fredandethel's Profile
Stat Summary
- Average Rating:3.8
- Helpful Votes:2,273
- Reviews Submitted:191
- First Review:April 1, 2012
- Most Recent Review:October 7, 2020
- Featured reviews0
Status:
Gardenscapes: Mansion Makeover™
Welcome back to Gardenscapes! Turn the hall into a masterpiece!
Overall rating
3
/
5
1 of 1 found this review helpful
Disappointed by impossible to find hints
PostedJanuary 13, 2013
fredandethel
fromDerbyshire, England
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object, Match 3, Card & Board, Mahjong
Current Favorite:
Mahjongg Investigation - Under Suspicion
(3)Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
The most original and fun thing in Gardenscapes is the camera and thermometer hints and they are quite easy to find in the original game, but I'm finding so few in Mansion Makeover that I'm getting a bit bored with it.
I recommend this game!
Forgotten Riddles - The Mayan Princess
Solve the riddles surrounding ancient artifacts to uncover what really happened to the last known royal Mayan family.
Overall rating
5
/
5
12 of 12 found this review helpful
Unusual and absorbing
PostedDecember 17, 2012
fredandethel
fromDerbyshire, England
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object, Match 3, Card & Board, Mahjong
Current Favorite:
Sarah Maribu and the Lost World
(27)Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
OK I'm no expert, but it took me five and a half hours spread over two days to complete this, and I'll be happy to replay it quite soon.
I've owned Forgotten Riddles Moonlight Sonata for nearly two years now but have only just discovered Mayan Princess. The graphics are not so clear and the scenes are more cluttered than in Moonlight Sonata, but the riddles are just as much fun and the scenes are varied and interesting.
More like this, please!
I've owned Forgotten Riddles Moonlight Sonata for nearly two years now but have only just discovered Mayan Princess. The graphics are not so clear and the scenes are more cluttered than in Moonlight Sonata, but the riddles are just as much fun and the scenes are varied and interesting.
More like this, please!
I recommend this game!
Forgotten Riddles: The Moonlight Sonatas
The ghostly figure of Amadeus still graces Godesberg - solve riddles and find hidden objects in the Opera House.
Overall rating
5
/
5
7 of 8 found this review helpful
More like this, please!
PostedDecember 16, 2012
fredandethel
fromDerbyshire, England
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object, Match 3, Card & Board, Mahjong
Current Favorite:
BumbleBee Jewel
(3)Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Full marks to Blue Tea Games - the Forgotten Riddles games and Enlightenus I and II are really something different - keep it up!!
I recommend this game!
Golden Trails: The New Western Rush
Saddle up for fun and become a sheriff in Golden Trails: The New Western Rush. Find the culprits behind a bank robbery!
Overall rating
3
/
5
1 of 1 found this review helpful
Bit too difficult for me with so few hints
PostedDecember 13, 2012
fredandethel
fromDerbyshire, England
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object, Match 3, Card & Board, Mahjong
Current Favorite:
Sarah Maribu and the Lost World
(27)Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
Shooting bandits is all very well but why no refilling hint button as well, Golden Trails 2 has it!
Sometimes I don't mind spending time looking for a trickily placed object, sometimes I prefer to use more hints in order to get on with the story - an automatically refilling hint button gives the choice.
Sometimes I don't mind spending time looking for a trickily placed object, sometimes I prefer to use more hints in order to get on with the story - an automatically refilling hint button gives the choice.
I don't recommend this game.
Hidden World of Art 2: Undercover Art Agent
Restore the paintings of great artists that have been spoiled by mysterious thieves! Expose their plans and free the world of art!
Overall rating
5
/
5
61 of 64 found this review helpful
The best art based game yet
PostedNovember 20, 2012
fredandethel
fromDerbyshire, England
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object, Match 3, Card & Board, Mahjong
Current Favorite:
Dream Vacation Solitaire
(19)Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
A big improvement on the first Hidden World of Art game - items to find are listed by name instead of just an outline drawing, (you can still get an outline by putting you curser over an item in the list), and the items are smaller and harder to find, which makes you look at the painting in more detail.
It's challenging and educational and is a great alternative to relaxing fun or adventurous puzzles.
Big Fish have a game for every mood, and I hope they can find a few more of this kind.
It's challenging and educational and is a great alternative to relaxing fun or adventurous puzzles.
Big Fish have a game for every mood, and I hope they can find a few more of this kind.
I recommend this game!
Hidden World of Art
Lana was the best student in art school and now she is swamped with customers!
Overall rating
3
/
5
12 of 13 found this review helpful
Doesn't really work for me
PostedNovember 19, 2012
fredandethel
fromDerbyshire, England
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object, Match 3, Card & Board, Mahjong
Current Favorite:
Tropico Jong: Butterfly Expedition
(8)Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
Tried to like this for the sake of the wonderful paintings, but couldn't - identifying items simply from an outline was too tiring,and eventually boring.
I've also tried Hidden World of Art 2 (Undercover Art Agent) which I liked much better, and I may well buy. In this sequel the items are smaller and harder to find but they are listed by name, and you can still get an outline drawing by hovering the curser over the name.
The hint system in both games is particularly ungenerous: one per scene. You can buy more hints but they get progressively more expensive and this means you have less to spend refurnishing your room. But as you have no real choice of furnishings, or placement of them, I think this part of the game could definitely use more development.
I've also tried Hidden World of Art 2 (Undercover Art Agent) which I liked much better, and I may well buy. In this sequel the items are smaller and harder to find but they are listed by name, and you can still get an outline drawing by hovering the curser over the name.
The hint system in both games is particularly ungenerous: one per scene. You can buy more hints but they get progressively more expensive and this means you have less to spend refurnishing your room. But as you have no real choice of furnishings, or placement of them, I think this part of the game could definitely use more development.
I don't recommend this game.
Mahjongg Investigation - Under Suspicion
Play the role of a mahjongg Master Detective and use your matching skills to hunt down criminals and solve mysteries!
Overall rating
5
/
5
33 of 38 found this review helpful
Mahjongg with a really well thought out twist
PostedNovember 11, 2012
fredandethel
fromDerbyshire, England
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object, Match 3, Card & Board, Mahjong
Current Favorite:
Jewel Match - Winter Wonderland
(9)Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
As you can see from the screenshots this game uses tiles with everyday objects rather than traditional Mahjong, and they are the same for every level. Match fingerprints, magnifying glasses, handcuffs and security cameras to get clues and more suspects, match lotto cards for alibis and extra evidence. Play memory match games to interrogate suspects, issue warrants when you think you can identify a perpetrator. Rise in rank if you get it right, lose reputation points if you accuse the wrong person or haven’t played enough locations to get sufficient evidence.
A great feature is the “evidence bag”, in which you can stack several blocking tiles until you can free a match for them. This is particularly useful as you only get one shuffle per location.
As you rise to the higher ranks two more mini games appear: “Pursuit” – match objects to those on a conveyer belt, and “DNA Comparison” - a falling blocks game. (Use curser keys rather than mouse for this)
Not a bad thing that the tiles are the same on every level as it means you get familiar with them and the time limit is none too generous, especially when you reach levels with more than one perpetrator, (up to 4 in higher levels), though if you completely clear a location you do get a few extra minutes.
After a while I stopped reading the pop up clues and now just keep checking the case info folder to see if I have enough clues to investigate or charge a particular suspect.
Haven’t worked out what the binoculars are for yet – something to do with matching tiles in a particular order?? I’ve posted a question on the forum in case anyone else has cracked it.
A great feature is the “evidence bag”, in which you can stack several blocking tiles until you can free a match for them. This is particularly useful as you only get one shuffle per location.
As you rise to the higher ranks two more mini games appear: “Pursuit” – match objects to those on a conveyer belt, and “DNA Comparison” - a falling blocks game. (Use curser keys rather than mouse for this)
Not a bad thing that the tiles are the same on every level as it means you get familiar with them and the time limit is none too generous, especially when you reach levels with more than one perpetrator, (up to 4 in higher levels), though if you completely clear a location you do get a few extra minutes.
After a while I stopped reading the pop up clues and now just keep checking the case info folder to see if I have enough clues to investigate or charge a particular suspect.
Haven’t worked out what the binoculars are for yet – something to do with matching tiles in a particular order?? I’ve posted a question on the forum in case anyone else has cracked it.
I recommend this game!
Frankenstein: The Dismembered Bride
Help Brad save Janet, his fiancée, from Frankenstein’s crazy experiments in Frankenstein: The Dismembered Bride!
Overall rating
5
/
5
9 of 13 found this review helpful
Jokey Frankenstein game - no real blood!
PostedNovember 2, 2012
fredandethel
fromDerbyshire, England
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object, Match 3, Card & Board, Mahjong
Current Favorite:
Secrets of Olympus
(10)Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
This is one of a series of HdO games by Anuman which judging by other reviews people either love or hate. They certainly do things differently, and some objects get lost in translation. Tub, in this game, can mean anything from a jerrycan to a copper pan or a rusty barrel, and at one point it lists canvases when you need to click on cobwebs. But if you do get to like the way the series does things, this just becomes part of the game.
My other favourites in the series are Around the World in 80 Days-The Challenge, The Three Musketeers-D'Artagnon and the 12 Diamonds, Aladin and the Wonderful Lamp, and Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde-The Strange Case.
Public Enemies Bonnie and Clyde I found difficult and boring, and 20,000 leagues Under the Sea-Captain Nemo didn't work at all for me.
Secrets of the Vatican-The Holy Lance - I've played the trial hour and I'm still undecided whether to buy it.
By Googling Anuman I've found the whole list of this series, and though at first I was disappointed at not being able to find all of them on Big Fish, given the variable quality of the ones I have found maybe I haven't missed anything!
Instructions in Frankenstein could be better, I don't think it tells you anywhere that you can zoom into some screens with your mouse wheel, and this is the only game in the series, as far as I know, which confuses you with lots of arrows in scenes rather than leading you to the next location.
Game length is usually less than 3 hours, and in replay less than 2, but as I said, if you happen to like the series these things don't matter.
My other favourites in the series are Around the World in 80 Days-The Challenge, The Three Musketeers-D'Artagnon and the 12 Diamonds, Aladin and the Wonderful Lamp, and Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde-The Strange Case.
Public Enemies Bonnie and Clyde I found difficult and boring, and 20,000 leagues Under the Sea-Captain Nemo didn't work at all for me.
Secrets of the Vatican-The Holy Lance - I've played the trial hour and I'm still undecided whether to buy it.
By Googling Anuman I've found the whole list of this series, and though at first I was disappointed at not being able to find all of them on Big Fish, given the variable quality of the ones I have found maybe I haven't missed anything!
Instructions in Frankenstein could be better, I don't think it tells you anywhere that you can zoom into some screens with your mouse wheel, and this is the only game in the series, as far as I know, which confuses you with lots of arrows in scenes rather than leading you to the next location.
Game length is usually less than 3 hours, and in replay less than 2, but as I said, if you happen to like the series these things don't matter.
I recommend this game!
Tropico Jong: Butterfly Expedition
Visit The Valley to examine your findings in this Mahjong adventure accented with beautiful butterflies.
Overall rating
5
/
5
39 of 43 found this review helpful
Something different!
PostedNovember 1, 2012
fredandethel
fromDerbyshire, England
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object, Match 3, Card & Board, Mahjong
Current Favorite:
Mahjongg Investigation - Under Suspicion
(3)Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
I was looking for a new mahjong game and had tried and uninstalled quite a few before I found this – used my game credit to get it as soon as the trial hour was up!
Bright tropical backgrounds with easy-on-the-eyes pastel coloured tiles.
Instead of matching gold tiles find butterflies, which do not need to be matched - as soon as you free one from surrounding tiles, click on it and it will flutter round the screen before settling in a "collecting tray". This tray also shows how many butterflies there are to be found in the level.
Visit a Valley to release your butterflies and watch them fly against a soft focus background of greenery and waterfalls.
Use the magnifying glass curser like a butterfly net to get a reminder of a specimen’s common name and Latin details, (this must be the digital camera effect mentioned in the blurb).
101 levels and 21 species of butterfly. As the developers took the trouble to list their Latin names, a few more facts about their habitats and life would be nice, but that’s a small detail.
Bright tropical backgrounds with easy-on-the-eyes pastel coloured tiles.
Instead of matching gold tiles find butterflies, which do not need to be matched - as soon as you free one from surrounding tiles, click on it and it will flutter round the screen before settling in a "collecting tray". This tray also shows how many butterflies there are to be found in the level.
Visit a Valley to release your butterflies and watch them fly against a soft focus background of greenery and waterfalls.
Use the magnifying glass curser like a butterfly net to get a reminder of a specimen’s common name and Latin details, (this must be the digital camera effect mentioned in the blurb).
101 levels and 21 species of butterfly. As the developers took the trouble to list their Latin names, a few more facts about their habitats and life would be nice, but that’s a small detail.
I recommend this game!
MahJong Adventures
Your adventure spans 18 engaging destinations and immerses you in the local culture through unique tile-sets and backgrounds.
Overall rating
5
/
5
62 of 76 found this review helpful
One of the games which introduced me to Mahjong
PostedOctober 31, 2012
fredandethel
fromDerbyshire, England
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object, Match 3, Card & Board, Mahjong
Current Favorite:
Mahjongg Investigation - Under Suspicion
(3)Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
No bonuses or power ups but quite enough hints and shuffles to complete the levels. Just a basic, attractive and relaxing Mahjong.
I now have several other more challenging versions of Mahjong but this is always nice to go back to for a while.
I now have several other more challenging versions of Mahjong but this is always nice to go back to for a while.
I recommend this game!