arnold1049's Profile
Stat Summary
- Average Rating:3.8
- Helpful Votes:4,545
- Reviews Submitted:558
- First Review:February 24, 2012
- Most Recent Review:July 7, 2025
- Featured reviews0
Status:
Home Makeover 3 is bigger and better than ever! Hidden Object, Match-3 and decoration all in one game!
Overall rating
2
/
5
3 of 4 found this review helpful
FIVE STARS FOR KIDS
PostedNovember 2, 2015
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
This is based on playing the demo. I played the first game in this series and really liked it. This one has been reduced to a child's game and I am really disappointed.
The game has lots to do that will keep a child interested. Even in the one hour I played, I was just starting to get into some new areas. Looking at the available "decor" also showed that this game has many more levels to it than the first game, like time management play, quests, having to purchase certain levels of "decor" before being able to unlock other decor, etc.
I played the time mode and several times I was unable to find all the objects in the allotted time. There is an untimed mode so that is great. There were supposed to be coins and origami stuff to find in each scene, but I never saw them. Perhaps I was too busy trying to beat the clock, which is the only thing that makes this game any challenge at all.
The graphics and bright colors will appeal to children. There is a lot of dialog to read, but it is fairly simple, another thing that made me rank this game low. The dialog might interest a child, but I really don't think they care about a budding romance between next door neighbors. And this part of the game was really boring.
Take out the tobacco products and the extremely realistic poisonous snakes and this would be a winning childs game.
I recommend this game for Family/Children only.
I don't recommend this game.
The Treasures of Mystery Island: The Gates of Fate
Help Alex and Lisa return to the present, and each other, before a rumbling volcano spews its contents in this Hidden Object game!
Overall rating
3
/
5
3 of 3 found this review helpful
LIKED THE FIRST ONE A LOT BETTER
PostedOctober 31, 2015
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
I played the prequel to this game and really enjoyed it. I went looking for this one, hoping it would be the same. I played the one hour demo and I am very disappointed.
The first game did not take itself too seriously and it was lighthearted and fun. This game decided it would grow up and even changed the characters so that they seemed more mature and serious.
This is a fragmented HOG, one of my least favorite types. There is also a lot of back and forth between locations, often to get just one item to then return to the original location to use. This is one of my pet peeves in games, so another strike against it.
The storyline is about a couple who are engaged to each other who find themselves on a group of tropical islands. The game starts with the male character, who wakes up not knowing where he is or how he got there. The story progressed enough during the demo to reveal that this is a time-travel game, with the characters trapped in time ten years apart. They both start looking for ways to get back to each other. The shaman from the previous game is back, but he has turned into a bad guy.
Maybe if I hadn't played the previous game, I would like this one better. But I was hoping for a similar game and this is not it.
The Pirate's Treasure: An Oliver Hook Mystery
Search for Oliver Hook’s lost treasures all around the world! Explore exciting scenes and find more clues hidden by the pirate!
Overall rating
4
/
5
3 of 3 found this review helpful
FOR HOG LOVERS
PostedOctober 31, 2015
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
I played the 60 minute demo and actually played it in two separate sessions, so my impression of the game is a little disjointed. However, based on the last 30 minutes I played, this is a coupon-code buy for me.
As the description of the game says, locations for HOS are found all over the world. The scenes are bright (unless you have to search with a flashlight) and the graphics clear. The HO themselves can be very small and often a challenge to find, which is good and makes this game appeal to me.
Your performance on each scene is rated according to the time it took you to finish, the number of coins you found, and other criteria. There are coins scattered throughout each scene and these coins can be used to purchase power ups from the travel store. Hints are also available. I did not need either the hints or the power ups during the time I played.
The mini-puzzles that I played during the hour demo were extremely easy and repetitive. Perhaps as the game progresses, this may change. The ratio between HOS and puzzles was about 2 to 1.
This game has nothing really to make it stand out. It is just a good-quality, HOG for those of use who prefer looking for objects over other activities.
I recommend this game!
This Halloween, enjoy Halloween Riddles: Mysterious Griddlers – it's terribly exciting!
Overall rating
5
/
5
4 of 4 found this review helpful
DON'T BE FOOLED
PostedOctober 31, 2015
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
If you haven't played these kinds of games before, don't be fooled by how easy the first part of the games are. If you only play the demo, you may think the game is too easy. But the longer you play, the harder the grids become.
Griddlers are another name for fill-and-cross. You must fill the board with spaces or turned tiles. The top and left side of each grid shows how many tiles must be turned in that particular column/row. There must be at least one space between the end of a tile/series of tiles and the next turned tile.
As you play, you win coins that can be used later in the game to purchase help as the grids get harder. That is a good thing about the early grids being easy; you must build up your store of coins for use later.
Each grid starts with 2 hints. Additional hints can be earned during play or purchased from the store. Two mistakes are also allowed before you are required to replay the grid. However, each mistake takes away a star, so if you are "shooting" for 3 stars for each grid, you cannot make any mistake.
I didn't play with any sound, so cannot comment on that.
This is another great griddler with vibrant colors and atmosphere for Halloween. A definite "buy" for me.
I recommend this game!
Pirate Mysteries: A Tale of Monkeys, Masks, and Hidden Objects
Save Mary’s father from the demon that possesses his body in Pirate Mysteries: A Tale of Monkeys, Masks, and Hidden Objects!
Overall rating
4
/
5
9 of 11 found this review helpful
HUMOROUS HOG
PostedOctober 30, 2015
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
The storyline is about a daughter who must rescue her father after he is shipwrecked on a tropical island in a group of islands. In the process, she must free him from a mask that has allowed a demon to take control of him with promises to rule the world. Getting the mask off her father is not the end of the story, as the mask must be found and destroyed so the demon cannot get in control again. Along the way, she meets several curious characters who "help".
There are no voiceovers so there is a lot of reading if you want to follow the story. But they can be skipped if you just want to play the HOS. The dialog was humorous and sarcastic. The minigames/puzzles have either bare bones directions on how to play or no directions at all. I skipped a couple because I am impatient and don't like to spend time figuring out how to play the game before I can solve it. I also don't care for games where there is no logic to solving the game, just a series of guesses until you accidentally hit the right answer.
This game is heavy on HOS, which is what I like about a game that is labeled as HO. There are at least 4 different types of HOS in this game, and none of the locations are repeated. There is the classic "list" HOS and ones where riddles have to be solved in order to figure out what object you need to find in the scene. A third category has a list that shows the pictures of what you are looking for and the fourth type shows pictures in the list that must be moved to the right spot in the scene. With lots of locations spread across several different islands, and the number of objects in some list exceeding 30, there is a lot of HO searching.
Hints and skips are available. The hint button provides two levels of help; providing a clue to the object (a silhouette of the object) to pointing to the actual object in the scene.The clue does not require the hint button to recharge and almost always provided enough help to avoid having to use an actual hint and waiting for it to recharge.
This is a basic SE with only one extra. At the end, the "Arcade" version of the game is unlocked. "Arcade" is not the right word to use for this additional gameplay. It just consists of the ability to replay all the locations finding ALL the objects in each location with time of play provided. I set a goal of completing each location in under 5 minutes, which usually required me to replay each scene more than once. I like this additional gameplay as I like to find all the objects in a scene.
The HOS are often dark and many of the objects are tiny. The items in the scenes are not in proportion, so that makes the search a little more difficult. For example, a shovel maybe smaller than an egg. But that just adds to the challenge and enjoyment of the game for me. I looked for more games like this from the same developer, but there aren't any others.
A good game I'm glad I purchased.
I recommend this game!
Experience a new installment of colorful mosaic puzzles in Fantasy Mosaics 11: Fleeing Dinosaurs!
Overall rating
5
/
5
2 of 3 found this review helpful
KEEP THEM COMING
PostedOctober 28, 2015
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
All of the games in this series are excellent. The colored tiles make the completed mosaics very eye catching and playing each color one at a time keeps the game interesting. I played the advanced mode, which means that the numbers at the top of the row or column will not cross off until you have revealed all the right tiles.
There are 20 locations and within these 20 locations are 5 mosaics to complete. Winning a gold cup for each mosaic requires that the mosaic be completed with no mistakes. They can be replayed as often as you want in order to obtain the gold cup. The mosaics must be completed in order; the next one is not unlocked until the current one is completed, but obtaining a gold cup is not necessary to unlock the next scene. And each location must be completed before the next one is unlocked.
Completing each location adds an item to the garden. Each mosaic starts with one hint, but during game play, additional hints are added. At first you can only make 2 mistakes before you have to start the mosaic over. During game play, the number of allowed mistakes increases, but I'm not sure what affect making these additional mistakes has on the level of award earned. I think a gold cup still requires zero mistakes, a silver cup only one mistake, etc. The only thing the additional allowed mistakes makes is that you can make more mistakes before being required to start over.
There are two other ways to get help during play. Each of these requires quite a bit of time for them to reload before they can be used again.
One is a pickaxe that will reveal any tile you set it on and click. Very useful when you have 12 tiles and only ten need to be revealed. Using the pickaxe will narrow down the choices for selecting the correct tile.
The other help is a starburst that reveals a 3x3 grid of tiles around the spot you click on the mosaic with it.
These games are certainly addictive.
I recommend this game!
Journey through time to an amazing land of dinosaurs and help the penguin meet unpredictable ancient creatures.
Overall rating
5
/
5
8 of 9 found this review helpful
ANOTHER WINNER
PostedOctober 28, 2015
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
All of the games in this series are excellent. The colored tiles make the completed mosaics very eye catching and playing each color one at a time keeps the game interesting. I played with no time limits.
There are 20 locations and within these 20 locations are 5 mosaics to complete. Winning a gold cup for each mosaic requires that the mosaic be completed with no mistakes. They can be replayed as often as you want in order to obtain the gold cup. The mosaics must be completed in order; the next one is not unlocked until the current one is completed, but obtaining a gold cup is not necessary to unlock the next scene. And each location must be completed before the next one is unlocked.
Completing each location adds an item to the garden. Each mosaic starts with one hint, but during game play, additional hints are added. At first you can only make 2 mistakes before you have to start the mosaic over. During game play, the number of allowed mistakes increases, but I'm not sure what affect making these additional mistakes has on the level of award earned. I think a gold cup still requires zero mistakes, a silver cup only one mistake, etc. The only thing the additional allowed mistakes makes is that you can make more mistakes before being required to start over.
There are two other ways to get help during play. Each of these requires quite a bit of time for them to reload before they can be used again.
One is a pickaxe that will reveal any tile you set it on and click. Very useful when you have 12 tiles and only ten need to be revealed. Using the pickaxe will narrow down the choices for selecting the correct tile.
The other help is a starburst that reveals a 3x3 grid of tiles around the spot you click on the mosaic with it.
Game # 11 in this series was released today, so I'm off to go play it. These games are certainly addictive.
I recommend this game!
The Race
Blaze through 30 locations like South America and Egypt to detect hidden objects in this exciting race.
Overall rating
4
/
5
6 of 6 found this review helpful
DON'T WORRY ABOUT TIMED MODE
PostedOctober 27, 2015
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
I don't like games that are timed, particularly the ones that set the time limit at levels that are mostly unattainable. For this reason, I almost passed on this game. However, the description indicated that there was a non-timed mode of play and the HOS looked interesting, so I gave it a try. After the demo, I went ahead and purchased it.
There are approximately 20 HOS with locations all across the world. The scenes themselves look like photographs. Some of the items are very small and extremely well-hidden. I played the non-timed mode first, which simply meant playing each location once. This made it a pretty short game, so to get my money's worth, I decided to try the timed mode.
The timed mode consists of several teams of players competing against each other to find all the objects as quickly and with as much accuracy as possible. Each HOS is set up like a race, with the race track shown at the bottom of the screen that lets you know where your position is among all the other players.
For each HOS, you get 2 hints and one "bomb" that will blow away your nearest competitor. One hint was of the "thermometer" variety where a flame flared or wanned depending on how close you got to the object. You have no choice as to which object the hint will focus on; it will always show you the first object in the list. This hint was hard for me to discern the differences in the flame, so I still found it hard to find the object. This slowed me down and made some of the races extremely close for me to win.
The second hint is a compass, much easier to use than the flame. It actually starts spinning when it is sitting on top of the object and all you have to do is click.
My strategy was to try to find all the objects I could, then use the hints on the last two to speed up my time. With the trouble I had with the flame hint, by the end of the game, I was trying to use only the compass hint. The bomb was not that helpful as usually there were two teams close to you and it only blows away one.I did have some very close races; I purposely came in last in a few, but was allowed to play the race over. One race I came in second, so got a silver cup instead of a gold. This location I could not replay. After that, my strategy was to slow down my play if one of the teams had already finished. This way, if I came in last I could replay the race and have another chance for a gold cup.
The race part of the game was very extensive and it takes you to each location several times over. Each time the objects that you need to find are changed and I never felt like I had "memorized" the location. Each time I returned to a location, it was still a challenge to find the objects in the available amount of time.
This is a very enjoyable game and I hope we will see more in this format.
I recommend this game!
Nick Chase: A Detective Story ™
Solve a variety of puzzles and find hidden clues as Nick Chase, a hard-boiled P.I. down on his luck with a keen eye for detail.
Overall rating
3
/
5
2 of 2 found this review helpful
LEFT ME SCRATCHING MY HEAD
PostedOctober 24, 2015
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
My impression is that the game was a little short. I played it in several sections, but none of them were for very long.
I found this game wore me out trying to figure out what to do, particularly in the mini puzzles. The "tasK' button gives a short description of the goal of the puzzle, but often that is not enough to figure out how to play it. For instance, faced with a jumble of wires going in and out, over and through, from the outside of the circle to the side sets of screws, the instructions are to "cut the connecting wire". Connecting to what? My guess was wrong and I blew us all up.
The hint button recharged extremely slowly. I can't remember if there was a choice of difficulty levels. The cut scenes were like the pages of a comic book, a black and white one with text in "talk" bubbles. I thought I left the sound on for the voiceovers, but they didn't work.
At the end I was told to play again to get a gold star. I think the star I won was silver. Actually it is a badge in the shape of a star. I have no idea how the game is scored to come up with the different badge levels, so I had no intention of playing it again if I couldn't figure out what I needed to do better at and how much better. I know I had to skip a couple of puzzles and at one time I had to exit and go find a walkthrough.
By the end of the game, when Nick supposedly saved the day, I couldn't remember exactly what he had to do or how he did it. I just couldn't follow the storyline that well.
I may have a go at the other game in this series, just to see if I can figure it out better. I hate to play a game over because there are so many games out there to play, I hate to waste my time on a playover. I feel the same about reading a book a second time.
Definitely "try before buy" this one.
Magic Griddlers 2
Can you solve the warlock’s puzzles and save the world’s good mages from a tragic fate? Complete 120 new griddlers in Magic Griddlers 2!
Overall rating
4
/
5
3 of 4 found this review helpful
SEEN ONE, SEEN THEM ALL
PostedOctober 17, 2015
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
There is nothing about this griddler game to make it stand out from any other game of this type. There are 6 worlds, each of which contain 20 puzzles. Each puzzle must be played in order, as completing the previous puzzle unlocks the next.
This is a straight griddler game with no extras. The puzzles start out fairly easy and progress to harder grids. The biggest and most common grid is 20x15. A couple of hints are available at the beginning of each grid, with game play adding more. Each completed grid earns coins that can be used to purchase additional hints during the game.
No mistakes are allowed in order to obtain all 3 keys for the location. Two mistakes stops play and the grid must be started over. Skipping a grid is not an option, as completing one grid is necessary before the next grid unlocks for play. I think zero mistakes is an unrealistic standard, but only for us perfectionists.
This game takes a long time to play, particularly if grids have to be replayed. I returned to this game whenever I had only a short time to play or when I needed a break from more intensive games.
I recommend this game!