pennmom36's Profile
Stat Summary
- Average Rating:3.7
- Helpful Votes:358,445
- Reviews Submitted:4712
- First Review:December 10, 2012
- Most Recent Review:April 24, 2025
- Featured reviews0
Status:
Crystal Pixels is a new kind of paint by number game where you’re given a variety of colors to paint fun pixel images.
Overall rating
1
/
5
35 of 42 found this review helpful
ABOUT AS BASIC AS BASIC GETS WITH SEVERAL MECHANICAL FLAWS
PostedDecember 10, 2019
Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
1
/
5
Level of Challenge
1
/
5
I love Crystal Mosaics which is a beautiful Mosaic puzzle game series but BFG took a whirl at developing a Pixel Art game to board the increasingly popular "paint by numbers" Zen Train, but it's about as basic as it gets.
For starters, the game is stretched with a bar at the top and bottom, if you deselect the "widescreen" mode it simply makes the stretched middle section smaller, but it still has the bar at the top and bottom. If you deselect the "fullscreen" option, it gives you a windowed mode that still looks stretched and still has the bar at the top and bottom. Every time I clicked into the Help screen, or Option screen, the game would freeze. the resolution was way off scale, often cutting off important features such as the Color Palette which makes the game kind of pointless!
As for the levels I could actually access, you can zoom in and out, fit the image on the page, and select the colors to fill in the number related pixels, as well as click and hold to drag the entire image around the screen. The images are lackluster, however, I did like the feature on some of the images that allowed you to fill in the entire background but it would have been better if the background had more than one color or at least multi-highlighted.
I don't recommend this game.
Painting has never been easier! With Paint by Numbers 2, just relax and enjoy the experience of a digital painting!
Overall rating
2
/
5
46 of 56 found this review helpful
POOR COLOR CHOICES, (poor image selection) & NOT ENOUGH VARIATION BETWEEN COLORS
PostedDecember 10, 2019
pennmom36
fromDon't abandon the Paint by Numbers series version, just make a few minor adjustments! ⛄
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
I loved the first Paint by Numbers game because they were awesome images and so brightly colored. The images on Paint by Numbers 2, however, look like a third-graders coloring book. The difference between Pixel Art and Paint by Numbers is that these games are more traditional with areas to color rather than square pixels. In the first game, there were slightly different shades between areas that really made the images pop with vivid shades of orange, yellow, pink, purple, etc. (just look at the image shown of the lizard on #1) but this game had ugly colors with no shade variations. The image of the goldfish had the same colored blue bubbles as the water waves, the waves were the same shade of blue, the only thing that separated them was the black outlines, the result, a flat uninteresting completed image.
T1: The cursor is way too large and bulky, especially when trying to fill in tiny areas. Give us at least 2 cursors "tip" options, preferably cursors of various art media, such as a colored pencil tip, a fountain pen tip, or a sharpie marker tip. At least some of the images should be larger, after all, we can drag the image around to get to other areas. The images need to have symmetrical or geometrical patterns versus windows, dots, and impossible to see blurbs. Let us choose the color of the background with an actual Color Palette & let us choose the color of the current number highlighted areas (if we can't choose the color of the highlighted area DO NOT use fill in colors in the same shades of gray or black!) The black outlines need to be thinner so they don't stick out like a sore thumb and take away from the beauty of the completed picture (which is also confusing when trying to differentiate between that grey highlighted current color...again give us the choice of current highlighted colors) The colors need to be crazy, the colors need shading variations, do away with areas to fill in the size of a fist (we aren't 4 years old) Choose images of animals or scenery that can allow you to take advantage of all the color hues...you know how to contact me :)
Some of the areas to fill are super tiny which makes it difficult to see the numbers, however, if you scan the mouse over a section it will show that particular number above the cursor and it's large enough for anyone to see easily. As I said earlier, if the areas to fill were geometrical or symmetrical this could be avoided altogether. There is a Hint button that will point to any missed areas of the current color, without penalty.
There's not a whole lot to have to figure out, it's about as uncomplicated and basic as it gets. Paint By Numbers is a computer version of Oil or Colored Pencil Paint by Numbers, and actually closer to the real thing than the Pixel Art versions. Each area has a number and you simply chose the corresponding color bubble from the palette (also numbered) on the right side, left-click to fill in all the numbers with the correct color.
There is a Slider Bar that allows you to zoom in & out (there's a "fit" tab as well) you can also move the entire page around by right-clicking and dragging. There is also a slider bar that allows you to change the color of the background, but it really only allows you to change the colors in shades of grey or black. It would make more sense to have an entire color scale available on a paint by numbers game though, wouldn't it? I would love to see a "texture" feature added that would mimic different paint variations as well.
Keep an open mind, it isn't supposed to be a brain-burner kind of game. It's a very basic and rudimentary game that's just supposed to take you out of the hectic zone for a bit. I'm still a Pixel Art & Paint by Numbers fan, but Paint by Numbers is flawed and not consistent. I was constantly having issues with the screen zooming in and out all by itself which became annoying. I prefer Paint by Numbers vs. Pixel Art because it's closer to the "real deal" and I'm certain that a few tweaks could make this version an amazing and zenful game! ☯
PAINT BY NUMBERS SERIES LIST
Title***Standard Edition Release Date***Average Rating
Title***Standard Edition Release Date***Average Rating
1-Paint by Numbers 1 (October 15-2019) 3.8
2-Paint by Number 2 (December 10-2019) n/a
2-Paint by Number 2 (December 10-2019) n/a
by: T1 Games
I don't recommend this game.
An amazing brain-jogging puzzle adventure for anyone ready to bring on the spirit of Christmas!
Overall rating
2
/
5
10 of 13 found this review helpful
HOPE YOU LIKE JINGLE BELLS BLARING IN YOUR EAR
PostedDecember 8, 2019
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
2
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
If they would just tone down all the bells and whistles this game would be decent. I play Mosaic Games to chill, but this game is anything but chill, there's constant movement with bouncing tiles, loud obtrusive music, beeps and buzzes with every move made, it's a constant stimulus that winds my brain up not down, like 4 cups of espresso at the same time.
There are options for the crossed-off cells such as light or dark cells and there are Five Tile fill-in options to choose from, a Bubble style, a square with rounded corners, a Princess Cut Diamond shape, a multi-faceted tile, and a lunar-style. You can play in an Easy mode which crosses off cells for you and applies the appropriate colors, a Normal mode, or a Difficult mode which only crosses off squares when the entire row and column have been completed, and you have to manually switch between colors.
As you fill in the cells you will earn coins, Heart/Lives or Power-up recharges. Power-ups, such as a Hammer, Sun, Lightning or Bombs, originally don't have much coverage but increases with each upgrade. (can be upgraded twice) There are 7 Achievement Trophies to earn, and you can buy various souvenirs in the Shop.
Each of the Locations has 6 main Mosaic levels, 1 bonus level, and 1 additional puzzle (jigsaw variations) You must earn at least 2 Stars on each main level to open the bonus level, and you must earn a minimum of 2 stars on the Bonus Level to open the additional puzzle variation. You also have to earn at least 1 Star in each of the main levels to unlock the next location or group of mosaic levels. If you lose all your heart lives you will be given the opportunity to answer a question about the story to refill the heart-life meter.
TRAVEL MOSAICS SERIES LIST
Title***Release Date***Average Rating
Title***Release Date***Average Rating
1-Travel Mosaics 1: A Paris Tour (February 19-2018) 3.5
2-Travel Mosaics 2: Roman Holiday (May 13-2018) 3.4
3-Travel Mosaics 3: Tokyo Animated (August 21-2018) 4.6
4-Travel Mosaics 4: Adventures in Rio (October 22-2018) 4.6
5-Travel Mosaics 5: Waltzing Vienna (November 12-2018) 3.2
6-Travel Mosaics 6: Christmas Around The World (December 17-2018) 3.0
7-Travel Mosaics 7: Fantastic Berlin (August 21-2019) 3.7
8-Travel Mosaics 8: Breathtaking Seoul (September 18-2019) 4.7
9-Travel Mosaics 9: Mysterious Prague (October 2-2019) 4.2
10-Travel Mosaics 10: Spooky Halloween (October 28-2019) n/a
2-Travel Mosaics 2: Roman Holiday (May 13-2018) 3.4
3-Travel Mosaics 3: Tokyo Animated (August 21-2018) 4.6
4-Travel Mosaics 4: Adventures in Rio (October 22-2018) 4.6
5-Travel Mosaics 5: Waltzing Vienna (November 12-2018) 3.2
6-Travel Mosaics 6: Christmas Around The World (December 17-2018) 3.0
7-Travel Mosaics 7: Fantastic Berlin (August 21-2019) 3.7
8-Travel Mosaics 8: Breathtaking Seoul (September 18-2019) 4.7
9-Travel Mosaics 9: Mysterious Prague (October 2-2019) 4.2
10-Travel Mosaics 10: Spooky Halloween (October 28-2019) n/a
by: Jet Dogs Studio
I don't recommend this game.
Can you save your friends from their family’s tainted past?
Overall rating
1
/
5
63 of 82 found this review helpful
DEAR MR. LIVINGSTONE, I HAVE A SOLUTION TO YOUR PROBLEM YOU MAY NOT HAVE THOUGHT ABOUT, MOVE INLAND, TENTACLES DON'T STRAY FROM THE WATERS EDGE
PostedDecember 8, 2019
Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
1
/
5
Level of Challenge
1
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
Completed Game approximately 6.5 Hours
(including completion of all puzzles & CE Bonus Chapter)
*26 Scene Locations +6 CE Bonus Chapter*
Difficulty Range: Beginner
(including completion of all puzzles & CE Bonus Chapter)
*26 Scene Locations +6 CE Bonus Chapter*
Difficulty Range: Beginner
Holy giant tentacles this is one cursed family that should consider moving inland. Problem solved, the end? Nope, instead, they live as close to the water's edge as possible even though family members have been getting pecked-off one by one for the past 40-years supposedly at the tentacles of a giant mythical Octopus, half-human sea creature, heck-bent on destroying every single Royal Livingstone that ever was, is, or will be, makes perfect sense to me! (but then again, it took Philip 24 hours to realize he had been sleeping with a corkscrew in his pocket)
Gadget/Helper:
Unfortunately, there is a Magic Seashell Gadget (used 6x's w/ 6 associated puzzles) that can accept any physical object, transform that object into a purple ooze, regurgitate the ooze, to spew out conclusive evidence in the form of crisp picture fragments that once placed correctly will shed light upon the who's, what's, and where's, it can't however, answers the WHY's. Why did they feel the need to include such a worthless and far-fetched gadget for this particular murder-mystery genre, and why they expected me to enjoy said gadget after it just heaved all over my picture? Is the puked evidence admissible in court?
Unfortunately, there is a Magic Seashell Gadget (used 6x's w/ 6 associated puzzles) that can accept any physical object, transform that object into a purple ooze, regurgitate the ooze, to spew out conclusive evidence in the form of crisp picture fragments that once placed correctly will shed light upon the who's, what's, and where's, it can't however, answers the WHY's. Why did they feel the need to include such a worthless and far-fetched gadget for this particular murder-mystery genre, and why they expected me to enjoy said gadget after it just heaved all over my picture? Is the puked evidence admissible in court?
Collectibles/Morphs: (CE version only)
Finally, they abolished the famous Spirals! although I have to admit that I miss them now that they are gone? lol, it was a Mad Head brand trademark!?! They have been replaced with 32 teeny-tiny Fish (26 in the main game & 6 in the bonus chapter) some of which are quite challenging to spot. There are 32 Morphing Objects throughout the main game and bonus chapters (26 in the main game & 6 in the bonus chapter) and there are 18 HOP Morphing Objects within the Hidden Object Scenes as well.
Finally, they abolished the famous Spirals! although I have to admit that I miss them now that they are gone? lol, it was a Mad Head brand trademark!?! They have been replaced with 32 teeny-tiny Fish (26 in the main game & 6 in the bonus chapter) some of which are quite challenging to spot. There are 32 Morphing Objects throughout the main game and bonus chapters (26 in the main game & 6 in the bonus chapter) and there are 18 HOP Morphing Objects within the Hidden Object Scenes as well.
Hidden Object Scenes:
There are 18 Hidden Object Scenes +6 within the CE Bonus Chapter, and 7 smaller Zoom Zone HOP's. They are some of the least creative HOP's I've ever seen offered by MHG to date which is one of the reasons they fell from my Top 5 personal favorite developers over the last couple of years. The scenes are located in boring, uninteresting locations, the graphics are blurry with objects that are undefined in an attempt to hide items while some items are just sticking out like a sore thumb with no attempt to hide them. There are no interactions available and most of the scenes are straight up Listed Items. The first HOP was a 3-part scene and the second scene was the same image from their Donna series (corner house with a crank car sitting on top of a drainage grate) which leads me to believe the HOP scenes are all copy/pasted replicas from past games. There are a few Silhouetted Shape Finds, Keywords in Sentence Finds, Replace or Find & Place Items, or Multiples of the Same Object Finds. The only variations that presented any challenge were the Swatches Finds (find objects that have the pattern shown on a fabric sample) and the repetitive Find & Place items from the storybook pages (which are listed as mini-games by MHG) In the CE version, each Hidden Object Scene has a Morphing Object and you can replay them in the Extra's menu to earn up to 3-stars, track your completion time, improve accuracy and search for any HOP Morph you may have missed. There are no alternate games available.
There are 18 Hidden Object Scenes +6 within the CE Bonus Chapter, and 7 smaller Zoom Zone HOP's. They are some of the least creative HOP's I've ever seen offered by MHG to date which is one of the reasons they fell from my Top 5 personal favorite developers over the last couple of years. The scenes are located in boring, uninteresting locations, the graphics are blurry with objects that are undefined in an attempt to hide items while some items are just sticking out like a sore thumb with no attempt to hide them. There are no interactions available and most of the scenes are straight up Listed Items. The first HOP was a 3-part scene and the second scene was the same image from their Donna series (corner house with a crank car sitting on top of a drainage grate) which leads me to believe the HOP scenes are all copy/pasted replicas from past games. There are a few Silhouetted Shape Finds, Keywords in Sentence Finds, Replace or Find & Place Items, or Multiples of the Same Object Finds. The only variations that presented any challenge were the Swatches Finds (find objects that have the pattern shown on a fabric sample) and the repetitive Find & Place items from the storybook pages (which are listed as mini-games by MHG) In the CE version, each Hidden Object Scene has a Morphing Object and you can replay them in the Extra's menu to earn up to 3-stars, track your completion time, improve accuracy and search for any HOP Morph you may have missed. There are no alternate games available.
Mini-Games:
There are 32 Mini-Games available, +8 within the CE Bonus Chapter. MHG has drawn a lot of criticism on their last few game releases for offering such short games and I believe they crammed this game full of simplistic puzzles rehashed from previous games in an attempt to stretch out the game length. The instructions are vague and I found myself just diving in to try to figure out what I was supposed to be doing to solve some of the less obvious ones. There is a repetitious jigsaw puzzle associated with the Magical Seashell Gadget (used 6x's) that couldn't have been any easier to solve because the fragments just needed to be shifted slightly into place. Here are a few puzzles I found to be the least boring:
There are 32 Mini-Games available, +8 within the CE Bonus Chapter. MHG has drawn a lot of criticism on their last few game releases for offering such short games and I believe they crammed this game full of simplistic puzzles rehashed from previous games in an attempt to stretch out the game length. The instructions are vague and I found myself just diving in to try to figure out what I was supposed to be doing to solve some of the less obvious ones. There is a repetitious jigsaw puzzle associated with the Magical Seashell Gadget (used 6x's) that couldn't have been any easier to solve because the fragments just needed to be shifted slightly into place. Here are a few puzzles I found to be the least boring:
➽Swap puzzle tiles to align the same colored segments without touching other colors.
➽Place directional arrows on the cells to guide the ship and avoid obstacles.
➽Find & Place 3 items per page of a picture book (quite challenging to spot some items)
➽Drag colored dolls a specified number of cells to fill the entire board.
➽Select a tile and then choose a tile to transform the image until all but the central tile is identical.
➽Slide square tiles to connect all gears.
➽Place directional arrows on the cells to guide the ship and avoid obstacles.
➽Find & Place 3 items per page of a picture book (quite challenging to spot some items)
➽Drag colored dolls a specified number of cells to fill the entire board.
➽Select a tile and then choose a tile to transform the image until all but the central tile is identical.
➽Slide square tiles to connect all gears.
Bonus Chapter: (CE version only)
Your dream job ship has just set sail and sank on its maiden voyage as you play the role of Lily, a darn boat tour guide who's struggling to make sense of a disastrous catastrophe as the Livingstone Curse takes possession of her newest client Liam. There are 8 Mini-Games and 6 Hidden Object Scenes that span over 6 additional scene locations in this slightly longer than average bonus chapter. You will pick up the remaining 6 Collectible Fish Signs, 6 Morphing Objects and 6 Hidden Object Scene Morphs as well. After completing this bonus chapter you can access the Characters bios, the Ultimate HOP and assemble the Jigsaw Puzzle.
Your dream job ship has just set sail and sank on its maiden voyage as you play the role of Lily, a darn boat tour guide who's struggling to make sense of a disastrous catastrophe as the Livingstone Curse takes possession of her newest client Liam. There are 8 Mini-Games and 6 Hidden Object Scenes that span over 6 additional scene locations in this slightly longer than average bonus chapter. You will pick up the remaining 6 Collectible Fish Signs, 6 Morphing Objects and 6 Hidden Object Scene Morphs as well. After completing this bonus chapter you can access the Characters bios, the Ultimate HOP and assemble the Jigsaw Puzzle.
Collector's Edition Extra's:
12 Wallpapers (12>4) 9 Concept Art Pictures (with before/after slider bar) 10 Music Soundtracks, Character Bios, 24 Replayable Hidden Object Scenes (earn bronze, silver, gold trophies, 1-3 stars, & pickup missed morphs) Ultimate HOP, Jigsaw (after completing the Bonus Chapter) 0 Replayable Mini-Games??, 11 Achievements (six achievements have 3 categories of gold, silver, bronze) 5 Main Chapters +Bonus Chapter, and a Built-in Strategy Guide.
12 Wallpapers (12>4) 9 Concept Art Pictures (with before/after slider bar) 10 Music Soundtracks, Character Bios, 24 Replayable Hidden Object Scenes (earn bronze, silver, gold trophies, 1-3 stars, & pickup missed morphs) Ultimate HOP, Jigsaw (after completing the Bonus Chapter) 0 Replayable Mini-Games??, 11 Achievements (six achievements have 3 categories of gold, silver, bronze) 5 Main Chapters +Bonus Chapter, and a Built-in Strategy Guide.
RITE OF PASSAGE SERIES LIST
Title***Standard Edition Release Date***Average Rating
Title***Standard Edition Release Date***Average Rating
1-The Perfect Show (July 6-2012) 4.4
2-Child of the Forest (June 14-2013) 4.3
3-Hide and Seek (July 11-2014) 4.6
4-The Lost Tides (June 3-2015) 4.2
5-Heart of the Storm (February 14-2016) 4.0
6-Deck of Fates (November 25-2016) 4.1
7-The Sword and the Fury (October 15-2017) 3.3
8-Hackamore Bluff (June 10-2018) 3.4
9-Rite of Passage (December 8-2019) n/a
by: Mad Head Games
2-Child of the Forest (June 14-2013) 4.3
3-Hide and Seek (July 11-2014) 4.6
4-The Lost Tides (June 3-2015) 4.2
5-Heart of the Storm (February 14-2016) 4.0
6-Deck of Fates (November 25-2016) 4.1
7-The Sword and the Fury (October 15-2017) 3.3
8-Hackamore Bluff (June 10-2018) 3.4
9-Rite of Passage (December 8-2019) n/a
by: Mad Head Games
I don't recommend this game.
Board the SS Wonderland Princess and get ready to visit the most festive places on earth!
Overall rating
5
/
5
190 of 222 found this review helpful
A CHEESY, REPETITIVE, OLD-FASHIONED HOG BUT CHRISTMAS ISN'T CHRISTMAS WITHOUT IT!
PostedDecember 7, 2019
pennmom36
fromSt. Nicholas was a Bishop who began paying the dowries of impoverished girls-dubbed Santa in 1773-given a pipe beard jolly belly & came down chimneys in 1809-reindeer in a poem Twas the Night Before Christmas-a red cloak by Coca-cola-& a Mrs. in 1849
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
There's just something about Christmas Wonderland that rings in the holidays, it's like putting on your favorite boots and sweater. It's the same scenes, the same un-aging family members and the same features, but Christmas isn't Christmas until Christmas Wonderland arrives. I have played this game for the last 10 years and I don't even bother with the demo, I know every inch of the game but that's okay, I'm still going to play it. There's just a certain nostalgic charm that you just can't help but fall in love with.
You can play in Casual or Challenge mode, as well as an Extreme mode that is a Timed Mode requiring you to find all Golden Angels and Lost & Found items. Each Hidden Object scene has about 29 Listed Items to find, items in Red are hidden in or behind something and items in Blue require a task such as dragging carrots to feed Rudolph, and there are usually two Zoom Zone Areas in each scene. You will earn a Bronze Star if you complete the HO scene, a Silver Star if you complete the HO scene and find all Golden Angels OR all Lost & Found Items, and a Gold Star for completing the HO scene and finding all Angels and Lost and Found Items.
There are 18 Achievements to earn and a total of 50 Golden Angels to find that aren't on the list and once all angels have been located in a scene, the doors will close on the Angel Icon. There are a total of 108 Lost and Found Items that are shown one at a time as Silhouetted Shapes inside a Snowglobe, when all lost and found items have been found within the scene, Santa's Sleigh will appear within the Snowglobe. The Lost and Found Items are stored in a Scrapbook and there are 16 Photo-op Icons that allows you to take a picture of that scene for your Photo Album. The Points earned for completing each scene and mini-game are used to purchase 16 Christmas Presents that are kept in a Display Cae at the top of the screen.
After each Hidden Object Scene, you'll solve a simplistic mini-game or puzzle such as Rotating Square Puzzle Tiles, Jigsaw Puzzles, Word Search, Matching Pairs or Spot the Difference.
After each Hidden Object Scene, you'll solve a simplistic mini-game or puzzle such as Rotating Square Puzzle Tiles, Jigsaw Puzzles, Word Search, Matching Pairs or Spot the Difference.
Collector's Edition Extra's
The CE Bonus Levels have been incorporated into the main game scenes and have Rosette Ribbons to identify them. You will board the SS Wonderland Princess Train heading to the North Pole to visit Jolly ole Saint Nick. There are 24 Wallpapers, 20 downloadable Music Soundtracks, and 48 Replayable Mini-Games and Puzzles.
The CE Bonus Levels have been incorporated into the main game scenes and have Rosette Ribbons to identify them. You will board the SS Wonderland Princess Train heading to the North Pole to visit Jolly ole Saint Nick. There are 24 Wallpapers, 20 downloadable Music Soundtracks, and 48 Replayable Mini-Games and Puzzles.
❆-8 Jigsaw Puzzles
❆-8 Flipsaw Puzzles
❆-8 Rotation Puzzles
❆-4 Spot The Difference Puzzles
❆-4 Matching Pairs Puzzles
❆-8 Word Search Puzzles
❆-2 Find & Place Puzzles
❆-1 Finding HO Scene.
❆-1 Trace The Ropes Puzzle
❆-1 Fix The Times Clock Puzzle
❆-2 Pick & Place Puzzle (pictures, labels, icons)
❆1-Spin & Flip Puzzle
CHRISTMAS WONDERLAND SERIES LIST
Title***Collector's Edition Release Date***Average Rating
❆-8 Flipsaw Puzzles
❆-8 Rotation Puzzles
❆-4 Spot The Difference Puzzles
❆-4 Matching Pairs Puzzles
❆-8 Word Search Puzzles
❆-2 Find & Place Puzzles
❆-1 Finding HO Scene.
❆-1 Trace The Ropes Puzzle
❆-1 Fix The Times Clock Puzzle
❆-2 Pick & Place Puzzle (pictures, labels, icons)
❆1-Spin & Flip Puzzle
CHRISTMAS WONDERLAND SERIES LIST
Title***Collector's Edition Release Date***Average Rating
1-Christmas Wonderland 1 SE only (December 17-2010) 3.9
2-Christmas Wonderland 2 SE only (December 09-2011) 3,9
3-Christmas Wonderland 3 SE only (December 18-2012) 3.4
4-Christmas Wonderland 4 SE only (December 13-2013) 4.0
5-Christmas Wonderland 5 SE only (December 16-2014) 4.1
6-Christmas Wonderland 6 SE only (December 08-2015) 4.4
7-Christmas Wonderland 7 SE only (December 12-2016) 4.3
8-Christmas Wonderland 8 SE only (December 19-2017) 4.8
9-Christmas Wonderland 9 SE only (December 10-2018) 4.2
10-Christmas Wonderland 10 CE (December 7-2019) n/a
by: Casual Arts
2-Christmas Wonderland 2 SE only (December 09-2011) 3,9
3-Christmas Wonderland 3 SE only (December 18-2012) 3.4
4-Christmas Wonderland 4 SE only (December 13-2013) 4.0
5-Christmas Wonderland 5 SE only (December 16-2014) 4.1
6-Christmas Wonderland 6 SE only (December 08-2015) 4.4
7-Christmas Wonderland 7 SE only (December 12-2016) 4.3
8-Christmas Wonderland 8 SE only (December 19-2017) 4.8
9-Christmas Wonderland 9 SE only (December 10-2018) 4.2
10-Christmas Wonderland 10 CE (December 7-2019) n/a
by: Casual Arts
I recommend this game!
Can you save your friend and escape from Acorn Hospital in time?
Overall rating
4
/
5
55 of 63 found this review helpful
THE CE VERSION COLLECTIBLES & HIDDEN CHAPTER IS WORTH THE EXTRA $
PostedDecember 6, 2019
pennmom36
fromCongrats GrandMa on a very successful Whispered Secrets game!
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Completed Game approximately 5.5 Hours
(including completion of all puzzles, Bonus & Hidden Chapter)
*20 Scene Locations +6 CE Bonus Chapter +6 HC*
Difficulty Range: Beginner-Intermediate
(including completion of all puzzles, Bonus & Hidden Chapter)
*20 Scene Locations +6 CE Bonus Chapter +6 HC*
Difficulty Range: Beginner-Intermediate
Okay, the storyline is a bit cheesy, okay, a lot cheesy...monsters that are just arms and cheap Halloween chattering teeth, easily banished with a grain of salt? That's not going to fly with most of us true horror fans, but hey, it's better than most plots nowadays. The story isn't what's important here folks, what's important is that this game is developed by an Indie developer with amazing insight and a heart the size of the Acorn Institution where the game takes place! While the big guys are throwing us breadcrumbs, GrandMa is throwing us whole loaves of bread. I have been rather harsh on my reviews for this developer in the past, but Dreadful Beauty has shown me that they care about their games and obviously have their claws sharpened to dig in for the long haul. There's still room for improvement (especially with the mini-games) but I say "let's support these guys, they obviously care!"
What am I talking about? You know how some games give you Conversation Choices or Action Options but they are so vague that it doesn't really matter which one you choose because the result is going to be the same either way? In this game, the choices and actions you make actually DO change the outcome which makes this game an excellent value because you can replay it several times with slightly different outcomes (bwahaha...I fell in a hole!) Throw in the fact that you get to fill in the blanks of the story during the Bonus Chapter AND then brush up on your sleuthing skills in a Hidden Chapter, (CE version only) well that's solid entertainment folks. CE version Morphing Objects that are somewhat challenging, CE version Collectible Figurines and extremely well-hidden Herbs in every scene are just added butter on your GrandMa's homemade loaf of bread!
Hidden Object Scenes:
There are 15 Hidden Object Scenes +4 in the CE Bonus Chapter, and several smaller Zoom Zone HOPs as well. Granny did a fantastic job as far as creativity goes, adding multi-scenes and panning features. My only complaint is that towards the end of the game, they got a bit lazy and began repeating the same scenes. There are Interactive List Finds, Silhouetted Shape Finds, Multiples of the Same Item Finds, Find & Replace, and several scenes that simply require interactions to open, find, and place items, well done GMa!
There are 15 Hidden Object Scenes +4 in the CE Bonus Chapter, and several smaller Zoom Zone HOPs as well. Granny did a fantastic job as far as creativity goes, adding multi-scenes and panning features. My only complaint is that towards the end of the game, they got a bit lazy and began repeating the same scenes. There are Interactive List Finds, Silhouetted Shape Finds, Multiples of the Same Item Finds, Find & Replace, and several scenes that simply require interactions to open, find, and place items, well done GMa!
Mini-Games:
There are 16 Mini-Games +5 in the CE Bonus Chapter. Most of the games can be played in an Easy or Hard Mode, however, the only real challenge any of the games presented was the fact that they included so many "clicking one affects others" puzzles. I must admit that I became rather bored with the puzzles because they were far too easily solved. Below are a few of the game you'll encounter during the game:
There are 16 Mini-Games +5 in the CE Bonus Chapter. Most of the games can be played in an Easy or Hard Mode, however, the only real challenge any of the games presented was the fact that they included so many "clicking one affects others" puzzles. I must admit that I became rather bored with the puzzles because they were far too easily solved. Below are a few of the game you'll encounter during the game:
☠-Separate colored tiles by dragging a wire from beginning to end x3.
☠-Play a game of checkers with Mr. Bones.
☠-Place all stoppers to direct the gas to the far-right container.
☠-Click on various icons of limited amounts from beginning to end, all icons must be used.
☠-Play a game of checkers with Mr. Bones.
☠-Place all stoppers to direct the gas to the far-right container.
☠-Click on various icons of limited amounts from beginning to end, all icons must be used.
Bonus Chapter:
Brace yourself for an action-packed prequel playing as Dr. Harry Jules on that Dreadful day when Annabelle met her horrible fate during WWII when the hospital was bombed. This is an average-length chapter that takes place over 6 scene locations with 5 additional Mini-Games and 4 Hidden Object Scenes. You will pick up the remaining 6 Morphing Objects, 4 Character Figurines, and 6 Herbs (actually 12, each scene has an herb & a copy) You must locate all Herbs to unlock the Hidden Chapter, but you can click on the missed Herbs & Figurines in the CE extra's section by clicking on the ones you missed)
Brace yourself for an action-packed prequel playing as Dr. Harry Jules on that Dreadful day when Annabelle met her horrible fate during WWII when the hospital was bombed. This is an average-length chapter that takes place over 6 scene locations with 5 additional Mini-Games and 4 Hidden Object Scenes. You will pick up the remaining 6 Morphing Objects, 4 Character Figurines, and 6 Herbs (actually 12, each scene has an herb & a copy) You must locate all Herbs to unlock the Hidden Chapter, but you can click on the missed Herbs & Figurines in the CE extra's section by clicking on the ones you missed)
Hidden Chapter:
After completing the Bonus Chapter and locating all copies of Herbs you can access the Hidden Chapter titled Redemption. You will search 6 scenes to locate evidence, speak with witnesses and gather statements to identify Dr, Lewis Horton's killer. Did I mention this game has an excellent replay value lol?
After completing the Bonus Chapter and locating all copies of Herbs you can access the Hidden Chapter titled Redemption. You will search 6 scenes to locate evidence, speak with witnesses and gather statements to identify Dr, Lewis Horton's killer. Did I mention this game has an excellent replay value lol?
Collector's Edition Extra's:
10 Wallpapers (all with Characters ὃ) 10 Concept Art Pictures, 17 Movie Cutscene Videos, 8 Music Soundtracks ♪, 12 Replayable Mini-Games♙, 17 Replayable Hidden Object Scenes, 15 Achievements, 20 Character Figurines, 20 Morphing Objects, 40 Herbs (2 copies of the same herb in each scene) 6 Main Chapters (Affliction) +Bonus Chapter (Reminiscence) +Hidden Chapter (Redemption-you must find all Herbs to unlock) and a Built-In Strategy Guide.
10 Wallpapers (all with Characters ὃ) 10 Concept Art Pictures, 17 Movie Cutscene Videos, 8 Music Soundtracks ♪, 12 Replayable Mini-Games♙, 17 Replayable Hidden Object Scenes, 15 Achievements, 20 Character Figurines, 20 Morphing Objects, 40 Herbs (2 copies of the same herb in each scene) 6 Main Chapters (Affliction) +Bonus Chapter (Reminiscence) +Hidden Chapter (Redemption-you must find all Herbs to unlock) and a Built-In Strategy Guide.
WHISPERED SECRETS SERIES LIST
Title***Standard Edition Release Date***Average Rating
Title***Standard Edition Release Date***Average Rating
1-The Story of Tideville (November 3-2012) 4.1
2-Into The Beyond (December 11-2013) 4.3
3-Into The Wind (November 2-2014) 3.5
4-Golden Silence (September 4-2015) 4.4
5-Everburning Candle (April 29-2016) 4.4
6-Song of Sorrow (December 21-2016) 3.1
7-Forgotten Sins (October 1-2017) 4.0
8-Enfant Terrible (August 3-2018) 3.7
9-Cursed Wealth (April 12-2019) 3.4
10-Dreadful Beauty (December 5-2019) n/a
2-Into The Beyond (December 11-2013) 4.3
3-Into The Wind (November 2-2014) 3.5
4-Golden Silence (September 4-2015) 4.4
5-Everburning Candle (April 29-2016) 4.4
6-Song of Sorrow (December 21-2016) 3.1
7-Forgotten Sins (October 1-2017) 4.0
8-Enfant Terrible (August 3-2018) 3.7
9-Cursed Wealth (April 12-2019) 3.4
10-Dreadful Beauty (December 5-2019) n/a
by: GrandMa Studios
I recommend this game!
Can you help the train’s passengers save their holidays in time?
Overall rating
2
/
5
220 of 304 found this review helpful
THE CHILDREN ARE BEING PUNISHED BY AN EVIL MAN FOR BEING KIDS, WHAT KIND OF MORAL IS THAT?
PostedDecember 5, 2019
pennmom36
fromAhem...There's a fine line between Imitation and plagiarism.
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
2
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
Completed Game approximately 4.5 hours
(including completion of all mini-games & CE Bonus Chapter)
17 Main Game Scene Locations +8 Bonus Chapter
Difficulty Range: Beginner
(including completion of all mini-games & CE Bonus Chapter)
17 Main Game Scene Locations +8 Bonus Chapter
Difficulty Range: Beginner
I no longer play Betas, so I was expecting an amazing game aboard the Enchanted Express. Okay, one can't help but associate the "other" enchanted "northern-cold" express with this Enchanted Express. This game couldn't be further from that amazing tale, in fact, I was only aboard this amazing express 3 times for 3 seconds each and nothing about those 3 seconds reminded me of a train much less an Enchanted Christmas Train! Instead of a Tom Hanks kind of conductor, I got a perverted Grinch! This man was pure EVIL, what kind of MORAL is that? These children are being punished for being children,
Helper/Gadget:
There is a Mouse Helper Sidekick (explaining more will be a spoiler) He is as quiet as a mouse but he does fidget a bit as he stands in the bottom left corner awaiting his helpful duties. He is used 8 different times, most of which were at the end of chapter 2 and chapter 3.
There is a Mouse Helper Sidekick (explaining more will be a spoiler) He is as quiet as a mouse but he does fidget a bit as he stands in the bottom left corner awaiting his helpful duties. He is used 8 different times, most of which were at the end of chapter 2 and chapter 3.
Morphing Objects/Collectibles:
There are 12 Collectible Mascots and 25 Morphing Stockings that morph at medium speed, but morph into a similar object to make it less obvious. Most of the Zoom Zones have a fairly well-hidden Puzzle Piece that allows you assemble 4 Screensaver Jigsaws (12 pcs each) This developer never lets you return to the scene to pick up missed collectibles so don't board the train if there are zoom zones still available to open.
There are 12 Collectible Mascots and 25 Morphing Stockings that morph at medium speed, but morph into a similar object to make it less obvious. Most of the Zoom Zones have a fairly well-hidden Puzzle Piece that allows you assemble 4 Screensaver Jigsaws (12 pcs each) This developer never lets you return to the scene to pick up missed collectibles so don't board the train if there are zoom zones still available to open.
Hidden Object Scenes:
There are 16 Hidden Object Scenes +6 in the CE Bonus Chapter. I wasn't impressed with any of the HO Scenes, they were blurry or fuzzy, and none of them were creative or interesting considering they had an amazing theme to work with! There are Interactive List Finds, Multiples of Items Finds, Silhouetted Shape Finds, Keywords in Sentence Finds, Find & Replace Items, Uncover Matching Pair Finds as well. There are no alternate games available.
There are 16 Hidden Object Scenes +6 in the CE Bonus Chapter. I wasn't impressed with any of the HO Scenes, they were blurry or fuzzy, and none of them were creative or interesting considering they had an amazing theme to work with! There are Interactive List Finds, Multiples of Items Finds, Silhouetted Shape Finds, Keywords in Sentence Finds, Find & Replace Items, Uncover Matching Pair Finds as well. There are no alternate games available.
Mini-Games:
There are 17 Mini-Games +8 in the CE Bonus Chapter. They did a nice job converting normal puzzles into Christmas-themed puzzles that are doable for most players. They also introduced a Super-Puzzle or multi-layered version for the first time! Here are a few of the ones I enjoyed the most:
There are 17 Mini-Games +8 in the CE Bonus Chapter. They did a nice job converting normal puzzles into Christmas-themed puzzles that are doable for most players. They also introduced a Super-Puzzle or multi-layered version for the first time! Here are a few of the ones I enjoyed the most:
1-A Super Puzzle requiring you to tinker with different parts of the Rube-Goldberg puzzle.
2-Use directional arrows to push and/or drop cubes to make matches that removes them.
3-A somewhat challenging version of "Blocks".
4-Marble Popping Game.
5-Find the starting point & push all buttons according to the direction the arrows point, to land on the central bells.
6-Place tokens in the correct order to complete the image, from last to first.
2-Use directional arrows to push and/or drop cubes to make matches that removes them.
3-A somewhat challenging version of "Blocks".
4-Marble Popping Game.
5-Find the starting point & push all buttons according to the direction the arrows point, to land on the central bells.
6-Place tokens in the correct order to complete the image, from last to first.
Bonus Chapter (Collector's Edition version only)
Welcome to Catstown, (population 1̶0̶0̶ ̶b̶i̶l̶l̶i̶o̶n̶, 2̶0̶0̶ ̶b̶i̶l̶l̶i̶o̶n̶, 275 billion (Ain't nobody from Catstown makin' an appointment at the local Spay/Neuter Clinic) The King of Catstown shushed away a giant cat who accidentally crushed a few of the local residents' houses, causing the fat feline to cry so loudly the stars fell from the sky. Never fear, for Mr. Catlock Catis is here, along with his sidekick Mr. Squirrel of course. This is a much better story and certainly should have been the focus of the main game. There are only 8 Scene Locations in this average-length chapter about Morals, with 8 Mini-Games and 6 Hidden Object Scenes. You will search for the remaining 3 Collectible Mascots, 8 Morphing Stockings, and 12 Puzzle Pieces which allows you to complete the final screensaver.
Welcome to Catstown, (population 1̶0̶0̶ ̶b̶i̶l̶l̶i̶o̶n̶, 2̶0̶0̶ ̶b̶i̶l̶l̶i̶o̶n̶, 275 billion (Ain't nobody from Catstown makin' an appointment at the local Spay/Neuter Clinic) The King of Catstown shushed away a giant cat who accidentally crushed a few of the local residents' houses, causing the fat feline to cry so loudly the stars fell from the sky. Never fear, for Mr. Catlock Catis is here, along with his sidekick Mr. Squirrel of course. This is a much better story and certainly should have been the focus of the main game. There are only 8 Scene Locations in this average-length chapter about Morals, with 8 Mini-Games and 6 Hidden Object Scenes. You will search for the remaining 3 Collectible Mascots, 8 Morphing Stockings, and 12 Puzzle Pieces which allows you to complete the final screensaver.
Collector's Edition Extra's
12 Wallpapers, 12 Concept Art Pictures, 5 Music Soundtracks, 23 Achievements, 12 Replayable Mini-Games, 13 Replayable Hidden Object Scenes, Secret Room (additional search & find) 12 Collectible Mascots, 25 Morphing Stockings, 48 Zoom Zone Puzzle Pieces, 4 Screensaver Jigsaw Puzzles (12 pieces each) 3 Main Chapters +Bonus Chapter and a Built-In Strategy Guide.
12 Wallpapers, 12 Concept Art Pictures, 5 Music Soundtracks, 23 Achievements, 12 Replayable Mini-Games, 13 Replayable Hidden Object Scenes, Secret Room (additional search & find) 12 Collectible Mascots, 25 Morphing Stockings, 48 Zoom Zone Puzzle Pieces, 4 Screensaver Jigsaw Puzzles (12 pieces each) 3 Main Chapters +Bonus Chapter and a Built-In Strategy Guide.
CHRISTMAS STORIES SERIES LIST
Title***Collector's Edition Release Date***Average Rating
Title***Collector's Edition Release Date***Average Rating
1-Nutcracker (November 29-2012) 4.7
2-A Christmas Carol (December 5-2013) 4.5
3-Han's Christian Andersen's Tin Soldier (December 4-2014) 4.2
4-Puss In Boots (December 3-2015) 4.3
5-The Gift of the Magi (December 1-2016) 3.9
6-A Little Prince (December 7-2017) 4.2
7-Alice's Adventures (December 6-2018) 3.3
8-Enchanted Express (December 5-2019) n/a
2-A Christmas Carol (December 5-2013) 4.5
3-Han's Christian Andersen's Tin Soldier (December 4-2014) 4.2
4-Puss In Boots (December 3-2015) 4.3
5-The Gift of the Magi (December 1-2016) 3.9
6-A Little Prince (December 7-2017) 4.2
7-Alice's Adventures (December 6-2018) 3.3
8-Enchanted Express (December 5-2019) n/a
by: Elephant Games
Speaking of Elephants in the room, should I cover my test paper?
I recommend this game!
Your favorite ghosts are back with a challenging new set of puzzles set in the ancient world!
Overall rating
5
/
5
92 of 108 found this review helpful
WHO KNEW THE GHOSTS OF LARUAVILLE HAD A SENSE OF HUMOR?
PostedDecember 4, 2019
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Now, this is how a Match 3 game should be! There's a fine line between offering an unchanged sequel for fear of losing their fan base and offering a sequel that has just enough change to keep it fresh for those of us who have played them all while keeping the mechanics familiar enough to keep their fan base. The creators of these friendly little Ghosts of Laruaville know exactly how to walk that fine line, the result...another incredibly entertaining Match 3 game worthy of a sequel!
You can play in a Relaxed Mode or a Limited Moves or Limited Time Mode and there are 40 Bonus Match 3 Levels to Unlock, which allows you to replay the levels. After each Match 3 level, you can play a Solitaire or Mahjong game as well as my personal favorites, 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.
You can play in a Relaxed Mode or a Limited Moves or Limited Time Mode and there are 40 Bonus Match 3 Levels to Unlock, which allows you to replay the levels. After each Match 3 level, you can play a Solitaire or Mahjong game as well as my personal favorites, 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.
Laruaville is a Match 3 game that's "All About The Coins", the level goals are clear and simple, collect all of the coins, but of course, collecting the coins is anything but simple! There are plenty of obstacles to make the goal more difficult, but overcoming those obstacles only matters if they are preventing you from getting to the coins.
There are several types of Coins available:
•Gold Coins: requires an adjacent match to collect.
•Gem Coins: requires 1 match to remove gems, a second to collect.
•Frozen Coins: requires activating torches.
•Half Coins: requires joining 2 halves by making matches between.
•Locked Coins: requires unlocking Coin Key.
•Coin Molds: requires guiding liquid gold to the mold to form a coin.
•D#@%ed (censored) Coins: do NOT collect you will lose the level!
•Gem Coins: requires 1 match to remove gems, a second to collect.
•Frozen Coins: requires activating torches.
•Half Coins: requires joining 2 halves by making matches between.
•Locked Coins: requires unlocking Coin Key.
•Coin Molds: requires guiding liquid gold to the mold to form a coin.
•D#@%ed (censored) Coins: do NOT collect you will lose the level!
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.
•Petals: requires an adjacent match to remove.
•Sand: requires 3 adjacent matches to remove.
•Fog: requires an adjacent match to remove.
•Ice: requires a match 3 of whichever tile is trapped in the ice.
•Chains: requires a match 3 of whichever tile is chained.
•Keys: requires moving towards a locked coin by matching in between.
•Vials: requires filling with purple drops by matching vertically.
•Wooden Walls: requires an adjacent match to remove.
•Stone Walls: requires several adjacent matches to remove.
•Metal Walls: cannot be destroyed.
•Torches: spread fire to melt snow, ice, etc. by making adjacent matches.
•Shielded Crates: requires an adjacent match on the unshielded portion.
•Petals: requires an adjacent match to remove.
•Sand: requires 3 adjacent matches to remove.
•Fog: requires an adjacent match to remove.
•Ice: requires a match 3 of whichever tile is trapped in the ice.
•Chains: requires a match 3 of whichever tile is chained.
•Keys: requires moving towards a locked coin by matching in between.
•Vials: requires filling with purple drops by matching vertically.
•Wooden Walls: requires an adjacent match to remove.
•Stone Walls: requires several adjacent matches to remove.
•Metal Walls: cannot be destroyed.
•Torches: spread fire to melt snow, ice, etc. by making adjacent matches.
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.
•Small Rocket: vertical OR horizontal line busters (right-click to direct)
•Large Rocket: selects a target in order of importance.
•Bombs: explodes with an adjacent match (usually w/ a chain reaction)
•Amulet: destroys 15 Random tiles.
•Cannons: requires an adjacent match on the Red Cell to activate.
•Large Rocket: selects a target in order of importance.
•Bombs: explodes with an adjacent match (usually w/ a chain reaction)
•Amulet: destroys 15 Random tiles.
•Cannons: requires an adjacent match on the Red Cell to activate.
In the Demon Match 3 game, you play against the demon on a split board alternating turns with the Demon. You must collect more Coins faster than the Demon did on his turn, you can create power-ups and use them, however, using power-ups will count as 2 moves.
LARUAVILLE SERIES LIST
Title***Release Date***Average Rating
Title***Release Date***Average Rating
1-Laruaville 1 (July 30-2013) 4.2
2-Laruaville 2 (March 4-2015) 4.1
3-Laruaville 3 (August 4-2015) 4.4
4-Laruaville 4 (December 14-2015) 4.4
5-Laruaville 5 (October 17-2016) 4.2
6-Laruaville 6 (June 26-2017) 4.0
7-Laruaville 7 (June 6-2018) 4.1
8-Laruaville 8 (February 20-2019) 3.7
9-Laruaville 9 (December 4-2019) n/a
by: FRH Games
2-Laruaville 2 (March 4-2015) 4.1
3-Laruaville 3 (August 4-2015) 4.4
4-Laruaville 4 (December 14-2015) 4.4
5-Laruaville 5 (October 17-2016) 4.2
6-Laruaville 6 (June 26-2017) 4.0
7-Laruaville 7 (June 6-2018) 4.1
8-Laruaville 8 (February 20-2019) 3.7
9-Laruaville 9 (December 4-2019) n/a
by: FRH Games
I recommend this game!
Help Emma dig through the poisonous pieces of this family mystery and solve the case! Play Family Mysteries: Poisonous Promises!
Overall rating
2
/
5
59 of 90 found this review helpful
STORY HAS POTENTIAL BUT THE TASKS TO PROGRESS THE STORY ARE TEDIOUS & BORING
PostedDecember 1, 2019
pennmom36
fromI'm still a BraveG-fan, just being honest, think outside the box guys :)
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
Completed Game approximately 5.5 hours
(including completion of all mini-games & CE Bonus Chapter)
*29 Scene Locations +7 CE Bonus Chapter*
Difficulty Range: Beginner-(possibly intermediate)
(including completion of all mini-games & CE Bonus Chapter)
*29 Scene Locations +7 CE Bonus Chapter*
Difficulty Range: Beginner-(possibly intermediate)
I love this developer, I love that he always visits and interacts with us at the pond, but I had to force myself to complete this game because I bought the game thinking this would be a great who-dun-it mystery game, a genre I happen to love! But, there are ONLY 2-3 AREAS OF INTEREST PER SCENE (zoom zones, hos, mini-game, etc.) there's nothing to do, nothing interesting to see, and when there is something to do, it almost always involves having to unlock a door or drawer, cut thru and/or use acid on a locked chain or cut the straps of a suitcase. How many times can I repeat these same 3 tasks before I go insane? The games are repeats, the games are boring, the HO scenes are boring, the repetitive tasks are really boring, the story is okay-ish but it's difficult to keep up with because the characters all look similar and getting from point A to point B is soooo slooooowww!
Gadget:
You will use your Smartphone to take pictures of 18 different Evidence items. (the pictures are taken automatically) After collecting several evidence pictures, you will click the Phone Icon to make 6 different Case Analyses Deductions. This involves rifling through the images (how did phone snapshots magically turn into old polaroid photos???) and then placing them into the correct categories while hearing the conclusions the detective has concluded.
You will use your Smartphone to take pictures of 18 different Evidence items. (the pictures are taken automatically) After collecting several evidence pictures, you will click the Phone Icon to make 6 different Case Analyses Deductions. This involves rifling through the images (how did phone snapshots magically turn into old polaroid photos???) and then placing them into the correct categories while hearing the conclusions the detective has concluded.
Collectibles/Morphing Objects (CE version only)
There are 32 Collectible Playing Cards and 29 Morphing Presents. The Cards are huge and stick out like a sore thumb and the Presents morph way to quickly. Even if they didn't morph at all they would still be easily spotted because all you have to do is scan the scene for a square or round object lying in the middle of the floor.
There are 32 Collectible Playing Cards and 29 Morphing Presents. The Cards are huge and stick out like a sore thumb and the Presents morph way to quickly. Even if they didn't morph at all they would still be easily spotted because all you have to do is scan the scene for a square or round object lying in the middle of the floor.
Hidden Object Scenes:
There are 13 Hidden Object Scenes +6 in the CE Bonus Chapter that vary with Interactive Listed Item Finds, Silhouetted Shape Finds, and Multiples of Related Items. There are a few Keywords in Sentence Finds, but they are listed as Mini-Games, not HOP's. The scenes are nothing more than large, unorganized lumps of clutter-junk and the items to find are usually blurry and difficult to recognize. To make matters worse, the scenes are located in unappealing, uninteresting locations. This would be a perfect time to add a "Skip" feature to a HOS, fortunately, there's an alternate Matching Pairs game where you flip over 2 available tokens at a time to find related images, such as a Rose and a Vase,
There are 13 Hidden Object Scenes +6 in the CE Bonus Chapter that vary with Interactive Listed Item Finds, Silhouetted Shape Finds, and Multiples of Related Items. There are a few Keywords in Sentence Finds, but they are listed as Mini-Games, not HOP's. The scenes are nothing more than large, unorganized lumps of clutter-junk and the items to find are usually blurry and difficult to recognize. To make matters worse, the scenes are located in unappealing, uninteresting locations. This would be a perfect time to add a "Skip" feature to a HOS, fortunately, there's an alternate Matching Pairs game where you flip over 2 available tokens at a time to find related images, such as a Rose and a Vase,
Mini-Games:
There are 25 mini-games +10 in the CE Bonus Chapter. These are the same exact puzzles that were offered in the last couple of games released by this developer, most of which are easily solved on the first attempt and not all that impressive. One of the mini-games that this developer has used in nearly all of their games is repeated several times as a "Fight-Scene" scenario. You are challenged with dragging lines between 3 or more tokens that match your colors and hopefully, not your opponent's colored tokens which drains your amounts. There are 3 different boards to clear before you deck your male opponent (Do you really expect me to believe that I could win a fistfight with a testosterone, pumped-up dude who is ruthless enough to punch a woman?) however, the game is maddening because there are no more than 3 matchable tokens in your color vs. 7-10 matchable opponent tokens so the game is completely boring and not fun to play once much less 3 boards, and then having to agonize through the same game two additional times is maddening! I have listed a few games that were slightly more interesting:
There are 25 mini-games +10 in the CE Bonus Chapter. These are the same exact puzzles that were offered in the last couple of games released by this developer, most of which are easily solved on the first attempt and not all that impressive. One of the mini-games that this developer has used in nearly all of their games is repeated several times as a "Fight-Scene" scenario. You are challenged with dragging lines between 3 or more tokens that match your colors and hopefully, not your opponent's colored tokens which drains your amounts. There are 3 different boards to clear before you deck your male opponent (Do you really expect me to believe that I could win a fistfight with a testosterone, pumped-up dude who is ruthless enough to punch a woman?) however, the game is maddening because there are no more than 3 matchable tokens in your color vs. 7-10 matchable opponent tokens so the game is completely boring and not fun to play once much less 3 boards, and then having to agonize through the same game two additional times is maddening! I have listed a few games that were slightly more interesting:
1-Click directional arrows to slide 2 tokens to their matching slot, using obstacles as bumpers to change the destination paths.
2-Swap groups of 2 triangle puzzle pieces to complete the image.
3-Use directional arrows to steer the ship clear of obstacles.
4-Connect ends of colored wires into partial symbols to recreate the symbols.
5-Assemble a series of jigsaw variation puzzles (jigsaw-square tiles-rings)
2-Swap groups of 2 triangle puzzle pieces to complete the image.
3-Use directional arrows to steer the ship clear of obstacles.
4-Connect ends of colored wires into partial symbols to recreate the symbols.
5-Assemble a series of jigsaw variation puzzles (jigsaw-square tiles-rings)
Bonus Chapter: The Great Storm (CE version only)
Relive that stormy night from a Coast Guards point of view as you rescue the crew of the Yacht. This is an average-length chapter that takes place pretty much entirely aboard the yacht with 7 additional scene locations. There are 10 Mini-Games and 6 Hidden Object Scenes to stretch out the length of actual gameplay. There are no Collectible Playing Cards or Morphing Presents to find which I find odd considering the game takes place on the yacht that is owned by the Present-giver? Once again, the Giant Brave guy does not give us an opportunity to pick up any missed collectibles or morphs. (I missed a card because 3 scenes had 2 cards instead of 1 and I just wasn't paying attention)
Relive that stormy night from a Coast Guards point of view as you rescue the crew of the Yacht. This is an average-length chapter that takes place pretty much entirely aboard the yacht with 7 additional scene locations. There are 10 Mini-Games and 6 Hidden Object Scenes to stretch out the length of actual gameplay. There are no Collectible Playing Cards or Morphing Presents to find which I find odd considering the game takes place on the yacht that is owned by the Present-giver? Once again, the Giant Brave guy does not give us an opportunity to pick up any missed collectibles or morphs. (I missed a card because 3 scenes had 2 cards instead of 1 and I just wasn't paying attention)
Collector's Edition Extra's:
16 Wallpapers from 16 of the scenes & w/o characters, yay! (can't download until completion of the main game...why, do I not own this game??) 5 Music Soundtracks, 8 Movie Video Cutscenes, 8 Replayable Mini-Games, 8 Replayable Hidden Object Scenes, 24 Achievements, 32 Collectible Playing Cards, 29 Morphing Presents, 4 Main Chapters with 29 Scene Locations, +Bonus Chapter with 7 Scene Locations, and a Built-In Strategy Guide.
16 Wallpapers from 16 of the scenes & w/o characters, yay! (can't download until completion of the main game...why, do I not own this game??) 5 Music Soundtracks, 8 Movie Video Cutscenes, 8 Replayable Mini-Games, 8 Replayable Hidden Object Scenes, 24 Achievements, 32 Collectible Playing Cards, 29 Morphing Presents, 4 Main Chapters with 29 Scene Locations, +Bonus Chapter with 7 Scene Locations, and a Built-In Strategy Guide.
I don't recommend this game.
Embark on an epic match-3 journey with your old friends from Rivermoor. Travel across the kingdom of Silverdale as you track down a bandit thief!
Overall rating
2
/
5
122 of 145 found this review helpful
IT DOESN'T MAKE ME FEEL ALL WARM & FUZZY INSIDE...this is surely the dastardly deeds of the Grinch!
PostedNovember 30, 2019
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
2
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
I LOVED Runefall 1 but I gotta tell ya, I didn't even finish the demo for this game because I was BORED to death! I was bored by the excessiveness of dialog in a story that was uninteresting, I was bored by the fact that the gameplay was the same as the first game, I've already played the first one a few times so I'm over it. I was bored with the ugly resource tiles, I was bored searching the moving boards for the same resources (and with way too much time allotted on the Timed Mode to make it challenging) You probably already figured out what I'm going to say about the Collector's Edition's worthiness, let's just say nothing about this sequel made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.
The board moves around as you make matches in different areas, and you collect inventory items hidden within Grass-covered tiles, Dirt-covered tiles, etc. Some tiles are blocked with stone and wood, and the artifacts themselves are blocked by stone requiring you to make at least one match next to them. There is a jump map that recharges with each shield you collect and there are even mines to collect resources whenever you make matches next to them. until depleted
Large matches will give you Bonus, such as Amphora with a Match 4 or a Bomb for a Match 5 or more that explodes when matched or double-clicked. You'll need to find Keys to open Treasure Chests, and some chests require playing a mini-game to "pick" the lock. This Mini-game was actually a rather interesting puzzle where you have to click on 2 icons that are shown on the right to clear all pins.
The Collector's Edition Extra's include 14 Achievements, 11 Wallpapers, a Downloadable Soundtrack, the Making of the game milestones and obstacles and a Strategy Guide.
RUNEFALL SERIES LIST
Title***Collector's Edition Release Date***Average Rating
Title***Collector's Edition Release Date***Average Rating
1-Runefall SE only (February 11-2015) 4.6
2-Runefall 2 (November 30-2019) n/a
2-Runefall 2 (November 30-2019) n/a
by: Playcademy
I don't recommend this game.