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:
Forgotten Riddles - The Mayan Princess
Solve the riddles surrounding ancient artifacts to uncover what really happened to the last known royal Mayan family.
Overall rating
4
/
5
7 of 7 found this review helpful
Forgotten Riddles: The Mayan Princess
PostedSeptember 18, 2015
pennmom36
fromI never knew the Mayans had flashlights!
Skill Level:Expert
Current Favorite:
Phantasmat Collector's Edition
(101)Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
This game certainly should not be forgotten! It's a simple but highly entertaining game that makes you think about the Hidden Objects you are tasked with finding. Although the storyline is good, it does seem to wander off a bit when it comes to being realistic. You are the Chief Archaeologist who has been asked by the Embassy to find out the real story of the Mayan Royal Family. During a recent dig, ancient runes were discovered which puts holes in the theory that the royal family met it's demise in in 1536. Artifacts left by the princess however dated in 1556 would have been 20 years after the supposed Royal family tragedy.
Your mission (should you decide to accept) is to decrypt the Runes and uncover the real truth. Here's where the storyline fails a bit...You choose a location to search for Hidden Objects, it would have been nice if the beautiful Mayan locations would have kept true to the Mayans and hadn't cluttered the scenes with modern day junkpiles, but that's not the real problem. There is no "list" or "silhouettes" to search for, no, it's way cooler than that. You need to choose one of seven runes, read a riddle describing the object you are searching for and find the item in the scene that matches the description.You can choose the runes in any order and you can skip any rune and go on to the next one, saving the stumper for last. Unless you choose the easier mode of difficulty (which gives you more time and more hints) you will need to find the items within 20 minutes, but the 20 minutes must last you for the entire level, not just that HOP. If you get stumped you can use a Gem for a hint which tells you what to look for in more depth but doesn't show you where to look. Here's what I had a problem with, an example riddle reads: At the first sign of moisture from the sky, simply open me up to assure you stay dry. Of course it's an umbrella and yes the riddles get more challenging, but if these runes were found in an archaeological dig and dated back to the 1500's I assure you they didn't have a pop up modern day umbrella back then!
Between levels you get to play a Mini Game to unlock the next level, you rotate square tiles to create an image, but it's really easy because the rows lock down once all squares in a row are correctly rotated. Not a bad game, certainly one that can go unnoticed, enjoy!.
I recommend this game!
Return to your hometown to save your father and uncover Midnight Castle’s secrets!
Overall rating
5
/
5
302 of 408 found this review helpful
Midnight Castle Is All About The Journey
PostedSeptember 17, 2015
pennmom36
fromWho ever thought Midnight Castle could get any better?
Skill Level:Expert
Current Favorite:
Phantasmat Collector's Edition
(101)Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
MIDNIGHT CASTLE FANS UNITE! Midnight Castle has become a cult classic, it's a journey to fulfil a prophecy and this game has loyal followers like no other game. Anabel has returned to her home town of Rocksville, home of the Midnight Castle, to search for her father who is presumed to be dead. Anabel's father Henry was (or is?) a famous explorer and archaeologist who entered the Midnight Castle 10 years ago and hasn't been heard from since. A prophecy has been foretold by the queen upon her deathbed that when she dies, so shall the magic. She also foretold that every decade at the stroke of Midnight, dragons would awaken and spirits would return, and the last living heir would return to fulfil her prophecy!
Henry was suspicious of danger and began hiding everything of importance behind Midnight Castle symbols. This is where your journey begins, finding the symbols which hide the devices you need to get to and enter the castle. A very cute Bat will eventually join you on this journey and help you retrieve items just out of reach. This game has it all, Morphing Objects, collectible Stained Glass pieces and even hidden Fairies to find, an abundance of Achievements to earn and even Plus Sign Inventory items to tinker with before using, some of which have small puzzles to figure out.
The Hidden Object Scenes are decent but nothing out of the ordinary such as Silhouetted Shape finds, finding Matching Pairs of items hidden underneath a few select items and even finding items that relate to the word in Red text as a story is told about the prophecy of Midnight Castle.
The Mini Games however are everywhere and anywhere, and very entertaining. There are games where you move symbols to their surrounding images and then rotate rings to allow figures to follow paths to their matching silhouettes. Next up is selecting arrows to rotate circles and swap elements in order to place letters and numbers as shown above the elements. Swapping books so that all the shelves hang on the same level. Moving colored disks to a matching ring using empty slots to slide the disks into to solve the puzzle. and even a series of puzzles where you tinker with several devices moving gems to the center of the chain, connecting colored heads together without overlapping lines etc. and using the items each puzzle gives you to move on to the next puzzle until the entire mechanism is working.
This Collector's Edition has 9 Wallpapers, 10 Concept Art pictures, 4 Music Soundtracks, 27 Achievements, Morphing Objects, 32 Stained Glass puzzle pieces, 12 Collectible Fairies, a Secret Room, a built in Strategy Guide and a Bonus Chapter. Don't forget to give Midnight Castle a try as well, enjoy!
I recommend this game!
In Lucky Luke: Transcontinental Railroad, oversee the construction of the historic railroad stretching across the United States!
Overall rating
4
/
5
62 of 68 found this review helpful
Transcontinental Railroad: East Versus Wild Wild West
PostedSeptember 16, 2015
pennmom36
fromDoes anyone care about the Not So Wild East?
Skill Level:Expert
Current Favorite:
Haunted Domains
(48)Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
I love almost everything about this Time Management game, the cowboy themed music, the fantastic graphics, the haphazard characters (especially Jolly Jumper) and the fun factor this game has to offer. The problem came into play with the resources required to complete a project. If you don't have enough resources for example to build a grocery store, it's extremely difficult to figure out what resources you lack because when you hover over the icon the resources you lack are shown in red, BUT the pictures are so teeny tiny (and I have a 27' screen) I ended up guessing at what the resources were. You buy the resources from the post office so you don't want to purchase a bunch of stone when you need iron. Other than that minor detail, the game is super fun!
The usual tasks are given, clear the roadway, fill in the holes, chop down wood, and gather food by clicking on the available unblocked item. Workers can be hired at the local saloon (how funny is that) Banks are built to receive gold, grocery stores provide food and the Undertakers provide wood (that's funny too) and the good ole Post Office is where you order supplies by clicking on the desired materials of Stone, Iron, RR ties etc, and you will need to click on the supply horse when the load is ready to deliver to the Post Office. The Railroad Tracks need constant repair, and Bandits are constantly trying to derail the train with dynamite that needs diffusing before it explodes! The Dalton Brothers are troublemakers and you'll have to have a wild wild west fistfight with them and the bandits from time to time.
Here's what I found the most interesting with this TM game, First you play the game in the Wild West, it's the same scene each time, you're just making improvements to the town each time. After a few levels in the west, you take off to the East and play a few levels there, after all the railroad doe have to meet up somewhere between the East and West, but who will finish first?
This game is educational as well, as Lucky Luke and Jolly Jumper explain some pretty interesting factoids about the Transcontinental Railway. For instance, President Lincoln announced the Pacific Railway Acts which authorized the Transcontinental Railroad Line on July 1st, 1862. Because of the Civil War, the first rails weren't laid until 1865 in the Eastern United States. Because of all the interesting facts Lucky Luke tells us, this game is perfect for Railroad and Train lovers, and Wild West buffs as well, enjoy!
I recommend this game!
This just might be the best Clutter yet! Explore 12 mines filled with clutter, sliders, box quotes and more!
Overall rating
5
/
5
249 of 281 found this review helpful
Clutterrific
PostedSeptember 16, 2015
pennmom36
fromClutter or Collections?
Skill Level:Expert
Current Favorite:
Phantasmat Collector's Edition
(101)Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Clutter has returned with a whole lot of junk! I still find this game fascinating after five episodes, everything seems the same yet I love searching through the enormous piles of junk to find the matching pairs (and sometimes similar item matches)
It's a pretty simple game, you have to find a specific number of matches in a pile of clutter, the matches go onto a conveyor belt, and you have to find all matching items within a specific amount of conveyor belt revolutions. As you progress, more clutter is added and the clutter is denser and deeper, and more items are added that look similar but are different such as a bright red apple vs. a slightly less red apple. Every game also has letters, coins and puzzle pieces that you collect with a single click, for every five coins you collect, you get an extra hint, and the puzzle pieces and letters are used to complete a mini game at the end of the level. Finding matches quickly will earn bonus points, double and triple points, but finding the matching items isn't always so easy. The items are of different sizes, and most are partially hidden, sometimes it's difficult to find matches of items that are right in front of you! At the end of each round, your score is tallied with the bonus points you earned, the points you earned finding letters and coins, the amount of time left over and it even gives you points and percentages from your clicking accuracy. Most of the Mini Games are variations of jigsaw puzzles, such as sliders sections, jigsaw, and even square tiles, but the fun is actually in the clutter, enjoy!
I recommend this game!
Match the zen stones and travel through exotic locations to restore harmony to nature!
Overall rating
5
/
5
190 of 214 found this review helpful
Finally.....A Mahjong Game That's Interesting
PostedSeptember 15, 2015
pennmom36
fromThose rainbow tiles are harder to match than I thought!
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Time Management, Adventure, Match 3
Current Favorite:
Phantasmat Collector's Edition
(101)Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Lost Amulets is one of the most interesting and entertaining Mahjong games I've ever played. The graphics are stunning, colorful and crystal clear, the tiles are actually round stones which are way better visually than the usual Mahjong tiles. The game itself has a unique style that keeps your interest because you clear the board by making matches with the stones shown at the bottom. Some of the stones have several available matching stones, and you can keep collecting them for double, triple, quadruple points. If you collect the Gold stones, you win the game even if other stones remain.
Each level has Jade Pearls underneath the stones that you can collect and use to purchase Power-ups. The Hint icon will cost a single pearl, the Shuffle icon costs 2 pearls, and there are Fire power-ups, one of them removes 10 stones and costs 4 pearls the other removes 15 stones and costs 5 pearls each time it is used. There is also a Kitty of good fortune stone that will appear at random times that allows you to match any stone or stones with him. There are several tile options to choose from, and even a Random tile option that goes through all of them, Flowers and Animals, Mixed Tiles, Traditional, Icon tiles, Rainbow tiles, and Number tiles. You can also choose to add specific colors to the tiles to make it easier to match.
You can play the game in a Relaxed or Timed mode, and there is a Traditional Mahjong game with traditional tiles called Zen Mahjong that will be unlocked after a few short levels in the Main story mode. I loved the Mini Games that are available after each set, you can choose which game you want to play or spin the wheel and take your chances. BINGO was my favorite, this is played with numbered tiles on a bingo board with different colored number tiles. The balls with numbers travel down the right side and bottom in a Zuma style and it backs up with every number you match, otherwise the numbers will eventually travel off the screen and become unavailable. There is a MEMORY game where you uncover two stones at a time and match identical images. A MATCHING game where you have to choose the only available matching symbols on three different boards. The last available mini game is the TILING game but I ran out of time before getting to play this game but I'm assuming it's probably a traditional timed game of Mahjong. Enjoy!
I recommend this game!
Slingshot Puzzle
Welcome to the ultimate arcade puzzle challenge! Enjoy eye-popping 2D graphics, simple point-and-click gameplay and dozens of exciting levels across seven chapters. Slingshot Puzzle offers hours of satisfying fun!
Overall rating
5
/
5
10 of 10 found this review helpful
Slingshot...... Engaged!
PostedSeptember 14, 2015
pennmom36
fromSome of these puzzle seem impossible, are ya sure it's doable devs?
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Time Management, Adventure, Match 3
Current Favorite:
Phantasmat Collector's Edition
(101)Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
I love physics based games, and when I saw that this game was only available on Mac I had to borrow a MacBook Pro from my son so I could check it out! There are several levels that start out in an easy, tutorial mode and gradually advances you to more difficult levels until you wanna pull out your hair in frustration. (Novice, Amature, Follower, Professional, Expert, Master, Champion and a Bonus Level which I'm sure I'll never get to lol)
The goal of the game is to click and drag back the ball launcher, aim and shoot the ball so that the ball will pass over and collect all three gems and then land directly into the hole. Sounds easy right? Well, the further you pull back the ball, the tighter the spring tension is on the launcher thus the ball will have more momentum. Sometimes that works, sometimes it causes the ball to ricochet uncontrollably and go in the opposite direction of the hole! Each level introduces a new scenario or obstacle, There are Pits (wicked holes of darkness with teeth) that will cause you to lose the ball if the ball falls into the pit, there are Moving Objects that can be helpful at times, but can also just get in your way, there are objects that are laying in greasy oil patches that can be knocked out of the way when the ball hits it, and there are even several Fans that cause the ball to drop it's trajectory because of the turbulence they create!
The goal of each level is to receive all 3 blue gems available in each level, and you have the ability to replay any level as often as you want to try for a perfect score. The tutorial is very thorough and easy to understand. This can be a frustrating kind of game, especially if you're like me and you have to play the level over again until you get it right and get all three gems, but it's also very entertaining and fun, enjoy!
I recommend this game!
Walk the razor's edge between fantasy and reality as you stop a lunatic from gaining power over death!
Overall rating
5
/
5
188 of 234 found this review helpful
I'm Impressed!
PostedSeptember 14, 2015
pennmom36
fromMrs. Maisy, everyone's heard of neverland!
Skill Level:Expert
Current Favorite:
Phantasmat Collector's Edition
(101)Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
For a Standard Edition, this game is quite impressive because of the very creative puzzles and Hidden Object Scenes! Mrs. Maisy is a Child Psychologist who is trying to find out why several children from the local orphanage have gone missing. All of these children were complaining about recurring nightmares, all of the nightmares seem to have a stranger wearing a hat. A troubled young boy named Denny, somehow seems to know about the other kids nightmares, and once you fall asleep, you discover this strange phenomenon as well, because you're there too!
The computer generated graphics are actually pretty decent, and the game mechanics seem to be flawless. There aren't any bells and whistles available, but the characters have voices and you get to choose the dialog questions you want to know about. Towards the end of the demo, Denny will join you as the Hint Icon, replacing your character as the hint system.
There are only a couple of Hidden Object Scenes during the demo, but I found them to be somewhat different and entertaining. The HOP I thought was the most interesting was finding several kids drawings, and using those drawings as a reference to assemble the toys they drew.
The Mini Games were very cool! 1) Guiding a satellite through every square without getting stuck 2) Using class roll call cards of the kids who were Present or Absent, and a class photo showing the seating arrangement, to check off the list of student names who were present or absent for each of the school days shown. 3) Assemble a hurdy-gurdy in the correct order as shown by a blue outline, 4) Moving items around a suitcase to uncover the hand fan, but the items have to fit in the exact grid spaces they came out of, items cannot overlap. 5) my favorite Mini Game was placing parts onto several sticks to recreate a figure shown as a silhouette.
Kudo's to the developers on this game which is worthy of a credit or cold hard cash, enjoy!
I recommend this game!
Uncover the truth behind the legendary fire that destroyed a university.
Overall rating
5
/
5
87 of 108 found this review helpful
No One Leaves The Stone Spires
PostedSeptember 13, 2015
pennmom36
fromThe dead can't talk, but they can write pretty well
Skill Level:Expert
Current Favorite:
Phantasmat Collector's Edition
(101)Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Many people believe the legendary Oregon Phoenix is to blame for the recent rash of fires that claimed the life of Dr. Steven Peek, a chemistry professor at the Stone Spire University. The Mystery Trackers have offered their help investigating the strange phenomenon occurring at the Stone Spires Hotel. Dr. Amanda Sate worked with Steven at the University, and her affection for Steven was her inspiration for renovating the main University building into a Hotel, to be closer to Steven. It's Time to get to work detective, sifting through the ashes to uncover solid evidence won't be easy, but chasing a mythical legend will prove to be even more difficult!
The legendary Haunted Hotel series has been evolving lately as well. Haunted Hotel: Phoenix, has given the series a new set of fiery wings, and this edition is definitely proof that it's heading in the right direction! The computer generated graphics are crystal clear, and the characters are real people, features that give the player a sense of actually being part of the game instead of just watching the events take place. Many of the inventory items are complex inventory items which require some type of interaction before using such as combining that item with another inventory item or fixing the item so that it can be used. The Collector's Edition has additional features not available in this Standard Edition, There are 20 Collectible Puzzle Pieces, 12 Legendary Bird Figurines with a small bio and origin, and my all time favorite feature, 21 Morphing Objects
The Hidden Object Scenes are varied with interactive List finds, Silhouetted Shape finds and even a HOP where you click to move some of the objects in the scene to see what item is behind it, and find the object hiding its matching pair. There are also several small HOP's within zoomed in areas that require you to find 3 pieces of tape, 3 chains and various other inventory items, but they're not hidden or difficult to find, in fact, the items are so obvious it makes you wonder why they bothered with this feature. The Mini Games are decent, some of which I haven't seen before, or at least they are a variation of an older puzzle. Many of the games involve swapping wires or resetting wires by moving the jacks and pulling a lever to see which ones are correct. I enjoyed the Mini Game where you have to turn several bumpers to help the tennis player score points by guiding the tennis ball past the player on the right.
The Collector's Edition has 8 Wallpapers, 10 Concept Art Pictures, 17 Achievements, 12 Mythical Bird Figurines, 20 Stained Glass Puzzle Pieces, 21 Morphing Objects, replayable HOP's and Mini Games, a Secret Room, a built in Strategy Guide and a Bonus Chapter. Enjoy!
I recommend this game!
Foreign Dreams
When nightmares begin to torment her friend Victor, a young woman decides to help him. Enter a world of nightmares!
Overall rating
5
/
5
7 of 8 found this review helpful
Foreign Dreams
PostedSeptember 12, 2015
pennmom36
fromIs there such a thing as a Nightmare Catcher?
Skill Level:Expert
Current Favorite:
Phantasmat Collector's Edition
(101)Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
This is a game easily overlooked, and the storyline has been done several times, BUT, the unusual features offered make this game fun to play. The graphics could be better, they are hand drawn and cartoonish, and many items are a bit too small, and there are no voiceovers whatsoever, so there is a lot of dialog boxes you need to read, otherwise I would have given this game 5 stars!
Your friend Victor has been plagued nightly with bizarre recurring nightmares about wild things, and the same girl appears in his dreams over and over, but she doesn't speak and he doesn't know what she wants or why she's in his dreams. Because of your unique abilities to enter other people's dreamworld, you agree to enter Victor's dreams to find out what his dreams mean and hopefully help him out.
The inventory bar has several faded images that need to be found either in the current scene or other scenes as they are unlocked, and those items are used to progress through the game by fixing broken items etc. This basically equates to the entire game as a HOP, because there aren't any specific HOS.
The Mini Games are actually quite entertaining, there are basic games such as jigsaw puzzles or sliding tokens to the correct color coded slots. There are more complex puzzles as well, such as arranging ticket numbers in ascending order from left to right using directional arrows to move a square to the desired location, and then rotating the box to scramble the numbers to their desired location. This is one of those games you're just going to have to play to see if you like this type of game, happy dreaming and enjoy!
I recommend this game!
The love between you and your husband was strong enough to end a war... but is it strong enough to save the world?
Overall rating
5
/
5
320 of 397 found this review helpful
Five Realms Five Relics
PostedSeptember 12, 2015
pennmom36
fromI wonder if those crystals are worth anything? Just looking on the bright side!
Skill Level:Expert
Current Favorite:
Phantasmat Collector's Edition
(101)Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
He held immense power which he used to protect the people of all the lands. Eventually, the lord divided his power and forged it into 5 Relics, the Healing Scepter, the Bracelet of Growth, the Necklace of Cunning, the Ring of Fire and the Crown of Courage. He bestowed the Relics upon five virtuous individuals to rule the five realms of his Kingdom with wisdom and in peace. Nevertales has many stories to tell, this tale is about strength, wisdom, deceit, treachery and above all, love that knows no boundary!
Equipped with only the Ring of Fire and your husband's brother Hark (who, for some reason is capable of shapeshifting into a talking crow) you trade in your Princess slippers and ruby rings for leather boots, gloves and a cloak, and set sail on the Falcon. You cannot fail this mission, you MUST find the Healing Scepter to save your husband and Kingdom from crystallization! The Ring of Fire has many abilities, it protects you from heat and flames, allows you to create and bend flames, and it's somehow capable of communication between you and Ashbringer. Hark proves to be invaluable as well, because of his ability to shapeshift into a flying crow, allowing you to retrieve those inventory items that somehow end up in the oddest places, impossible to reach. Many of the inventory items are complex items that require some type of interaction before they can be used. The Achievements have an unusual feature as well, there are 9 Bronze Casual Achievements to earn, 9 Silver Advanced Achievements and 9 Gold Expert Achievements to earn, including an Achievement for finishing the Demo, so you will have to download and play the Demo before you purchase the game if you want to earn all of them! There are 40 Hidden Collectible Roses which unlocks more challenging puzzles and a secret level when they have all been found.
Most Hidden Object Scenes have a Morphing Object to find, and the HOP's range from slightly interactive list finds (where you click on some items to move them aside) and with each listed item found, a small crack in a stone gets larger and larger until the final item is exposed. There is a Hidden Object Puzzle that is typical in the Nevertales series where you are tasked with finding the symbol shown in a circle, within the illustration of a book, sometimes requiring an interaction to find a symbol. With every symbol found, the story progresses a paragraph at a time.
The Mini Games are creative, but kind of easy in my opinion. The first MG requires you to "ring" bells in a specific order by trial and error, and a game where you open up two crates at a time as you try to find the matching items. The two puzzles I liked the best was plotting a course to sail the Falcon on a map, avoiding rocks and clouds and you only have 7 moves to sail from point A to B, when you think you have plotted the right course, you press the play button to see if you made it safely through the clouds without hitting any rocks. The second game I enjoyed was dragging wooden jointed tiles to the correct color coded slots, and each puzzle becomes more difficult as more colored tiles are added with less room to navigate.
This Collector's Edition has 9 Gold Expert Achievements, 9 Silver Advanced Achievements, 9 Bronze Casual Achievements, 11 Morphing Objects, 40 Hidden Collectible Roses, replayable Color Connect Puzzles (as mentioned above) 12 replayable HOP's, 18 Wallpapers, 32 Concept Art Pictures, 9 Music Soundtracks, a Legends Jigsaw Puzzle, a built in Strategy Guide and a Bonus Chapter, enjoy!
I recommend this game!