Chickadees3's Profile
Stat Summary
- Average Rating:3.8
- Helpful Votes:1,372
- Reviews Submitted:52
- First Review:September 10, 2012
- Most Recent Review:February 25, 2020
- Featured reviews0
Status:
Puzzle Pieces: Sweet Times is a new and heartwarming jigsaw game packed full of great features!
Overall rating
1
/
5
8 of 12 found this review helpful
How hard is it to make a decent jigsaw puzzle game?!
PostedFebruary 25, 2020
Chickadees3
fromDFW, Texas
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Card & Board, Hidden Object, Large File, Mahjong, Match 3, Puzzle, Strategy, Word
Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
1
/
5
Not going into what's good about this game as the bad far outweighs the little good there is.
I stuck with the demo for 29 minutes and then enough was enough! The puzzle pieces float over, backwards, upside down and sideways as you try to move and place them and you have to wait for them to settle down before you can put them into place. It was maddening! That one feature had me so frustrated that I finally just deleted the danged game.
I love a good jigsaw puzzle game and this isn't one of them. I say don't waste your time even demoing it.
I don't recommend this game.
The Seven Chambers
Piece together past lives through an intriguing narrative while solving challenging and cleverly crafted puzzles!
Overall rating
2
/
5
4 of 4 found this review helpful
I so wanted to like it!
PostedJanuary 31, 2020
Chickadees3
fromDFW, Texas
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Card & Board, Hidden Object, Large File, Mahjong, Puzzle, Word
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Based on the demo.
I was enjoying playing until it locked up and I had to use the task manager to get out of the game. It locked just as I played the mini game to open the cave. So disappointing. I considered buying it anyway because it was enjoyable up to it locking but then I checked the reviews. Looks like most everybody experienced one or more freezes and I don't feel like dealing with that so deleted game. Too bad!
I don't recommend this game.
Your new dream home has become a deadly nightmare!
Overall rating
3
/
5
18 of 23 found this review helpful
So NOT a psychological thriller!
PostedOctober 21, 2016
Chickadees3
fromDFW, Texas
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Card & Board, Hidden Object, Large File, Mahjong, Match 3, Strategy, Word
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
2
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Based on the demo played in custom mode. . .
My two favorite genres are horror and scifi so I was very eager to play this demo after reading the game description. I don't know if I'm jaded to horror or what but this game definitely didn't have the oomph that constitutes a psychological thriller. I expected to feel at least a tiny shiver of fear as I played or some trepidation but none of that happened. I didn't even find the music to be fear-inspiring.
The HOGs (what few there were) were very easy as were the mini-games. There were a bunch of mini-games but either they didn't seem to flow easily within the game or they were disjointed within themselves. Also, practically every one of the inventory items were either Plus Sign items or needed to have more than one found. I usually enjoy Plus Sign items but there were too many in this game, one right after another.
One thing I was really enjoying was the storyline. Deadly sins is not a new idea but usually it's 7 deadly sins. This game has 11 of them and I wanted to see how that played out. For that reason alone I will purchase this game at some point in the future - probably when the SE comes out and I can use a coupon.
One thing I especially love about these HOPA CE's is collectibles - morphing items, statues or what-have-you's. I don't care a whit about the music, wallpapers or achievements but, everything else being equal, the collectibles will oftentimes win me over and I'll purchase the CE. HH:LL is NOT CE worthy IMO. The picture and sound quality is just too inferior. Also, demo's should show me some of the best the game offers and, if this demo is some of the best of Lakeview Lane, then the game is barely SE fare. Therefore I can't recomment purchase of this edition but I will recommend the SE when it comes out. Please try the demo yourself and see if you agree.
I don't recommend this game.
It's Halloween time and the Queen wants to celebrate! Help the Queen and her loyal assistant Jack decorate the garden in this unique match-3 game!
Overall rating
5
/
5
8 of 9 found this review helpful
Happily toiling away in my Halloween garden!
PostedOctober 14, 2016
Chickadees3
fromDFW, Texas
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Card & Board, Hidden Object, Large File, Mahjong, Match 3, Strategy, Word
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
I've recently begun dipping my toes in the M3 game pool. This game is the perfect one for me and, fortunately, there are 2 other Queen's Garden games to play after I finish my Halloween garden.
There are 3 different modes to play in - timed, relaxed and limited moves. I play in relaxed mode as I don't want the angst of playing against a clock nor do I feel like counting moves. There are other fishies who want these options though and it's great that this 1 game has all 3.
The artwork is Halloween cute so good for the all members of the family-oldest to youngest.
Sound is also appropriately Halloween. I keep the music down very low so it's barely background sound. Something I particularly enjoy is the game sounds as matches are made - whistles, pops, Halloween howls, etc - they are so fun to listen to and they don't seem to get old and I've been playing for lots of sessions over the last week or so.
Another aspect of this game I am enjoying immensely is designing my garden. As we start the game we have a large square area that is fenced in and has nothing inside it that will become our garden. As we play the game we accrue game $ that we spend in the 'store' on various items used to decorate our gardens. These items become available a little at a time as we level up and come in 3 categories - Garden (plants); Manmade (lights, garden furniture, etc) and Halloween (pumpkins, scarecrows, Halloween minutiae). We can also see our gardens in daytime or nighttime modes so, if we have lights in our gardens, they really illuminate in nighttime mode.
There is not 1 thing I dislike about Queen's Garden: Halloween and highly recommend you try it and see what I mean.
I recommend this game!
Can you save a woman's fiancé before it's too late?
Overall rating
4
/
5
16 of 19 found this review helpful
Fun Game
PostedOctober 14, 2016
Chickadees3
fromDFW, Texas
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Card & Board, Hidden Object, Large File, Mahjong, Match 3, Strategy
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Following is the review I submitted when the CE came out based on the demo played in custom mode. I had 23 minutes left on the clock at the end of the demo so that may indicate a shorter game.
I found myself really admiring the artwork as I played. Crisp, clean lines, nice color and creative scenery all through the demo. Nothing too dark or small to see. The sound was good as well. At one point I had to lower the music because **spoiler alert** we're racing the clock to achieve a goal and the intensity of the music was causing me a lot of angst. Once I lowered it I was able to proceed without all the adrenaline flowing making me crazy :-)
There wasn't as much challenge as I would have expected. There weren't as many HOG's or mini games and the mini's there were were fairly simple except for one type that I particularly dislike so I skipped that one. I didn't see any alternate game that could be played in place of an HOG.
There were a lot of cut scenes, almost like watching a movie interspersed here and there with a mini game or HOG. Since I only played the demo and not the full game I don't know if it continues with lots of cut scenes for the entire game. Hopefully another reviewer will play the whole game and fill us in on that.
Some other points to be noted are: we can play as male or female as we choose; there are some collectibles, not many and no morphing items. There are the usual achievements, wallpapers, screen savers and music and 4 modes to play in. There is probably a bonus chapter too but I forgot to look to see if one is there.
Because of the limited number of collectible-type items and the fact that there are so many cut scenes and too few HOG's and mini games I would wait til the SE comes out and purchase then. There just isn't enough here to justify a CE price IMO. I sure was enjoying what play there is though so I definitely recommend you try the demo.
I recommend this game!
Phantasmat: Reign of Shadows Collector's Edition
There's more to this resort than meets the eye.
Overall rating
4
/
5
8 of 12 found this review helpful
Cheers to another fabulous Phantasmat game!
PostedOctober 6, 2016
Chickadees3
fromDFW, Texas
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Card & Board, Hidden Object, Large File, Mahjong, Puzzle, Strategy, Word
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
I've completed 50% of the game so far and decided to take a quick break to write my review before continuing on.
Like another reviewer I don't give many games 5 stars. I save that for the truly exceptional. Reign of Shadows comes very close and I would rate it 4.2 if I could.
Although this is a HOG it has more the feel of an adventure game. This is because the HOS's are much more like mini games than true HOS's. Yes, there is sometimes a list and, yes, we do look for objects but most of them are done differently. And they're fun! Even if you aren't a fan of HOG's I bet you'll enjoy these.
Another thing I'm really enjoying is we aren't opening doors, drawers, etc. with just the same old key. Yes, there are some keys but there are also other very imaginative means of opening locked items. Much of the game play is making me think and I'm having a good time with it, too. The mini games are fun as well although I have had to skip a couple because I couldn't figure out how to play the game. Even after checking the SG I was unable to figure out 2 of them.
Now for visual and sound. The story is set in a resort in the cold, wintry mountains and it has the exact look, feel and sound of it. When you walk around you hear the echoing footsteps of the truly alone. When you're outside and hearing the wolves howling in the snow covered forests beyond the light from the resort you feel the shiver of fear creep up your spine - are they near enough to get you? They story is about something waiting in the dark for you - are you really safe in the light? That shiver of fear tells you maybe you aren't.
One thing that bothered me was some of the scenery that should have been clear was too washed out and hazy looking. Not good for older eyes! Another is the storyline. As I said, I'm 50% into the game and still don't have a real clear idea of what the story is. It's coming out a small bit at a time but, at this point in the game, I feel like I should have more info than I do. The gameplay is unique and fun enough that I have no problem playing on to see what's going to happen but it may be that the devs are relying too much on mechanics and too little on story.
Obviously I got the CE. Though there are collectibles and achievements, there aren't that many. As long as there is a conclusive ending without the bonus chapter I feel I should have waited until the SE came out and I would have been just as happy. Phantasmat: Reign of Shadows is entertaining enough on it's own that it doesn't need the CE items to be a satisfying gaming experience. I recommend you try the demo and see if you agree :-)
I recommend this game!
What secrets are hiding in the European countryside?
Overall rating
4
/
5
41 of 57 found this review helpful
Now you see me, now you don't!
PostedOctober 1, 2016
Chickadees3
fromDFW, Texas
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Card & Board, Hidden Object, Large File, Mahjong, Puzzle, Strategy, Word
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Based on the demo played in custom mode.
Many years ago a young woman and her fiance disappeared, not be seen or heard from again. Until just recently. She was seen looking exactly as she did the day she disappeared. Which is impossible, considering it happened 40 years ago. You, the detective, are hired to find out where she is, where she's been and what's going on.
I was having a lot of fun playing this game. There is a tutorial but it isn't needed. If I was playing the demo but didn't know the name of the game or dev's name I would think I was playing a Fear for Sale game because the formula is that much like the last one I played.
There is a 3 page, transportable map and the demo covers all the locations on the 1st page. There are more locations on the 2nd and 3rd pages than the 1st one so it's a decent length game, plus there's a bonus chapter. The visuals and sound are exactly as you would expect from a Fear for Sale game as well.
There's all the standard CE bling - morphing objects, collectibles, achievements, music, concept art and wallpapers.
I really enjoyed the HOGs. They feel like they are connected to the game rather than a list of random objects that you have to find for no particular reason. I also like how the mini games are incorporated into the overall game. They are definitely part of the game flow and enhance game play tremendously. I didn't come across any hard mini games in the demo at all.
One aspect of this Fear for Sale that I loved was so many items in each scene can be interacted with. Try clicking on the crows on the title page, or the octopus on the fountain, and you'll see what I mean. It's like that throughout the demo and probably throughout the game and it's just a lot of fun seeing what is going to do something and what that something will be.
If this was not 60% off weekend I would be waiting til the SE comes rather than get the CE. I know it has all the bells and whistles but, for some reason, it doesn't strike me as a CE worthy game. Fortunately I'm able to get the CE at near SE price so, yes, I'm going for it and I recommend you try it and see if you want to take a little splurge too.
I recommend this game!
The gates to another world will open soon! You can stop the impending disaster - if you track down the stolen runes!
Overall rating
5
/
5
An excellent game so deserving of 5 stars all the way around!
PostedSeptember 28, 2016
Chickadees3
fromDFW, Texas
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Card & Board, Hidden Object, Large File, Mahjong, Puzzle, Strategy
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
My review is based on playing the demo in casual mode.
This game has been around for several years but I never saw it before. I happened across it because a reviewer that I respect and usually agree with highly recommended it so I thought I'd give it a go. Wow, am I glad I did! I generally give 4 stars across the board to very good games and save the 5 star rating for exceptional games. This one rates 5 stars.
The visuals were amazing. Crisp and clear, close to cinematic quality. I loved looking around because it felt so real. I kept having the craziest impulse to touch my screen to test the texture of things I saw. It felt like stone would be rough and cold for example. Even the pigeons seemed very real.
Then there was sound. The sounds complemented the visuals. At no time did the sound overwhelm the scenes but it always enhanced them. An excellent job of setting the stage for the emotions one would feel if one were actually exploring an old cathedral or seeing ghostlike visions or demons, etc. Between the realistic sights and sounds I found myself feeling more trepidation as the demo progressed, not knowing what was going to be around the next corner or in the next room. Excellent job done by the devs!
The puzzles were good and some fairly hard. I don't like to spend too much time on puzzles during a demo so I don't eat up all my time on just a puzzle or two (if they are hard ones, that is) so I ended up skipping a couple of them. When I buy the game I will start all over so I can attack those puzzles I skipped. They were challenging and I want to see if I can solve them myself. The HOS's were not strictly list types. They had some where they give you the items and you put them back in the scene where they should belong. A few of the items I really had to think about where they should belong. That was fun.
All in all I really enjoyed the demo and have this on my list of games to purchase
I recommend this game!
Can you escape the mirrored world to save your love?
Overall rating
4
/
5
33 of 40 found this review helpful
Multiple personality or just plain old insane?
PostedSeptember 27, 2016
Chickadees3
fromDFW, Texas
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Card & Board, Hidden Object, Large File, Mahjong, Puzzle, Strategy
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
My review is based on the demo played in custom mode and I'll say right off that this is not CE worthy.
The story is you're Alex, a woman preparing for her wedding when your doppelganger, Xela (yes, that's Alex backwards), drags you into creepy mirror world and takes your place in the real world as the blushing bride to be. You have to find your way back to the real world and you're assisted in the mirror world by these two very creepy dolls who's voices send chills up and down the spine. You should have known that something was going to go wrong when you allowed your fiance to see your gown before the ceremony!
As you begin playing you start getting items into your inventory. This is how all games are done but, in this game, it seems to be done in a very disconnected manner. Usually, in these HO games, there is story and then you look for items to further the story. In this game it's the other way around. You start getting stuff with no idea of why. It just feels odd to me.
Then you have the visuals. The artwork is juvenile, more like old-time comic books rather than the artwork of a modern-day HOG. The artwork doesn't detract from the creepiness of the two guide dolls though. They really are a piece of work! I could see having nightmares about them.
Sound is pretty good. The music is limited and suits gameplay and the voices were pretty good, too. Much better than I would have expected considering the limitations of the visuals.
There were more HOS's than there were mini games and the mini's were very simple. I consider myself to be an intermediate player, even though I've been playing HOG's for years, and this game was too easy for me, at least as far as the demo goes.
There are achievements to be earned and wine glasses to be collected. The wine glasses are huge and fairly prominently displayed in each scene. You really couldn't miss them. At the end of the demo I looked at the page of the wine glasses and when I moused over them I could see there were a lot more areas listed than what the interactive game map had shown so that tells me this is probably a longer game. Oh, and it's a transportable map, too.
I was enjoying the demo because I liked what appeared to be a multiple personality disorder story and those creepy little dolls however, I think this will be a better SE purchase. It's just not up to snuff for a CE price. I recommend you try the demo and see if you agree.
I recommend this game!
Little Ricky Raccoon joins his grandpa's treasure hunt along the Amazon River!
Overall rating
3
/
5
30 of 32 found this review helpful
Basic and relaxing
PostedSeptember 26, 2016
Chickadees3
fromDFW, Texas
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Card & Board, Hidden Object, Large File, Mahjong, Strategy
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
I don't play many match 3 games so I don't have much to compare this game to but it seems to me to be a very basic match 3 game.
The story is written so you must read it and it doesn't seem to have much to do with the game itself. You can click through the 'story' and it won't make a difference to the game play.
I played in relaxed mode as I don't like the nail-biting pace of timed m3 games and that may have made a difference but I don't know. If you've played the bejewelled type games than you know what happens with this one too.
There were no VO's and only 1 track of music however the music was very relaxing. I can see playing this if you need a mindless diversion or time-filler and I won't be purchasing it now but I could see using a club credit on it in the future at some point perhaps. If you're looking for a simple, straight forward m3 game or if you are a beginner then definitely check out this game. If you're experienced or looking for a challenge you probably want to pass on this one.
I recommend this game!