laurakay76's Profile
Stat Summary
- Average Rating:3.6
- Helpful Votes:723
- Reviews Submitted:158
- First Review:November 16, 2011
- Most Recent Review:August 21, 2025
- Featured reviews0
Status:
Can you save a town from turning to ash in time?
Overall rating
3
/
5
3 of 3 found this review helpful
Very middle of the road
PostedApril 18, 2020
laurakay76
fromLehigh Valley, PA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Brain Teaser, Hidden Object, Puzzle, Strategy, Time Management, Word
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
This was my first Dark Romance game, so I can't comment on how it compares to others, but honestly, I don't understand how it can be described as a romance. Except for Gladys the fortune teller making two vague hints about it, the game doesn't really have any romance in it at all. The strongest relationship shown is the one between Robert and his sister Sheryl.
The story interested me. Thanks to some crazy time-traveling details, a reporter in 2000 is unwittingly teamed up with a historian in 1985 to resolve a tragedy. Very clever ideas were involved, and the execution was mostly good, but some of the details left me perplexed. One particular piece of evidence, which the officer claimed was rock-solid, seemed very flimsy to me.
I found the puzzles variable. I did like having the match-3 option for the HOP scenes, because some of the HOP scenes had item "lists" which were defined by shapes or by clues that made no sense to me. Some of the puzzles were reasonably challenging but not difficult, while others bordered on nonsensical and I couldn't understand the instructions. The many different collectibles were okay; I did like that the map made it clear (on casual) where you hadn't found them all.
On the whole, it was an okay game, but not one that I'd play twice. Definitely give the demo a try before you buy.
Solve a series of devious puzzles to escape Arcana manor and uncover the dark secrets of the mysterious magician once lived there.
Overall rating
5
/
5
6 of 6 found this review helpful
One of the best games I've ever played - which is saying something!
PostedApril 14, 2020
laurakay76
fromLehigh Valley, PA
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Brain Teaser, Hidden Object, Puzzle, Strategy, Time Management, Word
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
This is... wow, I'm almost not sure what to say here. The Cabinets of Doctor Arcana is pure puzzling bliss. It's easily one of my favorite games I've ever gotten from Big Fish. It reminds me (in a good way) of some of the old puzzle games of yesteryear, like The Seventh Guest.
You're trapped in the creepy mansion of Doctor Arcana, a magician who mysteriously disappeared many years ago. The doctor's mask appears to explain the situation. If you can successfully complete his challenge, and explore his clue-laden house and find the thirteen skeleton keys hidden in the eponymous cabinets, you will have bought your freedom. If you can't... well, the world will never know what happened to you.
The puzzles themselves are a delight. Most I was able to figure out on my own, which was inherently satisfying. I did have to skip a couple of the absolute most difficult ones, which made me laugh when the doctor would comment on it. (Oh yeah, he 'follows' you around and observes your every move. Get used to hearing his voice. He's a big ball of snark.) I didn't actually read it until after I was finished, but the in-game walkthrough is both helpful and hilarious.
The whole game has a wonderful mysterious feel. You have to pay attention to even the smallest details, because you never know what's going to be important. I could hardly wait to find out what those thirteen keys unlocked; I had my suspicions by the time I got to the mansion's attic, but it was still an interesting ending. Spoiler alert - the empty nature of the house can make you feel like something's waiting to attack you, but nothing ever does. You're completely alone in there, apart from Arcana's voice. For someone like me, who gets a little too immersed in their games, this was a relief because I hate jumpscares.
All in all, this was a solid purchase and not too long; I think the whole game took me maybe four hours. I might even play it again to see if I can get a better final score. Full marks to the devs, who have announced that the sequel is in progress - looking forward to it!
I recommend this game!
Solve the mysteries of Stoneville and escape with your life!
Overall rating
4
/
5
1 of 1 found this review helpful
Kept me guessing all the way!
PostedApril 13, 2020
laurakay76
fromLehigh Valley, PA
Favorite Genre(s):Brain Teaser, Hidden Object, Puzzle, Time Management, Word
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
This was my first time playing a LoL game, since they were offering it free for the Play Apart Together campaign. Of all the games I've decided to try during that, this was by far my favorite. The storytelling was really well done and well paced, the visuals and sound effects were great, and the puzzles were nicely challenging. I was honestly proud of myself for getting all of the achievements!
I also really liked the fact that at the beginning of the game, you get to choose your character's gender - male, female, or neither. All it really does is decide on how you'll be voiced, but it's still a nice little feature that gives the player some agency in the game.
The bonus chapter ends on a great sequel hook and I think I'll be looking for the next game in the series. All in all, great work, devs!
I recommend this game!
Turn back time to save your true love!
Overall rating
4
/
5
1 of 1 found this review helpful
An intriguing mystery
PostedApril 13, 2020
laurakay76
fromLehigh Valley, PA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Brain Teaser, Hidden Object, Puzzle, Strategy, Time Management
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
This was one of the games being offered for free by BFG as part of the "Play Apart Together" campaign, so I decided to try it. What a beautiful game! The visuals are superb, the music is lovely, and the voice acting is very good. The story is intriguing - rather grotesque in places, especially if you think about it too much, but well conceived and executed. Puzzles are engaging and I rarely needed the hint button. The bonus chapter was a nice addition too. All in all, a well-done game!
I recommend this game!
Maze: Subject 360 Collector's Edition
From the makers of the Rite of Passage series comes a ground-breaking new series that's as creepy as it gets.
Overall rating
3
/
5
1 of 2 found this review helpful
Too disturbing for me
PostedApril 11, 2020
laurakay76
fromLehigh Valley, PA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Brain Teaser, Hidden Object, Puzzle, Strategy, Time Management, Word
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
I gave this a go because BFG is so generously providing some free games during the pandemic. (Love you guys.) But unfortunately, it's not for me. This is just plain unsettling. I'm not a horror movie fan, since I don't find being scared to be particularly entertaining. The first room wasn't too bad, but I didn't get much farther because I realized I wasn't having fun.
The graphics are top-notch, the music is appropriate, and the voice acting is very good. The puzzles are challenging, from what I saw. If you're into the horror genre, then definitely download the free trial because this one is for you.
Can you uncover the secrets of Crimson Hollow in time?
Overall rating
3
/
5
2 of 2 found this review helpful
Mixed feelings on this one
PostedApril 7, 2020
laurakay76
fromLehigh Valley, PA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Brain Teaser, Hidden Object, Puzzle, Strategy, Time Management, Word
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
I'm a little backwards with the Grim Tales games, because the only one I've played completely to this point was Guest From the Future. I went into this one because of what happens in that one and who the identity of a certain character is; I wanted to see what happens to bring about that situation. (I did try the first game, way back when it was released, and it wouldn't run on my old computer. I then pretty much forgot about the series until Detectives United came into being.)
I very much liked Guest From the Future, but I'm less enthused with Crimson Hollow. I was enjoying it for a while; it's well animated, the sound quality is excellent, and the puzzles are mostly very good.
I would say the latter third of the game is where I got soured on it:
- The story starts out very intriguing but gradually delves into the nonsensical.
- I don't particularly like Dorian, although the nod to The Picture of Dorian Gray is appreciated because I'm a literature nerd. He's handsome, sure, but he feels slimy to me.
- One room went completely pitch black at one point, and I don't know if that was a glitch or if the game is actually programmed that way because it didn't stop me from proceeding with the game.
- The final boss battle was incomprehensible to me. The instructions were not at all clear and I couldn't understand what I was supposed to do. It said I was supposed to pick pairs of matching runes, but that didn't actually work and then I'd get hit by the boss. I ended up waiting for the skip button to fill and just bypassing the whole thing, which made an anticlimactic ending just that much more anticlimactic.
- The story starts out very intriguing but gradually delves into the nonsensical.
- I don't particularly like Dorian, although the nod to The Picture of Dorian Gray is appreciated because I'm a literature nerd. He's handsome, sure, but he feels slimy to me.
- One room went completely pitch black at one point, and I don't know if that was a glitch or if the game is actually programmed that way because it didn't stop me from proceeding with the game.
- The final boss battle was incomprehensible to me. The instructions were not at all clear and I couldn't understand what I was supposed to do. It said I was supposed to pick pairs of matching runes, but that didn't actually work and then I'd get hit by the boss. I ended up waiting for the skip button to fill and just bypassing the whole thing, which made an anticlimactic ending just that much more anticlimactic.
I really want to like this series, because I'm a big fan of Detectives United and I love Anna in those games. But Crimson Hollow just rings hollow for me.
Reflections of Life: Tree of Dreams Collector's Edition
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
1 of 1 found this review helpful
Got time to kill? This is a good one for that!
PostedMarch 29, 2020
laurakay76
fromLehigh Valley, PA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Brain Teaser, Hidden Object, Puzzle, Strategy, Time Management, Word
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
I honestly don't remember buying this game, but it was in my game manager and I'm stuck inside on a rainy weekend so I gave it a go. This is a beautiful game, with nice music and very good voice acting. The puzzles are decently challenging, but not so bad that I needed to use the hint button constantly. Above all, though, like I said, it's a LONG game. The base game lasted for hours.
My only real criticism: in almost every scene in the game, there are four hidden 'leaf' images. I say images, but they're almost more like holograms. They are extremely difficult to spot, being pretty nearly translucent, and I feel like I devoted more of my game time to trying to find all of those than it really merited. Being somewhat visually impaired, I found this feature to be frustrating. Find them all and you unlock a second bonus chapter - now, that is a good reward, and I haven't seen the option of a second bonus chapter in any other game, so props for that! I just wish the things hadn't been so difficult to find.
On the whole, this was definitely worth the CE price and enjoyable.
I recommend this game!
Primrose Lake is not as quaint as it seems. Experience a new Time Management mystery where everyone has a secret.
Overall rating
5
/
5
2 of 2 found this review helpful
Time management mystery? Sign me up!
PostedMarch 20, 2020
laurakay76
fromLehigh Valley, PA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Brain Teaser, Hidden Object, Puzzle, Strategy, Time Management, Word
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
This game is very different from any other TM game I've played. I'm picky about them, but the premise of this one really caught my attention and I had to try it. I was hooked almost immediately. The visuals are adorable, the challenge is real, the storyline is engaging, and the characters are unique. (Also, Jenny looks like one of my coworkers, which made me laugh.) What the heck is going on in this town?
I'm not familiar with the format of serving customers - I'm used to the TM format of having avatars run around picking up resources or constructing buildings. So this was a first for me and it took a little adjustment of my thinking. It's very clever and creative, though, and it was fun to try something new!
All in all, I'm very pleased with this. I'm barely into the game, because I didn't even finish the trial before I came to buy it, but I can't wait to see what comes next!
I recommend this game!
Master archer, Robin is at your disposal as you take on the Sheriff of Nottingham and his lackeys in this challenging strategy game!
Overall rating
4
/
5
2 of 2 found this review helpful
Challenging time management game
PostedFebruary 10, 2020
laurakay76
fromLehigh Valley, PA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Brain Teaser, Card & Board, Hidden Object, Puzzle, Strategy, Time Management, Word
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
I found this one to be just hard enough to keep my interest. There's not much in the way of a story, and the ending is really anticlimactic, but the animation is bright and colorful and the premise is entertaining.
I found some of the extra tasks with regards to dealing with the Sheriff's men to be clever, but also a little overly difficult. It wasn't always easy for me to tell what it was I had to do to engineer some of the booby traps. Also, it was occasionally tricky to put my mouse over an item in just the right way. But otherwise it was a lot of fun and it kept me amused for hours.
I recommend this game!
Detectives United is out of options and working for the villains!
Overall rating
5
/
5
9 of 13 found this review helpful
Detectives unite again, and it keeps getting better
PostedFebruary 7, 2020
laurakay76
fromLehigh Valley, PA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Brain Teaser, Hidden Object, Puzzle, Strategy, Time Management, Word
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
I really liked the first DU game, so I bought the second one without doing the trial and liked it even more. I was very happy when BFG announced the arrival of the third installment, and again bought it sight unseen. The sequel hook in the bonus chapter of the second game was too intriguing, I had to find out what was happening.
Long story short, this series keeps getting more interesting and I like each new installment better than the last. Dark Anna returns and makes life difficult for our heroes, splitting them up into different periods in time to collect powerful artifacts. What are they? Why does she want them? How will our heroes find each other again? How much is Richard going to snark at his daughter?
I love all three of the characters (Brown is my favorite), and the fact that you alternate between playing them is a lot of fun because you get to experience the game in so many different ways. I really love their increasing attachment to each other and the way they interact; Anna calling her friends "handsome men" was adorable, and Brown worrying about James in the bonus chapter was sweet. The puzzles are tricky but not usually frustrating, the storyline is well paced, and the sound and visual quality is excellent.
I really only have a few minor complaints. One is super minor; the background noise of the game included the repetitive sound of a phone ringing, and I found it distracting. It was a little too real, especially during scenes where such a sound doesn't logically belong.
I liked the 'case cards' which we could find during the course of the adventure, but they had so many spelling errors! These games are usually much better about that, so I found it jarring to read things like "dimention" and "confromt."
My other complaint is about Agent Shade. I noticed in the previous games, especially Darkest Shrine, that she's really... calm. In this one she's even calmer, if that's possible. Her expression just seems dazed, and her tone of voice and the slow way she talks makes her come across as incredibly detached from everything, like she's sleepwalking or something. Calm is good, but she's borderline narcoleptic.
But like I said, very minor quarrels. Otherwise it's a great game in a great series, and I can't wait for the next one. (There will be a next one, right? Don't leave us hanging!)
I recommend this game!