dancemom1's Profile
Stat Summary
- Average Rating:3.6
- Helpful Votes:13,287
- Reviews Submitted:872
- First Review:April 15, 2012
- Most Recent Review:April 10, 2025
- Featured reviews0
Status:
Decades ago, a brutal crime occurred at the Lexington Hotel. Are you brave enough to uncover the truth about what happened there?
Overall rating
4
/
5
15 of 21 found this review helpful
Ghosts, spiders and more ghosts...nice game!
PostedNovember 12, 2015
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
3
/
5
Hi all. Well, this is a nice addition to this series. Naturally, the colors are very dark and dreary, but you are in a haunted house and it is a very dark and stormy night, so they fit. Graphics are very well done. I really liked the animation, e.g. ghosts. They would fade in and out, rather than just suddenly have a white blob in your face. Now, for those of you who don't like things jumping at you, there are some ghosts that do jump out of nowhere. There are also some spiders, but not a lot. Game play was very good, no problems during the demo and it fit my large screen quite nicely. The music was sinister enough to make me keep it turned up, where I usually turn it down to light background noise...very well done. Did anyone else notice that the VW had the "trunk" in the wrong place? It's the small things. Voice overs are well done and fit the character and action quite well. Very nice sound FX.
HOPs are the usual and customary silhouettes, lists and find the pairs. They are clean and clear and items are not difficult to find. Puzzles we fairly easy for me, even the ones I truly do not care for. No brain power needed here. Hint system is quite helpful and it does transport. I like this feature, especially when you do as much back tracking as you do in this game. No need for the jump map, which I didn't even look at. You will find cassette tapes, which will give you more insight into what is happening in the game, which will also provide you with a picture of an area where you can find a helpful/useful item.
Collectibles are many and some are not as easy to see as you may think. There are 21 morphing objects, did not find any in the HOPs, and they morph fairly quickly. You find petals to restore a bouquet..for what, I don't know, but there are 24 of them and you do have to work to find them. They actually looked more like cut glass to me. There are also a number of orphan photos to find. Again, not sure why. Some are easy to see, others are quite small.
This game seemed to move slowly for me, but I was surprised at how fast the demo actually went. Suddenly, I was finished! The game flows very well and is easy to follow. You are constantly on the move and doing something everywhere. This HH is not all that challenging, but it's put together quite well, and has enough going on to keep me interested and wanting to see how it plays out. I think all levels of players will find this one interesting. Yes, it is being added 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!
Toxic flowers have been claiming victims and withering plant life in the Netherlands. Can you cultivate the answers to this mystery?
Overall rating
4
/
5
5 of 8 found this review helpful
Nice story line...
PostedOctober 28, 2015
dancemom1
fromYakima, WA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Adventure, Strategy, Word, Card & Board
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Hello friends! Well, we have #3 in this series...yes, I have the other two. This game seemed very familiar to me, but I didn't have it on my beta list. I'm sure I did test it, but forgot to write it down. The graphics are very well done, very clear. Colors are quite nice, clear and we don't have blue all over the place! Game play was very good, no problems during the demo and it fit my large screen quite well. Voice overs and animation are very nice as well, even though the voices and the mouth movements did not sync. Music was not constant, but played the same few notes each time it played. It was okay, but got old quickly. Inventory items seem a bit small for my old eyes, but you can still identify what they are. Yikes, there is a click penalty!
HOPs are a combination of silhouettes, a certain number of each; straight lists and morphing item lists with a fast morph, so watch for them. I didn't see that you could switch to a game or puzzle. The HOPs are fairly clean and items are not hard to find, although they may take you a few seconds to find the morph items. There is a story board that opens after a few HOPs/puzzles, which gives you more insight into what is happening and why. Puzzles have been very easy and took no time to complete. Hint system is very helpful and you do have the transport feature in this game. I much prefer this over the jump map, which is a bit messy. You don't have a lot of back tracking, but enough to be glad you have the transport.
Collectibles: all I found so far are flower cards, which are quite large and very easy to spot. The SG shows shoes as well, but during the demo, I did not find any shoes. Not sure what these items do for you. A little disappointed in this.
I like the evidence board, must be the "detective" in me, although I don't see what it does for the game yet. This game is not all that challenging, has little sound FX and seldom plays music during game play, but the story just seemed to grab me from the opening scene and I find the need to play it out and see what is happening. It is a little different story than what we have been getting lately. I think this game will appeal to all levels of players. Yes, I am adding it 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!
Can you find the key to Ravenhearst's resurrection?
Overall rating
4
/
5
15 of 27 found this review helpful
Very nice extras, worthy of a CE...
PostedOctober 27, 2015
dancemom1
fromYakima, WA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Adventure, Strategy, Word, Card & Board, Family
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Hello friends! Well, we have #12 in this series. No, this is one that I do not have every game...just 8 of them. This one is set up the same as all the other in Ravenhearst. The graphics are quite good and clear. The colors...well, we all know how much I love the blues and pinks...not. That is an automatic downgrade for me. I realize this is night and the weather is awful, and the colors are supposed to add to the dreary, creepy feel of the game, but you can still have true colors and accomplish the same thing. Okay, off my soapbox. Game play was very good, no problems during the demo and the game fit my large screen quite well. Sound FX are excellent, lots of thunder and lightening. Voice overs are well done, but the "dark and creepy" guy could have had a lower voice to make him more sinister. Music is very nice and not overpowering at all. There is a click penalty, but you really have to do a lot of clicking to set it off.
HOPs are straight lists and interactive silhouettes. They are clean, no junk piles, and items are easy to find. I did not see that you could switch to something other than HOPs in this one. Puzzles are done very well. They are not too simple and are thought provoking. Some take time and patience and have a little challenge. Hint system is very helpful and it does have the transport feature. You need this, since you do some long distance back tracking. I did not care for the map, as it was just too packed together and not easy to follow...use the transport, it's faster and easier. Didn't bother with the SG, seldom do.
Collectibles: so far I see 34 Harbingers, which are ravens, for those of us who were born after Poe. These birds are quite easy to spot and can be found anywhere in the scene. We also have morphing items in the 16 of the HOPs. I have a bad habit of forgetting to look for these in HOPs. However, you can replay them in the "extras" and pick up what you missed. Same thing with the collectibles. I really like the extras some devs have been adding, e.g. replay for collectibles, puzzles and souvenir room, and not just the bonus play. Makes a CE more worthwhile.
Wow, been waiting for this one to come out since July, when I beta tested it. I was impressed with the collectibles and the animation. If you click around, things other than objective item more and do various things. You don't pick up anything useful, but it is different and fun. They also added "breath" on the window, which makes it more realistic. The story line is nothing new and it isn't extremely challenging. It did have enough of a challenge to keep me busy and moving. This game did not kick my chair out from under me, but as I said, I really like the collectibles and the extras. I think this game will appeal to most all levels of players. Yes, I am going to add it 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!
The eyes are watching... and they're everywhere.
Overall rating
4
/
5
4 of 7 found this review helpful
Worth the CE price...
PostedOctober 22, 2015
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
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Hello friends! Well, here we have another addition to the Fear series. Yep, got them all, but not necessarily in CE version. I beta tested this one a few months back and gave it a 4.75 at that time, simple because of the muted blues. Very tiring on the eyes. Graphics and game play were very nice, no problems during the demos. Animation was nice, but not a lot of it. Voice overs weren't too bad, but the male voices seemed quite monotone and somewhat boring during the demo. Hopefully they pick up a bit as the game progresses.
HOPs have a little variety, e.g. standard lists, interactive lists and seem a bit like junk piles. However, they are not so messy that you can't easily find what you are looking for. If you don't care for HOPs, then you can switch to a jigsaw puzzle. I like this, but then again, I love jigsaw puzzles. Hint system is helpful, but is a bit overdone with the very large circle that shrinks as it get closer to the item you are looking for. Puzzles have not been difficult or taken any time to complete so far. Did anyone else notice that the numbers on the radio in Mom's house were on backward? Took me a second to figure out why it looked odd. I did note that in order to open the map, I had to put my cursor on the word "map" before I could open it...just a weird side note. I do like that the map shows whether you have all the collectibles/morphing objects in that area. Didn't bother with the SG, but I seldom do anyway.
Standard achievements, but lots of collectibles. This is what I like about this series. You need to find 6 pieces for 5 categories of items, e.g. toys, postcards, ocarina, actress items, doctor items. They aren't difficult, but you do have to look for them. There are also 35 morphing objects throughout the game. Again, not difficult, but morph fairly quickly.
I do like this series and liked this story line, even though I did only see one statue come to life during the demo and all it did was have eyes that lit up and spoke a few words. They don't tromp around smashing things like giants...at least not during the demo. Yes, it is pretty much the same as all the others in this series, but as I said, I do like all the collectibles and the challenge of finding them. Even though I gave the beta a 4.75 because of the color, I need to down grade a bit more because of the voice overs and give this one a 4.5. Still a nice game and worth the extras. I have the need to play this one out and see if I'm right in where I'm sure it's going. I think this game will appeal to all levels of players. Yes, it is a definite buy for me.
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 review.
I recommend this game!
Your wedding day goes dark... and your fiancée has no idea who's behind it all.
Overall rating
4
/
5
11 of 15 found this review helpful
Excellent game!
PostedOctober 19, 2015
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
Hello friends! Well, we have #3 in this series...yes, I have the others as well. The colors in this game are awesome, very clean and clear. Graphics are excellent and animation is very well done. Game play was excellent with no problems during the demo and the game fit my large screen quite well. Loved the voice overs, which actually had emotion, e.g. fear, anger, sinister bad guy, etc. There are sound FX throughout the game and done quite well. Music is soothing and for once, I did not turn it way down. Still do not care for the "choose your dialog" feature that this game has..just talk already! You can click through the dialog, but you do have to choose what to say frequently, but not constantly.
HOPs are interesting, fun and varied. I found silhouettes that find items and then use with another to complete something else; find pieces (I like these occasionally, but not all the time); lists. Items are not difficult to find and the HOPs are quite clear and junk pile free. These are very well done. However, if you prefer, you can switch to the standard match 3 game. I got so engrossed in the game that I didn't even look at the SG, if there was one. This game flows extremely well. Puzzles were somewhat challenging and fun. I really like the silly "find the correct path" puzzle for some reason. Simple, but different. You have the usual achievements. Hint system is quite helpful and there is a transport feature. I like this, since you do return to other locations a lot. Yes, there is a very nice jump map, but the transport is faster.
Collectibles: All I found so far are feathers you use to purchase items for the boudoir. These are not as easy to see as you may think, and there can be multiple feathers in a scene. Another silly feature, but a nice addition to the collectibles. Also have 15 character statues to find. They are not hard to see, but you do have to pay attention to find them. Also see that we need to find 20 stained glass pieces. These are varying sizes and shapes and can be anywhere, so be on the lookout for them.
I really got into this game almost from the very beginning. Yes, the usual story, but very well done. You are constantly on the move and not just running back and forth looking for things...you move with a purpose. I think this game will appeal to all levels of players. Were it not for the "choose dialog" feature, I would have given this one a 5. However, it has just enough action, adventure, collectibles and challenge to keep you interested. Yes, I am going to add 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!
After falling asleep in the cinema, you wake up in the movie. Solve the mystery of the missing film crew and finish the movie.
Overall rating
2
/
5
9 of 21 found this review helpful
Exit, exit, ,exit!
PostedOctober 19, 2015
dancemom1
fromYakima, WA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Adventure, Strategy, Word, Card & Board, Family
Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
1
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
Hello friends! OMG, where is the exit button...I just couldn't go on with this demo! The colors are very bright and true, which is nice. Game play was very good and fit my large screen very well. Voice overs were very nice, but then I like a good accent. I'm not familiar with this dev, so I don't know if they are new or what. The game seemed very old school, with a hint penalty, and "flat" graphics. The music was quite annoying and I could not wait to turn it completely off!
HOPs were lists and silhouettes and were a little different, but not really in a good way. The turning items to fit a silhouette puzzle was quite boring and nerve racking at the same time. Did not care for this at all. There are HOPs at every turn. Hint system was helpful, but took an unusually long time to recharge.
Just everything about this game made me anxious. The 4 cords of music, the annoying, high pitched ding every time you found an item, the "water" ripples around HOPs and other areas. The game moved quite slowly and was very boring to me. This is a painfully simple game. I'm sorry to say that this is one of the very few where I could not finish out the demo. I try to find something positive in every game I personally don't care for, but I couldn't wait to get out of this one. I'm not even sure this one would appeal to a beginner without a lot of frustration. No, there will be no purchase by me on this one.
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 don't recommend this game.
A criminal organization searching for an ancient treasure shot your partner!
Overall rating
4
/
5
24 of 29 found this review helpful
Much better as an SE!
PostedOctober 19, 2015
dancemom1
fromYakima, WA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Adventure, Strategy, Word, Card & Board, Family
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Hello friends! I like to always try to follow up on games that I did not feel were CE worthy, and this is one of them. When the SE version comes out, I will always give it a shot and see if my thoughts had changed any. Still do not feel this one is anywhere near CE worthy, but I do like it as an SE. There is enough action to keep you busy and moving and I find the story somewhat different and interesting the second time around. The only "extras" in a game I want to see are the collectibles. However, with some of the more recent games, we also have the ability to go back and collect what we missed and have an extra souvenir room. I do like those additions. That said, this one makes a much better SE and yes, I am adding it to my collection. It is worth giving it a second look. If you wish, you may see my CE review under the CE version...too long to post it again here.
Thanks for the reviews.
I recommend this game!
Help Emma restore her grandparents' old house! Hidden Object, Match-3 and decoration all in one game.
Overall rating
2
/
5
10 of 12 found this review helpful
Gardenscape rip-off?...not even close!
PostedOctober 13, 2015
dancemom1
fromYakima, WA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Adventure, Strategy, Word, Card & Board, Family
Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
2
/
5
Level of Challenge
1
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
Hello friends! I was looking forward to playing this game, since I love the Gardenscape, Dream Day series and Antique Road Show type games. Wow, what a major disappointment! Graphics were fine, as were the colors. Game play was good. However, the game was quite boring. You didn't have many items to find in each and the "furniture" you had to choose from was sparse and overly priced. Match 3 game was silly...only had to find ONE stamp to win! The music was monotonous and I couldn't wait to get out of the game. I lasted maybe 20 minutes and just couldn't make myself keep going.
This game feels and looks like a fairly old game. Even for a straight HOP it was boring. Not sure what's happening at BF these days, but we have been getting a lot of garbage for days and then they throw one or two fairly nice games in the mix. This wasn't one of them. No matter how much I may dislike a game, I try to find something positive about it, so I can recommend it for others. Not happening this time. Personally, I seriously doubt even a beginner would find this one fun. Definite no buy for me. That's the long and short of it.
As always, try it for yourself and see what you think. We all have different tastes in games and you may like this one. Thanks for the reviews.
I don't recommend this game.
Off the Record: The Final Interview Collector's Edition
A man is dying, and you’re the prime suspect!
Overall rating
3
/
5
5 of 10 found this review helpful
Bright light, bright light!
PostedOctober 11, 2015
dancemom1
fromYakima, WA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Adventure, Strategy, Word, Card & Board, Family
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Hello friends. Well, we have #5 in this series...yes, I have the other 4. The graphics were a bit of a disappointment. No where near as clear as in previous games in this series, but still okay. Colors aren't bad. Game play was quite good, no problems during the demo. The demo was extremely short, so you really can't get a feel for the game. The one things I really did not care for was the "blurry, wiggly" lights when you went into your "memory" mode. That was a bit much on my eyes, so if you have problems with bright flashing lights, be very careful with this one. The voice overs aren't bad, but sounded like there was only maybe two people doing the dialog during the short demo. I do like a good accent. Music was okay, but uninspiring.
HOPs were a mixture of lists, fragmented pieces, and riddles. They also have morphing objects in 16 HOPs. These are not difficult to find. The HOPs were somewhat cluttered in most scenes, but the items were not difficult to find. Puzzles were extremely simple and took no thought or time to complete. Hopefully that changes as you get further into the game. Hint system is quite helpful and there is a transport feature. This is helpful, but there really isn't that much back tracking in this game. SG was the standard and really of no use during the demo.
Collectibles: the only thing I found are 43 "symbols" that are actually teapots. These are not easy to spot, as most are very well hidden and in some cases, you only see a very small piece of it. You also collect hats. It says for additional rewards, so who knows what that might be.
I beta tested this a few months ago, and was not kicked out about it at all. In fact, I only gave it a 3.5 even then. It was not a bad game, but not up to par with the others in this series. The devs seemed to have gotten a bit lazy with this one. This game was not challenging, except to try to see the teapots. I did see that the devs came up with some different and clever uses for various items in the game, and not just "find a knife" to open something. I'm pretty sure I know where this one is going, but for some unknown reason, I do find the need to keep playing to see if I'm right or not. I just wish those blurry bright lights weren't in the game. Haven't decided yet if I'm going to get this one now, or wait for the SE. I'll think on it a bit, but I will get one of them. I think this game will probably appeal to most players, especially those with exceptionally good eyesight.
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!
The arts-loving town of Everton has been overrun by sentient shadows. Race to escape before you're trapped in the darkness forever!
Overall rating
4
/
5
16 of 29 found this review helpful
Nice game, maybe not CE worthy...
PostedOctober 3, 2015
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
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Hello friends! As always, I review on the game play and not the story, as others do a much better job of that than I do. Well, we have #6 in this series. I only have 4 of the other, didn't care for City of Ash. I beta tested this one in August and had some recommendations. I'm sure others probably did too and they finally listened. Graphics are very nice and sharp. Colors still have the blue and pink, but they have been toned down a bit. Otherwise, they are very clear. Game play was very good. Animation and mouth movements were exceptional. Voice overs are well done with emotion and not just reading a script. Music was not my favorite. Seemed like the same 5 notes kept playing over and over, so I turned it down a bit.
HOPs are nothing new but well done and fairly clean. We have silhouettes and "use this to do that, to get something else." Puzzles were quite simple. You have to use a lantern to dispel dark shadows, but before they disappear, you have to untangle ropes. I don't mind these now and then, but they get very old very quickly when you have to do it every time you use that silly lantern. Didn't care for that. Hint system is very helpful and does transport you to longer locations. I really like this feature in a game. The map does jump to locations, but it seems a bit cluttered to me, so I seldom used it.
Collectibles: all I found are character silhouettes. When you collect 3, you play a part of the story, which so far has not given me much insight into what is happening or why. I was annoyed with the box that I could not get rid of, "this is completed, now I can watch part of the show." Just wouldn't go away. Very disappointing collectibles in this one, if this is all we have.
All that being said, with the few changes the devs made to the beta, this game has improved some. I had rated it at only a 3 then, but now I think it would be a 4. It isn't really challenging, but the story has peaked my interest and I find the need to see how it plays out, so I will add it to my collection. I think this game will appeal to all levels of players, but maybe not as a CE. Not sure I will get this now or wait for the SE, so into my puddle it goes for now.
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!