pennmom36's Profile
Stat Summary
- Average Rating:3.7
- Helpful Votes:358,445
- Reviews Submitted:4724
- First Review:December 10, 2012
- Most Recent Review:July 6, 2025
- Featured reviews0
Status:
Help Hercules catch the fastest creature in the land and put a stop to its wave of destruction in his latest strategy adventure!
Overall rating
2
/
5
52 of 61 found this review helpful
TAKE A SPEED-PILL TO MAKE YOU WICKED FAST LIKE HERCULES, SO YOU PICK ALL THE PRETTY FLOWERS
PostedMay 2, 2020
pennmom36
fromLet me set the mood...cue the dreadful elevator Greed For Speed music...There is a Fruit Bush hidden inside a Crystal....I'm not making any of this up!
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
2
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
Okay, I'm not implying that there's any kind of reality associated with a Time Management game, but this is a game with an animated super-hero that one can assume would attract gamers of a younger audience as well as adults. I'm also not implying that kids can't differentiate between reality and make-believe, but just for the sake of argument, can we agree that perhaps having everyone swallow a massive amount of giant speedballs in every level may not be sending the right message here? Fortunately, I'm probably one of the few people who always manages to see the humorous side in just about every situation thrown my way. Was I the only one who was rolling on the floor at the thought of Herc taking the giant speed pills whilst I was picking every daisy in site searching for a lousy puzzle rune as some cheesy elevator music was playing in the background?
Other than being able to play in a Relaxed, Casual, or Expert Mode, that was about my only positive reflection of this game. On the second level, the tutorial pop-up texts were being over-ridden by dialog boxes which the developer must have thought was more important, or perhaps thought we really did swallow those large pills? I had to restart the level and literally had to pause the game when the tutorial box pop-up appeared, explaining about the hidden puzzle rune, just so I could read it, otherwise, the story dialog boxes would over-ride the explanation! In my opinion, that's a huge oversight!
Now that my emotions are going through a full rollercoaster range between humor and confusion, annoyance joins the ride as a barrage of blue arrows keep redirecting my line of sight all over the screen. I can see if it were a gentle nudge to say "hey, don't forget to grab this cheese wheel that's the size of Herc's giant speedball just in case you may have missed it" but I'm talking about enough flashing arrows to make you want to grab a few speed pills and run as fast as you can towards the exit button....which is exactly what I did!
Collector's Edition Extra's:
3 Bonus Levels, 9 Wallpapers, 6 Movie Cutscenes, Hidden Puzzle Runes to complete 5 Puzzles (Baking Bread-Microcosm-Dynamics-Pastoral Fun-The Lifter) 22 Trophy Achievements, NO Strategy Guide!
3 Bonus Levels, 9 Wallpapers, 6 Movie Cutscenes, Hidden Puzzle Runes to complete 5 Puzzles (Baking Bread-Microcosm-Dynamics-Pastoral Fun-The Lifter) 22 Trophy Achievements, NO Strategy Guide!
12 LABOURS OF HERCULES SERIES LIST
Title***Collector's Edition Release Date***Average Rating
Title***Collector's Edition Release Date***Average Rating
1-12 Labours of Hercules SE only (October 30-2013) 4.0
2-The Cretan Bull SE only (July 21-2014) 3.8
3-Girl Power SE only (January 4-2015) 3.9
4-Mother Nature (August 22-2015) 4.2
5-Kids of Hellas (January 23-2016) 4.3
6-Race For Olympus (November 1-2016) 4.2
7-Fleecing The Fleece (June 20-2017) 3.7
8-How I Met Megara (December 22-2018) 4.4
9-A Hero's Moonwalk (September 7-2019) 3.9
10-Greed For Speed (May 2-2020) n/a
2-The Cretan Bull SE only (July 21-2014) 3.8
3-Girl Power SE only (January 4-2015) 3.9
4-Mother Nature (August 22-2015) 4.2
5-Kids of Hellas (January 23-2016) 4.3
6-Race For Olympus (November 1-2016) 4.2
7-Fleecing The Fleece (June 20-2017) 3.7
8-How I Met Megara (December 22-2018) 4.4
9-A Hero's Moonwalk (September 7-2019) 3.9
10-Greed For Speed (May 2-2020) n/a
by: Zoom Out & Jet Dogs Studios
I don't recommend this game.
Can you escape a utopian toy world before it’s too late?
Overall rating
3
/
5
49 of 57 found this review helpful
HOO'S GONNA NOTICE?
PostedMay 1, 2020
pennmom36
fromGrace the NON-Owl-Bearer of the Order of the Guardians!
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
Completed Game a little over 5.0 Hours
(including completion of all puzzles & Bonus Chapter)
21 Main Game Scene Locations +7 CE Bonus Chapter
Difficulty Range: Beginner-Intermediate
(including completion of all puzzles & Bonus Chapter)
21 Main Game Scene Locations +7 CE Bonus Chapter
Difficulty Range: Beginner-Intermediate
There are very few "Helpers" that I thoroughly enjoy because a lot of them are annoying and more work than enjoyable, however, once a developer has committed to a themed-gadget/helper, why on Earth would they ditch that helper after 8 previous games in the series? I would refuse to play a game in one of my favorite series if Elf or Mr. Jenkins was MIA, they are a key player in the game, they ARE the game! I can understand seeing what works and doesn't work in the first few episodes, but, eventually, you're riding on a successful fan-base?
Even though Grace's sidekick Mechanical Owl was briefly shown at the opening scene, he's ditched for the entire game without a single use! Admittedly, the owl was a bit annoying at times because of his constant wing-flapping that continued as you had to search for an item he needed, to complete the task. That seems like an easy fix or tweak to make? When the entire series is based upon The Order of The Guardians...when the entire 9-game long series is based upon one of its Guardian members, Grace...when the entire series is based upon Grace, whose character, by the way, is based upon being "The Owl Bearer"...KEYWORDS" Owl-Bearer...why would you decide to ditch the entire basis of the game 9 games into the series?????
For me, the story was dull and all over the place, not to mention the fact that it is almost identical to another long-running "mechanical based" game series, so much so that if you weren't shown a title or told who developed this game, you would automatically assume it was a new game in that series, and you probably wouldn't guess it was a Reflections of Life game. I was also surprised, almost shocked by the graphics in Utopia, whats Uptopian about the dull color choices of hues of blue? The past games in this series, like Slipping Hope, Call of the Ancestors, Tree of Dreams, for example, had amazing color hues, exactly what you'd expect in a fantasy genre...Utopia doesn't. Although the tasks are way better than recent games by another developer, Granny chooses to reuse the same puzzles over and over, there's only so many times you want to repeat them, right? I'm still a GrandMa fan, but I want to see the kind of effort they put into WS: Dreadful Beauty, put into all of their games! That game was incredible, it even had choices that actually affected the outcome and a Hidden Chapter almost as good as the main chapter! It can't be a hit or miss scenario guys, it has to be stellar...every time, it has to have an interesting plot...every time! Give me games like that one and I will give you 5-stars...every time!
Collectibles & Morphing Objects (CE version only)
Morphing Objects are one thing Granny excels at, they are smaller, not so obvious objects that morph at a good rate to make them somewhat challenging to spot! There are 27 Morphing Objects (most scenes in the main chapters, as well as the CE Bonus Chapter, include 1 morphing object) that unlock Mechanical Theater Figurines @ 2~6~12~20~27 morphs found. There are 54 Collectible Owl Feathers (most scenes have 1 normal flight feather & 1 round body feather) After completing the game, you can click on any of the missing Owl Feathers to be transported to the scene where you missed a feather...Granny definitely gets this feature right! There are 54 Ancient Coins (that look nothing like a coin) located within Zoom Zones (usually 2 per scene) The coins are used to purchase themed costumes for the Mechanical Theater Figurines, such as a Wizard, Aviator, or Painter. There is a pull-out tab on the left that keeps track of the morphs & collectibles found, but there's no indicator that alerts you as to whether or not the collectibles have been found in that particular scene. Although they allow you to return to the scene to search for missing owl feathers after completing the game, it would be awesome having a collectible/morph indicator, especially when you exit a game and return at a later time, because it's nearly impossible to remember what you've found or haven't after a little time passes!
Morphing Objects are one thing Granny excels at, they are smaller, not so obvious objects that morph at a good rate to make them somewhat challenging to spot! There are 27 Morphing Objects (most scenes in the main chapters, as well as the CE Bonus Chapter, include 1 morphing object) that unlock Mechanical Theater Figurines @ 2~6~12~20~27 morphs found. There are 54 Collectible Owl Feathers (most scenes have 1 normal flight feather & 1 round body feather) After completing the game, you can click on any of the missing Owl Feathers to be transported to the scene where you missed a feather...Granny definitely gets this feature right! There are 54 Ancient Coins (that look nothing like a coin) located within Zoom Zones (usually 2 per scene) The coins are used to purchase themed costumes for the Mechanical Theater Figurines, such as a Wizard, Aviator, or Painter. There is a pull-out tab on the left that keeps track of the morphs & collectibles found, but there's no indicator that alerts you as to whether or not the collectibles have been found in that particular scene. Although they allow you to return to the scene to search for missing owl feathers after completing the game, it would be awesome having a collectible/morph indicator, especially when you exit a game and return at a later time, because it's nearly impossible to remember what you've found or haven't after a little time passes!
Hidden Object Scenes: (Match 3 Game Alternative available)
There are 13 Main Hidden Object Scenes, 10 Zoom Zone Mini-HOP's +2 regular, and 2 Zoom Zone Mini-HOP's in the CE Bonus Chapter. (in Chapters 3-4 a couple of the scenes are repeated with a different hidden object style) They are mostly Interactive List Finds, but they have thrown in several variations, such as, Silhouetted Shape Progressive-Interactive Silhouetted Shape Finds (find an item that matches the Silhouette and use within the scene to expose the next object, etc.) Multiples of the Same Object Finds, Find & Replace, Keywords in Sentence Finds, Swatches Finds (find areas shown as a swatch sample) and a Spot The Difference Find. The scenes are clear but the items aren't very challenging, once again I was able to find 95% of the objects w/o looking at the actual list or shapes because the objects are very obvious. There is an alternate Match 3 game available but I've yet to play a HOPA Match 3 game version that's actually fun by ANY of the developers. There's never any grid variation, goals, obstacles, or power-ups to make them interesting, they are just boring square grids. All that's required is massive clicking skills; you keep clicking till you're done with absolutely no frills! How wonderful would it be to offer a decent (& lengthy) Match 3 game...even better if they teamed up with a developer who specializes in M3 games!!! :)
There are 13 Main Hidden Object Scenes, 10 Zoom Zone Mini-HOP's +2 regular, and 2 Zoom Zone Mini-HOP's in the CE Bonus Chapter. (in Chapters 3-4 a couple of the scenes are repeated with a different hidden object style) They are mostly Interactive List Finds, but they have thrown in several variations, such as, Silhouetted Shape Progressive-Interactive Silhouetted Shape Finds (find an item that matches the Silhouette and use within the scene to expose the next object, etc.) Multiples of the Same Object Finds, Find & Replace, Keywords in Sentence Finds, Swatches Finds (find areas shown as a swatch sample) and a Spot The Difference Find. The scenes are clear but the items aren't very challenging, once again I was able to find 95% of the objects w/o looking at the actual list or shapes because the objects are very obvious. There is an alternate Match 3 game available but I've yet to play a HOPA Match 3 game version that's actually fun by ANY of the developers. There's never any grid variation, goals, obstacles, or power-ups to make them interesting, they are just boring square grids. All that's required is massive clicking skills; you keep clicking till you're done with absolutely no frills! How wonderful would it be to offer a decent (& lengthy) Match 3 game...even better if they teamed up with a developer who specializes in M3 games!!! :)
Mini-Games:
There are 27 Mini-Games +9 in the CE Bonus Chapter. There are a ton of Tasks that could be deemed as a mini-game (they aren't listed as mini-games on the SG and don't include instructions nor can they be skipped) most of which involve matching identical pairs or choosing symbols in the correct order. Most of the games can be played in an Easy or Hard Mode, and they are basically the same puzzles offered over and over in all games by this developer. They aren't necessarily bad games, however, I would caution Granny to come up with new puzzle ideas because most players have played all games by this developer (they have some great games!) and there's a fine line between "familiar" and "repetitive" the latter can make or break a game! I must admit that I became rather bored with the puzzles because they were far too easily solved, especially when I've played them hundreds of times before! Below are some examples of the games you've played multiple times:
There are 27 Mini-Games +9 in the CE Bonus Chapter. There are a ton of Tasks that could be deemed as a mini-game (they aren't listed as mini-games on the SG and don't include instructions nor can they be skipped) most of which involve matching identical pairs or choosing symbols in the correct order. Most of the games can be played in an Easy or Hard Mode, and they are basically the same puzzles offered over and over in all games by this developer. They aren't necessarily bad games, however, I would caution Granny to come up with new puzzle ideas because most players have played all games by this developer (they have some great games!) and there's a fine line between "familiar" and "repetitive" the latter can make or break a game! I must admit that I became rather bored with the puzzles because they were far too easily solved, especially when I've played them hundreds of times before! Below are some examples of the games you've played multiple times:
☠-Rotate tiles to recreate the image (several)
☠-Select items in the order shown. (a gazillion times)
☠-Rotate cylinders to match key shapes & place keys.
☠-Select arrows to maintain balance while avoiding obstacles. (sound familiar?)
☠-Rotate tiles to complete paths for each conduit.
☠-Connect crystal nodes of various shapes.
☠-Drag disk sections until lights appear inside all holes.
☠-Use directional arrows to move gears to the top pockets.
☠-Push bubbles to their matching colored tubes.
☠-Select bubbles to reveal matching runes.
☠-Select 4 colored gems-Blue indicates the gem is the correct color, but wrong placement-Yellow indicates correct color & placement (you get 8 tries)
☠-Rotate groups of tiles correctly (moving one affects others)
☠-Arrange animals to their correct habitats.
☠-Follow a recipe according to pictures.
☠-Shoot when the target turns green (how many times have we played this game!)
☠-Jump birds from left to right to switch sides.
☠-Swap pictures to their correct frames (2 different game variations)
☠-Select 2 symbols that when combined, recreate the symbols shown. (tried and true till you're blue game!)
☠-Select items in the order shown. (a gazillion times)
☠-Rotate cylinders to match key shapes & place keys.
☠-Select arrows to maintain balance while avoiding obstacles. (sound familiar?)
☠-Rotate tiles to complete paths for each conduit.
☠-Connect crystal nodes of various shapes.
☠-Drag disk sections until lights appear inside all holes.
☠-Use directional arrows to move gears to the top pockets.
☠-Push bubbles to their matching colored tubes.
☠-Select bubbles to reveal matching runes.
☠-Select 4 colored gems-Blue indicates the gem is the correct color, but wrong placement-Yellow indicates correct color & placement (you get 8 tries)
☠-Rotate groups of tiles correctly (moving one affects others)
☠-Arrange animals to their correct habitats.
☠-Follow a recipe according to pictures.
☠-Shoot when the target turns green (how many times have we played this game!)
☠-Jump birds from left to right to switch sides.
☠-Swap pictures to their correct frames (2 different game variations)
☠-Select 2 symbols that when combined, recreate the symbols shown. (tried and true till you're blue game!)
Bonus Chapter: (CE version only)
Play Elenor's husband Arthur Lumiere as he desperately searches for his wife and daughter after they vanish mysteriously. This is an average-length chapter that takes place over 7 Scene Locations with an additional 9 Mini-Games, 2 Hidden Object Scenes, and 2 Mini Zoom Zone HOP's. You will continue collecting 2 Feathers and 2 Ancient Coins in each of the 7 scenes, as well as a single Morphing Object per scene which allows you to unlock the final 2 Mechanical Theater Figurines (each figurine can also be "dressed in themed costumes) which then unlocks the Bonus Puzzle Chapter which is an additional Hidden Object Scene.
Play Elenor's husband Arthur Lumiere as he desperately searches for his wife and daughter after they vanish mysteriously. This is an average-length chapter that takes place over 7 Scene Locations with an additional 9 Mini-Games, 2 Hidden Object Scenes, and 2 Mini Zoom Zone HOP's. You will continue collecting 2 Feathers and 2 Ancient Coins in each of the 7 scenes, as well as a single Morphing Object per scene which allows you to unlock the final 2 Mechanical Theater Figurines (each figurine can also be "dressed in themed costumes) which then unlocks the Bonus Puzzle Chapter which is an additional Hidden Object Scene.
Collector's Edition Extra's:
9 Wallpapers, 9 Concept Art Pictures, 24 Movie Cutscene Videos, 8 Music Soundtracks ♪, 9 Replayable Mini-Games♙, 14 Replayable Hidden Object Scenes, 13 Achievements, 54 Collectible Ancient Coins (used to purchase themed costumes for the Mechanical Figurines) 54 Owl Feathers, 27 Morphing Objects, 5 Theater Mechanical Figurines to Unlock (with 2-6-12-20-27 Morphing Objects) 4 Main Chapters (Fateful Stranger) +Bonus Chapter (Suspicious Invitation) +Hidden Puzzle/HOP (you must find all Collectibles to unlock) and a Built-In Strategy Guide.
9 Wallpapers, 9 Concept Art Pictures, 24 Movie Cutscene Videos, 8 Music Soundtracks ♪, 9 Replayable Mini-Games♙, 14 Replayable Hidden Object Scenes, 13 Achievements, 54 Collectible Ancient Coins (used to purchase themed costumes for the Mechanical Figurines) 54 Owl Feathers, 27 Morphing Objects, 5 Theater Mechanical Figurines to Unlock (with 2-6-12-20-27 Morphing Objects) 4 Main Chapters (Fateful Stranger) +Bonus Chapter (Suspicious Invitation) +Hidden Puzzle/HOP (you must find all Collectibles to unlock) and a Built-In Strategy Guide.
REFLECTIONS OF LIFE SERIES LIST
Title***Standard Edition Release Date***Average Rating
Title***Standard Edition Release Date***Average Rating
1-Tree Of Dreams (July 20-2014) 3.6
2-Equilibrium (May 17-2015) 3.9
3-Dark Architect (February 12-2016) 4.2
4-Call Of The Ancestors (September 11-2016) 3.6
5-Hearts Taken (June 11-2017) 3.7
6-In Screams And Sorrow (May 25-2018) 3.7
7-Slipping Hope (January 27-2019) 4.0
8-Dream Box (September 15-2019) 4.1
9-Utopia (May 1-2020) n/a
by: GrandMa Studios
2-Equilibrium (May 17-2015) 3.9
3-Dark Architect (February 12-2016) 4.2
4-Call Of The Ancestors (September 11-2016) 3.6
5-Hearts Taken (June 11-2017) 3.7
6-In Screams And Sorrow (May 25-2018) 3.7
7-Slipping Hope (January 27-2019) 4.0
8-Dream Box (September 15-2019) 4.1
9-Utopia (May 1-2020) n/a
by: GrandMa Studios
If you are a virtual bird but love adventure too, this game is just for you.
Overall rating
5
/
5
231 of 255 found this review helpful
I'M REALLY DIGGING THE RETRO VIBE ☮
PostedApril 30, 2020
pennmom36
fromThe peace sign was a logo designed for the campaign for nuclear disarmament combining the letters N & D, the circle representing the world, eventually making it's way into the psychedelic movement of the 60's in the US
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Adventure Trip reminds me of one of my favorite Vacation game series, they are cheesy, old-fashioned HOG's that don't really have a lot of challenges but they do offer hours of stressless entertainment fun. I loved that this one took us all over the world to the Amazon River, Angkor Wat, the Aurora Lights, the Colosseum, the Coral Reef, Egypt, Mount Everest, Galapagos, Iguazu Falls, Machu Picchu, Mayan, Petra, the Serengeti, Stonehenge, Subterranean River, the Taj Mahal, the Great Wall, and Victoria Falls, where the first game was just about London.
You can play in an Easy Mode which has no Timer or Misclick penalties, and the Hint feature recharges in 5 Seconds. The Medium Mode is also Untimed but there is a Misclick penalty of +1000 points and it takes the Hint feature 15 Seconds to recharge. The Hard Mode is Timed and also has a +1000 point Misclick penalty and the Hint feature takes 60 Seconds to recharge. I played in the hard mode and had plenty of time to find all of the items on most levels. I will say that when you misclick, or click too far to the edge of a correct object, it does seem rather harsh to get a GIANT red -1000 points flashed on the screen in huge numbers, it kind of takes away from the whole Peace Sign Vibe doesn't it?
There are 20 Hidden Object Locations (as stated above) that must be replayed several times until all 5 Facts have been found, all 5 Peace Signs have been found and all 3 of the 8-Balls have been found. Peace Signs are only available in the Listed Word Mode and Scrambled Mode types. 8-Balls are only found in the Listed Word Modes, but it will state which collectible can be found in the current scene.
There are several Hidden Object types. Each time you replay the scene, it will be a different HO mode. My only complaint with this scenario is that the items to find rarely change from scene to scene and 99% of the objects remain in the same place and position. If the objects would shift around or the objects to find were randomly generated, it would be much more challenging!
➺Abc: Normal Listed Item Finds.
➺Missing Vowels: Listed Items that are missing the Vowels.
➺Scrambled: Listed Item Finds with jumbled words.
➺Silhouetted Shape: Items shown as Silhouetted Shapes.
➺Pairs: You have to find matching pairs of items.
➺Unlimited Word Mode: Find all the objects matching the clue on the list
➺Unlimited Silhouetted Mode: Find all the objects matching the images shown.
➺Missing Vowels: Listed Items that are missing the Vowels.
➺Scrambled: Listed Item Finds with jumbled words.
➺Silhouetted Shape: Items shown as Silhouetted Shapes.
➺Pairs: You have to find matching pairs of items.
➺Unlimited Word Mode: Find all the objects matching the clue on the list
➺Unlimited Silhouetted Mode: Find all the objects matching the images shown.
Finding 60 8-Ball's will Unlock the Finale Puzzle, Finding 100 Peace Signs will Unlock the Unlimited Play Mode. There are 100 Fact Objects to Find and they are stored in your Diary (only the ones you have found) and you can purchase 15 Gifts (points are converted to currency) Before the start of each level, you are shown a pictured item of the Fact Object you are looking for in the scene, but it will sparkle at the end if you forget to look for it. This feature could have been a whole lot better if the objects or animals actually had something to do with the location you were in such as Amazon River Fun Facts, right?
After completing the Hidden Object Scene, there will be a Mini-Game variation to play, such as Spot the Difference, Tile Swap puzzles, Match 3 games, Mahjong, Word Search, or Jigsaws Puzzles. I realize that the HOG's are the main focus, but why do the mini-games always get over-looked? The Match 3 games don't accept fast consecutive matches, the word searches are were all in a straight line from right to left? I loved the Swap Tiles & Circular Jigsaws, but it seems that these games just focus on one or the other, why not both? I love HO's and mini-games and would love to see a challenging match 3 game within an HO game if that makes sense?? I want my cake and I want to eat it ;)
Collector's Edition Extras:
14 Extra Locations, 5 extra Mini-games, 21 Wallpapers
14 Extra Locations, 5 extra Mini-games, 21 Wallpapers
ADVENTURE TRIP SERIES LIST
Title***Collector's Edition Release Date***Average Rating
Title***Collector's Edition Release Date***Average Rating
1-London (June 29-2019) 3.7
2-Wonders of the World (April 30-2020) n/a
2-Wonders of the World (April 30-2020) n/a
by: point8games
I recommend this game!
Do you have what it takes to uncover the killer? Find out in this hidden object game with evidence processing and suspects interrogation!
Overall rating
4
/
5
95 of 106 found this review helpful
ONCE IN A BLUE MOON A DECENT OLD-FASHIONED HOG COMES OUR WAY...LET'S DE-CLASSIFY THIS MURDER MYSTERY SHALL WE?
PostedApril 29, 2020
pennmom36
fromWhat does a singularity have ti do with crime, isn't that a black hole space scenario?
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
I've always loved a good old-fashioned Hidden Object Game (HOG) the kind of game we cut our teeth on back in the day, but with better graphics and at least somewhat of a story. Classified: Death in the Alley will not blow the socks off of everyone, the graphics are darker to give the game an ambiance, and the objects to find are somewhat smaller to find, but there are different difficulty modes as I'll explain in a few, specialty objects to find in each scene, and mini-games that help you truly analyze the clues you have discovered in those murderous alleys, so keep an open mind, you may enjoy it too!
You can play in three different Difficulty Modes:
*Easy Mode: A Relaxed, Untimed mode with no misclick penalties and the Hint features recharge in 10 seconds.
*Medium Mode: A Mid-range difficulty mode with misclick penalties and a 20-second hint refill charge.
*Hard Mode: A timed mode with misclick penalties and a 45-second refill charge.
*Easy Mode: A Relaxed, Untimed mode with no misclick penalties and the Hint features recharge in 10 seconds.
*Medium Mode: A Mid-range difficulty mode with misclick penalties and a 20-second hint refill charge.
*Hard Mode: A timed mode with misclick penalties and a 45-second refill charge.
The Map shows available pinned area locations to visit, each scene has 3 available HO modes, Listed Items, Scrambled Words, and Missing Vowels. There are 18 Hidden Objects to find in each scene and I thought the developer did an amazing job of either hiding the objects in plain sight, or slightly out of the line of sight, I literally stared intently for quite some time for a few of the items only to have that "oh, duh" moment, lol. There are two Hints available, the Magnifying Glass will show you a single random item, and the Eye Hint inverts the colors and turns all remaining items on the list to white. The Hints will then have to recharge depending on the timeframe of whichever difficulty mode you chose to play in.
The best part, in my opinion, is finding the two additional "Clues" that aren't shown on the list, but there is a Folder Icon at the top of the screen that keeps track of the Evidence and Clues found. Each scene has a single blue Fingerprint "Clue" and a single "Singularity" Evidence (which looks like a UFO or Saturn?) You must find both of these to earn all three stars. If you miss one, or both, you won't be able to return to the scene to search for them until after you complete the game, so my suggestion is that you search for these items first before finding anything else.
After discovering a specific amount of Evidence and Clues in the Hidden Object Scenes, you will visit the Puzzle Lab Icon to play a mini-game such as a jigsaw puzzle. I'm talking about a decent jigsaw puzzle that actually makes sense, piecing together evidence. After piecing together the evidence you may have to spot the differences between two pages, to check for similarities.
I enjoyed the HO's and the mini-games. The objects may be small and the scenes may be dark, but it's a murder mystery and sure beats the last crime scene HOG game where the items were the size of a couch and you had to keep repeating the scene a thousand times. I have a lot of respect for this indie developer, well done Seven Sails!
I recommend this game!
Join Amanda as she ventures back into a magical world to find a missing prince, solve challenging puzzles and restore order!
Overall rating
3
/
5
28 of 37 found this review helpful
HANG ON TO YOUR MAGIC BOOK AMANDA, THIS IS JUST A REPEAT OF ALL THE OTHER MATCH 3 GAMES BY THIS DEVELOPER... SPIDERS AND ALL!
PostedApril 28, 2020
pennmom36
fromThe itsy Bitsy Spider, Climbed Up The Match 3 Game, He Left That Game, And Now He's Back Again!
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
Since when is it cool to keep offering the same game over and over, only bothering to change the graphics and the theme? This may be a decent Match 3 game if you've never played a game by this developer, but for the love of Magic, don't they have a creative spark of original imagination left to give? Can't they come up with anything different between the massive amounts of Match 3 games they're spewing out every month? I can appreciate the fact that they continue to develop games, but at what point does this mass-production lose credibility because they couldn't bother to change a single feature, they simply recycled the last game?
You can play in a Timed or Relaxed Mode of Difficulty in a Swap type of Match 3 game with various goals of making matches of specified Tiles as shown at the top of the board. The tiles are colorful but very similar and at times are very difficult to tell apart from one another, especially the green leaf variations. Tiles inside of Bubbles, Morph (I think they appear when you make large matches, but I'm not positive) which allows you to pop the bubble when the desired tile appears within the bubble.
There are only two types of Obstructions, Chained or Double Chained Tiles that require one or two matches of whichever tile is chained, and those infamous pesky Spiders have returned to spin Webs over random tiles if they aren't removed by making matches under them. (which most people seem to detest yet they still continue to add them to every game because they can't think of anything better to offer) The webs can be removed by making matches with the tiles covered in webs. Some levels require you to drop items off the board, such as Amanda's Book of Knowledge, by making matches under them as well.
Large Matches of 4 or more tile, fills the Energy Meter which allows you to use various power-ups: (the same power-ups that do the same thing in every match 3 game by this developer!)
*Hammer: clears a single tile, gold cell, and/or chain.
*Explosive Potion: clears a 3 x 3 area of tiles, gold cells, and/or chains.
*Amanda's Bag: clears all tiles of the chose tile, including gold cells, and/or chains.
*Lightning Bottle: clears an entire horizontal line including gold cells, and/or chains.
*Lightning Crystal: clears an entire vertical line including gold cells, and/or chains.
*Magic Bomb: clears a 9 x 9 group of tiles, gold cells, and/or chains.
When you have earned enough resources, a star will appear on the right side of the board which allows you to purchase an upgrade. Each Chapter requires purchasing all 4 upgrades to progress to the next chapter. This is the same chapter upgrade, even the same number of upgrade requirements required per chapter as every match 3 game by this developer)
*Explosive Potion: clears a 3 x 3 area of tiles, gold cells, and/or chains.
*Amanda's Bag: clears all tiles of the chose tile, including gold cells, and/or chains.
*Lightning Bottle: clears an entire horizontal line including gold cells, and/or chains.
*Lightning Crystal: clears an entire vertical line including gold cells, and/or chains.
*Magic Bomb: clears a 9 x 9 group of tiles, gold cells, and/or chains.
When you have earned enough resources, a star will appear on the right side of the board which allows you to purchase an upgrade. Each Chapter requires purchasing all 4 upgrades to progress to the next chapter. This is the same chapter upgrade, even the same number of upgrade requirements required per chapter as every match 3 game by this developer)
I'm not saying this is a bad match 3 game, it's an enjoyable match 3 game with basic features and obstacles and it's a fairly easy Match 3 game to play, although as I said earlier, it's difficult to easily spot the difference between some tiles like green leaves that vary slightly in shades of green and look very similar in shape. I do, however, have a problem with developers not making any effort whatsoever to come up with the slightest bit of change from game to game. There is absolutely nothing different about this game than any other game they offer, and there are a ton of them!
AMANDA'S SERIES LIST
Title***Release Date***Average Rating
Title***Release Date***Average Rating
1-Amanda's Sticker Book (October 28-2014) 2.8
2-Amanda's Sticker Book: Amazing Wildlife (May 5-2017) 3.8
3-Amanda's Magic Book (March 7-2018) 2.9
4-Amanda's Magic Book 2 (April 27-2020) n/a
by: e-FunSoft Games
2-Amanda's Sticker Book: Amazing Wildlife (May 5-2017) 3.8
3-Amanda's Magic Book (March 7-2018) 2.9
4-Amanda's Magic Book 2 (April 27-2020) n/a
by: e-FunSoft Games
I don't recommend this game.
Send shivers down your spine... with this creepy-crawly Match-3 quest that will chill you to the bone and make your flesh crawl.
Overall rating
4
/
5
54 of 60 found this review helpful
Crème de la Crème of Match 3 Games
PostedApril 26, 2020
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Nobody beats Suricate when it comes to customizable Options. For starters, you can choose to disable or enable the Hint Arrows, FX's, or the Interactive Help tutorial, adjust the Resolution and choose Widescreen or Fullscreen, choose to disable features such as Static Pieces and Mini-Game options, choose a Custom Cursor (extra cursor's available in the CE version) and adjust Volume levels for each individual feature.
You can choose to play in a Limited Time Mode, a Limited Moves Mode, or a Relaxed Mode that gives you all the time in the world to finish levels at your own pace in as many moves as it takes without penalties. After choosing the Type of Match 3 gameplay you then get to choose a Normal OR Advanced Difficulty mode! Hearts give you extra lives and you can trade lives for more moves in Limited Moves Mode.
Each level has several "rooms" to complete. As each room is cleared, you simply click on the Arrow Icon to visit the next room. You can earn Gold, Silver, and Bronze Trophies and any level can be replayed immediately or later on by going to the level map, which is a must-have feature for me personally.
Large Matches will earn power-ups on the board and there are Obstacles such as Yellow Tiles, Single and Double Chains, Dark Fog, Fog Vials, Crates, Stones, Ladybugs who move to an empty cell when matched next to them, Turtles that move and create a wooden box to hide in, and Golden Snails that will move and turn the cell into an extra layered yellow cell, Stone Tiles, Steel Tiles, Iron Maces, Atomic Tiles, Lava Drops, Wooden Boxes, Safe Tiles requiring a specific number or Matches to destroy, Amber tiles requiring a booster or power-up to destroy it, and Locks that require dropping color-specific keys to the bottom of the board.
Coins that appear can be collected with a single click (they will disappear after a brief amount of time) and Bags of Coins must be dropped off of the board by making matches below them. The Coins earned can be used to purchase and upgrade Power-ups in the Shop. Each upgrade makes the power-up more powerful or covers a larger area.
Some levels have Puzzle Levels that will unlock once the other rooms have been emptied. Inside the Magic Room, you can collect more Coin Bags, Gold Stars, and occasionally a Golden Bat. Gold Stars must be dropped to the bottom but Gold Bats can exit any side
Crystal Rooms are optional and it won't affect your progress if you decide to skip them. Crystals are used to unlock the Mini-Games. Tiles inside the Crystal Rooms don't regenerate after making matches so you have to plan a strategy because it's a lot harder when new tiles aren't added to the board.
Collector's Edition version Extra's:
4 Extra Hidden Object Scenes, 4 Extra Jigsaw Puzzles, 5 Extra Wallpapers, 3 Extra Scenes to decorate, CA and the "Making Of", 10 Music Soundtracks, Extra Cursors.
4 Extra Hidden Object Scenes, 4 Extra Jigsaw Puzzles, 5 Extra Wallpapers, 3 Extra Scenes to decorate, CA and the "Making Of", 10 Music Soundtracks, Extra Cursors.
JEWEL MATCH 3 TWILIGHT SERIES LIST
Title***Standard Edition Release Date***Average Rating
Title***Standard Edition Release Date***Average Rating
1-Jewel Match: Twilight 1 SE only (October 28-2015) 4.9
2-Jewel Match: Twilight 2 SE only (January 21-2019) 4.3
3-Jewel Match: Twilight 3 SE (April 26-2020) n/a
2-Jewel Match: Twilight 2 SE only (January 21-2019) 4.3
3-Jewel Match: Twilight 3 SE (April 26-2020) n/a
by: Suricate Software
I recommend this game!
Can you save a town from turning to ash in time?
Overall rating
3
/
5
59 of 69 found this review helpful
THE PROBLEM AND THE SOLUTION IS SIMPLE...
PostedApril 24, 2020
pennmom36
fromWhen people begin suggesting older HOPA games, that tells you the problem is with the genre development and NOT with the player!
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Completed Game approximately 5.5 Hours
(including completion of all puzzles & CE Bonus Chapter)
41 Main Game Scene Locations +13 CE Bonus Chapter
Difficulty Range: Beginner (unless you enjoy doing the same thing over & over?)
(including completion of all puzzles & CE Bonus Chapter)
41 Main Game Scene Locations +13 CE Bonus Chapter
Difficulty Range: Beginner (unless you enjoy doing the same thing over & over?)
This game has a good story, but that's all it has going for it. Domini games used to be highly anticipated, now they have joined the hundreds of others whose games have become so linear the fun factor has become extinct. It's become a vicious cycle, the fans demand more challenge but more challenge means more work from the developer, the developer doesn't want to put forth more effort or work harder to think outside the box because let's face it, they won't make any more money now, will they? So the developers copy and paste puzzles, hidden object scenes, even graphics, and use the same, "already thought of tasks & story scripts" from game to game to cut production costs. This particular developer tries to mask that fact by stretching the game to 5 or 6 repetitive task chapters, we see the same unimaginative game scenario and buy fewer games, the developer thinks fewer people are interested in HOPA games (they don't see the root of the problem) The next game that comes out has even less, eventually, no one cares, the vicious cycle continues until the developer gives up and goes out of business. Who could blame them, would you want to do all that work fork for $6.99?
I have a solution! Why not offer a Gold Edition for more money? Something that developers are willing to pour their heart and soul into? If you don't want to spend more money the CE & SE HOPA's would still be available. This way, the devs would have an additional genre to keep them afloat, and gamers would finally have their thirst quenched. I have listened to people suggest hundreds of HOPA games from their library, to keep people entertained during the COVID outbreak stay-at-home orders, and every single one of them are older games BEFORE 2015! That says it all folks, that says there was a huge change in this genre and NOT with the player themselves, otherwise, they wouldn't be playing and suggesting the older games, right!
Gadgets/Helper:
Dark Romance is usually about 2 lovers being torn apart by unseen forces as you swap between players. This clever writing team (surely someone else was in charge of the tasks?) changed things up a bit with a journal that as one person pens an entry in the year 2000, it appears to the person in the year 1985...Nice! You will still swap between two characters who never meet...or do they?
Collectibles & Morphing Objects (CE Version Only):
Domini always gives you plenty of CE Bling, but these were some of the most uninteresting collectibles and morphs imaginable. You can enable/disable the Collectibles availability Tabs and choose whether or not to show them on the Map as well. There are 15 Morphing Police Evidence Items (with descriptions) 15 Scraps & Notes to go along with a gazillion Missing Notes because in Domini-World everyone litters) 100 Zoom Zone Bucks (because stealing other people's pocket-change coins was immoral so they upped the ante to committing a misdemeanor?) 15 Ugly Boring Furniture Items for Robert's Room (purchase with the stolen hundo, why not, it's harder for the police to trace used furniture, besides some of the money came from the bad guy, totally justifiable)
Hidden Object Scenes:
There are 13 Hidden Object Scenes +4 in the CE Bonus Chapter and an alternate Match 3 Game available, which btw, doesn't allow you to make consecutive matches quickly. (you have to wait for all tiles to stop falling before you can make the next match) They include Interactive List Finds, Silhouetted Shape Finds, Keywords in Sentence Finds, Missing Keywords in Sentence Finds, Replace Items into the Scene, Swatches Finds, This Plus That Equals Finds, and Combo Silhouettes (find items that match the description of two combined items) Unlike their last game, some of these scenes were located in interesting locations or took place over multiple scenes.
Mini-Games:
There are 21 Mini-Games +8 in the CE Bonus Chapter. You can choose to play them in an Easy or Hard difficulty mode and you can choose which mode to have them start out in the Custom Setting (you can still switch between modes for each individual game) I lost count of how many times I had to enter codes to open locks & doors...this is considered a mini-game? Here are a few brief descriptions of some of my personal favorites:
1-Switch levers to connect ladders & bridges to advance (a cool game but way too short)
2-Move officer to phone booth without getting caught by burglars (shouldn't this be the other way around?)
3-Place all shapes onto the grid.
4-Grab 2 fuses at a time and move to correct slots.
Dark Romance is usually about 2 lovers being torn apart by unseen forces as you swap between players. This clever writing team (surely someone else was in charge of the tasks?) changed things up a bit with a journal that as one person pens an entry in the year 2000, it appears to the person in the year 1985...Nice! You will still swap between two characters who never meet...or do they?
Collectibles & Morphing Objects (CE Version Only):
Domini always gives you plenty of CE Bling, but these were some of the most uninteresting collectibles and morphs imaginable. You can enable/disable the Collectibles availability Tabs and choose whether or not to show them on the Map as well. There are 15 Morphing Police Evidence Items (with descriptions) 15 Scraps & Notes to go along with a gazillion Missing Notes because in Domini-World everyone litters) 100 Zoom Zone Bucks (because stealing other people's pocket-change coins was immoral so they upped the ante to committing a misdemeanor?) 15 Ugly Boring Furniture Items for Robert's Room (purchase with the stolen hundo, why not, it's harder for the police to trace used furniture, besides some of the money came from the bad guy, totally justifiable)
Hidden Object Scenes:
There are 13 Hidden Object Scenes +4 in the CE Bonus Chapter and an alternate Match 3 Game available, which btw, doesn't allow you to make consecutive matches quickly. (you have to wait for all tiles to stop falling before you can make the next match) They include Interactive List Finds, Silhouetted Shape Finds, Keywords in Sentence Finds, Missing Keywords in Sentence Finds, Replace Items into the Scene, Swatches Finds, This Plus That Equals Finds, and Combo Silhouettes (find items that match the description of two combined items) Unlike their last game, some of these scenes were located in interesting locations or took place over multiple scenes.
Mini-Games:
There are 21 Mini-Games +8 in the CE Bonus Chapter. You can choose to play them in an Easy or Hard difficulty mode and you can choose which mode to have them start out in the Custom Setting (you can still switch between modes for each individual game) I lost count of how many times I had to enter codes to open locks & doors...this is considered a mini-game? Here are a few brief descriptions of some of my personal favorites:
1-Switch levers to connect ladders & bridges to advance (a cool game but way too short)
2-Move officer to phone booth without getting caught by burglars (shouldn't this be the other way around?)
3-Place all shapes onto the grid.
4-Grab 2 fuses at a time and move to correct slots.
Bonus Chapter (CE Version Only)
Your augury lessons from Anna Lovelace (sounds like a lady of the evening name, what's ya been watching guys?) are abruptly interrupted when the police arrive to inform Anna that she is their prime suspect in the disappearance of Officer Marsh...no questions asked there or at the po-po's office...this will all make sense when I am older la la la..."Olaf" This is an above average-length chapter spanning over a whopping 13 scene locations with 8 additional Mini-Games and 4 Hidden Object Scenes. You will continue your search for the final 4 Morphing Police Evidence Items, 3 Pieces of Trash, I mean Scraps & Notes, and 12 Zoom Zone Dollars which allows you to purchase the final decorations for Robert's Room.
Collector's Edition Extra's: (CE version only)
15 Wallpapers, 15 Concept Art Pictures, 5 Music Soundtracks, 29 Movie Video Cutscenes, 40 Achievements (the same achievements offered in all of their games and notice how you earn them in the order shown AND you earn them when you didn't really earn them because they are given to you at specific set-points, not by randomly earning them. In other words, you won't earn the 5th achievement first because that's not when the game is programmed to award them...seems rather disappointing now doesn't it?), 16 Replayable Mini-Games, 16 Replayable Hidden Object Scenes, 15 Morphing Police Evidence Items (with descriptions) 15 Scraps & Notes to go along with a gazillion Missing Notes, 100 Zoom Zone Bucks, 15 Ugly Boring Furniture Items for Robert's Room (purchase with looted money) 5 Main Chapters +Bonus Chapter, and a Built-In Strategy Guide (you won't need it)
Your augury lessons from Anna Lovelace (sounds like a lady of the evening name, what's ya been watching guys?) are abruptly interrupted when the police arrive to inform Anna that she is their prime suspect in the disappearance of Officer Marsh...no questions asked there or at the po-po's office...this will all make sense when I am older la la la..."Olaf" This is an above average-length chapter spanning over a whopping 13 scene locations with 8 additional Mini-Games and 4 Hidden Object Scenes. You will continue your search for the final 4 Morphing Police Evidence Items, 3 Pieces of Trash, I mean Scraps & Notes, and 12 Zoom Zone Dollars which allows you to purchase the final decorations for Robert's Room.
Collector's Edition Extra's: (CE version only)
15 Wallpapers, 15 Concept Art Pictures, 5 Music Soundtracks, 29 Movie Video Cutscenes, 40 Achievements (the same achievements offered in all of their games and notice how you earn them in the order shown AND you earn them when you didn't really earn them because they are given to you at specific set-points, not by randomly earning them. In other words, you won't earn the 5th achievement first because that's not when the game is programmed to award them...seems rather disappointing now doesn't it?), 16 Replayable Mini-Games, 16 Replayable Hidden Object Scenes, 15 Morphing Police Evidence Items (with descriptions) 15 Scraps & Notes to go along with a gazillion Missing Notes, 100 Zoom Zone Bucks, 15 Ugly Boring Furniture Items for Robert's Room (purchase with looted money) 5 Main Chapters +Bonus Chapter, and a Built-In Strategy Guide (you won't need it)
DARK ROMANCE SERIES LIST
Title***Standard Edition Release Date***Average Rating
Title***Standard Edition Release Date***Average Rating
1-Vampire in Love (March 9-2014) 3.7
2-Heart of the Beast (May 22-2015) 4.0
3-The Swan Sonata (November 15-2015) 3.8
4-Kingdom of Death (May 20-2016) 4.0
5-Curse of Bluebeard (November 11-2016) 4.4
6-Romeo and Juliet (March 26-2017) 4.4
7-The Monster Within (October 6-2017) 3.3
8-Winter Lily (February 16-2018) 4.2
9-A Performance to Die For (August 24-2018) 4.0
10-Hunchback of Notre Dame (March 8-2019) 3.4
11-Ethereal Gardens (October 4-2019) 3.3
12-Ashville (April 24-2020) n/a
by: Domini Games
2-Heart of the Beast (May 22-2015) 4.0
3-The Swan Sonata (November 15-2015) 3.8
4-Kingdom of Death (May 20-2016) 4.0
5-Curse of Bluebeard (November 11-2016) 4.4
6-Romeo and Juliet (March 26-2017) 4.4
7-The Monster Within (October 6-2017) 3.3
8-Winter Lily (February 16-2018) 4.2
9-A Performance to Die For (August 24-2018) 4.0
10-Hunchback of Notre Dame (March 8-2019) 3.4
11-Ethereal Gardens (October 4-2019) 3.3
12-Ashville (April 24-2020) n/a
by: Domini Games
I don't recommend this game.
Can you traverse the Underworld and make it out alive?
Overall rating
3
/
5
141 of 171 found this review helpful
MYSTERY TALES GLASSES GADGET BROKE-REPLACED BY PHONE GADGET WHICH ALSO BROKE-REPLACED BY CAT ON HIS 10TH LIFE-HIS CHANCES OF SURVIVAL ARE PRETTY SLIM!
PostedApril 23, 2020
pennmom36
fromCrying Uncle dates back to the Roman Empire when Roman children would cry out "Patrue, mi Patruissimo," or Uncle, my best Uncle because in Roman times an Uncle carried the same status & title of respect as a Father.
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
1
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
Completed Game approximately 5.5 Hours
(including completion of all puzzles & CE Bonus Chapter)
25 Main Game Scene Locations +10 CE Bonus Chapter
Difficulty Range: Beginner-possibly Intermediate
(including completion of all puzzles & CE Bonus Chapter)
25 Main Game Scene Locations +10 CE Bonus Chapter
Difficulty Range: Beginner-possibly Intermediate
UNCLE, UNCLE!
Question: How many games in how many different series can one developer make with the same cliche tasks, the same exact puzzles, the same features, the same over-saturated graphics, the same collectibles, and the same ridiculously boring storylines?
Answer: All of them!
Question: How many games in how many different series can one developer make with the same cliche tasks, the same exact puzzles, the same features, the same over-saturated graphics, the same collectibles, and the same ridiculously boring storylines?
Answer: All of them!
Gadgets/Helper:
First of all, the Mystery Tales Detective used to be a Female Detective and now She's an Uncle Detective? She used to have those infamous Mystery Tales Glasses that let her not only see ghostly caches but interact and use those items in the real world. In every game, those glasses would break driving HOPA gamers nutz. After years of enduring the broken glasses gadget, fans were treated to a new form of technology...a paranormal Cell Phone which allowed us to speak with the dead! Of course, as most cell phones do, it broke as well...yea, new technology is on its way! Nope...we don't get treated to the latest and greatest mobile upgrade, lets recap: the Paranormal Gadget went from the Mystery Tales Glasses to a Mystery Tales Cell Phone to a Cat named Morty? In all fairness, Morty has the ability to travel between the land of the living and the land of the dead, so he's still a paranormal gadget. We also learn that cats at this stage are in their 10th and final life stage which is a good thing I suppose because I don't seem to have a very good track record with Mystery Tales Gadgets! Morty has a rather sarcastic attitude (my favorite type of humor) and he is rather adorable with his bi-colored eyes. His services are only used 6 times in the main 6 chapters and a couple of times in the CE Bonus Chapter, but because his cuteness factor is off the charts, and because he is on his 10th life, he gets a gadget pass!
First of all, the Mystery Tales Detective used to be a Female Detective and now She's an Uncle Detective? She used to have those infamous Mystery Tales Glasses that let her not only see ghostly caches but interact and use those items in the real world. In every game, those glasses would break driving HOPA gamers nutz. After years of enduring the broken glasses gadget, fans were treated to a new form of technology...a paranormal Cell Phone which allowed us to speak with the dead! Of course, as most cell phones do, it broke as well...yea, new technology is on its way! Nope...we don't get treated to the latest and greatest mobile upgrade, lets recap: the Paranormal Gadget went from the Mystery Tales Glasses to a Mystery Tales Cell Phone to a Cat named Morty? In all fairness, Morty has the ability to travel between the land of the living and the land of the dead, so he's still a paranormal gadget. We also learn that cats at this stage are in their 10th and final life stage which is a good thing I suppose because I don't seem to have a very good track record with Mystery Tales Gadgets! Morty has a rather sarcastic attitude (my favorite type of humor) and he is rather adorable with his bi-colored eyes. His services are only used 6 times in the main 6 chapters and a couple of times in the CE Bonus Chapter, but because his cuteness factor is off the charts, and because he is on his 10th life, he gets a gadget pass!
Collectibles & Morphing Objects (CE Version Only):
There are 15 Post Card Collectibles and 15 Morphing Objects that are actually quite small and slightly more challenging to spot than the usual Domini bling. There are 63 Zoom Zone Heart Tokens that can be used to purchase 15 unappealing Boudoir Decorations. Domini never changes their bling, they just change the name but they always have 15 morphs, they always have 15 pictures or postcards, etc, they always have some type of coin to buy the same 15 decorations. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, but now that they have stepped up to the plate to fill the eipix game-slot gap as well, that's a ton of the same thing on a weekly basis, so a little change would be good, if not expected!
There are 15 Post Card Collectibles and 15 Morphing Objects that are actually quite small and slightly more challenging to spot than the usual Domini bling. There are 63 Zoom Zone Heart Tokens that can be used to purchase 15 unappealing Boudoir Decorations. Domini never changes their bling, they just change the name but they always have 15 morphs, they always have 15 pictures or postcards, etc, they always have some type of coin to buy the same 15 decorations. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, but now that they have stepped up to the plate to fill the eipix game-slot gap as well, that's a ton of the same thing on a weekly basis, so a little change would be good, if not expected!
Hidden Object Scenes:
There are 13 Hidden Object Scenes +5 in the CE Bonus Chapter and an alternate Match 3 Game available, which btw, doesn't allow you to make consecutive matches quickly. (you have to wait for all tiles to stop falling before you can make the next match) It's almost as if Domini just gave up, or threw this game together at the last minute because the HOP's are some of the least creative they've ever done!. Most of them were Find 12 Items Finds or Spot the Differences and the scene locations were about as uninteresting as it gets. There were a few Interactive List Finds and Silhouetted Shape Finds but nothing remarkable.
There are 13 Hidden Object Scenes +5 in the CE Bonus Chapter and an alternate Match 3 Game available, which btw, doesn't allow you to make consecutive matches quickly. (you have to wait for all tiles to stop falling before you can make the next match) It's almost as if Domini just gave up, or threw this game together at the last minute because the HOP's are some of the least creative they've ever done!. Most of them were Find 12 Items Finds or Spot the Differences and the scene locations were about as uninteresting as it gets. There were a few Interactive List Finds and Silhouetted Shape Finds but nothing remarkable.
Mini-Games:
There are 19 Mini-Games +9 in the CE Bonus Chapter. You can choose to play them in an Easy or Hard difficulty mode and you can choose which mode to have them start out in the Custom Setting (you can still switch between modes for each individual game) I can honestly say that I didn't enjoy any of these mini-games because they were just plain ole boring! Most of the puzzles required swapping tiles or moving tokens along a track to their matching slots, which are the same variations offered in all of their games, It's a slippery slope when you can't envision fresh ideas when releasing several different games each month.
Bonus Chapter (CE Version Only)
Wind back the clock in this average-length prequel about a cat-napping witch named Belladonna. This is an average-length chapter spanning over a whopping 10 scene locations with 9 additional Mini-Games and 5 Hidden Object Scenes. You will continue your search for the final 3 Morphing Objects, 3 Postcards, and 9 Zoom Zone Heart Tokens (of varying amounts) which allows you to purchase the final Boudoir Decorations.
There are 19 Mini-Games +9 in the CE Bonus Chapter. You can choose to play them in an Easy or Hard difficulty mode and you can choose which mode to have them start out in the Custom Setting (you can still switch between modes for each individual game) I can honestly say that I didn't enjoy any of these mini-games because they were just plain ole boring! Most of the puzzles required swapping tiles or moving tokens along a track to their matching slots, which are the same variations offered in all of their games, It's a slippery slope when you can't envision fresh ideas when releasing several different games each month.
Bonus Chapter (CE Version Only)
Wind back the clock in this average-length prequel about a cat-napping witch named Belladonna. This is an average-length chapter spanning over a whopping 10 scene locations with 9 additional Mini-Games and 5 Hidden Object Scenes. You will continue your search for the final 3 Morphing Objects, 3 Postcards, and 9 Zoom Zone Heart Tokens (of varying amounts) which allows you to purchase the final Boudoir Decorations.
Collector's Edition Extra's: (CE version only)
5 Wallpapers, 10 Concept Art Pictures, 4 Music Soundtracks, 23 Movie Video Cutscenes, 40 Achievements (the same achievements offered in all of their games and notice how you earn them in the order shown AND you earn them when you didn't really earn them because they are given to you at specific set-points, not by randomly earning them. In other words, you won't earn the 5th achievement first because that's not when the game is programmed to award them...seems rather disappointing now doesn't it?), 16 Replayable Mini-Games, 18 Replayable Hidden Object Scenes, 15 Morphing Wedding Gifts,15 Postcards, a gazillion Missing Notes, 63 Heart Tokens, 15 Boudoir Items (purchase with Heart Tokens) 6 Main Chapters +Bonus Chapter, and a Built-In Strategy Guide.
5 Wallpapers, 10 Concept Art Pictures, 4 Music Soundtracks, 23 Movie Video Cutscenes, 40 Achievements (the same achievements offered in all of their games and notice how you earn them in the order shown AND you earn them when you didn't really earn them because they are given to you at specific set-points, not by randomly earning them. In other words, you won't earn the 5th achievement first because that's not when the game is programmed to award them...seems rather disappointing now doesn't it?), 16 Replayable Mini-Games, 18 Replayable Hidden Object Scenes, 15 Morphing Wedding Gifts,15 Postcards, a gazillion Missing Notes, 63 Heart Tokens, 15 Boudoir Items (purchase with Heart Tokens) 6 Main Chapters +Bonus Chapter, and a Built-In Strategy Guide.
MYSTERY TALES SERIES LIST
Title***Collector's Edition Release Date***Average Rating
Title***Collector's Edition Release Date***Average Rating
1-The Lost Hope (January 25-2014) 4.0
2-The Twilight World (January 24-2015) 3.5
3-Alaskan Wild (August 29-2015) 3.9
4-Her Own Eyes (February 18-2016) 4.1
5-Eye of the Fire (September 29-2016) 3.4
6-The Hangman Returns (January 26-2017) 3.8
7-The House of Others (June 29-2017) 3.9
8-Dangerous Desires (October 14-2017) 3.1
9-The Other Side (March 17-2018) 3.0
10-Reel Horror (September 9-2018) 4.2
11-Dealer's Choice (April 4-2019) 2.9
12-Art and Souls (October 17-2019) 3.5
13-Till Death (April 23-2020) n/a
2-The Twilight World (January 24-2015) 3.5
3-Alaskan Wild (August 29-2015) 3.9
4-Her Own Eyes (February 18-2016) 4.1
5-Eye of the Fire (September 29-2016) 3.4
6-The Hangman Returns (January 26-2017) 3.8
7-The House of Others (June 29-2017) 3.9
8-Dangerous Desires (October 14-2017) 3.1
9-The Other Side (March 17-2018) 3.0
10-Reel Horror (September 9-2018) 4.2
11-Dealer's Choice (April 4-2019) 2.9
12-Art and Souls (October 17-2019) 3.5
13-Till Death (April 23-2020) n/a
by: Domini Games
I don't recommend this game.
Follow Agent Sarah to help solve puzzles and find hidden objects to catch the murderer.
Overall rating
1
/
5
60 of 70 found this review helpful
ALWAYS LISTEN TO YOUR GRANNY!
PostedApril 22, 2020
pennmom36
fromI've discovered a suspicious-looking maple leaf during my crime scene investigation. This leads me to the conclusion that the adjacent maple tree is the culprit which can only mean one thing...autumn has arrived?
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
1
/
5
Level of Challenge
1
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
After reading granny's review I wasn't in any rush to play this game (gr8 job btw ;) because it was evident that this was the same repetitive HO game as the last two in the series. I love a good old-fashioned Hidden Object Game but I don't want to search the same scene over and over, looking for the same ridiculously out of proportion objects, objects which btw are just thrown all over the scene without even attempting to hide them, until I've gone completely mad! I wouldn't even mind the repetitive scene scenario if the objects to find were different each time...how hard can that be? If I were truly investigating a homicide or any crime for that matter, I'd start by trying to find out who trashed the crime scene and threw a manhole cover in the tree? (I'm leaning towards an alcoholic as my prime suspect...see inclosed game)
I really liked the first Hidden Investigation game, and I thought that perhaps Brave Giant would take our advice and make some adjustments going forward, but clearly they haven't. The hidden objects never change position or location from scene to scene and the objects are really random and have nothing to do with an actual investigation. Once again, I had issues with clicking on objects too quickly to be accepted, which is ironic because you are awarded extra points for fast, consecutive clicking?!
The goal is to Investigate the Crime by searching for the same objects in the same scene over and over until you "master" the level and earn the required 5-Stars to progress the investigation which unlocks new scenes. Each time you investigate the scene, the Hidden Object mode is different, such as Standard Listed Items, Silhouetted Shapes, Multiples of the same object, or Scrambled Letter variations.
You can zoom in to the scenes and there is an available Hint and Magnet feature that collects any object on the list when you drag it around the scene but it takes a while to recharge...you probably won't need any of these features.
Although there isn't a Timer, the faster you complete the level, the more points you'll earn, you can earn a full star or just a portion of a star depending on the amount of time it took you to complete the level. The Stars earned by completing the Hidden Object Scenes are used to examine evidence and solve the case in the form of a mini-game.
HIDDEN INVESTIGATION SERIES LIST
Title***Standard Edition Release Date***Average Rating
Title***Standard Edition Release Date***Average Rating
1-Hidden Investigation: Who Did It (August 18-2019) 2.2
2-Hidden Investigation: Homicide (January 20-2020) 2.3
3-Hidden Investigation: Crime Files (April 22-20) n/a
by: Brave Giant
2-Hidden Investigation: Homicide (January 20-2020) 2.3
3-Hidden Investigation: Crime Files (April 22-20) n/a
by: Brave Giant
I don't recommend this game.
Solve colorful mosaics puzzles and help Little Red Riding Hood bring goodies to her Granny!
Overall rating
3
/
5
25 of 29 found this review helpful
HEY THERE LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD...QUICK USE YOUR MAGIC WAND?
PostedApril 21, 2020
pennmom36
fromMaybe Red Riding Hood can use her magic wand to summon the magic mirror to find out who's the fairest of them all?
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
I wasn't crazy about this Mosaic game, the graphics weren't very pretty, and there are no Tile variations to choose from to give the puzzles more depth. I definitely didn't like the way the board pulsated when filling in large groups of numbers, which I'm assuming was to make it appear magical? Every time I'd cross-off or X a cell, the proceeding sound gave me the impression that I had just made a mistake, and I had a hard time "envisioning" some of the completed pictures which I would never have guessed what they were had they not been labeled.
The tutorial was very vague, although it does explain the basic "how to solve a Mosaic Puzzle" the features themselves are not explained, such as the Wand and the Magic Mirror functions As you fill-in various cells, you'll uncover Flower icons, Crowns, and F's (for Fables?) which refills the Hint, Wand, and Magic Mirror features. It appeared that the flowers refilled the Wand but what does a flower have to do with a wand and what does the wand actually do? What does the F icon do, does it refill the Magic Mirror, does the crown refill the hints? Why wouldn't you have Wands to refill the Wand feature, Mirrors to refill the Magic Mirror, and a Question Mark or a Wolf to refill the Hint feature? What do these features do? I am told that I'll lose a Star if I use a Hint but not if I use the Wand or Mirror but it should tell me what those features do as well?
You can earn up to 3-Stars per level and the tutorial does tell me that stars are deducted for making mistakes but If that's the case, why are there 3 available stars per perfect level, but it shows 6 slots for mistakes? Do you earn a -3 Stars if you make 6 mistakes on a level?