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:
Join the Argonauts and learn the story of Circe in this incredible time management adventure!
Overall rating
2
/
5
70 of 73 found this review helpful
OH LOOK, THEY CHANGED THE TITLE!
PostedOctober 8, 2019
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
2
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
We have been treated to some fantastic TM games lately, but this isn't one of em! When I saw that today's release was another Argonauts Agency, I was positive it would be a game with no creativity, no challenge, no imagination, and no new features, but mostly, it would be 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. Not to my surprise, there was no surprise or prize from this Argonauts Agency, it was exactly what I was expecting!
Constantly having to restore ports and row my boat back and forth to gather a simple loaf of bread left randomly on a path on several tiny islands just isn't fun, it's boring, and it's exactly the same scenario as the last game, and the game before that, and the game before that, I'm confident it will be the same task in the fifth installment as well. To make matters worse, they threw in a simultaneous button-pushing task where you have to send two workers to two different buttons to push at the same time, how clever (yes, I was being sarcastic) these islands have technologically advanced gate portals yet I still have to hop in my tiny canoe and row my way to the nearby islands and scour the islands for berries & breadcrumbs??
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. 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 one of three smaller chests to earn extra resources, faster workers etc. by a percentage, temporarily.
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. 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 one of three smaller chests to earn extra resources, faster workers etc. by a percentage, temporarily.
Bonuses can be won by spinning a Casino Slot Machine with Crystals as the currency. You will earn 10 Crystals every 5 minutes you play (why not leave the game running overnight?) The bonuses are % based and become more worthy the higher the percentage:
⛏️Sandals~speeds up the characters.
⛏️Axe~cut down trees faster.
⛏️Shovel~fill holes faster.
⛏️Sword~monster battle time reduced.
⛏️Hammer~speeds up construction.
⛏️Pick~speeds stone breaking time.
⛏️Axe~cut down trees faster.
⛏️Shovel~fill holes faster.
⛏️Sword~monster battle time reduced.
⛏️Hammer~speeds up construction.
⛏️Pick~speeds stone breaking time.
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 for a renewable food source, as well as the usual path blockers of thorney vines, potholes, conveniently cut & stacked wood, boulders, puddles, and bread loaves that somehow gets left strategically on a blocked path just when you need it the most, not to mention random caches of gold coins.
Once again, the only features offered in this Collector's Edition version, are 10 Concept Art pictures and 5 Music Soundtracks, and a few extra levels in the Additional Campaign section. There are 31 Achievements to earn, but the trophies are usually still included within the Standard Edition versions.
ARGONAUTS AGENCY SERIES LIST
Title Collector's Edition Release Date***Average Rating
Title Collector's Edition Release Date***Average Rating
1-Golden Fleece (October 2-2018) 3.3
2-Pandora's Box (January 5-2019) 3.8
3-Chair of Hephaestus (May 14-2019) 3.9
4-Glove of Midas (August 3-2019) 3.3
5-Captive of Circe (October 8-2019) n/a
2-Pandora's Box (January 5-2019) 3.8
3-Chair of Hephaestus (May 14-2019) 3.9
4-Glove of Midas (August 3-2019) 3.3
5-Captive of Circe (October 8-2019) n/a
by: Workroom7
I don't recommend this game.
A rock band reunion takes a deadly detour into a nightmare!
Overall rating
2
/
5
32 of 48 found this review helpful
LOOKS LIKE IT DIDN'T HAVE MUCH OF A FOLLOWING
PostedOctober 6, 2019
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
2
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
Completed Game just under 3 hours
(including completion of all mini-games & CE Bonus Chapter)
♪~20 Scene Locations +7 scenes in the CE Bonus Chapter~♪
The famous rock band, Velvet Whisper, has agreed to set their difference aside for one last Rock-reunion performance...just Roll with it?! (can't take that name seriously, AC/DC, Led Zeppelin, The Rolling Stones, Nirvana, Aerosmith, Black Sabbath, Van Halen, Guns N' Roses, Metallica, Pearl Jam, Jimi Hendrix, or The Red Hot Chili Peppers are rock bands, Velvet Whisper sounds like a Romance Novel or the owner of a Horse named Velvet, or the name of a new cake recipe...)
(including completion of all mini-games & CE Bonus Chapter)
♪~20 Scene Locations +7 scenes in the CE Bonus Chapter~♪
The famous rock band, Velvet Whisper, has agreed to set their difference aside for one last Rock-reunion performance...just Roll with it?! (can't take that name seriously, AC/DC, Led Zeppelin, The Rolling Stones, Nirvana, Aerosmith, Black Sabbath, Van Halen, Guns N' Roses, Metallica, Pearl Jam, Jimi Hendrix, or The Red Hot Chili Peppers are rock bands, Velvet Whisper sounds like a Romance Novel or the owner of a Horse named Velvet, or the name of a new cake recipe...)
Their music is legendary, and it also has ghostbusting potential because, for some unknown and unexplained reason, it drives away the evil paranormal fog. What is the significance of the fog? Where did the fog come from? Why does the fog hate this particular music, you may ask? I don't know! (never mind, for a moment I forgot that we were talking about The Velvet Whisper Band's music bwahahaha) How did this orphan girl get paranormal powers? I don't know! If she's a living, breathing human, (which is made quite clear in the story) why does she have a ghostly apparition, don't you have to be dead to haunt? Where did the muse come from? Why is she trapped like a genie in a bottle? Why did MHG make young Grace look so creepy as a kid? Why did MHG decide to ruin the Cadenza series that began with an amazing N'Awlins experience at the famous Jazz Pepper Club during Mardi Gras? So many questions I have, such a disappointment. MHG needs to take a few hours to replay Music, Betrayal, and Death so they can see where they went so horribly wrong!
There are 14 HIDDEN OBJECT SCENES +4 in the CE Bonus Chapter and 2 Zoom Zone Silhouetted Shape HO's that are mostly ho-hum Interactive List Finds located in uninteresting places. There are also Multiples of the same Item Finds, Finding & Replacing Items, Progressive-Interactive Finds, and Silhouetted Shape Finds, In this CE version, each Hidden Object Scene has a very easy to spot Morphing Object. Any missed HOP Morph can be picked up by replaying the HOP's in the CE Extra's section.
There are only 11 MINI-GAMES +2 in the CE Bonus Chapter. These are basic, bare-bones puzzle that truly lacks creativity. Below are brief descriptions of some of the less-lame puzzles offered:
♫-Swap tiles or move rows left or right to recreate the pattern shown.
♫-Choose 4 partial symbols to recreate the symbol shown.
♫-Rotate tiles to complete the railroad tracks and then select directional arrows to move the train from point A to B
♫-Connect identical colored dots by drawing a line that doesn't intersect another color line.
♫-Choose 4 partial symbols to recreate the symbol shown.
♫-Rotate tiles to complete the railroad tracks and then select directional arrows to move the train from point A to B
♫-Connect identical colored dots by drawing a line that doesn't intersect another color line.
The CE BONUS CHAPTER takes place a year later playing as Lisa Ames the lead guitarist from Velvet Whisper. When Lisa's granddaughter Angel is kidnapped from the recording studio during her first solo, Grandma Lisa hunts them down to make them regret the day they were born! There are 7 Scene Locations During this average-length chapter, but there are only 2 Mini-Games and 4 Hidden Object Scenes?? You will pick up the remaining 7 MHG Spirals, 7 Scene Morphs, and 4 Hidden Object Morphs. After completing the Bonus Chapter you can return to all of the scenes to pick up 27 Musical Treasures.
The COLLECTOR'S EDITION version Extra's has 11 Wallpapers, 11 Concept Art Pictures (with Before/After Slider Bar) 10 Music Soundtracks, 17 Replayable Hidden Object Scenes, 10 Achievements (5 are available in 3 categories) 27 Scene Location Morphing Objects (the SC erroneously omits the morph @E but the scene does have a Spiral & a Morph) 17 Hidden Object Scene Morphs (missed HOP morphs can be picked up in the replayable HO extras) 27 Mad Head Games Spirals, 27 Musical Treasures (return to all 27 scene locations to find instruments) 5 Main Chapters +Bonus Chapter and a built-in Strategy Guide.
CADENZA SERIES LIST
Title***Standard Edition Release Date***Average Rating
Title***Standard Edition Release Date***Average Rating
1-Music, Betrayal, and Death (May 11-2014) 4.7
2-The Kiss of Death (May 3-2015) 4.4
3-Havana Nights (April 17-2016) 4.1
4-Fame, Theft, and Murder (April 2-2017) 4.3
5-The Eternal Dance (February 9-2018) 3.4
6-The Following (October 6-2019) n/a
2-The Kiss of Death (May 3-2015) 4.4
3-Havana Nights (April 17-2016) 4.1
4-Fame, Theft, and Murder (April 2-2017) 4.3
5-The Eternal Dance (February 9-2018) 3.4
6-The Following (October 6-2019) n/a
by: Mad Head Games
I don't recommend this game.
Can you stop history from repeating itself before it’s too late?
Overall rating
3
/
5
69 of 100 found this review helpful
A NOT SO ENCHANTING ENCHANTED KINGDOM
PostedOctober 5, 2019
pennmom36
fromPegasus a winged horse, son of Poseidon & Medusa. He can only be controlled with a golden bridle given to Bellerophon after praying to Athena. Zeus honored Pegasus with a special immortality turning him into a constellation on the last day of his life.
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
Completed Game approximately 6 hours
(including completion of all mini-games & CE Bonus Chapter)
(including completion of all mini-games & CE Bonus Chapter)
Once upon a time, humans did what humans always do, encroach upon the Kinzuls sacred lands destroying its precious resources. A battle raged, pitting Kinzul warriors against human Mages until an explosion occurred so powerful the humans were destroyed. The Kinzuls, however, were cursed to live within their armor, a mere soul of their former selves forevermore. That is until Lancer vowed to seek revenge on all humans, but he wasn't expecting a powerful Explorer graduate to foil his plans (no, that's totes the scenario, a simple explorer is more powerful than all the demigods combined???)
There is a Translation Gadget that is used 6 times +3 in the CE Bonus Chapter. Each time it is used you will play a Symbol related mini-game that varies each time, but none of the puzzles are very challenging and the games themselves take forever because you have to wait for the next symbol to show up 6 different times.
There are 13 Hidden Object Scenes +7 in the CE Bonus Chapter. There are a ton of Slider bar variations where you adjust the vertical & horizontal bars to align symbols or animals. There are also Keywords in Sentence Finds, Progressive-Interactive Finds, Silhouetted Shape Finds, Fragment Finds, Matching Pair Finds, Multiples of the Same Object Finds, Spot the Difference, and Listed Item Finds. There is an optional Match 3 game available.
There are 21 Mini-Games + 8 in the CE Bonus Chapter, several of which had horrible or confusing directions. About half of the mini-games were a symbol-related game associated with the Translation Gadget. I wasn't crazy about any of these particular puzzles, to be honest, but here are a few of the ones a little less boring:
◪~Arrange the potion vials on the shelves correctly according to the partial clues shown.
◪~Pump the colored liquid into the correct colored bubbles by rotating pipes.
◪~Place tulip shapes into the correct slots so they all fit together.
◪~Rotate outer disk and press animals to follow tangled paths to their correct slots.
◪~Pull the barrel to shore by selecting horizontal & vertical directional arrows to avoid obstacles.
◪~Pump the colored liquid into the correct colored bubbles by rotating pipes.
◪~Place tulip shapes into the correct slots so they all fit together.
◪~Rotate outer disk and press animals to follow tangled paths to their correct slots.
◪~Pull the barrel to shore by selecting horizontal & vertical directional arrows to avoid obstacles.
The CE Bonus Chapter has us chasing after a poacher/beast tamer who is trying to raise his deceased wife with the Resurrection Artifact, let's hope she hasn't been dead too long. There are 8 Mini-Games and 7 Hidden Object Puzzles and you'll use the Translation Amulet another 3 times during this medium-length Bonus Chapter. There are 2 Morphing Medallions left according to the SG but I had collected all but one in the Main Chapters? The final 2 Character Statues will be discovered as well as the final 7 Pheonix Feathers which allows you to purchase the final Laboratory items, according to the SG and once again I have a discrepancy because I only needed 2 phoenix feathers, after the main chapters, to buy the last laboratory item which cost 4 feathers and I only needed 2 more feathers???
The Collector's Edition Extra's include 10 Wallpapers, 10 Concept Art Pictures, 5 Music Soundtracks, 23 Movie Video Cutscenes, 18 Achievements, 14 Replayable Mini-Games, 18 Replayable Hidden Object Scenes, 15 Collectible Arcadian Kingdom Character Statues, 15 Morphing Medallions, 64 Phoenix Feathers (used to purchase 15 Laboratory Items) a Gazillion Missing Notes, 5 Main Chapters +Bonus Chapter and a Built-In Strategy Guide.
ENCHANTED KINGDOM SERIES LIST
Title***Collector's Edition Release Date***Average Rating
Title***Collector's Edition Release Date***Average Rating
1-A Dark Seed (April 6-2017) 3.9
2-A Stranger's Venom (September 28-2017) 3.7
3-Fog of Rivershire (February 22-2018) 4.0
4-Fiend of Darkness (August 23-2018) 3.4
5-Descent of the Elders (March 7-2019) 4.1
6-Arcadian Backwoods (October 5-2019) n/a
by: Domini Games
2-A Stranger's Venom (September 28-2017) 3.7
3-Fog of Rivershire (February 22-2018) 4.0
4-Fiend of Darkness (August 23-2018) 3.4
5-Descent of the Elders (March 7-2019) 4.1
6-Arcadian Backwoods (October 5-2019) n/a
by: Domini Games
Can you defeat an evil fairy queen to avenge your father?
Overall rating
3
/
5
36 of 52 found this review helpful
SIX LONG CHAPTERS THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN WRAPPED UP IN FOUR
PostedOctober 4, 2019
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
Completed Game approximately 6 hours
(including completion of all mini-games & CE Bonus Chapter)
(including completion of all mini-games & CE Bonus Chapter)
Once again we have a story about a poisoned King and a Queen who pleads with her son to take on an entire rival by himself, to save the day and resurrect dear ole dad from the dead. I know how this dev likes their King & Queen run Kingdoms but the plot is slooow and boooring.
There are 12 Hidden Object Scenes +5 in the CE Bonus Chapter. There is Interactive List Finds Keywords in Sentences Finds, Multiples of the same Object Finds, Silhouetted Shape Finds, Replace or Reverse Finds, and my favorite was finding object placements by selecting items in the scene that match swatch tokens.
There are 19 Mini-Games +10 in the CE Bonus Chapter. The games can be played in an Easy Mode or Hard mode and you can choose your difficulty preferences in the custom settings, but you can change to the mode you want individually before starting the game. I thought the games were decent but very easily solved even in the Hard mode.
The Collector's Edition Bonus Chapter fast-forwards to focus on Prince Liam's now-grown daughters and Queen Henrietta's sister and an icy battle between them. There are 5 Hidden Objects Scenes, and 10 Mini-Games and you will find the remaining 3 Morphing Celeste's Jewlrey, 3 Beastiary Pages, and 7 Amulets to finish the garden collectibles.
The Collector's Edition Extra's include 10 Wallpapers, 19 Concept Art Pictures, 5 Music Soundtracks, 44 Movie Videos, 17 Replayable Games, 17 Replayable Hidden Object Scenes, 39 Achievements, 70 Collectible Amulets to purchase 14 Garden Items, 15 Bestiary Book Pages, 15 Morphing Celeste's Jewelry, Missing Journal Pages to find, 6 Main Chapters +Bonus Chapter and a Built-in Strategy Guide.
DARK ROMANCE SERIES LIST
Title***Standard Edition Release Date***Average Rating
Title***Standard Edition Release Date***Average Rating
1-Vampire in Love (March 9-2014) 3.7
2-Heart of the Beast (May 22-2015) 4.0
3-The Swan Sonata (November 15-2015) 3.8
4-Kingdom of Death (May 20-2016) 4.0
5-Curse of Bluebeard (November 11-2016) 4.4
6-Romeo and Juliet (March 26-2017) 4.4
7-The Monster Within (October 6-2017) 3.3
8-Winter Lily (February 16-2018) 4.2
9-A Performance to Die For (August 24-2018) 4.0
10-Hunchback of Notre Dame (March 8-2019) 3.4
11-Ethereal Gardens (October 4-2019) n/a
2-Heart of the Beast (May 22-2015) 4.0
3-The Swan Sonata (November 15-2015) 3.8
4-Kingdom of Death (May 20-2016) 4.0
5-Curse of Bluebeard (November 11-2016) 4.4
6-Romeo and Juliet (March 26-2017) 4.4
7-The Monster Within (October 6-2017) 3.3
8-Winter Lily (February 16-2018) 4.2
9-A Performance to Die For (August 24-2018) 4.0
10-Hunchback of Notre Dame (March 8-2019) 3.4
11-Ethereal Gardens (October 4-2019) n/a
by: Domini Games
Overall rating
3
/
5
58 of 67 found this review helpful
BUILD A WALKTHROUGH AND THEY WILL COME!!!!
PostedSeptember 30, 2019
pennmom36
fromDefinition of achromatic 1: refracting light without dispersing it into its constituent colors : giving images practically free from extraneous colors??
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
If you are a problem-solving puzzle geek like I am, you will love this game! Yes, I did love this game and I would have given it 5-Stars IF there was a walkthrough available! This is a tough game that gets complicated fairly quickly and there's no option to skip a level so if you get stuck like I did, it's game over. This game was originally released a little over a year ago and there's still no walkthroughs available, but there are pages and pages of "I'm stuck on level __ and I need help" posts on the net!
The goal is simple, change all the shapes the same color by dragging a line between shapes. Lines for colored circles can only go horizontally or vertically, where lines for colored squares can go around corners and even overlap, but you can only change one color at a time. For example, you can change the color of blue circles to red, by drawing a line from the first red circle through the blue circles, to the last red circle. (red dot-blue dot-red dot) it doesn't matter how many circles are in between the 1st & the last circle, but the colors in between have to be the same color (example: all blue) and the first and last circle has to be the same color as well (example: both red) You simply go through the steps to until all shapes are one single color, and of course, as you progress, more shapes and colors are added which have different abilities, and there's a color-blind mode that places shapes within the centers of each color.
The tutorial is practically non-existant but that's part of the puzzle to solve, there's no wrong move or penalty, you just have to try different connections and combinations, the line connections are either accepted or nothing will happen. You can revert backward one move at a time, or reset the puzzle as often as you want.
This is the same developer who created the unique Hex puzzle, and the music is as beautiful as it is relaxing. I just can't believe they chose not to offer a walkthrough guide or at least a hint system and/or the ability to skip a mind-boggling level if desired, otherwise, when you hit a brick wall, you just become frustrated and eventually give up!
A Hack & Slash Deck-building hybrid in which you slay the armies of darkness in order to save the world of Paperverse!
Overall rating
4
/
5
63 of 69 found this review helpful
IT'S A POP-UP!
PostedSeptember 30, 2019
pennmom36
fromOkay, I've gotta admit I enjoyed slashing the skeletons! ♆ ☠
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
When I saw today's game I didn't think I was going to like it because RPG's based on Card-Battles are usually complicated and have really old-school graphics. Reading the fact that it was based on a pop-up in Paperverse didn't help matters, but I started the game with an open mind. What happened next caught me by surprise!
The graphics are amazing with animated characters that are paper cut-outs just like you'd see inside a pop-up book, but so much cooler than it sounds. There is an extremely thorough Tutorial that explains all the features you come across (Question Mark Icons along the paths) and the devs have done an amazing job at uncomplicating the complicated to make it clear, simple, and fun to play. I thought I'd hate this game, turns out I'm having a blast slashing Skeleton Warriors, blasting poison gas Zombies, avoiding Gargoyals and defeating the Bosses of every level.
The goal of each level is to find treasures of coin and cards hidden in amphoras, treasure chests, and sarcophaguses (which sometimes have monsters, bombs, or nothing at all) and defeat the Bosses at the end of the level without dying! Gold Footprints indicate that path has been cleared, Question Mark Icons at the top of the screen indicate areas of interest, as you get closer the Icons will reveal what the objects are.
Of course, there are undead monsters around every corner that must be defeated, clicking and holding the mouse over them will destroy them faster, as indicated by the Hearts above them. Each monster has its own unique skillset and each one can damage your hearts or Lives as shown on the bottom left. Finding Fountains along the way will heal you, but if you run out of health, you will die.
You can equip yourself with the Battle Cards you discover when facing the Bosses, and when they have been defeated, you will be rewarded with 1 point that can be used to purchase items from the townsfolk such as Health from the Healer, extra card slots, etc. Completing a level will also make your avatar more experienced.
The Flexiscope is a feature that lets you choose the size of your game sessions with balanced threats and rewards, and learns as you play which is a feature I haven't experienced in a game before. If you are looking for something different to play, you've gotta give this game a try. Who knows, it may surprise you too!
I recommend this game!
A crime film becomes reality when the leading role is murdered!
Overall rating
3
/
5
39 of 56 found this review helpful
MEMOIRS OF MURDER HITS HOME
PostedSeptember 29, 2019
pennmom36
fromI wonder why Eipix changed their graphics lately, so much better than the large no-detail graphics of the past!
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Completed Game approximately 4.5 hours
(including completion of all mini-games & CE bonus chapter)
(including completion of all mini-games & CE bonus chapter)
Aaron's cousin Kevin was acquitted for the murder of classmate Elizabeth Fox in the fall of 1969. Twenty years later, the residents of Pineville are painfully reminded of her brutal murder when movie crews flood the rural community to film a documentary of Elizabeth's murder, from Kevin's perspective. Emotions are flying high because most people still believe cousin Kevin is a guilty man, but just how far is this angry mob willing to go to see Kevin behind the bars they think he deserves?
There are 17 Hidden Object Scenes +4 within the CE Bonus Chapter. I actually found some of them to be somewhat creative, or had some items that were cleverly blended into the scenery, such as a Missing Vowels Scene. One I really liked was a Progressive-Interactive Silhouetted-Shape HOP inside of a grocery store which also had 3 small puzzles to solve. There are also Keywords In Sentence Finds, Spot the Differences, Listed Items, Multiple Object Lists, and Interactive Finds. In the Collector's Edition version, 14 of the HOS have a Morphing Object. You can replay the HO's in the CE extra's section to pick up any Morphs you may have missed.
There are 25 Mini-Games +4 within the CE Bonus Chapter, not including the HO puzzles. I found most of them to be just as boring as the storyline. Some of the puzzles could have been really fun if they made them a bit more challenging or at least more lengthy. (such as aligning upper & lower teeth but there were only 4 teeth) Here are a few games that were slightly less boring.
1-Rotate discs to align& place several rods of various shapes.
2-Recreate letters by clicking on buttons.
3-Align dominoes to match the dots.
4-Labyrinth maze to navigate through a cornfield.
5- Multi-layered puzzle bouncing signals from satellite to satellite when they are facing each other.
2-Recreate letters by clicking on buttons.
3-Align dominoes to match the dots.
4-Labyrinth maze to navigate through a cornfield.
5- Multi-layered puzzle bouncing signals from satellite to satellite when they are facing each other.
The Collector's Edition Bonus Chapter takes place shortly after the case wraps up when The Fletcher's attend a celebration party. Mary arrived early to help with the preparations, but Aaron quickly discovers that Mary has been abducted...Party's Over! This is an average-length bonus chapter that takes place over 8 scene locations, with 4 Mini-Games and 4 Hidden Object Scenes. There are 8 Clapboards Collectibles remaining as well as 4 Hidden Object Scene Morphing Objects.
The Collector's Edition version has 8 Wallpapers (who cares about a picture of a hand inserting a VHS tape into a VHS player? Why do they have to ruin the picture by including a character image?) 8 Concept Art Pictures (again, who cares about 8 pictures of the same characters standing in the middle of the page?) 8 Music Soundtracks, 6 Movie Video Cutscenes, 14 Replayable Hidden Object Scenes, 18 Replayable Mini-Games, 20 Achievements, an Arcade Game (play a version of space invaders after completing the Souvenir Room) Souvenir Room with 12 Souvenirs (return to scenes from the game to search for 1 slightly interactive item per scene, after completing the CE Bonus Chapter) 38 not-so-hidden Clapboards, 14 Hidden Object Scene Morphing Objects (you can replay the HOS in the CE extras to pick up missing Morphs) 5 Main Chapters +Bonus Chapter, and a Built-in Strategy Guide.
MEMOIRS OF MURDER SERIES LIST
Title***Standard Edition Release Date***Average Rating
Title***Standard Edition Release Date***Average Rating
1-Welcome to Pine Hills (June 3-2018) 3.7
2-Resorting To Revenge (January 13-2019) 3.5
3-Behind The Scenes (September 29-2019) n/a
2-Resorting To Revenge (January 13-2019) 3.5
3-Behind The Scenes (September 29-2019) n/a
by: Eipix Entertainment
I recommend this game!
Can you rescue your brother from an ancient and deadly fate?
Overall rating
4
/
5
72 of 91 found this review helpful
SOMETIMES IT'S SAFER TO KEEP THE PAST BURIED!
PostedSeptember 28, 2019
pennmom36
fromDevil's Tower monolith in Wyoming is actually the core of an ancient volcano exposed by erosion & was declared a US National Monument by Pres. Roosevelt in 1906. El Captain is another famous monolith in Yosemite Natl. Park & is featured on the US quarter.
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Completed Game approximately 8 hours
(including completion of all mini-games & CE Bonus Chapter)
*29 Scene Locations* (22 main + 7bc)
(including completion of all mini-games & CE Bonus Chapter)
*29 Scene Locations* (22 main + 7bc)
Jane thought she and her brother Victor were simply invited as guest speakers at the Archaeology Lecture on Ancient Mechanisms. After a series of unfortunate events, this speaking engagement turns into an epic adventure that will forever change their lives as they become unwitting pawns of a deadly conspiracy that threatens the existence of humanity itself!
There is a TRANSLATION BOOK GADGET that is used 13 times +2 in the CE Bonus Chapter. It is a book that has an attached repetitive mini-game requiring you to use a magnifying glass to find a few symbols in the book as shown on a clue to translate. The symbols are not made larger nor does the magnifying glass reveal hidden symbols so I'm not sure why the included its use. I didn't mind this HO variation but it would have been less annoying if the symbols were more complex or less orderly to make it somewhat challenging.
There are 14 HIDDEN OBJECT SCENES +4 in the CE Bonus Chapter. In this Collector's Edition version, each scene has a Morphing Object, most of which are well blended and challenging to find. Most of the scenes are Listed Item Finds but there are also Silhouetted Shape Finds, Find & Replace Items, Matching Pair Finds, Pictured Item Finds and Symbols to find.
There are a whopping 56 MINI-GAMES +13 in the CE Bonus Chapter which includes the repetitious Translation Book Gadget games. The games are mostly mechanical-related puzzles that are easily solved on the first attempt. Below are brief descriptions of some of my favorite puzzles throughout the game:
❂-Place symbol tiles on 4 sides of a cube that logically fit according to adjacent symbols.
❂-Select gear at the correct time to interlock with the main gear.
❂-Click to reveal images and match pairs (several variations throughout the game)
❂-Choose movement and rotation speeds to interlock gears at the correct moment.
❂-Place various sized gears to create continuous movement.
❂-Rotate semi-circle to bounce red & blue balls into the correct chutes.
❂-Defeat the giant spider by selection directional arrows to dodge its attacks or shields to deflect poisonous gas.
❂-Arrange the books on the shelves until they all have the same amount.
❂-Select the run button at the correct times to avoid all guards.
❂-Fill the entire grid by placing colored tiles with specific coverage amounts.
❂-Exchange liquid between 3 columns until the middle column has the exact amount of liquid.
❂-Select gear at the correct time to interlock with the main gear.
❂-Click to reveal images and match pairs (several variations throughout the game)
❂-Choose movement and rotation speeds to interlock gears at the correct moment.
❂-Place various sized gears to create continuous movement.
❂-Rotate semi-circle to bounce red & blue balls into the correct chutes.
❂-Defeat the giant spider by selection directional arrows to dodge its attacks or shields to deflect poisonous gas.
❂-Arrange the books on the shelves until they all have the same amount.
❂-Select the run button at the correct times to avoid all guards.
❂-Fill the entire grid by placing colored tiles with specific coverage amounts.
❂-Exchange liquid between 3 columns until the middle column has the exact amount of liquid.
The journey continues across 7 new scene locations in this lengthy CE BONUS CHAPTER when a suspicious-looking government agent comes knocking on Jane's door claiming to have found another ancient Monolith. It's been 3-years since Neev's disappearance but Jane is confident that the Monolith investigation will churn up new clues to his whereabouts or at least confirm that he has moved on to the afterlife. There are 4 Hidden Object Scenes +4 HO Morphs (All HO's can be replayed in the CE extra's section to earn gold, silver, or bronze awards, improve accuracy percentages, or pickup missed HO Morphs) There are 13 additional Mini-Games, two of which are associated with the Translation Book Gadget. After finding the final 7 Collectible Symbol Signs, it will unlock the Ultimate Hidden Object Scene (listed items) and finding the remaining 7 Morphing Objects the Ultimate Puzzle becomes available as well. I didn't miss any of the Scene Morphs so I'm not sure if you are given an opportunity to revisit the scenes to search for them but I suspect they would,
This COLLECTOR'S EDITION version has 8 Wallpapers, not 4 (and they don't have characters slapped on the beautiful scenery!) 6 Concept Art Pictures (with a before/after slider bar) 10 Music Soundtracks, 11 Achievements (6 available in 3 category star levels) 18 Replayable Hidden Object Scenes, an Ultimate Listed Items Hidden Object Scene (unlocked when all Collectible Signs are found) an Ultimate Puzzle (replay of main game puzzle variation, unlocked after completing the Bonus Chapter) 29 Scene Morphing Objects, 18 HO Morphing Objects (you can replay the HOP's in the CE replay section to pick up missing HO morphs) 29 Hidden Symbols Collection, 3 Main Chapters (very long) +Bonus Chapter (long chapter) and a Built-In Strategy Guide.
WANDERLUST SERIES LIST
Title***Collector's Edition Release Date***Average Rating
Title***Collector's Edition Release Date***Average Rating
1-What Lies Beneath (March 1-2018) 3.7
2-The City of Mists (March 16-2019) 4.1
3-Shadow of the Monolith (September 28-2019) n/a
2-The City of Mists (March 16-2019) 4.1
3-Shadow of the Monolith (September 28-2019) n/a
by: Mad Head Games
I recommend this game!
A surprise visitor brings news of a grievous future!
Overall rating
4
/
5
52 of 60 found this review helpful
WILL GRIM TALES COME FULL CIRCLE FOR A NEW "THE BRIDE" EPISODE?
PostedSeptember 27, 2019
pennmom36
fromI'm looking forward to Anna's Romantic Encounter episode ⚣ ⚢ ⚥
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Completed Game approximately 3 hours
(including completion of all Mini-Games and CE Bonus Chapter)
(including completion of all Mini-Games and CE Bonus Chapter)
Welcome to the future, and congratulations Anna on the birth of a bouncing b̶a̶b̶y̶ 15-year-old teenage girl! The good news is that you got to bypass all those sleepless nights and "code brown" disasters. The bad news is that she's a harbinger of death! The good news is that you have a lot to catch up on and you get to spend the day time-warping all over town together. The bad news is that you'll have to lug Grandpa Richard's skull everywhere you go. The good news is that at least you know you'll have someone to pass down the skull-keeping business to?
Guest From The Future has a superb storyline that keeps you playing because you want to learn more about the story. Unfortunately, learning more about the story requires muddling through cookie-cutter cliche tasks to the point of being ridiculous. How many emblems can one place before it becomes nothing more than a chore? How many animals do I have to feed before I can take an important inventory item they have been guarding that shouldn't be there in the first place? How many cobwebs must I brush away, how many necessary items must I fish out of a pond or sewer? This developer could climb back to the top slot if they would just think outside the box, they have amazing writers, amazing graphic artists, but they completely fail when it comes to getting from point A to point B!
There are 10 Hidden Object Scenes +5 in the CE Bonus Chapter, and 8 smaller Zoom Zone HOP's. They are mostly Listed Item Finds, but there are also Multiples of Objects Finds, Silhouetted Shape Finds, Keywords in Sentence Finds and Progression Finds. Some items are difficult to see because they are tucked away in dark corners.
There are 15 Mini-Games + 12 in the CE Bonus Chapter (some of those mini-games are multi-layered puzzles) Here are some of my personal favorites:
☞ Use up & down arrows to reshape the lockpick.
☞ Select color-coded path buttons to move roses into correct slots.
☞ Match inner icons with outer icons along paths.
☞ Rotate 2 multi-colored star crystals so the gems between them are the same color.
☞ Select color-coded path buttons to move roses into correct slots.
☞ Match inner icons with outer icons along paths.
☞ Rotate 2 multi-colored star crystals so the gems between them are the same color.
In the Collector's Edition Bonus Chapter, Alice and Richard unite to save Anna Gray from her kidnappers in the medium-length chapter. There are 12 Mini-Games (some of which are multi-layered) and 5 Hidden Object Scenes. You will find the remaining 8 Morphing Objects, 3 Gray family Character Portraits, and 12 Photo Fragments to complete the final Screensaver.
The Collector's Edition version has 8 Wallpapers, 8 Concept Art Pictures, 3 Screensavers, 5 Music Soundtracks, 22 Achievements, Archives with Replayable 13 Hidden Object Scenes and 13 Mini-Games, 14 Collectible Gray Family Portraits, 26 Morphing Objects, 37 Photo Scraps to unlock 3 Screensavers, 5 Main Chapters +Bonus Chapter and a Built-in Strategy Guide.
GRIM TALES SERIES LIST
Title***Standard Edition Release Date***Average Rating
Title***Standard Edition Release Date***Average Rating
1-The Bride (September 2-2011) 3.8
2-The Legacy (February 3-2012) 4.7
3-The Wishes (August 9-2012) 4.4
4-The Stone Queen (February 1-2013) 3.9
5-Bloody Mary (October 11-2013) 4.2
6-The Vengeance (June 13-2014) 4.2
7-Color of Fright (December 3-2014) 3.7
8-The Final Suspect (June 14-2015) 3.8
9-Threads of Destiny (November 6-2015) 2.9
10-The Heir (March 25-2016) 3.6
11-Crimson Hollow (August 25-2016) 4.1
12-Graywitch (March 3-2017) 3.9
13-The White Lady (September 1-2017) 3.7
14-The Time Traveler (February 23-2018) 3.5
15-The Hunger (August 17-2018) 3.4
16-The Nomad (April 18-2019) 4.1
17-Guest From The Future (September 27-2019) n/a
2-The Legacy (February 3-2012) 4.7
3-The Wishes (August 9-2012) 4.4
4-The Stone Queen (February 1-2013) 3.9
5-Bloody Mary (October 11-2013) 4.2
6-The Vengeance (June 13-2014) 4.2
7-Color of Fright (December 3-2014) 3.7
8-The Final Suspect (June 14-2015) 3.8
9-Threads of Destiny (November 6-2015) 2.9
10-The Heir (March 25-2016) 3.6
11-Crimson Hollow (August 25-2016) 4.1
12-Graywitch (March 3-2017) 3.9
13-The White Lady (September 1-2017) 3.7
14-The Time Traveler (February 23-2018) 3.5
15-The Hunger (August 17-2018) 3.4
16-The Nomad (April 18-2019) 4.1
17-Guest From The Future (September 27-2019) n/a
by: Elephant Games
I recommend this game!
Can you save the townspeople from a maniacal specter in time?
Overall rating
3
/
5
59 of 93 found this review helpful
I FEEL OBLIGATED TO INCLUDE HOOK IN THE TITLE NOW..OMG! IT'S BEHIND YOU! THE VALLEY HOOK-ER IS RIGHT BEHIND YOU?
PostedSeptember 26, 2019
pennmom36
fromThere is zero evidence of pirates with hook hands. Most pirate ships had no surgeons, so amputations were done by the ship's carpenter who probably lacked the skill to fix a usable hook onto the stump of a man's hand. ☠
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Completed Game approximately 5 Hours
(including completion of all mini-games & CE Bonus Chapter)
28 Scene Locations
(including completion of all mini-games & CE Bonus Chapter)
28 Scene Locations
Rick Rogers, Paranormal Detective extraordinaire, endowed with supernatural Electrodermal abilities, and ready at a moments notice to de-Haunt the Haunted, Exterminate the Ectoplasm, Grab the Ghostly Grigori Glossolalia, Abduct your Aliens, Banshee your Bigfoots, Cartomancy your Chimeras, or Yeren your Yetis. Rick Rogers has foreseen the unseen and explained the unexplainable but can he rid an entire town of their ghostly ghouls, one of which has a deadly right-hook?
I thought the storyline was way better than the last episode of Paranormal Files, and it took a turn that I should have seen coming but didn't. The graphics were decent and reminiscent of Elephant's earlier games which back in the day were second to none. I also loved that I didn't have to find and place a million "emblems" which was becoming a thing with this developer and super annoying, I also loved that they didn't include every HOPA cliche known to mankind, there are still a few of them here and there, including the ole fish pond/fountain that seems to be where the entire town throws away their junk?
What I found absolutely maddening was an audio glitch of some sort that caused the dialog to stick and stutter on a loop, repeating the same word over and over, like a scratch on a vinyl record, even though I kept playing on, even if I moved on to the next scene. It would literally loop for an entire minute at times, and nothing I did seemed to make a difference. I also found it to be a constant back and forth, mindless task after mindless task kinda game. I do however, think it is a vast improvement over the last several games by this dev, and I remain hopeful that they will climb to the top again and start making games with the quality they used to insist on in their original blockbusters.
There are a few Elephant Eggs available in this fourth installment of Paranormal Files. Each of the 19 locations in the main game (+9 within the CE Bonus Chapter) has a Morphing Object that morphs way too fast and furious. Each Morphing Object you find will unlock a Jigsaw Puzzle Piece to assemble a 28 piece jigsaw. Each of the scenes also has a Hidden Eye, some of which are well-blended. When you collect 7-15-25 Eyes, it unlocks a really clever HOP in the Secret Room and keeps track of your Best Time as well as Current Time scores. Twelve of the scenes have a Character Doll collectible which makes no sense to me, even if they are supposed to be voodoo dolls it has nothing to do with the theme of this game???
There are 10 main Hidden Object Scenes and 4 smaller Zoom Zone HO's +6 in the CE Bonus Chapter. There are the standard Interactive List Finds, Silhouetted Shape Finds, Progressive Interactive Finds, Spot the Differences, Finding & Replacing Items and Keywords in Sentence Finds, There are a few interesting scenes such as finding objects that match Swatch Samples (some of the colors however, were WAY OFF!) another HO scene required using arrows & a slider bar to combine images on 2 wooden cubes. In the CE Extra's section, you can unlock a very unique HOP with the collectible Eyes that I really enjoyed. There are black & white paper cutouts and props that tell a visual story and you are tasked with finding 2 small details at a time. They are very cleverly blended into the drawings and quite entertaining to try to decipher the story being told.
There are 24 Mini-Games +5 in the CE Bonus Chapter that range from fairly easy to medium difficulty. Below are brief descriptions of some of the games I enjoyed throughout the game:
☭Swap tokens according to the progression of day & night time. დ
☭ Select directional arrows to move map pieces into place, using other pieces to stop the continuous movement. დდ
☭ Create a continuous chain thru all orbs to connect symbols in the order shown.
☭ Select 2 hand positions that are used to create the shadows shown in the center (would have been awesome if it were a little more challenging) დ
☭ Use directional arrows to control the forklift to push the boxes to the designated slots w/o getting stuck. დდდ
☭ Move thru the house while overcoming obstacles by selecting 1-3 character tokens that have different skills. დ
☭ Select directional arrows to move map pieces into place, using other pieces to stop the continuous movement. დდ
☭ Create a continuous chain thru all orbs to connect symbols in the order shown.
☭ Select 2 hand positions that are used to create the shadows shown in the center (would have been awesome if it were a little more challenging) დ
☭ Use directional arrows to control the forklift to push the boxes to the designated slots w/o getting stuck. დდდ
☭ Move thru the house while overcoming obstacles by selecting 1-3 character tokens that have different skills. დ
In the CE Bonus Chapter, Rick Rogers returns to Ashen Valley to search for Greg Odell whose father vehemently insists is being possessed by an entity. This is an average-length chapter that takes place across 9 scene locations with 6 Hidden Object Scenes and 5 Mini-Games. You will pick up the remaining 3 Character Dolls, 9 Morphs, and 9 Hidden Eyes that consequentially unlocks the final Bonus HOP with the Eyes, and the Jigsaw Puzzle Pieces to finish the Bonus Art jigsaw with the collected Morphs.
This Collector's Edition version has 10 Wallpapers (Dear Elephant: your scenes are gorgeous, why can't we save images of the artwork WITHOUT a character profile slapped on every one of them??!!??), 11 Concept Art Pictures, 1 Screensaver, 1 Bonus Art 28 Piece Jigsaw Puzzle (receive a Jigsaw Piece for each Morph discovered to assemble the puzzle...completed image rather disappointing) 5 Music Soundtracks, 10 Achievements (two of the achievements have 3 categories or star-tiers and two of the achievements have 5 categories or star-tiers) 14 Replayable Hidden Object Scenes, 13 Replayable Mini-Games, 28 Morphing Objects, 12 Collectible Character Dolls (huh?) 28 Hidden Eyes, a Secret Room to unlock 3 very clever Bonus HOP's by collecting 7-15-25 Eyes, (why are ther 28 eyes to find but only 25 are needed to unlock the HOP's?) 3 Main Chapters with 28 different scene locations +Bonus Chapter with 9 new scene locations, 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) 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) n/a
by: Elephant Games
I recommend this game!