Mindframe The Secret Design is the first game in what might be a new series from one of the best developers here at BFG. Mindframe is a thriller, and one that kept me interested in the storyline throughout the entire game.
Perhaps I am a bit different than other reviewers in that I love HOPS. The Secret Design is a game with very creative HOPS where the items were sometimes difficult to find. I am thrilled that the game is not loaded down with puzzles to solve at every twist and turn. Instead this developer has spent time designing some very good HOPS. There are many gamers like me who do not like puzzles and many of them have left BFG because puzzles began to take over the genre. I happen enjoy good puzzles in HOPA games I just want fewer of them and I want those to be good. It looks like MHG read some of my previous reviews and created a game that is geared toward the HOS lover gamers. Thank you, MHG!
Although it is an integral part of the storyline, I am not fond of the special power that Will acquired as a result of some medication study trials that he participated in while he was in college. I don’t care for gimmicks in general but at least this one is better than some of the others.
Mindframe has potential as a new series, and I for one really enjoyed The Secret Design. There were times that I was on the edge of my seat, even though the storyline was a bit predictable. The gameplay was entertaining and kept me involved without becoming bored. At times the game felt as if it was geared toward beginning players as there was quite a bit of handholding. Even with customizing the game for the hardest level, I could easily follow the clues and figure out what to do or use when and where. The game might have seemed easier for me as like many others here at BFG, I have played hundreds of HOPA games. In spite of the fact that the game seemed easy at times, there were a few places where I did need to use the hint button. All in all, Mindframe The Secret Design is a game that I highly recommend. I think the game has something for everyone but particularly for those gamers who want more HOS than Puzzles or mini games. As always, please try the demo to see if The Secret Design is a game that you will enjoy. Happy gaming!
Detectives United lll Timeless Voyage is a terrific game that I thoroughly enjoyed playing from the first scene straight through to the end of the Bonus Chapter. What can I say but that I loved this game! It is certainly one that I will add to my collection and play again and again. The Detectives United games have all been excellent and I applaud the bringing together of the detectives from other popular series produced by this developer.
Yes, I admit that I am a bit tired of the same things that need to be found – hundreds of keys, candles, pieces of portraits and whatever else it is we must find. At this point I have played nearly 2,000 HOPA games and I still love them because I play for the storylines, the graphics, the characters and yes, even the joy of finding those bits and pieces. The storyline in Timeless Voyage is very creative with our characters moving back and forth between the past, present, and future to solve the case. The gameplay was enjoyable, as were the HOS.
The HOS were a mix of silhouette and lists and most were creative. Some of the HOS were ones I thoroughly enjoyed although there were two scenes where the items were almost invisible, and I completed those by clicking around the scenes and using a few hints. I enjoyed the two scenes where we had to match swatches to parts of the picture where they are found. Sad to say but I did skip several of the puzzles because I hate flipping one thing that will change others or navigating a boat down a river. Most of the other puzzles were okay but seemed far too easy.
This developer does not provide a lot of collectibles, but I did appreciate that many were not activate until we visited some scenes more than once. I felt that this was a great touch that added to the gameplay. I also appreciated the slide out bar on the right side of the screen that had a tally of what we had found among the various collectibles are we progressed in the game. Overall the Collector’s Edition is a great value because of the Strategy Guide that I needed to peek at more than once.
Timeless Voyage is a great game and an excellent addition to the other games in the series. I purchased the game as soon as it was released and was not disappointed. As always, I recommend that you try the demo of the game to see if it is one that you will enjoy. Happy gaming!
At the end of another successful foray into the Lost Lands, Susan is met by Maron who has another mission for her, this one somewhere on Earth where an ancient artifact has been found. This artifact is the beating heart of Drak UL, who was entombed in the Lost Lands while his heart was sent elsewhere to ensure he never regained his destructive power. Susan must now find the heart and make sure it doesn’t fall into the wrong hands of it could spell disaster for all worlds. Although working on Earth will ensure Susan is around her family again, which might not be everything she hoped.
I love this developer who is one of the few who has not fallen under the cookie-cutter spell. When I see a game from them, I know it will be content-rich and comparable to those games of yesteryear than many of us long to see once again. They do not release a game every month and we are lucky to get one from them maybe twice a year if we are lucky.
Lost Lands Redemption is a long game with a well-developed storyline, and one that is packed with extra goodies, time-consuming HOS, and great puzzles. When I play a HOS from this developer it usually takes me a good bit of time to complete as we must find objects to use that will open other objects before we finally reach our goal. At least for me, it is not always easy to find that one elusive item that will get me started to find what I finally need to complete the scene. I am generally not a fan of puzzles or mini-games but I really, really enjoy the puzzles in games from this team. I enjoy puzzles that make me think and take time to solve and those are the type that you will find in Redemption.
Lost Lands Redemption will probably be one of the best games I play this year and I know that it will be replayed again in years to come. When I see a game from this development team it is ALWAYS an instant buy for me. No questions asked nor need to play the demo because I know it will be a game that is exactly what I want for the way I love to play. That being said, I always recommend that you try the demo because what I like in a game might be different from what you are looking for so please do try the demo before you buy. If you are new to playing HOPA games, I highly recommend any game from this developer. Happy gaming!
Unseen Fears has been a hit or miss series for me and Ominous Talent is a miss. I guess my HOPA muse has deserted me as I found Ominous Talent a rather dull game. This developer has presented some of the most creative and excellent HOPA games I’ve ever played but The Unseen Fears games have rarely hit the mark for me.
From the beginning of the game until I finally quit playing, the game seemed to be plodding and contrived. Maybe I’ve burned out on playing unexciting cookie-cutter games that have become the norm. In defense of Ominous Talent there were some creative touches but only a few. I don’t expect developers to always come up with something new but having a plodding storyline with very slow-paced gameplay made Ominous Talent an unremarkable game.
The HOS are well-designed, and they are my favorite part of the game. My favorite HOS involved finding clothing and accessories and placing them in the appropriate cabinet. It is not a new concept but one the I found a lot of fun. Most of the HOS are the list style but there is some variety in the mix. The puzzles did not grab me at all. I am not a fan of too many puzzles in HOPA games and I dislike the ones where we must navigate a car from point A to point B. I can’t think of any puzzle in Ominous Talent that I found intriguing. Something that didn’t help improve my fondness for puzzles, or to make some of them possibly enjoyable is that the instructions were terrible, and I had no idea how to even begin solving many of them.
If there is another Unseen Fears game, I hope the developer will read the reviews of games in the series and then create their next game on what reviewers seemed to enjoy the most. The concept of the game is basically intriguing with Nathaniel being able to use special powers to help solve mysteries but there needs to be more. Even though I purchased the game, I doubt I will finish it as it was simply boring. The great thing about gamers is that we all have different opinions on games and something that I don’t like might just be perfect for others, so please try the demo because The Unseen Fears Ominous Talent might be a game you will love. Happy gaming!
Secret City Chalk of Fate is an excellent game. The Secret City series is one that I continue to enjoy as played through each of the previous games. I love the concept of a “secret city” hidden from the eyes of humans who live side by side with those hidden by magic.
This developer continues to give us a lot of value for our gaming dollars as they present CE games that are filled with the extras that many have other developers have cut to the bare minimum. Chalk of Fate is not only filled with great extras, it has an entertaining storyline with gameplay that kept me playing for hours.
There is a nice variety in the HOPS with some scenes being better than others. I am still a fan of the original list style but another favorite that is present in this game is where we find specific pattern parts that are hidden in a portrait. There are many other scenes I enjoyed but don’t want to spoil your enjoyment by telling you what you will find. At least for me, discovery is most of the fun in playing a game. Even though I don’t always enjoy puzzles, I am a fan of the puzzles this developer includes in its games. There was one puzzle that had very poor instructions and I skipped it because I didn’t know what I should do. The final solution still made no sense and I imagine that I might not be the only one to skip this puzzle.
A well-planned storyline along with entertaining gameplay kept me involved until I finished the game. There are many times that I don’t finish a game until the next day, but Chalk of Fate held my attention until the end. I haven’t yet completed the bonus chapter but will get back to it sometime today.
If you enjoyed the other games in the Secret City series, then you will most likely enjoy Chalk of Fate. As always, please try the demo to see if it is a game you will enjoy as well. Happy gaming!
Wow, I do love games from this developer and this one is another testament to what I find excellent. In this latest Immortal Love game there is a beautiful love story that has a returning young sea Captain returning to claim his beloved Bella, only to find her missing under strange circumstances. As he searches for his beloved, he is helped by a magical amulet that might have its own agenda. Will the amulet help reunite him with his beloved?
At this point I need to say that I love dogs and own my own little pack of canines BUT I really, really wish that the developer would stop doing the huge tongue lick at the beginning of some of its games when we first encounter our canine pal. I mean, this is really disgusting, and I close my eyes for a minute until the dog backs off. I don’t let my own dogs lick my face and I certainly don’t want to see it in a game! Okay, rant over for now.
The HOS in the game are very well designed and all of them seem to be very creative. Even the puzzles are well integrated into the game. I far prefer the HOS to the puzzles although the ones in Stone Beauty are very entertaining and are certainly not brain drains. In fact, most of the game seemed to flow well and seemed quite relaxing. I absolutely enjoyed everything about Stone Beauty and think it is an excellent game. Of course, this is only my opinion and I don’t expect everyone to agree with me.
The Immortal Love games have always been some of my favorite games and this one is no exception. Stone Beauty might not be the best in the series, but the games now are shorter so it’s difficult to compare it with the some of the older and longer games. Even though the game is not overly long it still is a quality game. This developer has always created excellent games and Immortal Love Stone Beauty continues that tradition. I purchased the game as soon as it was ready for download and I did not regret it. Although it is a perfect game for me and the way I like to play, please try the demo to see if it is a game that you will enjoy as well. Happy gaming!
Detectives United lll Timeless Voyage is a terrific game that I thoroughly enjoyed playing from the first scene straight through to the end of the Bonus Chapter. What can I say but that I loved this game! It is certainly one that I will add to my collection and play again and again. The Detectives United games have all been excellent and I applaud the bringing together of the detectives from other popular series produced by this developer.
Yes, I admit that I am a bit tired of the same things that need to be found – hundreds of keys, candles, pieces of portraits and whatever else it is we must find. At this point I have played nearly 2,000 HOPA games and I still love them because I play for the storylines, the graphics, the characters and yes, even the joy of finding those bits and pieces. The storyline in Timeless Voyage is very creative with our characters moving back and forth between the past, present, and future to solve the case. The gameplay was enjoyable, as were the HOS.
The HOS were a mix of silhouette and lists and most were creative. Some of the HOS were ones I thoroughly enjoyed although there were two scenes where the items were almost invisible, and I completed those by clicking around the scenes and using a few hints. I enjoyed the two scenes where we had to match swatches to parts of the picture where they are found. Sad to say but I did skip several of the puzzles because I hate flipping one thing that will change others or navigating a boat down a river. Most of the other puzzles were okay but seemed far too easy.
This developer does not provide a lot of collectibles, but I did appreciate that many were not activate until we visited some scenes more than once. I felt that this was a great touch that added to the gameplay. I also appreciated the slide out bar on the right side of the screen that had a tally of what we had found among the various collectibles are we progressed in the game. Overall the Collector’s Edition is a great value because of the Strategy Guide that I needed to peek at more than once.
Timeless Voyage is a great game and an excellent addition to the other games in the series. I purchased the game as soon as it was released and was not disappointed. As always, I recommend that you try the demo of the game to see if it is one that you will enjoy. Happy gaming!
Awesome! The Wild Side is like having Christmas a second time this year. What a brilliant game to start a new decade of gaming. The graphics are colorful but not with the neon coloring that is often favored by this developer. Not only are the graphics brilliant, the game itself is very creative.
The life of a Seeker is often dangerous and as a birthday gift your sister has given you tickets to India where you can relax and get away from all the Seeker business. However, a small monkey has different ideas and he steals your watch to lure you through a portal to the jungles of India. Once you transport through the portal you find a totally different perspective of India.
I love this gorgeous game, not only because of the graphics but because of the gameplay. It is only my opinion, but this developer knows how to create very playable games with rich storylines and the other factors that make games fun to play. Sure, it is a HOPA game and we will still have to find bits and pieces of this and that as we make our way through the game the variety of HOPS. I guess this developer hasn’t received the message that many gamers do not like puzzles and this game is another where the puzzles outweigh the HOPS. I do realize that it is far easier to slap a puzzle into a game as a time-filler than it is to create HOPS, but I would still like to find a more even balance between the HOPS and Puzzles. Even though I am not a fan of too many puzzles in HOPA games, this is a game that I purchased because it has excellent gameplay and a terrific storyline.
The creativity shown with the animals is worth the purchase of the game but that is only my humble opinion. If you love animals, exploring jungles, and simply want a beautiful game to begin the new decade, then this is the game for you. After playing the beta, I’ve been waiting for this game to be released and the full game is as wonderful as I hoped it would be. As always, please try the demo to see if this is a game you will enjoy. Happy Gaming!
Living Legends the Crystal Tear is such a wonderful game with phenomenal graphics and a storyline, although told and retold many times is a still a favorite. In the Crystal Tear, the developer tells the tale with a twist that is interesting and held my attention throughout the game, well as much as I’ve been able to complete for now. I am not a fast gamer who can rush through a game and puzzles within a short period of time as I tend to look at and enjoy every detail, particularly when a game is as graphically rich as the Crystal Tear. I simply had to stop and enjoy every little detail that an amazing group of artists put into this game.
The HOS are very good, and it was not always easy to find the bits and pieces that were on a list. The list style of HOS are my favorites and fortunately there are many of that type while at the same time there is a nice variety of others. Many of the HOS are puzzle like in design, so they kept me quite entertained as I played. The mini games are very good and not all of them are easy. A favorite puzzle looked quite easy at first glance, but it kept me busy for over thirty minutes as I tried to align the pieces to make a keyhole. There should have been a reset button for that puzzle since I started off on the wrong foot and it took a while to get everything into the right position. The puzzles were overall quite excellent and kept me busy and happy as I solved my way through the game.
Living Legends the Crystal Tear was an instant purchase for me as soon as it was released. I didn’t need to play the demo to know that this would be a top-quality game that included all the elements that I enjoy when playing. I own every game that this developer has released, and I think there was maybe only one that didn’t hit the mark. IMHO, this is probably one of the best games ever from this developer and they have created several series over the years. If you are looking for some great games to play, do a search here on BFG and try some of the other games this developer has created. Even though the Crystal Tear was an instant buy for me, please try the demo to see if it is a game you will enjoy. Happy gaming!
The Unseen Fears has been a hit or miss series for me and Ominous Talent is a miss. I guess my HOPA muse has deserted me as I found Ominous Talent a rather dull game. This developer has presented some of the most creative and excellent HOPA games I’ve ever played but The Unseen Fears games have rarely hit the mark for me.
From the beginning of the game until I finally quit playing, the game seemed to be plodding and contrived. Maybe I’ve burned out on playing unexciting cookie-cutter games that have become the norm. In defense of Ominous Talent there were some creative touches but only a few. I don’t expect developers to always come up with something new but having a plodding storyline with very slow-paced gameplay made Ominous Talent an unremarkable game.
The HOS are well-designed, and they are my favorite part of the game. My favorite HOS involved finding clothing and accessories and placing them in the appropriate cabinet. It is not a new concept but one the I found a lot of fun. Most of the HOS are the list style but there is some variety in the mix. The puzzles did not grab me at all. I am not a fan of too many puzzles in HOPA games and I dislike the ones where we must navigate a car from point A to point B. I can’t think of any puzzle in Ominous Talent that I found intriguing. Something that didn’t help improve my fondness for puzzles, or to make some of them possibly enjoyable is that the instructions were terrible, and I had no idea how to even begin solving many of the puzzles.
If there is another Unseen Fears game, I hope the developer will read the reviews of games for the series and then create their next game on what reviewers seemed to enjoy the most. The concept of the game is basically intriguing with Nathaniel being able to use special powers to help solve mysteries but there needs to be more. Even though I purchased the game, I doubt I will finish it as it was simply boring. The great thing about gamers is that we all have different opinions on games and something that I don’t like might just be perfect for others, so please try the demo because The Unseen Fears Ominous Talent might be a game you will love. Happy gaming!