GrrlScientist's Profile
Stat Summary
- Average Rating:3.6
- Helpful Votes:2,517
- Reviews Submitted:124
- First Review:March 28, 2012
- Most Recent Review:February 15, 2013
- Featured reviews0
Status:
A kingdom’s future rests in the light of three beacons. Can they be lit in time? Will the shadows be cast into light?
Overall rating
5
/
5
32 of 38 found this review helpful
a shining gem of a sequel
PostedJune 18, 2012
GrrlScientist
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Strategy, Time Management, Puzzle
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
in this hidden object puzzle adventure, our beloved heroine and future queen, Iris, has escaped imprisonment in the Painted Tower and is relying on you to continue helping her. in this sequel to the Painted Tower, your task is to solve the mystery of the three beacons and of the shadows that prowl the streets of the Kingdom of Stonebriar.
graphics: gorgeous, whimsical, delightfully imagined and beautifully rendered. the puzzles are quite unusual and require a bit of thought to solve them. i especially enjoyed how the hidden objects and the puzzles were an integral part of the storyline.
music and sound effects: lovely background chorale-style music. few sound effects, but with such evocative music, who cares? the voiceovers, which were also scripted, were lovely to listen to.
storyline: a simple plot, really, but the characters, graphics and music are so stunning and everything fits together into a truly captivating and satisfyingly complete picture. although this story is well-developed enough that this game can stand alone, it’s more engaging if you play it after you’ve finished the first game in the series. on first glance, this game appears to be a children's fantasy story (and in fact, it will appeal to kids), but this game is also rich in metaphor for more adult themes -- it certainly gave me plenty to think about when i wasn't actively playing it.
gameplay: this is not your traditional hidden object game that has HO scenes and a corresponding list of items to find. instead, important items are scattered through the game and it's up to you to discover which items should be collected and where they should be used. the game primarily consists of finding items that are used to solve puzzles. most items are used rather quickly after they are found, and none languish in your inventory for long periods of time. there is a hint button (no limits on hints used nor recharge times, either) and franklin, the narrator, also provides advice that is as helpful and as detailed as most walkthroughs. gameplay is smooth movement with no freezes, stutters or hiccups.
my interaction: one hour demo. i love this game and the series is my absolute favourite hidden object adventure game series. although i do think this game is a bit pricey, i still purchased it since it can be replayed and still maintain its freshness and mystique.
this is such a fascinating and imaginative game that i think the entire family will love playing it together. like the first game in the series, i absolutely LOVE this game and HIGHLY recommend it for kids of all ages.
I recommend this game!
Manage a haunted hotel for comical creatures of the night! Haunted Domains will have you howling with delight!
Overall rating
4
/
5
29 of 33 found this review helpful
hotel dash for witches, zombies and ghosts
PostedJune 18, 2012
GrrlScientist
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Strategy, Time Management, Puzzle
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
in this time management strategy game, you are Sheila Sullivan, the newly-hired manager of the hotel, Haunted Domains. your responsibilities are to meet the needs of a spooky cast of characters: checking in, serving dinner, cleaning rooms, and other strange and quirky special tasks.
graphics: adorable ghosts, vampires, witches, zombies, invisible people and more.
music and sound effects: appropriate for the theme, and sound effects are okay, but nothing exceptional.
storyline: absolutely silly. the strength of this game lies not in story, but in figuring out how to complete one level and progress to the next.
gameplay: there are two modes of play, and a variety of characters with different "personalities" and habits that affect your strategy. starts out easy, but after level 18 or so, gameplay become much more challenging. fortunately, you can queue tasks. when you complete a level, you can purchase a variety of upgrades that allow you to work faster. other upgrades include decorations for the place and special items that will please your guests (and earn you more points). if you beat this game easily, there is the truly hardcore "endless shift" mode that you can play, too. this game does have excellent replay potential.
this game is identical to another time management game, hotel dash. if you own that game, as i do, then don't bother purchasing this one, unless this game's graphics are something you can't live without. that said, this game is spooky-themed fun for the entire family.
I recommend this game!
Wordary
Push your lexical skills to the limit! Wordary is an original and addictive word game that the whole family can enjoy.
Overall rating
4
/
5
59 of 63 found this review helpful
logophiles will enjoy this hidden word game
PostedJune 18, 2012
GrrlScientist
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Strategy, Time Management, Puzzle
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
do you wish you could play a hidden word game, where instead of searching for hidden items, you search for hidden words? if so, then this is the game for you. this game board provides wheels with letters that you can rotate to create words that you add to your growing list to earn points.
graphics: ok, nothing special.
music and sound effects: terrible. if you get this game, you will most definitely will end up turning the background soundtrack off. the sound effects were functional, but nothing extraordinary.
gameplay: each game board provides roughly one thousand words for you to find. most recognised words are English, with a limited number of words accepted from other languages. points awarded for each word, and words containing certain letters (the letter "v" and "z" come to mind) are awarded more points than others of the same length. oddly, some proper English names are also accepted whilst others are not. you have four modes of play: main game (untimed) and time challenge, follow my lead and word finder, each of which has the same game board and scoring system. scores are recorded and tabulated. this game has unlimited replay potential, and would be especially fun for short time intervals (such as waiting for a train/plane) when you wish to fill your time doing something.
my interaction: one hour demo.
if you are a fan of words, then you will really enjoy this game. if you regularly play other video game genres as i do, Wordary is quite different to what you are most familiar with, and will provide an interesting change of pace.
I recommend this game!
Down by the deep and muddy Mississippi, something’s not right. A ghostly riverboat brings to light a new conspiracy!
Overall rating
5
/
5
25 of 27 found this review helpful
as you like it: gorgeous graphics and ghostly writers
PostedJune 15, 2012
GrrlScientist
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Strategy, Time Management, Puzzle
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
in this hidden object puzzle mystery, Mark Twain’s ghost has come to you seeking help. a wise choice, seeing as how you are an accomplished investigator with a passion for the paranormal. Mark Twain is asking your help discovering the true identity of Shakespeare -- a question that grips the literary world to this very day and that has awakened the interest of an evil spirit. this evil spirit (a disgruntled literary critic?) will do what he can to keep you and Mark Twain from accomplishing this task -- which becomes more complicated the further you pursue this investigation.
graphics: like all the games in this series, the graphics are absolutely gorgeous; wonderfully detailed, crisp, carefully presented and designed. the art is lovely, if a bit foreboding, and made me want to simply look around. the hidden objects scenes are so refreshingly tidy; i am pleased that i didn't run across the usual junk piles. however, if you think a tidy scene makes it easier to find hidden objects, well ... think again! some of these items are very cleverly hidden “in plain sight”! further, hidden object scenes included mini-games where you combined two objects to create one hidden object on your search list. there is a nice combination of hidden objects scenes and puzzles. puzzles include memory, spatial and matching mini-games, some of which i've not seen before in the many games i've played.
music and sound effects: music is appropriate and the sound effects were quite nice, setting the mood well. i was a bit confused at first when i heard a recording of baby birds (sounded like chickadees to me) begging for food -- then i realised the game developers were using that sound whenever bats were flying about. uh, ok!
storyline: interesting, became progressively more convoluted (perhaps a tad *too* convoluted for a strong video game storyline?). included historical (educational) details. conversations with various ghosts indicated what you were supposed to do next, provided context and moved the story along.
gameplay: no map, although there is a journal. smooth transition between scenes and no cursor hiccups or freezes. not much back-and-forth. there is no click penalty and puzzles can be skipped. hints are wonderfully detailed and can function as a walkthrough or mini-strategy guide. ravens and four-leaf clovers adorn many scenes and are collectable: each raven gives you another hint whilst the clovers unlock unlimited hidden object gameplay if you collect at least 40 of the 70 in the regular game. achievements are awarded, which as always, improves replayability. in addition to ghosts, this game also included time-travel.
as a bookworm, i absolutely loved the references to Mark Twain and Shakespeare. these references made me wonder if teens who are reading these books for the first time in school might find a special appeal in this game? although there's plenty of thought involved in this game, it's not so difficult that you give up in frustration. the convoluted storyline is the reason i gave this game 4.5 stars (rounded up to 5 stars), although i do highly recommend it. as for me, my biggest challenge is deciding which to purchase: CE or SE?
I recommend this game!
Rescue the princess, defeat the villain and save your homeland!
Overall rating
5
/
5
4 of 4 found this review helpful
adorable graphics and engaging story make this a must-have!
PostedJune 14, 2012
GrrlScientist
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Strategy, Time Management, Puzzle
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
in this time management strategy game, you are John Brave, who returns from a voyage only to find his homeland was captured by a greedy villain during his absence. this villain was thwarted in love by the beautiful princess, so the villain is getting his revenge by imprisoning the princess and the king, and by trashing their kingdom. after his ship is wrecked (because the lighthouse was destroyed), John decides to rebuild the kingdom and save the princess from this villain.
graphics: the art is lovely and the characters are adorable! cutscenes are static comics that present the basic story with a minimum of scripted dialogue.
music and sound effects: flamenco score, pleasant background music. no sound effects. no voiceovers.
gameplay: the game is intricate enough that you should not skip the tutorial. as you progress, the levels become more challenging, requiring a bit of strategy to win. there are 40 levels and 39 different achievements you can win, all of which serve to increase this game’s replayability. if you complete the tutorial, you have a hints button, but if you don't complete the tutorial, you instead have a help button (not sure what the difference is between these two). CE has is a built-in strategy guide, and access to artwork and extra gameplay are unlocked after you've completed the game.
storyline: basically, the kingdom is in ruin and bands of criminals roam the land. you are John Brave, who is mustering the people to reclaim their kingdom by fixing its damaged roads, reconstructing its sacked housing, businesses and other infrastructures and re-establishing social order.
my interaction: i own this game. my only complaint is this game is a bit pricey, but after i'd started playing it, i HAD to have it anyway. the bonus three stamps on my club card provided an extra incentive to purchase it. i am not disappointed.
if you've never played time management or strategy games before, this is an excellent one to start with! fans of time management/strategy games will absolutely LOVE this one! great family fun!
I recommend this game!
Explore a terrifying tale in Mystery Stories: Mountains of Madness! Find out what happened to an entire team of researchers!
Overall rating
5
/
5
51 of 58 found this review helpful
stunning mystery based on a real science fiction thriller
PostedJune 14, 2012
GrrlScientist
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Strategy, Time Management, Puzzle
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
how many of you dream of visiting antarctica? well, now you can! in this hidden object puzzle mystery, it is 1931, and you have just arrived in antarctica to investigate the unexplained deaths of an expedition of scientists. whilst you are there, one of your team disappears so now you, your other colleague and your dog must find him. during your search, you discover an ancient alien city in the mountains of antarctica. are the city’s inhabitants still alive? if so, are they connected to the dead expedition -- and to your missing colleague? if so, how? and why? and how can you recover your missing colleague before it is too late?
graphics: lovely art, but nothing exceptional. hidden objects scenes were part of the story and most of the items pertained to the story or to the time period when the story takes place. the way that hidden objects simply disappeared when clicked on was creepy -- no sound, no sparkles, it was just "now you see it and now you ... don't" -- almost as if the object had never been there at all. interestingly, these found objects are not in the scene the second time you visit it. there was a variety of puzzles and they were reasonably easy but nevertheless, quite enjoyable. once again, these puzzles were integral parts of the story.
music and sound effects: music was non-intrusive. the sound effects were good and set the mood nicely (it's summer here, but i put on my fleece whilst playing this game!) voiceovers at the beginning of each chapter provide context for the story whilst relevant dialogue is scripted during each chapter.
game play: two modes of play: casual and expert. hints work only in hidden object scenes but you do not have to wait for them to recharge, and hidden objects scenes must be completed before you can leave. there is a skip button for all puzzles. goals are listed at the bottom of the screen and there is an advice button which acts like a strategy guide. achievements are awarded along the way. some scenes have a "scrolling" option that you can enabled during play, which provides a panoramic view that has a lot of depth.
storyline: tense, creepy and quite believable. during demo mode, no monsters or ghosts or anything like that popped up, although there were a few dead bodies at the beginning of the game and some sort of unknown “monsters” were the story’s focus.
my interaction: one hour demo, casual mode. i purchased the game.
what makes this game special: unlike any other game i've played, objects that you removed from a scene the first time were not present the second time you worked the scene. also unlike any other game i've played, the circle puzzle pieces each had a rotate button so you could, with a click, fit them into the puzzle without having to use a special left- and right-clickable mouse -- YAY!! additionally, i’ve not yet played a game where there is a panoramic view for some scenes that can be turned on/off during gameplay.
as a science fiction fan, i was pleasantly surprised at the quality of this video game -- it’s more of an interactive graphic novel than a game. although this is good family fun, it is possible that the kiddies may be disturbed by it because it is such a believable story. however, science fiction and horror fans will especially enjoy this game. now, off to finish the game and then to find and reread the novella that this game is based on!
I recommend this game!
Chocolatier
Elusive ingredients, high prices and conniving competitors make being a chocolatier more fudge-strating than you thought!
Overall rating
5
/
5
14 of 15 found this review helpful
what a sweet surprise!
PostedJune 14, 2012
GrrlScientist
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Strategy, Time Management, Puzzle
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
this game is difficult to categorise because it includes features of several genres. it's a combination of strategy, travel adventure, time and resource management and "shoot 'em" games. in this game, it is 1880. you are a young Victorian era chocolatier, learning the secrets of the fictional Baumeister family business -- chocolates! to do this, you travel the world to purchase ingredients and factories, to sell your chocolates and to find (and sometimes purchase) recipes. you meet a variety of interesting people along the way.
graphics: visually appealing cartoons, although they are nothing spectacular. mini-games are few but fun: when setting up a factory or when changing recipes, you "shoot" ingredients for the recipe into trays which then are made into chocolates. your speed at accomplishing this task sets the rate at which that particular type of chocolate is manufactured by that particular factory. the more of these trays you fill up within the limited time given, the faster the trays move (and the more chocolates your factory produces). if you miss a tray, you waste your precious ingredients. dice is another mini-game that you play whilst visiting local pubs.
music: the background music is simple and bright and pleasant enough to listen to.
storyline: interesting and believable. the story is very well conceived and carefully developed as it holds the entire game together quite nicely.
gameplay: it's a rather intricate little game, and the help guide is ten pages long -- definitely read that guide before you play or you WILL be lost! (it only takes a few minutes.) there are two gameplay modes, free and story. when you start playing, you are automatically placed into free mode. story mode, which consists of a number of "quests", cannot be accessed until you unlock it from free play mode. there are 64 recipes you must obtain during the game, and achievements are awarded. the game keeps track of your achievements and scores and it will even display scores from players around the world if you are interested to see how you compare. the story and explanations are scripted (no voiceovers) and occur between each level of gameplay.
what i love most about this game: the freedom to choose how to accomplish each task on your list.
i was surprised at how much i enjoy this game. i went from thinking "i don't want to work this hard just to learn how to play a video game" to "HEY, my demo time just ran out! just when i was getting into this game!" so of course, i added this sweet little game to my “must purchase” list. although i think chocolatier has tremendous replay value as a stand-alone game, this is the first installment in a trilogy of chocolatier games by these developers. the sequels apparently take up where this game leaves off, and develop the story further.
this game is good family fun, but i think it will appeal to anyone who enjoys multitasking and who gets bored easily with doing the same things over and over again.
I recommend this game!
Enter the world of Drawn. Explore the Painted Tower and unravel its mysteries on your quest to save the hope of the kingdom. Can you reach the top of the tower?
Overall rating
5
/
5
13 of 16 found this review helpful
I love the mysteriousness of this game
PostedJune 13, 2012
GrrlScientist
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Strategy, Time Management, Puzzle
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
in this quiet and lush fantasy adventure, your goal is to save a little girl, Iris, from being forever trapped in the Painted Tower. Iris is a young artist whose dreamy drawings and paintings depict mystical worlds populated with colourful characters. her friend, Franklin, appeals to you for help. to free Iris, you must enter her worlds to seek out clues and solve puzzles so you can work your way to the top of the Painted Tower where she is prisoner.
graphics: whimsical and stylised to fit the story but absolutely stunning to my eyes. this isn't a true hidden object game since there are no items lists and most of the objects are not hidden at all but instead, are scattered throughout the tower that you are searching for clues. fortunately, your cursor turns into a hand when you mouse over an object that should be collected for your inventory. the puzzles actually require a bit of thought and patience and some can be quite challenging, although none of them are impossible.
music and sound effects: delicate, sombre music and lovely sound effects. voiceovers are wonderfully done; the story is narrated by a convincingly grandfatherly-sounding voice, the voice of Franklin.
storyline: wow, such a lush and imaginative story! this story’s premise is so distinct from the usual and is so carefully crafted and developed that i think you, like Iris, will be totally captivated.
gameplay: this game has just one mode of play. hints are limited and often take the form of a riddle. there is no strategy guide for mac computers (although the blog walkthrough serves the same purpose).
my interaction: one hour demo. the only reason i didn't purchase this game within the first five minutes of play was because i couldn't tear myself away to do so. but the minute that my free demo ran out, i purchased it!
the mysteriousness of this game reminds me of another game i purchased from Big Fish: The Tiny Bang Story, which was my one and only all-time favourite game, the standard against which i compared and measured all others. now i can add Drawn to my "favourites" list. this game is great fun for the entire family -- and even for slightly older kids! i am absolutely enthralled and think you will enjoy this game as much as i do. i HIGHLY recommend this game. thank you, thank you, THANK YOU EVER SO MUCH for this brilliant sparkling gem of a game, Big Fish! you rewl!
I recommend this game!
After their yacht is sunk by an incredible storm, Jane and Mike are separated in Sea Legends: Phantasmal Light!
Overall rating
4
/
5
10 of 11 found this review helpful
it was a dark and stormy night ...
PostedJune 13, 2012
GrrlScientist
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Strategy, Time Management, Puzzle
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
in this hidden object puzzle thriller, jane and mike are vacationing on their yacht when a storm arises out of nowhere. within seconds, a bright day is transformed into a permanently dark and stormy night, and mike and jane end up marooned on a small mysterious island. mike is dragged off, leaving jane alone. where is mike? why was he taken away? what must jane do to save him?
graphics: passably good but not extraordinary. this game seamlessly combines artwork with video of the real thing; for example, the waves washing onto shore are video of the real thing. there are quite a few hidden objects scenes, which are the typical junk piles and you end up searching the same scenes several times. these scenes include straightforward object searching and HO mini-games where you interact with the scene in some way to uncover other objects in the search list. the puzzles were fun but weren't anything special and didn't require much thought to solve.
music and sound effects: music was the average spooky score, although, weirdly, the music loop stops for long periods of time, then abruptly starts up again. wha?? the sound effects were, at times, extremely distracting. for example, the gull shown during the game introduction looked like a western gull, but its call was the cry of a prairie falcon!! voiceovers were nice, though.
storyline: predictable. not very compelling nor convincing (for example; where did all those people come from who attended the funeral of the previous lighthouse keeper?). the story has ghosts and spooky themes that probably work best around hallowe'en time.
gameplay: there are two modes of play, regular and expert. hints recharge reasonably quickly (60 seconds in regular mode) and the hint button also works outside of the hidden objects scenes. there is no click penalty on regular mode. there is a fair amount of back-and-forth, but this makes sense when you are marooned on an island that is the size of the average football stadium. no map, but the journal includes goals and the story.
my interaction: one hour demo, regular mode. no plans to purchase this game.
overall, i gave this game 3.5 stars (rounded up to 4 stars). i recommend this game with strong reservations; it's functional but there's much better games available to entertain you.
I recommend this game!
Strange figures have taken over a small town in Hallowed Legends: The Templar! Stop the Knights of the Templar!
Overall rating
4
/
5
4 of 4 found this review helpful
nice graphics but the story is a bit of a stretch
PostedJune 13, 2012
GrrlScientist
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Strategy, Time Management, Puzzle
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
in this hidden object puzzle thriller, you have traveled to a small town in France visit your brother and his wife and find yourself trust into the heart of a mystery. apparently, the knights templar have "gone rogue" and are determined to destroy this small town. your job is to find your relatives and to learn what is the cause of this problem.
graphics: generally well-done. some of the hidden objects were REALLY difficult to see. additionally, the hidden object scenes often required some form of interaction to combine two objects to create a third, which was on your list of items (a lit candle, for example). an interesting twist on the theme was the use of inventory items in some hidden objects scenes. cut-scenes used real actors, but the quality of the acting was disappointing. these scenes could be replayed in the diary. my favourite scene (in demo) was when the arrow flew straight towards me in slow motion.
music and sound effects: music is "meh" whilst the sound effects are quite nice.
gameplay: hint button recharges quickly and can be used in hidden objects scenes as well as whilst wandering around -- and there is plenty of back-and-forth, too. puzzles have an "information" button you can click to learn the goal for that particular puzzle. each scene has a "golden dove" (almost never gold coloured, though!) and you had to find at least 50 of those. (but what is the purpose of the doves?) the game awards "achievements" for completing certain tasks such as finding three hidden objects in three seconds.
my complaints: i was a bit bothered by certain aspects of this game. for example, i didn't like how that unconscious man was left sitting at the table surrounded by knee-high water. he could have moved, fallen into the water and drowned! why isn’t saving this man an essential element in the story? why was this unconscious man included at all?
storyline: i was entirely unconvinced by the plot and by the characters. for example, why did the knights templar suddenly "go rogue"? the logical progression of the story was confusing at times, too.
my interaction: one hour demo, casual mode (the game has three modes of play; casual, advanced and hardcore).
hidden object fans will enjoy this game (they will be best served by purchasing CE since it has that helpful strategy guide as well as the extra chapter of gameplay), but those who enjoy a coherent storyline will be disappointed. for the reasons outlined in this review, i have awarded this game 4 stars and recommend it with reservations.
I recommend this game!