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:
Your friend was taken. Are you brave enough to find him?
Overall rating
3
/
5
94 of 124 found this review helpful
MR. SANDMAN, BRING ME A NIGHTMARE (bung, bung, bung, bung) GIVE HIM TWO HORNS & A MASK LIKE JASON...
PostedApril 6, 2019
pennmom36
fromThe Sandman is said to be a little man who visits children & uses magic sand to lull them to sleep, an explanation to why they would wake with "sand" in their eyes.⚘
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
Completed Game 4.5 hours
(including CE Bonus Chapter & all mini-games)
(including CE Bonus Chapter & all mini-games)
Once Upon A Time:
The Children of Mittenwald rested peacefully with dreams of kittens, puppies, and unicorns because the Fluffs (bwahahaha) protected their dreams against the evil Shadogs who created horrifying nightmares. The Sandman rose to power (from what? was he nothing until he was something?) controlling the Shadogs to conquer the Dream Realm. To stop the children of Mittenwalds' recurring nightmares that ensued, a secret order was founded (why Mittenwald was the chosen town & the only town whose children suffered from recurring nightmares, I have no idea) by an alchemist who forged a Scepter and Hedron which defeated the Sandman, or so they thought. Little did they know, the Sandman was still very much in control...
The Children of Mittenwald rested peacefully with dreams of kittens, puppies, and unicorns because the Fluffs (bwahahaha) protected their dreams against the evil Shadogs who created horrifying nightmares. The Sandman rose to power (from what? was he nothing until he was something?) controlling the Shadogs to conquer the Dream Realm. To stop the children of Mittenwalds' recurring nightmares that ensued, a secret order was founded (why Mittenwald was the chosen town & the only town whose children suffered from recurring nightmares, I have no idea) by an alchemist who forged a Scepter and Hedron which defeated the Sandman, or so they thought. Little did they know, the Sandman was still very much in control...
I'm a fan of most Sunward Games, but regretfully, I wasn't a big fan of this game. The story is similar to other "nightmare-related" games (which isn't necessarily a bad thing) but the third Chapter, which makes or breaks a game usually, was way too long and made the storyline confusing because it was all over the place, and most of it seemed to contradict previous discoveries. At the end of Chapter 3, I was rather lost in confusion (quite frankly, I became bored and my attention span began to drift) I couldn't figure out how to end the chapter as far as. "what do I do now" because I just wanted it to end, I clicked the Hint feature which kept telling me to do one specific thing, but no matter where I clicked with what I was supposed to place, it didn't do anything. I checked the Strategy Guide, read the steps, looked at the pictures, yep, said the same thing. Finally, I just went back and checked for a zoom zone that hadn't been closed, and sure enough, there was an item I had to place before the last step would work. I went back to the SG and reread it carefully, and this task is completely omitted, which is why the Hint wouldn't pick it up either!
The Hidden Object Scenes started out with a good variety of styles but after the first 6 or 7, they were just Interactive Listed Item Finds within uninteresting scenes. There are only 11 HOP's (2 in the CE BC) and a few of those scenes were Repeated, a feature I've never been fond of because there's no challenge when you know where every item is located. Besides the Interactive Listed Item Finds, there are Multiples of the Same Object Finds, Interactive-Progressive Silhouetted Shape Finds, Pictured Item Finds, and a handful of smaller Zoom Zone HOP's available.
The Mini-Games range from Easy to Medium difficulty, and this is definitely a puzzle-heavy game with 26 mini-games, and another 7 within the CE Bonus Chapter. Below are brief descriptions of some of the games I enjoyed, there aren't many because I did feel they fell a little short as far as creativity goes:
1-Match photos to their corresponding newspaper articles on a bulletin board.
2-Slide Tetris-shaped pieces to allow the blue L-shaped puzzle piece to fit into the slot at the bottom. ღ
3-Rotate groups of 2 Triangle's to complete the image. ღ ღ
2-Slide Tetris-shaped pieces to allow the blue L-shaped puzzle piece to fit into the slot at the bottom. ღ
3-Rotate groups of 2 Triangle's to complete the image. ღ ღ
The CE Bonus Chapter is an additional fable about the Fluffs (still can't take that seriously) when Something Wicked this Way Comes, and they are whisked away by a hoard of Wicked Wasps, Wow, Whata Weird Whatchamacallit! There are 7 Mini-Games, and 2 Hidden Object Scenes within this average-length chapter. You will pick up the remaining 7 Jigsaw Puzzle Pieces, and 2 Character Dolls as well.
This Collector's Edition version has 18 Wallpapers, 13 Concept Art Pictures, 12 Music Soundtracks, 9 Cutscene Movie Video Cutscenes, 31 Re-playable Mini-Games, 10 Re-playable Hidden Object Scenes, 32 Achievements (18 story-based, 14 skill-based) 30 Hidden Jigsaw Puzzle Pieces (assembled automatically) 12 Wooden Character Dolls (3-Hans, 3-Agatha, 3-Pamela, 3-Sandman) 5 Main Chapters +Bonus Chapter and a Built-in Strategy Guide.
ENDLESS FABLES SERIES LIST
Title***Collector's Edition Release Date***Average Rating
1-The Minotaur's Curse (March 12-2016) 4.2
2-Frozen Path (April 15-2017) 3.9
3-Dark Moor (April 14-2018) 3.7
4-Shadow Within (April 6-2019) n/a
Title***Collector's Edition Release Date***Average Rating
1-The Minotaur's Curse (March 12-2016) 4.2
2-Frozen Path (April 15-2017) 3.9
3-Dark Moor (April 14-2018) 3.7
4-Shadow Within (April 6-2019) n/a
by: Sunward Games
Solve a series of devious puzzles to escape Arcana manor and uncover the dark secrets of the mysterious magician once lived there.
Overall rating
5
/
5
240 of 282 found this review helpful
THERE'S NO OTHER GAME LIKE IT, BY FAR THE BEST PUZZLE GAME I'VE EVER PLAYED (and the best game BF has ever had!)
PostedApril 5, 2019
pennmom36
fromThey even let you enter long profil names with spaces, something I never understood wy they limit your name selection!?
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Arcanum is a Secret Society of Magicians and Dr. Arcanum is the Grand Master of Arcanum, or at least he was. Dr. Arcanum vanished over two decades ago, and all that remains is a Mansion no mortal has entered successfully. There have been rumors that Dr. Arcanum presided over The Mysterium, an annual event of magic and the dark arts, held within the legendary Theater of Illusion on Halloween night. Members of this society have supernatural abilities, but none of them are as mystifying as Dr. Arcanum. You are about to learn the truth of Dr. Arcanum and all of his secrets, or die trying because once you enter the Mansion, you cannot leave until the final door has been opened!
Equipped with nothing more than a mysterious amulet, your quest is to find 13 Skeleton Keys. You must solve perplexing puzzles and confounding conundrums in every chamber of the mansion. Each chamber is sealed by a magical ward, a spell that must be broken to unlock the door. Clues to unlock the doors are scattered throughout the mansion, but finding those clues will take more than luck, my friend, this isn't one of those cookie-cutter games, you're going to have to think, decide and solve puzzles and solutions using grey matter! (there is a "cheaters guide included")
Check for clues everywhere, important clues are automatically added to your Journal. FANTASTIC-a journal that's actually used correctly! This is what a journal was all about back in the day. Nowadays the HOPA's have become easy, the journal isn't needed because you don't have to find clues and refer to the journal, because you don't have to think about anything or solve real clues, you don't even have to go back more than a scene or two in newer games...and that's why HOPA fans are becoming bored...but not with this game!
After finding Gems etc for each door, you must solve a perplexing puzzle. They are tricky puzzles that make you think, they aren't impossible, they are just complex and require you to solve them logically, there will never be a sticky note that magically appears as most HOPA's do.
After solving the door puzzle, you have to enter the correct word or Sigil by using directional arrows to scroll through the alphabet, again a riddle you must think about to solve! The directions are clear but vague, but solving puzzles like these give you a certain pride of accomplishment.
There are 38 Art Gallery Pictures included and a step-by-step Walkthrough Guide, but you will have to click on the Menu tab and go to the Extra's Tab to access it. This is also FANTASTIC-it's not easily accessed so you try harder not to access it! If you love puzzles that make you think, solving riddles, and you are tired of all the hand-holding, this is the game for you. Not to mention how FANTASTIC the creepy Mansion scenario plot is!!!
I recommend this game!
Can you stop a dangerous game from taking more lives?
Overall rating
3
/
5
94 of 121 found this review helpful
DEAL ME OUT PLEASE!
PostedApril 4, 2019
pennmom36
fromThe Joker originated in the US during the Civil War as a trump card for the game of Euchre. On the 8 of Diamonds card there's a secret '8' hidden in the middle as well as the figures of 8 stamped on the corners! seriously, go look, I'll wait... ⛄
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
Completed game 5 hours
(including CE Bonus Chapter & all puzzles)
(including CE Bonus Chapter & all puzzles)
Ahh, the life of a movie star, everyone wants the life of a famous actress, but William Gladstone wants more than Virginia's Hollywood lifestyle, he wants her soul! It's time to solve another paranormal crime mystery, but hey, at least you get a free cruise and 15 awsome Cocktails!
There is a Gadget, your smartphone allows you to make an otherworldly call to the spirit world to speak with the dearly departed (data rates, messaging, and roaming fees may apply) It may be annoying, but it's megabits better than those stupid glasses featured in the earlier Mystery Tales Games! Now apparently, I can see the ghosts without the aid of my geeky glasses, but I'm still trying to figure out how all of the ghosts, not only know how to contact me via cell phone but how did they know my otherworldly phone number?
This isn't a horrible game, but once again, the problem is, it's toooo loonnggg. Domini has slipped into a bad habit of throwing in everything but the kitchen sink to make their games longer. They put in so many mindless, and repetitive filler tasks, which doesn't have anything to do with the plot or its progression until it becomes mind-numbingly boring to the point that you just want it to end! I get it, it's a fine line between quality and quantity.
Some of the Hidden Object Scenes had clever concepts or were located in interesting scenes. There are only 13 HOP's in the main game and 5 in the CE Bonus Chapter, which pales in comparison to the over-abundance of Mini-games. There are several Keywords in Sentence Finds, Pictured Item Finds, Interactive List Finds, Vertical & Horizontal Slider Finds (match missing silhouettes) Combination Silhouetted Shape Finds, and Multiple of the Same Object Finds. A few of my favorites: A very unique scene where you choose the correct answer to the Joker's Riddles (Multiple Choice) and then find 3 Silhouetted Objects related to the answer. Finding 4 Objects relating to each paragraph's descriptions. Finding Multiples of Symbols (one of which morphs) on leaves filled with hieroglyphs. There is an alternate Match 3 game available, and one of the Achievements require you to opt for at least 1 HOP as the alternate M3.
There are a ton of Mini-Games, 29 in the Main Game and another 8 within the CE Bonus Chapter. Domini always gives you the option to choose between an Easy or Hard Mode, and you can also choose which difficulty mode is presented, in the Custom Setting (you can always manually switch per puzzle) Below are brief descriptions of some of the games I found interesting:
1-Drag a chain of colored tokens onto their matching colored squares on a grid.
2-Examine the clues and select the facts that match the photo.
3-Adjust the timing of gauges so they will push the ball past the holes to the end.ღ
4-Use directional arrows to guide the token to push the yellow ball to the end (gr8 "push the box" concept but way too simple even on hard mode Domini!)
5-Arrange flowers so the connecting flowers have related patterns.ღ
6-Slide skeletal hands to their color-coded columns.
7-Place Dominos to match either end to capture opponents pieces.
8-Play a card of the same color, larger cards beat smaller cards.
9-Rotate Skeleton head, arms & legs to align with each token.
10-Place all of the stars on the grid w/o intersecting rays.
11-Collect 3 of the same cards, collecting 4 of the same cards gains 1 point, 3 points to win.
2-Examine the clues and select the facts that match the photo.
3-Adjust the timing of gauges so they will push the ball past the holes to the end.ღ
4-Use directional arrows to guide the token to push the yellow ball to the end (gr8 "push the box" concept but way too simple even on hard mode Domini!)
5-Arrange flowers so the connecting flowers have related patterns.ღ
6-Slide skeletal hands to their color-coded columns.
7-Place Dominos to match either end to capture opponents pieces.
8-Play a card of the same color, larger cards beat smaller cards.
9-Rotate Skeleton head, arms & legs to align with each token.
10-Place all of the stars on the grid w/o intersecting rays.
11-Collect 3 of the same cards, collecting 4 of the same cards gains 1 point, 3 points to win.
The Collector's Edition Bonus Chapter has us back on the case when Virginia's Soul is once again taken while filming her latest film, Puppet Witch (that's gotta have some long-term effects) There are 8 Mini-Games and 5 Hidden Object Scenes and you'll pick up the remaining 4 Morphing Cards, 4 Cocktail Drinks, and 10 Zoom Zone Casino Chips which allows you to purchase the remaining VIP Room items.
This Collector's Edition version has 10 Wallpapers, 10 Concept Art Pictures, 5 Music Soundtracks, 24 Movie Video Cutscenes, 15 Re-playable Mini-Games, 18 Re-playable Hidden Object Scenes, 18 Achievements, 14 Morphing Playing Cards (with origin descriptions) 15 Collectible Cocktail's (yum) 60 Zoom Zone Casino Chips (used to buy 15 VIP Room items) 5 Main Chapters +Bonus Chapter, and a Built-in Strategy Guide.
MYSTERY TALES SERIES LIST
Title***Collector's Edition Release Date***Average Rating
1-The Lost Hope (January 25-2014) 4.0
2-The Twilight World (January 24-2015) 3.5
3-Alaskan Wild (August 29-2015) 3.9
4-Her Own Eyes (February 18-2016) 4.1
5-Eye of the Fire (September 29-2016) 3.4
6-The Hangman Returns (January 26-2017) 3.8
7-The House of Others (June 29-2017) 3.9
8-Dangerous Desires (October 14-2017) 3.1
9-The Other Side (March 17-2018) 3.0
10-Reel Horror (September 9-2018) 4.2
11-Dealer's Choice (April 4-2019) n/a
Title***Collector's Edition Release Date***Average Rating
1-The Lost Hope (January 25-2014) 4.0
2-The Twilight World (January 24-2015) 3.5
3-Alaskan Wild (August 29-2015) 3.9
4-Her Own Eyes (February 18-2016) 4.1
5-Eye of the Fire (September 29-2016) 3.4
6-The Hangman Returns (January 26-2017) 3.8
7-The House of Others (June 29-2017) 3.9
8-Dangerous Desires (October 14-2017) 3.1
9-The Other Side (March 17-2018) 3.0
10-Reel Horror (September 9-2018) 4.2
11-Dealer's Choice (April 4-2019) n/a
by: Domini Games
Play Solitaire and Mahjong to find clues. Connect the clues to solve eight puzzling cases.
Overall rating
3
/
5
53 of 57 found this review helpful
I LIKED THE SOLITAIRE PORTION, THE MAHJONG WAS RATHER EASY, BUT "SOLVING" THE CRIME WAS AWESOME!
PostedApril 3, 2019
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
In all fairness, Mahjong is not among my favorite genres, but I chose to play each case in the Mixed Mode, Solitaire/Mahjong option to take in the packaged game in as a whole. You can, however, choose to play either all Solitaire Games or all Mahjong to uncover partial clues. In the Mixed Mode, you can also choose which one to play next, you can proceed with all Solitaire sets and then move on to the Mahjong sets or switch between, however you'd like.
The Solitaire Levels are Higher/Lower, and unfortunately, you only have to remove 90% of the cards per level to proceed onto the next level. I'd be okay with this feature IF I was given the option to replay the level when I wasn't able to remove all cards. That's not the case here if you don't remove at least 90%, you have to replay the level, but once you hit that 90% mark, you aren't given an option to replay the level, you just proceed onward, a feature I really didn't enjoy.
On the Solitaire Mode, you can choose between Traditional Cards or Themed Cards, there is a Deck Counter, a Magnifying/Star Progress Bar, and you will earn Number-specific Jokers during the levels. You get 1 Undo per level, and Combo-chains will increase the Index, and each level has a Good/Bad Luck Card to either give you Points or Disable one of the Power-ups for that level. The Power-ups are Character-related, Granny Gertrude removes a Random Open Card, Grandson Owen removes a Random Closed Card. Uncovering the cliche Donuts Card will distract the Police and Remove the "Police Tape" Obstacle Cards.
The Mahjong Levels are much easier than the Solitaire Levels, I had to replay some of the Solitaire Levels but breezed through all of the Mahjong Levels on the first attempt. In the Mahjong Mode, the same 90% removal rate applies. You can choose between Traditional or Themed Mahjong Tiles as well. Season Tiles can be matched with any Season and Flower Tiles can be matched with any other Flower Tiles, and there is a Hint feature to show possible matches. Granny Gertrude & Owen will each Hold a Mahjong Tile to be used later which can also help to free-up blocked tiles.
Solving the case was the most unique method I've ever seen offered in a Crime-Solving game, and I loved it! After playing the Solitaire/Mahjong Levels to receive Clues, you are given a Mosaic/Griddler type of grid and the Clues you found are shown in the form of Riddles (similar to the board game Clue) on the Right side, and as you progress, there are more levels, more clues, and larger grids. This portion can be Skipped after the timer countdown, but I was so engrossed in it that I didn't think to look at the Time given on the countdown.
You read each "Clue" and apply your findings by filling each cell on the grid with either Red (meaning there's a Negative Connection) or Green (meaning there's a Positive Connection) Basically, each Row has the Suspects Listed one per Row (son, wife, etc.) and each Column has the suspected objects or rooms pertaining to that particular case (rope, gun, lounge, kitchen, etc.) You just narrow the grid field down by filling in the squares with green when the clues tell you it was a definite finding, or red when the clues tell you it couldn't have been the wife in the kitchen with a candlestick so to speak (a reference to the board game Clue, not the deduction of this particular case) until you solve the grid, aka, the Crime Case, and then you'll move on to the next Case to find more clues and repeat the steps.
I absolutely loved the Clue-Crime-solving portion of this game which is 5-star quality. The Mahjong portion I felt was too easy and borderline boring, but it did give me the option to bypass the Mahjong portion. If the Solitaire portion would have allowed me to replay the levels when I wasn't able to remove all of the cards yet met the 90% criteria, I'd have been one happy camper, and it would have been an immediate purchase :(
Forest Riddles returns with new locations and puzzles in the fairies' forest.
Overall rating
3
/
5
32 of 44 found this review helpful
EASIER TO SEE, BUT NOT VERY VISUALLY APPEALING
PostedApril 2, 2019
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Demo only:
I love a good Mosaic Griddler game, but I wasn't thrilled by this one. Forest Riddles 4 was just an okay mosaic for me personally, others may love it, but the tiles are flat, the colors aren't very pretty (the color black is used quite frequently) and they use a lot of very similar colors side-by-side. I'm usually scrambling to hit the Buy Now button when a new Mosaic Griddler is offered, but I finished the entire demo and didn't feel the need to purchase this one, even though I wasn't able to complete the last mosaic.
I love a good Mosaic Griddler game, but I wasn't thrilled by this one. Forest Riddles 4 was just an okay mosaic for me personally, others may love it, but the tiles are flat, the colors aren't very pretty (the color black is used quite frequently) and they use a lot of very similar colors side-by-side. I'm usually scrambling to hit the Buy Now button when a new Mosaic Griddler is offered, but I finished the entire demo and didn't feel the need to purchase this one, even though I wasn't able to complete the last mosaic.
The good news is that this one offers 100 Multi-colored Griddlers and 100 levels of the Monochrome Griddlers, and you can choose to play all of either style, or you can choose the Randomized option which throws in a mixture of both styles. In the Monochrome style, you can also choose the grid sizes of 5x5~5x10~10x5~10x10.
You can earn up to 3-Stars per level, the First Star is achieved by completing the Griddler, the Second Star if you make no Mistakes, and the Third Star if you don't use the Faries to help you solve the griddler. The Faries will Fill-in Two Random Cells each time they are used, and the Lantern Dims each time you make a Mistake. The completed images are easily recognized, and they are Labeled once the image has been completed. The Music is pleasant (Music Atelier Amacha) but tends to become quite repetitive because there aren't enough tracks in my opinion.
FOREST RIDDLES SERIES LIST
Title***Release Date***Average Rating
Title***Release Date***Average Rating
1-Forest Riddles 1 (August 22-2016) 4.5
2-Forest Riddles 2 (February 28-2018) 2.8
3-Forest Riddles 3 (May 2-2018) 3.4
4-Forest Riddles 4 (April 2-2019) n/a
2-Forest Riddles 2 (February 28-2018) 2.8
3-Forest Riddles 3 (May 2-2018) 3.4
4-Forest Riddles 4 (April 2-2019) n/a
by: Puzzlesea Games
Dig into more puzzle fun while you blast your way to victory!
Overall rating
5
/
5
85 of 97 found this review helpful
I'M REALLY DIGGING THIS SERIES!
PostedApril 1, 2019
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
I've never been a fan of Chain type Match 3 games, but this game changed my mind, besides, it just wouldn't work any other way. This is a super addicting game, I bought the first game after playing the demo, but I only needed to play a few levels of this game before deciding to add it to my collection.
The goal is to reach the buried Flowers (Dig The Ground 1 had treasure chests) by making chains of elements to dig through the dirt or gold tiles, which allows the water to reach them. There's actually a lot of strategies involved because you have to manipulate the water flow to go in several directions and you can't go back up, only down, right or left.
The longer the chain, the bigger the explosion! You can make small chains of elements containing at least 2 identical elements which will destroy the dirt tiles if matched adjacent to it, and it helps to keep the water flowing, and can sometimes make room for larger matches. Matches of 5 or more create an explosion starting with a small bomb, the larger the chain is, the larger the explosion is, all the way up to a nuclear bomb! The radius of the explosion is shown before you release the chain so you'll know exactly what will be affected by the subsequent explosion. Chains can be made vertically, horizontally, diagonally or any combination within.
You start the game at the top of the board and work your way down, but some levels go from left to right, or take sharp turns, starting in one direction and then up, right, left, etc. You must break all of the ground tiles above the line, as you do, the line moves and more of the board is exposed. You want to plan your explosions, and the Nuclear Tiles require a very large match to get a Nuclear Bomb.
This game isn't going to be everybody's cup of T......NT, but I thoroughly enjoyed playing this unique Match 3 game. For me, it gives meaning to making Matches, Again, there are only 25 different levels total, but don't let that deter you, because each level is extremely long, time-consuming, and definitely addicting!
This game isn't going to be everybody's cup of T......NT, but I thoroughly enjoyed playing this unique Match 3 game. For me, it gives meaning to making Matches, Again, there are only 25 different levels total, but don't let that deter you, because each level is extremely long, time-consuming, and definitely addicting!
I recommend this game!
Discover the breathtaking beauty of our world while solving gorgeous puzzles in 1001 Jigsaw: Earth Chronicles 6!
Overall rating
3
/
5
71 of 75 found this review helpful
A FEW SIMPLE TWEAKS IS ALL IT NEEDS!
PostedMarch 31, 2019
pennmom36
fromIt doesn't have to be a major overhaul, just tweak a few things for those of us who are puzzle geeks & know these features are available?!? ⛄
Skill Level:Expert
Current Favorite:
Real Jigsaw Puzzle
(1)Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
I'm actually tired of having to talk about the fact that there are no changes, because there never is, and probably never will be. With just a few tweaks, these puzzles could be amazing! If you haven't played any puzzle game by this developer, you'll probably think there's no need for change. But if you have played even one jigsaw puzzle game by these devs, you'll find that the lack of customization options along with the same repetitive music gets old. I love jigsaws and I love the convenience of computerized jigsaws, in fact, there's hardly a day that goes by, that I don't work on a puzzle from another developer.
There are 7 Categories: Animals~Birds~Landscapes~Flora~Waterworld~Food~Humans (why food & humans when the Earth Chronicles series has always been animal-themed?) Each Category or Box has 143 different puzzle pictures for a total of 1001. There are Achievement Trophies to earn and a Top Scores leaderboard but there is no option to access any of these features to know what achievements you are striving to achieve...that makes no sense.
There is a Box to store extra pieces, but there are no options to categorize, label or sort these stored pieces, nor is there an option to fetch or retrieve certain pieces because you can't sort and label these stored pieces...that makes no sense.
There is an option to post a Picture Image of the puzzle you are working on which does allow you to choose three different sizes of x1, x2 or x3. You can also opt to Ghost the Image on the Background (the puzzle is assembled on top of the ghosted image) It doesn't, however, give you the option to choose the Opaqueness of the Ghosted Image to make the image more or less visible, depending on how difficult you want the puzzle assembly to be...that doesn't make sense.
There is an available Magnifying Glass to enlarge sections, as well as a Hint feature in case you get stumped. You can choose the Resolution, opt for a Custom Cursor or change the color of the background to pastel shades of Pink, Green, Blue or Gray. These basic color options tend to be somewhat too dark with many of the puzzles they offer, being able to adjust the intensity of the background colors at the very least, makes sense, doesn't it? Here's a fun fact: Most monitors can EASILYdisplay 16,777,216 256 different colors, yet we are only given an option of Four of those 16,777,216 256 colors to choose from as the background color...that totally makes no sense.
There is an Auto-sort feature that seems to have no rhyme or reason attached to it because it doesn't sort the pieces by Color, Puzzle Cut or Shape, or even the Direction Placement (correct rotation placement) instead it sorts the pieces to the general location of where the pieces will go (top~left, bottom~right) Most puzzle geeks like the ability to sort pieces by color (zebra stripes, blue sky, green grass) or group by puzzle shape, and sometimes both. It would also be nice to be able to quickly send those sorted pieces to the Box, after labeling them, of course. At least it gives you the option to choose the Border pieces separately, sorting to the exact areas the pieces will go, practically feels like you're cheating...which doesn't make sense.
Any Puzzle can be modified with Size options, the Puzzle Shape, and whether or not you want the pieces to Rotate, but even then, it's not optimized to allow you to assemble a puzzle much bigger than 300 pieces. A 300 Piece Puzzle purchased off the shelf would be labeled for ages +8-12...that ridiculously makes no sense.
Once you complete a Jigsaw Puzzle, you're done, the party's over. You get to see the finished image for a split second (I'm not exaggerating) and then the Stats Window pops up. The completed Jigsaws aren't displayed in a Gallery or any other section for that matter, to allow you to admire your work or the beauty of the image, so I suppose asking for an option to save the puzzle's image as a Screensaver or Wallpaper is too much to ask for...that makes sense, right?
1001 JIGSAW EARTH CHRONICLES SERIES LIST
Title***Release Date***Average Rating
1-1001 Jigsaw Earth Chronicles 1 (May 20-2014) 3.5
2-1001 Jigsaw Earth Chronicles 2 (August 21-2016) 3.5
3-1001 Jigsaw Earth Chronicles 3 (November 30-2015) 4.0
4-1001 Jigsaw Earth Chronicles 4 (May 4-2016) 3.7
5-1001 Jigsaw Earth Chronicles 5 (October 9-2018) 3.3
6-1001 Jigsaw Earth Chronicles 6 (March 28-2019) n/a
1001 JIGSAW EARTH CHRONICLES SERIES LIST
Title***Release Date***Average Rating
1-1001 Jigsaw Earth Chronicles 1 (May 20-2014) 3.5
2-1001 Jigsaw Earth Chronicles 2 (August 21-2016) 3.5
3-1001 Jigsaw Earth Chronicles 3 (November 30-2015) 4.0
4-1001 Jigsaw Earth Chronicles 4 (May 4-2016) 3.7
5-1001 Jigsaw Earth Chronicles 5 (October 9-2018) 3.3
6-1001 Jigsaw Earth Chronicles 6 (March 28-2019) n/a
by: Somer Games~developer
by: 8 Floor Ltd~producer
by: 8 Floor Ltd~producer
Enter a fantasy world, where a young elven princess and her fawn friend oppose an evil that threatens to consume the Kingdom in this exciting time-management game
Overall rating
4
/
5
33 of 43 found this review helpful
SOMEONE NEEDS TO HAVE A "ROYAL TALKING TO" WITH THE PRINCESS!
PostedMarch 31, 2019
pennmom36
from"You're right, their jaws clanked metal. However, it was, let me thank you" ...however it was what????⛄
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
Great TM game, but this time, I highly recommend the Collector's Edition version over this Standard Edition version for two reasons. This game requires a lot of strategies, nearly from the get-go, so the Royal Strategy Guide is very helpful, especially in the later levels. (50 levels~SE, 60 Levels~CE) The second reason is my personal love of the Collector's Edition Morphing Faun Statuettes, Collectible Books, and the Collectible Baby Golems. The CE version has a ton of extra's that this version doesn't have (see the last paragraph) and, in my opinion, it makes the game more fun to play.
Well, that was quick! Didn't King Galanius just pass over his crown when the Royal Wedding Bells rang Ding-Dong for Princess Aerin, and Tillian, who shortly thereafter became the proud parents of a bouncing Royal Baby Girl in the last Elven Legends game? Now, in the blink of an eye, the Royal Princess is all grown-up, with magic powers of her very own, and making Royal Decisions on her journey home from Grandpa's house!
I must admit, one of the reasons I have always loved this TM series is because, over the last 6 games, I followed the story of a young Elven Princess as she discovered her magical abilities and learned how to serve her Kingdom's people. Aerin met the man of her dreams (well, it was more like he just popped into her life all of a sudden) Together they worked as an inseparable team side by side, decided to get married and her proud father, King Galanius handed down the crown. That took place over 6 game episodes, so I really would have been happier to have an in-between episode or two with the Royal Parents still involved as they handed down their family values to shape her into the young Princess she's currently become. But I guess there's no going back now, I just hope the next episode doesn't fast forward 40 years to show an aging and bitter Princess Sonja living alone in a decaying castle amongst a hundred cats. (well, the cat part would still be adorable)
Elven Legend games are strategy-based Time Management games requiring you to queue your tasks in a specific order. You can play in a Relaxed mode with no timer (and apparently no available Stars) a Normal Mode, or a Professional Mode, and you can replay the levels as often as necessary. Bonus Icons become available that help you beat the levels, such as Worker's Speed, Add Workers, Double the Production of Resources, Speed up Work Production or even Increase the number of Existing Resources.
There are the normal TM tasks of collecting food, water, wood, stone crystals, etc. and the same tasks of clearing the roads, repairing bridges and filling in pits along the way. Princess Sonja, who has the ability to animate non-living objects, of course, does all the magic work. The Princess soon discovers how dangerous the Kingdom can be without the Royal Guards protection. Luckily, Haseth, a kind, but shifty-eyed hero comes to her aid, claiming to be a friend of her parents, King Tillian and Queen Aerin. Haseth suggests a change of plans, to escort her to his castle where they can send word to her royal parents, (classic move, I told you they made Sonja grow up too quickly! She didn't even get the chance to have the "Royal Talk" with her mum!)
There are several Altars of Resources available in each level that will produce 2 units of renewable resources over a period of time. Magical Trees produce wood, but they will first require Water before they will regrow or produce, Waterwells can be constructed on most levels or reproduced on altars. You will need to construct different buildings as well as upgrade them to produce various resources such as Farms to produce food, Workers House's to hire extra workers, Sawmills for wood, Inn's to produce Gold, Mines to produce magic Crystals, Labs to produce Philosopher's Stones as a source of Princess Sonja's magic.
Some levels require items to be Crafted such as creating Clay, Wood, an Iron Golems before the Princess can animate them. Crafted items you gather will automatically move to the icon, and once all items have been collected you need to click on the icon to complete the task.
In the Collector's Edition version, each scene has a Morphing Faun Statuette (60) Collectible Books (60) and 12 collectible Baby Golems in 5 different categories or types (60) You can replay the levels after completing them, to pick up missed collectibles or morphs, without having to replay the level, you will NOT lose your star rating if you only return to pick them up! There are 8 Wallpapers, 8 Concept Art Character Pictures, 39 Achievements to earn, a High Scores Leaderboard, 10 extra CE Bonus Levels, and a built-in Strategy Guide, enjoy!
ELVEN LEGEND SERIES LIST
Title***Standard Edition Release Date***Average Rating
Title***Standard Edition Release Date***Average Rating
1-Elven Legend 1: SE only (February 4-2015) 3.2
2-Elven Legend 2: The Bewitched Tree SE only (February 3-2016) 3.3
3-Elven Legend 3: The New Menace (August 24-2016) 4.6
4-Elven Legend 4: The Incredible Journey (March 24-2017) 2.4
5-Elven Legend 5: The Fateful Tournament (December 27-2017) 4.5
6-Elven Legend 6: The Treacherous Tournament (September 30-2018) 3.0
7-Elven Legend 7: The New Generation (March 31-2019) n/a
2-Elven Legend 2: The Bewitched Tree SE only (February 3-2016) 3.3
3-Elven Legend 3: The New Menace (August 24-2016) 4.6
4-Elven Legend 4: The Incredible Journey (March 24-2017) 2.4
5-Elven Legend 5: The Fateful Tournament (December 27-2017) 4.5
6-Elven Legend 6: The Treacherous Tournament (September 30-2018) 3.0
7-Elven Legend 7: The New Generation (March 31-2019) n/a
by: Growing Grass Studios
I recommend this game!
Face the legacy of mythical sunken city of Ys!
Overall rating
5
/
5
128 of 163 found this review helpful
THESE'S ARE THE MYTHS I SEEK!
PostedMarch 30, 2019
pennmom36
fromThe Arabic word maskhara "to transform into an animal or monster" was derived from msk meaning "second skin" by Egyptians. A mask was found in France dated 30,000bc long before the term existed! ⛄
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Completed game 5 hours
(including CE Bonus Chapter & all puzzles)
4.5 Stars (not very CE worthy)
(including CE Bonus Chapter & all puzzles)
4.5 Stars (not very CE worthy)
When Prince Gradlon from the Lutetia Kingdom first met Princess Tehda of Y's, they fell hopelessly in love with one another. Their bond united the rocky relationship between the two kingdoms, but jealousy reared its ugly head dooming Y's and all who lived there. The mythical city of Y's, has been swallowed by an unforgiving sea, decaying past the point of no return for centuries. Y's is nothing more than an Atlantian tale now, lost and all but forgotten, until today! The Myth Seekers have discovered an ancient artifact that could shine the light on the city and all its glory, or bring with it all the darkness of its seedy past!
Bravo Sunward Games! I loved the storyline, puzzles, and Hidden Object Scenes, however, as far as a Collector's Edition version goes, this one doesn't offer a whole lot. If not for today's sale, I may have waited to purchase it because there are no morphs, and not very many re-playable games, etc. it almost border's on being CE Blingless! There are Collectible Ysian Masks in nearly every scene, but they aren't very challenging to find, and there's no option to return to the scenes to pick up any Masks you may have forgotten to look for.
The Hidden Object Scenes are awesome! I rarely find HOP's to be challenging nowadays because the items are never hidden, they are just laying amongst a junk pile, but I found myself staring at more than one scene as I tried to find some of the objects because they were blended so well (the rat took me forever!) Although they are mostly Interactive Listed Item Finds, there are also Progressive~Interactive Silhouetted~Shape Finds, Fragmented~Shape Finds (frogs) Multiples of the same object Finds, and Pictured Item Finds. There are only 10 HOP's offered (+2 in the CE BC) not including the 3-4 Story Progression, Keywords in Sentence Finds because they are considered Mini-Games here. There is an alternate Pair~Matching mini-game available that's actually kind of fun.
The Mini-Games are all doable kind of puzzles. There are 26 Actual Mini-Games (as listed by Sunward as mini-games, not Hop's) Below are brief descriptions of some of my personal favorites in this game:
1-Rotate hands/pipes to allow energy to flow from the bottom to 3 crystals on top.
2-Slide gargoyles until each row matches the gargoyles on the left.
3-Move the silver ball thru every point only once.
4-Move triangle puzzle pieces by rotating diamond-shaped sections.ღ
5-Use directional arrows to navigate according to the landmark clues.
6-Place colored wires into each partial symbol to recreate the color-coded symbols shown.
7-Swap & rotate circular stone tokens to recreate a picture.
8-Click up to 16 Musical notes to guide the bird to the Soul Amulet. ღ
9-Flip over 2 tokens at a time to find matching pairs of symbols.
2-Slide gargoyles until each row matches the gargoyles on the left.
3-Move the silver ball thru every point only once.
4-Move triangle puzzle pieces by rotating diamond-shaped sections.ღ
5-Use directional arrows to navigate according to the landmark clues.
6-Place colored wires into each partial symbol to recreate the color-coded symbols shown.
7-Swap & rotate circular stone tokens to recreate a picture.
8-Click up to 16 Musical notes to guide the bird to the Soul Amulet. ღ
9-Flip over 2 tokens at a time to find matching pairs of symbols.
The CE Bonus Chapter isn't very impressive, but prequels aren't my favorite, I'd much rather continue with the main story or delve into the detail of a missing link scenario. You play as a Baker's apprentice in Y's along with his Ferret Miffy. There's a lot of "Find this, place that, go here, go there's" but there's only 3 Mini-Games and 2 Hidden Object Scenes in the entire fairly lengthy bonus chapter. You will complete the Collection of the final 5 Ysian Masks as well.
This Collector's Edition version has 8 Wallpapers (yeah! no character's to ruin the beautiful scenery) 8 Concept Art Pictures, 8 Movie Video Cutscenes, 8 Re-Playable Hidden Object Scenes, 8 Re-Playable Mini-Games, 18 Story-Based & 10 Skill-Based Achievements, 27 Collectible Ysian Masks (7~8~7~5 of each type) 6 Main Chapters +Bonus Chapter and a Built-in Strategy Guide.
THE MYTH SEEKERS SERIES LIST
Title***Collector's Edition Release Date***Average Rating
Title***Collector's Edition Release Date***Average Rating
1-The Legacy of Vulcan (January 30-2018) 3.8
2-The Sunken City (March 30-2019) n/a
2-The Sunken City (March 30-2019) n/a
by: Sunward Games
I recommend this game!
Only you can stop the crystals raining down on Tar and stealing energy.
Overall rating
3
/
5
42 of 50 found this review helpful
IF YOU LIKE A LOT OF BLING, OPT FOR THE CE VERSION IF POSSIBLE
PostedMarch 29, 2019
pennmom36
fromThis is a very long game, but if you don't like a massive amount of mini-games, you may want to pass this one up! ⛄
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
7 Hours worth of CE completion!
90 minutes SE Demo
90 minutes SE Demo
They're back! The magical floating Elven Island disappeared without a trace 735 years ago, but today, for no apparent reason, the Island reappeared! There once was a time when Elves and humans lived in harmony and worked side-by-side to educate one another with valuable skills. When the elves began to show signs of illness, they blamed the humans, war was imminent, especially when the humans began to disappear. The Medico Imperium Order soon discovers that the return of the Elven Island 735 years later is not a goodwill gesture. Can The Order's most Honored Healer thwart the Elves mission to overpower the human race, or is it already too late?
If you aren't a huge puzzle and mini-game fan, you won't enjoy this game very much because you are literally doing them back-to-back. As an "Honored Healer" you have a magical Diagnostic Sceptor that allows you to access the patients' symptoms and draw a medical conclusion. This Gadget is used 7 times throughout the Main Game and each of those 7 uses requires you to complete 3 different mini-games before you search for the correct ingredients to cure what ails them. Thank you, Domini for making each puzzle different and for not making me endure a Recipe mini-game!
I've said this multiple times before, but in my opinion, Domini throws everything into their games including that kitchen sink, to make their games way too Looonnggg. There are 19 regular mini-games in the main chapters PLUS 21 Diagnostic Scepter mini-games (and another 10 mini-games in the CE BC) that's a whopping 40 mini-games! (+10 in the CE BC) I love puzzles but even I don't want a game where all I'm doing is playing mini-games back to back! There are only 5 Chapters (plus the Bonus Chapter in the CE version), but it literally took me 6-7 hours to complete! Granted I don't skip any of the puzzles, but I was completely bored and over the game halfway through. I lost track of how many times I needed something "Sharp" a bottle of "Acid" something to "Protect my Hands" a "Wrench" a "Nail Puller" something "Thin" to open a latch, a "Shovel" and a jug, cup or mug of "Water" Every single time, I'd use those items once, only to need the exact item two scenes later, a couple of times I can live with, but 10 or more times all in an effort to stretch the game and make people think they are getting a bargain? If I didn't have to heal so many people I would have completely forgotten what the story was even about because I wasn't playing a game to progress the story, I was playing a game to progress to the next puzzle! Everything in this game is a filler, it's just an illusion of a long story!
There are only 12 Hidden Object Scenes in the Main Game (and 5 HOP's within the CE BC) all of which are re-playable in the CE extra's section. There are 3 smaller Zoom Zone HOP's and you can opt to Play a Match 3 game instead of the hidden object scenes. In the custom settings, you can opt for Silhouetted Shape Hints and hint recharges in 0 seconds! Some of the HO scenes were fairly creative, some of my favorite types were using vertical & horizontal sliders to align highlighted images over the correct object in the scene that matches descriptions as Keywords, Swatches of circular image samples to find the correct location in the scene, Combination Silhouetted Shape clues where you find the object that matches the description of the 2 silhouetted shapes combined, and my absolute favorite was finding objects in a scene with multiple Morphing Objects. There are also Multiples of the Same Object finds Gears that rotate to align partial images, Keywords in Sentence Finds and a highly interactive, progressive HOP.
I hope you love Mini-Games, and I do mean love because there are 40 games within the main game and another 10 offered within the Collector's Edition version Bonus Chapter! You can, however, opt to play a Match 3 Game instead of the mini-games! Domini always offers their games in an Easy or Hard difficulty mode, and in the custom settings you can opt to have them start with either easy or hard mini-games, but you can still opt for the opposite per mini-game. You can also opt to skip the puzzles instantly in the custom settings! The above mentioned Diagnostic Scepter requires you to complete 3 different mini-games each time it is used, and fortunately, they are always different puzzles. Below are brief descriptions of some of my favorite games offered throughout the entire game:
1-Drag color-coded chains of various lengths to their color-coded slots.
2-Jump bacteria cells to remove all but 1 bacteria.
3-Move squares to spots w/corresponding colors, arrow sections will change its direction.
4-Untangle bacteria strands by selecting arrow buttons for each strand.
5-Move the pink token to cover the entire grid.
6-Select tiles to reveal all images, if you select a tile that has no image you'll have to restart.
7-Select green buttons to remove all bacteria, removing one may change other sets.
8-Select a sequence of directional arrows to guide the net thru a maze.
9-Adjust the temperature of 4 gauges by selecting + & - to move the needle a specified number to the green zone.
10-Move 1 horizontal & 1 Vertical tornado to direct wind flow, & + or - buttons to move the griffin thru a maze.
11-Select + or - & rotation buttons to align & scale 4 different fragments to align w/the center image.
12-Select number & direction specific buttons to guide the token w/o landing on the skull spots.
13-Move or jump your pieces to add more pieces than your opponent.
2-Jump bacteria cells to remove all but 1 bacteria.
3-Move squares to spots w/corresponding colors, arrow sections will change its direction.
4-Untangle bacteria strands by selecting arrow buttons for each strand.
5-Move the pink token to cover the entire grid.
6-Select tiles to reveal all images, if you select a tile that has no image you'll have to restart.
7-Select green buttons to remove all bacteria, removing one may change other sets.
8-Select a sequence of directional arrows to guide the net thru a maze.
9-Adjust the temperature of 4 gauges by selecting + & - to move the needle a specified number to the green zone.
10-Move 1 horizontal & 1 Vertical tornado to direct wind flow, & + or - buttons to move the griffin thru a maze.
11-Select + or - & rotation buttons to align & scale 4 different fragments to align w/the center image.
12-Select number & direction specific buttons to guide the token w/o landing on the skull spots.
13-Move or jump your pieces to add more pieces than your opponent.
The Bonus Chapter (only available in the CE version) takes place after the main game's timeframe. Dr. Klein welcomes Jarolia, a recent graduate into The Medico Imperium Order, and wastes no time sending her out on her first solo mission. Ill Lydia has created a highly contagious infection that turns Elves into a monstrous Night Elf that obeys her every command, and it's now up to Jarolia to prove she has what it takes as a young Healer. There are 10 Mini-Games and 5 Hidden Object Scenes in this fairly lengthy BC. (one of those mini-games could be considered as a HOP of finding and replacing objects into the pages of a storybook) You will pick up the remaining collectibles, 3 Medical Cards, 7 Golden Metal Leaves (which allows you to purchase the remaining Laboratory Items, the number varies because items vary in price) and the final 3 Morphing Elven Artifacts, which, in my opinion, morph way to fast, and aren't very challenging to spot in any of the scenes.
The Collector's Edition version has 10 Wallpapers, 10 Concept Art Pictures, 5 Music Soundtracks, 17 replayable Hidden Object Scenes, 12 replayable Mini-Games, 21 Achievements to Earn, 15 Collectible Morphing Elven Artifacts, 15 Collectible Medical Disease Cards (to learn about diseases in the Tar Empire (that's just weird, who wants to read about chickenpox?) 15 Laboratory Items, 50 Hidden Metal Leaves (use to purchase Laboratory Items) 5 Main Chapters +Bonus Chapter and a built-in Strategy Guide.
ENCHANTED KINGDOM SERIES LIST
Title***Standard Edition Release Date***Average Rating
Title***Standard Edition Release Date***Average Rating
1-A Dark Seed (May 5-2017) 4.0
2-A Stranger's Venom (October 27-2017) 3.2
3-Fog of Rivershire (March 23-2018) 3.0
4-Fiend of Darkness (September 21-2018) 3.3
5-Descent of the Elders (March 29-2019) n/a
2-A Stranger's Venom (October 27-2017) 3.2
3-Fog of Rivershire (March 23-2018) 3.0
4-Fiend of Darkness (September 21-2018) 3.3
5-Descent of the Elders (March 29-2019) n/a
by: Domini Games
I recommend this game!