pennmom36's Profile
Stat Summary
- Average Rating:3.7
- Helpful Votes:358,445
- Reviews Submitted:4726
- First Review:December 10, 2012
- Most Recent Review:July 21, 2025
- Featured reviews0
Status:
Can you save the holidays before it’s too late?
Overall rating
4
/
5
107 of 132 found this review helpful
BREAKING NEWS: EVIL GOBLIN STEALS CHRISTMAS GIFTS-CHRISTMAS DOOMED-EVIL WITCH OF THE NORTH CLAIMS RESPONSIBILITY-OZ IN TURMOIL-SCARECROW RESIGNS
PostedDecember 14, 2017
pennmom36
fromSo much for teaching the citizens of Oz the real meaning of Christmas, Dorothy!
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
*************film at 11****not available in demo*************
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 wintery 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 Doro 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.
As a Collector's Edition, this one fits just right, with some really good collectible features. There are missing Task 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 Decorations for the Christmas Tree, hopefully not the one that Doto chopped to shreds! The coolest collection, however, 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 cips 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.
This 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!
The Love Boat™ Collector's Edition
Join the Love Boat crew and relive the famous TV show in this time management adventure!
Overall rating
4
/
5
21 of 26 found this review helpful
LOOKS LIKE CARL THE MOUSE IS LOOKING FOR LOVE TOO
PostedDecember 13, 2017
pennmom36
fromWhy did Emily's mom send her and her sister on a Love Boat cruise, what's wrong with Patrick?
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
The Love Boat is ready to set sail across the Pacific, with special guest stars Emily and Angela, and wouldn't ya know it, Carl the mouse has stowed in search of love too! This cruise will be more nerve wracking than most because Mr. & Mrs. Skoggstad are on the cruise, and love is certainly not in the air for this couple who just acquired the cruise line!
I really wanted to love this "exciting & new" Time Management game because I remember looking forward to watching this show every week as a kid, with my mom. It has some glitchy issues, and really annoying canned laughter, however at least the laughter feature can be turned off (took me a few minutes but I finally found that option on the main page setting, otherwise the other option page only allows you to adjust the music) I couldn't get the PC version to play at all, so I eventually downloaded the Mac version which worked. I still had issues clicking on some items, especially the magazines, which would cause me to get all messed up, thinking that the magazine I clicked just clicked on would be available, but when I tried to deliver it to the customer, it wouldn't be on my tray. I click on as many consecutive tasks as possible, to earn more points, and not getting an item on the first try, can ruin your mojo on a TM game!
Just like most Time Management games, the customers arrive and you need to click on the item or items they desire as indicated by their thought bubbles, click on the customer to deliver the goods, click on the register to receive payment and if they have been sitting at a table, you need to click the table to have Gopher (how appropriate! lol) clean the table. Some items just require a single click (unless it's glitchy) others require multiple items, such as a champagne bottle followed by a corkscrew, followed by a glass, before serving it to the customer.
Some items, such as the magazines are in limited supply, and require restocking, and in between customers, Julie has different Quests to fulfil for bonus points. Multi-tasking and fast service also gives you bonus points, the goal is to keep the customer happy for bigger tips, as indicated by their Hearts. If a customer waits too long, they might leave without paying! Carl the Mouse has climbed aboard, everyone was expecting him to, because he's actually the star of this show and all of the other TM games by this dev. You will earn extra points if you click on his tiny little mouse head when he pops up on every level unexpectedly.
You can earn up to 3 Stars per level when you achieve expert status, and any level can be replayed at anytime, via the Level Map. There are 60 levels and 30 Bonus Levels available in this Collector's Edition version. After each level, you can purchase items in the Shop with the Coins you earned. In the Shop you can upgrade items to keep customers happy and more patient, make service faster, or allow for larger storage capacities. After a few levels, Challenge levels become available, which allows you to earn Diamonds, and the Diamonds allow you to purchase 12 different versions of Carl the Mouse.
This Collector's Edition version has 7 Music Soundtracks, 20 Trophy Achievements to earn, 15 Cast Member bios, 12 different Mice to purchase with Diamonds, and 30 Bonus Levels, enjoy the cruise and the trip down memory lane!
I recommend this game!
Can you save your sister on the Day of the Dead?
Overall rating
1
/
5
25 of 28 found this review helpful
A MYTH TOLD BY THE DEAD IS APPROPRIATE FOR A LONGTIME SERIES HEADED FOR THE GRAVEYARD
PostedDecember 13, 2017
pennmom36
fromIt's difficult to fear a Bruja when everything's so colorful!
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
Like most other longtime running series by this dev, Myths of the World, is spiraling downhill. There hasn't really been a game in this series with at least a 4 star average rating since The Whispering Marsh near the end of 2015, which barely got 4 stars. Behind the Veil is a very beautiful game, but in the end, it's just another cookie cutter Eipix game, with nothing new to offer, yet every cliche feature you'd expect. Here's a recap to help you decide which version, if either, is right for you:
Behind the Veil certainly won't overload your cerebral cortex, however, the occipital lobe is a whole different matter. I don't recall any Eipix game having such bright, beautifully vivid graphics. (perhaps my hippocampus needs some neuron stimulation) This is a very short demo, I still had a half hour left on the demo clock, which leads me to believe the game in it's entirety is probably short as well.
I have to give these developer's credit, when and where credit is merited. I think they are finally beginning to realize that we are no longer content to accept cookie cutter, sub par games, that are being released at a breakneck speed, with minimal attention being paid to the details, and with repetitive story lines that barely have a plot. In the past, it was difficult to tell one series from another offered by this dev, but the tides are turning, just a wee bit, and it's clear to see they are trying to see what works and what doesn't. I think they are getting there, improving the graphics is a great start, but I think they are having difficulty leaping over the hurdle to create a different kind of "bad guy."
At first, this game looked promising, but in the end, it's just another floating spirit seeking revenge on an innocent town, and whomever happens to be in the right place at the wrong time. In my opinion, the "bad guy" should never be revealed during the demo. Instead, the villain's character should be mysterious, and the plot should thicken just before the end of the demo, we should be left saying "I've got to find out who or what is responsible!"
Myths of the World has another myth to unveil, a death defying myth. A myth set out to prove that you cannot die if there is no Death to claim your soul! A myth that begins to unveil on the island of Alma, as they prepare for The Day of the Dead celebration. But this celebration won't be very festive, once the unwelcomed dead arrive.
Oh no! We have yet another otherworldly gadget at our disposal, the Xolotl Blade, powered by the Lapis Stone, which, you guessed it, needs replaced and recharged after each and every use! In the Collector's Edition version, we also get to search for those infamous Hidden Signs, the same offered in all the games by this dev. It sure would be nice if this feature was tweaked, at least once in awhile. This CE version also has the standard Eipix feature of only offering the Morphing Objects within the HOP's, a feature I love, just not when they are offered only in the HOP's!
Some of the Hidden Object Scenes, I must admit, are actually quite good. I particularly liked the stone disk HOP where you had to rotate the disks to align the different pictures shown. There are also Listed Item finds, Multiples of the same type of Item finds, and even smaller Zoom Zone HOP's with Silhouetted Shape finds. In the CE version, there is a Morphing Object available within most of the HOP's and there is an alternate Skipping Stones Match 3 type game to play as an alternate.
The Mini Games are average and lean towards Easy to Medium difficulty. Below are brief descriptions of some of the games you'll encounter during the demo:
1) Match the keys with the correct keyholes based on the shape of the handle, using directional arrows to move between locks.
2) Follow directions on a recipe.
3) Display the pendant parts that make up the full pendant, select red buttons to scroll through the pieces without duplicating displayed pieces.
4) Arrange the soldiers and tribesmen in combat so that a shield is always blocking a sword, by swapping tiles.
5) Select the correct symbol for each shadow fisherman to push them away from the prince.
6) Match the fruits with their corresponding plates.
7) Move token along the grid to make their lines overlap with the pattern drawn in the background.
8) Destroy all of the connections between the knots by selecting only 3 knots.
9) Stack all of the sombreros together starting with the largest and ending with the smallest.
MYTHS OF THE WORLD GAMES AVAILABLE
Title***Collector's Edition Release Date***Average Rating
Title***Collector's Edition Release Date***Average Rating
1-Chinese Healer (January 29-2013) 4.3
2-Stolen Spring (November 6-2013) 3.6
3-Spirit Wolf (January 23-2014) 4.2
4-Of Friends and Fairies (June 7-2014) 4.1
5-Black Rose (October 25-2014) 4.3
6-The Heart of Desolation (April 11-2015) 4.2
7-The Whispering Marsh (September 3-2015) 4.1
8-Born of Clay and Fire (March 10-2016) 4.0
9-Island of Forgotten Evil (August 18-2016) 3.3
10-Bound by the Stone (December 17-2016) 3.0
11-The Black Sun (March 18-2017) 3.3
12-Fire of Olympus (July 6-2017) 2.9
13-Behind the Veil (November 11-2017) 3.0
2-Stolen Spring (November 6-2013) 3.6
3-Spirit Wolf (January 23-2014) 4.2
4-Of Friends and Fairies (June 7-2014) 4.1
5-Black Rose (October 25-2014) 4.3
6-The Heart of Desolation (April 11-2015) 4.2
7-The Whispering Marsh (September 3-2015) 4.1
8-Born of Clay and Fire (March 10-2016) 4.0
9-Island of Forgotten Evil (August 18-2016) 3.3
10-Bound by the Stone (December 17-2016) 3.0
11-The Black Sun (March 18-2017) 3.3
12-Fire of Olympus (July 6-2017) 2.9
13-Behind the Veil (November 11-2017) 3.0
The Collector's Edition has 8 Wallpapers, 8 Concept Art pictures, 9 Music Soundtracks, 18 Movie Videos, 21 re-playable Mini Games, alternate re-playable Skipping Stones games, 14 re-playable Hidden Object Scenes, 14 HOP Morphing Objects, a Souvenir Room, 13 Achievements to earn, 35 (not so) Hidden Signs to collect, a built in Strategy Guide and a Bonus Chapter.
I don't recommend this game.
Return to the world of Jewel Match in this beautiful Solitaire adventure with 200 levels, multiple play variants, 5 castles to build, and much more!
Overall rating
5
/
5
74 of 84 found this review helpful
YOU STILL GET SEVERAL FEATURES IN THIS VERSION!
PostedDecember 13, 2017
pennmom36
fromWhy would you need a SG for a Solitaire game? What's the point of playing the game if you know exactly which cards to pick each time?
Skill Level:Expert
Current Favorite:
Phantasmat Collector's Edition
(101)Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
I purchased this game in the Collector's Edition version during a $6.99 CE sale, and I absolutely love it. Jewel Match Solitaire has a great play value, because as you play the main game of Higher/Lower Solitaire, you unlock 12 different Solitaire types of games, such as Aces Up, Eight Off, Four Colors, Freecell, Klondike, Martha, Osmosis, Pyramid, Royal Family, Scorpion, Solid Square and Spider Solitaire. You still earn Achievement Trophies with this version, and you still get to build the Castles. I'm not sure about the ability to set the Castles you build as Wallpapers, it has the icon for Wallpapers, but I didn't progress far enough in this demo to build the entire first castle. I'm assuming you can, otherwise it seems they would have removed the Wallpaper icon.
You can play in a Relaxed mode which gives you more than one deal, Normal mode or Hard mode which is a Timed game. You can choose from 4 card designs, and 2 different Face card font styles. There are 24 Trophies to earn, and every level has Emeralds to earn that allow you to build the Castles, one section at a time. Depending on how many cards remain, you can earn up to 3 Stars per level, and you can replay any level at anytime. Approximately every fifth level unlocks a different Bonus Solitaire game type that can be played anytime, once unlocked. The level map shows you how many Stars you earned on each level as well as how many Emeralds are available, and how many you found. Some cards have Coins hidden under them which can be used in the Shop to purchase items that will help you on the more difficult levels.
In the Shop you can purchase more Shuffle and Undo features, Number specific Wildcards and Jokers, or a feature that increases your chance of earning them in the levels themselves, there are power-ups that remove a Random Card, or a Specific Card, power-ups that give you a Deck Card Counter or turn over some Face Down cards.
Naturally, there are some Obstacle Cards as you progress, requiring you to find Key Cards for Locked Cards, Sickles Cards to remove Bush Cards, Chained Cards require a Hammer Card (some cards have more than 1 chain and more than 1 hammer card) Scissor Cards to cut Ribbon Cards, (some cards have more than 1 ribbon and more than 1 scissor card) and my favorites, Wax Seals requiring color specific cards to be played, and sometimes Suit Specific cards, Frozen Cards require 2 plays, the first to break the ice, and the second play to remove it .
The Collector's Edition version has 24 Trophies to earn, 10 Music Soundtracks, the Making Of, Bonus Trophies, Wallpapers, 4 extra Deck card styles, Bonus Levels, 3 Extra Castles to build, 120 Extra Bonus Levels, 6 Extra Bonus Solitaire types, Shop Extra Power-ups, and a built in Strategy Guide (huh??)
In all honesty, because this Standard Edition version has many of the same features still available, it's a fantastic value for the price. I don't think you'll miss what's missing enough to make a difference for the price. Either version is a fantastic game for Solitaire lovers, enjoy!
I recommend this game!
Fun griddler puzzles that piece together images with a bright and festive carnival atmosphere!
Overall rating
3
/
5
41 of 45 found this review helpful
ANOTHER GRIDDLER NOT BASED UPON LOGIC
PostedDecember 13, 2017
pennmom36
fromAnother Guesser Griddler, no logic required!
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
These devs haven't figured out that Griddlers are puzzled you solve using LOGIC not fancy named power-ups or by GUESSING! The game starts out with tutorial pages explaining the features, and the first explanation states, "To solve a griddler, you must guess and fill in the colored squares" Um, NO! To solve a griddler, you're supposed to use logic and NEVER guess at filling in the colored squares!!!!!
The grids are super basic, and super easy (except the few they slip in that require you to "guess" at) The filled in cells have a boarder around all 4 sides which give them a flat appearance. When you hover the cursor over a cell with the intention of crossing it off (right clicking to fill cell with an X) the cell automatically shades the cell with the color it would be when filled in, which is confusing, and some of the colors are similar hues, which can be confusing at times.
At first I was enjoying the upbeat music, but after a few levels I found myself turning the volume down lower and lower, because it was becoming annoying and obtrusive. There are 18 Trophies offered, but once you earn a trophy, it doesn't tell you what it was for, when you go into the Trophy section. If you want to know what the achievement was for, you might want to read and memorize them before you actually earn it!
There are 3 different Power-ups available, which can be upgraded with the coins you earn solving guessers griddlers, ha, I have a new game category!
DICE: Fills in a Random cell, upgrade fills in 2 Random cells.
HAND FAN: Fills in 1 chosen cell, upgrade 2 Random cells.
FIREWORKS: Fills in a 5 cell area, upgrade fills a 9 cell area.
HAND FAN: Fills in 1 chosen cell, upgrade 2 Random cells.
FIREWORKS: Fills in a 5 cell area, upgrade fills a 9 cell area.
I knew this game would have issues when I completed a grid titled Babby Carriage, and I totally didn't get the picture of a Fan. This demo was entertaining enough to warrant 3 stars, but there are too many really good griddlers out there worthy of purchasing, so I'll definitely pass on this one!
I don't recommend this game.
Play 4 different types of mosaics puzzles and learn more about the greatest cities of the world.
Overall rating
4
/
5
43 of 51 found this review helpful
I LOVE THE VARIETY OF MOSAICS AND IT'S BASED ON LOGIC!!!!
PostedDecember 11, 2017
pennmom36
fromI love looking at the Mystery Lands completed puzzles, such beautiful winter scenes, just in time for the Holidays!
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
World's Greatest Cities sure knows how to shake up the Mosaic puzzle world! I love the variety of Mosaics they offer, but I would like to have a few more colors added to the traditional multi-colored type, which only has 3 available colors presently. I think those colors could be a little more vivid, and I wish they would label the pictures afterwards. My final complaints (the reasons for only 4 stars) are the fact that in the Mystery Lands type, the colors are at times too similar, making it difficult to tell them apart, and sometimes the cells don't automatically cross of on either setting, and I have to go through and cross them off manually. I do like reading about all the different Cities around the World, which is a feature offered in this game, as well as World's Greatest Places.
You can play in a Casual, Normal or Expert difficulty mode, or you can customize the difficulty mode by choosing if you want to play in a timed mode, if you want bonus points as a time bonus, whether you want numbers crossed off one by one or only when the entire row has been completed, and you can set the number of mistakes allowed from 1-5 and how long it takes for the hint feature to recharge from 30-120 seconds.
There are 4 different types of Mosaics offered:
*Traditional (multi-colored) which has 3 different colors to switch between to help you solve the puzzle.
*Mystery Lands which fills in each cell with 3 different kinds of pictures that when complete forms a beautiful scene, often with swimming fish, turtles etc.
*Rome Game is the same as Traditional except the numbers are presented as Roman Numerals, but if you scan the mouse over the numbers it will show the traditional number.
*Labyrinth Game is similar to Mystery Lands, but after completing the puzzle, you move objects from point A to B by clicking on intersections of a maze.
WORLD'S GREATEST CITIES/PLACES MOSAICS SERIES LIST
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) n/a
2-World's Greatest Cities Mosaics 2 (October 20-2017) 4.6
3-World's Greatest Cities Mosaics 3 (December 11-2017) n/a
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 LIST
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
If you're looking for a Mosaic game with something different, this is it! And even better, you get to solve the puzzles using logic, not by using a hint or guessing like some Mosaic games, enjoy!
I recommend this game!
Can you save yourself and your daughter in time?
Overall rating
4
/
5
24 of 31 found this review helpful
TESTING THE LIMITS OF THE HUMAN BODY
PostedDecember 10, 2017
pennmom36
fromSomebody shot a cement sign with a bullet and I plan on reusing the bullet?
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 loved this game, and I loved the ending, but I'm a fan of the CE bling, especially finding those famous Surface Flowers, if you can, opt for the CE, but either version is a winner in my book! It's been a long time since I've enjoyed a game this much from beginning to end! I especially loved the ending, I really didn't see that one coming, and it seems to have left an opening for a sequel perhaps? I haven't finished the Bonus Chapter, but so far it seems like a decent game from Detective Riley's perspective. When I first played the CE demo, I was disappointed with the fact that the story line sidelined to a nightmare realm, but most of the game takes place within the town, and you only visit the nightmares of a few people, to help them move on. I enjoyed the HOP's, especially the one where I had to find matching swatches of material. My favorite Mini Game was navigating through a maze finding items and solving puzzles to get me through it, I actually had to use my noggin for it! I highly recommend this game, here's a recap of my review to help you decide which version, if either, is right for you:
The sun is setting, and Jennifer Palmer needs to find a place to stop before nightfall. What Jennifer witnesses next, proves she might be more exhausted than she thought, animals by the dozens are evacuating the nearby town! Seconds later, a crow fly's into the windshield of her motor home which, causes her to veer off course and hit a large tree. Jennifer was knocked unconscious, she has no idea how long she was out, but it doesn't take long for her to realize that her daughter Maya is missing! Fortunately, Gray Falls is just up ahead, unfortunately, the town is behind a large locked gate! It soon becomes abundantly clear that Gray Falls has been evacuated since 1991! There's something weird going on here, and all roads seem to lead to the Research Institute, and the unethical experiments they conducted on it's citizens, called Project Dawn. Now Jennifer wonders, is the gate there to keep people from getting in, or is it there to keep people from getting out!
Project Dawn has clawed its way to the Surface, and it's abundantly clear that Elephant games is rising to the top of the HOPA pile! I knew this was going to be a fantastic game the moment the gates opened to reveal a post apocalyptic abandoned town. The details and graphics are exactly what you'd expect in a town that was quickly abandoned nearly 30 years ago. I was a tad bit disappointed when the game took a drastic turn, and I entered the "nightmare" world. I would rather have stayed right where I was, searching for Maya in an abandoned town, because the atmosphere is so cool, and there are too many games with a dreamscape theme. The good news is that you bounce back and forth, so I can live with that.
The Collector's Edition version has 12 Morphing Collectible Character figurines to collect, which tells you the background story of who they are, but it also fills in the gaps that you otherwise wouldn't have known about. Each Scene also has the famous Surface Flowers to collect, some of which are located within zoom zones on various notes you come across, and some of them are very well hidden.
The Hidden Object Scenes are fantastic!, these devs have been listening! The objects to find aren't just laying on top of junk piles, they are cleverly blended within other items, just like the good old days. There are Listed item Finds, Silhouetted Shape finds, Multiple Symbol finds (clever mannequin scene) and scenes where you place an item into the scene logically, followed by finding a listed item, and back to replacing an item as it alternates between finding and replacing items. Some of the HOP's have a small Mini Game puzzle to solve.
The Mini Games are just as fantastic. Everyone of the Mini Games, even after the demo, are doable, and have just the right amount of difficulty to make them fun, but not frustrating.
Below are brief descriptions of some of the mini games you'll encounter during the demo:
Below are brief descriptions of some of the mini games you'll encounter during the demo:
1) Drag puzzle pieces and rotate to assemble a picture.
2) Move cars into their matching colored slots using the empty slot to swap cars along the track.
3) Move the tokens to match the clue shown by selecting and rotating knobs surrounding them.
4) Select groups of two or more identical items to remove all items from the board, this is a 3 board progressive game.
5) Select a bottom tile that relates to the image displayed on the top board, repeat this process until all tiles are removed.
6) Select matching pairs of keys.
7) Rotate pipe sections to make a path from top to bottom of all energy buttons.
8) Select the gears to rotate the path sections.
9) Use the knobs to create a continuous radio wave.
10) Arrange the figures so their colors match the color s of the arrows in each column and row.
11) Guess the correct animal shape a pair of hands would make as a shadow.
12) Close the eyes on the rings in the correct order according to a nearby clue.
13) Find matching pairs of items by flipping over two buttons at a time, then change the color of eye under each icon according to the clue.
SURFACE GAMES AVAILABLE
Title***Collector's Edition Release Date***Average Rating
Title***Collector's Edition Release Date***Average Rating
1- Mystery of Another World (February 2-2012) 4.3
2- The Noise She Couldn't Make (July 26-2012) 4.5
3- The Soaring City (January 24-2013) 4.6
4- The Pantheon (September 18-2013) 4.3
5- Reel Life (April 10-2014) 3.7
6- Game of Gods (November 20-2014) 4.1
7- Alone in the Mist (June 4-2015) 3.6
8- Return to Another World (November 21-2015) 3.5
9- Lost Tales (June 16-2016) 3.9
10- Virtual Detective (November 26-2016) 4.0
11- Strings of Fate (June 3-2017) 4.0
12-Project Dawn (November 9-2017) 4.0
2- The Noise She Couldn't Make (July 26-2012) 4.5
3- The Soaring City (January 24-2013) 4.6
4- The Pantheon (September 18-2013) 4.3
5- Reel Life (April 10-2014) 3.7
6- Game of Gods (November 20-2014) 4.1
7- Alone in the Mist (June 4-2015) 3.6
8- Return to Another World (November 21-2015) 3.5
9- Lost Tales (June 16-2016) 3.9
10- Virtual Detective (November 26-2016) 4.0
11- Strings of Fate (June 3-2017) 4.0
12-Project Dawn (November 9-2017) 4.0
The Collector's Edition has 10 Wallpapers, 11 Concept Art pictures, 1 Screensaver, 5 Music Soundtracks, 15 replayable Hidden Object Scenes, 11 replayable Mini Games, 12 Morphing Character Figures, Surface Flowers to collect that will unlock the Secret Rooms of HOP's, 9 Achievements to earn with several categories within each achievements, a built in Strategy Guide and a Bonus Chapter, enjoy their nightmares!
I recommend this game!
Join the snails on an around-the-world trip to find their missing friend in their latest hidden object adventure!
Overall rating
2
/
5
6 of 7 found this review helpful
IS THERE A DIFFERENCE FROM THE LAST ONE?
PostedDecember 10, 2017
pennmom36
fromI think the snails held my computer hostage! Or maybe it was just a bug bwahaha
Skill Level:Expert
Current Favorite:
Phantasmat Collector's Edition
(101)Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
2
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
All Match 3 games by this dev have the same unusual feature, and I really didn't notice any big changes from the original Pretty Snails. Every time you make a match, sections of the board do a shuffle as they move into different positions, usually ruining what could have been an epic setup! On the negative end, you cannot make a move quickly or back to back until all tiles have repositioned or explosions finish doing their thing.
Most of the level goals require you to make matches over the Moss filled tiles within a specific number of moves, but some levels require you to make a specified amounts of specific Shell matches, or earn a specified amount of points.
Large matches or T & L shaped matches will give you power-ups on the board which are color specific such as Super Shells, Directional Bombs or Color Coded Flower bombs. Boosters are added as you progress such as +5 to add 5 additional moves, or a Trowel to remove an obstacle or tile of your choice.
After every third level, you can search for a Hidden Object as shown as a quest, somewhere on the Level Map, at first the objects are obvious, but become increasingly more difficult to locate.
I really didn't see anything new added to this Match 3 sequel to Pretty Snails, except for the computer freeze feature. If you don't mind a Limited Moves type Match 3 game, and you can get it to work in it's entirety, it may be a good family game, but after playing the first version, this one just seems like a repeat to me.
I don't recommend this game.
Awakened from centuries of slumber, you must save the future!
Overall rating
4
/
5
86 of 106 found this review helpful
....................LOADING.................................!
PostedDecember 9, 2017
pennmom36
fromIf the key to the Tree of Worlds is supposed to be hidden to protect evil from entering our world, why would you hide it inside a cathedral that has a giant Tree symbol above the entrance? Just put up a sign that says.......loading..
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
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 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 EleFun Games has been listening to the 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 mia, 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........!
This Collector's Edition 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. Each scenes also has a Morphing Object, but they didn'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. I think the graphics could have been better, especially within the HOP's, but every scene could have been a little sharper.and 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 Keywords in sentences of a story. There are also the 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 entire game.
The Mini Games are fairly creative, some more difficult than others, and there are a total of 32 Mini Games to solve in the entire game. 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.
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) n/a (Jack spinoff)
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) n/a (Jack spinoff)
*EleFun Games*
This Collector's Edition 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!
Play Pirate Jigsaw and dive into romantic high-sea adventure where pirate treasure abounds on beautiful tropical islands.
Overall rating
3
/
5
15 of 15 found this review helpful
WHERE ARRR YE PIRATES, arr at least real ones????
PostedDecember 7, 2017
pennmom36
fromI'm puzzled from the lack of pirates in a pirate themed puzzle game?
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
The last puzzle game offered by this developer was Jigsaw Puzzles Beach Season 2 (to the best of my knowledge) which had a whole bunch of pictures that had little to do with beaches. Now they're back offering jigsaw pictures that have a whole bunch of pictures that have little to do with pirates! The few pirate pictures they do offer are just people dressed up as pirates, the rest of the pictures are nautical, reef or beach themed (ironically they should have been offered in the Beaches jigsaw game) and most are just staged items like fruit, flowers, animals and food? Are you as confused and disappointed as I am?
Some of the puzzle pictures are really nice, but most of the pictures aren't appealing and if the pictures aren't interesting the puzzles are worthless. Nothing ever changes with puzzles by this dev, and I doubt they ever will. There are 5 different boxes of puzzles and each box has 100 different puzzles for a total of 500 puzzles. You can Ghost the image on the background or hang a picture with 3 different sizes, and you can change the resolution and the background colors of green, pink, blue or gray.
There is a Box to store extra pieces in, and you can Sort the pieces into the general location, and choose just Border pieces. There is a Magnifying Glass and a Hint feature as well as a Top Score tracker. My favorite feature allows you to Modify any puzzle with the number of pieces you want, the shape of the puzzle pieces and whether or not you want the pieces to rotate. I use the Modify feature with every puzzle so I can choose how many pieces I want to assemble.
I don't understand why these devs present these cookie cutter versions, over and over, without EVER changing a single feature. Here are 3 features I would love to see offered or changed, all of which seem like easy fixes in my opinion:
1-WALLPAPERS....why on earth isn't there a feature that allows the player to set any of the finished puzzles as wallpapers. Instead, they are one and done, don't look back puzzles, there's not even an option to look at the puzzle once they have been completed.
2- SORT....when you select the sort option, the puzzle pieces shuffle around into little random piles that seem to have no rhyme or reason, and definitely not what I'd consider sorted. The only thing I can figure, is that they are sorted to the area they belong (top right, bottom right) Wouldn't it be cool if there were options within the sort icon, to be able to choose if you want the pieces sorted by area, color or shape, and above all, sorted so the pieces were sorted on the outside edges, not smack dab in the middle of the border and around the edges!
3-PUZZLE STYLE.....this is a biggie folks, how about an option for puzzle style such as squares. Last year I bought an older puzzle game called Jigsaw Mania, and I play this game everyday. That game allows you to customize every aspect of the puzzle, including the ability to listen to your own music. You can download pictures from the internet, and your own photos as well. You can save them and use as wallpapers, you can even email them to a friend so they can do the puzzle as well. The feature I love most of all, is the availability to choose each puzzle style, wavy, shaped, regular jigsaw pieces in small, medium and large, flower shaped pieces that are the same on every piece etc. I never expected that I would become addicted to doing puzzles where every piece is a small square, approximately 1/4" squared. It makes the puzzle challenging and way more interesting!
If you don't really care about the pictures themselves, then you'll probably be okay with this puzzle, however, if you're a puzzle geek like me, and you want something different, check out Jigsaw Mania (it's an older game, so the first thing you'll want to do is click to download all new pictures from the internet, there's hundreds of them in several different sizes) and don't forget that you can use your own photos as pictures that will actually mean something to you, Happy Holidays!
I don't recommend this game.