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:
An investigation into a disappearance reveals ghostly secrets in a mountaintop hotel!
Overall rating
2
/
5
2 of 2 found this review helpful
It would have been better if it had been shorter.
PostedDecember 12, 2021
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
3
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
Normally I love a good long game. But this one just... dragged. I bought it because the demo was decent enough and there was a sale, but it dragged on and on and on. Nothing felt like it was explained very well or had any kind of real resolution. We have another tedious supernatural mystery with a love triangle as part of the backstory. The characters were largely bland and uninteresting, and I found Kate in particular to be pretty useless. I felt like there were too many collectibles, including some that were very hard to see, and I had to hear an annoying sound effect every time I found one. By the time I finally got to confront the real villain I was just tired of the whole story. I uninstalled it without even bothering with the bonus chapter.
The voice acting was fine and the graphics were very good, but that's about it. I play these games for the stories and the characters, and this game was lackluster in both categories.
I don't recommend this game.
A vengeful monster has found a way to stop Christmas!
Overall rating
4
/
5
30 of 33 found this review helpful
Seems like a fun time
PostedNovember 19, 2021
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
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
I've only played the demo, and this is my first time playing one of the Christmas Stories games, but on the whole I found it impressive. The mythology of the game is very inventive - I don't know how much is rooted in actual Icelandic tradition but I enjoyed it. The graphics are bright and colorful. I know a lot of others are complaining about the continuously moving helper, but I was largely able to ignore him. There are lots of collectibles to find, which is great, although I was a bit frustrated by Elephant's usual puzzle piece collection - some of them blended in with the scenery so well that they were very difficult to spot.
My only complaint would be that some of the puzzles *had no instructions*. The one that frustrated me most was the unskippable hidden object scene where you had to not only find the objects, but then put them in their correct positions... based on their reflections in three mirrors. That was tricky enough once I understood what I was supposed to do, but there was nothing to indicate that I was supposed to do it. I also don't care for the creepy laugh which plays any time you click the hint button.
Otherwise, it's fine, and I'm sure fans of this series will be delighted with it.
I recommend this game!
In this hotly anticipated sequel, join Sharon Holmes once again to help her crack a tricky case while solving brain-teasing nonogram puzzles!
Overall rating
5
/
5
1 of 2 found this review helpful
Excellent sequel
PostedNovember 16, 2021
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 enjoyed the first Detective Agency Mosaics very much, and I'm very satisfied with this one as well. It changed a few things from the first, but I consider them to be improvements - in particular, I'm very happy with the addition of an "undo" button as one of the optional hints to be employed. I'm a little disappointed that the achievements were removed, but that would be my only quibble. Otherwise, this is a marvelous followup to the first game and I hope that someday we might get a third.
I recommend this game!
Help Robin Hood pursue and defeat the villainous Gisbourne!
Overall rating
3
/
5
10 of 11 found this review helpful
The glitchiest one yet.
PostedNovember 11, 2021
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
4
/
5
I like this series, so seeing a new one meant an automatic buy for me. But I encountered the same glitch that many other reviewers are stating - not being able to pick up food - and the only way I could get around it was to close and reload the game. So far that seems to have helped, but it's ridiculous that I'm forced to do that.
I'm also encountering another glitch - at the start of every level, the game tries to replay the interaction where "Mary" (what happened to Marian?) tells Robin to behave himself because he's visiting the king. I had to manually open the next few storyboard interactions because they won't run on their own and I had no idea what was going on.
The game itself is okay. Honestly, it's a little tedious, more than what you expect from a TM game. I'm annoyed by several levels which involve traveling through paths carved in tree trunks, as it's not always apparent where you're supposed to go or which areas are immediately accessible. I'm playing with the timer turned off because otherwise I will get way too frustrated, that's how difficult it is to see where to go. The plotline is interesting, and the graphics are adorable and colorful as usual.
It's a good game on the whole, but clearly it needed to spend a little more time in QA before it was released and that's not fair to the players. I hope they release some patches soon.
Join Sharon Holmes in her investigation and track down the criminal while solving unique mosaic puzzles!
Overall rating
5
/
5
An absolute delight
PostedNovember 3, 2021
laurakay76
fromLehigh Valley, PA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Brain Teaser, Card & Board, Hidden Object, Puzzle, Strategy, Time Management, Word
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
After my disappointment with Arizona Rose and the Pharaohs' Riddles (especially its cliffhanger ending that will apparently never be resolved), I was hesitant to try another nonogram. But the premise of this one convinced me to do the demo, and by the second puzzle I knew I wanted the whole game. It's got everything Arizona Rose lacked for me - the heroine is likable, the graphics are big and clear and colorful, the puzzles are challenging but not too frustrating, and the storyline is coherent and interesting. I love switching between the colors to try to puzzle out the correct placements, and the mini-games in each level are a nice little break. Definitely going to be trying the sequel once I'm finished here.
I recommend this game!
Arizona Rose and the Pharaohs' Riddles
A new mystery leads Arizona Rose to a hidden temple and her greatest adventure yet! Solve the riddles to unravel an ancient mystery!
Overall rating
3
/
5
1 of 1 found this review helpful
How am I supposed to see these things?
PostedOctober 21, 2021
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'm coming into this game quite some time after its release, and I'm not the biggest fan of "griddlers." But I had a coupon to burn and thought the reviews sounded promising.
It's not a bad game. I'm certainly finding it a challenge. The biggest problem for me is that once you get to the point where the grid is 25 x 25, the boxes are WAY TOO SMALL. I am visually impaired and I'm struggling to get through this round of puzzles because everything is just so tiny, even with fullscreen and widescreen options enabled. I just smashed the treasure chest again because I clicked on the wrong box by accident for what feels like the millionth time.
Other than that, it's fine. The puzzles are well made and the storyline is interesting. I just wish there was a way for me to make the actual puzzle larger.
Can you solve a ghostly mystery to escape a film?
Overall rating
2
/
5
1 of 1 found this review helpful
Unclear story and an even worse ending.
PostedOctober 16, 2021
laurakay76
fromLehigh Valley, PA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Brain Teaser, Hidden Object, Puzzle, Strategy, Time Management, Word
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
The main problem I have with this game, which I got free in a recent promotion, is that the story isn't explained very well. We have a bunch of murders, an alleged ghost, and a nasty piece of work who is apparently behind it all. But what happened to the water? Who is Ruth, who suddenly appears in the game as Wild Jack's ally with no further explanation? Who is the kid and why is Wild Jack the only one who knows how to cure his sick grandma, even though she herself has instructions and ingredients for the medicine *right there in her house*? Characters are introduced and there's no reason given for their involvement in the story. And the ending is just... baffling. What was that... thing... and how did Wild Jack end up involved with it? What agreement did it terminate? The story doesn't make any sense at all!
My secondary problem with the game is the puzzles. The last puzzle in the main game is probably the worst, as the instructions are unclear and nothing I tried seemed to be the right answer (I ultimately skipped it). There were a few others I also had to skip because I really had no idea what I was being asked to do. I didn't even bother with the bonus chapter because I wasn't interested.
The visuals were well done, the music was nice, and the voice acting was decent. But if you're like me and you get into these games for the story, this is one to skip.
I don't recommend this game.
Accompany Mary Jane and Jack on a swashbuckling hidden object adventure!
Overall rating
4
/
5
I'm only disappointed that there's no sequel
PostedAugust 24, 2021
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
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
This in largest part is a very good game. The visuals are excellent, the voice acting is well done, and the story is interesting. Flipping between the two leads as they get separated creates nice narrative tension. I liked Jack very much; Mary Jane was only slightly less likable. (I had to admit that Jack had a point about her never saying thank you. But when she called him "dear Jack" at the end, I felt like that made up for it.)
My only complaint is that this, like so many other games, ends on a sequel hook and there is no sequel to be had. Nor does it look like there's one coming. I want to know what happens next and I fear we never will. But don't let that stop you from checking out a truly enjoyable game!
I recommend this game!
Get lost in a haunted house that keeps changing!
Overall rating
5
/
5
1 of 1 found this review helpful
Another winner!
PostedAugust 21, 2021
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 grabbed the demo of this one almost as soon as I finished Black Dagger, because I enjoyed that one so much. I was really disappointed to learn that this is (at least as of right now) the last one in the series, but I plunged ahead anyway. This one is every bit as good as Black Dagger - same quality of writing and voice acting and puzzles. I was about ten minutes into the demo before I knew I'd have to buy it because the mystery hooked me almost immediately.
Literally my only complaint about the game is missing Duncan - I really liked him in the previous game and kind of hoped he and the player character would meet again in this one. But even without him, this is still really great. I'm currently waiting (with a bit of impatience) for the full game to finish downloading so I can pick up where the demo ended. Mariaglorum, please, come back to this series!
I recommend this game!
Can you stop the townspeople from paying for a dark past?
Overall rating
5
/
5
2 of 2 found this review helpful
I'm probably not even halfway through...
PostedAugust 19, 2021
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
...but I had to stop and rave about this game. I've never played any of the MotA series, and I admit I'm not actually sure how I ended up with this one in my game manager, but I'm going to have to try them ALL. This is fantastic and I'm hooked. It's got everything I like in a game - engaging storyline, interesting and likable characters, a mysterious villain, collectibles, achievements, and puzzles galore. Full marks to Mariaglorium, and I can't wait to see how this one ends. (Also, I *really* like Duncan.)
I recommend this game!