Although BFG calls this a "time management" game, it's really a builder game. More like a puzzle. You have to figure out where to put which structures to achieve population, income, favor of the gods, and materials. It's not a fetch & carry game. That's why I enjoyed it so much. I bought the collector version on a bogo. It has the strategies listed. But, I found that I didn't have to use the exact strategy to win the level with gold. That's the sign of a great game to me. There's definitely replay value. My only issue was with the slow loading but that could be the old Win7 laptop I use for games. I highly recommend this for anyone who enjoys builder games. Anyone looking for a fetch & carry game won't like this.
The game is a cute diner-dash type of game. Point, click, buy upgrades, and try to chain for extra points. The art, music, story line and operation are great. Played the demo on my Win7/64bit with no glitches. But, there's no Relaxed Mode. By level 5, I already couldn't make Expert anymore. I suspect that by mid-game I'd lose customers and be unable to make the goals. I'm not a fast clicker anymore. Maybe too many diner-dash-type games. The goals assume past experience. Some goals required making more items, like juice, than customers request. I always make items ahead of time for these types of game so I made the goals. That's a bit sneaky. And, like other reviewers, I wouldn't buy a collector's edition for this game.
After all the angst and bloodshed HOs, it's just nice to play something --- well --- nice! The goals, graphics, and game play are very clear and cute. Each level has enough variations to be interesting. The workers grunt a lot but it's not annoying. They work hard. Two great features I wish other developers would adopt include the buildings and multi-click. The buildings produce resources automatically. Workers don't have to go and collect. The multi-click operation lets you click the next item before the worker gets back to the town hall. You still have to wait for a worker to come and collect but by clicking as soon as a path opens saves time. The SE works well without any glitches I found. I have a Win7 64 bit Acer Aspire laptop. I don't do wallpapers and such so I'm very happy with the SE version. I played relaxed mode but will play again timed. Overall, I recommend the game to TM/Strategy players tired of HO angst.
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Strategy, Time Management
Fun Factor
2/ 5
Visual/Sound Quality
2/ 5
Level of Challenge
2/ 5
Storyline
2/ 5
This has to be the worst of the series. I've bought all the other Weather Lord games and played in timed mode. It was challenging to make gold in the other WL games but I managed. This one is impossible. I should have played in relaxed mode so I could play the bonus rounds. There are just too many things to do. Too many obstacles --- some tucked behind buildings or way at the top/bottom of the screen. Way too many resources for the number of workers and building sites. Too many items to make in order to accomplish a task. The music is really annoying. Kind of music box quality. WL: Hidden Realms is still my favorite of the series. I recommend that to anyone who hasn't tried the WL series. Trying before buying is usually good but this didn't get impossible until level 12. I might go back to it someday and just play relaxed mode. I'm not recommending this game in timed mode. In relaxed mode, it would be OK muted.
Really different and interesting. Not the usual HO fairy-tale type of game. Creepy in a UFO-abduction sort of way. The navigation is challenging. Not everyone will like it. It takes time and patience to get used to the navigation but once understood, the game flows very well. Clicking the question mark tells you what to do next if you're stumped. You also have to zoom in with the magnifying glass to perform whatever tasks come up. Took me forever to figure that out before I could finally punch the code in to open the capsule door. The code was easy. Figuring out how to punch it in was the challenge. The testimonies must be important because when I didn't get both of them, it warned me before I left the room. So I whirled around the room to find the second testimony. Clicking the right mouse button lets you look around a space. An effect I'm enjoying but it might make some fishies dizzy. There's also an eye icon when you click something that needs to be read. The regular HOs usually change icons when you hover. Much easier and what fishies are accustomed to using. Not this game. This game always requires a click. No glitches so far. I'm using an old Acer Aspire laptop with Windows 7 64 bit Intel Core i5 2430. I have a mouse attached to my laptop since I've always had problems with the track pad. Overall, I'd say this game might be an acquired taste. Fishies with Windows 10 and Macs have been reporting problems. It's a good idea to check out the game forum to see reviews and technical problems. I'm enjoying the challenge and recommend it with reservations. As always, try before you buy.
While this game looked similar to the old dash games, it limped along rather badly. Quasimodo does the carrying but sometimes he moves and sometime he doesn't. Sometimes clicks work and sometimes they don't. And, if you lose a customer the next level doesn't unlock. Upgrades are way too expensive. I clicked on one I couldn't afford and the X to close the item didn't work. I tried to exit but needed the task manager. You only have one table and one hotel room to start. Some sort of configuration popped up after the installation. There are some great older games with similar themes here at BFG I bought and have replayed many times.
I don't recommend this game.
+6points
6of6voted this as helpful.
Fishdom: Depths of Time
Submerge into the unique deep-sea world with your amusing aquatic buddies that will never let you feel bored in Fishdom: Depths of Time.
Favorite Genre(s):Arcade & Action, Hidden Object, Strategy, Time Management
Fun Factor
5/ 5
Visual/Sound Quality
5/ 5
Level of Challenge
5/ 5
Because of the negative reviews, I had avoided this Fishdom. But I had already played the last Fishdom into the thousands and no more new tanks. This Fishdom is insanely difficult but you can turn off the timer, spreading oil, and/or time bombs. Or you can turn each item on separately. Makes for an interesting game over the long term. Changes in the 4-match bombs made it fun. The graphics are beautiful. The fish and decorations are funnier and interact more than the other Fishdoms. The prehistoric mammoth and girl can toast marshmallows together. The only major glitch so far is the buying-all-fish achievement. I'm on tank 10 and I've bought all fish at least twice but the achievement doesn't register. Some of the achievements relate to the spreading oil and time bombs so I may not make those. Or I may try them in the future. If getting gold and all achievements is a priority, you may not like this Fishdom. But if you're looking for a relaxing way to spend time and don't care about achievements, you might like it. Try before you buy.
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Arcade & Action, Strategy, Time Management
Fun Factor
1/ 5
Visual/Sound Quality
3/ 5
Level of Challenge
1/ 5
Storyline
5/ 5
The graphics are so small I had to lean into my PC to see what to click. Click the wrong items and the timer runs down. The timing is insane. Even if you hold the time with the bonus or buy extra clocks, it still runs down. There aren't enough funds to complete the wedding and I played levels two and three times. Even went back to the 'Day Off' levels where you collect coins. There are these annoying levels where you have to get the character past guards to get through a gate you have to click open. Towards the end you get 'general shacks' that put out random resources. They claim they'll produce what you need but they don't. You can't have a strategy if you have no control over production. Overall, the levels are just a lot of busy work and not fun. Very disappointing. This is the last Gardens Inc. I'll be dumb enough to buy.
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Strategy, Time Management
Fun Factor
5/ 5
Visual/Sound Quality
5/ 5
Level of Challenge
5/ 5
Storyline
4/ 5
Have enjoyed the series immensely. Liked having different tools to use during the game including weather factors, artifacts, and buildings that produce goods. I'm bored by the usual fetch & carry games so I like the buildings in this series. Appreciated the return of the triple click feature for picking up goods from buildings. That was missing in the last episode. I still liked Weather Lord Hidden Realm the best. It had the best graphics and story line. The last two episodes have similar story lines and the same graphics. There were enough new things in this episode to make it interesting but overall it's about the same as the last two. I'd say this episode was the easiest to get gold and achievements of all the Weather Lord series. I played through to collect all the artifacts then I went back for gold. I recommend this game for Weather Lord fans. Anyone else might not enjoy it. As always, try before you buy.
I recommend this game!
+2points
2of2voted this as helpful.
Campgrounds: The Endorus Expedition Collector's Edition
Construct campsites for stalwart explorers to stay safe and warm as they join you and Addie in an expedition across long forgotten lands.
So desperate for a non-HO game, I bought the CE on a bogo day. Sorry I did. Too much clicking. I'm a veteran TM player, but I don't enjoy games that I have to play a level for a whole hour to get gold. The Speed-Up Shaman doesn't work right all the time. But without him, the workers take a whole day to get from point A to point B. Not very realistic. Waiting for them to carry goods from the factory and greenhouse to the worker house then to the homes being built is a snore. Sometimes they stop in their tracks while the clock is ticking away. And yes, I uninstalled and installed after the updates. While it may seem trivial, this game gives Eco Points, money, and/or seeds for chopping down ancient oak trees and shooting animals. Didn't know about that either. I never played the first of the sequel but I won't be buying the next if one appears.