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:
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
(101)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
(101)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
(101)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!
Explore a sweet world and defeat a tricky witch in this match-3 adventure!
Overall rating
1
/
5
37 of 44 found this review helpful
NOT HOT BUT IT IS STICKY SWEET
PostedDecember 26, 2017
pennmom36
fromOhh noo. Not my gumdrop buttons!
Skill Level:Expert
Current Favorite:
Phantasmat Collector's Edition
(101)Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
1
/
5
Level of Challenge
1
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
Another sugary sweet Match 3 game with Limited Moves, and some really annoying features! I became so annoyed with the little girl saying whoo who, every time I made a match, and as if that wasn't annoying enough, they had to throw in a witch that kept making all kinds of evil grunts and groans. I've never been a fan of Limited Moves Match 3 games, but if they are fun, I'm willing to overlook it, unfortunately this game isn't fun.
The story makes no sense to me at all, a grown woman visits the local candy shop every morning. That's a whole lotta sweets, who goes to a candy store every day much less in the morning? Today however, she sees something new that catches her eye, a gingerbread house. She's struggling to recall what it is about this house that looks familiar, oh yea, she suddenly remembers that as a child her and her brother wandered into the forest and stumbled upon a real Gingerbread House. (okay possible easy to forget) Then the Witch offers them a treat (okay unlikely to forget a witch with her favorite sweets) and lo and behold, it was a trick and the evil witch kidnaps her brother! (extremely unlikely this part isn't memorable)
Before the start of each level, you are given the choice to add Boosters such as 5 extra moves, or a Bomb Blaster. You are also given quests to achieve such as completing levels 4-6 without losing. Once you complete the quest, you must click the "get" icon which will reward you with a Bonus feature available within the level themselves. Each level has different goals, such as making a specific number of matches of whichever tiles, or clearing all graham cracker cells.
As you progress, Bonuses are added that are in limited supply, but more can be purchased with the coins you earn playing the Match 3 games. There are Bombs, Column and Row destroyers, Rockets and bonuses that remove a specific tile. You can earn up to 3 stars, and the levels are re-playable, if you run out of moves you are given the option to add 5 additional moves if you have enough money.
Some of the obstacles and tasks are unique, such as moving saw blades to the bottom of the board to cut a log, or making matches under a rock with an attached rope that allows the rock to hoist the girl to the top of a mountain or well, to rescue the Gingerbread man. There are also tiles that are locked behind waffle cages that require matches of whichever tile is caged. Some levels involve defeating the evil witch who casts a spell after each move, adding tiles that don't move, the only way to remove them is to make adjacent matches around the blocked tiles.
In the end, I just had no desire to continue playing this sticky mess of a Match 3 game, especially when I have to hear all the moans, groans and whoo whoo's.
I don't recommend this game.
Ready your weapons and answer the call of the gods to save the universe from evil!
Overall rating
5
/
5
109 of 117 found this review helpful
YEA FOR THE GAME NAY FOR THE COLLECTOR'S EDITION
PostedDecember 26, 2017
pennmom36
fromEvarand & Boromir sure don't do a whole lot of Time Managing!
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
Viking Brothers are all very entertaining Time Management games, and I will admit, this third edition presents quite a challenge. This is a Strategy based TM game, and if you don't apply the right tasks at the right times, you'll probably earn less than 3 stars. During the demo, I found myself having to replay several levels, and applying different strategies, otherwise I was lucky to earn 1 star. You can play in a relaxed un-timed mode, if you don't like fast paced games, but if you're looking for a fast paced, challenging game, look no further.
The graphics are fantastic, and the music doesn't seem obtrusive or repetitive. I do have a couple of complaints however, it's nearly impossible to read the story's dialog, because the paragraph's are somewhat lengthy and don't linger long enough to be able to read them before the next dialog page loads. Why can't they add a feature that allows you to "rewind, pause, or fast-forward" the dialog at your own pace. Many games that require you to read dialog text, offer a feature for skipping the text, but almost none of them allow you to rewind or pause it, isn't the story line important to it's creator's? Another feature never offered in a Time Management game is a Hint feature. I would much rather have a Hint feature than a Strategy Guide, I can't tell you how many times I've gotten stumped in a TM game, trying to figure out what I have to do to go through a portal, or secret passage way, and clicking on a Hint icon would be so useful. I don't want to know exactly what I have to do, each and every move or task, but sometimes a little nudge in the right direction would be epic! My final complaint is that all TM games should have a Casual, Normal and Expert difficulty mode available, which this one does not! Having an in between mode would be perfect, that way I could get the feel of the game in a mode slightly less challenging the first time around, then as I get into the swing of it, I could switch to Expert mode to push myself a little harder.
Each level gives you the goals before you begin, and are also shown during the level for reference at the top right of the screen. There is a Star status Progress Bar located on the Left side of the screen, to show you when you are about to lose a star. If you don't achieve at least one star, you will have to replay the level to progress. On the top left of the screen, there is an inventory bar that shows your resources and the amount you currently have. If you scan over a task with your cursor, it will tell you the amount of each resource required to complete the task. If you click on a task that cannot be completed due to a lack of resources, it will tell you which resources and the amount you are lacking. On the bottom of the screen, there is a Bonus Progress Bar, that refills slowly. Some levels only offer one bonus, some levels offer two, so you can either choose the first Bonus, or wait until the meter reaches the second bonus to apply it. There are bonuses that make the workers move super fast, Extra workers, extra resources or bonuses that freeze time briefly.
VIKING BROTHERS GAMES AVAILABLE
Title***Release Date***Average Rating
Title***Release Date***Average Rating
1-Viking Brothers (April 12-2013) 3.9
2-Viking Brothers 2 (March 22-2017) 3.6
3-Viking Brothers 3 (December 26-2017) n/a
2-Viking Brothers 2 (March 22-2017) 3.6
3-Viking Brothers 3 (December 26-2017) n/a
This Collector's Edition has 5 Wallpapers, 12 Concept Art pictures, 6 Music Soundtracks, 44 Achievements to earn, 40 regular Levels, 5 Chipmaster regular Levels, 10 Collector's Edition Bonus Levels, 3 Collector's Edition Chipmaster Levels, and a Strategy Guide.
I'm still not a fan of Time Management games being offered in a Collector's Edition. I could care less about Wallpapers and Concept Art pictures, I don't want a Strategy Guide because I want to figure it out for myself. In my opinion, the Bonus levels available in the CE versions, would have been available in a normal version, but they lump the last 10 levels together and say they are "Bonus CE Levels" If Wallpapers and a Strategy Guide are features you're willing to pay twice as much for, or you gotta have the game now, I suppose it would be worthy, but I will wait patiently for the Standard Edition version to be released, enjoy!
I recommend this game!
Restore the magic of Christmas to a mysterious island!
Overall rating
4
/
5
51 of 63 found this review helpful
LIGHT UP MY LIFE, GIVE ME HOPE, TRUST, FAITH, GRATITUDE, RESPECT, AND CARE, BUT MOST OF ALL GIVE ME LOVE
PostedDecember 25, 2017
pennmom36
fromHo, Ho Ho...Merry Christmas!
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
Yuletide Legends sends a powerful message this Christmas, a message that will surely warm your heart, and hopefully the frozen heart of Queen Tempest. This is a story about keeping faith, trusting your brethren, being grateful for what you have even if you don't have what you want, a story about what can happen when you don't have hope, and show little respect for those who truly care. I prefer the Collector's Edition version personally, because I love Morphing Objects, but this game is a must have for Christmas. Here's a recap of my review to help you decide which version, if either is right for you:
Looks like Santa Claus will be a wee bit late delivering presents tonight, he's a little tied up at the moment. This is what happens when a baby is born from a union of natural disasters, her frozen heart has vowed to end Christmas forever, starting with Jolly Saint Nick! The North Pole is on it! Flying just under the radar to save the day, is demigod Ember, and her trusty steed Comet, who may have somehow managed to miss the first flight. (on dancer, on prancer, on comet....just in case) It's never too late for a Christmas miracle, (well technically Dec. 26 is too late) and the only way to stop a bad Queen with a frozen heart is to send in a good demigod with a very unique gift. Ba rump, bump, bump, bump, what gift is this? ......Open up this Christmas Gift, another fantastic Yuletide Legends game, to find out!
Yuletide Legends has it all, Kings and Queens, Humans and demigods, Magic Fireflies, Reindeer with wings, and Jack Frosts' latest and greatest inventions! The Collector's Edition version has everything you'd expect, including Morphing Objects in every scene, that give you extra Wallpapers, and collectible Santa Coins that allows you to buy all the necessary items to whip up a batch of Christmas Cookies, just in case Ember saves Christmas and Santa needs refueling!
I'll admit, I even liked the Hidden Object Scenes in this game! I especially loved the HOP that requires you to use directional arrows to align sketches upon the correct pictures to complete the image. There are several HOP's that first require you to find 4 items and drag them to the shapes which will open the Progressive or highly interactive List finds, there are also Keywords in sentence finds as well as Multiples of the same items. Some of the HOP's are repeated, but at least they switch up the type, the second go round.
The Mini Games are really good too, and all are Christmas related. Below are brief descriptions of some of the games you'll encounter during the demo:
1) Put the broken fragments together to complete the picture.
2) Guide the reindeer to the upper right corner by selecting gear switches to adjust the track.
3) Swap symbols to their correct places.
4) Use the clues from the photo to place the lock elements correctly by switching to empty adjacent spaces.
5) Use arrow buttons to rotate the objects so that their projections match the background.
6) Drag and place the fireflies so that all the torches are lit.
7) Place all of the items at the correct height according to the clues, placing one may affect others.
8) Rotate the lines until the form a 3D picture.
9) Untangle the rope by selecting the rope segments in the correct order.
10) Find hidden symbols and put them in the correct sequence to cross the ice.
11) Move the character cube to the finishing point as indicated by the image. Select and place arrows to change the direction of the cube.
YULETIDE LEGENDS GAMES AVAILABLE
Title***Collector's Edition Release Date***Average Rating
Title***Collector's Edition Release Date***Average Rating
1-The Brother's Claus (December 15-2016) 4.2
2-Frozen Hearts (December 21-2017) 4.4
2-Frozen Hearts (December 21-2017) 4.4
by: Daily Magic Productions
The Collector's Edition has 13 Developer Diary photos, 10 Concept Art pictures, 8 Wallpapers, 4 Music Soundtracks, 16 Achievements to earn, 4 Matching Pairs games to set as Wallpapers, 6 Bonus Matching Pairs games, 40 Morphing Objects, Collectible Coins that allow you to buy ingredients and supplies to make cookies, a built in Strategy Guide and a Bonus Chapter, now go save Santa!
I recommend this game!
An exciting Christmas adventure across fantastic time management levels! Help the princess save the holiday!
Overall rating
3
/
5
32 of 35 found this review helpful
IF YOU'RE GOING TO RELEASE A HOLIDAY THEMED GAME, AT LEAST STICK TO THE THEME
PostedDecember 25, 2017
pennmom36
fromHo, Ho Ho...Merry Christmas!
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've always loved Gnomes Garden games, but I don't like it when devs slap together a game at the last minute, add the Holiday name, and pretend like it's all about that holiday. Just like the Halloween themed Gnomes Garden, that wasn't about Halloween, and this game isn't about Christmas. Sure the first screen shows a Christmas Tree and adds a jingle bells tune, with a short and vague story about the Princess ordering a Christmas Tree to be erected in time for her coronation. But that's the extent of it. Sure the trees are covered with snow and some of the levels have a very faint jingle of bells within the background music, but when the title says it's a Christmas Story, I expect each and every level to be about Christmas. Instead it's just the same Gnomes Garden game with the same tasks, in a snow covered land.
In the first edition of Gnomes Garden, the Gnome Princess was tasked with restoring the Royal Garden and curing the King's illness. In Gnomes Garden 2, the evil Troll Queen kidnapped the Princess, fortunately she was rescued and eventually became friends with the Troll Queen. In the third episode, a Warlock took over the Monarch's Castle and he too was eventually defeated. In the fourth episode (not including Halloween edition) the castle has been restored to its former glory, but the lands surrounding the kingdom were desolate, and no crops would take root. The Princess embarked on another journey, to land of the elves, to obtaining the Green Recipe from the Elven Queen (in exchange for crystals mined by the Gnomes of course)
This is one of my favorite Time Management series, which tends to be a tad bit easier than most. There are the normal tasks such as, gathering resources, clearing paths and building Farms, Sawmills, Quarries and Crystal Mines. Other tasks include repairing bridges, paving over bogs or repairing hives.
I didn't see an option to play this game in a relaxed mode, but Gnomes Garden doesn't require a whole lot of strategy to earn 3 stars like some TM games. It's a pretty straight forward game. This is a great entry level Time Management game, if you don't mind the fact that it's not really Christmas themed.
I didn't see an option to play this game in a relaxed mode, but Gnomes Garden doesn't require a whole lot of strategy to earn 3 stars like some TM games. It's a pretty straight forward game. This is a great entry level Time Management game, if you don't mind the fact that it's not really Christmas themed.
Enjoy a huge collection of festive winter solitaire games this holiday season!
Overall rating
3
/
5
18 of 19 found this review helpful
BETTER THAN THE LAST GAME BUT LACKS OPTIONS
PostedDecember 24, 2017
pennmom36
fromPatience games, yep I'll agree with that statement! Merry Christmas
Skill Level:Expert
Current Favorite:
Magic Cards Solitaire
(28)Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
One of my favorite Solitaire games by Magnussoft, is the original Magic Cards Solitaire game. The last game they offered was horrible, but they have improved some of the features and glitches in this game. There are 7 different card sets to choose from, and 27 different Background colors and pictures to choose from as well, some of which are Holiday themed, but because not all of them are, you can play this game all year long.
Magnussoft offers several Solitaire games such as, Magic Cards Solitaire, Magic Cards Solitaire 2: The Fountain of Life, Solitaire 220 Plus, and Solitaire 330 Deluxe. My only complaints with Happy Wonderland Solitaire, are that they don't allow you to customize the game play or the features for each individual game. In order to get the low down on each game, I have to click the menu button first, then select the Help icon, to read the instructions for each and every game selected, instead of just giving me those instructions when I first visit that category. I believe lvd04 made the statement that in Klondike, there's no option to select the amount of cards that turn over at a time (3 cards at a time) and I totally agree, this game would be one of THE best Solitaire games if they could just tweak it with better customization features! I've never created a game before, but this seems like an easy fix, but in their defense there are 16 different types of Solitaire and 150 different levels total!
There are several different levels in each of the main Solitaire categories such as Arizona, Bakers Dozen, Canfield, Carlton, Fan, 40 Thieves, 4 Seasons, Freecell, Gypsy, Golf, Klondike, Pairs, Sir Tommy, Spider, Youkon and Others. Because this game has several types that I personally enjoy, I will use a PCC to buy the game, but I'm just not convinced this game is worthy of real cash because of the customization features or lack thereof.
You can save any game at any point so you won't lose your progress if you want to try another type of game, and there is a Statistics Page that keeps track of your progress. (I'll be honest, my stats didn't look so hot) Each game has an Undo feature, but points are deducted for using it, which is another option that should have been made available. Sometimes you just want to play Solitaire for relaxation, if you win, awesome, if you don't start over, you don't always want to earn negative points on a game. I also didn't see a Hint feature, at least not on the games I played during the demo, but I got stuck on 1 particular kind of Solitaire game that I've not played before, and I was determined to play it until I won a hand (which btw I was about to win my first hand when the demo rudely ended before my victory could be savored!)
You can save any game at any point so you won't lose your progress if you want to try another type of game, and there is a Statistics Page that keeps track of your progress. (I'll be honest, my stats didn't look so hot) Each game has an Undo feature, but points are deducted for using it, which is another option that should have been made available. Sometimes you just want to play Solitaire for relaxation, if you win, awesome, if you don't start over, you don't always want to earn negative points on a game. I also didn't see a Hint feature, at least not on the games I played during the demo, but I got stuck on 1 particular kind of Solitaire game that I've not played before, and I was determined to play it until I won a hand (which btw I was about to win my first hand when the demo rudely ended before my victory could be savored!)
To sum things up, the only reason I gave this game a mere 3 stars was because of the lack of customization features available and the inconvenience aspects of some features. The Solitaire games available are really good ones, and the graphics are decent, so this game is definitely worthy of a coupon or sale, if you can overlook the above mentioned features, enjoy!
I recommend this game!
Can you and your friends escape what’s lurking in the mist?
Overall rating
5
/
5
147 of 180 found this review helpful
STAY BURIED, STAY SAFE
PostedDecember 23, 2017
pennmom36
fromRope check, tarp, check, duct tape check, shovel check, gloves check...looks like somebody's up to no good!
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
Phantasmat is my favorite series, and no game has ever come close to the magnitude of the original Phantasmat by Codeminion. Curse of the Mist is an excellent addition to the series and has a great "creep" factor. However, I have several complaints not related to the storyline! First off, I was able to finish this demo with 30 minutes remaining, and that's with playing every Mini Game without skipping, AND taking the time to write down information on the game.
The biggest complaint I have is with the fact that this is a coveted Collector's Edition, supposedly, yet the only bling offered is those famous Hidden Signs that are always offered in every game by this developer! One of the reasons I love this series is because I have always been able to count on Morphing Objects being available in every scene, but now they have decided to omit this beloved feature. I'd much rather see them omit those stupid Hidden Signs to be honest. I own every game in this series and they are all Collector's Editions, because there was a BOGO sale today, I purchased this game before I started the demo. Had I waited, I more than likely would not have shelled out the big bucks for a CE that has very little to offer! -end complaints-
What's going on in the sleepy little town of Shady Valley? You're about to find out, because someone, or something, has taken your friend Jane. The closer you get to finding her, the thicker the strange mist gets. Where is the mist coming from, and just what kind of Phantasmat lurks somewhere between the world of the living, and the dead?
I love that they have brought back the "visions" you have as you progress. It's a fantastic and creative way to fill you in on the background of the story, the who's, what's, where's, when's and why's so to speak. I've always wondered why every game seems to have diary pages spewed about, and conveniently available in every scene, as a means of telling the story, so this concept is so much more credible in my opinion.
This is the section I usually explain about the many Collector's Edition version Collectibles. Here's your sign, that's all you're going to get in this CE!
The Hidden Object Scenes are decent, and I liked the scene locations they chose, however, some of the HOP scenes are repeated, a feature I really hate. There's just no challenge in them when you remember where everything is because you were just there searching for objects. There are Interactive List finds, Silhouetted Shape finds, Combination Silhouetted Shape finds, Matching Symbol finds, and a really nice scene where you search for all Morphing Objects. Some scenes have zoom zones with a handful of Multiples to find as well, and you can opt for a Match 3 game instead.
The Mini Games are my favorite kind, it's hard to describe, but the kind where you tinker with electrical components that are more realistic?? Below are brief descriptions of some of the Mini Games you'll encounter during the demo:
1) Follow the clues on the map to choose the correct path direction.
2) Select and drag the main fuse from the bottom to the top circle on the board, by moving other fuses to change positions of the toggle gates.
3) Create electrical paths from the light on the right to the red button by selecting the switches on the top for each column.
4) Find and select the symbols shown on the dream catcher.
5) Slide the tokens from the starting positions on the left to the positions on the right by selecting a token and a highlighted space, without hitting the obstacles that change position with each move.
PHANTASMAT GAMES AVAILABLE
Title***Collector's Edition Release Date***Average Rating
Title***Collector's Edition Release Date***Average Rating
1-Phantasmat (February 8-2011) 4.5
2-Crucible Peak (December 6-2012) 3.8
3-The Endless Night (January 10-15) 4.0
4-The Dread of Oakville (July 9-15) 4.2
5-Behind The Mask (December 17-15) 4.4
6-Town of Lost Hope (April 7-16) 3.5
7-Reign of Shadows (October 6-16) 4.3
8-Mournful Loche (April 13-17) 3.7
9-Insidious Dreams (September 14-17) 3.8
10-Curse of the Mist (December 23-2017) n/a
2-Crucible Peak (December 6-2012) 3.8
3-The Endless Night (January 10-15) 4.0
4-The Dread of Oakville (July 9-15) 4.2
5-Behind The Mask (December 17-15) 4.4
6-Town of Lost Hope (April 7-16) 3.5
7-Reign of Shadows (October 6-16) 4.3
8-Mournful Loche (April 13-17) 3.7
9-Insidious Dreams (September 14-17) 3.8
10-Curse of the Mist (December 23-2017) n/a
by: Codeminion
by: ERS Games
by: Eipix Entertainment
by: ERS Games
by: Eipix Entertainment
This Collector's Edition version has 17 re-playable Puzzles, 14 re-playable Hidden Object Scenes, a Souvenir Room, re-playable Match 3 games, 6 Movie Videos, 6 Wallpapers, 6 Concept Art pictures, 5 Music Soundtracks, 12 Achievements to earn, 30 Hidden Signs NO Morphing Objects, a built in Strategy Guide and a Bonus Chapter, enjoy, stay buried, stay safe!
I recommend this game!
Can you break an evil curse and save the day?!
Overall rating
5
/
5
48 of 52 found this review helpful
TICK TOCK I'VE GOT TO HURRY AND FIX THE CLOCK!
PostedDecember 22, 2017
pennmom36
fromLove the dancing snowman on the credits page!
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
It's rare lately, that I've been able to play an entire game without being bored to tears. Not only was I able to finish this latest edition of Christmas Stories, but I wanted to finish it! Yes, it only has three chapters, but they are fairly long chapters, and the length was perfect. You don't always need a ton of chapters to tell a story, and oftentimes, they just throw in a bunch of unnecessary fillers, and for me, that's what becomes boring, when you have to do a bunch of meaningless and repetitive tasks. I loved the story, I loved the game, it's not my favorite Christmas Stories, but when you start off with the Nutcracker, it's a little hard to compete with that.
I usually wait until the Standard Edition version is released, then I play that demo, and return to the Collector's Edition to finish up the story. That way, the demo is fresh in my mind, and it helps me to compare both versions. I'm a fan of the CE bling, especially when Morphing Objects are included like the morphing Snowmen in A Little Prince, so I highly recommend the CE version. Here's a recap of my review to help you decide which version if either is right for you:
Curses! The evil witch has cursed everyone who attended the Royal Wedding of Prince Edward and Rose! (it's a good thing I was late!) This is no ordinary curse, that witchy woman turned everyone into something else, it's a good thing the best man is now a fox, how else would I have strung the Christmas lights on that gigantic tree? (hey, don't laugh, the wedding may be off, but Christmas must go on!) Poor Rose is, well, she's still a Rose, but now she's a Rose with thorns, and roses don't last long. Their only hope for normalcy, is to repair the clock that cursed them, when the clock strikes Midnight, the curse will end.
Unfortunately this clock isn't striking anything, because it's missing vital parts, 2 ornamental pieces, 2 gears and 2 screws, which is the equivalence of finding a needle in a haystack, compared to the size of the Royal Palace. Everyone has a stake in this cursed game, so you'll be assisted by some pretty unusual wedding guests, on this magical Christmas adventure!
Christmas just isn't Christmas until Christmas Stories releases their annual magical game. There are 3 Christmas themed games that I so look forward to each and every year. This game has beautiful Christmas themed music, gorgeous graphics, and a whimsical story adaptation of the classic tale, A Little Prince, what could be better? You're not going to experience any logic in this silly game, after all, how logical is a curse that has turned people into pianos, foxes and mice? None of that matters, what matters is the entertainment factor, and I hope you like solving puzzles, because there's enough Mini Games and Puzzles to stretch out two different games in this Christmas themed game!
The Collector's Edition version is worthy of its namesake, because there are so many collectibles. Each Scene has a Morphing Snowman, and at least one hidden Jigsaw Puzzle Piece, and some scenes contain collectible Wedding Guest Figures. The only disappointment I have with this 6th game in the series, is that there aren't many objects you can interact with, other games in this series, have had presents you could open or various decorations you could fiddle with for absolutely no reason other than entertainment. I should at least be able to shake a snow globe or throw a snowball! (come on Elephant, be creative!)
The Hidden Object Scenes are just you're average HOP's, nothing really creative, but then again, it's pretty hard to change this feature, it is what it is, even I don't have any fresh ideas for a more interesting HOP. There are only four HOP's offered in the demo (the mini games make up for that) and so far there aren't any alternative games offered. There are Interactive Listed items, Silhouetted Shape finds with minimal interactions, Finding 6 Pairs of Objects hidden under piles of styrofoam balls, and an Interactive List find HOP that leave gems behind each item to repair the main object.
The Mini Games are between the easy and medium range of difficulty, and are in abundance, and that's awesome! Below are brief descriptions of some of the games you'll encounter during the demo:
1) Restore the day and night cycles on the stone by swapping discs. Click the green button to check your solution.
2) Swap tile sections to align the musical notes correctly.
3) Swap square tiles to complete the image, select tiles that are turned over to complete each section.
4) Enter the code using the clue, by dragging the dial either left or right as indicated.
5) Guide each train to their matching colored stations by selecting levers to create paths.
6) Remove all but one set of berries by jumping over another set of berries, berries can only jump onto blue tiles. Repeat on the next board.
7) Cover the gold center by selecting petals to move the silver disc in that direction. The larger the flower petal, the further the disc will move.
8) Guide each beam of colored light in a continuous line to the center by rotating hexagon sections.
9) Follow the instructions to create a potion, by selecting and placing items in the scene correctly.
CHRISTMAS STORIES GAMES AVAILABLE
Title***Collector's Edition Release Date***Average Rating
Title***Collector's Edition Release Date***Average Rating
1-Nutcracker (November 29-2012) 4.7
2-A Christmas Carol (December 5-2013) 4.5
3-Han's Christian Andersen's Tin Soldier (December 4-2014) 4.2
4-Puss In Boots (December 3-2015) 4.3
5-The Gift of the Magi (December 1-2016) 3.8
6-A Little Prince (December 7-2017) 4.1
2-A Christmas Carol (December 5-2013) 4.5
3-Han's Christian Andersen's Tin Soldier (December 4-2014) 4.2
4-Puss In Boots (December 3-2015) 4.3
5-The Gift of the Magi (December 1-2016) 3.8
6-A Little Prince (December 7-2017) 4.1
by: Elephant Games
The Collector's Edition version has 14 Wallpapers,16 Concept Art pictures, 5 Music Soundtracks, 20 Achievements to earn, 12 re-playable Mini Games, 13 re-playable Hidden Object Scenes, a Secret Room, 14 Collectible Wedding Guest Characters, 26 Morphing Snowman's, 48 hidden Jigsaw Puzzle Pieces to assemble 3 Screensavers, a built in Strategy Guide and a Bonus Chapter, enjoy the Magic of Christmas Stories!
I recommend this game!