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 stop an old evil from wreaking its vengeance?
Overall rating
3
/
5
27 of 35 found this review helpful
I DON'T THINK THIS GAME IS HORRIBLE, IT'S JUST NOT GREAT
PostedFebruary 11, 2018
pennmom36
from"All your descendants will suffer" why? They didn't do anything!
Skill Level:Expert
Current Favorite:
Phantasmat Collector's Edition
(101)Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
I actually believe that this game has potential as a new series. It's not a fantastic game, it's just an okay game, but I think Deep Shadows can take some constructive criticism, and mold this game into a fantastic detective series.
This is one of those games that was stretched with unnecessary filler tasks to make it appear to be a longer game, it has 5 Chapters and a Bonus Chapter. I found myself getting bored towards the end of each chapter, but only because of said filler tasks, that really added nothing to the story. Each chapter is basically about thwarting Malefic's evil agenda, and trying to save a different victim.
Fortunately, there isn't a lot of back and forthing, because most items are found and used within that scene, or the previous scene. I did find too many of the puzzles to be the frustrating kind, throughout the game, the kind where clicking on one, affects several others. To me, those types of puzzles don't require as much skill as they do patience, therefore, they are just frustrating, aggravating and not that fun, and a little goes a long way, but that's just my personal preference.
As I said earlier, I don't think this is a horrible game, but there's nothing special about it, which makes it average. However, I do think Deep Shadows should continue with this series, because I love a good detective game, I would especially love a detective game that takes place in modern times. Here's a recap of my review to help you decide which version, if either, is right for you:
Burned at the stake, purified by fire (nope, its not a marshmallow) accused of atrocious, unspeakable crimes and witchcraft. Such a savage punishment, yet, before the flames engulfed his entire body, Malefic vowed to return. "You and all your descendants will suffer" That was two hundred and fifty years ago, but Detective Pike fears the "Man of Shadows" has returned to enact his revenge upon the distant relatives who so barbarically ended his life.
Detective Pike seems to be the only one who believes that Katherine Garrison-Oaks was murdered, much less at the hands of a city legend superstition. He has asked Claire Arlington to join his investigation, and help him get proof that the Man of Shadows has once again returned. Claire has a supernatural gift, one that allows her to see past events with the help of an all seeing Amulet. I know, I know, another amulet, another psychic medium that sees into the past while in a trance, been there done that, but the "Eye Amulet" isn't used that often, and there's not really any repetitive puzzle involved. The graphics are well done, and I thought the Hidden Object Scenes and Mini Games were very well constructed, although I do think they went overboard with the puzzles where, moving one affects others, which to me are frustrating. I want to see more from Deep Shadow Games, I think they're on to something here!
In the Collector's Edition version, each scene has a Hidden Symbol, and most of the Hidden Object Scenes have a Morphing Object, as indicated by a drop down icon that appears and disappears once found. The Eye Amulet is used about 3 or 4 times within the demo, but you don't have to scan the room or complete a mini game to use it, the only thing the amulet is actually used for, is to show a brief movie clip of a past event. Evidence is gathered in groups of usually 3 items, and will automatically go into the Evidence icon.
One of the Hidden Object Scenes I'm happy to report, was actually cleverly constructed. (unfortunately this game is a bit lite in the HOP department) I don't usually find HOP's all that impressive nowadays, because in most games they are just random items thrown into a pile of junk. I particularly enjoyed the HOP where you had to find listed objects in pairs, such as 2 arrows or 2 ink impressions. Another one I liked, was a simple Interactive List that opens up once you find the silhouetted shapes and placed them into the matching sections. There are a total of 20 Hidden Object Scenes total in this game.
The Mini Games are decent, but tend to lean towards the easy side of the scale.Several of the puzzles are categorized as super puzzles, which simply means puzzles that are back to back in a 3 pack. There are a total of 18 Super Puzzles available in this game. Below are brief descriptions of some of the games you'll encounter during the demo:
1) Click on puzzle sections until the box image matches te pictured clue.
2) Move color coded tiles to their matching colored slots, by clicking tiles in that will move 1 space at a time in an indicated direction. The direction will change when the tile passes over a directional arrow, and tiles can push each other as well. (challenging and somewhat lengthy but I really liked this one)
3) Swap tiles to complete the pattern.
4) Restore the image by rotating discs, rotating one disc may affect others. (look for the pattern)
5) Move the colored chains to their matching colored cells. (medium challenge but doable and enjoyable)
6) Swap labels to match the symbols shown on the label and the bottles. (part 1/3)
7) Recreate the photo by finding matching symbols flipping 2 tiles at a time (part 2/3
8) Use directional arrows to scroll through the pictures to find a matching hair sample (part 3/3)
DEEP SHADOWS GAMES AVAILABLE
Medium Detective*Tales of Terror*Haunted Train*Family Tales*Exorcist*Whispered Stories*Sandra Fleming Chronicles
Medium Detective*Tales of Terror*Haunted Train*Family Tales*Exorcist*Whispered Stories*Sandra Fleming Chronicles
The Collector's Edition has 8 Wallpapers, 8 Concept Art pictures, 6 Music Soundtracks, 15 Achievements to earn, 10 Morphing Objects within the HOP's, 32 Hidden Symbol Signs, a built in Strategy Guide and a Bonus Chapter, enjoy!
Jigsaws Galore
Put together the beautiful jigsaws included, or make your own new puzzles from photos or screen captures in Jigsaws Galore!
Overall rating
5
/
5
26 of 28 found this review helpful
THIS JIGSAW IS NOW OVER 20 YEARS OLD BUT HAS BETTER GRAPHICS AND MORE FEATURES THAN JIGSAWS IN 2018!???!!
PostedFebruary 11, 2018
pennmom36
fromand to think, I've been complaining about puzzles not having these options, and it was here all along!
Skill Level:Expert
Current Favorite:
Jigsaws Galore
(121)Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
I'm a jigsaw geek and have put together thousands of physical jigsaws, I even completed the world's largest jigsaw, which comes in 4 sections, each section contains 6000 pieces. (I had to tape 4 six foot tables together just to hold one section, and had to place the puzzle pieces on several paper plates!) I started transitioning over to virtual puzzles, which are a whole lot cheaper and I never lose pieces lol. But something was just "missing" it wasn't the same. To make matters worse, most of the puzzles offered by BF are from the same dev, and they offer the same cookie cutter versions, all of which are lacking customizable features, with not so thrilling pictures offered.
Well folks, all that has changed, because I finally discovered this game, Jigsaws Galore! Apparently this game was released in 1996, but I can assure you, this game is still ALIVE AND KICKING! There are 200 puzzles included in this version, but Gray Design Associates still offers upgrades, the game version is currently on version 7 as of 2017, and you can also get more puzzle packages, hundred of more puzzles, and you can capture any picture from your desktop to use as a puzzle, OR use the completed puzzles as a screensaver that puts the puzzle together, piece by piece!
Most puzzle games have the same boring features, and most allow you to modify the shape and amount of pieces, usually up to 300 pieces, boring huh? How would you like to assemble a puzzle with up to 64,000 pieces? Yep, you guessed it, Puzzles Galore has that option! There's so many options, there's probably an option for the options! Here's some bullet point features I have discovered so far, that I think are just amazing!
*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, choose the brightness of the ghosted picture, hang a picture for reference, choose the background color or type of material.
*Open up trays to hold puzzle pieces, 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.
*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. 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, choose puzzle piece rotation, clockwise or counterclockwise.
*Auto save the puzzle at specific intervals, such as every 5 minutes, never loose your progress.
*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.
If you don't like complicated features, and you just want to do a puzzle the way it is, that's okay too, just double click on any picture and voila! But if your like me, and need to be able to customize each and every aspect, this puzzle will make you jump for joy, look no further than Jigsaws Galore, enjoy!
I recommend this game!
Recover the artifact that contains the secrets of H.E.L.P.'s past.
Overall rating
4
/
5
89 of 126 found this review helpful
THE LEGACY MUST BE PRESERVED, THE SECRET MUST REMAIN HIDDEN!
PostedFebruary 10, 2018
pennmom36
fromThe fact card factoids aren't that interesting this go round??
Skill Level:Expert
Current Favorite:
Phantasmat Collector's Edition
(101)Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Your mission Agent, should you choose to except it, involves buying an artifact at the Geneva Auction House. The artifact, known as the Golden Wheel, contains vital information pertaining to when H.E.L.P was founded. This should be an open and shut case, and you should be able to return to return to the slopes, and enjoy the remainder of your vacation, quickly......yeah, right!
Since The Golden Secret is on the topic of H.E.L.P's origins I thought I'd add a little of my own research that I included on one of my earlier HE reviews. I researched some fun facts, because I wanted to find out what H.E.L.P stood for, the P was stumping me. It turns out that this league has had a few name changes over the years, that I didn't even realize! In Hidden Expedition: Titanic, the league went by the name of H.E.A.L, which was the Hidden Expedition Adventure League. In Hidden Expedition: Everest, the league was simply the Hidden Expedition Club, and in Hidden Expedition: Devil's Triangle, it was referred to as H.E.A.T which stood for Hidden Expedition Adventure Team. The newer games have transitioned into the name H.E.L.P which stands for Hidden Expedition League of Preservation. Pretty cool useless information right?
I'll admit, when I saw today's Hidden Expedition game, I got kind of bummed out. Let's face it, the games in this series, lately have been less than stellar. I was pleasantly surprised! This game actually has a very interesting plot, but there are still some major epic fails as far as logic goes. The features are everything I expected, but it's because Eipix never "thinks outside the box" is it because of laziness, or because they are on the top of the HOPA pile and they don't think they need to? I would really love to see the famous H.E.L.P box upgraded to reflect technology of the first century of the 3rd millennium, the century of the Anno Domini era, better know as the 21st century! It's the equivalence of carrying around a large boom box instead of a cell phone or mp3 device! The "artifact" in question has more technology than my help box, and to make matters worse, the surveillance video was recorded on a VHS tape! (are those still available?)
SPOILER ALERT:
Funny Logic Fails (or things that just don't make sense)
Funny Logic Fails (or things that just don't make sense)
*why did I help myself to the receptionist's printer ink cartridge? Those are expensive, couldn't I ask first?
*after the robbery, my partner says "I'll make sure the police don't get involved" really?
*Sam has set me up with a rental car, when I open the trunk, I discover not only a whole slew of miscellaneous items, including, old shoes, baseballs, and leftover chinese?
*the rent-a-cop asks me to stop the bleeding (don't worry there's no blood) before he can access the before mentioned VHS tape, yet the second I bandage him (which btw, that loose safety pinned cloth does wonders) he immediately hands me the tape?
*Thank goodness the perp took off his mask and looked straight into the camera?
*why does H.E.L.P have so many employees going rogue, don't they do backgrounds checks, they are a spy organization after all?
* why do I try to disguise my appearance, then pick up a large fish net to carry, won't that draw unwanted attention?
END SPOILER ALERT
The Hidden Object Scenes are varied, and they have done a nice job of incorporating the HOP's relevant to the story, such as while searching for files in a filing cabinet. There are List finds, Keywords in Sentence finds, Multiple finds, and the typical HE, find items that fit the descriptions of two pictures added together as combo items, such as a quill & ink equals a pen. There are also a few zoom zone HOP's where you are tasked with finding a handful of items within a small zoomed in window. Most of the main HOP's have a Morphing Object, that is indicated with an icon on the right of the inventory bar.
The Mini Games are not bad, and range from easy to medium difficulty, without too much frustration. Below are brief descriptions of some of the games you'll encounter during the demo:
1) Select 3 different numbers whose sum equals the number the auctioneer calls out. This is required a total of 4 times.
2) Drag the signs (<,>, =) to the correct boxes to compare facial features between 2 photographs.
3) Drag all directional fragments to form a path for the claw to take.
4) Rearrange the tiles to form multiple patterns on a 3 tiered corner puzzle.
HIDDEN EXPEDITION GAMES AVAILABLE
Title***Collector's Edition Release Date***Average Rating
Title***Collector's Edition Release Date***Average Rating
1-Titanic (Standard Edition only) (July 22-2006) 3.6
2-Everest (Standard Edition only) (June 1-2007) 3.3
3-Amazon (Standard Edition only) (June 20-2008) 3.7
4-Devil's Triangle (Standard Edition only)(October 24-2009) 3.6
5-The Uncharted Islands (August 14-2011) 3.2
6-Smithsonian Hope Diamond (December 20-2013) n/a
7-The Crown of Solomon (July 3-2014) 4.1
8-Smithsonian Castle (December 24-2014) n/a
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) n/a
2-Everest (Standard Edition only) (June 1-2007) 3.3
3-Amazon (Standard Edition only) (June 20-2008) 3.7
4-Devil's Triangle (Standard Edition only)(October 24-2009) 3.6
5-The Uncharted Islands (August 14-2011) 3.2
6-Smithsonian Hope Diamond (December 20-2013) n/a
7-The Crown of Solomon (July 3-2014) 4.1
8-Smithsonian Castle (December 24-2014) n/a
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) n/a
BY: EIPIX ENTERTAINMENT
OTHER GAMES BY EIPIX ENTERTAINMENT:
Danse Macabre*Saga of the Nine Worlds*Mystery Case Files*Dead Reckoning*Hidden Expedition*Phantasmat*Vermillion Watch*Amaranthine Voyage*Dark Parables*Sea of Lies*Final Cut*Off The Record*Fearful Tales*Myths of the World
Danse Macabre*Saga of the Nine Worlds*Mystery Case Files*Dead Reckoning*Hidden Expedition*Phantasmat*Vermillion Watch*Amaranthine Voyage*Dark Parables*Sea of Lies*Final Cut*Off The Record*Fearful Tales*Myths of the World
This Collector's Edition version has 8 Wallpapers, 8 Concept Art pictures, 9 Movie Videos, 9 Music Soundtracks, 14 re-playable Hidden Object Scenes, 12 Morphing Objects within the HOP's, a Souvenir Room, 17 re-playable Mini Game Puzzles, 13 Achievements to earn, collectible Fact Cards, 36 Hidden Signs, a built in Strategy Guide and a Bonus Chapter, enjoy!
I recommend this game!
The contract must be fulfilled, but your girlfriend will pay the price!
Overall rating
3
/
5
57 of 66 found this review helpful
THE MUSIC IN YOUR HEART HAS THE POWER TO FREE EVERYONE
PostedFebruary 9, 2018
pennmom36
fromWhy is Michael's violin in pieces, isn't he attending a University devoted to music?
Skill Level:Expert
Current Favorite:
Phantasmat Collector's Edition
(101)Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
After completing the entire game, I have bumped my rating up a star from my review of the Collector's Edition demo. I thought that the game improved after the demo, not by leaps and bounds, but it was less boring. The game is fairly easy, and there isn't a lot of back-and-forthing, most items you find are used in the same scene or one previous. It is on the short side, with just 4 chapters, but I think it seemed shorter because it was an easy game to play. There were two features that rather annoyed me, the first, was having to place each item exactly where the gears were, not just "near" the general area. The second seems kind of petty, but when an inventory item had multiples, such as 6 berries, you have to click 6 different times to place all 6 items not just a group placement and they all go to the same place. Here's a recap of my review to help you decide which version, if either, is right for you:
The Eternal Dance is just another story about someone who makes the devil a deal, but refuses to honor the contract when payment is due. Although there is a slight twist to Theo's motive for making the deal in the first place, there's nothing new, nothing exciting about it, and it certainly doesn't hold a candle to the original Cadenza, Music, Betrayal and Death.
One thing I loved about the Cadenza series was that it was realistic and believable, so I was really disappointed that not only did the story seem far fetched, but when they introduced a gadget, I knew it was game over. The Cryptex is used to activate various musical machines, which as far as gadgets go, isn't on the upper scale of Ripley's believe it or not, but still......? In the Collector's Edition version, there are 33 Dancing Pair Collectibles, and 33 Treasure Hunt Collectibles (Bonus section) and 14 Hidden Object Scene Morphing Items to find. I missed a couple of Morph's, and was happy that I was able to replay those HO's to collect the morphs I missed. I didn't bother with the BC, because it was a story that takes place on the "honeymoon" and I really had no interest to play this particular scenario, so I don't know if there's an opportunity to go back and search for any missing Dancing Couple's collectibles.
The Hidden Object Scenes are basically all the same, but they are multi-layered, some have a small Mini Game, and the CE version has a Morphing Object to find in each one. There are Interactive List finds, Silhouetted Shape finds and items to place into the scene where they logically belong.
The Mini Games aren't that fun, and most are far to easy to solve. I don't expect games to be so challenging they're frustrating, and I don't mind easy puzzles, as long as they are fun, but for me personally, these were not that fun. Below are brief descriptions of some of the games you'll encounter during the demo:
1-Rearrange the numbers to match the sequence on the clue, by moving chips to available highlighted slots.
2-Arrange the 4 lyre symbols around the center using rotational arrows.
3-Cryptex puzzle requiring you to swap jewels to make matches of 3 identical jewels until all have disappeared.
4-Set the pressure gauge to zero by adjusting valves of different numbered values (+ or-)
5-Find and place the missing pieces of the image correctly.
6-Play the bells in the correct order as shown on the clue.
7-Place puzzle pieces correctly by clicking and dragging pieces to their correct highlighted slots.
CADENZA GAMES AVAILABLE
Title***Collector's Edition Release Date***Average Rating
Title***Collector's Edition Release Date***Average Rating
1-Music, Betrayal and Death (April 12-2014) 4.8
2-The Kiss of Death (April 4-2015) 4.1
3-Havana Nights (March 19-2016) 4.0
4-Fame, Theft and Murder (March 4-2017) 3.8
5-The Eternal Dance (January 11-2018) 3.7
2-The Kiss of Death (April 4-2015) 4.1
3-Havana Nights (March 19-2016) 4.0
4-Fame, Theft and Murder (March 4-2017) 3.8
5-The Eternal Dance (January 11-2018) 3.7
by: Mad Head Games
MAD HEAD GAMES AVAILABLE:
Cadenza*Shadowplay*Donna Brave*Fright Chasers*Rite of Passage*Dawn of Hope*Maze*Dark Realm*Nevertales*Beyond*Adam Wolfe
Cadenza*Shadowplay*Donna Brave*Fright Chasers*Rite of Passage*Dawn of Hope*Maze*Dark Realm*Nevertales*Beyond*Adam Wolfe
This Collector's Edition has 4 Wallpapers, Concept Art pictures, 8 Music Soundtracks, 10 Achievements to earn, 14 Hidden Object Scenes, 14 HOS Morphing Objects, 33 Dancing Pair Collectibles, 33 Treasure Hunt Collectibles, a built in Strategy Guide and a Bonus Chapter.
Save the town and free your husband from a witch's vengeance.
Overall rating
3
/
5
180 of 254 found this review helpful
HOW FAR WOULD YOU BE WILLING TO GO FOR THE ONES YOU LOVE?
PostedFebruary 8, 2018
pennmom36
fromWhy am I always the last to know?
Skill Level:Expert
Current Favorite:
Phantasmat Collector's Edition
(101)Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
It's a beautiful day for a romantic rendezvous with your husband Theodore, that is, until a beautiful, much younger, blonde woman swoops in to woo your man, that witch! No seriously, she's a witch, and she's got some serious issues going on. Turns out, this isn't going to be the perfect place to settle down after retirement, well, it could be, but you'll just have to do it solo, cause apparently everyone in town, knows about this home-wrecking witch but you of course, and everyone knows that once she steals your man, he ain't never coming home. I say it's probably for the best, but the show must go on!
I had a really hard time connecting to the story line on this game, or perhaps I should say lack thereof? I felt like I had to connect a lot of dots and fill in the gaps, especially during the Blonde/Theodore incident, but maybe it was just me. The graphics are decent, but they usually are by this dev. I must admit, I about fell out of my computer chair when I discovered that this Collector's Edition version had Morphing Objects, and they are in the scenes themselves, NOT the HOP's whoo hoo! Once I up righted myself, however, I was zapped back to reality when I discovered that the Eipix staple Hidden Signs had not been altered, baby steps right?
The Hidden Object Scenes are varied, but predictable, with Interactive List finds, Silhouetted Shape finds and those famous HOP's where you find 2 sets of multiple items that gives you a tool to use once found, and that tool opens up the remaining object list. You can play a Skipping Stones alternative game instead of the HOP if you're not into the HOP's.
The Mini Games are way too basic, and quite simply are boring, with the exception of the Frog puzzle. Below are brief descriptions of some of the games you'll encounter during the demo:
1) Arrange the wooden boards to cover all gaps, you must use all boards.
2) Click on two clouds at a time to make matches of two identical symbols.
3) Climb up to the window using directional arrows to avoid obstacles (the grunts and groans drove me nutz)
4) Click on 5 semi hidden berries to move the foliage (that's a toughie!)
5) Drag the tokens from the water onto the orange spots, by planning the frog's path so it reaches the lotus flower and avoids snakes.
This Collector's Edition has 8 Wallpapers, 6 Concept Art pictures, 7 Movie Videos, 9 Music Soundtracks, re-playable Skipping Stones games, 25 re-playable Mini Games, 13 re-playable Hidden Object Scenes, a Souvenir Room, 13 Achievements to earn, 34 Hidden Signs (Blue Hearts) 17 Morphing Objects, a built in Strategy Guide and a Bonus Chapter.
MYTHS OF THE WORLD GAMES AVAILABLE
Title***Collector's Edition Release Date***Average Rating
Title***Collector's Edition Release Date***Average Rating
1-Chinese Healer (January 29-2013) 4.3
2-Stolen Spring (November 6-2013) 3.6
3-Spirit Wolf (January 23-2014) 4.2
4-Of Friends and Fairies (June 7-2014) 4.1
5-Black Rose (October 25-2014) 4.3
6-The Heart of Desolation (April 11-2015) 4.2
7-The Whispering Marsh (September 3-2015) 4.1
8-Born of Clay and Fire (March 10-2016) 4.0
9-Island of Forgotten Evil (August 18-2016) 3.3
10-Bound by the Stone (December 17-2016) 3.0
11-The Black Sun (March 18-2017) 3.3
12-Fire of Olympus (July 6-2017) 2.9
13-Behind the Veil (November 11-2017) 3.0
14-Love Beyond (February 8-2018) n/a
2-Stolen Spring (November 6-2013) 3.6
3-Spirit Wolf (January 23-2014) 4.2
4-Of Friends and Fairies (June 7-2014) 4.1
5-Black Rose (October 25-2014) 4.3
6-The Heart of Desolation (April 11-2015) 4.2
7-The Whispering Marsh (September 3-2015) 4.1
8-Born of Clay and Fire (March 10-2016) 4.0
9-Island of Forgotten Evil (August 18-2016) 3.3
10-Bound by the Stone (December 17-2016) 3.0
11-The Black Sun (March 18-2017) 3.3
12-Fire of Olympus (July 6-2017) 2.9
13-Behind the Veil (November 11-2017) 3.0
14-Love Beyond (February 8-2018) n/a
by: Eipix Entertainment
Other Games by Eipix:
Danse Macabre/Saga of the Nine Worlds/Mystery Case Files/Dead Reckoning/Hidden Expedition/Phantasmat/Vermillion Watch/Amaranthine Voyage/Dark Parables/Sea of Lies/Final Cut/Off The Record/Fearful Tales
Danse Macabre/Saga of the Nine Worlds/Mystery Case Files/Dead Reckoning/Hidden Expedition/Phantasmat/Vermillion Watch/Amaranthine Voyage/Dark Parables/Sea of Lies/Final Cut/Off The Record/Fearful Tales
I don't recommend this game.
Wake up your sleeping brain with this unique mix of puzzle games and trivia questions.
Overall rating
5
/
5
56 of 66 found this review helpful
IT'S BEEN A LONG TIME SINCE WE'VE BEEN TREATED TO A BRAIN TEASER
PostedFebruary 7, 2018
pennmom36
fromLook at the bright side, it's a fifty-fifty shot!
Skill Level:Expert
Current Favorite:
Phantasmat Collector's Edition
(101)Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
I was super excited to see a Brain Teaser game today, and I had a blast playing it. With that being said, I do wish they had included a "freeplay" section option, that would allow you to select specific categories to play, not just Wheel of Fortune, luck of the draw feature. I also wish that the categories increased in difficulty levels as you progressed. I have a game I purchased several years ago, in this same wheelhouse, that did just that, each category progressed in levels, and each level became increasingly more difficult. You could also choose the exact brain teaser you wanted to master, and I gotta tell you, some of the simplest sounding games were the hardest. (since I can't mention the name, you're welcome to PM me :)
You start out with 5 Lives and you can either spin the Wheel of Fortune wheel or click the "I'm Feeling Lucky" icon, to randomly select the next Game Category. The wheel of fortune also has extra lives you can win if the arrow lands on a heart, and then you'll receive an extra spin, so you'll probably want to opt for TWoF over the feeling lucky icon.
Each game category begins with a simple set of instructions, and each game category will cost you one of your Heart Lives to play, Then you simply choose the Right or Left picture (either by clicking the arrows or by clicking the picture itself) to answer the question or select the correct answer. If you select the correct answers for an entire category, you will earn an extra life, but if you select the incorrect answer, you won't lose a Life, but the game category ends at that point.
After completing the game category, you continue by answering Trivia Questions in the same manner, (right or left) until the Time Remaining from the game category runs out. After each question don't forget to click "next" for the next question, because the more questions you can fit in, the more chances you'll get at earning more lives. There are also Extra Lives available, by clicking on Hearts that randomly appear on the game pages, but if you don't click them quickly, they'll disappear.
I played this game for the entire demo, but was never given the opportunity to play all of the game categories, which I assume was their way of getting you to purchase the game, so you could finally access the other categories. The categories I was able to access, aren't really that difficult, which is why it would have been nice if the games in each category, would progress in difficulty each time. If they were more difficult each time, I didn't notice it. Here's a list of brief descriptions of each of the game categories I was able to play:
1-Word Search: choose the side that contains the words (shown 1 at a time) in word search samples.
2-Stacked Discs: choose the side that contains the exact shapes that are shown stacked in the example and not stacked in the picture choices.
3-Hidden Objects: choose the side that contains the hidden object shown as either a picture, or word for the example.
4-Mystic Symbols: choose the side that has the exact Symbol shown.
5-Memory Game: you are shown cards to memorize on each side briefly, once they flip over, a card is shown at the top, choose which side contains that card by memory.
6-Pattern Finders: choose the side that contains the exact pattern shown.
7-Bigger/Smaller: choose the side that contains the biggest value.
8-Color Blocks: choose which side shows the same number of blocks as shown.
9-Missing Numbers: choose the side where the given number is missing in a series of numbered tiles.
There are 7 Trophies to earn, and if you run out of Heart Lives, the game simply starts over. The Trivia questions range in questions about Movie Stars, Animal facts, famous Landmarks, Countries Currency, Colors, Fruits, Flags, Population, and even Inventions and Which came First questions. Although it's a Timed game, there is usually plenty of time to finish the games themselves but is designed to prompt you to make split second decisions on Trivia questions. It's not as "Brain Challenging" as the game I mentioned in the beginning of this review, but it is fun, and worthy of a PCC, enjoy!
I recommend this game!
Save the kingdom by casting down it’s evil dictator in this imaginative hidden object game set in a steampunk world.
Overall rating
4
/
5
93 of 106 found this review helpful
I'M NOT A FAN OF STEAMPUNK STYLE GRAPHICS BUT I STILL LOVE THE CLUTTER
PostedFebruary 7, 2018
pennmom36
fromI had one remaining match to find with 32 seconds on the clock when the demo ended...oh no....
Skill Level:Expert
Current Favorite:
Phantasmat Collector's Edition
(101)Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
I have always had issues with the original Clutter games that never seem to work well on my computer. That's one of the reasons I love this series, because I haven't had any issues or noticed any glitches in the last five games in this series. I also love the fact that they either change a feature or add new features in each game, while keeping the standard favorite features untouched, so it doesn't become just another cookie cutter game. Usually I give these game a five star rating, but I'm not a fan of steampunk type graphics, and the story line just didn't move me as much as the other games in the series did.
The object of this game is to remove items from a heaping pile of junk. This may not seem thrilling, but I can assure you, this game isn't as easy as you'd think, and it's very addicting. There are only two modes offered in this version, an Untimed or Timed mode, I'm not sure why they didn't offer the Hard mode of difficulty in this one? In the last game, they offered Dynamite as a change of pace, and in this one, they have added a 3 level challenge, after every fourth level. You can play these challenges in any order, which includes a Match 3 game, A Pair Match game where you flip over 2 cards at a time to try to find matches, and a Clutter game which has two piles of clutter, and you drag the items one by one, from each heaping pile until you find and remove all matching objects.
Some levels may require removing two identical objects, groups of three identical objects, removing objects that either have two or three of the same objects,match a big item to it's small counterpart, dragging items from a heaping pile to find matches, or removing one object in color, it's match without color.
Crystals can be removed with a single click, and this will make the Hint option recharge faster. After a few Clutter levels, you get to assemble a different type of puzzle such as a Jigsaw or Slider type, which will give you an extra hint. If you don't use a hint, you will receive extra points, and you get points for any remaining time you may have. It does seem a little more difficult to earn all three stars in this game, and I would like to see the items with a little more color, but not too much, because I do think that adding too much color would take away from the challenge.
Although I'm not crazy about the story line in this game, I will still happily add this game to my collection, and it's absolutely worthy of a PCC, enjoy!
GAMES IN THIS SERIES
Title***Release Date***Average Rating
1-Spirit of the Ancient Forest (June 29-2017) 4.2
2- A Plot Story (September 21-2017) 4.0
3- Witch's Tales (October 31-2017) 3.7
4- Dream Walker (December 15-2017) 3.1
5-Hiddenverse: The Iron Tower (February 7-2018)
Title***Release Date***Average Rating
1-Spirit of the Ancient Forest (June 29-2017) 4.2
2- A Plot Story (September 21-2017) 4.0
3- Witch's Tales (October 31-2017) 3.7
4- Dream Walker (December 15-2017) 3.1
5-Hiddenverse: The Iron Tower (February 7-2018)
by: Shaman Games Studio
Other Shaman Games
Kingdom of Aurelia/Dreamscapes/Fall of the New Age/Robin's Island/Sea Legends/Namariel Legends/Witch's Pranks/Silver Tales/Farmington Tales/Black Swan/Taken Souls
Kingdom of Aurelia/Dreamscapes/Fall of the New Age/Robin's Island/Sea Legends/Namariel Legends/Witch's Pranks/Silver Tales/Farmington Tales/Black Swan/Taken Souls
I recommend this game!
At last! The latest installment of the beloved Cubis franchise is here!
Overall rating
5
/
5
69 of 76 found this review helpful
I LOVE STRATEGY BASED M3 GAMES BUT NOT ENOUGH TO PAY 14 BUCKS!
PostedFebruary 6, 2018
pennmom36
fromIs this a Match 3 game, a Marble Popping game or both?!?
Skill Level:Expert
Current Favorite:
Phantasmat Collector's Edition
(101)Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Cubis Kingdoms is a fantastic 3D Match 3 game that requires strategy to win. I love that I have to plan my moves carefully, so I don't get stacks and stacks of cubes filling up the board, until I run out of moves! Even though I love the game, I don't love it enough to pay the Collector's Edition price. Sure 50 bonus levels are a plus, but other than Wallpapers, Concept Art, Music, and Avatar pictures, nothing is offered that constitutes paying double the price, so I will wait patiently for the Standard Edition version to be released.
This is a Limited Moves type of Match 3 game that you play on a checkerboard, by shooting 3D cubes of 7 different colors, representing the 7 Elements. You can shoot the cube (and switch to the next cube if desired using the icon on the bottom right) from any column or row along the left and bottom sides, when at least 3 cubes of the same color collide, they will be removed. Cells that are highlighted, indicate that a new cube will appear there on the next turn, which can cause the cubes to stack upon one another if a cube lands on the highlighted cell without making a match.
The goal is to make a specific number of matches of specific colored cubes as shown, within a specific amount of moves. Once you have met the level goals, you can continue to make matches to clear the entire board, if you have enough moves remaining to do so. You can earn up to 3 Stars per level, and any level can be replayed. The gameplay is easy to figure out, but not so easy to master, especially when obstacles are added that can't be moved, such as Stone Blocks, Cats, Frost, Tar, Holes, and Portals! As you progress, however, Power-Ups are added such as Lightning Cubes, which will remove all cubes of the same color, once included within a match, Phoenix Eggs,Cube blasting Ermines, Turtle Shells to fill holes, and Raven Fire. (sounds epic doesn't it?)
If you clear all cubes from the board, you will earn a bottle of the Elixir of Life. Throughout the Level Map, there are Phoenix Icons, that will awaken by turning Orange once you have acquired enough Elements. To release the curse trapped within the Phoenix Totem, you will need to use the Elixir on the totem, which lifts the Dark Fog, and frees the animals and plants in that area of the map, and you can slightly interact with some of those animals too.
CUBIS GAMES AVAILABLE (on BF)
Title***Release Date***Average Rating
Title***Release Date***Average Rating
*Cubis Gold 2 *December 22-2011* 4.8 (Fresh Games)
*Cubis Creatures *October 27-2013* 3,8 (Fresh Games)
*Cubis Kingdoms CE *February 6-2018* (BoomZap/iWin)
*Cubis Creatures *October 27-2013* 3,8 (Fresh Games)
*Cubis Kingdoms CE *February 6-2018* (BoomZap/iWin)
This Collector's Edition version has 12 Wallpapers, 16 Concept Art Pictures, 10 Avatar pictures, 7 Music Soundtracks, and 50 Bonus Levels.
The previous Cubis games, if I'm not mistaken, were developed by FreshGames, but Cubis Kingdoms are developed by Boom Zap and iWin. I don't know why the developers changed, but they have successfully combined some new features, without ditching the standard favorites. If you don't mind paying twice as much just to get a few pictures and 50 more levels, or you just can't wait, gotta have it now, then this is a perfect fit. I however, am NOT impressed enough with the CE "extra's" to pay twice as much, so I will wait until the Standard Edition version is released before buying Cubis Kingdoms, enjoy!
Follow Ted and P.E.T. on their latest journey and solve 120 unique solitaire layouts set in a Jurassic world!
Overall rating
1
/
5
21 of 25 found this review helpful
COURAGEOUS TRAVELERS? HOW ARE WE SUPPOSED TO KNOW THAT?
PostedFebruary 5, 2018
pennmom36
from8000 Coins for 1 Shuffle feature, and 2500 Coins for 1 Undo, wow!?
Skill Level:Expert
Current Favorite:
The Chronicles of Emerland Solitaire
(147)Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
2
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
I'll probably be in the minority here, but this is such a cookie cutter game, and the BF synopsis is way off base. This is just another 8 Floor game with all the same dreadful features that are offered in every game they offer, nothing every changes, except the title!
This game claims to take us back in time with courageous travelers, Ted and P.E.T. Who is Ted? Who is P.E.T? Who knows! There isn't a story told as you begin, or even between each level, how are we supposed to know this? Where are they heading? Well, supposedly we are supposed to "Behold the wonders of the Jurassic period" again, how are we supposed to know this, because one of the card graphic choices has dinosaurs? I'm okay with a solitaire game not having a story, but when they make it sound like there's a story and there isn't, it's kind of confusing.
The synopsis also says to "challenge yourself to a plethora of solitaire layouts" but the only type of solitaire offered in this game is a Golf variation of Higher/Lower. To make matters more confusing, the tutorial pages tell you to make chains by playing 1 card higher or lower, then it says to pick a deck card if there are no available Matching cards as if it were a mahjong matching solitaire variation?
You can choose from 10 different card graphics and 3 card font sizes and styles, but none of the cards are very attractive. The synopsis says there are a ton of trophies to earn which basically means 15 in layman's terms. You begin the game in Newbie mode which allows you to replay any hand, afterwards you can switch to Professional mode if desired which only allows you to replay the entire 10 hand level.
The only goal of each level, is to remove all special Gold cards, you will win the hand if you remove all special cards even if regular cards remain. This is a feature I absolutely hate, because I want the ability to remove ALL of the cards, having cards left on the board drives me bonkers! Normally, I will play a hand over and over until I remove all cards, but I don't get that option with any of the solitaire games offered by this dev.
You can use the coins earned to buy a few sparse items in the shop, and by a few, I mean exactly 3! You can buy an extra Undo feature (you are only given 1 freebie) which is a feature you're going to need because on several; occasions, when I clicked on a deck card, more than 1 card would turn over, because the cards would shake as if I missed a card, when I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that I had no available cards to play when I clicked on the deck pile. You can also buy a Shuffle feature and a Wildcard Joker. There are bonus cards available in each level which will give you either +499 points when played, or a shuffle, undo or Joker.
The features available are so predictable in this game, because they are the same features offered in all of this devs games. If you don't care that you can't remove all cards from the board (unless you play them all before removing the gold cards) then you may love this game. But because I hate this feature, I just can't recommend this game!
I don't recommend this game.
Help Charlotte to take a dizzying mosaics journey into the skies over Europe in pursuit of castle burglars!
Overall rating
5
/
5
49 of 57 found this review helpful
I'VE BEEN FRAMED!
PostedFebruary 5, 2018
pennmom36
frompsst: don't tell the penguin, I really like this series!
Skill Level:Expert
Current Favorite:
Phantasmat Collector's Edition
(101)Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Charlotte, the famous balloonist, is the prime suspect, in the recent castle robberies, that have been occurring all over Europe. It' time to take to the skies once again, only this time, it's to clear her famous reputation!
One of my favorite features in Rainbow Mosaics is that you can choose from 10 different tile sets, my personal favorite is the Lego style and the newer round tiles. You can also choose to play in Expert mode which only crosses off the numbers once the entire row or column has been correctly filled in, AND the power-ups are disabled. There are 120 levels, and as you play each level, they will be available in the Free-play section. As you correctly fill in squares, you will earn coins that can be used to decorate the Trophy Room or purchase upgrades for the Power-ups which are hint forms that will increase in the size of coverage with each upgrade.
The Eye Power-up will reveal the status of a random tile, the Hammer Power-up will allow you to choose which tile to reveal, and the Grid Power-up opens up a chosen area, all of which will not result in a penalty. Each time you upgrade a power-up, it increases the number of tiles it affects, and each power-up will show an example of it's current coverage.
For those of you who have never played this type of game before, don't let it intimidate you. When I first started playing games I passed them by because they looked so complicated but they really aren't, and they are extremely addicting. This is one of the few Mosaic games that can compete with the FM series, and in fact may just be a tad bit more entertaining, enjoy!
RAINBOW MOSAICS GAMES AVAILABLE
Title***Release Date***Average Rating
Title***Release Date***Average Rating
1-Christmas Lights (December 23-2015) 4.3
2-Treasure Trip (May 9-2016) 4.2
3-Blooming Garden (September 14-2016) 4.6
4-Christmas Lights 2 (December 12-2016) 4.4
5-Love Legend (March 14-2017) 4.6
6-The Forest's Guardian (November 20-2017) 4.6
7-Treasure Trip 2 (February 5-2018) n/a
2-Treasure Trip (May 9-2016) 4.2
3-Blooming Garden (September 14-2016) 4.6
4-Christmas Lights 2 (December 12-2016) 4.4
5-Love Legend (March 14-2017) 4.6
6-The Forest's Guardian (November 20-2017) 4.6
7-Treasure Trip 2 (February 5-2018) n/a
Other Games by Awigor
Solitaire Detective/Spooky Halloween Solitaire/Mahjong Detective/Halloween Stories Mahjong
I recommend this game!