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:
Haunted Hotel: Ancient Bane
Guests keep disappearing from a gimmicky haunted hotel. Is there someone pulling the strings, or are these ghosts actually real?
Overall rating
5
/
5
93 of 184 found this review helpful
It Really Is Haunted
PostedJune 27, 2014
pennmom36
fromIf servants have no voice, why did he reply "yes master"?
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Time Management, Puzzle
Current Favorite:
Dark Parables: The Exiled Prince Collector's Edition
(75)Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Buyer beware, if it's haunted, leave it be, problem solved. Abraham Shadowy is a mechanical engineer who has reopened a Haunted hotel using all his skills as a mechanical engineer to give his guests a truly good nights fright! However, when guests check in and disappear, the possibility that the hotel may indeed be haunted becomes a reality and James has asked for your help once again to investigate this paranormal site but so far the only thing paranormal is Abraham's behavior and a few mechanical parlor tricks you discover.
This is a really entertaining game filled with all kinds of mechanical gadgets to tinker with, including a flying scarab that will assist you with those out of reach items. There are plus sign indicators which means that some of the inventory items require further action or repair. There is a map for teleporting, and you will probably want to use it because there is a lot of back and forthing required as you find an item in one location but need to use that item in the previous location.
The Hidden Object scenes are slightly interactive list finds where you may have to click on a hat to move it, exposing an item or using a knife to cut stitching revealing an item. The mini games are very easy such as memorizing the sequence of several colored balls after the lid closes. Another mini game requires you to adjust mirrors to reflect a beam of light from one end to the other.
I will admit that I wasn't as excited with this Haunted Hotel as with the first edition, but there are a lot of mechanical gadgets in this game due to the fact that Abraham is a mechanical engineer. The Collectors Edition has achievements to earn as well as Egyptian jars containing the ashes of the dearly departed. Personally I think this Standard Edition is the better value, I don't think there were enough bells and whistles in the CE, and because this is a fairly logical game, you probably won't need the built in strategy guide, enjoy!
I recommend this game!
Dark Parables: The Exiled Prince Collector's Edition
Investigate the disappearance of the chancellor's daughter and uncover the long lost kingdom of the exiled Frog Prince!
Overall rating
5
/
5
11 of 16 found this review helpful
Dark Parables: The Exiled Prince CE
PostedJune 26, 2014
pennmom36
fromI ain't kissing the frog with the glowing eyes!
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Time Management, Puzzle
Current Favorite:
Dark Parables: The Red Riding Hood Sisters Collector's Edition
(261)Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Black Forest, Germany, a beautiful young woman is being accompanied by a chaperon, the daughter of the Chancellor tells a tale about the The Exiled Prince. Legend says that whenever a fog rolls through the forest, the frog Prince appears, searching for his beloved Princess, however no one who has laid eyes on the Prince ever returns to confirm this twisted Dark Parables fairy tale!
This is just one Dark Parables tale out of an entire series, and happens to be one of my personal favorites. This Collectors Edition has wallpapers, music, concept art, movie galleries, a built in strategy guide and a bonus chapter, The Frozen Lair. It also has one of my favorite features, 20 morphing objects that when found will increase the speed of the hint refill meter.
Dark Parables has a unique style of Hidden Object Games, the objects are actually fragments of an object scattered about and surprisingly well obscured. There are three sections and when all fragments have been found the sections will come together to make a single inventory item such as a gate key or a net. My favorite mini game was one that you had to change the numbers on three dice so that the adjoining pair of dice would add up to the sum shown.
You can only play this game in a hard mode after completing the game in normal mode. You can grab an inventory item and place it on the hint icon to see what location to use that item in and if you click on the hint button in a mini game, a partial solution will be shown. You simply cannot go wrong with any of the Dark Parables games, they are all top notch and extremely entertaining games, enjoy!
I recommend this game!
Dark Parables: Ballad of Rapunzel Collector's Edition
A strange and deadly pollen is spreading around the world, and you’ve been hired to track down its source. But the secrets you discover in the fabled kingdom of Floralia are much darker than you imagined...
Overall rating
5
/
5
249 of 427 found this review helpful
Rapunzel, Rapunzel, Let Your.....Voice Sing?!
PostedJune 26, 2014
pennmom36
fromIf we cut her hair will she sing baritone?
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Time Management, Puzzle
Current Favorite:
Dark Parables: The Red Riding Hood Sisters Collector's Edition
(261)Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Only Dark Parables can put this kind of twist to a classic fairy tale! The once adored Princess Rapunzel is somehow responsible for causing flowers in the kingdom of Floralia to emit a deadly poisonous pollen that disables it's victim. A dark force has been beside her the entire time urging her to sing a beautiful melodic song, "sing for me Rapunzel" Who is this wicked woman? It's time to let your hair down and roll up your sleeves detective, there's a Dark Parables mystery to solve! I loved how they tied this game in with Snow Queen, as soon as I heard the name Kai, I knew the characters were the grown up children captured by the evil Snow Queen (and rescued by you, detective!)
In classic Dark Parables style, everything about this adventure is unique. The graphics are beautiful, the story intriguing and the Hidden Object Scenes are actually very well done FROGS. This is where you must find fragmented pieces in three sections and when you find all three sections, the sections will form together to make a single inventory item. Most of the mini games involve interacting with a stage scene, for example the first part of a mini game has you select tokens with different stages of a flowers growth in order. The second part will open and there are three separate puzzles, one with tokens that you rotate to complete a picture, another has you swap tiles to complete a picture and the final puzzle has you guiding tokens on a path until the correct token is in the correct spot with the clues shown.
Dark Parables never let's me down, 20 morphing objects are once again available, morphing objects won't necessarily be activated when you first see them, some objects won't morph until a specific action or chapter has been accessed so you may have to backtrack several times before an object morphs. Each time you find a morphing object it will make your hint meter recharge faster as well. Once again you will collect Parables, there are several parable stories and each story requires you to find all parables in a category before you can hear that tale. There are also 20 collectible stone flowers, roses, magnolias, cosmos, tulips etc.
This Collectors Edition is a MUST! Do not wait for the Standard Edition, you are going to enjoy all of the bells and whistles Dark Parables has to offer. Puzzles, wallpapers, movie gallery, music, concept art, parable notes, collectibles, morphing objects, a built in strategy guide and of course a bonus chapter! Enjoy!
I recommend this game!
Dark Parables: Rise of the Snow Queen
Journey into the mythical Snowfall Kingdom and investigate the disappearance of children in Dark Parables: Rise of the Snow Queen!
Overall rating
5
/
5
10 of 13 found this review helpful
Dark Parables: Rise of the Snow Queen SE
PostedJune 25, 2014
pennmom36
fromAll she needs is one true love!
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Time Management, Puzzle
Current Favorite:
Dark Parables: The Red Riding Hood Sisters Collector's Edition
(261)Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Tales have been passed down for centuries of a Snow Queen who steals children, but when people started spotting the Snow Queen and the village children began disappearing, you have to believe she's real. You are called in to investigate this Queen and hopefully find out what happened to the children.
This is an excellent fairy tale with a twist as only Dark Parables can pull off. I will admit I chose the Collectors Edition because of the morphing objects alone, not to mention the collectible parable gems, bonus game and more.
The Hidden Object Scenes are unique to the Dark Parables series they are actually Fragmented Objects and when you find all the pieces to all 3 sections, the item will go together to complete a single inventory item such as an axe or emblem. Most of the mini games involve creating a path from one end to the other using the correct number of colored tokens as shown at the top of the board.
I highly recommend all of the Dark Parables games, every single game is fantastic, with beautiful graphics and entertaining puzzles, enjoy!
I recommend this game!
Braveland
Start as a humble warrior's son whose village was cruelly raided. Command your troops and defeat your enemies!
Overall rating
3
/
5
62 of 73 found this review helpful
Got Boring Too Quickly
PostedJune 25, 2014
pennmom36
fromThose poor baby wolves!
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 is a game that you're going to love or hate. Available in Easy, Normal and Hard modes of difficulty. There is too much dialog in between battles in my opinion, a gang of bandits has plundered all of your food supply for the winter so you are a brave warrior tracking down the bandits to make them pay for what they stole. Other pheasants, archers, peons etc join in your posse and help battle the bandits, each with their own set of skills, some of the people who join you have skills that they are willing to teach to your people. When you finally get to the battle, you must strategically decide who each man will battle according to skills and lives available. The characters are on a honeycomb grid and you move the characters to the bandit you want him to attack. You can move your character over the character that is dead and has dropped money but your opponent can do this as well. You can purchase upgrades such as endurance in a battle or stronger attacks and you can purchase more men with the gold you receive. Each character as well as your opponents will have different skills, different endurances and different ways of moving so you must read about each character's skills. For me this game became monotonous too quickly, but you may very well love it.
I don't recommend this game.
Big Win Goldmine
Step up to the slots and shout YEE-HA when you win big in Big Win Goldmine Slots!
Overall rating
5
/
5
133 of 164 found this review helpful
It's Official, I'm A Millionaire!
PostedJune 25, 2014
pennmom36
fromCan I bet all 2 million on roulette?
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
What an entertaining game! I'm either really good at this game, or the ratio of wins is really high because after just one hour of play I earned 18/60 awards and had over 2 million dollars! You can customize your slot machine's payout mode, low-medium or dream, and you can have either 4 reels or 6 reels. You start with 10k and can bet minimums of 25 all the way to maximum of 30k with 243 playable lines. There are 60 awards for such things as winning 6 games in a row, 5 kings etc. Each time you get a winning spin you can choose to gamble that hands winnings by playing a single hand of blackjack, a game of roulette, or a game of gamble where you put all winnings on either red or black and if the mining cart spills out your color, you can continue to play (or quit) by guessing the suite. There is a random donkey racing game and gold nugget games as well. I'm here to tell you this is bar far the most fun I've had virtual gambling, it's a really fun game, enjoy!
I recommend this game!
Dark Parables: Rise of the Snow Queen Collector's Edition
Journey into the mythical Snowfall Kingdom and investigate the disappearance of children in Dark Parables: Rise of the Snow Queen!
Overall rating
5
/
5
13 of 16 found this review helpful
Dark Parables: Rise of the Snow Queen CE
PostedJune 24, 2014
pennmom36
fromWhat happens to the Snow Queen in the summer?
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Time Management, Puzzle
Current Favorite:
Dark Parables: The Red Riding Hood Sisters Collector's Edition
(261)Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Dark Parables is by far one of my favorite series of games, Snow Queen is one of the reasons I love these games. Dark Parables takes the usual fairy tale and gives it a bit of a twist to make the usual unusual. The Snow Queen has been nothing more than a folk lore handed down for centuries, now she has been seen by several people of the town causing most of them to flee, even worse several children are missing! It's your job as a detective to investigate the Snow Queen, fact or fiction, and of course rescue the missing children.
The graphics are stunning, there is a particular style of beauty that only Dark Parables seems to be able to accomplish. There are 20 morphing objects to find which will upgrade your hint meter to refill faster with each morph found. Keep in mind that the objects won't necessarily morph when you first see them, some require a certain action or chapter to activate them. This game is also famous for the collectible parables, several gems in several parable stories and when you find all of one parable, you can read a story about it.
The Hidden Object Scenes are actually Fragmented Object Scenes where you find fragmented pieces in three sections and when all pieces have been found they fit together to form a single item that will be used as inventory such as a trident or an emblem. There are tons of mini games, most of them involve creating a path using the correct number of colored tokens as shown above the game.
This Collectors Edition includes puzzles, wallpapers, concept art, music, movie gallery and a bonus game, Hansel and Gretel. I always opt for the CE simply because of the morphs that are incredibly well done, enjoy!
I recommend this game!
Artifacts of Eternity
Travel through time to find the lost artifacts and restore the lost collection!
Overall rating
5
/
5
113 of 123 found this review helpful
This Is How A Match 3 Game Is Done!
PostedJune 24, 2014
pennmom36
fromTime warp
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
Available in Relaxed or Timed modes, travel to over 50 locations as you help the Professor collect the artifacts that were lost in time. You start out in the Professors lab until you repair the time machine that will allow you to travel to exotic places and times such as Egypt and Mexico. The goal is to complete an object needed to recover the artifact in that area, but different obstacles might be standing in your way, bushes which need hedge clippers, dams that need wood etc. Some of the Match 3 games require you to make matches below items such as an eye, wood, lightning, until enough fall off of the board thus completing the object needed. Other games require you to make matches until all cells have been turned yellow, and some require you to make matches clearing a path as the board moves so that the object on the left will travel to the object on the right such as a lamp and a generator. Some tiles are blocked requiring you to make matches beside them in order to break the stone or wooden tiles. You receive more points for larger matches and you must strive for 100% accuracy which was a really cool feature. After each area is completed and the artifact found for that area, you will complete a jigsaw puzzle which reveals the next location. The jigsaw puzzle is fairly easy, the shapes are outlined on the picture and you pick up the pieces at the bottom that are available, more show up as you place the pieces until complete. The tiles are appropriate for the area as well such as Egyptian birds, ankhs, and the eye of Ra, Mexico has Myhan themed pieces that resemble carved stone, this really is an entertaining Match 3 game, enjoy!
I recommend this game!
Monument Builders: Alcatraz
Take part in building the monument that made Alcatraz Island a household name!
Overall rating
5
/
5
104 of 117 found this review helpful
The Best Monument Builders Yet!
PostedJune 24, 2014
pennmom36
fromCal Palone, really??
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 favorite feature on the Monument Builders games are the anecdotes, in this case a very interesting subject, Alcatraz! Before each level you will learn a fact about this prison, once a military prison converted into a maximum security prison which once held the famous prisoner # 85, Al Capone. This is a TM game that requires you to meet specific goals and earn up to three stars depending upon the time it takes you to finish the level, you also earn gems which can be used to purchase upgrades. Some of the goals are clearing the roads of debris such as cement bags, logs, and giant cupcakes (??) You must repair the roads to allow the horse and carts deliver product. You may need to build a cement factory, a bank or a cake factory, but keep in mind that in order to produce food, you will have to build a cake factory, to build a cake factory you will have to collect cement and wood etc. With the gems you earn you will be given the choice to upgrade in three different areas such as, specialized workers, faster production, or automatic delivery of supplies. With 50 levels available this should turn out to be a very fun and informational game, enjoy!
I recommend this game!
Sweet Shop Rush
Build the sweet shop of your dreams and keep the local patrons coming back for more!
Overall rating
3
/
5
65 of 73 found this review helpful
Rush Is Right
PostedJune 23, 2014
pennmom36
fromSelf serve now open!
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 is one of the few Match 3 games that I just couldn't get in to. In some ways it is similar to a popular candy themed Match 3, just not as much fun. The object of this game is to "serve" customers who are waiting for a tasty treat, to do this you must make Match 3 or more of whatever ingredient this customer wants such as chocolate dipped strawberries, ice cream or candy. You need to make sure the customer is happy and doesn't wait too long for his treat just like in a Time Management game. Once you have made enough matches and the treat is ready, you have to stop making matches and click on the finished product which will be served to the customer, and then click on the money the customer leaves to make room for another customer. This takes a lot of time which becomes frustrating and you lose stars (3 star goal) at the end of the game. There are bonuses you earn in the form of a cherry bomb which destroys tiles in a cross formation for every 20 swaps made, a lollipop will appear every 60 matches which adds 40 % happiness to the angriest customer. You also get treats for match 4's which is given to the angriest customer and match 5 puts money on the board which can be clicked individually. You can use the money you earn to purchase products such as more expensive treats. I thought the music was a tad bit annoying, and this would have been a better game if it wasn't a TM game combined with a Match 3.
I don't recommend this game.