pennmom36's Profile
Stat Summary
- Average Rating:3.7
- Helpful Votes:358,445
- Reviews Submitted:4726
- First Review:December 10, 2012
- Most Recent Review:July 21, 2025
- Featured reviews0
Status:
The Spellarium series is back with a magical new puzzle adventure and Eric needs your help to restore order to the world!
Overall rating
5
/
5
140 of 151 found this review helpful
ANYONE WANNA JOIN ME IN MY HAPPY DANCE?
PostedMarch 16, 2020
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Man, these guys sure know how to do Match 3 games right, in fact, that's the only genre they focus on and that my friends are why every Match 3 game they create is a masterpiece! You can always count on FRH to incorporate something new with each release, and you can always count on the games to be challenging. I never bother with the Demo trial on any of the Match 3 games, I go straight for the "Buy Now" button because I'm confident that they will all be superb games...and I've never had buyers remorse on any of the games by FRH Games. It may be a Monday morning but I'm doing my Happy Dance, wanna join me?
You can play in a Relaxed Mode or a Limited Moves or Limited Time Mode, and you can Enable/Disable the Hint Feature. After each Match 3 level, you can play a Solitaire or Mahjong game as well as my personal favorite, Spot the Difference with differences that aren't as obvious as you'd expect. (you can skip the mini-games) The tutorial is pretty vague but you can click on the Book at the top of the screen to read everything you need to know, including tips & tricks.
Spellarium is a Match 3 game where the only things that matter are Collecting the Coins and Collecting Colored Tiles, but those goals are tricky to obtain because there are so many variables. There are plenty of obstacles to make those goals really challenging to obtain, and more than likely, you'll have to replay many of the levels when playing with Limited Moves or Time...this ain't your granny's kind of Match 3 game!
There are several types of Coins available:
•Gold Coins: requires an adjacent match to collect.
•Dirty Coins: require 2 adjacent matches.
•Frozen Coins: requires activating torches.
•Half Coins: requires joining 2 halves by making matches between.
•Locked Coins: requires creating a path for the Key.
•Coin Molds: requires guiding liquid gold to the mold to form a coin.
•Gold Coins: requires an adjacent match to collect.
•Dirty Coins: require 2 adjacent matches.
•Frozen Coins: requires activating torches.
•Half Coins: requires joining 2 halves by making matches between.
•Locked Coins: requires creating a path for the Key.
•Coin Molds: requires guiding liquid gold to the mold to form a coin.
There are several Obstacles preventing you from getting to the Coins, however, if they aren't blocking a coin there's no need to overcome some obstacles. Power-ups will destroy most obstacles as well:
•Crates: requires an adjacent match to remove.
•Shielded Crates: requires an adjacent match on the unshielded portion.
•Ground Tiles: requires adjacent matches.
•Clay Tiles: requires adjacent matches to remove.
•Stone Tiles: requires 2 adjacent matches to remove.
•Fog Covered Tiles: requires an adjacent match to remove the fog.
•Ice Tiles: requires a match 3 of whichever tile is trapped in the ice.
•Locked Coins: requires making matches to create a path in front of the key(s)
•Vials: requires filling with purple drops by matching vertically.
•Torches: melt ice by making adjacent matches to spread the flames.
•Bugs & Bug Coins: chase away or make adjacent matches.
•Red & Green Hot Stones: adjacent matches on Red & Green Cells will destroy the stones.
•Stumps: requires specified amounts of matches of whichever tile icon is shown on the stump.
•Shielded Crates: requires an adjacent match on the unshielded portion.
•Ground Tiles: requires adjacent matches.
•Clay Tiles: requires adjacent matches to remove.
•Stone Tiles: requires 2 adjacent matches to remove.
•Fog Covered Tiles: requires an adjacent match to remove the fog.
•Ice Tiles: requires a match 3 of whichever tile is trapped in the ice.
•Locked Coins: requires making matches to create a path in front of the key(s)
•Vials: requires filling with purple drops by matching vertically.
•Torches: melt ice by making adjacent matches to spread the flames.
•Bugs & Bug Coins: chase away or make adjacent matches.
•Red & Green Hot Stones: adjacent matches on Red & Green Cells will destroy the stones.
•Stumps: requires specified amounts of matches of whichever tile icon is shown on the stump.
Large Matches will earn Power-ups on the board, however, there are times when a Power-up can hurt rather than help (read the Tips & Tricks Book) Most power-ups can be moved or double-clicked to activate.
•Rockets: selects a target in order of importance. (order shown in Tips & Tricks)
•Bombs: explodes with an adjacent match (usually w/ a chain reaction)
•Toggles: matches on the toggle switches opens inaccessible board sections.
•Cannons: requires an adjacent match on the Red Cell to activate.
•Permanent Bombs: usually sets off chain reactions with an adjacent match.
SPELLARIUM SERIES LIST
Title***Release Date***Average Rating
•Bombs: explodes with an adjacent match (usually w/ a chain reaction)
•Toggles: matches on the toggle switches opens inaccessible board sections.
•Cannons: requires an adjacent match on the Red Cell to activate.
•Permanent Bombs: usually sets off chain reactions with an adjacent match.
SPELLARIUM SERIES LIST
Title***Release Date***Average Rating
1-Spellarium 1 (February 27-2017) 4.5
2-Spellarium 2 (November 27-2017) 4.1
3-Spellarium 3 (August 6-2018) 3.9
4-Spellarium 4 (May 20-2019) 4.8
5-Spellarium 5 (March 16-2020) n/a
by: FRH Games
2-Spellarium 2 (November 27-2017) 4.1
3-Spellarium 3 (August 6-2018) 3.9
4-Spellarium 4 (May 20-2019) 4.8
5-Spellarium 5 (March 16-2020) n/a
by: FRH Games
I recommend this game!
A mysterious fog hides a small town’s secrets… and something even darker!
Overall rating
2
/
5
59 of 75 found this review helpful
I DON'T MIND THE VENUE BUT THE PUZZLES & HO'S WEREN'T VERY CREATIVE (& certainly not as good as the last game with this format)
PostedMarch 15, 2020
pennmom36
fromPlease don't give up on us @Mariaglorum, you have amazing games and no one can blame you for trying something new!
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
1
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
Completed Game approximately 5.5 hours
(including completion of all puzzles & CE Bonus Chapter)
32 Scene Locations
Difficulty Range: Beginner-possibly Intermediate
(including completion of all puzzles & CE Bonus Chapter)
32 Scene Locations
Difficulty Range: Beginner-possibly Intermediate
This is simply a Hidden Object Game with Mini-Games and a weak plot. Each Scene is a whole room Hidden Object Scene where the goal is to find neon batteries to make a fog-clearing apparatus more powerful which allows more HO scenes to become available. I LOVED this concept in the last game by this developer in a different series, but they clearly didn't put forth the same effort as they did with the previous game! The infamous voice-actress, Lani Manilla is the same voice for 2 different characters, (in all fairness they are aunt & niece) she is a very talented woman, but I found her soliloquy, detailing every thought, action, and observations, to be annoying and downright grating, by the end of the first chapter!
Collectibles & CE Bling (CE version only)
There are 32 Collectible Skulls located in the main scenes as well as the original Hidden Object Scenes, some of which are very well-blended into the scenery and difficult to spot. There are no collectibles in the very short Bonus Chapter and other than the usual wallpapers, concept art, music, videos, and achievements, there's no incentive to buy the CE version, I regret using my free CE code!
There are 32 Collectible Skulls located in the main scenes as well as the original Hidden Object Scenes, some of which are very well-blended into the scenery and difficult to spot. There are no collectibles in the very short Bonus Chapter and other than the usual wallpapers, concept art, music, videos, and achievements, there's no incentive to buy the CE version, I regret using my free CE code!
Gadgets/Helpers:
There is a Monster-Mist Clearing Machine Gadget that is used 7 times with an associated mini-game (which I actually დ'd!) You complete available Hidden Object Scenes to collect groups of 3 Neon-blue Batteries then return to the Machine to place them and solve a mini-game (described below in the Mini-Game section) which in turn, opens up more areas of hidden object scenes to search for more batteries, lather, rinse, repeat.
There is a Monster-Mist Clearing Machine Gadget that is used 7 times with an associated mini-game (which I actually დ'd!) You complete available Hidden Object Scenes to collect groups of 3 Neon-blue Batteries then return to the Machine to place them and solve a mini-game (described below in the Mini-Game section) which in turn, opens up more areas of hidden object scenes to search for more batteries, lather, rinse, repeat.
Hidden Object Scenes:
There are a whopping 48 Hidden Object Scenes +10 in the CE Bonus Chapter. I was blow-away by the HOP's in the league of light because the scenes were beautiful, creative, entertaining and challenging, but these HOP's were not! Many of the items are tiny and others are located on the dark outer fringes that are impossible to spot. I still like this "Whole-scene HOPA-HOG-hybrid concept (occasionally not every time) they aren't HO scenes located in an area of the room, they are located in the entire room. Each scene is accessed via the pop-up map, available HO scenes have green marker points, red marker points can't be accessed until you have the equipment required. Most are simple Listed Item Finds (25), but there are also Keywords in Sentence Finds (1), Spot the Differences (1), Multiples of the same Objects, such as 20 Bobbers, 12 Pressure Gauges, 20 Crosses, etc.(9) Pairs of Objects Finds (7) Silhouetted Shape Finds (2) Swatch Finds where you find areas in the scene that match a swatch sample (2) Symbol Silhouettes where you find 2 partial symbols that match the silhouette when combined (1) Some of the HOP's have a puzzle or mini-game to solve and many of the scenes are repeated in chapters 3-5, and most of the scenes have a Collectible Skull. (not available in the repeated scenes)
There are a whopping 48 Hidden Object Scenes +10 in the CE Bonus Chapter. I was blow-away by the HOP's in the league of light because the scenes were beautiful, creative, entertaining and challenging, but these HOP's were not! Many of the items are tiny and others are located on the dark outer fringes that are impossible to spot. I still like this "Whole-scene HOPA-HOG-hybrid concept (occasionally not every time) they aren't HO scenes located in an area of the room, they are located in the entire room. Each scene is accessed via the pop-up map, available HO scenes have green marker points, red marker points can't be accessed until you have the equipment required. Most are simple Listed Item Finds (25), but there are also Keywords in Sentence Finds (1), Spot the Differences (1), Multiples of the same Objects, such as 20 Bobbers, 12 Pressure Gauges, 20 Crosses, etc.(9) Pairs of Objects Finds (7) Silhouetted Shape Finds (2) Swatch Finds where you find areas in the scene that match a swatch sample (2) Symbol Silhouettes where you find 2 partial symbols that match the silhouette when combined (1) Some of the HOP's have a puzzle or mini-game to solve and many of the scenes are repeated in chapters 3-5, and most of the scenes have a Collectible Skull. (not available in the repeated scenes)
Mini-Games:
There are 31 Mini-Games +4 in the CE Bonus Chapter. Unlike their last game in the league of light series, these games were nothing special and certainly not challenging, and very few of the Hidden Object Scenes included puzzles. There is a repetitive game (7x's) associated with the Machine which requires connecting color-coded wire nodes from the right & left columns, to the central fuses which must have the correct colored wires attached (1 from the left, 1 from the right). I actually loved this puzzle that increased with difficulty each time by adding several wire nodes that required specific color combinations! Here are a few descriptions of the puzzles you'll encounter throughout the entire game:
There are 31 Mini-Games +4 in the CE Bonus Chapter. Unlike their last game in the league of light series, these games were nothing special and certainly not challenging, and very few of the Hidden Object Scenes included puzzles. There is a repetitive game (7x's) associated with the Machine which requires connecting color-coded wire nodes from the right & left columns, to the central fuses which must have the correct colored wires attached (1 from the left, 1 from the right). I actually loved this puzzle that increased with difficulty each time by adding several wire nodes that required specific color combinations! Here are a few descriptions of the puzzles you'll encounter throughout the entire game:
℧-Connect color-coded wires from the left & right to the central fuse x7
℧-Insert the specified number of pins into each numbered cell on the grid. x1/Make a specified number of connections horizontally, vertically, or diagonally x1.
℧-Move marbles to their matching-colored slots by rotating disc rings and moving colored marbles to empty slots.
℧-Tetris style game placing various-shaped boards/Blocks style games where you move blocks vertically & horizontally to clear a path for the main block to escape.
℧-Manual dexterity puzzles that require dragging a marble through tubes w/o touching sides/puzzles that require sliding objects along tracks to their correct destination.
℧-Memory matching games where you flip over two cards at a time.
℧-Pipes variations drawing water from valves to turn corners/Turning valves to set all gauge needles to the green zone (1 affects others)
℧-Swap Tile variations to complete image/Swap pie-shaped pieces to create a clown face.
℧-Direct colored beams of light by placing lenses to change the direction of the light beams.
℧-Escape from the monster by moving up to 2 spaces each turn, but the monster can move 3 spaces if he sees you.
℧-Choose the correct emotions so that Sorrow reaches a level 5 before all other emotions.
℧-Insert the specified number of pins into each numbered cell on the grid. x1/Make a specified number of connections horizontally, vertically, or diagonally x1.
℧-Move marbles to their matching-colored slots by rotating disc rings and moving colored marbles to empty slots.
℧-Tetris style game placing various-shaped boards/Blocks style games where you move blocks vertically & horizontally to clear a path for the main block to escape.
℧-Manual dexterity puzzles that require dragging a marble through tubes w/o touching sides/puzzles that require sliding objects along tracks to their correct destination.
℧-Memory matching games where you flip over two cards at a time.
℧-Pipes variations drawing water from valves to turn corners/Turning valves to set all gauge needles to the green zone (1 affects others)
℧-Swap Tile variations to complete image/Swap pie-shaped pieces to create a clown face.
℧-Direct colored beams of light by placing lenses to change the direction of the light beams.
℧-Escape from the monster by moving up to 2 spaces each turn, but the monster can move 3 spaces if he sees you.
℧-Choose the correct emotions so that Sorrow reaches a level 5 before all other emotions.
Bonus Chapter (CE Version Only)
The Bonfire stories continue where the game left off but this time the story is told by the town's barber from a different perspective. This is a short chapter with just 10 Hidden Object Scenes and 4 Mini-Games. There are no Collectible Skulls in the Bonus Chapter and it was a rather boring ending.
The Bonfire stories continue where the game left off but this time the story is told by the town's barber from a different perspective. This is a short chapter with just 10 Hidden Object Scenes and 4 Mini-Games. There are no Collectible Skulls in the Bonus Chapter and it was a rather boring ending.
Collector's Edition Extra's:
17 Wallpapers (most have no characters yay!), 36 Concept Art Pictures, 8 Music Soundtracks, 31 Movie Video Cutscenes, 8 Achievements including the famous Mariaglorum achievement of answering 3 questions about the game (6 of the achievements are in 3 categories) 40 piece Fresco Puzzle (FYI: can be completed at ANY time, even before playing the game, and you'll earn an achievement for completion) 32 Collectible Skulls~1 in every scene including the HOP's (You can return to any scene to pick up missed Skulls by clicking on the empty Skull slot in the collectibles Tab) 5 Main Chapters +Bonus Chapter and a Built-In Strategy Guide.
17 Wallpapers (most have no characters yay!), 36 Concept Art Pictures, 8 Music Soundtracks, 31 Movie Video Cutscenes, 8 Achievements including the famous Mariaglorum achievement of answering 3 questions about the game (6 of the achievements are in 3 categories) 40 piece Fresco Puzzle (FYI: can be completed at ANY time, even before playing the game, and you'll earn an achievement for completion) 32 Collectible Skulls~1 in every scene including the HOP's (You can return to any scene to pick up missed Skulls by clicking on the empty Skull slot in the collectibles Tab) 5 Main Chapters +Bonus Chapter and a Built-In Strategy Guide.
BONFIRE STORIES SERIES LIST
Title***Standard Edition Release Date***Average Rating
Title***Standard Edition Release Date***Average Rating
1-The Faceless Gravedigger (June 16-2017) 4.5
2-Heartless (October 19-2018) 4.5
3-Manifest Horror (March 15-2020) n/a
By: Mariaglorum Games
2-Heartless (October 19-2018) 4.5
3-Manifest Horror (March 15-2020) n/a
By: Mariaglorum Games
I don't recommend this game.
A recent expedition uncovered unique, priceless artifacts, but at what cost?
Overall rating
4
/
5
110 of 130 found this review helpful
THIS EPISODE OF PARANORMAL FILES HAS PASSED THE TRIALS OF HOPA WORTHINESS!
PostedMarch 14, 2020
pennmom36
fromPsychologist-ppl who believe in Paranormal show greater brain activity-weaker cognitive inhibition but greater confidence w/decisions vs. skeptics-We create beliefs because we don’t like believing the universe is random, guess they've never seen a ghosts?
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Completed Game approximately 5.5 hours
(including completion of all mini-games & CE Bonus Chapter)
19 Main Game Scene Locations +7 Bonus Chapter
Difficulty Range: Beginner-Intermediate
(including completion of all mini-games & CE Bonus Chapter)
19 Main Game Scene Locations +7 Bonus Chapter
Difficulty Range: Beginner-Intermediate
I loved the first Paranormal Files game but the following three were hit or miss games because somewhere along the beaten path these guys took a wrong turn. This developer was once the King of HOPA's, a Master Craftsman of their trade with graphics second to none. They had incredible storylines for every game they crafted and you knew instantly that you were playing an Elephant Game because of their signature "look & vibe"
Somewhere along that gravely, pot-holed, wrong turn road, they lost more than just their direction, they lost sight of what mattered to the people who carved out the road in the first place. They recklessly cut corners at a high rate of speed until they broke an axel when they veered into a seemingly innocent-looking pothole. Rather than fixing the broken axel, they slapped a patch on the pothole and kept on driving. (probably used duck tape they received in exchange for feeding a raccoon the food that was locked inside a cabinet surrounded by a swarm of bees, which incidentally required a key that a skeleton refused to hand over until a crown was donned upon his royal head, of course) Elephant games became Emblem Games, not a single task could be fulfilled until you found and replaced a motif-shaped emblem, only to discover you needed another emblem. The tasks became utterly ridiculous and predictable! You knew exactly what I was referring to with the above duct tape scenario, didn't you?!
This game was different, with the exception of a few of those familiar scenarios, I felt like the old Elephant had returned! Unlike Thursday's game, I wasn't bored, in fact, I wanted to keep playing to learn where the whole Sandman plot was taking me. I wanted to find out the Worthiness of my Trials, and I was even surprised with a few plot twists I didn't see coming. This game makes me hopeful that this developer has gotten back on the main road and is heading North to once again become King of the HOPA mountains!!???!!!
웃Helper/Gadget웃
Surprisingly, the infamous Rick Rogers Tattoo Gadget is only used one time...sort of. There's a reasonable explanation for this but to indulge more would be a huge spoiler and one that I didn't see coming! Honestly, I think Elephant may be trying to phase out this whole Tattoo-Gadget scenario, not necessarily the "powers" associated with it, just the cheesy gadget part? There is a decent Hidden Object Scene associated with the tattoo Gadget use that pieces together the series of events that took place prior to Rick's arrival, and I must say that one of the items to find briefly stumped me, which rarely happens on a Hidden Object scene!
Surprisingly, the infamous Rick Rogers Tattoo Gadget is only used one time...sort of. There's a reasonable explanation for this but to indulge more would be a huge spoiler and one that I didn't see coming! Honestly, I think Elephant may be trying to phase out this whole Tattoo-Gadget scenario, not necessarily the "powers" associated with it, just the cheesy gadget part? There is a decent Hidden Object Scene associated with the tattoo Gadget use that pieces together the series of events that took place prior to Rick's arrival, and I must say that one of the items to find briefly stumped me, which rarely happens on a Hidden Object scene!
☽☾Morphing Objects/Collectibles: (CE version only)☼
There are 26 Morphing Objects, one per scene. Although not super challenging to spot, they did a great job with not-so-obvious object selection, but I still think they should slow down the speed in which the object morphs to make them a little more challenging to spot...even better would be the inclusion of {authentic} non-linear morphs, I happen to think that this particular developer is one of the few who has the skills required to pull this feature off!!! :) Each scene also has a Paranormal Eye Icon that converts each eye into a Jigsaw Puzzle Piece that allows you to assemble a 26 Piece Puzzle in the Secret Room. Some of the scenes also have Character Globes that give a bio-background about each of the story's 12 characters. The Eyes are actually less obvious to spot than one would think in some of the scenes, but it's pretty difficult to miss a large round white globe, other than just forgetting to look, but it's kind of a staple Elephant feature to include collectible characters and there's only so many ways you can present them.
There are 26 Morphing Objects, one per scene. Although not super challenging to spot, they did a great job with not-so-obvious object selection, but I still think they should slow down the speed in which the object morphs to make them a little more challenging to spot...even better would be the inclusion of {authentic} non-linear morphs, I happen to think that this particular developer is one of the few who has the skills required to pull this feature off!!! :) Each scene also has a Paranormal Eye Icon that converts each eye into a Jigsaw Puzzle Piece that allows you to assemble a 26 Piece Puzzle in the Secret Room. Some of the scenes also have Character Globes that give a bio-background about each of the story's 12 characters. The Eyes are actually less obvious to spot than one would think in some of the scenes, but it's pretty difficult to miss a large round white globe, other than just forgetting to look, but it's kind of a staple Elephant feature to include collectible characters and there's only so many ways you can present them.
◔Hidden Object Scenes◕
There are 23 Hidden Object Scenes +5 in the CE Bonus Chapter, including a few smaller Zoom Zone HOP's. I rarely impressed with any of the HO Scenes by Elephant but this time they were much more creative and did a fantastic job with many of the scenes! They are mostly Interactive List Finds, but they did break up the monotony with Finding 10 Corresponding Object Finds, x2 Pairs of Items Finds, Silhouetted Shape Finds, Keywords in Sentence Finds and Matching Crystal Finds. I loved the scenes where you panned through 3 different scenes to find pairs of Hyrogliph drawings on stone walls, another similar scene finding Symbolic Symbols in a ritual drawing, and one where you are tasked with finding Icons on a Map that match the corresponding directions given. There are no alternate games available.
There are 23 Hidden Object Scenes +5 in the CE Bonus Chapter, including a few smaller Zoom Zone HOP's. I rarely impressed with any of the HO Scenes by Elephant but this time they were much more creative and did a fantastic job with many of the scenes! They are mostly Interactive List Finds, but they did break up the monotony with Finding 10 Corresponding Object Finds, x2 Pairs of Items Finds, Silhouetted Shape Finds, Keywords in Sentence Finds and Matching Crystal Finds. I loved the scenes where you panned through 3 different scenes to find pairs of Hyrogliph drawings on stone walls, another similar scene finding Symbolic Symbols in a ritual drawing, and one where you are tasked with finding Icons on a Map that match the corresponding directions given. There are no alternate games available.
♙Mini-Games♙
There are 18 Mini-Games +6 in the CE Bonus Chapter, some of which are 3-part progressive puzzles. The games range from easy to medium difficulty, and most are mechanical in nature which I happen to enjoy the most. Some examples are, Rotating Circuits or Dials, Aligning discs w/corresponding Numbers or Connecting various-shaped Nodes. Although they weren't brain-burners, they do require at least a little bit of thought, unlike Thursday's super easy game!
✯Bonus Chapter (Collector's Edition version only)✯
Walk a mile in someone else's shoes, better yet, in high heels as you revisit the Trials of Worth from a different perspective, playing as Rachael Cowell. There are 7 Scene Locations in this average-length chapter with 6 Mini-Games and 5 Hidden Object Scenes +2 Mini HOP's. You will continue to search for the remaining 3 Character Globes, 7 Paranormal Eyes, and 7 Morphing Objects. The Paranormal Eyes convert to Jigsaw Puzzle Pieces that unlock a 26 piece puzzle in the Secret Room (note: the puzzle pieces can be assembled as you find individual eyes but cannot be completed until the BC has been completed)
There are 18 Mini-Games +6 in the CE Bonus Chapter, some of which are 3-part progressive puzzles. The games range from easy to medium difficulty, and most are mechanical in nature which I happen to enjoy the most. Some examples are, Rotating Circuits or Dials, Aligning discs w/corresponding Numbers or Connecting various-shaped Nodes. Although they weren't brain-burners, they do require at least a little bit of thought, unlike Thursday's super easy game!
✯Bonus Chapter (Collector's Edition version only)✯
Walk a mile in someone else's shoes, better yet, in high heels as you revisit the Trials of Worth from a different perspective, playing as Rachael Cowell. There are 7 Scene Locations in this average-length chapter with 6 Mini-Games and 5 Hidden Object Scenes +2 Mini HOP's. You will continue to search for the remaining 3 Character Globes, 7 Paranormal Eyes, and 7 Morphing Objects. The Paranormal Eyes convert to Jigsaw Puzzle Pieces that unlock a 26 piece puzzle in the Secret Room (note: the puzzle pieces can be assembled as you find individual eyes but cannot be completed until the BC has been completed)
♕Collector's Edition Extra's♕
12 Wallpapers, 11 Concept Art Pictures, 5 Music Soundtracks, 10 Achievements (some available in 3-5 categories) 13 Replayable Mini-Games, 15 Replayable Hidden Object Scenes 12 Character Globes with Bio's, 26 Morphing Objects, 26 Paranormal Eyes (converts to puzzle pieces for a 26 pcs. Jigsaw Puzzle in the Secret Room) a Secret Room Jigsaw Puzzle, 3 Main Chapters +Bonus Chapter and a Built-In Strategy Guide.
12 Wallpapers, 11 Concept Art Pictures, 5 Music Soundtracks, 10 Achievements (some available in 3-5 categories) 13 Replayable Mini-Games, 15 Replayable Hidden Object Scenes 12 Character Globes with Bio's, 26 Morphing Objects, 26 Paranormal Eyes (converts to puzzle pieces for a 26 pcs. Jigsaw Puzzle in the Secret Room) a Secret Room Jigsaw Puzzle, 3 Main Chapters +Bonus Chapter and a Built-In Strategy Guide.
PARANORMAL FILES SERIES LIST
Title***Collector's Edition Release Date***Average Rating
Title***Collector's Edition Release Date***Average Rating
1-Fellow Traveler (May 31-2018) 4.5
2-The Tall Man (November 15-2018) 4.0
3-Enjoy The Shopping (April 27-2019) 3.6
4-The Hook Man's Legend (September 26-2019) 3.4
5-Trials of Worth (March 14-2020) n/a
2-The Tall Man (November 15-2018) 4.0
3-Enjoy The Shopping (April 27-2019) 3.6
4-The Hook Man's Legend (September 26-2019) 3.4
5-Trials of Worth (March 14-2020) n/a
by: Elephant Games
Can you save your beloved from a dangerous sculptor’s obsession?
Overall rating
3
/
5
50 of 62 found this review helpful
STILL WEEPING
PostedMarch 13, 2020
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
Completed Game approximately 4.5 hours
(including completion of all mini-games & CE Bonus Chapter)
19 Scene Locations +8 CE Bonus Chapter
Difficulty Range: Beginner
(including completion of all mini-games & CE Bonus Chapter)
19 Scene Locations +8 CE Bonus Chapter
Difficulty Range: Beginner
Cesare was the most talented Sculptor in Italy and it was an honor if you were chosen as his model because you had to enter and win his beauty contest first. Unfortunately, those beautiful models seemed to have all vanished into thin air, could the infamous Cesare be using a taboo ritual to create beautiful sculptures that come to life?
Collectibles/Morphing Objects: (CE version only)
Each scene has 2 of those famous 4Friends Opaque Collectibles that are really well-blended into the scenery and one of my personal favorite collectibles overall. (my all-time favorite CE feature are non-linear morphs from the original DP series) There are 54 Opaque Animals which unlocks 5 Porcelain Animal Figurines when you find 5-10-24-45-54 Opaque Animal Figurines. Each scene also has two Morphing Objects, some of which are very well-hidden and challenging to spot at first glance. There is an available pull-out Tab on the left side that tells you how many morphs & collectibles remain in each scene.
Each scene has 2 of those famous 4Friends Opaque Collectibles that are really well-blended into the scenery and one of my personal favorite collectibles overall. (my all-time favorite CE feature are non-linear morphs from the original DP series) There are 54 Opaque Animals which unlocks 5 Porcelain Animal Figurines when you find 5-10-24-45-54 Opaque Animal Figurines. Each scene also has two Morphing Objects, some of which are very well-hidden and challenging to spot at first glance. There is an available pull-out Tab on the left side that tells you how many morphs & collectibles remain in each scene.
Gadget/Helper:
How many tears must I cry? This is one of those features that everyone went crazy on when 4 Friends first offered the gadget that required a tear. Personally, I LOVED the Dragon Gadget offered in a previous game because...well, who doesn't like baby dragons? He wrapped around your wrist and revealed a story with each scale replaced, and every game in every series by this developer now has the same scenario with a gadget that requires Tears, crystal tears, ruby tears, sapphire tears, emerald tears, dragon tears, gargoyle tears, eye of newt tears, you get the picture, right? This time the gadget is named Eve and her super-powers allow her to bestow life itself. Once again, Eve requires a Tear of Perfection to bestow her super-powers upon its master, whomever it may be. You will feed Eve 5 Tears during the game (Carlo-Lucia-Miner-Bella-Ricardo) to hear a backstory and play a small HO scene and interact with various items in the room
How many tears must I cry? This is one of those features that everyone went crazy on when 4 Friends first offered the gadget that required a tear. Personally, I LOVED the Dragon Gadget offered in a previous game because...well, who doesn't like baby dragons? He wrapped around your wrist and revealed a story with each scale replaced, and every game in every series by this developer now has the same scenario with a gadget that requires Tears, crystal tears, ruby tears, sapphire tears, emerald tears, dragon tears, gargoyle tears, eye of newt tears, you get the picture, right? This time the gadget is named Eve and her super-powers allow her to bestow life itself. Once again, Eve requires a Tear of Perfection to bestow her super-powers upon its master, whomever it may be. You will feed Eve 5 Tears during the game (Carlo-Lucia-Miner-Bella-Ricardo) to hear a backstory and play a small HO scene and interact with various items in the room
Hidden Object Scenes:
There are 22 Hidden Object Scenes +7 in the CE Bonus Chapter. The scenes are clear and located in interesting locations, and the objects are fairly well-hidden There are Interactive List Finds, Silhouetted Shape Finds, Keywords in Sentence Finds, Replace Items, and Spot the Difference Finds available. There are no alternate puzzles offered.
There are 22 Hidden Object Scenes +7 in the CE Bonus Chapter. The scenes are clear and located in interesting locations, and the objects are fairly well-hidden There are Interactive List Finds, Silhouetted Shape Finds, Keywords in Sentence Finds, Replace Items, and Spot the Difference Finds available. There are no alternate puzzles offered.
Mini-Games:
There are 19 Mini-Games +4 in the CE Bonus Chapter. The games are on the easy-side of the spectrum with a high percentage of them being simple puzzle variations such as placing picture fragments, dragging vertical strips or turning disk segments.
There are 19 Mini-Games +4 in the CE Bonus Chapter. The games are on the easy-side of the spectrum with a high percentage of them being simple puzzle variations such as placing picture fragments, dragging vertical strips or turning disk segments.
Bonus Chapter: (CE version only)
Oh boy, it's going to be one of those days where nothing goes right. You are creating an exquisite sculpture of a gargoyle when it unexpectedly comes to life. You are accused of a taboo crime and go on the lam to figure out what went wrong and clear your name. This is an average-length Bonus Chapter that takes place over 8 Scene Locations and you will continue searching for the final 16 Opaque Animal Figurines and 16 Morphing Objects which will unlock the final Porcelain Animals in your collection.
Oh boy, it's going to be one of those days where nothing goes right. You are creating an exquisite sculpture of a gargoyle when it unexpectedly comes to life. You are accused of a taboo crime and go on the lam to figure out what went wrong and clear your name. This is an average-length Bonus Chapter that takes place over 8 Scene Locations and you will continue searching for the final 16 Opaque Animal Figurines and 16 Morphing Objects which will unlock the final Porcelain Animals in your collection.
Collector's Edition Version Extra's
8 Wallpapers, 28 Concept Art Pictures, 6 Screensavers, 6 Music Soundtracks, 34 Movie Video Cutscenes, 20 Achievements (10 achievements are available in 3 category progressions) 13 Replayable Hidden Object Scenes, 13 Replayable Mini-Games, 54 Opaque Animal Figurines (2 per scene) 54 Morphing Objects (2 per scene) 5 Main Chapters +Bonus Chapter and a Built-In Strategy Guide.
8 Wallpapers, 28 Concept Art Pictures, 6 Screensavers, 6 Music Soundtracks, 34 Movie Video Cutscenes, 20 Achievements (10 achievements are available in 3 category progressions) 13 Replayable Hidden Object Scenes, 13 Replayable Mini-Games, 54 Opaque Animal Figurines (2 per scene) 54 Morphing Objects (2 per scene) 5 Main Chapters +Bonus Chapter and a Built-In Strategy Guide.
IMMORTAL LOVE SERIES LIST
Title***Standard Edition Release Date***Average Rating
Title***Standard Edition Release Date***Average Rating
1-Letter From The Past (January 8-2016) 3.9
2-The Price Of A Miracle (January 6-2017) 3.6
3-Blind Desire (August 27-2017) 3.3
4-Black Lotus (April 20-2018) 4.0
5-Kiss of the Night (October 12-2018) 3.8
6-Bitter Awakening (May 31.2019) 4.0
7-Stone Beauty (March 13-2020) n/a
2-The Price Of A Miracle (January 6-2017) 3.6
3-Blind Desire (August 27-2017) 3.3
4-Black Lotus (April 20-2018) 4.0
5-Kiss of the Night (October 12-2018) 3.8
6-Bitter Awakening (May 31.2019) 4.0
7-Stone Beauty (March 13-2020) n/a
by: 4 Friends Games/Friendly Fox Studios
I recommend this game!
Find clues, interrogate suspects, complete solitaire puzzles and find hidden clues to solve a murder mystery!
Overall rating
4
/
5
89 of 104 found this review helpful
DOESN'T HAVE A "WOW" FACTOR, BUT DEFINITELY PURCHASE WORTHY
PostedMarch 12, 2020
pennmom36
fromIf I keep having Police Cruiser Bad Luck Accidents I'm gonna get canned!
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
This is a decent Solitaire game that isn't super challenging but it has a lot of variety to break up the monotony, such as, puzzles, mahjong, and some fairly challenging Clutter style Hidden Objects Scenes. It does allow you to replay levels if you don't earn all 3 "Badges" or stars, which is a must-have Solitaire feature as far as I'm concerned. Even though I wasn't blown away with excitement, I used a PCC to purchase it and I'm enjoying the game still. There are over 100 Solitaire levels and plenty of HO's and puzzles, so I feel like the game is purchase worthy.
You can choose Regular Simple Card Graphics or Themed Cards which have various police-related or investigative equipment on them, such as handcuffs, batons, computers, suspects and detective agents. In the last Detective Solitaire game by this developer, you could choose from 3 different types of Solitaire games or have all 3 Mixed together, a Pair Solitaire type requiring you to match pairs of cards either with each other or with the deck card, a Sum type Solitaire which required you to select two cards whose sum is 14 when added together, and a Traditional, Higher/Lower type Solitaire. I was highly disappointed that there were no solitaire options this time, it's either a Higher/Lower type or an actual Mahjong game with mahjong tiles rather than cards. (you have to play the Mahjong on several of the solitaire levels, it's not a skippable mini-game) Mahjong is my least favorite genre of all games, but this particular Mahjong was pretty decent and the tikes are very traditional. There are 2 Detective Boosters that will hold 2 tiles until they can be used.
The Investigation begins by playing Solitaire levels until you earn the required amount of "Clues" (48) which are square puzzle pieces. Once you have all the clues or puzzle pieces you play a mini-game puzzle variation of either rotating the squares or swapping squares to complete the image which "reveals" the criminal. Between Solitaire Levels you will play a Clutter-type Hidden Object Scene of various types, such as finding objects with just a small flashlight beam or finding objects that are presented one by one. The objects aren't always the same size or color as the pictured items.
Power Booster Cards are located at the bottom left as "Agents" that can be used once they charge. You can use them to Remove a Random Open Card or Remove a Random Closed Card by shooting them, or Add 2 Random Wild Cards to the field. Number specific Wild Cards are available in just about every level and stored until you need that specific number, multiples of the Wildcards are shown above the card slots as well.
I have played for a few hours and so far there is only one type of Obstacle Card, Police Tape Cards that require uncovering the Search Warrant to remove the tape. The "Good Luck-Bad Luck Cards have returned and they are on most levels. Good Luck Card reward you with Coins, Bad Luck Cards disable one of the Booster Agents for the entire level. It's a decent game, just not a blow your socks off kind of game, but it is an enjoyable and relaxing solitaire to pass the time.
SOLITAIRE MURDER MYSTERY SERIES LIST
Title***Standard Edition Release Date***Average Rating
Title***Standard Edition Release Date***Average Rating
1-Double Clue: Solitaire Stories (May 3-2017) 4.1
2-The Deceptive Daggers: Solitaire Murder Mystery (March 9-2020) n/a
by: Playtinum
2-The Deceptive Daggers: Solitaire Murder Mystery (March 9-2020) n/a
by: Playtinum
I recommend this game!
Can you catch a magical culprit behind a string of strange robberies?
Overall rating
3
/
5
175 of 209 found this review helpful
NO THOUGHT PROCESS REQUIRED HERE FOLKS, PUT YOUR BRAIN ON AUTOPILOT
PostedMarch 12, 2020
pennmom36
fromMCF Huntsville did so well the CEO of BF cracked open a bottle of champagne & asked "when can we have the next one ready?" That was basically the beginning of the invention of HO games as we know it today!
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
Completed Game approximately 5.0 hours
(including completion of all mini-games & CE Bonus Chapter)
19 Scene Locations +8 CE Bonus Chapter
Difficulty Range: Ages 8+
(including completion of all mini-games & CE Bonus Chapter)
19 Scene Locations +8 CE Bonus Chapter
Difficulty Range: Ages 8+
I just don't get it! Just a few years ago, HOPA games were amazing, they were challenging, they were fun! Nowadays, the graphics are much better but the games themselves have become foolproof! It's like herding cattle through a chute, they can't go to the left, they can't go to the right, they can't go backward, they can only move in a straight line forward. This game is a cattle chute, you move one scene at a time, you don't move left, you don't move right, you don't go back to the next scene until you find 2-3 items, solve a couple of tasks, and play a mini-game or two. Move forward to the next scene, same scenario, push through the herd, next scene, next chapter, push another cow or two, move forward a few more feet, repeat the process. Your brain goes on auto-pilot, you can't go wrong, you can't do anything wrong, you can't even go in the wrong direction because the game won't let you move outside the cattle chute!
The reason the games of yesteryear were so cool was that you weren't confined to just one or two scenes, some games didn't lock any of the scenes and you would search scene after scene, searching for something you needed but missed the first time around. You had to figure things out on your own, solve complex or tricky puzzles, remember codes and clues you discovered (and try to figure out if something was a clue that would eventually be required down the road) Morphing Objects were challenging to find because oftentimes they didn't morph the first time you stumbled upon them, collectibles weren't large and impossible to miss, and Hidden Objects were the basis of the game...they were called Hidden Object Scenes because the Objects were just that...HIDDEN or at the very least, they were blended into the scenery to trick the mind's eye! I haven't become burned out on HOPA games, THEY have fizzled and burned out all the features that made them exciting to play. I can download an older game from my vast library (yes, I own every CE version of every HOPA game BF offers!) and still thoroughly enjoy playing them to this day! I don't want to see this genre disappear, but if the developers continue to create games that are this foolproof, fans will (and have) walk away. It's okay to offer some games for beginners, but that's such a small percentage of gamers, why wouldn't you want to cater to those who have been playing for a long time, those of us who made this genre a commodity in the first place? I urge the remaining developers to go back to their roots, play the games of yesteryear to refresh your memories of how & why this genre exploded in popularity, back to the day when developers of HOPA's were rolling in the dough$$$!!!
✩Collectibles/Morphing Objects: (CE version only)★
There are 27 Collectible Shamrock Coins and 27 Morphing Green Leprechaun Hats that are too large and easily spotted because they look so out of place in the scenes. The second you "walk" into a new scene, your eye automatically focuses on the huge, shiny gold coin with a green shamrock, the coin is always high, the hat is always low, they are impossible to miss!
⚙️Gadget/Helper⚙️
There are two Gadgets with Icons located on the Right and Left side of the Inventory Bar. The Evidence Folder on the left is used 6 times during the Main Game and 3 times during the CE Bonus Chapter. After collecting evidence, you open this folder and place each of the 4 available Character Cameos onto the correct Paragraphs located below. The photos turn into Names that fill in the blanks of the sentences...don't real investigators use this method?
There are 27 Collectible Shamrock Coins and 27 Morphing Green Leprechaun Hats that are too large and easily spotted because they look so out of place in the scenes. The second you "walk" into a new scene, your eye automatically focuses on the huge, shiny gold coin with a green shamrock, the coin is always high, the hat is always low, they are impossible to miss!
⚙️Gadget/Helper⚙️
There are two Gadgets with Icons located on the Right and Left side of the Inventory Bar. The Evidence Folder on the left is used 6 times during the Main Game and 3 times during the CE Bonus Chapter. After collecting evidence, you open this folder and place each of the 4 available Character Cameos onto the correct Paragraphs located below. The photos turn into Names that fill in the blanks of the sentences...don't real investigators use this method?
The second Gadget is an "all-seeing eye" Deduction, located on the right side, and is used 6 times during the Main Game and twice during the CE Bonus Chapter. Before making a deduction, you are tasked with playing a Hidden Object Scene by finding a few Listed Items in the room to either piece together a series of events that took place, and occasionally a series of events that will help you escape a situation. Neither Gadget seemed realistic or necessary for that matter and took all credibility away from the plot premise of a detective trying to solve actual crimes.
❏Hidden Object Scenes❏
There are 18 Hidden Object Scenes +5 in the CE Bonus Chapter, including a repetitive Deduction Gadget hidden object variation of finding 3-4 Listed Items in the room that either helps you piece together a series of events or helps you concoct an escape plan. The scenes are clear but not located in interesting locations and certainly not "hidden." In the event that the original scene didn't bore you to tears, they decided to make you repeat the scene for a second shot at putting you to sleep! Clearly, the developers were bored too because, by the time the third chapter rolled around, nearly all of the HO scenes were repeated a second time. The HO scenes are mostly Listed Item Finds (1-3 items may require a slight interaction, such as opening a drawer) but they also include Silhouetted Shape Finds, Finding Listed Items in Pairs, Reverse Finds (take items from the inventory & place them into the scene) Multiples of a Single Object Find, and one scene where you are tasked with finding 6 Items a squirrel eats. Unfortunately, there are no alternate puzzles offered.
There are 18 Hidden Object Scenes +5 in the CE Bonus Chapter, including a repetitive Deduction Gadget hidden object variation of finding 3-4 Listed Items in the room that either helps you piece together a series of events or helps you concoct an escape plan. The scenes are clear but not located in interesting locations and certainly not "hidden." In the event that the original scene didn't bore you to tears, they decided to make you repeat the scene for a second shot at putting you to sleep! Clearly, the developers were bored too because, by the time the third chapter rolled around, nearly all of the HO scenes were repeated a second time. The HO scenes are mostly Listed Item Finds (1-3 items may require a slight interaction, such as opening a drawer) but they also include Silhouetted Shape Finds, Finding Listed Items in Pairs, Reverse Finds (take items from the inventory & place them into the scene) Multiples of a Single Object Find, and one scene where you are tasked with finding 6 Items a squirrel eats. Unfortunately, there are no alternate puzzles offered.
♙Mini-Games♙
There are 29 Mini-Games +9 in the CE Bonus Chapter, including a repetitive Folder Clue mini-game where you drag 4 photos onto the correct paragraph clues. I gotta tell you, these are some of the most boring, simplistic puzzles ever offered in one game! The majority of puzzles are no-brainers, swap 4 books to the matching colored slots? Place 6 torn fragments into the highlighted slots? Paint with 4 colors, is the sky blue? Move screws to their matching colored slots along a given path? Rotate pipe sections? Use a magnifying glass to find 9 specified items...which btw are the only items that are highlighted in blue? Really??? I kid you not, several of the puzzles could be completed in ONE SINGLE MOVE!
There are 29 Mini-Games +9 in the CE Bonus Chapter, including a repetitive Folder Clue mini-game where you drag 4 photos onto the correct paragraph clues. I gotta tell you, these are some of the most boring, simplistic puzzles ever offered in one game! The majority of puzzles are no-brainers, swap 4 books to the matching colored slots? Place 6 torn fragments into the highlighted slots? Paint with 4 colors, is the sky blue? Move screws to their matching colored slots along a given path? Rotate pipe sections? Use a magnifying glass to find 9 specified items...which btw are the only items that are highlighted in blue? Really??? I kid you not, several of the puzzles could be completed in ONE SINGLE MOVE!
✯Bonus Chapter: (CE version only)✯
Constable McDonnell has asked you to return to Dublin when a mysterious Banshee wreaks havoc throughout town. Her victims are rendered comatose and nothing seems to arouse them in this average-length, 8 scene Bonus Chapter. You will use your Folder Icon 3 times to Review Clues via a repetitive Mini-Game of dragging 4 photos to the correct paragraphs to complete the sentence, and your Deductive Icon twice to draw conclusions via a Hidden Object Scene. There are 5 Hidden Object Scenes and 9 Mini-Games (including those associated with the Gadgets mentioned above) and each scene have 1 Morphing Object and 1 Collectible. Once all morphs & collectibles have been found, they will unlock a board game to play. I'm not sure if you can return to the scene to collect any missing coins or morphing hats because I didn't miss any and you probably won't either because they are so large and look so out of place that they are easily spotted.
Constable McDonnell has asked you to return to Dublin when a mysterious Banshee wreaks havoc throughout town. Her victims are rendered comatose and nothing seems to arouse them in this average-length, 8 scene Bonus Chapter. You will use your Folder Icon 3 times to Review Clues via a repetitive Mini-Game of dragging 4 photos to the correct paragraphs to complete the sentence, and your Deductive Icon twice to draw conclusions via a Hidden Object Scene. There are 5 Hidden Object Scenes and 9 Mini-Games (including those associated with the Gadgets mentioned above) and each scene have 1 Morphing Object and 1 Collectible. Once all morphs & collectibles have been found, they will unlock a board game to play. I'm not sure if you can return to the scene to collect any missing coins or morphing hats because I didn't miss any and you probably won't either because they are so large and look so out of place that they are easily spotted.
✺Collector's Edition Version Extra's✺
7 Wallpapers, 18 Concept Art Pictures, 5 Screensavers, 5 Music Soundtracks, 47 Movie Video Cutscenes, 24 Achievements (12 achievements are available in 3 category progressions) 10 Replayable Hidden Object Scenes, 11 Replayable Mini-Games, 27 Morphing Green Leprechaun Hats, 27 Collectible Shamrock Coins, 5 Main Chapters +Bonus Chapter and a Built-In Strategy Guide.
7 Wallpapers, 18 Concept Art Pictures, 5 Screensavers, 5 Music Soundtracks, 47 Movie Video Cutscenes, 24 Achievements (12 achievements are available in 3 category progressions) 10 Replayable Hidden Object Scenes, 11 Replayable Mini-Games, 27 Morphing Green Leprechaun Hats, 27 Collectible Shamrock Coins, 5 Main Chapters +Bonus Chapter and a Built-In Strategy Guide.
DARK CITY SERIES LIST
Title***Collector's Edition Release Date***Average Rating
Title***Collector's Edition Release Date***Average Rating
1-London (November 29-2017) 4.5
2-Munich (November 8-2018) 4.5
3-Vienna (September 12-2019) 3.7
4-Dublin (March 12-2020) n/a
by: Friendly Fox Studio/4Friends Games
2-Munich (November 8-2018) 4.5
3-Vienna (September 12-2019) 3.7
4-Dublin (March 12-2020) n/a
by: Friendly Fox Studio/4Friends Games
I don't recommend this game.
Join Claire on an exciting time management adventure and help save the world from catastrophe!
Overall rating
1
/
5
53 of 56 found this review helpful
THESE ARE LOST ARTIFACTS I HAVE NO DESIRE TO SEARCH FOR
PostedMarch 11, 2020
pennmom36
fromIt's pretty difficult to play a TM game when the "clicks" you make lag for several seconds!
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
1
/
5
Level of Challenge
1
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
This game has some serious issues, it lags between clicking and actually doing something, and it takes forever between scenes as you sit there staring at a <<<LOADING>>> bar for an eternity. When I tried to find out what was offered in the EXTRA'S on the CE version's tab, not only did I have to wait eons for the loading bar to fill but the second you exit out of whichever category you chose it takes you back to the main screen and you have to click on the extra's tab again and wait for the loading bar to fill again, just to get to the next extra's category, what a pain!
There are 50 Levels and the CE version has 10 Bonus Levels as well as 25 Achievement Trophies to earn. The CE version's Extra's include 5 Music Soundtracks and 10 Concept Art Pictures and a Strategy Guide but the game is super easy and there isn't a whole lot of strategy involved. There are no Morphs or Collectibles in either version and it's hard to justify the CE worthiness just to get 5 Music Soundtracks, 10 cartoon style Concept Art Pictures, and 10 extra Levels, heck, it's hard to justify buying the SE version for that matter!
There are the usual (& boring) tasks to perform, clearing paths, repairing and upgrading Workers Houses, Sawmills for Lumber, and Farm Plots to produce various crops, There are also the same-ole, same-ole Bridges to repair, Holes to patch along the paths, and some levels require that you upgrade certain buildings to a certain level. You may need to build houses to accommodate specialized people to rid the paths from certain obstructions.
This is just another cookie-cutter TM game that doesn't have much to offer. The games by this developer are always the same, and always boring. Perhaps it's time to just let these explorers so their expeditions solo, definitely w/o me!
LOST ARTIFACTS SERIES LIST
Title***Standard Edition Release Date***Average Rating
Title***Standard Edition Release Date***Average Rating
1-Lost Artifacts SE (August 30-2017) 3.1
2-Lost Artifacts: Golden Island SE (January 5-2018) 2.4
3-Lost Artifacts: Soulstone SE (June 20-2018) 3.0
4-Lost Artifacts: Time Machine SE (January 6-2019) 2.2
5-Lost Artifacts: Frozen Queen SE (March 11-2020)
by: GameOn Production (developer)
by: 8 Floor Games (producer)
2-Lost Artifacts: Golden Island SE (January 5-2018) 2.4
3-Lost Artifacts: Soulstone SE (June 20-2018) 3.0
4-Lost Artifacts: Time Machine SE (January 6-2019) 2.2
5-Lost Artifacts: Frozen Queen SE (March 11-2020)
by: GameOn Production (developer)
by: 8 Floor Games (producer)
I don't recommend this game.
A giant creature is causing chaos around the world! Join Dracula as he embarks on an extraordinary quest unlike any he has experienced!
Overall rating
5
/
5
128 of 137 found this review helpful
DRAC'S STILL ONE OF MY FAVORITES!
PostedMarch 10, 2020
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Let's be honest, very few Time Management games have an amazing storyline, the kind of storyline that you anticipate reading between levels. Incredible Dracula games have always had storylines that are adventurous and sometimes downright hilarious!. I love the characters in Drac's entourage and those they meet on their never-ending quests when duty calls. Although it's hard to make a fatal error (build the wrong thing or fulfill a quest in the wrong order & not having enough resources necessary to continue) there's still enough of a challenge to hold my interest.
I'm glad they decided to include my favorite feature of constructing or repairing BloodDonald's for food which was briefly substituted with donuts in Game of Gods, it just didn't work in a game with characters like Dracula, Frankenstein, Witches, and Zombies. Speaking of characters, all our favorite characters have returned to assist Dracula, Rufus the undead worker, Elizabeth aka Princess and her furry sidekick Vlad. Every level has a different character which of course, will help us once we help them solve their particular dilemma.
There are 50 Levels and 33 Achievement Trophies to earn, and you can play in a Normal Blood-sucker Mode, a Casual Mode for chilled vamps and a Relaxed Mode with no Time restraints to cut your fangs on. I found this game to be a tad easier than the last game, which isn't a bad thing because I thought the last one was a little bit too challenging because it was difficult to earn all three stars without playing each level several times.
There are the usual yet unusual TM tasks of collecting Resources, Clearing Paths, Repairing and Upgrading BloodDonalds Restaurants, Sawmills, Crystal Mines, Laboratories, Fire Towers to produce Fireballs, Pharmacies to continually replenish Magic Elixir, filling potholes, collecting Bones for Vlad so he can slurp the puddles, harvesting pumpkin bwains, repairing iron bridges, repairing gate levers, removing seaweed, jellyfish, coral and sludge left behind by the Frozen Sea Monster, and even cracking clamshells for rewards!
There are the usual yet unusual TM tasks of collecting Resources, Clearing Paths, Repairing and Upgrading BloodDonalds Restaurants, Sawmills, Crystal Mines, Laboratories, Fire Towers to produce Fireballs, Pharmacies to continually replenish Magic Elixir, filling potholes, collecting Bones for Vlad so he can slurp the puddles, harvesting pumpkin bwains, repairing iron bridges, repairing gate levers, removing seaweed, jellyfish, coral and sludge left behind by the Frozen Sea Monster, and even cracking clamshells for rewards!
This game has great humor, interesting characters, cool features, and above all, it's a really fun Time Management Game to play. It's also a Fangtastic series, once you play one, you're going to want to play them all!
INCREDIBLE DRACULA SERIES LIST
Title***Collector's Edition Release Date***Average Rating
Title***Collector's Edition Release Date***Average Rating
1-Chasing Love (November 3-2015) 4.3
2-The Last Call (April 30-2016) 4.2
3-Family Secrets (January 17-2017) 4.6
4-Game of Gods (January 16-2018) 3.3
5-Vargosi Returns SE only (September 19-2018) 3.7
6-The Ice Kingdom SE only (January 18-2019) 4.3
7-Ocean's Call (March 10-2020) n/a
2-The Last Call (April 30-2016) 4.2
3-Family Secrets (January 17-2017) 4.6
4-Game of Gods (January 16-2018) 3.3
5-Vargosi Returns SE only (September 19-2018) 3.7
6-The Ice Kingdom SE only (January 18-2019) 4.3
7-Ocean's Call (March 10-2020) n/a
I recommend this game!
Summer Adventure 4
Mary's family is on a new summer adventure. Complete amazing collections, clean up the clutter, solve fun mahjong puzzles and discover more puzzle fun!
Overall rating
3
/
5
118 of 126 found this review helpful
I'D ACTUALLY GIVE IT 3.5 STARS FOR THE IMPROVED GRAPHICS!
PostedMarch 8, 2020
pennmom36
fromOhhh nooooo...Look out Mr. Golden Retriever, there's a 5 foot fork and a giant birthday candle in the back yard!!!!
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
I have a hard time being super negative on a game when I see improvements from game to game in a series because if they are improving something, they are obviously trying, and let's face it, you just can't please everyone. On my review of Summer Adventures 3, another reviewer made the comment that I shouldn't write a review if I don't like the game, but how will developers know what people DON'T like in a game if all they read are reviews from people who like or love that particular game? (Wouldn't they continue spewing out game after game that's the same as the one before?)
If you have read my reviews (thank you:) you probably know that I do love a good old-fashioned HOG if it's done correctly and has good graphics that don't have microscopic objects or objects so blurry that you can't tell whether you're staring at a turtle or just a random corner of a table. Summer Adventures 4 is an improvement as far as having easily identifiable objects, however, the scenery graphics are about as bare-boned basic as it gets with bland, single-colored items that are void of detail, there's no shading or angular lines to give it dimensional depth, the scenes just look large and flat.
There are 60 Hidden Object Scenes that can be played in a Timed or Relaxed Mode, and you can earn up to 3 Stars, according to the amount of time it takes, but it doesn't seem to penalize you for misclicks or using the Hint feature. This is an old-fashioned Hidden Object Game where you are tasked with finding 15 Listed Items in each location, to earn up to 3-Stars. Each scene has a single Zoom Zone (as indicated by sparkles) that contains the final 3 objects. You can improve your star rating by replaying the scenes, via the level map, but the objects to find are different each time you play. Each level has 3 Hearts and 3 Anchors to find with Icons located on the left and right of the Inventory Bar to keep track of how many you have found. When you find all 3 Hearts in a scene, it will unlock 3 Animal Images in your Photo Album (what do hearts have to do with animals other than loving animals?) I'm not sure if the animals are supposed to represent those indigenous to the area the scene correlates to if so, it would have been nice if the scene had some type of description for each Summer Adventure location. When you find all 3 Anchors, it will unlock an image of a Yacht or Ship in your Photo Album. There's a third Photo Album that contains 40 Scene photos as well. Why didn't they go the extra mile to allow you to save all 60 level images? Why not add them as wallpapers to download? (otherwise, who cares??)
The items to find are still not proportionate, in the first scene, the fork was larger than a lounge chair, and the candle was about four times the size of the Golden Retriever dog!
After each Hidden Object Scene, there is a simplistic mini-game available, such as a 24 piece Jigsaw Puzzle with no rotating feature, Mahjong, Pipes, where you click to rotate square tiles to connect a path of pipes, a Group Match 2 game where you click on 2 or more identical tokens, Clutter type HO's, and a Word Search variation with images instead of actual words.
After each Hidden Object Scene, there is a simplistic mini-game available, such as a 24 piece Jigsaw Puzzle with no rotating feature, Mahjong, Pipes, where you click to rotate square tiles to connect a path of pipes, a Group Match 2 game where you click on 2 or more identical tokens, Clutter type HO's, and a Word Search variation with images instead of actual words.
SUMMER ADVENTURE SERIES LIST
Title***Release Date***Average Rating
Title***Release Date***Average Rating
1-Summer Adventures 1 (August 3-2018) 2.9
2-Summer Adventures 2 (April 8-2019) 3.9
3-Summer Adventures 3 (June 24-2019) 2.5
4-Summer Adventures 4 (March 3-2020) n/a
by: Imaginary Two Games
2-Summer Adventures 2 (April 8-2019) 3.9
3-Summer Adventures 3 (June 24-2019) 2.5
4-Summer Adventures 4 (March 3-2020) n/a
by: Imaginary Two Games
Family turmoil among the gods has affected common mortals and the Argonauts Agency is called on to help!
Overall rating
1
/
5
61 of 80 found this review helpful
Let's Just Hang Up A Sign That Says "AGENCY CLOSED DUE TO LACK OF INTEREST" Shall We??
PostedMarch 8, 2020
pennmom36
fromI'd like to think that these developers don't think to read these reviews. If they did read them, they would have a better understanding of why their games get such poor star ratings!
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
1
/
5
Level of Challenge
1
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
I have played all 6 Argonauts Agency Time Management games (demo only, I'm not Wonder Woman ya know?) and it's hard to tell the difference between games! The first game was boring, the second game didn't pick up any speed, the third game went backward, the fourth game spiraled into the dud category, the fifth game joined the fourth, and this game was a complete waste of time! I played the first 5 levels and they were so repetitive and so easy that I could have just kept the clock ticking from the first level and still completed all 5 levels in the time allotted for the first level!
I became so bored that I decided to see how far I could upgrade the Casino-style Equipment. For those of you who haven't played this series, there is an Upgrade feature that allows you to spin the wheel in hopes of getting 3 identical Equipment Icons. (they add these features so they don't have to create an entirely new game platform when converting it to the mobile version which seems pretty lazy when you think about it!) You start out with 10 Free Spis, and you will earn +10 Spins for every 5-minutes of gameplay and the spins take so long that by the time you use up all 10 spins, 5-minutes have passed and +10 more spins are added! There are 6 different types of Equipment that either increase or decrease by percentage increments. You have to win each piece of equipment several times for each upgrade (9 time's for the 1st upgrade, 12 times's for the 2nd, 15 time's for the 3rd, 18 time's for the 4th, and 21 time's for the 5th and final upgrade) During the 60-minute demo, I was able to upgrade 4 out of the 6 Equipment Bonuses available to the 3rd out of 5 Tiers, by repeatedly hitting the spin button! (you can also win Free Gems/Spins. If these bonuses are so easy to get, why do they bother making you spin, (is it because it's a feature intended for the mobile version where you pay to play?) why not just give them to us from the start?
Equipment Bonuses to win "Casino Slot-Style (upgradable 5 times for each bonus):
⛏️Sandals~speeds up the characters.
⛏️Axe~cut down trees faster.
⛏️Shovel~fill holes faster.
⛏️Sword~monster battle time reduced.
⛏️Hammer~speeds up construction.
⛏️Pick Axe~speeds stone breaking time.
⛏️Axe~cut down trees faster.
⛏️Shovel~fill holes faster.
⛏️Sword~monster battle time reduced.
⛏️Hammer~speeds up construction.
⛏️Pick Axe~speeds stone breaking time.
You can play in an Untimed, Normal or Hard difficulty mode and it allows you to switch back and forth easily before the start of each level with an icon located above the levels. I do like this feature because sometimes it's helpful to play the first go-round in an untimed mode to figure out what the requirements are, such as what materials are needed for each task (bridges, boulders, etc) and then play the level again in a normal or hard mode, especially when a TM game requires a lot of strategies. Unfortunately, this game doesn't require much strategy so it's wasted potential!
Once again, the game is chock-full of annoying, repetitive, back-and-forth, to-and-fro tasks of rowing a boat to a tiny port, just to pick up a loaf of bread and fill a pot-hole or two. In all fairness, they did throw in a couple of buttons on the islands, the size of a small mountain, that requires sending two workers to hit the buttons simultaneously...how clever. Every level has a million bridges to repair, wooden bridges, stone bridges, long bridges, short bridges, London Bridges, build a bridge, repair a bridge, lather, rinse, repeat.
There's really nothing different here than any other TM game. Build Farms for food, Sawmills for wood, Gold Mines, Quarries for stone and Markets for trading food for specific materials such as Stone or Gold. There are the usual Berry Bushes (ohhh, a new task to grow berry bushes from a seedling. well, at least it gives Medea a reason to move?!?) for a renewable food source, as well as the usual path blockers of thorny vines, bushes, potholes, conveniently cut & stacked wood, stone monoliths "veins", puddles, and large round bread loaves left behind by a kind little old lady with nothing better to do? Now I wonder who left all those gold coins behind?
Once you have collected 5-Stars, you get to open a Treasure Chest located on the bottom left of the Map screen which allows you to choose between three smaller chests to earn extra resources, faster workers, etc. by a percentage. These bonuses automatically take effect, but they are only temporary. (seems like another flashy mobile app feature doesn't it?)
Collector's Edition Extra's: (CE version only)
50 Main Levels (both versions) 30 Achievement Trophies, 10 Concept Art pictures, 5 Music Soundtracks, a built-in Strategy Guide (sooo not needed) and a few extra levels in the Additional Campaign section.
50 Main Levels (both versions) 30 Achievement Trophies, 10 Concept Art pictures, 5 Music Soundtracks, a built-in Strategy Guide (sooo not needed) and a few extra levels in the Additional Campaign section.
ARGONAUTS AGENCY SERIES LIST
Title Standard Edition Release Date***Average Rating
Title Standard Edition Release Date***Average Rating
1-Golden Fleece (November 21-2018) 3.4
2-Pandora's Box (February 1-2019) 3.6
3-Chair of Hephaestus (June 16-2019) 3.0
4-Glove of Midas (August 30-2019) 2.8
5-Captive of Circe (November 11-2019) n/a (Mac only so far)
6-Missing Daughter (March 8-2020) n/a
2-Pandora's Box (February 1-2019) 3.6
3-Chair of Hephaestus (June 16-2019) 3.0
4-Glove of Midas (August 30-2019) 2.8
5-Captive of Circe (November 11-2019) n/a (Mac only so far)
6-Missing Daughter (March 8-2020) n/a
by: Workroom 7
I don't recommend this game.