Granny_Gruff's Profile
Stat Summary
- Average Rating:2.6
- Helpful Votes:22,850
- Reviews Submitted:883
- First Review:December 23, 2011
- Most Recent Review:November 23, 2022
- Featured reviews0
Status:
Rampant fires could burn the Brussels Secret City to ashes!
Overall rating
2
/
5
30 of 36 found this review helpful
Winner: Best Game To Put You To Sleep!
PostedApril 17, 2021
Granny_Gruff
fromI was collecting coins and really stiff cardboard. Guess which I used as a screwdriver.
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Mahjong, Marble Popper, Match 3, Puzzle
Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
Along with the usual set up for a Secret City game, you have a desparate attempt to come up with a new subset of creatures to throw into a story along with the now prevalent set of actions that denotes a total lack of innovation and imagination on the part of the Developers.
I knew they were beyond help when I unscrewed a drain grating with a ticket. I'm not sure when I fell asleep, but it was so deep, I still feel more rested than I have for ages.
If only I bought games for the rest!
Please try the Demo. Surely it is not as boring as it seemed!
I don't recommend this game.
A frantic distress signal uncovers a mysterious disappearance at Misthill!
Overall rating
2
/
5
39 of 43 found this review helpful
One Word
PostedApril 9, 2021
Granny_Gruff
fromIs this a boarding school or minimum security?
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Mahjong, Marble Popper, Match 3, Puzzle
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
2
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
The new Mystery Trackers game can be summed up in one word: sloppy!
The game is thrown together and it shows. Your first action is to open a scrapbook on your desk. The spelling and wording are “interesting.” Hint: the pronoun “we” is spelled with one “e.” One of your two partners seems to be in the grip of lockjaw and unable to enunciate well. Your call to the commander features a static picture of him till the end of the call when his lips start to move. During the entire scene there were lapses in the action as the game seemed to load fitfully.
Once further on your journey, there will be sad memories of old MT Games. It did not take very long for me to buy into the bland dark colors, dreary school yard, and disaggreable characters. I felt the sadness of this once proud series as it is fading away. Once the choppy confused story was added in, I too was ready to bale.
I stuck it out to the end of the demo, but just barely! I urge you to try the demo for yourself.
The game is thrown together and it shows. Your first action is to open a scrapbook on your desk. The spelling and wording are “interesting.” Hint: the pronoun “we” is spelled with one “e.” One of your two partners seems to be in the grip of lockjaw and unable to enunciate well. Your call to the commander features a static picture of him till the end of the call when his lips start to move. During the entire scene there were lapses in the action as the game seemed to load fitfully.
Once further on your journey, there will be sad memories of old MT Games. It did not take very long for me to buy into the bland dark colors, dreary school yard, and disaggreable characters. I felt the sadness of this once proud series as it is fading away. Once the choppy confused story was added in, I too was ready to bale.
I stuck it out to the end of the demo, but just barely! I urge you to try the demo for yourself.
I don't recommend this game.
Can you stop a dangerous order from abusing time for their nefarious plans?
Overall rating
2
/
5
24 of 48 found this review helpful
Why Do I Feel We've All Been Thrown Under the Bus?
PostedMarch 26, 2021
Granny_Gruff
fromI've worked in heart research and gasp at this "stuff."
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Mahjong, Marble Popper, Match 3, Puzzle
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
So over the course of Grim Tales, we have learned to know Anna and see her "new" better relationship with her father - or at least his skull/spirit. So this game takes all of that and shoves it into a meat grinder and players are left confused by the crooked left turn in the story arc.
What we have left is a game with average mechanics along with the travel in time that is the hallmark of this series. (Except that in this game, Anna just seems to pop in and out of different times without the usual connections to get her there.) The game is fairly short and without the gripping story that would make players want to pay for it anyway.
Ah, yes, that story.
Anna is poisoned in a restaurant and given a heart transplant. When she regains consciousness, she jumps out of her hospital bed - sans any I.V. - and her husband watches as she investigates the hospital room and disappears into the past - in a hospital gown, presumably.
Anna is poisoned in a restaurant and given a heart transplant. When she regains consciousness, she jumps out of her hospital bed - sans any I.V. - and her husband watches as she investigates the hospital room and disappears into the past - in a hospital gown, presumably.
Oddly enough this outcome of a major surgery makes her time travel seem pedestrian.
So short average game and sad story leaves me urging everyone to check out the demo first. Think of it as self-defense.
I don't recommend this game.
Join Mia Faircroft as she seeks the true heir of the MacDougal castle.
Overall rating
2
/
5
12 of 23 found this review helpful
Deja Vu
PostedMarch 19, 2021
Granny_Gruff
fromI can copy and paste small items on a picture too.
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Mahjong, Marble Popper, Match 3, Puzzle
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
Take a trip back to the early HOP games with basic HOPs, simple puzzles, static characters, miles of onscreen dialogue, and an MIA story.
Mia has been called in to determine the heir to a castle in Glen Kennoch, Scotland.
Mia is a screen cutout and so are the other characters. The story has you finding various documents and information you never get to see, while clicking through trite dialogue that does nothing to help the story. The basic HOPs occasionally have an item to use on something in the picture to find something from the list, with some items hiding in darkness. Puzzles are easy to complete. There are multiple chapters that will open in order as you complete the one before it. Each chapter has 3 to 5 HOPs and one puzzle, with an occasional extra mini-puzzle thrown in if you have to return to a character/location.
The one hour demo is about as long as nostalgia will hold you in place.
Please try the Demo.
Mia has been called in to determine the heir to a castle in Glen Kennoch, Scotland.
Mia is a screen cutout and so are the other characters. The story has you finding various documents and information you never get to see, while clicking through trite dialogue that does nothing to help the story. The basic HOPs occasionally have an item to use on something in the picture to find something from the list, with some items hiding in darkness. Puzzles are easy to complete. There are multiple chapters that will open in order as you complete the one before it. Each chapter has 3 to 5 HOPs and one puzzle, with an occasional extra mini-puzzle thrown in if you have to return to a character/location.
The one hour demo is about as long as nostalgia will hold you in place.
Please try the Demo.
I don't recommend this game.
Can you save your hometown from the Headless Horseman?
Overall rating
3
/
5
72 of 92 found this review helpful
Would It Be So Hard To Inject Some Sense Into a Game?
PostedMarch 12, 2021
Granny_Gruff
fromI found pliers, hammers, screwdrivers, hairpins, knives, scissors, with some having different styles when you needed the second one!
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Mahjong, Marble Popper, Match 3, Puzzle
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
Apparently yes.
Katrin writes her old friend, Kane, asking for his help as her village is being plagued by a rash of beheadings seemingly committed by the Headless Horseman. Kane has won recognition for his skill as a detective and rides to her aid. Unfortunately Katrin's father, the mayor, is not best pleased to see the younger man return to town under any circumstance.
Katrin writes her old friend, Kane, asking for his help as her village is being plagued by a rash of beheadings seemingly committed by the Headless Horseman. Kane has won recognition for his skill as a detective and rides to her aid. Unfortunately Katrin's father, the mayor, is not best pleased to see the younger man return to town under any circumstance.
Note: There will be streets running with blood and a slashing sword, but no actual glimpse of the decapitated part of the bodies or the heads.
Good stuff: Mini-games and HOPs abound with a Match 3 alternative for the latter. Artwork is dark and purple-blue-grey. Characters are nicely done and the voices appropriate. The now eternal falling rain provides most of the background sound. (My theory is they bought an expensive tape of rain falling and are out to use it in every game till they feel they have had their money's worth!) There is a selection of CE bling, including three rotating collectibles, one to be found in each scene as well as pretty stones to collect to decorate a room in the Extras.
Bad stuff: Once again the silliness erupts early on as there is a constant collecting of tools by both major characters, not just the umpteen bits to allow you to open caches of junk, tools, and "stufff" everywhere. And the incredibly silly actions by the principles will leave you gasping. Katrin runs across house tops to get from her home to the hotel on fire. Kane runs around a tiny enclosed square with the sheriff stationed at one side of open area, watching for people, especially Kane, whom he seemed to dislike on sight. While the sheriff sits reading the paper and Kane is worried about Katrin forced to go to her father, Kane manages to restore a statue, open a cage, drug the sheriff's drink and check out a small shed, along with feeding a cat with a freshly caught fish, repairing a bridge with scrap wood and signs, and restoring a small box.
Bottom line: Somewhere in this demo, you will know who the bad guy is, thereby leaving you with the dilemma: Do you like the characters enough to buy the game anyway? Or do you find an older, but fresher game to play?
Please play the demo.
A quest to recover a mysterious relic has surprising implications!
Overall rating
5
/
5
20 of 33 found this review helpful
A Match 3 Can Be a Really Good SE
PostedMarch 7, 2021
Granny_Gruff
fromI've lost several coupons for lack of a game to use them on. Found one!
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Mahjong, Marble Popper, Match 3, Puzzle
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
As a member of the Monestery, you are concerned when the Sacred Relic is stolen. You are even more concerned when the apparent thief is determined by the Head to be your sister! You set out to catch up to her in hopes of recovering the Relic.
Good stuff: There are lots of Match 3's with a few puzzles intersperced to make things interesting. The three levels of play keep the game interesting and the map and hint are helpful. The Match 3's have a compass at the right bottom corner of the screen that determines the direction pieces move when you make a match. This can be a great help - Or not. Keep an eye on that compass. The story is present if you need a reason for your journey and gives you areas to explore and things to do, usually with a Match 3. There are opponents to battle. Each battle is a Match 3.
Bad stuff: The artwork is not great. And the story is incidental to the game, not integral. Beyond that, I've got nothing.
My review of the questionable CE version of this game asked if a Match 3 game could be a CE. The answer for Cave Quest 2 Ce was No. As an SE, the same game is a really good game and with a coupon, it's a great value!
Give the Demo a try and see what you think!
Give the Demo a try and see what you think!
I recommend this game!
Can you claim your powers and save your mom in time?
Overall rating
4
/
5
63 of 78 found this review helpful
Nevertales Returns With a Strong Entry for the Series
PostedMarch 4, 2021
Granny_Gruff
fromI feel down right giddy when not depressed by over-saturated blues, purples, and grays.
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Mahjong, Marble Popper, Match 3, Puzzle
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Unable to reach your mother by phone, you decide to stop by her home to start your trip together. As you check the tumbled room, a portal opens and you are sucked into another world, Faryon. You arrive in time to see your mother taken away by guards. They almost catch you too. Luckily you hide and, after the guards are gone, meet Mr. Rumples. Mr. Rumples knows your mother, Ruby, and will try to help you in releasing her. You will start by opening portals to several locations where you must find the keys you need for the next step in your adventure. Faryon is an enchanted and enchanting world.
Good stuff: There are collectible feathers and morphing items in each scene and morphs in each HOP. There is a fair set of bling, beautiful bright art work, decent puzzles, and good voice overs. You will acquire "powers" as you go along to help you through the game.
Bad stuff: There are stinging insects in one of the worlds through a portal, but you don't have to smoke them out. You get to make use of them instead. There is a wonky incident involving worms and a fishing rod that you use to catch a "dangerous" fish. You use it to cut silk fabric out of a tree. (Huh!?)
Bottom line: Even as I winced over the use of the fish, I was wondering where the story was heading after the introduction of an additional protagonist.
I encourage you to try the Demo for yourself.
I recommend this game!
Mediterranean Journey 4
Your Mediterranean Journey continues! Explore new cities and islands while learning about the region's unique spirit and culture!
Overall rating
3
/
5
26 of 47 found this review helpful
This Game Defines Inoffensive!
PostedMarch 1, 2021
Granny_Gruff
fromInoffensive: Adjective. Giving no offense; unobjectionable.
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Mahjong, Marble Popper, Match 3, Puzzle
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
This is a very basic HOP game.
You will have three game levels to choose from. You will alternate between mildly challenging HOPs and one of the ten different simple mini-games bragged about in the BFG blurb.
The music and SFX levels can be adjusted or muted completely.
You can zoom in on the scenes and each HOP scene has an inset photo that has several of the list items in it.
The photos of European locations are clear with stilted descriptions of each picture that you can turn off.
There is no attempt at a story line.
This is the fourth game from this developer since February of 2020.
Please play the demo to see what you are getting.
My answer is: not much. I pass.
My answer is: not much. I pass.
I don't recommend this game.
Can you save a family from a deadly presence?
Overall rating
2
/
5
98 of 138 found this review helpful
Trust Me, There is No Bernard!
PostedFebruary 25, 2021
Granny_Gruff
fromWe've gone from freezing temps and snow for the last couple of weeks to 68 degrees on Wednesday.
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Mahjong, Marble Popper, Match 3, Puzzle
Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
2
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
Miranda has called the only paranormal detective she knows for help as her husband, Bernard, has gone. She is worried about him. You hightail it out to the town across the lake from her home, only to be met at the pier by her father who tells you to get lost. Undaunted, you gather up the various bits and pieces you need to get a boat ready to take you across to their mansion. Good luck, you poor sap!
Good stuff: You have a "special" camera that will show you things that happened in the past when it is pointed at the wavy light that appears when you can use it. There will be all the usual game items with a scant group of collectibles, fifteen of each of three types, spread across the game. the "creepy" factor is provided by Walter's ghost and dolls with glowing eyes.
Bad stuff: That camera is a special one that you have been given by the inventors, who will, no doubt, be thrilled to know you picked up the lens at the edge of the village dock.
You will never hear any mention of poor Bernard again in the demo after Miranda's opening phone call to you. Everything after that revolves around the death of Walter, who apparently died after falling down two steps in Miranda's home, and whose ghost was summoned by her so she could apologize for his death. I was reconciled to Bernard's disappearance for surely no one deserves to be involved with these people!
The story is more than a little confused - Miranda, worried about Walter's ghost and the creepy dolls that have appeared in the house, volunteers to stay alone in a dark room with a handful of the glowing-eyed dolls while you fix a generator downstairs. Daddy carries her off after he locks you in the generator closet. You see him heading for the barn from her room at the back of the house. Daddy must have jumped out her window carrying his daughter, as there is no door or stairs out back. When you get to the only gate in the fence between the house and barn, the gate chain has been soldered shut! Wow, Daddy works fast!
Then there is the safe hidden in the living room - you chisel some plaster off the wall next to it to get the first third of the lock and access to the button that moves a picture aside - how often do you think they have repaired that wall? I'll give you a hint: just about every locked, bolted, and booby-trapped item you get into, has cobwebs and dead leaves inside it.
Every scene was blue, purple, and other dark colors. Even when you fixed the emergency generator in the house, the lights glowed only dimly.
You will never hear any mention of poor Bernard again in the demo after Miranda's opening phone call to you. Everything after that revolves around the death of Walter, who apparently died after falling down two steps in Miranda's home, and whose ghost was summoned by her so she could apologize for his death. I was reconciled to Bernard's disappearance for surely no one deserves to be involved with these people!
The story is more than a little confused - Miranda, worried about Walter's ghost and the creepy dolls that have appeared in the house, volunteers to stay alone in a dark room with a handful of the glowing-eyed dolls while you fix a generator downstairs. Daddy carries her off after he locks you in the generator closet. You see him heading for the barn from her room at the back of the house. Daddy must have jumped out her window carrying his daughter, as there is no door or stairs out back. When you get to the only gate in the fence between the house and barn, the gate chain has been soldered shut! Wow, Daddy works fast!
Then there is the safe hidden in the living room - you chisel some plaster off the wall next to it to get the first third of the lock and access to the button that moves a picture aside - how often do you think they have repaired that wall? I'll give you a hint: just about every locked, bolted, and booby-trapped item you get into, has cobwebs and dead leaves inside it.
Every scene was blue, purple, and other dark colors. Even when you fixed the emergency generator in the house, the lights glowed only dimly.
Bottom line: The story seems confused, the game mechanics are pedestrian, and there is little to like about this game or its characters.
Please play the demo. Please.
I don't recommend this game.
A routine flight becomes a perilous adventure as you struggle to survive the dangerous way of life inside the Bermuda Triangle!
Overall rating
2
/
5
22 of 43 found this review helpful
More Info in BFG Blurb Than in Game!!
PostedFebruary 18, 2021
Granny_Gruff
fromDoes anyone at BFG play the Demo? Or do they just go with info from the producer?
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Mahjong, Marble Popper, Match 3, Puzzle
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
1
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
Over time I have realized that any BFG game synopsis that has way more information than the actual Demo foretells a game that is woeful at best.
This time the difference between the Demo and the online game information is extensive.
This time the difference between the Demo and the online game information is extensive.
The Demo opens with two colleagues in a small plane flying over the ocean. They have presumably dropped a piece of equipment in place and are headed home. Their short conversation is about a coworker who is no longer with them. Suddenly they are in a storm and the plane crashes, sort of. The male pilot falls with the female's parachute and she tries to follow him - hence the "plot."
No mention of where they are, the Bermuda Triangle, what they do, ect.
There is no CE bling available from the main menu, so I can't tell you about it.
The few game elements to play through leave much to be desired.
There are collectible morphs and triangles.
The game moves at a glacial pace.
There is no CE bling available from the main menu, so I can't tell you about it.
The few game elements to play through leave much to be desired.
There are collectible morphs and triangles.
The game moves at a glacial pace.
If you have never played the Demos, now is the time to check one out. There is no way to give you an accurate idea of this game unless you try that Demo. And then you will at least have an hint at what is awaiting you.
I feel I should apologize on BFG's behalf!
I don't recommend this game.