timothya's Profile
Stat Summary
- Average Rating:4.3
- Helpful Votes:1,143
- Reviews Submitted:194
- First Review:June 24, 2012
- Most Recent Review:April 7, 2025
- Featured reviews0
Status:
Can you help people escape their magical prisons in time?
Overall rating
2
/
5
12 of 22 found this review helpful
Unseen Fears - Stories Better Untold
PostedJune 28, 2019
timothya
fromSandpoint, Idaho
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Puzzle
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
Main Game: Dark, grim, joyless. The music captures the suicidal mood perfectly. The idea is that a famous fairy-tale author finds that she can bring her daughter into her stories to address daughter's real-world failing health. Along the way certain other people have been sucked into those stories as well. Our hero's task is to rescue the innocent and resolve the difficulty that led to their capture. Some rather creepy fairy-tale scenery here with some nice graphics, but the theme is madness and a mother's grief, and the resolution...no spoilers, sorry. It isn't exactly a chuckle fest.
Bonus Game 1: The prequel. Here we have Vera, the very amusing and slightly obnoxious vlogger who began the first game, probably the best-drawn character in the thing with very good voice acting behind her. She's after a paranormal scoop and you just know she's going to get into trouble again, which she promptly does. This is a very brief game and it explains how Vera came to be in the state she was in when we encountered her in the main game, and brings us to:
Bonus Game 2: Vera meets the author. This completes the prequel, which brings us into the events of the game. Why on earth the two Bonus games couldn't have been incorporated into the main game is beyond me. It would have added the length and continuity that the main game was lacking and at least given us an idea of who it was we were saving and why.
Pros: plenty of puzzles, familiar to experienced players but certain of them a bit difficult for beginners. Some very good voice acting with charming and almost believable accents. Details of the locale, gorgeous Prague, are eye candy within all too few scenes.
Cons: A gadget, this time a tattoo. Certain of the restore-the-image puzzles depend on graphics that really aren't up to a precise match and the player isn't actually aware on several unfortunate occasions of what the real appearance of the image to be restored is until he or she has made too much of a mess of things to permit an optimal solution. It's frustrating because the scenery art is quite up to the task, but in not a single case is that puzzle art good enough.
Overall, a bit of a mishmash. Had the plot not been saved for the bonus games we might have had a very nice mystery on our hands here, but as it is, we are left with a dead girl, an agonized mother, and a resolution that is ashes in our mouths. I'm sorry, this one was pretty on occasion but unpleasant, and I can't recommend it.
I don't recommend this game.
Can you stop a past case from destroying the present?
Overall rating
3
/
5
18 of 27 found this review helpful
The Game's Afoot, Well, Not Really
PostedJune 4, 2019
timothya
fromSandpoint, Idaho
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Puzzle
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
Sherlock Holmes fans - I am one - will probably recoil in horror from the very title as unforgivable blasphemy, which is always the hazard of taking liberties with a classic. This one, I'm afraid, does much worse than that. My advice to other players is forget the premise, it doesn't work. Sherlock Holmes went missing from the Reichenbach Falls in 1893 (and turned up again, but never mind that). This cannot be the 15 years it's claimed as the game actually takes place around 1939 if dates on file folders and period automobiles and motorcycles are any clue - sorry, "clew". It's more like 45.
Nor, alas, is our title character a master detective as advertised, but a pasteboard action heroine who is, frankly, a little dense to be claiming the name "Holmes". Why, for example, would she discover that she can't get into her own saddlebags because she's tied them with rope and now has to go traipsing off into unknown territory seeking a sharp object that she doesn't have in order to cut her way in? Why would she meticulously repair a bicycle horn and honk it loudly outside a house she's about to break into, and then say "I have to be careful, they'll hear me," which they did? That sound from the graveyard is Conan Doyle moaning.
Pros: some excellent puzzles if a bit on the easy side, adequate to excellent voice acting (the player character is very good in her frequent asides), atmospheric music, and a nice if spare assortment of HO scenes.
Cons: cringeworthy writing - see above - and the scenery so peppered with oddly-shaped objects with which to lock other oddly-shaped objects that Ms Holmes feels compelled to comment upon it aloud. Cliches abound - the stubborn crows that impelled her to honk a bicycle horn, for example, the inevitable stuck zipper, the buzzing bees, and a young woman who gleefully pounds thugs into submission with her fists. Honestly, it's bad enough to wonder if we're not all being put on by a clever parodist of the genre.
Bonus Game: OK, I have a gripe here. It's a fine bonus game and really completes the preparation for the next game in the series, but SE players won't see it. The main game is short enough as it is. I loved the change in perspective, though.
Overall, the game isn't really salvageable except as a platform for puzzles and an occasional chuckle. What the unaccountably self-congratulatory Ms Holmes needs is the occasional dash of cold water from a Ms Watson in the very same way that Sherlock had from his, and no, I don't think young Mr. Adler will fill the bill, although the Bonus Game leads us to suspect he may be a future rival. But for heaven's sake lose the Harley and the fistfights, we get it, she's emancipated. Now if only she were a detective.
I don't recommend this game.
Embark on a paranormal journey through a family’s past in this wonderfully crafted adventure game.
Overall rating
4
/
5
6 of 7 found this review helpful
Old School and Spooky
PostedJune 1, 2019
timothya
fromSandpoint, Idaho
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Puzzle
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
A son goes back to the ruined family mansion to clean up his father's tragedy. This one is quite dark and rather elaborate but resolves itself very nicely. There is, despite its not being a CE, a prequel Bonus Game that sets the stage.
Pros: excellent atmosphere, and a particularly concise plot setup that does not interfere with the game. Some great puzzles with no hand-holding, at just the right level of difficulty for an intermediate or advanced player.
Cons: no frills. Not much in the way of separate difficulty levels, and a frustrating amount of back-and-forth, especially in the Bonus Game. Were it not for the not-always-helpful map I'd have been lost completely. In that BG the player's tray is so full all the time that one is occasionally stumped by carrying a necessary part (the nets, for example) that he or she doesn't even know is being carried.
Overall, a very nice entry from a developer I don't recall seeing before. Despite the somewhat unorthodox game mechanics it is eminently playable and I had a great time doing so.
I recommend this game!
Can you reveal the murderer’s identity before it’s too late?
Overall rating
4
/
5
12 of 14 found this review helpful
Fatal Evidence - But For Whom?
PostedMay 28, 2019
timothya
fromSandpoint, Idaho
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Puzzle
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
A wonderful murder mystery. Here we have the classic isolated house full of suspects and one by one they succomb to murder...or do they? (Ominous clap of thunder). Here we have a crime reporter, a sister, a highly respected (or is he?) dead judge, and a group of doomed heirs who have obviously never read a murder mystery before or they'd high-tail it to safer ground.
Pros: it's a real old-school mystery populated with believable characters. Plenty of twists and turns and the plot retains a tangled "who can you trust?" thread to the very end. Adequate to good voice acting, nice atmosphere, and plenty of lovely puzzles! These were best played on the selectable Hard mode. Player character sex was selectable as well (and nicely done).
Cons: oh, dear, we have an indispensible gadget. The story would have stood by itself without such a contrivance, and although it does offer a means of introducing a number of really excellent puzzles, one of these, the domino puzzle, had game mechanics that were simply awful and made the thing unplayable. The actual solution to the mystery was strained, to say the least, introducing a motive at the last minute that was at once inexplicable and unlikely.
Overall, a puzzle-heavy mystery with plenty of atmosphere and plot twists. I was delighted to be able to beta test this one and the finished product was a pleasure to play. Bonus game was quite good and offered a few extra puzzles, hooray! Some decidedly rough edges that kept the thing from five stars but a lot of fun anyway.
I recommend this game!
Solve a series of devious puzzles to escape Arcana manor and uncover the dark secrets of the mysterious magician once lived there.
Overall rating
4
/
5
6 of 6 found this review helpful
So Much Wandering
PostedMay 16, 2019
timothya
fromSandpoint, Idaho
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Puzzle
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
A terrific puzzle game, and I'm a puzzle fan, so why only four stars? The navigation.
Pros: Puzzles! Some really good ones, some great spins on old ones. Difficulty level is high (this isn't a beginner's game) but the solutions aren't out of reach if you're patient. It's a puzzle game, but there are still a few hidden items to discover. Limited, mocking voice acting that adds to the atmosphere.
Cons: Oh, my, the back and forth! The walkthrough, i.e. the Cheater's Compendium, requires you to go through the Menu, which is a small penalty to pay, but when it tells you to go to the Game Room, for example, and you haven't a clue which room that is, and the map available is exceedingly poor, then the frustration level climbs. You can't jump there, you have to fumble among similar-looking doors designed to confuse. For some this may add a bit of fun, for me it was merely tedious. A decent map would have helped this one enormously.
Overall, a terrific puzzle game if you're willing to put up with what are not really very good game mechanics. This one is for the experienced player who loves puzzles over HO scenes.
I recommend this game!
There is a shadow hanging over New York City and time is running out.
Overall rating
4
/
5
4 of 8 found this review helpful
Great Story
PostedMay 13, 2019
timothya
fromSandpoint, Idaho
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Puzzle, Time Management
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
A fun ride, not, perhaps, quite up to its predecessor but well worth playing. I had a great time except for a curious couple of game mechanics problems, largely made up for by an excellent plot and CE worthy by virtue of a neat Bonus Game.
Pros: Great graphics, fascinating scenery as long as we're above the surface, which regrettably we weren't long enough. A believable player character without gadgets or superpowers. Some very nice supporting characters whose allegiance we have to consider. Overall, a rich, nicely laid out mystery.
Cons: Some odd games mechanics issues on certain of the puzzles that may have been simply hot zones too small. It is frustrating to have the right answer and not find the exact place on the screen to click to effect it. Quite a bit of back-and-forth that makes the player lean too heavily on the excellent map. Nothing fatal, really, just a few rough edges.
Bonus Game: Unusually good, a prequel with a male POV which contrasts with the female POV of the main game (this is such a nice touch!). No villain in this, but it sets us up for the main game very nicely. Well done!
Overall, an excellent and very playable entry in a great series. It seems unfair to give it four stars because it wasn't quite up to its predecessor, but that's a pretty high bar. I had the good fortune to beta test this one and they didn't let me down.
I recommend this game!
Can you uncover the paranormal activity haunting the mall?
Overall rating
3
/
5
5 of 6 found this review helpful
Rick Rogers Rides Redux
PostedMay 6, 2019
timothya
fromSandpoint, Idaho
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Puzzle
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
A light-hearted approach to spookiness that really needs some fleshing out to be a full game.
Pros: I like the protagonist, who manages to keep it light without being too snarky. Some nice puzzles in this one. I loved the mall atmosphere.
Cons: Not a lot of game play, really. The plot is conventional and straightforward, and the ending seems abrupt and more than a little contrived.
Overall, cute, quick, and not overly gripping but an interesting diversion for an evening. The main character keeps it fresh and with a little support this game could have been more involving. Good enough to purchase, not good enough to justify the CE price.
I recommend this game!
My Brother Rabbit is a beautifully drawn adventure set in a surreal world that mixes reality with a child’s imagination
Overall rating
5
/
5
3 of 3 found this review helpful
Stunning
PostedApril 28, 2019
timothya
fromSandpoint, Idaho
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Puzzle
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
What a sweet, beautiful game! This one is reminiscent of the Leaves games and Tiny Bang Story in the surreal scenery and lack of verbiage. And like them, it isn't easy. For pure creativity alone it would be a five-star game.
Pros: nearly everything. I'm not kidding.
Cons: you have to work. High frustration value until you master the environment. The Help function is limited and rather subtle but in the end it does tell you what you need to know. Pay attention to what is colored in the upper right hand part of the screen and what isn't - that'll help.
These games don't come along very often. If you want a straightforward adventure game with cardboard heroes and heroines and villains, this isn't it. Bring your wits, bring your patience, sit back and enjoy.
I recommend this game!
Can you stop a mad mayor and his destructive robots?
Overall rating
2
/
5
7 of 7 found this review helpful
Unrealized Potential
PostedApril 26, 2019
timothya
fromSandpoint, Idaho
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Puzzle
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
What happened? This one started great and then went nowhere. I was psyched - flying automata in an old mine, engaging characters, and then...what?
Pros: great graphics as usual. Some nice plot twists, some excellent puzzles. Our heroine has her usual habit of talking to herself too much, but is, at least, in character. Decent music, a colorful and more or less believable environment.
Cons: wait, what? We had a decent mystery going (nice twist on the Mayor) and all of a sudden it's a mad scientist drama involving an apparently random victim for apparently random reasons. Is this the same game? What happened? I'm sorry, this is not the Mystery Trackers I used to love. Anyone waiting for a slam-bang action finish was faced with a painfully static classic puzzle whose usual options had been oddly restricted, quite as if the Devs had run out of wrinkles. It was an abrupt ending with an oddly truncated feeling to it.
Overall, I'm afraid this one wasn't up to its lineage, whose ghostlike presence was represented by the increasingly irrelevant Elf, now festooned in a miner's hat and there, apparently, for old time's sake alone. The little fellow doesn't save the game by his presence, he merely reminds us of what used to be. For nostalgia fans only.
I don't recommend this game.
Dark secrets loom in the hidden corners of the human mind, will you dare to find them?
Overall rating
5
/
5
5 of 7 found this review helpful
Very Surreal
PostedApril 21, 2019
timothya
fromSandpoint, Idaho
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Puzzle
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
A lot of games reach for the surreal and this one actually reaches it. I missed this one the first time through and am very grateful to have stumbled across it.
Pros: excellent graphics, credible but not overly weird dream environments. Spooky and original music. Decent voice acting. And a plot that actually hung together through a few interesting twists. Some nice if conventional puzzles.
Cons: not much. Player character has a bit too much internal monologue, perhaps a bit too much back and forth.
Overall, a wonderful entry, as good as any CE out there. This Dev surprises me every time I run across their work. And a very nice finish - that "monster" - not evil but it has its own interests and it will be back. Or at least I sure hope so!
I recommend this game!