pennmom36's Profile
Stat Summary
- Average Rating:3.7
- Helpful Votes:358,445
- Reviews Submitted:4724
- First Review:December 10, 2012
- Most Recent Review:July 6, 2025
- Featured reviews0
Status:
Mystery Case Files: Dire Grove, Sacred Grove Collector's Edition
A deadly secret lurks in the woods of Dire Grove!
Overall rating
5
/
5
370 of 451 found this review helpful
I'm Already Preparing To Re-Visit Ravenhearst!
PostedNovember 25, 2014
pennmom36
fromI'm pretty sure it's 30 below where I live too!
Skill Level:Expert
Current Favorite:
Mystery Case Files: Return to Ravenhearst ™
(217)Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Mystery Case Files are undeniably the most entertaining series available. If I had to choose one word to describe Dire Grove Sacred Grove, it would be perfection! I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the next Mystery Case Files will somehow take me back to Ravenhearst, which is my favorite storyline of the MCF!
Dire Grove is very dire indeed, the grove has been plagued with wild animals who have been attacking the townsfolk completely unprovoked. To make matters worse, the temperatures have plummeted to minus 30 degrees, turning the entire grove into a frozen tundra and forcing the town to evacuate their homes. Only a handful of hunters have stayed behind, determined to hunt down those responsible for the phenomenon, the Druid Mistwalkers! Dust off that MCF badge detective, it's time to return to Dire Grove!
There are many new features in this game, starting with the option of choosing which gender of Master Detective you want to portrait, male or female! There isn't a custom difficulty mode which surprises me, but there are several modes to choose from including the most insane difficulty which gives you no hints, no skips, and no direction at all, to make it even more challenging you must complete the game with time limits! Whenever you speak with one of the characters, several questions will pop up within a dialog window allowing you to ask specific questions in whatever order you choose. As a detective, you must find several items of evidence, once you have found all pieces of evidence pertaining to that subject, you will put all the pieces together and deduce the evidence which is basically a narration tying the evidence collected so far, together. Some of the inventory items have plus signs indicating that you must interact with that item, such as combining that item with another inventory item, before you can use it. There are Collectible Puzzle Pieces that can be assembled to unlock wallpapers, however the puzzle pieces may not be accessible the first time you visit an area, so don't forget to check back from time to time. There are also Collectible Dire Grove models and of course Achievements to earn. Best of all, there is an ALTERNATE ENDING, which makes this game a must purchase, gotta have it game!
The Hidden Object Scenes are creative, with extremely interactive list finds, requiring several interactions with several of the items as well as quick little mini games within the scenes. There are also HO's requiring you to find 12 icicles, 12 birds and 12 lights, and even this HO is interactive. Then there's the mini games, ooohhh those mind bending interactive puzzles mad famous in Fates Carnival. You know the ones, figuring out how to solve a seemingly impossible (seemingly yet possible) and lengthy interactive puzzle by flipping switches, clicking on buttons, bells and whistles in a specific order in hopes that you did it correctly and don't have to hit the reset button. Aaaarrrr, but I love it! Don't worry, there are the normal mini games as well, such as plugging wires into two different shapes so that the combined shapes match the example shown.
This Collectors Edition has Wallpapers, Concept Art, Achievements, Music, Puzzle Piece Collections, Videos, Dire Grove Collectibles, a built in Strategy Guide and an Alternate Ending (I simply can't wait to find out) making this edition a must have for all us Mystery Case Files fans, enjoy!
I recommend this game!
Final Cut: The True Escapade Collector's Edition
Find out who framed your fiancé for murder and clear his name
Overall rating
4
/
5
79 of 81 found this review helpful
A Killer Movie
PostedNovember 24, 2014
pennmom36
fromIt's a good thing that crew member told me that studio 6's rooftop would be located on the top of studio 6!
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
How many people have to die before calling this movie a wash? True Escapades has returned to production once again, each time someone ends up dead! Brian Garcia is this cursed film's latest victim, seems that gun prop was real with real bullets, did Ruben know the bullets were real? Someone want's this production scrapped badly, a ransom note has been found with an ultimatum, bring the original film to studio 6's rooftop or Ruben and Brian's wife will die! Just what is so important about this old film and why are people associated with the film dying?
The storyline is just okay, a bit too old fashioned and predictable. I consider myself to be pretty observant, but did anyone else see any Morphing Objects anywhere? I certainly didn't , and the extras claim that there are indeed morphs, so either they are some of the best morphs out there, or they simply aren't offered in the demo, or perhaps I wasn't interested enough in the story to pay attention. There are plus sign indicators on some of the inventory items that require you to interact with the item before using, and they have equipped us with an old school slide projector viewer. Whenever the viewer icon begins to shake, that's an indication that you can put any slide that you have come across into the viewer and use the viewer in that same scene in the form of spot the difference, with a difference! There is a slider button at the top which you slide to the right and left of the current scene, and click on any item that is different than the original scene. (okay, that's kinda cool) There are 40 collectible film strips, one in each scene, and they are well blended into the background, so kudos on that as well.
The Hidden Object Scenes were too scarce in my opinion, and a tad bit mundane, first you find 5 musical notes which will unlock that window to expose a key which is used to open up the next window with list finds, then you find 5 stars to unlock the next window which exposes a knife which unlocks the next list find, I'm bored just writing about it! The mini games were okay, but way too easy, however I would rather they be easy that frustratingly impossible. Most games were tiles that you swap to create a complete picture, or use arrows to roll a ball toward the hole of a labyrinth maze and the easiest game was sliding tokens through a simplistic maze to place on top of symbols located along the maze so that the token and symbol create the same symbol shown on the diagram.
This Collectors Edition claims to have Morphing Objects, 40 hidden Film Strips (what happened to the clapboards?) Match 3 games, 18 replayable HOS and 17 replayable Puzzles, 19 Achievements, a Souvenir Room (only available in full version) Movies, Music, Making of (only available in full version) Snap Shots and Wallpapers, Pictures, a built in Strategy Guide and a Bonus Chapter. This game will surely delight diehard Final Cut fans, but I personally wasn't over the top thrilled, mostly because of the story, but the dialog was poor at times and the acting wasn't that great either. Enjoy!
I recommend this game!
The Far Kingdoms: Elements
Stop Morgana by helping Princess Arianna find the essential elements to remove the curse from her kingdom.
Overall rating
4
/
5
59 of 62 found this review helpful
Best Of Both Worlds
PostedNovember 24, 2014
pennmom36
fromSomething's wrong with the ocean because your boat is broken and you can't catch fish?
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
If you like Hidden Object Adventures, this game has you covered, if you like Match 3 games, this game still has you covered. The Princess has embarked on yet another adventure to defeat the evil sorceress, Morgana who has been turning people of the kingdom into stone. This is a very easy game to play, but quite honestly it is a nice change of pace. Once again the Princess is joined by a sultry frog who lounges upon the hint icon just in case you are in need of his services and Corvus the beautiful bird is at your service as well and serves as your go to guy. Corvus has returned your Amulet which can be used to torch just about anything.
What makes this game so unique is the method used for obtaining inventory items, which are Match 3 games. The inventory item you need is received by playing a Match 3 game to allow pieces of the item to fall off the board until all pieces are collected. Some tiles are blocked, requiring you to make matches next to the block to break the tile, some require you to make matches over all of the cells to clear them, and there are even floating boards where you make matches to clear a path from one side to the other. There doesn't seem to be any bonuses to earn to help with the Match 3 games, but you can shuffle the tiles up to three different times.
There are also lot's of Hidden Object Scenes, which are simple list finds or finding several of one type such as 17 butterflies. If you don't like HOS, you can still switch over to a Match 3 game instead. There are mini games available as well such as moving spiders around a web until they are in the matching colored slots, or moving crabs to their correct slots using directional arrows around a maze, but when you move one crab, the other crab moves as well. This game isn't going to please hard core Hidden Object gamers, but if you want to kick back and play a relaxing nautical themed game with pleasant music, this game will please you, enjoy!
I recommend this game!
Pirate's Solitaire
Outwit the old sea dog and seize the pirates' gold! Play solitaire right on the deck of the reavers' ship.
Overall rating
2
/
5
51 of 51 found this review helpful
ZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzz
PostedNovember 23, 2014
pennmom36
fromI used my points for bonuses and then didn't have enough points to proceed to the next level!
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
It's hard to like a solitaire game when you don't receive any cards that match! I played the entire demo, yet nothing about this game got interesting, nothing. The object of this game is to remove cards of the same rank regardless of suit, each card you remove is worth one point, cards with gems are worth 499 points and if you remove all special gold cards you win that hand even if other cards are left. There is a multiplier bar that fills up as you remove cards, the more consecutive cards you remove, the higher the multiplier bar gets. If you get a perfect score, the points of that level will be added to the points of the next level. There are bonuses available at the shop, Mulligans to undo the last action, Shuffle to return all the cards and redeal, and a Joker which is a wild card. There are two modes of difficulty, Junior which allows you to replay any level, and Sea Wolf which only allows you to replay the entire 10 level set. I love solitaire games but this game just dragged on and on with the same actions. Most of the levels seemed impossible because I just couldn't get any cards to match until I was at the end of the second deck!
I don't recommend this game.
Fear for Sale: The 13 Keys
You are the key to solving a chilling supernatural mystery!
Overall rating
5
/
5
143 of 175 found this review helpful
The Key To Nightmares
PostedNovember 21, 2014
pennmom36
fromWho knew you could use a leaf blower on a ghost!
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
Sam and Caroline Berkeley thought it would be a good idea to turn their inherited family mansion into the Hotel Berkeley, they were wrong! Something evil has taken up residency in room 13 (this is why hotels don't have room 13 or a 13th floor) Emma Roberts has agreed to investigate the haunting and hopefully rid the room of this entity who seems to feel that someone owes him something! The further Emma dives into this nightmarish realm, the more apparent it becomes that Sam's illness is no coincidence and Caroline may be the one who made the devil a deal! Finding 13 keys will be no easy task, finding someone to trust may be even harder!
Just when you think Fear For Sale couldn't possible get any better, they release The 13 Keys...with even better graphics than the last (still think the water manipulations were top notch) and the music sets the beat for a long and frightful night. Trust me folks there aren't any fuzzy teddy bears or firebreathing dragons along for the ride in this game (well actually there is a fuzzy kitten but she doesn't get a free ride) nope the only thing you get here is Fear, this Fear is for Sale, and this ghost want's paid, "a deals a deal no matter what the price!"
There are plus sign indicators on some of the inventory items that indicate that you will need to interact with that item before using such as opening the package or combining that item with another inventory item. The Collectors Edition has lot's of very interesting achievements to earn such as the Exorcist, Ghost Buster, # 1 Fan and the Keymaster, I always recommend reading through the achievements before starting the game, you may want to change the way you play the game in order to earn all available achievements. The Collectors Edition also has several collectible items, like 6 Venetian masks to collect, 6 Gamer collectibles, 6 Attraction, 6 Sweet Tooth and 6 Headwear collectibles, as well as 33 morphing items. You can customize the mode of difficulty and you can choose not to have a tutorial, or you can choose to just be shown the special features which I for one really appreciate.
The Hidden Object Scenes are well done, some are interactive list finds, and some require you to find several fragmented pieces, however most of the HOS are interactive progressive silhouettes where you find the first object and use that object back into the scene to uncover the next item. If you aren't a fan of HOS you can choose the optional jigsaw puzzle offered. I was really impressed with the mini games which were clever and entertaining but certainly not frustrating. There is a lockpick puzzle where you use directional arrows, up, down, left and right to guide a ball from the left side to the right without hitting the column obstacles. Some columns are stationary, others move either up or down as indicated, but if the ball hits one of these columns it's game over and you have to start over from the beginning (suggest to write down the correct direction as you make it through each column)
Personally, I'm a bigger fan of the Collectors Edition which has Wallpapers, Concept Art, Screensavers, Music, 30 Collectibles, 10 different Achievements, a Bonus Chapter, a built in Strategy Guide and a unique point system. You will earn points in several different categories, 250 points for each morph and achievement and 500 points for each Hidden Object Game and Mini Game solved, enjoy your stay, if you dare!
I recommend this game!
Surface: Game of Gods Collector's Edition
Save your friends and escape from a deadly game!
Overall rating
5
/
5
216 of 246 found this review helpful
ROLL THE DICE
PostedNovember 20, 2014
pennmom36
fromHow convenient, I need a brush and glue, a hamburger and sleeping pills and voila, they're in the first place I look!
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
This isn't a Mystery of Another World, this is Reel Life! Nestled high above The Soaring City lies the Pantheon, a gothic building surrounded by majestic gargoyles. Four friends unknowingly volunteer to roll the dice in the Game of Gods, a deadly game! Alice Russell was running 20 minutes late, but the game waits for no one, by the time Alice arrives it's already too late for Jim and Kevin, they are already deeply engaged in this life changing game. It's Maggie's turn to roll the dice, "I have no choice, I must roll the dice!" In the blink of an eye, Maggie is dragged off into a surreal jungle by an axe wielding maniac! If you want to save your friends, you too must roll the dice, choose your pawn wisely, Mage, Farmer, Hunter, Blacksmith, Scientist, Noble, or Pilgrim, each has it's own unique quality! The player who reaches the end alive will save himself/herself and all other players, but I've a feeling this game isn't designed for winning. Scream all you'd like Alice, nobody outside this realm will hear you! Once she is buried alive, HELP will the Noise she Couldn't Make! (didn't think I could do it eh?)
I have to give kudos to whomever is responsible for the script here, simply wicked! The game starts out a bit slow with mundane tasks in the form of a Hidden Object Scene where you pack your purse, enter your password into the laptop and print off documents. Alice must survive because she is being interrogated by a Detective, or could this be part of the game? Once Alice rolls the dice, hold on tight, the game definitely improves. You will collect two flowers in each scene, one white one red, in typical Surface tradition and you can use those flowers to decorate your humble abode with items of various flower counts. There are also collectible statuettes of the different characters. Some of the inventory items are Complex Objects which simply means that that item requires some sort of interaction before it can be used.
The Hidden Object Scenes were extremely varied, so just to name a few, there are scenes where you find multiples of items such as 3 goblets and 3 swords and each item found will reveal a fragmented piece of the final item, some require you to move two objects at a time which reveals the object you are looking for underneath, as you try to match the two related items such as two whistles, there are also list finds with mini games to complete as well. The mini games were decent too, some are simple puzzle pieces to rotate, some require you to slide tokens along a path to their correct slot, all of the games seem fairly easy yet fun.
This Collectors Edition has Collectible figurines, Collectible Flowers, A Bonus Room (apartment) Achievements, Wallpaper, Screensavers, Concept Art, Music, a built in Strategy Guide and of course a Bonus Chapter, let the games begin, enjoy!
I recommend this game!
Margrave: The Curse of the Severed Heart
Investigating her parents’ deaths, Edwina rekindles a centuries old tale of love and revenge. End the curse of the severed heart!
Overall rating
3
/
5
2 of 4 found this review helpful
Margrave: The Curse of the Severed Heart SE
PostedNovember 19, 2014
pennmom36
fromThose are really stupid names Edwina!
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
I just finished my review for the Collectors Edition version of this game, and in my opinion, this Standard Edition is the much better choice. Here is a recap from that review so that you can decide which edition is right for you.
Edwina Margrave has returned to the cottage that claimed her fathers life when she was six years old, to find answers about his untimely death. She hopes that the landlady, Miss Thorn will be able to shed some light upon his death, instead she insists that Edwina disable the five Shadow Locks that are surrounding the village. The Shadow Locks were constructed with black magic and prevent souls from moving on, including animals.
The game itself isn't all that bad, but I absolutely hated the intro music that sounded like Hippie music of the 60's and 70's, and Edwina's constant narration annoyed me, not to mention the awful voices of the ghostly animals. The graphics aren't bad, in fact at times they are really good, but there is very little to do in each scene with the exception of collecting a random tool or an occasional mini game. You will toggle between the inventory list and the keepsake list which is similar to a journal, holding clues, observations and sketches that Edwina draws when she thinks something has meaning.
The Hidden Object Scenes are list finds with no interactions, but I must admit that some of the items were so well hidden that I had to use the hint button on more than one occasion. Most of the mini games are in the form of Dream Cards to determine the names of the dearly departed. You must choose which dream cards to use in order to recreate the symbols shown at the top, each card has half of a symbol, therefore when two cards are placed side by side, they will complete a symbol, but not necessarily the correct symbol. The Dream Cards became increasingly more difficult until they were sheer frustration and certainly not fun.
I understand this is an older game, but the Collectors Edition only has a built in Strategy Guide and a Bonus Chapter: The Blacksmith's Revenge. In my opinion the Standard Edition is the better value, enjoy!
I recommend this game!
Margrave: The Curse of the Severed Heart Collector's Edition
Investigating her parents’ deaths, Edwina rekindles a centuries old tale of love and revenge. End the curse of the severed heart!
Overall rating
3
/
5
5 of 8 found this review helpful
Margrave: The Curse of the Severed Heart CE
PostedNovember 19, 2014
pennmom36
fromThose are really stupid names Edwina!
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
Edwina Margrave has returned to the cottage that claimed her fathers life when she was six years old, to find answers about his untimely death. She hopes that the landlady, Miss Thorn will be able to shed some light upon his death, instead she insists that Edwina disable the five Shadow Locks that are surrounding the village. The Shadow Locks were constructed with black magic and prevent souls from moving on, including animals.
The game itself isn't all that bad, but I absolutely hated the intro music that sounded like Hippie music of the 60's and 70's, and Edwina's constant narration annoyed me, not to mention the awful voices of the ghostly animals. The graphics aren't bad, in fact at times they are really good, but there is very little to do in each scene with the exception of collecting a random tool or an occasional mini game. You will toggle between the inventory list and the keepsake list which is similar to a journal, holding clues, observations and sketches that Edwina draws when she thinks something has meaning.
The Hidden Object Scenes are list finds with no interactions, but I must admit that some of the items were so well hidden that I had to use the hint button on more than one occasion. Most of the mini games are in the form of Dream Cards to determine the names of the dearly departed. You must choose which dream cards to use in order to recreate the symbols shown at the top, each card has half of a symbol, therefore when two cards are placed side by side, they will complete a symbol, but not necessarily the correct symbol. The Dream Cards became increasingly more difficult until they were sheer frustration and certainly not fun.
I understand this is an older game, but the Collectors Edition only has a built in Strategy Guide and a Bonus Chapter: The Blacksmith's Revenge. In my opinion the Standard Edition is the better value, enjoy!
I recommend this game!
Castle
Become the best castle builder! Create a castle accurately and protect it from the annoying baddies!
Overall rating
3
/
5
68 of 71 found this review helpful
I Gave Up On Level 5
PostedNovember 19, 2014
pennmom36
fromI think I'll have chicken for dinner!
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
This game would have been a lot of fun if it had a relaxed game mode. Instead it became frustrating trying to build a castle at lightning speed with no mistakes. To top it off, they throw in a chicken thief who seems impossible to destroy! The object of this game is to construct castles of various styles by choosing the correct sections from bottom to top and dropping those sections one at a time down the correct chutes. You must complete the castle within the allotted time frame and you cannot make mistakes. This part is actually fun, however, you must use the money you earn (collecting coins and bags of money that drop to the ground) to purchase items before starting each level, that will help you combat different "enemies" such as a can of oil to fix the rust on the chutes whenever it rains, an anvil to drop onto a knight who prevents anything from dropping down the chute, and then there's that thieving chicken! The chicken steals sections of the castle that has already been placed, you use a meteor to destroy him but I was unsuccessful at actually hitting the chicken every time. Like I said, this might have been fun, instead it was just frustrating.
I don't recommend this game.
Echoes of the Past: Wolf Healer
Warriors of darkness have just attacked your people. Now you alone can defeat them and save your fellow Healers!
Overall rating
4
/
5
106 of 115 found this review helpful
The Good Werewolves
PostedNovember 18, 2014
pennmom36
fromMira seems more trouble than she's worth, ditch her!
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
Since ancient times, warriors upon giant eagles have attacked the land of the Healers. The Healers were the only force that could withstand these attacks, led by their powerful Elders, Sirius and Auriga. Today Mira, the daughter of Sirius and Auriga was to become a Healer and a member of the clan...that is until the ceremony was viciously attacked by the warriors. The Elders had been suspicious about the recent attacks after consulting the stars, there is a traitor amongst the Healers! This clan is no ordinary group, whenever they don their bracelets they will transform from human to wolf, no worries, these werewolves have dedicated their lives to helping people not harming them.
Some actions within the game require you to be in either human form or wolf form by using the bracelet located on the bottom left of your screen. The inventory list is actually located on the top of the screen which is less intrusive in my opinion. There is also an available journal to keep up with the story or recheck your goals.
The Hidden Object scenes are a little different, but some are repeated such as placing objects found on shelves, into a book one page at a time. There are interactive silhouetted shape finds and the one I liked was placing parts correctly onto astrological symbols. This game has done an awesome job with the mini games and the one I thought was interesting but not really new, was starting several clocks that moved at different speeds so that they would all reach the green zone at the same time.
The Collectors Edition has 32 Collectible Orbs, Achievements, Concept Art, replayable mini games, a built in Strategy Guide and a Bonus Adventure, enjoy!
I recommend this game!