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:
Off the Record: The Italian Affair Collector's Edition
Track down the wily Fox’ before he slips away into the beauty of Venice!
Overall rating
5
/
5
244 of 280 found this review helpful
Robin Hood Of The Art World
PostedApril 17, 2014
pennmom36
fromCiao
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
Fantastic! You're in for a treat today, this is a very entertaining game, off the Record, of course. The extras seem to keep coming as the game progresses, there are 10 travel guide pages to collect, 16 letters of the alphabet, 17 morphs, and 52 collectible fox figurines, I have a feeling this is just the tip of the iceberg. You are investigating a story about an art thief dubbed the Fox, who has come out of retirement, but wait, there's a crazy lady following you! She claims it's the Fox, the Fox claims it's the crazy ex-lover framing him! This game has a real quality about it, everything is so realistic, from the people all the way down to the pigeons. You will earn achievements, for not using the hint button or even finishing a mini game quickly. You will have slots in the panel for different business cards, press cards etc. to allow you to access them quickly and there are slots for fox collectibles, maps and even a camera which is a mini game in itself. When you use the camera, you need to put buttons on the correct setting, then focus the picture using a top and bottom button and once in focus you click the button to take the picture. There are a lot of mini games, some quite simple, some take some tinkering. Simple puzzles like following directions to make an Italian ice cream, or ringing bells in the correct order as shown on a music sheet, these are easy and fun. Other puzzles such as turning 2 different discs with partial pictures in three sections, this takes a few minutes to figure out how many frames are turning per click and adjusting both sections so they synchronize up. The HOS are mostly progressive interactive silhouettes where you find the first item that matches the silhouetted shape and use that item in the scene, for example finding a letter opener and using that letter opener to open an envelope which exposes the next object and so forth. I was thoroughly entertained by this game, go ahead and check this one out, enjoy!
I recommend this game!
Arcanika
Travel to a storybook world and bring life back to the glade.
Overall rating
4
/
5
106 of 113 found this review helpful
Match 3 For Kids
PostedApril 16, 2014
pennmom36
fromOf course you can pet the bear!
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Time Management, Puzzle
Current Favorite:
Cradle of Egypt
(92)Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
This isn't a very exciting match 3 game but in all fairness the targeted genre is the youngsters. The goal is to drop gems off the board as well as locks and keys to open up more of the board. The tiles are colorful berries and when the bear pops in with his empty basket you need to fill it with the specific number of berries he wants. If you make a match several tiles, you will receive bombs and bolts that when double clicked will destroy tiles. There are mini games such as collecting fragments of an item and then using that item in the scene such as a key on a locked chest. With the coins you earn you can buy items to restore the glade in the magical world of Arcanika. It's not a bad match 3, it's just a predictable and fairly easy game with no wow factor. I do however think the kids, especially girls will love this fairy tale, with magical flowers and cuddly bears, enjoy!
I recommend this game!
Mexicana: Deadly Holiday
Travel between the worlds of the living and the dead to save a loved one!
Overall rating
4
/
5
106 of 132 found this review helpful
Dia de Muertos!
PostedApril 16, 2014
pennmom36
fromNewsflash...Snakes do NOT drink milk! And is his watch going backward in time?
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
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
The Day of the Dead, certainly not a new story, the graphics are poor, there are no voiceovers, but oddly I enjoyed playing this game. Maria and Vitor are sidetracked by a fortune teller on their way to the Carnival, a mistake they'll soon regret. The realm between the living and the dearly departed is very thin on this celebrated day, and before you know it Vitor is amongst the dead! We are in luck today because the fortune teller also knows a ritual to perform that will allow us to cross over as well. As I said before, the story has been told before, and the graphics aren't very good, at times the cartoonish introduction of characters is comical but for some strange reason (must be the fortune tellers work) I played the entire demo and was so into one of the mini games that I was surprised when the game ended abruptly. There are only 2 modes of difficulty and I chose the expert mode because I don't like sparkles, so I'm not sure if anything is different. Everything about this game seems to be a hidden object quest, anything may need to be acquired and there is no indication by way of cursor change so I just clicked on things I thought would be acquired. The mini games aren't bad, nothing new, but entertaining still the same. Most of the mini games involve following directions such as gathering ingredients and following the directions to make pan de muerto, or making the correct color of paints by adding different pigments together. The Hidden Object scenes were doubled up and they are a mixture of interactive list finds, progressive silhouettes, and progressive list finds, where you have to interact with the items such as finding pinecones and putting the pinecones into a smoker and so forth. I'm not going to candy coat this game, a lot of people are going to despise the cheapness of this game but I'm sure a lot of people will love the relaxing atmosphere of an easy laid back game, enjoy!
I recommend this game!
Hidden Express
Explore gorgeous and real photographic scenes to find hidden objects!
Overall rating
5
/
5
137 of 150 found this review helpful
I Hear The Train a Coming!
PostedApril 15, 2014
pennmom36
fromChoo choo!
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 love this game, it's different, unique, fast paced, energetic and frustrating as well! The only problem is that when your energy depletes, you either have to wait several minutes or purchase more energy. This is a seek and find game which uses a Locomotion as the timer. Box cars will slowly pass through with the names of the items you must find, some cars have two or three items listed. The object of this game is to find these items before the train's caboose reaches the tunnel at which point the game is over. Here's the cool part, when you hear the train whistle, the Locomotion will appear briefly with a listed item that if found before the Locomotion reaches the tunnel, you win the game! This game becomes very tricky as you progress and more items are added to each boxcar. If you don't find the item before the boxcar and word disappear into the tunnel it's too late unless you quickly find the remaining items and cause the boxcar to back up. You can earn power ups or purchase them such as Seeker which will show you where the item is located, Rollback which will pull the entire train back for another chance to find the items, you can get a powerup to slow time (and the train) You can purchase these Charms/Powerups by the hour, by the day or even permanently. Although this game can be really frustrating, I think it's really fun and fast paced, give it a try, enjoy!
I recommend this game!
Tales of the Orient: The Rising Sun
Dive into an epic story of honor and courage to help preserve ancient Japan in this Match-3 adventure.
Overall rating
5
/
5
191 of 197 found this review helpful
Match 3 Japanese Themed Game With Exciting Features!
PostedApril 15, 2014
pennmom36
fromShouldn't I build the well first?
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Time Management, Puzzle
Current Favorite:
Cradle of Egypt
(92)Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
This Match 3 Game has an option to please just about everyone! You can choose Relaxed or Challenge modes, as you rebuild and protect villages destroyed by Civil War. Satsu is a Geisha, a guardian of art, music and Japanese culture, she is joined by Miyamdo a Samurai Warrior dedicated to preserve and protect the villages and their people. You can choose from three styles, the classic match 3 where you swap tiles to match 3 or more identical tiles, clicking on a group of matching tiles or clicking and dragging a chain of identical tiles. At the start of each level you are given a task of making a certain number of matches for each item such as 15 bamboo matches and 15 sushi matches, and you may have to break a certain amount of crates and golden tiles as well. You get a limited amount of moves as indicated to finish each level, and you will collect extra moves which can be used after you deplete the given moves or pay for extra moves with the coins you collect, or you can restart the level. You receive 50 golden coins for each golden tile you destroy by making a match over the golden tiles. These coins are used between levels to rebuild the village with sawmills, wells, buildings for worship and housing. There are two unique features, one is the fact that you are able to rotate the entire board in either direction as often as you want to avoid empty tiles and make strategic moves, and there is a Shuffle feature that allows you to shuffle all the tiles on the board. If you make a match of 5 or more tiles a bomb will appear on the board which can be used by double clicking anytime. Some tiles are blocked with crates, wood, ice cubes, rocks and metal, you must make one or more matches next to these blocks to expose the golden tile within. You will earn bonuses as you progress, the Katana can destroy a single tile, a Shuriken destroys 5 random tiles, a Kungi destroys a row of tiles and Dragon's Breath destroys a row and column of tiles. The tiles to match are Japanese themed with bamboo, lanterns, sushi, logs and of course the bonus tiles with shurikens, katanas etc. I really liked this match 3 you should give it a try, enjoy!
I recommend this game!
School Bus Fun
Taking your daughter to school is no easy feat when twelve of her friends tag along! Juggle a dozen kids with unique demands in this challenging time-management adventure!
Overall rating
4
/
5
82 of 88 found this review helpful
Car Pool Fun
PostedApril 14, 2014
pennmom36
fromWhat bus are they talking about?
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Time Management, Puzzle
Current Favorite:
Cradle of Egypt
(92)Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
This is a nice Time Management game for the younger generation, and possibly for adults as well. The object of this game is to get kids to school via mom's carpool caravan and get tipped for getting them to the correct school on time. You choose from a timed mode or a relaxed mode and you can earn trophies too. Stars are awarded for each level, 1 star for the targeted time, 2 stars for a good score and 3 stars for an expert score. There are different combos available, several girls picked up at the same time will give you bonus points, picking up the class clown raises the other students morale and some kids want private transportation. There are different schools with different colored emblems on the kids themselves so don't forget to pay attention. Enjoy!
I recommend this game!
Riddles of The Mask
Become a real detective of the Ancien Régime and visit renowned carnivals collecting rare masks for the countess!
Overall rating
5
/
5
91 of 100 found this review helpful
Riddles Of The Mask
PostedApril 14, 2014
pennmom36
fromHave you ever been almost finished with a puzzle and accidentally left clicked a group of tiles when you thought you were right clicking?
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
Another great (although more of the same) Mosaic tile game. There are 6 Locations: Brazilian Carnival, The Day of the Dragon, The Festival of Masks, The Solstice Celebration, The Festival of Ganesha, and A Night in Venice. There are 16 different Trophies to earn which are basically achievements such as finishing 3 or 5 games in a row (raw) without using the available hints. With the coins you earn in each level you can visit the shop and use these coins to purchase 2 starting hints, rights for a mistake x 3, and refill hints on this level. If you haven't played griddlers before I know it looks difficult, but there is a very good tutorial and this is a basic game of deduction, rather than math. For instance in a 10 x 10 grid you start with the largest number, each number of cells must have a space between each group of numbers. If the numbers are 2 1 3 1 there would only be one solution in a cell of 10 tiles because of the spaces between the tiles. If you left click, the cell will be marked with a colored tile and right clicking will mark the cell with an x or empty cell until a simple picture of a mask or a dragon is completed. There is some very soothing music to accompany this game and to me it's a brain teaser game that is actually quite relaxing. You should really give this game a try, enjoy!
I recommend this game!
Emberwing: Lost Legacy
A dragon has awoken after a hundred years - and it's after your son.
Overall rating
5
/
5
161 of 173 found this review helpful
GRIMTOOTH
PostedApril 13, 2014
pennmom36
fromI think the elf guard was hitting on me!
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 hard to review a game after yesterday's epic game but if you compare apples to apples, this game is still a 5 star game with or without the bells and whistles of the Collectors Edition. The Dragon has risen from a 100 year slumber, and the huge, scaly, fire breathing beast has snatched young Tevin through the roof! Everything's ablaze as you quickly scurry down a rope and follow the dragon into the Elvin forest. That's where you meet Eridan and are introduced to the Elf community and the King himself. Legend has foretold of a human child that is able to speak the dragon tongue, an Emberwing, that legend is Tevin, he's safe for now!
This is a beautifully crafted fantasy themed Hidden Object Adventure Game with clever mini games and entertaining and interactive HOS. I really enjoyed the mini games and I'm pleased that that puzzles are true to the theme of the game. There are simple puzzles with different shapes to assemble. puzzles with rings that are controlled with different buttons and even puzzles that require you to swap discs by turning a maze located in the center to allow the discs to swap positions with the disc at the end of the maze path. Then there are more complicated puzzles such as reading a short description and moving the correct character on a diorama stage. When you correctly place the character or prop, that action will expose a gem, and you keep interacting with the story until all gems have been exposed.
The Hidden Object Scenes are mostly interactive list finds where you might have to rotate shelves to expose more items. The HOS I enjoyed the most was a wall of paintings. A story is told in sections with a single word in the paragraph highlighted in yellow, such as the word dragon or star. You need to zoom into each painting to find a certain amount of this item like 3 dragons and 9 stars. Some of the items are on the wall themselves so don't forget to look there too. This story explains that at one point in time there was a pact between the Dragons and Elves, but the Dragons were greedy and the pact would forever be broken, it's up to the Emberwing to help us now, enjoy!
I recommend this game!
Brink of Consciousness: Dorian Gray Syndrome
Help Sam rescue his love Anna in Brink of Consciousness: Dorian Gray Syndrome, an incredible Hidden Object Puzzle Adventure game!
Overall rating
5
/
5
4 of 5 found this review helpful
Brink Of Consciousness: Dorian Gray Syndrome SE
PostedApril 12, 2014
pennmom36
fromMaybe Sam should write poems instead!
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Strategy, Time Management, Puzzle
Current Favorite:
Fear for Sale: Phantom Tide Collector's Edition
(46)Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
This is quite simply one of those games that you can replay several times and still thoroughly enjoy. I purchased the Collectors Edition when this game was first released and I loved this game so much that I wanted to play this Standard Edition to see if it was just as exciting without all the bells and whistles. Yes, even after a few years I still feel the same way, and it turns out that the bells and whistles of the CE weren't missed! I still place this 2011 game at the top of my favorite Hidden Object Adventure Games in 2014! Sam Wilder is a journalist that has been investigating the disappearance of several young adults in the neighborhood as his latest assignment. He quickly makes the connection that a mental health patient on the lam is the prime suspect of these disappearances. The man Sam believes is responsible suffers from Dorian Gray Syndrome, The suspect was abused by his father when he was just a boy and he became obsessed over the loss of his youth, obsessed with aging (aren't we all) and obsessed with the anti-hero Dorian Gray. Things take an unexpected turn when Sam is lured into a huge mansion with explicit orders to arrive alone and alert nobody if he wants to see his love Anna alive! The mansion is full of locked doors, secret hiding places and obstacles to overcome, but most of all the rooms are full of cameras and speakers watching Sam's every move and staying one step ahead. The killer taunts Sam as he appears and disappears hidden behind a strange mask and blocked passages just beyond reach. The killer has posed the victims as forms of art throughout the mansion, will this be Anna's destiny, is Anna still alive? There aren't a whole lot of HOS but they are very well done with several items requiring some type of interaction. I loved the mini games, such as figuring out the safe combination that the killer tells you is +11/-3/+8 and I'll leave it up to you to figure out. The Collectors Edition includes a bonus game, concept art, strategy guide and an interview with the developers, enjoy!
I recommend this game!
Cadenza: Music, Betrayal and Death Collector's Edition
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
356 of 412 found this review helpful
Jazz Pepper Club
PostedApril 12, 2014
pennmom36
fromHow'd they get all those frozen bodies out of the door?
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
Wow! EVERYTHING about this game is different, in a good way! I love Out Of The Box Thinking, and who doesn't love jazz? (I wish the music played in the background as well) It's Mardi Gras in New Orleans and you are visiting your dad at the famous Jazz Pepper Club. A stranger in a white suit nearly knocks you down as he rushes out of the club and what you see inside stops you dead in your tracks! Everyone inside the club is frozen in a hypnotic state, daddy as well, was the stranger in the white suit responsible? You can choose from several modes of difficulty, Novice, Artist, Virtuoso, Maestro, or Improviser (custom settings). You can earn achievements and collect 44 hidden musical notes, there are several mini games such swapping tiles with musical notes so that they match up with the edges. There are mini games that you solve with information you receive or find such as unlocking daddys office/calendar lock in 3 sections with the month, day and year that you discover is when he opened the Jazz Pepper Club. The quality of the graphics are going to knock you socks off, blow your socks off! I can honestly say I've never seen characters so lifelike, so well done so detailed. The voiceovers are superior and the scenery pops! The story is different, mysterious and this is the kind of game that you just can't stop playing, you have to know more of this story, you have to find out who Frankie is and why he is targeting members of the Jazz band. I was most impressed with the uniqueness of the Hidden Object Scenes. You are shown a single word in an icon such as hat. When you find and click on the hat, it will roll over to expose a musical note that you click on. The next item will be an actual piece of an item such as 1/2 of a pair of sunglasses which you pick up and place into the scene with the other 1/2 of sunglasses and again a musical note is exposed. It was a refreshing change and very entertaining. There were also scenes that required you to pick up an item in the scene that was in color and place it correctly into the scene and that section would change from black and white, to color. My favorite HOS scene was one I haven't seen done before. Some of the items in the scene could be clicked on to uncover a specific item such as a single glove. You had to click on two exact items to match up the gloves, if you chose the wrong item, both items would close back and you would have to uncover two more items until all items were matched correctly! I love everything about this game, the genre, the music, the graphics, the scene interactions and the characters themselves. Fantastic job, Kudos and a huge Thanks to the devs for a game well done, it's obvious how much time and detail went into the making of this out of the ordinary game, enjoy!
I recommend this game!