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:
Dark Tales: Edgar Allan Poe's The Black Cat
Overall rating
5
/
5
10 of 19 found this review helpful
Dark Tales: Edgar Allan Poe's Black Cat
PostedJuly 12, 2014
pennmom36
fromIs the cat a ghost too?
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Time Management, Puzzle
Current Favorite:
Fright Collector's Edition
(128)Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Another Poe masterpiece reincarnated into a masterpiece game! Sarah Davies has been reported missing for nearly two weeks and Detective Dupin has once again asked for your sleuthing skills to help solve this case. People of the town have reported seeing Sarah walking the streets with her faithful feline, but when approached, Sarah vanishes into thin air, as if she were a ghost! (they never say if the cat disappears too) Is this an elaborate hoax, did her oddly behaving spouse, Monsieur Mark have anything to do with her disappearance? One thing's for sure, this black cat seems to be purposely leading you to places of interest as if helping you put the pieces together of this bizarre missing persons case
Even though this is one of the older Dark Tales game, I was still amazed at how vivid and detailed the graphics are, Detective Dupin doesn't yet have a voice, meaning that the newer Edgar Allan Poe games have voiceovers and this game just has dialog boxes that you have to read. This feature actually annoyed me, not because I had to read what each character was saying, but because the dialog boxes popped up directly onto the inventory bar each time I would click on an active area, with a "helpful" description. You would have to then exit out of the dialog box or press continue, if it wasn't an item that could be picked up but rather a task that required an inventory item. No biggie, just sort of annoying. The Hidden Object Scenes were slightly interactive list finds where you might have to click to open a drawer for example, exposing more items. Almost every scene has a HOS, just the right amount, not too many not too few and some of the items are very well blended into the area.
The Collector's Edition has wallpapers, soundtracks, a built in strategy guide and a bonus chapter available. These extra's are only available in the full version, not the demo, and because there is no hint system during the regular game (only for mini games and HOS) I think the Collector's Edition is the better choice, unless you don't want any hand holding, enjoy!
I recommend this game!
Dead Reckoning: Silvermoon Isle Collector's Edition
Was Veronica West’s death an accident… or a cold-blooded murder?
Overall rating
5
/
5
224 of 502 found this review helpful
Who Killed Veronica West?
PostedJuly 12, 2014
pennmom36
fromHow come the opening scene had the sound of a glass breaking but the glass was in tact?
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Time Management, Puzzle
Current Favorite:
Fright Collector's Edition
(128)Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
You're going to love this who-dun-it game. Veronica West was found floating in the water during a celebration party on a beautiful yet remote island. Could this be suicide or murder? Collect evidence and interrogate the list of suspects, some are truthful others seem to be hiding pertinent information or are just downright lying! Each person you investigate will talk to you about Veronica's death, if they tell you they have been crying all night, you look for signs that they are truthful, has their makeup been ruined from crying, do they have red puffy eyes? You look for motives as well, are they hurting for money? If they have expensive clothing or jewelry, probably not. Each suspect's bio will be kept on your evidence board, one section for evidence collected such as a torn picture that you assemble as you find the pieces throughout the island, the other section is for pictures of the suspect, which contains brief information about that character such as their relationship to the victim.
There are 44 hidden collectible stars to find throughout the game as well as achievements to earn for such goals as using the map to jump to another scene or not using the hint button during a Hidden Object Scene. There are mini HOS where you find 4 or 5 objects that match a silhouetted shape shown, and these mini HO's are usually in a zoomed in window. The main Hidden Object Scenes are usually in three sections, interactive list finds, followed by silhouetted shape finds and then finding the item that matches a short description. You can opt for a Bubble shoot game, which I will admit is extremely fun, you shoot bubbles of the same color as the group you are aiming for and as the golden symbols fall off the board it represents an item on the hidden object list. The bubble shoot game has bombs, cannons and flame shooters to help win the game because after a few times shooting and missing, the balls drop down a line at a time which will eventually cause you to lose if it reaches the bottom. The mini games are fairly easy and definitely not frustrating, mostly in the form of an intricate lock you need opened. You may need to use a pick to rotate through several rings to find the next opening to proceed to the next ring until you reach the center ring. There were also mini games within zoomed in areas such as using a hook to grab an item at the bottom of a well but you have to wait until the hook is in the green target zone before clicking each time to retrieve that item.
This Collectors Edition has pictures, a souvenir room, music, movies, the making of, hidden stars, HOP play, bubble-shooter games, a built in strategy guide and of course a bonus chapter available. The graphics are superb, real eye candy, the lighthouse and surrounding locations are very realistic, in fact I have to wonder if it's a real destination because I would love a vacation there! Each character is well drawn and lifelike with well synced voiceovers. You are going to love the entertainment value this game brings to the table (computer table lol) it's simply got a lot going on with new and tested true concepts, enjoy!
I recommend this game!
Dark Tales: Edgar Allan Poe's The Black Cat Collector's Edition
Go on an adventure with Inspector Dupin! Monsieur Mark Davies has reported his wife missing and now it’s up to you to help!
Overall rating
5
/
5
17 of 27 found this review helpful
Dark Tales: Edgar Allen Poe's The Black Cat CE
PostedJuly 11, 2014
pennmom36
fromI was surprised there was a Doberman instead of the usual Newfoundland!
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Time Management, Puzzle
Current Favorite:
Fright Collector's Edition
(128)Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Poe wrote some creepy stories that's for sure, and this game would have made him proud. Mark Davies has reported his wife Sarah, missing for nearly two weeks and Detective Dupin has asked for your assistance once again. People around town are beginning to believe that this is either a hoax or a haunting because people have actually seen Sarah walking the streets with her beloved black cat (more like creepy with that single red eye!) but when approached, Sarah simply vanishes into thin air! You would normally brush that off to superstition if you hadn't seen Sarah holding her cat by the window with your very own eyes, this case is going to require all of your detective skills.
I do have a few gripes with the mechanics of this game, mainly in the fact that there is no hint button other than in a hidden object scene, and the strategy guide (and Collectors Edition extras) is only available if you purchase the game. Personally, I want to see what goodies are inside before I buy. There are no voiceovers, you will have to read a lot of dialog boxes, and they sometimes get frustrating when you click on an item and the dialog box pops up directly on top of the item you are trying to figure out what to do with, and you have to click the continue button or click out of the zoomed in area and return to the area. Other than that this is a fantastic story, I loved the graphics and the characters are very well drawn. The soundtracks are creepy and pleasant all rolled into one!
The Hidden Object Scenes are slightly interactive list finds requiring you to click to open drawers or doors to expose more items. The mini games are fun, not frustrating and each scene has several areas of interest with many items combining before being able to use them such as using a string to tie a razor onto a stick so that you can cut the guard dog's leash from a safe distance. I won't say this is an easy game, there were a few things that even I got stumped on, but most of the game is logical meaning the solutions are usually solvable with uncomplicated solutions.
The Collectors Edition has wallpapers and soundtracks available as well as a Strategy guide (not available on demo) and of course a bonus chapter. I think the strategy guide in the collectors edition is a wise choice due to the lack of a hint or directional button, but I plan on checking out the Standard Edition next, enjoy!
I recommend this game!
Rite of Passage: Hide and Seek
Twenty years ago, the children of Greystone were taken by a mysterious fog - only you escaped. It’s time to find out why...
Overall rating
5
/
5
115 of 254 found this review helpful
Welcome Home
PostedJuly 11, 2014
pennmom36
fromIf I read the words Welcome Home on my windshield, I'm outta there!
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Time Management, Puzzle
Current Favorite:
Fright Collector's Edition
(128)Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
You and your mother moved from Greystone, your brother went missing and your father never came home after he went searching for him, or so you were told! After mother's death you find letters from your father, all current, still searching for your missing brother after all these years. Of course you leave immediately for Graystone, surrounded by a dense fog, and the scar on your hand begins to react, Welcome Home! Memories of that fateful day begin to come flooding back, a strange orphan child appeared one day while you were playing Hide and Seek. She wanted to play as well but asked you to read a poem instead of counting: I count one two three, better hide while I can't see. Four and five and then comes six, my friend has a lot of tricks. After seven, eight then nine, hide or run you'll be mine. A fog falls as I count ten, you can't ever leave again! Just like that poof, everyone is gone except for you!
The people you meet will have a dialog option for your answers, one kind and polite, the other sarcastic and to the point. Choose your words wisely there is a Karma meter that changes depending on your answer that will ultimately affect the outcome of the game. (looks like you'll have to play this game twice) You will also discover new powers that your scar can activate such as translating ancient text or melting the weird ice that the fog creates.
The Hidden Object Scenes are cleverly called Hide and Seek games, they are interactive list finds but when you find the item listed the item will move out of the way to expose a keypad number for instance that will be used for the final items quest. There are a lot of mini games some simply puzzle pieces like torn pages to reconstruct others are more complex such as adjusting several colored balls on rods until all lights on the rods turn green but when you move one ball others move as well.
The Collectors Edition has 43 collectible handprints which will be assembled on a Hide and Seek model and 43 alchemical ingredients that will be used to mix a magic potion. There are soundtracks, imaginings, backgrounds, reels, storybook, cast, achievements, unlimited Hide and Seek games, a built in strategy guide and of course a bonus chapter available as well. Either edition is a sure bet because this is an excellent game that has lot's of entertainment value, enjoy!
I recommend this game!
Phantasmat
After crashing your car in the middle of nowhere, you stumble upon a mysterious town with a shady background. Solve a dark mystery!
Overall rating
5
/
5
34 of 42 found this review helpful
Phantasmat SE
PostedJuly 10, 2014
pennmom36
fromI think I would just walk home before staying at that motel!
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
Welcome to my favorite Hidden Object adventure game of all time! I have played hundreds of games and the plot on this game is phenomenal! You are traveling in the middle of the night when you realize you must be lost because nothing looks familiar so you check your map briefly and nearly plow into an oncoming car before plunging over a guardrail and down into a ravine! Thank goodness you're still alive, or are you? Everything is so creepy, especially the owner of the nearest motel and his assistant who warn you not to check in!
I purchased the Collectors Edition but never realized that this Standard Edition has all of the same features except a built in strategy guide and of course a bonus chapter. I will admit that the bonus chapter was really in itself worth the Collectors Edition price. There are achievements to earn, trophies to earn for miscellaneous goals such as not skipping mini games or using the hint button in the HOS. There also 50 Codeminion eyes hidden extremely well throughout the game. There are unique features on the options section where you can choose film grain, fullscreen, detect panoramic screen ( some scenes allow slight scrolling to the left and right) tool tips, match 3 hints, custom cursor and even high detail.
The Hidden Object Scenes consist of 12 listed items and some of the items are very well blended making some of the items a bit tough but not impossible to find. All of the scenes are doubled up so you may want to check those scenes often to see if there is another HOS available. You can opt to play a match 3 game instead where you make matches below the Codeminion eyes and as they fall off an item on the list is removed. There is a trophy for this match 3 game as well. There are lot's of mini games, some simple some a bit more difficult such as turning dials on an electric panel until the power is shut off to all leads.
This is a very suspenseful interactive game, with music that will chill ya to the bone. I can assure you, you're not going to stop playing this game because you just have to find out what Phantasmat is, enjoy!
I recommend this game!
Dark Strokes: Sins of the Fathers
Guide Ethan Black as he attempts to rescue his bride-to-be from a terrifying menace known as the Faceless Ones!
Overall rating
5
/
5
5 of 11 found this review helpful
Dark Strokes: Sins of the Fathers SE
PostedJuly 10, 2014
pennmom36
fromThe demons aren't very brave if they have to wear a mask!
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Time Management, Puzzle
Current Favorite:
Fright Collector's Edition
(128)Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
When Ethan Blake received a letter from his father the Judge of Cedar Falls, begging him to postpone his wedding to Clair and come home to Cedar Falls, he had no idea how dire the situation had become. The citizens live in constant fear of men wearing masks, the faceless demons, who are responsible for the disappearance of several of the townspeople! These faceless demons are not pleased with the couple's plans to visit the Supreme Justice, causing the train to derail and nearly taking their lives as well! Ethan's resourcefulness has an alternate transportation up and running, the town's abandoned ski lift, but their arrival was anticipated and the phantom grabs Clair and whisks her into the darkness. What has father done to these rebels to make them so angry, what do they want?
This game is packed full of interactive tasks, with intricate locks that need opened, machinery that needs repaired and codes to be solved. The Hidden Object Scenes are slightly interactive list finds such as clicking on a die until the number 6 rolls into view. The mini games are fairly simple yet fun such as clicking on tokens two at a time trying to match two tokens with corresponding items such as a skull and bones. There are also simple games such as clicking and dragging items out of the way until the pair of scissors is revealed.
The Collectors Edition has 4 bonus chapters, wallpapers, and concept art available as well as an integrated strategy guide, but in my opinion, this Standard Edition is the better value, enjoy!
I recommend this game!
Beyond the Unknown: A Matter of Time Collector's Edition
It’s time to solve the secret of this mysterious island!
Overall rating
5
/
5
234 of 523 found this review helpful
WOW!
PostedJuly 10, 2014
pennmom36
fromHow many things does Andre have in his bed? The items just keep coming!
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Time Management, Puzzle
Current Favorite:
Fright Collector's Edition
(128)Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Fantastic story! Grandpa found an ancient sarcophagus belonging to the Lord of Time. His ship ran aground, disturbing the sarcophagus, releasing the Guardians of Time and unleashing a massive time collapse. The 4 golden eagles that adorn and protect the sarcophagus must be found before time collapses or you will never be born! This truly is the eighth wonder of the world.
You are equipped with a camera phone and some of the scenes require you to take pictures when there is a camera icon. This will unlock information about the characters you meet, you need to take a picture of five points of interest for each character to unlock that characters picture and information. You have brought along your adorable Jack Russell Terrier and after you rescue him from the man eating shark, you get to name him, my dogs name is Hotdog. Some items will have a pawprint above them which means that your pup can help you out with that item. There are also 20 collectible clocks throughout the game, these clocks open up the locks on the time portal and when all 20 have been unlocked you will be able to see through time and space!
There aren't many Hidden Object Scenes, this is mostly an adventure game, with a lot of adventure! The HOS are interactive list finds with simple interactions such as picking up a block of cheese and placing it in front of the mouse hole until a mouse appears, or clicking on a rose which opens up to expose a butterfly. Some of the mini games were revamped to make them more interesting such as clicking the bolts in the centers to rotate other bolts until the correct colored bolt would engage in the correct matching colored slot, by clicking different bolts you could change the pattern of the center bolt. Other games were simple puzzles where you had to reconstruct torn diary pages by dragging them to the correct place.
This Collectors Edition has the usual extras, achievements, wallpapers, screensavers, music, concept art, replayable Hidden Object and mini games, a bonus chapter and a built in strategy guide. The graphics are well done but I have to give mad props to the artists that created the characters, extremely well done, and very lifelike, even the body movements and voiceovers are well done. They even did a wonderful job with Hotdog, most dogs in these games aren't lifelike and certainly don't move as fluent as this one, enjoy!
I recommend this game!
Dark Strokes: Sins of the Father Collector's Edition
Guide Ethan Black as he attempts to rescue his bride-to-be from a terrifying menace known as the Faceless Ones!
Overall rating
5
/
5
16 of 25 found this review helpful
Dark Strokes: Sins of the Father CE
PostedJuly 9, 2014
pennmom36
fromThe city built a gate to keep the evil phantom from getting in, really?
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Time Management, Puzzle
Current Favorite:
Fright Collector's Edition
(128)Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Ethan Blake has just received an urgent message from his father, Judge Blake, insisting he postpone his wedding to Clair and come to Cedar Falls immediately! Something or someone doesn't want to see them arrive in Cedar Falls, a faceless demon causes the train to derail nearly killing both of them! They quickly resort to plan B traveling on an abandoned ski lift, this also turns out disastrous when they arrive, this same phantom whisks up Clair and quickly disappears into the night! The whole town has been living in fear from these faceless demons who are responsible for the disappearances of many citizens including the love of your life, what has your father done to anger this phantom who seeks revenge?
This is a fantastic game with plenty of activities to do in every scene. The Hidden Object Scenes are slightly interactive list finds where you might be required to find a key and use that key on the cash register drawer to expose the money, or turn a die several times until the number 6 shows up. The mini games are creative although nothing new such as flipping tokens over two at a time until you find two tokens that correspond to each other such as a foot and a hand. there are also tasks such as clicking and dragging miscellaneous items out of the way until you find a pair of scissors.
In my opinion there isn't enough backbone in this edition to make it a worthy Collectors Edition. there are wallpapers, concept art, and a built in strategy guide as well as 4 bonus chapters that take you back to the beginnings of the phantoms life. Nothing else, no collectibles, achievements or morphing objects. The story however is still excellent in either edition. The only complaints I have are a couple of misspelled words in the journal and a map that is worthless because it simply shows a red dot stating "you are here" enjoy!
I recommend this game!
Dark Ritual
Step into the shoes of a detective who has been approached by the FBI to take over a terrifying case and stop a Dark Ritual!
Overall rating
3
/
5
6 of 12 found this review helpful
Dark Ritual
PostedJuly 9, 2014
pennmom36
fromWhat is up with your eyes!
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Time Management, Puzzle
Current Favorite:
Fright Collector's Edition
(128)Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
Your sister has been missing for months with no leads until FBI agent Johnson informs you that the FBI is investigating Dr. Seymour Brown as the prime suspect in the disappearance of your sister. Agent Johnson believes that your sister is being used in a governmental weaponization project, mind control, even worse, an ancient Dark Ritual. When you arrive at the family mansion of Dr. Brown, everyone starts behaving erratically, including Agent Johnson whose eyes are glowing an iridescent blue as he mumbles that his master is calling him!
I would have given this game a higher rating if I didn't have to scan the entire room until my cursor had a small gear, hand or magnifying glass within the same cursor. The cursor itself doesn't change, just the icon at the bottom of the cursor, because there isn't enough of a change in the cursor, many things get overlooked the first time around. The graphics aren't bad, but there are no voiceovers, just dialog boxes to read, and the different characters just suddenly appear then either suddenly disappear or move stiffly back and forth as if someone is flipping through cartoon cell pages as quickly as possible to give the appearance of movement.
There are a lot of Hidden Object Scenes in this game, they are slightly interactive list finds such as picking up a knife and using the knife on a pumpkin to make a Jack-O-Lantern. Some of the items were very well hidden and I had to use the hint button on more than one occasion. I actually liked most of the mini games, most were simple puzzles such as turning valves until all three tubes had equal amounts of fluid. The mini game I enjoyed the most was sliding different shaped puzzle pieces on an H grid with an extra space below the horizontal bar of the H, until the correct pieces were in the correct positions allowing the lock pieces to come together around the puzzle pieces.
There aren't any extras, no collectibles, no frills, there isn't even a map available, and the hint system will only tell you there's nothing to do here. It isn't a bad game, and can be quite entertaining especially if you like a lot of HOS and some interesting mini games, enjoy!
I recommend this game!
Rise of Dynasty
Help rebuild an empire, from building farms to the Great Wall!
Overall rating
4
/
5
140 of 161 found this review helpful
Get's A Little Monotonous
PostedJuly 9, 2014
pennmom36
fromTimed or Relaxed or Relaxed Timed?!
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Time Management, Puzzle
Current Favorite:
Fright Collector's Edition
(128)Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
After years of being ruled by a Tyrant who oppressed and enslaved his own people, the people rose up against their leader to dethrone him and start anew. Years of civil war and tyranny have left the farmers with improper equipment to farm with and the new leader has vowed to help his people help themselves in the rise of this new Dynasty!
You can play this Match 3 game in Timed or Relaxed modes, each level requires you to clear all blue tiles first, as you progress you will be required to clear red tiles as well. Once these tiles have been cleared, you will need to collect a special item or items by making matches below the items until they fall off of the board.
Creating matches of 4 or 5 tiles will fill the amulet located at the bottom of the board, when the amulet is fully charged you can click on it to release a powerful lightning storm which will clear several random tiles on the board. You want to use the amulet whenever you can because each level starts with an empty amulet. Power-ups can be earned by making matches as well, and there may be several available because you can carry over power-ups to the next levels. some of the power-ups clear a 3x3 area and can be placed anywhere on the board, the fire power-up clears an entire row, each new power-up destroys tiles in a specific way either random or in a cross shape etc.
The coins that you earn will be used to rebuild the farms, buy cottages and houses. You will also buy sawmills, lumber mills and even grain mills. You purchase these buildings one at a time in a specific order, you cannot choose which buildings to buy. In my opinion this Match 3 game didn't have any wow factors to keep my interest, game after game, it was just more of the same goals as the level before. The tiles had lions, bowls, bottles coins and flowers, nothing special, no eye candy. Some of the tiles are "tangled" and you have to make matches of that tangled tile to release the immovable tile. This is a good Match 3 game, but can become repetitive as you progress, enjoy!
I recommend this game!