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:
The fate of the realm depends on your ability to reunite the five races and remind them of their vows!
Overall rating
2
/
5
20 of 34 found this review helpful
I'll Throw You a Ham For Your Crutch!
PostedJune 13, 2018
Granny_Gruff
fromWhy would any one need to put antelope horns on an elk?
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
In the fourth installment in the Queen's Quest game series, there is no queen, at least in the Demo. There is a wounded Elven King and a vendetta against the humans the elves blame for the attack on their king. You will play as the Peacekeeper assigned to stop the war that is breaking out. After being knocked off your horse on the road, you ride into town in time to free the mayor from the beams blocking his door. He collapses outside and you revive him in time for him to be kidnapped by an elf on a giant eagle.
Good stuff: You will have your magic book to keep the rune parts you find and the required special colored liquid to pour on the completed rune for each spell. A variety of mini-games and puzzles, HOPs and the whisp of a story are provided along with collectible eggs and coins and assorted CE bling. There is a card game alternative to the HOPs.
Bad stuff: Unfortunately this game suffers from the same logic and procedural problems in the earlier games. So you will be hunting for carrots to feed the elf the mayor rides as well as its saddle. Then you ride after the captured mayor on his elk with the antelope horns. (Why antelope horns?) The mayor had sent you to find a copy of the treaty in his secret room. This is the entire second floor of his house. How secret can an entire floor be? From whom?
You make it to the Elves' Sacred Tree and work your way up toward the throne room. You go through the prison, where an elderly man in a cage asks for help. You fetch him water and a ham, laying on a shelf nearby. He gives you his crutch. (!?)
The first collectible egg looks like a tall artichoke, the next like a very large rose colored Easter egg, and the third I clicked on accidentally. The coins are the size of dinner plates and have a rune in the center. I would have like even a little challenge in finding them.
You make it to the Elves' Sacred Tree and work your way up toward the throne room. You go through the prison, where an elderly man in a cage asks for help. You fetch him water and a ham, laying on a shelf nearby. He gives you his crutch. (!?)
The first collectible egg looks like a tall artichoke, the next like a very large rose colored Easter egg, and the third I clicked on accidentally. The coins are the size of dinner plates and have a rune in the center. I would have like even a little challenge in finding them.
Bottom line: Once again the game play leaves me confused and the bare bones story leaves me unaffected.
There just does not seem to be any one of the developers trying to make these games better and more cohesive.
There just does not seem to be any one of the developers trying to make these games better and more cohesive.
Please try the demo and see what you think.
I don't recommend this game.
Journey to the past to save your parents from a deadly killer.
Overall rating
3
/
5
11 of 22 found this review helpful
Loading.....
PostedJune 11, 2018
Granny_Gruff
fromI'm loading breakfast and will later follow with lunch.
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
Once again we join Alexandra in a quest to recover powerful artifacts. This time a time machine and the artifact that will power it with human souls!
There is supposed to be a sense of urgency here as the inventor of the time machine rampages through the past to find the items he needs before he starts harvesting souls.
There is supposed to be a sense of urgency here as the inventor of the time machine rampages through the past to find the items he needs before he starts harvesting souls.
Good news: All the usual game elements, morphing items, puzzle pieces, and a variety of collectibles along with the CE bling. You will have the Keeper's Tool to detect and neutralize artifacts.
Bad news: You will see "Loading" way too often. Almost every shift between scenes, in scenes, to closeups, to puzzles results in a time lag. Any sense of urgency generated by the story line is crushed beneath the heavy foot of that "Loading" along with the endless superfluous actions to move forward.
Bottom line: The story is fair, the game play average, yet somehow the whole is less than the sum of its parts.
Please try the Demo for yourself. It might be amusing to count how many times it loads something!
I don't recommend this game.
Solve the disappearance of a rising theatre star and discover the secrets behind the curtains of the Parisian theatre.
Overall rating
3
/
5
10 of 14 found this review helpful
As an SE, This Is a Reasonable Game
PostedJune 7, 2018
Granny_Gruff
fromWaiting for vacation or vindication, which ever is more promising!
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Mahjong, Marble Popper, Match 3, Puzzle
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
Beatrice is a star and her small eight to nine year old brother, Arthur, wants to see her performance tonight. You have a ticket to enable you to report on the performance for your paper. Shortly after you enter the theater with Arthur, Beatrice is kidnapped, apparently by an illusionist that recently worked in the theater.
After rescuing Arthur from a fire, the two of you chase down the kidnapper as he flees with Beatrice.
After rescuing Arthur from a fire, the two of you chase down the kidnapper as he flees with Beatrice.
Good stuff: there are all of the usual game elements and OK artwork. The story is familiar, with scant details. Then there is Arthur to be rescued and do tasks you can't manage.
Bad stuff: The artwork will be clear in one section of the scene and fuzzy in another. There are the usual lapses of logic - the key to the tool and fire equipment closet is in a crack in the wall, where you have to fish it out to get at the equipment.
Bottom line: This is a nice SE game and deserving of a trial. As it is a cut above many of the SE versions of recent CE games, I would urge you to try the Demo.
Can you defeat a foe with an ice-cold soul?
Overall rating
4
/
5
13 of 22 found this review helpful
For Today's Excercise, We Will Consider Diversity
PostedJune 5, 2018
Granny_Gruff
fromI'm willing to live in an old school bus - but I'd want indoor plumbing!
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
4
/
5
Once again we are in a world of its own, a future where Humans had almost destroyed the world and then, with the help of Elves, had restore some of the earth. Mr Hett is the relative elder of this future world. He is experienced in dealing with the Society, a privileged group that does not appreciate the people living below their tower in the remains of an earlier, more prosperous time. Tara and Lennart are two young people who try to assist Mr. Hett. Our story opens on a speech by Mr. Hett critical of recent moves by the Society. The Society retaliates by an attack of ice that leaves Lennart helping other locals to their homes and Tara trying to unfreeze Mr. Hett. A short time later, a second attack on Mr. Hett's home leaves the three friends to consider some solution. The two teens are told they need to travel to a mountain stronghold to find ancient Elven Magic that will help defeat the Society. As with all secrets, there is more to the mystery of the Stronghold than they know.
Good stuff: Once again the striking artwork conjures up a future with homes built on the remains of modern civilization gone awry. With no stores or very much technology left to assist them, the people wear a variety of bits and pieces still usable. Dwellings are cobbled together from parts of buildings and vehicles and a water pump is the closest to modern conveniences they will get, barring remnants of electronic devices. The story is fairly clear, a privileged few wish to take the best there is and use whatever they want for their benefit, regardless of the detriment to the environment or other people.
There is a more balanced number of HOPs and Puzzles than we've seen for a while. We have a "high tech" device that will freeze or heat any small item. We will complete a match three type puzzle for each use. There are morphing items in each scene and each HOP as well as snowflakes to collect in each scene among the CE bling.
Bad stuff: It is hard to make the remnants of society and civilization "look pretty" and they don't. While Mr. Hett and the resurrected Elven Queen sound appropriately adult, the two teens sound like first graders.
Bottom line: I like the story direction of this series. More grounded than a fairy tale, less techical than science fiction, it is easy to imagine a future when we will have to try to survive without so many things we take for granted. This is not the innovative game of the year, but a good solid endeavor that will afford you some enjoyable hours of game play.
Play the Demo and read the reviews. You will see evidence of the spectrum of players that BFG is trying to serve. With so many different outlooks, you owe it to yourself to try before you buy. Not every game is for every player.
Good stuff: Once again the striking artwork conjures up a future with homes built on the remains of modern civilization gone awry. With no stores or very much technology left to assist them, the people wear a variety of bits and pieces still usable. Dwellings are cobbled together from parts of buildings and vehicles and a water pump is the closest to modern conveniences they will get, barring remnants of electronic devices. The story is fairly clear, a privileged few wish to take the best there is and use whatever they want for their benefit, regardless of the detriment to the environment or other people.
There is a more balanced number of HOPs and Puzzles than we've seen for a while. We have a "high tech" device that will freeze or heat any small item. We will complete a match three type puzzle for each use. There are morphing items in each scene and each HOP as well as snowflakes to collect in each scene among the CE bling.
Bad stuff: It is hard to make the remnants of society and civilization "look pretty" and they don't. While Mr. Hett and the resurrected Elven Queen sound appropriately adult, the two teens sound like first graders.
Bottom line: I like the story direction of this series. More grounded than a fairy tale, less techical than science fiction, it is easy to imagine a future when we will have to try to survive without so many things we take for granted. This is not the innovative game of the year, but a good solid endeavor that will afford you some enjoyable hours of game play.
Play the Demo and read the reviews. You will see evidence of the spectrum of players that BFG is trying to serve. With so many different outlooks, you owe it to yourself to try before you buy. Not every game is for every player.
I recommend this game!
You'll die in three days if you can't uncover the truth!
Overall rating
2
/
5
91 of 128 found this review helpful
If You Saw a Dozen or More Cars on the Side of the Road..
PostedMay 31, 2018
Granny_Gruff
fromNorman spent part of his 3 days talking to police. How could they miss the abandoned cars and luggage outside the gates?
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
I bet you'd call the police if they all had "3 days" painted in red on the windshield.
Rick has had a bad time lately. He is driving home to his parent's house. He picks up Emily Myer on a lonely stretch of highway and they start to chat. Suddenly the girl is gone. "3 days" appears in red paint/blood on his car windshield. Rick finds his way to the Bennet mansion, the girl's destination.
Outside the mansion gates are a dozen or more cars, apparently abandoned and with the same message on the windshields. Scattered about are items belonging to one of the car owners, Norman, an earlier traveler. On Norman's phone, after recharging, Rick sees copies of news articles about missing people. (How the local police could miss the used car lot forming outside the mansion gates baffles me.)
Rick makes his way inside the house and meets Rose Bennet, who sends him to find a family album so she can tell him about the hitchhiker. Rick will also meet Norman and Mrs. Bennet's gardener, who is more a walking corpse than anything else.
Outside the mansion gates are a dozen or more cars, apparently abandoned and with the same message on the windshields. Scattered about are items belonging to one of the car owners, Norman, an earlier traveler. On Norman's phone, after recharging, Rick sees copies of news articles about missing people. (How the local police could miss the used car lot forming outside the mansion gates baffles me.)
Rick makes his way inside the house and meets Rose Bennet, who sends him to find a family album so she can tell him about the hitchhiker. Rick will also meet Norman and Mrs. Bennet's gardener, who is more a walking corpse than anything else.
Good stuff: There seemed to be a fairly balanced mix of HOPs and puzzles/mini-games. The artwork is well done, with a preponderance of dark and moody scenes appropriate to the story.
Bad stuff: After meeting the mother, there is less mystery than you would think. I could live with the loose story if it wasn't for the actions I can't explain and needed hints to get through.
I break a key in a lock. I find pliers. Do I use them to turn the key? Of course not. I dig up a bag of mortar, pour water in the bag, stick the key in the goo, melt a tin soldier into the mortar over the broken key, and take the new key to open the door.
Pretty much everything will be made that complicated.
There are collectible ravens and morphing objects along with another collectible. Sadly the third item to be found in some scenes is so dark and small that I randomly clicked around for each one, presumably some personal item of Rick's.
Bottom line: I am disappointed in what I found when I stayed up to download the game and play the Demo. Not a stellar opening to a new series, just a hazy story that still needed work.
Yes, it is a new series.
No, there are no honey bees to smoke into submission, zippers to fix, or car crashes.
Yes, they were trying for spooky.
No they didn't quite get there.
No, there are no honey bees to smoke into submission, zippers to fix, or car crashes.
Yes, they were trying for spooky.
No they didn't quite get there.
Please try the Demo. You may see something I missed.
Wield powerful relics and stop a book from releasing the ultimate evil!
Overall rating
1
/
5
23 of 33 found this review helpful
The Wake Was Attended By the Usual Mourners/Players
PostedMay 28, 2018
Granny_Gruff
fromIn Mourning
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
Story: Bad guys, end of world as we know it if they unleash the evil _____, in this case an almanac.
Game play: Every cliché you have seen in game after game, starting with the box to open with a blade at hand and going through the motorcycle crash near the angry bees and their hive. Just for a change, when you finally get the locked first aid box open, there is a first aid bag inside! Just ignore the fact that the only cargo area on the motorcycle is still locked and yet this large metal box is laying in the grass next to an even larger toolbox.
Artwork: Purple, lots of purple.
Creepy moment: Your agency/clan/group has provided your new living quarters, including artifacts and furniture. Moments after you find a bracelet, the office calls. They have monitors in your new home and detected the energy from the bracelet activation.
Great.
Will there be cameras in the bedroom and a tap on my phone too?
Great.
Will there be cameras in the bedroom and a tap on my phone too?
Mislabeled element: You get morphing items and collectible scrolls in the CE version. Only the morphing items do not change from one item to another. They just pop in and out of existence. And a simple scroll might be hard to find, so they put a large seal on each one to make them easier to spot.
Bottom line: Another series has fallen to the dreaded cookie cutter disease.
Please play the Demo.
I don't recommend this game.
Will you escape the mansion, or become its permanent resident?
Overall rating
2
/
5
18 of 29 found this review helpful
Seriously, Does anyone at Eipix Check Their Games Before Release?
PostedMay 26, 2018
Granny_Gruff
fromSpecial shout out to all our fallen heros!
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
3
/
5
Short story and not so sweet: College Reunion involving a scavenger hunt, orchestrated by class member Margaret.
Wait.
Stop right there.
Stop right there.
There is a copy of your yearbook in the row boat going to the island. The "class" picture shows children, roughly 9 to thirteen years old. That must have been some college class!
You climb from a steamer into a small row boat with no visible motor.
Wait.
Stop right there.
Stop right there.
The now visible motor has run out of gas. You open a tiny compartment in the bow and - after a HOP - find a gas canister!
The people on the island send down chains to haul the boat up to the level of the deck - without any way to attach them to the boat.
Wait.
Stop right there.
Stop right there.
Luckily, I get two "S" rings out of a briefcase and attach both to one end of the boat. I get out of the boat - and, yes, the crane's chains were only attached at one end - but then both ends were chained after Oliver and I are on the deck to the mansion.
I check out the crane. It is just fine. No rust. Looks fairly new in fact.
Wait.
Stop right there.
Stop right there.
A short time later, I come out the front door and the crane drops the boat and wipes out one tower of the house! What would have happened if it was old and out of order?
I walk into a foyer that goes down one floor. It looks rather nice for a "haunted" mansion. We get clues to start our scavenger hunt and we all scatter.
Wait.
Stop right there.
Stop right there.
After we all are looking for our items, the grand chandelier falls hitting a classmate, who should have been elsewhere.
There's more, but the bottom line is no one at Eipix cared enough to make sure the game flowed smoothly. The result is a frustrating disaster from a rather interesting premise. The haunted house/college reunion idea gave them considerable leeway and they threw away the opportunity.
The artwork is missing sharp clean lines, and the written comments at the top of the screen mention things you can't see, even on my giant monitor.
Most of the HOPs, barring the door lock fan one, show little effort. The puzzle instructions are as murky as the Ohio River - we haven't seen the bottom since the 1870's!
PLEASE, play the Demo. You may have more patience.
If you do see what some of us are weeping over, remember that your game choices will tell Eipix exactly how little effort you will accept.
I know they can do better. I won't buy their copy cat, low effort games.
I know they can do better. I won't buy their copy cat, low effort games.
I don't recommend this game.
A mysterious plague casts a dark shadow on the people of Persia. The young apothecary Tara must discover the cause of the illness before it's too late!
Overall rating
4
/
5
14 of 18 found this review helpful
Fun Frolic With Tara in Ancient Magical Persia
PostedMay 22, 2018
Granny_Gruff
fromThe little Simurghs were very pretty.
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Mahjong, Marble Popper, Match 3, Puzzle
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Tara is concerned about a plague that has sprung up, sickening whole villages. Even the plants show signs of a strange corruption. As the nearest thing to a doctor in those times, Tara is an apothecary and wants to help her people. First stop on her quest for answers is the Temple of Nightfall's End. There she meets Darius, a handsome stranger arguing with the Grand Vizier Zaved. The Grand Vizier is hungry for power and attacks Darius for an amulet he holds. In the ensuing fight, Tara catches the amulet and finds herself with strange new powers. She and Darius, as well as a young genie, Minu, will have to keep the amulet away from the Grand Vizier and try to repair the damage he caused.
Good stuff: Bright artwork, puzzles, and HOPs abound in a pleasant story of an ancient and intriguing land. You'll have an apothecary bag to mix up concoctions from herbs, flowers and water.
Bad stuff: Sorry, I got nothin'.
Bottom line: This was a pleasant surprise from BFG. It is not the game of the year, but I found it an enjoyable way to spend some time and especially prized at the SE price.
Try the Demo. It won't hurt and may brighten your day! At the very least, you'll see what so many players found as pleasant diversion.
Good stuff: Bright artwork, puzzles, and HOPs abound in a pleasant story of an ancient and intriguing land. You'll have an apothecary bag to mix up concoctions from herbs, flowers and water.
Bad stuff: Sorry, I got nothin'.
Bottom line: This was a pleasant surprise from BFG. It is not the game of the year, but I found it an enjoyable way to spend some time and especially prized at the SE price.
Try the Demo. It won't hurt and may brighten your day! At the very least, you'll see what so many players found as pleasant diversion.
I recommend this game!
The Wild Hunt has begun and you may be its next prey!
Overall rating
2
/
5
16 of 26 found this review helpful
Horse(s) Before the Cart
PostedMay 21, 2018
Granny_Gruff
fromOut planting this summer's tomato plants and herbs.
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
Tyra the Huntress takes the lead in the beginning of this third entry in the Saga of the Nine Worlds series. Along with the Seer, the Skald, and the Shield Maiden, she battled her way through the previous adventures.
This time the Wild Hunt, a host of the dead that had been formed in the past to help Odin fight an enemy, is under an evil influence and has already killed a Valkyrie. They will wreak havoc on the Nine Worlds if the Heroes cannot stop them. The first step on the adventure is to get as much information as possible.
Tyra believes that someone in her native village can provide the intelligence they need to fight this new enemy. She sets out alone on the journey, after consulting with the Seer.
She will learn that an ancient artifact, long broken in pieces, will give power over the Wild Hunt to the possessor.
This time the Wild Hunt, a host of the dead that had been formed in the past to help Odin fight an enemy, is under an evil influence and has already killed a Valkyrie. They will wreak havoc on the Nine Worlds if the Heroes cannot stop them. The first step on the adventure is to get as much information as possible.
Tyra believes that someone in her native village can provide the intelligence they need to fight this new enemy. She sets out alone on the journey, after consulting with the Seer.
She will learn that an ancient artifact, long broken in pieces, will give power over the Wild Hunt to the possessor.
Good stuff: There are puzzles, HOPs, and a story mostly told thru the HOPs. The VOs and artwork are appropriate.
Bad stuff: The Wild Hunt is already running amuck under the orders of an evil leader, so you have to question the entire premise of the game. Why does anyone need the pieces of the artifact, if the Wild Hunt is already being controlled by evil?
And I wish someone would explain the logic of having a close-up in the upper corner of the character that is speaking if neither the close-up nor the figure in the scene is moving its lips?
I usually like the story HOPs, but after the third or fourth one in the demo, I was over it.
And I wish someone would explain the logic of having a close-up in the upper corner of the character that is speaking if neither the close-up nor the figure in the scene is moving its lips?
I usually like the story HOPs, but after the third or fourth one in the demo, I was over it.
Everyone is different and you need to give the Demo a try to see if you want to battle the Wild Hunt with Tyra and the other Heroes.
I don't recommend this game.
Save the people of Glenville from a supernatural killer!
Overall rating
3
/
5
19 of 28 found this review helpful
The Bigger Question: Why?
PostedMay 20, 2018
Granny_Gruff
fromWho left the demolition order on a building full of furniture, books, and booze behind the bar!
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
4
/
5
Glennville was the locale of a horrible train accident in the late 1800's. Now people are dying/disappearing - which depends on whether you want to believe your eyes or the possibility of what you are seeing.
You will investigate a not scary mystery using your "special" camera and what wits you have about you.
Good stuff: Lots of puzzles, some HOPs, interesting characters, and your "special" camera.
Bad stuff: All of the above! There are a lot of puzzles that are easy and/or have bad instructions. The HOPs also fell on the easy side of the line. The interesting characters were either unattractive, unlikable, or one dimensional. And that "special" camera requires no effort on your part than to sweep it back and forth across the scene and it will click itself when you roll over some item of interest.
Want a time waster? You will hop on a motorcycle and ride to the next scene.
Want a logic fail? You open a "secret" panel the bad guy passed through just minutes ago and bottles on the shelves of the moving panel crash to the ground. Guess who heard you coming? (Hint: He's wearing one of those long beaked medieval masks we've seen so often.)
Want my opinion? Mad Head came up with an interesting story and then dumped it down their disposal!
Please try the Demo. Your tolerance levels for the various game failings will determine your desire to purchase this new chapter in the Fright Chasers series.
Just keep in mind: There's no fright here other than the game treatment that fails.
You will investigate a not scary mystery using your "special" camera and what wits you have about you.
Good stuff: Lots of puzzles, some HOPs, interesting characters, and your "special" camera.
Bad stuff: All of the above! There are a lot of puzzles that are easy and/or have bad instructions. The HOPs also fell on the easy side of the line. The interesting characters were either unattractive, unlikable, or one dimensional. And that "special" camera requires no effort on your part than to sweep it back and forth across the scene and it will click itself when you roll over some item of interest.
Want a time waster? You will hop on a motorcycle and ride to the next scene.
Want a logic fail? You open a "secret" panel the bad guy passed through just minutes ago and bottles on the shelves of the moving panel crash to the ground. Guess who heard you coming? (Hint: He's wearing one of those long beaked medieval masks we've seen so often.)
Want my opinion? Mad Head came up with an interesting story and then dumped it down their disposal!
Please try the Demo. Your tolerance levels for the various game failings will determine your desire to purchase this new chapter in the Fright Chasers series.
Just keep in mind: There's no fright here other than the game treatment that fails.