LivingAsIf's Profile
Stat Summary
- Average Rating:4.4
- Helpful Votes:920
- Reviews Submitted:16
- First Review:June 2, 2015
- Most Recent Review:July 8, 2016
- Featured reviews0
Status:
Word Monaco
Relax and enjoy yourself with this peaceful fusion of word building and solitaire.
Overall rating
5
/
5
This is a Good One!
PostedJuly 8, 2016
LivingAsIf
fromLondon, UK
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Card & Board, Hidden Object, Match 3, Puzzle, Strategy, Time Management, Word
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
I love scrabble and crosswords in the real world, and this game satisfies the word fiend in me. Such a good idea. Cards are laid solitaire style, each card is a letter. Letters can be moved to a column if they can make a word. That's the basic play.
It's a simple idea. There are bonus moves for extra points and vowel and consonant swaps. If you love anagrams and strategy, it's bang on. It is visually basic but pleasant enough and does the job. This is going to give me many happy hours of gaming.
I recommend this game!
Help Emma save her Uncle's house and decorate it! Hidden Object, Match-3 and Decoration all in 1 Game!
Overall rating
4
/
5
29 of 33 found this review helpful
Decorating and Collecting Fun
PostedJune 28, 2016
LivingAsIf
fromPolishing A Mirror, UK
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Adventure, Match 3, Strategy
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
This is a buy for me. I'm still plugging away at the first Home Makeover Game and haven't found the end of the game yet - and that's okay by me! This is a stressbuster - one of those steady, dependable games that you can rely on. It's got a good format.
You're doing up a home, you buy decor with coins you earn from hidden object games. There's a steady mix of customers and you look for objects to sell, like an in house yard sale.
There's a match three section, a story about why you're doing up the house - and this one is snow themed! In the first game, it had household hints and I use three of them now in my daily life!
The visual quality is pretty old school, which I don't mind, it's basic - I've rated things lower than how fond I am of this game - big fish has published such high quality, complex games, it's like comparing apples and oranges. But this is a solid little game if you like the genre - and the demo gives you a good overview of the whole package. I find it a nice game to plug away at when I want to know what to expect at the end of a tough day!
I recommend this game!
Uncover the mystery of an uninhabited island! Can you solve what caused the air crash?
Overall rating
4
/
5
8 of 10 found this review helpful
Say What Now Island!
PostedJune 15, 2016
LivingAsIf
fromWith a Magnifying Glass, UK
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Time Management, Adventure, Match 3, Strategy, Marble Popper, Card & Board
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
I had to have a go at this as it's the first game that my favourite reviewer hasn't liked! I've managed to play to the morning of day 2 but I've had to bail out as it's made me nauseous - my migraine sensitive eyeballs! (It triggered me two ways, using a magnifying glass to look for small things and the use of a blurring in and out of focus that just mimics what happens in my migraines - just bad luck and I wouldn't expect it to happen unless it's specific to anyone else!). I'm guessing that this is an old mac/iPad game that's been transferred to PC, as I ended up with a magnifying lens playing the Mortimer Beckett games.
As I only played Day One, I was still in the Tutorial so it was quite directive and I was traipsing around the map completing quests. All the action was of a practical survival nature, with this weird dream sequence of a scale and skulls hinting at a bizarre underlying mystery.
Hilarious to imagine that anyone who's survived a plane crash would find a handheld game device and then start playing a game where you have to fly a plane and stop it crashing. Truly down the rabbit hole in 'game within a game' terms.
I am stubborn enough to grab my magnifying glass and a bunch of nausea tablets to find out where this game goes. If I'd played several 'days' within the game and all I had to show for it was 'gather wood' 'find food' then I know I'd be ticked off. I found the non-linear world of Mortimer Beckett ridiculously hard and had to use a walk through. For so much effort and discomfort I'd want a pretty good pay off at the end of a story.
It's swings and roundabouts - a game I got on my fire tablet, has put me right off the PC version. I wouldn't have believed that the device could effect a gaming experience so much. So how hidden do you like your hidden objects?
I'm intrigued enough by the game that I'm going to see if I can find it elsewhere and it may be a game I get here and just keep chipping away at over the weeks and months - I'm sure I have some kind of 'I need to know what happens next' disease. I think it's worth have a free trial at, especially if you are someone who can tolerate doing some 'work around' in your gaming. But hats off to previous reviewer, she did stick it out a lot longer than I was able to!
I recommend this game!
Save a magical world with MATCHING! Complete puzzles to save nice witches from evil.
Overall rating
5
/
5
89 of 112 found this review helpful
Boom! Match Three Mayhem with Witches Versus the World.
PostedJune 14, 2016
LivingAsIf
fromIn a dark room, UK
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Time Management, Adventure, Match 3, Strategy, Marble Popper, Card & Board
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
This is really fun! I play Gummy Drop daily and a rival sweet based game, so I was intrigued to see a new Free To Play (FTP) format on my fav game site, the home of Big Fish.
I've just played to finishing the first boss and opening a portal to a new level and I'm already loving it. The plus sides for me:
Fresh bright colours - I'm a migrainey fishy so I have a few eyeball issues - the images are clear and sharp which is excellent. The exciting fairground flashes when you win stuff may be a caution for epilepsy sufferers and for fellow migraineurs. (I'm playing on a large-ish lap top, can imagine it'd seem more contained on a tablet.)
I love the cast of characters, this is a trump over Gummy Drop for me - a Harry Potter stylee owl, friendly girl witch pals and baddies to fight, simple story details but it just gives things that bit more structure and story movement.
The match 3 format works seamlessly, a good mix of power-ups and effects. There are coins and books to collect. I like that there are rewards to collect for reaching goals (such as getting so many books).
There's a system in place, although I haven't used it yet, that you can replay a level 3 times if you run out of resources. I really like the idea that there is an alternative to in-app purchasing if I get stuck in a game.
Well I'm off to carry on playing spangly match 3 games, I find them a great stress relief. Free the Witch is a welcome edition to the club.
I recommend this game!
Explore fascinating unexplored worlds and save the Earth from catastrophe in this thrilling Hidden Object Adventure.
Overall rating
5
/
5
76 of 87 found this review helpful
Beautiful graphics through the Portals!
PostedJune 6, 2016
LivingAsIf
fromIn a dark room, UK
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Time Management, Adventure, Match 3, Strategy
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
I've just played the full trial period and I'm really impressed by Invasion 2: Doomed. I'm migrainey, so I didn't go into full immersive mode - I played it quiet and I played it casual. I was only paying cursory attention to the story line, but I liked it. We've had over the top storms in Europe in the last week, so weather havoc and saving the planet are engaging topics. Not such a big alien fan, but if they're a way of bringing beautiful, otherworldly graphics, I'm in!
The wins for me - very engaging. Lots of 'make sense' object retrieval and very good mini games. All the details and game play have a clean, sharp, open and mechanistic feel - I liked that successful completion opened them in a mini-game menu. I was quite happy to keep chipping away for ages until I won through. On games I didn't fancy, the 'skip' facility turned up quickly in casual mode.
Getting through the first portal was a treat - real sci-fi art. The hidden object games were fine. The level of invention and imagination was really high, even in the demo - so I'm quite intrigued at how that pans out in the rest of the game.
For a tired girl, with fuzzy eyesight, this really was surprisingly playable. Choose this if you DON'T want - poodling around in the dark, hard to pick out objects and any witchy/wizardy things. A must have for puzzle fans.
I recommend this game!
Is the notorious Axiom Butcher back from the grave?
Overall rating
5
/
5
50 of 61 found this review helpful
I'm gonna catch me a grammar murderer!
PostedApril 30, 2016
LivingAsIf
fromIn a dark, dark house, with a black cat, UK
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Time Management, Adventure, Match 3, Strategy, Word, Card & Board
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Well I'm just pausing between the demo and purchasing to throw up a quick review, what a gem of a game! After the swoon worthy Whispered Secrets Everburning Candle, expected a HOG drought for a while. This new game is a wonderful way to be oh so wrong.
What ticks the boxes for me:
Beautiful visuals with the art work and animation blended with photographically real images - it's a joy and a pleasure to experience the scenes. I've sat just looking without playing, it's a thing of beauty.
Beautiful visuals with the art work and animation blended with photographically real images - it's a joy and a pleasure to experience the scenes. I've sat just looking without playing, it's a thing of beauty.
Good challenge level on games - I played just one up from the casual on the demo (so I don't forget it's a demo and use up the whole time on a puzzle!) The electrical 'dominos' had the spot on mix of 'doability' but tricky enough to keep me it at a while, that was satisfying avoiding both boring/frustrating.
I'm a murder mystery geek - TV, films, books, I am obsessed with the genre. I'm really impressed at the the level of finding actual clues and story related actions and getting to work with a cop buddy. The murder scenes could probably use a trigger warning for being gory, as they're more photo realistic than most games and could be a jolt if it's not expected and it's something people find upsetting.
I'm happy to go for the collector edition on half price day - I'm finding morphing objects due to enjoying looking at the scenes but replayability will be a draw for me. I'm enjoying the spooky stuff and shuddering at glimpsing eyeballs through the keyholes! It gets you puzzling from the get go in the car, but be warned, it's another snowy one - it's actually snowing here in England at the moment, so snuggling up with a spooky game and a cup of tea is just the ticket! A big thumbs up from me.
I recommend this game!
The murders are rampant in Miami! Follow the clues to crack the cases and arrest the killers!
Overall rating
4
/
5
15 of 18 found this review helpful
Griddle That Suspect!
PostedApril 25, 2016
LivingAsIf
fromStaring at some squares trying to see the angry face!
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Time Management, Adventure, Match 3, Strategy, Word, Card & Board
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
I love crosspic games - there is something strangely fascinating when completing a grid by logic seems impossible but step by step it suddenly unravels and there's the picture - it really seems a little bit magic! It's the same type of thing as a sudoku and I first enjoyed an online version in a Japanese Nancy Drew game (Shadow at the Water's edge).
Hidden Clues 2 Miami is a welcome edition to the fold (I haven't played Hidden Clues 1, so I'm going to hunt that down.) What I enjoyed - very crisp clear colours, so visually pleasing and no eye strain. Where you mark a filled square with a lovely candy colour, you mark an empty square with a push-pin, you can't get clearer or less confusing. This is a multiple colour picture in the grid, so you have two or three patterns to switch between, which really helps clue wise.
I liked the soundtrack, a mix of a few tunes which sounded part fairground and part movie soundtrack to me. I loved the sound when you marked the squares, really xylophone stylee.
Instructions were clear, with an easy and advanced level. You play against a timer. I played advanced, so the number clues weren't crossed out until you completed the whole of a line plus you garnered hints incrementally.
You are finding 'clues' to solve a murder, the whole set up and characters are nice but when I'd completed the first case I was a bit disappointed that all that happened was that you started on case 2. It doesn't make it any worse as a game, but I just thought that there was more than doing griddlers from the packaging.
I completed the first case to do a review, so I haven't completed the whole game. The level of challenge wasn't tough on the first case, but I've played a gazillion griddlers and you do get a feel for them. The completed grids aren't the amazing mosaics that you get in some games, but that also is a difference rather than a bad thing.
All in all, clear, lovely, fun - easy to use and really pleasant way of doing griddlers from fans of the game and for people who may be trying them out for the first time.
I recommend this game!
A fire at the local asylum takes on a supernatural life of its own!
Overall rating
5
/
5
2 of 2 found this review helpful
Beautiful spooky.
PostedApril 15, 2016
LivingAsIf
fromFloating in the ethereal dream state........................
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Adventure, Match 3, Strategy, Card & Board
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
I am loving this game. Creative, inventive - a really long play that never drops below brilliant. Attention to detail is astounding - I particularly loved a mini game which featured a set of books, the interior of each one was delicately animated. Inventive story, startling graphics - this is the best game I've played this year.
I recommend this game!
Refill four magic runes and help the poor wizard return back home.
Overall rating
4
/
5
12 of 19 found this review helpful
Beautiful, restful mosaic making.
PostedApril 11, 2016
LivingAsIf
fromEngland, UK
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Adventure, Match 3, Strategy, Card & Board
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
I am a fan of the the nonogram puzzle (AKA griddler, picross, hanjie) and find them very soothing. This Far Kingdom version of the game has a lot going for it. The mosaics are made of 3 different colours, so you have alternate bits of the picture to click to if you get stuck. They are really clear pictures, so you can make accurate guesses as to where tiles may go as well.
There is a hint button, during the demo, there was only ever one hint at a time. There's also a button that fills as you go through the mosaic and gives you a bunch of hint tiles, once it gets full.
Visually, it is very sharp, crisp and clear. Beautifully animated backgrounds to the mosaics. The coins you win allows you to upgrade a the garden of a castle - this is an automatic push button at certain coin levels - you don't get to chose anything, but it's very pretty. No more of the magic based story evolved in the demo time (for me anyways). The music is really nice but you can mute it (unlike a certain penguin game).
This was clear, beautiful and enjoyable. You can replay each level to aim for a gold cup. There isn't a facility to change the griddler numbers to increase the challenge - if it says 4,3 then either number will be crossed off when you've correctly filled it. (In advanced level on the penguin game, you'd have to successfully fill in both the 4 and 3 for the numbers to be crossed off).
So all in all, really nice. I play a lot of griddlers, so I didn't find it very challenging, though only at easiest levels on the demo. Bit disappointed that no story or anything else happened, which is why it's not a 5 star for me. The really high quality does set above most of the genre though and it'd be a good beginner game or a nice high quality game to dip in and out of when someone wants to relax.
I recommend this game!
Is this an ordinary murder case, or something more sinister?
Overall rating
4
/
5
9 of 15 found this review helpful
Really Detectory!
PostedApril 3, 2016
LivingAsIf
fromEngland, UK
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Time Management, Adventure, Match 3, Strategy, Arcade & Action, Word, Card & Board
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
I'm half way through the demo and loving it - so I'm not doing a 5 points as I'm don't how it progresses plus I'm not listening to the music. (That's just because I have B movies on in the background and I'm not totally concentrating, nothing to do with the game.)
What I'm loving and what's tipping me towards a sale day purchase today:
*Real sharp visual clarity and beautiful imagery
*Really feel like a detective - cohesive storyline where your character's actions and found objects make sense and you are mystery solving.
*Lovely 1950 period design
*Fun puzzles and HOGs
*Love that you can put a variety of activities and collectable indicators on the map, don't waste your time but don't have hints take out all the fun.
*Real sharp visual clarity and beautiful imagery
*Really feel like a detective - cohesive storyline where your character's actions and found objects make sense and you are mystery solving.
*Lovely 1950 period design
*Fun puzzles and HOGs
*Love that you can put a variety of activities and collectable indicators on the map, don't waste your time but don't have hints take out all the fun.
I'm surprised it's so nice as there as so many familiar elements, but it really has a fresh feel. If I do purchase, I'll adjust my ratings. I'd recommend the demo as a fun play itself.
I recommend this game!