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:
Can you stop a powerful foe from taking over Paris?
Overall rating
4
/
5
66 of 76 found this review helpful
THESE ARE THE GRAPHICS HOPA FANS CRAVE, TAKE NOTES!
PostedAugust 2, 2019
pennmom36
fromThe CE version was a smash hit, lets hope the developers realize this is how fans want the graphics to be...like they were back in the day (then we can work on the storylines lol)☯
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Completed Game approximately 7.0 hour
(including CE Bonus Chapter and all mini-games)
(including CE Bonus Chapter and all mini-games)
I have been pretty hard on this developer lately for cutting corners, rehashing HOP's, recycling mini-games and most importantly, copy/pasting location graphics to cut corners because they thought no one would notice...but I DID notice! Go take a look at some screenshots... I'll wait..........See! They may be colorful, but there are NO details, no definition of leaves on the trees, no cobblestone pavement, no bricks on the buildings, no rustic wood fences, etc. Honestly, graphics were way better when HOPA's first came out.
Eipix: People haven't lost interest in HOPA games, they have lost interest in the downgraded versions we have been getting! We fell in love with HOPA games because they had such awesome graphics and storylines. Graphics that are detailed make you feel a connection like it's real while in the moment. Plain, detailess graphics feel cold and flat, there's no way to connect with the scenery, thus, no way to connect with the game because it just doesn't feel real.
With that being said, I'll be the first one to say "Great Job" The graphics are absolutely BEAUTIFUL! By the time I made it to Pere Lachaise's Cemetery, I was ready to pick out my final resting place! The only reason I didn't give this game 5-Stars was that I got a little bored on more than one occasion with a game that was a tad bit too long between actual story progression. Also, I was super annoyed by the weird eye movements the characters made, and at one point her head glitched and you could briefly see a head profile that had been pasted onto the dress, it creeped me out.
There are 29 Hidden Object Scenes +7 in the CE Bonus Chapter. Most of them are multi-layered with Interactive List Finds, Silhouetted Shape Finds, Keywords Finds, Multiples Finds, Matching Pairs Finds, and Riddle Finds. In this Collector's Edition version, most of the HOS have a Morphing Object, which can also be picked up by re-playing the Hidden Object Scenes in the "extras" menu.
There are actually only 33 Mini-Games +5 CE Bonus Chapter (games with actual instructions and listed as MG's on the strategy guide) although some may confuse games with simple "tasks" such as clicking on items in the correct sequence according to clues found earlier. Here are a few of the games I found interesting or enjoyable.
♠ Recreate a map of Asia by selecting pieces in the correct order to join together in the center of the dick.
♠ Select a symbol and then select the inverted counterpart symbol.
♠ Guide the liquid to the flask using stopper valves to control the liquid in exactly 8 moves.
♠ Untangle the ropes version with ghosts.
♠ Select a symbol and then select the inverted counterpart symbol.
♠ Guide the liquid to the flask using stopper valves to control the liquid in exactly 8 moves.
♠ Untangle the ropes version with ghosts.
The CE Bonus Chapter has Not-SO-Young-Anymore Hawkes scouring the city, searching for clues and a motive for a recent intrusion of Madame Anne's shop. There are 5 Mini-Games and 7 Hidden Object Scenes in this fairly average length chapter which takes place over 8 scene locations. You will pick up the remaining 8 Sun Signs, but only 5 Morphing Objects.
The Collector's Edition version has 6 Character Picture Concept Art, 9 Wallpapers (all with characters, none of them depict the beautiful scenery) 7 Music Soundtracks, 8 Movie Video Cutscenes, 15 Achievements, 26 Replayable Mini-Games, 25 Replayable Hidden Object Scenes, a Souvenir Room with 10 Chicken Souvenirs, 35 Hidden Sun Signs, 25 Morphing Objects (within the Hidden Object Scenes) 5 Main Chapters +Bonus Chapter, and a Built-in Strategy Guide.
VERMILLION WATCH SERIES LIST
Title***Standard Edition Release Date***Average Rating
Title***Standard Edition Release Date***Average Rating
1 -Moorgate Accord (July 22-2016) 4.3
2- Fleshbound (December 31-2016) 3.6
3- Order Zero (September 3-2017) 3.1
4-In Blood (April 1-2018) 3.9
5-London Howling (October 14-2018) 2.8
6-Parisian Pursuit (August 8-2019) n/a
2- Fleshbound (December 31-2016) 3.6
3- Order Zero (September 3-2017) 3.1
4-In Blood (April 1-2018) 3.9
5-London Howling (October 14-2018) 2.8
6-Parisian Pursuit (August 8-2019) n/a
by: Eipix Entertainment
I recommend this game!
Step into the shoes of a Private investigator with short-term memory loss and uncover the shocking truth about his involvement with a serial killer called The Executioner.
Overall rating
4
/
5
143 of 161 found this review helpful
EXCELLENT CRIME STORY WITH LOTS OF PLOT TWISTS
PostedAugust 1, 2019
pennmom36
fromOut of the 3 billion base pairs of the human genome, only 0.1% are unique to us which means we're 99.9% more alike than different than each other! ☯
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Completed Game approximately 5.5 hours
(including CE Bonus Chapter and all Mini-Games)
*they say imitation is the greatest form of flattery*
(including CE Bonus Chapter and all Mini-Games)
*they say imitation is the greatest form of flattery*
Arthur Christie witnessed a brutal murder moments before the perpetrator knocked him unconscious. The problem is, Arthur doesn't know he's Arthur after regaining consciousness. Things often go from bad to worse and for Arthur, things are about to get a whole lot worse because he's the prime suspect in a string of serial murders dubbed The Executioner. Arthur goes on the lam to find the real killer and as he pieces together his lost memories he discovers way more than he bargained for as he uncovers just how deep this crime goes and how many lives are at stake...including his own!
I loved the Crime-solving, Good-Cop/Bad/Cop "missing memory" scenario but I'm not a fan of Gadgets (Forensic Kit) the mini-games weren't very impressive, the Morphing Pipes morphed into obvious items (all you have to do is look for an object in the scene that is long and thin) the Collectible Floppy Disks were the same size as the Collectible Baseball Caps, and most importantly, for a Collector's Edition version, this game doesn't have a lot of extras. To make matters worse, Brave Giant never lets you see what you are buying, you have to complete the main game before finding out that there are only 8 replayable Mini-Games and 8 replayable Hidden Object Scenes, that's about all you get other than a handful of wallpapers and achievements. Unless you have to have Collectibles & Morphs, you may want to wait for the SE version.
There are 19 Hidden Object Scenes in the Main Game, +4 in the CE Bonus Chapter. Most of the scenes are Interactive Listed Items and Multiples of the same Object Finds, but there are several Interactive Silhouetted Shape Finds, Fragmented Item Finds and Related Object Finds as well. All of the scenes are highly interactive, however, the cursor changes to a hand whenever you are required to move something or find & place an item, this eliminates all the challenge in my opinion. Some of the Items Morph (the text itself will change between Blue & white) and you must click on the item when it's in the correct form. There is an alternative Monaco Matching Pair game available instead of the HOS where you click on 2 adjacent Pairs to remove them.
There is a Forensic Kit Gadget that is used 4 times during the main game. Thre are different types of evidence to collect (Fingerprints-DNA-Bullet Shells) and each one has a different set-up process to follow using the instruction booklet. The Forensic Kit associated puzzle varies depending n the type of evidence:
☞Match DNA by choosing & selecting a microbe from 1 slide and then find its match on the 2nd slide.
☞Search for both bullets with the microscope and adjust the clarity.
☞Compare 2 fingerprints using a magnifying glass to search for 5 unique marks.
☞Compare the DNA of hair samples by searching for microbes that match on both slides.
☞Search for both bullets with the microscope and adjust the clarity.
☞Compare 2 fingerprints using a magnifying glass to search for 5 unique marks.
☞Compare the DNA of hair samples by searching for microbes that match on both slides.
There are 26 Mini-Games +4 in the CE Bonus Chapter. They are mostly jigsaw puzzle variations to help fill in Arthur's memory. I'm a puzzle geek so I didn't mind them, however, they are re really easy to assemble, and I was able to solve all mini-games on the first attempt. There was just too much hand-holding within most of the games because the cursor changes to a hand to scream "pick me-pick me" There were several "fight" scenes requiring you to repeat the sequence of defense/punch moves and I've never been a fan of those either. Below are a few of my favorite games:
⚙️Rotate Hexagonal puzzle pieces to complete the image.
⚙️ Rotate the cogs until they align with their color-coded paper clips.
⚙️Super puzzle tinkering with gauges, sliders, dials, switches, etc. completing one component will unlock the next. (pictured diagram of each step is available on the top right but remains partially hidden until clicked on)
⚙️Place color-coded cables into 2 partial symbol jacks to create the completed symbol shown for each cable.
The Collector's Edition Bonus Chapter takes you back to the beginning of Arthur Christie's investigation, to fill in the blanks when he is first contacted by a very nervous Nicholas Filth. This is a rather short Chapter and there are no Morphs or Collectibles remaining, and there are only 4 Mini-Games and 4 Hidden Object Scenes remaining.
⚙️ Rotate the cogs until they align with their color-coded paper clips.
⚙️Super puzzle tinkering with gauges, sliders, dials, switches, etc. completing one component will unlock the next. (pictured diagram of each step is available on the top right but remains partially hidden until clicked on)
⚙️Place color-coded cables into 2 partial symbol jacks to create the completed symbol shown for each cable.
The Collector's Edition Bonus Chapter takes you back to the beginning of Arthur Christie's investigation, to fill in the blanks when he is first contacted by a very nervous Nicholas Filth. This is a rather short Chapter and there are no Morphs or Collectibles remaining, and there are only 4 Mini-Games and 4 Hidden Object Scenes remaining.
This Collector's Edition version has 8 Wallpapers, 5 Music Soundtracks, 24 Achievements, 8 Replayable Mini-Games, 8 Replayable Hidden Object Games, 8 Cutscenes, 16 Collectible Baseball Caps, 15 Floppy Disks, 31 Morphing Smoking Pipes, 6 Main Chapters, +Bonus Chapter, and a Built-in Strategy Guide.
GHOST FILES SERIES LIST
Title***Collector's Edition Release Date***Average Rating
Title***Collector's Edition Release Date***Average Rating
1-The Face of Guilt (June 27-2017) 3.6
2-Memory of a Crime (August 1-2019) n/a
2-Memory of a Crime (August 1-2019) n/a
by: Brave Giant
I recommend this game!
They want to demolish her family home! Help Ella manage the hotel and return and save it from her deceitful stepmother.
Overall rating
1
/
5
22 of 23 found this review helpful
THEY NEED A NEW MAID IF COBWEBS ARE HANGING IN THE HOTEL ROOMS
PostedJuly 31, 2019
pennmom36
fromHow's that paint drying? Mind if I pull up a chair and watch it with you? haha, that's funny but true!
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
1
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
To be honest, I only played 5 levels of the demo because this game is incredibly boring. These "Delicious" knockoffs are spewing out at a break-neck speed so somebody has to be buying them, but I've lost interest in most of them because they keep adding annoying mini-games that are just downright juvenile.
The only task in this game seems to be handing out keys to hotel rooms and selling an occasional map?? (if it is a map, who buys a physical paper map nowadays?) After the first level I start out with 0 Keys and I'm told to send Sandra to the room to clean it so I can get a single key. I click a tiny desk bell to summon Sandra who apparently has exceptional hearing, seconds later I somehow become Sandra and have to "clean" the room myself. To clean the room I have to play said mini-game by clicking on each item that needs to be cleaned. I don't even have to figure out what needs to be cleaned because I have to click on each glowing circle shown one at a time. I can understand making the bed and opening the drapes, but why on earth would a room be covered in cobwebs? Did Sandra forget to clean the room for a couple of years?
As with all "Delicious knockoffs" Carl the Mouse has returned to net you a whopping 100 points. I don't know about you, but I have no desire to stay at Ella's Hotel, it's filthy and has a mouse infestation.
I don't recommend this game.
The adventure continues as the Fearless General Flavius with his detachment begin a perilous journey to end the Filth once and for all!
Overall rating
5
/
5
203 of 211 found this review helpful
THERE'S A REASON THIS WAS THE #1 TM GAME OF 2018
PostedJuly 31, 2019
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
This particular developer only has a few games under their belt, but every one of those games just happens to be Time Management chart-toppers with average ratings of 4.3-4.9 here on BFG alone! There's a good reason the first Rome Adventures game in this trilogy was awarded the best Time Management game of 2018, it's an exceptional game with incredible features. The continuing sage is so intense you will actually look forward to reading the dialog text boxes, this is the complete package here, folks, the Crème de la Crème of Time Management games!
The concept, although not a new one, is different than most Time Management games because the levels are continuations of the previous levels. As you progress, you will come across Save Altars which allows you to save your progress. If you don't complete the tasks within the allotted time frame, (you can opt to play in a Relaxed Mode as well as Easy, Normal and Hard modes) you will lose! You can replay the level in its entirety or return to your Save Point so you really want to save your progress, especially when the levels become harder to master. Note: you can only use the Save progress once per level.
The concept, although not a new one, is different than most Time Management games because the levels are continuations of the previous levels. As you progress, you will come across Save Altars which allows you to save your progress. If you don't complete the tasks within the allotted time frame, (you can opt to play in a Relaxed Mode as well as Easy, Normal and Hard modes) you will lose! You can replay the level in its entirety or return to your Save Point so you really want to save your progress, especially when the levels become harder to master. Note: you can only use the Save progress once per level.
You will need to construct various buildings once you have collected the necessary resources, and you get to place the buildings where you want. This is a vital component because the placement often correlates to opening up new territory. There are the normal TM buildings and tasks such as Sawmills, Hen House Farms, Workers Houses, Bridges to repair, Weeds to remove, Manna to collect, Hidden Caches to find, etc. but you won't be doing the normal "click all resources that are blocking your path" tasks.
Guard Towers will unlock territories but may require completing various tasks first. Forts also unlock territories but they require a worker at all times. There are several Altars available such as Altar of Earth which contain useful artifact items, Altar of Water gives you water obviously, Altar of Fog will clear the fog and open new territories but they require a lot of resources. Worker's Houses are required in order to get new workers. Each House has a single worker, keep in mind that you must have a minimum of 4 workers or you won't be able to build other buildings.
There are a lot of Strategies required to master this game, and eventually, you will need to make the right choices at the right time, so if you want a relaxing stress-free game you'll have to play in the Relaxed Mode, but even then I'm sure this game won't be easy because you'll still need to place building correctly and go the correct ways.
If you missed the opportunity to play the first Roman Adventures game, you may be overwhelmed by the complexity of the game, but the tutorial is very good at explaining the concepts and features. Once you "catch on" you will immediately become addicted and find it hard to stop playing!
ROMAN ADVENTURES SERIES LIST
Title***Release Date***Average Rating
Title***Release Date***Average Rating
1-Britons Season 1 (October 23-2018) 4.6
2-Britons Season 2 (July 31-2019) n/a
2-Britons Season 2 (July 31-2019) n/a
I recommend this game!
Step into the shoes of Confucius and learn more about the man whose teachings live on to this very day.
Overall rating
2
/
5
75 of 79 found this review helpful
HOW OLD IS THIS GAME?
PostedJuly 30, 2019
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
1
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
I was blown away by the graphics and the addition of a difficulty mode on the last "Chronicles of" game about King Arthur, part 2 (which btw way has only been released on Mac) The first thing I noticed on this game was a pop-up box telling me to select windowed mode if I was having issues, which I did, so I was forced to play in windowed mode. The graphics are really bad, I can't tell if this was intentional or if this is just a really, really old game? Once I started playing I noticed that there are 2 tiles that look almost identical in color & shape and it was really hard to make matches because they look so similar. The board layouts are the same, the features are the same, the story is boring, this is definitely not a stellar Match 3 game.
I'm still annoyed by the voiceovers. It works for the Bible story games but not for the other stories, but definitely not for Confucius's voice. Once again, I found the constant pop-ups congratulating me for making matches of 4 or more to be distracting. They interfere with the ability to make consecutive matches quickly if the pop-ups occurred in the area I was trying to make matches at.
I'm still annoyed by the voiceovers. It works for the Bible story games but not for the other stories, but definitely not for Confucius's voice. Once again, I found the constant pop-ups congratulating me for making matches of 4 or more to be distracting. They interfere with the ability to make consecutive matches quickly if the pop-ups occurred in the area I was trying to make matches at.
This is a swap type, Match 3 game that requires you swap two adjacent elements to create a group of at least three tiles. You cannot opt to play in a timed mode on this game, so either they reverted backward on their features or this IS an older game. The goal of each level is to make matches over all of the Brown filled-in Cells as well as matching a specified number of specified Tiles that are shown at the top of the screen. Some levels also require you to collect Taijitu Symbols by dropping them to the bottom of the board. Some tiles Morph inside of a Bubble which allows you to pop the bubble when the tile inside morphs to the desired tile. I'm not sure why the morphing bubble tiles appear but I would suspect it's a reward for making a large match? All of these features, however, are the same exact features found in all of their Match 3 games.
You don't earn Power-ups for making Large Matches, however, every match you make fills the Energy Orb, the larger the matches are, the faster it will charge. The good thing about this feature is that any of the power-ups can be used and refilled on any level, unlike some games where you have to wait until a level comes along that has a particular bonus tile to refill that power-up. The Hammer removes a single tile or chain, Explosives will clear a 4 tile range of tiles or chains, the Talisman collects all tiles of the same kind, the Fireworks clears an entire Horizontal or vertical Line including chained tiles.
There are the normal obstructions as found in most Match 3 games of chained tiles, double-chained tiles, Spiders that spin webs to lock tiles if you don't make matches under them quickly enough, but nothing unusual or different than most Match 3 games, and certainly nothing different than other Match 3 games by this developer. You can purchase upgrades to learn more about Confucius's journey after gathering enough resources and you must purchase all 4 upgrades to complete the chapter and open up the next Chapter's levels.
Hopefully, this is just an old throwback game Big Fish dusted off, otherwise, e-FunSoft is going backward, not forward with progression.
THE CHRONICLES OF: SERIES LIST
Title***Release Date***Average Rating
Title***Release Date***Average Rating
1-The Chronicles of Noah's Ark (March 22-2016) 3.9
2-The Chronicles of Jonah and the Whale (February 26-2018) 3.1
3-The Chronicles of Joseph of Egypt (August 27-2018) 3.0
4-The Chronicles of King Arthur: 1-Excalibur (January 23-2019) 3.6
5-The Chronicles of King Arthur: 2-Knights of the Round Table (June 1-2019) n/a
6-The Chronicles of Confucius's Journey (July 30-2019) n/a
2-The Chronicles of Jonah and the Whale (February 26-2018) 3.1
3-The Chronicles of Joseph of Egypt (August 27-2018) 3.0
4-The Chronicles of King Arthur: 1-Excalibur (January 23-2019) 3.6
5-The Chronicles of King Arthur: 2-Knights of the Round Table (June 1-2019) n/a
6-The Chronicles of Confucius's Journey (July 30-2019) n/a
by: e-FunSoft Games
I don't recommend this game.
200 sunny layouts and an exciting island adventure!
Overall rating
1
/
5
129 of 139 found this review helpful
ARE YOU SURE THIS IS A NEW GAME?
PostedJuly 29, 2019
pennmom36
fromChanging the background pictures does NOT qualify it as a New Game! ꐠ
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
1
/
5
Its been a year since the last Beach Season Solitaire game has been released but I've played enough of this developers games to know that nothing has changed, NOT EVEN the level layouts themselves. This is not a new game in the series, it's the same game with a different title, shame on you devs!
The fact that this dev makes money by snookering unsuspecting players isn't the only reason I don't like the Solitaire Games by this developer:
◭They only offer one type of Solitaire game, the Golf type where you play 10 levels with scoring similar to bowling. (in all fairness they also occasionally offer Match 2 cards, Mahjong style solitaire games too, but you still only get to remove the gold cards to win)
◭They only offer the feature of removing the Gold Cards to win and end the level, even if there are a ton of remaining cards on the board. Not being able to remove all of the cards on the board drives me absolutely bonkers! IF this dev would simply tweak this feature to allow for the OPTION of continuing to play after removing all of the gold cards for points, I would be "all in" and I'd climb back on the 8floor train!
◭They never add new features, they never change anything. The music is the same and so repetitive it becomes boring and mind-numbingly maddening! The shop will always have 3 available items, forget about ever getting a power-up card or something interesting because that's never gonna happen.
◭They only offer the feature of removing the Gold Cards to win and end the level, even if there are a ton of remaining cards on the board. Not being able to remove all of the cards on the board drives me absolutely bonkers! IF this dev would simply tweak this feature to allow for the OPTION of continuing to play after removing all of the gold cards for points, I would be "all in" and I'd climb back on the 8floor train!
◭They never add new features, they never change anything. The music is the same and so repetitive it becomes boring and mind-numbingly maddening! The shop will always have 3 available items, forget about ever getting a power-up card or something interesting because that's never gonna happen.
This is a Higher/Lower Solitaire game with 20 Locations and 10 Levels per location. You can choose from 9 Themed Card graphics and 3 Face Font styles. You are forced to start in the Newbie mode until the tutorial shows you all the features or you click to disable the tutorial. Newbie Mode allows you to replay any of the 10 levels in a deck as often as you'd like, and the Professional mode only allows you to replay the entire 10 level pack. In the case of a perfect score, the points of the current level will be added to the points of the next level similar to bowling scores.
The only Shop bonuses offered are Jokers, a Shuffle feature and an Undo feature for an astronomical price point, however, they are quite generous because they start you out with 3 Jokers, a single Shuffle and a single Undo (yes, I'm being sarcastic) Cards that have a Star on the top right are special Bonus Cards that usually give you +499 Coins, (because giving you +500 points would just be ridiculous) occasionally, you are awarded a Mulligan's (undo) a Joker (wildcards) or a Shuffle bonus (shuffles the cards and re-deals new ones) The goal of each level is always the same... Remove all Gold Cards from the board which will give you the maximum amount of points, even if other cards remain on the board.
I just hate that I can't play until I remove all of the cards from the board. This is just another boring, Golf/Bowling type Solitaire game that is exactly the same as all of the other solitaire games by this dev. I just can't give kudos to a dev that never bothers to change any feature or add features that we continue to ask for time and time again, but if they ever do, I'll be more than happy to give them a more positive review!
SOLITAIRE BEACH SEASON SERIES LIST
Title***Release Date***Average Rating
Title***Release Date***Average Rating
1-Solitaire Beach Season 1 (September 8-2015) 2.4
2-Solitaire Beach Season 2 (September 12-2016) 1.9
3-Solitaire Beach Season 3 (June 11-2018) 2.2
4-Solitaire Beach Season: Sounds of Waves (July 29-2018) 2.7
5-Solitaire Beach Season: A Vacation Time (July 29-2019) n/a
2-Solitaire Beach Season 2 (September 12-2016) 1.9
3-Solitaire Beach Season 3 (June 11-2018) 2.2
4-Solitaire Beach Season: Sounds of Waves (July 29-2018) 2.7
5-Solitaire Beach Season: A Vacation Time (July 29-2019) n/a
by: Somer Games (developer)
by: 8 Floor Games (producer)
by: 8 Floor Games (producer)
I don't recommend this game.
Exciting Match 3 resort construction in Miami! Master linked boards, discover hidden obstacles and choose from various buildings!
Overall rating
3
/
5
47 of 55 found this review helpful
IT HAS A COUPLE OF NEW FEATURES BUT THEY AREN'T VERY ORIGINAL
PostedJuly 29, 2019
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
Completed Mac demo only
I love the zombie-themed Match 3 games this dev offers, and I really love their sense of humor, but the Match 3 levels are just average with average tiles of fruit and chocolate, average bonuses and power-ups, and average features, in fact, they added a multi-board feature but that is a staple feature in several other Match 3 games by other developers. I signed up to beta test this game a while back but it wouldn't work on my PC, which was understandable as a beta, but to my disbelief, it still didn't work on my PC and I had to play the Mac version.
This is a Swap type, Limited Moves Match 3 game with 96 Levels and 21 Achievements. (Read the achievements before playing because there are several "Easter Eggs" such as hidden Fairies and Zombies) You can play in a Normal difficulty mode, which gives you a normal amount of Moves to complete the level goals, a Casual mode which gives you more moves to complete the goals or a Relaxed mode which doesn't limit the number of moves, and awards you with 3 stars per level.
The goal is Customer Satisfaction, in previous games you had to make matches of a specific tile which was shown in bubbles on the customer profile, this time you only need to earn a specified number of points by making matches of any tile, however, you also need to make matches to clear colored cells, and break obstacles.
Large Matches will give you a Power-up on the board, as you progress, some levels require you to make matches of specific tiles to earn Boosters, such as a Hammer to remove a single tile, a Bow to remove a row of tiles to the left or right, or Water Balloons that remove a large number of obstacles, however, the boosters earned on those levels disappear after completing that particular level.
◈A Match 4 gives you a Bomb which explodes a 9 tile radius, ◈A Match 5 gives you a Rocket which targets random tiles. ◈A Match 6 gives you a Lightning Bolt which destroys a column & row.
The Obstacles are just average obstacles, Dirty Tiles & Sand Tiles (requires a match on them to remove) Grass Tiles (requires 2 matches to remove) Water Tiles & Chocolate Tiles (multiples until destroyed) Chains & Double Chains (requires 1-2 matches of the same tile chained) Grids (requires matches of tile within) Wood Crates & Shielded Crates (requires an adjacent match or match adjacent to unprotected side) Ice Cubes (requires adjacent match) Stone Tiles (requires several adjacent matches or power-up) Torches (create a continuous line of fire with matches, Grey Tiles won't burn, they fire will extinguish after several unrelated matches) Some of the obstacles will slide or fall down if matches are made under them.
After completing a Match 3 level you can purchase the Hotel, and other buildings and accessories with the coins you earned, until the Resort in Miami has been completed. There are several Achievements that I found to be unique and actually more fun than the game itself, I especially liked the well-hidden Fairies. They SHOULD HAVE made a Collector's Edition version with several Hidden Zombies & Fairies throughout the game with more "Easter Egg" Achievements. The Standard Edition COULD HAVE been just the M3 game w/o the hidden zombie/fairies and No Achievements...I would totally be willing to purchase a CE version and this particular game, just to search for more Easter Eggs...{Pm me, we'll talk, wink-wink}
5 STAR RESORT SERIES LIST
Title***Release Date***Average Rating
Title***Release Date***Average Rating
1-5 Star Rio Resort (August 7-2017) 4.0
2-5 Star Hawaii Resort (April 30-2018) 3.4
3-5 Star Miami Resort (July 29-2019) n/a
2-5 Star Hawaii Resort (April 30-2018) 3.4
3-5 Star Miami Resort (July 29-2019) n/a
by: rokapublish
Can you stop a dangerous cloaked assailant before it’s too late?
Overall rating
2
/
5
39 of 50 found this review helpful
A VENGEFUL LOVER RISES FROM THE GRAVE WEARING A BEAKED MASK & CLOAK...HOW ORIGINAL
PostedJuly 28, 2019
pennmom36
fromι sυяε ∂σ ωιsн мү vαcαтιση тσ нιℓтση нεα∂ ωαs α sтαүcαтιση
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
Completed Game approximately 4 Hours
(including the CE Bonus Chapter & all mini-games)
Well, they do claim that imitation is the highest form of flattery
(including the CE Bonus Chapter & all mini-games)
Well, they do claim that imitation is the highest form of flattery
Detective Dupin has received an anonymous letter of impending doom which states that Lord Royce Morrissey has a date with death at the stroke of midnight. As Dupin's' most trusted assistant (after all you have helped to solve 15 previous Dark Tales cases) you know that Time and T̶i̶d̶e̶ Death wait for no man, and surely, the clock has been ticking for several days whilst awaiting the arrival of the early 1900's snail-mail postal service. As luck would have it, you arrive 2 seconds before the clock strikes midnight, just in the nick of time to thwart the Ghost of Morrissey's late wife Ligeia who really knows how to pack a punch. Clearly, she's been working out while Royce was working on Mrs. Royce Morrissey the 2nd.
That pretty much sums it up, if the storyline is still unclear, go back to Dark Tales games number 1-15 which all have the same plots, just different names to protect the innocent of course. There are Morphing Objects in every scene of this CE version, 26 scenes that look exactly like the scenes in this game. There are several new characters introduced in "Ligeia" as well, which coincidentally, look exactly like the characters in games 1-15. If you are tired of the same ole, same ole, save your hard-earned money and precious time by just replaying any of the previous 1-15 Dark Tales games for the same gratification experience.
There are 12 Hidden Object Scenes +5 in the CE Bonus Chapter, not including the smaller Zoom-Zone HO's. They aren't located within interesting locations, and they lack even the slightest hint of color, not to mention the fact that most of the scenes are repeated because they can't bother to create a new scene location. I also suspect that they recycle HOS & HOP scenes from one game to another. Most of the scenes are Interactive List Finds, but there are also Matching Pairs, Related Item Pairs, and Silhouetted Shape Finds.
There are 18 Mini-Games +11 in the CE Bonus Chapter. Some of the games are available in an Easy or Hard difficulty mode. Here are a few examples of games that I enjoyed:
❁ Adjust 4 slider tabs so their light beams will intersect all symbols on the tablet that match the symbol in the center x3~დდდ
❁ Swap lock tumbler sections that will intertwine with its counterpart~დდ
❁ Several labyrinths/maze puzzles such as avoiding being caught by police searchlights, or use directional arrows to navigate hedges~დ
❁ Swap lock tumbler sections that will intertwine with its counterpart~დდ
❁ Several labyrinths/maze puzzles such as avoiding being caught by police searchlights, or use directional arrows to navigate hedges~დ
The Collector's Edition Bonus Chapter is an average-length Chapter narrated by Robert Fowles as he takes us back to the origins of his employment as a housekeeper for the Phoenix family. There are 11 Mini-Games and 5 Hidden Object Scenes offered in this rather dull Bonus Chapter. You will finish Collecting the final 3 Medicine Bottles, and 8 Morphing Objects as well.
This Collector's Edition version has 9 Wallpapers, 6 Concept Art Pictures, 5 Screensavers, 4 Music Soundtracks, 17 Movie Cutscenes, 12 Achievements, 15 Replayable Hidden Object Scenes, 11 Replayable Mini-Games, 4 Main Chapters, +Bonus Chapter, and a Built-in Strategy Guide.
DARK TALES SERIES LIST
Title***Collector's Edition Release Date***Average Rating
Title***Collector's Edition Release Date***Average Rating
1-Murder's In The Rue Morgue (December 17-2009) 3.7
2-The Black Cat (September 9-2010) 4.4
3-The Premature Burial (October 6-2011) 4.5
4-The Gold Bug (January 10-2013) 3.8
5-The Masque Of The Red Death (April 25-2013) 4.4
6-The Fall Of The House Of Usher (March 20-2014) 4.0
7-The Mystery of Marie Roget (February 19-2015) 4.1
8-The Tell-Tale Heart (November 14-2015) 2.7
9-Metzengerstein (July 21-2016) 3.5
10-The Raven (December 29-2016) 3.2
11-Lenore (August 10-2017) 2.9
12-Morella (December 16-2017) 3.7
13-The Pit and the Pendulum (April 5-2018) 3.2
14-The Oval Portrait (August 30-2018) 3.0
15-Speaking With The Dead (March 23-2019) 2.9
16-Ligeia (July 25-2019) n/a
2-The Black Cat (September 9-2010) 4.4
3-The Premature Burial (October 6-2011) 4.5
4-The Gold Bug (January 10-2013) 3.8
5-The Masque Of The Red Death (April 25-2013) 4.4
6-The Fall Of The House Of Usher (March 20-2014) 4.0
7-The Mystery of Marie Roget (February 19-2015) 4.1
8-The Tell-Tale Heart (November 14-2015) 2.7
9-Metzengerstein (July 21-2016) 3.5
10-The Raven (December 29-2016) 3.2
11-Lenore (August 10-2017) 2.9
12-Morella (December 16-2017) 3.7
13-The Pit and the Pendulum (April 5-2018) 3.2
14-The Oval Portrait (August 30-2018) 3.0
15-Speaking With The Dead (March 23-2019) 2.9
16-Ligeia (July 25-2019) n/a
by: Amax Interactive
I recommend this game!
Accompany Mary Jane and Jack on a swashbuckling hidden object adventure!
Overall rating
4
/
5
77 of 93 found this review helpful
ARRR YE TIRED OF THE CLOAKED FIGURE IN A BEAKED MASK? ME TOO, WHICH IS JUST ONE REASON I LOVED THIS GAME
PostedJuly 28, 2019
pennmom36
from4 games under their belt now, all 4 have amazing stories, and not 1 floating mist figure!.ヅ
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Completed Collector's Edition Game
Approximately 6.5 hours
(including CE Bonus Chapter & all mini-games)
Approximately 6.5 hours
(including CE Bonus Chapter & all mini-games)
Aarr, Cap'n Owens has gone missin' lads! Surely foul play be at hand here. I'll get t' th' bottom o' this catastrophe, 'n when I find out wha' those scurvy dogs scallywags be up to, I be 'avn' 'em walk th' plank t' Davy Jones' Locker, so's they be feedn' th' fish!
Who doesn't love a good Pirate-themed game? Uncharted Tides reminded me of an older, 3-game series about pirates that coincidentally was developed by AM, the producer of this game (don't know if I can name-names?) I for one, have loved every game developed by this new Developer!
Call me crazy, but I'm so tired of stories about black mist entities wearing beaked-masks, tree-monsters, scorned lovers, and revengeful spirits, etc. so I'm 100% grateful for the amazing storylines these guys are bringing to the table, storylines that are really fresh and creative. I'm so grateful, I'm willing to overlook the somewhat mundane HO scenes and simplistic Mini-Games, but as far as developers go, these guys are just getting started! They are still brand new and shiny, they are learning on the fly but mark my words, these guys are going straight to the top of the HOPA pile, so do me, and this developer a solid and give this game a chance, I want more games by this developer!
Call me crazy, but I'm so tired of stories about black mist entities wearing beaked-masks, tree-monsters, scorned lovers, and revengeful spirits, etc. so I'm 100% grateful for the amazing storylines these guys are bringing to the table, storylines that are really fresh and creative. I'm so grateful, I'm willing to overlook the somewhat mundane HO scenes and simplistic Mini-Games, but as far as developers go, these guys are just getting started! They are still brand new and shiny, they are learning on the fly but mark my words, these guys are going straight to the top of the HOPA pile, so do me, and this developer a solid and give this game a chance, I want more games by this developer!
There are 19 Hidden Object Scenes (+ 3 in the CE Bonus Chapter) I wasn't as impressed with these HO scenes as I was with the ones offered in Cordelia's first BF release. I found a lot of objects to be somewhat undefined. The graphics in many of the HO scenes seemed to be purposely blurred in an attempt to hide the objects. Most of the scenes are Listed Item Finds but there are also Interactive Listed Item Finds, Sketched Picture Finds, Silhouetted Shape Finds, Related Object Finds, and Symbol Finds
There are 29 Mini-Games (+5 in the CE Bonus Chapter) There is a repetitive Lockpick Mini-Game where you have to pull out each unobstructed bar correctly, but it's only used 5 times during the main chapters and a couple of times during the CE Bonus Chapter. Although the mini-games are easily solved, I enjoyed most of them and found them to be relaxing and a nice change of pace. Below are brief descriptions of some of my favorites:
☯Rotate the maze to navigate two colored balls into their color-coded slots.
☯Use directional arrows to navigate the ship to port, using obstacles as bumpers. დდ
☯Trap the octopus before it reaches the edges of a hexagonal board. დდდ
☯Thread the rope between the holes w/o crossing the same line twice. დდდ
☯Use directional arrows to navigate the ship to port, using obstacles as bumpers. დდ
☯Trap the octopus before it reaches the edges of a hexagonal board. დდდ
☯Thread the rope between the holes w/o crossing the same line twice. დდდ
The Collector's Edition Bonus Chapter winds back the clock to when Jack first met Mary Jane to highlight their Troubled Waters relationship. There are 3 Hidden Object Scenes and 5 Mini-Games, but there are no Morphing Rose Petals remaining in this average-sized Bonus Chapter. The Magic Compass isn't used in the Bonus Chapter but the Lockpicks are used twice (with 2 Lockpick mini-games to complete)
The Collector's Edition version has 6 Wallpapers (and no characters slapped on them to ruin the beauty!) 12 Concept Art Pictures, 5 Music Soundtracks, 8 Story-based & 14 Skill-based Achievements, 23 Replayable Mini-Games, 15 Replayable Hidden Object Scenes, 32 Morphing Rose Petals, 6 Main Chapters (very lengthy chapters) +Bonus Chapter (Troubled Waters) and a Built-in Strategy Guide
I recommend this game!
An exciting time management journey through a fairytale kingdom!
Overall rating
1
/
5
125 of 138 found this review helpful
CAN I GET A TIME-WASTED REFUND?
PostedJuly 26, 2019
Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
1
/
5
Level of Challenge
1
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
Completed Demo Collector's Edition version
15 Minutes of the Standard Edition version (definitely a chore)
15 Minutes of the Standard Edition version (definitely a chore)
I flat-out wasted an hour of my life playing the CE version of this game, so I figured I may as well take one for the team to see what this SE version didn't have that the CE version had. The answer is neither version has anything interesting to offer. .This is just another game by a developer who never puts forth any effort whatsoever. They never actually make new games, they recycle games with the same graphics, the same music, the same features, sometimes they don't even change the title they just slap a number after it and call it a series.
There's just nothing to talk about pertaining to this game, the tasks are boring, the colors are boring, the features are very boring. For example, on one of the levels, in the beginning, the only task was to collect hoards and hoards of wheat, no farm required, just gather wheat, watch it grow back, gather wheat, watch it grow back, lather, rinse, repeat.
The Collector's Edition version was so not worthy of a Standard Edition price much less a CE price tag. If you don't mind playing a game that gives you a Deja vu vibe with very little strategies required, a game with drab colors in hues of Wheaton gold, a game with the same music tracks you've heard hundreds of times before, a game that is a Gnomes Knock-off where only the names have changed, then this Standard Edition version is the game for you. The only difference from the Collector's Edition version is that you get 7 Music Soundtracks, 10 boring, who cares Concept Art pictures, and 23 pat-on-the-back Achievements (one of which should be for enduring the game in 1-minute increments) Both versions have 100 boring levels
I don't recommend this game.