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:
The Emptiness
Depression... You are looking for light, but darkness already has you... Your soul is engulfed by THE EMPTINESS!
Overall rating
2
/
5
61 of 76 found this review helpful
The Emptiness Is Right, This Game Is Empty Of Entertainment!
PostedJanuary 29, 2015
pennmom36
fromI hope my worst fears involve warm and sunny
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Time Management, Puzzle
Current Favorite:
Phantasmat Collector's Edition
(101)Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
2
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
Have you ever watched a really bad movie all the way to the end because you were convinced that the movie would eventually pick up the pace and become more interesting, but it just doesn't? I kept playing this game thinking eventually it's gotta get better, the descriptions and warnings led me to believe it would.....it just doesn't. The Emptiness is a house that represents your empty soul. You are looking for light, because darkness has found you. Black shadows hover all around you, even your thoughts and feelings are abandoning you. Your soul engulfs......The Emptiness. Your goal is to escape this virtual space you have created in your mind, these are your worst fears, you must open the doors one by one to overcome your fears.
The problem is (well just about everything from the storyline to the credits) that the story is a very twisted version about mental health. I get the symbolism, but I'm sure a lot of people will be turned off by this demented story. The mechanics of the game are old school, requiring you to use navigation arrows to give the player a sense of realism as you view the room in a 360 degree fashion, using the top arrow to move the player forward. It's not a bad feature, but disliked by many gamers. The graphics are very basic, and void of any interesting features. The goals or tasks are the exact same for each and every door. You must find the door that has a hand painted symbol or seal. You are then given a word that will open the door once all the letters in the word have been found. You search all available rooms (basically by turning around in a circle) for scraps of paper with clues as to where you can find a specific letter, such as, the M hides in foliage, and R can be found when you open the wall cabinet. You don't have to find the clues, you can just go searching for the letters themselves. When all the letters have been found, the sealed door will open and TA-DAH! Nothing! Just another basic room with nothing to do except find another sealed door, a clue scrap of paper and perhaps a letter. Lather, Rinse, Repeat....The End!
I don't recommend this game.
The Mystery of a Lost Planet
Can you solve the mystery of a lost planet and rescue the crew of a spaceship in distress?
Overall rating
3
/
5
64 of 69 found this review helpful
If Only........
PostedJanuary 29, 2015
pennmom36
fromOh look, I just found an artificial heart!
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Time Management, Puzzle
Current Favorite:
Phantasmat Collector's Edition
(101)Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
If only this game had better graphics, if only this game had better game mechanics, if only this game had voiceovers, if only this game wasn't so difficult to figure out! This game could have been phenomenal, and I can only hope that BF will accept the challenge to make more alien themed games (based around a spaceship) This game had huge potential, I loved the direction this game was headed, BUT it lacks the finesse (or finance) that one of the larger devs could bring to the table.
Some of the tasks require that you find items in order to fix or complete that item before using, several circles will appear with silhouettes of the items you need to find, and then place upon the correct silhouette. The Hidden Object Scenes are interactive list finds, and because the graphics aren't the best and the colors tend to be hues of the same colors, some items can be difficult to spot. There are simple mini games such as rotating puzzle tiles to complete a picture. There are also scenes that require you to search for multiple numbers of a single item such as 18 crystals and 12 flowers.
This isn't a bad game, but it could have been sooo much better. I did like the feature that allows you to meet the survivor of a previous spaceship crash when you play this game in the Hard mode of difficulty, enjoy!
I recommend this game!
Bloom! Share flowers with the World
Help Jasmine make the world a better place, one beautiful bouquet at a time!
Overall rating
5
/
5
81 of 87 found this review helpful
Plant-Water-Grow.......BLOOM!
PostedJanuary 28, 2015
pennmom36
fromsomeone needs a hug........
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Time Management, Puzzle
Current Favorite:
Phantasmat Collector's Edition
(101)Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Fantastic Time Management game where you make beautiful flower arrangements to brighten the world. There are six different countries to visit, from the United States to Denmark, and several achievements to earn along the way! The goal is simple, serve your customers as fast as you can, while keeping them happy (as indicated by the amount of hearts shown) so that they will leave you a big tip. When the customers come in, they will have an image above their head, of what they want, and you click on the customer and drag them to their desired location. They may want to sit down in a cozy chair and drink a glass of orange juice or read a flower magazine. Once seated, you deliver the necessary items and you will have to refill the orange juice container occasionally and pick up the dirty glasses when they leave. Next step is choosing a vase, you drag the customer to the vase chair and a pop up window appears with several vase options, scan over the vases until the customer smiles and click on that vase. Next step is the bouquet department, drag the customer to that station, another pop up window will display flowers, click on the flowers the customers thought bubble shows, and if they want an accessory, drag them to that booth, otherwise collect their money at the cash register.
The flowers won't reproduce on their own, so you must constantly grow a new supply while waiting on the customers. The bottom right is your garden, first click the icon to plant the seeds, when that is done, a watering can icon will appear so you can water the flowers, the final step is to cut the bouquets when the scissors appear, and repeat the process throughout the day. At the end of each level, you will get the opportunity to purchase upgrades, more chairs, more flower bouquets, items to make customers happier, and even employees to help Jasmine with the customers.
There is a quick tutorial for the first level that will show you how to play this game, and it really is an easy (but very addictive) game to learn. The hard part is mastering TM games, because each level gets progressively faster, and more tasks are constantly being added as you get more and more customers. Steer clear if you're not a fan of fast paced games, otherwise enjoy!
I recommend this game!
Help Jill & Mike to save their wedding and uncover Jill's heritage!
Overall rating
5
/
5
85 of 90 found this review helpful
How Does Your Garden Grow?
PostedJanuary 27, 2015
pennmom36
from......but that only happens in the movies
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Time Management, Puzzle
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 have always loved the Gardens Inc. Time Management series, although the features are usually the same, from game to game. The story is based upon Jill and Mike, who own a landscaping business named Gardens Incorporated. Jill and Mike are in Barcelona, Spain in hopes of landing a contract with the prestigious park, La Sagrada Familia, before their wedding. To prepare for the competition to land this huge contract, they enter smaller competitions, to hone their skills, Time Management style!
The goal is to complete the tasks given at the beginning of each level, within a specific amount of time to earn Gold status. (bronze and silver times also) You can replay any level to try to earn a better score. Each level has a Bonus Goal such as: Plant one color for all flowers, or Different flowers planted together, it isn't necessary to achieve these bonus goals but you will get extra points for their completion. You will left click on any available tasks (circled in green if you have enough available resources and money) and they can be canceled by right clicking. First you clear the paths of leaves, rocks, and even wood, making sure to collect resources needed such as tools, seeds, and coins. There are specific areas to plant the correct plants (when clicked on, several choices of colors are available to choose from) and there are also requirements to repair certain items such as a lizard fountain. Some levels require buildings to be constructed to produce more resources, such as a Tool Shack or a Seed Shack. The truck can also be upgraded which will give you extra available workers.
You can use the money you have collected to purchase renovations for Jill and Mike's new house, starting with the base foundation. Most of the renovations you purchase will have color or style options, and some renovations can be exchanged if you change your mind. There are Achievements or Trophies to earn in either the CE or SE which is unusual.
The Collectors Edition has 10 Additional Levels, Additional Trophies to earn, Wallpapers, and a built in Strategy Guide, enjoy!
I recommend this game!
Frankenstein: Master of Death
The border between life and death is fragile. Restore the course of nature, solve puzzles and search for clues in Frankenstein: Master of Death!
Overall rating
5
/
5
113 of 132 found this review helpful
Resurrecting The Dearly Departed
PostedJanuary 27, 2015
pennmom36
fromIt is said that the Grinch's heart grew three times it's size.....
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Time Management, Puzzle
Current Favorite:
Phantasmat Collector's Edition
(101)Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
My first thought when I seen this game was that it was going to be either really good or really bad, and I must admit that the story is intriguing and the graphics are pretty decent. This isn't the Frankenstein of yesteryear, but it does have all the familiar key components of the monster Frankenstein has created. Dr. Frankenstein has been experimenting with death itself as he searches for immortality, everyone wants to live forever, but does anyone want to become a zombie?
This game is pretty basic, with only two modes of difficulty, but honestly the Hard mode isn't really hard, even though the game claims that you will beg for your life! There is a good map available as well as navigation buttons, the inventory button requires you to click on a blue sphere located on the bottom left if you want the inventory bar locked in place. There isn't an abundance of areas of interest in each scene, and you will be doing a lot of back and forth traveling as you find an inventory item in one scene that will be used in another just to receive an item needed in the scene you just came from. (but it totally works for this game!)
Almost every scene has a Hidden Object Scene, again pretty basic list finds, but the scenes are clear, the items are recognizable and there are a lot of items requiring interactions as well as small puzzles and codes to find to open up locked items. The mini games are fairly easy and uncomplicated, a lot of them involved moving items to the correct place, but when you moved one, others would move as well. I did enjoy the mini game where you had to move a key from the bottom right to the top left, along an electrical wire and if the keys ring touched the wire, you had to start over (took me several attempts)
For a stand alone game without all the frills, this game is well worth purchasing with or without a credit. The story gives a slight twist to the famous Frankenstein tale of bring the dead back to life, and it's presented in a way that makes you continue playing because you just have to find out how the story plays out. Enjoy!
I recommend this game!
The Smithsonian Castle's secrets lie in a Civil War past.
Overall rating
4
/
5
98 of 105 found this review helpful
Blast From The Past.....Way Past
PostedJanuary 25, 2015
pennmom36
fromI needed h.e.l.p finding out what H.E.L.P stood for!
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Time Management, Puzzle
Current Favorite:
Phantasmat Collector's Edition
(101)Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
I researched some fun facts about the Hidden Expedition series recently, because I wanted to find out what H.E.L.P stood for, the P was stumping me. Turns out that this league has had a few name changes over the years. In Hidden Expedition: Titanic, the league went by the name of H.E.A.L, which was the Hidden Expedition Adventure League. In Hidden Expedition: Everest, the league was simply the Hidden Expedition Club, and Hidden Expedition: Devil's Triangle was H.E.A.T which stood for Hidden Expedition Adventure Team. The newer games feature the name H.E.L.P which stands for Hidden Expedition League of Preservation (my guess originally was protection) I guess this is a lot of useless information, but now you know!
The Preservation Team Agents (P.T.A) have been called back to the Smithsonian Castle to investigate mysterious power outages. What they discover is a time traveling twisted love story between two different eras, the present day and the Civil War era!
Once again, H.E.L.P has equipped us with a communication device that doubles as a fact finding device which tells us various fun facts about people, places and items related to the Smithsonian, as you find the cards throughout the game. They have added a new feature that allows you to scroll up, down, right and left on several of the zoomed in locations. Another new feature that I thought was kinda cool, were the random Kiosks throughout the museum that allowed you to listen to even more Smithsonian information. Some of the inventory items are complex items that require some form of interaction before they are available for use, such as solving a quick mini game or combining that item with another inventory item. The Collectors Edition has 43 Hidden Symbols to collect, one in each location!
Some of the Hidden Object games were really good, others were ho hum. Some are silhouetted shapes, some are sketches, most of the sketches represent an item and aren't necessarily exact images. One of the HOS had sketches of two items with a plus sign between them requiring you to find the item that both items combined would represent such as, Ear + Musical Notes would equal headphones. The Collectors Edition has a traditional feature where all of the HOS have a morphing object (16 total morphs), and to remind you to look, there is a morphing object icon to the right of the inventory bar. The mini games were way too easy, but still entertaining, matching top and bottom bar codes, or filling in hollow letters with several different shapes, or aligning all planets horizontally however selecting one planet will affect others at the same time.
The Collectors Edition has Movies, Pictures (screensavers & wallpapers) Puzzles, HOP's, Music, a Souvenir Room, Collectibles, Morphing Objects, Achievements, a built in Strategy Guide and a Bonus Chapter, enjoy!
I recommend this game!
Mystery Tales: The Twilight World Collector's Edition
A stay at a peaceful hotel turns into a nightmare when a witch from the Twilight World takes your daughter!
Overall rating
4
/
5
87 of 94 found this review helpful
Any-Body Will Do
PostedJanuary 24, 2015
pennmom36
fromAnd to think, nobody wanted the ice bucket!
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Time Management, Puzzle
Current Favorite:
Phantasmat Collector's Edition
(101)Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
It's been a long road trip for you and your daughter, and the Silver Lake Inn seems like the perfect place to catch some shut eye. This newly remodeled Inn looks so peaceful, but looks can be deceiving, and evil witchcraft is anything but peaceful! You barely have time to kick off your shoes when something or someone attacks your daughter Nancy, rendering her unconscious, what on earth is happening here? The Innkeeper isn't much help either, although he seems genuinely concerned, something about him is "off" so instead of calling for professional help, we're just going to snoop around the Inn's grounds, play a game of toss with the puppy and fix a few thousand broken gadgets until she comes to!
Just before the attack on Nancy, she finds a large hat box. This is anything but a normal hat box, this is a Magical Chest which stores magical artifacts. This box can defend it's owner from the negative energy generated by the magical artifacts within. (how'd that work out for Nancy)? Eventually this box will hold several artifacts, but for now there's just one, the Witch's ice bucket which can cool and freeze any liquid instantly. You can access your Dossier within the map, which is basically a journal that keeps track of your notes and clues you find as well as information about devices you come across. Some of the inventory items have plus signs, indicating that further action is required before you can use that item. There are 40 Collectible Cats, Rabbits, and Postcards as well as a ton of Achievements to earn in this Collectors Edition.
The Hidden Object Scenes are decent, but nothing to write home about. The HO's are mostly silhouetted shapes that you find in groups, such as astrological symbols, once the group has been found, they automatically get placed where they belong which usually exposes the next group of items you need to find. The Mini Games seem to be on the easy side, such as turning three small triangles until they align with the main triangle (turning one triangle affects others) or clicking on different colored stars in the correct color sequence, following the clue given, Mr. ROY G. BIV.
This Collectors Edition has Music Soundtracks, Arts, Achievements, Collectibles, Wallpapers, a built in Strategy Guide and a Bonus Chapter. In my personal opinion, this CE doesn't have enough features to persuade me, I think the Standard Edition will have enough bang for my buck so to speak, enjoy!
I recommend this game!
Living Legends: Wrath of the Beast Collector's Edition
Help Goldilocks’s son protect his village from invading bears!
Overall rating
2
/
5
87 of 96 found this review helpful
Magical Bears
PostedJanuary 24, 2015
pennmom36
fromHold still bear, so I can lasso your legs!
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Time Management, Puzzle
Current Favorite:
Phantasmat Collector's Edition
(101)Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
2
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
Nothing in this story made any sense. The main character is a grown man who states that his mother, Goldilocks, was killed by a bear three years ago. That makes sense, however, the picture of his family shows a young boy about eight years old, which means that he is only around eleven years old presently! Then there's the Magical Bears, which can be identified because they are "painted" and it just so happens that the horse you are riding, is painted just like the bears, is the horse magical too? Anyway, you have just graduated from the local Hunting Academy where you learn how to hunt bears because the town you live in is plagued with vicious bears. This plague of attacks has increased because dearly departed Goldilocks presumably took something from the magic bears, and they want it back! The academy needs to step up their academics because three students can't control a bear who is attacking their village. Perhaps it's because the only hunting gear they are equipped with are small leather straps with silver and blue balls attached for weights. This school certainly didn't prepare the students for real life eh?
This game tends to be on the easy side, almost everything within the game is predictable and logical, the puzzles and mini games are short and not in the least bit complicated. The mini games range from small puzzles within the plus items in your inventory, to matching identical tokens by flipping two tokens at a time, if you don't find an exact match, the tokens rotate to a different spot. The Hidden Object Scenes are entertaining, I liked the HOS where you had to find silhouetted shapes, and use those shapes interactively between two different scenes. There are 34 Morphing Runes to collect, and when you collect a certain number, 3-8-16-25-34, you get to hear a story that fills you in on this Goldilocks and the Magical Bear tale.
This Collectors Edition has 34 Morphing Objects, Wallpapers, Screensavers, Music, Concept Art, Movies, replayable Mini Games and Hidden Object Scenes, Achievements, a built in Strategy guide and a Bonus Chapter, enjoy!
I recommend this game!
Legend of Maya
Dive into this Maya fairytale! Take on Prince Chaac's mission and construct an outstanding city with many inhabitants!
Overall rating
4
/
5
58 of 62 found this review helpful
Build A Village Worthy Of The Princess
PostedJanuary 23, 2015
pennmom36
fromIt might be easier to elope!
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Time Management, Puzzle
Current Favorite:
Phantasmat Collector's Edition
(101)Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Prince Chaac is deeply in love with Princess Kin, problem is, they are from two different tribes who don't exactly see eye to eye. Kin's father agrees to allow the marriage on one condition, Prince Chaac must build a village for the Princess, bigger and better than the village of her father.
I love the colorful graphics, and the story is amusing as well. I am a little bit disappointed with the size of some of the Match 3 boards and the Hidden Object Scene, which have very small items to search for. The Match 3 tiles are bright and interesting, and new tiles are added as you progress to keep the game interesting. You can play this game in Casual, Normal or Hard difficulty modes and you can earn Achievements. If you make matches of 4 or more, you will get bonuses to use on the board such as a bomb. There are coins to match that will allow you to purchase the buildings you need to grow your village, and each one you build gives you a different bonus to use once it has filled up. Enjoy!
I recommend this game!
Royal Flush Solitaire
Royal Flush Solitaire offers its own gameplay experience – completely different from other solitaire games.
Overall rating
5
/
5
82 of 95 found this review helpful
Solitaire Poker!
PostedJanuary 21, 2015
pennmom36
fromI got a Royal Flush!
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Time Management, Puzzle
Current Favorite:
Phantasmat Collector's Edition
(101)Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
What a great concept! This is a unique solitaire game where you drag and drop 5 cards of your choice from either the board or draw pile to create winning hands of poker. Just like poker, winning hands are a Royal Flush worth 900 points, a Straight Flush worth 600 points, Four of a Kind is worth 400 points, a Full House is worth 200 points, a Flush is worth 90 points, a Straight is worth 70 points, Three of a Kind is worth 40 points, Two Pairs is worth 30 points and a Pair is worth 10 points. The goal is to remove all cards from the board to earn gold, if you have cards left over the stars will diminish to silver and then bronze, but you can replay the game for a higher score. There are trophies and achievements to earn as well, and as you progress you will be able to place larger bets, up to 2000 points.
You can use the points you have earned in the shop to purchase upgrades such as, Cheat Cards, a Draw Pile Counter, an extra Undo, Bullets to shoot unwanted cards, X ray Power Packs that allow you to see face down cards briefly, and even better odds of receiving free bullets. There are FBI raids and Police raids occasionally, and you cannot use cheat cards during that hand, but you can purchase upgrades that decrease the chances of the raids. You will play poker in most of the large cities, Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Washington DC and even Miami, Orlando and Key West. You can change the cards faces and backs in the options menu as well.
The only complaint I have with this game was that the game shrinks the screen size down to a small window which is a bummer when you have a 27" screen. If you aren't a fan of poker, you may want to pass on this game, however it is very easy to learn (not master) and there is a help icon which shows you what hands qualify that can be accessed quickly, enjoy!
I recommend this game!