arnold1049's Profile
Stat Summary
- Average Rating:3.8
- Helpful Votes:4,545
- Reviews Submitted:557
- First Review:February 24, 2012
- Most Recent Review:June 9, 2025
- Featured reviews0
Status:
Sometimes we think that if we could change something from our past, our whole life would turn out differently.
Overall rating
3
/
5
6 of 6 found this review helpful
BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR
PostedJune 1, 2016
arnold1049
fromApache Junction, AZ
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Match 3
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
A man comes to the aid of another man who is being mugged and gets a hit on the head with a baseball bat for being a good samaritan. In gratitude, the hero is offered the opportunity to change anything in his past life. Of course, any change to the past can have a major impact on the future.
The hero travels back to his hometown 20 years earlier and begins writing different endings to past episodes. One involves breaking a window while playing baseball in front of his childhood home. Another involves a lawnmower while showing off for the prettiest girl in his class. The impact these changes have in the future aren't clear, at least not by the time the demo ended.
The HOS are bright and very simple. The items are large and easy to find. There is a built-in magnifier that helps find anything that isn't easy to find at first glance.
There are hints available but I never had the need for one so I don't know how quickly they recharge. There is no choice of difficulty level, achievements, or any other extras. The same scenes are visited over and over again; the childhood home was visited at least 3 times during the demo.
Once a set of objects have been found, a choice of 3 items are presented to use that would change the end of the episode. The first set of choices never seemed to have a correct item, so you are returned to the same scene to find more items. Eventually, you get a choice that changes the ending. In the case of the ball going through the window, a pair of sunglasses found in the scene changes the direction of the ball and no more broken window.
Unless the storyline gets more complicated, it's hard to get interested in stopping a window from breaking or how that could change the future in any measureable way.
There are other HOS in addition to the ones that change the past. These are more complicated and a little more difficult. Each one contains a number of letters, some of which had to be found in the scene and others that needed to be clicked on to correct the spelling of words in the scene.
The other issue I had with the game is that turning off the sound in the settings did not stop all the noise. I was left with an annoying background sound like street noise during play and noises during other game actions, like when the hourglass turned while loading a new scene. I finally had to turn the sound off on my laptop to get them to stop.
This would be a good game for beginners or children. Unless the storyline gets more complicated, it is a boring game. I like straight HOG but this one is just not challenging enough.
I don't recommend this game.
Campfire Legends: The Last Act
Past and present merge together in Campfire Legends - The Last Act. Join the campfire girls for one final hidden object nightmare!
Overall rating
2
/
5
14 of 21 found this review helpful
WAY TOO DARK
PostedMay 27, 2016
arnold1049
fromApache Junction, AZ
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Match 3
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
2
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
A couple of friends are heading to a campground to surprise and scare their friends who are already at the campgrounds sharing scary stories. They have an accident involving a woman appearing in the middle of the road. After the accident, which occurs just outside a spooky mansion, one of the friends is missing. The search for her begins in the mansion.
This is the final installment of the Campfire Legends three part series. The first one I played, The Hookman, I really enjoyed. I can't say the same for this one.
The whole hour I played, everything was dark. Exploring the mansion is done with a flashlight (after finding the batteries) which flickers so much it was giving me a headache. As opposed to the first game, the fireflies needed for hints were few and far between. Or maybe I just couldn't see them in the dark.
Another example is the goal of restoring electricity to the Mansion. There are 11(?) brightly colored fuses that need to be found to repair the electrical panel; orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, etc. Every single one I eventually found was grey. Perhaps once the electricity was restored and the flashlight went away, things might have gotten better. But before that could happen, the hour was over.
I skipped two of the 3 minigames I ran into. One was putting the parts of a cell phone back together after finding all of them. The parts could be rotated to fit. The SD card and battery would seem to be placed in the back of the phone. I found no way to rotate the phone and no matter how many times I rotated the SD card, it didn't fit anywhere on the front of the phone.
I don't like having to use a lot of hints in a game. In this game, I needed hints to find the hints. Way too frustrating to be enjoyable.
I don't recommend this game.
Letters from Nowhere
Help Audrey find her missing husband! After disappearing mysteriously, the only clue left behind are the Letters from Nowhere!
Overall rating
4
/
5
1 of 1 found this review helpful
LOTS OF CHALLENGING HOS
PostedMay 26, 2016
arnold1049
fromApache Junction, AZ
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Match 3
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Patrick has disappeared and his wife is trying to find him. She begins to get letters to help her in the search. The letters are not coming from her husband. At the end of the demo, the source of the letters had not been revealed.
There are lots of HOS and they are challenging. There is also a trophy room and, after playing a couple of the HOS, some of them are going to be hard to win. Two specifically caught my attention; using no hints and no misclicks in the scenes.
The items are often small and dark. They also don't always look like what the name of the item indicates. Some are on top of other items and hard to pick out. I used lots of hints and had lots of misclicks, which elicited my comment about the trophies.
Hints are available and recharge neither slow nor fast; about medium, I guess. There are no levels of difficulty, so there is no way to change the speed of hint recharge.
In fact, this is a pretty bare bones game, with lots of things that aren't explained and have to be figured out during play. I ran across a mini game when my cursor moved over an item and it glowed. Thinking it was one of those items that needed to be combined with another one, I ignored it. Then I decided to click on it, and it took me to a very easy jigsaw puzzle. That was the only mini game I ran into during the demo.
Points are awarded for every item found. With the accumulated points, you can buy power ups, like a thermometer, or items hidden in the HOS that, when found and clicked on, awards more points. The thermometer glows red when it gets close to an item, but it doesn't last very long. The jack-in-the-box, when found and clicked on, added 10,000 points.
To get more points, there are 3 stamps in every scene that must be found and clicked on.
You have to be a died-in-the-wool HOG lover for this game to appeal to you.
I recommend this game!
Mortimer Beckett and the Time Paradox
Mortimer is back for an all-new, eye-popping adventure in Mortimer Beckett and the Time Paradox! Join Mortimer for a trip through time in this great hidden object game.
Overall rating
5
/
5
11 of 15 found this review helpful
FALLING THROUGH TIME
PostedMay 25, 2016
arnold1049
fromApache Junction, AZ
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Match 3
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Mortimer's uncle needs his help in closing portals that open access to different time periods with the potential to change things with catastrophic results. The uncle has attempted to build a machine to close the portals but needs Mortimer's help to find all the pieces to complete it.
This is a challenging HOG with lots of locations and lots of HOS in each location. Items found in one scene need to be used in other scenes in order to find other items. However, the back and forth was not excessive and once a location was finished, there was no reason to go back.
The items were sometimes small, dark and very hard to find. Hints are unlimited and recharged very quickly, at least the way I had the options set.
I found that you have to pay close attention to the map, as it tells you what needs to be done in each scene, puzzles to play, items to place back into the scene and items left to find. Even if you find the time machine part but haven't finished all the scenes, you will not be able to move on to the next location.
This is my second Mortimer Beckett game I've played and I will be playing the next two very soon.
I recommend this game!
Mortimer Beckett and the Secrets of Spooky Manor
Play as Mortimer Beckett and uncover the secrets of your uncle's ghostly mansion in Mortimer Beckett and the Secrets of Spooky Manor!
Overall rating
5
/
5
45 of 49 found this review helpful
TOUGH BUT FUN
PostedMay 23, 2016
arnold1049
fromApache Junction, AZ
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Match 3
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Mortimer's uncle needs his help in ridding his manor of ghosts. The uncle has attempted to build a machine to send the ghosts packing, but needs Mortimer's help to complete it.
This is a challenging HOG with lots of locations and lots of HOS in each location. Items found in one scene need to be used in other scenes in order to find other items. However, the back and forth was not excessive and once a location was finished, there was no reason to go back.
The items were sometimes small, dark and very hard to find. At the beginning of each location, a set number of hints are available to finish the level. There is no way to get more hints, so they must be used wisely. I never came close to using all of them, as I saved them for the very end of the location.
If I had trouble finding something in a scene the first time around, I did not use a hint. I waited until I had found as many items in all the other scenes first. Often an item in another scene would unlock something in the scene I was stuck on.
I found that you have to pay close attention to the map, as it tells you what needs to be done in each scene. I thought I was done with the game, but couldn't get the Ghost Machine to activate. I even put a question in the Game Forum for help. I needed a battery from the Indian Room and couldn't figure out how to get it. I went back to the map and found a couple of locations that I thought I had finished, but still showed things that needed to be done. Once I completed all the locations, then I was able to get the battery and complete the game.
I'm looking forward to playing the other games in this series.
I recommend this game!
Campfire Legends: The Hookman
Turn off the lights, turn up the sound and play the scariest hidden object game ever!
Overall rating
4
/
5
6 of 6 found this review helpful
LIVING A NIGHTMARE
PostedMay 21, 2016
arnold1049
fromApache Junction, AZ
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Match 3
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Women are sitting around a campfire telling scary stories. When one of the campers finishes a story, another one speaks up and says that wasn't exactly how it happened. Despite the annoyance of the original storyteller, she begins to tell her version.
Christine ends up at her parents' cabin for the weekend alone because her boyfriend is late showing up. Strange things start happening immediately. After restoring the electricity, she finds that the cabin has been ransacked. One thing she does right away is to fix the radio. Using it, she finds that a very dangerous man has escaped the local sanitorium. The demo ended as she tried to find the pieces of the phone to call the police.
The HOS are woven into the story in an excellent fashion. For example, when you find the phone, you immediately get a visual list of parts that you must find to fix it. These parts can be anywhere in any of the scenes. I like this better than picking up something that sits in inventory forever until you finally get to the point in the game where you need to use it.
The storyline is the center of the game, as opposed to just a vehicle to move among HOS. That makes me want to finish the game to see how it turns out. Considering there are 2 more games in the series, maybe it is a cliffhanger?
Hints are acquired by finding and clicking on fireflies. A maximum of 6 can be accumulated. Using one firefly will give you a hint like telling you that you need to be in the bedroom. There is no map. You can exchange hints to purchase "tips" which I'm thinking are like mega hints, maybe taking you to the right location and pointing to the exact item you need to get. That's just a guess as I never found myself in a situation where I felt I needed a mega hint.
This is an intriguing game to me, but always try before you buy.
I recommend this game!
Edna & Harvey: The Puzzle offers a completely new puzzle-experience and will challenge the players' skills by combining various pieces of 90 puzzle backgrounds.
Overall rating
2
/
5
0 of 1 found this review helpful
WHERE IS THE SUPPORT FOR THIS GAME?
PostedMay 21, 2016
arnold1049
fromApache Junction, AZ
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Match 3
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
2
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
During the demo, I stopped and exited the game and went looking for help. I was amazed that there is next to nothing in the BF forums, with the last postings dating back to 2015, I guess when the game first came out. This game has zero instructions, tutorials, settings, etc. so there is no way to figure anything out.
I didn't do a Google search on it, because I didn't like the game enough to put in that extra time.
I kind of liked the game, even though it is timed and that is not my thing. But the lack of support makes me think BF knew this game was a dude.
Try it, though, because it is different.
I don't recommend this game.
Heroes from the Past: Joan of Arc
Take a journey through medieval times. Help Joan of Arc to build a new kingdom and change the fate of the people in this epic story of honor and courage.
Overall rating
3
/
5
1 of 1 found this review helpful
BOREDOM SET IN
PostedMay 17, 2016
arnold1049
fromApache Junction, AZ
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Match 3
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
I purchased this game, but I'm not sure why. Usually I play the demo and write a review at that time. Since I had not written a review already, then I guess I didn't play the demo. Never a good idea.
This is a Match 3 game combined with building and fortifying a town. Nothing I've seen so far in the game remotely pertains to Joan of Arc.
In order to construct buildings, you must earn x-number of gold coins during the Match 3 play. The problem is, the boards take a long time to play, especially when I used the chain type of matching. And the number of coins earned for the completion of a board was not that much, so it took playing a lot of games to be able to construct a building.
Various goals needed to be completed before a board was cleared. Maybe something as simple as dropping a treasure chest off the board. But other boards might add collecting
x-number of 3 or 4 types of tiles, removing all the golden tiles, removing all the chains, etc.
x-number of 3 or 4 types of tiles, removing all the golden tiles, removing all the chains, etc.
Constructing buildings was the way to increase the number of coins earned for certain matching actions. For instance, after one building, the number of coins won for matching the steak tiles was doubled.
Power ups were pretty standard; an axe removed one tile, a bomb cleared one area, a crossbow cleared a row and column, etc. The crossbow was very hard to control and I wasted several of them before I learned that it could not be dragged across the board to the row/column I wanted cleared. I had to keep the crossbow off the board until it was next to the row or column before I moved it to the board. As soon as it touches the board, it releases its arrow.
There were bombs and a special tile in the boards themselves. The bomb had to be uncovered by matching the tiles next to it. But you have no control as to where or how the bomb goes off. It explodes 2 seconds after it is uncovered.
Various achievements could be earned, but even they were not interesting or challenging.
The game seemed to drag and nothing changed. Maybe the demo would not have been long enough to reveal this issue.
I just got bored.
I don't recommend this game.
Anka
Anka is a playful boy living in a small village, but he’s about to be thrust into a big adventure that will change his life!
Overall rating
4
/
5
6 of 6 found this review helpful
STYMIED AT THE VERY BEGINNING
PostedMay 17, 2016
arnold1049
fromApache Junction, AZ
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Match 3
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
I played the demo and about the third task was to find 40 eggs. I found 39 and spent the rest of my hour trying to find the last one. I even exited and checked the walkthrough, with no success.
After my time ran out, I went to the forums and found that a lot of people were having trouble finding the last egg. The problem was that the last egg was not the same for every player. Too funny.
I really didn't get far enough into the game to have a good idea about it, but now that I know where to find that last egg, I'll probably use a coupon or wait for a sale to purchase it. I'm always looking for HOGs that aren't dark and dreary. The other reviews are positive and some of the comments I read on the forums supported the opinions that this is a fun game.
I recommend this game!
Join the penguin family on a journey to an ancient land and discover the mysteries of the penguin ancestors in the latest mosaic adventure!
Overall rating
5
/
5
9 of 22 found this review helpful
DIDN'T HAVE TO WAIT TOO LONG
PostedMay 17, 2016
arnold1049
fromApache Junction, AZ
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Match 3
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Another Fantasy Mosaics game so soon after the last one? How wonderful!
I have every one of the games in this series and I love them. I buy them immediately and start playing them almost exclusively until I'm finished. And then I am sad that the game is over and wondering how long I will have to wait for the next one to be released. In this case, not very long, and that is great!
The storyline finds the penguins traveling back to Egypt to find their ancestors and learn about how and where they lived.
This is a multi-colored griddler with all the standard features of the previous games. Each game in the series is a logical progression from the previous games. However, this game does not bring in any new elements.
There are 20 locations with multiple grids in each location. The first couple of grids are easy, but then start to quickly progress into harder ones. With the completion of all grids in a location, an Egyptian item is added to the garden.
Another great game in a great series.
I recommend this game!