pennmom36's Profile
Stat Summary
- Average Rating:3.7
- Helpful Votes:358,445
- Reviews Submitted:4713
- First Review:December 10, 2012
- Most Recent Review:May 8, 2025
- Featured reviews0
Status:
Researching the cause of a mysterious supernatural epidemic will have wildly unpredictable consequences...
Overall rating
4
/
5
23 of 26 found this review helpful
THIS IS A 5-STAR GAME BUT DEFINITELY WORTH UPGRADING TO THE CE VERSION
PostedNovember 25, 2018
pennmom36
from"the chain is torn?"
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Five-BN has never disappointed me with any of their games, the only reason I gave this game 4 stars instead of 5 is that the Collector's Edition version has so many Morphs and Collectibles and extra content, that it pales in comparison to this Standard Edition version. The CE Bonus Chapter is just icing on the cake, with 9 Mini-Games, 3 Hidden Object Scenes, and 12 more Collectibles. This is a must-have game in either version, but I highly recommend the CE version. Here's a recap of my review to help you decide which version, if either is right for you:
A deadly virus has gone air-borne during a reception hosted by Deborah Whitwick at the Historical Museum. The Museum's prized Ancient Artifact contained more than just centuries of dust and history, it contained a swarm of deadly Mosquitoes! Diana has been selected to return to the Artifacts origins to gather vital information that could help them discover an antidote, problem is, everyone's searching the wrong place! Could this be the end of civilization?
Game Series such as The Legacy is why this is my number one favorite developer. When I first started playing HOPA's, I didn't really pay much attention to the plot, but then again, back in the day, these games didn't really have much of a storyline. Nowadays, for me personally, it's all about the story because the games themselves have become so easy, so predictable, that you know when you pick up an item EXACTLY where it's going to be used and why. That's why Five-BN Games is my favorite developer.
Five-BN games are different. They aren't predictable, it's not all about back and forthing, finding this emblem to open that box, only to receive another emblem. They aren't stories about ancient evil Mist Monsters, they are usually apocalyptic themed games that are totally credible! They are very good about making a connection with the characters, and the characters are likable, the characters are believable. Most of all, they are really good at drawing you into their storylines hook line and sinker, and they usually have a cliffhanger ending!
Nobody has Hidden Objects Scenes as creative and fun as Five-BN Games! Most of them are Progressive, Interactive Silhouetted Shape finds where you are tasked with finding the objects that match the Silhouetted Shapes and then using those items back in the scene which will expose the next object and so forth. All of their HOP's have at least one Mini-Game to solve if not more which is what makes them so fun. There are also Interactive List finds, and they too are highly Interactive. The only disappointment I have is not being able to re-play them, but then again, it would be super easy the second time around.
The Mini-Games are exactly the kind I love where you have to put some thought into solving them. Some of them can be a little frustrating because just when you think you have it figured out, you realize you need to reset the game and start over, but they are really good games. Even the Hidden Object Scenes have at least one Mini-Game to solve, and extra Mini-Games and Puzzles are unlocked when you complete the Collections, Manuscripts and Morphing Collections, a unique feature only offered by Five-BN! Below are brief descriptions of some of the games you'll encounter during the demo:
1-Swap figurines to adjoin their hands.
2-Enter the sequence of turns to guide the bird to the end in a rotating maze.
3-Click the pair of symbols to recreate the center symbols.
4-Click the crystals to light them up, clicking 1 may affect others.
5-Slide square tiles to complete the image.
6-Repeat the sequence of images to activate & deactivate them.
7-Move tiles into matching slots, all tiles move in the same direction in unison.
8-Slide tiles along the path to their matching slots.
9-Rotate crystals to direct the beam of light through all crystals.
2-Enter the sequence of turns to guide the bird to the end in a rotating maze.
3-Click the pair of symbols to recreate the center symbols.
4-Click the crystals to light them up, clicking 1 may affect others.
5-Slide square tiles to complete the image.
6-Repeat the sequence of images to activate & deactivate them.
7-Move tiles into matching slots, all tiles move in the same direction in unison.
8-Slide tiles along the path to their matching slots.
9-Rotate crystals to direct the beam of light through all crystals.
The Collector's Edition version has 8 Wallpapers, 15 Concept Art pictures, 8 Music Cutscenes, 25 re-playable Mini-Games, 22 Achievements to earn, 7 Bonus Puzzles (when you complete the Figurine & Manuscripts Collections) Collectible Figurines (12 Wooden Hares, 8 Porcelain Elephants, 7 Metallic Butterflies, 8 Golden Snakes, 7 Wooden Horses) 11 Manuscript Pages (receive a new Bonus Puzzle in Extras) 30 Morphing Objects (receive a new Mini-Game in Extras) 5 Main Chapters +Bonus Chapter and a built-in Strategy Guide. Enjoy the adventure and don't forget to use insect repellant!
THE LEGACY SERIES LIST
Title***Standard Edition Release Date***Average Rating
1-Forgotten Gates (April 9-2017) 4.5
2-Prisoner (January 3-2018) 4.1
3-The Tree of Might (November 18-2018) n/a
Title***Standard Edition Release Date***Average Rating
1-Forgotten Gates (April 9-2017) 4.5
2-Prisoner (January 3-2018) 4.1
3-The Tree of Might (November 18-2018) n/a
I recommend this game!
Can you catch the kidnapper in time to save your brother?
Overall rating
4
/
5
30 of 33 found this review helpful
WHO COULD IT BE NOW?
PostedNovember 25, 2018
pennmom36
fromI can handly poor lip syncing but can't you at least stop the lips from moving when they stop talking?
Skill Level:Expert
Current Favorite:
Gravely Silent: House of Deadlock
(94)Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
I played the entire game and I really liked the whosdoingit plot. I did, however, feel that the ending was a little lame, it's almost as if they dusted off this unfinished game after sitting on the shelf for a few years, and thought they'd slap together the final chapter, or at least the final scene?
The CE Bonus Chapter is fairly long and it's a decent addition to the plot that takes place shortly afterward, forcing you and your family to flee for safety when the madman strikes again. The Bonus Chapter has 5 remaining Hidden Object Scenes and 4 Mini-Games, but there are no Morphing Handprints after the Main Chapter in the Collector's Edition version. As far as the game goes, if you like suspenseful plots, this one has a good plot. As far as the differences between the two versions, I thought the Bonus Chapter had a decent plot, unlike many games from some of the bigger devs. Because the CE reviews were all over the board as far as ratings, I'd say that if you enjoy the demo, you'll enjoy the game and I'd take advantage of a sale and spring for the CE because of the BC. Here's a recap of my review to help you decide which version, if either, is right for you:
There's a madman on the loose tonight at the University and he's taking great pleasure at watching you play his cat and mouse game. As you follow the breadcrumbs left behind as clues, they lead you to one victim after another. Each victim, you find has a recorded message of clues to taunt you onward. The stakes are high in this who-dun-it mystery, the grand prize is the final victim, your brother! Why has this madman chosen you to play his twisted game? How does he know you? Why is he so desperate to destroy you? The biggest question is, will you find out all of the answers a little too late?
Yes, there is a gadget, possibly two if you count the fact that there's a device that morphs you to the Crime Lab, as a gadget. The first device is a Magic pair of sunglasses that allows you to find evidence in a room after a crime took place. No, this gadget was NOT necessary and should NOT have been used. As I'll explain in the HOS section, the end result of finding evidence HOS style was an excellent concept, but Magic Glasses took away all credibility. They should have stuck to just being a regular detective doing a regular investigation and this would have been an exceptional game, a memorable game. In the CE version, there is a Morphing Handprint in each location that morphs at a nice pace and is a perfect size, not so large that it's impossible to miss, but not so small that you need a pair of magical glasses to search for it either.
This is a good game, yes, the graphics are kind of "old-school" and the game seems a bit dated, but there is a reason for it. The last Punished Talents game was released two years ago, the beta for this game was released last year, so it probably sat on a shelf for a while for unknown reasons. Blam Games has recently been acquired by a new dev who undoubtedly dusted the game off and decided to let it take a spin around the gaming block to see what happens. I'm certain that the new devs are going to read every review to see what we liked and didn't, so I'm not going to slam this dev because the storyline piqued my interest, I love a good who-dun-it, and this is a great who-dun-it. I wanted to continue playing so I could find out why me, how do I know you, why do I know you, why are you leaving a trail of clues and taunting me every step of the way? I have explained the reason's for my own personal likes and dislikes in this review, and I have given some suggestions, but I want to encourage them to continue. We have a unique opportunity to help mold this dev into creating games the way WE like them, and I really hope everyone writes their own review to tell them how you feel and offer suggestions on how to improve it.
The Hidden Object Scenes are all Listed Item finds with slight Interactions. One of the reason's I only gave this game 4 stars was because some of the listed items had multiple items that fit the description, such as coins. There were 2 different piles of coins but only one was acceptable. One HOS listed item was a screwdriver, but no matter how many times I clicked on the screwdriver, it wasn't accepted. Out of frustration, I clicked the hint, and the hint led me to the same screwdriver. It wasn't accepted until I clicked on a small, very specific area of the screwdriver! I wouldn't normally care but forcing me to use a hint or clicking the wrong object will knock you out of earning a couple of CE Achievements as well! There were items in the scenes that were small and blurry and unidentifiable. On the brighter side, I loved the HOS that involved finding evidence in a room. As you found an item from the list, the item would have a pop-up window that explained how the item was used in the crime or how the clue related to the kidnapper or victim. To me, this makes the HOS relevant, especially in a who-dun-it crime, and in my opinion, all of the HOS in this particular game should have been that same way.
The Mini-Games could have been better but they aren't horrible games either. I actually found the video surveillance clue game rather interesting, and it would be beneficial for these devs to run with that type of game. If it was tweaked a tad bit to make it a little more complicated, such as jumbling up the numbers and leaving spaces blank so you had to figure out which numbers went into which placement, it would be a really fun way to allow us to "solve" problems rather than just practically give us the answer. Below are brief descriptions of some of the games you'll encounter during the game:
1-Select directional arrows to navigate the ball through the maze with a flashlight.
2-Choose details to match the victim's photo, face shape, nose, hair etc.
3-Use clues found to enter the correct word to open the door.
4-Use directional arrows to move the drone until both heartrate windows match.
5-Watch the surveillance video and find the numbers that are entered for the same 3 products.
6-Adjust dials that close at different rates to allow the water to flow uninterrupted.
7-Select colored levers & directional arrows to move matching transistor pairs in place.
8-Use directional arrows to guide the ball through the maze w/o falling into holes.
2-Choose details to match the victim's photo, face shape, nose, hair etc.
3-Use clues found to enter the correct word to open the door.
4-Use directional arrows to move the drone until both heartrate windows match.
5-Watch the surveillance video and find the numbers that are entered for the same 3 products.
6-Adjust dials that close at different rates to allow the water to flow uninterrupted.
7-Select colored levers & directional arrows to move matching transistor pairs in place.
8-Use directional arrows to guide the ball through the maze w/o falling into holes.
The Collector's Edition has 9 Wallpapers, 8 Concept Art pictures, 11 Music Soundtracks, 17 Movie Video Cutscenes, 14 Achievements to earn, 15 re-playable Mini-Games, 25 Morphing Handprints, 3 Main Chapters +Bonus Chapter and a built-in Strategy Guide, enjoy the madness!
PUNISHED TALENTS SERIES LIST
Title***Standard Edition Release Date***Average Rating
Title***Standard Edition Release Date***Average Rating
1-Seven Muses (December 15-2013) 4.2
2-Stolen Awards (April 3-2016) 3.7
3-Dark Knowledge (November 25-2018) n/a
2-Stolen Awards (April 3-2016) 3.7
3-Dark Knowledge (November 25-2018) n/a
I recommend this game!
Can you stop a natural nemesis from destroying our land?
Overall rating
4
/
5
93 of 115 found this review helpful
WE'RE NOT OUT OF THE WOOD YET!
PostedNovember 24, 2018
pennmom36
fromA Human Tree? There is a rare genetic disorder caused by the HPV that produces wood-like warts that completely cover extremeties. It is known as Lewandowsky and Lutz dysplasia, first documented by Felix Lewandowsky and William Lutz in 1922.
Skill Level:Expert
Current Favorite:
Mystery Case Files: 13th Skull
(248)Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Florena the evil Spirit Witch has been neutralized for three years now. Your father Adam bound her with three locks, but unfortunately, not before she destroyed your mother Evelyn. Adam divided the three keys to assure Florena would never escape to wreak havoc upon another family ever again. Ever never lasts forever, and Florena has just been unleashed to wreak havoc upon all of humanity. Who would do this and why? The bigger question is how to stop an evil witch that can turn forest creatures into monsters?
We don't have a Magical Glasses Gadget, but, we still have to endure a Gadget that seems to be the norm for Domini Games. Because this is a Fantasy-based genre, there are several Hybrid Forest Creatures encountered during the adventure. The family Bestiary Book will destroy the beast within and change them back into the harmless creatures they were before Florena cursed them, after playing a mini-game of course. I thought it was funny that I deemed a grizzly bear inside the house as perfectly harmless now that he didn't have antlers? :-0
The Hidden Object Scenes aren't very creative and were the reason I deducted a Star. They are all Keywords in Sentence finds and very simplistic at that, but I suppose it's intended to get newbies onboard the HOPA train? A few of them did have an extra portion of Silhouetted Shape finds or Multiple finds after the Keyword sections, and there is an alternate Match 3 Game available, but I wasn't that crazy about these particular Match 3 games either.
The Mini-Games are available in Easy or Hard Modes, and in the Custom Settings Mode, you can choose which mode to start each game (you can still switch to the opposite mode during each mini-game) Below are brief descriptions of some of the games available during the game, to give you an idea of what to expect:
1-Select the correct symbols that are shown on the scroll, selecting 1 may affect others.
2-Swap tiles to complete color-coded connections on a honeycomb grid.
3-Jump tiles on a star grid to remove until all but one tile remains.
4-Use directional arrows to guide the silver ball into the silver slot.
5-Restore the stained-glass by adjusting set points to place pieces correctly.
6-Arrange figures according to how many horns they have selecting 1 may affect others.
7-Guide the ship to the exit using directional arrows and obstacles as bumpers.
8-Guide the sphere to the energy slot using color-coded portals.
9-Color dots according to the numbers shown on each grid square.
10-Swap figurines according to the engravings.
2-Swap tiles to complete color-coded connections on a honeycomb grid.
3-Jump tiles on a star grid to remove until all but one tile remains.
4-Use directional arrows to guide the silver ball into the silver slot.
5-Restore the stained-glass by adjusting set points to place pieces correctly.
6-Arrange figures according to how many horns they have selecting 1 may affect others.
7-Guide the ship to the exit using directional arrows and obstacles as bumpers.
8-Guide the sphere to the energy slot using color-coded portals.
9-Color dots according to the numbers shown on each grid square.
10-Swap figurines according to the engravings.
This Collector's Edition version has 15 Wallpapers, 20 Concept Art pictures, 5 Music Soundtracks, 37 Movie Video Cutscenes, 21 re-playable Mini-Games, 18 re-playable Hidden Object Scenes, 33 Achievements to Earn, 16 Collectible Magical Seeds (grow into plants with descriptions) 15 Morphing Animal Statuettes (gives a brief description) 70 Hidden Collectible Butterflies (allows you to purchase 15 Butterfly Garden Items) 6 Main Chapters +Bonus Chapter and a built-in Strategy Guide, enjoy, while humanity still exists!
I recommend this game!
Clear It is back with a variety of unique color-matching challenges!
Overall rating
3
/
5
31 of 34 found this review helpful
IT get's kinda boring trying to CLEAR IT
PostedNovember 23, 2018
pennmom36
fromwhew! Only 140 move levels to go.
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
When the original Clear IT game was released, IT was a really fun game and I purchased IT right away. I loved IT so much that I didn't even play the demo when Clear IT 2 was released, I just bought IT. After clearing several levels of the second game, I started to grow weary of the repetitiveness and I just gave up on IT. I think IT lost the IT factor, but by then a similar game was released called Quadrium, and I purchased the next two versions of THAT game. Oddly enough, I didn't lose interest in either of those games. When Clear IT 3 was released, I played the entire demo but didn't feel compelled to purchase IT. Now Clear IT has released the 4th game in the series, and I did finish the demo, but IT didn't do anything for me either, in fact, I was kind of glad the demo was over because I was certainly over IT!
I found IT to be slow and the mechanics slow to respond. IT does have 150 Levels and you can also play IT in an Expert Difficulty Mode. There's no timer or limited moves, so you take all the time in the world to clear the balls, which makes this type of game very relaxing. The gameplay itself is simple, but the game itself isn't so simple to master. There are unlimited colored balls located on all four sides of the board, all you need to do, is select and click on a ball, which will travel in a straight line until it hits another ball (or power-up) If the selected ball hits a ball on the board that is the same color, they will both be destroyed. (requires groups of 3 in Expert Mode) Using a little bit of strategy, however, allows you to destroy several balls in a single move.
Each level usually has power-ups that only remain briefly, and when hit with a ball it activates the power-up. There are Rotation power-ups that add more balls to the field, Stars that eliminate several balls, Lightning & fireballs that eliminates nearby balls, Exclamations that eliminates all balls of the same color, and 1 or 5 numbers that eliminate 1 or 5 boxes.
Each level is slightly more difficult than the previous level, as more colors are added, there's less of a chance of getting the necessary colored balls along the edges. Sometimes you just have to sacrifice a few balls, by adding more to the equation, just to get to the colored balls you need, but there's no scoring so it doesn't count against you.
CLEARIT SERIES LIST
Title***Release Date***Average Rating
Title***Release Date***Average Rating
1-Clearit 1 (April 11-2016) 4.3
2-Clearit 2 (September 6-2017) 4.3
3-Clearit 3 (August 26-2018) 3.7
4-Clearit 4 (November 22-2018) n/a
2-Clearit 2 (September 6-2017) 4.3
3-Clearit 3 (August 26-2018) 3.7
4-Clearit 4 (November 22-2018) n/a
by: Itera Laboratories
All Hallow’s Eve - a night for tricks, treats... and terror!
Overall rating
1
/
5
51 of 60 found this review helpful
SHORT CHAPTERS, BAD ACTING, PREDICTIBLE PLOT, AND A VERY UNHAUNTED HAUNTED MANOR!
PostedNovember 23, 2018
pennmom36
fromShouldn't a game titled Haunted Manor include haunts from ghosts that go BOO in the dark?
Skill Level:Expert
Current Favorite:
Haunted Manor: Lord of Mirrors Collector's Edition
(14)Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
1
/
5
Level of Challenge
1
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
Buyer beware: The demo is the longest part of the game, the first chapter is 10 pages long according to the CE Strategy Guide, chapter two is 8 pages long, but chapters 3 three and four are only 3 pages long and that's only because of mini-game instructions! The Collector's Edition Bonus Chapter is fairly short too, so if you have to choose between the two versions, I'd definitely pick this Standard Edition version.
The Bonus Chapter fills in the gaps from Marianne's point of view and has the final 4 mini-games, 2 Hidden Object Scenes & 1 Zoom Zone Hidden Object Scene, 7 Hidden Witches, and, 2 Hidden Object Scene Morphing Objects. After finishing the Bonus Chapter (again, it's a short chapter) you can return to 20 of the Scene Locations to find a Souvenir in each scene, however, the objects are hidden behind obvious obstructions such as a cloth, and the cursor changes to a hand to make them even easier to locate. You are able to click on any of the Hidden Witches you may have missed, within the Collectibles section (after completing the BC) to return to the scenes and find them. You can pick up any missed Hidden Object Morph within the re-playable HOP's as well as improve accuracy and earn Gold, Silver or Bronze awards, which also allows you to earn an Achievement if you earn Gold awards in every HOP.
Not even I can write a synopsis of this game that will make it sound remotely interesting! I loved this series when it was developed by the original developer, now it's ruined...for the second time! It's not scary, it's not creepy, it's not original, it's just another game about a scorned wife who comes back to haunt her husband, and she doesn't even haunt! Here's an idea devs, go play the first Haunted Manor, pay attention to the graphics, pay attention to the plot, pay attention to the tasks. Then go back to work and recreate that magic. Make the graphics look like they did then, creepy, realistic, not large, bright rooms with the sun pouring through the windows. If I were simply bored with games because I'm burnt out, why is it that I can dust off a game like Lord of Mirrors and enjoy every second of it? How many of my fellow gamers/reviewers feel the same way? I'm betting it's a staggering number!
To me, this game looks like it was just going to be another Eipix version of Haunted Manor, and at the last minute, they decided to make it a Halloween-themed game. Other than a few pumpkins here and there, there's nothing Halloweeny about it, it's just another boring story about a single ghost haunting a regular Manor. This particular story has been told every which way but loose, and just recently by another developer I might add! The first wife returns from the grave to haunt wifey number 2 because hubby is responsible for first wifey's untimely death, blah, blah, blah. Top Evidence did an amazing job with the first three games in this series, but now its just another epixified G-rated game that you'd never suspect was a Haunted Manor series game if you didn't read the title!
There were only two Hidden Object Scenes I found to be even remotely interesting, and none of them had objects that were actually hidden. Just like the Mini-Games, none of the objects were Halloween related. (although they did change the HO "sparkles" to jack-o-lanterns) Most of the scenes were Interactive Listed Item finds or Silhouetted Shape finds and there are several smaller Zoom Zone HOS's. The only two I found to be somewhat amusing was one where you had to find leaves with a specific pattern chewed out by caterpillars, and another that required swapping sections and rotating sections to line up different animals and Hindu gods. There is a Morphing Object in 11 of the Hidden Object Scenes in the Collector's Edition version.
Mini-Games were decent but they were just normal run-of-the-mill games. They didn't even bother to tweak them to be Halloween-themed, or at the very least, Haunted Manor themed! Below are brief descriptions of some of the games you'll encounter both during and after the demo:
1-Place quests around the table using clues and related riddles.
2-Serve each guest the correct meal using clue descriptions.
3-Swap Key tops to match the key bottoms.
4-Place location tags on the completed keys using visual clues.
5-Adjust pressure on gauges to push the ball past the holes.
6-Use a tray to defend attacks by anticipating the hand movements.
7-Use directional arrows to slide and push up lock sections.
8-Select the joints to move claws until they grasp all pin gems.
9-Rotate sections of tokens to match the pattern shown on the clue x2.
10-Swap token images to match the partial clues indicated.
11-Arrange swords in the correct order & click the button to check the solution.
2-Serve each guest the correct meal using clue descriptions.
3-Swap Key tops to match the key bottoms.
4-Place location tags on the completed keys using visual clues.
5-Adjust pressure on gauges to push the ball past the holes.
6-Use a tray to defend attacks by anticipating the hand movements.
7-Use directional arrows to slide and push up lock sections.
8-Select the joints to move claws until they grasp all pin gems.
9-Rotate sections of tokens to match the pattern shown on the clue x2.
10-Swap token images to match the partial clues indicated.
11-Arrange swords in the correct order & click the button to check the solution.
The Collector's Edition version has 8 Wallpapers, 8 Concept Art pictures, 9 Music Soundtracks, 7 Movie Video Cutscenes, 17 re-playable Mini-Games, 14 re-playable Hidden Object Scenes, 11 Hidden Object Scene Morphing Objects (you can pick up any missed Morphs by re-playing the HOS in the extras menu) 11 Achievements to earn, 35 not so hidden Witch Signs, 20 Souvenirs within the Souvenir Room, 4 Main Chapters +Bonus Chapter and a built-in Strategy Guide.
HAUNTED MANOR SERIES LIST
Title***Standard Edition Release Date***Average Rating
Title***Standard Edition Release Date***Average Rating
1-Lord of Mirrors (April 9-2010) 3.8
2-Queen of Death (December 23-2011) 4.3
3-Painted Beauties (June 22-2014) 2.9
4-The Last Reunion (June 22-2018) 2.8
5-Halloween's Uninvited Guest (November 23-2018) n/a
2-Queen of Death (December 23-2011) 4.3
3-Painted Beauties (June 22-2014) 2.9
4-The Last Reunion (June 22-2018) 2.8
5-Halloween's Uninvited Guest (November 23-2018) n/a
by: Eipix Entertainment
I don't recommend this game.
Head the investigation team and help the Argonauts crack the case of the missing Golden Fleece in this fantastic time management adventure!
Overall rating
2
/
5
66 of 70 found this review helpful
DOESN'T HAVE A GOOD REPLAY VALUE
PostedNovember 21, 2018
pennmom36
fromZzzzzzz
Skill Level:Expert
Current Favorite:
Nightmare Adventures: The Witch's Prison
(120)Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
2
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
This is one of the few Time Management games that I didn't purchase. I played the Collector's Edition version demo and decided to wait to see if I liked re-playing the demo of this Standard Edition. After a month's worth of really exceptional TM games being released, it's hard to enjoy a ho-hum average TM game. For me personally, it was just boring the second time around, and even though I hate giving low star ratings to a TM game because I want BF to offer more, I just didn't find anything piqued my interest, so sadly, I'll pass on both versions of this game :(
I played the entire demo which gave me enough time to decide that there's nothing here worth the price. I feel bad for saying this because I love the fact that BF is finally realizing that they have a ton of Time Management fans who have been overlooked for years now. However, It wasn't until the 8th Level that a different goal was actually added, for the previous 7 levels the goals were all the same. The graphics are "old-school" and had no curb appeal, everything's just a dull shade of gold.
You can play in an Untimed, Normal or Hard difficulty mode and it allows you to switch back and forth easily before the start of each level with an icon located above the levels. I do like this feature because sometimes it's helpful to play the first go-round in an untimed mode to figure out what the requirements are, such as what materials are needed for each task (bridges, boulders etc) and then play the level again in a normal or hard mode, especially when a TM game requires a lot of strategies, but this one doesn't require a whole lot of strategy to earn all 3 stars.
There's really nothing different here than any other TM game. Build Farms for food, Sawmills for wood, Gold Mines, Quarries for stone and Markets for trading food for specific materials such as Stone or Gold. There are the usual Berry Bushes for a renewable food source, as well as the usual path blockers of wood, boulders, puddles, holes, and bread that somehow gets left strategically on a blocked path just when you need it the most, not to mention random caches of gold coins. There are also random Minotaurs which at least gets Jason to move from his usual cozy spot, and Levers to toggle bridges and open other areas.
The only features offered in the Collector's Edition version, are 10 pages of Concept Art pictures and 5 Music Soundtracks. and 29 Achievements to earn. The CE version doesn't even have a Strategy Guide!.
I don't recommend this game.
What lies within the depths of the pitch-black mirror?
Overall rating
5
/
5
313 of 441 found this review helpful
MIRROR MIRROR ON THE WALL, I FEAR MY OWN REFLECTION MOST OF ALL
PostedNovember 20, 2018
pennmom36
fromA Rube Goldberg machine is a machine intentionally designed to perform a simple task in an indirect and overcomplicated fashion, named after the American cartoonist, Rube Goldberg, whose cartoons often depicted such machines.
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Master Detective, the Queen has granted her permission to allow you to investigate the disappearance of your dear friend Lady Codington. After reclaiming the family Estate against her father's wishes and warnings, not only has she mysteriously vanished, but the interior design team has vanished as well. It isn't long before the Master Detective comes face to face with evil itself, The Black Countess, the mirror alter-ego image of grandmother Gloria Codington!
Hmm, a lengthy 5 Chapter game +demo within a few hours is pretty impressive! I must admit that Eipix has done a wonderful job with the Morphing Objects and Collectible Mirror Shards. The Morphs changed at a slower pace, and for once they didn't choose an obvious item to Morph. Most of the time I know which item will morph the second I enter a new scene because they always chose an object that looks out of place in the scene. Even the Mirror Shards were somewhat challenging because they located them in unusual areas of the scene. I liked the graphics much better this time because they made them a tad bit darker and slightly more detailed.
The Hidden Object Scenes we rather unimpressive and far and few between. They clearly poured all their effort into making this a puzzle adventure rather than a Hidden Object adventure, adding just enough scenes to qualify it as a HOPA. Most of the scenes are Interactive List finds or Keywords in Sentence finds but there are also Multiple finds and Silhouetted Shape finds. I found the scenes to be lacking clarity, therefore, some of the items were hard to find because you just couldn't make out what an object you were looking at actually was!
I hope you like Mini-Games because there are a ton of them and they are back to back most of the time. Although I found the instructions to be confusing at times, the puzzles themselves aren't that complicated. The Super Puzzles once again make an appearance as they always do in this infamous MCF series. If you're new to this series, Super Puzzles are multi-layered puzzles, but in my opinion, these weren't as interesting because they were just made up of several mini-games, not the usual Rube Goldberg style puzzles that this series is known for. Below are brief descriptions of some of the games you'll encounter before and after the demo:
1-Swap pie-shaped sections to create a path for the sword.
2-Select & rotate the correct key that matches each shape.
3-Select & drag tiles vertically or horizontally to match the central piece.
4-Drag left & right ribbons to match center symbols when combined.
5-Press directional arrows to move a beam of light through a maze.
6-Super Puzzle #1: Press books to receive the first clue.
7-Super Puzzle #2: Drag tiles until their symbols match the pattern.
8-Super Puzzle #3: Place the heart between the two lovers.
9-Super Puzzle #4: Rotate tiles to create a path.
10-Super Puzzle #5: Press directional arrows to cover entire grid with ink.
11-Super Puzzle #6: Rotate overlapping circular discs to create an image.
12-Super Puzzle #7: Drag books over numbered tokens to deduct numbers to 0.
13-Rotate dials to correctly point to the direction of the symbol.
14-Rotate petals to complete flower images.
15-Swap cubes to match the flowers in the correct order.
16-Click the moving figurine to guide it to the mirror.
17-Direct the beam of light to the end by adjusting mirrors.
18-Drag a line to flip all tokens to the Black Countess in 2 moves.
19-Push side tabs to match the numbers revealed on the book.
20-Drag a line to connect identical gems passing through all holes.
21-Place dominoes correctly according to the equations.
22-Choose 4 symbols that create the symbol shown when combined.
2-Select & rotate the correct key that matches each shape.
3-Select & drag tiles vertically or horizontally to match the central piece.
4-Drag left & right ribbons to match center symbols when combined.
5-Press directional arrows to move a beam of light through a maze.
6-Super Puzzle #1: Press books to receive the first clue.
7-Super Puzzle #2: Drag tiles until their symbols match the pattern.
8-Super Puzzle #3: Place the heart between the two lovers.
9-Super Puzzle #4: Rotate tiles to create a path.
10-Super Puzzle #5: Press directional arrows to cover entire grid with ink.
11-Super Puzzle #6: Rotate overlapping circular discs to create an image.
12-Super Puzzle #7: Drag books over numbered tokens to deduct numbers to 0.
13-Rotate dials to correctly point to the direction of the symbol.
14-Rotate petals to complete flower images.
15-Swap cubes to match the flowers in the correct order.
16-Click the moving figurine to guide it to the mirror.
17-Direct the beam of light to the end by adjusting mirrors.
18-Drag a line to flip all tokens to the Black Countess in 2 moves.
19-Push side tabs to match the numbers revealed on the book.
20-Drag a line to connect identical gems passing through all holes.
21-Place dominoes correctly according to the equations.
22-Choose 4 symbols that create the symbol shown when combined.
This Collector's Edition version has 8 Wallpapers, Concept Art pictures, 6 Movie Video Cutscenes, 7 Music Soundtracks, 12 Achievements to earn, 18 re-playable Hidden Object Scenes, 24 re-playable Mini-Games, 37 Morphing Objects, 37 Collectible Mirror Shards, 4 Main Chapters +Bonus Chapter and a built-in Strategy Guide, enjoy, just don't look in the mirror!
MYSTERY CASE FILES SERIES LIST
Title***Collector's Edition Release Date***Average Rating
Title***Collector's Edition Release Date***Average Rating
1-Huntsville SE only (November 14-2005) 3.6
2-Prime Suspects SE only (April 6-2006) 3.8
3-Ravenhearst SE only (December 15-2006) 3.6
4-Madame Fate SE only (November 7-2007) 4.0
5-Return to Ravenhearst SE only (November 26-2008) 4.2
6-Dire Grove (November 25-2009) 4.7
7-13th Skull (November 25-2010) 4.4
8-Escape From Ravenhearst (November 23-2011) 3.6
9-Shadow Lake (November 20-2012) 2.6
10-Fate's Carnival (November 26-2013) 4.4
11-Dire Grove, Sacred Grove (November 25-2014) 3.6
12-Key to Ravenhearst (October 27-2015) 3.6
13-Ravenhearst Unlocked (November 24-2015) 3.5
14-Broken Hour (November 22-2016) 3.5
15-The Black Veil (March 23-2017) 3.0
16-The Revenant's Hunt (November 21-2017) 3.0
17-Rewind (June 21-2018) 3.4
18-The Countess (November 20-2018) n/a
2-Prime Suspects SE only (April 6-2006) 3.8
3-Ravenhearst SE only (December 15-2006) 3.6
4-Madame Fate SE only (November 7-2007) 4.0
5-Return to Ravenhearst SE only (November 26-2008) 4.2
6-Dire Grove (November 25-2009) 4.7
7-13th Skull (November 25-2010) 4.4
8-Escape From Ravenhearst (November 23-2011) 3.6
9-Shadow Lake (November 20-2012) 2.6
10-Fate's Carnival (November 26-2013) 4.4
11-Dire Grove, Sacred Grove (November 25-2014) 3.6
12-Key to Ravenhearst (October 27-2015) 3.6
13-Ravenhearst Unlocked (November 24-2015) 3.5
14-Broken Hour (November 22-2016) 3.5
15-The Black Veil (March 23-2017) 3.0
16-The Revenant's Hunt (November 21-2017) 3.0
17-Rewind (June 21-2018) 3.4
18-The Countess (November 20-2018) n/a
by: Eipix Entertainment (games 12-18)
I recommend this game!
The Viking Brothers face their greatest challenge yet in an epic journey to save Midgard in this magical time management adventure!
Overall rating
5
/
5
74 of 80 found this review helpful
THE GODS ARE PLEASED WITH THIS VIKING ADVENTURE!
PostedNovember 19, 2018
pennmom36
fromThat's a huge snake, I'd need more than strength to battle it, I'd need courage and might!
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Viking Brother's has always been a top-notched Time Management game, but this is by far one of the most interesting and fun adventures yet. The graphics are fantastic, with clear, vivid and colorful scenery. They have added some really unique tasks that were challenging yet super fun, such as having to "step on" Buttons in the correct order or changing the color of Crystals according to the clue. They have even added Mahjong games, which is my least favorite game genre, but at least Yustas Game Studios is thinking outside the box!
You can play in a Casual untimed mode, Normal or Expert modes of difficulty and there are 40 Achievement awards to earn. When you earn an award a pop up appears on the bottom left of the screen just long enough to read it, without being obtrusive or slowing down progress. There is a Star meter on the top right to help you keep tabs on getting close to losing a precious star. You can earn up to 3 Stars per level, and the only complaint I have with this game is that once you finish the level, there's no fireworks or the usual dancing characters, and, there's a lag between finishing the level and receiving the Score pop-up. Several times I found myself panicking, wondering if I had missed fulfilling a level goal because the characters were just casually walking around still as if I still had to point them in the right direction to finish something else.
Each level has a floating Scroll that gives you a Hint, but in my opinion, it was more of an explanation than a hint. Because there are so many new features this time, it's a useful tool in my opinion because it tells you what those features do.
*Magic Chests: they not only contains valuable resources, but you get to choose from three different resource and you can switch back in forth if need be between Food, Wood or Stone!
*Barns: contain various resources in limited quantity, and some levels have more than one Barn available, and most levels require the resources found only within the barns or at least in the quantities you need to complete various tasks.
*Divine Altars: also gives you 3 different features to choose from. They can either provide an extra Worker or allow you to choose one of the Viking Brothers to give them more strength to defeat various enemies.
*Rune Columns: they block your path until you step on the matching Button (same symbol & color) Some Rune Columns require more than one Button to be stepped on, and you have to step on the right buttons in the right order (from bottom to top) If you don't step on the buttons in the correct order, you'll have to start over!
*Prediction Altars: the altars can only be activated by changing the color of the 4 Crystals to match the colors shown such as Green, Blue, Red, and Yellow. (click on the crystal until it changes to the desired color.
Even the tasks are unusual tasks for a Time Management game. You'll still have the usual goals of building and upgrading Sawmills, Quarries, Farms, and Mines, repairing Ladders and Bridges made of various materials, and clearing or repairing the paths, but you may also have to activate the Circle of Ancients, create Magical Bridges, collect Stardust, gather Rocks, fix Lighthouses, Align Crystals, Perform Rituals, use Altars, collect Mana from Geysers, drive away Wild Boars, Dragons, and Giant Serpents. As you progress, you will also be able to use the Bonus tokens to make the Workers move faster, earn more money, extra resources etc. enjoy, the gods seem to favor these Viking Brothers!
VIKING BROTHERS SERIES LIST
Title***Release Date***Average Rating
Title***Release Date***Average Rating
1-Viking Brothers 1 SE (April 12-2013) 3.9
2-Viking Brothers 2 SE (March 22-2017) 3.6
3-Viking Brothers 3 CE (December 26-2017) 3.8
3-Viking Brothers 3 SE (January 17-2018) 4.4
4-Viking Brothers 4 SE (May 30-2018) 4.5
5-Viking Brothers 5 SE (November 19-2018) n/a
2-Viking Brothers 2 SE (March 22-2017) 3.6
3-Viking Brothers 3 CE (December 26-2017) 3.8
3-Viking Brothers 3 SE (January 17-2018) 4.4
4-Viking Brothers 4 SE (May 30-2018) 4.5
5-Viking Brothers 5 SE (November 19-2018) n/a
by: Yustas Game Studio
(Alawar Production)
(Alawar Production)
I recommend this game!
Can you save your hometown from dangerous monsters in time?
Overall rating
3
/
5
36 of 46 found this review helpful
HOPE YOU DON'T HAVE PEDIOPHOBIA OR COULROPHOBIA
PostedNovember 18, 2018
pennmom36
fromWhy do the colors always have to be so over-the-top?
Skill Level:Expert
Current Favorite:
Red Crow Mysteries: Legion
(59)Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
Halloween is quickly approaching, and so are the monsters who anxiously await All Hallows Eve! Riverstown, Virginia will never be the same once the Master has been released to walk amongst the living. All hope is not lost yet! You may have been sheltered from the dangerous truth for most of your childhood, sheltered from learning the true identity of your parents, but now that the truth has been revealed, it's time to follow in your family's footsteps. It's time to hunt down the Monsters Among Us!
Good news! The overabundance of Blurple colors has not been used in Domini's newest series Halloween Chronicles! The bad news is that Blurple has been swapped with Neon Green, but at least I didn't lose my diary/journal note to a random gust of wind! More good news, I'm not carrying around a large paper map because I have a phone! More bad news, there's no need for magic glasses, but there is a need for a magic camera, does everything have to center around magic items my little origami puppy?
This is a very long game, another feature Domini is famous for, but for me personally, it's a little too stretched out. I find the added filler tasks to become tedious because they don't add anything to the storyline. The tasks are just added to make the game longer but at the same time, it can become boring when you're just doing the same thing over and over. If this game were a little creepier, less neonish in color, and more condensed, it would be a 5-star game in my eyes.
The Hidden Object Scenes are mostly variations of Keywords in Sentence finds as Silhouetted Shape finds, Listed Item finds, Multiple Item finds, and Combination Silhouetted Shape finds (the product of 2 items combined) There are several Zoom Zone Hidden Object Scenes available that usually require finding 6 or more objects shown as Silhouetted Shapes. There is an alternate Match 3 game available and there is an achievement for playing a Match 3 game instead of the HOP.
The Mini-Games are fairly creative and I haven't come across a lot of my nemesis puzzles where "selecting one may affect others" which this dev is famous for at times, so I appreciate that immensely. In the Custom Mode Difficulty setting, you can opt to have the Mini-Games start out in an Easy or Hard difficulty mode, however, you can always select the opposite for each one, once they pop-up. I love this feature, I always start out in the Hard Mode, and if it's mind-boggling, I simply switch to the Easy mode (the hard mode usually involves my aforementioned nemesis style) Below are brief descriptions of some of the games (describing the easy mode instructions) that you'll encounter during the demo as well as shortly after:
1-Place gears in a watch correctly (w/in HOP)
2-Click partial images to replicate the spider as shown on the clue.
3-Rotate tokens to complete the path of blood flow.
4-Use directional arrows to repeat the eye movement x3.
5-Select the exact match for each highlighted token.
6-Swap symbols to match the symbols on trace paper.
7-Position the skeleton's limbs & head to match the position shown.
8-Memorize & select the Crossbow card to attack & the Shield card to defend.
9-Choose from 3 paths at the correct time to avoid the sirens.
10-Play poker with skeletons by completing the pattern x3.
11-Use directional arrows to rotate tokens to the correct slots.
12-Swap pyramid sections to stack correctly onto the middle post.
13-Rotate arrow to the correct numbers, the Triangle & Square adjust the # of spaces the arrow moves.
2-Click partial images to replicate the spider as shown on the clue.
3-Rotate tokens to complete the path of blood flow.
4-Use directional arrows to repeat the eye movement x3.
5-Select the exact match for each highlighted token.
6-Swap symbols to match the symbols on trace paper.
7-Position the skeleton's limbs & head to match the position shown.
8-Memorize & select the Crossbow card to attack & the Shield card to defend.
9-Choose from 3 paths at the correct time to avoid the sirens.
10-Play poker with skeletons by completing the pattern x3.
11-Use directional arrows to rotate tokens to the correct slots.
12-Swap pyramid sections to stack correctly onto the middle post.
13-Rotate arrow to the correct numbers, the Triangle & Square adjust the # of spaces the arrow moves.
The Collector's Edition version has 14 Wallpapers, 15 Concept Art pictures, 29 Movie Cutscene Videos, 5 Music Soundtracks, 22 re-playable Mini-Games, 18 re-playable Hidden Object Scenes, 33 Achievements to earn, 15 Collectible Monster Pictures,15 Collectible Newspaper Article Interviews, 71 Hidden Film Rolls to buy 15 Boudoir Items, (note: you can disable Icon Alerts for the collectibles in the Custom Settings) 4 Main Chapters +Bonus Chapter (very long chapters, extremely long BC) Enjoy the Halloween Hunt!
When Hector, Demon Hunter for hire, agreed to save a lost tourist from the haunted Museum of Mysticism and Monstrosity, he never imagined that he could be the one in need of saving.
Overall rating
3
/
5
64 of 88 found this review helpful
DEMON'S, BEGONE!
PostedNovember 17, 2018
pennmom36
fromDid you know that Lucifer was the Latin Name for the planet Venus as the morning star in the ancient Roman era, due to its unique movements mythology often depicted a fall from the heavens to earth or the underworld
Skill Level:Expert
Current Favorite:
Demon Hunter: Chronicles from Beyond - The Untold Story
(66)Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
There's trouble a-brewing at the Museum of Mysticism and Monstrosity (enough said) Hector encounters more than his fair share of demons and monstrosities in this cursed museum but deciphering between what's real and what's really happening is the real problem. To solve this Demonic? case, Hector will need the skills of an electrician, a gardener, a plumber, a detective, a doctor, a scientist and lastly, a witch to cast spells! hmmm???
This is certainly a lengthy game, so kudos to the speed gamers. I loved the first 3 Demon Hunter games, they were dark, creepy, and edgy, unfortunately, the last two games are none of those descriptions. This game is not creepy, it's very toned down in an effort to appease those that frighten easily. To me, this is just fence sitting, if you want to create a creepy demonic, edgy game, then go for it! But if you want to create a game that is less creepy, why on Earth would you choose a topic about a Demon Hunter? I apologize to Brave Giant for my less than favorable response, but I loved the first few games and this is just my opinion, I'm sure others will love it.
The Hidden Object Scenes are varied with Interactive List finds, Silhouetted Shape finds, Multiples of the same Item finds, and Fragmented finds. One of the items listed is a Morphing Object and there is an alternate Monaco Matching Card game available.
The Mini-Games aren't bad. The instructions are clear and they aren't very frustrating to solve. Below are brief descriptions of some of the games you'll encounter during the demo:
1-Collect matching pairs of keys.
2-Place tokens correctly to match the outer edge symbols.
3-Place eyes so that there aren't any identical colored eyes in the same row or column.
4-Trace symbols to see where to set each knobs position.
5-Rotate the double maze so that the blue & red balls land at the same time.
6-Place books correctly according to the clue.
7-Push books from largest to smallest on the clue.
8-Rotate discs to complete the image.
9-Swap fuses of different values to equal the numbers shown.
10-Turn all buttons green by moving sliders, 1 affects others.
11-Rotate and place puzzle pieces on the highlighted slots.
12-Rotate rings to place purple balls on the left green balls on the right.
2-Place tokens correctly to match the outer edge symbols.
3-Place eyes so that there aren't any identical colored eyes in the same row or column.
4-Trace symbols to see where to set each knobs position.
5-Rotate the double maze so that the blue & red balls land at the same time.
6-Place books correctly according to the clue.
7-Push books from largest to smallest on the clue.
8-Rotate discs to complete the image.
9-Swap fuses of different values to equal the numbers shown.
10-Turn all buttons green by moving sliders, 1 affects others.
11-Rotate and place puzzle pieces on the highlighted slots.
12-Rotate rings to place purple balls on the left green balls on the right.
This Collector's Edition version has 8 Wallpapers, 4 Concept Art pictures, 5 Music Soundtracks, Movie Video Cutscenes, 8 re-playable Mini-Games, 8 re-playable Hidden Object Scenes, 24 Achievements to earn, 28 Hidden Crystals, 28 Morphing Scrolls, 4 Main Chapters +Bonus Chapter and a built-in Strategy Guide, Demon's Be Gone! Enjoy :)
DEMON HUNTER SERIES LIST
Title***Collector's Edition Release Date***Average Rating
Title***Collector's Edition Release Date***Average Rating
1-Chronicles from Beyond SE only (April 30-2014) 3.5
2-A New Chapter SE only (August 25-2015) 4.0
3-Revelation (April 16-2016) 4.0
4-Riddles of Light (February 27-2018) 3.5
5-Ascendance (November 17-2018) n/a
2-A New Chapter SE only (August 25-2015) 4.0
3-Revelation (April 16-2016) 4.0
4-Riddles of Light (February 27-2018) 3.5
5-Ascendance (November 17-2018) n/a