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 Silent Age
Help Joe discover the truth behind humankind's extinction! Can a simple janitor and literally, "the average Joe," save humankind?
Overall rating
4
/
5
26 of 31 found this review helpful
Old Times and Time Travel
PostedAugust 17, 2015
Granny_Gruff
fromLouisville, KY
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Adventure, Match 3, Marble Popper
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
You get called up to the boss's office. Good news! You now get to do your job and your buddy Frank's job as well. You go down to the basement to start your new duties and find a dying time traveler. Next thing you know security is demanding you keep your hands visible, the police are questioning you, and then you hit the time travel button!
This is NOT a Hidden Object game. This is an old timey adventure game - something you might have seen in the early days of gaming. As such it is challenging and amusing in a retro sort of way.
I liked the story and I liked having to think more logically than the current HOPs or adventure games need you to do.
There are no mini-games, HOPs, or hint or skip buttons in this game. The VOs come and go. There are also no maps,diaries, or any other guidance. You are on your own.
But I need to know what happens to Joe and I'm in a nostalgic mood, so I'm using a coupon code to finish this old fashioned gem.
This is NOT a Hidden Object game. This is an old timey adventure game - something you might have seen in the early days of gaming. As such it is challenging and amusing in a retro sort of way.
I liked the story and I liked having to think more logically than the current HOPs or adventure games need you to do.
There are no mini-games, HOPs, or hint or skip buttons in this game. The VOs come and go. There are also no maps,diaries, or any other guidance. You are on your own.
But I need to know what happens to Joe and I'm in a nostalgic mood, so I'm using a coupon code to finish this old fashioned gem.
I recommend this game!
Adventure into the unknown to save a city from evil!
Overall rating
2
/
5
27 of 32 found this review helpful
The Shadows Win
PostedAugust 16, 2015
Granny_Gruff
fromLouisville, KY
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Adventure, Match 3, Marble Popper
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
A distress call is received, but it is garbled. So rescuers are sent to nearby towns to search for the emergency. It is no surprise that you get the endangered locale. You arrive in a seemingly deserted part of town and almost immediately break your magic amulet.. Luckily you have an innate ability to shift into Shadow lands. There you find aids to your dilemma in the real world, including a machine that repairs your amulet one tiny bit at a time. So you travel back and forth and back and forth and back and forth and back and forth.....
Good stuff: Nice cartoon style artwork, HOPs that occasionally use an inventory item, OK mini-games, and passable music and VOs.
Bad Stuff: Did I mention the back and forth? Then there is the story line, a good bit of which is given away in the intro rather than unfolded in the game-play. There are only three levels of difficulty. And I never found anything collectible or morphing, even as I went back and forth.
There was opportunity missed as this could have been a great game if there had been something more going on in the Shadow land as a parallel but separate adventure to the real world. As it is, you just pop into a static scene, pick up what you need, and leave, only to return.
Please try this demo for yourself. As usual, I can't recommend what I will not purchase.
Good stuff: Nice cartoon style artwork, HOPs that occasionally use an inventory item, OK mini-games, and passable music and VOs.
Bad Stuff: Did I mention the back and forth? Then there is the story line, a good bit of which is given away in the intro rather than unfolded in the game-play. There are only three levels of difficulty. And I never found anything collectible or morphing, even as I went back and forth.
There was opportunity missed as this could have been a great game if there had been something more going on in the Shadow land as a parallel but separate adventure to the real world. As it is, you just pop into a static scene, pick up what you need, and leave, only to return.
Please try this demo for yourself. As usual, I can't recommend what I will not purchase.
I don't recommend this game.
A magic bear summons you to help save the neighboring kingdom of Nypha.
Overall rating
4
/
5
23 of 34 found this review helpful
Towers of Frost, Bears, and Nypha!
PostedAugust 15, 2015
Granny_Gruff
fromLouisville, KY
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Adventure, Match 3, Marble Popper
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
A magical polar bear appears in your room in the middle of the night and tells you that the princess of the neighboring kingdom of Nypha has been trapped in a tower of her castle by ice. The bear wants you to rescue her.
When you awaken the next morning, it turns out the bear was not a dream. Your counselor consults a magical device that reveals that your kingdom and Nypha are connected. You must save Nypha to protect your own people. And so your adventure starts.
This time you have a magic bear paw instead of the amulet you had in the first game of the series. It will empower items you find on your journey with magical powers.
Beyond that bear paw, most of the game is story centered and while the save the princess idea is not new, this game goes about it with a more interesting story-line and a lot of puzzles and games. A match three game empowers the bear paw to change the ordinary objects. There are even puzzles, some multi-step, for battles. (Definitely not my favorite part of the game, as the instructions are not always clear or the game-play smooth.)
There is a decent amount of content here and the story looks promising, as it draws the characters fairly well in the short demo.
I will urge you to try the demo for yourself and see if you can "bear" it.
When you awaken the next morning, it turns out the bear was not a dream. Your counselor consults a magical device that reveals that your kingdom and Nypha are connected. You must save Nypha to protect your own people. And so your adventure starts.
This time you have a magic bear paw instead of the amulet you had in the first game of the series. It will empower items you find on your journey with magical powers.
Beyond that bear paw, most of the game is story centered and while the save the princess idea is not new, this game goes about it with a more interesting story-line and a lot of puzzles and games. A match three game empowers the bear paw to change the ordinary objects. There are even puzzles, some multi-step, for battles. (Definitely not my favorite part of the game, as the instructions are not always clear or the game-play smooth.)
There is a decent amount of content here and the story looks promising, as it draws the characters fairly well in the short demo.
I will urge you to try the demo for yourself and see if you can "bear" it.
I recommend this game!
Shadow Wolf Mysteries: Tracks of Terror
Can werewolves be cured, or will one family's curse continue?
Overall rating
1
/
5
22 of 30 found this review helpful
After this demo, We bait the wolves
PostedAugust 14, 2015
Granny_Gruff
fromLouisville, KY
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Adventure, Match 3, Marble Popper
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
You arrive through the open gate of the town at five minutes to midnight. The local Count had asked you to come to his aid as he fears for his life and, if he is not there, to protect his son, who would soon be of age, to protect the town in the count’s place.
The local citizens are under a curfew that started at sundown, but the gates are wide open. You are sent to the other side of town where the gate is not only open but the rabid wolves are about to enter. The count’s son, high above the open gate in a tower decides to lower the bars. You are then told that the defense perimeter of fire must be lit to protect the town – and you are the one to light it. In fact the count’s son will tell you twice to get that sucker lit, before he coughs up half of a key you’ll need to finish the task. When you have finally run all over town and completed multiple tasks to light the fires that burn in each tower, it turns out that the wick you lighted inside a cabinet after many trials, could have been lit just as well if you’d lit the end next to the open window.
I only had two questions at this point. Who gets to restring the wick all around town to each tower for tomorrow night? And why do I want to help people who don't even get the gates closed before time for an attack they've had to repel nightly for more than a century?
There is a fair amount of story content given you in the demo, but the lack of logical progression makes me want to run anywhere else. This is a decent average game as far as HOP’s and minigames go, but the rest of the game play is just a mess. I finished the demo in less than half the allotted time, so I am concerned about the length of this game also.
Take the time to play the demo, then at least you’ll know what you are getting into – and good luck.
The local citizens are under a curfew that started at sundown, but the gates are wide open. You are sent to the other side of town where the gate is not only open but the rabid wolves are about to enter. The count’s son, high above the open gate in a tower decides to lower the bars. You are then told that the defense perimeter of fire must be lit to protect the town – and you are the one to light it. In fact the count’s son will tell you twice to get that sucker lit, before he coughs up half of a key you’ll need to finish the task. When you have finally run all over town and completed multiple tasks to light the fires that burn in each tower, it turns out that the wick you lighted inside a cabinet after many trials, could have been lit just as well if you’d lit the end next to the open window.
I only had two questions at this point. Who gets to restring the wick all around town to each tower for tomorrow night? And why do I want to help people who don't even get the gates closed before time for an attack they've had to repel nightly for more than a century?
There is a fair amount of story content given you in the demo, but the lack of logical progression makes me want to run anywhere else. This is a decent average game as far as HOP’s and minigames go, but the rest of the game play is just a mess. I finished the demo in less than half the allotted time, so I am concerned about the length of this game also.
Take the time to play the demo, then at least you’ll know what you are getting into – and good luck.
I don't recommend this game.
Isa's back to his old tricks, and now he's doing the bidding of an even greater foe.
Overall rating
3
/
5
24 of 36 found this review helpful
OK, Another Princess to Save
PostedAugust 13, 2015
Granny_Gruff
fromLouisville, KY
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Adventure, Match 3, Marble Popper
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
You travel to attend the forced marriage of your friend, Princess Adele, in the neighboring kingdom of the Black Unicorn. You land at the gates in time to see them shut in your face by the potential groom, the conniving Isa. This does not bode well for you. Evil is once again on the rise and you must save friend, king, and kingdom from the bad guys.
(O, wait. Haven't we done this already - a lot?)
There are some good things in the game: varied HOPS, a couple of good mini-games among the usual, fairly decent artwork, story with some potential despite its run-of-the-mill beginnings.
And then the not so good: Another distraught princess, lack luster VOs from some characters, and a general been there, done that feeling about the game. There are CE elements missing that I find needful, most especially collectibles. The gargoyle mirror that you use to collect gargoyle images to power it up for some game help is not an even exchange for collectibles or morphing objects.
I'll wait for the SE and, of course, will not recommend what I will not purchase.
(O, wait. Haven't we done this already - a lot?)
There are some good things in the game: varied HOPS, a couple of good mini-games among the usual, fairly decent artwork, story with some potential despite its run-of-the-mill beginnings.
And then the not so good: Another distraught princess, lack luster VOs from some characters, and a general been there, done that feeling about the game. There are CE elements missing that I find needful, most especially collectibles. The gargoyle mirror that you use to collect gargoyle images to power it up for some game help is not an even exchange for collectibles or morphing objects.
I'll wait for the SE and, of course, will not recommend what I will not purchase.
I don't recommend this game.
Travel to a mysterious city and save your love from an ancient curse. Solve perplexing puzzles and explore colorful locations in "Dracula’s Legacy".
Overall rating
3
/
5
9 of 10 found this review helpful
Waiting for the Vampires
PostedAugust 11, 2015
Granny_Gruff
fromLouisville, KY
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Adventure, Match 3, Marble Popper
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
You are seeking your past on a journey with your boyfriend, Matt. You climb out of the car at an obstacle in the road in a deserted forest. Suddenly you are both being chased by a monster. You fall through a hole into a dungeon and the adventure is on.
Good stuff: The dungeon is creepy and scary, as are the characters you meet, even the "nice" one. Mini-games are ok, HOPs are short and sweet, music and VOs are also ok, and overall game-play is decent. There is a skip button for the HOPs.
Bad stuff: This game is very dated. There are two game-play levels. It is also very linear. You get on the track and you have to follow what the Devs wanted, no matter how aggravating. Specifically, you will come upon items you know you will need, but can't pick them up now. You have to come back for them at some future point. There is no jump map or diary, making for a LOT of back and forth. Once you leave the dungeon, things are not so creepy, just very strange.
I just don't know about this one. The story, while dated, still had a bit of charm. I did find it creepy. I recommend you give this demo a try.
Good stuff: The dungeon is creepy and scary, as are the characters you meet, even the "nice" one. Mini-games are ok, HOPs are short and sweet, music and VOs are also ok, and overall game-play is decent. There is a skip button for the HOPs.
Bad stuff: This game is very dated. There are two game-play levels. It is also very linear. You get on the track and you have to follow what the Devs wanted, no matter how aggravating. Specifically, you will come upon items you know you will need, but can't pick them up now. You have to come back for them at some future point. There is no jump map or diary, making for a LOT of back and forth. Once you leave the dungeon, things are not so creepy, just very strange.
I just don't know about this one. The story, while dated, still had a bit of charm. I did find it creepy. I recommend you give this demo a try.
I recommend this game!
Answer a distress call at an arctic research lab where scientists have made a chilling discovery!
Overall rating
4
/
5
39 of 62 found this review helpful
Plus One Star for the Name
PostedAugust 8, 2015
Granny_Gruff
fromLouisville, KY
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Adventure, Match 3, Marble Popper
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
Okay, so I'm a sucker for Mystery Tracker games. I freely admit my desire for a new game in the series.
That said, I also admit this is a fairly average game to which I gave an extra star for the series name on the game.
You are called to the frozen North to help at an archaeological dig where a strange discovery has lead to a crisis. Elf is along to help you. A strange frog sits on the hint button. You have a piece of spy equipment that leads to multiple seek and finds.
The rest of the game elements are as expected, just not executed in the manner we've come to expect from Elephant Games - Or should I say, in the manner we used to expect!
The story is the save the world from evil type, and nothing else is to the former standards of EG.
As a big MT fan I will buy this one only because I have 2 credits and grandchildren who need something easy to play untill school starts this week.
Please play the demo before you buy. I recommend with reservations.
That said, I also admit this is a fairly average game to which I gave an extra star for the series name on the game.
You are called to the frozen North to help at an archaeological dig where a strange discovery has lead to a crisis. Elf is along to help you. A strange frog sits on the hint button. You have a piece of spy equipment that leads to multiple seek and finds.
The rest of the game elements are as expected, just not executed in the manner we've come to expect from Elephant Games - Or should I say, in the manner we used to expect!
The story is the save the world from evil type, and nothing else is to the former standards of EG.
As a big MT fan I will buy this one only because I have 2 credits and grandchildren who need something easy to play untill school starts this week.
Please play the demo before you buy. I recommend with reservations.
I recommend this game!
A man has gone missing in the town of Rockshire, but the townspeople deny he was ever there. What dark secret are they hiding?
Overall rating
2
/
5
26 of 38 found this review helpful
Short Demo, Short on Story and Character
PostedAugust 8, 2015
Granny_Gruff
fromLouisville, KY
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Adventure, Match 3, Marble Popper
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
As the detective, you go to a strangely decrepit town looking for your client's lost husband, Bill Turner. You find yourself at odds with the locals, especially the mayor, whom you overhear plotting your demise. How lucky are you? Lucky enough to see the assassin shoot at you. Naturally you run towards him when he misses the shot as you don't want him to loose his job.
I wish I could ignore the immense lack of a story here. There are a lot of bits and pieces, but that is all. The characters are one dimensional and there is no great incentive to find Bill. In fact you wonder why he didn't head home as soon as he saw the condition of the place, with boarded up windows and most buildings falling apart. Why would he think this sad town a good place to bring his wife and child?
There are collectible crystals, HOPs with a match-3 alternative, lack-luster mini-games, and some artwork and simple music. You have a cute animal helper which you are not forced to name and which functions as a helper without constant prodding on your part. You also find pictures of scenes that, when matched to the original location in the game, give you a new clue.
There seem to be three chapters to the story, the main one you are playing and two more under lock and key, to be opened when you complete the first part.
I urge you to try this game for yourself. I am very driven by the story or lack thereof when buying my games. You may feel otherwise.
I wish I could ignore the immense lack of a story here. There are a lot of bits and pieces, but that is all. The characters are one dimensional and there is no great incentive to find Bill. In fact you wonder why he didn't head home as soon as he saw the condition of the place, with boarded up windows and most buildings falling apart. Why would he think this sad town a good place to bring his wife and child?
There are collectible crystals, HOPs with a match-3 alternative, lack-luster mini-games, and some artwork and simple music. You have a cute animal helper which you are not forced to name and which functions as a helper without constant prodding on your part. You also find pictures of scenes that, when matched to the original location in the game, give you a new clue.
There seem to be three chapters to the story, the main one you are playing and two more under lock and key, to be opened when you complete the first part.
I urge you to try this game for yourself. I am very driven by the story or lack thereof when buying my games. You may feel otherwise.
I don't recommend this game.
From the makers of the Rite of Passage series comes a ground-breaking new series that's as creepy as it gets.
Overall rating
2
/
5
38 of 99 found this review helpful
Lost and Alone
PostedAugust 1, 2015
Granny_Gruff
fromLouisville, KY
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Adventure, Match 3, Marble Popper
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
2
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
You are in a creepy hallway, you find a door, go into a room. A phone on the table rings and a child's voice challenges you to prove yourself worthy to be in her sanctuary. First you need to get out of the room.
Sorry, folks. I don't want any part of this game. It is designed to hopefully make you jump. Music is overwrought, the artwork is dim and depressing, and the little story you get is intangible.
I'm just not a fan. I want to go somewhere different in a game, but not a place this depressing and dismal.
As I do not recommend games I won't buy, you can guess where I'm going with this review. I sincerely suggest you try the demo before you buy.
Sorry, folks. I don't want any part of this game. It is designed to hopefully make you jump. Music is overwrought, the artwork is dim and depressing, and the little story you get is intangible.
I'm just not a fan. I want to go somewhere different in a game, but not a place this depressing and dismal.
As I do not recommend games I won't buy, you can guess where I'm going with this review. I sincerely suggest you try the demo before you buy.
I don't recommend this game.
Can you find and catch the notorious Sea Ripper?
Overall rating
3
/
5
112 of 147 found this review helpful
Two More Stars Deducted For Lack of Logic
PostedJuly 30, 2015
Granny_Gruff
fromLouisville, KY
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Adventure, Match 3, Marble Popper
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
Ships have disappeared at sea, including one carrying the Duke of Reddington, sent to investigate the mystery. A woman is chosen by the navy to investigate a possible case of pirating in a time period when women were still thought to be bad luck on a ship. Of course I may be confused about the time period intended for the location of our story as there was a bleed over of articles, styles, and mores from several eras.
But it's a game, folks, so the heck with sense!
Good Stuff: Lovely artwork, good animation and VO's, multilevel HOPs, and a variety of mini-games, as well as collectible snow globes(?! Why snow globes?) and the usual CE bling.
Bad Stuff: There really needs to be some type of logic or sense in the game-play. Yes, it's a game, but play should still follow some clear path. Our detective used acid to open a lock on a floor hatch in a cabin to follow the two people in that room that escaped that way. If our detective were half as smart as hoped, she would have known that they could not have fasten the lock after closing the door behind themselves, not to mention covering the opening. And if the lock was melted with acid, how did they lock the detective in after springing the trap? There are a lot more examples, but you get my drift.
I have the previous games in this series and liked them. I'm not sure about this one. As Eipix churns out more and more games, their overall quality has sunk lower with each one. I find it odd that with the variety of time periods they've explored in their games, they don't have enough background research to avoid these mistakes.
Please be sure to try the demo before plunging into a purchase.
But it's a game, folks, so the heck with sense!
Good Stuff: Lovely artwork, good animation and VO's, multilevel HOPs, and a variety of mini-games, as well as collectible snow globes(?! Why snow globes?) and the usual CE bling.
Bad Stuff: There really needs to be some type of logic or sense in the game-play. Yes, it's a game, but play should still follow some clear path. Our detective used acid to open a lock on a floor hatch in a cabin to follow the two people in that room that escaped that way. If our detective were half as smart as hoped, she would have known that they could not have fasten the lock after closing the door behind themselves, not to mention covering the opening. And if the lock was melted with acid, how did they lock the detective in after springing the trap? There are a lot more examples, but you get my drift.
I have the previous games in this series and liked them. I'm not sure about this one. As Eipix churns out more and more games, their overall quality has sunk lower with each one. I find it odd that with the variety of time periods they've explored in their games, they don't have enough background research to avoid these mistakes.
Please be sure to try the demo before plunging into a purchase.
I don't recommend this game.