turkthesnake's Profile
Stat Summary
- Average Rating:3.3
- Helpful Votes:542
- Reviews Submitted:26
- First Review:May 2, 2012
- Most Recent Review:May 2, 2015
- Featured reviews0
Status:
Discover the secrets that lie buried in the eerie, crooked halls of Mnemosyne Asylum!
Overall rating
2
/
5
13 of 14 found this review helpful
"Oh no! Someone glued the cabinet with scotch tape!"
PostedMay 2, 2015
Whatever will we do? We all know how impossibly durable scotch tape "glue" is . . . *sigh*
Based on completed game.
I have to say, this is my first disappointment from this developer. I just found everything incredibly unbelievable. The spelling errors didn't help. This game was trying to be scary, but it was comical. The villain's voice was, well, reminiscent of the Joker. He was funny, not menacing. The game was trying to be mysterious. It was too short to really build any mystery. It was worse than predictable; it didn't inspire enough interest to encourage prediction.
Of course, I realize I am in the minority, but if you too found this game a bit campy and you want a more immersive detective game, I enjoyed Angelica Weaver. I'll include the link at left. To get a taste of what this developer does well, you can try Enigmatis: the Ghosts of Maple Creek. It's old, but it still feels very immersive. And you don't have to struggle with removing scotch tape.
I don't recommend this game.
After a suspicious accident, you find yourself stranded at a run-down motel. But you soon realize the area hides a terrifying secret...
Overall rating
1
/
5
95 of 103 found this review helpful
Based on completed CE (recommendations at bottom)
PostedJuly 27, 2014
turkthesnake
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Strategy, Time Management
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
I wanted to like this game, but the story made no sense. The graphics were wonderful, of the sort that could really suck you into the story of a game, if only there were something coherent to get sucked into. It didn't help that they used live actors that were absolutely terrible. The mother was particularly horrid. She gestured madly or waved her arms around almost every time she spoke. It was as if she were imitating a monkey.
I did really like the HOSs. You would get sucked into a photograph or an old memory, and then rather than combing through junk piles, you'd actually investigate. But I'm a story person, and the nonsense and bad acting really ruined this one for me.
It is impossible for me to discuss what made this a one star game for me without discussing the story in some detail, so SPOILER ALERT!!!! I have some game recommendations at the bottom
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I like ghost stories and the opening cutscene had me intrigued. What's with the evil scarecrow? what could make the crows so crazy all of a sudden? You never find out. The story has nothing to do with scarecrows or corn or the birds themselves.
Instead, it's about the family that owns the motel. They have a daughter, she dies, they adopt another daughter, then lock her in the attic for some reason. Except that somehow she's able to get out and walk on the roof so that you can see her. Ummmm, okay. She's not dead but she's able to intercept your emergency call somehow without access to a phone. Riiiiight. The dead girl decides to "grab" complete strangers (adults, probably not any fun) and not the parents she wanted to play with her at the time of her death. Uh-huh. These are just a few of the little illogicalities and inconsistencies that continue throughout the game, but the worst one comes at the end. Either the living sister dies somehow because "sisters are supposed to stick together, " or the dead sister comes back to life, but as the little sister rather than the older sister she actually is. Neither option makes any sense.
The ending leaves so much unresolved. Were you fighting an evil mother? a curse of some sort? Did the sweet little girl somehow take on nasty powers or were they given to her by . . . an evil thing in the well? some sort of ritual the parents performed? I had hoped that the bonus game would tie things together, but it was just more nonsense. In the end, the father blames everything on this random toy that was one of the puzzles in the main game. WHAT????!!!! It had nothing to do with anything. It was just an insignificant puzzle.
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END OF SPOILERS
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END OF SPOILERS
I don't need things to make total sense. The characters in these games often do things that don't make sense, like locking important doors with puzzles that any idiot could figure out. But when the story itself makes no sense, I have to draw the line. I'm actually kind of angry that I spent money on this thing, to the point where marvelous graphics and HOSs can't tempt me to give back a star.
If you're looking for a good story almost anything is better than this game, so I'm having trouble choosing one to recommend. If you're looking for a spooky game and by some slim chance you haven't encountered the True Fear series, the Shiver series, or the original Phantasmat, you should try those. Committed: Mystery at Shady Pines is this game's opposite, with a good story and terrible graphics.
I think I'll just take the opportunity to recommend a game I thought was under-appreciated: Resurrection, New Mexico. I'll include the link at left
I think I'll just take the opportunity to recommend a game I thought was under-appreciated: Resurrection, New Mexico. I'll include the link at left
I don't recommend this game.
After a suspicious accident, you find yourself stranded at a run-down motel. But you soon realize the area hides a terrifying secret...
Overall rating
1
/
5
27 of 28 found this review helpful
(recommendations at bottom) I wanted to like it but . . .
PostedJuly 12, 2014
turkthesnake
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Strategy, Time Management
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
. . . but the story made no sense. The graphics were wonderful, of the sort that could really suck you into the story of a game, if only there were something coherent to get sucked into. It didn't help that they used live actors that were absolutely terrible. The mother was particularly horrid. She gestured madly or waved her arms around almost every time she spoke. It was as if she were imitating a monkey.
I did really like the HOSs. You would get sucked into a photograph or an old memory, and then rather than combing through junk piles, you'd actually investigate. But I'm a story person, and the nonsense and bad acting really ruined this one for me.
It is impossible for me to discuss what made this a one star game for me without discussing the story in some detail, so SPOILER ALERT!!!! I have some game recommendations at the bottom
***********************************
***********************************
I like ghost stories and the opening cutscene had me intrigued. What's with the evil scarecrow? what could make the crows so crazy all of a sudden? You never find out. The story has nothing to do with scarecrows or corn or the birds themselves.
I like ghost stories and the opening cutscene had me intrigued. What's with the evil scarecrow? what could make the crows so crazy all of a sudden? You never find out. The story has nothing to do with scarecrows or corn or the birds themselves.
Instead, it's about the family that owns the motel. They have a daughter, she dies, they adopt another daughter, then lock her in the attic for some reason. Except that somehow she's able to get out and walk on the roof so that you can see her. Ummmm, okay. She's not dead but she's able to intercept your emergency call somehow without access to a phone. Riiiiight. The dead girl decides to "grab" complete strangers (adults, probably not any fun) and not the parents she wanted to play with her at the time of her death. Uh-huh. These are just a few of the little illogicalities and inconsistencies that continue throughout the game, but the worst one comes at the end. Either the living sister dies somehow because "sisters are supposed to stick together, " or the dead sister comes back to life. Neither option makes any sense.
I had hoped that the bonus game would tie things together, but it was just more nonsense. In the end, the father blames everything on this random toy that was one of the puzzles in the main game. WHAT????!!!! It had nothing to do with anything. It was just an insignificant puzzle.
***********************************
***********************************
END OF SPOILERS
I don't need things to make total sense. The characters in these games often do things that don't make sense, like locking important doors with puzzles that any idiot could figure out. But when the story itself makes no sense, I have to draw the line. I'm actually kind of angry that I spent money on this thing.
If you're looking for a good story almost anything is better than this game, so I'm having trouble choosing one to recommend. If you're looking for a spooky game and by some slim chance you haven't encountered the True Fear series, the Shiver series, or the original Phantasmat, you should try those. Committed: Mystery at Shady Pines is this game's opposite, with a good story and terrible graphics.
I think I'll just take the opportunity to recommend a game I thought was under-appreciated: Resurrection, New Mexico. I'll include the link at left.
I don't recommend this game.
Adventure across the lands in this original role-play game!
Overall rating
5
/
5
18 of 18 found this review helpful
Please make a sequel! (recommendations bellow)
PostedJuly 5, 2014
turkthesnake
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Strategy, Time Management
Current Favorite:
Tiny Token Empires
(30)Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
This game is awesome. I didn't grow up with RPG's, so I don't have any nostalgia; I just like the game. I liked . . .
. . . the battle system. Once you get the hang of it, it really is pretty straight forward, and it offers a myriad of possible strategies and attacks. It's fun to try out different units and cards to see what works well against what. If you're having trouble, there's an explanation on the forums.
. . . the dialogue. It's hilarious. This is impressive because the developers are not native English speakers and subtle sarcastic humor is very difficult to translate. Except that the characters still talk to the female hero as though she's a man, I found few annoyances and lots of little laughs. If you are semi-illiterate or don't like reading through dialogue, this game is not for you. It is where half the fun of the game comes from.
. . . the visuals. They were very well done, especially for a small indie developer.
. . . the characters. THERE ARE HOBBITS!
The one thing that didn't meet my standards was the storyline. It was engaging enough that I wanted to find out what happened next, but it ended too soon and abruptly and left me feeling as though things weren't resolved.
As it turns out, the game was supposed to be about twice as long as it is. The developer is fairly small and the game proved to be more expensive to create than anticipated. They released it, hoping that initial sales would provide the additional funds needed and they could provide an update later. No such luck. Further fundraising efforts were unsuccessful. They have since added an ending of sorts that hints at a sequel, but no such game is currently in the works.
I'm still holding out hope. Please make a sequel! I want to fight a demon.
If you liked this game, you will have trouble finding others like it on BFG. However, the Tradewinds games are somewhat similar, so you might want to try those. Also, Tiny Token Emipres is very similar in spirit, if not in mechanics, and is very long. I've included the link at left.
I recommend this game!
Shop through exciting locations, meet fun and eccentric customers and craft unique and beautiful jewels in Sparkling Amber!
Overall rating
1
/
5
4 of 5 found this review helpful
Wow. Way too easy
PostedJuly 2, 2014
turkthesnake
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Strategy, Time Management
I've played easy games before, but this was ridiculous. I got 4 and 5 times the 3-star goal on many of the levels without really trying. Then there was one level where bonuses weren't available. I did everything I possibly could, and didn't get 3 stars. Thus, this game was uniquely both dull and frustrating, since you can't get all of the achievements.
I don't recommend this game.
A strange and deadly pollen is spreading around the world, and you’ve been hired to track down its source. But the secrets you discover in the fabled kingdom of Floralia are much darker than you imagined...
Overall rating
5
/
5
146 of 168 found this review helpful
Classic Dark Parables (recommendations at bottom)
PostedJune 30, 2014
turkthesnake
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Strategy, Time Management
If you have played any Dark Parables games before, you pretty much know what you're going to get. Here, with a few exceptions, we have more of the same.
The exceptions:
~There are a couple of different endings depending on a choice you make at the end. I like feeling like I'm having a real influence on the story, but I also resent having to play through the whole game to try out the different endings. I do think it makes the game more re-playable, so the different endings achieve their likely purpose.
~The interactive element in the FROGs that we saw introduced in Jack and the Sky Kingdom is gone, THANK GOODNESS. That was really annoying. (mac version)
~There are a lot more references to our past adventures as the fairy tale detective. All of the games in the series do this a little bit, but it's never been integral to the story. I've played all of the Dark Parables games multiple times, so I thought it was fun to see where some old friends were. Others might find it annoying.
~There are a couple of different endings depending on a choice you make at the end. I like feeling like I'm having a real influence on the story, but I also resent having to play through the whole game to try out the different endings. I do think it makes the game more re-playable, so the different endings achieve their likely purpose.
~The interactive element in the FROGs that we saw introduced in Jack and the Sky Kingdom is gone, THANK GOODNESS. That was really annoying. (mac version)
~There are a lot more references to our past adventures as the fairy tale detective. All of the games in the series do this a little bit, but it's never been integral to the story. I've played all of the Dark Parables games multiple times, so I thought it was fun to see where some old friends were. Others might find it annoying.
The same:
~FROGs - fragmented object games, instead of HOGs. I love these.
~Everything, yes EVERYTHING, is gilded, bejeweled, and colorful. Even the objects that relate to the game's darker elements are beautiful. The storyline was flower-themed, and the graphics reflect this.
~Morphing objects that make the hint charge faster (CE)
~A clever twist on a familiar fairy tale. Although this time around, I felt like the plot was a little too removed from classic Rapunzel. Except for one very contrived reference to her hair, the Rapunzel character could have been anyone.
~More crests and keys than tools. At any given time, your inventory will probably be at least 75% ornate items that fit into a slot somewhere.
~A bonus game that is separate and complete in itself, rather than a contrived continuation of the main game. This isn't true of all of the Dark Parables games, but it is an emerging trend. (CE)
~FROGs - fragmented object games, instead of HOGs. I love these.
~Everything, yes EVERYTHING, is gilded, bejeweled, and colorful. Even the objects that relate to the game's darker elements are beautiful. The storyline was flower-themed, and the graphics reflect this.
~Morphing objects that make the hint charge faster (CE)
~A clever twist on a familiar fairy tale. Although this time around, I felt like the plot was a little too removed from classic Rapunzel. Except for one very contrived reference to her hair, the Rapunzel character could have been anyone.
~More crests and keys than tools. At any given time, your inventory will probably be at least 75% ornate items that fit into a slot somewhere.
~A bonus game that is separate and complete in itself, rather than a contrived continuation of the main game. This isn't true of all of the Dark Parables games, but it is an emerging trend. (CE)
It is fair to say that the series hasn't evolved much, but why on earth would you want it to? Blue Tea fills a niche in the casual gaming world that no other developer even approaches. No one else does FROGs, really. There are original fairy tale games and games that faithfully follow a classic fairy tale story or fable, but no one else does the clever little twists on familiar stories. At least, they don't do it well. I always expect a unique storyline from this series, and I am never disappointed. The ornate graphics have become a trademark of Dark Parables. When I encounter it in other games, it feels referential. Keep it up devs! Don't listen to the haters!
So no other games are really going to compare to this game besides the others in the same series, but if you need something to tide you over, you can try some others by Blue Tea:
Fabled Legends: The Dark Piper
Macabre Mysteries: The Curse of the Nightingale
Enchantia: Wrath of the Phoenix Queen
Cursery: The Crooked Man and the Crooked Cat
Fabled Legends: The Dark Piper
Macabre Mysteries: The Curse of the Nightingale
Enchantia: Wrath of the Phoenix Queen
Cursery: The Crooked Man and the Crooked Cat
Enchantia probably resembles Dark Parables the most, so I've included the link at left (er ... right? no. Left.). Also, if you are intrigued by the choose-your-own-adventure ending, I only know of one other game that sort of does this; Spirit Seasons: Little Ghost Story.
I recommend this game!
What if everything you knew about your life, everything your family ever told you, turned out to be a lie?
Overall rating
4
/
5
17 of 18 found this review helpful
There's something about white girls with black stringy hair . . .
PostedMarch 5, 2014
turkthesnake
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
1
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
. . . that is the epitome of creepy. And I love it. This is the first installment of a trilogy and I am entirely intrigued. The story is gripping. I hope it won't be long before the next one.
Then again, I do, because if the story hadn't been so fascinating and the creep factor weren't so well done, I would have quit within the first half hour. As others have said, the game runs like molasses. It's sluggish and you have to be patient. Also, the different soundtracks sometimes start overlapping one another in a cacophonous mess. As the game progresses, the HOS graphics look more and more unfinished until they start looking like paper cut outs arranged against the quality backdrop of the rest of the game. I play on a Mac, and there was no true fullscreen option. There was just a cut-off-the-bottom-of-the-game option.
So, I eagerly await the sequel but I hope the devs take their time with it.
I want to briefly respond to reviewers who don't think this game is scary. Yes, it is. There is an art to playing a creepy game just like there is an art to watching a horror movie. You have to let yourself be drawn into the world of the game. Come at the horror genre with hubris or skepticism and you won't be scared, but you won't be able to understand or enjoy it either.
If you like this game, I would highly recommend Shiver: Vanishing Hitchhiker and Poltergeist. In my opinion, these were the last quality creepy games before this game. If you want to try something more recent and closer thematically to this game, try Abandoned: Chestnut Lodge Asylum. It isn't quite as creepy, but it also has a touch of the psychological and unlike this game, the story is complete. I have included the link at right.
I recommend this game!
Explore snowy Dahlia Farms in this unique hidden object/farming sim hybrid! Build greenhouses and keep the farm going throughout the winter.
Overall rating
1
/
5
12 of 12 found this review helpful
One very very fatal flaw
PostedMarch 4, 2014
turkthesnake
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Strategy, Time Management
Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
1
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
The plants mature too quickly.
I got this game because I actually really enjoyed the first one. It was just the right mix of engaging and relaxing. I generally find non-adventure HOGs boring, but Farmington 1 was an exception. I really liked the mix of farming TM game elements and HO. It was unique.
When I first started playing, I was excited because it seemed like they had made a few improvements and added upgrades that would make it even more fun. I also liked the colorful blue tones of winter dahlia farm. But it quickly became obvious that the devs had made the time various plants take to mature much shorter. There is no need for the HO scenes to make money. There is no need for the mini games for fun while you wait. I was done with the game in a couple of hours. By contrast, The first game lasted almost a week.
All the upgrades and tweeks that I would have welcomed in 1 made this, a game that was already too easy, even easier. While I found the new minigames like polkatair potentially interesting, I only got to play the easiest levels before I was done with the game.
The game was not exactly awful in any other respect, except that the story was silly, but this one flaw ruined it completely. Save your money. Try farm tribe instead (link at right).
I don't recommend this game.
Enter an enchanting world of legends, mystery and magic, where your destiny was written in blood and the soft murmurs of true love...
Overall rating
5
/
5
29 of 32 found this review helpful
This developer is consistent
PostedMarch 3, 2014
turkthesnake
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure
I was beginning to think that I had grown out of adventure games. I found myself getting bored halfway through them or not finding the demos engaging enough to inspire purchase in the first place. Then I played this game. I love adventures! I just haven't encountered a good one in a long time. With this game, I experienced that I-MUST-STAY-UP-UNTIL-3AM-TO-FINISH feeling of excitement that I have been missing of late.
The STORY is phenomenally engaging. Something I found interesting was that even after you kind of figure out what's going on, there are more surprises. The story is complex enough to keep you engaged even when you think you already pretty much know what's going on. The bonus adds to the story nicely, but the main game ends conclusively (Good Job Devs!).
As with most games like this, there are 3 difficulty options. HOS are clear but well hidden. There were times when it took me a minute to find that last item! Objects are not replaced in repeat scenes, which I appreciate. PUZZLES are fun. A couple of them even related directly and plausibly to the story rather than being forced like every other puzzle, though of course there were some of those too (I mean, surely you've caught yourself thinking "Not even the most eccentric person locks their chests like this.")
COLLECTABLES and MORPHING OBJECTS are very well hidden. Collectibles are fairies with leaves as wings and they tend to be hidden on the ground in close-ups, so you have to look carefully. The morphs are collected into a story book. They are also hard to find, I think because they don't morph back and forth as frequently as they do in other games. In sum, keep your eyes peeled! If there is one of either in a scene that you haven't found yet, the relevant bottle at the bottom of the screen will glow slightly. It isn't too intrusive of a hint if you don't want one, but it's there if you do.
I was going to recommend Ravenwood if you like this game, but it was listed along with other games by this developer under "premium adventures" (upper right corner of game). I've played all but two on that list and they are all worth checking out. Unlike some well-known developers, Artifex Mundi has maintained a high level of quality in their games since that groundbreaking first Enigmatis. So to go beyond that list, I would recommend Child of the Forest (link at right). The story is thematically comparable to this game, and if you liked the way this CE was structured, the Child of the Forest game is structured similarly.
I recommend this game!
Help put together 5 different theaters and create your very own Megaplex! Keep your customers happy and succeed!
Overall rating
5
/
5
24 of 24 found this review helpful
They thought of everything (recommendations below)
PostedMarch 3, 2014
turkthesnake
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Strategy, Time Management
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
This game is probably one of the best time management games of all time. Long after I bought it, it is still on my computer and still holds my interest. It is of the move-people-through-stations variety but it is so much more. Here are the praise-worthy factors I can think of off the top of my head:
-Different characters with different levels of patience AND different preferences. You have a forecast screen detailing this information before each level. This makes this a strategy game as well.
-The possibility to manipulate the order of the characters' desires. This also contributes to strategy.
-An arcade to earn money for upgrades. If you didn't earn enough money playing the actual game, never fear! You can earn money playing 5 arcade games which unlock as you advance through the game's 5 chapters.
-If you get tired of arcade games (they aren't my fav) you can simply choose a level to fail and keep the money.
-50 levels and FOUR different levels of difficulty. Most TM games have only two.
-the difficulty advances just enough to be enticing but not too much so as to be frustrating. That is a nearly impossible balance to find, but this game has found it.
-Achievements both for skill and for fun. There are the predictable achievements for finishing the game at a certain difficulty level or getting so many coins, but there are also achievements for fun things, like figuring out how to generate gumballs in the gumball machine on the home screen. These add even more to the game's replayablility and fun factor, respectively.
-Good English. I ran across one error. Only one. That is incredibly rare (sadly).
-Cuteness. This is something that shows the devs put a lot of effort into the game. You don't need to have a bunch of fancy touches for basic gameplay but they add so much: clicking the characters makes them wave hello or do something appropriate to their respective personalities; they each have different sounds for satisfaction, frustration, and needing to go to the bathroom; some of the situations described are quite hilarious; you can unlock a different soundtrack for each chapter; there are different sound effects that accompany each improvement you make to each different theater, so don't click through everything right away!
-The possibility to manipulate the order of the characters' desires. This also contributes to strategy.
-An arcade to earn money for upgrades. If you didn't earn enough money playing the actual game, never fear! You can earn money playing 5 arcade games which unlock as you advance through the game's 5 chapters.
-If you get tired of arcade games (they aren't my fav) you can simply choose a level to fail and keep the money.
-50 levels and FOUR different levels of difficulty. Most TM games have only two.
-the difficulty advances just enough to be enticing but not too much so as to be frustrating. That is a nearly impossible balance to find, but this game has found it.
-Achievements both for skill and for fun. There are the predictable achievements for finishing the game at a certain difficulty level or getting so many coins, but there are also achievements for fun things, like figuring out how to generate gumballs in the gumball machine on the home screen. These add even more to the game's replayablility and fun factor, respectively.
-Good English. I ran across one error. Only one. That is incredibly rare (sadly).
-Cuteness. This is something that shows the devs put a lot of effort into the game. You don't need to have a bunch of fancy touches for basic gameplay but they add so much: clicking the characters makes them wave hello or do something appropriate to their respective personalities; they each have different sounds for satisfaction, frustration, and needing to go to the bathroom; some of the situations described are quite hilarious; you can unlock a different soundtrack for each chapter; there are different sound effects that accompany each improvement you make to each different theater, so don't click through everything right away!
As I write this, Megaplex 3 hasn't come out yet. The dev's site doesn't mention it either. So much for "rate our game highly and we'll give you more soon." It's been a couple years since this game came out. You won't find a TM game like this one, but there are a couple games out there that can hold you over until the highly anticipated 3rd installment finally comes:
Grave Mania series: also a stations game. If you liked the cuteness of Megaplex, Grave Mania surpasses it while maintaining a high quality of game play. I've included the link to the first one at right.
Busy Bea's Halftime Hustle: This game was made by the same devs. It's doesn't have the same difficulty balance or language proficiency and the story is ridiculous but if you liked the arcade and upgrades of Megaplex, this game is similar.
Haunted Domains: theoretically, Megaplex 3 will be monster themed. If that theme appeals to you like it does to me, you might want to try this game.
Grave Mania series: also a stations game. If you liked the cuteness of Megaplex, Grave Mania surpasses it while maintaining a high quality of game play. I've included the link to the first one at right.
Busy Bea's Halftime Hustle: This game was made by the same devs. It's doesn't have the same difficulty balance or language proficiency and the story is ridiculous but if you liked the arcade and upgrades of Megaplex, this game is similar.
Haunted Domains: theoretically, Megaplex 3 will be monster themed. If that theme appeals to you like it does to me, you might want to try this game.
I recommend this game!