pennmom36's Profile
Stat Summary
- Average Rating:3.7
- Helpful Votes:358,445
- Reviews Submitted:4715
- First Review:December 10, 2012
- Most Recent Review:May 17, 2025
- Featured reviews0
Status:
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!
A puzzle adventure through a surreal world where nature, time and space intertwine!
Overall rating
3
/
5
51 of 57 found this review helpful
GREAT GRAPHICS, CATCHY CONCEPT, REALLY REPETITIOUS
PostedSeptember 25, 2019
pennmom36
fromWhy the harsh Bright Light when entering a door? It's rough on the eyes going from dark scenes to a spotlight laser beam!
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
First of all, kudos to the graphic design department, they are beautiful! There isn't much to tell here, it's a very simple Match 3 variation where you drag square tiles up, down, left, or right to move them 1 cell at a time to try to align at least 3 Squares Vertically or Horizontally to remove them. (note that if you align 3 tiles and others of the same color are grouped next to the match they are all removed) The Goal is to remove 5 tiles with Key sections to unlock the next Levels Door.
The difficulty comes into play with the fact that when you move one tile, they all move together. To make things a bit more challenging, Unmovable Obstacles are added to the board which can help or hinder your progress.
A single tile is added to the board after each move you make and the next tile color is shown to the left to help you strategize your moves. There's no time or move limit and no penalties that I noticed, but I'm assuming that you will lose if the board fills to capacity? I was really enjoying the game because of the strategy involved but after 3-4 levels it just became repetitious and began to feel like a chore.
Can you reveal the story behind the watch, defeat the witch and save your sister in time?
Overall rating
4
/
5
76 of 85 found this review helpful
OPEN UP YOUR MIND & YOUR HEART...IT'S A FANTASY ADVENTURE!
PostedSeptember 23, 2019
pennmom36
fromI love it when Greeny starts running whenever I move to a new scene lol
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Recently, someone implied that I was burnt out on games because of an opinion I had about one of their favorite developers. It's true, but not the part about being burnt out, it's true that my tastes in games have changed. I still love games of all genres, I still play games every day, new ones, old ones, re-vamped ones, HOPA's, Match 3 and Time Management games galore. I just grew weary of the same developers offering the same games with different titles that had the same unimaginative features, tasks, and plots.
I have a soft place in my heart for Indie's because it costs them more to make a game than the big guys, they have to work harder to make a buck (and often don't break even) and they are far more critiqued than the big guys...but they always have more heart and they always care more.
Legacy is a beautiful fantasy adventure game with talking animals, magical trees, enchanted forests, and evil witches. A game doesn't always have to have a plague-era beaked mask, dark-cloaked misty monster, in fact, this fantasy-themed game took a lot more creative imagination than a game with a plot that's been done a thousand times before! It has clever and very unique mini-games that are downright fun to solve! The graphics are bright and colorful and it draws you into the imaginary world of Witch Island. It's the kind of game that makes you stop and smell the roses so to speak. It makes you want to take your time to have a look around, not for the next active area, but to see all of the beautiful sights and magical creatures.
The Hidden Object Scenes aren't very challenging but they vary with each new scene There are Multiples of the Same Item Finds, Matching Pairs Clutter-style, finding specified amounts of Specific Items in Clutter piles, and of course, Interactive Listed Item Finds. My favorite HOP was clicking on the correct fish shown one at a time, from the large group of fish swimming by.
I absolutely LOVED the Mini-Games! They aren't mind-boggling, they are just fun puzzles to solve and many of them were variations I hadn't played before. Here are a few of the games I thought were creative and fun:
1-A whack-a-mole variation of throwing pinecones at the rats before they throw one at you, without hitting other animals.
2-Separate yellow and blue balls by sliding a bar with a small opening when the "fireflies" flutter near the bar in the center.
3-A chain type Match 3 game with a unique twist: use the vegetable chart above the board to create a new veggie, The goal is to make a carrot, to make the carrot you have to create matches of specific veggies to progress to the carrot, for example, you may have to make chains of eggplants to get cabbages, then you make chains of cabbages to make chili peppers (just an example, I don't remember the specific order) there is also a small icon that will show what stage of vegetable you will create that changes depending on the number of the matching chain.
2-Separate yellow and blue balls by sliding a bar with a small opening when the "fireflies" flutter near the bar in the center.
3-A chain type Match 3 game with a unique twist: use the vegetable chart above the board to create a new veggie, The goal is to make a carrot, to make the carrot you have to create matches of specific veggies to progress to the carrot, for example, you may have to make chains of eggplants to get cabbages, then you make chains of cabbages to make chili peppers (just an example, I don't remember the specific order) there is also a small icon that will show what stage of vegetable you will create that changes depending on the number of the matching chain.
Keep an open mind, this isn't a blow your socks off kinda game but it's a fun game that's quite enjoyable to play.
LEGACY SERIES LIST
Title***Release Date***Average Rating
LEGACY SERIES LIST
Title***Release Date***Average Rating
1-Witch Island (October 14-2013) 3.9
2-Witch Island 2 (February 6-2019) 4.0
3-Witch Island 3 (September 23-2019) n/a
2-Witch Island 2 (February 6-2019) 4.0
3-Witch Island 3 (September 23-2019) n/a
by: Itera Labs
I recommend this game!
A journey into the mirror world unleashes a powerful villain!
Overall rating
3
/
5
87 of 117 found this review helpful
RIDICULOUSLY LONG & BORING STORYLINE THAT HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH DARKNESS OR FLAMES!
PostedSeptember 21, 2019
pennmom36
fromIn Greek mythology Phoenixes are among the strongest & most durable of supernatural creatures with the ability to cyclically regenerate every 500 years, bursting into flames & re-emerging as it rises from the ashes of its predecessor.
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
Completed Game 8 hours
(includes completion of ALL mini-games & CE Bonus Chapter)
(includes completion of ALL mini-games & CE Bonus Chapter)
Darkness and Flame is one of my favorite game series created by my #1 Favorite developer and I have stood by their side singing praises about how life-like and amazing their games are. The reason I have always loved Darkness And Flame is because of the post-apocalyptic theme, because Alice became "The Chosen One" branded with a Phoenix that bestowed her with supernatural powers to help defeat the Dark Forces. I loved this game because the Dark Forces were relentless and always hungry, consuming innocent victims and transforming them into evil zombie-like apprentices. The same Darkness that devoured the soul of Alice's beloved Uncle Colin, the only family member to survive the harsh reality of a brutal environment since the invasion.
I loved Darkness And Flame because it always ended with a cliffhanger as Alice walked into another adventure moment, but Enemy in Reflection had NOTHING to do with this post-apocalyptic world. The zombified minions are nowhere to be found with the exception of a 10-second encounter towards the end of the final chapter!I waited a year and a half for a game that had NOTHING to do with DARKNESS or FLAMES unless you count lighting a fire as a Phoenix Phenomena?? I waited a year and a half for a ridiculously long game that was nothing more than an average boring adventure that didn't have a series name attached to call home!
There are only 11 Hidden Object Scenes +3 in the CE Bonus Chapter. Most of them include at least one puzzle to solve, some have 2-3! Most of the scenes are Interactive-Progressive Listed Items or Silhouetted Shapes requiring you to interact with the scene or solve puzzles to find an item that is used somewhere else in the scene. These are very lengthy scenes and not for the faint of heart. There are a few scenes that are still highly interactive but only require finding Multiple coins, birds or artifacts, and some that required taking items from the inventory and placing them logically on the scene. My favorite HOP required replacing objects on 4 different scenes using arrows to switch scenes. I can't complain about the HOP's by this developer, they are the only developer to succeed in making HOP's both interesting and challenging.
There are a whopping 46 Mini-Games +4 in the CE Bonus Chapter, most of the HOP's have 1-3 puzzles to solve. They range from simplistic games that can be solved in 30 seconds to mind-melting ridiculous games you have to restart several times to solve. There are also several codes you have to memorize for some games but they are usually close to one another. Here are a few of my favorite games:
✇-Move insect tiles to their matching slots using other tiles as bumpers & gears to change their direction.
✇-Move blue chips to their slots using red chips as bumpers, moving chips on the left side will also move chips on the right side.
✇-Navigate paths through the mountain by finding and using objects to overcome obstacles, if you get hit by a rockslide you must start over from the beginning.
✇-Select buttons to move tokens along various paths so that the blue sides of triangular buttons align with the board.
✇-Connect a continuous line, without backtracking, to every point that recreates the images shown x 5
✇-Place quantity-limited crystals of varying coverage to fully illuminate the path.
✇-Choose one partial image on the right & left that when combined will match the image on the stone in the middle of each step x7
✇-Move rows so the heads will drop to their matching bodies.
✇-Move blue chips to their slots using red chips as bumpers, moving chips on the left side will also move chips on the right side.
✇-Navigate paths through the mountain by finding and using objects to overcome obstacles, if you get hit by a rockslide you must start over from the beginning.
✇-Select buttons to move tokens along various paths so that the blue sides of triangular buttons align with the board.
✇-Connect a continuous line, without backtracking, to every point that recreates the images shown x 5
✇-Place quantity-limited crystals of varying coverage to fully illuminate the path.
✇-Choose one partial image on the right & left that when combined will match the image on the stone in the middle of each step x7
✇-Move rows so the heads will drop to their matching bodies.
The Bonus Chapter takes place shortly after the timeframe of the main game. Albert the scientist thinks he knows how to revive stone statues. There are only 4 Mini-Games and 3 Hidden Object Scenes in this lengthy bonus chapter. There are no Morphing Objects but there is a new collectible of 12 Tin Cans available. It doesn't have a very interesting story but at least the scenes are more colorful.
This Collector's Edition has 11 Wallpapers, 10 Concept Art Pictures, 18 Movie Video Cutscenes, 8 Music Soundtracks, 12 Replayable Mini-Games, 5 Replayable Bonus Puzzles Puzzles (square tile jigsaws awarded for collectible completion) 20 Bonus Levels of Icon Sliding Tile Mini-Game (for completing Morphing Object collection) 22 Achievements, 32 Morphing Objects, 44 Collectibles (8 Bullfinches, 8 Butterflies, 9 Phoenix Symbols, 7 Apples, 12 Tin Cans) 5 Main Chapters +Bonus Chapter and a Built-in Strategy Guide.
DARKNESS AND FLAME SERIES LIST
Title***Collector's Edition Release Date***Average Rating
Title***Collector's Edition Release Date***Average Rating
1-Born of Fire (June 28-2016) 4.3
2-Missing Memories (May 23-2017) 4.2
3-The Dark Side (March 31-2018) 4.5
4-Enemy In Reflection (September 21-2019) n/a
by: Five-BN Games
2-Missing Memories (May 23-2017) 4.2
3-The Dark Side (March 31-2018) 4.5
4-Enemy In Reflection (September 21-2019) n/a
by: Five-BN Games
The past returns inside the Zenith Museum of Oddities!
Overall rating
4
/
5
59 of 74 found this review helpful
GO TOWARDS THE LIGHT!
PostedSeptember 20, 2019
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Completed Game approximately 5.5 hours
including ALL mini-games and CE Bonus Chapter
including ALL mini-games and CE Bonus Chapter
Failure just isn't an option for some people, especially for a genius who thinks he's the best Mystery Case Files Agent, even if the agency doesn't see his potential. Unfortunately, the real Master Detective finds himself going toe to toe with The Activist genius when he becomes trapped in the Zenith Museum of Oddities that has been transformed into replicas of every famous Case the Master Agent has solved. Which agent will be the winner, and what happens to the loser?
Someone must have lit the moth's candle under these developers who have really outdone themselves on this nostalgic MCF game. It's simply genius to relive the past games we all love. Ravenhurst and Madame Fate were my favorite games and I have played them several times over. These are 2 games that put MCF on the charts so it just makes sense to incorporate these fan favorites. The storyline is well written, interesting, and it's the perfect set-up for the next release (they always come in twos folks) I really wish they would have had Morphing Objects in the scenes themselves as they did in the original games, not just the HOP's, it would have cinched this game to the #1 slot of MCF games if they had!
There are 16 Hidden Object Scenes +3 in the CE Bonus Chapter. Clearly, they focused on the Rube Goldberg puzzles because they were rather mundane and some of the scenes were purposely blurred in order to make the items appear hidden. Almost all of the scenes were Interactive List Finds but there were a few Riddle-clue scenes, Keywords and Silhouetted Shape finds as well. In this CE version, each Hidden Object Scene has a Morphing Object and you can replay them in the extra section to pick up missed morphs.
There are 29 Mini-Games (including Rube Goldberg Super Puzzles) + 5 in the CE Bonus Chapter. Most of the mini-games were easily solved on the first attempt, the only challenge came from the Rube Goldberg Puzzles which by far were my favorites. Rube Goldberg puzzles are multi-layered, inter-connected puzzles where you have to look at the entire board to search for clues to solve one puzzle which in turn opens the next puzzle and so forth.
In the Collector's Edition Bonus Chapter, The Activist strikes again with even more tricks up his sleeve. This is an average length chapter that has 4 Mini-Games, 1 Rube Goldberg Puzzle, and 3 Hidden Object Scenes. You will pick up the remaining 8 Hidden Stamps and 3 HOP Morphs.
The Collector's Edition version has 8 Wallpapers, 8 Concept Art Pictures, 6 Movie Video Cutscenes, 6 Music Soundtracks, 25 Replayable Mini-Games, 19 Replayable Hidden Object Scenes, 12 Achievements, 40 Hidden Stamps, 19 HOS Morphing Objects, A Souvenir Room with 10 Souvenirs, 6 Main Chapters +Bonus Chapter and a Built-in Strategy Guide.
MYSTERY CASE FILES SERIES LIST
Title***Standard Edition Release Date***Average Rating
Title***Standard Edition Release Date***Average Rating
1-Huntsville SE only (November 14-2005) 3.6
2-Prime Suspects SE only (April 6-2006) 3.8
3-Ravenhearst SE only (December 15-2006) 3.6
4-Madame Fate SE only (November 7-2007) 4.0
5-Return to Ravenhearst SE only (November 26-2008) 4.2
6-Dire Grove (December 11-2009) 4.6
7-13th Skull (January 7-2011) 4.1
8-Escape From Ravenhearst (December 21-2011) 3.3
9-Shadow Lake (December 25-2012) 2.8
10-Fate's Carnival (December 20-2013) 4.1
11-Dire Grove, Sacred Grove (December 19-2014) 3.7
12-Key to Ravenhearst (December 9-2015) 3.9
13-Ravenhearst Unlocked (December 26-2015) 3.5
14-Broken Hour (December 23-2016) 3.2
15-The Black Veil (April 21-2017) 2.9
16-The Revenant's Hunt (January 19-2018) 3.5
17-Rewind (June 20-2018) 3.2
18-The Countess (December 19-2018) 3.4
19-Moths to a Flame (September 20-2019) n/a
2-Prime Suspects SE only (April 6-2006) 3.8
3-Ravenhearst SE only (December 15-2006) 3.6
4-Madame Fate SE only (November 7-2007) 4.0
5-Return to Ravenhearst SE only (November 26-2008) 4.2
6-Dire Grove (December 11-2009) 4.6
7-13th Skull (January 7-2011) 4.1
8-Escape From Ravenhearst (December 21-2011) 3.3
9-Shadow Lake (December 25-2012) 2.8
10-Fate's Carnival (December 20-2013) 4.1
11-Dire Grove, Sacred Grove (December 19-2014) 3.7
12-Key to Ravenhearst (December 9-2015) 3.9
13-Ravenhearst Unlocked (December 26-2015) 3.5
14-Broken Hour (December 23-2016) 3.2
15-The Black Veil (April 21-2017) 2.9
16-The Revenant's Hunt (January 19-2018) 3.5
17-Rewind (June 20-2018) 3.2
18-The Countess (December 19-2018) 3.4
19-Moths to a Flame (September 20-2019) n/a
by: Eipix Entertainment
I recommend this game!
Can you stop a dangerous curse from destroying the realm?
Overall rating
5
/
5
175 of 222 found this review helpful
FORGOTTEN PROMISES
PostedSeptember 19, 2019
pennmom36
fromA Parable is a short tale illustrating lessons or principles involving characters who faces moral dilemmas or made bad decisions & suffers unintended consequences. Parables differ from Fables because fables employ animals, plants or forces of nature
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Completed Game approximately 6 hours
(including all mini-games & CE Bonus Chapter)
(including all mini-games & CE Bonus Chapter)
Benno and Siegfried, two art apprentices stood in disbelief as the Princess stepped out of her portrait and exchanged places with Siegfried. Everyone has heard the story of the Stained Princess of Cisneros, a Princess cursed 300 years ago over a Forgotten Promise, a curse that won't be lifted until she remembers what that promise was, but the real mystery is whom she made the promise to!
I've always loved the Dark Parables series, especially the original Blue Tea versions prior to this dev purchasing the franchise, because of 2 original Key Features, the FROG type of Hidden Object Scenes and the Parables you collect (within the CE versions) to read 5 different Parables that elaborate more on key features of the story (The Ugly Duckling, The Water of Life, The Ugly Princess, White Swan, Black Swan, The Clan With No Hearts and in the CE Bonus Chapter, The Swan Knight and the Realm of Darkness) My biggest disappointment that disappeared along with BT was the incredible Non-linear Cursed Objects that didn't morph the first time you visited a location, it required a triggered action in another scene, but you never knew what or where! There are still Cursed Objects (21) but they aren't the clever non-linear Cured Objects beautifully created by the Master of Morphs, (Zhao)
There are 16 FROGS (Fragmented Object Games) +3 within the CE Bonus Chapter. FROGS require you to search for several fragments that are shown in 3 separate groups. Once you find all the fragments in a section those fragments join together and the completed fragment sections will join to create a useful inventory item.
There are only 16 Mini-Games spread over the 10 Main Chapters and another 4 within the CE Bonus Chapter. It seemed to me that they didn't bother being creative with the puzzles and focused all their energy on the FROGS. Below are brief descriptions of some of my personal favorites:
1-Rotate 3 plates with partial images to match the design shown when stacked.
2-Diorama puzzles that require interacting with several key features related to the story's paragraph.
3-Connect Tokens by the number of spaces next to them.
4-Rotate and connect identical colored pipes.
2-Diorama puzzles that require interacting with several key features related to the story's paragraph.
3-Connect Tokens by the number of spaces next to them.
4-Rotate and connect identical colored pipes.
CE BONUS CHAPTER: We play as Benno in this CE Bonus Chapter titled "The Knight's Name Taboo" It's not long before the recently freed Princess finds herself in dire need of a Knight in Shining Armor. Benno and Siegfried set out on a heroes mission to rescue the kidnapped Princess. There are 4 Mini-Games and 3 FROGS (Fragmented Object Games) and you'll pick up the last 3 Cursed Objects and 13 Parables to unlock the final 2 Parables, The Swan Knight and The Realm of Darkness.
CE EXTRA"S: This Collector's Edition version has 8 Wallpapers (all with characters :( 6 Concept Art Pictures, 8 Music Soundtracks, 6 Movie Video Cutscebes, 12 Achievements, 19 Replayable Mini-Game Puzzles, 2o Replayable Hidden Object Scenes (which are actually FROGS) 10 Chapters +Bonus Chapter (The Knight's Name Taboo) and a Built-in Strategy Guide.
DARK PARABLES SERIES LIST
Title***Collector's Edition Release Date***Average Rating
Title***Collector's Edition Release Date***Average Rating
1-Curse of Briar Rose (March 11-2010) 4.3
2-The Exiled Prince (February 2542011) 4.3
3-Rise of the Snow Queen (December 1-2011) 4.6
4-The Red Riding Hood Sisters (September 20-2012) 4.6
5-The Final Cinderella (May 23-2013) 4.4
6-Jack and the Sky Kingdom (February 6-2014) 4.2
7-Ballad of Rapunzel (June 26-2014) 4.3
8-The Little Mermaid and the Purple Tide (November 13-2014) 3.7
9-Queen of Sands (May 21-2015) 3.5
10-Goldilocks and the Fallen Star (November 19-2015) 3.4
11-The Swan Princess and the Dire Tree (July 7-2016) 3.8
12-The Thief and the Tinderbox (September 22-2016) 3.4
13-Requiem for the Forgotten Shadow (February 23-2017) 3.0
14-Return of the Salt Princess (March 15-2018) 3.9
15-The Match Girl's Lost Paradise (November 1-2018) 4.0
16-Portrait of the Stained Princess (September 19-2019) n/a
2-The Exiled Prince (February 2542011) 4.3
3-Rise of the Snow Queen (December 1-2011) 4.6
4-The Red Riding Hood Sisters (September 20-2012) 4.6
5-The Final Cinderella (May 23-2013) 4.4
6-Jack and the Sky Kingdom (February 6-2014) 4.2
7-Ballad of Rapunzel (June 26-2014) 4.3
8-The Little Mermaid and the Purple Tide (November 13-2014) 3.7
9-Queen of Sands (May 21-2015) 3.5
10-Goldilocks and the Fallen Star (November 19-2015) 3.4
11-The Swan Princess and the Dire Tree (July 7-2016) 3.8
12-The Thief and the Tinderbox (September 22-2016) 3.4
13-Requiem for the Forgotten Shadow (February 23-2017) 3.0
14-Return of the Salt Princess (March 15-2018) 3.9
15-The Match Girl's Lost Paradise (November 1-2018) 4.0
16-Portrait of the Stained Princess (September 19-2019) n/a
by: Blue Tea Games
by: Eipix Entertainment
by: Eipix Entertainment
I recommend this game!
Travel Mosaics is back with a new mosaic puzzle adventure in beautiful Seoul!
Overall rating
4
/
5
15 of 18 found this review helpful
WOW!... WASN'T I JUST IN BERLIN?
PostedSeptember 18, 2019
pennmom36
fromIt would be awesome if the pictures were labeled & you could turn off the "ta-dah! sounds only (not the music)
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
It seems like only yesterday I was buying a turtle in Berlin! I'm not really a fan of all the glitzy gummy-looking tiles constantly bouncing, the strange sounds that accompany completing a grouping of cells, finishing a color grouping, or earning a new Heart-life. (it makes it feel like I just made a mistake) I like to play Mosaics to relax and tune out all of the hustle and bustle of a hectic day and the last thing I want is sensory overload.
With that being said, I know a lot of people enjoy the gummy candy tile appearance and the cartoon animal Walker family adventures, so if you are a fan, this addition won't disappoint. I loved the beautiful Asian-themed music, it was very Zen ☯ until it was interrupted with the intrusive "just filled a group" sounds, which seems to me could be easily solved with an option to turn off just those sounds perhaps? I've become a fan of this developer over the years because they listen to their fans and they always seem to try to add new features.
There are 5 options for crossing off cells, (a feature I love) but it looks like they abolished the Tile selection options? In previous games, there were 5 Tile 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 has 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 to decorate the Walker family's living room. (what happened to the souvenirs from all the other vacations?)
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. 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.
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) 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) n/a
by: Jet Dogs Studio
I recommend this game!
This puzzle classic is back! See if you can clear each new challenge and become a ClearIt master!
Overall rating
3
/
5
21 of 28 found this review helpful
CLEAR IT 6 HAS A NEW FEATURE BUT IT DOESN'T MAKE THE LEVELS MORE CHALLENGING
PostedSeptember 17, 2019
pennmom36
fromI have to admit that I love the sound effects that occur when you hit a power-up!
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
2
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
They have added a new feature that allows you to gamble your points in a double or nothing game of cards where you select a card from the board if it's higher than the dealer's card your points are doubled, if not you lose your points. Points are used to buy virtual items to bring nature to life in a scene. This is an okay feature, but there are still no Anti-bonuses to make the Clear-it levels more challenging, they are the same as they were in the previous 5 games. I also had issues with the game mechanics being sluggish, orbs would move erratically or in slow-motion at times.
There are 190 Clear It puzzles available to solve, the first 2 Clear It games only had 150, the 3rd Clear It had a whopping 205 which diminished to 180 on the last or 4th installment, yet they all claim to have 10 hours of gameplay? There are 6 Profile slots available so that other family members can play.
There are 190 Clear It puzzles available to solve, the first 2 Clear It games only had 150, the 3rd Clear It had a whopping 205 which diminished to 180 on the last or 4th installment, yet they all claim to have 10 hours of gameplay? There are 6 Profile slots available so that other family members can play.
For some reason, they didn't offer an Expert Mode on this installment or the one before, which requires a Match 3 vs. this 2-orb match. There's no timer or limited moves, so you take all the time in the world to clear the orbs, which makes this type of game very relaxing, yet addictive.
The gameplay is simple, but the game itself isn't simple to master. There is an unlimited number of colored orbs located on all four sides of the board, and all you need to do, is select and click on an identical colored orb from one of the sides which will travel in a straight line until it hits another orb (or power-up) If the selected orb hits another identical colored orb or orbs, they are removed, and the goal is to remove all orbs.
Each level has power-ups that remain briefly, that when hit with an orb, is activated. The Rotation power-up shuffles and replaces orbs Star power-ups eliminate several random orbs, Lightning-Fireball power-ups eliminate nearby orbs, Exclamation power-ups eliminate all orbs of the same color and the numbers1 or 5 allows you to choose which orbs to remove via crosshair targets (either 1 or 5 orbs)
Each level is slightly more difficult than the previous level, as more orb colors are added, and fewer orbs in the desired color along the edges are offered. Sometimes you just have to sacrifice and add a few orbs to the equation, to be able to get to the desired-colored orb, but because there's no time or moves limit it doesn't count against you.
Once again, I was disappointed that the rows and columns don't highlight. The game seems to be the same as the others in the series with no added challenges.
CLEAR IT SERIES LIST
Title***Release Date***Average Rating
Title***Release Date***Average Rating
1-Clear It 1 (April 11-2016) 4.3
2-Clear It 2 (September 6-2017) 4.3
3-Clear It 3 (August 26-2018) 3.7
4-Clear It 4 (November 22-2018) 3.7
5-Clear It 5 (May 8-2019) 4.0
6-Clear It 6 (September 16-2019) n/a
2-Clear It 2 (September 6-2017) 4.3
3-Clear It 3 (August 26-2018) 3.7
4-Clear It 4 (November 22-2018) 3.7
5-Clear It 5 (May 8-2019) 4.0
6-Clear It 6 (September 16-2019) n/a
by: Itera Labs
I don't recommend this game.