pennmom36's Profile
Stat Summary
- Average Rating:3.7
- Helpful Votes:358,445
- Reviews Submitted:4726
- First Review:December 10, 2012
- Most Recent Review:July 21, 2025
- Featured reviews0
Status:
Munich’s Oktoberfest hides a dark secret – werewolves are afoot!
Overall rating
4
/
5
80 of 102 found this review helpful
BET MUNICH HAS A LOT OF ISSUES DURING A FULL MOON
PostedNovember 8, 2018
pennmom36
fromScientists announced recently that they have created the first successful human-animal hybrids, proving that human cells can survive in a non-human organism and even grow inside a host animal in an attempt to create donor organs!
Skill Level:Expert
Current Favorite:
Dark Parables: Curse of Briar Rose Collector's Edition
(49)Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Fresh off of our last investigation in London nabbing the infamous Headless Clockmaker, we've been summoned to Munich Germany in search for the infamous Werewolf. Rumors are spreading quickly about a halfling beast hybrid, part wolf, part human, all werewolf! Victims are piling up and frightening citizens attending Munich's most anticipated event, Octoberfest. Mayor Schulz has invited you to Octoberfest in Munich to find proof that a werewolf actually exists and figure out a way to stop this rogue werewolf, but the Mayor may know more than he claims to know about this legendary beast. Who's really the one howling at the moon?
I'm usually the first one to complain about Gadgets, but this Gadget gives me mixed emotions. Because we are on an Investigation to find a rogue werewolf, we have an Evidence Icon located on the bottom left, where we are tasked with placing the evidence and clues we've collected onto Category Circles. I would ღ LOVE this feature IF it allowed me to make these logical deduction decisions on my own. Instead, the second you pick up an inventory item, the circle on the Evidence Book turns blue to show where to place the item, so why bother? It's just an unnecessary step of clicking and there's no logic or skill required. What a shame because it could have been a really cool feature instead of just a mindless task (meaning you don't have to figure anything out)
After placing the Evidence, you'll need to make a Deduction using the Deduction Icon located on the bottom right. (you'll always need to place the evidence first within the evidence icon, but the Deduction feature is used solo as well when trying to figure things out such as where the culprit was hiding) As with most gadgets and features, there is a mini-game-hidden object type of game associated with it, however, it isn't the usual repetitive match 3 game or fight scene scenario! The type of deduction puzzle offered is always something different, you may have to investigate the scene of a crime by searching or interacting with a Hidden Object Scene or something more like solving a puzzle. That gives the Deduction Feature meaning and it was fun, the Evidence scenario wasn't!
4Friends Games never let me down when it comes to the Collector's Edition version Collectibles and Morphing Objects, and there's always a Pull-Out Tab on the left side to keep track of whether or not you've found all of them because there's always more than one! There are 42 Morphing Objects and each scene (in the CE) has at least one Morph. When you have found enough morphs (3-10-12-20-26-30-34-36-42) it unlocks 9 different Character Figurines. There are also 22 Collectible Stamps and 22 Collectible Coins in this Collector's Edition version. The Collectibles also have a pull-out tab to show how many are in each scene, and they are stored safely in a Coin & Stamp collectors book. I'm not sure why 4Friends chose to go with normal morphs and collectibles after offering such awesome opaque morphs and opaque glass collectibles that were truly challenging to find because these were easily spotted??? If you're reading our reviews, the fifth friend asks kindly to bring them back, I've would have purchased those last few games with that feature just because I ♥ loved the challenge of searching and finding them!
Normally, I find Hidden Objects rather boring nowadays because they are so not hidden anymore, but this game has a really nice selection of HO variations. There are Interactive Listed Item finds, Multiples of the Same Item finds, Description Item finds (such as 3 things a cat plays with or items related to a boar) Keywords in Sentence finds, Identifying Similar Features, Replacing Items into the Scene finds, Pictured Item finds and several small Zoom Zone HOP's. Because you are a Detective (aren't we always?) there are several Deduction HO-Puzzles such as finding 5 places to hide or searching for differences between 2 characters. There are no alternate type puzzles offered, but honestly, the HOP's are more like a mini-game of finding things logically.
The Mini-Games were enjoyable and pretty much frustration free, but nothing that hasn't been offered hundreds of times in the past. Below are brief descriptions of some of the games you'll encounter during and after the demo:
1-Swap masks to the labels of sound each creature makes.
2-Rotate 4 disks to align mask silhouettes & then place masks accordingly.
3-Find suspects in a crowd that matches the pictured description.
4-Select the correct comparison label for all 7 suspects.
5-Determine which suspect has the most matching symbols as the clue.
6-Select 2 images that correspond to each of 4 parts of the city square.
7-Use sliders to change the proportions or size of the 3 images.
8-Swap tokens correctly and choose between blocked slots.
9-Correctly swap 3 face sections for each animal shown
10-Make the required number of connections to each component x3.
11-Rotate pipes to drop the correctly colored gems into their matching snake mouthes.
12-Choose correct answers of deduction for a handwriting analysis.
13-Drag a ball through a maze, avoiding crossing the borders. x3
14-Click & drag 3 or more tokens to fill your color meter avoiding opponents colors.
15-Rotate disc and slide sections in starting with the center pieces.
2-Rotate 4 disks to align mask silhouettes & then place masks accordingly.
3-Find suspects in a crowd that matches the pictured description.
4-Select the correct comparison label for all 7 suspects.
5-Determine which suspect has the most matching symbols as the clue.
6-Select 2 images that correspond to each of 4 parts of the city square.
7-Use sliders to change the proportions or size of the 3 images.
8-Swap tokens correctly and choose between blocked slots.
9-Correctly swap 3 face sections for each animal shown
10-Make the required number of connections to each component x3.
11-Rotate pipes to drop the correctly colored gems into their matching snake mouthes.
12-Choose correct answers of deduction for a handwriting analysis.
13-Drag a ball through a maze, avoiding crossing the borders. x3
14-Click & drag 3 or more tokens to fill your color meter avoiding opponents colors.
15-Rotate disc and slide sections in starting with the center pieces.
This Collector's Edition version has 10 Wallpapers, 23 Concept Art Pictures, 4 Screensavers, 4 Music Soundtracks, 52 Movie Cutscene Videos, 11 re-playable Hidden Object Scenes, 12 re-playable Mini-Games, 25 Achievements to earn (13 collectibles have 3 categories each) Morphing Objects (receive a Character Statuette for each group of Morphs found) 22 Collectible Coins, 22 Collectible Stamps, 3 Main Chapters (longer than average) +Bonus Chapter (fairly long) and a built-in Strategy Guide, be safe, rumor has it, there's a rogue werewolf on the loose!
DARK CITY SERIES LIST
Title***Collector's Edition Release Date***Average Rating
Title***Collector's Edition Release Date***Average Rating
1-London (November 29-2017) 4.4
2-Munich (November 8-2018) n/a
2-Munich (November 8-2018) n/a
by: 4Friends Games
I recommend this game!
Help the Walker family clear through the clutter and find the necessary equipment to create the perfect children’s playground.
Overall rating
1
/
5
28 of 35 found this review helpful
WAY TOO EASY AND HONESTLY, KIND OF BORING
PostedNovember 7, 2018
pennmom36
fromI slid down the Walker Family's Playground slide, but didn't have the energy to climb back up the ladder!
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
2
/
5
Level of Challenge
1
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
Let me start by saying that I love Clutter style games, but this was the first one that I could care less about purchasing. I played the first 7 Clutter levels and the 8th Puzzle level before going to work this morning and I realize that I could care less about finishing the demo much less buying it. This game is by the same devs who offer Travel Mosaics, and it has the same animal characters, the Walker family, as well. The graphics are just okay, and I wasn't really thrilled with the music either.
This is a Timed Mode game with no other difficulty mode setting such as Relaxed or Challenge modes. You will earn points as you play, and 10 points are added to the score for each second remaining on the Timer, and another 500 points if you don't use the Hint feature. Levels or Puzzles can be skipped, and any level can be replayed. There are 140 Clutter Levels and after completing 7 Levels, you can solve a Puzzle of various kinds such as Tile Swap, Sliders or Jigsaws.
The Clutter Styles are different each time, you may be required to find Identical Matching Pairs of items, Triple Matches, Same Size Matches, Both Halves of each object, finding triple matches by dragging items from a single pile, or a newbie for me, the Same Colored object, which btw was neon yellows, blues, greens, and pink! I'm sure there are other types as you progress but I just don't have the desire to stick around to find out.
The reasons I found it so boring was because all of the objects were really big and easy to spot. You aren't required to find every object and often times I had a ton of time left on the timer and a ton of other matches left. Each scene has a gazillion Sun Emblems scattered about that I believe recharge the hint meter, but I'm not certain because the only game features explanations given are the type of Clutter and the point system. The game is fairly colorless (other than the neon colored levels) and there are so many available matches such as 8 bongo drums, 10 computers, 6 Desks, 8 pairs of glasses, this made the game far too easy and because of the ease, it becomes plain ole boring.
I don't recommend this game.
Some evils are too sinister to keep contained for long...
Overall rating
2
/
5
25 of 32 found this review helpful
THIS STANDARD EDITION ISN'T TINGLING MY SPINE EITHER
PostedNovember 6, 2018
pennmom36
fromCan we do away with statues that can not only move, but reason as well and hold objects for ransome until you offer it something in exchange?
Skill Level:Expert
Current Favorite:
Inbetween Land
(84)Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
2
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
I've tried unsuccessfully to finish this game for three days now and it just isn't tingling my spine as the synopsis states. I did, however, manage to dredge through 3 of the four chapters, but I was bored to death. The mini-games aren't very exciting, and I felt like I was stealing money to pay a shady vendor for goods that were more than likely stolen. I was asked to help sort fish by a kind old man a couple of times and both times I found coins laying around as I did my "good deed." Did I say, "here, I found these coins while I was helping you?" No! I just pocketed the coins and rushed over to the shady vendor's cart right beside the kind old man's fish cart to buy an item that he probably stole from the kind old man in the first place!
I always have to adjust my screen resolution to play an Amax game, and then re-adjust it when I'm finished which is really annoying. I don't have to jump through these hoops for any game by ANY other developer. I have a 27" iMac Pro screen and if I don't adjust my resolution the sides of the game are too stretched and I can't see or access anything on the sides. I can barely see the "options" icons and I can't click nor see objects that are located on the sides in the HOP's. If I try to play in the Windowed mode, the window is about the size of an index card! I've talked with others who've had this issue when they have larger monitors, yet Amax refuses to make a minor adjustment to accommodate our screens. I say this because perhaps if I weren't so annoyed with this process, perhaps I'd enjoy their games more?
There are a couple of features that I actually liked, such as the Icons that tell you if there is a Morphing Rose or a Collectible Amulet in the Collector's Edition version for each scene, it even tells you if there isn't one in that particular scene. Here's a recap of my review to help you decide which version, if either, is right for you:
David and Zyrtec (or is it Allegra?) Campari are collectors of Protective Amulets and Artifacts. David was elated to finally add The Black Cube to his museum's collection, but his interpretation of the Cube's powers was vastly different than that of Nasacort's. Blinded by a burning desire to possess the elusive Black Cube, David chose to believe that the Cube was nothing more than a benevolent amulet. The Campari's are now in grave danger from those sworn to protect the Cube, and even graver danger from the Cube itself...should've listened to Clariton, turns out she was right! Can the good Detective save Flonase from the evil within the Cube, or will evil prevail?
The Hidden Object Scenes are okay, but the objects tend to be a bit on the small side which is the only reason they are even remotely challenging. One HO scene requires finding items that match circular swatches and I found that some of the colors were nowhere close to the samples being shown, and I have an amazing graphics card! I did enjoy a Matching Protective Charms Pair scene, as you selected a Charm that matched the Silhouetted Shape you could read a short description of the charm's "powers" There are also several Interactive List finds available throughout the game, but no alternative puzzle offered.
The Hidden Object Scenes are okay, but the objects tend to be a bit on the small side which is the only reason they are even remotely challenging. One HO scene requires finding items that match circular swatches and I found that some of the colors were nowhere close to the samples being shown, and I have an amazing graphics card! I did enjoy a Matching Protective Charms Pair scene, as you selected a Charm that matched the Silhouetted Shape you could read a short description of the charm's "powers" There are also several Interactive List finds available throughout the game, but no alternative puzzle offered.
I did enjoy a small percentage of the puzzles and Mini-Games offered and I will admit that Amax does a nice job of offering a variety of puzzles and a nice ratio of puzzles to hidden object scenes, but I found most of them to be rather dull and uninteresting. Below are brief descriptions of some of the games you'll encounter during the demo which I believe sets the stage so to speak of what can be expected:
1-Swap fan sections to complete the image.
2-Select all matching symbols on the cube to remove them.
-Hard Mode: select spaces to reveal hidden symbols.
3-Follow the vines and select the end of each one being held.
4-Remove all symbols by tracing lines without crossing twice.
5-Use directional arrows to place tokens based on the clue.
6-Swap identical shaped puzzle pieces to restore the image.
7-Avoid obstacles by choosing numbered directional signs to move the horse.
8-Turn over 2 cards that match each card shown.
9-Select the cloud with the evil spirit after the shuffle x3.
10-Select Symbols in the order shown on the clue.
11-Repeat the sequence of statue heads that light up.
12-Find matching pairs or roses when they opened.
13-Swap tokens to their correct spots based on adjacent images.
2-Select all matching symbols on the cube to remove them.
-Hard Mode: select spaces to reveal hidden symbols.
3-Follow the vines and select the end of each one being held.
4-Remove all symbols by tracing lines without crossing twice.
5-Use directional arrows to place tokens based on the clue.
6-Swap identical shaped puzzle pieces to restore the image.
7-Avoid obstacles by choosing numbered directional signs to move the horse.
8-Turn over 2 cards that match each card shown.
9-Select the cloud with the evil spirit after the shuffle x3.
10-Select Symbols in the order shown on the clue.
11-Repeat the sequence of statue heads that light up.
12-Find matching pairs or roses when they opened.
13-Swap tokens to their correct spots based on adjacent images.
The Collector's Edition version has 8 Wallpapers, 12 Concept Art Pictures, 5 Screensavers, 4 Music Soundtracks, 18 replayable Movie Cutscenes, 12 Achievements to earn, 16 re-playable Mini-Games, 13 re-playable Hidden Object Scenes, 12 Collectible Protective Amulets (with descriptions & origins) 18 Morphing Roses, 4 Main Chapters +Bonus Chapter (sequel) and a built-in Strategy Guide.
GRIM FACADE SERIES LIST
Title***Standard Edition Release Date***Average Rating
Title***Standard Edition Release Date***Average Rating
1-Mystery of Venice (July 22-2011) 4.0
2-Sinister Obsession (August 3-2012) 3.2
3-Cost of Jealousy (March 29-2013) 4.0
4-A Wealth of Betrayal (May 23-2014) 4.0
5-The Artist and the Pretender (October 17-2014) 3.8
6-Hidden Sins (July 17-2015) 4.1
7-Monster in Disguise (June 17-2016) 2.9
8-The Red Cat (November 20-2016) 4.3
9-A Deadly Dowry (October 22-2017) 2.8
10-The Message (January 26-2018) 2.3
11-Broken Sacrament (May 11-2018) 3.4
12-The Black Cube (November 14-2018) n/a
2-Sinister Obsession (August 3-2012) 3.2
3-Cost of Jealousy (March 29-2013) 4.0
4-A Wealth of Betrayal (May 23-2014) 4.0
5-The Artist and the Pretender (October 17-2014) 3.8
6-Hidden Sins (July 17-2015) 4.1
7-Monster in Disguise (June 17-2016) 2.9
8-The Red Cat (November 20-2016) 4.3
9-A Deadly Dowry (October 22-2017) 2.8
10-The Message (January 26-2018) 2.3
11-Broken Sacrament (May 11-2018) 3.4
12-The Black Cube (November 14-2018) n/a
by: Amax Interactive
I don't recommend this game.
Police inspector Linda Jones returns to her hometown to solve the mystery of her missing best friend in this hidden object detective game!
Overall rating
2
/
5
59 of 64 found this review helpful
SAME SCENES, SAME ITEMS IN THE SAME EXACT PLACES
PostedNovember 6, 2018
pennmom36
fromWell, it beats finding used objects to buy at a sale in your parents bathroom!
Skill Level:Expert
Current Favorite:
Vacation Adventures: Park Ranger
(84)Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
1
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
I must admit that this could have been a solid Hidden Object game but it has too many flaws. I'll be honest, I didn't pay attention to the storyline because it wasn't that interesting and I got tired of having to click through several dialog boxes between scenes. This is a Timed Mode Hidden Object Game that doesn't have an option for a Relaxed, untimed mode, however, you aren't penalized if you don't finish the scene within the allotted time frame (which is ridiculously short) you just won't receive the extra points.
The first flaw or poor design was forcing me to go through the motions of a tutorial which forced me to use a Hint just for the sake of using it to learn how to click it, a feature that annoys me to no end! I played the entire demo and sped through several level scenes and was never shown what the points I earned are used for. There's nothing to buy with them so I suppose you just earn points or lose them for no apparent rhyme or reason? When I say lose points, you will be deducted -50 points for wrong selections which in itself isn't so bad but this game has a zoom and drag feature and I was deducted points several times for dragging the screen around, because I had to click first and then drag it, -50 points were often deducted. I had to make sure I clicked on an area that didn't have any items before attempting this feature...a big flaw!
The items to find are repeated over and over, the same scenes are repeated over and over (I seemed to spend a lot of my investigation time at the bar, hey, it's a tough job) The style usually changes each time with Listed Items, Pictured Items and Silhouetted Shape Item finds, but those have major flaws, at least the Silhouetted Shape flaws do. It's nearly impossible to find an item that matches a silhouetted shape when the silhouetted shape is square, rectangular or round because there are several objects that are that shape, posters, letters, cookies, donuts, coins etc. I was shown a square shape on the bedroom scene which turned out to be a rectangular Joker card! On the bar scene, it showed a pie shaped object with a curved bottom, yet it wasn't the exact same shaped slice of watermelon! Super-annoying flaw!
My final Flaw report is that the graphics are blurry, especially when you zoomed in to a scene. They decided at one point to add fog. Finding hidden objects because they are well-blended is one thing, trying to find objects that are hidden only because you can't distinguish one item from the next is not fun, it's simply a flaw!
I don't recommend this game.
Beautify your garden because there's a dream wedding coming! Hidden Object, Match-3 and Decoration!
Overall rating
2
/
5
57 of 70 found this review helpful
DOESN'T EVERYBODY WANT TO BUY USED TOILET PAPER, A FEATHER AND AN ICECREAM CONE LAYING ON THE FLOOR?
PostedNovember 5, 2018
pennmom36
fromMaybe skipping a sale out of your parents bathroom makes sense??
Skill Level:Expert
Current Favorite:
Gardenscapes 2
(135)Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
2
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
This is one of those old-school junk-sale games where the customers arrive one by one to a specific room to buy random junk you are selling to earn some extra cash. They arrive with 3 hearts and either a pictured item they want or a silhouetted shape, listed item or even jumbled letters, if you don't find the item fast enough, they quickly lose their hearts and pay less money. Sometimes you have to play a Match 3 game to get items.
The good news is that you can switch to a relaxed mode that isn't timed, the bad news is that the game itself is boring and unrealistic. I don't think anyone would consider buying a single feather for 5 bucks, a 1/2 roll of toilet paper, a used tube of toothpaste, and especially not a half melted ice cream cone that's sitting on the floor. I know it's just a game, but that just grossed me out!
It's very similar to Gardenscapes and has hidden gold coins to find in each scene, and you use the money you earn to redecorate Mary's parent's garden in preparation for a wedding. You will also earn Experience stars to level up and buy tools. Each upgrade you purchase for the garden has 3 different styles to choose from, each one slightly more expensive than the last. There is a magnifying glass hint system that starts you out with 40 single item hints (random not of choice) which tells me that there will be a lot of ridiculously obscure objects or unidentifiable items to try to find.
I don't necessarily dislike old-school HOG's, some I actually love and play them over and over, but I found this game to be mundane, the garden items to buy uninteresting, and most of all, the customers were looking for ridiculous items and were paying ridiculous amounts of money for used items! If you enjoy games like Gardenscapes, you may very well love this game, so I definitely recommend trying the demo first before buying a used toothbrush out of a strangers bathroom.
I don't recommend this game.
Uncover the truth behind Heavenfall's greatest Secrets!
Overall rating
1
/
5
146 of 185 found this review helpful
ZZZzzz..I'M AWAKE!..zzz..must,,stay..aaawakke..zzz..just one more..emmbleemm..zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
PostedNovember 3, 2018
pennmom36
fromThe Peace Sign was a self-portrait of Gerald Holtom in despair with his hands' palm outstretched outwards and downwards & was the graphic symbol for his Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament.
Skill Level:Expert
Current Favorite:
True Fear: Forsaken Souls Collector's Edition
(324)Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
2
/
5
Level of Challenge
1
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
My apologies to Elephant, but creepy games are your wheelhouse, fantasy isn't. I'm just totally shocked that a game can be this boring, the storyline is just like Harry Potter only not that interesting. Heavenfall's brightest student Astrid has gone MIA and she's not the only student to go missing, there's a reason Heavenfall has secrets. I used a code to get this game so since I had a vested interest, I did try to complete the game but so far I've literally had to force myself to play through the second chapter, and there's one more to go (thanks for only 3 chapters this time)
I hope you love the task of finding emblems to open every single thing in the entire school from top to bottom, you even need an emblem to find other emblems, only to receive another emblem. There were so many emblems I couldn't remember where most of them went! Small emblems, large emblems, blue emblems red emblems, star emblems, circle emblems, square emblems, scroll-shaped emblems, teeny tiny emblems, huge emblems, magic emblems. There are emblems stuck in crevices, emblems inside drawers, emblems guarded by crows, emblems guarded by cats, emblems inside pillows, emblems outside windows, emblems just laying there looking all emblem-like as they do their emblem thing. There are emblem puzzles, emblem hidden objects, emblem gadgets, I'm quite sure my Detective's Badge is an emblem as well!
The Hidden Object Scenes couldn't be easier unless there was an emblem arrow pointing to the objects. There are Listed Item finds with emblems, Silhouetted Shape finds with emblems, Multiple finds with multiple emblems, HOS that require finding 4 emblems to open up the inventory list and Keyword finds related to emblems.
Some of the puzzles were rather unique but they are unusually complex and sometimes the instructions leave you scratching your head in utter confusion. Below are brief descriptions of some of the games you'll encounter during the first and second chapter:
1-Alternate moving EMBLEMS on a dual board.
2-Use directional arrows to push the EMBLEMS x3.
3-Swap tiles with colored EMBLEMS to complete the pattern.
4-Load liquid to flasks by connecting a specified number of connections.
5-Find magical squares on 3 scrolls to remove the spell.
2-Use directional arrows to push the EMBLEMS x3.
3-Swap tiles with colored EMBLEMS to complete the pattern.
4-Load liquid to flasks by connecting a specified number of connections.
5-Find magical squares on 3 scrolls to remove the spell.
This Collector's Edition version has 12 Wallpapers, 12 Concept Art pictures, 4 Screensavers (assemble 4 puzzles requiring 12 Puzzle Pieces each) 5 Music Soundtracks, 12 Collectible Spell Cards, 48 Hidden Puzzle Pieces (to assemble screensavers) 27 Morphing Musical Instruments, 3 Main Chapters +Bonus Chapter and a built-in Strategy Guide (to locate all those emblems of course)
CHIMERAS SERIES LIST
Title***Collector's Edition Release Date***Average Rating
Title***Collector's Edition Release Date***Average Rating
1-Tune of Revenge (February 7-2013) 4.7
2-The Signs of Prophecy (October -15-2015) 3.9
3-Cursed and Forgotten (May 26-2016) 3.8
4-Mortal Medicine (November 10-2016) 3.9
5-Mark of Death (May 4-2017) 3.3
6-Blinding Love (October 19-2017) 4.2
7-New Rebellion (May 3-2018) 3.6
8-Heavenfall Secrets (November 3-2018) n/a
2-The Signs of Prophecy (October -15-2015) 3.9
3-Cursed and Forgotten (May 26-2016) 3.8
4-Mortal Medicine (November 10-2016) 3.9
5-Mark of Death (May 4-2017) 3.3
6-Blinding Love (October 19-2017) 4.2
7-New Rebellion (May 3-2018) 3.6
8-Heavenfall Secrets (November 3-2018) n/a
by: Elephant Games
I don't recommend this game.
Can you stop a crazed kidnapper in time?
Overall rating
4
/
5
34 of 41 found this review helpful
MAYBE HE JUST NEEDS A FREIND, HOW BOUT JEFFREY FROM GAME NUMBER 6?
PostedNovember 2, 2018
pennmom36
fromAnd lucky number 13 is just around the corner!
Skill Level:Expert
Current Favorite:
Phantasmat Collector's Edition
(101)Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
1
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
The truth is after 10 tries it's obvious this developer will never be able to duplicate the original Phantasmat's exceptional quality or storyline. The first Phantasmat was by Codeminion and the second was by Ers. I've tried to stick by this series because I'm hoping that someday they'll realize that they're doing it wrong, and not just this series either. The graphics are getting large and lack detail and each scene has less. By less, I mean fewer zoom zones or areas of interest, less detail, way less detail, in the BC of this game one zoom zone had a tray with a single paperclip and the paperclip didn't even look real! How can you mess up a paperclip?
Remember the great games of 2011-2013ish that had creepy graphics and something to do in every nook and corner of every scene? Remember the feeling you got when you saw that creaky wrought-iron gate leading to a mansion with boarded up windows because the details were insane even though your computer was probably running XP, Vista or Win7 and more than likely had a subpar graphics card? Remember how they didn't have much of a storyline but at least the storyline was interesting? Remember how original the tasks and puzzles were? Remember how it was nearly impossible to finish a game in one, sometimes two days much less one sitting? Remember the magic, the feeling of "I can't stop playing because it's so good but it's midnight" Remember how you had to navigate through several scenes on your own without a jump-map, and sometimes getting lost or having trouble recalling where it was that an inventory item you just found belonged, because back then, the inventory item you just found didn't get placed in the same scene or the one before! I'm not asking to revert back to the games of yesteryear, I'm asking them to bring back the magic, I'm asking for games to be better than they were back then. It's almost 2019, at a bare minimum, shouldn't the graphics at least be better? I think these devs became so big so quickly that they can no longer see us on the ground waving frantically and they can no longer hear us screaming for something better. (because the other option is that they no longer care?)
As for the differences between the Collector's Edition version and this Standard Edition version, the CE version has 36 Ghostly Signs located in each scene and a Morphing Object in about half of the scenes. There are icons that show the availability of a morph or collectible. It's a good thing considering that the morphs are only in some of the scenes. unfortunately, neither is difficult to spot because a white ghost and a piece of paper with a morphing pumpkin are hard to miss. The good news is that if you do happen to miss one, it does allow you to return to the scene to search for it.
The Bonus Chapter isn't bad, but it's really short as well. It is a sequel which takes place shortly after the incident, starting back at Marcia's house, so you don't even get new scenes to investigate. There are 5 Mini-Games to play in the BC and I believe 4 Hidden Object Scenes. You will search for the remaining 8 Ghostly Signs and 4 remaining Morphs, after completing the BC you can return to 20 of the scene locations to find a souvenir. This feature is rather worthless in my opinion because you only have to find one item in each scene and it literally takes two seconds to spot the object so why bother?
In the Collector's Edition version there are 13 Achievements to earn and you can still earn achievements in the BC and in the Re-playable Hidden Object Scenes and puzzles section, a feature that's not always available after completing the main Game. This is a good, not a great game, but in my opinion, it's a very short game with a very short BC 8 scenes long. Unless you prefer morphs and collectibles, this Standard Edition version is probably the better option.
The Collector's Edition version has 6 Character pictures with before/after slider bar & dialog recordings, 8 Wallpapers, 8 Concept Art pictures, 7 Music Soundtracks, 12 Movie Video Cutscenes, a never-ending -playable Match 3 Game, 14 re-playable Mini-Game Puzzles, 13 re-playable Hidden Object Scenes, 13 Achievements to earn (some available in 3 categories) 16 Scene Location Morphing Objects (11 in Main Game, 5 in BC) 36 Hidden Ghostly Signs (28 in Main Game 8 in BC) a Souvenir Room with 20 Souvenirs (one souvenir in each of the scene locations) 4 Main Chapters +Bonus Chapter and a built-in Strategy Guide.
PHANTASMAT SERIES LIST
Title***Standard Edition Release Date***Average Rating
Title***Standard Edition Release Date***Average Rating
1-Phantasmat (February 8-2011) 4.6
2-Crucible Peak (January 4-2013) 4.0
3-The Endless Night (February 8-2015) 4.4
4-The Dread of Oakville (August 7-2015) 3.9
5-Behind The Mask (January 15-2016) 4.3
6-Town of Lost Hope (May 6-2016) 3.9
7-Reign of Shadows (November 4-2016) 3.7
8-Mournful Loche (May 12-2017) 3.9
9-Insidious Dreams (October 13-2017) 3.8
10-Curse of the Mist (January 21-2018) 3.7
11-Deja Vu (August 5-2018)
12-Death In Hardcover (November 2-2018) n/a
13-(coming soon)
by: Eipix Entertainment
2-Crucible Peak (January 4-2013) 4.0
3-The Endless Night (February 8-2015) 4.4
4-The Dread of Oakville (August 7-2015) 3.9
5-Behind The Mask (January 15-2016) 4.3
6-Town of Lost Hope (May 6-2016) 3.9
7-Reign of Shadows (November 4-2016) 3.7
8-Mournful Loche (May 12-2017) 3.9
9-Insidious Dreams (October 13-2017) 3.8
10-Curse of the Mist (January 21-2018) 3.7
11-Deja Vu (August 5-2018)
12-Death In Hardcover (November 2-2018) n/a
13-(coming soon)
by: Eipix Entertainment
I recommend this game!
A sizzling take on the classic tale of greed, yearning, and redemption.
Overall rating
5
/
5
203 of 251 found this review helpful
THE ANSWERS YOU SEEK ARE RIGHT HERE IN THE MATCH GIRL'S GARDEN
PostedNovember 1, 2018
pennmom36
fromNon-linear Cursed Objects: I'm not afraid to beg, I say to thee Please, please, please Blue Tea, Blue Tea. Bring back that amazing feature to me, me, me. Blue Tea, Blue Tea Surely you don't want to disappoint me Thank You and Please times three you see?
Skill Level:Expert
Current Favorite:
Dark Parables: Curse of Briar Rose Collector's Edition
(49)Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
The Match Girl lived in fear nearly her entire life. Her Grandmother taught her to forgive those who treated her poorly, even her abusive drunken father who fell to pieces after her mother disappeared! But the tides have changed now, she's no longer that frightened little girl who sold matches in her father's shop. Some say she's an evil forest witch casting spells of sorcery to grant peoples wishes and desires. Others say she has just Lost her way to her garden Paradise!
When I first discovered the Dark Parable series, there were already 4 games released, so I started with the original (scroll down for the series list in order) I was probably into the third chapter by the time I discovered the first Cursed Object. Sure, I was fairly new to the HOPA genre, but the reason I didn't "see" the Cursed Object was because of the geniuses programmers and game designers of Blue Tea! The first time you would visit a scene, the Cursed Object wasn't Cursed! No matter how long you stared at an object, it just wouldn't morph because it required an action to be taken in a different scene, a scene you hadn't yet unlocked. It may be 3-4 scenes later in fact, and you had no idea which action would trigger the Morph and in which scene! How cool does that sound? FOR THE LIFE OF ME, I CAN'T UNDERSTAND WHY BLUE TEA ABANDONED THIS FEATURE? (caps in case they are reading this review) When Blue Tea made a come-back with the Eipix Production Team financing their work, I thought the non-linear cursed objects would surely return now that they had no financial worries, but I was disappointed, and I'm even more disappointed that they have chosen to overlook several pleas from several Dark Parable fans to return to their roots to offer the feature that THEY created in the first place! To my knowledge, no other developer has offered this incredible feature in their games, if they have, please let me know in your review or at pf because I WILL purchase that game sight unseen!
The Hidden Object Scenes or all Fragmented Object Scenes or FROG's, made famous by Blue Tea Games. These are the ONLY hidden object scenes I've ever found to be challenging. Nobody is able to blend objects into the scene like these devs can! I wish there were more FROG scenes in this game, I actually anticipated unlocking new locations because I wanted another opportunity to find more fragments. If you aren't familiar with Blue Tea style FROGS, you may not like them at first because they are so much different than the normal HOG's. There are 3 sections located at the bottom with pictures of several fragmented objects to search for. As each fragment is found, that object will become opaque. Once you have found all fragments in a section those fragments will join together to show that you have completed that section. Once all 3 fragmented objects are completed, the 3 sections will join together to become an inventory item that you will need to proceed. Many devs have attempted this unique style, but Blue Tea perfected it back in 2010! (now if we could just bring back the non-linear cursed objects I'd be one Happy Camper)
The Mini-Games were good but could be better, for me they seemed rather easy to solve and are mostly the same puzzles we've done a thousand times, but they do have fairly good instructions. Below are brief descriptions of some of the games you'll encounter before and after the demo:
1-Guide gems in a dual screen maze to the top using individual directional arrows.
2-Swap triangular tiles to complete the image.
3-Rotate the circles to complete the scene.
4-Arrange the items to complete each character's activity.
5-Interact with the scenes decorations and place trumpets into their matching symbols.
6-Collect the gold from each character.
7-Select the center button to match the animal with the cylinder.
8-Select the button each time the slider crosses over the red marks.
9-Use red arrows to pan and green arrows to focus to find all symbols.
2-Swap triangular tiles to complete the image.
3-Rotate the circles to complete the scene.
4-Arrange the items to complete each character's activity.
5-Interact with the scenes decorations and place trumpets into their matching symbols.
6-Collect the gold from each character.
7-Select the center button to match the animal with the cylinder.
8-Select the button each time the slider crosses over the red marks.
9-Use red arrows to pan and green arrows to focus to find all symbols.
This Collector's Edition version has 8 Wallpapers, 6 Concept Art pictures, 6 Music Soundtracks, 9 Movie Video Cutscenes, 17 re-playable Mini-Games, 20 re-playable Hidden Object Scenes, 13 Achievements to earn, 20 Morphing Cursed Objects to earn, 28 Parable Pieces (collect 4 pieces to unlock each Parable 5 Main/2 Bonus Chapter: The Little Match Girl-The Star Coins-The Forest Witch-The Ominous Beauty-The Second Prince's Revenge-Fire of Youth-The King's New Clothes) 6 Main Chapters +Bonus Chapter. Enjoy the Dark Parables!
DARK PARABLES SERIES LIST
Title***Collector's Edition Release Date***Average Rating
Title***Collector's Edition Release Date***Average Rating
1-Curse of Briar Rose (March 11-2010) 4.3
2-The Exiled Prince (February 2542011) 4.3
3-Rise of the Snow Queen (December 1-2011) 4.6
4-The Red Riding Hood Sisters (September 20-2012) 4.6
5-The Final Cinderella (May 23-2013) 4.4
6-Jack and the Sky Kingdom (February 6-2014) 4.2
7-Ballad of Rapunzel (June 26-2014) 4.3
8-The Little Mermaid and the Purple Tide (November 13-2014) 3.7
9-Queen of Sands (May 21-2015) 3.5
10-Goldilocks and the Fallen Star (November 19-2015) 3.4
11-The Swan Princess and the Dire Tree (July 7-2016) 3.8
12-The Thief and the Tinderbox (September 22-2016) 3.4
13-Requiem for the Forgotten Shadow (February 23-2017) 3.0
14-Return of the Salt Princess (March 15-2018) 3.9
15-The Match Girl's Lost Paradise (November 1-2018) n/a
2-The Exiled Prince (February 2542011) 4.3
3-Rise of the Snow Queen (December 1-2011) 4.6
4-The Red Riding Hood Sisters (September 20-2012) 4.6
5-The Final Cinderella (May 23-2013) 4.4
6-Jack and the Sky Kingdom (February 6-2014) 4.2
7-Ballad of Rapunzel (June 26-2014) 4.3
8-The Little Mermaid and the Purple Tide (November 13-2014) 3.7
9-Queen of Sands (May 21-2015) 3.5
10-Goldilocks and the Fallen Star (November 19-2015) 3.4
11-The Swan Princess and the Dire Tree (July 7-2016) 3.8
12-The Thief and the Tinderbox (September 22-2016) 3.4
13-Requiem for the Forgotten Shadow (February 23-2017) 3.0
14-Return of the Salt Princess (March 15-2018) 3.9
15-The Match Girl's Lost Paradise (November 1-2018) n/a
by: Blue Tea Games
I recommend this game!
This town was cursed and has been a haven of evil spirits. Banish them in this spooky match 3 game.
Overall rating
5
/
5
89 of 105 found this review helpful
SPOOKTACKULAR CURSED HOUSE JUST IN TIME FOR HALLOWEEN
PostedOctober 31, 2018
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
This series never gets old! This is one of the few Match 3 Games that requires you to use strategy to beat the levels, and one of my top 5 favorite M3 game series. This game is all about the coins, nothing else matters, but getting to those coins isn't as easy as you may think
They have added a High Difficulty mode (which I haven't attempted yet!) and a Casual Difficulty mode and both modes can be played in a Timed Mode, a Limited Moves Mode (which I recommend) or a Relaxed Mode and you can switch between modes on different levels to help you beat difficult levels. Eventually, you will be given the option to skip a difficult level without penalty, after several replay attempts, and in the Bonus Levels, you will receive interactive hints after 10 replay attempts.
The Cursed House, which is actually a Cursed Town this time, is filled with evil spirits, that can only be banished by an ancient Amulet. The Amulet can only be powered by collecting hundreds of coins, so once again, this cursed house needs a cleansing of its domain of evil spirits.
Large matches will give you a Power-up, and power-ups are critical because most coins are blocked by obstacles that require a power-up to destroy them. A match 4 will give you Dynamite to explode by moving it or by double-clicking. A match 5 will give you a Morphing Power-up to choose either a Rocket which targets obstacles, Lightning which destroys all identical tiles match with, or a Dynamite Barrel. You can choose the power-up by clicking on the power-up as it morphs, and if you chose the wrong one, you can cancel it by right-clicking.
Levels with Trunks require you to collect Trunk Coins and when all trunk coins have been found, you need to make a match adjacent to the trunk or trunks that will vibrate to alert you that all trunk coins have been located. Once the trunks are opened, you receive bonuses and other parts of the board are unlocked.
Some levels have Cannons that require you to make matches next to the wick to fire the cannon to start a chain reaction, some cannons are locked and you must make matches in front of the key to allow the key to move towards the lock. Firing the cannon also opens up other parts of the board.
There are several types of coins besides the gold coins and trunk coins, Dusty coins that need two matches, coins that are split in half requiring matches in front of the pieces to join the two halves. Coins that need to be filled in by collecting falling drops of liquid or gold by dropping them off the board to fill a vial. Bug coins need to be collected to get rid of pesky bugs that annoy you, and Red bugs need to be pushed off of the board because they are invulnerable to power-ups.
Some tiles have obstacles such as chains or boarded tiles, some boarded tiles have shields that require matches made on the sides without the shield for more challenge, or a power-up. There are Stone tiles, Lava tiles, Chained tiles, ice tiles, Rock tiles and Fog tiles that require either a match adjacent to them, most but not all obstacles can be destroyed with lightning explosions or bombs. There are even Green and Red Hot Stone tiles that require matches on top to destroy them. Torches will spread the flame as adjacent matches are made, which needs to reach frozen tiles or flameless torches. The Ray of Light shoots a beam of light to destroy the Darkness, but a path must be cleared first.....the not so easy scenario!
After playing a few levels, you get to play a Mini Game such as Higher/Lower Solitaire that has an extra slot to store any face-up card to use in a match later and unblock cards on the board. There are also Hidden Object Scenes and one of my favorite games, Spot The Difference which has very subtle differences and isn't as easy as you'd expect.
This is the kind of Match 3 game that can be purchased before playing it because FRH Games doesn't bring duds to the table and I've never been disappointed with any of their games, enjoy!
CURSED HOUSE SERIES LIST
Title***Release Date***Average Rating
Title***Release Date***Average Rating
1-Cursed House: 1 (December 15-2010) 4.1
2-Cursed House: 2 (October 31-2012) 4.0
-Cursed House: Irish Language version (July 15-2014) 4.0
3-Cursed House: 3 (May 23-2016) 4.3
4-Cursed House: 4 (September 11-2017) 3.9
5-Cursed House: 5 (February 21-2018) 3.8
6-Cursed House 6 (October 31-2018) n/a
2-Cursed House: 2 (October 31-2012) 4.0
-Cursed House: Irish Language version (July 15-2014) 4.0
3-Cursed House: 3 (May 23-2016) 4.3
4-Cursed House: 4 (September 11-2017) 3.9
5-Cursed House: 5 (February 21-2018) 3.8
6-Cursed House 6 (October 31-2018) n/a
by: FRH Games
I recommend this game!
A dark spell forces Zeus to forget his own children! Help the kids of Hellas in this time management quest!
Overall rating
4
/
5
34 of 42 found this review helpful
THESE AREN'T YOUR ORDINARY CHILDREN
PostedOctober 30, 2018
pennmom36
fromUncle Hades has always been a troublemaker!
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
Kids of Hellas is a new Time Management series brought to us from the creators of 12 Labours of Hercules, Alicia Quatermain and most recently, Archimedes. The graphics are really good, the game mechanics are fluent and the tasks require some strategy in order to beat the levels and earn all 3 Stars or Gold Status. There are 30 Achievement Trophies to earn and the music is pleasant although it is basically the same music that is offered in all of Jet Dogs TM games. There are 3 difficulty modes to choose from, Easy, Normal or Difficult and each level in this CE version has a hidden Puzzle Rune piece to find.
I played the demo in the Normal mode and easily passed the levels with flying colors, therefore, I personally don't have a need for the Strategy Guide, and will wait patiently for the Standard Edition version. I don't want to pay twice as much money for this CE version just to get 6 Wallpapers, 50 Hidden Puzzle Pieces that unlock 5 Bonus Chapter levels and a Strategy Guide that I probably won't use. Other than the fact that I personally don't prefer these particular CE offerings, I think this is a really fun Time Management game. The game itself is worthy of 5 Stars, but this is just my personal preference and as others have already stated, the game itself is a fantastic TM game that I'm certain most will enjoy!
Kids of Hellas is a cute light-hearted Greek Mythology based story that takes place after a spiteful curse was cast upon the children of Zeus. Seems Uncle Hades was the instigator behind the spell that dumped the Kids of Hellas to fend for themselves here on Earth. As if the spell itself wasn't bad enough, the kids quickly discover that Zeus has no recollection of them, but I have a feeling that all will end well for the kids, and Uncle Hades will feel the wrath of his brothers' thunderous fury when all is said and done...let's find out, Time Management style :)
There are the usual Time Management tasks, collecting resources, repairing pit holes, cutting down trees, removing wood, repairing bridges and fixing various buildings to get a more consistent supply of food, wood, stone gold, mama wells etc. There are also unusual tasks, one in particular that I enjoyed, shaving the sheep for their Golden wool!
As you progress you will receive Bonuses that will recharge by collecting Stars left behind on some of the tasks you complete. These are the usual tasks that speed up workers or quickly refill resources or allow the kids to store more resources in their backpacks. The Bonus Icons are located on the right side and usually have more than one type of resource available. You can click on the first Bonus that refills or wait for the second one to fill, it just depends on the level goals as to which one is more important, in other words, there may not be a need for faster workers if you don't have enough resources to assign a worker to a task that requires resources that aren't ready at the time.
I realize I'm the odd man out with my opinion here, but I will definitely buy this game when it's released as a Standard Edition version :)
I recommend this game!