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:
A strange and deadly pollen is spreading around the world, and you’ve been hired to track down its source. But the secrets you discover in the fabled kingdom of Floralia are much darker than you imagined...
Overall rating
4
/
5
15 of 22 found this review helpful
Solid 4.75 stars!
PostedJune 26, 2014
dancemom1
fromYakima, WA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Word, Adventure, Hidden Object, Card & Board, Strategy, Puzzle
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Hi all. Well, another installment in the Dark Parables series. Number 7 actually: Curse of Brian Rose; Jack & the Sky Kingdom; Rise of the Snow Queen; The Exiled Prince; The Final Cinderella and The Red Riding Hood Sisters. This one is very much the same with nice graphics and game play. Colors are bright, but muted to give it the fairytale look. Everything about this one is the same except the story and items you find, which is not a bad thing. Did not care for Rapunzel's singing...very grating. For the most part, the music wasn't too bad. There is a map, which is set up well, but did not jump. It was easy to look at it and figure out where you needed to go.
HOPs were the same type, fragmented pieces that you find to combine into one usable object. Some items were difficult to see, due to the muted color and the blending into other very similar objects. Too much "gold" color, which is why I down-graded below 5 stars. Puzzles were quite simple and easy to complete. SG was useful but not necessary, as the hint system was quite helpful and filled at the usual rate, not very quickly. SG helped in case you couldn't "see" something easily.
There are many achievements in this one as well. Collectibles are stone flowers that are not difficult to find, but don't jump off the page at you. Apparently there is a bonus for collecting them all. Morphing objects are not easy to see either, as you may have to revisit a location multiple times before you see one. This is a bit different. Because of the color, it did cause me a little eye strain. You still collect the Parables, which are pieces of 5 stories #4 pieces each#. Once you have collected these items, the story is revealed to you.
If you played and liked any of the other 6 in this series, you will like this one. Yes, I have the other 6 and I will get this one as well. This is a nice series, different each time because the story is different each time, not just an extension of the others. They do make reference to other games, but you don't need to play them to follow along. I think this will appeal to all levels of players.
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!
Kathleen’s beloved Danny has been arrested under strange circumstances and accused of murder. It’s up to Kathleen to hold her own investigation and find out what really happened.
Overall rating
3
/
5
14 of 20 found this review helpful
A simple game...
PostedJune 22, 2014
dancemom1
fromYakima, WA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Word, Adventure, Hidden Object, Card & Board, Strategy, Puzzle
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Hi all. Well, what can I say about this game...somewhat old school animation, colors and graphics, but not bad. Game play was good, no problems with anything. There were no voice overs in this one and it definitely needed them. I don't mind reading along with a VO, but reading everything was just too much. If you click through the dialogue, you miss a lot of information. What I found very unusual was that it didn't ask if you wanted instructions on game play. You were sort of thrown into the game without any real lead in or instructions. Good thing this is a very simple game.
Inventory bar did not lock into place, so jumped up and down constantly. There is a jump map, but not very helpful. It shows you where you are and where you can do something, but does not give you the name of the location. I found it easier just to run around, and there was a lot of that in this one. Hint system was helpful, but a little slow. Music wasn't too bad, had a sinister feel to it, but got very annoying very quickly. Other than the music, this game is extremely quiet, with very few sound FX. Title insinuates that there are witches and warlocks...nope, only saw a ghost during the demo. Maybe they come along later.
There is time travel, which was interesting, but again, why? The story seems to be a puzzle in itself. HOPs are extremely simple and a bit cluttered. Puzzles were also very simple. There are collectibles, which are totems (16), for what reason I have no idea yet. I managed to collect 4 before the demo ended.
As I said, this is a very simple game, no challenge, and geared more toward the beginner than anyone else. However, sometimes I like simple games. I may have to get this one just to see what happens when you collect all the totems. Have to think on it a bit, so into the puddle for another day.
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!
For 25 years, you thought you had no family. But one night, a man steps through a mirror from another world, claiming to be your uncle... changing your life forever.
Overall rating
4
/
5
18 of 23 found this review helpful
Very nice CE..
PostedJune 21, 2014
dancemom1
fromYakima, WA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Word, Adventure, Hidden Object, Card & Board, Strategy, Puzzle
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Hi all. Interesting CE today. Colors are not as vibrant as most have been, but are a little muted to give you that "fairy tale" look and are well done. Graphics and game play were very nice. Music was quiet for the most part and not at all annoying. It did rise and fall depending on what was happening in the scene. There wasn't a lot in the way of sound FX, but they were nicely done. Voice overs were few and far between, making this a fairly quiet game. You have an owl that helps you reach places you can't normally get to easily.
HOPs were the standard you see in every other game, and interactive. Pretty clear and clean and items were not difficult to find. There is a map, but I didn't find the need to use it at all, as the hint system worked quite well and also teleported you to long distances. Puzzles were some of the same and a few new ones mixed in, meaning some simple and others that took some time and real thought to complete. There were a couple that were quite challenging for me, e.g., key drop.
The only collectibles I found are the 176 leaves. There is a box on the middle left side that constantly tells you that you found a leaf, popping in and out with each one, which is quite annoying. If I want to know if I got them all, I will open the box. It also tells you if you have found them all in a scene. Yes, there is more than one in each scene. These leaves are not as easy to spot as you may think, as they are opaque and blend in well with some of the background. No eye strain, but you do have to look for them.
I like traveling to different areas and having new scenery to look at and new goals to achieve in each. I did not find this particularly challenging. It was a very simple game that didn't require a lot of skill, but I found it fun and different and it made me want more when the demo ended. Yes, I will purchase this game and recommend it for all levels of players.
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!
A series of unexplained deaths baffle authorities, and you’re called in to investigate.
Overall rating
4
/
5
15 of 25 found this review helpful
Definite buy for me!
PostedJune 19, 2014
dancemom1
fromYakima, WA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Word, Adventure, Hidden Object, Card & Board, Strategy, Puzzle
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Hi all. Here we have another nice game from Eipix. They are becoming a very nice habit. Graphics and game play are quite good. Colors are bright and clear and easy on the eyes. Voice overs were well done, even though I heard a combo of Italian and Spanish, but still better than just reading off a script. Music is the standard and I got so engrossed in the game that I didn't really pay attention to it. There is a jump map, but I didn't even find the need to open it, so not sure how it worked.
HOPs are different and interactive with puzzles within the HOP. I found these to be very entertaining. Items were clear and not too difficult to find, but some took some thought to figure out. That's what made them fun. If you wish, you could switch to a match 3. It seemed to me that you actually had to match 4 to get an item deleted from your list, but maybe not. Puzzles weren't difficult, some a little different.
SG was the standard, but only shows 2 chapters...really don't care for that. Why not show all so we can get an idea of how long a game might be? Anyway, I didn't have to use the SG much either, because the hint system worked quite well and does include a transport feature. The only collectibles I found are the treasure chests filled with gold. They are not difficult to see, but some are partially hidden. You can use the gold to purchase items for your garden, not sure why, as I didn't seen anything exciting about what you can buy. There are a number of achievements which include a chest hunt and a souvenir lookout. Haven't gotten that far yet.
This game grabbed my attention from the very beginning and kept my interest throughout the entire demo, which ended too quickly for me. Even though the story is nothing new, I did find the need to buy this one and see how it plays out. This game has the right amount of fun and challenge and I think it will appeal to all levels of players. Definitely CE worthy and 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 reviews.
I recommend this game!
Find magician Andy Fox and his assistant, who vanished into thin air!
Overall rating
4
/
5
25 of 33 found this review helpful
Nice simple SE...
PostedJune 18, 2014
dancemom1
fromYakima, WA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Word, Adventure, Hidden Object, Card & Board, Strategy, Puzzle
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Hi all. Something a little different today. Yes, a very simple SE, but nice. Graphics were nothing special, but were clear and bright colors. Game play was very good, no problems with action, movements or screen. Music was very pleasant and somewhat haunting at times...I liked it. There is no jump map and no extras to find. There was a click penalty. Inventory does lock in place (thank you!). Voice overs are few, but well done for the time period and locations. Not much in the way of sound FX, but a few that are quite appropriate for the scene and what is happening at the time.
HOPs were quite simple, but very clean and clear, no junk piles to mess with and no eye strain. There is a lot of back-tracking and you play the same HOPs more than once. Puzzles were also simple but fun. You do add pages to your journal, which gives you more information as you go along. The story is fun and a bit different. We have magic, carnivals, sultans and more, I'm sure, since we have time travel in this story. Kept me interested throughout the demo. Hint system is quite helpful and fills very quickly.
This is not a very challenging game, but relaxing and well done for an SE. I think it was the music that did it for me. It just kept me going. I think this will appeal to all levels of players, especially advanced players who want to just take it easy for a change. Don't know how long this game is, but I'm going to get it and find out. Hopefully it is longer than the sultan's palace, which is where my demo ended.
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!
Find your sister and escape from a terrifying haunted house!
Overall rating
4
/
5
38 of 49 found this review helpful
Liked it, bought it...
PostedJune 15, 2014
dancemom1
fromYakima, WA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Word, Adventure, Hidden Object, Card & Board, Strategy, Puzzle
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Hi all. I demoed the CE version and wasn't really kicked out about it as a CE. However, as I have said many times, I often change my mind about a game once I play the SE version. For some reason, today's game caught my in the right mood. Graphics are fairly good, although a bit dark...okay, it's a haunted house and should be dark. Even at that, the colors are bright enough to see without eye strain. Game play was quite good, no problems at all. Jump map was very helpful and a huge time saver running from one room to another. Yes, you repeatedly return to the same rooms, so grab those expensive tennis shoes and go for it. Music and sound FX weren't bad at all. They lend to the creepiness of the game and builds into "you know something is going to happen" mode. Well done.
There is a click penalty in this one as well. Voice overs are not bad at all, but some remarks are just plain silly. The HOPs are repeated as well, but with different items. They are pretty clear and clean and a little different in how you locate the items you need. Not just a straight HOP. Puzzles so far take some time and thought to complete...not just a simple walk-through. Hint system is quite helpful and fills fairly quickly.
This game is not especially challenging, but it keeps you moving and wanting to see what's behind the next door. The demo was quite short, and it isn't as creepy as the movie, but it is pretty well done. Yes, I have changed my mind and I am going to use a credit to get this one today. It really is a no brainer type of game, but sometimes that's all I want.
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!
Dreampath: The Two Kingdoms Collector's Edition
Your sister, the Queen, has fallen deathly ill. Now you must travel to a faraway kingdom to find the cure.
Overall rating
3
/
5
21 of 31 found this review helpful
Not CE Worthy...
PostedJune 14, 2014
dancemom1
fromYakima, WA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Word, Adventure, Hidden Object, Card & Board, Strategy, Puzzle
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
Hi all. We have dragons! I love dragons and was excited to see this game today. The graphics are more old school and in some places, very cartoon like, but well done. Game play was very good until the demo ended and then it froze when I tried to exit. Music isn't too bad, but gets annoying fairly quickly. Voice overs are very well done. I really like the dragon voice, sounds a bit like James Earl Jones.
Jump map is the standard for these games and is useful. SG really isn't necessary with the map and the hint system. Hint will also transport you to the location you need and it is quite helpful otherwise. As always, I do not like the SG, as it does not stay on the last page you visited when you leave the game. Why can the devs not fix this?? You have a helpful cat as well, who gets into small holes or high places to retrieve something for you. He also tells the story as you progress in the games.
HOPs are clean and clear and items are not difficult to find, no eye strain. Puzzles were quite simple, no great thought here. The only collectibles are the coins, gold or silver, and are not difficult to find, but some you really have to look for. Some scenes have more than one, so be on the lookout for them. Didn't take the time to see what you did with them.
This was not a difficult or very challenging game. I am sure it works well for a beginner, but I do not see that it is CE worthy. There are no extra bells or whistles. The game is very quiet as far as sound FX, which really help to build a story and the excitement that this one didn't have. I'm not even sure I would get this as an SE either. I recommend for beginners.
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!
In a race against time, Emily and company must solve the riddle of the book or Emily will be forever lost within its confines!
Overall rating
2
/
5
2 of 4 found this review helpful
Uh, not today...
PostedJune 9, 2014
dancemom1
fromYakima, WA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Word, Adventure, Hidden Object, Card & Board, Strategy, Puzzle
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
Hi all. Well, others have said that this is 2nd in a series, but I don't remember the first one. The graphics aren't bad, very bright colors. Game play wasn't bad either. The one thing I really didn't care for was the written dialog font...way to hard to read on that background and way too much of it. The voice overs were good except for the ghosts...too hard to understand, very garbled speech. Music was monotonous and quite boring.
HOGs were fun to a point and a bit different, but items were extremely small. When I couldn't find the padlock after using the hint, latern and magnifying glass 6 times, it was time to quit. Way too much eye strain in this game.
I do like the straight HOG occasionally to break up the monotony, but this one isn't it. It could have been a fairly nice game without much extra work from the devs, but they were really lazy with this one. Not even sure a beginner would find this one fun. The only challenge was trying to see an extremely small item. No buy for me and no recommendation.
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.
The rat catcher's after more than rats this time. He's kidnapping fairy folk!
Overall rating
4
/
5
12 of 14 found this review helpful
Adding to my collection...
PostedJune 7, 2014
dancemom1
fromYakima, WA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Word, Adventure, Hidden Object, Card & Board, Strategy, Puzzle
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Hi all. Here we have another addition to the Myths of the World series. Yes, I have the first 3 (Chinese Healer; Spirit Wolf and Stolen Spring). All are very good and I enjoyed them. This one has really come up in the world of games. Graphics and game play are very good. Nice voice overs. The opening scene really grabs you and draws you in quickly. Really loved the music and I'm the one who usually turns it way down. The guide, menu, hint and map were too close together, making it easy to hit the wrong button on a regular basis...aaargh!
The SG is the usual, but disappointed in that it does not stay on the last page you visited when you exit the game and go back in. You have to remember which chapter and page you were on...very annoying, to say the least. Jump map is helpful and areas are well identified by name. Hint system is quite helpful and fills fairly quickly. Puzzles were extremely simple. Didn't care for the bubble shooter that you could switch to, but to each his own. HOPs are different, creative and fun. Something a little different for a change.
This game is fairly quiet. Not a lot of music or sound FX, but they are there when they need to be. There is a lot to do in this one and you are constantly moving, so you don't get bored. The only collectibles I found were the fairy shoes, which are not difficult to see, but you do have to look for them.
All in all, this was a wonderful game and one that I will be adding to my every growing collection. If you like fairies, you will like this game. Even if you don't, I think this will appeal to all levels of players.
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...I would be surprised if you didn't. Thanks for the reviews.
I recommend this game!
Is Martha really a werewolf - or has she been wrongly accused?
Overall rating
5
/
5
13 of 28 found this review helpful
Highly recommended!
PostedJune 5, 2014
dancemom1
fromYakima, WA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Word, Adventure, Hidden Object, Card & Board, Strategy, Puzzle
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Hi all. Well, the dog is back and he isn't happy. I have the first 3 in this series, Curse of the Full Moon, Bane of the Family and Cursed Wedding, all of which were excellent games. This one is no different. Superior graphics, bright clear colors and awesome game play. I really liked the music in this one, which is very unusual for me. It played right into the story and what was happening at the time, along with building up to something that was going to happen and then following through...very well done. Voice overs were also very nice, but would have been better if they had accents. Most werewolf stories were in Europe, but well done anyway. Lots of sound FX, which were extremely well done. You don't just hear the werewolf, you have cats and bugs and everything else. Can you tell yet that I liked it?
SG is the same and is helpful, but I found that the hint system worked so well that I really didn't need the guide. Hint fills at the usual rate, but not too slowly. HOPs were mixed well, with silhouettes, where does this item go and find a number of werewolf related items. Different and fun in that you had found items that had to be analyzed and then used. I did not find the puzzles difficult at all.
This game has a lot of achievements, much like all others, and a lot of things to do to keep you very busy. The only collectibles I found are the pages that give you more information about werewolves, which is interesting. I did note from the beginning that the main werewolf was much bigger and uglier than in the previous games. If you don't like things jumping out at you, then this isn't the game for you. These dogs are sneaky.
This game grabbed my attention from the very beginning and kept it throughout the demo. Yes, I am going to purchase this game. I'm glad to see that ERS has not lost their edge on this series. I believe this game will appeal to all levels of players. I don't give 5 stars easily, but this game earned 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!