magfan's Profile
Stat Summary
- Average Rating:3.4
- Helpful Votes:266
- Reviews Submitted:14
- First Review:September 12, 2012
- Most Recent Review:November 21, 2017
- Featured reviews0
Help the penguins decorate for a wedding ceremony in this latest mosaic adventure!
Overall rating
5
/
5
12 of 16 found this review helpful
My favorite Mosaics series
PostedNovember 21, 2017
magfan
fromUSA
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
I play these Mosaics/Griddlers/Nonograms games for the puzzles -- and only for the puzzles. So for me, anything that gets in the way of the puzzles is bad. Fantasy Mosaics is still the series that does the best job letting me play the puzzles without blocking my view with distracting popups and scores while I'm trying to solve the puzzles. It also has an easy to navigate interface without a lot of mystery options. And the puzzles themselves can be solved by logic, usually by counting the numbers, though sometimes it's faster to recognize where a color will go by the pattern.
I recommend this game!
The Big Secret of a Small Town
Find out what is hidden behind the mysterious disappearance of the Mayor.
Overall rating
4
/
5
1 of 1 found this review helpful
If you're tired of super-easy puzzles...
PostedMarch 23, 2015
magfan
fromUSA
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Overall this game had a refreshing variety of puzzles. Initially I was put off of trying it because of the children's-storybook-style graphics, and only tried the demo because of a friend's recommendation. It turned out to be one of the most enjoyable games I've played recently, mainly because the puzzles weren't all super-easy.
I did have to get help finding the small inventory objects. I'm playing on a 17" laptop, and I'm sure some people are using smaller laptops. I just couldn't see many of those small objects, and methodically scouring the screen with the mouse is tedious and not fun. The Hint would tell you what screen to go to, but wouldn't locate objects for you.
One star off for the super-small objects. I do not enjoy headaches and eyestrain and the developer should remember that not everyone has a 27" monitor or the sharpest eyes in the world. Otherwise an excellent game with interesting puzzles and a nice change from the usual.
I recommend this game!
An amulet purchased in an antique shop has awakened an ancient and terrible evil. Help rescue your beloved and save mankind from the coming eternal frost!
Overall rating
2
/
5
1 of 3 found this review helpful
Bizarre bugs with 1920x1200 screen on XP
PostedSeptember 5, 2014
magfan
fromUSA
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
Playing full screen (with a 1920x1200 screen), the medallion was off the right side of the screen with just a sliver of the left side of it showing. Hotspots for objects in the game were also off to varying degrees. The Hint did not work, and I suspect the hotspot for it was off the right side of the screen. Why do I think that? Because I tried playing the game windowed (by deselecting "full" screen in game options) and the medallion displayed in the normal location while the Hint operated normally. Most games accommodate 1920x1200 screen resolution without pushing their entrails off the edge of the screen, but not this one. Who knows what else might be outside the screen later in the game? The window is too small to play it windowed. And the game is really not good enough to experiment with changing my desktop resolution for it.
As others have said, the music is gloomy and morose. The guy is trying to rescue his wife/girlfriend and time is of the essence. So why use music that makes it seem she is already dead and everything is hopeless? The music and sluggish response actually make it seem like the protagonist is already dead and zombified -- and not able to lurch around any faster.
This might be an OK game to use up a credit if it displays properly for you and hotspots are in the right places. It's possible that the full game would not have the bug I encountered, but I have only the demo to go by. But I'm not impressed that the developers couldn't be bothered to check that it displays properly in commonly used desktop resolutions and that hotspots are on target and don't go off the edge of the screen.
I don't recommend this game.
From all-time classics to brand-new favorites, your solitaire is here.
Overall rating
5
/
5
103 of 125 found this review helpful
The best solitaire game offered at Big Fish
PostedFebruary 18, 2014
magfan
fromUSA
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
The current version of BVS Solitaire offers more than the 385 varieties indicated in the Big Fish description. There is an Undo. There is a hotkey shortcut for a Hint. You can choose any solitaire variant you wish right from the outset -- no "unlocking" nonsense. One feature that I haven't seen in other Solitaire collections is the ability to tweak the rules, creating your own variants (you save your tweaked version under a different name). BVS Solitaire has been updated since some of the other reviews indicating technical problems. I can't say that all the games work properly on all computers, but I've never had a problem with crashing on any of the solitaires that I've played. I have had irregularities with the Autoplay going off when I didn't want it to, but that seems to fix itself after a few moves. Most solitaire games offered by Big Fish are variants of simple card matching, with a pretty background and music, often with some sort of "story" tacked on or "levels" limiting what games you can play. This one is serious solitaire. It allows you to choose, or even to add your own backgrounds. It has several attractive card faces to choose from. It's not the highest resolution game out there, but it doesn't look bad on my 24" monitor. It allows you to mark your "favorite" solitaire games for quick reference (useful when there are over 400 possibilites to scroll through). It has a multitude of other configuration options, but the most attractive option to me is the ability to tweak the rules.
I recommend this game!
A series of robberies takes a deadly and supernatural turn!
Overall rating
1
/
5
20 of 25 found this review helpful
Ruined by constant popups
PostedFebruary 17, 2014
magfan
fromUSA
Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
Like another reviewer said, play the demo first -- and see how quickly it exhausts your patience. I bought the game because I liked the first one in the series, but my enjoyment of this installment was destroyed by the constant popups and slide-ins obscuring the screen. This is going to be the first game review I've submitted without completing the game -- because I honestly don't think I want to finish it. Any sort of "atmosphere" that might have been created by the historic setting is utterly destroyed by the popups and slide-ins for every little bit of progress. What should have been a detective story is destroyed by constant indications that what you're playing is only a sort of pinball game. Not that the quality of the story is much to start with -- it's both disgusting and unrealistic -- the bad guy stealing body parts -- totally at odds with the colorful pastel graphics. Since the game is set in antique Italy, why not have a more realistic story line? Even though the first in the series wasn't exactly realistic, at least poisons are more realistic and less gross than stealing peoples' body parts. The use of poisons was also not unheard of in Italian court intrigue. Considering the possibilities available for investigation of conspiracies in the time period, they wasted the story potential, as well as obscuring the graphics with idiotic announcements of every possible speck of progress in the game. As for the puzzles, so far they've been super easy -- more so than the previous game. And while the box puzzle was sort of fun in the last game, in this one it's overly fiddly -- take this from here, this type of thing is over there, this is when you do it... Overall, a major disappointment and a Big Fat UGH!
I don't recommend this game.
Help Ashley Ford find her father and solve the mystery of the Three Oak Mansion.
Overall rating
4
/
5
3 of 3 found this review helpful
No jiggly nonsense
PostedDecember 30, 2013
magfan
fromUSA
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
I almost didn't try it because of the mediocre reviews. I didn't like the idea of playing as a thief. I'd rather be a detective or acquaintance or something. But after playing the demo for a while, I found the game was actually more relaxing and enjoyable than other recent games with more technical polish. Why? As much as I try to ignore the incessant extraneous junk encroaching onscreen, jiggling around, and blasting off some insipid fanfare that is rampant in recent, supposedly more technically advanced, games, it has a detrimental effect on my ability to immerse myself in the gameworld. Crystals of Time has none of that. Playing it was surprisingly peaceful despite the slightly ominous environment. The art design was detailed and attractive. The music suited the game and helped maintain the atmosphere. It didn't play all the time. I often turn off music in games, but in this case the music blended with the game well enough and was inoffensive enough that I let it play.
Crystals of Time took me 3hr 21min total, which is sort of an average time.
On the negative side -- I would have appreciated some water animations for the lake/ocean, even if it were only a slight glimmer of reflected light. The Hint wasn't my favorite type. I like Hints that point you in the direction to go. This one just brings up a picture of where you should go, which isn't too helpful if you'd never seen that location before or couldn't remember where it was between playing sessions. There were a lot of misspellings. There were misidentifications (vacuum tubes were called lamps and a big hook was called a heart). One hidden object was called a "pergament" which is apparently a German word for parchment, but not an English word. But these things bother me a LOT less than the unwanted and un-get-riddable interruptions that plague most currently released games -- making Crystals of Time seem like a breath of fresh air in contrast. For that alone I give it an extra star. And I will definitely play it again in a few months. I very much enjoyed it.
Crystals of Time took me 3hr 21min total, which is sort of an average time.
On the negative side -- I would have appreciated some water animations for the lake/ocean, even if it were only a slight glimmer of reflected light. The Hint wasn't my favorite type. I like Hints that point you in the direction to go. This one just brings up a picture of where you should go, which isn't too helpful if you'd never seen that location before or couldn't remember where it was between playing sessions. There were a lot of misspellings. There were misidentifications (vacuum tubes were called lamps and a big hook was called a heart). One hidden object was called a "pergament" which is apparently a German word for parchment, but not an English word. But these things bother me a LOT less than the unwanted and un-get-riddable interruptions that plague most currently released games -- making Crystals of Time seem like a breath of fresh air in contrast. For that alone I give it an extra star. And I will definitely play it again in a few months. I very much enjoyed it.
I recommend this game!
An evil magician has put the village of Luzio under his spell! Rosalie must follow her Tarot cards and rescue the villagers.
Overall rating
5
/
5
13 of 13 found this review helpful
More than the sum of its parts
PostedOctober 16, 2013
magfan
fromUSA
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
The Tarot's Misfortune is one of very few of my older HOG's (hidden object games) that I've played more than once. In fact, I've replayed it several times. It's a game that somehow adds up to more than the sum of it's parts -- at least for me. The overall atmosphere is what puts playing the game a step above most older HOG's. The plot is relatively simple -- An evil guy has placed a spell on the town. You play the fortune teller, Rosalie, the only person in town unaffected by the spell, and it is up to you to break the spell and free the townsfolk.
On the surface, it's a simple HOG with a few fairly easy spot-the-difference puzzles. Occasionally you use the objects you find in the game environments, so the game could be considered an IHOG instead of a straight HOG. The music is different for different "chapters" of the game, and some of it is excellent. There are 3 musical themes that cycle with the chapters, as well as the one that plays at the game menu. The environments are brightly colored, with subtle animations. Despite the game taking place at night, I had no trouble seeing.
Usually I don't care much for HOG's without puzzles, but this game is an exception. If you like the look of the graphics, it's worth playing through the demo to see if it "grabs" you.
I recommend this game!
Investigate a painter's mysterious disappearance and solve a chain of cold blooded murders in this chilling Hidden Object game.
Overall rating
3
/
5
3 of 4 found this review helpful
OK, but try it first
PostedJune 10, 2013
magfan
fromUSA
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
I thought Ghost Painting was OK, though short. It only took me about 2 and a half hours in easy mode. It's a HOPA (hidden object puzzle adventure) that takes place in a slightly dilapidated, though still colorful house. You also enter 6 paintings during the course of the game in order to repair them. The story isn't that hard to figure out as long as you read the journal as you go along (whenever it sparkles).
You're a detective called in to find a missing artist. But instead of a missing persons case it turns out to be a ghost story. But the motivations of the characters don't make sense -- unless you assume the evil whatever-it-was is possessing all the ghosts. But even then, the motivation seems to be more about getting someone to fix up the house and the paintings than anything that's pure evil. The ending is rushed, unsatisfying, and hints at a sequel.
The graphics weren't terrible, but were often blurry. I didn't have any problem with darkness in the hidden object scenes. I didn't care for the way the camera would swoop in when you zoomed in on something. It would go side to side while zooming instead of zooming directly into the object. The speed and unpredictability gave me motion sickness. I got so I'd look away from the screen while the camera was zooming.
The Hint worked reasonably well (a nice change from the previous game I played), and recharged very quickly in easy mode.
I'd only recommend it if you have a credit that's about to expire or if you can get it for a reduced price. Since other players have reported the game being too dark to see hidden objects, definitely try the demo on your computer before buying.
I recommend this game!
Unravel the mystery of Griffin’s strange experiment in this suspenseful hidden object game and find your beloved scientist before he disappears for good!
Overall rating
3
/
5
4 of 4 found this review helpful
Unusual game -- worth a try if not a buy
PostedMarch 5, 2013
magfan
fromUSA
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
The Invisible Man is a scientist who created a potion to make people invisible but couldn't wait to sample it before creating the potion to reverse the process. He was interrupted by evil landlords before he could create the potion to change back. For some reason they preferred having their building destroyed to suffering a tenant who was a few months late with his rent. You play as the Invisible Man's girlfriend, who is trying to find out what happened to her guy and find a way to help him.
The turn of the century environment was interesting (1899 going by a calendar in the game, though it might have been meant to be an old calendar). I thought the music was a big plus -- setting the mood and ambient enough not to have recognizable tunes when it repeated. The ending wasn't terribly rewarding. The developers seemed to go out of their way to make a cop arrive at the absolute worst time for the sake of putting a "twist" at the end. Also it was never explained whether the Invisible Man was responsible for any of the mischief he was blamed for.
Though the game took me 4hr 22min to finish, an hour of this was because of my refusal to skip a 3x3 rotation puzzle (I'm not very good at them). And a lot of time was taken up by waiting for the Hint to recharge. Even though the Hint doesn't take all that long to recharge in "Easy," it doesn't work that well. It will (usually) point you in the right direction to go if there's nothing to do in the current screen, but half the time that exhausts the Hint (unlike other games I've played where using the Hint is "free" when it's pointing you toward another screen). And then there are those times when the Hint points you back and forth between screens, exhausting itself each time, without ever indicating what you were supposed to find in either screen. So besides being stingy with clues, the "Hint" is sometimes a liar and points you in the wrong direction.
Unlike many of the newer HOPA's (hidden object puzzle adventures), there are a LOT of hidden object scenes in this game. Some of the hidden objects were dark and blurry and essentially "invisible" -- especially in the last part of the game. If I can't see something even after using the Hint, it's not a hidden object so much as an "invisible" object. If it weren't for the problems with the Hint and the occasionally invisible "hidden" objects, I'd have given it 4 stars for having an unusual plot and an interesting game environment.
I recommend this game!
A world of magic and machines is on the brink of survival when the heart of the world stops. Fix the heart of the world and save its inhabitants!
Overall rating
1
/
5
Too short
PostedMarch 3, 2013
magfan
fromUSA
Skill Level:Intermediate
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
I think Between the Worlds III is the shortest game I ever bought from Big Fish. It took me only 1hr 12min to complete. The only thing I skipped was a dexterity challenge near the end where you have to defend a tower by clicking on the surrounding enemies as fast as you can. I tried, but eventually had to skip it because I just wasn't fast enough when the enemies REALLY started coming in hordes. If I'd skipped that dexterity challenge without attempting it, the game would have taken less than an hour.
Most of the game consisted of hidden object scenes, with a few puzzles. The graphics were nice and bright, but there were very few locations to visit compared with other current games. I remember the previous "Between the Worlds II" game being short, but it wasn't this short. Due to the short length and the execrable dexterity puzzle, I only give Between the Worlds III one star.
I don't recommend this game.