While this is listed as Christmas Chuzzle, or whatever, there is little indication that this is a Christmasy game, so don't think you should wait until then to purchase it. This is grand fun all year around.
While the goal is to level up before time runs out (and I haven't figured out yet HOW you level up as opposed to HOW you run out of time), there are many, many goals wrapped up in this gift of a game. Also, there are many hindrances as well as bonuses. Way too many for me to list or name in a review.
Let me just say that if you enjoy matching endlessly (what's the difference between "zen" and "classic"?) for hours on end with no specific purpose other than loving the exploding noises when matches are made or earning points and/or trophies, this game is definitely for you. Me, I'd get bored silly in no time so no buy for me.
I did find this extremely enjoyable - not an "I LOVE IT" but I really, really, like it. I encourage everyone to try this free demo because you will smile your way through every loving minute of popping chuzzle nonsense.
A scholar and gentleman has lost his heart to a girl named Emma, who has chosen an heir instead of him. In dismay, and too old to join the Navy, he becomes indentured on a mariner going to Africa. He is scorned by his sea mates, except for one named Hani who tells him tales - but only at the completion of each gem board level - so the story continues between each level.
I found the story confusing, as it starts out as noted above, but then relates how grateful he is for the Captain''s leniency in letting him leave the ship early. But, then, discounts how he is fearful of asking the Captain just that....hm. Also, the story is shown on pieces of a map but then jumps to a page in a journal then back again...another hm.
Otherwise, it's a typical match 3 game. There are no bonuses for making 4 or more matches. But, periodically, coins will show up on the board. Match 3 to get a "special", which is basically a bonus that allows you to destroy one file on the game board. Collect as many of those "specials" as you can because they will come in handy when time is running out and you have a corner or difficult space you can't clear.
If not for the confusing storyline, I probably would have given this game 5 stars. But, I rate story lines high on my list. Especially in a good match 3 game.
I will encourage everyone to try it before you buy it. Maybe the inconsistencies won't bother you as much as they did me.
You play an investigative reporter for the Chronicle and have been given an assignment to go to France and meet with a friend of your family''s who recently opened up a new restaurant. BUT, a very famous chef was "stolen" from another prestigious restaurant and ... the feud is ON! By the time you get to Paris, the chef has been murdered and the police feel it was an accident - he "accidentally" locked himself in the walk in freezer - right. You find clues that lead you to believe otherwise.
The background music started out very French bistro and then repeated on a loop that wasn't too annoying, quite the opposite. No real sound FX. Lip-syncing without sound - hm, new.
Your goal is to go to various locations, set out on a map (the pieces of which you must find), and figure out what really happened.
There are 3 modes of difficulty, a short tutorial, transportable map. Objectives pop out on the screen when completed and show the next one.
HOGs and mini games: HOGs were relatively easy - some items were interactive - sometimes items could be difficult to find. Mini games were relatively easy although you might have to think your way through a bit. The hint button recharges very quickly.
I wasn't prepared to enjoy this game as much as I did. It's definitely going on my "wish list". Hey, BF, we SHOULD have a "wish list" feature under our account info - how cool would THAT be?
I definitely encourage everyone to try this little gem of a murder mystery. It may start out slow but the story has continuity and intrigue. I hope you enjoy the free demo as much as I did.
Happy Gaming!
I recommend this game!
+23points
31of39voted this as helpful.
Hoyle Enchanted Puzzles
Guide a young apprentice through a maze of match 3 puzzles, solitaire, mahjong, and more. Explore the magical realm of Skye!
The game description page made this game sound so interesting, promising mini games such as mahjong, solitaire and much more. Why then did I spend 7 levels and 40 minutes catching fish of all shapes and sizes? And that's ALL I did. At least break it up. I don't have the flexibility and dexterity in my hand to be able to catch 35 bottom feeders in a specific length of time anymore.
What was promised to be a game of varying puzzles and mini games turned out to be a very poor excuse for a fishing expedition - literally.
The game description lies. I will neither purchase this nor recommend it. Perhaps if I was offered MORE than fishingmy reaction would be different.
As in any match 3 (M3) game you must swap flowers to make a match of 3 or more of like colors. Make colored matches which are the same as the colored orbs they sit in to clear the board and become "victorious" for that level. After "x" number of levels, you must move the item at the top of the board to the bottom. You will then receive a trophy. There are 14 in all and I already got 6 during the demo.
The game flowed well as far as M3s go, but I was disappointed in the story line. It just never seemed to gel together to form anything. So, in my humble opinion, this is nothing more than a relaxing and addictive match 3 game with a lot of pretty flowers combined with the challenge of clearing the colored "orbs" from the board.
I would definitely recommend this for everyone. The music was relaxing, sound FX were appropriate. I just don't think it's a buy for me. But, it's a very quick hour and it's free to try.
Happy Gaming.
I recommend this game!
+8points
9of10voted this as helpful.
Trivia Machine Reloaded
Climb to the top of the ladder by answering fun questions from the trivia machine! The game features thousands of fun trivia questions in 9 categories.
I managed to play for 30 minutes before I was bored to tears. I could see this being a great family game or even for game night.
You are awarded points for answering questions regarding history and literature, technology, science, movies, television and more. Periodically, the lightning round will pop up and you have 60 seconds to answer 10 questions.
All you do is earn points and have the honor of having your score online for all to see.
Not a buy for me but I definitely encourage everyone to try their trivia knowledge out in this hour-long, free demo.
This is an extremely easy numbers game that I will probably use to help my grandchildren learn to add.
The game board is comprised of various numbers ranging from 1 - 9. The object is to connect numbers such as 1, 1, 2, 4 meaning 1 + 1 + 2 = 4 or any other variation thereof. You just make combinations of numbers that equal the total of the last number you click on. It really is that easy. Even the instructions make it seem harder.
You can earn bonuses such as bombs and gems but I don't see the point to the game other than getting points. I played Adventure mode and there was no story or anything. There is also a puzzle mode where you must clear the field using "x" number of moves. There is also a challenge mode - don't know anything about that.
I got bored pretty easily with this game but I can see where it would help teach adding to children. Otherwise, I don't really see the point of the game, as I said. I will recommend it but only for that reason.
It starts out with a potential story - your boss has been kidnapped. That it goes flat fast.
All you do is click on a room, street, office, etc. and look for itemized lists of objects - some of which can be difficult to find.
That's it. I quit after 40 minutes. I like my games to have some meat in them. Great game for HOG lovers or beginners who have never played an HOG before. For them, HOG is "hidden object game".
Definitely try it before you EVEN think of buying it. 20 minutes into it I already knew who was involved in the kidnapping.
I don't recommend this game.
+4points
5of6voted this as helpful.
Dreampath: The Two Kingdoms
Your sister, the Queen, has fallen deathly ill. Now you must travel to a faraway kingdom to find the cure.
Overall rating
5/ 5
41 of 96 found this review helpful
A Princess, a golden dragon and a kingdom in despair.
Storyline: The King had an amulet and wondered what he was to do with it. He was told to put the amulet it in the altar and all the riches of the temple would be his. Greedily, the King did as he was told, never questioning who said it or why. Suddenly, the king was overcome by evil magic - his crown tumbled to the ground - he fell to the floor, now a dragon. The cloaked demon tells him he didn't deserve the crown and the kingdom was no longer in his control. Meanwhile, your sister, Queen Mellisandra, is dying and Lucius, the Castle physician, cannot save her. The only thing that can help her is far, far away and to get there, you must go and speak to the Golden Dragon who knows where the Elixir of Life is kept hidden. So, as you look into the mirror, Lucius transports you through the portal into another strange world.
Graphics: Amazing HD quality. Bright, excellent viewing. Even in the HOGs. I almost wanted to stop and just look around for a moment. It was truly a beautiful place you/Prncess were transported to.
Sound: Voices were very clear and understandable. Background music didn't drive me crazy. Sound effects were great. You are advised at the beginning of the game that it is best played with the sound on. I agree. The music is stunningly beautiful.
Game Play: You, the Princess, have now entered into a strange, new, beautiful world to search for the Golden Dragon and hope he will help you find the Elixir of Life for your sister. It's all up to you to save not only your sister, but the entire Kingdom of Silverstar. Are you up to the task? You are not alone, as you have rescued a talking cat named Muir, who not only gets into tight spaces you can't, but also recounts the tale of the missing King.
HOGs: Many and quite easy to find the items. I had no problems.
Mini Games: Unfortunately, the instructions given in the mini games are vague and you have to figure out what to do and how to do it. For instance: untangle the knots to let the cat out. Sounds easy, but do you remove the knots from the topmost down? Do you swap knots? Do they all get removed or just moved out of the way? Otherwise, a majority of the mini games I played bordered on relatively easy to mediocre.
There are 3 levels of difficulty - casual, normal and expert. You are armed with the customary journal which keeps excellent notes and clues, a transportable map (which I used and which was more handy than the hint button), a hint button that recharges fairly quickly and a tutorial you can turn off if you choose. The transportable map shows where you are, where an active quest is still open (and it will show several so keep your wits about you) and where an area has been completed.
This Glam-ma found the game to be intriguing and mysterious. After finally finding the Golden Dragon, the demo came to an end and I was horrified - "NO!" So, obviously, I immediately purchased the CE version of the game so I could continue on. You ARE the game. You WANT to save your sister and find the Elixir of Life. I thoroughly enjoyed this game and can't wait to get back to it.
I highly recommend this game for everyone. Please try it - I am sure you will love it at least half as much as I do. You get an amazing 90 minutes of demo time and it's all free (the demo is).
First off, resolve yourself to the fact that you are a pig. Sorry, we are playing blackjack to feed the pig snacks. LOL
You are the pig. You have 4 hands. Dealer sets out a card and you decide which of the 4 hands you want it to go to. Hit "hit" to get the card. Try not to go over 21 and bust (you lose). When time is up (you get a whole 70 seconds), you get one last card, dealer gets 2. Your 4 hands will hopefully beat out whatever the dealer has. At the end of each level, you MUST have the amount of 21s that are equal or better than the number of snacks the pig needs. (i.e., Level 1, you need 9 snacks - or 21s - to complete the level). If you have extra snacks (21s) at the end of a level - GREAT - they move onto the next level. For instance, in level 1 you need 9 snacks (or 21s), you get 13. Those extra 4 snacks move ahead to the next level (where you need 11 and, thus, you only need 7).
There is no ability to NOT "hit" a card. You can't just "stay" or "split". You just keep on playing (and busting if necessary to open up a hand) until the timer counts down.
This is a game of speed (you only ever get 70 seconds regardless of what level you are on or how many snacks you need to acquire, and luck (you may get 70 seconds worth of lousy cards or all great cards. So, luck/chance has a LOT to do with this game.
I played the hour demo and got to, but never passed, level 9 many times - lol. It's an okay game but definitely needs work on it. There are just too many things stacked against you from the beginning. My advice ---- get as many extra snacks in the early 2 levels because those 70 seconds go by very quickly when you need upwards of 20 snacks.