pennmom36's Profile
Stat Summary
- Average Rating:3.7
- Helpful Votes:358,445
- Reviews Submitted:4713
- First Review:December 10, 2012
- Most Recent Review:May 8, 2025
- Featured reviews0
Status:
Princess has disappeared, and her statues are under attack!
Overall rating
2
/
5
107 of 133 found this review helpful
LET ME TELL YOU A STORY ABOUT A GIRL NAMED PRINCESS AND A BOY NAMED PRINCE?????
PostedFebruary 24, 2018
pennmom36
fromDid you know that the first statue in the world is the Lowenmensch figurine located in the Swabian Alps in Germany, approximately 30,000-40,000 years old?
Skill Level:Expert
Current Favorite:
Phantasmat Collector's Edition
(100)Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
2
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
Once upon a time, there was a girl named Princess, which in itself isn't all that bad, but Princess meets a boy named Prince, what are the odds of that? Princess has a unique gift, a magical gift, a gift that allows her to turn any statue to life! Stone statues that can walk, talk, think, reason, and yes, they can even fly! These statues are so grateful (implying that they knew about their existence and their circumstance before being brought to life) that they become loyal servants to Princess, who isn't a Princess! One day Princess receives a letter from her secret lover Prince, who isn't a Prince, asking her to meet him in an abandoned part of town called Stone Peaks which we can only assume isn't a Stone Peak. Princess begins to suspect foul play because she has had dreams about Stone Peaks, which gives her an uneasy feeling of doom and gloom. So Princess writes a letter to her good friend Detective, who does indeed appear to be a Detective, asking for help, just in case this rendezvous has dire consequences. Princess doesn't expect you to fly solo, so she has sent along Sheriff, which isn't a Sheriff, the stone dog (shouldn't Sheriff be called Dog?) Together the Detective and the Sheriff begin sniffing out stone clues and chasing stone breadcrumbs, to find the person responsible for the nefarious no good plans, otherwise known as Villain!
I'm usually a huge Elephant Games fan, because in my opinion they have some of the most amazing graphics, and they almost always have Morphing Objects which is my favorite feature in a HOPA game. The Lord of Statues was an amazing game, Queen of Shadows wasn't a bad follow-up, but the last 3 games have really flatlined! I know a lot of people hate helpers, and I will admit that Sheriff becomes annoying and distracting when he starts twirling around in place. However, if he didn't twirl, I think it wouldn't be a bad addition, because he is rather adorable, and I would much rather have Sheriff as a helper, than to have to make potions in a Healer's kit, like the last game offered! This Collector's Edition version has 14 Collectible Dog Statues to find as well as a Morphing Object in each scene (the only reason I gave this game 2 stars instead of 1)
The Hidden Object Scenes are decent, although a couple of them had objects that stuck out like a sore thumb. There are Interactive List finds, Keywords in Sentence finds, and Silhouetted Shape finds. There are also several smaller Zoom Zone HOP's, but no alternate game is offered.
The Mini Games are okay, nothing new, and there are a lot of them, so if you don't like games that are heavy Puzzle games, you're definitely not going to enjoy this game. Below are brief descriptions of some of the games you'll encounter during the demo:
1) Swap tiles correctly based on their images.
2) Select the central clock hand arrows to swap two crown sections to match.
3) Rotate the triangular arrow in the right direction to the correct number according to the clue.
4) Arrange the runes to complete the symbols shown in the center.
5) Move all 4 keys to the slots in the middle of the board, by selecting the buttons on the edge with numbers showing how far it reaches.
6) Drag chains to their matching squares, dragging one chain may affect others.
7) Press the center arrow buttons to rotate triangles to their matching colored slots.
8) Move tokens to its associated picture, selecting one token may affect others.
9) Place bridle sections onto the correct highlighted slots.
10) Repeat the sequence by selecting stones in the correct order shown.
11) Select circle buttons to rotate and change the size of the images and drag the diamond shaped buttons to match the symbols.
This Collector's Edition version has 3 Screensavers, 14 Wallpapers, 14 Concept Art pictures, 5 Music Soundtracks (does anyone ever download this music?) 13 re-playable Hidden Object Scenes, 13 re-playable Mini Games, 18 Achievements, 14 Collectible Dog Statues, 30 Morphing Objects, a built in Strategy Guide and a Bonus Chapter.
Royal Detective Games Available
Title***Collector's Edition Release Date***Average Rating
Title***Collector's Edition Release Date***Average Rating
1-The Lord of Statues (June 14-2012) 4.7
2-Queen of Shadows (May 1-2014) 3.8
3-Legend of The Golem (February 4-2016) 4.2
4-Borrowed Life (February 11-2017) 3.7
5-The Princess Returns (February 24-2018) n/a
2-Queen of Shadows (May 1-2014) 3.8
3-Legend of The Golem (February 4-2016) 4.2
4-Borrowed Life (February 11-2017) 3.7
5-The Princess Returns (February 24-2018) n/a
by: Elephant Games
Elephant Games Available:
Royal Detective*Grim Tales*Christmas Stories*Surface*Chimeras*Halloween Stories*Haunted Hotel*Midnight Calling*MCF (Dire Grove, Sacred Grove & Fate's Carnival)*Riddles of Fate*Hallowed Legends*Death Pages*Unfinished Tales*Detective Quest*Found*Urban Legends*Lost In The City*Super Granny Run*Quark Attack*Up Balloon Up*Ball Craft*Wise Gal*Love Is*Real Stories*Bloom*RIP Trilogy*Road Rush*Jungle Heart*Avalon*Just Bones*Sir Match A-Lot*Ship of Bones*Masquerade Mysteries*
Royal Detective*Grim Tales*Christmas Stories*Surface*Chimeras*Halloween Stories*Haunted Hotel*Midnight Calling*MCF (Dire Grove, Sacred Grove & Fate's Carnival)*Riddles of Fate*Hallowed Legends*Death Pages*Unfinished Tales*Detective Quest*Found*Urban Legends*Lost In The City*Super Granny Run*Quark Attack*Up Balloon Up*Ball Craft*Wise Gal*Love Is*Real Stories*Bloom*RIP Trilogy*Road Rush*Jungle Heart*Avalon*Just Bones*Sir Match A-Lot*Ship of Bones*Masquerade Mysteries*
I don't recommend this game.
Experience the wonderful world of The Far Kingdoms and complete unique solitaire challenges to retrieve the elixir and save your sister!
Overall rating
5
/
5
67 of 77 found this review helpful
THE FAR KINGDOMS ALWAYS HAVE A NICE STORY TO ACCOMPANY A RELAXING SOLITAIRE GAME
PostedFebruary 23, 2018
pennmom36
fromAnother Princess needs my help, it's exhausting!
Skill Level:Expert
Current Favorite:
Phantasmat Collector's Edition
(100)Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Far Kingdoms have always been among my favorite Solitaire games, they have all the features I like, beautiful music, and a somewhat decent story as you progress.
This is a Higher/Lower type Solitaire game that allows you to replay any level. I like the fact that I get to remove all cards from the board, not just those annoying "special" cards. You can earn up to 3 Stars, and there are 10 Trophies to earn. Combos start at 5 cards, and there is a Card Counter icon, and an Undo icon, that starts each level with 1, additional's can be purchased in the shop (located on the bottom right)
In the Shop you can purchase items to help you beat a level, and the good news is that they are cheap to buy, however, you can only use them at that exact moment, they can't be saved.
As you progress, there are obstacles that require special tool cards such as a Sword to cut Vined cards, a Hammer to crush Stone cards, Locked cards that require making a Combo of a specific amount, and Chained cards that require two plays to remove them. (once to remove chains, a second time to remove the card itself)
THE FAR KINGDOMS GAMES AVAILABLE
Title***Release Date***Genre***Average Rating
Title***Release Date***Genre***Average Rating
1-The Far Kingdoms: November 13-2013 (Hidden Object) 3.1
2-Winter Solitaire: September 9-2014 (Solitaire) 3.6
3-Elements: November 24-2014 (Hidden Object/Match 3) 3.4
4-Age of Solitaire: April 13-2015 (Solitaire) 3.9
5-Sacred Grove Solitaire: December 29-2015 (Solitaire) 4.0
6-Magic Mosaics: April 11-2016 (Mosaic Griddler) 4.0
7-Forgotten Relics: April 4-2017 (Solitaire) 3.5
8-Garden Mosaics: October 2-2017 (Mosaic Griddler) 3.2
9-Spooky Mosaics: October 23-2017 (Mosaic Griddler) 4.3
10-Awakening Solitaire: February 23-2018 (solitaire) n/a
2-Winter Solitaire: September 9-2014 (Solitaire) 3.6
3-Elements: November 24-2014 (Hidden Object/Match 3) 3.4
4-Age of Solitaire: April 13-2015 (Solitaire) 3.9
5-Sacred Grove Solitaire: December 29-2015 (Solitaire) 4.0
6-Magic Mosaics: April 11-2016 (Mosaic Griddler) 4.0
7-Forgotten Relics: April 4-2017 (Solitaire) 3.5
8-Garden Mosaics: October 2-2017 (Mosaic Griddler) 3.2
9-Spooky Mosaics: October 23-2017 (Mosaic Griddler) 4.3
10-Awakening Solitaire: February 23-2018 (solitaire) n/a
by: Lazy Turtle Games
Lazy Turtle Games Available:
The Far Kingdoms*Mystery Expedition*Artifacts of Eternity*The Count of Monte Cristo*Mystery Chronicles*Eternity*Abandoned (Chestnut Lodge Asylum)
The Far Kingdoms*Mystery Expedition*Artifacts of Eternity*The Count of Monte Cristo*Mystery Chronicles*Eternity*Abandoned (Chestnut Lodge Asylum)
I recommend this game!
Save the citizens of Rivershire from a terrible plague!
Overall rating
4
/
5
83 of 119 found this review helpful
DEMONS BEGONE!
PostedFebruary 22, 2018
pennmom36
fromDid you know that kerosene was invented in 1846 as a substitute for whale oil?
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Apparently the citizens of the Tar Empire could use a snickers bar, because they are becoming little demons with a big attitude. It's a good thing I'm immune to any and all diseases, because this demonic plague transforms an average adult into a horned beast with green glowing eyes. Six inch horns protruding from almost every inch of their bodies, apparently has no lifelong complications once healed, not even a scar remains, but then again, I am THE Honored Healer!
I've got everything I need to perform this exorcism, Healer's Kit, check! All seeing Diagnostic Lens (aka: magnifying glass, hey, I'm not Wonder Woman), check! A Quill that magically writes and draws pictures with several different colors at the same time without needing ink, check! A Dagger given to me by a warrior guard to defend myself upon this dangerous mission, check....cancel that check, because I discard it after one use, and have to revert to burning ropes when I could have just hung onto the dagger! So now I mount my trusty steed, hoping he doesn't catch the plague, otherwise it's going to be a miserable road trip. I ditched my dagger for some odd reason, but I hung onto a small metal pin, because my healing ability senses told me I'd need to fix a door hinge, and I was spot on, I did indeed need a door hinge pin on my first leg of the journey! After curing a very grateful healer, I wave goodbye and continue my journey, why not, two healers is just a crowd right? My next stop is at the witches hut, which was weird, why? Well, the witch wasn't able to whip up her own witch hazel wellness cure, which was worth wondering about when I realized her witchy witch-hut was locked from the inside...this is going to be a long journey!
Normally, I'm not a fan of recipe making mini games, because there's usually no skill involved, it usually entails throwing ingredients into a cauldron in a specific order, and half the time it doesn't allow you to place the wrong ingredient in the wrong order. However, I don't mind the Healer's Kit mini game as much, because at least you have to make educated guesses. The first step, is to use the Diagnostic Lens to examine the patient, which cannot be done incorrectly, because it glows a reddish-pink to alert you to click on an area you can basically already see with the naked eye. After zooming into the affected area, you have to click once again to select it, which automatically queues that magic quill to jot down the findings in the Healer's Book. Now that you've made a diagnosis, that same magical quill draws some beautifully detailed pictures in every color imaginable, of the ingredients you'll need whip up a demon hex cure. Once you have found all of the ingredients, you open up the Healer's Kit, and play a mini game to complete the potion, which for some reason is different with every patient?
The Hidden Object Scenes are varied with Silhouetted Shape finds, Interactive list finds, Keywords in Sentence finds, and replacing items correctly back into the scene. There are also several smaller Zoom Zone HOP's, and there is an alternate Match 3 game available.
The Mini Games are available in either an Easy or Hard mode. Below are brief descriptions of some of the games you'll encounter during the demo:
1) Diagnostic Lens games where you find and click on several suspicious areas to determine the illness. (repeated throughout the game)
2) Healer's Kit games where you must place the ingredients into the Kits device, where you think they logically belong, and press the play button to see if you are correct. (repeated several times throughout the game)
3) Guide your horse through a maze while avoiding the monsters.
4) Move the bronze tile through all cells using all arrowed tiles to direct the bronze tile.
5) Connect all the dots without overlapping.
6) Move the center arrow to light all symbols, by clicking the 3 clockwise or 4 counterclockwise buttons to move the arrow that number and direction.
7) Reassemble the symbols by rotating discs.
8) Select buttons to swap tiles to match the clue shown.
9) Choose the correct cup that contains a butterfly wing in a cup shuffle game 3 times.
10) Repeat the sequence of flashes the demon makes.
This Collector's Edition version has 10 Wallpapers, 10 Concept Art pictures, 5 Music Soundtracks, 17 re-playable Hidden Object Scenes, 17 re-playable Mini Games, 26 Achievements to earn, 15 Collectible Creature Eggs (click to hatch within the Medico Imperium) 15 Collectible Medallions (represents a different theater personality) 76 Hidden Coins (used to buy 15 Magic Lab items) a built in Strategy Guide and a Bonus Chapter, enjoy!
ENCHANTED KINGDOM GAMES AVAILABLE
Title***Collector's Edition Release Date***Average Rating
Title***Collector's Edition Release Date***Average Rating
1-A Dark Seed (April 6-17) 3.9
2-A Stranger's Venom (September 28-17) 3.7
3-Fog of Rivershire (February 22-2018) n/a
2-A Stranger's Venom (September 28-17) 3.7
3-Fog of Rivershire (February 22-2018) n/a
by: Domini Games
Domini Games Available
Dark Romance*Labyrinths of the World*The Christmas Spirit*Mystery Tales*Enchanted Kingdom*The Curio Society*Travel Adventures*Island of Death*In Search of the Lost Temple*Mysteries of Ancient Inventors*The World's Legends
Dark Romance*Labyrinths of the World*The Christmas Spirit*Mystery Tales*Enchanted Kingdom*The Curio Society*Travel Adventures*Island of Death*In Search of the Lost Temple*Mysteries of Ancient Inventors*The World's Legends
I recommend this game!
1001 Jigsaw World Tour: Great America provides a fantastic opportunity to feel the true American spirit through beautifully crafted jigsaw puzzles!
Overall rating
1
/
5
49 of 55 found this review helpful
FELLOW PUZZLE GEEKS...MAKE A STATEMENT..."WE WANT MORE!"
PostedFebruary 21, 2018
pennmom36
fromMore features please!
Skill Level:Expert
Current Favorite:
Jigsaws Galore
(121)Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
1
/
5
Level of Challenge
1
/
5
I'm a puzzle geek, I can't get enough of them, real puzzles, virtual puzzles, it doesn't matter, in fact, I've even completed the World's largest puzzle consisting of 32,000 pieces! (I had to tape four 6 ft. tables together just to fit one 8,000 piece section!)
If you are a puzzle geek, please make a stand here at Big Fish, to encourage them to give us more. I have nothing against 8 Floor LTD. but they are all the same, nothing ever changes. The features are the same, the music is the same, the puzzles are basically the same, and never offered in larger sizes, and they give us NO OPTIONS whatsoever!
Great puzzle games with great customizations exists, they're out there, why aren't they offered here? I did find a couple of puzzles here on BF, that have awesome pictures and custom features available. Yes, I'll admit, at first they seem intimidating because there are so many features to choose from, but after a few minutes of exploring the features, you soon realize that it isn't difficult, and your angst turns into excitement from all the possibilities.
In 1001 Jigsaw World Tour: Great America, you can choose puzzles from 5 different boxes, the pictures are once again, mostly staged pictures, and not very appealing. You can also earn Trophies for reaching goals such as playing a certain amount of hours, joining up to a million pieces, scoring a certain amount of points, solving a puzzle without making a mistake, solving various sized puzzles, or solving a puzzle without using hints, sorting, or pocket features. There are also Top Scores and personal Best score tallies.
Any of the puzzles can be modified with the number of pieces, the cut shape of the pieces and whether or not you want the pieces to rotate. There are 4 different backgrounds to choose from, pink, green, blue and grey, a box to store extra pieces until needed, a Sort option a Border only option, a Hint option and an available Magnifying glass to enlarge pieces. You can also ghost the image of the puzzle to the background or hang a picture in three different sizes.
These are the EXACT same features offered in all puzzle games by this dev, and trust me, there are better features available! For example, in Jigsaws Galore, you can assemble a puzzle with up to 64,000 pieces! And there's so many more unique features, so I've included some bullet points of just some of the custom features available in Jigsaws Galore, features which we SHOULD expect from all puzzle games:
*Each category is kept in folders, the pictures inside each folder is shown as thumbnails, choose the size of each thumbnail, create and label as many new folders as you want.
*Capture your own images, or import photos, you can even crop specific sections, you can also share pictures with others who have Jigsaws Galore.
*Change the size, shape or number of pieces, you can even change these features midway through a puzzle without having to restart the puzzle.
*Choose the shape of the pieces, you can even add "fun" or "mystery shaped" pieces to the mixture by %, for example, add 5% of fish shaped pieces randomly into the puzzle, or 0 if you just want normal shaped pieces.
*Ghost the image, AND choose the brightness of the ghosted picture, hang a picture for reference, choose the background color OR the type of material used.
*Open up as many trays as you want to hold puzzle pieces, (not just a single box that can't be sorted, labeled or even easily viewed) choose the color of each tray and label the trays, right click each tray and fetch the pieces you want in each tray, such as blue pieces, or fun shaped pieces, you can choose how to arrange the pieces within each tray, line the trays along the sides, top or bottom, which can be clearly viewed and know what pieces are in which trays (sky, water, land, blue, specific shapes, however you want!)
*Select how you want to sort the puzzle pieces, along the edges, in grid formation, random, you can ever de-arrange pieces, and this option is available inside each tray as well. They will even arrange by grouping the same shaped puzzle pieces together.
*The toolbar can be on the top, bottom or side, and you can hide the toolbar to give you more room.
*There is a zoom feature, a magnifying glass which can be set at different strengths.
*Choose how thick or thin the pieces are, add shadows, turn on/off anti-aliasing (graphics realism) whether you want the outlines to disappear once the pieces snap together to show a smooth image. You can even choose the snap distance of the pieces, and choose puzzle piece rotation preference of clockwise or counterclockwise.
*Auto save the puzzle at specific intervals automatically, such as every 5 minutes, never lose your progress again!
*Use tools such as undo, demo, next piece finds, hints, mystery mode, auto solve, overlay pictures, zoom, or even timers. It even shows you the number of pieces in the puzzle, and how many pieces you have placed.
Now do you want more?? When you know what CAN BE available, it makes a big difference doesn't it? I'm sure there are lots of gamers who don't care about all these features, and just want a relaxing and simple puzzle to while away the time, but if you do want to see more puzzles offered with these kinds of options...make a stand and let your voice be heard....WE WANT MORE!
I don't recommend this game.
This highly anticipated addition to the Cursed House series has you taking your match 3 skills to the next level!
Overall rating
5
/
5
135 of 146 found this review helpful
SWEET STRATEGY BASED MATCH 3 GAME...CURSE THAT HOUSE!
PostedFebruary 21, 2018
pennmom36
fromMy brain hurts!
Skill Level:Expert
Current Favorite:
Phantasmat Collector's Edition
(100)Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
One of the reasons I love this Match 3 series is that I have to use strategy in order to master the levels. This isn't a Match 3 game where you blindly swap tiles at a breakneck speed. This is a game that's all about the coins, nothing else really matters, but getting to the coins is where the strategy comes into play, and the addiction that follows.
You can play in a Relaxed mode as well as Limited Moves or Limited Time, 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 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 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 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 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, 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 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 boarded tiles, some boarded tiles have shields that require matches made on the sides without the shield for more challenge. 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 wasn't as easy as you'd expect.
CURSED HOUSE GAMES AVAILABLE
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
3-Cursed House: Irish Language version (July 15-2014) 4.0
4-Cursed House: 3 (May 23-2016) 4.3
5-Cursed House: 4 (September 11-2017) 4.0
6-Cursed House: 5 (February 21-2018) n/a
2-Cursed House: 2 (October 31-2012) 4.0
3-Cursed House: Irish Language version (July 15-2014) 4.0
4-Cursed House: 3 (May 23-2016) 4.3
5-Cursed House: 4 (September 11-2017) 4.0
6-Cursed House: 5 (February 21-2018) n/a
by: FRH Games
FRH Games:
Cursed House*Spellarium*Floria*Laruaville
Cursed House*Spellarium*Floria*Laruaville
I recommend this game!
Use your knowledge of alchemical arcana to save the young prince from the clutches of dark magic!
Overall rating
2
/
5
51 of 72 found this review helpful
IS IT OVER YET???
PostedFebruary 20, 2018
pennmom36
fromFoiled again!
Skill Level:Expert
Current Favorite:
Phantasmat Collector's Edition
(100)Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
2
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
Another game with an evil imprisoned witch trying to escape, another naive Prince all grown up and ruining everything, another Alchemist who whips up potions using recipes that are conveniently laying around, which btw always seems to be THE exact potion at THE right time. Top it all off with Royal Golden hues, repetitive puzzles and and boring tasks, what does that equal? Lost Grimoires 2: Shard of Mystery! (not to mention the fact that # 3 has already been released, but it must have gotten Lost)
In all fairness, I've never been a fan of recipe related games, and the repetitive Match 3 games that come with it. In this Collector's Edition version, there are 31 hidden Roses, which is a nice touch, but I think Crystal collectibles would've been more appropriate. Other than the usual Music, Wallpapers, Concept Art pictures, and replayable Mini Games and HOP's, that's really all that's offered, so I think the Standard Edition version will be the better value, if you can be patient.
The Hidden Object Scenes are varied, and offer no alternative puzzle types. There are Interactive List finds, Multiples of the same items, Keywords in Sentences, Silhouetted Shapes to open up the listed finds. I will admit, that the HOP within an aviary was colorful and really well done, as you are tasked with finding the birds that match the Silhouetted Shapes shown, followed by finding 10 Feathers.
The Mini Games aren't really bad, but they are too repetitive, and I became bored after the third or fourth repeat of the same puzzle. As I stated before, I really don't like concocting alchemy recipes, there's no skill involved, so it's just a useless task to make ridiculas potions (example "Odor Sleuth" really?) Below are brief descriptions of some of the Mini Games you'll encounter during the demo:
1) Manipulate the padlocks to untangle the chains.
2) Recipe Match 3 game (repeated after each potion, progressively more difficult) this is a chain type Match 3 game requiring you to drag chain matches of a specific number of specific tiles, within a specified amount of moves.
3) Find objects in the telescope according to the keywords during a conversation.
4) Interact with the pages by clicking the correct objects pertaining to Keywords in a story.
5) Click gems in the correct order by repeating the sequence shown 3 times.
6) Place the Chasm Mirror pieces in their proper places.
7) Place the guards so that they secure every spot in the castle (vertical and horizontal coverage) on 3 different boards.
8) Swap tiles to create an image.
9) Find 5 differences between 3 different soldiers.
10) Combine 2 elements to create the new element shown at the top (air, water, earth etc.)
11) Swap the tiles to match the clue shown.
12) Move the character to the other side by pushing statues out of the way without getting stuck. repeat 3 times, in between the potion Match 3 games.
This Collector's Edition version has 6 Wallpapers, Concept Art pictures, 8 Music Soundtracks, replayable Hidden Object Scenes, Mini Games and Cutscenes, 31 Hidden Roses, a built in Strategy Guide and a Bonus Chapter.
LOST GRIMOIRES GAMES AVAILABLE
Title***Collector's Edition Release Date***Average Rating
Title***Collector's Edition Release Date***Average Rating
1-Stolen Kingdom (March 6-2017) 4.3
2-Shard of Mystery (February 20-2018) n/a
3-The Forgotten Well (????)
2-Shard of Mystery (February 20-2018) n/a
3-The Forgotten Well (????)
by: Artifex Mundi
Artifex Mundi Games:
Lost Grimoires*Noir Chronicles*Endless Fables*Bladebound*Eventide*Modern Tales*The Secret Order*Queen's Quest*Ghost Files*Scarlett Mysteries*
Lost Grimoires*Noir Chronicles*Endless Fables*Bladebound*Eventide*Modern Tales*The Secret Order*Queen's Quest*Ghost Files*Scarlett Mysteries*
I don't recommend this game.
In Travel Mosaics: A Paris Tour, explore the beauty of France while completing colorful and challenging mosaics puzzles.
Overall rating
2
/
5
41 of 45 found this review helpful
A "GUESSER" GRIDDLER WITH HARD TO SEE GRIDS
PostedFebruary 19, 2018
pennmom36
fromIf only.......
Skill Level:Expert
Current Favorite:
Phantasmat Collector's Edition
(100)Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
2
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
This game has two major strikes against it..Some of the levels aren't based upon logic, requiring you to either guess or use a Power-up to solve it. The second strike is that the grids start out entirely black, and the crossed off squares are are also black, with a circle. This makes it really difficult to tell which squares are crossed off, and for me it became frustrating, as I tried to figure out where one square stopped and another started.
It's too bad that these two flaws exist, because otherwise this would be an awesome Griddler that has otherwise some good features. The filled in squares are colorful, and look like 3D bubbles. You can play in an Easy mode which crosses off one by one or Difficult mode which only crosses off squares when the entire row or column has been completed. I wasn't crazy about the music, but that's an easy fix.
As you fill in tiles, you will earn coins, or Power-up recharges. Power-ups can be upgraded, and you can also buy Souvenir's. There are Power-ups such asa Hammer, Sun, Lightning and even a Bomb, they start out with very little coverage area which increases with each upgrade.
Each Location has 6 main levels, 1 bonus level and 1 additional puzzle. You must earn at least 2 Stars on each mail level to open the bonus puzzles, and you have to earn at least 1 Star in each of the main levels to unlock the next location.
There is a Book icon that gives a brief description of the locations, which comes in handy if you make too many mistakes, because you will be asked some questions about the locations as a chance to earn another chance.
I don't recommend this game.
The Kingdoms of Lanceya and Winterhelm are in peril!
Overall rating
4
/
5
21 of 28 found this review helpful
A FAIRLY EASY GAME BUT I LIKED IT
PostedFebruary 18, 2018
pennmom36
fromThe agony of defeat: after several failed attempts on the harpoon mini game, I switched to easy mode, wicked game!
Skill Level:Expert
Current Favorite:
Phantasmat Collector's Edition
(100)Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
I think this is probably my second favorite game in this series, but in my opinion, none of them are as good as the first game, Vampire in Love. I also think this game is far too simplistic, I played in the Hardcore Mode, and not once was it necessary for me to consult the SG, because I didn't get stuck, or not know what to do next. I was also able to earn all of the Achievements, one after another. There are 5 Chapters plus a Bonus Chapter in the Collector's Edition version, and each chapter is fairly long. If you like a lot of CE bling, Domini Games always includes several different collectibles, I just wish this game included Morphing Objects. Here's a recap of my review to help you decide which version, if either, is right for you:
Queen Nivella has been cursed to age at a wicked rate (me too, curse that princess!) The all revealing mirror has confirmed her diagnosis, wrinkleitis and acute grayhair-syndrome with a touch of baggyskinepidermis. Like most evil witches, the Queen has many powers, she can turn an ordinary dwarf into a stone zombie servant, but she's powerless against mother nature, <sigh>, aren't we all. But wait! If the Queen acts now, she can get two problems solved for the price of one, at the low low cost of only one very young, beautiful princess. Not just any princess, but a princess with a pure heart, (which is almost impossible to find nowadays) a princess the Queen thought she had disposed of long ago, Princess Lily of Winterhelm. There's just one teeny tiny problem....Princess Lily has caught the eye of a very charming man, who just so happens to be King William of Lanceya!
Ladies and Gentlemen, I do believe Dark Romance is back on track with this beautiful adaptation of Snow White! This is the only series I know of that successfully incorporates the feature of playing as both characters, switching back and forth between Princess Lily and King William. In the Collector's Edition version, the bling is plentiful, with hidden Dwarven Artifacts, hidden Chess Pieces and collectible Lily's that allow you to upgrade the Royal Chambers, and there are missing Journal Notes to collect as well.
The Hidden Object Scenes are varied, and some of them are actually challenging! There are Keywords in Sentence finds, Interactive List finds, Silhouetted Shape finds and a newer style that requires you to adjust slider bars to align sections of sketches together. There is an alternate Mach 3 game available as well.
The Mini Games are entertaining for the most part, and most of them are available in an Easy or Hard difficulty mode. Below are brief descriptions of some of the games you'll encounter during the demo:
1) Assemble the image by swapping sections of the disc shaped puzzle.
2) Move animal sections to a highlighted square to match the animal tile to the squares with matching outlines.
3) Land the dial on the correct symbol shown in the clue by choosing the number of moves and the direction of the dial.
4) Shoot down the chains by using 3 directional levers to align 3 sections of the cross-hairs over each chain. Then press the button when the horizontal and vertical bars are in the green zone.
5) Swap adjacent tiles to complete the image.
6) Recreate the symbols shown in the clue by clicking to fill in sections of the board.
7) Find 3 hidden shapes and then place the correct fragments into the snowflake, for each path taken in the forest.
8) Prepare a potion by following the recipe in the correct order.
9) Select arrow buttons on each column and row to place chips correctly according to the clue shown.
10) Move tokens along the tracks to their correct place.
11) Move the symbols to match the image on the clue, select discs to rotate select frames to swap tokens.
DARK ROMANCE GAMES AVAILABLE
Title***Collector's Edition Release Date***Average Rating
Title***Collector's Edition Release Date***Average Rating
1-Vampire In Love (February 8-14) 3.9
2-Heart of the Beast (April 23-15) 4.0
3-The Swan Sonata (October 17-15) 3.4
4-Kingdom of Death (April 21-16) 3.4
5-Curse of Bluebeard ( October 13-16) 4.7
6-Romeo and Juliet (February 25-17) 2.7
7-The Monster Within (September 7-17) 4.0
8-Winter Lily (January 18-2018) 4.1
2-Heart of the Beast (April 23-15) 4.0
3-The Swan Sonata (October 17-15) 3.4
4-Kingdom of Death (April 21-16) 3.4
5-Curse of Bluebeard ( October 13-16) 4.7
6-Romeo and Juliet (February 25-17) 2.7
7-The Monster Within (September 7-17) 4.0
8-Winter Lily (January 18-2018) 4.1
by: Domini Games
Domini Games Available
Dark Romance*Labyrinths of the World*The Christmas Spirit*Mystery Tales*Enchanted Kingdom*The Curio Society*Travel Adventures*Island of Death*In Search of the Lost Temple*Mysteries of Ancient Inventors*The World's Legends
Dark Romance*Labyrinths of the World*The Christmas Spirit*Mystery Tales*Enchanted Kingdom*The Curio Society*Travel Adventures*Island of Death*In Search of the Lost Temple*Mysteries of Ancient Inventors*The World's Legends
The Collector's Edition version has 15 Wallpapers, 20 Concept Art pictures (Domini Games never skimps on the CE bling!) 18 re-playable Mini Games, 18 re-playable Hidden Object Scenes, 28 re-playable Movie Videos, 5 Music Soundtracks, 30 Achievements to earn, 12 Hidden Chess Pieces, 15 Hidden Dwarven Artifacts, collectible Missing Journal Notes, 48 Lily's to upgrade items in the Royal Chamber's Boudoir, a built in Strategy Guide and a Bonus Chapter, enjoy!
I recommend this game!
Travel through alternate realities to restore the fabric of the universe!
Overall rating
4
/
5
126 of 159 found this review helpful
BEING A GUARDIAN OF SPECTRA IS DANGEROUS, THEY'RE TRYING TO KILL ME!
PostedFebruary 17, 2018
pennmom36
fromIf going between worlds is forbidden, why do I keep entering?
Skill Level:Expert
Current Favorite:
Phantasmat Collector's Edition
(100)Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
The Queen of Creation creates the history of the Universe on her Canvases of Eternity, but what if somebody were to steal one of the Canvases? Would you still exist? Would the World still exist? Would a new reality be created to take its place, or would there just be emptiness? These are scenarios Alice Carpenter does not want to see happen in her lifetime, but time is of the essence, or there may be no worlds left for a Guardian to protect!
I have good news and bad news. The famous Elefun Games ....loading...in between all of the scenes and zoom zones, still exists (must be a canvas not yet stolen) the good news is that the time it takes between loading, has decreased significantly (which technically isn't all that great of news) Elefun has also brought back some of the staple features that they were known for, but with a few tweaks.
If you aren't familiar with these features, this dev was the only dev I know of that gave a point system, 500 points for finding a collectible, or finding a Morphing Object, which btw this game doesn't have morphs :(, or even finishing a puzzle or HOP. The point system was used to increase your rank as a Detective (cub reporter to award winning journalist) but since Alice isn't a detective, that doesn't work. You don't get points, but, as you collect Mythical Creatures, you do increase rank until you become the Ultimate Myth Hunter.
There is a gadget, which can be either good news or bad news, depending on your preference. (only used 7 times) Alice is equipped with the Guardian's Bracelet, which is a magic bracelet that possesses powers of 3 elements. The Red Gem invokes a Fireball, the Blue Gem creates a Frost Sphere, and the Green Gem allows you to move heavy objects.
In this Collector's Edition version, there are hidden Feathers to find, the before mentioned Mythological Creatures to increase your rank, and Crystals to collect that allow you to access the Spectra History Room, to learn the secrets of the Spectra World by unlocking parts of the story with the discovered Crystals. This is an okay feature, but I'd prefer Morphing Puzzle pieces.
The Hidden Object Scenes include those famous EleFun scenes where you find a handful of fragments located around the entire scene. There are also Interactive List Finds, Multiple Finds, Silhouetted Shape finds, and several HOP's where you find Keywords in Sentence finds. They do offer an alternate Triangular shaped Puzzle game, if you're not into the HOP's.
The Mini Games tend to be on the easy breezy side, and most of them can be considered HOP's as well. The lack of challenge and creativity within the Mini Games is one of the reasons I only gave this game 4 stars. Below are brief descriptions of some of the games you'll encounter during the demo:
1) Find multiple symbols shown, hidden on pages in a book.
2) Find matching feathers by clicking two spheres at a time. If you choose correctly, the Crow loses 1 life, if you choose incorrectly, You lose 1 life.
3) Drag fragments to recreate the images.
4) Find matching pairs of related objects by turning over 2 canvases at a time.
5) Sift through scenes to find objects and replace them in the correct scene, using arrows to change scenes.
6) Change your clothes to match the outfit on the poster.
This Collector's Edition version has 9 Wallpapers, 11 Concept Art pictures, 3 Screensavers, 35 Music Soundtracks, Achievements to Earn, 16 Bestiary Mythological Creatures to help you rank up, 6 hidden Feather's, 20 hidden Crystals that allow you to learn secrets of the Spectra World, a built in Strategy Guide and a Bonus Chapter, enjoy!
THE FORGOTTEN FAIRY TALES GAMES AVAILABLE
Title***Collector's Release Date***Average Rating
Title***Collector's Release Date***Average Rating
1-The Spectra World (May 20-2017) 3.3
2-Canvases of Time (February 17-2018) n/a
2-Canvases of Time (February 17-2018) n/a
by: EleFun Games
ELEFUN GAMES AVAILABLE
The Forgotten Fairytales*Agency 33*Witches' Legacy*Fear For Sale*Mayan Prophecies*Cake Shop*Story of Fairy Place*Puzzle Mania
The Forgotten Fairytales*Agency 33*Witches' Legacy*Fear For Sale*Mayan Prophecies*Cake Shop*Story of Fairy Place*Puzzle Mania
I recommend this game!
When detective Gingertail is called home by ex-girfriend Barbara, he could never imagine it would be the investigation of his life... and her death.
Overall rating
4
/
5
19 of 27 found this review helpful
BARBARA CERTAINLY ISN'T A ONE MAN KINDA GAL
PostedFebruary 16, 2018
pennmom36
fromDoes this town have ANY valves intact?
Skill Level:Expert
Current Favorite:
Phantasmat Collector's Edition
(100)Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
I finally got the chance to finish this latest game by Brave Giant today. There are only 4 main Chapters and a Bonus Chapter in the Collector's Edition version, but the chapters themselves are fairly long. I liked the fact that there were a few twists to the plot, but I do agree with one of the other reviewers, that the ending could have been much more climatic. After investigating Barbara's murder, the CE Bonus Chapter takes you back 5 years prior to Barbara's murder investigation, which involves Alfred Fox, his brothers, and his adoptive father. Detective Fox once again has to prove his innocence, and you'll learn how Fox met a character or two from the main storyline.
There are a couple of features that disappointed me, I missed 3 collectibles, not because I couldn't find them, because they are easily spotted, but because I just forgot to look for them. There is no opportunity to go back and find them, once you leave a scene, you can't go back, and you don't revisit any of those scenes either. There are no collectibles within the Bonus Chapter either, there are no options within the collectible icon either, if you miss finding a collectible, it's impossible to complete the collections, other than restarting the game from the beginning! It's the same scenario with the Achievements, especially given the fact that one of the Achievements is to find all collectibles! The last complaint I have, deals with typo's, or should I say TPYS'o? Brave Giant boasts about having games available in 10 different languages, which is fantastic, but at least have someone that speaks that particular language, check it for spelling mistakes before releasing it! (the spoon is to think? We'll have to crowl?)
Other than these flaws, this is a really good detective game, with some very interesting puzzles to solve from beginning to end. I especially enjoyed the Griddler variation puzzle, and the puzzle where you had to swap tiles that were similar (color, type etc) until it matched the clue shown. BG had originally created this game with animal characters instead of people, but I think it still would've worked, and I'd actually like to play that version! Here's a recap of my review to help you decide which version, if either, is right for you:
Detective Fox, aka Detective Gingertail, receives a frantic call in the middle of the night, from his ex-girlfriend Barbara. The detective arrives a little too late to save her, but a little too early for the perp. to escape, at least unharmed. Barbara is just a gossip columnist journalist, who would want to harm her, or more importantly, why?
BraveGiant Studios might be onto something with this new addition,whodunit series. I'm a little curious as to why they apparently changed the characters from originally being animals in the beta, to humans, I kinda like that scenario. After all Tiny Tales by BG was very successful. I love the collectibles available in the Collector's Edition version, footprints, handprints, shoeprints and a single fingerprint! They really fit in with the storyline genre, and they blend in well enough to make it somewhat challenging. There is an eyeball icon located on the top left of the inventory bar, that remains open until you locate the print in each scene. (note: don't leave a scene until you find the collectible, there's no way of returning)
The graphics are very well done, the voice overs are decent, but the character movements are jilted and awkward. There are some logic fails from time to time, but overall, I like where this game is heading, but then again, I've always been a fan of a good detective mystery.
The HOP's are actually pretty good, and I don't often say this because lately they are nothing more than objects scattered around a junkpile, a true hoarders delight, but nothings really hidden. There are Interactive List finds, Silhouetted Shape finds, and Multiples of similar Item finds. Some of the HOP's have small Mini Games or Puzzles to solve, and there is usually at least one object that Morph's between the actual object on the list and something entirely different. In the CE, there is an optional Monaco Card Game to play instead of the HOP, a matching card game that requires you to make matches of identical cards that are next to each other in a row, column or diagonally. When you make matches of cards with a special frame, the meter bar fills, once full, you can use the bonuses or shuffle features available.
The Mini Games range from super easy to medium difficulty, but nothing seems too difficult or too frustrating to temp you to use the skip feature. I actually found the mini games to become more entertaining after the demo! Here's a list of brief descriptions on the mini games you'll encounter during the demo:
1) Use directional arrows to lead the tokens through the maze, all 3 tokens will move at the same time.
2) Select the watch pins in the correct order by trial and error.
3) Rotate each dial to the correct numbers according to the clue shown.
4) Find 3 hidden symbols on each photo to hear a story.
5) Repeat the sequence of punches by clicking on the left and right hand icons, repeat the sequence 3 times correctly to win.
6) Choose the correct answers on a lie detector, as conversation choices.
7) Rotate and place torn paper fragments into the highlighted slots.
8) Select and place the correct numbered buttons into the slots on the right to complete the equations that will equal the numbers on the clue. (fun game, but could have been more fun if a tad bit harder)
The Collector's Edition has 8 Wallpapers, 8 Concept Art pictures, 5 Music Soundtracks, 8 re-playable Movie Cutscenes, 8 re-playable Mini Games, 8 re-playable Hidden Object Scenes, (some HOP's have a Morphing Object) 20 Achievements to earn, 33 Collectible Prints (11 footprints, 13 handprints, 8 shoeprints, 1 fingerprints) and a Bonus Chapter, enjoy!
BRAVE GIANT GAMES AVAILABLE
Noir Chronicles*Ghost Files*Queen's Quest*Hidden Investigations*Tiny Tales*Stories of Forgotten Past*Demon Hunter*Agent Walker*Tibetan Quest
I recommend this game!