they were trying to be funny! There are collectilbe rose petals - a fine line drawing - hidden in the scenes and assorted CE bling.
Bad stuff: Puzzles are retreads. HOPs are uninspired as well as dark and slightly blurry. The story is not particularly original and you are given details well before you need them, ruining any suspense or urgency in the tale.
Bottom line: There are other, better pirate-centered games out there - think Nightmares From the Deep: Davy Jones - if you must have pirates.
Please try the demo for yourself.
Can you help three souls escape a deadly amusement park?
Overall rating
4
/
5
33 of 48 found this review helpful
Three More Souls Need Our Help!
PostedJune 27, 2019
Granny_Gruff
fromMulti-layered HOPs are a big attraction!
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Mahjong, Marble Popper, Match 3, Puzzle
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
Another Redemption Cemetery has landed.
You will visit a deserted amusement park to save the last three souls needed to free Obsidian, an evil entity from his prison inside one of the parks rides. If you fail, you too will become one of the souls trapped here.
You will visit a deserted amusement park to save the last three souls needed to free Obsidian, an evil entity from his prison inside one of the parks rides. If you fail, you too will become one of the souls trapped here.
Good stuff: HOPs and mini-games/puzzles pop up at every turn as you work your way through the adventures to save souls. There are collectible skulls that appear in the scenes and an assortment of CE bling. The artwork is well drawn and beautifully colored without the over-saturation so prevalent lately.
Bad stuff: I was underwhelmed by the puzzles/mini-games. I felt as though I was being lead through them. A couple of the HOPs seemed to have glittering objects - as I picked one item, the next on the list twinkled at me. I didn't need that much help.
Bottom line: Hey, Guys, it's a redemption Cemetery game! What more is there to be said? I know there will be three stories of tragedies that I will need to fix and lots of time to work my way through the adventures with a wicked looking evil to overcome. I will adjust the difficulty level when I go back in and all will be right with the world!
Please try the Demo for yourself. I am a self proclaimed Redemption Cemetery fan and am prejudiced in their favor!
Please try the Demo for yourself. I am a self proclaimed Redemption Cemetery fan and am prejudiced in their favor!
I recommend this game!
Can you help people escape their magical prisons in time?
Overall rating
1
/
5
22 of 39 found this review helpful
This Game Will Inspire the Creation Of a New Word for Awful!
PostedJune 23, 2019
Granny_Gruff
fromOur magic tatoo will add to the confusion!
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Mahjong, Marble Popper, Match 3, Puzzle
Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
1
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
Short version of the story: Mom, the fairy tale author, goes off deep end when daughter dies of prolonged illness. A "fan" of Mom's stories has broken into the house and is trapped in one of the stories. We play as a paranormal investigator on vacation, who investigates a strangely glowing book that leads him to the author's house.
All the bad stuff: the characters trapped in the stories are amazingly unlikable - a vlogger who broke into the house to get content to post online, a literary agent who stole from the author, local boys throwing rocks at the house, and the author who looks like a bad caricature of a wicked witch. And our character gets to tell the child trapped in this mess that she truly is dead in the real world.
There are several story type HOPS/Puzzles and lots of confusing elements that make this game incomprehensible. You will rapidly find yourself wondering why you didn't bail sooner.
I can explain that.
Everything is so bad that you are sure it has to improve - only it doesn't.
Please play the demo. Do not buy this game and then give it a bad review as you will only encourage more of the same. (Money speaks louder than reviewers anytime.)
There are better games out there!
All the bad stuff: the characters trapped in the stories are amazingly unlikable - a vlogger who broke into the house to get content to post online, a literary agent who stole from the author, local boys throwing rocks at the house, and the author who looks like a bad caricature of a wicked witch. And our character gets to tell the child trapped in this mess that she truly is dead in the real world.
There are several story type HOPS/Puzzles and lots of confusing elements that make this game incomprehensible. You will rapidly find yourself wondering why you didn't bail sooner.
I can explain that.
Everything is so bad that you are sure it has to improve - only it doesn't.
Please play the demo. Do not buy this game and then give it a bad review as you will only encourage more of the same. (Money speaks louder than reviewers anytime.)
There are better games out there!
I don't recommend this game.
Can you stop a deadly magic from destroying the land?
Overall rating
2
/
5
18 of 27 found this review helpful
How Did This Game Escape?
PostedJune 8, 2019
Granny_Gruff
fromPerhaps we could find a nice cave for the trolls to live in.
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Mahjong, Marble Popper, Match 3, Puzzle
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
2
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
You will play as a monster hunter helping your friend, Evelyn, to find and rescue Pascal, another monster hunter. You will have your Bestiary to help you conquer any monsters you come across. You will start the search at an abandoned cathedral.
Good stuff: There are several collectibles included with the CE bling. There are all the other game elements you would expect. You have the Bestiary to take care of threatening monsters by playing a different puzzle each time you use it. There is a Match 3 alternative to the HOPs.
Bad stuff: The artwork is over-the-top colored, like the Devs just inherited an ink factory that exploded. And they somehow managed to make all that excessive color seem dark and dreary. The characters are not particularly interesting and the story is off base: You enter the cathedral to save Evelyn, who has been dragged inside by a troll. Evelyn is sure Pascal is hiding in the cathedral, but he is in a cage, captured by the trolls. But the troll leader, Jorlis, is still looking to capture a monster hunter. The trolls expect to use the monster hunter's soul to light their way to stop the sun and cause an eternal eclipse. It just seems as though the team communication was MIA as this game was developed. There will be more confusion as the game progresses.
Bottom line: Between the anomalies and the color saturation there is little to make me want to play this game again, especially when the trolls are outside to capture us in the sun. After the whole adventure is predicated on the trolls wanting to banish the sun because it turns them to stone, being out in the sun to capture us is more than confusing - especially as I was on a bird flying above them.
Please play the demo.
I don't recommend this game.
Can you stop a past case from destroying the present?
Overall rating
1
/
5
57 of 76 found this review helpful
Apologies to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
PostedMay 31, 2019
Granny_Gruff
fromMs. - 1950s: combination of Mrs. and miss. Not accepted into common usage until the 1970's, when it was promoted by the Women's movement as a female equivalent to Mr.
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Mahjong, Marble Popper, Match 3, Puzzle
Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
2
/
5
Level of Challenge
1
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
If you don't think the creator of Sherlock Holmes is spinning in his grave after this debacle, you have another think coming.
This is a scantily developed game, with all the usual game elements and lots of silly moments to raise your blood pressure.
I could get passed the mixed tenses in the English and, possibly, the uncounted numbers of shapes to collect. In the end, the moment they totally lost me, was when Ms. Holmes had to go OUTSIDE the mansion to retrieve a piece of the lock to the "secret" room. Aside from the fact that Sir Baskerville had managed to lock himself in while not being IN the room, the room could not have been much of a secret, if the whole point of the villain's plot was to get something he wanted to steal put inside that room.
Everything about this game reeked of inconsistency and confusion.
Please play the demo.
Do not reward the Devs for the sorry mess that is this game.
Do not reward the Devs for the sorry mess that is this game.
I don't recommend this game.
Can you reveal the murderer’s identity before it’s too late?
Overall rating
2
/
5
47 of 68 found this review helpful
Agatha Christie Did It Better!
PostedMay 24, 2019
Granny_Gruff
fromIf there are 26 TVs in the hidden room, does that mean there are 26 rooms in the house?
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Mahjong, Marble Popper, Match 3, Puzzle
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
Your sister, Agatha, was with Judge McGregor when he was murdered on the street. A Short time later you were both invited to the judge's family home to hear the reading of his will. Of course it doesn't turn out to be that simple. Everyone at the reading of the will finds they are all confined to the Judge's house and under the watchful eye of an avenger convinced that one of them is the murderer. And he's willing to kill them all to make his point.
Good stuff: No crashes, bees, or broken zippers are evident in the demo. You will not have to make soup, tea, medicine, or potions. There will be a variety of puzzles and HOPs as well as an assortment of CE bling and your new gimmick, a special watch that will show you the truth after you solve a puzzle to use it.
Bad stuff: I'm guessing that several people had their ideas incorporated into this story. This can be a good thing, unless they couldn't agree on what ended up being included in the game. Conflicts abound: The McGregor family home is also apparently a resort, as you come across advertising for it. The butler and most of the guests disappear early on and you will spend your time alternately finding them alive and dead.
You will go down the hall from the dining room and bring your sister out of a faint in the kitchen. She announces that she "ran and ran" before she fainted. That ten yard sprint must have worn her out!
You learn that sister dear has lied to you in the past and later find her outside the house, caught by the avenger. I guess she didn't think her sibling needed to escape with her!
There are editing errors and most of the guests are shadow figures. The only character that has been fleshed out is the judge and he apparently was deciding his legal cases based on what that watch told him and not on the law.
Please try the Demo. After that, I'd suggest any of the Christie books or short stories for a real mystery.
Good stuff: No crashes, bees, or broken zippers are evident in the demo. You will not have to make soup, tea, medicine, or potions. There will be a variety of puzzles and HOPs as well as an assortment of CE bling and your new gimmick, a special watch that will show you the truth after you solve a puzzle to use it.
Bad stuff: I'm guessing that several people had their ideas incorporated into this story. This can be a good thing, unless they couldn't agree on what ended up being included in the game. Conflicts abound: The McGregor family home is also apparently a resort, as you come across advertising for it. The butler and most of the guests disappear early on and you will spend your time alternately finding them alive and dead.
You will go down the hall from the dining room and bring your sister out of a faint in the kitchen. She announces that she "ran and ran" before she fainted. That ten yard sprint must have worn her out!
You learn that sister dear has lied to you in the past and later find her outside the house, caught by the avenger. I guess she didn't think her sibling needed to escape with her!
There are editing errors and most of the guests are shadow figures. The only character that has been fleshed out is the judge and he apparently was deciding his legal cases based on what that watch told him and not on the law.
Please try the Demo. After that, I'd suggest any of the Christie books or short stories for a real mystery.
I don't recommend this game.
Can you protect the Buried Kingdom from a dangerous supernatural foe?
Overall rating
2
/
5
22 of 32 found this review helpful
If You Can't See This One Coming, I have Swamp Land For Sale!
PostedMay 19, 2019
Granny_Gruff
fromFirst time I've longed to watch paint dry!
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Mahjong, Marble Popper, Match 3, Puzzle
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
Once again you play as Sarah, called in to help a friend. You will head back too the Buried Kingdom as a new crisis looms.
Mother Dragon has died, the dragons are all behaving strangely, and skeletons are attacking the palace. Can you help restore balance and order to this once peaceful kingdom?
Mother Dragon has died, the dragons are all behaving strangely, and skeletons are attacking the palace. Can you help restore balance and order to this once peaceful kingdom?
Good stuff: There are all the required/expected game elements along with good artwork and assorted CE bling, including collectible puzzle pieces and "morphing" objects.
Bad stuff: All of the game elements are way average or below. The story is lackluster and the "twist" isn't much of a twist as you see it coming way off in the distance.
As for the two collectibles! The puzzle pieces are big and obvious. The "morphing" items aren't morphs, just really large odd items that pop into the scenes. Think giant butterfly appearing on a dragon's back, floating origami materializing above a sofa and you'll get the idea.
As for the two collectibles! The puzzle pieces are big and obvious. The "morphing" items aren't morphs, just really large odd items that pop into the scenes. Think giant butterfly appearing on a dragon's back, floating origami materializing above a sofa and you'll get the idea.
Please try the Demo. You may be more tolerant and less bored by this game than I was.
I don't recommend this game.
Can you stop townspeople from turning into crystal in time?
Overall rating
1
/
5
84 of 119 found this review helpful
It Was My Scream of Anguish You Heard In the Night!
PostedMay 16, 2019
Granny_Gruff
fromI started carving the headstone for this once strong series several bad games ago!
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Mahjong, Marble Popper, Match 3, Puzzle
Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
1
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
Once again the cardinal has called in an agent to go on a mission for him. This one is shrouded in greater secrecy than any other. Your only information is to talk with the captain of the Musketeers in the small town of Nulve.
You will spend a great deal of time peeking in windows and through cracks and eavesdropping on conversations. All you will learn is that most of the local characters are not very rational or likeable.
You will spend a great deal of time peeking in windows and through cracks and eavesdropping on conversations. All you will learn is that most of the local characters are not very rational or likeable.
Good stuff: There are the usual game elements and CE bling, including morphing items to find. The artwork is beautiful although tending toward a gray scale.
Bad stuff: Those morphing items all look the same, before and after morphing. If you can't find them, your monitor must be unplugged in another room. There is constant rain in the Demo, suggesting the Devs were just as sad as players will be.
The story is very disjointed - {Spoiler Alert} At one point the doctor is outside a grated window/door seeming to ask for help. It looks as though he is dragged away by a loud and angry mob. By the time you get through the grate several puzzles/sets of amulets later, he is calmly walking in his front door and the street is empty.
There is more, but each incident, when capped by the late appearance of St Germaine, only muddies the already cloudy waters of this soggy game.
Everywhere you go there are multiple amulets, keys, and shapes to collect, each set to open something that will get you parts to another set to get you parts to something else to open to get more pieces. Tired of searching for small items of every description in pairs and small groups? Then step into the forge where you can make one of the three extra caduceus you need to get into the Doctor's house.
Usually I have something to say about both the story and the game play. This game defies words. The story made me cringe. There were so many bad moments, I was left with only that scream upon my lips.
Even the appearance of St Germaine is laughably sad. You'll know what I mean by the end of the Demo.
Please, do not buy blindly.
I urge you to play the Demo.
The story is very disjointed - {Spoiler Alert} At one point the doctor is outside a grated window/door seeming to ask for help. It looks as though he is dragged away by a loud and angry mob. By the time you get through the grate several puzzles/sets of amulets later, he is calmly walking in his front door and the street is empty.
There is more, but each incident, when capped by the late appearance of St Germaine, only muddies the already cloudy waters of this soggy game.
Everywhere you go there are multiple amulets, keys, and shapes to collect, each set to open something that will get you parts to another set to get you parts to something else to open to get more pieces. Tired of searching for small items of every description in pairs and small groups? Then step into the forge where you can make one of the three extra caduceus you need to get into the Doctor's house.
Usually I have something to say about both the story and the game play. This game defies words. The story made me cringe. There were so many bad moments, I was left with only that scream upon my lips.
Even the appearance of St Germaine is laughably sad. You'll know what I mean by the end of the Demo.
Please, do not buy blindly.
I urge you to play the Demo.
I don't recommend this game.
Can your love overcome a grudge that spans a thousand years?
Overall rating
2
/
5
27 of 50 found this review helpful
Blank Headline
PostedMay 10, 2019
Granny_Gruff
fromMy headline is MIA, much like the good parts of this game, leaving me wishing I could have just left an actual blank space.
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Mahjong, Marble Popper, Match 3, Puzzle
Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
You, as Allison of the Owl Clan, are being returned home by Vance when you are chased by a huge bear through the woods. You are thrown from your horse and awaken in a barn. Vance is guarding the door and urges you to get up and quickly saddle your horse so the two of you can escape the bear. You are confused as your memory seems affected by the blow to your head. Vance explains he is returning you to your father's house.
You obligingly start to saddle your horse by engaging in the following actions:. You find the code to your valise, open, and unpack it. You find the locked box inside, search out the initial to unlock it - hidden in an old birdcage in a corner of the barn - and repair a ladder to go up to the barn loft for your bridle. You prepare a tranquilizer for your skittish horse. Then the bear breaks in and carries off Vance.
Eventually you will play as the star crossed lovers, Allison and Jacob, members of rival clans and now cursed by that love. Allison will turn into an owl at night and Jacob into a bear during the day. You will alternately play as each of them.
You will have a special clan figurine that will give you special powers to proceed with your adventure, an owl for Allison and a bear for Jacob. Each scene will have two morphing objects and two translucent sheep in it. (I can't say they are hidden as the sheep aren't and the morphing objects stand out, much like the large pretzel in the barn.) There are also HOPs, puzzles, nice artwork, CE bling, and little to recommend this game otherwise.
Please play the demo. Please.
Do not reward sloppy design and lackluster game play.
You obligingly start to saddle your horse by engaging in the following actions:. You find the code to your valise, open, and unpack it. You find the locked box inside, search out the initial to unlock it - hidden in an old birdcage in a corner of the barn - and repair a ladder to go up to the barn loft for your bridle. You prepare a tranquilizer for your skittish horse. Then the bear breaks in and carries off Vance.
Eventually you will play as the star crossed lovers, Allison and Jacob, members of rival clans and now cursed by that love. Allison will turn into an owl at night and Jacob into a bear during the day. You will alternately play as each of them.
You will have a special clan figurine that will give you special powers to proceed with your adventure, an owl for Allison and a bear for Jacob. Each scene will have two morphing objects and two translucent sheep in it. (I can't say they are hidden as the sheep aren't and the morphing objects stand out, much like the large pretzel in the barn.) There are also HOPs, puzzles, nice artwork, CE bling, and little to recommend this game otherwise.
Please play the demo. Please.
Do not reward sloppy design and lackluster game play.
I don't recommend this game.
There is a shadow hanging over New York City and time is running out.
Overall rating
4
/
5
19 of 30 found this review helpful
Stop Me if You've Heard This Before
PostedMay 6, 2019
Granny_Gruff
fromI want to ride a confession box elavator down into the Order's underground NY headquarters.
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Mahjong, Marble Popper, Match 3, Puzzle
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
Laura is back and sucked into another New York mystery seconds into the Demo. She will have to rescue herself as well as the rest of the city, if not the world, before this adventure is over. We will all travel into the hidden headquarters of the Order as she tries to conquer new challenges. Good luck, Laura.
Good News: Another New York Mysteries has finally landed with multiple collectibles, morphing items, great characters, good puzzles, interactive HOPs that are part of the story , and that stylized artwork that I, for one, appreciate.
Bad news: You know where the demo is heading after the first five minutes and will collect as many as ten items to open a lock.
Good News: There are no bees, broken zippers, or potions to mix.
Bad news: You do know where the demo is heading after the first five minutes and that takes a lot of the fun out of the adventure. And those groups of items you collect to open doors, cabinets, etc., are overworked in this story.
Good News: But you don't know where your journey will end up so the story still holds some mystery.
Good News: But you don't know where your journey will end up so the story still holds some mystery.
Bottom line: Will I get this new entry in the New York Mysteries series?
Yes, mostly because it is a cut above the games we have been seeing.
Is it the next great game?
No, but it is good enough to join the other NYM games in my collection.
Yes, mostly because it is a cut above the games we have been seeing.
Is it the next great game?
No, but it is good enough to join the other NYM games in my collection.
Please try the demo and decide for yourself.
I recommend this game!