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:
The elven queen and her husband face a new disaster and now must reclaim their crowns.
Overall rating
4
/
5
42 of 46 found this review helpful
GREAT STRATEGY GAME BUT FRUSTRATING AT TIMES
PostedSeptember 30, 2018
pennmom36
fromKeep 'em coming BF, there's a ton of us TM fans ya know!
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
I purchased the Collector's Edition version of this game and it requires lots of strategies to earn all 3 stars. It can become frustrating at times, but that makes it even more satisfying when you have to work hard to actually earn the Stars. I played the demo of this Standard Edition and I really do prefer all of the collectibles that the CE has to offer. If you can catch the CE version on sale, I strongly recommend grabbing this game because they really are fun to play, I've been a fan of this game from the start. Here's a recap of my review to help you decide which version, if either, is right for you:
Ding, Dong, the wedding bells have already rung for Princess Aerin and Tillian! King Galanius has finally passed the crown, but the wedding bliss begins to fade when word arrives at the Royal Palace that monstrous creatures are causing havoc in the forest. Queen Aerin and her new husband Tillian head to the forest and soon discover that an evil-doer has poisoned the water. The poison is turning ordinary creatures into angry monstrous creatures, looks like the honeymoon's over, but after all, this Royal couple does love a good adventure.
This is one of my favorite TM game series, the graphics are always great, the storyline is always interesting, and it's always fun to play. Elven Legend games are a strategy-based Time Management game, you must queue your tasks in a specific order or you'll find yourself stuck and waiting for enough resources to accumulate. The goals are always obtainable, although some levels may take a couple of replays to earn all 3 stars, assuming you want to.
You can play in a Relaxed mode with no timer, Normal, or Hard Mode, and you can replay the levels as often as necessary. Bonus Icons become available that help you beat the levels, it's nearly impossible to beat the level and earn all 3 Stars without them, at least they are for me. Each level has a different type of bonus such as Speed Boots to make the workers move faster, a bonus to Increase Resources, Double the Production of Resources, Speed up Work Production or even Increase the number of Existing Resources.
There are the normal TM tasks of collecting food, water, wood, stone crystals etc. and the same tasks of clearing the roads, repairing bridges and filling in pits along the way. Queen Aerin does all the magic work, once she has enough magical crystals to charge her staff and hubby Tillian does all the negotiations. The goal is to gather the necessary ingredients to mass produce the cure and change the poisoned animals they encounter back to their former glory, but naturally, they must first help citizens with their dilemmas before the citizens can help them.
There are several Altars of Resources available in each level that will produce renewable resources over a period of time. There are Berry Bushes that produce food and a Magical Tree that produces wood and regenerates, but they will first require Water before they will regrow or produce. You will need to construct different buildings and upgrade them to produce various resources such as Farms to produce food, Workers House's to hire extra workers, Sawmills, Hives etc. Some levels require items to be Crafted such as the Potion to cure the animals, the items you gather will automatically move to the icon, and once all items have been collected you need to click on the icon to complete the task. (it will sparkle when all necessary ingredients have been gathered)
In the Collector's Edition version, each scene has a Morphing Ancient Animal (60) a Crystal Flower (60) and a collectible Magic Crystal (60) for the Vitrage. There are 8 Wallpapers, 8 Concept Art pictures, 38 Achievements to earn, 10 extra CE levels and a built-in Strategy Guide, enjoy!
ELVEN LEGEND SERIES LIST
Title***Standard Edition Release Date***Average Rating
Title***Standard Edition Release Date***Average Rating
1-Elven Legend 1: SE only (February 4-2015) 3.2
2-Elven Legend 2: The Bewitched Tree SE only (February 3-2016) 3.3
3-Elven Legend 3: The New Menace (August 24-2016) 4.6
4-Elven Legend 4: The Incredible Journey (March 24-2017) 2.4
5-Elven Legend 5: The Fateful Tournament (December 27-2017) 4.5
6-Elven Legend 6: The Treacherous Tournament (September 30-2018) n/a
2-Elven Legend 2: The Bewitched Tree SE only (February 3-2016) 3.3
3-Elven Legend 3: The New Menace (August 24-2016) 4.6
4-Elven Legend 4: The Incredible Journey (March 24-2017) 2.4
5-Elven Legend 5: The Fateful Tournament (December 27-2017) 4.5
6-Elven Legend 6: The Treacherous Tournament (September 30-2018) n/a
by: Growing Grass Studios
I recommend this game!
A chilling tale of death, deception, and the supernatural!
Overall rating
1
/
5
43 of 47 found this review helpful
EVEN MORE BORING THAN I HAD REMEMBERED
PostedSeptember 29, 2018
pennmom36
fromTime to hang your hat up Dupin and retire.
Skill Level:Expert
Current Favorite:
Abandoned: Chestnut Lodge Asylum
(219)Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
1
/
5
Level of Challenge
1
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
I actually bought this game in the CE version during a BOGO sale simply because I needed one more Collector's Edition to go with the game I actually wanted. Wow is this the shortest game ever? It might have 5 main chapters, but if you blink a couple of times, you're finished with the chapter and half-way through the next. I usually scan through the Strategy Guide to get a feel for the length of a game, the average chapter in most games takes up anywhere from 5-9 complete pages. If you look at the SG for this game, each chapter is only 4 pages and those pages are only half used!
It's probably for the best, by the time I reached the third chapter I was bored to tears, the storyline moved at a snail pace and it offers nothing remotely interesting. The dialog was so uninteresting that I just started skimming through them because all it said was blah, blah, blah, soul-stealing, blah, blah, blah, Dupin needs medicine, blah, blah, blah, what kind of medicine, blah, blah, whip up something quick!, blah, hotel, blah, re-sort all drawers, blah, blah, fix all the room number plaques, blah, blah, fix everything in hotel, blah, blah, does anyone work at this hotel? blah, blah, evil red-eyed rat, blah, giant hole in banister, blah, blah, note to self "don't get a room here", blah, blah...chapter 4, blah, blah! In case you're stil interested, here's a recap of my review to help you decide which version, if either, is right for you:
A good artist can draw a painting that is almost lifelike, but a great artist can make a painting come to life. Leonard Tussole was such an amazing artist, it was an honor to pose for a portrait from him. His portraits were incredibly realistic, and the women he portrayed were absolutely beautiful. These beautiful women soon discovered the price to have Leonard paint their Oval Portrait was costly, but there's always a price to be paid for immortality, there's always a Price to be paid for Beauty.
Although I found this game to be dull and uninteresting, I have to give Amax credit for a job well done on the Morphing Objects offered in the Collector's Edition version. They are somewhat small (remember the huge paw prints) and they morph at a slower pace to make them somewhat challenging. I can't say the same for the Statues because they stick out like a sore thumb and are located in obvious places. I'm sure die-hard fans will love this rendition of Edgar Allan Poe's The Oval Portrait, but there's nothing here folks if you've played any of the Dark Tales games, you'll find this game to be just more of the same. The scenes all look alike, the people all look the same, the graphics are the same, the music is the same, the mini-games and HOS are all the same. In my opinion, Amax should have ended this series after The Masque of Red Death because it's gone downhill ever since...way down!
The Hidden Object Scenes are better than the mini-games, not great, but better than. They are varied with Interactive List finds, Multiples of the same Object finds, Silhouetted Shape finds, Finding and Replacing Objects, and several Zoom Zone HOP's where you are tasked with finding Matching Pairs of flowers or several pictured items. There are no alternative puzzles available but some of the HO scenes have a small puzzle to solve.
The Mini-Games are mostly just fragments that require placing them onto highlighted slots, and they aren't really interesting or challenging. Below are brief descriptions of some of the games you'll encounter during the demo:
1-Place 12 fragments around the ring into highlighted slots.
2-Rotate the rings to create the image.
3-Place torn photo fragments into highlighted slots correctly.
4-Swap pieces to create the correct image.
5-Swap pieces to create the correct pattern.
6-Create a path from point A to B using the pattern shown.
7-Swap books to create the images shown above them.
8-Swap hexagonal tiles to recreate the portrait.
9-Swap tile images to place them into associated categories.
2-Rotate the rings to create the image.
3-Place torn photo fragments into highlighted slots correctly.
4-Swap pieces to create the correct image.
5-Swap pieces to create the correct pattern.
6-Create a path from point A to B using the pattern shown.
7-Swap books to create the images shown above them.
8-Swap hexagonal tiles to recreate the portrait.
9-Swap tile images to place them into associated categories.
The Collector's Edition has 6 Wallpapers, 8 Concept Art pictures, 5 Screensavers, 5 Music Soundtracks, 21 Movie Cutscenes, 12 re-playable Mini-Games, 12 re-playable Hidden Object Scenes, 12 Achievements (that don't tell you why you earned it after you earn it?) 26 Morphing Objects, 13 Collectible Statues, 5 Main Chapters +Bonus Chapter and a built-in Strategy Guide,
DARK TALES SERIES LIST
Title***Standard Edition Release Date***Average Rating
Title***Standard Edition Release Date***Average Rating
1-Murder's In The Rue Morgue (December 17-2009) 3.7
2-The Black Cat (October 8-2010) 4.0
3-The Premature Burial (November 4-2011) 4.4
4-The Gold Bug (February 8-2013) 3.5
5-The Masque Of The Red Death (May 24-2013) 4.2
6-The Fall Of The House Of Usher (April 18-2014) 4.1
7-The Mystery of Marie Roget (March 20-2015) 4.2
8-The Tell-Tale Heart (December 13-2015) 2.2
9-Metzengerstein (August 19-2016) 3.5
10-The Raven (January 27-2017) 2.9
11-Lenore (September 8-2017) 2.1
12-Morella (January 14-2018) 3.8
13-The Pit and the Pendulum (May 4-2018) 3.0
14-The Oval Portrait (September 29-2018) n/a
2-The Black Cat (October 8-2010) 4.0
3-The Premature Burial (November 4-2011) 4.4
4-The Gold Bug (February 8-2013) 3.5
5-The Masque Of The Red Death (May 24-2013) 4.2
6-The Fall Of The House Of Usher (April 18-2014) 4.1
7-The Mystery of Marie Roget (March 20-2015) 4.2
8-The Tell-Tale Heart (December 13-2015) 2.2
9-Metzengerstein (August 19-2016) 3.5
10-The Raven (January 27-2017) 2.9
11-Lenore (September 8-2017) 2.1
12-Morella (January 14-2018) 3.8
13-The Pit and the Pendulum (May 4-2018) 3.0
14-The Oval Portrait (September 29-2018) n/a
by: Amax Interactive
I don't recommend this game.
When a notorious poacher steals every animal off a reserve, FEMA calls in the Rescue Team! Save the day in the time management rescue mission.
Overall rating
5
/
5
111 of 137 found this review helpful
SIC 'EM LARRY & BARRY!
PostedSeptember 29, 2018
pennmom36
fromGaining their name by rescuing people in the dangerous St. Bernard Alps pass between Italy & Switzerland, they actually never delivered a keg of brandy to victims. The most famous St. Bernard was named Barry, who rescued nearly 100 people in his life.
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
The Blooming Forest is a beautiful sanctuary reserve, famous for its rare collection of Flora and Fauna. Tourists and Journalist have arrived from all over the world to attend the opening ceremony, but not everyone has good intentions. That low-life poacher Pietro Mangula and his band of merry thieves have joined the celebration! Their devious plan is to create chaos throughout the reserve and slip out undetected with their cargo of wildlife. There's just one problem...They weren't counting on the fact that Rescue Team was attending the ceremony! I'm on my way!
There's a difficulty mode available for everyone including a Relaxed mode with no Time constraints, as well as a Normal mode that only allows you to assign available workers, and a Multi-click mode which allows you to queue tasks for workers to complete once they become available. There are 27 Achievements to earn, 50 Main Levels and 20 Bonus Levels available in this Collector's Edition version which also has a built-in Strategy Guide. The Strategy Guide is actually quite useful because this is definitely a Strategy-based Time Management game!
If you haven't played any of the previous 7 Rescue Team games before, you're in for a treat because unlike most TM games, Rescue Team is all about rescuing people after Natural and Man-made catastrophes. The people may be trapped simply because the roads are destroyed or blocked by fallen debris, others may be trapped under collapsed buildings, and those jobs call for specialists Larry and Barry who are the Rescue Team's adorable, but hard-working Saint Bernards.
Eventually, the Team will rescue people using boats, ski lifts, ATV's etc. requiring unusual TM equipment like Generators, Pumps, Lighting sources and even Cranes. Naturally, all that equipment uses a ton of fuel, so you need a constant supply of fuel as well as Food sources and Lumber sources. Hospitals, Veterinarian offices, Pet Shops, and Housing need to be built or repaired before Medics, Doctor's or Veterinarians can treat the victims. Because this is a strategy-based game, it may take a replay or two, to determine which tasks and which buildings are more important and in which order they should be queued.
There are still the usual tasks available in most TM games, to collect resources such as food, money and wood, clear roadways of debris, fix potholes, repair bridges and damaged buildings, and strategically construct Sawmills, Cafe's, Houses, Pet Shops to feed Barry and Larry, and Gas Stations that will produce the required resources.
If you earn 3 Stars on a level, you will receive coins that can be used in the Shop to purchase Bonuses. There are also Bonus chips on some of the levels that will make the rescue workers run faster, or produce gas, food, wood etc. faster, but for a brief period of time, so you'll want to decide when to collect a chip to give you the most benefits ant the right time.
If you earn 3 Stars on a level, you will receive coins that can be used in the Shop to purchase Bonuses. There are also Bonus chips on some of the levels that will make the rescue workers run faster, or produce gas, food, wood etc. faster, but for a brief period of time, so you'll want to decide when to collect a chip to give you the most benefits ant the right time.
You can purchase items in the Shop to help you achieve the level goals. These are available in 5 different Categories, Tools which speed up the rescue team workers, speeds up construction or road repair work. Medical supplies help victims remain warm or prevent disease from spreading, and to keep fires from spreading. Emergency items speed up machines such as water pumps, and makes medics treat patients faster, and also speed up Larry & Barry when they search rubble for victims. in the Vehicle category, planes deliver freight faster, makes the Crane and water pumps work faster.
This Collector's Edition version has 27 Achievements to earn, 12 Music Soundtracks, 10 Character Pictures with Bios, 9 Concept Art pictures, 50 Main Levels +20 Bonus Levels and a Built-in Strategy Guide. What are you waiting for? Start rescuing team!
RESCUE TEAM SERIES LIST
Title***Collector's Edition Release Date***Average Rating
1-Rescue Team 1 SE only (May 6-2011) 4.0
2-Rescue Team 2 SE only (December 14-2018) 3./9
3-Rescue Team 3 SE only (May 6-2013) 2.9
4-Rescue Team 4 SE only (October 5-2014) 4.0
5-Rescue Team 5 SE only (November 3-2015) 3.7
6-Rescue Team 6 CE version (November 8-2016) 3.9
7-Rescue Team 7 CE version (June 13-2017) 4.7
8-Rescue Team 8 CE version (September 29-2018) n/a
Title***Collector's Edition Release Date***Average Rating
1-Rescue Team 1 SE only (May 6-2011) 4.0
2-Rescue Team 2 SE only (December 14-2018) 3./9
3-Rescue Team 3 SE only (May 6-2013) 2.9
4-Rescue Team 4 SE only (October 5-2014) 4.0
5-Rescue Team 5 SE only (November 3-2015) 3.7
6-Rescue Team 6 CE version (November 8-2016) 3.9
7-Rescue Team 7 CE version (June 13-2017) 4.7
8-Rescue Team 8 CE version (September 29-2018) n/a
by: Alawar Entertainment
I recommend this game!
Can you uncover the secrets behind the Giants' attacks in time?
Overall rating
4
/
5
78 of 96 found this review helpful
FEE-FIE-FOE-FOOEY, WHAT'S UP WITH THE GRAPHICS GUI'S
PostedSeptember 27, 2018
pennmom36
fromJack & the Beanstalk originated from a group of stories known as The Boy Who Stole Ogre's Treasures first told during a split in Eastern & Western Indo-European languages 5,000 years ago!
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
I just finished playing this wonderful adaptation of Jack and the Beanstalk, and I will admit that I thoroughly enjoyed it from beginning to end. It's a little bit on the short side, after the demo portion, I completed the main game just shy of a couple of hours and that's taking into account the fact that I wrote extensive notes (go figure lol) and played every mini-game.
As my title suggests, I was somewhat disappointed in the quality of graphics, I don't know if it was a "hazy look" they were trying to achieve to mimic what life would be like living high in the sky, or if they just didn't waste as much time perfecting the graphics as they did in last week's release of IL (not sure if I can say the name of a different series by the same dev?) I went back to the previous games in this series to see if I was imagining awesome graphics, and sure enough, they were indeed. Even looking at the screenshots of Ice Rose from 2012, they looked amazing, so what's up with that?
Unfortunately, there is a Gadget, a Wooden Cat with a Box. Basil will help remove curses so you can collect all the stolen treasures and return them to their rightful owners in the Sky Kingdom of Giants. I found him to be rather creepy, but not a good creepy way, as in wicked scary, just a creepy-creepy way. I really didn't care for him because he wasn't cute so he didn't add an "awe" factor, I just think they should have made him more appealing. The good news is that Basil's services are only used to lift four curses, which isn't the case when it comes to the repetitive Chain type, Match 3 games. The Match 3 games didn't present much of a challenge and because they were so simplistic, it was just a waste of time, including a Hard difficulty mode would have been much appreciated.
Each Location has 2 well-hidden Opaque Cats to find (56 total-40 in the main game and 16 within the Bonus Chapter) that will shatter 7 different Crystal Glass Cats to reveal a different cat breed (5 in the main game, 2 within the Bonus Chapter) Each location also has a Morphing Object to find. There are 28 total Morphs, the final 8 Morphs are located within the Bonus Chapter which takes you back several years earlier to the beginning when Giants were first discovered.
The Hidden Object Scenes are mostly Interactive List Finds, especially towards the end, but there are also Multiples of the same item finds, Keywords in Sentence finds, finding areas that match Swatches and Matching Pair finds. Many of the scenes are repeated in the same location. The scenes are clear and the items are recognizable, although one of the scenes had partially hidden objects. There is a total of 17 Hidden Object Scenes throughout the game, 4 of which are offered within the Bonus Chapter.
The Mini-Games are rehashed versions from other games by this dev, and nothing new is offered, however, they are fairly entertaining and they are all "frustration-free" (no puzzles where clicking one affects others, which I really hate) There is a total of 18 Mini-Games throughout the game, the last three are within the Bonus Chapter. Below are brief descriptions of some of the games you'll encounter during the demo and afterward:
1-Select & drag feathers to create an unobstructed path for a key.
2-Select various weights to grow all bean stems to the top.
3-Chain type Match 3 game to collect a specific number of each gem. (repeated throughout the game)
4-Adjust joints of metal clock hands to point to specified times.
5-Select Bears to push each other along tracks to their matching slots.
6-Click arrows to select plates to show all symbols correctly.
7- Remove all icons by selecting them in a specific sequence.
8-Swap tiles to recreate 2 pictures using empty slots to move tiles to the opposite picture.
9-Swap fish bones to recreate the image.
10-Swap the order of fish & select play to check your solution.
11-Find the right way through the map in the same order.
12-Select adjacent sections to paint the picture correctly.
13-Swap fan sections to recreate the image.
14-Align the decoder until the correct codes appear inside the holes.
15-Move beans to their matching slots using the beans to recolor other bean paths.
16-Capture opponents pieces by touching or jumping the ball, yellow spaces add more pieces.
2-Select various weights to grow all bean stems to the top.
3-Chain type Match 3 game to collect a specific number of each gem. (repeated throughout the game)
4-Adjust joints of metal clock hands to point to specified times.
5-Select Bears to push each other along tracks to their matching slots.
6-Click arrows to select plates to show all symbols correctly.
7- Remove all icons by selecting them in a specific sequence.
8-Swap tiles to recreate 2 pictures using empty slots to move tiles to the opposite picture.
9-Swap fish bones to recreate the image.
10-Swap the order of fish & select play to check your solution.
11-Find the right way through the map in the same order.
12-Select adjacent sections to paint the picture correctly.
13-Swap fan sections to recreate the image.
14-Align the decoder until the correct codes appear inside the holes.
15-Move beans to their matching slots using the beans to recolor other bean paths.
16-Capture opponents pieces by touching or jumping the ball, yellow spaces add more pieces.
This Collector's Edition version has 10 Wallpapers, 10 Concept Art Pictures, 4 Screensavers, 5 Music Soundtracks, 30 Movie Video Cutscenes, 24 Achievements to earn, 17 replayable Hidden Object Scenes, 18 re-playable Mini-Games, 56 Hidden Opaque Cats, 7 Crystal Glass Cats to unlock with the Hidden Cats, 28 Morphing Objects, 5 Main Chapters +Bonus Chapter and a built-in Strategy Guide, enjoy the climb!
LIVING LEGENDS SERIES LIST
Title***Collector's Edition Release Date***Average Rating
LIVING LEGENDS SERIES LIST
Title***Collector's Edition Release Date***Average Rating
1-Ice Rose (March 22-2012) 4.2
2-Frozen Beauty (June 13-2013) 4.5
3-Wrath of the Beast (January 22-2015) 3.4
4-Bound By Wishes (March 3-2016) 4.5
5-Beasts of Bremen (February 16-2017) 4.5
6-Uninvited Guests (November 2-2017) 4.6
7-Fallen Sky (September 26-2018) n/a
2-Frozen Beauty (June 13-2013) 4.5
3-Wrath of the Beast (January 22-2015) 3.4
4-Bound By Wishes (March 3-2016) 4.5
5-Beasts of Bremen (February 16-2017) 4.5
6-Uninvited Guests (November 2-2017) 4.6
7-Fallen Sky (September 26-2018) n/a
by: 4Friends Games
I recommend this game!
Katy and Bob are back in their 3rd adventure! Do they have what it takes to run a successful bakery?
Overall rating
2
/
5
49 of 55 found this review helpful
YOU CAN HAVE CAKE AND EAT IT TOO, SE SAME AS CE
PostedSeptember 26, 2018
pennmom36
fromSame as the 2012 version of Katy & Bob!
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
1
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
I hope Katy & Bob fans were patient enough to wait for this Standard Edition version because from what I can tell the only thing you get with the CE version is 10 pages of cartoon Concept Art pictures and 5 Music Soundtrack's to download! In my opinion, the CE version of Katy & Bob: Cake Cafe, was the most unworthy CE I've ever seen! Both versions offer 60 Levels and 12 Trophy Achievements, the CE version didn't even offer a Strategy Guide or Bonus Levels, so if you waited for this version, you'll be glad you did!
This is a point and click TM style game, where you click the customer to give them a menu first, and then click on the item they order, deliver the order to the correct person and click to check them out. You don't have to drag anybody or anything (a feature I really find annoying) After checking the customers out, they will reward you with a tip that requires another click or scan on the coins to collect your tip. The slower you are at doing these tasks, will directly affect your tip, with gold, silver or bronze coins earned. The "expert" goal amount is shown before the start of each level, and there are Bonus Goals available (but not required) which are shown at the bottom, such as collecting money from three consecutive customers. As you progress, more menu items are added and the cake decorations get slightly more complex.
After each level, you can use the money you earn to buy items or upgrades from the shop. You can buy extra serving stations, increase the price of items or upgrade flooring etc. to keep customers happier longer. The graphics are rather flat and not very vivid which makes this game seem a bit old-fashioned when compared to other TM games lately.
After playing several amazing Time Management games over the last couple of weeks, Katy & Bob pales in comparison. It seems like they are stuck in the past.This release shows little progress or improvement over the past 6 years, since Katy & Bob was first released.
KATY AND BOB SERIES LIST
Title***Standard Edition***Average Rating
KATY AND BOB SERIES LIST
Title***Standard Edition***Average Rating
1-Katy and Bob: Way Back Home SE only (June 16-2012) 4.0
2-Katy and Bob: Safari Cafe (December 20-2017) 4.2
3-Katy and Bob: Cake Cafe (September 26-2018) n/a
2-Katy and Bob: Safari Cafe (December 20-2017) 4.2
3-Katy and Bob: Cake Cafe (September 26-2018) n/a
by: 8 Floor LTD.
I don't recommend this game.
The hidden village of mages is threatened by a catastrophe. Their only hope is a young mage apprentice!
Overall rating
3
/
5
35 of 39 found this review helpful
WORKED FOR ME
PostedSeptember 26, 2018
pennmom36
fromI haven't played the original, might have to check that one out as well!
Skill Level:Expert
Current Favorite:
Call of Atlantis: Treasures of Poseidon
(40)Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
I didn't have any issues with the sound or the mouse and it's actually quite challenging as you progress. The only issue for me was that the tiles were too similar in size, shape, and color which made it difficult at times to find available matches. There was no "hint" offered either, in the form of an available match highlighted or a quick shake to alert you. If the tiles weren't so similar I would have given this game a 4-Star rating because I liked the concept and it was fun to play.
This is a Swap type, Limited Time Match 3 game where you can earn up to 3 Stars if you meet all the goal requirements within the allotted time, and there is a Star Meter located on the top right. Any level can be replayed by going to the level map, and if you run out of time before meeting all the requirements, you have to replay the level to earn at least one star.
Large Matches give you a Bonus Tile on the board such as Bombs, Column & Row busters, Rainbows to destroy all tiles of whichever tile it's swapped with etc, nothing really different or out of the ordinary. You can use the Trident or Shuffle features as often as you'd like, but they have to recharge after each use.
There are the usual Blocked tiles and Obstructions such as Chains, Double Chains, Wooden Crates, Steel Crates etc as well as Blue Tiles that require making matches on them to remove. Each level has a different goal of removing a certain number of each type of tile, and that doesn't necessarily mean that you have to destroy all blue tiles if they aren't part of the goals. There are also special items to remove by dropping them to the bottom on some of the levels.
After each level, you can purchase Upgrades to restore the buildings that were damaged by the Earthquake. You begin with the Mages town and eventually move on to other places and rebuild those particular buildings and fountains. Most of the constructions require an upgrade at least once.
As I said earlier, I didn't have any sound issues or glitches and I had no issues with a sticky mouse or slow to respond features on my Windows 10 PC so you may just want to try the demo first to see if there's a compatibility issue. This isn't the greatest Match 3 game out there, but honestly, it isn't all that bad either.
ANGKOR MATCH 3 GAMES
Title***Release Date***Average Rating
Title***Release Date***Average Rating
1-Angkor (October 1-2010) 3.0
2-Angkor: Runefall (September 26-2018) n/a
2-Angkor: Runefall (September 26-2018) n/a
by: Ironcode Gaming Ltd.
Your brother's invention has made contact with aliens. Help him defeat an intergalactic invasion before the Earth is destroyed.
Overall rating
4
/
5
22 of 28 found this review helpful
WE REGRET TO INFORM YOU THAT THE ERADICATORS HAVE ARRIVED ON YOUR PLANET...RUN!!
PostedSeptember 25, 2018
pennmom36
fromTurns out my brother isn't all that special!
Skill Level:Expert
Current Favorite:
Abandoned: Chestnut Lodge Asylum
(219)Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
The Fading Signal was my least favorite story out of the series. I didn't find the plot to be all that unusual, and it certainly pales in comparison to the original storyline which was an amazing game. I was disappointed in the graphics more than anything, which seemed large and lacked detail. I realize the "targeted" audience is aging, but not all of us have vision issues, and I'm sure everyone still appreciates quality graphics. I don't understand why computer games can't be as awesome as they are on console games?
In the Collector's Edition version, there are 7 remaining Galactic Signs to find, 7 Location Morphs and 4 Hidden Object Scene Morphing Objects in the Bonus Chapter which is a sequel that takes place immediately after the story with the same 3 characters. There is a Treasure Hunt Room available where you search for 29 objects, 1 in each location. In my opinion, this is a fairly short game, I judge the length of the game by the number of pages in the Strategy Guide and there are 6 pages in the first chapter, 5 pages in the second, and 7 pages in chapters three, four and the Bonus Chapter as well. I haven't played the original game in quite a while, but I really thought it was a much longer game? Here's a recap of my review to help you decide which version if either, is right for you:
We are not alone in this universe, but are we ready for the truth? The truth is, our galaxy is plagued by a destructive force called The Contagion. A deadly contagion that destroys entire worlds, a contagion that's heading towards Earth! There's only one thing that can save the Earth from total annihilation, your twin brother Reggie... but unfortunately, he was abducted many years ago!
Another game, another gadget! At least this gadget seems more credible than a seashell used to talk to the elements. I think I'd find it less credible if I WERE able to communicate with an alien species without some type of technology, so I'll give this gadget a pass. Other than puzzles that are too simplistic and HO's that are unimpressive, the only complaint I have is that for an alien-themed game, there aren't very many aliens??? I want to catch glimpses of little grey aliens scurrying through the cornfields, I want to walk down the sidewalk looking into passer-by's eyes to see if they turn into lizard eyes when they blink, or just a black void of soullessness. Yes, I do watch too much sci-fi!
The Hidden Object Scenes are just average and could have been a tad more exciting. They are varied with Interactive List finds, Silhouetted Shape finds that uncover fragments, Keywords in Sentence (no voiceovers during the story part on some of them?) and Returning Misplaced Items into the scene. The only one I found to be fairly interesting was a Keyword find towards the end where you had to find Zodiac Constellations during a story, but most were as plain Jane as they come. In the Collector's Edition version, each Hidden Object Scene has a Morphing Object to find, and you can pick up Morphs you may have missed by re-playing the HOS in the CE extra's section. You can also earn up to 3 stars and improve your accuracy.
The Mini-Games are very easy-breezy and offer very little challenge which is really a shame. I did, however, like the fact that most of the puzzles were sci-fi theme related. Below are brief descriptions of some of the games you'll encounter during the demo:
1-Place torn photo fragments into the highlighted spaces x2.
2-Rotate the rings to match constellations shown x3.
3-Swap planets to their matching highlighted orbit slots.
4-Click through symbols until they match the symbol on the base x4.
5-Click on symbols from the least intricate to the most complex.
6-Swap tiles to connect identical symbols and paths.
7-Click on lights until they all turn green.
8-Click on the elliptic symbols on the glass to open the container.
2-Rotate the rings to match constellations shown x3.
3-Swap planets to their matching highlighted orbit slots.
4-Click through symbols until they match the symbol on the base x4.
5-Click on symbols from the least intricate to the most complex.
6-Swap tiles to connect identical symbols and paths.
7-Click on lights until they all turn green.
8-Click on the elliptic symbols on the glass to open the container.
The Collector's Edition has 8 Wallpapers, 7 Concept Art pictures with before/after slider bar, 12 Cover pictures (4 from each titled game) 36 Profile Icon pictures (characters) 10 Music Soundtracks, 9 Achievements to earn (most with 3 categories) 19 re-playable Hidden Object Scenes (with the ability to pick up any missed HO Morphs & Trophies) 29 Treasure Hunt Item Scenes, 48 Morphing Objects (19 Hidden Object Scene Morphs-29 Location Morphs) 29 Hidden Galaxy Icons, 4 Main Chapters +Bonus Chapter and a built-in Strategy Guide, enjoy saving the planet!
BEYOND SERIES LIST
Title***Standard Edition Release Date***Average Rating
Title***Standard Edition Release Date***Average Rating
1-Light Advent (August 23-2015) 4.4
2-Star Descendant (December 11-2016) 3.8
3-The Fading Signal (September 23-2018) 4.3
2-Star Descendant (December 11-2016) 3.8
3-The Fading Signal (September 23-2018) 4.3
By: Mad Head Games
I recommend this game!
Sam and Frank are back and this time they are commentating on the Solitaire Football League! Can you take the Solitaire City Juggernauts to the Ultrabowl?
Overall rating
5
/
5
58 of 62 found this review helpful
TOUCHDOWN!!!!
PostedSeptember 25, 2018
pennmom36
fromThe Hard Mode still says "low chance of finding hidden BASEBALL cards": tee hee hee lol!
Skill Level:Expert
Current Favorite:
Ancient Tripeaks II
(4)Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
When Home Run Solitaire was released, the first thing I said in my review was that I wasn't a baseball fan and that I had hopes that they would release a Football themed Solitaire game! Whether you're a Football fan or not, you'll still love this game because it's a really good Higher/Lower solitaire game with a ton of features.
There are 10 different Football themed card backs and 3 face card font options to choose from, you can even choose custom cursors, one of which is a giant foam pointer finger. I hate it when you are forced to play a tutorial level that makes you choose specific cards that the arrow points to, because they never let you choose all available cards in a chain combo, but this game allows you to opt out of the arrow hint, yet still continue with the tutorial!.
You can play in a Casual Mode with a high chance of special cards, and higher card points, a Normal Mode which gives you a normal chance for special cards and a normal point score, or a Hard Mode with a low chance of getting special cards, a lower point score and playing King to Ace and vice versa is not allowed. You can earn 4 Stars for a perfect game, and the levels can be replayed. The Goal for each level is to remove all cards that have a football on them, however, you continue to play for points until all cards have been removed or you have no deck cards remaining. There is a Star Meter that shows your progression, and each level gives you 1 Undo Feature.
There are 20 Achievements to earn, and there is a section that allows you to play Freeplay, Tri-Peaks and 5 Peaks Solitaire games. (which isn't as easy to win as the main game is) Combos start at 6 consecutive cards, and you can earn bonus coins if you play the same suit card.
There are Bonus Foundation Cards that show up, some give you extra Coins, some are Wildcards that can be used as any card number, but must be played. Jokers, however, turn into a specific numbered card and will be held on the right side until you use it.
Some cards allow you to play an immediate Mini-Game such as a Match 3 game or a Pair Matching game, a Cup & Nut variation where you keep your eye on the football card and select the correct card after they do a shuffle dance. There is a game that requires you to kick the football between the goal posts by clicking when the arrow is in the center, and you get 3 chances to make a goal.
Some Cards are blocked and can't be removed until you uncover it's counterpart, such as an Injured Player Card needs the First Aid Kit Card, the Goal Post Cards need a Football Card, The Official Card needs the Whistle Card, The Grass Covered Card needs the Lawn Mower Card, the Lock Card needs the Key Card and some card require being played Twice to remove it.
You can spend the cash you earn at the Shop to purchase 25 helpful cards and features. There's the usual Undo's, Shuffles, and Jokers as well as features that tell you how many Deck Cards remain, Reveal a percentage of face-down cards, increase the Multiplier, Earn more Points, Reduce the Combo requirements, alert you when you Miss a play, Add a Card, Remove a Card, add Helpful Cards, Increase Playable Cards and Joker chances etc.
This game has all the features I like in a Solitaire game, customizable difficulty modes, the ability to choose my own cards during the tutorial, High/Low solitaire type, the ability to continue playing after the special cards have been removed, and a Free Play section. Give it a try, even if you don't like football or sports in general, I think you'll enjoy this Solitaire game.
This game has all the features I like in a Solitaire game, customizable difficulty modes, the ability to choose my own cards during the tutorial, High/Low solitaire type, the ability to continue playing after the special cards have been removed, and a Free Play section. Give it a try, even if you don't like football or sports in general, I think you'll enjoy this Solitaire game.
SPORTS SOLITAIRE SERIES LIST
Title***Release Date***Average Rating
Title***Release Date***Average Rating
1-Home Run Solitaire (September 6-2017) 4.8
2-Touch Down Football Solitaire (September 25-2018) n/a
2-Touch Down Football Solitaire (September 25-2018) n/a
by: The Revills Game (Steven & Kylie Revill)
I recommend this game!
Indian Legends Solitaire
Go on a breathtaking solitaire adventure and discover the treasure of the lost city!
Overall rating
2
/
5
21 of 23 found this review helpful
JUST DIDN'T FLOAT MY ANCIENT ARTIFACT BOAT
PostedSeptember 24, 2018
pennmom36
fromA blue crystal is an ancient artifact?
Skill Level:Expert
Current Favorite:
Ancient Tripeaks II
(4)Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
2
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
Normally I love Solitaire games but when the demo ended I didn't feel a need to keep playing. This is just a take-it-or-leave-it kind of game with nothing really exciting going on, certainly nothing to write home about. If you like a Solitaire game with a ton of Power-up's that basically plays the game for you by removing entire rows and columns, you'll probably love this game, but I prefer to win levels by physically removing every card by luck of the draw (and of course some strategy) with perhaps the use of an occasional Joker, but at my discretion.
You can play this Higher/Lower Solitaire game in a Relaxed mode which gives you twice as many deck cards, or Expert mode, but in my opinion, it needed a middle ground. I played in Expert mode but most of the levels started out with an average of 15-20 cards and it was really difficult to remove all of the cards when you are only dealt a handful of cards at a time. If you don't remove all of the cards, you will be given the option to buy 15 extra cards, but you only have a few seconds to make your decision, which kind of takes away from the relaxation aspect of the Solitaire game.
On the left side of the screen, there are Bonuses that are available such as Jokers, Undo's, Shuffles, and a feature to Remove 1 Card of your choice, and an Explosion Card to destroy several selected cards. Every level has a specific goal or goals requirements to meet, and Power-up & Bonus Cards will be added to the field for each goal requirement completed. These include Horizontal and Vertical Slashers to remove the entire row or column, or a Bomb Explosion card to destroy surrounding cards.
There are the usual Blocked or Obstructed cards such as Frozen Cards that require two plays to remove, or Lock Cards that require you to uncover the Key Card etc. After 10 levels you get to play mini-games or hidden object scenes to break up the monotony.
As I said earlier, I'm not crazy about being forced to use bonus cards that remove most of the cards by exploding them instead of including them in long chains. I also found it very difficult to earn all 3 stars. There were times when I met 2 out of 3 goal requirements, (but not the required points) but because I had to click on the bonus cards that appeared as a reward for meeting 2 goals, it didn't allow me the chance to earn enough points by removing the cards in a higher/lower chain because they were all destroyed by the explosion, so I only earned two stars!
Check out the game to the left (current favorite) I think you'll find it to be much more fun!
I don't recommend this game.
Head on back to beautiful Pinecreek Hills and use your outdoor experience to help the rangers in this hidden object adventure!
Overall rating
5
/
5
194 of 223 found this review helpful
OH WHAT A FEELING TO GO ON ANOTHER VACATION TO PINECREEK HILLS PARK!
PostedSeptember 24, 2018
pennmom36
fromHappy Vacation Adventures Park Ranger Monday!
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
I look forward to my Vacation Adventures Cruise and my Vacation Adventures to the Pinecreek Hills Park every year. It may be an "old-school" HOG but I'm not school for cool and in my book, these games are really enjoyable! When I play games in this series, it's as if I'm returning to a familiar vacation destination, with a familiar family. I look forward to playing this game each and every year, and I'm never disappointed! If you haven't gotten onboard the Vacation Adventures train, you're totally missing out on an epic HO adventure, and the happy feeling you'll get, every time you play this game!
There are seek and find puzzles in scenes all around the park, and even scenes where you find multiples of similar or related objects. Each scene has several wildlife animals to find that are shown as silhouettes in a box to the left of the word search bar and when all the animals have been spotted, the box will close. You can even access a Wildlife Notebook to see illustrations of all the wildlife you have found. You will also recycle trash that is laying around, such as plastic bottles, crumpled paper, bottles and cans, when all trash has been found, the recycle can icon will be displayed and the bin will be full.
You will earn an Eagle Eye achievement if you don't use either the Hint or Mega Hint feature. The Magnifying Glass will show you a hint of one item and the Mega hint will show you the location of every item left to find. You earn a Bronze star for completing the search, a Silver star if you find all wildlife OR all recyclable items and a Gold star if you find all wildlife AND all recyclable items. Words listed in blue require an interaction of some type, and words in red are hidden inside or behind things, requiring you to click on an item to open it or move it, which will reveal the hidden item. Many of the scenes have an area that zooms in which will have several items within, that are on the list. Levels can be replayed at anytime to better your score or locate items you missed the first time.
My favorite feature in the Vacation Adventures games are the abundance of Mini Games available after each search & find scene, such as, Spot The Difference, Word Search, Match Two and several different styles of puzzles, rotating tiles and putting together maps and pictures with different shaped pieces.
You can use the money you earn playing the game, in the Souvenir Shop to purchase 16 vacation park souvenirs, everything you purchase is kept in a display case in the Souvenir Room, and you can earn Achievements Badges as well, happy camping, enjoy!
VACATION ADVENTURES: PARK RANGER SERIES
Title***Release Date***Average Rating
Title***Release Date***Average Rating
1-VA Park Ranger 1 (July 23-2013) 3.8
2-VA Park Ranger 2 (March 31-2014) 3.9
3-VA Park Ranger 3 (March 24-2015) 4.5
4-VA Park Ranger 4 (March 30-2016) 4.5
5-VA Park Ranger 5 (November 15-2016) 4.7
6-VA Park Ranger 6 (May 31-2017) 4.6
7-VA Park Ranger 7 (March 21-2018) 4.5
8-VA Park Ranger 8 (September 24-2018) n/a
2-VA Park Ranger 2 (March 31-2014) 3.9
3-VA Park Ranger 3 (March 24-2015) 4.5
4-VA Park Ranger 4 (March 30-2016) 4.5
5-VA Park Ranger 5 (November 15-2016) 4.7
6-VA Park Ranger 6 (May 31-2017) 4.6
7-VA Park Ranger 7 (March 21-2018) 4.5
8-VA Park Ranger 8 (September 24-2018) n/a
by: Casual Arts Games
I recommend this game!