This "Top Reviewer" is one of our most frequent game reviewers. We think you'll trust what they have to say and find their reviews helpful and informative.
This "Top Reviewer" is one of our most frequent game reviewers. We think you'll trust what they have to say and find their reviews helpful and informative.
Technically this game isn't what I consider to be a TM game, because it requires more strategy than time management. A Time Management game is actually a sub-genre of a Strategy game, which focuses on gathering resources in a consequent order to fulfill level goals, whereas a Strategy game, requires you to make specific decisions of what and where to build and in which order, and can potentially have several different outcomes.
Ramses: Rise Of Empire, requires you to make several decisions per level (50 levels total) which buildings to keep, which ones to destroy (and when) which buildings to build that will give you the most return, and when to upgrade. Most of the board has grid patterns, and each building, or religious item, takes up a different amount of grid space, so it may be more beneficial to destroy a smaller hut, for example, that may clear the grid and enable you to place 2 houses, which will earn more money.
Strategically placing Religious items means the gods will favor those surrounding it, so you'll have to decide if the religious item will help you meet the level goals faster than placing a structure there. You also need to know when to sell the property and when to buy it back (for more money of course) There's way more to this game than simply clicking resource after resource along a given path, and building a sawmill, farm or mine.
You can play this game in a Relaxed or Normal difficulty mode, to earn up to 3 stars per level, and the levels are re-playable. You will earn Utens for each level completed which allows you to build the Great Pyramid (9 different items) or study and learn the Sciences which will basically give you bonuses of faster construction, netting more money, cheaper construction, increased population, buy and sell faster etc.
There are two different components to this game, and two different icons to switch between. The Building Tab has different structures to choose from, and tabs within for Huts, Houses, Villas, Estates, and Palaces. Once you construct a building, you can upgrade it to a 3-star upgrade which gives you more income and more population, you can also Sell the property, or demolish it, and they will break down and need to be repaired after time. There is also a Religion tab that allows you to buy various statues and monuments, each one has different strengths or value. There is an Icon for Production materials, that you will need to buy in order to construct buildings. The stone is available in different amounts, the bigger the quantity, the cheaper the material. You can also hire more workers, from 1-5, and again, the more workers you hire at once, the cheaper the labor.
Is this a complicated game? Yep! But like all games, once you get the hang of it, it's easily navigated. It can be challenging because there are so many decisions to make, it's not a game for everyone, and really can't be compared to strictly a Time Management game, where most of the time, you can't make a wrong decision.
As far as the decision to buy this Standard Edition versus this Collector's Edition, the only feature I think may be of value (because of the complexity) is with the Strategy Guide, otherwise a few cartoon picture, music, and Bios you can read about on the internet, don't seem worth paying twice as much, in my opinion. If you are tired of TM games that require very little thought and a lot of speed, you really should try this game, by the end of the tutorial you will have gotten the hang of it.
The Collector's Edition version has 6 Concept Art pictures, 6 Music Soundtracks, 7 Amulets to find, 7 Character Bios, 30 Achievements to earn, and a built-in Strategy Guide, enjoy!
THE DEMO IS BUT AN ILLUSION-YOU'RE GETTING SLEEPY-VERY SLEEPY zzzzzz
PostedMay 4, 2018
Anonymous
fromJean Eugène Robert-Houdin, a french clockmaker preformed the first magic show when he opened a theatre to display mechanical animals he had created that appeared to be alive.
This "Top Reviewer" is one of our most frequent game reviewers. We think you'll trust what they have to say and find their reviews helpful and informative.
Once again, Dark tales has hypnotized me into believing things have changed. What you see in the demo is merely an illusion and with each new chapter, I could visually see the irrelevant ERS ways returning. Amax is falling into a Pit that they may never be able to claw their way out of. The hand-drawn graphics are out-dated and "old-school" you can't differentiate this game from the last one, in fact, if Dupin wasn't a familiar character, you absolutely wouldn't be able to distinguish a Dark Tales game from a Redemption Cemetery game, or a Shadow Wolf Mysteries game, from a Grim Facade game. The characters look exactly the same as they did in 2009 when the first Dark Tales game was released, and they too look the same as every other game series by this dev. These games are old-fashioned and dated, and Amax refuses to upgrade, they refuse to listen to criticism and adapt to the changing times. We aren't the same HOPA fans that started this revolution because we have evolved while they remain in the year 2009.
I originally thought that this game was different, that this game had promise, but I was wrong, and for that mistake, I apologize! The cliffhanger demo ending, left me wanting to continue onwards...oh no Dupin, what happened? By the middle of the third chapter, I felt connected to the plot, not because it drew me into the game-play, but because I felt like I had been hypnotized as well. I just wanted it to end, I wanted to fall asleep! The same ole same ole features returned and I soon realized that "they were back" they being Amax/ERS, were back, meaning a return to their old ways. This games only redeeming feature was with the CE Morphing Objects and Collectible Cards! Here's a recap of my review to help you decide which version, if either, is right for you:
Zula the Illusionist will be entertaining the guests at the Pendulum estate this evening, by invitation only. Detective Dupin will be a special guest star participant, so this will be a party to die for! Dupin had a bad feeling about this performance and begged Zula to reconsider, but "the show must go on" until it doesn't, and it did! It's a good thing you made it to the show on time, unfortunately, this show will be the Grand Final, but is it just an elaborate Grand Illusion?
I will admit that the Morphing Objects become a bit more elusive after the demo, some of which are difficult to spot. I liked how they tied the Morphs into the Collectible Cards. There are 9 Collectible Cards that give a brief description of various "bad guys" in a "before" scenario. To learn about the "now" scenario, you must find all 3 Morphing Objects shown at the bottom of each card to unlock the current situation of that person. I've never seen this feature, so I have to give credit where credit is justly deserved!
The Hidden Object Scenes are just okay, nothing spectacular, nothing really new., and basically the same as they have been for the last 9 years. There are Interactive List finds, Keywords in Sentence finds, Progressive Interactive finds, and several Zoom Zone HOP's where you are tasked with finding 5 Fragments to receive an inventory item.
The Mini-Games are pretty easy to solve, even on the Hard difficulty setting. Typically, I don't really care how hard or easy puzzles are, as long as they are fun, and I did enjoy some of them before and after the demo. Below are brief descriptions of some of the games you'll encounter during the demo:
1-Slide buttons to correct positions according to clue shown. 2-Drag latch through symbol without touching borders. 3-Match both card sections correctly within their categories. 4-Select all pictured items to receive the safe code. 5-Turn safe wheel to the correct numbers shown on the clue. 6-Use numbered buttons to push tokens into place. 7-Click when both tokens are aligned (progressive speed) 8-Navigate through a dark maze, picking up and using items.
The Collector's Edition version has 6 Wallpapers, 8 Concept Art pictures, 5 Screensavers, 4 Music Soundtracks, 12 Movie Videos, 16 re-playable Mini-Games, 12 re-playable Hidden Object Scenes, 16 Achievements to earn, 26 Morphing Objects, 9 Collectible Illusionist Cards, 5 Main Chapters +Bonus Chapter and a built-in Strategy Guide.
DARK TALES: EDGAR ALLAN POE'S GAMES AVAILABLE: Title***Collector's Edition Release Date***Average Rating
1-Murder's In The Rue Morgue (December 17-2009) 3.7 2-The Black Cat (September 16-2010) 4.4 3-The Premature Burial (October 7-2011) 4.5 4-The Gold Bug (January 10-2013) 3.8 5-The Masque Of The Red Death (April 25-2013) 4.4 6-The Fall Of The House Of Usher (March 20-2014) 4.0 7-The Mystery of Marie Roget (February 19-2015) 4.1 8-The Tell-Tale Heart (November 14-2015) 2.7 9-Metzengerstein (July 21-2016) 3.5 10-The Raven (December 29-2016) 3.2 11-Lenore (August 10-2017) 2.9 12-Morella (December 16-2017) 3.7 13-The Pit and the Pendulum (April 5-2018) 3.2
by: Amax Interactive Games: Ukraine founded March 25-2006 (Changed name from ERS Games to Amax Interactive in 2016)
Dark Tales: Edgar Allan Poe's (ERS games 1-9 *Amax games 10-12) Haunted Legends, Puppet Show, Redemption Cemetery, Spirits of Mystery, Grim Facade, Shadow Wolf Mysteries, Queen's Tales, Twilight Phenomena, Reveries, Christmas Eve, Maestro, Ghosts of the Past, Forgotten Books, Beyond the Unknown, Haunted Halls, Flights of Fancy, Azada (games 3-4) Reality Show, Phantasmat (Crucible Peak only), Gothic Fiction, Dark Alley's, Nightfall, Hidden Wonders of the Depths, Pathfinders, Sarah Maribu, Steve the Sheriff, Many Years Ago, Mysterious Travel
This "Top Reviewer" is one of our most frequent game reviewers. We think you'll trust what they have to say and find their reviews helpful and informative.
Some Time Management games are fun to play over and over, but this one gets a bit repetitive. The graphics are really good but items tend to be a bit small, so that could be an issue for some players. As I've said several times now, I rarely see the need for a CE version of a TM game, and I'm glad I waited for this SE version because it still has a lot of features I thought would only be available in the CE, such as the Vases to break open, Relics and Photo Album. Other than a few pictures, some collectibles, and 10 extra levels, you probably won't miss what's missing.
In Chase for Adventure: The Lost City, Ann Windsdoe retraced her father's archaeological expedition in Madagascar, where he disappeared over 20 years ago. Unfortunately, she wasn't able to locate her father and returned to the university empty-handed. In the second episode, Ann embarked on another adventure to locate The Iron Oracle, an ancient device that is able to locate anyone in the world. Ann and her sidekick Jim, along with the help of the Oracle, have pinpointed her fathers' whereabouts, imprisoned within the hollow Earth! It's time to Chase another Adventure, as we travel to Easter Island, The Devil's Triangle and Stonehenge, to uncover the gate which leads to the Underworld!
Although I'm not a fan of a Collector's Edition TM game,(especially with a $13.99 price tag) I gotta give the devs credit for including several collectibles and hidden items, in the CE version of this game. If you don't mind paying twice as much, you'll probably be thrilled with the quantity of collectible's, but there are only 10 extra levels (55 vs. 45) The CE version and the SE version both have hidden Ancient Vases in some of the scenes, which give you resources, artifacts, and other interesting objects. When you spot a vase, you'll need to click on it 3 times to break it open, and they are easily overlooked because there are so many items in each scene.
I like this TM game series in general because the tasks and goals are different than in most TM series games. You have to first find a Shovel to dig up piles of sand, and you have to find a Lantern before you can explore the Ancient Barrows or chase away mischevious monkeys. Some of the sites have a few Camera Icons that are located near important landmarks or other discoveries, and you have to place the camera first, then you have to take the picture, if there is more than one object to photograph, you'll have to click on the camera again, in order to move it to the new site. You will need to strategically construct the correct buildings that will give you the resources you need such as housing for Workers, Sawmills for Wood Canteens to supply Food, or Pumping Stations for Water. Some supplies are constantly being delivered in small amounts by helicopter, mostly food or wood.
There is a Bonus Meter at the bottom of the screen that has to fill up before you can use the bonuses, such as, Faster Workers, Extra Resources, more storage etc. There is also a meter at the top, which shows you your level Star position, but any level can be replayed if you don't earn all 3 Stars. There are 3 modes of difficulty available, a Relaxed, un-timed mode as well as a Normal or Professional mode for experts.
The Collector's Edition version has 8 Wallpapers, 8 Concept Art pictures, 20 Photo Album pictures, High Score Tracker, 28 Hidden Relics, 55 hidden Spheres, 55 hidden Amulets, 45 Main Levels + 10 CE Bonus Levels and a Strategy Guide, enjoy!
CHASE FOR ADVENTURE GAMES AVAILABLE Title***Collector's Edition Release Date***Average Rating
1-The Lost City SE (October 5-2016) 3.3 2-The Iron Oracle (August 1-2017) 2.9 3-The Underworld (April 3-2018) 3.9
by: Growing Grass Studios
Growing Grass Games Available: Chase For Adventure, Elven Legend
fromA Chimeras is a female mythological creature with a lioness' body a fire-breathing goat head and a serpent tail. Her father is Typhon, mother Echidna, siblings are Cerberus Hydra Ladon & the Sphinx. She was killed by Bellerophon & his trusty steed Pegasus
This "Top Reviewer" is one of our most frequent game reviewers. We think you'll trust what they have to say and find their reviews helpful and informative.
I realize there have to be entry level games introduced to get new people onboard the HOPA train, but this game has every cliche imaginable not to mention the fact that I completed the demo itself with 24 minutes remaining! Great story, I'm sure others will love it, but why is this game, or the last several games, part of the Chimeras series? Where are the Chimeras?
Paperclip to open a broken zipper, check, oil can to remove 35 years of corrosion, check, a ring to open a secret compartment, check, a new drawer pull because the original one fell off when you gave it a tug,(and yet the new one not only aligns perfectly with the holes, but doesn't fall off when you gave it a tug?) an item stuck in the crack of a billboard, check, an angel statue missing a wing, check (why does the dragon have the missing wing from someone else's humble abode?) an item at the bottom of a drain, check, a spider's web covering an important item, check (not to mention the spider is always the size of a grapefruit) boarded up windows and doors, check (why would I assume there's an item of necessity behind something boarded up for years?) lanterns requiring a small, thin object to open the latch which is always on the inside (how did it get locked from the inside in the first place?) a candle to see in the dark (I see a not so hidden object puzzle in the making) missing emblems from every box, gate and cache in the entire town, including inside everyones houses, check, a clogged drain, check (and always clogged with 1/3 puzzle piece needed) missing water valves, check, locked house doors, check (yet the keys to every resident's locked house is laying inside the local fountain or inside a bird's nest?) missing quill and ink, check (don't worry the bird will give you her feather once you scare the bajeebers out of her whilst stealing her prized key) torn fragments missing from the family portrait, check, loose brick hiding 5-6 items behind it which doesn't cause the brick to stick out further than the rest, check, large objects entangled by thorny vines, check, gates with complicated puzzles, check (hope the fire department can solve those puzzles quickly) anyone and everyone you meet is carrying around a much needed puzzle piece, check (and they don't now what it is but assure you it will help your investigation) Here's one I DIDN"T see coming...a locked cabinet inside the jail cell requiring multiple items, both inside and outside of the cell to open it, not only did it contain random items, but it also contained a roll of toilet paper, good luck getting some TP prisioners! (how come jail cells never have a toilet?) .....moving on to the third scene....
Amazingly, those cliche features aren't the deal breaker for me! I've always loved the graphics by Elephant Games, Mystery Trackers, Surface, the earlier MCF (think back on Fate's Carnival) and Royal Detective, even the first Chimeras, (Tune of Revenge) had amazing graphics. Nobody did the "creepy abandoned towns" and realistic atmospheres like this dev was able to create. For some reason, they abandoned this graphics style and went with the bright and sunny whitewashed appearance. Items are large and cartoonish and lack detail. They no longer include items to interact with (turn lights on, straighten a picture, splash the water, chase away the frog, play the piano etc) The micro-details are what I miss the most from an Elephant game. Is it because their targeted group of players are aging and they feel the need to make everything large, which in turn takes away from the detail? As far as a Collector's Edition version goes, this game has Morphing Objects, collectible mythical creature Cards and some extremely large Jigsaw Puzzle Pieces to assemble 4 Screensavers. It doesn't however, have re-playable HOP's (not that I'd want to play these super easy ones) or re-playable mini-games, and even though the Bonus Chapter is long, there are only 3 main Chapters. I'm sure many will love this game because it has a good fairytale storyline, which in actuality has nothing to do with Chimeras which once again are m.i.a.
The Hidden Object scenes are super simplistic. I found every item without looking at the list. After playing the first 2 HOP's I earned an achievement for all of the HOP related awards, not once did I have to look at the list of actual items! There is no excuse for this, in my opinion, these are NOT Hidden Object Puzzles, they are items sitting out in the open, there has been no attempt to hide any of these objects! They have mostly Listed Items with no interactions, but there are also Silhouetted Shape finds and several Zoom Zone's with 6 listed items to click on (versus "finding")
The Mini-Games are fairly easy and mostly involve swapping tiles. Below are brief descriptions of some of the games you'll encounter during the demo:
1) Swap triangular shaped tiles to complete image. 2) Find 6 matching items on 3 photos. 3) Find 6 eye symbols on a picture. 4) Swap tokens to match items related to images. 5) Rotate disc sections and place keys accordingly. 6) Place shards to restore glass orb. 7) Choose correct paths in a maze using the map as a reference. 8) Rotate lock parts according to colors shown.
This Collector's Edition version has 12 Wallpapers, 12 Concept Art pictures, 4 Screensavers (Four 12 piece Jigsaw Puzzles) 5 Music Soundtracks, 21 Achievements to earn, 12 Collectible Cards (mythical Creature Bios) 48 hidden Jigsaw Puzzle Pieces (to assemble 4 Screensavers ) 28 Morphing Objects, a Secret Room, 3 Main Chapters +Bonus Chapter and a built-in Strategy Guide.
CHIMERAS GAMES AVAILABLE Title***Collector's Edition Release Date***Average Rating
1-Tune of Revenge (February 7-2013) 4.7 2-The Signs of Prophecy (October -15-2015) 3.9 3-Cursed and Forgotten (May 26-2016) 3.8 4-Mortal Medicine (November 10-2016) 3.9 5-Mark of Death (May 4-2017) 3.3 6-Blinding Love (October 19-2017) 4.2 7-New Rebellion (May 3-2018) n/a
ELEPHANT GAMES: Yoshkar-Ola Russia founded April 4-2003 ("We are making, World is Playing")
Chimeras, Mystery Trackers, Haunted Hotel (games 5-16) Royal Detective, Grim Tales, Christmas Stories, Surface, Halloween Stories, Midnight Calling, Midnight Castle, Mystery Case Files (games 10-11 Dire Grove, Sacred Grove & Fate's Carnival), Riddles of Fate, Hallowed Legends, Death Pages, Unfinished Tales, Detective Quest, Found, Urban Legends, Lost In The City, Super Granny Run, Quark Attack, Up Balloon Up, Ball Craft, Wise Gal, Love Is, Real Stories, Bloom, RIP Trilogy, Road Rush, Jungle Heart, Avalon, Just Bones, Sir Match A-Lot, Ship of Bones, Masquerade Mysteries
upcoming games: Midnight Calling: Arabella Grim Tales: The Hunger
This "Top Reviewer" is one of our most frequent game reviewers. We think you'll trust what they have to say and find their reviews helpful and informative.
I've played so many games lately where it seems like a chore to finish the entire game. There has been a rash of so many uninteresting games that I feel I have to force myself to finish them just so I've gotten my money's worth! But this game had me hook, line and sinker from beginning to end! I love post-apocalyptic storylines (Walking Dead, Jerico, The Day After) and I love how Darkness and Flame takes me on a journey. Not only did I become immersed in the plot, but at times I felt anxiety, I wanted to say "run Alice, he's coming!"
After the demo, I played one of the most amazing mini-games, one that gave me 2 minutes to escape a labyrinth of rooms and corridors, before I was captured by a newly-turned darkness victim, as he taunted me "I can smell you, I know where you are" I'm not talking about one of those games where you lead a character through a maze on a tiny board with only a small flashlight beam to see what's in front of me with. I had to figure out which door to take, which hallway to enter, I had to pick up a ladder to get to a hole in the ceiling that was practically not noticeable. I had to find tools, and figure out which items I might need, and remember where I needed to use them, and the whole time I was hearing the darkness taunt me with his creepy voice, watching the clock tick down, hearing the thump-thump of my virtual heartbeat. I've played thousands of games, but I've never felt as immersed in the game, as I did not only in this mini-game but at several climactic scenes, all the way to the cliff-hanger ending scene! Of course, it's not like that for the entire game, but if a developer is able to make a person feel ANY emotion while playing a game, then they have done their job, and done their job well, so bravo Five-BN, bravo!
Why only 4 Stars you may ask? The only reason I knocked off a Star was that I prefer the CE version over this SE version. Not only are there several Collectible categories and Morphing Objects to find in each scene, but finding all Morphs and completing a Collectible category unlock 20 Bonus Puzzles in the Extra's menu. Here's a recap of my review to help you decide which version, if either is right for you:
Alice was just an ordinary girl trying to survive in a harsh post-apocalyptic environment. In the blink of an eye, her life changed drastically, after discovering a seemingly ordinary box. The unassuming box contained a beautiful Phoenix, and from that day forward, Alice became one with the Phoenix. Her beautiful fiery red hair turned silver, and a glowing Phoenix tattoo appeared on her arm, a constant reminder that things will never be ordinary again! Alice has been chosen to be the burning Flame in the Darkness, but the Darkness is relentless. The Darkness is drawn to the Flame, and the hunt won't end until the Flame has been extinguished!
The Collector's Edition version has all the extra features a gamer could ask for, but to be honest, I would have purchased this game at full price, had I known I would enjoy it as much as I did! On the Custom Setting mode, you can disable the cursor from turning into a hand when it scans across a collectible or morph, which is a fantastic feature, for those of us who want a little more challenge. In the CE version, each scene has a Morphing Object (30) and a Collectible (42) from 6 different categories (6 Rings, 8 Origami, 8 Broaches, 7 Gold Statues, 6 Jade Frogs, 7 Lotus Flowers) The objects are small and the morphing objects morph slowly, and are blended into the scenery fairly well, unlike some games where everything sticks out like a sore thumb and practically screams "here I am"!
The Hidden Object Scenes are far and few between but it's the same way in the other two Darkness and Flame games. There are only two HOS available within the demo, a very Interactive Listed Item find and a Progressive, Interactive, Silhouetted Shape find where you find items and place them back into the scene to progress, such as finding a key to unlock a case that has an item inside that can be used on another item, and so forth. There are no alternate type puzzles, but some of the HOP's have smaller puzzles to solve. After the demo, it seems that the HOP's become even more interactive. I found myself anticipating the next HOP, a feature I rarely find entertaining in games lately, because items are just laying out in the open, they don't even attempt to make them "hidden" in today's HOPA games.
The Mini Games are decent but a bit easy to solve during the demo. After the demo, more complex puzzles are introduced, but they are all pretty doable and not too frustrating. Below are brief descriptions of some of the games you'll encounter during the demo:
1) Choose the correct stones to climb the wall. 2) Use the magnet to find scissors in the water. 3) Click arrows to move a key to the lock w/o running into obstacles. 4) Swap fan sections to complete image. 5) Swap turtles to their color-coded slots. 6) Choose 2 symbols to match the center symbol on steps. 7) Use arrows to move a ball through a maze to the hole.
The Collector's Edition version has 9 Wallpapers, 7 Concept Art pictures, 14 Movie Videos, 8 Music Soundtracks, 21 re-playable Mini Games, 22 Achievements to earn, 42 Hidden Collectibles (6 Rings, 8 Origami, 8 Broaches, 7 Gold Statues, 6 Jade Frogs, 7 Lotuses) 30 Morphing Objects, 7 Puzzles (earned by completing Collectible categories & Morphing Object finds) 20 Bonus Games, 6 Main Chapters + Bonus Chapter, and a built-in Strategy Guide, enjoy!
DARKNESS AND FLAME GAMES AVAILABLE Title***Collector's Edition Release Date***Average Rating
1-Born of Fire (June 28-2016) 4.3 2-Missing Memories (May 23-2017) 4.2 3-The Dark Side (March 31-2018) 4.6
by Five-BN Games: Ukraine founded in 2012
"Our games are available in 60 Countries worldwide and in over 20 languages. We have gathered a team of professionals that are able to create masterpieces. Our games are characterized by great art, elaborated cut-scenes and spectacular stories. We consider that only the best product deserves your attention."
Darkness and Flame, Lost Lands, The Legacy, New York Mysteries, Lost Island: Eternal Storm, House of 1000 Doors, Eternal Journey: New Atlantis, Sacra Terra, Forbidden Secrets: Alien Town, The Treasures of Mystery Island, Lost Island Mahjong Adventures, Mystic Journey: Tri-Peaks Solitaire, Clover Tale, The Magic Valley, Vampires Vs Zombies, Path To Success, Settlement Colossus, Sprill and Ritchie: Adventures in Time, Huru Beach Party, Masyana Beach Party Craze, Pet Show Craze, Beach Party Craze
This "Top Reviewer" is one of our most frequent game reviewers. We think you'll trust what they have to say and find their reviews helpful and informative.
I love everything about this Nonogram Griddler game, but none of that matters if you can't see the cells! The colors are too identical, I couldn't tell the difference between the dark green cells and the black cells, which is even more confusing when the dark background fills in when a row or column was completed. I couldn't tell where the tan cells started at times because of the similar colored blank cells. I love the features, I love the pictures, I love the music, but I love to solve Griddlers for relaxation, and because I couldn't "see the forest for the trees" this was anything but relaxing for me personally.
You can earn 1 Star for completing the puzzle, a second Star if you don't use the Fairy (Fairies are Hints that when chosen will fly down and fill in 2 or 3 cells for you.) and a third Star if you make no mistakes, (also referred to as Lanterns, if you make too many mistakes the lantern's light will go out) and any level can be replayed. You can choose an auto-remove option that will cross off cells one by one rather than when the entire row or column has been correctly filled.
I'm sure griddler fans will love this game IF they don't mind the added challenge of not being able to differentiate between the cell colors and backgrounds, but I found it to be frustrating.
FOREST RIDDLES GAMES AVAILABLE Title***Release Date***Average Rating
by: Puzzlesea Games Forest Riddles, Summer Basketball, Toesamoe, Blockapica, Where Are The Gems, Woopatonic, Tempoma, Megtuchu, Memogrow, Ragdoll Maze Flight.
This "Top Reviewer" is one of our most frequent game reviewers. We think you'll trust what they have to say and find their reviews helpful and informative.
Lost Artifacts has made a third attempt, but once again has failed to grab the attention of TM fans. The colors are dull, the tasks are repetitive and predictable, and there's nothing worthy enough to claim a spot in the coveted Collector's Edition category, there isn't even a Strategy Guide!
In the first Lost Artifacts game, the archaeological team was able to stop the Dark Priest from doing his Dark deeds, and the team regretfully had to say goodbye to their newfound native friends. Unfortunately, the airplane was no match for a hurricane they encountered, and they crashed on a large but remote island in the middle of the ocean. They discovered a tribe of Atlantean's that had survived when the city of Atlantis was sunk by another evil-doer, and the team had once again agreed to help them return to their beloved city, after defeating the evil-doer of course! Now the team has to face another evil-doer, a thief who has stolen the legendary Soulstone which possess unfathomable powers. The evil-doer has already used the stone to awaken a Terra-cotta emperor, and he's a bigger evil-doer than the thief himself! Can the team stop this madman before he awakens the ancient dragon and takes over the world?
There are the usual tasks to perform of gathering resources of Food, Wood, Ore, Gold, Lumber, and the usual buildings to repair such as Huts for workers, Sawmills for Lumber, Farms for food, Mills or a Blacksmith barn. You will repair bridges, remove mantraps, and trade goods at the merchant market. Some levels require that you upgrade certain buildings to a certain level. You may need to build a house to accommodate a specialized person to rid the paths from certain obstructions such as a Monks house to restore statues, defenders houses to rid the path of snakes.
If you are a seasoned Time Management fan, I think you'll find this game to be a bit bland, with not a whole lot of challenge. As for being a CE version? I don't personally see the need for a handful of music soundtracks, concept art or trophies. There are no difficulty mode options or a Strategy Guide, it does claim to have Bonus Levels, but is it worth twice as much for a handful of extra levels, that would probably have been included if this wasn't a CE?
LOST ARTIFACTS GAMES AVAILABLE Title***Collector's Edition Release Date***Average Rating
1-Lost Artifacts CE (July 18-2017) 3.0 Lost Artifacts SE (August 30-2017) 3.2 2-Lost Artifacts: Golden Island CE (September 19-2017) 3.0 Lost Artifacts: Golden Island SE (January 5-2018) 2.5 3-Lost Artifacts: Soulstone CE (May 1-2018) n/a
by 8 FLOOR LTD. GAMES: London England founded 2012 "We do games"
Solitaire Ted & P.E.T, Picross Ted & P.E.T, Griddlers Ted & P.E.T, 1001 Jigsaw Earth Chronicles, Alice's Patchwork, Asian Riddles, Asian Mahjong, Caribbean Jigsaw, Caribbean Mahjong, Christmas Mahjong, Christmas Griddlers, Christmas Patchwork, Chronicles of Witches and Warlocks, DayD Mayhem, Detective Riddles, Dino Rage Defense, Easter Riddles, Egypt Picross, Egypt Solitaire, Elly's Cake Cafe, Fairytale Griddlers, Fairytale Mosaics, Fill and Cross Trick or Treat, Fill and Cross Royal Riddles, Fill and Cross Christmas Riddles, Fill and Cross World Contest, Forty Defense, Gems of the Aztec, Gnomes Garden, Griddlers Beach Season, Griddlers Victorian Picnic, Halloween Night Mahjong, Halloween Patchwork, Halloween Riddles, Holiday Jigsaw Christmas-Easter-Halloween-Thanksgiving-Valentine's Day, Holiday Mosaics Christmas-Halloween Puzzles, Holiday Solitaire Easter, Iron Heart, Iron Sea Defenders, Jigsaw Boom, Jigsaw Puzzle Beach Season-Women's Day, Knight's Solitaire, Lost Artifacts, Magic Griddlers, Mahjong Business Style, Mahjong Christmas, Mahjong Royal Towers, Mahjong Valentine's Day, Mahjong World Contest, Medieval Defenders, Mosaics Galore, Mysteries of the Undead: Cursed Island, Mystery Solitaire, Pirate Jigsaw, Pirate Mosaic Puzzle, Pirates Solitaire, Portal of Evil, Royal Defense, Royal Gems, Royal Jigsaw, Sakura Day Mahjong, Santa's Toy Factory Nonograms, Solitaire Beach Season, Solitaire Christmas-Solitaire Doodle God, Solitaire Christmas-Halloween, Solitaire Halloween Story, Solitaire Jack Frost, Solitaire Legend of the Pirates, Solitaire Match 2 Cards Valentine's Day, Solitaire Victorian Picnic, Spooky Mahjong, True Detective Solitaire, Valentines Day Griddlers
This "Top Reviewer" is one of our most frequent game reviewers. We think you'll trust what they have to say and find their reviews helpful and informative.
I've always been a puzzle geek, and I love virtual puzzles if they give me the features I want and have come to expect! I've even completed the World's largest puzzle consisting of 32,000 pieces! (I had to tape four 6 ft. tables together just to fit one 8,000 piece section!).
I don't have anything against 8 Floor LTD Games, but they are all the same, nothing ever changes. The features are the same, the music is the same, the puzzles are basically the same, and they are never offered in larger sizes, but the fact that they spew out one puzzle after the other without ever changing a single thing really upsets me!
I don't understand why BF refuses to offer puzzles from a different developer because other devs offer a variety of options and features, not to mention that the pictures those other puzzle games have are really amazing! In all fairness, I did find a couple of puzzles here on BF, that have awesome pictures and custom features available. Yes, I'll admit, at first they seem intimidating because there are so many features to figure out, but after a few minutes of exploring the features, you soon realize that it isn't difficult, and your angst turns into excitement from all the possibilities.
In 1001 Jigsaw World Tour: London, you can choose puzzles from 5 different boxes, the pictures are once again, mostly staged pictures, and not very appealing. You can also earn Trophies for reaching goals such as playing a certain amount of hours, joining up to a million pieces, scoring a certain amount of points, solving a puzzle without making a mistake, solving variously sized puzzles, or solving a puzzle without using hints, sorting, or pocket features. There are also Top Scores and personal Best score tallies.
Any of the puzzles can be modified with the number of pieces, the cut shape of the pieces and whether or not you want the pieces to rotate. There are 4 different backgrounds to choose from, pink, green, blue and grey, a box to store extra pieces until needed, a Sort option a Border only option, a Hint option and an available Magnifying glass to enlarge pieces. You can also ghost the image of the puzzle to the background or hang a picture in three different sizes.
These are the EXACT same features offered in all puzzle games by this dev and trust me, there are better features available! For example, in Jigsaws Galore, you can assemble a puzzle with up to 64,000 pieces! And there are so many more unique features, so I've included some bullet points of just some of the custom features available in Jigsaws Galore, features which we SHOULD expect from all puzzle games:
*Each category is kept in folders, the pictures inside each folder is shown as thumbnails, choose the size of each thumbnail, create and label as many new folders as you want. *Capture your own images or import photos, you can even crop specific sections, you can also share pictures with others who have Jigsaws Galore. *Change the size, shape or number of pieces, you can even change these features midway through a puzzle without having to restart the puzzle. *Choose the shape of the pieces, you can even add "fun" or "mystery shaped" pieces to the mixture by %, for example, add 5% of fish-shaped pieces randomly into the puzzle, or 0 if you just want normally shaped pieces. *Ghost the image, AND choose the brightness of the ghosted picture, hang a picture for reference, choose the background color OR the type of material used. *Open up as many trays as you want to hold puzzle pieces, (not just a single box that can't be sorted, labeled or even easily viewed) choose the color of each tray and label the trays, right click each tray and fetch the pieces you want in each tray, such as blue pieces, or fun shaped pieces, you can choose how to arrange the pieces within each tray, line the trays along the sides, top or bottom, which can be clearly viewed and know what pieces are in which trays (sky, water, land, blue, specific shapes, however, you want!) *Select how you want to sort the puzzle pieces, along the edges, in a grid formation, random, you can ever de-arrange pieces, and this option is available inside each tray as well. They will even arrange by grouping the same shaped puzzle pieces together. *The toolbar can be on the top, bottom or side, and you can hide the toolbar to give you more room. *There is a zoom feature, a magnifying glass which can be set at different strengths. *Choose how thick or thin the pieces are, add shadows, turn on/off anti-aliasing (graphics realism) whether you want the outlines to disappear once the pieces snap together to show a smooth image. You can even choose the snap distance of the pieces, and choose puzzle piece rotation preference of clockwise or counterclockwise. *Auto-save the puzzle at specific intervals automatically, such as every 5 minutes, never lose your progress again! *Use tools such as undo, demo, next piece finds, hints, mystery mode, auto solve, overlay pictures, zoom, or even timers. It even shows you the number of pieces in the puzzle, and how many pieces you have placed.
So, when I say options and features in a virtual jigsaw puzzle are possible, I really mean they should be standard! I'm sure there are lots of puzzle geeks out there who don't really care about all these features and just want a relaxing and simple puzzle to pass the time, but if you do want to see more puzzles offered with these kinds of options, show BF it matters with your rating!
1001 JIGSAW WORLD TOUR GAMES AVAILABLE Title***Release Date***Average Rating
This "Top Reviewer" is one of our most frequent game reviewers. We think you'll trust what they have to say and find their reviews helpful and informative.
My only complaint is that there's nothing new or even slightly different offered, in any Match 3 game by rokapublish. I've been playing the new Zombie Solitaire lately, and the Match 3 game available as a mini-game in Zombie Solitaire is exactly the same,(and exactly the same in Fantasy Quest, Atlantic Quest etc.) and so is the mini-games in 5 Star Hawaii Resort, where you select the food in the exact order shown, for each customer before they reach the line, which doesn't have as much impact when zombies aren't trying to eat your brains!
You can play in a Normal difficulty mode, which gives you a normal amount of Moves to complete the level goals, a Casual mode which gives you more moves to complete the goals or a Relaxed mode which doesn't limit the number of moves. You can turn on/off the bouncing coins (just like Zombie Solitaire) as well. Most of the level goals require you to make a specific amount of matches of specific tiles that are shown in small bubbles surrounding each customer icon.
Mr. Rich, aka dad, has asked Lucy to start a new resort in Hawaii, so you will purchase a hotel and all the amenities that make a Hotel a resort such as a swimming pool, gym, shops, bars and even pizza places. There are 96 levels available, 15 Trophies to earn (when you earn an achievement you'll need to click on the trophy to collect reward money) and you can earn up to 3 stars per level, and any level can be re-played.
Large Matches will give you a Power-up on the board, but there aren't any boosters or power-ups available to use at your discretion. A Match 4 gives you a Bomb which explodes a 9 tile radius, a Match 5 gives you a Rocket which targets several tiles across the board, and a Match 6 gives you Lightning which destroys an entire column and row.
The Obstacles are the usual, Sand covered tiles requiring a match on them to remove the sand, Grass tiles require two separate matches, Chains, and Double Chains require either 1 or 2 matches of the same tile chained, Crates require an adjacent match to destroy and Reinforced Crates require matches next to the exposed sides (crates will drop if matches are made under them) Ice Cubes will also slide if matches are made under them but will break if an adjacent match is made. Stone Tiles are the most difficult to destroy, they require several hits by either a bomb or lightning. Occasionally, there are remote boards that can only be accessed by using rockets to target the stone blocks that are preventing a clear path to the other boards.
If you already own a Match 3 game by this dev, you probably won't see the need to buy this game because it's exactly the same as any or all other M3 games by rokapublish. I'm not saying this game isn't good, quite the opposite, but it is identical to the first 5 Star Resort (Rio) game, and all other Quest M3's they offer, enjoy the vacation!
5 STAR RESORT GAMES AVAILABLE Title***Release Date***Average Rating
1-5 Star Rio Resort (August 7-2017) 4.2 2-5 Star Hawaii Resort (April 30-2018) n/a
by Rokapublish: Gernsheim, Germany founded in 2007 (While originally focussing on licensing casual games only, our creative team of developers soon began producing their own games for various genres. Our early efforts were rewarded with a nomination for the German Developer Award in the category "Best Strategy Game".)
5 Star Resort, Alchemy Quest, Atlantic Quest, Safari Quest, Village Quest, Fantasy Quest, Yeti Quest, Farm Quest, Galact Quest, Galaxy Quest, Fantasy Quest Solitaire, Atlantic Quest Solitaire, Zombie Solitaire, Solitaire Club, Wonderland Solitaire, Aztec Venture, Jewel Venture, Safari Venture, Venture Bundle, Chateau Garden, India Garden, Paris Mahjong, Summer Mahjong, Wonderland Mahjong, 2D Mahjong Temple, 3D Mahjong Deluxe, 3D Chess, 3D Mini Golf, 3D Arcade Fishing, 3D Pool: Billiards & Snooker, Island 1000 Light-Years Away, 2 Planets: Fire & Ice, Flight Simulator, Tank Operations, Harvest Life, In Vitra, World's Of Magic, Ricky Raccoon, Wild West Chase, My Vet Practice, Starlaxis Light Hunter, Starlaxis Supernova Edition,
fromWhen the merchant said she would help me find a crew if I found her cat, why didn't I just say "he's sitting in the boat 5 freet in front of you" rather than searching for a carrier, searching for cat food, and then waiting to trap him?
This "Top Reviewer" is one of our most frequent game reviewers. We think you'll trust what they have to say and find their reviews helpful and informative.
I just finished playing the CE version of Moonsouls today and I enjoyed it from beginning to end. The storyline held my attention the entire time, I loved the power-hungry Empress character, wanting to take over the worlds because that's a little different than what we usually get (Mages & Sorcerers) The mini-games were good after the demo, but the HOP's were so easy that I'd call over my 6-year-old granddaughter every time I'd come across one, and she would find every single item within a matter of a minute or two. If a child who just started kindergarten this year can find them that easily, Mad Head Games may want to re-think the way they do their HOP's!
There are 5 main chapters that were just the right length, about 5-6 pages worth on the SG, and the Bonus Chapter is a sequel that takes place on the moon. (I can't say why, who it's about, or what it's about without giving away the plot of the main story, sorry :() but it was fairly interesting and I liked that it continues on the moon vs. earth.
I prefer CE versions personally because I love collectibles and Morphs (and for once MHG offers morphs in every scene & the HOP's so THANK YOU MAD HEAD!) and those collectible's and morphs continue during the Bonus Chapter scenes. If you miss a Morph within the HOP you can return after the main game, to re-play the HOP's and pick up any you may have missed. You can also try to earn a higher score, faster time, improve the accuracy or improve the 1-3 star rating. I remembered to look for all of the collectibles and morphs in each scene so I'm not sure if they allow you to go back to the scenes to search for them, after completing the Bonus Chapter. Here's a recap of my review to help you decide which version, if either, is right for you:
The future and the past have caught up with each other in Mad Head Games latest masterpiece, Moonsouls: Echoes of the Past! It seems war is inevitable for everyone everywhere, wars that divide but don't always conquers. You may have been expecting to see futuristic inventions at the Victory Day Celebration this year, but helping the victim of a crashed UFO was probably something you could never have imagined. This alien risked everything, to deliver a dire message, "Your world is in danger, HE is coming"!
Kudos to Mad Head Games! They continue to release new series games that are incredible! Nobody else seems to be moving forward, they just keep releasing one game after another, in the same old series that dates back to the beginning of the HOPA craze, and they are dreadful games at that! So for having an imagination, thank you MHG!
There is a Gadget involved, however, in my opinion, it works, and is something I could envision using in a futuristic world. A device is attached to your hand by the alien, that allows you to understand and communicate in their native language. It also allows you to read, books, signs, and instructions once you arrive on their planet. In the CE version, those famous Mad Head Spirals have made another appearance, and they also offer Morphing Objects, 31 scene morphs, and 16 hop morphs. If you click on the Spiral Icon (bottom left) it shows 31 Icons that light up as you find them. It also shows the ones you may have missed and which location they were in, which I really liked.
The HOP's are very easy, the only time I had trouble finding an item, was due to poor graphics or items that weren't recognizable, not because they were well hidden. In the CE version, each HOP has a Morphing Object, and this time, I'm okay with it, because they also have Morphing Objects available in each scene location! There are Interactive List items, hidden Symbols within a book, Pair finds that uncover a termite (to use as an inventory item) and my personal favorite, finding sections within the scene that matches Square Swatches. Unfortunately, there isn't an alternate puzzle offered to play instead of the HOP.
The Mini-Games are super fun, although they do tend to be on the easy side of the spectrum. My favorite puzzles were the key puzzles that required replicating the pattern on the clues but it's shown in a different orientation. Below are brief descriptions of some of the games you'll encounter during the demo:
1) Select highlighted color-coded portals to move a ball to end. 2) Stop the ball when it's in the targeted area. x2. 3) Place light orbs onto sockets to match outlines. 4) Drag a line to remove stones & fill meter before opponent 5) Place gears correctly to move freely. 6) Rotate tiles to complete the image. 7) Drag the lines on a grid to replicate the pattern.
The Collector's Edition version has 4 Wallpapers, 4 Concept Art pictures, 8 Music Soundtracks, 16 re-playable Hidden Object Puzzles, 11 Achievements to earn (some have 3 categories) 47 Morphing Objects (31 Scene Morphs/16 HOP Morphs) 31 hidden Spirals, 5 Main Chapters + Bonus Chapter (sequel that takes place on the moon again) and a built-in Strategy Guide, enjoy the dark side of the moon!
MAD HEAD GAMES: Novi Sad Serbia founded April 6-2011 ("Always ready to break new ground, we're about to reinvent ourselves yet again with our upcoming projects in genres beyond the casual space while retaining our high-standards and a desire to push the industry forward”)
Moonsouls, Nevertales, Wanderlust, Adam Wolfe, Rite of Passage, Dawn of Hope, Cadenza, Shadowplay, Donna Brave, Fright Chasers, Beyond, Maze, Dark Realm, Rocking Pilot, Monster Loop,
upcoming games: Dawn of Hope: Frozen Soul Fright Chasers: Soul Reaper Rite of Passage: Hackamore Bluff Maze: Stolen Minds Beyond: The Fading Signal