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:
Pendle Tower was once a lavish high-rise hotel, but a new renovation has awakened a long-dormant secret within its foreboding halls.
Overall rating
5
/
5
437 of 523 found this review helpful
LET'S GIVE GRANNY CREDIT FOR A HUGE IMPROVEMENT!
PostedNovember 23, 2021
pennmom36
fromRemembering You Is Easy, I Do It Every Day-Missing You Is A Heartache That Never Goes Away ~ Forever in my heart, Loki ❣
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
I was very critical of the last two MCF games because they abandoned everything that made MCF the holy grail of HOPA games. They obviously thought long and hard about what went wrong and chose to go back to the drawing board and try harder...and the effort they put forth in creating Pendle Tower couldn't be more obvious to me!
They abolished the cutsie graphics, washed out the color palette (just enough), and created a plot that was interesting enough to make you want to continue. The tasks have vastly improved and almost everything requires fidgeting with mechanically. My only complaint here is that there aren't enough active zones per scene, BUT it was really nice to have to think about tasks for once, absolutely not cookie-cutter, and I can't help thinking how "out of their comfort zone" this developer must have been.
I'm not going to lie, HOPAs bore me lately, it's always the same tasks, the same games, the same features, HOs that a two-year-old could solve, the same collectibles, basically a carbon copy from game to game. I simply did not feel bored playing this game and I even enjoyed the HO scenes (particularly the Morphing scene that switched between past and present)
I usually hate gadgety features but I enjoyed the Riddle Blueprint puzzles, and the mini-games are my favorite kind, a mechanical type that requires thinking a couple of steps ahead to solve them, or requires tinkering with gauges, gears, levers, etc. Granny did a fantastic job with the Rube Goldberg puzzles, they still need to be more of a cause & effect, chain-reaction type of puzzle but if Granny improved this much in one year then I can't imagine how far they'll fly with it next year!
I'm not saying this game compares to a Dire Grove, Ravenhearst original, I've lost hope that BF will ever allow these developers to create what they know in their hearts is what we the customers want. They seem to tie their hands behind their backs and expect them to create masterpieces on a ridiculous budget...but for now, this "incident" was starting point...well done Grandma :)
Won't you join us at my new forum thewoodsforum.boards.net
I recommend this game!
What's happened to the missing ballerinas? It’s a new mystery for Montgomery Fox to unravel!
Overall rating
3
/
5
43 of 65 found this review helpful
THIS ONE JUST MISSED THE MARK WITH HO-HUM SCENERY
PostedNovember 21, 2021
pennmom36
fromRemembering You Is Easy, I Do It Every Day-Missing You Is A Heartache That Never Goes Away ~ Forever in my heart, Loki ❣
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
I loved the first Montgomery Fox game because the scenes were interesting and had lots of colors but these scenes are really boring! The locations in this second game seem very generic with the same "stock" images that most of the HOGs nowadays have and it was a big disappointment for me because I have looked forward to another Montgomery Fox episode from the developers who brought us the fantastic Mortimer Beckett series!
Each of the 60 Levels has a section of a Magnifying Glass to locate (shown as a pictured item on the left side of the inventory bar) as well as a pictured Collectible Achievement (shown on the right side of the inventory bar) These collectibles show up as achievements in an old office after each HO level and has no wow factor whatsoever. Who cares about a Graduation Cap that sits on top of a garbage pail or a chocolate waffle sitting on a shelf? Getting on to the next HO scene seemed to take forever with no options to skip the boring stuff.
The objects to locate are all Listed Items, shown 3 words at a time, with one item that requires you to click on the tab to change the listed word to the correct item available in each scene. Each Scene also has a Zoom Zone that sparkles and contains some of the Listed Objects. The Zoom Zone will not close once you have located all the objects.
You can only play in a Relaxed Mode, there is no timer, no penalties for misclicks, or using the Hint feature. After playing a few Hidden Object Levels, you can play a puzzle or mini-game of some sort. I did enjoy some of these mini-games, particularly the one where you had to rotate U-shaped disks to roll a ball from one disk to the next until the ball reaches the end. You had to set up the pattern or the ball could go backward!
Add some new features (or at least something besides magnifying glass parts) give me a skip option to quickly jump to the next HO scene, and go back to the really interesting scenes that were offered in the first game and I will be a happy detective once again! :)
Stop by my new forum and have some fun! thewoodsforum.boards.net
I recommend this game!
Piece together these beautiful photos and take some of the stress out of your day. Let the puzzle-solving begin!
Overall rating
4
/
5
22 of 28 found this review helpful
SIMPLE PUZZLES YET SURPRISINGLY FUN
PostedNovember 16, 2021
pennmom36
fromRemembering You Is Easy, I Do It Every Day-Missing You Is A Heartache That Never Goes Away ~ Forever in my heart, Loki ❣
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
I wasn't sure I would enjoy this game because it only had 3 types of puzzles, Rotate Tiles, Swap Tiles, and Swap Strips but I found myself doing "just one more puzzle" until the demo ran out. I was really enjoying the game and realized that I was super relaxed, yet still challenged and had to buy it!
There are over 3000 different images in so many categories that this game can keep you busy for a long, long time...not to mention that every picture can be played in all 3 modes AND you can choose from several different sizes in Easy, Medium, and Expert modes OR create your own puzzles using your own images!!
It even has a Daily puzzle so I think this game is worthy of the price if you enjoy these types of puzzles, and the images are so beautiful. I fell in love with the castles, bridges, and mostly the Creative categories. I'm really hoping BF will offer the other puzzle game by Brain VM Games!
Come to The Woods forum and have some fun at thewoodsforum.boards.net
I recommend this game!
Join Alice and her friends to help bring peace and sanity back to the underwater kingdom in this
gorgeous Match-3 adventure!
Overall rating
3
/
5
28 of 37 found this review helpful
FROZEN TIME IS AN APPROPRIATE TITLE!
PostedNovember 15, 2021
pennmom36
fromRemembering You Is Easy, I Do It Every Day-Missing You Is A Heartache That Never Goes Away ~ Forever in my heart, Loki ❣
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
I actually loved a few features in this game and I didn't really mind the fact that it was a chain-type Match 3 game, but...Frozen is an appropriate title because the game kept freezing on me and I had to use the escape tab to exit the game!
You can play in a Timed mode or Untimed mode which doesn't allow you to earn Achievements or Cups (Gold, Silver, Bronze) The Match 3 itself requires dragging chains of tiles with the goal of making matches on all Sand Tiles, some of which require two matches when they are blue tiles.
Obstacles include Chained Tiles, Frozen Tiles, Octopus/Squids? that have to be moved, and a Crab that needs to be guided to a Key and then to a chest (be sure to include the chest as the last matched tile, it won't show up as being included but it was the only way I could get the chest open)
My favorite was the Hidden Object Scenes where you had to find cogs, springs, photo fragments, etc. This was a really challenging HO especially when trying to earn a Gold Cup on the timed mode. I do hope First Games Interactive decides to offer a Hidden Object Game just like this...I will give that game 5-Stars!!! (pretty please :)
There are Matching Memory Clam games and Jigsaw Puzzles but I had issues picking up some of the jigsaw pieces (they would drop or be off-center and not placable without re-grabbing them because they wouldn't grab in the center of the piece so you couldn't get the piece to the top portion. Because of these glitches, it was difficult to earn a Gold Cup and I'm pretty darn good at Jigsaw puzzles!
Come join the fun at my new forum...we can chat about the next game, ;)...;) thewoodsforum.boards.net
I recommend this game!
Find and collect adorable pups as you visit incredible places all over the world!
Overall rating
4
/
5
42 of 54 found this review helpful
I STILL LOVE FINDING THESE PUPS BUT OPT FOR THE CE IF POSSIBLE!
PostedNovember 14, 2021
pennmom36
fromRemembering You Is Easy, I Do It Every Day-Missing You Is A Heartache That Never Goes Away ~ Forever in my heart, Loki ❣
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
I'm a dog lover who has been looking forward to this game for over a month. I really enjoyed "I Love Finding Cats" so this game was an immediate purchase and I was even more impressed with the quality and the features. Of course, finding the pups and adopting them are fun features but I like the fact that objects change to different formats from level to level, a Bonsai may be a silhouette in one scene and a few scenes later the Bonsai may be a real plant which makes it more challenging when you aren't looking for the same picture over, and over.
Each HO scene has 18 Listed Items to find with a Secondary Zoom Zone Scene. The listed items are highlighted to show which items are available in the current scene (if the listed text is opaque it indicates that item is not located in that scene but it will appear in bold print when you switch to the zoom zone or vice versa)
There are usually 2 Dogs available in the Main Scene and 2 within the Zoom Zone Scene and the pups are also available in the Spot the Differences HO scenes that follow each main HO level. You can zoom in to the scenes (including the zoom zone) using the Magnifying Glass feature, by double-clicking, or scrolling, you can even click on the magnifying glass and THEN scroll to zoom in even further...and the graphics still remain crystal clear!
There is no Timer and no Misclick penalties but you will earn more points for making fast consecutive finds (Combo x1, x2, x3, x4, etc.) Even though you aren't racing against the clock, you will earn a Gold, Silver, or Bronze Star depending on how many points you earn, so making combos is vital. This is one of the few HO games that I enjoyed replaying the scenes so I could find items more quickly in order to better my star rating by earning more Combo Points! There is a Hint feature available, however, you will earn extra points if you don't use the hint feature.
Each Hidden Object Scene will list the number of Pups available on the left side of the Inventory Bar. Finding the pups allows you to adopt 20 adorable Pups, and you can replay the HO's to search for any missed pups. When replaying a scene for a better score, it isn't necessary to re-find the pups, unless you want to because once you find them the game keeps track of this.
After every HO Scene, you will play a Spot The Difference game which has 2 more hidden Pups! After completing the Spot The Difference game you will get two puzzles that are dog-themed, such as shaped puzzles, clicking on square tiles until the correct image has been discovered, or rotating circular pieces to complete the image...and they aren't as simplistic as you'd imagine them to be!
The Collector's edition version has 21 Wallpapers, 12 pictures of the Developer's own Pups, 12 Music Soundtracks, 6 Extra Bonus Scenes, 12 extra mini-games, and 5 extra Adoptable Pups. ฅ^•ﻌ•^ฅ
FUN FACTS ABOUT DOGS:
*The Labrador Retriever has been on the AKC’s top 10 most popular breeds list for 30 consecutive years—longer than any other breed.
*45 % of U.S. dogs sleep in their owner’s bed.
*All dogs dream, but puppies and senior dogs dream more frequently than adult dogs.
*70% of people sign their dog’s name on their holiday cards.
*A dog’s nose print is unique, much like a person’s fingerprint.
*A dog’s nose has as many as 300 million receptors? In comparison, a human nose has about 5 million.
*Dogs’ noses can sense heat/thermal radiation, which explains why blind or deaf dogs can still hunt.
*Rin Tin Tin was nominated for an Academy Award.
*Only one breed that was among the 5 most popular breeds in 1934— the Beagle — still remains in the top five today.
*The name Collie means “black.” (Collies once tended black-faced sheep.)
*A person who hunts with a Beagle is known as a “Beagler.”
*Yawning is contagious—even for dogs. Research shows that the sound of a human yawn can trigger one from your dog. And it’s 4 times as likely to happen when it’s the yawn of a person he knows.
*The Dandie Dinmont Terrier is the only breed named for a fictional person—a character in the novel Guy Mannering, by Sir Walter Scott.
*Dogs curl up in a ball when sleeping to protect their organs—an instinct from their days in the wild, when they were vulnerable to predator attacks.
*The Basenji is not technically “barkless,” as many people think. They can yodel.
*The Australian Shepherd is not actually from Australia—they are an American breed.
*The Labrador Retriever is originally from Newfoundland.
*Human blood pressure goes down when petting a dog. And so does the dogs.
*There are over 75 million pet dogs in the U.S.—more than in any other country.
*Dogs are not colorblind. They can see blue and yellow.
*All puppies are born deaf.
*Dalmatians are born completely white and develop their spots as they get older.
*Dogs have about 1,700 taste buds, humans have between 2,000–10,000.
*When dogs kick backward after they go to the bathroom it’s not to cover it up, but to mark their territory, using the scent glands in their feet.
*A recent study shows that dogs are among a small group of animals who show voluntary unselfish kindness towards others without any reward.
*The Norwegian Lundehund is the least popular dog breed and the only dog breed created for the job of puffin hunting.
*Greyhounds can beat cheetahs in a race. While cheetahs can run twice as fast as greyhounds, they can only maintain that 70 mph speed for about thirty seconds. A Greyhound can maintain a 35 mph speed for about seven miles.
*The Bloodhound’s sense of smell is so accurate that the results of its tracking can be used as evidence in a court of law.
*Some dogs are taller or heavier, but according to the Guinness World Records, a Mastiff named Zorba is the world’s overall largest dog ever. Zorba weighed 343 pounds and measured over eight feet from his nose to his tail. He’s been described as being about the size of a small donkey.
*According to the Guinness World Records, the smallest dog ever recorded was Miracle Milly, the Chihuahua. Born in 2011, Milly was a minuscule 3.8 inches tall and weighed in at one pound.
*Loki weighed just 3# more :)
*The Labrador Retriever has been on the AKC’s top 10 most popular breeds list for 30 consecutive years—longer than any other breed.
*45 % of U.S. dogs sleep in their owner’s bed.
*All dogs dream, but puppies and senior dogs dream more frequently than adult dogs.
*70% of people sign their dog’s name on their holiday cards.
*A dog’s nose print is unique, much like a person’s fingerprint.
*A dog’s nose has as many as 300 million receptors? In comparison, a human nose has about 5 million.
*Dogs’ noses can sense heat/thermal radiation, which explains why blind or deaf dogs can still hunt.
*Rin Tin Tin was nominated for an Academy Award.
*Only one breed that was among the 5 most popular breeds in 1934— the Beagle — still remains in the top five today.
*The name Collie means “black.” (Collies once tended black-faced sheep.)
*A person who hunts with a Beagle is known as a “Beagler.”
*Yawning is contagious—even for dogs. Research shows that the sound of a human yawn can trigger one from your dog. And it’s 4 times as likely to happen when it’s the yawn of a person he knows.
*The Dandie Dinmont Terrier is the only breed named for a fictional person—a character in the novel Guy Mannering, by Sir Walter Scott.
*Dogs curl up in a ball when sleeping to protect their organs—an instinct from their days in the wild, when they were vulnerable to predator attacks.
*The Basenji is not technically “barkless,” as many people think. They can yodel.
*The Australian Shepherd is not actually from Australia—they are an American breed.
*The Labrador Retriever is originally from Newfoundland.
*Human blood pressure goes down when petting a dog. And so does the dogs.
*There are over 75 million pet dogs in the U.S.—more than in any other country.
*Dogs are not colorblind. They can see blue and yellow.
*All puppies are born deaf.
*Dalmatians are born completely white and develop their spots as they get older.
*Dogs have about 1,700 taste buds, humans have between 2,000–10,000.
*When dogs kick backward after they go to the bathroom it’s not to cover it up, but to mark their territory, using the scent glands in their feet.
*A recent study shows that dogs are among a small group of animals who show voluntary unselfish kindness towards others without any reward.
*The Norwegian Lundehund is the least popular dog breed and the only dog breed created for the job of puffin hunting.
*Greyhounds can beat cheetahs in a race. While cheetahs can run twice as fast as greyhounds, they can only maintain that 70 mph speed for about thirty seconds. A Greyhound can maintain a 35 mph speed for about seven miles.
*The Bloodhound’s sense of smell is so accurate that the results of its tracking can be used as evidence in a court of law.
*Some dogs are taller or heavier, but according to the Guinness World Records, a Mastiff named Zorba is the world’s overall largest dog ever. Zorba weighed 343 pounds and measured over eight feet from his nose to his tail. He’s been described as being about the size of a small donkey.
*According to the Guinness World Records, the smallest dog ever recorded was Miracle Milly, the Chihuahua. Born in 2011, Milly was a minuscule 3.8 inches tall and weighed in at one pound.
*Loki weighed just 3# more :)
Don't forget to swing by my new forum and become an official Woodsey at thewoodsforum.boards.net
I recommend this game!
Set out on an exciting journey around the world!
Overall rating
3
/
5
21 of 29 found this review helpful
THE PATCHWORK GRAPHICS ARE AMAZING BUT THE PUZZLES ARE JUST TOO EASY :(
PostedNovember 14, 2021
pennmom36
fromRemembering You Is Easy, I Do It Every Day-Missing You Is A Heartache That Never Goes Away ~ Forever in my heart, Loki ❣
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Review based on completion of India & Australia only
(I'd give it a 3.7 Star Rating)
(I'd give it a 3.7 Star Rating)
First of all, let's give credit to New Bridge, they have created a gorgeous game and I just wanted to make sure that everyone understood that Patchwork: Explore the World is a different game than Patchworkz, Alice's Patchworks, and Frozen Patchworks (those were developed by 2 different developers as well!)
The puzzles couldn't be more beautiful, or more colorful as they span the globe with images from India, Australia, Brazil, Germany, Turkey, and Canada. (USA, Mexico, and Japan in the CE Bonus Chapter) There are 25 puzzles for each country with fragmented pieces of different materials, such as Wood, Paper, and Metal.
Unlike the above-mentioned series, this game has no Timer so it's designed to be a relaxing, Zen kind of puzzle. The problem is, the difficulty doesn't progress fast enough, if at all, and I breezed through the first 2 levels (50 puzzles) before the demo stopped and I still had time left on the demo! I'm okay with Zen, but the pieces were huge and all I had to do was look at the color patterns to get a general idea of their placement, and eventually, I became bored because of the lack of challenge!
You will earn one Star for completing the puzzle, one Star for completing the puzzle with No Mistakes, and the third Star for completing the puzzle without using Hints. One feature they did right, was to add a Magnifying Glass feature that allows you to view your completed puzzles at any time!
If you don't mind that these puzzles can be solved in less than a minute, I do recommend this game because the images are so incredibly beautiful, but for me personally, I need a little more challenge to prevent boredom....but then again, I am a puzzle geek who plays computer jigsaw games every day.
This CE Version has 5 Achievements, 10 Wallpapers, 6 Music Soundtracks, and a Bonus Chapter with 25 puzzles each in the USA, Mexico, and Japan.
Come join us at my new forum thewoodsforum.boards.net
I recommend this game!
A strange board game makes a Halloween party go very wrong!
Overall rating
2
/
5
42 of 58 found this review helpful
SOLVE FIENDISHLY CHALLENGING PUZZLES????
PostedNovember 12, 2021
pennmom36
fromRemembering You Is Easy, I Do It Every Day-Missing You Is A Heartache That Never Goes Away ~ Forever in my heart, Loki ❣
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
Completed Game approximately 6.0 hours
(including completion of all Mini-games & CE Bonus Chapter)
23 Main Game Scene Locations +10 Bonus Chapter
Difficulty Range: Beginner
(including completion of all Mini-games & CE Bonus Chapter)
23 Main Game Scene Locations +10 Bonus Chapter
Difficulty Range: Beginner
Prepare to be frightened by ghouls & goblins and things that go bump on the eve of Halloween...just not from this game! Like a B-rated horror flick, it will leave you wondering why ya kept watching/playing...because you say to yourself, 'it will get better, the plot has to thicken a bit longer" but it never does...yet you feel compelled to keep going?
You keep going even though the game is reminiscent of the movie Groundhog Day, repeating the same ridiculous tasks with slightly different tools over and over...You find a single hedge clipper blade...you're positive the other half AND the teeny tiny screw will be found shortly down the road, intact ready to assemble...the reality is there was a good reason those old hedge clippers aren't fully assembled (does anyone take these apart for ANY reason?)
You find an old horn and you lug it around because you know a drawer will be jammed in a scene or two...now where's a heavy object, can't have one without the other?
The vacuum cleaner that was discarded because it doesn't have an on/off switch...everyone knows your eagle-eyes will spot this at any moment, maybe even buried in a pile of dirt, it will be perfectly fine and easy to repair, just stick it in place a voila, it stays put...no wiring necessary! (again, there was a reason the switch was unattached in the 1st place)
By now your hands are pretty full carrying around all these items...but wait! Heck yeah there's a hairpin...but I'll toss that aside after picking a lock because low and behold I've found some real lockpicks for the next lock...today is my lucky day! Ut-oh are those bees...wow, today IS my lucky day, who'd of thought there would be a pipe full of tobacco in the exact spot the bees have taken up residency?
Turns out, Halloween Chronicles: Behind The Door is frightening after all!
AUDIO-VIDEO & GAME MECHANICS:
Domini has always had crisp, detailed graphics even though they sometimes struggle with the color palette which tends to have an overabundance of one dominant color for each game. The graphics are always beautiful but Domini certainly lacks a Halloween imagination because Kriben is the most pathetic "monster" I've ever seen in a HOPA game, He's so cheesy it's laughable which I suppose is why they felt the need to add so many legendary Halloween monsters to the mix because they couldn't pull off a new evildoer. The audio always seems spot on and you'll probably never notice looped soundtracks, but that's exactly how background music is supposed to work, it should go unnoticed while subconsciously stimulating the brain to recognize the ebbs, floes, and climaxes of the storyline. Domini is famous for adding items that can be interacted with, however, they seem to be far and few between lately and they tend to add a bunch of interactions during the demo portion to trick us into thinking that the entire game will be loaded with them!
Domini has always had crisp, detailed graphics even though they sometimes struggle with the color palette which tends to have an overabundance of one dominant color for each game. The graphics are always beautiful but Domini certainly lacks a Halloween imagination because Kriben is the most pathetic "monster" I've ever seen in a HOPA game, He's so cheesy it's laughable which I suppose is why they felt the need to add so many legendary Halloween monsters to the mix because they couldn't pull off a new evildoer. The audio always seems spot on and you'll probably never notice looped soundtracks, but that's exactly how background music is supposed to work, it should go unnoticed while subconsciously stimulating the brain to recognize the ebbs, floes, and climaxes of the storyline. Domini is famous for adding items that can be interacted with, however, they seem to be far and few between lately and they tend to add a bunch of interactions during the demo portion to trick us into thinking that the entire game will be loaded with them!
COLLECTIBLES & MORPHING OBJECTS (CE Only):
The collectibles/morphs are always the same, they just have different names. Once again, there is a gazillion Missing Notes to discover, 15 Morphing Kriben's Things to click on, and 15 Monster Figurines with descriptions. I always refer to them as "clickables" versus collectibles because they are never challenging to find, they just require the player to click on them...clickables! Once again, there are 66 Zoom Zone Stone Coin that is used to purchase 15 uninteresting Armory Items. Who cares about buying items stuffed inside an Armory Closet? There is an optional Collection Icon Tab that can be enabled or disabled in the settings menu which lights up when a clickable is available in the scene. You can also choose to show/hide the availability of collectibles on the Map.
The collectibles/morphs are always the same, they just have different names. Once again, there is a gazillion Missing Notes to discover, 15 Morphing Kriben's Things to click on, and 15 Monster Figurines with descriptions. I always refer to them as "clickables" versus collectibles because they are never challenging to find, they just require the player to click on them...clickables! Once again, there are 66 Zoom Zone Stone Coin that is used to purchase 15 uninteresting Armory Items. Who cares about buying items stuffed inside an Armory Closet? There is an optional Collection Icon Tab that can be enabled or disabled in the settings menu which lights up when a clickable is available in the scene. You can also choose to show/hide the availability of collectibles on the Map.
HIDDEN OBJECT SCENES:
There are 18 Hidden Object Scenes +4 in the CE Bonus Chapter, the same amount offered in every game because as I said the game mechanics are the same in every game, they only change the graphics & story, everything else is a carbon copy. The Hidden Object Scenes vary with Keywords in Sentence Finds, Find & Replace, Silhouetted Shape Finds, Silhouetted Shape Morphing Object Finds, Fragmented Object Finds, Matching Objects, Multiples of the Same Item Finds, _ + _ = ?, and good Old-fashioned Interactive Listed Item Finds.
There are 18 Hidden Object Scenes +4 in the CE Bonus Chapter, the same amount offered in every game because as I said the game mechanics are the same in every game, they only change the graphics & story, everything else is a carbon copy. The Hidden Object Scenes vary with Keywords in Sentence Finds, Find & Replace, Silhouetted Shape Finds, Silhouetted Shape Morphing Object Finds, Fragmented Object Finds, Matching Objects, Multiples of the Same Item Finds, _ + _ = ?, and good Old-fashioned Interactive Listed Item Finds.
MATCH 3 ALTERNATIVE:
There is an alternate Match 3 Game available, which still doesn't allow you to make consecutive matches quickly because you have to wait for all tiles to stop falling before you can make the next match which makes the game super boring. The M3 boards are always square and they never add obstacles or new features to make it progress in difficulty. FYI: one of the achievements requires you to play the alternate Match 3 game in place of the HOS. (just once) The thing that bothers me the most is that the boards are exactly the same in every game, they don't even bother to code new Match 3 games from one game to the next, how lazy does it get?
There is an alternate Match 3 Game available, which still doesn't allow you to make consecutive matches quickly because you have to wait for all tiles to stop falling before you can make the next match which makes the game super boring. The M3 boards are always square and they never add obstacles or new features to make it progress in difficulty. FYI: one of the achievements requires you to play the alternate Match 3 game in place of the HOS. (just once) The thing that bothers me the most is that the boards are exactly the same in every game, they don't even bother to code new Match 3 games from one game to the next, how lazy does it get?
MINI-GAMES-PUZZLES:
There are 18 Mini-Games +8 in the CE Bonus Chapter. You can choose to play them in an Easy or Hard difficulty mode and you can choose which mode to have them start out in the Custom Setting (you can still switch between modes for each individual game) Nearly every puzzle involved sliding tokens/gems along a track of various shapes or some type of maze puzzle. They weren't very creative and all of them were offered in previous Domini Games, they simply changed the graphics to match a Halloween theme, mostly involving skulls.
There are 18 Mini-Games +8 in the CE Bonus Chapter. You can choose to play them in an Easy or Hard difficulty mode and you can choose which mode to have them start out in the Custom Setting (you can still switch between modes for each individual game) Nearly every puzzle involved sliding tokens/gems along a track of various shapes or some type of maze puzzle. They weren't very creative and all of them were offered in previous Domini Games, they simply changed the graphics to match a Halloween theme, mostly involving skulls.
BONUS CHAPTER: (CE Version Only)
The Bonus Chapter takes place in "Ye Olden Days" as a Monster Hunter on a mission to save his sister after being kidnapped by Kriben and hidden within the castle walls during the 19th century. There are 4 Hidden Object scenes and 8 Mini-games spread out over 10 additional scene locations filled with even more repetitive tasks. You will continue your search for the final 5 Monster Figurines, 5 Morphing Kriben's Things, and 9 Zoom Zone Stone Coins of varying amounts which allows you to purchase the final Armory Items...same collectibles/morphs, they just have different names.
The Bonus Chapter takes place in "Ye Olden Days" as a Monster Hunter on a mission to save his sister after being kidnapped by Kriben and hidden within the castle walls during the 19th century. There are 4 Hidden Object scenes and 8 Mini-games spread out over 10 additional scene locations filled with even more repetitive tasks. You will continue your search for the final 5 Monster Figurines, 5 Morphing Kriben's Things, and 9 Zoom Zone Stone Coins of varying amounts which allows you to purchase the final Armory Items...same collectibles/morphs, they just have different names.
THE LEGEND OF STINGY JACK THE JACK-O-LANTERN ORIGIN:
Stingy Jack invited the devil to have a drink with him, but Jack didn't want to pay for the drink, so he convinced the devil to turn himself into a coin. Instead of buying the drink, he pocketed the coin and kept it close to a silver cross in his house, preventing the devil from taking shape again.
He promised to let the devil go as long as he would leave Jack alone for a year and that if Jack died, the devil wouldn't claim his soul.
Stingy Jack invited the devil to have a drink with him, but Jack didn't want to pay for the drink, so he convinced the devil to turn himself into a coin. Instead of buying the drink, he pocketed the coin and kept it close to a silver cross in his house, preventing the devil from taking shape again.
He promised to let the devil go as long as he would leave Jack alone for a year and that if Jack died, the devil wouldn't claim his soul.
After a year, Jack tricked the devil again to leave him alone and not claim his soul. When Jack died, God didn't want such a conniving person in heaven and the devil, true to his word, would not allow him into (HE double hockey sticks)
Jack was sent off into the night with only a burning coal to light his path. He placed the coal inside a carved-out turnip and has been roaming the earth ever since.
Jack was sent off into the night with only a burning coal to light his path. He placed the coal inside a carved-out turnip and has been roaming the earth ever since.
COLLECTOR'S EDITION EXTRA'S: (CE version only)
15 Wallpapers, 16 Concept Art Pictures, 5 Music Soundtracks, 28 Movie Video Cutscenes, 38 Achievements, 18 Replayable Mini-Games, 18 Replayable Hidden Object Scenes, 15 Morphing Kriben's Things, 15 Fairy Monster Clickables, 66 Zoom-Zone Stone Coins, 15 Armory Supplies (purchase with Stone Coins) 7 Main Chapters, +Bonus Chapter, and a Built-In Strategy Guide.
15 Wallpapers, 16 Concept Art Pictures, 5 Music Soundtracks, 28 Movie Video Cutscenes, 38 Achievements, 18 Replayable Mini-Games, 18 Replayable Hidden Object Scenes, 15 Morphing Kriben's Things, 15 Fairy Monster Clickables, 66 Zoom-Zone Stone Coins, 15 Armory Supplies (purchase with Stone Coins) 7 Main Chapters, +Bonus Chapter, and a Built-In Strategy Guide.
Swing by my new forum. feed the bears, reconnect with long-lost forum friends and become an official Woosdey at thewoodsforum.boards.net
I don't recommend this game.
An investigation into a disappearance reveals ghostly secrets in a mountaintop hotel!
Overall rating
3
/
5
83 of 117 found this review helpful
IT DIDN'T SUCK AS MUCH AS THE OTHER DOMINI GAMES
PostedNovember 11, 2021
pennmom36
fromRemembering You Is Easy, I Do It Every Day-Missing You Is A Heartache That Never Goes Away ~ Forever in my heart, Loki ❣
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
Completed Game approximately 5.0 hours
(including completion of all Mini-games & CE Bonus Chapter)
24 Main Game Scene Locations +9 Bonus Chapter
Difficulty Range: Beginner
(including completion of all Mini-games & CE Bonus Chapter)
24 Main Game Scene Locations +9 Bonus Chapter
Difficulty Range: Beginner
I didn't think this game was as dreadful as the last several games Domini has offered. Although the gameplay is still really cookie-cutter and has exactly the same features as every game developed by Domin, I thought the plot was better than most and I was glad to see that they were attempting to re-create a "Haunted Hotel" scenario. Hopefully, they will branch out a little more and take larger steps towards games that aren't so G-rated?
If Domini would just make their games a little more challenging they wouldn't be so bad...why does every game have tasks that are solved by finding and placing objects that are available in the same scene (occasionally two) before the next scene becomes available? There's absolutely nothing to have to figure out when all you have to do is click on exactly 3 active zoom zone areas per scene to solve the task or find the correct inventory item?! The first zoom zone may require finding a knife to cut something or needs a code to open a lock, etc. but you'll never, ever have to wait or meander through several scenes before finding the necessary object or code because it's always available within that scene or occasionally the next. Having to remember where a tool was required once you find it was part of the challenge in games from the past...and it's one of the features that made those games so much better than they are today!
BONUS CHAPTER: (CE Version Only)
Holy Sheet Albert Hall! Congratulations! You are now the proud owner of a Haunted Mansion! This is no ordinary mansion, this mansion belonged to your dearly-departed grandparents and good 'ole grandpa needs your help finding someone special...not just some old fling he dug up...he's looking for Granny Ghost...once he finds her this will be one heck of a get-together, better than an I Scream Social! I sure hope he finds her because he has Mist her so much! I'd better renew my Haunting License before taking on this case! One thing's for sure, granny's not in the Living Room! Poor grandpa, without grandma he's got No Body! I wonder if this mansion has an elevator, that would help lift grandpas Spirit! Bwahaha, I've got a million of 'em! There are 5 Hidden Object scenes and 10 Mini-games spread out over 9 additional scene locations. You will continue your search for the final 4 Hotel Signs, 2 Morphing Hotel Items, and 8 Zoom Zone Film Rolls of varying amounts which allows you to purchase the final Darkroom Items...same collectibles/morphs different names.
Holy Sheet Albert Hall! Congratulations! You are now the proud owner of a Haunted Mansion! This is no ordinary mansion, this mansion belonged to your dearly-departed grandparents and good 'ole grandpa needs your help finding someone special...not just some old fling he dug up...he's looking for Granny Ghost...once he finds her this will be one heck of a get-together, better than an I Scream Social! I sure hope he finds her because he has Mist her so much! I'd better renew my Haunting License before taking on this case! One thing's for sure, granny's not in the Living Room! Poor grandpa, without grandma he's got No Body! I wonder if this mansion has an elevator, that would help lift grandpas Spirit! Bwahaha, I've got a million of 'em! There are 5 Hidden Object scenes and 10 Mini-games spread out over 9 additional scene locations. You will continue your search for the final 4 Hotel Signs, 2 Morphing Hotel Items, and 8 Zoom Zone Film Rolls of varying amounts which allows you to purchase the final Darkroom Items...same collectibles/morphs different names.
COLLECTOR'S EDITION EXTRA'S: (CE version only)
10 Wallpapers (why do they have to have characters slapped on every one of them? Can't you offer at least one of two that simply highlight your amazing graphics with just the scenery?) 9 Concept Art Pictures, 5 Music Soundtracks, 31 Movie Video Cutscenes, 40 Achievements, 19 Replayable Mini-Games, 18 Replayable Hidden Object Scenes, 15 Morphing Hotel Items, 15 Hotel "do not disturb" Signs, 59 Zoom-Zone Film Rolls, 15 Darkroom Items (purchase with film rolls??) 4 Main Chapters, +Bonus Chapter, and a Built-In Strategy Guide.
10 Wallpapers (why do they have to have characters slapped on every one of them? Can't you offer at least one of two that simply highlight your amazing graphics with just the scenery?) 9 Concept Art Pictures, 5 Music Soundtracks, 31 Movie Video Cutscenes, 40 Achievements, 19 Replayable Mini-Games, 18 Replayable Hidden Object Scenes, 15 Morphing Hotel Items, 15 Hotel "do not disturb" Signs, 59 Zoom-Zone Film Rolls, 15 Darkroom Items (purchase with film rolls??) 4 Main Chapters, +Bonus Chapter, and a Built-In Strategy Guide.
Take a stroll in The Woods at my new forum where you can chat about games, find game help & solutions, game series lists, and so much more. All ya have to do is swing by and log on to reconnect with long-lost forum friends and maybe even feed a bear or two at thewoodsforum.boards.net
I recommend this game!
Complete fun mahjong puzzles and uncover secrets of the ancient world!
Overall rating
2
/
5
44 of 53 found this review helpful
IT'S NOT MUCH FUN WHEN YOU HAVE TO KEEP USING THE RESHUFFLE BONUS
PostedNovember 10, 2021
pennmom36
fromRemembering You Is Easy, I Do It Every Day-Missing You Is A Heartache That Never Goes Away ~ Forever in my heart, Loki ❣
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
At first, I was rather enjoying this Egyptian-themed Mahjong game...until I reached the seventh level. I started out playing on the Normal Mode of difficulty but after playing levels 7-10 several times without receiving more than a single star, I switched to the Easy Mode. Neither mode of difficulty explained the differences between the two modes, which was the case with most of the features!
By the time I reached level 12, I had to use all 5 Reshuffle bonuses because tiles remained stacked upon one another with no possible moves, 5 different times. After exhausting all reshuffle bonuses, I replayed the level a couple more times with the same result. I gave up because it isn't much fun to have to replay a level over and over with the same "no possible moves remaining" scenario!
There are 32 Artifacts to uncover on the Mahjong Levels. You will collect fragments and drag them onto the artifact outline and once reconstructed, the artifact will explain a fun fact about the item, as well as reward you with Gold Coins. I thought this was a decent feature and I enjoyed reading about the various Egyptian Artifacts.
The goal is to earn 3 Stars, but there was no real explanation as to what the criteria were to earn all 3 stars. There is a blue circular meter that fills when you make fast, consecutive matches, but no timer that I was aware of so your guess is as good as mine? Most of the levels required you to remove all of the pairs of Mahjong Tiles, some levels required you to uncover Treasure Tiles or Big Treasure Tiles to complete the level regardless of how many normal tiles remained. It wasn't clear whether using the bonuses would automatically take away a star, when I used the shuffle feature, it seemed impossible to earn all 3 stars, better instructions were definitely needed in this game!
As you progress, Bonuses are added, such as a Board Reshuffle, an Undo, a Hint feature that finds similar tiles, a Torchlight to highlight the available tiles, and a Lightning bonus that removes several pairs of tiles. They give you 5 of each to start out, I'm assuming you can purchase more with the coins you earn? There is a Magnifying Glass tab on the left side that didn't explain that it zooms the board until level 9!
When the score window appears, it only gives you an option to continue onto the next level, if you choose to replay the level for whatever reason, you'll have to go to the level map and choose the level you want to replay, it's even worse if you want to replay the level mid-game because you have to select the menu tab, select the quit option and then go to the level map to choose the level!
If this game had better feature and scoring instructions and didn't constantly require you to use a reshuffle feature several times in a row on the same level, I would have given the game at least 4-stars because I love Egyptian-themed games, the music was really good, and the levels were fun...until they weren't because of a programming oversight!
Come join us at The Woods forum to reconnect with long-lost forum friends and maybe even feed a bear or two at thewoodsforum.boards.net
I don't recommend this game.
Complete picross puzzles while helping Cory and his father repair the old house and smithy!
Overall rating
3
/
5
3 of 4 found this review helpful
HI-HO!
PostedNovember 10, 2021
pennmom36
fromRemembering You Is Easy, I Do It Every Day-Missing You Is A Heartache That Never Goes Away ~ Forever in my heart, Loki ❣
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
This is a decent Mosaic Griddler game and I do enjoy the building aspect where you use the Gems collected to purchase repairs and upgrades. Rebuilding the Dwarves' homes was an enjoyable feature for me personally. The game itself runs smoothly but the puzzles are pretty easy to solve without having to switch colors to narrow down the cell selections.
You can play in a Casual Mode which crosses off tiles one by one, or Advanced Mode which only crosses off tiles once an entire row or column has been completed.
The Hint feature will fill in one random cell and the Bonus will fill in a cross-shaped area of your choice, but they must refill after each use.
The completed images are easily recognized and they are labeled, which is always a good thing but after filling in the final cell of a puzzle, the completed image pops up and the music blares loudly and it really takes you by surprise every time.
I think it would be nice to make this transition a bit more zen, perhaps change the music for completion a bit softer, and gently pull up the completed image before the score pops up. I only mention this because Mosaics are supposed to be relaxing and this current transition snaps you out of your zen enjoyable moment pretty quickly!
Speaking of Zen, come to The Woods Forum and feed the bears at my new forum at thewoodsforum.boards.net
I recommend this game!