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:
Ready to solve a gripping mystery? Tackle ingenious riddles in this hidden object puzzle adventure!
Overall rating
3
/
5
101 of 122 found this review helpful
THERE'S A MYSTERY COOKING RIGHT WHERE YOUR LOOKING
PostedJanuary 2, 2018
pennmom36
fromMost people inherit a spooky manor, Mortimer inherited an entire museum!
Skill Level:Expert
Current Favorite:
Phantasmat Collector's Edition
(100)Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
Well, well, well, at least the music is catchy! Mortimer Beckett, he's the best of detectives......It's been a while since MB had a case to solve, but I think Book of Gold is going to be a hit or miss kind of game. I actually enjoyed playing this demo, but it's certainly not worth paying the Collector's Edition price for it. To be quite honest, I'm not sure what criteria this game met, that constituted slapping a CE sticker on it. There was no Strategy Guide included that I could find, and I didn't see any Bonus Chapter Levels either. There are no Wallpapers, Concept Art or Music to download, and the only "collectibles" included are auctions to access with Diamonds earned, to purchase artifacts for Mortimer Beckett's private collection. (I'm assuming the challenge levels to earn diamonds are not available in the SE version?) There are 14 Trophies to earn, again I'm assuming these achievements won't be available in the SE version, but none of these "iffy" features are worth double the money of an SE game, are they?
This is the 5th Mortimer Beckett game in the series, and in my opinion, it's not as good as the earlier games. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed the demo, and I will probably use a coupon to buy this game in the Standard Edition, when it's released. This is an old school, click and drag type of Hidden Object Game, that has many of the same graphics and features similar to the Time Management games, such as the Delicious series. In fact, Kate O'Malley joins Mortimer on this adventure, and she is Patrick O'Malley's little sister, or Emily's sister-in-law.
There are no difficulty modes available, which is hard to fathom nowadays, and is one of the reasons I gave this game a lower star rating. You play this game in Levels, and each level is basically a different room or at least has different tasks to accomplish. Each level features Carl the Mouse, that cute little mouse that makes an appearance on every game featured by this dev. If you spot Carl popping his head up (sometimes he's partially hidden with just an ear to catch a glimpse of) you will earn a badge and he will be shown on each level that he's been found. If you don't use a Hint, a check mark will also appear on those levels, and you can replay any level at anytime.
The Hidden Objects you must find in the levels, are shown as Fragments in the inventory bar, with a number that indicates how many fragments you must find to make the object whole. Once you have found all fragments of an object, the completed object slides to the bottom of the (vertical) inventory bar, and can then be used to help you progress. This is usually in the form of a Mini Game. The Mini Games don't have instructions, but you can skip them. I actually liked the fact that I had to figure out how to solve the puzzle. For example, SPOILER ALERT: you use a black light to receive hidden codes to unlock a door, on each of the pictures hanging up, but these are merely clues, so you have to figure out what the clue is suggesting. END SPOILER ALERT
Some of the Levels have Challenge Levels available, but not required. If you complete the challenge, you will earn Diamonds. If you complete the challenge within the allotted time frame, you will also earn am Hourglass achievement. You can replay the challenge levels as often as you want, and include finding several items matching the Silhouetted Shapes shown, assembling a Jigsaw Puzzle, or finding a specified number of Mice within the allotted time. It took me 3 tries on the first Silhouetted Shape find HOP, to find all of the items within the allotted time frame, they were the same items, but each time I replayed it, the items were in a different place, or different items to find were included on the list.
MORTIMER BECKETT GAMES AVAILABLE
Title***Original Release Date***Average Rating
Title***Original Release Date***Average Rating
1-Mortimer Beckett and the Secrets of Spooky Manor (July 4-2007) 3.5
2-Mortimer Beckett and the Time Paradox (November 12-2008) 3.3
3-Mortimer Beckett and the Lost King (January 19-2010) 4.1
4-Mortimer Beckett and the Crimson Thief (April 26-2012) 4.0
5-Mortimer Beckett and the Book of Gold CE (October 19-2017) n/a
2-Mortimer Beckett and the Time Paradox (November 12-2008) 3.3
3-Mortimer Beckett and the Lost King (January 19-2010) 4.1
4-Mortimer Beckett and the Crimson Thief (April 26-2012) 4.0
5-Mortimer Beckett and the Book of Gold CE (October 19-2017) n/a
by: Paprikari
*note: BF release dates:
1-May 9-2015
2-May 12-2015
3-May 7-2015
4-May 27-2015
5-January 2-2018
1-May 9-2015
2-May 12-2015
3-May 7-2015
4-May 27-2015
5-January 2-2018
This is one of those games you'll have to see for yourself. If you don't like games you have to drag the screen around, and zoom in and out, in HdO style, you won't like this game. The scenes are bright and colorful, so it should be fairly easy for those with seeing difficulties.
I recommend this game!
Dr. Goodwin's miracle cure is once again under threat in this haunting hidden object adventure!
Overall rating
4
/
5
83 of 104 found this review helpful
THE MEN IN BLACK ARE BACK
PostedJanuary 1, 2018
pennmom36
fromAll's good, I fixed the construction worker's boo-boos with some band-aids,and he say's he's all better now!
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
Dr. Goodwin dedicated his life researching to find a cure for his son's illness. He discovered a miracle genetic cure that could potentially cure all illnesses, but someone sabotaged his life's work, when the laboratory was completely destroyed, along with most of the genetic formula, in an explosion, in the first game of this series Greed: The Mad Scientist (November 5-2013)
In Greed: Forbidden Experiments (March 23-2015) we discovered that someone in the Lab was performing unethical experiments on humans, in an effort to create super humans with super human strengths.It appeared that the two storylines had nothing to do with each other, but then again, the Men in Black have been spotted here as well!
In Greed: Old Enemies Returning (January 1-2018) familiar faces enter our lives once more as Sara Goodwin asks Detective Amy Turner for help once more, when old enemies return. Since the explosion, Bura Pharma has been undergoing federal investigations into their connections with the explosion that claimed Dr. Goodwin's death. The government assured Dr. Goodwin's daughter Sara, that her father's Lab would be restored, but she has just discovered they are actually demolishing the Lab!
Those mysterious Men in Black, have been already been spotted snooping around the site, has the government and the giant Pharmaceutical company joined forces? Have they returned to sabotage whats left of Dr. Goodwin's genetic code formula?
This series may seem a bit "old school" to most gamers, it does have voiceovers, but there are no lip sync movements by the characters as they talk. The graphics are computer generated graphics, but personally, I prefer CG over the hand-drawn graphics, because I like the clean, crisp, sharp definition lines they offers, and the characters look the way they do because of the CG graphics. This old school style isn't for everyone, but the storyline should hold your attention, especially if you like government conspiracy theory plots, it reminds me of the Fringe series.
I am disappointed, however in this games lack of collectibles that were available in the other two games. The first game had 14 Radioactive items to find, and 7 pages of Dr. Goodwins awards. The second game had 10 Oracle's Emblems and 9 missing Diary pages to find. I didn't find any collectibles in this game, but I could be wrong. I will use a PCC for this game, because I enjoyed the unusual conspiracy plots of the first two games.
GREED GAMES AVAILABLE
Title***Release Date***Average Rating
Title***Release Date***Average Rating
1-Greed:The Mad Scientist (November 5-2013) 3.9
2-Greed:Forbidden Experiments (March 23-2015) 3.8
3-Greed: Old Enemies Returning (January 1-2018) n/a
2-Greed:Forbidden Experiments (March 23-2015) 3.8
3-Greed: Old Enemies Returning (January 1-2018) n/a
by: Urchin Games
by: Interactive Dreamscapes
by: Interactive Dreamscapes
I recommend this game!
Can you stop a dangerous specter from destroying the opera?
Overall rating
1
/
5
61 of 69 found this review helpful
PHANTOM OF THE OPERA WITHOUT A PLOT
PostedDecember 31, 2017
pennmom36
from"no one will keep me from giving Andrea the performance of a lifetime" dude, I hate to break it to ya, but I think your both dead, lifetime's over!?
Skill Level:Expert
Current Favorite:
Phantasmat Collector's Edition
(100)Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
1
/
5
Level of Challenge
1
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
When I played the demo in the Collector's Edition version, I was skeptical that the plot would thicken afterwards. I needed another game for a BOGO sale, and since I had already purchased most of the games this month, I decided to take a chance on A Lover's Pledge, after all, many of the games in this series are pretty decent. Well, I'm sorry to report, that after several attempts to finish this game, I simply can't do it!
At first glance, the graphics appear to be stellar, but if you really pay attention to the detail, there isn't any detail. The buildings are plain Jane and basic, the decorations, shrubbery, plants and trees lack definition , the statues, the sky, the rooms, have no texture or intricate patterns to give them depth. A bell looks the same as a vase both in and out of my inventory. The objects within the HOP's are at times difficult to find, not because they are well hidden, but because it's hard to tell the difference between a scoop and a sickle, they are cartoonish looking and blurry.
The biggest problem however, isn't with blah looking graphics, the problem is with the plot. Actually, I should say the lack of a plot, because this storyline is stretch far too thin. This is just another example of how 5 meaningless chapters, are far worse than 3 epic chapters. I kept forgetting what the story was about, and how this character related to that character, which is bad, really bad when playing a game that doesn't allow you to hit a rewind button! I gave up, perhaps too soon, but my intuitions say probably not. Just in case you may be able to stick with it, here's a recap of my review to help you decide which version, if either is right for you:
This game is so boring I don't even know what the story is about! Through sheer boredom, I either muddled through the demo on autopilot, or they have done a terrible job of relaying the plot. A Lover's Pledge? I met two women and a ghost in the demo, Julia Belmont and Clementine Lambert. The third character, Andrea Belmont had already committed suicide, so who pledged their love to whom is a mystery to me! One things for sure, I'm a Master Costume Designer, how exciting.
Danse Macabre is sliding down a slippery slope, one game at a time. The first few games in the series were really good, and they received a 4.4 average rating. By 2016 they slipped under the 4 star ratings, and by the end of 2017 the games are nearing the base of the slope as they dip dangerously close to average ratings below 3 stars. The truth of the matter is that this dev produces nothing but cookie cutter games, same story, same HOP's, same MG's, same Hidden Signs, same features, same graphics.
Lover's Pledge has everything you'd expect, it's predictable, and it's just more of the same with a different title. Of course the Collector's Edition has 30 Hidden Signs, all Eipix games have Hidden Signs, and it's a feature that becomes so boring to look for after just a few scenes, that you don't care if you look for them or not. There's no challenge in finding them, they stick out like a sore thumb, and they aren't used for anything, they don't unlock special features, they just are what they are, "here's your sign". Other than a handful of Wallpapers and a Strategy Guide (which you won't need, it's an easy game) the only bling you get with the CE version are those not so hidden signs, unless you count a Bonus Chapter as a plus. (which surely is just another chapter of boredom)
The Hidden Object Scenes are located in boring scenes with boring items to search for. The only HOP remotely interesting, was finding multiples of objects that pertain to a riddle, at least you have to think about what you're looking for. There are the standard, Interactive List Finds, Progressive Interactive Silhouetted Shape finds, Multiples of Objects finds, and Riddle Description finds. Some of the HOP scenes are repeated in the same location, something Eipix never did before, but have been doing so in the last few games offered, a feature most gamers hate because it's too boring a second time around! The good news is that there is an alternative Match 3 game to play, the bad news is that it's not a great Match 3 game.
The Mini Games are just okay, neither bad nor good, and certainly nothing new offered. Below are brief descriptions of some of the games you'll encounter during the demo:
1) Click on pie shaped sections in the correct sequence as demonstrated.
2) Guide the ball through the maze to the center using directional arrows.
3) Complete the decoration by dragging sections of the decoration to empty slots.
4) Move all tokens to the frame located in the center, by selecting numbered buttons on each row and column, to push the tokens a specified number of spaces on the grid.
5) Arrange the four colored switches between their matching circles on the right by dragging groups of switches along the wheel or across the bar.
DANSE MACABRE GAMES AVAILABLE
Title***Collector's Edition Release Date***Average Rating
Title***Collector's Edition Release Date***Average Rating
1- The Last Adagio (February 20-2014) 4.4
2- Crimson Cabaret (September 25-2014) 4.4
3- Deadly Deception (February 28-2015) 4.1
4- Thin Ice (June 11-2015) 4.1
5- Lethal Letters ( February 11-2016) 4.2
6- Ominous Obsession (April 10-2016) 3.9
7- Florentine Elegy (April 1-2017) 3.5
8- Curse of the Banshee (July 20-2017) 3.0
9-A Lover's Pledge (December 2-2017) 2.7
2- Crimson Cabaret (September 25-2014) 4.4
3- Deadly Deception (February 28-2015) 4.1
4- Thin Ice (June 11-2015) 4.1
5- Lethal Letters ( February 11-2016) 4.2
6- Ominous Obsession (April 10-2016) 3.9
7- Florentine Elegy (April 1-2017) 3.5
8- Curse of the Banshee (July 20-2017) 3.0
9-A Lover's Pledge (December 2-2017) 2.7
The Collector's Edition has 8 Wallpapers (no concept art pictures??) 9 Music Soundtracks, 7 Movie Videos, 12 Achievements to earn, 21 re-playable Mini Games, a Souvenir Room, 18 re-playable Hidden Object Scenes, 30 not so Hidden Signs, a built in Strategy Guide and a Bonus Chapter.
I don't recommend this game.
It's more than your average survival show...
Overall rating
3
/
5
103 of 144 found this review helpful
ANOTHER ANCIENT EVIL ENTITY SEEKS REVENGE BY SUCKING EVERYONE'S LIFE FORCE DRY
PostedDecember 30, 2017
pennmom36
fromI'm pretty sure no newspaper article show's a picture of a murder victim, chalk outlined at that, on the front page, not to mention the fact that the murderer hasn't been caught....details.....
Skill Level:Expert
Current Favorite:
Phantasmat Collector's Edition
(100)Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
1
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
Nathaniel Wilson is a brilliant detective (he's brilliant, the newspapers say so) with some pretty sweet tatts. (that part isn't in the newspaper, I totally made that part up) What's so sweet about Nathaniel Wilson's tattoos you may ask? Well, for starters, the tattoos give him supernatural abilities. With a quick flick of his wrist (after rolling up his sleeves first of course), zap! The unseen is now visible, ta-dah! It's okay, I wasn't impressed either, but eventually he sees peoples memories (not very newsworthy either) Nathaniel has just finished up his Amsterdam investigation, so he decides to do a little R&R at the Outlive Bar. He doesn't even get the chance to crack open a beer when the next supernatural case lands right in his lap, what are the chances of that!? (cuz he has supernatural abilities and a supernatural phenomena has just occurred at THIS exact place and time, turn the page) Looks like vacation's over Nathaniel, time to roll up your sleeves and start flashing that tattoo all over Los Angeles.
Nathaniel could sure use some Mystery Tales sunglasses, because everyone in the entire city has blinding beams of lights streaming from their eyeballs! These death rays can only mean one thing.......the force won't be with them for much longer at this rate! Nathaniel brilliantly uses his spidey-senses (because he's brilliant, remember?) and picks up a newspaper, where he discovers that strange death's have been occurring for a couple of weeks! After much deliberation, he deduces that the cause of death is because they were all drained of energy. I'm sorry, what???? How exactly does a coroner determine whether or not a person has been drained of energy? Does he have an energy meter? Is there a posthumous test to prove this? Wouldn't ANY dead person be void of energy? Am I the only one who questions these ridiculous statements?
Moving right along to the Hidden Object Scenes, or lack thereof. Granted, I may not have made it as far through the demo as most, because I was taking notes with my life's energy before it depletes, but I only came across one very small Interactive List Zoom Zone HOP, and one regular sized HO Interactive List find puzzle, which was repeated in the same location as a Multiple Item find puzzle! I'm not a huge fan of most HOP's, in fact, I've always wished they would add a skip feature to the HOP's, but shouldn't there be more HOP's in a HOPA game? So I guess this is more of a PAG, but I was HOPAn for a little more. There is an alternative Match 3 game to play, but there are no large matches or power-up boosters available to make it a little more appealing.
The Mini Games are far too easy to master. Below are brief descriptions of some of the games you'll encounter during the demo:
1) Restore the broken TV glass is a 2 part puzzle, by dragging glass shards correctly. The first puzzle has 3 huge chunks, the second puzzle has about 8, slightly smaller chunks of glass.
2) Rotate the small triangles to match the tiles' colors, use the arrows to rotate the large triangles.
3) After finding the balls to the pinball table, you won't become a pinball wizard, because you don't even get to play a pinball game?
4) Select green circles to find the correct route to the TV studio. Or you could use your newfound x-ray vision, if your life energy levels are good to go.
5) Free the ladies from their shackles by finding matching pairs of shackles. Of course you can use a chainsaw to cut through metal shackles, wires, rope and heavy gauge chain links, which btw, are frighteningly close to the "ladies"
6) Rotate the rings of the disks in a two part puzzle in between your chainsaw scenarios, moving one disk may affect others, actually moving one disk will affect others, all of them.
7) Choose the correct answers on the screen based on the clues in the album.
8) Swap the petals to their matching colored masks, using directional arrows to swap adjacent petals.
9) Mix ingredients to create a Curse Antidote. Any curse. Yep, with just a few household items, you too can whip up a batch of Curse Antidote. Does someone you know have a mask stuck to their face? Curse Antidote. Does someone you know have beams of light piercing through their blank eyes? Curse Antidote. Does someone you know have missing life energy? Curse Antidote. It slices, it dices, it even julienne-s fries. Curse Antidote. (available at participating stores, tax, title, fees and licensing are not included) Curse Antidote.
THE UNSEEN FEARS GAMES AVAILABLE
Title***Collector's Edition Release Date***Average Rating
Title***Collector's Edition Release Date***Average Rating
1-Body Thief (March 16-2017) 4.0
2-Outlive (December 30-2017) n/a
2-Outlive (December 30-2017) n/a
by: Grandma Studios
This Collector's Edition has 10 Wallpapers, 10 Concept Art pictures, 8 Music Soundtracks, replayable Movie Videos, Mini Games and Hidden Object Scenes, 14 Achievements to earn, 72 Collectible not so hidden Masks, a built in Strategy Guide, a Hidden Chapter ( Until it Sleeps) and a Bonus Chapter (Arisen) Curse Antidote!
The challenging sequel to All-in-One Mahjong. Can you complete all 42 levels!
Overall rating
3
/
5
71 of 87 found this review helpful
I DON'T NORMALLY ENJOY MAHJONG GAMES, BUT.....
PostedDecember 29, 2017
pennmom36
fromWhy is this available in so many different languages? The tiles are either in Chinese or Roman Numerals?
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
As a general rule of thumb, I usually don't think about playing a Mahjong game when I'm searching for a good game to play. Most Mahjong games require little to no skill or strategy to master, because it's basically a luck of the draw, there are either available matches or there aren't. (an exception to this rule is Legendary slide Mahjong) Because of this, I quickly become bored with the game, but All-in-One Mahjong 2, for some reason, didn't bore me, in fact, I found it to be rather relaxing!
You can choose from several beautiful background pictures, rain on the window, tulips, yellow field, blue sky, autumn leaves, drop of water, grass & sky, sand heart, maple leaves, music notes, purple sky or a random picture. There are three different Mahjong Tile sets to choose from, two traditional tiles and font styles and one modern tile set that has very colorful tiles. You can also choose to play in a Timed Mode or for Points. Timed Mode has a shuffle feature, and you must clear all of the tiles within the allotted time given, or you can play in Score Mode which has no timer or shuffle feature, you either win the game (think solitaire) or lose, clear all the tiles to win, get stuck with no available moves and lose.
When it comes to the Mahjong layouts themselves, this game seems to have the whole enchilada, (well actually everything but an enchilada) none are locked so you can play them in any order you want, as often as you want! The layouts are really interesting designs, such as a puppy, a horse, beetles, jellyfish, an alien, pacman, ruins, flip-flops, and even Aladdin's lamp and Jolly Roger!
Depending on which mode you choose, there are available Hints, Shuffle's and an Undo feature. Available Moves are shown, and there is a Highlight feature that will highlight all open available tiles. This is a simple,Traditional Mahjong style game, the only goal is to remove all tiles by matching two available identical tiles, (seasons and flowers can be matched with any tile in the same group) there are no Gold Tiles to remove, or any hoops to jump through. Although I personally don't get super excited with most Mahjong games, this one is much more enjoyable than most, and certainly worthy of a coupon, enjoy!
I recommend this game!
Awakened from centuries of slumber, you must save the future!
Overall rating
3
/
5
20 of 26 found this review helpful
IT'S TIME FOR DARK CREATURES TO RISE!
PostedDecember 28, 2017
pennmom36
from"We can help you, but you must..............loading!
Skill Level:Expert
Current Favorite:
Phantasmat Collector's Edition
(100)Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
I seldom rate the Standard Edition version the same star rating, because I'm a die hard fan of Morphing Objects and the Collectibles that are only offered in the Collector's Edition versions. Lowering my rating for this game to 3 stars (from 4 on the CE) is ONLY because I prefer the CE version which has Morphing Objects.
The storyline is decent, and I LOVE the fact that Bertha is a no show, and if I'm being perfectly honest, I'm actually glad Jack was injured and has to leave. (he's not real so I don't think its being insensitive?) Witches' Legacy used to be one of my top 5 favs back in the days of Lynn and Edward, with that adorable little Imp as a helper. I'm really not sure why EleFun Games decided it was time to move on, but in my opinion, that was a huge mistake. If you look at the series listing I have included at the bottom of my review, the average ratings, speak volumes about this abrupt character switch.
The earlier games with Lynn & Edward received average ratings above 4 stars, but once Jack & Anabel with their weaselly friend Bertha arrived, the party was clearly over with average ratings only slightly over the 3 star rating mark! Want more proof? In Rise of the Ancients, Jack briefly makes an appearance, Anabel merely pops in with a portal cameo throughout the game, and Bertha is out doing whatever ferrets do in their spare time, and the Collector's Edition version still received a 4.2 average rating! The proof is in the pudding.
I probably would have given the CE version a 5 star rating, if it weren't for 2 really annoying features. The first feature is more of a dislike, than an annoyance, the fact that after 11 games in the series, the graphics are horrible, and never seem to improve. The graphics are fuzzy, some objects are ill proportioned, and nothing stands out because every scene has shades of blue and hues of green. My final complaint, is with the LOADING scenario, this feature drives me absolutely bonkers! For the life of me, I can't understand why this glitchy problem hasn't been addressed, it's nearly the year 2018! I can't think of a single HOPA game that has to load, in-between each and every scene, and in-between each and every zoom zone. It seems to take an eternity to do it's loading thingy, which in my opinion, takes away from the flow of the game. I can handle a slow transition, but I practically have time to run to the store, come back and bake a batch of Christmas cookies, let them cool off, and dunk them in some milk before.......loading! Here's a recap of my review to help you decide which version, if either is right for you:
There are two Worlds that exists, our World, which consists of witches' and mankind, and the other World, of evil creatures and dark spirits. Centuries ago, the Lord of the other World nearly destroyed our World, if not for the ultimate sacrifice of the Ancient One, who captured the demon Ezar. But prisons never hold forever, and our World has once again been plunged into a dark war of apocalyptic proportions! Anabel has awakened the Ancient One, once again to help save our World from total destruction, but it may already be too late.........loading........can the Ancient One defeat Lord Ezar and save our World.....loading.....before it's too late?
I think the devs at EleFun Games has also been listening to our complaints, and the average rating plunges, ever since they introduced Jack, Anabel and Bertha. Jack and Anabel only make a brief appearance in the demo (although Anabel does make a reference to return without Jack) Personally, I fell in love with this story line which was all about the trials and tribulations of a kind hearted witch named Lynn, whose entire family was destroyed by evil witches, trying to turn her good intentions into an evil agenda. Even her family dog was turned into an Imp. I just couldn't make a connection with Jack and his girlfriend, now wife, Anabel who happens to be a good witch also. To make matters worse, Jack's good friend Bertha, had only one power as a witch, the ability to turn into a ferret, with an annoying voice. With Jack and Anabel pretty much out of the picture, there's no need for Bertha, so it's a win, win situation, for me, and I'm already enjoying the changes! HOWEVER.....loading.....EleFun still has one HUGE feature that still needs to change.....loading......can you figure out what that might be?.......loading........!
The Collector's Edition version has some decent CE bling, but they have changed some features in all of their games that used to include a point system. There used to be points awarded for earning Achievements, finding Morphing Items and Collectibles. I never really paid that much attention to that feature, but I'm kind of saddened that they aren't offered anymore, because it was a feature only offered by this dev, and I had come to expect those features, when playing one of their games. There are no longer hidden Jigsaw Puzzle Pieces to find and assemble pictures as Screensavers, but there are hidden Footprints to find, some of which are within zoom zones, and once you have collected 4 Footprints in each category, you still get to assemble a Jigsaw Puzzle, but with different shaped pieces, and it will give you a small biography of 8 different Monsters. In the CE version, each scene also has a Morphing Object, but unfortunately, they don't provide an option to not have the cursor change when it scans over a collectible or morph.
The Ancient One is a powerful witch that has an Ancient Grimoire Book of spells that contain recipes and various spells. When a spell is needed, the book will open as an indication. New spells first require all ingredients, then requires following the directions in a specific order. The various spells include Restoration Spells, Protection Spells and a Darkness Binder spell to defeat a single monster. You will eventually defeat 8 Monsters using the spell, and of course you must play a Mini Game puzzle to unlock each spell.
The Hidden Object Scenes are just okay, neither good nor bad, and certainly nothing new. There is an alternate Matching game to opt for instead of the HOP's. In the demo, there are Interactive List finds, slightly Interactive Silhouetted Shape Finds, and a ton of Keywords in sentence finds. There are also the famous zoom zone smaller HOP's found in all EleFun Games, where you are tasked with finding several Fragments that are located all around the scene while still zoomed in to zoom zone object. There are a total of 24 Hidden Object Scenes throughout the main game.
The Mini Games are fairly creative, some more difficult than others, and there are a total of 32 Mini Games to solve. Below are brief descriptions of some of the games you'll encounter during the demo:
1) Move figurines to the correct slots by moving them along the tracks to their outlined slots.
2) Light all spheres by selecting the right arrow to move the spheres 1 space to the right or the left arrow to move the spheres 2 spaces to the left.
3) Rotate the rings of a disk to complete the image.
4) Use the Grimoire Spell Book to strike each monster in the head, when they appear. (which btw, required me to use a ladder to reach the room, but I was able to reach the train without any help, on a bridge taller than the rooms window.)
5) Find all hidden fragments and return them to the scene by interacting with the scene.
6) Swap figurines to their correct spaces.
7) Throw the hook when the green crosshairs when they intersect over the bag.
8) Assemble the torn fragments to restore the photos.
9) Swap sides of the real world tokens and our world tokens, without allowing opposing tokens to occupy neighboring spaces.
10) Arrange the inner and outer orbs to match the center symbols using arrow buttons to rotate the orbs.
11) Draw the symbols that appear on the flying objects that appear.
2) Light all spheres by selecting the right arrow to move the spheres 1 space to the right or the left arrow to move the spheres 2 spaces to the left.
3) Rotate the rings of a disk to complete the image.
4) Use the Grimoire Spell Book to strike each monster in the head, when they appear. (which btw, required me to use a ladder to reach the room, but I was able to reach the train without any help, on a bridge taller than the rooms window.)
5) Find all hidden fragments and return them to the scene by interacting with the scene.
6) Swap figurines to their correct spaces.
7) Throw the hook when the green crosshairs when they intersect over the bag.
8) Assemble the torn fragments to restore the photos.
9) Swap sides of the real world tokens and our world tokens, without allowing opposing tokens to occupy neighboring spaces.
10) Arrange the inner and outer orbs to match the center symbols using arrow buttons to rotate the orbs.
11) Draw the symbols that appear on the flying objects that appear.
WITCHES' LEGACY GAMES AVAILABLE
Title***Collector's Edition Release Date***Average Rating
Title***Collector's Edition Release Date***Average Rating
1-The Charleston Curse (January 19-2012) 4.3 (Lynn original)
2-Lair of the Witch Queen (June 27-2013) 4.3 (Lynn original)
3-Hunter and the Hunted (January 9-2014) 3.9 (Lynn original)
4-The Ties That Bind (August 16-2014) 3.8 (Lynn original)
5-Slumbering Darkness (February 26-2015) 4.4 (Lynn original)
6-The Dark Throne (July 2-2015) 4.3 (Lynn original)
7-Awakening Darkness (December 24-2015) 4.0 (Lynn original)
8-Dark Days To Come (July 30-2016) 3.9 (Jack spinoff)
9-The City That Isn't There (January 7-2017) 3.4 (Jack spinoff)
10-Covered By The Night (July 13-2017) 3.6 (Jack spinoff)
11-Rise of the Ancient (December 9-2017) 4.2 (Jack spinoff)
by: EleFun Games
2-Lair of the Witch Queen (June 27-2013) 4.3 (Lynn original)
3-Hunter and the Hunted (January 9-2014) 3.9 (Lynn original)
4-The Ties That Bind (August 16-2014) 3.8 (Lynn original)
5-Slumbering Darkness (February 26-2015) 4.4 (Lynn original)
6-The Dark Throne (July 2-2015) 4.3 (Lynn original)
7-Awakening Darkness (December 24-2015) 4.0 (Lynn original)
8-Dark Days To Come (July 30-2016) 3.9 (Jack spinoff)
9-The City That Isn't There (January 7-2017) 3.4 (Jack spinoff)
10-Covered By The Night (July 13-2017) 3.6 (Jack spinoff)
11-Rise of the Ancient (December 9-2017) 4.2 (Jack spinoff)
by: EleFun Games
The Collector's Edition version has 9 Wallpapers, 11 Concept Art pictures, 3 Screensavers, 3 Music Soundtracks, 12 Achievements to earn, 31 Morphing Objects, 32 Monster Footprints (to assemble 8 Jigsaw Puzzles with 8 monster bios) a built in Strategy Guide and a Bonus Chapter, enjoy!
I recommend this game!
Can you stop a dark vision from coming true?
Overall rating
3
/
5
103 of 137 found this review helpful
ALL WE NEED NOW IS A CARNIVAL FOR MADAME FATE....er MADAME ESPERANCE
PostedDecember 28, 2017
pennmom36
from"Dear Friend, although we don't know each other" and apparently are NOT friends????
Skill Level:Expert
Current Favorite:
Phantasmat Collector's Edition
(100)Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
Either I'm experiencing Deja-vu or this story is hauntingly familiar, and nowhere near as good either! The Message is loud and clear, Madame Esperance (that's way too long of a name, let's just call her Madame E) is a physic medium who foresees the future, even her own! Unfortunately, things aren't looking too good for Madame E, but at least her vision will buy her some time to contact a detective, to get the ball rolling on her pre-murder investigation..
Once again, I play the role of a Detective, and apparently I'm not very good at it, because I never have a single penny to my name. To make matters worse, I have to resort to thieving coins in order to buy objects from shady vendors. I never get a receipt so I'm assuming these are stolen goods, which is surely another reason I'm not a very good detective. As with most of these games, you get to choose profile picture avatars. There are 3 different male characters and 3 different female characters to choose from. Basically a brunette, blonde and red haired detective available for either male or female avatar. Another unfortunate scenario in my detective career, I once again get equipped with a Spirit Collector. I don't want to talk about it, seriously disappointed, nuff said!
Amax Interactive is definitely digging their claws into these older games, as they desperately try to revitalize these long time standing series' they inherited from ERS. Each game they release lately, are ever so slightly better, it's clear to see they are putting forth great effort, but in the process, they seem to have lost sight of what a Collector's Edition is all about. I expect more collectibles in a CE, not less, and they've never even attempted to add Morphing Objects or any new features, why? Besides looting coins, the only collectibles offered in this Collector's Edition version, are a handful of Madame E's personal belongings! I remember filling out a BF survey a while back that was intended to provide insight from game buyers, as to what they desired within a CE. Did they receive hundreds and hundreds of requests to remove CE bling?
The Hidden Object Scenes are in typical form by this dev, but fortunately, they have called for a cease fire, on doubling up HOP's in repeated locations. There are Interactive List finds, but most of the Hidden Object Scenes are in the form of Keywords in a sentence, which is a very popular way devs use to incorporate more details of the plot. When I say popular, I mean that almost all of the devs use this method, which is why I loved the method used in Phantasmat, of telling the story through unexplained "visions" which is so much more realistic and far creepier. There aren't any alternative puzzles to opt for, but there are some HOP's that have a small puzzle of some kind to solve.
The Mini Games are just okay, neither good nor bad. Most of the games are available in a Casual or Hard difficulty mode. Below are brief descriptions of some of the games you'll encounter during the demo:
1) Move the dial hands so they land on their matching symbols, by selecting a dial and swapping icons to a highlighted slot.
2) Several mini games that require you to click buttons, piano keys etc. in a specific order by trial and error.
3) Move the inner lock pieces so they fit in the outer lock pieces by swapping one key piece from each side.
4) Use directional arrows to guide the ball through the labyrinth to the hole.
5) Assemble the dream-catcher by attaching the string and hanging feathers.
6) Make matches of at least 3 identical tiles by swapping adjacent tiles, in a Match 3 game to collect 12 Fists and 12 Shields.
7) Move the ropes by selecting and swapping 2 rings making sure none of them intersect.
8) Use a map to navigate through the tunnels.
9) Use a magnet to drag a pin through the paths without going outside of the lines.
GRIM FACADE GAMES AVAILABLE
Title***Collector's Edition Release Date***Average Rating
Title***Collector's Edition Release Date***Average Rating
1-Mystery of Venice (June 2011) 4.2
2-Sinister Obsession (July 5-12) 4.1
3-Cost of Jealousy (February 28-13) 4.0
4-A Wealth of Betrayal (April 24-14) 3.2
5-The Artist and the Pretender (September 18-14) 3.6
6-Hidden Sins (June 18-15) 4.2
7-Monster in Disguise (May 19-16) 4.0
8-The Red Cat (October 22-16) 3.8
9-A Deadly Dowry (September 23-17) 3.2
10-The Message (December 28-2017) n/a
2-Sinister Obsession (July 5-12) 4.1
3-Cost of Jealousy (February 28-13) 4.0
4-A Wealth of Betrayal (April 24-14) 3.2
5-The Artist and the Pretender (September 18-14) 3.6
6-Hidden Sins (June 18-15) 4.2
7-Monster in Disguise (May 19-16) 4.0
8-The Red Cat (October 22-16) 3.8
9-A Deadly Dowry (September 23-17) 3.2
10-The Message (December 28-2017) n/a
by: Amax Interactive
This Collector's Edition version has 6 Wallpapers, 6 Concept Art pictures, 6 Screensavers, 4 Music Soundtracks, 11 Movie Videos, 16 re-playable Mini Games and Hidden Object Scenes, 20 Achievements to earn (one of which is to skip a mini game?) 7 Collectible Madame E personal items) collectible Coins, a built in Strategy Guide and a Bonus Chapter.
Tillian has to win the tournament to marry Aerin, and at the same time they have to reveal and destroy the conspiracy against elven crown.
Overall rating
4
/
5
47 of 58 found this review helpful
HERE COMES THE BRIDE, BUT WHO IS THE GROOM?
PostedDecember 27, 2017
pennmom36
fromUsually the groom has to lift the bride's veil, but this time, the bride must unveil her groom, Surprise!
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 thought I'd be super excited that I could finally purchase this game as a Standard Edition version, but now I'm not so sure! I still love this game, but I was dead set against buying the Collector's Edition version at twice the cost, thinking I wouldn't miss what's missing. After playing both versions now, I think I do miss what's missing from this edition! I don't really care about the wallpapers and concept art pictures, and I could care less about the achievements and the strategy guide they offer. I do however, really miss finding the 60 Morphing Hidden Objects and the 60 collectible Masks. I don't miss them enough to pay full price, but I'll definitely reconsider buying the CE version when the next BOGO sale comes along. Here's a recap of my original review to help you decide which version, if either is right for you:
King Galanius hasn't been himself lately. Aerin knows something is very wrong, when he lays down the law, and demands she marries the winner of the upcoming Tournament! Her pleads were fruitless, and her fate seems to be signed, and sealed, question is, can she control the delivery? Well, she and Tillian are sure going to try to stack this deck of marriage!
I've always loved the Elven Legends Time Management series, and I think the developers must have been listening, because this one seems a little easier to obtain all 3 stars, compared to Elven Legend 4. This is still a strategy based Time Management game, you will still need to queue your tasks in a specific order, but it is obtainable. I remember having to replay most of the levels in the last game, sometimes more than once to achieve all 3 stars! You can play in a Relaxed mode with no timer, Normal, or Professional Mode, and you can replay the levels as often as necessary.
There are the normal resources to collect, food, water, wood, stone etc. and the same tasks of clearing the roads, repairing bridges and filling in pits along the way. Queen Aerin will do all the magic work, once she has enough magical crystals to charge her staff, and Tillian also has a few tasks to accomplish as well, as they gather supplies needed to prepare him for the tournament. Aerin will collect Golden Petals, that allows her, aka you, to purchase items to decorate for the wedding. The Wedding Screen gives you a couple of different purchase options for each decoration, as it slowly transforms the landscape into a beautiful Wedding scene.
There are several Altars of Resources available in each level that will produce resources over a period of time and each level has a Bonus meter that recharges to give you temporary boosts such as faster workers, more resources, or extra workers. You will need to construct different buildings to help you achieve your goals such as Farms, Workers House's Sawmills and mines. Some levels require items to be Crafted, the items you gather will automatically move to the icon, and once all items have been collected you need to click on the icon to complete the task.
The tournament is held over 5 islands, the Land of the Giants, the Orcish Swamps, the Dwarven Caves, the Elven Kingdom, and the Depth of Dark Elves. There is a Bonus Chapter available in the CE version that place in the Warlock's Wasteland, which actually looks really cool.
ELVEN LEGEND GAMES AVAILABLE
Title***Release Date***Average Rating
Title***Release Date***Average Rating
1-Elven Legend (February 4-2015) 3.2
2-Elven Legend: The Bewitched Tree (February 3-2016) 3.3
3-Elven Legend: The New Menace CE (July 26-2016) 3.4
4-Elven Legend: The Incredible Journey CE (February 28-2017) 3.1
5-Elven Legend: The Fateful Tournament CE (November 14-2017) 4.7
2-Elven Legend: The Bewitched Tree (February 3-2016) 3.3
3-Elven Legend: The New Menace CE (July 26-2016) 3.4
4-Elven Legend: The Incredible Journey CE (February 28-2017) 3.1
5-Elven Legend: The Fateful Tournament CE (November 14-2017) 4.7
The Collector's Edition version has 8 Wallpapers, 8 Concept Art pictures, 60 Morphing Hidden Objects, 60 Masks to collect, World History Character Bios, a built in Strategy Guide, 50 regular Levels & 10 Bonus Levels, 37 Achievements to earn, a High Scores board and a Bonus Chapter, enjoy!
I recommend this game!
Winter Mosaics delivers a huge set of exciting mosaics puzzles for the holiday season.
Overall rating
3
/
5
35 of 43 found this review helpful
THESE GUYS ARE ALWAYS THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOX!
PostedDecember 27, 2017
pennmom36
fromI wish there was an option on the Custom setting to choose whether you want the levels with a puzzle piece to be indicated!
Skill Level:Expert
Current Favorite:
Phantasmat Collector's Edition
(100)Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
This is the only developer I know of that is constantly thinking outside the box, to create Mosaic Griddlers with new concepts. Although Winter Mosaics are just multi-colored griddlers, many of their Mosaic's offer shapes, labyrinth's and even griddlers that come to life with beautiful animations. In this game, some of the levels have a hidden Puzzle piece to discover. The only way to find the puzzle piece is by finding and clicking on a filled in cell, that is ever so slightly a different "shade" of color. It's not easy to spot the difference, and I highly recommend jotting down the levels where you successfully found the puzzle piece, so you'll know which levels you don't have to replay, if you want to complete the puzzle.
One of the most unique features this developer includes in their Mosaic games as well as their Mahjong games, is the ability to customize the difficulty settings. You can play in Casual, Normal, or Expert difficulty mode, or you can choose the Custom setting. In the Custom setting you can choose to play in a Timed mode with or without a Time Bonus, how quickly you want the Hint feature to recharge from 30 to 120 seconds, how many mistakes count between 1 and 5 mistakes, whether you want the numbers crossed off 1 by 1 or only when the entire row is completed.
The completed pictures are recognizable, the colors are appealing, the music is pleasant and unobtrusive, and the grid features themselves don't have any drawbacks such as being able to tell the difference between colors (except for that special puzzle cell) or difficult to read numbers that blend into the background like some puzzles have.
MOSAIC GAMES AVAILABLE IN THIS SERIES
Title***BF Release Date***Average Rating
Title***BF Release Date***Average Rating
1-Spring Mosaics (April 24-2017) 2.8
2-Space Mosaics (May 10-2017) 2.5
3-Flowers Mosaics (November 8-2017) 2.7
4-Winter Mosaics (December 27-2017) n/a
2-Space Mosaics (May 10-2017) 2.5
3-Flowers Mosaics (November 8-2017) 2.7
4-Winter Mosaics (December 27-2017) n/a
WORLD'S GREATEST CITIES/PLACES MOSAICS SERIES
Title***Release Date***Average Rating
Title***Release Date***Average Rating
1-World's Greatest Cities Mosaics 1 (March 7-2016) 3.5
2-World's Greatest Cities Mosaics 2 (October 20-2017) 4.6
3-World's Greatest Cities Mosaics 3 (December 11-2017) 3.2
2-World's Greatest Cities Mosaics 2 (October 20-2017) 4.6
3-World's Greatest Cities Mosaics 3 (December 11-2017) 3.2
1-World's Greatest Places Mosaics 1 (March 16-2016) 2.8
2-World's Greatest Places Mosaics 2 (September 6-2017) 4.8
2-World's Greatest Places Mosaics 2 (September 6-2017) 4.8
WORLD'S GREATEST CITIES/PLACES MAHJONG SERIES
Title***Release Date***Average Rating
Title***Release Date***Average Rating
1-World's Greatest Cities Mahjong (January 12-2012) 4.3
1-World's Greatest Places Mahjong (January 17-2012) 4.2
by: T1 Games
I recommend this game!
Can you save the holidays before it’s too late?
Overall rating
3
/
5
25 of 31 found this review helpful
THE STORY LACKS SUBSTANCE AFTER THE DEMO
PostedDecember 26, 2017
pennmom36
fromSoap bubbles never last long, why would I expect a safe landing?
Skill Level:Expert
Current Favorite:
Phantasmat Collector's Edition
(100)Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
This new Christmas entry had such potential, although the theme was a bit weird for a Christmas story, it really could have worked. After the demo, there was very little substance, you help a few munchkins, rescue a rabbit (who can amazingly climb a vertical rope) and have a close encounter or two with the goblins. You even get to fly inside a soapy bubble, but this is another example of how a game doesn't always need 6 or 7 chapters to tell the story. They should have just had 3 or 4 chapters, because what ended up happening, was just "filler" chapters, There was very little added in the middle chapters that actually benefited the plot, it was two chapters filled with meaningless tasks that had very little or nothing to do with the story line! Instead of having a few really good chapters, this game is stretched far too thin with 6 chapters. It's a good game, don't get me wrong, but at times, it becomes stagnant and boring, and I even found myself questioning the storyline. Perhaps it's because there were so many Christmas themed games this year, with back to back versions (Collector's Edition followed by Standard Editions) Here's a recap of my review to help you decide which version, if either is right for you:
Dorothy and Toto are building a snowman, having fun, and minding their own business when out of nowhere appears a hot air balloon. As luck would have it, the balloon immediately collides with a falling star. (I guess it's more like karma) Toto panics and begins barking, roughly translated, "the sky is falling, the sky is falling" The deflated balloon apparently has no ill effect and the basket lands gently in the snow, poof, the glistening snow dissipates into the cold wintry air. The unscathed pilot brushes the snow off his freshly pressed uniform's epaulettes, and introduces himself to Dotty, as Clutch the guardian of the gates of Emerald City. Clutch has traveled over the river and through the woods, to deliver a very important invitation to Dot, an invitation to join her good friends from Oz for their very first Christmas Celebration!
Let's not forget, the balloon has been badly damaged by a fiery ball of light entering our atmosphere so Clutch hands you the balloon (how'd he remove the balloon so fast? Must be a Christmas Miracle!) and tells you to sew a patch on the balloon to repair it. (I have no good comment about this sewing gig, so I'll just leave it at, "oh no he didn't) Thanks to my awesome domestic skills, the Balloon is good to go, Do & To are off to Oz to see the wonderful Wizard of Christmas future. This leaves me with one question, am I young D or a much older D?
I'm quickly becoming a fan of Domini Games, they have creative stories, and the graphics are always colorful and very realistic.I wasn't super thrilled with the tasks, they didn't seem very creative, but the story is kinda cool! Toto joins Doto on this Christmas journey as a helper, but he's not annoying or cutesy, I'd put him in second place right next to Elf, who is much more adorable and has a name more fitting for a Christmas themed game.
In the Collector's Edition version, there are some really good collectible features, so I prefer that version over this Standard Edition version. There are missing Diary pages that are scattered throughout the adventure, which allows you to read about each character and what they have been up to since you've been gone. There are collectible, hidden Emeralds, that allow you to buy 19 different Decorations for the Christmas Tree, hopefully not the one that Dory chopped to shreds! The coolest collection, by far, are the Fireworks, which allows you to blast them into the night sky for an awesome personalized fireworks display!
The Hidden Object Scenes are varied each time with Keywords in Sentence finds, Interactive Listed Item finds, Silhouetted Shape finds, Reversed Item finds where you take items from your inventory and place them into the scene where they logically belong. There is an optional Match 3 game to play if you're not into HOP's.
The Mini Games are decent, but I haven't come across anything new. All of the puzzles allow you to select an Easy or Hard difficulty mode! Below are brief descriptions of some of the games you'll encounter during the demo:
1) Select and drag the buckles to the outlined spaces, moving one buckle may affect others.
2) Lead the hot air balloon to the finish while avoiding obstacles hidden under the clouds.
3) Lead the gnome token to the bag after collecting all other tokens without backtracking.
4) Press disks to move the token to the bottom right. The coin will enter any open adjacent disk slot.
5) Swap chips correctly based on the images located on each column and row.
6) Move the characters chips into their correct frames based upon their color and the matching colored map areas.
7) Pose the scarecrows arm and Leg sections based on the image shown, moving one section may affect others.
The Collector's Edition has 10 Concept Art pictures, 15 Wallpapers, 5 Music Soundtracks, 30 Achievements to earn, 18 re-playable Mini Games, 17 re-playable Hidden Object Scenes, 27 re-playable Movie Videos, 60 collectible Emeralds which allow you to buy decorations for the Christmas Tree, Missing Storybook Pages, 13 Fireworks that can be loaded in a cannon and shot into the sky for a personalized Fireworks display, a built in Strategy Guide and a Bonus Chapter, enjoy!
I recommend this game!