highwayguy's Profile
Stat Summary
- Average Rating:3.6
- Helpful Votes:98
- Reviews Submitted:13
- First Review:April 8, 2014
- Most Recent Review:January 20, 2019
- Featured reviews0
Travel through the history of industry, creating colorful mosaics and watching them come to life!
Overall rating
2
/
5
5 of 6 found this review helpful
Didn't finish the first grid - fatal flaw!
PostedJanuary 20, 2019
highwayguy
fromThe Concrete Sea
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Arcade & Action, Brain Teaser, Large File, Marble Popper, Puzzle
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
No auto-fill, no buy.
I despise games without autofill. I do NOT want to have to fill the blank squares as well as the filled ones.
Other than that, it looked good. Like larger grids, but without the auto-fill, nope.
I don't recommend this game.
Celebrate Christmas and solve new amazing mosaics puzzles!
Overall rating
5
/
5
8 of 9 found this review helpful
Another great Rainbow Mosaics!
PostedDecember 15, 2016
highwayguy
fromThe Concrete Sea
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Arcade & Action, Brain Teaser, Large File, Marble Popper, Puzzle
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
This is for sure my favorite series of color griddlers. The puzzles get challenging, the colors are bright and clear, and there's autofill. And ... you can choose whether or not to cross off the numbers as you go!
Music is okay, but I usually listen to Pandora. Visual quality is excellent. Not much story, but that's a bonus in griddlers, anyhow. Achievements, decorations to buy, etc.
Logic based puzzles for the most part, but there are a few you need hints for, because they end with an ambiguity on the board.
One thing I loved about last year's Christmas Lights was that it had minigames every nine levels. Kind of broke up the griddlers, and were an easy way to get a few extra coins to buy ornaments and powerups.
Best of the season! Try it!
I recommend this game!
Get into the spirit of the holiday with 120 exciting nonograms! Stop by and visit Father Christmas!
Overall rating
4
/
5
7 of 7 found this review helpful
Good, solid griddler - no bells and whistles.
PostedDecember 15, 2016
highwayguy
fromThe Concrete Sea
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Arcade & Action, Brain Teaser, Large File, Marble Popper, Puzzle
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
This is the 2016 Christmas griddler from 8 Floor. That pretty much says it all. You either like their games or you don't. I am one of those who do.
Single color, increasing difficulty, and little or no guesswork.
Pros:
CHALLENGING!
Consistent quality
Consistent quality
Cons:
Single color
No autofill
Numbers cross off automatically
No story at all
No autofill
Numbers cross off automatically
No story at all
Some things could be better, but if you like your griddlers challenging, and can live with one color... These are fine and dandy.
I recommend this game!
A quest filled with more than 100 mosaic nonograms to find Arcanesium. Gather clues and crack codes to solve the mystery.
Overall rating
3
/
5
11 of 13 found this review helpful
Brilliant concept, mediocre execution.
PostedDecember 15, 2016
highwayguy
fromThe Concrete Sea
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Arcade & Action, Brain Teaser, Large File, Marble Popper, Puzzle
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Like many others, I like it, but don't love it. The concept is brilliant! Love the idea of a real story and minigames to break up the nonograms. (It's easier to quit after a chapter, with a logical stopping place, than in the middle of an endless run of grids.) The execution, however, leaves a lot to be desired.
One gripe is the unforgiving nature of the game in regards to mistakes - which are really easy to make, despite the fact that the game is really easy. And what I mean by that, is that some colors are truly hard to see, especially the black and white ones. Another is that the numbers cross off automatically, rather than giving you the option to cross them off at the finish of the row. I never play in that mode, and it confused me.
Can't say anything about the sound, because I turned it off. The graphics are okay, but not stunning.
The grids, as far as the demo got me, are very easy and logical. I found no conundrums that couldn't be solved by changing colors. The colors are okay, but the only multi-color puzzle I ever found truly mind-bending is Chroma. I wish that were a straight buy it game. But, then, World Mosaics remain the gold standard for me.
The minigames, if you can call them that, are too easy and require no thought.
Now, I'm off to try the OTHER griddler of the day. At least I know it will be challenging. I'll buy it. This one I'm on the fence about. Try before you buy!
I recommend this game!
Explore a new world of pixel art puzzles in more colors than ever in Fantasy Mosaics: Explore New Colors!
Overall rating
3
/
5
2 of 4 found this review helpful
Ho Hum. But I'm addicted, so...
PostedDecember 6, 2016
highwayguy
fromThe Concrete Sea
Skill Level:Beginner
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Brain Teaser, Large File, Marble Popper, Puzzle
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
I am addicted to picross. We need PA - Picross Anonymous. I buy them all, and it's about the only games I play, anymore.
This has never been my favorite series. Your basic picross with autofill. They are much too easy, and the more colors they add, the easier they get. Though I am glad to see people with regular skin instead of the third degree sunburns of past games, LOL.
I thought maybe this time we'd get a real garden, after the bridge was installed, but, nope. Just another silly-looking, spaced out animal graced the next levels.
I do enjoy doing these to relax, because they ARE childishly simple. But if I want a mental workout, I prefer the Rainbow Mosaics, or even harder, Hidden Clues. Then there are the 8-Floor games I seem to be alone in loving, LOL. Actually, I have a love/hate relationship with those. I've learned that screenshots are my friend...
Anyhow, I bought it. With a credit, even. I'll have a sad if another Rainbow Mosaics comes out this week, though.
I recommend this game!
Solve multicolor pictographic puzzles in order to save classic works of fiction from the evil Victor Vile!
Overall rating
4
/
5
2 of 2 found this review helpful
Good, solid griddler - no bells and whistles.
PostedAugust 12, 2016
highwayguy
fromThe Concrete Sea
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Arcade & Action, Brain Teaser, Large File, Marble Popper, Puzzle
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
WM was always my favorite series, as it actually had a storyline that was reasonably compelling. I'm addicted to these things, and keep buying them, pretty much regardless of which series.
I liked Chroma, too, but found the puzzles frustrating, since they were designed to get you to buy powerups, which I refuse to do. At least you could wait a day and play again. This game doesn't make clear how you get more powerups/hints, though I have not used any yet. I was very disappointed that there were never any more download WM. Now, here we are!
Pros... Well, the story.
- And, as always, the music is pleasant.
- You can back out of a wrong click, unlike other games.
- Also, if you drag pins or tiles, and make more than one bad square, you only get one ding.
- These get very challenging after the first book.
- And, as always, the music is pleasant.
- You can back out of a wrong click, unlike other games.
- Also, if you drag pins or tiles, and make more than one bad square, you only get one ding.
- These get very challenging after the first book.
Cons... First off, the TUTORIAL. For seasoned gridders, this is downright insulting. Let us turn it off!
- Second, the controls. At least on my system, the interface feels slow and very clunky.
- No autofill - bummer. Once I've filled all the tiles, I like autofill to finish the pins.
- I really wish ALL the griddlers would offer a "casual" mode in which you can make as many mistakes as happen without losing the game. I hate getting almost done and losing because of a silly mistake or even having trouble seeing the different colors , etc. Just give me zero stars and let me play on!
- Second, the controls. At least on my system, the interface feels slow and very clunky.
- No autofill - bummer. Once I've filled all the tiles, I like autofill to finish the pins.
- I really wish ALL the griddlers would offer a "casual" mode in which you can make as many mistakes as happen without losing the game. I hate getting almost done and losing because of a silly mistake or even having trouble seeing the different colors , etc. Just give me zero stars and let me play on!
Buy all the griddlers, and dearly love them. The penguins are too easy, really, though they are certainly relaxing. Rainbow Mosaics are pretty easy, too, but give you LOTS of levels. World Mosaics are much harder, though not as hard as Hidden Clues, and certainly not as hard as all those hair-pulling 8 Floor games! Hope to see more Arizona Rose and Gizmo games, too.
Bought this one, enjoying it, but as others said, it really isn't up to current standards for the genre.
I recommend this game!
Help Ungh find new fire after the flame goes out in his village. Use logic and puzzle solving skills to navigate this fun and vivid Stone Age world.
Overall rating
5
/
5
11 of 17 found this review helpful
Tough little game!
PostedJanuary 20, 2016
highwayguy
fromThe Concrete Sea
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Adventure, Large File, Marble Popper, Arcade & Action, Mahjong, Brain Teaser
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
The story is there, but doesn't make the game, the puzzles do! This reminds me of those little Samorost games, which I loved! (There's Samorost 3 coming soon!) It looks easy, but it can be downright maddening.
The only thing that has me totally flummoxed is how you get out of the game when you want to quit for a while. I got out when the demo ended, but there has to be another way.
I'll use a coupon on this. Somehow, I think it will be kind of short, and there isn't a lot of replay value.
That said, it is the most fun I've had with a game in a while!
I recommend this game!
All Mahjong games are the same? You haven't tried Hotel Mahjong yet! Enjoy 5 different ways to play and never get bored.
Overall rating
2
/
5
6 of 7 found this review helpful
Not what the blurb says at all.
PostedAugust 11, 2015
highwayguy
fromThe Concrete Sea
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Adventure, Large File, Marble Popper, Arcade & Action, Brain Teaser
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
It's timed. I hate timed mahjong, because I play it strategically, and timers don't let you contemplate moves. They SAY you can turn it off, but you can't.
They say you can choose your game, but you can't. You are stuck with really poor "classic" games, no choice to play otherwise. I am still looking for a game with "Rivers" mahjong, like the old Kyodai Mahjong had, and if it is present with this game, it isn't unlocked.
I gave it a ** instead of only * because the graphics are clear and it played fine, but it wasn't fun. If you like classic mahjong with a timer, try it, you may like it.
I also thought the bellhop with the pigtail was offensive. Racial/cultural stereotype much?
I don't recommend this game.
Fort Meow
In Fort Meow, use physics-based puzzle mechanics to construct a pillow fort and protect Nia from a barrage of feline assailants!
Overall rating
3
/
5
6 of 7 found this review helpful
Good game... except...
PostedAugust 7, 2015
highwayguy
fromThe Concrete Sea
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Adventure, Large File, Marble Popper, Arcade & Action, Brain Teaser
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
it has some huge flaws.
Okay, the story is interesting. Unlike most physics games, there is a mystery story to solve, and the grandfather is an interesting fellow, as seen through his journal.
The graphics are sharp and colorful, cartoons, as befits the theme of the game. The music is kind of cool retro ragtime.
It features... CATS! I'm a sucker for cat themed games. The heroine is not fond of them, so she isn't likeable to me.
The gameplay is kind of fun. HOWEVER. It is frustrating to me for the followiing flaws:
- There is evidently no way to rotate the objects you pick up, which means a lot of nudging and picking at it to get them in place. The broom drove me nuts. The only way to get it vertical again if you dropped it was to replace it in inventory and then get it out again.
- When placing the items for the fort, if you dragged them across the little girl, she popped up and said the cats were ready to pounce and to hurry up. After a couple of times, it got very annoying, as it stops the gameplay for several seconds.
- There is no tutorial to explain how the time thing works, or how you gain power, time, etc. I finally got a grasp of the strategy involved, but still don't understand fully how it all comes together.
- It is slow loading. When I first opened it, I thought it had a bug, because I got a purple screen and nothing. Just as I was ready to C/A/D, the game appeared.
This could be amusing and fun, but IMHO, the game is not finished. They need to do a little more work before it's ready for prime time. I can't recommend it in it's current state, though I think it could be made a lot better, in which case I would.
I don't recommend this game.
Great Britain needs your help! Explore 6 uncharted islands. Solve 120 new and unique puzzles from great captains of the past!
Overall rating
4
/
5
2 of 3 found this review helpful
Typical 8 Floor Griddler
PostedJanuary 7, 2015
highwayguy
fromThe Concrete Sea
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Arcade & Action, Adventure, Large File, Brain Teaser, Marble Popper, Puzzle
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
I like these games for the times I don't want to be stressed with timers or overly difficult puzzles. And they are getting better! Not nearly as many ambiguities as they used to have, and the graphics are much better.
There is no story, really, but none is necessary. The music is fitting but very repetitive. You can adjust the volume of music and sound separately. Gameplay is smooth - at least on a PC. 8 Floor has adopted all the regular conventions - i.e. right and left click and drag to fill. There isn't a way to adjust the crossing off of numbers, which is my only gripe.
There are various achievements and trophies, and there is a store where you can buy a few upgrades.
All in all, pretty good.
I recommend this game!