ouncible's Profile
Stat Summary
- Average Rating:3.7
- Helpful Votes:62
- Reviews Submitted:10
- First Review:November 26, 2011
- Most Recent Review:August 28, 2014
- Featured reviews0
ouncible's Review History
Green City: Go South
Feel summer blossom as you develop the infrastructure of lush coastal lands. Build a flourishing Green City in the middle of the ocean!
Overall rating
3
/
5
6 of 8 found this review helpful
Some good challenges but not as fun as it should be
PostedAugust 28, 2014
ouncible
Favorite Genre(s):Word, Adventure, Card & Board, Strategy, Brain Teaser, Time Management, Puzzle
Current Favorite:
Tradewinds Legends
(8)Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Juggle money, electricity, ornaments and lot sizes to meet your goal in a building resource management game similar to the Buildadlot series. It has a nice level of difficulty (but then I like games that may take a few tries to get gold...).
One of the big challenges of the game is that actions take a very long time to complete, so lining things up to minimize waiting around is important. This makes for a slower paced game than some of its competitors - YMMV as to whether that's a good thing. It is definitely more about strategy than clicking.
My real problem with this game is a lot of little stuff. The tutorial that forces you to make stupid moves is irritating. The graphics are meh and although they do change, it's hard to see which houses have been upgraded without hovering over them. The music gets a little annoying. And so forth. Nothing big I can point to, and the puzzle aspect is interesting, but somehow it falls a little short.
Recommended with reservations.
I recommend this game!
Royal Envoy: Campaign for the Crown
King or Swindler? Who will be the new ruler of the Kingdom?
Overall rating
4
/
5
Royal Envoy continues to entertain
PostedJune 4, 2014
ouncible
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Word, Adventure, Brain Teaser, Time Management, Puzzle
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Game play is pretty similar to previous versions though there are a couple of new elements added (one of which is pretty cute). It's a nice time and resource management game which emphasizes planning over click speed.
The level of challenge is moderate - mostly you can play straight through though there were a few levels that required several attempts to get 3 stars. The CE version has you play through the story, play it through on expert mode, and unlocks about 30 additional "challenge" levels, so the game kept me busy for a while.
I recommend this game!
Kingdom Tales
The prophecy has been fulfilled! The day has come when mighty dragons seek new territory to claim as their own!
Overall rating
3
/
5
0 of 1 found this review helpful
Soothing TM Game
PostedJuly 17, 2013
ouncible
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Word, Adventure, Strategy, Brain Teaser, Time Management
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
The graphics are pleasant and the music suitable in a cinematic style. The game play is mostly soothing.
Kingdom Tales is a resource management TM, but the water/food/curse mechanic introduces a certain clickiness. Fortunately for me, the clicking is not frantic, and the game remains more about planning your actions than reaction times!
You have an unlimited number of workers, so the lack of queued actions is not a huge deal. The big constraints are building spots, road hazards (and time).
The tutorial can be skipped on a level by level basis.
You might need to restart a level on occasion, but the same basic strategy works pretty much everywhere to come in in "Kingdom" time. On the other hand, there are point scores to optimize for people looking for a bit more challenge.
I recommend this game!
Druid Kingdom
Travel through the mysterious lands of the Druids in this new hit game from the creators of the groundbreaking My Kingdom for the Princess series!
Overall rating
4
/
5
0 of 2 found this review helpful
Fun but feels a little short
PostedJuly 2, 2013
ouncible
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Strategy, Time Management
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
It's your basic TM/MKFP game-play, with a reasonable but not impossible level of challenge. At first I really missed the ability to queue actions, but it turns out that that's a power-up on which you can spend points later in the game. Some power-ups are bought on a permanent basis, others per/use once you finish the first set of levels.
The music is good and the graphics intelligible and reasonably appealing (if deliberately cluttered on many levels). That said, the game feels a little short - perhaps because it ends on a cliff hanger. :-)
I recommend this game!
Ancient Rome 2
Get land to build cities with houses, schools, markets, farms and a network of roads to improve the quality of life and the economy of the Roman Empire.
Overall rating
4
/
5
18 of 22 found this review helpful
Just what I wanted
PostedJanuary 8, 2013
ouncible
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Strategy, Brain Teaser, Time Management
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
It's a resource management game where you build Roman cities to meet various production goals. The 30 levels get increasingly complex (and lengthy). Basically, it's a stripped down Caesar III.
Game play:
The levels are not timed (though it does take time for some actions - like selling goods) to take effect. Instead, the challenge is in working out how to prioritize goals and where to allocate your money or other resources. How you lay out your roads and where you put some buildings also have subtle but important effects.
Most of the game is planning and a bit of waiting for your little people to move goods around or notice the exciting new infrastructure you've built them.
Fires break out rather frequently, and, authentically for a densely populated town, they can spread very quickly. The good news is that you can build prefectures. The prefects wander around and put out any fires that they notice. The bad news is that if the fires spread, or if you don't have any prefects handy, you'll need to step in and put them out yourself. This involves clicking very rapidly on the affected buildings, and the frantic button mashing was pretty hard on my hands.
Interface:
Nothing surprising here - just the usual menu of building types, a status pane and clicking on objects for more information about what they need to be upgraded/produce stuff. It was all pretty straight forward, at least if you've played other sim or building games.
The one gripe is that, on the larger maps, you can't zoom all the way out, and there isn't a navigator map, so you have to scroll around to check on your town. Not a big deal but a noticeable irritant after a while.
Aesthetics:
The graphics are very detailed and quite attractive. I mostly played the game zoomed out to keep track of what was going on, but close-in animations are nice and I have a fondness for the well researched backgrounds in the cut scenes.
The graphics are very detailed and quite attractive. I mostly played the game zoomed out to keep track of what was going on, but close-in animations are nice and I have a fondness for the well researched backgrounds in the cut scenes.
The music is cinematic choral/orchestral. It's nice enough, though on longer levels I might have preferred a bit less drama.
Value for money:
There are only 30 levels, but the later levels can take a good long time to play. I'd say is in the longer/more replay range for the BFG games I've tried.
In sum:
I'd been looking for a good resource management game, and I've been enjoying this one a lot. Well worth buying if you like simulation games (and don't already have working versions of the Caesar games).
I recommend this game!
Trade Mania
Purchase real estate in different cities, and make your company a fantastic success story in Trade Mania!
Overall rating
4
/
5
3 of 3 found this review helpful
Soothing trading game
PostedJuly 9, 2012
ouncible
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Strategy, Brain Teaser, Time Management, Puzzle
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
It's a turn-based board game not unlike Monopoly, but with a market trading component that keeps it more interesting. You can play against the computer or your family in three different cities (with different property and goods characteristics).
The chief downside is that, like Monopoly, the end-game can drag a bit. However, like Monopoly, there is no requirement that humans play it to the bitter end. The graphics are well executed, and the music is innocuous.
While the it doesn't take long to play through the "campaign" mode, the game is engaging and has plenty of replay value.
I recommend this game!
New Yankee in King Arthur's Court
When a bolt of lightning sends you back to the days of King Arthur, you trade in your farmer's hat for a suit of armor and set off on a journey to find the Fountain of Youth!
Overall rating
3
/
5
1 of 1 found this review helpful
Cute while it lasts
PostedJune 22, 2012
ouncible
Favorite Genre(s):Word, Adventure, Strategy, Brain Teaser, Time Management, Puzzle
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
NYiKAC is a timed resource management game, heavily based on Rescue Team, though I think of it as closer to Jack of All Tribes in feel.
Most levels are more about planning a course of action than fast clicking (which is a plus in my book). You might need to run some of the levels a couple of times to get gold, but none of the levels are very difficult (and you can ignore the timer if you'd rather relax).
The art is cute and the game runs smoothly for me. The music and SFX are innocuous. The story line is amusing in places, annoying in others, but I found it worth reading the dialogues.
The biggest drawback is probably that the game really is quite short (about one evening's worth) , but I did enjoy it while it lasted.
I recommend this game!
Flux Family Secrets - The Rabbit Hole
Jesse is back at Flux mansion after thwarting the efforts of her nemesis, Veronica, but this time 30 years in the past!
Overall rating
4
/
5
3 of 3 found this review helpful
The game that convinced me HOGs could be fun
PostedApril 15, 2012
ouncible
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Strategy, Brain Teaser, Time Management, Puzzle
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
It's an adventure/HOG hybrid with some interface niceties. While I often find the HOG format to be a bit irritating, and this game does have the "common sense does not apply" problem, it's attractive and engaging. I play the HOG parts with my spouse when we're too tired to play anything competitive. The puzzles are not especially difficult, but again, are mostly enjoyable. All in all, a very polished game.
I recommend this game!
Rescue Team 2
Rebuild the devastated islands as you take control of the Rescue Team in this fantastic Time Management game!
Overall rating
3
/
5
2 of 2 found this review helpful
Very similar to RT1
PostedDecember 26, 2011
ouncible
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Word, Arcade & Action, Brain Teaser, Adventure, Time Management, Puzzle, Strategy
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Very similar to the first version of the game, with pretty much the same strengths and flaws.
The gameplay is the kind of time/resource management that favors planning over raw clicking (though UI issues make it feel clickier than it really is). RT2 adds a new resource type and person type for more sophisticated strategy.
I had to repeat levels multiple times to get "gold" time, but all the levels were solvable, which is about the challenge level I like best.
I'd rate it acceptable to good for length and replayability.
The game still suffers the same clunky UI issues as the first version. For example, the circles around goodies that give no indication whether a worker has been assigned to get/do them or whether you have enough resources to accomplish the task. Your mood will determine whether having to double check worker assignments is an interesting bit of added realism or a major irritant.
The graphics/sound and theme are just like the last version, which I find to be competent but uninspiring.
Snark Busters: All Revved up
Solve whimsical puzzles, explore worlds of exquisite detail, and keep your eyes peeled for hundreds of cleverly Hidden Objects!
Overall rating
5
/
5
29 of 33 found this review helpful
Good HOG, if more style than substance
PostedNovember 26, 2011
ouncible
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Word, Brain Teaser, Adventure, Time Management, Puzzle, Strategy
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Cheerful music and charming scenes make for a enjoyable hidden object game as you follow young Jack, automobile racer extraordinaire, on a snark hunt on through steampunk inspired scenery. A bit of wit and snarkiness are a nice change from the doom and gloom HOGs.
Not a particularly challenging game (I got over half way through on the demo), but just the thing (with a cup of tea) after a stressful day.
I recommend this game!