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:
Can you and your beloved escape a mad composer in time?
Overall rating
4
/
5
79 of 96 found this review helpful
WHERE IS THE DARK ROMANCE?
PostedJuly 26, 2018
pennmom36
fromThe Phantom of the Opera is based upon Erik born w/ a disfigured face, abandoned at 8, helped build the Opera Garnier, & rejected by a performer. During renovations his body was found in a secret room he had built, starved to death & heartbroken!
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
A Performance To Die For is a Domini adaptation of The Phantom of the Opera, originally a series of articles published followed by a novel in 1911, which incredibly, wasn't popular and went out of print. As my fun fact to the left points out, the character is based upon a real person and a real tragedy. The Phantom of the Opera was a man named Erik who helped to construct the Opera and was given his own Box 5. He was rejected by one of the singers at the opera which resulted in his suicide. From his personal box, he fell hopelessly in love, surely convincing himself that she noticed him as well and that the love was mutual. He certainly must have felt that she was as much a part of his life, as she was his, as he watched her amazing performances day after day, it truly was A Performance To Die For!
So as my title asks the question, Where's the Dark Romance? Isn't the Phantom of the Opera supposed to be starstruck in love with the performer? Shouldn't the story be played as the starstruck Phantom and the singer, not the fiance & fiancee?
Oh well, maybe I should write these stories lol. As usual, Dark Romance is one of the few games that has the feature of playing the game with a split personality (how cool would that be!?) actually as playing the game from both character perspectives, as Christine Burns, the singer who has just gotten engaged, and as fiance Raul Delacroix. Fortunately, that's the only gadget, and it's a good gadget to have! There are Opera Posters and Theater Props to collect as well as not so hidden Crystals to find which allows you to virtually buy virtual items for your virtual dressing room. This game has 6 fairly long chapters and the Bonus Chapter is even longer, you get your moneys worth from this game. I loved the Story (although it shouldn't have included the fiance) and I'm not a fan of the blue-green-purple, blurpuleen color hues they can't seem to curb on their games. I felt the game presented no real challenge either, which kept me from "loving" this game. This is a TO-DO kind of game for me personally. When you can finish the demo without pausing to think about what TO-DO, where TO-DO it, or how TO-DO it, you can pretty much count on being able TO-DO everything easily throughout the game.
Oh well, maybe I should write these stories lol. As usual, Dark Romance is one of the few games that has the feature of playing the game with a split personality (how cool would that be!?) actually as playing the game from both character perspectives, as Christine Burns, the singer who has just gotten engaged, and as fiance Raul Delacroix. Fortunately, that's the only gadget, and it's a good gadget to have! There are Opera Posters and Theater Props to collect as well as not so hidden Crystals to find which allows you to virtually buy virtual items for your virtual dressing room. This game has 6 fairly long chapters and the Bonus Chapter is even longer, you get your moneys worth from this game. I loved the Story (although it shouldn't have included the fiance) and I'm not a fan of the blue-green-purple, blurpuleen color hues they can't seem to curb on their games. I felt the game presented no real challenge either, which kept me from "loving" this game. This is a TO-DO kind of game for me personally. When you can finish the demo without pausing to think about what TO-DO, where TO-DO it, or how TO-DO it, you can pretty much count on being able TO-DO everything easily throughout the game.
The Hidden Object Scenes are a bit scarce, and unfortunately, they aren't very impressive. In the demo, there are only a few, the first was a multi-layered scene with Silhouetted Shape finds and an Interactive Listed item find, followed by a Reversed HO scene where you had to take items from the inventory bar and place them into the scene where they logically fit, which were super obvious and not very challenging. You can opt to play a Match 3 Game if you're not thrilled with the HOP's.
I like the fact that Domini always gives you two difficulty mode options on their Mini-Games, Easy and Hard, but wouldn't it be really cool if you could play the game in both modes? I'd love to be able to solve the game on the Easy Mode, and then turn around and complete the same game on the hard mode if I so desired. I realize this game offers re-playable mini-games, but not all of them are offered, and you don't have that option in the SE version. Below are brief descriptions of some of the games you'll encounter during the demo:
1-Move 4 puzzle pieces to the center in the correct order.
2-Guide a ball through the symbol w/o touching the sides.
3-Use the magnifying glass to locate the numbers shown.
4-Untangle the ghostly chains.
5-Light all handcuff components, one may affect others.
6-Swap tiles to complete image, select the knob to change positions.
7-Swap and rotate tiles to complete the image.
8-Apply make-up to match the mirror's reflection.
9-Flip 2 tiles at a time to find matching pairs.
10-Restore the image by selecting a central tile on a disc to rotate the tiles.
2-Guide a ball through the symbol w/o touching the sides.
3-Use the magnifying glass to locate the numbers shown.
4-Untangle the ghostly chains.
5-Light all handcuff components, one may affect others.
6-Swap tiles to complete image, select the knob to change positions.
7-Swap and rotate tiles to complete the image.
8-Apply make-up to match the mirror's reflection.
9-Flip 2 tiles at a time to find matching pairs.
10-Restore the image by selecting a central tile on a disc to rotate the tiles.
This Collector's Edition version has 10 Wallpapers, 10 Concept Art pictures, 5 Music Soundtracks, 42 Movie Cutscene Videos, 18 re-playable Hidden Object Scenes, 24 re-playable Mini-Games, 36 Achievements to earn, Missing Journal Notes to discover, 15 Opera Posters and 15 Theater Props to collect, 15 Dressing Room items to buy with 48 collectible Crystals (note: you can opt to disable the "extra indicator icons" in the Custom Setting Mode, otherwise, icons will glow when a collectible is available in that scene or zoom zone) 6 Main Chapters +Bonus Chapter (very long BC!)
DARK ROMANCE SERIES LIST
Title***Collector's Edition Release Date***Average Rating
Title***Collector's Edition Release Date***Average Rating
1-Vampire in Love (February 8-2014) 3.9
2-Heart of the Beast (April 23-2015) 3.8
3-The Swan Sonata (October 17-2015) 3.4
4-Kingdom of Death (April 21-2016) 3.9
5-Curse of Bluebeard (October 13-2016) 4.7
6-Romeo and Juliet (February 25-2017) 2.7
7-The Monster Within (September 7-2017) 3.9
8-Winter Lily (January 18-2018) 4.0
9-A Performance to Die For (July 26-2018) n/a
2-Heart of the Beast (April 23-2015) 3.8
3-The Swan Sonata (October 17-2015) 3.4
4-Kingdom of Death (April 21-2016) 3.9
5-Curse of Bluebeard (October 13-2016) 4.7
6-Romeo and Juliet (February 25-2017) 2.7
7-The Monster Within (September 7-2017) 3.9
8-Winter Lily (January 18-2018) 4.0
9-A Performance to Die For (July 26-2018) n/a
by Domini Games
I recommend this game!
Camelot has found a new ally, but needs your help to secure the alliance!
Overall rating
5
/
5
106 of 115 found this review helpful
CAMELOT STILL AWAITS
PostedJuly 25, 2018
pennmom36
fromFYI: you can unlock an extra mini-game, but first, you have to figure out where it's hidden!
Skill Level:Expert
Current Favorite:
The Chronicles of Emerland Solitaire
(147)Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
I waited 3 long years to return to Camelot, but this game was worth the wait! The graphics are decent, but I wasn't blown away by them, but that's not a deal-breaker for me in a solitaire game. You can play in a Normal or Hard difficulty mode and choose from 5 Card Graphic Design themes and 3 Font styles. There are 16 Trophy Awards available, and you can download 16 Wallpapers as you earn Stars playing the Higher/Lower Solitaire Game.
As you play the Solitaire levels, you will earn resources such as Gold, Food, and Building supplies that will allow you to build the Elven city, houses, bridges, gardens, quarries and even markets to trade goods. After each level, you will return to the elven city where you can click on the resources the previous purchases produced for a constant supply of resources that will allow you to build other structures and hire more workers.
You can purchase 32 different Bonuses in the shop to give you extra undo's, wildcards, and even the privilege to see the next deck card, how man cards remain or even a guaranteed playable first card on every level!
There are Obstacle Cards that require you to uncover the Tool Cards such as Lock & Key Cards, Weed & Sickle Cards, Fire & Ice Cards, Rock & Hammer Cards, Ice & Snow Cards. Tangled Vine Cards require you to play the card twice to remove it, and Suit Cards require you to remove specific Suit Cards of a specific number. Blessed Cards counts as double on the Combo Meter, Cursed Cards don't count as a card being played. With the Growth Counter Card, each time you play a card or flip a deck card, the counter will drop by 1, when it reaches 0, a new card will be added to the board so you'll want to remove this card quickly. Bandit Cards are similar, while it is on the board, each card flipped or played will drop by 1, when it reaches 0, the Bandit will steal 1 card from the deck pile, so you will want to remove this card as soon as possible as well.
I'm a solitaire fan, and this game meets all of my personal requirements, Higher/Lower type, Replayable Levels, the ability to remove all cards, not just special cards, good bonuses available at doable prices, great obstacles, and features, and it's fun to play. I'm going to purchase this game for sure. Camelot awaits! Enjoy :)
AVALON LEGENDS SOLITAIRE SERIES
Title***Release Date***Average Rating
AVALON LEGENDS SOLITAIRE SERIES
Title***Release Date***Average Rating
1-Avalon Legends Solitaire 1 (April 19-2011) 4.3
2-Avalon Legends Solitaire 2 (May 4-2015) 4.6
3-Avalon Legends Solitaire 3 (July 25-2018) n/a
2-Avalon Legends Solitaire 2 (May 4-2015) 4.6
3-Avalon Legends Solitaire 3 (July 25-2018) n/a
by: AnaWiki Games
I recommend this game!
Guide Hika-Ri and Kao-Ri on the adventure of their lives and enjoy countless hours of time management fun on the enchanted island of Tapa-Tui!
Overall rating
4
/
5
57 of 63 found this review helpful
THE MOAI SERIES IS GETTING COMPLICATED LATELY
PostedJuly 24, 2018
pennmom36
fromNot as challenging as #5, but not as frustrating either!
Skill Level:Expert
Current Favorite:
Haunted Domains
(48)Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
The Moai series has always been one of my favorite Time Management games. The graphics are always good, the tasks and goals are interesting and because you have to use strategy, it makes the game more fun to play. My only concern is that the last couple of games have been much more challenging and somewhat complicated because they've added so many different features. I just hope they don't go overboard with it because I like the fact that these game aren't just a click-fest. You can play in Casual Mode which is untimed, or Normal Mode, and there are 45 Levels and 20 Bonus Levels available.
Each level has Treasure Chests available which contain valuable artifacts and bonuses such as the Sandals of Speed which give the Moai a little more speed to get the job done. There are several different Artifacts to earn that will help you progress, and they can be upgraded twice. The Artifacts are kept in your backpack and you can equip up to 6 items to apply before each level. These artifacts increase resources or productivity of food, stone, wood, gold, iron, or workers and some will decrease the time it takes to recharge. Potions can be crafted once you have collected the ingredients such as a Grain Grower Potion to grow grain faster, a Stone Dresser Potion to speed up quarry production, a Woodcutter Potion to increase sawmill productivity, a Blacksmith Potion to increase the speed of the forge, a Goldminer Potion to increase the speed of mining gold, or a Healing Potion to heal settlers near altars.
There are the standard Time Management tasks to remove obstructions and weeds from pathways, fill in holes along the paths, plant crops for food, harvesting breadfruits, fishing for food, building sawmills and cutting trees for wood, quarries to produce stone, gold mines to build, repair destroyed property, fix broken bridges, collect resources, trade goods at the market and from merchants. Some of the building sites give you the choice of which building to construct, and you'll have to build them strategically in order to complete level goals. (and sometimes build for a period of time and then destroy and build a different type) Trading items with merchants also have several options as well as quantities, which are super exciting, especially when playing in a Timed mode, it truly gets the adrenaline flowing!
Normally, my opinion is that a CE version of a Time Management game is a waste of money, however, this game is somewhat complicated and can benefit from the built-in Strategy Guide. This particular SG is actually quite thorough, it gives a recap of the Goals in a suggestive form, tells you the amount of starting resources, gives you tips to help you strategize, and of course, step-by-step instructions for each level. I referred to the SG several times just to figure out the Haystacks and Signs feature that reveal fruit baskets.
This Collector's Edition has 5 Wallpapers (which are actually vivid and colorful for a change) 10 Character Pictures with bios, 11 Music Soundtracks +Main Theme, 62 Achievements to earn, 45 Main Levels +20 Bonus Levels, and a built-in Strategy Guide, (click on the menu button on the top left of each level and select the guide tab) enjoy!
I recommend this game!
Visit lands from tropical beaches to the peaks of the highest mountains! Solve puzzles to discover a world full of new and familiar memories!
Overall rating
5
/
5
62 of 75 found this review helpful
FLINTSTONES MEET THE JETSONS
PostedJuly 23, 2018
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Kudos to the developers of this game. I knew this game was going to be different from the title alone, it's what you'd expect to happen when Fred and Wilma meet George, mind blown! The graphics are beautiful, the picture images are identifiable and labeled afterward, and the challenge is right in the sweet spot. I have just one tiny complaint...some of the puzzles have colors that are either too similar when used next to each other, like black and slate gray, or when they used a tan or white color which made it difficult to tell if the cells were filled in or not, but maybe it was just me?
The genius devs added a feature that had me saying "duh, how come nobody thought of this before?" You can play in a normal picross difficulty mode with immediate solving in the Journey mode, a difficult Brain Heat variant mode where the numbers are only crossed off when the entire row/column has been completed OR the Tea Time mode where it doesn't matter if you make mistakes...this makes this game have a great replay value, play in relaxed mode when you want to chillax or play in hardcore when you're feeling unchallenged, congrats devs for a bright and original idea!
I guess I have 2 complaints now that I think about it, there are bonuses available that recharge when you uncover gems on the grid as cells fill in, but I have no idea what most of them do. I usually don't use bonuses or power-ups because I like to solve the puzzle on my own, but because there were no explanations or instructions that I could find, I clicked on the green bottle or potion, and it filled in an entire row that I had chosen to use it on. There are 4 total, and maybe I just didn't find the description, but if there truly aren't, it would be nice to know.
There are 100 levels and in my opinion, the challenge was great from the get-go and I loved the varying board sizes. The colors to choose between aren't bubbles, they look like a paint palette used in the town of Bedrock lol, happy griddling!
I recommend this game!
Make your way by clearing tiles as you jump your way to victory in this beautiful and unique puzzle game!
Overall rating
3
/
5
17 of 17 found this review helpful
EXTENTION OF HEX ONE?
PostedJuly 22, 2018
pennmom36
fromGoya is a beautiful word from the Urdu language that has no direct translation in English. In essence, it means when one is so immersed in a fantasy that for them it becomes reality.
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
I wasn't over-excited about the first Hex game because it was cool at first, but the repetitiveness made it boring pretty quickly for me personally. I didn't notice anything new in this second edition, so if you purchased the first game, I'm not sure there would be a need for Hex 2?
The goal is to clear all of the hexagons with the exception of the white ones which can be jumped on without disappearing. Gray tiles will turn black the first time you land on it and disappears the second time you land on it. All available jump moves are highlighted, and you can jump one tile or two tiles. As you progress, more hex colors are added, and the gaps between the hex tiles widen and the patterns become more complex.
This is one of those games that requires you to click the replay button to restart the level, several times because you'll rarely solve it on the first attempt! If you like problem-solving games and don't mind having to restart the levels over and over, this is the perfect game for you, but it was just an okay game for me personally.
Hex 1 & 2 by Studio Goya
Can you escape a madman’s grasp before it’s too late?
Overall rating
4
/
5
42 of 46 found this review helpful
A-MAZE-ING JOB OF BRAIN STEALING
PostedJuly 22, 2018
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Jane Patrick is just an ordinary Math teacher who just put in a full and exhausting day at work. It's late, it's raining and visibility is poor so her senses are on high alert. Jane was prepared for just about anything, but what happens next. In the blink of an eye, Jane finds herself the victim of a maniacal and twisted experiment, when she awakens as a patient at the long-abandoned Mountain View Asylum. Run all you'd like Jane, but you'll never truly escape this Maze of Stolen Minds!
Finally! A decent game with no Gadgets Involved! You will, however, get to make "Choices" during your Maze experiences, such as Fight or Flight, if you make the wrong choice you'll have to play the scene again making the opposite choice. There is also a "Sanity Meter" at the top of the screen, which is simply an attempt to give the game a sense of urgency. The graphics at times seemed cartoonish, and there are a ton of logic fails that for me personally, somewhat took away from the realism, because some of them were just hilarious. Does a round pole fit inside a square opening? Why yes it does! Is there such a thing as vermin spray? Why yes there is! This place looks abandoned do you not see the man on the mower I'm speaking with? Apparently not!
The Hidden Object Scenes are not scarce, but in comparison to the massive number of mini-games, they do fall a bit short. They are typical HOP's for MHG, with the majority being Silhouetted Shape finds, but most are multi-layered with at least 2 different styles. There is Listed Item finds and Multiple Item finds, and several smaller Zoom-Zone HOP's to find 5-6 Silhouetted Shaped objects. One of my favorite HOP's was finding 12 "Monsters" in a dark scene with just a beam of light, I have to give kudos to these guys for making me jump several times during the game! In the Collector's Edition version, each HOP has a Morphing Object to find, some of which were not so easy to spot. If you forget to look for the Morph, you can go into the CE extra re-playable HOP's to pick them up.
The Mini-games are decent, but this game is an extremely puzzle heavy game, so if you aren't into mini-game puzzles, you probably won't like this game. Below are brief descriptions of some of the games you'll encounter during the demo:
1-Turn all of the red lights green by turning the valves, 1 can affect others.
2-Click rapidly until the meter bar fills up.
3-Click when the small circle is inside the larger circle to abolish the ghosts.
4-Rotate the plates to allow the bar to slide, 1 can affect others.
5-Rotate discs to move tokens to their matching colored slots.
6-Click the hand rapidly to fill the meter.
7-Drag 4 rings to complete the image.
8-Use directional arrows to guide the raft and avoid obstacles.
9-Place torn map fragments into the correct highlighted spaces.
10-Swap the trophies until all lights turn green.
11-Select and drag wires the correct number of connections per node.
12-Place the knobs in their correct spaces based on color and shape.
13-Move the plates into their matching colored discs.
14-Click when the small circle is inside the large circle to abolish ghosts.
2-Click rapidly until the meter bar fills up.
3-Click when the small circle is inside the larger circle to abolish the ghosts.
4-Rotate the plates to allow the bar to slide, 1 can affect others.
5-Rotate discs to move tokens to their matching colored slots.
6-Click the hand rapidly to fill the meter.
7-Drag 4 rings to complete the image.
8-Use directional arrows to guide the raft and avoid obstacles.
9-Place torn map fragments into the correct highlighted spaces.
10-Swap the trophies until all lights turn green.
11-Select and drag wires the correct number of connections per node.
12-Place the knobs in their correct spaces based on color and shape.
13-Move the plates into their matching colored discs.
14-Click when the small circle is inside the large circle to abolish ghosts.
The Collector's Edition version has 12 Wallpapers, 3 Concept Art pictures, 8 Character Gallery Pictures, 5 Music Soundtracks, 20 re-playable Hidden Object Scenes & # 20 is the best, so play that one first! a Bonus Token Game and an Ultimate HOP (can collect HOP Morphs you missed) 10 Achievements to earn, 9 Wrong Choices option (shows you stats), 28 Scene Morphing Objects, 19 Hidden Object Morphs, 28 Hidden Brains, a Journal with Objectives, Clues and Time Played, 4 Main Chapters +Bonus Chapter and a built-in Strategy Guide, enjoy! (hurry before they steal your mind too)
MAZE SERIES LIST
Title***Standard Edition Release Date***Average Rating
Title***Standard Edition Release Date***Average Rating
1-Subject 360 (August 30-2015) 4.5
2-The Broken Tower (November 6-2016) 4.6
3-Nightmare Realm (September 10-2017) 3.6
4-Stolen Minds (July 22-2018) n/a
2-The Broken Tower (November 6-2016) 4.6
3-Nightmare Realm (September 10-2017) 3.6
4-Stolen Minds (July 22-2018) n/a
by: Mad Head Games
I recommend this game!
Find the double agent in H.E.L.P. before it’s too late!
Overall rating
2
/
5
75 of 92 found this review helpful
I COULD SAVE H.E.L.P A TON OF MONEY, I DO ALL THE WORK ANYWAY
PostedJuly 22, 2018
pennmom36
fromMayan cities had more than 100,000 inhabitants and existed for more than 2000 years and had over 30 languages and dialects. Mayans named their children based upon the day in which they were born.
Skill Level:Expert
Current Favorite:
Through Andrea's Eyes
(34)Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
I became so bored playing this game that it took me a whole day to finish playing the demo! For the first half of the demo, I spent the entire time running back and forth between scenes one and two, solving simplistic puzzles that apparently couldn't be solved by Dr. Zoey Right, one of H.E.L.P's best archaeologists! Once again Sam was just standing there, doing absolutely nothing, until once again, something happens to Sam. He is supposed to be the top dog at the agency but for the life of me, I can't understand why he got promoted a few games back because he gets foiled by the bad guy every time!?? If he doesn't get foiled, he gets hurt and becomes MIA. I was also completely surprised that the demo wrapped-up most of the storyline and revealed key features that would have made the plot more epic, had they not (you'll know what I mean when you get there)
Once again, the CE bling consists of 36 Collectible Rune Symbols, one in each scene. Once again, the signs are large and in charge, even if you forget to look for them, you won't miss them because they stick out like a sore thumb. In their defense, it's a bit hard to hide a Mayan Rune symbol in a modern day junkyard scene or classic diner, but on the other hand, they could have used a little creativity and pulled it off. The CE bling also includes a Morphing Object, yet, this dev has already abandoned the Morphs in each scene that they surprised us with, and once again, only included them within the HOS. Fellow Gran is spot on with the assessment that this game is a giant logic fail in every aspect, so I'll just leave that department to her, other than to say I always enjoy the humorous sarcasm.
The Hidden Object Scenes are better than the mini-games in my opinion, and I really enjoyed the Progressive, Interactive HOP inside the toy shop. It was one of the most innovative HO's I've ever seen created by this particular dev and was somewhat challenging with out of the box thinking required. There are several Keyword find types, as well as Silhouetted Shaped item finds, and in this CE version, each HOS has a Morphing Object to find
The Mini-Games are a bit scarce and not all that impressive, the HOS definitely outshined the puzzles on this game, which is something I rarely say nowadays. Below are brief descriptions of some of the games you'll encounter during the demo:
1-Click & drag glyphs on the right to the partial glyphs on the left.
2-Move cross-hairs to each incoming ring and hold to navigate.
3-Merge tiles so the combined numbers equal the sum of 10.
4-Select a sequence of moves to navigate w/o getting caught.
5-Align road sections to navigate the car, stopping to get fuel.
6-Select directional arrows to rotate cogs to match the key shape.
2-Move cross-hairs to each incoming ring and hold to navigate.
3-Merge tiles so the combined numbers equal the sum of 10.
4-Select a sequence of moves to navigate w/o getting caught.
5-Align road sections to navigate the car, stopping to get fuel.
6-Select directional arrows to rotate cogs to match the key shape.
This Collector's Edition version has 8 Wallpapers, 8 Concept Art pictures, 9 Music Soundtracks, 8 Movie Videos, 16 re-playable Mini-Games, 14 re-playable Hidden Object Scenes, 36 Hidden Rune Symbols, 16 Collectible Fact Cards, 12 Hidden Object Scene Morphing Objects, 24 Hidden Jigsaw Puzzle Piece Souvenirs in the Souvenir Room, 13 Achievements to earn, 4 Main Chapters +Bonus Chapter and a built-in Strategy Guide.
HIDDEN EXPEDITION SERIES LIST
Title***Collector's Edition Release Date***Average Rating
Title***Collector's Edition Release Date***Average Rating
1-Titanic SE only (July 22-2006) 3.6
2-Everest SE only (June 1-2007) 3.3
3-Amazon SE only (June 20-2008) 3.8
4-Devil's Triangle SE only (October 23-2009) 3.6
5-The Uncharted Islands (August 14-2011) 3.2
6-Smithsonian Hope Diamond (December 19-2013) *no longer available*
7-The Crown of Solomon (July 3-2014) 4.1
8-Smithsonian Castle (December 25-2014) *no longer available*
9-Dawn of Prosperity (August 27-2015) 3.7
10-The Fountain of Youth (January 7-2016) 4.3
11-Midgard's End (June 2-2016) 4.1
12-The Eternal Emperor (September 1-2016) 3.5
13-The Lost Paradise (December 22-2016) 3.7
14-The Pearl of Discord (April 8-2017) 3.8
15-The Curse of Mithridates (October 28-2017) 3.9
16-The Golden Secret (February 10-2018) 3.6
17-The Altar of Lies (July 21-2018) n/a
2-Everest SE only (June 1-2007) 3.3
3-Amazon SE only (June 20-2008) 3.8
4-Devil's Triangle SE only (October 23-2009) 3.6
5-The Uncharted Islands (August 14-2011) 3.2
6-Smithsonian Hope Diamond (December 19-2013) *no longer available*
7-The Crown of Solomon (July 3-2014) 4.1
8-Smithsonian Castle (December 25-2014) *no longer available*
9-Dawn of Prosperity (August 27-2015) 3.7
10-The Fountain of Youth (January 7-2016) 4.3
11-Midgard's End (June 2-2016) 4.1
12-The Eternal Emperor (September 1-2016) 3.5
13-The Lost Paradise (December 22-2016) 3.7
14-The Pearl of Discord (April 8-2017) 3.8
15-The Curse of Mithridates (October 28-2017) 3.9
16-The Golden Secret (February 10-2018) 3.6
17-The Altar of Lies (July 21-2018) n/a
by: Eipix Entertainment
I don't recommend this game.
Using the artifact of life, the gods created wonderful gardens in Egyptian land. Use your match 3 skills to make the gardens thrive one again!
Overall rating
4
/
5
75 of 82 found this review helpful
REMINDS ME OF THE CRADLE SERIES
PostedJuly 22, 2018
pennmom36
fromIt's been a long time since we've been offered a good Match 3 game!
Skill Level:Expert
Current Favorite:
Cradle of Egypt
(92)Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
The Cradle series is my all-time favorite Match 3 series and this game is really quite challenging as it progresses. You can play in Easy, Medium or Hard modes, and the goal of each level is to clear all of the colored cells by making at least one match over them, and sometimes 2-3 matches are required. You can earn up to 3 Stars per level, but you'll need to keep an eye on the star meter (which goes by the amount of time it takes you to meet the level goals unless playing on untimed mode) because you cannot replay any of the levels once completed, however, you can select the pause button to replay the level if you see that you have lost a star and want to try again to earn all 3.
There are lots of obstacles such as vined and double vined icons, and walls of sand to have to break through. The first several levels seem super easy, but as you progress, the board layouts become more narrow, similar to the cradle series boards and getting available matches becomes more scarce.
Larger matches will give you bonus power-ups on the board such as a mudball, water sphere or typhoon that will destroy tiles adjacent to them. As you progress, Spells and Power-ups are added to use whenever you want to use them, but they will need to be recharged before they can be used again.
After each Match 3 level, you will choose a Lotus that reveals points or bonuses, and you can buy items as well, but each item requires certain criteria to be met such as points, supplies, star rating's and even certain achievements to be met. There are also mini-games available such as a Hidden Object Scene, restoring torn fragments, or making matches of 2 identical patterned scarabs. This is a really fun Match 3 game, you should give it a try, enjoy!
I recommend this game!
Can you keep the past from destroying the present?
Overall rating
4
/
5
75 of 88 found this review helpful
OLD SCHOOL IS COOL!
PostedJuly 20, 2018
pennmom36
fromI like the collectibles and morphs in the CE better, but either game is super fun!
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Life may be on fast-forward at times, but at Hotel Victory life is on Rewind. Take a step back in time, to the good old days, and the good old HOG days of the earlier style of Mystery Case Files games, back when you were just a newly appointed Master Detective working for the Queen. Back to the days of Blackpool!
You need to make a major decision right from the get-go when you decide which difficulty mode you want to play in because there's no option to change it unless you start with a new profile! (but that's how it was in the beginning) You can play in a Relaxed mode, a Master Detective mode or a Custom mode. In the custom mode, you must make several choices that may seem confusing. You can set the Level Timer, Hint Recharge Time, Hint Charges (how many x's 1-5) Hint Time Penalty (10-60) and the Skip Time Penalty (10-120) I would suggest you play the first chapter on Easy mode to see if the game would be too difficult for you if it were on a Timed mode because you only get 20-30 minutes to solve each Case or Chapter, and that includes everything (HOGS, Door Super Games, Puzzles) There are 11 different chapters or "Cases"
The Hidden Object Scenes are really fantastic! That's right, I actually said the HOG's were fantastic and if you've read my reviews, I don't favor most HOP's lately! They are Interactive List finds with mini-games to solve. Each scene has a Morphing Object to find as well in the CE edition. You will receive Blueprint sections for completing the HOG's and once you complete the blueprint you will complete a Puzzle to make the key to unlocking the next door.
Unlocking the next Door (once you have made the Key) requires you to solve a Super Puzzle. This is the MCF famous Rube Goldberg puzzle where you must interact with the entire scene by fidgeting with several different and bizarre items like toasters, pipes, valves etc. There are 11 Door Super Puzzles and each Door puzzle has a hidden Electric Capacitor to find in the CE version.
The Collector's Edition version has 8 Wallpapers, Concept Art pictures, 6 Music Soundtracks, 7 Movie Videos, 36 re-playable HOG's, 11 re-playable Mini-0Games, a Diary (story added after each Case is solved) 13 Achievements to earn, 36 HOP Morphing Objects, 11 Electric Capacitors (within the Super Puzzles) 11 Case Chapters and a Bonus Chapter, enjoy your trip down memory lane!
MYSTERY CASE FILES SERIES LIST
Title***Collector's Edition Release Date***Average Rating
Title***Collector's Edition Release Date***Average Rating
1-Huntsville SE only (November 14-2005) 3.7
2-Prime Suspects SE only (April 6-2006) 3.8
3-Ravenhearst SE only (December 15-2006) 3.6
4-Madame Fate SE only (November 7-2007) 4.0
5-Return To Ravenhearst SE only (November 26-2008) 4.2
6-Dire Grove (November 25-2009) 4.7
7-13th Skull (November 25-2010) 4.4
8-Escape From Ravenhearst (November 23-2011) 3.6
9-Shadow Lake (November 20-2012) 2.6
10-Fate's Carnival (November 26-2013) 4.4
11-Dire Grove, Sacred Grove (November 25-2014) 3.6
12-Key To Ravenhearst (October 27-2015) 3.6
13-Ravenhearst Unlocked (November 24-2015) 3.5
14-Broken Hour (November 22-2016) 3.5
15-The Black Veil (March 23-2017) 3.0
16-The Revenant's Hunt (November 21-2017) 3.0
17-Rewind (June 21-2018) 3.4
2-Prime Suspects SE only (April 6-2006) 3.8
3-Ravenhearst SE only (December 15-2006) 3.6
4-Madame Fate SE only (November 7-2007) 4.0
5-Return To Ravenhearst SE only (November 26-2008) 4.2
6-Dire Grove (November 25-2009) 4.7
7-13th Skull (November 25-2010) 4.4
8-Escape From Ravenhearst (November 23-2011) 3.6
9-Shadow Lake (November 20-2012) 2.6
10-Fate's Carnival (November 26-2013) 4.4
11-Dire Grove, Sacred Grove (November 25-2014) 3.6
12-Key To Ravenhearst (October 27-2015) 3.6
13-Ravenhearst Unlocked (November 24-2015) 3.5
14-Broken Hour (November 22-2016) 3.5
15-The Black Veil (March 23-2017) 3.0
16-The Revenant's Hunt (November 21-2017) 3.0
17-Rewind (June 21-2018) 3.4
by: Eipix Entertainment
I recommend this game!
The killer from an unsolved case returns for more blood!
Overall rating
3
/
5
111 of 133 found this review helpful
THE FIRST GRIM TALES I DIDN'T HUNGER FOR!
PostedJuly 19, 2018
pennmom36
fromIt's a good thing Anna doesn't work in a DNA crime lab, she's be bouncing all over the place like a ping-pong!
Skill Level:Expert
Current Favorite:
Through Andrea's Eyes
(34)Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
I love the Grim Tales series and I own all of them, (scroll down for series order) but this game was rather boring and way too easy. It has all the staple features Elephant can't seem to resist, magic oil that removes decades of rust instantly, instant ink revealer, missing clock hands, items in a sewer drain, cobwebs, tarps over a trailer. Have they run out of new ideas or do they just recycle the same scenes? Because they insist on using the same obvious tasks, this game can be done in your sleep...while you're dreaming....about an entirely different game!
Daddy Richard has returned and honestly, he's the best part of this game. In case you haven't played any recent Grim Tales games, Daddy Richard is as dead as a doorknob! That doesn't stop him from joining your time-traveling adventure though, because Anna Gray takes Daddy Richard's skull with her wherever she goes, hey who doesn't right?
The Hidden Object Scenes are unimpressive and extremely easy to locate all items quickly. There are Keyword finds, Interactive List finds and Silhouetted Shape finds as well as several smaller zoom zone HOP's.
The Mini-Games are decent but some of them have vague instructions. Below are brief descriptions of some of the games you'll encounter during the demo:
1-Swap tokens along paths to matching related item slots.
2-Trace wires and enter the symbol for each number shown.
3-Move tokens to matching slots, tiles will change after touching them.
4-Restore the image by turning sections.
5-Turn wheels to enter each code and each image shown.
6-Navigate through the maze by pulling green levers to open barriers.
7-Swap tubes to their matching symbols.
8-Push all lock parts off the board until only 1 remains.
9-Arrange tiles so they match the shape & color of their slots.
2-Trace wires and enter the symbol for each number shown.
3-Move tokens to matching slots, tiles will change after touching them.
4-Restore the image by turning sections.
5-Turn wheels to enter each code and each image shown.
6-Navigate through the maze by pulling green levers to open barriers.
7-Swap tubes to their matching symbols.
8-Push all lock parts off the board until only 1 remains.
9-Arrange tiles so they match the shape & color of their slots.
This Collector's Edition has 8 Wallpapers, 8 Concept Art pictures, 3 Screensavers (once 34 Puzzle Pieces have been found) 5 Music Soundtracks, 17 Achievements to earn, Morphing Object in each scene, 11 Collectible Character Photographs, Archives, 3 Main Chapters +Bonus Chapter and a built-in Strategy Guide, enjoy!
GRIM TALES SERIES LIST
Title***Collector's Edition Release Date***Average Rating
Title***Collector's Edition Release Date***Average Rating
1-The Bride (August 4-2011) 3.9
2-The Legacy (January 5-2012) 4.6
3-The Wishes (July 12-2012) 4.5
4-The Stone Queen (January 3-2013) 3.9
5-Bloody Mary (August 1-2013) 4.3
6-The Vengeance (May 15-2014) 4.5
7-Color of Fright (November 6-2014) 3.7
8-The Final Suspect (May 16-2015) 4.0
9-Threads of Destiny (October 7-2015) 3.9
10-The Heir (February 25-2016) 4.3
11-Crimson Hollow (August 25-2016) 4.1
12-Graywitch (February 2-2017) 4.0
13-The White Lady (August 3-2017) 4.0
14-The Time Traveler (January 25-2018) 3.5
15-The Hunger (July 19-2018) n/a
2-The Legacy (January 5-2012) 4.6
3-The Wishes (July 12-2012) 4.5
4-The Stone Queen (January 3-2013) 3.9
5-Bloody Mary (August 1-2013) 4.3
6-The Vengeance (May 15-2014) 4.5
7-Color of Fright (November 6-2014) 3.7
8-The Final Suspect (May 16-2015) 4.0
9-Threads of Destiny (October 7-2015) 3.9
10-The Heir (February 25-2016) 4.3
11-Crimson Hollow (August 25-2016) 4.1
12-Graywitch (February 2-2017) 4.0
13-The White Lady (August 3-2017) 4.0
14-The Time Traveler (January 25-2018) 3.5
15-The Hunger (July 19-2018) n/a
by: Elephant Games