pennmom36's Profile
Stat Summary
- Average Rating:3.7
- Helpful Votes:358,445
- Reviews Submitted:4726
- First Review:December 10, 2012
- Most Recent Review:July 21, 2025
- Featured reviews0
Status:
Can you stop an ancient legend from coming to life?
Overall rating
4
/
5
130 of 144 found this review helpful
A GREAT STORY ABOUT GREAT DEEDS INDEED
PostedApril 11, 2019
pennmom36
fromAtlantic Puffins are small seabirds who spend most of their lives out at sea resting on waves. In the winter, their beaks are a grey color, in spring they turn bright orange. They can flap their wings 400 times per minute, fly 55mph & dive 60 meters deep⚘
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Completed Game 4.5 hours
(including CE Bonus Chapter & all puzzles)
(including CE Bonus Chapter & all puzzles)
Many of the residents in this small Icelandic town believe the Legend of the Volcano, stories passed down for generations. They say the Volcano becomes active every 300 years and threatens to destroy everything and everyone. Only sacrifices by 7 Chosen individuals who have accomplished Great Deeds, will stop the devastation, problem is, one of the chosen is your very own daughter! Great Deed, indeed!
I liked this story, it's no less credible than any other HOPA game? I felt it was the perfect length to keep it from becoming long and boring. The only reason I knocked off a star was because of the Glasses Gadget that allows you to see the truth & speak with the animals, and the repetitive Chain Type Match 3 game associated with its use. The good news is, it's only used 5 times (+ 5 Match 3 games that actually weren't horrible)
One of my favorite 4Friends features is the amazing way they hide Collectibles and Morphs. There are 27 Scene Locations (+8 CE BC) and each scene has 2 Opaque Puffins, and 2 Morphing Objects (with pull out tab to keep track if you prefer) I'm rarely challenged by these hidden gems, but these are so well blended, that I had to stare intently, several times to find them, so well done my Friends!
There are 13 Hidden Object Scenes (+5 CE BC) I wasn't all that impressed with them because every scene is repeated, and they just weren't very creative. There are Interactive Listed Item Finds, Silhouetted Shape Finds, Multiples of the Same Object Finds, and Finding & Replacing Item HOP's and no alternative game option.
There are 21 Mini-Games (+6 CE BC) and they were perfectly fine. Yes, some of them are really easy, but there are plenty of more complex games too. Below are brief descriptions of some of my favorites throughout the game:
1~Swap photo sections to complete each animal in the correct locations.
2~Swap pie-shaped sections to complete animals next to their silhouettes. ღ
3~Navigate through cave tunnels, finding & using objects to overcome obstacles.
4~Follow color-coded wires & select the correct animal in order, using <> buttons to rotate. ღ
5~Place 2 color-coded push pins onto 2 tile images that will form each animal when combined. ღ
6~Place the correct # of connections to each switch, red lights=energy needed, green=energy produced ღღ
7~Create a path extinguish the volcano, every 3 moves will create an eruption.
2~Swap pie-shaped sections to complete animals next to their silhouettes. ღ
3~Navigate through cave tunnels, finding & using objects to overcome obstacles.
4~Follow color-coded wires & select the correct animal in order, using <> buttons to rotate. ღ
5~Place 2 color-coded push pins onto 2 tile images that will form each animal when combined. ღ
6~Place the correct # of connections to each switch, red lights=energy needed, green=energy produced ღღ
7~Create a path extinguish the volcano, every 3 moves will create an eruption.
The Collector's Edition Bonus Chapter takes place shortly after the Main game's timeframe. Officer Zack asks Willows mum for help again, when the Volcano awakens because the archaeologists refused to abandon their digging expedition. There are 6 Mini-Games, and 5 Hidden Object Scenes in the CE Bonus Chapter, and you will find the remaining 16 Opaque Puffins and 16 Morphing Objects, which unlocks the 5th Collectible Puffin.
This Collector's Edition version has 6 Wallpapers (note to 4Friends: can't we enjoy the beautiful scenery you created w/o characters slapped on them?) 16 Concept Art Pictures, 5 Music Soundtracks (one of which does seem, Irish, indeed) 3 Screensavers, 27 Movie Video Cutscenes,15 Achievements (12 available in 3 categories) 11 Re-playable Hidden Object Scenes, 17 Re-playable Mini-Games, 54 Opaque Hidden Puffins (nicely hidden!) 54 Morphing Objects (excellent challenge!) 5 Collectible Puffins (unlock with 5-10-22-37-54 Puffins collected) 5 Main Chapters +Bonus Chapter, and a Built-in Strategy Guide.
EDGE OF REALITY SERIES LIST
Title***Collector's Edition Release Date***Average Rating
Title***Collector's Edition Release Date***Average Rating
1-Ring of Destiny (April 28-2016) 3.8
2-Lethal Predictions (February 4-2017) 3.6
3-Fatal Luck (April 19-2018) 4.5
4-Hunter's Legacy (August 2-2018) 4.3
5-Great Deeds (April 11-2019) n/a
2-Lethal Predictions (February 4-2017) 3.6
3-Fatal Luck (April 19-2018) 4.5
4-Hunter's Legacy (August 2-2018) 4.3
5-Great Deeds (April 11-2019) n/a
I recommend this game!
Solve Match 3 puzzles and help the tree dwellers return to their home in the newest addition to the Quadrium series.
Overall rating
4
/
5
41 of 48 found this review helpful
IS IT JUST ME OR DOES THIS ONE SEEM LESS CHALLENGING?
PostedApril 10, 2019
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Completed Games 1 & 2
(2 hours of Quadrium 3)
(2 hours of Quadrium 3)
I love Strategy Based games so Quadrium games are right up my alley. They are very relaxing games that allow you to choose between a 2 or 3 Match Mode style. It has 135 Levels which includes Crystal Jigsaw recreation Mini-Games. I purchased and completed the last two Quadrium games released, but this one seems a lot less challenging, so hopefully, it becomes a little more complicated as I progress further.
Anyone can play this Match3/Marble Popping hybrid, it's an easy game to figure out, and there's no Timer so you can take your time to figure out the best strategy. The playing field has an infinite amount of Colored Orbs located on the Top, Bottom, Right, and Left sides (you can only see the colors of 2 Orbs in each row or column) and the object is to remove all of the Orbs by shooting an identical colored orb from any of the parameters at the Orbs to remove them. As you progress, more colors and obstacles are added, as well as Bonuses and Antibonses. To make it easier to tell what each bonus or antibonus does, you can Right-click them for a brief description, or click on the Question Mark on the bottom right to read about all of the features.
OBSTRUCTIONS:
*Glass Border Walls~breaks when hit with an orb.
*Glass Encased Orbs~the first hit breaks the glass to expose the orb.
*Chains~requires a matching colored orb to break the chain(s) another to remove orbs remaining.
*Locks~the first match removes the lock, the second match destroys the orbs.
*Wooden Crates~blocks tiles, direct hit by any orb will destroy.
*Wooden Borders/Walls~requires a hit by any orb.
*Shielded Crates~requires a hit on the unprotected sides.
*Stone Borders/Walls~can only be destroyed by Bonuses.
*Metal Borders/Walls~cannot be destroyed.
*Extra Armor~destroyed when orbs are matched in adjacent cells.
*Mist~cleared when orbs are matched with adjacent cells.
*Portals~orbs will teleport to another area.
*Arrows~redirects moving orbs.
*Hand~stops moving orbs.
*Towers~adds 1 orb on every turn, destroyed with identical orb matches.
*Crystals~removed by any orb match.
BONUSES: (tiles morph briefly)
*Flames~include in a match to detonate an explosion.
*Rocket Missile~hit with any orb to remove 3 random orbs.
*Lightning~destroys all of the same color orbs.
*Bonus Bombs~replaces 4 random shooting orbs with bombs.
*Gold Bombs~replaces all shooting orbs with bombs.
*Mines~explode when hit with any colored orb
*Cross Dynamite~explodes when hit by any orb in a T or X pattern.
*Rainbow Orbs~transforms 7 random orbs that can be matched with any color.
*Glass Border Walls~breaks when hit with an orb.
*Glass Encased Orbs~the first hit breaks the glass to expose the orb.
*Chains~requires a matching colored orb to break the chain(s) another to remove orbs remaining.
*Locks~the first match removes the lock, the second match destroys the orbs.
*Wooden Crates~blocks tiles, direct hit by any orb will destroy.
*Wooden Borders/Walls~requires a hit by any orb.
*Shielded Crates~requires a hit on the unprotected sides.
*Stone Borders/Walls~can only be destroyed by Bonuses.
*Metal Borders/Walls~cannot be destroyed.
*Extra Armor~destroyed when orbs are matched in adjacent cells.
*Mist~cleared when orbs are matched with adjacent cells.
*Portals~orbs will teleport to another area.
*Arrows~redirects moving orbs.
*Hand~stops moving orbs.
*Towers~adds 1 orb on every turn, destroyed with identical orb matches.
*Crystals~removed by any orb match.
BONUSES: (tiles morph briefly)
*Flames~include in a match to detonate an explosion.
*Rocket Missile~hit with any orb to remove 3 random orbs.
*Lightning~destroys all of the same color orbs.
*Bonus Bombs~replaces 4 random shooting orbs with bombs.
*Gold Bombs~replaces all shooting orbs with bombs.
*Mines~explode when hit with any colored orb
*Cross Dynamite~explodes when hit by any orb in a T or X pattern.
*Rainbow Orbs~transforms 7 random orbs that can be matched with any color.
ANTI-BONUSES (avoid!)
*Antibonus Orbs~adds random orbs to the field.
*Antibonus Chains~throws chains onto random orbs.
*Antibonus Locks-randomly places locks on orbs when hit.
*Antibonus Orb Walls~launches a row of orbs from a random side.
*Antibonus Orbs~adds random orbs to the field.
*Antibonus Chains~throws chains onto random orbs.
*Antibonus Locks-randomly places locks on orbs when hit.
*Antibonus Orb Walls~launches a row of orbs from a random side.
They have added Crystals to the playing field that are removed by making matches of neighboring orbs. It is mandatory to remove all of the crystals because they are used to complete a Mini-Game where you swap honeycomb-shaped tiles until the crystals form a specific pattern.
CRYSTALS:
*Crystal Singles~removed with adjacent matches, required for Mini-Game.
*Crystal Stacks~group of 5, removed with adjacent matches, required for Mini-Game.
*Crystal Boxes~box of multiple crystals, removed with adjacent matches, required for Mini-Game.
*Crystal Singles~removed with adjacent matches, required for Mini-Game.
*Crystal Stacks~group of 5, removed with adjacent matches, required for Mini-Game.
*Crystal Boxes~box of multiple crystals, removed with adjacent matches, required for Mini-Game.
QUADRIUM SERIES LIST
Title***Release Date***Average Rating
1-Quadrium 1 (April 20-2018) 4.1
2-Quadrium 2 (August 20-2018) 4.0
3-Quadrium 3 (April 10-2019) n/a
Title***Release Date***Average Rating
1-Quadrium 1 (April 20-2018) 4.1
2-Quadrium 2 (August 20-2018) 4.0
3-Quadrium 3 (April 10-2019) n/a
by: Flashburn Studio
I recommend this game!
Summer Adventure 2
Get ready to join Mary's family on their amazing summer vacation.
Overall rating
2
/
5
83 of 102 found this review helpful
Zzzzzzzz......
PostedApril 8, 2019
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
2
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Summer Adventures 2 is just as exciting as Summer Adventures 1. It is a simple Hidden Object Game that mirrors the popular "Vacation" games, but it isn't even close as far as entertainment and fun factors go. The graphics are large and very basic, not to mention unappealing, and some objects are hard to recognize what they actually are because there are so few details, even when you use the Zoom Magnifying Glass feature!
The Hidden Object Scenes can be played in a Timed or Relaxed Mode, and you can earn up to 3 Stars, according to the amount of time, but it doesn't seem to penalize you for misclicks or using the Hint feature. This is an old-fashioned Listed item find HO style and each scene has a zoom zone that contains the final 2 objects, but there isn't an indication for the zoom zone areas so I had to guess or use the hint to find it. I also had problems when zoomed in, I couldn't click on objects when zoomed in because every time I clicked the scene would zip over to another area! The items to find are not proportionate, a tie may be normally sized sitting next to garlic the size of a basketball.
After each Hidden Object Scene, there is a simplistic mini-game available, such as a 24 piece Jigsaw Puzzle with no rotating feature, a game of Pipes where you click to rotate square tiles to connect a path of pipes, a group of 2 or more identical image Match 3 game or a word search variation with fruit images instead of actual words, which had to selected from beginning to end, even though selecting it from end to beginning is the same thing.
The HO scenes are just plain and boring. The puzzles are far too easy so it becomes repetitive very quickly, I'll stick to my Cruise or Park Vacation and pass on this one.
I don't recommend this game.
Can you uncover the hidden city and save your mom in time?
Overall rating
4
/
5
36 of 43 found this review helpful
IT'S A MAD WORLD OUT THERE
PostedApril 8, 2019
pennmom36
fromI think MHG is definitely making a comeback⚘
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Some say the City of Mists is just a legend, after all, how can an entire island disappear and reappear every 20 years? Finding and proving The City of Mists exists has been Isabella's lifelong quest, who caught the adventure seeking bug from Granddad. When Rebecca receives an urgent letter from mum telling her to drop everything and bring granddad's Charm with her, she suddenly realizes that her mother may have just located the city no one has ever laid eyes on before!
I didn't mind the Collin character, I enjoyed his snarky arrogant personality, however, the "collin bar" feature where you can make him tell you a joke, etc was kind of lame in my opinion and more annoying than anything. The second gadget feature was also included in the first Wanderlust game, the Tool Box, that allows you to permanently keep a Knife a pair of Needle-nose Pliers, and Granddad's Charm, another gadget that controls the Iron Giants. I'm totally fine with keeping valuable tools to use throughout the game, but I was not crazy about the shaking toolbox icon. In my opinion, there should be an option to turn off the Toolbox Shake Hint.
The Hidden Object Scenes rarely interest me nowadays because they just aren't challenging, but I gotta say that MHG upped their game on these HOP's, right from the get-go! I found the objects to be well blended (for the most part) and the scenes to be located in interesting places. They are varied with Listed Item Finds, Related Image Finds, Find and Replace Items, Multiple's of the Same Object Finds, Pictured Item Finds, and Keywords In Sentence Finds. In the CE version, each scene has a Morphing Object.
Mini-Games don't require a lot of brain-power but I actually enjoyed most of them. Below are brief descriptions of some of the games I thought were fun:
1-Spot the difference one key at a time.
2-Rotate triangles until they align with various map points.
3-Move square tiles into colored slots to create 2 images.
4-Place all shapes into the board.
5-Select the blue runes in the correct sequence shown x3.
2-Rotate triangles until they align with various map points.
3-Move square tiles into colored slots to create 2 images.
4-Place all shapes into the board.
5-Select the blue runes in the correct sequence shown x3.
The Collector's Edition version has 4 Wallpapers, 2 Concept Art Pictures (with before/after slider) 7 Character Gallery Pictures, 10 Music Soundtracks, 10 Achievements to Earn (5 Achievements are available with 3 Categories) 18 Re-playable Hidden Object Scenes, 1 Ultimate Puzzle (place stones w/o repeating in columns or rows) 45 Morphing Objects (18 w/in HOP's 27 w/in scenes) 27 Hidden Icons, 3 Main Chapters +Bonus Chapter.
WANDERLUST SERIES LIST
Title***Standard Edition Release Date***Average Rating
1-What Lies Beneath (March 30-2018) 3.9
2-City of Mists (April 7-2019) n/a
Title***Standard Edition Release Date***Average Rating
1-What Lies Beneath (March 30-2018) 3.9
2-City of Mists (April 7-2019) n/a
by: Mad Head Games
I recommend this game!
Your friend was taken. Are you brave enough to find him?
Overall rating
3
/
5
94 of 124 found this review helpful
MR. SANDMAN, BRING ME A NIGHTMARE (bung, bung, bung, bung) GIVE HIM TWO HORNS & A MASK LIKE JASON...
PostedApril 6, 2019
pennmom36
fromThe Sandman is said to be a little man who visits children & uses magic sand to lull them to sleep, an explanation to why they would wake with "sand" in their eyes.⚘
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
Completed Game 4.5 hours
(including CE Bonus Chapter & all mini-games)
(including CE Bonus Chapter & all mini-games)
Once Upon A Time:
The Children of Mittenwald rested peacefully with dreams of kittens, puppies, and unicorns because the Fluffs (bwahahaha) protected their dreams against the evil Shadogs who created horrifying nightmares. The Sandman rose to power (from what? was he nothing until he was something?) controlling the Shadogs to conquer the Dream Realm. To stop the children of Mittenwalds' recurring nightmares that ensued, a secret order was founded (why Mittenwald was the chosen town & the only town whose children suffered from recurring nightmares, I have no idea) by an alchemist who forged a Scepter and Hedron which defeated the Sandman, or so they thought. Little did they know, the Sandman was still very much in control...
The Children of Mittenwald rested peacefully with dreams of kittens, puppies, and unicorns because the Fluffs (bwahahaha) protected their dreams against the evil Shadogs who created horrifying nightmares. The Sandman rose to power (from what? was he nothing until he was something?) controlling the Shadogs to conquer the Dream Realm. To stop the children of Mittenwalds' recurring nightmares that ensued, a secret order was founded (why Mittenwald was the chosen town & the only town whose children suffered from recurring nightmares, I have no idea) by an alchemist who forged a Scepter and Hedron which defeated the Sandman, or so they thought. Little did they know, the Sandman was still very much in control...
I'm a fan of most Sunward Games, but regretfully, I wasn't a big fan of this game. The story is similar to other "nightmare-related" games (which isn't necessarily a bad thing) but the third Chapter, which makes or breaks a game usually, was way too long and made the storyline confusing because it was all over the place, and most of it seemed to contradict previous discoveries. At the end of Chapter 3, I was rather lost in confusion (quite frankly, I became bored and my attention span began to drift) I couldn't figure out how to end the chapter as far as. "what do I do now" because I just wanted it to end, I clicked the Hint feature which kept telling me to do one specific thing, but no matter where I clicked with what I was supposed to place, it didn't do anything. I checked the Strategy Guide, read the steps, looked at the pictures, yep, said the same thing. Finally, I just went back and checked for a zoom zone that hadn't been closed, and sure enough, there was an item I had to place before the last step would work. I went back to the SG and reread it carefully, and this task is completely omitted, which is why the Hint wouldn't pick it up either!
The Hidden Object Scenes started out with a good variety of styles but after the first 6 or 7, they were just Interactive Listed Item Finds within uninteresting scenes. There are only 11 HOP's (2 in the CE BC) and a few of those scenes were Repeated, a feature I've never been fond of because there's no challenge when you know where every item is located. Besides the Interactive Listed Item Finds, there are Multiples of the Same Object Finds, Interactive-Progressive Silhouetted Shape Finds, Pictured Item Finds, and a handful of smaller Zoom Zone HOP's available.
The Mini-Games range from Easy to Medium difficulty, and this is definitely a puzzle-heavy game with 26 mini-games, and another 7 within the CE Bonus Chapter. Below are brief descriptions of some of the games I enjoyed, there aren't many because I did feel they fell a little short as far as creativity goes:
1-Match photos to their corresponding newspaper articles on a bulletin board.
2-Slide Tetris-shaped pieces to allow the blue L-shaped puzzle piece to fit into the slot at the bottom. ღ
3-Rotate groups of 2 Triangle's to complete the image. ღ ღ
2-Slide Tetris-shaped pieces to allow the blue L-shaped puzzle piece to fit into the slot at the bottom. ღ
3-Rotate groups of 2 Triangle's to complete the image. ღ ღ
The CE Bonus Chapter is an additional fable about the Fluffs (still can't take that seriously) when Something Wicked this Way Comes, and they are whisked away by a hoard of Wicked Wasps, Wow, Whata Weird Whatchamacallit! There are 7 Mini-Games, and 2 Hidden Object Scenes within this average-length chapter. You will pick up the remaining 7 Jigsaw Puzzle Pieces, and 2 Character Dolls as well.
This Collector's Edition version has 18 Wallpapers, 13 Concept Art Pictures, 12 Music Soundtracks, 9 Cutscene Movie Video Cutscenes, 31 Re-playable Mini-Games, 10 Re-playable Hidden Object Scenes, 32 Achievements (18 story-based, 14 skill-based) 30 Hidden Jigsaw Puzzle Pieces (assembled automatically) 12 Wooden Character Dolls (3-Hans, 3-Agatha, 3-Pamela, 3-Sandman) 5 Main Chapters +Bonus Chapter and a Built-in Strategy Guide.
ENDLESS FABLES SERIES LIST
Title***Collector's Edition Release Date***Average Rating
1-The Minotaur's Curse (March 12-2016) 4.2
2-Frozen Path (April 15-2017) 3.9
3-Dark Moor (April 14-2018) 3.7
4-Shadow Within (April 6-2019) n/a
Title***Collector's Edition Release Date***Average Rating
1-The Minotaur's Curse (March 12-2016) 4.2
2-Frozen Path (April 15-2017) 3.9
3-Dark Moor (April 14-2018) 3.7
4-Shadow Within (April 6-2019) n/a
by: Sunward Games
Solve a series of devious puzzles to escape Arcana manor and uncover the dark secrets of the mysterious magician once lived there.
Overall rating
5
/
5
240 of 282 found this review helpful
THERE'S NO OTHER GAME LIKE IT, BY FAR THE BEST PUZZLE GAME I'VE EVER PLAYED (and the best game BF has ever had!)
PostedApril 5, 2019
pennmom36
fromThey even let you enter long profil names with spaces, something I never understood wy they limit your name selection!?
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Arcanum is a Secret Society of Magicians and Dr. Arcanum is the Grand Master of Arcanum, or at least he was. Dr. Arcanum vanished over two decades ago, and all that remains is a Mansion no mortal has entered successfully. There have been rumors that Dr. Arcanum presided over The Mysterium, an annual event of magic and the dark arts, held within the legendary Theater of Illusion on Halloween night. Members of this society have supernatural abilities, but none of them are as mystifying as Dr. Arcanum. You are about to learn the truth of Dr. Arcanum and all of his secrets, or die trying because once you enter the Mansion, you cannot leave until the final door has been opened!
Equipped with nothing more than a mysterious amulet, your quest is to find 13 Skeleton Keys. You must solve perplexing puzzles and confounding conundrums in every chamber of the mansion. Each chamber is sealed by a magical ward, a spell that must be broken to unlock the door. Clues to unlock the doors are scattered throughout the mansion, but finding those clues will take more than luck, my friend, this isn't one of those cookie-cutter games, you're going to have to think, decide and solve puzzles and solutions using grey matter! (there is a "cheaters guide included")
Check for clues everywhere, important clues are automatically added to your Journal. FANTASTIC-a journal that's actually used correctly! This is what a journal was all about back in the day. Nowadays the HOPA's have become easy, the journal isn't needed because you don't have to find clues and refer to the journal, because you don't have to think about anything or solve real clues, you don't even have to go back more than a scene or two in newer games...and that's why HOPA fans are becoming bored...but not with this game!
After finding Gems etc for each door, you must solve a perplexing puzzle. They are tricky puzzles that make you think, they aren't impossible, they are just complex and require you to solve them logically, there will never be a sticky note that magically appears as most HOPA's do.
After solving the door puzzle, you have to enter the correct word or Sigil by using directional arrows to scroll through the alphabet, again a riddle you must think about to solve! The directions are clear but vague, but solving puzzles like these give you a certain pride of accomplishment.
There are 38 Art Gallery Pictures included and a step-by-step Walkthrough Guide, but you will have to click on the Menu tab and go to the Extra's Tab to access it. This is also FANTASTIC-it's not easily accessed so you try harder not to access it! If you love puzzles that make you think, solving riddles, and you are tired of all the hand-holding, this is the game for you. Not to mention how FANTASTIC the creepy Mansion scenario plot is!!!
I recommend this game!
Can you stop a dangerous game from taking more lives?
Overall rating
3
/
5
94 of 121 found this review helpful
DEAL ME OUT PLEASE!
PostedApril 4, 2019
pennmom36
fromThe Joker originated in the US during the Civil War as a trump card for the game of Euchre. On the 8 of Diamonds card there's a secret '8' hidden in the middle as well as the figures of 8 stamped on the corners! seriously, go look, I'll wait... ⛄
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
Completed game 5 hours
(including CE Bonus Chapter & all puzzles)
(including CE Bonus Chapter & all puzzles)
Ahh, the life of a movie star, everyone wants the life of a famous actress, but William Gladstone wants more than Virginia's Hollywood lifestyle, he wants her soul! It's time to solve another paranormal crime mystery, but hey, at least you get a free cruise and 15 awsome Cocktails!
There is a Gadget, your smartphone allows you to make an otherworldly call to the spirit world to speak with the dearly departed (data rates, messaging, and roaming fees may apply) It may be annoying, but it's megabits better than those stupid glasses featured in the earlier Mystery Tales Games! Now apparently, I can see the ghosts without the aid of my geeky glasses, but I'm still trying to figure out how all of the ghosts, not only know how to contact me via cell phone but how did they know my otherworldly phone number?
This isn't a horrible game, but once again, the problem is, it's toooo loonnggg. Domini has slipped into a bad habit of throwing in everything but the kitchen sink to make their games longer. They put in so many mindless, and repetitive filler tasks, which doesn't have anything to do with the plot or its progression until it becomes mind-numbingly boring to the point that you just want it to end! I get it, it's a fine line between quality and quantity.
Some of the Hidden Object Scenes had clever concepts or were located in interesting scenes. There are only 13 HOP's in the main game and 5 in the CE Bonus Chapter, which pales in comparison to the over-abundance of Mini-games. There are several Keywords in Sentence Finds, Pictured Item Finds, Interactive List Finds, Vertical & Horizontal Slider Finds (match missing silhouettes) Combination Silhouetted Shape Finds, and Multiple of the Same Object Finds. A few of my favorites: A very unique scene where you choose the correct answer to the Joker's Riddles (Multiple Choice) and then find 3 Silhouetted Objects related to the answer. Finding 4 Objects relating to each paragraph's descriptions. Finding Multiples of Symbols (one of which morphs) on leaves filled with hieroglyphs. There is an alternate Match 3 game available, and one of the Achievements require you to opt for at least 1 HOP as the alternate M3.
There are a ton of Mini-Games, 29 in the Main Game and another 8 within the CE Bonus Chapter. Domini always gives you the option to choose between an Easy or Hard Mode, and you can also choose which difficulty mode is presented, in the Custom Setting (you can always manually switch per puzzle) Below are brief descriptions of some of the games I found interesting:
1-Drag a chain of colored tokens onto their matching colored squares on a grid.
2-Examine the clues and select the facts that match the photo.
3-Adjust the timing of gauges so they will push the ball past the holes to the end.ღ
4-Use directional arrows to guide the token to push the yellow ball to the end (gr8 "push the box" concept but way too simple even on hard mode Domini!)
5-Arrange flowers so the connecting flowers have related patterns.ღ
6-Slide skeletal hands to their color-coded columns.
7-Place Dominos to match either end to capture opponents pieces.
8-Play a card of the same color, larger cards beat smaller cards.
9-Rotate Skeleton head, arms & legs to align with each token.
10-Place all of the stars on the grid w/o intersecting rays.
11-Collect 3 of the same cards, collecting 4 of the same cards gains 1 point, 3 points to win.
2-Examine the clues and select the facts that match the photo.
3-Adjust the timing of gauges so they will push the ball past the holes to the end.ღ
4-Use directional arrows to guide the token to push the yellow ball to the end (gr8 "push the box" concept but way too simple even on hard mode Domini!)
5-Arrange flowers so the connecting flowers have related patterns.ღ
6-Slide skeletal hands to their color-coded columns.
7-Place Dominos to match either end to capture opponents pieces.
8-Play a card of the same color, larger cards beat smaller cards.
9-Rotate Skeleton head, arms & legs to align with each token.
10-Place all of the stars on the grid w/o intersecting rays.
11-Collect 3 of the same cards, collecting 4 of the same cards gains 1 point, 3 points to win.
The Collector's Edition Bonus Chapter has us back on the case when Virginia's Soul is once again taken while filming her latest film, Puppet Witch (that's gotta have some long-term effects) There are 8 Mini-Games and 5 Hidden Object Scenes and you'll pick up the remaining 4 Morphing Cards, 4 Cocktail Drinks, and 10 Zoom Zone Casino Chips which allows you to purchase the remaining VIP Room items.
This Collector's Edition version has 10 Wallpapers, 10 Concept Art Pictures, 5 Music Soundtracks, 24 Movie Video Cutscenes, 15 Re-playable Mini-Games, 18 Re-playable Hidden Object Scenes, 18 Achievements, 14 Morphing Playing Cards (with origin descriptions) 15 Collectible Cocktail's (yum) 60 Zoom Zone Casino Chips (used to buy 15 VIP Room items) 5 Main Chapters +Bonus Chapter, and a Built-in Strategy Guide.
MYSTERY TALES SERIES LIST
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) n/a
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) n/a
by: Domini Games
Play Solitaire and Mahjong to find clues. Connect the clues to solve eight puzzling cases.
Overall rating
3
/
5
53 of 57 found this review helpful
I LIKED THE SOLITAIRE PORTION, THE MAHJONG WAS RATHER EASY, BUT "SOLVING" THE CRIME WAS AWESOME!
PostedApril 3, 2019
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
In all fairness, Mahjong is not among my favorite genres, but I chose to play each case in the Mixed Mode, Solitaire/Mahjong option to take in the packaged game in as a whole. You can, however, choose to play either all Solitaire Games or all Mahjong to uncover partial clues. In the Mixed Mode, you can also choose which one to play next, you can proceed with all Solitaire sets and then move on to the Mahjong sets or switch between, however you'd like.
The Solitaire Levels are Higher/Lower, and unfortunately, you only have to remove 90% of the cards per level to proceed onto the next level. I'd be okay with this feature IF I was given the option to replay the level when I wasn't able to remove all cards. That's not the case here if you don't remove at least 90%, you have to replay the level, but once you hit that 90% mark, you aren't given an option to replay the level, you just proceed onward, a feature I really didn't enjoy.
On the Solitaire Mode, you can choose between Traditional Cards or Themed Cards, there is a Deck Counter, a Magnifying/Star Progress Bar, and you will earn Number-specific Jokers during the levels. You get 1 Undo per level, and Combo-chains will increase the Index, and each level has a Good/Bad Luck Card to either give you Points or Disable one of the Power-ups for that level. The Power-ups are Character-related, Granny Gertrude removes a Random Open Card, Grandson Owen removes a Random Closed Card. Uncovering the cliche Donuts Card will distract the Police and Remove the "Police Tape" Obstacle Cards.
The Mahjong Levels are much easier than the Solitaire Levels, I had to replay some of the Solitaire Levels but breezed through all of the Mahjong Levels on the first attempt. In the Mahjong Mode, the same 90% removal rate applies. You can choose between Traditional or Themed Mahjong Tiles as well. Season Tiles can be matched with any Season and Flower Tiles can be matched with any other Flower Tiles, and there is a Hint feature to show possible matches. Granny Gertrude & Owen will each Hold a Mahjong Tile to be used later which can also help to free-up blocked tiles.
Solving the case was the most unique method I've ever seen offered in a Crime-Solving game, and I loved it! After playing the Solitaire/Mahjong Levels to receive Clues, you are given a Mosaic/Griddler type of grid and the Clues you found are shown in the form of Riddles (similar to the board game Clue) on the Right side, and as you progress, there are more levels, more clues, and larger grids. This portion can be Skipped after the timer countdown, but I was so engrossed in it that I didn't think to look at the Time given on the countdown.
You read each "Clue" and apply your findings by filling each cell on the grid with either Red (meaning there's a Negative Connection) or Green (meaning there's a Positive Connection) Basically, each Row has the Suspects Listed one per Row (son, wife, etc.) and each Column has the suspected objects or rooms pertaining to that particular case (rope, gun, lounge, kitchen, etc.) You just narrow the grid field down by filling in the squares with green when the clues tell you it was a definite finding, or red when the clues tell you it couldn't have been the wife in the kitchen with a candlestick so to speak (a reference to the board game Clue, not the deduction of this particular case) until you solve the grid, aka, the Crime Case, and then you'll move on to the next Case to find more clues and repeat the steps.
I absolutely loved the Clue-Crime-solving portion of this game which is 5-star quality. The Mahjong portion I felt was too easy and borderline boring, but it did give me the option to bypass the Mahjong portion. If the Solitaire portion would have allowed me to replay the levels when I wasn't able to remove all of the cards yet met the 90% criteria, I'd have been one happy camper, and it would have been an immediate purchase :(
Forest Riddles returns with new locations and puzzles in the fairies' forest.
Overall rating
3
/
5
32 of 44 found this review helpful
EASIER TO SEE, BUT NOT VERY VISUALLY APPEALING
PostedApril 2, 2019
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Demo only:
I love a good Mosaic Griddler game, but I wasn't thrilled by this one. Forest Riddles 4 was just an okay mosaic for me personally, others may love it, but the tiles are flat, the colors aren't very pretty (the color black is used quite frequently) and they use a lot of very similar colors side-by-side. I'm usually scrambling to hit the Buy Now button when a new Mosaic Griddler is offered, but I finished the entire demo and didn't feel the need to purchase this one, even though I wasn't able to complete the last mosaic.
I love a good Mosaic Griddler game, but I wasn't thrilled by this one. Forest Riddles 4 was just an okay mosaic for me personally, others may love it, but the tiles are flat, the colors aren't very pretty (the color black is used quite frequently) and they use a lot of very similar colors side-by-side. I'm usually scrambling to hit the Buy Now button when a new Mosaic Griddler is offered, but I finished the entire demo and didn't feel the need to purchase this one, even though I wasn't able to complete the last mosaic.
The good news is that this one offers 100 Multi-colored Griddlers and 100 levels of the Monochrome Griddlers, and you can choose to play all of either style, or you can choose the Randomized option which throws in a mixture of both styles. In the Monochrome style, you can also choose the grid sizes of 5x5~5x10~10x5~10x10.
You can earn up to 3-Stars per level, the First Star is achieved by completing the Griddler, the Second Star if you make no Mistakes, and the Third Star if you don't use the Faries to help you solve the griddler. The Faries will Fill-in Two Random Cells each time they are used, and the Lantern Dims each time you make a Mistake. The completed images are easily recognized, and they are Labeled once the image has been completed. The Music is pleasant (Music Atelier Amacha) but tends to become quite repetitive because there aren't enough tracks in my opinion.
FOREST RIDDLES SERIES LIST
Title***Release Date***Average Rating
Title***Release Date***Average Rating
1-Forest Riddles 1 (August 22-2016) 4.5
2-Forest Riddles 2 (February 28-2018) 2.8
3-Forest Riddles 3 (May 2-2018) 3.4
4-Forest Riddles 4 (April 2-2019) n/a
2-Forest Riddles 2 (February 28-2018) 2.8
3-Forest Riddles 3 (May 2-2018) 3.4
4-Forest Riddles 4 (April 2-2019) n/a
by: Puzzlesea Games
Dig into more puzzle fun while you blast your way to victory!
Overall rating
5
/
5
85 of 97 found this review helpful
I'M REALLY DIGGING THIS SERIES!
PostedApril 1, 2019
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
I've never been a fan of Chain type Match 3 games, but this game changed my mind, besides, it just wouldn't work any other way. This is a super addicting game, I bought the first game after playing the demo, but I only needed to play a few levels of this game before deciding to add it to my collection.
The goal is to reach the buried Flowers (Dig The Ground 1 had treasure chests) by making chains of elements to dig through the dirt or gold tiles, which allows the water to reach them. There's actually a lot of strategies involved because you have to manipulate the water flow to go in several directions and you can't go back up, only down, right or left.
The longer the chain, the bigger the explosion! You can make small chains of elements containing at least 2 identical elements which will destroy the dirt tiles if matched adjacent to it, and it helps to keep the water flowing, and can sometimes make room for larger matches. Matches of 5 or more create an explosion starting with a small bomb, the larger the chain is, the larger the explosion is, all the way up to a nuclear bomb! The radius of the explosion is shown before you release the chain so you'll know exactly what will be affected by the subsequent explosion. Chains can be made vertically, horizontally, diagonally or any combination within.
You start the game at the top of the board and work your way down, but some levels go from left to right, or take sharp turns, starting in one direction and then up, right, left, etc. You must break all of the ground tiles above the line, as you do, the line moves and more of the board is exposed. You want to plan your explosions, and the Nuclear Tiles require a very large match to get a Nuclear Bomb.
This game isn't going to be everybody's cup of T......NT, but I thoroughly enjoyed playing this unique Match 3 game. For me, it gives meaning to making Matches, Again, there are only 25 different levels total, but don't let that deter you, because each level is extremely long, time-consuming, and definitely addicting!
This game isn't going to be everybody's cup of T......NT, but I thoroughly enjoyed playing this unique Match 3 game. For me, it gives meaning to making Matches, Again, there are only 25 different levels total, but don't let that deter you, because each level is extremely long, time-consuming, and definitely addicting!
I recommend this game!