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:
Players beware… you’re in for a scare in the exciting Goosebumps video game, a point and click prequel to the major motion picture!
Overall rating
3
/
5
97 of 118 found this review helpful
YEAH-FINALLY, A POINT & CLICK ADVENTURE
PostedSeptember 5, 2021
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
Honestly, I'd give this game 3.8 stars because 3 stars are too low but it's not quite awe-inspiring enough to get a 4-star rating (for my personal preference) I'm not sure why BF chose to offer the fourth game in the Goosebumps game series first, but I'm more than grateful that they offered a rare point & click adventure today so I'm not complaining!
Basically, this is an adventure where you are tasked with survival against things that go bump in the night and give you goosebumps....but this is a game based upon the Goosebumps book series so it's not scary, and there are no hack & slash moments, just weird goings-on kind of stuff.
I see that the first couple of reviewers had some issues understanding the game mechanics. You can fast-forward through the text dialog by clicking anywhere. You can also click the spacebar and arrow key to pull up all available exit locations (up, down, left, right)
The goal is to find and use inventory items to help you progress...and not die! If you make poor decisions you will die and you'll have to start over, but as long as you save your progress often, you won't have to start over from the beginning.
Clicking on an area will pull up a window with choices if it only says "look" just ignore it unless you just want to read text dialog about random items. You really just look for items or areas that say "move" "take" or "talk" although some items let you interact with them such as swinging on a tire swing or sliding down the stair banister. To use an inventory item, click on the desired item on the right side and then click "use" and select the area you want to use it.
This is a pure adventure game with an escape-the-room vibe. Yes, the graphics could be better, yes, the storyline could have been better scripted, (but I did enjoy some of the sarcastic humor) It will take you a few minutes to get used to the game mechanics but please, give it a chance, it's not a hand-holding, repetitive HOPA game that you could play with your eyes closed...you may just love it, but you have to play more than 2 minutes to really get the hang of it.
Join us at The Woods Forum to talk about this game and so much more thewoodsforum.boards.net
I recommend this game!
The twin detectives are back on the case!
Overall rating
2
/
5
127 of 150 found this review helpful
IS DOMINI UNDER SO MUCH PRESSURE THAT THEY DON'T HAVE TIME TO PROOFREAD NOW OR DID THEY JUST COMPLETELY GIVE UP?
PostedSeptember 3, 2021
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
2
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
Completed Game approximately 4.0 hours
(including completion of all mini-games & CE Bonus Chapter)
25 Main Game Scene Locations +10 Bonus Chapter
Difficulty Range: Beginner-Intermediate
(including completion of all mini-games & CE Bonus Chapter)
25 Main Game Scene Locations +10 Bonus Chapter
Difficulty Range: Beginner-Intermediate
I've always considered Domini Games to be in the upper-class as far as professionalism and quality goes, until lately. The past dozen or so games have slipped significantly as far as quality is concerned. Lately, games have had mechanical issues where objects are "invisible" in a zoom zone, achievements that are awarded for the wrong action at the wrong time, and strategy guides that have missing or wrong information. After playing Power of Love, I'm shocked because the grammatical errors are blatantly obvious and so numerous that you have to wonder if they are wearing themselves too thin, or they simply don't care about quality anymore because they have no competition? Even if you don't care about grammatical errors, you have to wonder why someone would say "the criminal sent a parcel, it might be something" of course it's something...it's a package??? A note attached to said package says "we've sent you a new knocker instead of the broken one" Were they contemplating sending a broken doorknocker because that's certainly what the note implies?? Even if none of these things bother you, surely the fact that this "new" game series has the exact same plot as the last new series by this developer, Fatal Evidence: The Cursed Island??
I've already come to terms that Domini will never be able to think outside the box. They will never be able to make their games more interesting because they cannot or will not put forth an effort to be more creative with the tasks & gameplay. When a developer targets ALL of their games towards beginners, the genre will become self-limiting because eventually even those new to the genre will grow weary of the same gameplay over and over, beginners are only beginners for a small period of time!
One might argue that HOPA developers have disappeared because the genre no longer interests gamers. IF this were the case, then why do so many people talk about replaying their older games. Why do so many people still state how these older games were so much better than what's offered today? When is the last time you were blown away by a HOPA folks, has Big Fish offered an epic game in the last few years that will go down in history as a fan-favorite like MCF Dire Grove?
The HOPA genre hasn't died, BF killed it because they refuse to listen to the correct audience. They are giving these few remaining developers poor advice and guidance! BF is clearly making developers adhere to an outdated guideline because they never bother to do any marketing surveys other than the mobile/gambling market. HOPAs put BF on the map, but when it started to run out of gas they just left it behind and looked for the next money-maker when the real goldmine was still sitting in front of them in a huge heaping pile.
BF just chose to keep doing what they were doing, riding the money train w/o bothering to listen to the fans that made the genre number one. They milked the money train even longer by cutting corners and telling developers to copy/paste the same mini-games, HO's, and game mechanics into each proceeding game, only bothering to change the graphics and storyline. Sometimes you have to spend money to make money, and a little bit of research would have saved this genre (and perhaps a survey to the right people asking the right questions) and it would have saved all of the wonderful developers we grew to love, and miss so much, such as Vendel Games, Amax, Boolat, Eipix, Blue Tea, Daily Magic, Deep Shadow, Vast Studio, Sunward Games, Mariglorum, games and so many more! We lost a ton of amazing developers and we will lose the few remaining because of poor management and advice. It's still salvageable, but not until BF realizes that their "vision" is outdated and geared toward the wrong audience. The current direction they are forcing these developers to take will be the last nail in the coffin. We HOPA fans know what changes need to be made, so why not take a chance and start asking us? Let's not forget that most HOPA fans are Baby Boomers or at the tail end of that era...imagine how many creative minds there are in a group 71 million strong!
Audio/Visuals & 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 audio always seems spot on and you'll; probably never notice looped soundtracks, but that's exactly how background music should 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.
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 audio always seems spot on and you'll; probably never notice looped soundtracks, but that's exactly how background music should 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.
Gadgets/Helper:
There are several Gadgets, some of which are only used once or twice, others, such as your Detective Kit (used only when playing as the Detective Twin) are used often to lift fingerprints, etc. You will gather clues that are shown as Silhouetted Shapes in groups of 4 on the top right corner as well.
There are several Gadgets, some of which are only used once or twice, others, such as your Detective Kit (used only when playing as the Detective Twin) are used often to lift fingerprints, etc. You will gather clues that are shown as Silhouetted Shapes in groups of 4 on the top right corner as well.
Technically, you have a helper as you switch between the Twins characters. Randall Jones is the Detective who doesn't believe in his sister Elenor's Paranormal sensitivities, in fact, he believes everything has a logical or scientific explanation.
Collectibles & Morphing Objects (CE Version Only):
It's hard to enjoy a repetitive Collectible offered game after game. Domini seems to be the only kid left on the block so I guess we'll be stuck with the same routines? Once again, there are a gazillion Missing Notes to discover, 15 Morphing Ritual Items, and 14 Patricia's "Things" to click on. I say click on versus collect because they are never challenging to find, they just require the player to click on them! Once again, there are 89 Zoom Zone Coins that are used to purchase 15 Boudoir Items that are sloppily placed throughout the room with seemingly no rhyme or reason, and they certainly aren't an exciting addition to the game. 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.
It's hard to enjoy a repetitive Collectible offered game after game. Domini seems to be the only kid left on the block so I guess we'll be stuck with the same routines? Once again, there are a gazillion Missing Notes to discover, 15 Morphing Ritual Items, and 14 Patricia's "Things" to click on. I say click on versus collect because they are never challenging to find, they just require the player to click on them! Once again, there are 89 Zoom Zone Coins that are used to purchase 15 Boudoir Items that are sloppily placed throughout the room with seemingly no rhyme or reason, and they certainly aren't an exciting addition to the game. 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 13 Hidden Object Scenes +5 in the CE Bonus Chapter. 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 Hidden Object Scenes vary with Keywords in Sentence Finds, Silhouetted Shape Finds, Placing Cutouts over their Matching Objects, Finding Matching Pairs by opening 2 boxes at a time, Spot the Differences, Multiples of the Same Item Finds, and good Old-fashioned Interactive Listed Item Finds as well.
There are 13 Hidden Object Scenes +5 in the CE Bonus Chapter. 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 Hidden Object Scenes vary with Keywords in Sentence Finds, Silhouetted Shape Finds, Placing Cutouts over their Matching Objects, Finding Matching Pairs by opening 2 boxes at a time, Spot the Differences, Multiples of the Same Item Finds, and good Old-fashioned Interactive Listed Item Finds as well.
Mini-Games:
There are 19 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) I didn't encounter any new puzzles, they were all revamped mini-games you've solved a hundred times, such as using partial symbols to decypher lock combinations, entering codes by counting the number of connections along each path, dragging partial fragments to complete a snowflake, the infamous "find and use items interactively" to navigate a house via flashlight, balancing scales using weights, clicking different areas using color-coded symbols, or placing tools into a box without overlapping items. The only puzzle I really enjoyed required pushing screws into the gold slots because it was the only puzzle that required using strategy and thought process!
There are 19 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) I didn't encounter any new puzzles, they were all revamped mini-games you've solved a hundred times, such as using partial symbols to decypher lock combinations, entering codes by counting the number of connections along each path, dragging partial fragments to complete a snowflake, the infamous "find and use items interactively" to navigate a house via flashlight, balancing scales using weights, clicking different areas using color-coded symbols, or placing tools into a box without overlapping items. The only puzzle I really enjoyed required pushing screws into the gold slots because it was the only puzzle that required using strategy and thought process!
Bonus Chapter (CE Version Only)
I'm pretty sure the title of the Bonus Chapter is "Twin Solo" because you only play as Elenor Jones without her Twin brother Randall. Foul play is amiss when a terrifying spirit is unleashed after the horrifying drowning incident of a young boy in a nearby lake. Elenor must sift through the family's sordid past to separate fact from fiction and identify the killer, albeit normal or paranormal. There are 5 Hidden Object scenes and 8 Mini-games spread out over 10 additional scene locations. You will continue your search for the final 5 Ritual Items, 4 Patricia's Things, and 10 Zoom Zone Coins of varying amounts which allows you to purchase the final Boudoir Items.
I'm pretty sure the title of the Bonus Chapter is "Twin Solo" because you only play as Elenor Jones without her Twin brother Randall. Foul play is amiss when a terrifying spirit is unleashed after the horrifying drowning incident of a young boy in a nearby lake. Elenor must sift through the family's sordid past to separate fact from fiction and identify the killer, albeit normal or paranormal. There are 5 Hidden Object scenes and 8 Mini-games spread out over 10 additional scene locations. You will continue your search for the final 5 Ritual Items, 4 Patricia's Things, and 10 Zoom Zone Coins of varying amounts which allows you to purchase the final Boudoir Items.
Collector's Edition Extra's: (CE version only)
10 Wallpapers, (every single one with a character slapped on them. Wallpapers are supposed to be pictures of the scene's beautiful background so please...show off your graphics abilities, impress us without the characters as the main focal point!) 10 Concept Art Pictures, 5 Music Soundtracks, 29 Movie Video Cutscenes, 39 Achievements, 18 Replayable Mini-Games, 18 Replayable Hidden Object Scenes, 15 Morphing Ritual Items, 14 Patricia's Things Clickables, a gazillion Missing Notes, 89 Zoom-Zone Coins, 15 Boudior Items (purchase with coins) 4 Main Chapters, +Bonus Chapter, and a Built-In Strategy Guide. Join me at my new nature-themed forum where we encourage feeding the bears! Reconnect with long-lost forum friends and become an official Woosdey...thewoodsforum.boards.net
10 Wallpapers, (every single one with a character slapped on them. Wallpapers are supposed to be pictures of the scene's beautiful background so please...show off your graphics abilities, impress us without the characters as the main focal point!) 10 Concept Art Pictures, 5 Music Soundtracks, 29 Movie Video Cutscenes, 39 Achievements, 18 Replayable Mini-Games, 18 Replayable Hidden Object Scenes, 15 Morphing Ritual Items, 14 Patricia's Things Clickables, a gazillion Missing Notes, 89 Zoom-Zone Coins, 15 Boudior Items (purchase with coins) 4 Main Chapters, +Bonus Chapter, and a Built-In Strategy Guide. Join me at my new nature-themed forum where we encourage feeding the bears! Reconnect with long-lost forum friends and become an official Woosdey...thewoodsforum.boards.net
I don't recommend this game.
A distraught husband makes a desperate deal to save his wife!
Overall rating
3
/
5
46 of 57 found this review helpful
I WISH I MAY I WISH I MIGHT GET OFFERED A GAME THAT REQUIRES SOME KIND OF THOUGHT TONIGHT
PostedSeptember 3, 2021
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
Completed Game approximately 4.0 hours
(including completion of all mini-games & CE Bonus Chapter)
16 Main Game Scene Locations +9 Bonus Chapter
Difficulty Range: Beginner
(including completion of all mini-games & CE Bonus Chapter)
16 Main Game Scene Locations +9 Bonus Chapter
Difficulty Range: Beginner
Just when you've hit the lowest rung on the ladder, the bottom of the barrel, the absolute lowest point in your life where all hope is lost, along comes a Genie to grant your wishes. This ain't no Disney Genie, he's ruthless, intimidating, and deceitful as he tricks the vulnerable into exchanging a year of their life for What Wishes May Come...always read the fine print!
Audio/Visuals:
Elephant Games has always had the most amazing graphics, hands-down...they are still crystal clear in What Wishes May Come but they don't hold a candle to how they were back in the day. Don't believe me, download one of their original games, sit back and say WOW!
Elephant Games has always had the most amazing graphics, hands-down...they are still crystal clear in What Wishes May Come but they don't hold a candle to how they were back in the day. Don't believe me, download one of their original games, sit back and say WOW!
I can't say the same for the audio because most of their games have weird audio gaps where things go radio silent but in an obvious awkward way.
Gadgets/Helper:
Technically, the genie is a Gadget. His lamp is only used a handful of times but there are no tasks or repetitive games involved, he just simply appears to wreak havoc.
Technically, the genie is a Gadget. His lamp is only used a handful of times but there are no tasks or repetitive games involved, he just simply appears to wreak havoc.
Collectibles & Morphing Objects (CE Version Only):
Elephant Games used to have the most amazing morphing objects back in the day. Then Elephant Games took a drastic change graphics-wise and the morphs became so large and obvious that morphing objects became nothing more than clickables. During this same timeframe, this developer seemed to lose interest in creating games of the same standard. They chose to stop designing games that required the player to figure out how to solve the task at hand. Those tasks were replaced with nothing more than emblem fittings at every door, drawer, closet, and mailbox...no thought required for either party! Now E-Games has chosen to abandon Morphing Objects altogether...don't even get me started on the fact that they ditched Elf in the MT series!! There are 12 boring zoom zone collectible cards and the usual 48 zoom zone jigsaw puzzle pieces that make 4 screensavers.
Elephant Games used to have the most amazing morphing objects back in the day. Then Elephant Games took a drastic change graphics-wise and the morphs became so large and obvious that morphing objects became nothing more than clickables. During this same timeframe, this developer seemed to lose interest in creating games of the same standard. They chose to stop designing games that required the player to figure out how to solve the task at hand. Those tasks were replaced with nothing more than emblem fittings at every door, drawer, closet, and mailbox...no thought required for either party! Now E-Games has chosen to abandon Morphing Objects altogether...don't even get me started on the fact that they ditched Elf in the MT series!! There are 12 boring zoom zone collectible cards and the usual 48 zoom zone jigsaw puzzle pieces that make 4 screensavers.
Hidden Object Scenes:
There are 16 Hidden Object Scenes +5 in the CE Bonus Chapter with no alternate games available. The Hidden Object Scenes vary with Listed Item Finds, Keywords in Sentence Finds, Silhouetted Shape Finds, Finding 12 Flowers, Combination Finds hidden behind objects (? + ? = Cufflink) Finding & Replacing Items. The objects were super easy to spot because Elephant Games graphics department hasn't seemed to master the art of blending after all these years. On a good note, some of the scenes themselves were unique such as finding objects interwoven on several dreamcatchers, on the Genie's back, or located on family portraits.
There are 16 Hidden Object Scenes +5 in the CE Bonus Chapter with no alternate games available. The Hidden Object Scenes vary with Listed Item Finds, Keywords in Sentence Finds, Silhouetted Shape Finds, Finding 12 Flowers, Combination Finds hidden behind objects (? + ? = Cufflink) Finding & Replacing Items. The objects were super easy to spot because Elephant Games graphics department hasn't seemed to master the art of blending after all these years. On a good note, some of the scenes themselves were unique such as finding objects interwoven on several dreamcatchers, on the Genie's back, or located on family portraits.
Mini-Games:
There are 16 Mini-Games +5 in the CE Bonus Chapter. I didn't encounter any new puzzles, they were all revamped mini-games you've solved a hundred times, such as dragging chips along a path using directional arrows, connecting all gems without overlapping paths, swapping triangular sections to complete the photos, restoring a painting using directional arrows along the edges to scroll through different square sections, clicking on scarabs to adjust the direction of lines to match the blueprint shown, moving tokens along tracks to their matching slots, dragging chains until the snake charms align with the tabs on the left side (1 affects others) There was only one mini-game I really enjoyed where you played a card game with a fortune-teller trying to earn more Hourglass cards by matching 4 identical cards before the fortune-teller.
There are 16 Mini-Games +5 in the CE Bonus Chapter. I didn't encounter any new puzzles, they were all revamped mini-games you've solved a hundred times, such as dragging chips along a path using directional arrows, connecting all gems without overlapping paths, swapping triangular sections to complete the photos, restoring a painting using directional arrows along the edges to scroll through different square sections, clicking on scarabs to adjust the direction of lines to match the blueprint shown, moving tokens along tracks to their matching slots, dragging chains until the snake charms align with the tabs on the left side (1 affects others) There was only one mini-game I really enjoyed where you played a card game with a fortune-teller trying to earn more Hourglass cards by matching 4 identical cards before the fortune-teller.
Bonus Chapter (CE Version Only)
Sarah and Robert are paranormal investigators that find themselves in a pickle when Robert makes a wish to have the roar of a lion and the speed of a snake. Anyone can see that combining these two creatures can't be good and now Sarah has to perform a ritual to save her beloved Chimera, a.k.a Robert There are 5 additional Mini-Games and 5 Hidden Object Scenes, (+1 zoom zone HO) and you will continue your search for the final 3 Collectible Cards and 12 Zoom Zone Jigsaw Puzzle Pieces which allows you to complete the final 12 piece Jigsaw Puzzle Screensaver.
Sarah and Robert are paranormal investigators that find themselves in a pickle when Robert makes a wish to have the roar of a lion and the speed of a snake. Anyone can see that combining these two creatures can't be good and now Sarah has to perform a ritual to save her beloved Chimera, a.k.a Robert There are 5 additional Mini-Games and 5 Hidden Object Scenes, (+1 zoom zone HO) and you will continue your search for the final 3 Collectible Cards and 12 Zoom Zone Jigsaw Puzzle Pieces which allows you to complete the final 12 piece Jigsaw Puzzle Screensaver.
Collector's Edition Extra's: (CE version only)
5 extremely uninteresting Wallpapers, 5 Music Soundtracks, 22 Achievements, 14 Replayable Mini-Games, 13 Replayable Hidden Object Scenes, 48 Zoom Zone & Scene Jigsaw Puzzle Pieces, 4 Screensavers (four 12 piece jigsaws) 12 Collectible Inspirational Cards, an Expedition Room (return to scenes to search for missed Cards and/or Puzzle pieces) a Secret Room (Timed-Progressive HOG) 3 Main Chapters, +Bonus Chapter, and a Built-In Strategy Guide. Reconnect with long-lost forum friends and become an official Woosdey when you join us on my new forum at thewoodsforum.boards.net
5 extremely uninteresting Wallpapers, 5 Music Soundtracks, 22 Achievements, 14 Replayable Mini-Games, 13 Replayable Hidden Object Scenes, 48 Zoom Zone & Scene Jigsaw Puzzle Pieces, 4 Screensavers (four 12 piece jigsaws) 12 Collectible Inspirational Cards, an Expedition Room (return to scenes to search for missed Cards and/or Puzzle pieces) a Secret Room (Timed-Progressive HOG) 3 Main Chapters, +Bonus Chapter, and a Built-In Strategy Guide. Reconnect with long-lost forum friends and become an official Woosdey when you join us on my new forum at thewoodsforum.boards.net
I don't recommend this game.
Venture into the woods, explore challenging new mosaics puzzles, and discover a variety of mini games while learning more about the Gnome’s magical world!
Overall rating
2
/
5
13 of 26 found this review helpful
JUST ANOTHER FANTASY MOSAICS GAME
PostedSeptember 2, 2021
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
2
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
I used to love Fantasy Mosaics Games but I've grown weary of the penguin family drama after 48 games. The Penguins have had adventures from every genre imaginable and still nothing within the game itself changes or improves to hold my interest.
The Zen Mode has returned for those who prefer to solve the griddlers without all the hand/flipper holding. In Zen Mode, the numbers aren't crossed off but Mistakes aren't counted against you either, because chances are, you'll have to edit some of the cells as you switch between colors. You can delete filled-in or crossed-off cells by right-clicking the cell in Zen Mode, and you'll know you have completed a particular color correctly because a checkmark will appear on the color bubble.
You can play in a Casual Mode which crosses off the cells one by one, or the Advanced Mode, which only crosses off the remaining cells once the entire row and column have been filled in. You will earn a Gold trophy if you make no mistakes, a Silver trophy if you make one mistake, and a Bronze trophy if you make two mistakes. You will also earn up to three gold Stars if you don't use any hints, one star is deducted each time you use a hint. Therefore, it is possible to make a mistake or two but still earn 3 stars as long as you don't use any available hints.
There are 20 locations, and each location has 5 Griddlers and an additional mini-game. You can choose from 7 different tile sets, ranging in color vibrancy, and styles. Locked Colors can be disabled in the Settings menu, otherwise, some of the colors are locked and unavailable until you uncover color-specific keys that are hidden beneath some of the filled-in cells The Eye feature allows you to hide the grid to get a look at the puzzle without all the grid lines, and there is a reset icon that makes it much easier to restart the level if you make a mistake.
There are groups of numbers located on each column and row of the grid, each group of numbers must be separated by at least one blank or crossed off cell. Sometimes it's easier to cross-off cells that can't possibly contain a filled-in cell, which will reduce the number of cells and narrow the playing field down a bit, when you get stuck, you can switch colors and work back and forth until it's solved.
Some of the cells contain bonuses such as extra hints, extra mistakes allowed, or an extra pickax which allows you to choose which cell you want a hint on, and some cells contain keys to unlock colors (unless you disable this feature in settings) There is a Sun icon as well that when fully charged, will give you a mega-hint, filling in or crossing off a 3x3 area of your choice.
The bears are friendly at The Woods Forum so stop by and say hello at my new forum thewoodsforum.boards.net
I don't recommend this game.
Modern Art releases a new set of beautiful image puzzles for you to bring to life!
Overall rating
2
/
5
8 of 15 found this review helpful
WOULD WE BUY A PHYSICAL COLOR BY NUMBERS BOOK IF THE SAME PICTURES WERE WERE IN IT?
PostedSeptember 2, 2021
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
2
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
When it comes to a "painting" game, images are everything and if the images aren't appealing, nothing else matters at that point. There are a ton of pictures where there is just a single image slapped in the middle that doesn't allow you to paint the background. It's a painting game, why on Earth would you not take advantage of the entire scene? If I saw an adult paint by numbers book with these same images I wouldn't buy it so why would I pay 7 bucks for a computer version? Most people would only have a few different colored pencils on hand, so wouldn't you expect a computer version to have tons of mind-blowing colors available?
There are 64 images available but you are forced to finish the first level before moving on to the next. I still don't understand this concept, why do I have to finish one level before proceeding? I'm sure everyone would like the ability to pick and choose from any level, at the very least, allow us to see all of the available images even if we can't paint them because they are still locked! This scenario only makes me suspicious that the rest of the images are worse.
Each area has a number and you simply chose the corresponding color bubble from the palette (also numbered) on the right side. There is a Slider Bar that allows you to zoom in & out (as well as a "fit" tab) you can also move the entire page around by right-clicking and dragging.
I like the textures available in the Modern Art series better than the colors offered in their Paint By Numbers series and this would be a 5-star game if they would simply add some must-have features, better colors, and better image selections. This developer is truly struggling with pictures and interesting color choices so it would be wise to seek out an artist or two for some better insight. Come feed the bears and become a fellow Woodsy at my new forum in the woods, thewoodsforum.boards.net ☯
I don't recommend this game.
It’s easier than ever to paint beautiful pictures! Avoid purchasing expensive painting supplies and making a mess. Just relax and enjoy!
Overall rating
2
/
5
13 of 18 found this review helpful
I SURE WOULD LIKE TO SEE A WOW FACTOR OR AT LEAST SOME NEW FEATURES
PostedSeptember 2, 2021
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
1
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Even though BF is way behind on the Pixel Art series, after 16 releases one would think that something would improve to keep fans interested? Pixel Art is now just a "dated" old-fashioned game with none of the features that the new kids on the block have to offer. Other pixel art games have so many useful features, such as maps that show the current color locations, features that tell you how many cells each color has available, and one of my favorites was choosing the desired colors shown as crayons versus just square color boxes. (which btw: I've had to click 3-4 times before the color is accepted, not to mention how difficult it is to click the arrow to scroll to the next set of numbers. It's also a pain to have to scroll back & forth between colored number sets)
Although some of the images are more appealing than the last few games in the series, for the most part, these images are rather boring and lack "curb appeal". The chosen colors are always bland, unappealing, and rarely pop with shades and hues that complement one another versus shades that muddle together like you just added a glob of red, yellow, and blue paint together to make a huge brown mess.
Pixel Art is a computer version of Paint by Numbers, in a pixelated version. Each pixel has a number that is filled in with its corresponding color/number from the palette on the right side. You simply left-click to fill in all the numbers with the correct color, you can also hold the mouse button and swipe through large groupings of numbers. The auto-fill feature will fill in large groups of pixels when you double-click on a cluster of numbers, but that feature has to recharge after each use. (a sound alerts you when the auto-fill feature is available each time)
Other than the auto-fill, there are only a couple of other features or options offered...the same original features, nothing new has been updated since the first Pixel Art game! There is a Slider Bar that allows you to zoom in & out (there's a "fit" tab as well) you can also move the entire page around by right-clicking and dragging.
You can also change the color of the Highlighted cells to various shades of grey. This is the area that Pixel Art games fail miserably. With most games, the current chosen number/color is highlighted with a shade that sticks out in a crowd so you can easily identify where the available cells are located, even without a map location feature. For some odd reason, several numbers/colors are shaded at the same time in the same area making it impossible to easily spot the numbered cells you are working on. This has never made sense to me, for example, if you click on the number 10 from the color palette, all cells with the number 10 will highlight in grey but so will other numbers like number 21, and number 18 so you'll have to search for number 10 cells jumbled in with several other grey-highlighted cells. It's a frustrating feature that defeats the purpose of a Zen painting game!??
Come join us for tons of fun in The Woods and reconnect with long-lost forum members at my new forum thewoodsforum.boards.net
Find and collect adorable cats as you visit incredible places all over the world!
Overall rating
4
/
5
53 of 63 found this review helpful
THESE KITTY'S ARE PURRFECT
PostedAugust 29, 2021
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Who DOESN'T Love Finding Cats, especially when the scenes have crisp graphics, well-hidden objects, and so many shaped Cat Puzzles to solve? I fell in Love with the CE version in the very first HO scene and knew I had to have this game!
Each HO scene has 18 Listed Items to find with a Secondary Zoom Zone Scene, highlighting the listed items available in the current scene. There are 3 Cats available in the Main Scene and 3 in the Zoom Zone Scene as well. Both scenes can be zoomed into by double-clicking or scrolling and the graphics remain crystal clear!
There is no Timer and no Misclick penalties but you will earn more points for making fast consecutive finds and the more time you have remaining will qualify you for a Gold, Silver, or Gold star so there's a good replay value as well. There is a Hint feature and you will earn extra points if you don't use the hint. The points are used to adopt 20 adorable cats of varying amounts, and you can replay scenes to just search for missed cats or just to repeat the scene for a better star rating.
After every HO Scene, you will play a Spot The Difference game which has 3 more hidden cats. After the Spot The Difference game you will get two puzzles that are cat-themed-shaped puzzles and I loved them!
The Collector's edition version has 21 Wallpapers, 12 pictures of the Developer's own cats, 13 Catty Music Soundtracks, 24 Main HO Scene Locations, 6 Bonus Scenes, 12 extra mini-games (totally worth the CE price), and 5 extra Adoptable Cats so I don't understand why some reviewers didn't think the CE version was worthy, have you seen those adorable faces ＾･ｪ･＾
I recommend this game!
When a dark force threatens the realms, heroic Vikings must rise!
Overall rating
3
/
5
34 of 46 found this review helpful
A STINGY TIMER = NOT AS MUCH FUN
PostedAugust 22, 2021
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
First of all, Viking Heroes is a really good game with great features, fun Owl Collectibles, and amazing graphics, however, all of their games lately have been really hard to earn all 3 stars on the Normal Mode without repeating each level several times. For me, this takes away the fun for a casual player because I don't see the point of playing a TM game on an Easy Mode with no Timer but I don't want to feel like a failure on every single level either! I'm not a novice player and I do very well with most TM games and I've only had difficulties with the timer on this developer's recent games. I think they need to be a little more lenient with the Normal Mode's timer or they will lose a ton of sales from fans who don't want to play a frustrating game because I have passed on purchasing the last 3 games by this developer because of this...some of which are on my personal Top 10 Favorites list!
You can play in an Easy, Normal, or Hard Mode and there are 40 Achievement rewards available. There are also 21 Collectible Owls, since they aren't available on every level, it would be nice if there was an indicator on the map as to which levels have an Owl.
This Collector's Edition version has 50 Main Levels and 15 Bonus Levels. There are 4 Wallpapers, 15 Music Soundtracks, 21 Collectible Owls, Puzzles, 40 Achievements, and a Built-in Strategy Guide.
I did love the Dinosaurs and Raptors that block your path and that you have to collect resources like water from the well to cool off lava stones before you can remove the rocks. Chests with Renewable Resource Options to choose from Food, Stone, or Wood require using strategy by figuring which tasks will require which resources.
Each level has a Bonus Bar at the bottom of the screen that can be used when recharged. The bonuses help speed up the players, adds +5 resources, speed up factory production, etc. Gems are collected to allow Helga to Cast Magic Spells and some Merchants and Stonehenge allow you to transfer resources such as Gems for Food.
The normal TM tasks are still a staple, building Quarries, Farms, Warehouses, Sawmills, Gem Mines, etc. I love that the sawmills, stone quarries, and gem mines keep producing products even when you don't gather the products immediately, they pile up with a number showing how many are available.
I would have given this game 5-stars (and purchased it) IF the Normal Mode's Timer was a little more lenient, but when I'm playing a level several times in the demo alone, it proves that it's only going to be more difficult as I progress. It really saddens me because I WANT to be able to purchase this game and play it without feeling like a loser and I have no desire to play on an untimed mode just to be playing it. The games by this developer didn't use to be this way until recently so perhaps they need to hire a Normal Player to set & adjust the timer!? I'd love to help because otherwise I will have to pass on all their TM game releases, and I'm sure there are others out there who are passing them up for the same reasons! Stop by my new forum anytime at thewoodsforum.boards.net
Can you stop a dangerous Order from bringing back the dead?
Overall rating
3
/
5
69 of 85 found this review helpful
DROP THE REPETITIVE, CLICHE TASKS & THIS WILL BE AN AMAZING GAME
PostedAugust 20, 2021
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
Completed Game approximately 4.0 hours
(including completion of all mini-games & CE Bonus Chapter)
25 Main Game Scene Locations +11 Bonus Chapter
Difficulty Range: Beginner-Intermediate
(including completion of all mini-games & CE Bonus Chapter)
25 Main Game Scene Locations +11 Bonus Chapter
Difficulty Range: Beginner-Intermediate
I did enjoy this new series more than other Domini Games because they shortened the game to 3 Chapters which cut out a ton of repetitive tasks which they always go overboard with. I loved the Witches story vibe which reminded me of my beloved Witches Legacy series #Ele-No Fun-Anymore :( Even though Domini cut out a ton of repetitive tasks, they still opted to cram all the cliche tasks a HOPA gamer knows by heart into a single 3 Chapter game so I cannot reward this game with 5-stars. If they bothered to make these games more interesting instead of being lazy and going with the same mechanics game after game, I'd bother to give them 5-stars for the effort!
Audio/Visuals:
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 audio always seems spot on and you'll; probably never notice looped soundtracks, but that's exactly how background music should 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 in this game!
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 audio always seems spot on and you'll; probably never notice looped soundtracks, but that's exactly how background music should 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 in this game!
Gadgets/Helper:
Whoo-hoo, there are no gadgets or helpers!
Whoo-hoo, there are no gadgets or helpers!
Collectibles & Morphing Objects (CE Version Only):
It's hard to enjoy a repetitive Collectible offered game after game. Domini seems to be the only kid left on the block so I guess we'll be stuck with the same routines? Once again, there are a gazillion Missing Notes to discover, 15 Morphing Ritual Items, and 15 Horror Books to click on. I say click on versus collect because they are never challenging to find nowadays! There are 70 Zoom Zone Dollars that are used to purchase 15 Writer's Desk Items because everyone loves a messy desk?! There is an optional Collection Icon Tab that can be enabled or disabled in the settings menu as well and will light up when there is a collectible in the current scene. You can also choose to show/hide the availability of collectibles on the Map.
It's hard to enjoy a repetitive Collectible offered game after game. Domini seems to be the only kid left on the block so I guess we'll be stuck with the same routines? Once again, there are a gazillion Missing Notes to discover, 15 Morphing Ritual Items, and 15 Horror Books to click on. I say click on versus collect because they are never challenging to find nowadays! There are 70 Zoom Zone Dollars that are used to purchase 15 Writer's Desk Items because everyone loves a messy desk?! There is an optional Collection Icon Tab that can be enabled or disabled in the settings menu as well and will light up when there is a collectible in the current scene. You can also choose to show/hide the availability of collectibles on the Map.
Hidden Object Scenes:
There are 13 Hidden Object Scenes +5 in the CE Bonus Chapter. 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 Hidden Object Scenes vary with Listed Item Finds, Keywords in Sentence Finds over 3 different scenes, Silhouetted Shape Finds, Placing cutouts over the Matching Objects, and placing ritual objects onto numbers on the board according to riddle descriptions.
There are 13 Hidden Object Scenes +5 in the CE Bonus Chapter. 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 Hidden Object Scenes vary with Listed Item Finds, Keywords in Sentence Finds over 3 different scenes, Silhouetted Shape Finds, Placing cutouts over the Matching Objects, and placing ritual objects onto numbers on the board according to riddle descriptions.
Mini-Games:
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) I didn't encounter any new puzzles, they were all revamped mini-games you've solved a hundred times, such as, pushing frames along a track in the correct order, Rotating individual letters so that when you click the play button they spin into their slots correctly, climb out of a chasm by selecting the correct rocks or sticks to grab (how many times have we played this game!) and no Domini game would be complete without removing vines in the correct sequence!
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) I didn't encounter any new puzzles, they were all revamped mini-games you've solved a hundred times, such as, pushing frames along a track in the correct order, Rotating individual letters so that when you click the play button they spin into their slots correctly, climb out of a chasm by selecting the correct rocks or sticks to grab (how many times have we played this game!) and no Domini game would be complete without removing vines in the correct sequence!
Bonus Chapter (CE Version Only)
Wind back the hand of time playing as a young Deborah Spellman who is raised by her Grandmother after her parents' death. Learn how Deborah and her sister Lilith were inducted into the Order of Witches and the trials and tribulations of their stolen childhood and how they became the adults they were in the main game. There are 8 additional Mini-Games and 5 Hidden Object Scenes, and you will continue your search for the final Ritual Items, Horror Books, and Zoom Zone Dollars which allows you to purchase the final Writer's Desk Items.
Wind back the hand of time playing as a young Deborah Spellman who is raised by her Grandmother after her parents' death. Learn how Deborah and her sister Lilith were inducted into the Order of Witches and the trials and tribulations of their stolen childhood and how they became the adults they were in the main game. There are 8 additional Mini-Games and 5 Hidden Object Scenes, and you will continue your search for the final Ritual Items, Horror Books, and Zoom Zone Dollars which allows you to purchase the final Writer's Desk Items.
Collector's Edition Extra's: (CE version only)
8 Wallpapers, 11 Concept Art Pictures, 5 Music Soundtracks, 27 Movie Video Cutscenes, 38 Achievements, 19 Replayable Mini-Games, 18 Replayable Hidden Object Scenes, 15 Morphing Ritual Items, 15 Horror Books, a gazillion Missing Notes, 70 Zoom-Zone Dollars, 15 Writers Desk Items (purchase with dollars) 3 Main Chapters, +Bonus Chapter, and a Built-In Strategy Guide. Reconnect with long-lost forum friends and become an official Woosdey when you join us on my new forum at thewoodsforum.boards.net
8 Wallpapers, 11 Concept Art Pictures, 5 Music Soundtracks, 27 Movie Video Cutscenes, 38 Achievements, 19 Replayable Mini-Games, 18 Replayable Hidden Object Scenes, 15 Morphing Ritual Items, 15 Horror Books, a gazillion Missing Notes, 70 Zoom-Zone Dollars, 15 Writers Desk Items (purchase with dollars) 3 Main Chapters, +Bonus Chapter, and a Built-In Strategy Guide. Reconnect with long-lost forum friends and become an official Woosdey when you join us on my new forum at thewoodsforum.boards.net
I recommend this game!
Help run Pinecreek Hills and the park ranger 25th reunion!
Overall rating
5
/
5
442 of 486 found this review helpful
THE BEST VACATIONS HAPPEN AT PINECREEK HILLS PARK!
PostedAugust 19, 2021
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
I have looked forward to new releases of Vacation Adventures Park Rangers for the past 8 years because they always give me that warm and fuzzy feeling. There's just something about this series that brings back fond memories, it's like an old friend, familiar enough to bring comfort, yet always a delight to add a new chapter to the relationship when catching up on the latest adventures.
You can play in a Casual Mode (untimed-faster hint recharge) a Challenge Mode (timed-normal hint recharge) or Extreme (timed as to how long it takes to complete the scene-all wildlife & recyclables must be found) There are 20 Achievements to earn for completing various tasks such as finding Wildlife, buying souvenirs, or finishing a mini-game quickly. You can purchase 16 Park Souvenir's which are stored in a Display Case tab.
You can play in a Casual Mode (untimed-faster hint recharge) a Challenge Mode (timed-normal hint recharge) or Extreme (timed as to how long it takes to complete the scene-all wildlife & recyclables must be found) There are 20 Achievements to earn for completing various tasks such as finding Wildlife, buying souvenirs, or finishing a mini-game quickly. You can purchase 16 Park Souvenir's which are stored in a Display Case tab.
There are seek and find puzzles in scenes all around the park, and even scenes where you find multiples of similar or related objects. I loved the scene where you were tasked with finding 20 Dollar Bills in the Mall, it was a really challenging scene and it took me forever to find that last dollar bill!
Each scene has several Wildlife Animals to find that are shown as silhouettes in a box to the left of the word search bar and when all the animals have been spotted, the box will close. There is a Wildlife Notebook that allows you to see illustrations of all the wildlife you have found. There are 18 Toads & Frogs, 31 Birds, 27 Insects, 42 Mammals, and 26 Reptiles, for a whopping total of 144 Wildlife Critters to spot.
You will also Recycle cans, bottles, and paper found in each scene, and when all recyclables have been found, the recycle Can icon will be displayed as full. Some of the trash items are located within Zoom Zones as well.
There are 16 Photo Op scenes that allow you to take a photo for your Album whenever you see the Camera Icon so don't forget to keep an eye out for those Photo Ops.
You will earn an Eagle Eye achievement if you don't use either the Hint Magnifying Glass that shows the location of a single random item or the Mega Hint feature which shows the location of all available items from the list. You'll earn a Bronze Star for completing the Search, a Silver Star if you find all Wildlife OR all Recyclable Items, and a Gold Star if you find all Wildlife AND all Recyclable items.
Words listed in Blue are Tasks that require an interaction of some type, and words in Red are hidden inside or behind things. Most of the scenes have a Zoom Zone (indicated by sparkling stars) that has hidden items and sometimes includes Recyclables or Wildlife. Levels can be replayed at any time to better your time/score or pick up missing recyclable items or wildlife. and the items to find are different each time you replay it.
After each Search Scene, you'll play a variety of Mini Games such as Placing Map Shapes, Spot The Difference, Word Search, or several different types of Jigsaw Puzzles (Rotate Squares, Swap Tile Sections, Flipsaw's, Slider Puzzles, etc.)
Collector's Edition Extra's:
3 Extra Scenes, 18 Wallpapers, 20 Music Soundtracks w/player (that familiar Vacation Adventures soundtrack is called Bluewaters Heaven btw) 20 Achievements, 16 Photo Op Screenshots (available in Photo Album) 16 Gift Shop Souvenirs with Display Case, 144 Wildlife Critters to find (available in a Photo Album) 48 Replayable Mini-Games.
3 Extra Scenes, 18 Wallpapers, 20 Music Soundtracks w/player (that familiar Vacation Adventures soundtrack is called Bluewaters Heaven btw) 20 Achievements, 16 Photo Op Screenshots (available in Photo Album) 16 Gift Shop Souvenirs with Display Case, 144 Wildlife Critters to find (available in a Photo Album) 48 Replayable Mini-Games.
EXTRA MINI-GAMES:
8 Jigsaws
8 Flipsaws
8 Rotation
4 Spot the Difference
4 Concentration
8 Word Search
1 Academy Places (place icons & labels correctly)
1 The Bus Trip (rotate hexagonal puzzle pieces & swap tiles)
1 Ranger Backpack (drag items to correct location in a scene)
1 Nacho Supreme (drag & rotate jigsaw pieces)
1 Instrument Panel (simple math puzzle)
1 Float Plane Approach (rotate hexagonal & slider pieces)
1 Pinecreek Transport (drag & rotate pieces onto a map)
1 Treehouse Lodge (drag & place labels correctly)
8 Jigsaws
8 Flipsaws
8 Rotation
4 Spot the Difference
4 Concentration
8 Word Search
1 Academy Places (place icons & labels correctly)
1 The Bus Trip (rotate hexagonal puzzle pieces & swap tiles)
1 Ranger Backpack (drag items to correct location in a scene)
1 Nacho Supreme (drag & rotate jigsaw pieces)
1 Instrument Panel (simple math puzzle)
1 Float Plane Approach (rotate hexagonal & slider pieces)
1 Pinecreek Transport (drag & rotate pieces onto a map)
1 Treehouse Lodge (drag & place labels correctly)
I recently lost everything in a housefire including my beloved 4# dog Loki. I play games because I enjoy them, I review games because I enjoy helping others, even if my reviews only help a single person it's still worth it to me. My world is in turmoil and I'm lost without Loki yet I'm still choosing to help others make decisions about Big Fish games with my reviews so it would be really nice if the "multiple NOs-voter" could just stop and think about other people for a change. There are way more important things in life to accomplish than a petty, hurtful gesture...
Come take a stroll in The Woods and maybe even feed our friendly bears at my new forum thewoodsforum.boards.net
I recommend this game!