dancemom1's Profile
Stat Summary
- Average Rating:3.6
- Helpful Votes:13,287
- Reviews Submitted:871
- First Review:April 15, 2012
- Most Recent Review:November 26, 2024
- Featured reviews0
Status:
Travel to a Klondike Gold Rush town to solve a murder!
Overall rating
4
/
5
56 of 62 found this review helpful
Nice simple game with good story.
PostedAugust 27, 2016
dancemom1
fromYakima, WA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Card & Board, Family, Hidden Object, Puzzle, Strategy, Word
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Hi all! Well, we have #5 in this series. The graphics are done quite well, except I did notice a bit of a blur in the scenes where you talk to characters. Not too bad, but still there. Colors are very bright and true. Game play was excellent, with no problems during the demo. Voice overs are well done and are age and character appropriate. They show emotion and not just someone reading a script. Music is done nicely and moves with whatever is happening at the time. There isn't a lot of animation in this one, but what there is,is done well. Be prepared to do a lot of back-tracking in this game, and I do mean a lot. Because of this, the game seems to move a bit slowly. However, you are constantly on the move. Very nice sound FX.
HOPs are just straight lists and items are not difficult to find. You do need to find a morphing object in each of the 13 HOPs. They morph fairly quickly, so be on the lookout. You can switch to a match 3 if you get bored with the HOPs. There seem to be more puzzles than HOPs in this one, but they are quite simple and nothing new. Jump map is rather bland and boring. I find it faster to just use the transport feature we have within the hint system. Hint is mostly helpful, but occasionally is tells you to just move on.
The only collectibles I found are what looks like a gold fish trophy, and we need to find 40. They aren't all that difficult to find, but a few are somewhat hidden and of different sizes...still easy to spot. This was a big disappointment. It just needed something extra.
I like this series, and even though this one was not challenging, there is something about it that makes me want to get it. I was a little confused as to what era we were playing in. We have the gold rush, an old 1800's type town, vehicles and clothing from the 1900's and a speed boat. See my confusion? All in all, not a bad game and I do like the story line. Yes, I will add this one to my collection. I think most levels of players will enjoy this one for one reason or another.
As always, try it for yourself and see what you think. We all have different tastes in games and you may not care for this one at all. Thanks for the reviews.
I recommend this game!
Can you uncover the secrets of Crimson Hollow in time?
Overall rating
4
/
5
25 of 30 found this review helpful
New take on an old story, well done!
PostedAugust 25, 2016
dancemom1
fromYakima, WA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Card & Board, Family, Hidden Object, Puzzle, Strategy, Word
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Hi all! Well, unless my count is off, this is #11 in this series. Yep, got them all, liked them all. The graphics in this game are excellent, as is the animation. Game play was also quite good, no problems during demo and the scenes fit my large screen. At first, the colors seemed a bit blue, but did clear up and become quite nice and true. Voice overs are well done and are age and character appropriate. They show fear, anxiety, spooky and a bit sinister. We do have a helper in the way of Dad's skull. He speaks quite slowly, being a ghost, but you can click through the written dialog without missing any of the story or helpful hints and items. Music got a bit monotonous, but was okay. Sound FX are well done.
HOPs are a combination of lists, silhouettes and morphing objects. They are clear and items are not difficult to find. I found some of the puzzles to be a bit challenging and they did take some time and thought for a change. The only puzzle I didn't care for is the tracing...ick. Hint system is very helpful and it does transport you to longer locations. This is a big time saver and less clicking around.
Collectibles are nicely done as well. We need to find morphing objects, puzzle pieces and portraits. None of these jump off the page at you, but aren't difficult to find either. You just have to remember to look for them, especially the portraits, since there are pictures everywhere.
This game is a new take on an old story and is well done. During the game you switch between the present and the past, so you don't get bored looking at the same scenery. Really liked this feature. After the opening scene, I expected it to be a bit bloody, but it wasn't. Of course, that could change as the game progresses. I rarely give a game 5 stars, but this one came close for me at 4.75. It wasn't perfect, but I did enjoy the story and the collectibles. I think all levels of players will find this one somewhat challenging. Yes, I am going to add this game to my ever growing collection.
As always, try it for yourself and see what you think. We all have different tastes in games and you may not care for this one at all. Thanks for the reviews.
I recommend this game!
Something terrible lurks in the halls of Iron Gate Asylum…
Overall rating
3
/
5
14 of 17 found this review helpful
Nice, simple game...
PostedAugust 20, 2016
dancemom1
fromYakima, WA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Card & Board, Family, Hidden Object, Puzzle, Strategy, Word
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
Hi all! The graphics in this one are done very well, with nice smooth movements. Colors are somewhat blue/gray, but you are in an asylum, so I doubt there would be much color. Hopefully it brightens up when they get out of the asylum. Game play was good, no problems during the demo and the scenes fit my large screen quite well. Music does get rather monotonous very quickly, so I tuned it down. There isn't a lot of character interaction, so not much dialog. What there is, is done quite well. Not much in the way of sound FX either, but you do get a jolt of sound when something happens.
HOPs are clean and clear and items are not difficult to find. Not many HOPs, I think I only ran across two during the demo. I see that there are morphing items in the HOPs, but I didn't know that at the time, and didn't accidentally find any either. Puzzles are very simple and nothing new. I did like the interesting and clever use of items you find within the game, e.g. use a sticker to fix a cord instead of finding a roll of tape. Nicely done. There is no transport feature, which would have been nice. You do a lot of back-tracking in this game. Did not care for the generic jump map, but it works.
The only collectibles I found are very large eyes, cartoon type, not real. This was disappointing for me, as I do like to search for the extras. These eyes were just too easy to spot.
There really wasn't a lot of challenge to this game, and it was pretty quiet as far as interactions were concerned. The story was interesting, although nothing new. I just don't see that this game is CE worthy. The demo was much too short to really get a feel for the game. No buy for me, but I will put this one in my puddle and wait for the SE. I often find that when a CE doesn't grab me, the SE does and makes a better game.
As always, try it for yourself and see what you think. We all have different tastes in games and you may find this one to be exactly what you are looking for. Thanks for the reviews.
I recommend this game!
The ones who touch the artifact must die. Will you be next?
Overall rating
3
/
5
9 of 30 found this review helpful
Disappointing....
PostedAugust 18, 2016
dancemom1
fromYakima, WA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Card & Board, Family, Hidden Object, Puzzle, Strategy, Word
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
Hi all! Wow, another Myth game. I have almost all of them, but this one just didn't do it for me. The graphics are nice, except when you are in a cut scene, then they are blurry. Same when you use the rune machine. Did not care for that at all. Colors weren't bad. Game play was very good and I had no problems during the demo. I beta tested this one a while back and wasn't kicked out about it then either. I see the devs didn't pay attention to any of the suggestions. There was very little interaction with any of the characters in the game, which made it seem like more of a walk through, and was somewhat boring. The voices overs, when we had them, weren't bad at all, but few and very far between. Hardly any sound FX, and the music got annoying very quickly.
I didn't run across very many HOPs either. They were clean and items were not difficult to find. I didn't see that you could switch to another game. The puzzles were extremely simple, even the ones I don't care for. Hint system is mostly helpful and there is a transport feature for longer jump locations. I did not care for the map either, very bland and not helpful at all. SG is the usual and standard version.
Collectibles are few, 42 harps, which are very easy to spot. Some are quite large. You also have morphing objects in the HOPs, which I accidentally found. Very disappointing collectibles.
I did like the opening scene to this game, which showed great promise, but it quickly went down hill. It is easy to overdo dialog, spoken or written, but this one was so quiet it was boring. Too bad, I really like this series. I do not feel this one is CE worthy and personally, I feel it is geared more toward the beginner than the seasoned gamer. I will recommend this game for beginners. I will put this one in my puddle and see if the SE makes a better game, but the CE is not for me.
As always, try it for yourself and see what you think. We all have different tastes in games and you may find this one to be exactly what you are looking for. Thanks for the reviews.
I recommend this game!
Be the Cruise Director, in charge of the luxurious USS Liberty of the Waves!
Overall rating
4
/
5
35 of 45 found this review helpful
A quiet day kind of game...
PostedAugust 8, 2016
dancemom1
fromYakima, WA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Card & Board, Family, Hidden Object, Strategy, Word
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Hi all! Wow, these just keep coming. For some unknown reason, I really like this series. I have all of the Cruise Directors and the Park Ranger games. Yes, the items are small and very difficult to see. Yes, the scenes are cluttered and trying to find something is often frustrating, but I really do like them. It's a nice change from the usual murder and mayhem we often get these days. Colors are very bright and clear. The music is monotonous, and there are no voice overs.
These are straight HOPs, but you also have to find extra items, e.g. recycle items (garbage) and lost items like camera, phones and the like. Again, these items can be extremely small and very difficult to see. I often find myself leaning into my screen to find them. Believe me, this is the challenge in these games. Maybe they should include a magnifying glass for us old folks. Between each completed scene you have a puzzle or a game to do. This also breaks up the monotony of doing nothing but HOPs.
One thing that really gets me about these games is the graphics. All the people seem to look like they just sat on tacks...notice that? Creepy eyes. That said, I am going to buy this one and add it to my collection. I didn't care much for most of the others in this grouping, e.g. Christmas, Easter, Halloween, but I do have some of the Christmas HOPs. I often just like a no brainer kind of game that keeps me busy and this is it. If you like HOPs, you might like these.
As always, try it for yourself and see what you think. We all have different tastes in games and you may not care for this at all. Thanks for the review.
I recommend this game!
After an explosion at Stonehenge, fiery and icy portals appear!
Overall rating
4
/
5
22 of 24 found this review helpful
Excellent game, challenge, lots of collectibles!
PostedAugust 6, 2016
dancemom1
fromYakima, WA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Card & Board, Family, Hidden Object, Puzzle, Strategy, Word
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Hi all! Well, we have #4 in this series. Yes, I have them all. As always, I mostly review on the game play, rather than the story, as others do a much better job than I can on that piece of the game. I love this series and this addition is no exception. I beta tested this one and couldn't wait for it to come out. Can you guess what kind of review I'm going to give it? Excellent graphics, very clear and crisp. Game play was also quite good, with no problems during the demo, and the scene fit my large screen very well. Colors are very clean and bright, very true. Animation is exceptional, with perfect mouth and eye movements. Actually surprised me when I clicked to pick up the gloves and I actually put them on and not just in my inventory. Very well done. I really like how the incorporate your name into the game and not just a "Jane Doe" character. Voice overs are age and character appropriate and they use words bigger than "if, and or but." Even showed emotion, urgency, etc. Nicely done as well. Do be aware that there is a very bright light when you travel through the portal. Nope, haven't seen any snakes or spiders yet either.
HOPs are nothing new, but they are very clean and clear and items are not difficult to find. I may have missed it, but I did not see that you would switch to something other than HOPs. These were well done, so I found no need to switch anyway. Loved the way the puzzles were set up. You have the option within the puzzle to play easy or hard, not just one size fits all. There are some puzzles in games that I just don't care for...in this one, easy is real easy, so I didn't skip any. I got so engrossed in the game, I can't even tell you if the hint transports you or not. Hint is very helpful when you need it. SG is the standard.
Lots of collectibles, which I really like in a game. We need to find 20 artifacts, which are not easy to spot, as some are quite small; 17 character statuettes which are not difficult to find; 35 morphing objects which morph quickly so be on the lookout; 83 marsh lights which are easy to overlook. Not quite sure what the lights do, but I'm going to find out.
This game in the series is probably the best so far. The story is well done and easy to follow. I really got into the game from the very beginning and was quite disappointed when the demo ended. It is not extremely challenging, but there is enough challenge to keep you moving and interested. I rarely give 5 stars to any game unless it is exceptional. Well, as much as I love this game, it still does not get 5 stars...it gets 4.75. I think all levels of players will find this one fun and challenging. You bet I'm buying it!
As always, try it for yourself and see what you think. We all have different tastes in games and you may not care for this one at all. Thanks for the reviews.
I recommend this game!
Mysterious creatures are terrorizing the train!
Overall rating
5
/
5
157 of 180 found this review helpful
Awesome game, with challenge!
PostedJuly 28, 2016
dancemom1
fromYakima, WA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Card & Board, Family, Hidden Object, Puzzle, Strategy, Word
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Hi all! As always, I review mostly on the game play and not the story line. We have #11 eleven in this series, and yes, I have them all. Excellent graphics, very clear. Colors are true and nice. Game play is excellent, no problems during the demo and it fit my large screen quite nicely. The voice overs are well done, age and character appropriate, and actually show emotion. Animation is exceptional, e.g. eye and mouth movements, shaking with fear, nervous, etc. Music is mostly soothing until something is about to happen, or is happening that might raise your blood pressure a bit. Nope, saw no snakes and nothing jumped out at me. Sound FX are well done and constant, so there is no lag with dead quiet during play. Oh, yes, we still have our helper, Elf. He isn't used a lot and is very quiet, but also quite helpful when needed.
HOPs are silhouettes and lists. Scenes are very clear and clean and items are not difficult to find. I did not see where you could switch to something else, but you really wouldn't need to. Puzzles are not difficult, but a few do take some time and thought to complete. You do play a match 3 game each time you use the "unlock" tool. The items used are almost too busy, but doable. Hint system is very helpful and it does transport to longer locations. You have a jump map, but I seldom use it, since we have the transport. SG is the standard set up and does show you where collectibles can be found, in case you missed one.
Really liked the collectibles. We have to find 27 morphing items that aren't too difficult, but you do have to look for them. We also have 12 magnets that are monuments/historical places that also give you a description of each location. These are not as easy to spot as you may think and some are well hidden. We have a puzzle that needs to be put together as well, so we are looking for 32 puzzle pieces. These can be anywhere, so be on the lookout. There is some challenge to these collectibles for a change.
As I said, I review on the play and not the story...however, this story is interesting and keeps you constantly on the move and doing something. Yes, you back-track, but for a purpose and not just to pick up some little thing here or there. This game drew me in from the beginning and has not let me down. There is a lot of action in this game and no lag in story or play, so you don't get bored. I rarely give any game 5 stars, unless it is exceptional. I do believe this one qualifies. I think all levels of players will find this one interesting, fun and a bit challenging in places. I love this series and I have been waiting for this one since I beta tested it back in April, so yes, I am adding this one to my collection.
As always, try it for yourself and see what you think. We all have different tastes in games and you may not care for this one at all. Thanks for the reviews.
I recommend this game!
It’s up to you to save the Swan Princess’s kingdom!
Overall rating
3
/
5
12 of 20 found this review helpful
Choppy story line...somewhat boring.
PostedJuly 7, 2016
dancemom1
fromYakima, WA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Card & Board, Family, Hidden Object, Puzzle, Strategy, Word
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
Hi all! Another Dark Parables...holy smokes! Graphics aren't too bad in this one. Colors still run to the blues throughout and are a bit fuzzy. Game play was very good, with no problems during the demo. Voice overs weren't too bad, but very few and far between, and showed no urgency or emotion. Not much in the way of sound FX, and this game certainly could have used them. Music was no different than in all the other games in this series...very tiring. The sound FX for a found item got very annoying very quickly.
HOPs are fragments. It's time to upgrade and toss in something else now and then. The scenes were cluttered and somewhat colorless, making it more difficult to spot items. I got bored with these quite quickly. The only plus is that there aren't a lot of them. Same with the puzzles. Very simple, very few, very boring. Hint system is helpful, and there is a transport for longer locations. You do a lot of back-tracking.
The only collectibles are 39 acorns, which are extremely small and extremely difficult to see. Yes, I actually had to look at the SG to find some of them during the demo. Something I never do. You also have "parables," which are what look like morphing flowers. These are "find my only by luck" type of items. They blend into background colors and scenery and again, are extremely difficult to see.
I rarely review on the story line, but this one was just too boring for me. I try very hard to find something good about all the games I demo, even if I don't care for them, just so I can recommend them for others who might like them. Sometimes, it is quite difficult. Let me just say that I think it's time to retire this series. I have a lot of the game in this series, but not all. I actually beta tested this one quite some time ago and only gave it a 3.5. After giving it another try, I'm downgrading to a 3.0. The story didn't seem to flow very well in this one. It felt like it just sort of jumped around a bit. Personally, I don't feel this one is CE worthy and with the extras, I don't feel it is SE worthy either. I'll recommend this for a beginner who has never played a FROG before, or someone who doesn't really care about a story that makes sense, but I can't recommend it for a seasoned gamer. No, I am not going to purchase this one for my collection.
As always, try it for yourself and see what you think. We all have different tastes in games and you may find this one to be exactly what you are looking for today. Thanks for the reviews.
I recommend this game!
Amanda faces her worst nightmare as the lone miner comes alive.
Overall rating
2
/
5
9 of 12 found this review helpful
Okay for beginners...
PostedJuly 4, 2016
dancemom1
fromYakima, WA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Card & Board, Family, Hidden Object, Puzzle, Strategy, Word
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
Hi all...Happy and Safe 4th of July! Why is it that every time BF has a special, they almost always only post SE games? This one isn't too bad. It has nice colors. Voice overs are few and far between, and a bit boring. Graphics seem a little old school, as does the game play. Movements are a bit choppy here and there. There is no custom mode, which again is old school. Why would I want to break out the passenger side window when the driver side door opens? Yeah, doesn't make much sense. There were a few other things that said "common sense" comes into play here. Pretty quiet, very few sound FX.
HOPs are simple interactive lists and silhouettes. Items are extremely easy to spot and scenes are fairly clear. Puzzles are painfully simple and nothing new. There is no transport, which would be very helpful since you do a tremendous amount of back-tracking. The "jump" map is useless, if you want to see where to go next. It just shows you where you are and that's it. The hint system helps most of the time.
This is a very simplistic game, geared more toward a beginner than anyone else. Story was slow, mostly because of all the running around you had to do and the fact that you only went from the car to the yard, inside the house and to the cemetery during the demo. I got bored with the same scenery. This is an okay game, but not at all challenging. You keep playing the same HOP locations multiple times. I will recommend this to beginners who have nothing else to do, but not for a seasoned gamer. No buy for me today.
As always, try it for yourself and see what you think. We all have different tastes in games and you may find this one to be exactly what you are looking for. Thanks for the reviews.
I recommend this game!
Haunted Legends: The Iron Mask Collector's Edition
Explore 17th-century France as you track down a masked killer.
Overall rating
4
/
5
19 of 21 found this review helpful
Very nice game....
PostedJune 30, 2016
dancemom1
fromYakima, WA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Adventure, Strategy, Word, Card & Board, Family
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Hi all! Well, we have #8 in this series. I keep thinking it's about time to retire this one, but they just keep coming, and I haven't been disappointed in any of them yet. Yes, I have them all. The graphics in this one are well done, very clear. The colors are quite bright and true for a change. Game play was very good, had no problems during the demo and it fit my large screen quite nicely. Animation is very well done, with eye and body movements, including in the animals...very realistic. I really liked the voice overs. They are age, era, location and character appropriate and actually have emotion, depending on what is happening at the time. The sound FX are pretty well done, but not constant background sounds, e.g. birds, animals, etc. This story is sort of a new take on a very old story. I must say that I am getting tired of the dwarf. He really isn't necessary to any of these games anymore and certainly not to this story. WARNING: there was one snake that jumped out during the demo. Hopefully that is the only one, but be aware.
HOPs are a nice combination of pairs, silhouettes and place item in scene. They are very clean and clear and items are not difficult to find. I did not see that you could switch to another game if you didn't care for the HOPs. They have yet to upgrade to that feature. They also haven't upgraded to the transport feature in this game either...very disappointing, as you do a lot of back tracking in this one. You do have a jump map, but personally, I did not care for the map. The monochrome color is hard on the eyes and the areas are not identified by name, only a picture. Who remembers what a location looks like? Puzzles were not difficult, but one did take me a little time to complete. I do not care for the "follow the line" puzzles. To me, they are boring and frustrating at times.
Collectibles are not challenging at all. You need to find various colored horseshoes, which are large and quite easy to spot. These horseshoes are converted into money, which you use to buy items for the royal horse. Not a lot of fun, but okay. You also need to find 12 seals to unlock a box...not sure why, but I'll find out.
When I beta tested this one, I gave it a 4.5. Haven't changed my mind on the score, only because of the boring map and no transport feature. A game has to be exceptional throughout to get 5 stars out of me. That being said, I like this series and this addition is no exception. It isn't all that challenging, but I liked the story and the end of the demo really left me wanting more. I think all levels of players will find this one fun and interesting. Yes, I am adding it to my collection.
As always, try it for yourself and see what you think. We all have different tastes and you may not care for this one at all. Thanks for the reviews.
I recommend this game!