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:
Column of the Maya
Solve an ancient mystery and explore Mayan ruins, perilous jungles, and perilous burial chambers in The Column of the Maya!
Overall rating
2
/
5
7 of 9 found this review helpful
Column of the Maya
PostedMay 13, 2014
pennmom36
fromSure is big
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Time Management, Puzzle
Current Favorite:
New York Mysteries: Secrets of the Mafia Collector's Edition
(100)Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
2
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
I couldn't even finish the demo. This is a very boring game, although I thought it would be different because of the opening introduction which portraits a sarcastic archeologist named Sarah who is being held at gunpoint by Miguel. Then you are taken back to how this situation came about by searching hidden object scenes in her office. The HOS are cartoonish sketches with tiny unrecognizable objects, and little detail. I am an expert at this type of game, I am able to find all hidden objects on a list in a matter of seconds, yet I found myself clicking the hint button and randomly clicking on anything with the hope of getting lucky. If I can't recognize hidden object items what is the point of the game?
I don't recommend this game.
Black Rainbow
For adventurer Helen Stone, the biggest adventure is yet to come!
Overall rating
4
/
5
140 of 167 found this review helpful
The Chosen One
PostedMay 13, 2014
pennmom36
fromWho is the person in charge of choosing?
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Time Management, Puzzle
Current Favorite:
New York Mysteries: Secrets of the Mafia Collector's Edition
(100)Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
I'm on the fence with this game. I usually rate games with 5 stars if I finish the demo, and I would purchase the game, 4 stars if I finished the demo and would use a credit or take advantage of a sale, 3 stars if I finished the demo but would not purchase the game, 2 stars if I couldn't finish the demo therefore no need to consider purchasing the game and I really haven't played a game that I despise so much that I give it 1 star. I did finish the demo, the game does have a fun factor, no HOS but I enjoyed most of the mini games. The graphics aren't the best out there but I have seen worse. The opening scene begins with a sacrifice about to occur when a giant black evil cloud interrupts the ceremony and the main character, Helen must evacuate her home which has been set ablaze by flaming arrows. Her journey takes her deep into the jungle where she learns that she is the chosen one who will be the victor over evil (naturally) There is a feature in this game which can be turned off, that shows icons of feet of all the possible travel locations, there is also a map that can transport you to any location you have visited. Some of the inventory items require several items to retrieve it, an icon will pop up and show silhouettes of all items needed and as you find those items you simply click and drag them to the correct silhouette. There are also 21 hidden skulls to find throughout the game and there are trophies or achievements to earn, I suggest you read through them before starting the game if you want to achieve all awards. As I said before there aren't any hidden object scenes per say but there are a lot of inventory items to find, some hidden in brush or even in zoomed in areas, I did have a hard time finding a couple of things because I wasn't looking up or in unusual places. There are a lot of mini games and I was able to solve most quickly although there are a couple of those really annoying puzzles that seem to have no logic and a lot of frustration, but they are all doable. There was a tiki safe that had three gems that lit up in different sequences that you had to repeat, piano keys that would progressively play more notes each time that you repeat, an Indian Chiefs head dress with brightly colored gems representing the rainbow that required gems be selected the same as a rainbow, sword levers that had to be retracted in pairs in the correct sequence. My favorite was a series of three masks, one large one to start with, you had to light up three buttons on this mask at the same time some of the buttons stayed on longer than others. Once you solved that, the large mask opened up to reveal a medium sized mask with three buttons. Now it get's tricky because not only do you have to light up all three buttons on the medium mask, but you also have to light up all three buttons on the larger mask so that all six buttons are lit at the same time. Just when you get that figured out (you guessed it) a third smaller mask would be revealed with 3 buttons as well, and now you have the challenge of lighting all 9 buttons at the same time starting with the slowest to turn off to the fastest! I think I'm going to stick to my 4 star rating because I enjoyed the story, the theme and the mini games, I'm sure this will be a game with ratings split down the middle, with a love it or hate it vibe but I think at the very least it's worth a credit, enjoy!
I recommend this game!
Columbus: Ghost of the Mystery Stone
After crashing his ship, Columbus sees a beautiful apparition. Now, he must explore a mysterious island and battle for survival!
Overall rating
4
/
5
4 of 4 found this review helpful
Columbus: Ghost of the Mystery Stone
PostedMay 12, 2014
pennmom36
fromWhat happened to the crew?
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Time Management, Puzzle
Current Favorite:
New York Mysteries: Secrets of the Mafia Collector's Edition
(100)Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
An oldie but goodie, the graphics are even pretty decent considering this game was first released in 2011! There are two modes of difficulty, casual and expert. This is the untold story of Columbus' first discovery. Columbus has been sent on a voyage by the Queen of Spain to find a shorter trade route to India when he encounters a storm of the century. For days the Pinta was brutally tossed about in the ocean until she crashed ashore on some rocks, hurling Columbus overboard to almost certain death. As he was sinking to the bottom he caught a glimpse of a beautiful phantom who brought him to shore, was he dreaming this apparition or could she be real? Now he finds himself alone on an island that was recently inhabited, but strangely abandoned! The tasks are pretty easy to figure out and there are a bunch of hidden object scenes that are surprisingly well done. There are mini games as well such as flipping over stones two at a time in order to find identical pictures. This is a nice HOG with a nautical theme, enjoy!
I recommend this game!
Royal Jigsaw 3
Try the new King Size Jigsaw! Choose from 1000 high quality images, play with unlimited time, and earn achievements and trophies.
Overall rating
5
/
5
130 of 139 found this review helpful
Jigsaw Puzzles Fit For a King!
PostedMay 12, 2014
pennmom36
fromDoes this qualify me as Royal?
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Time Management, Puzzle
Current Favorite:
New York Mysteries: Secrets of the Mafia Collector's Edition
(100)Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Another great Royal Jigsaw, with 4 boxes containing 250 puzzles each for a total of 1000 puzzles ranging from 12-280 pieces! These are gorgeous pictures of castles from around the world, knights in shining armor, antiques, jewelry, landscapes, horses, swans, and royal people, a puzzle to please just about every puzzle geek out there! These puzzles have a unique option that allows you to "modify" any puzzle, you can choose the cut of the puzzle from straight pieces to slanted, you can choose how many pieces from 12-280 and whether the pieces can be rotated or not. There are 7 different categories for trophies (multiple awards in each category) Each puzzle has a box in the top left which allows you to store some of the puzzle pieces to give you more room, Each puzzle has options such as showing the image of the picture at x1, x2, or x3, or you can ghost the image on the background which also has the option of pale green, blue, pink or yellow backgrounds. You can choose the border pieces only and when the border is complete, the rest of the pieces will automatically appear and those pieces can be sorted automatically. There is also a hint button and a magnifying glass feature so get your Royal Geek on and put together a virtual puzzle, enjoy!
I recommend this game!
The Wall: Medieval Heroes
Can you thwart the barbarian siege? Use a variety of defensive units, towers, and traps to save the village from your attackers.
Overall rating
5
/
5
136 of 154 found this review helpful
Tower Defense Meets Time Management
PostedMay 12, 2014
pennmom36
fromCharge!
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Time Management, Puzzle
Current Favorite:
New York Mysteries: Secrets of the Mafia Collector's Edition
(100)Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
This is an extremely fast paced game that will require a lot of skill and strategy so prepare yourself for the ultimate defense game and protect the wall at all costs! There are two sections to this game, the left side is the time management section where you hire workers to build farms for food, mine gold for resources and all the other usual TM chores. The resources you collect are used to build an army defense that will allow you to fight enemy attacks and protect the castle wall. There are several modes available, Classic-defend yourself, Extended- which has more enemy waves, Pro-which has heftier attacks, Pro Extended which is more aggressive, Siege- which earns no gold and 15 waves, Endurance- which is never ending, and I Life- which only gives you one life to win as many battles as possible. You choose which soldiers to use (3 choices available until you progress) There are Cavalry, Projectile weapons, Lightly armed shooters, tanks, heavily armed shooters, and anti-cavalry men to choose from, some are stronger than others. For instance, the Pikeman can defeat Cavaliers but a Halberdier can defeat a Pikeman. Before an attack begins you can build towers for archers or place them on the wall itself, to move the ground soldiers you simply move the flag and they follow and engage in battle with incoming enemies. You can upgrade this flag as well, more stars=more powerful effects. There is a really good tutorial and it does seem like a lot of information to absorb but once you start playing it starts to make sense. This is not a game for casual players, and it isn't an easy game so if you like battle type games and fast paced games this one's for you, enjoy!
I recommend this game!
Clean up the Clutter in this amazing Hidden Object game! Take on mini games and put everything in order again!
Overall rating
5
/
5
50 of 53 found this review helpful
Clutter II: He Said, She Said
PostedMay 11, 2014
pennmom36
fromWhat did they say?
Skill Level:Expert
Current Favorite:
New York Mysteries: Secrets of the Mafia Collector's Edition
(100)Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
I loved this game, but I honestly have to say that the original Clutter and the third Clutter editions were more captivating. This edition does have some newer features such as being able to drag items out of the way in order to find the items that match the picture (on selected games not all games) There is also a feature called Black & White that I was terrible at. These games require you to match an item in color to it's identical item in black and white. One of the games gives you a warning that you might not be able to find all matches due to the difficult patterns, which were brightly colored, busy patterns on eggs with mostly blacks, reds and yellows. (I was able to find all matches very quickly yet black and white was nearly impossible for me!?) There are still the usual Clutter standards of matching identical items in a pile of cluttered junk, or matching the pictured items and my favorite, finding the exact item that matches the item going by on the conveyor belt, if you don't find the match before the item disappears then you have to wait until it loops back around. In between games there are mini games or puzzles such as sliding puzzle sections left and right and then up and down until you complete the picture. My favorite mini game was similar to the first Clutter's coin game but this one is with numbered pool balls called Rackem. You have to correctly place the balls onto the numbers but they also have cue balls of different patterns and all grid cells have to contain one ball. Great entertainment, enjoy!
I recommend this game!
Clutter
Clean up the Clutter in this amazing Hidden Object game! Take on minigames and put everything in order again!
Overall rating
5
/
5
53 of 56 found this review helpful
Clutter
PostedMay 11, 2014
pennmom36
from"If you have more than one something, do you need the extras"?
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Time Management, Puzzle
Current Favorite:
Cadenza: Music, Betrayal and Death Collector's Edition
(236)Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
I don't understand how anybody couldn't love this game, what a variety! The developer (I'm assuming) Leon Poncelette, has been trying to de-clutter the lives of others for over 50 years because he believes that clutter prevents you from enjoying life. There are several variations, but basically the scenes are a pile of junk that you try to reduce by making matches. There are coins and scrabble letters in each scene that just require a single click for bonus points and you earn a hint for every 4 coins you collect. Some of the scenes require you to make matches of identical items until the timer runs out, some require you to find the matching item as shown as a picture, others may require you to find the item matching on the moving conveyor belt, if you don't find the item the first time the item will loop around again but you can only click on the item when it is shown on the belt. You are given points for each item and you get more points for finding matches quickly. When your score is tallied up you also get points for accuracy by not misclicking or clicking on the incorrect match. There are also mini games between levels and my favorite one was placing set groups of coins with different patterns onto a chess board before the two minute timer ends, enjoy!
I recommend this game!
Cadenza: Music, Betrayal and Death
You've returned from school to visit your father at his famous Jazz Pepper Club during Mardi Gras, but everyone is hypnotized. Have they heard the wrong note?
Overall rating
5
/
5
159 of 179 found this review helpful
Jazz Music So Beautiful It's Hypnotic
PostedMay 11, 2014
pennmom36
fromThe finest water in New Orleans?
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Time Management, Puzzle
Current Favorite:
Cadenza: Music, Betrayal and Death Collector's Edition
(236)Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
"It's good to be back in New Orleans" that is until she finds her father among everyone else in the famous Jazz Pepper Club in a hypnotic catatonic state! Could the man in the white suit who nearly knocked her down as he rushed past her be responsible? You begin your own investigation to find the person responsible, what you find however is evidence of betrayal and possibly the murder of Frankie, the original saxaphone player for the Dixie Peppers! Is Frankie seeking revenge from beyond the grave or is he able to walk amongst the living during the celebrations of Mardi Gras?
The quality doesn't get much better than this cats, so crank up the speaker volume, turn off the lights and let this game take you to back to New Orleans (Na-lens) the beautiful sights and sweet jazz music buzzing throughout the streets. The meticulous attention to detail is obvious right from the start of this game, the graphics pop with visual eye candy and the music draws you in hook line and sinker! However, I personally would choose the Collectors Edition for the collectibles and morphs, it adds just a little more challenge and I love morphs, but this is still a quality game and well worth the Standard Edition price.
The Hidden Object Scenes are going to knock your socks off, just another example of the attention to detail with flair. The very first HOS gives you the name of an item such as hat, when you find, and click on the hat, a musical note appears to collect. The next item is shown as a picture which requires you to pick up and put into the scene such as a pepper shaker is placed next to the salt shaker, and then you click on that complete item to reveal another musical note, and it will alternate between a list find and placing an item until complete. We're not done yet, the next HOS is more of a mini game combined with hidden objects. As a story is narrated, there is a single item in color that appears on a black and white picture, you need to find that item and place that item where it belongs, which might be a star in the artwork of the picture or a rose that adorns a character's hair. As soon as you place that item, that area fills in with color and you repeat the process until the entire picture is in color. Still not done with the newbies, one HOS required you to find matching pairs such as two books, two ties or two clocks. You had to click on items in the scene to move them and reveal an item you are looking for with the hope of finding the match, if they don't match they return to the previous location and you start over. There was even a hidden object scene on a mosaic painting of the Dixie Peppers and because of all the different shapes in the painting itself, it made it very difficult (but fun) to find some of the items. Great game, probably deserves an end of the year award because I can't imagine a game topping this quality, enjoy!
The quality doesn't get much better than this cats, so crank up the speaker volume, turn off the lights and let this game take you to back to New Orleans (Na-lens) the beautiful sights and sweet jazz music buzzing throughout the streets. The meticulous attention to detail is obvious right from the start of this game, the graphics pop with visual eye candy and the music draws you in hook line and sinker! However, I personally would choose the Collectors Edition for the collectibles and morphs, it adds just a little more challenge and I love morphs, but this is still a quality game and well worth the Standard Edition price.
The Hidden Object Scenes are going to knock your socks off, just another example of the attention to detail with flair. The very first HOS gives you the name of an item such as hat, when you find, and click on the hat, a musical note appears to collect. The next item is shown as a picture which requires you to pick up and put into the scene such as a pepper shaker is placed next to the salt shaker, and then you click on that complete item to reveal another musical note, and it will alternate between a list find and placing an item until complete. We're not done yet, the next HOS is more of a mini game combined with hidden objects. As a story is narrated, there is a single item in color that appears on a black and white picture, you need to find that item and place that item where it belongs, which might be a star in the artwork of the picture or a rose that adorns a character's hair. As soon as you place that item, that area fills in with color and you repeat the process until the entire picture is in color. Still not done with the newbies, one HOS required you to find matching pairs such as two books, two ties or two clocks. You had to click on items in the scene to move them and reveal an item you are looking for with the hope of finding the match, if they don't match they return to the previous location and you start over. There was even a hidden object scene on a mosaic painting of the Dixie Peppers and because of all the different shapes in the painting itself, it made it very difficult (but fun) to find some of the items. Great game, probably deserves an end of the year award because I can't imagine a game topping this quality, enjoy!
I recommend this game!
Classic Adventures: The Great Gatsby
F. Scott Fitzgerald’s Jazz Age is in full swing in this decadent adventure. Bring this legendary American novel to life!
Overall rating
5
/
5
11 of 15 found this review helpful
Classic Adventures: The Great Gatsby
PostedMay 10, 2014
pennmom36
fromThis game is a sleeper game, I would never have guessed how entertaining this game would be!
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Time Management, Puzzle
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
I'm always thrilled when I play a game with "out of the box thinking" and this certainly fills that niche! The problem with this game is that they did such a fantastic job with the hidden object scenes that you don't get into the story, in fact, I tended to tune out the characters voices so much that I can't even tell you what the story is truly about. However, I can tell you all about the out of the box features starting at the very beginning. Some of the scenes are scrolling HOS where you have to spot 5 of the same items such as clocks, stars and bottles as the screen scrolls by. If you don't find all items the first time you can opt to replay the scene as often as you want until you find the items. Each HOS has a list of items to find, some of which are really well hidden. Each scene has hidden letters that aren't on the list and when you find all the letters it will spell a complete word. If you can't find all of the letters you can choose to guess at the word by typing in the word, but it must be spelled correctly, and if you are correct the location of the letters are revealed. Each scene has one hidden book, of different colors and sizes that will go into your library. The library is where you store your books, and trophies that you earn and with the points you earn from the HOS, you can purchase furniture, art, lighting, plants and even a dog, cat, bird and parrot! This game claims that you don't have to search for hidden objects to complete the game, the hidden objects simply earn you points to furnish your library, to me this makes no sense, are you just going to listen to characters make a few comments to each other, what's the point of the game? There are some really fun mini games such as making 4 gin martinis with the correct ingredients in the correct order and my personal favorite was using the keyboard to correctly type words as they were falling down, you have to spell the word correctly, type the word exactly (using caps etc) and finish typing the word before it reaches your typewriter. I haven't seen this game in a HOS before, extremely fast paces and fun, I could have done that for hours, enjoy!
I recommend this game!
Forgotten Books: The Enchanted Crown Collector's Edition
Your librarian friend wants your help as a journalist – he’s found an ancient book that is still unfinished. Can you save the world in the book before their story ends?
Overall rating
5
/
5
219 of 258 found this review helpful
Never Ending Story
PostedMay 10, 2014
pennmom36
fromWhat happens if you flip over the giant hourglass to buy some time?
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Time Management, Puzzle
Current Favorite:
New York Mysteries: Secrets of the Mafia Collector's Edition
(100)Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Oh. the librarian has a special book for you! This is no ordinary book, this is a book with unfinished business, this book requires you to finish writing the history of an enchanted kingdom with an evil mage, a shackled King, a nervous rabbit servant and a giant grizzly bear that holds the key to everything! Welcome to Torellion, you have been chosen to save the world! The king's servant, Liev, is desperate to find someone to help him protect the Royal enchanted crown that powers their entire world, after the dark mage Eldor, captured the king. This is a fantasy themed game with lot's of cute talking animals, glowing plants and talking trees so if you don't like games that make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside, turn the page and start a new chapter. The author of this unfinished book hasn't been helping either because he keeps adding items to the story to block your every move, but sometimes that works for us not against us.
This edition comes with all the usual extras, built in strategy guide, wallpapers, concept art, extra puzzles and hidden object games, pictures of the game devs at work and of course a bonus game. There are achievements to earn, most involve helping the citizens of Torelion, a customizable difficulty mode and you will collect jars of paint which will eventually be used to complete a picture.
Surprisingly there aren't that many Hidden Object Scenes, but they are all interactive, and various types such as finding 12 golden objects,finding items that match the shapes and progressive interactive finds where you find the first item that matches the silhouetted shape and place or use that item into the scene which will reveal the next item and you repeat the process. None of the mini games seemed difficult, bop the beavers popping out of holes that aren't wearing a mask, and one of my favorites, anticipating where two caterpillars will end up after they roll each with a separate rolling pattern. Sharpen your pencils (or quills in HOPA talk) and rewrite history, enjoy!
This edition comes with all the usual extras, built in strategy guide, wallpapers, concept art, extra puzzles and hidden object games, pictures of the game devs at work and of course a bonus game. There are achievements to earn, most involve helping the citizens of Torelion, a customizable difficulty mode and you will collect jars of paint which will eventually be used to complete a picture.
Surprisingly there aren't that many Hidden Object Scenes, but they are all interactive, and various types such as finding 12 golden objects,finding items that match the shapes and progressive interactive finds where you find the first item that matches the silhouetted shape and place or use that item into the scene which will reveal the next item and you repeat the process. None of the mini games seemed difficult, bop the beavers popping out of holes that aren't wearing a mask, and one of my favorites, anticipating where two caterpillars will end up after they roll each with a separate rolling pattern. Sharpen your pencils (or quills in HOPA talk) and rewrite history, enjoy!
I recommend this game!