This is a poor excuse for a time management game. It's clunky--by that I mean you click a lot, for very little in return.
You can't speed up the baristas--they operate extremely slowly. All you can do is spin the dial, select the fruit, and wait for them to deliver the product.
Unlike what one reviewer said, it's relatively easy to get 3 gold stars on every level. I'm on the third world, and have managed to get them every time. Sometimes I've had to replay a level, but it's do-able.
One disconcerting thing is that you have no way of knowing how much time is left on a level. But since you can't speed up the baristas, it really doesn't much matter.
There are little whirlpools that give you extra points, and flying gold coins that you can click to get extra money. (Which brings up the other disconcerting thing--there's no way to tell what the goal is, or how to achieve it. You just click the fruit, grab the drink and appetizer, and deliver it as fast as you can.#
And another annoyance--no matter how fast you are, by the time you deliver the product to the customer, they're already down to at least three stars #from five.#
The music is kind of interesting, and changes from venue to venue.
I used a credit on this thing, since there usually isn't anything of value on Big Fish to buy.
C'mon, Big Fish--use your clout to get us some good time management games! And maybe stop releasing a game a day--the quality might improve. #At least you had sense enough to work a deal with the companies behind the Delicious games.)
If you're desperate for a time management game, this might suit you. Just don't expect anything as elegant as any of the Delicious games. Or the Dash games.
I normally prefer time management games, but this match-3 is wonderful.
I think of this as more of a quest game driven by match-3 game play. You explore the game field, finding resources, items you need to fulfill things on other parts of the board, etc. The field is not static--you open other parts based on the items you find.
The graphics are lovely.
You can play in untimed or timed mode. I'm playing in untimed, so that I can explore the entire game field on each level. I would imagine that timed could get a bit tense, given the size of the game field, and the need to explore almost all of it.
My only caveat is that you cannot repeat a level if you miss something, as I did on one level. (Missed finding the key for one of the treasure chests.) The level ends when you find all of the rune stones, so if you're still missing something--like a key to a treasure chest--don't get that last rune!
The storyline is engaging. The Collector's Edition is extra nice, because it gives you the solution that will enable you to get gold (just click the "?" in the upper left corner,) so you can always unlock the levels.
Has excellent re-playability, which is an added bonus.
Favorite Genre(s):Match 3, Strategy, Time Management, Mahjong
Fun Factor
1/ 5
Visual/Sound Quality
1/ 5
Level of Challenge
1/ 5
Storyline
2/ 5
This is a truly horrendous game. Where to begin?
First, the demo is 20 minutes long. This means that you have the opportunity to replay the demo 3 times in order to max out your hour of free play.
Second, the game play is slow. Slow to load, slow to get your workers to work, slow, slow, slow.
Third, it allows you to click on things for which you lack the resources--and you have to re-click them once you get the resources.
Play the 20-minute demo if you feel like torturing yourself.
I unloaded it as soon as I finished the demo.
Oh, and I don't have a favorite BigFish game right now, because I hate HOS/adventure games, and that's about all BigFish is introducing. (That, and lame games like this one.)
This is a combination of hidden object and mini-game tasks. There is a timer on both the hidden object and the mini-games, so I guess that's why someone categorized it as time management.
If, by the title, you were expecting another Go-Go Gourmet, go play those games instead, because the only similarity between those fine TM games and this slug is the word "gourmet."
I gave it three stars, because it's not bad for what it is. It got only three because of what it's not: a new, really good time management game!
I love time management games. This is a (cheap) knock-off of the Sally's Salon games. Graphics are ho-hum. Had the sound off, so I can't address the music.
My biggest complaint is how slowly Stella moves. This is a time management game--when the main actor in the game moves at a snail's pace, it affects your score! And there is absolutely no way to improve her pace, unlike with the Sally's Salon games.
If you want a salon-style time management game, stick with Sally, and avoid this one.
Help Flavius expand the Roman Empire! Haggle with shopkeepers, collect supplies, build bridges and more in this exciting time- and resource-management adventure!
I probably would have given this game 4.5 stars, but the fact that the person who did the translation for the story didn't understand the concept that contractions need apostrophes made me nuts. Every single contraction lacked apostrophes: "well" for "we'll", "its" for "it's", "lets" for "let's"--on and on and on. When will foreign game developers get decent translators to render their stories into grammatically correct English?!? Admittedly, I'm a Grammar Fiend, but I'm so tired of developers not caring enough to get this part right. (And if it's because the programmers can't figure out how to program an apostrophe, then get new programmers!)
As far as the game goes, it's pretty good. The inability to queue is annoying, as is the way the difficulty ramps up at a ridiculous pace. Getting three stars is extremely difficult after about level 3 or 4. SPOILER ALERT: As far as the piece of amber goes, before you click anything on a level, look for a little glimmer on the screen. It can be pretty obscure, but if you wait for it, and click on that spot, you'll get the amber star.
I actually thought the storyline was pretty good, but I knocked it down to two stars because of how annoyed I was (and am) about the lack of apostrophes. I also gave the level of challenge three stars instead of four, because of how impossible it is to get three stars on a level. That said, I'll probably buy it, simply because there are so few time management games of any level of quality.
I love time management games. This is one of the best I've seen in a very, very long time. Cute story line, cute graphics, level of challenge is just right for me.
You can replay levels to improve your score. So as not to spoil it for anyone, I'm going to be vague here: There are things for you to seek. There are folks who'll help you and folks (lots of them) who will try to prevent you from achieving your goals. And there's some interesting wildlife to shake things up.
It doesn't get much better than this. I bought it as soon as my trial hour was up.
Please, Bigfish, give us more time management games like this!
Your goal is to lead the zombie to the brains and the living, so that he can eat them. To do this, you have to create a route that will avoid, if possible, the folks who want to kill the poor zombie.
Yes, it's bizarre. It's also pretty funny. I'll be buying this one!
It's definitely reminiscent of Diner Dash, so if you liked the Dash games, you'll probably like this. Actually, the Dash games were much better executed.
But, hey--zombies! And vampires and werewolves, and Frankenstein! Those are four reasons right there to give it 4 stars!