pennmom36's Profile
Stat Summary
- Average Rating:3.7
- Helpful Votes:358,445
- Reviews Submitted:4711
- First Review:December 10, 2012
- Most Recent Review:March 30, 2025
- Featured reviews0
Status:
In Solitaire Blocks: Royal Rescue, use your solitaire skills to complete unique block busting puzzles and save the royal family!
Overall rating
4
/
5
37 of 41 found this review helpful
THIS WOULD BE A 5 STAR GAME IF THE BATTLES WEREN'T SO SLOOOW!
PostedNovember 3, 2017
pennmom36
fromThis is one of those games that you either love or hate, it's not going to be everyone's cup of Royal; Tea!
Skill Level:Expert
Current Favorite:
Phantasmat Collector's Edition
(100)Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
This is the strangest Solitaire game I've ever played, strange, but addicting to play. If there was a way to skip the battle process this game would be awesome!
The goal of each level is to free the Royals by playing one card Higher or Lower. Each stone pillar has a card at the bottom, as you play that card, the stone pillar crumbles one section at a time. When the entire pillar has crumbled, you can select the icon located under each item that has reached the bottom. Royals simply need freed, Power-ups need to be selected, Keys need to be used to unlock locks, Wizards use their magic to turn fire blocks to stone blocks, Treasure Chests require a "spin" to spin 3 tumblers, (you can win up to 3 items, or win nothing at all) When the enemy reaches the game, you will select to "fight" You don't have to fight immediately, in fact, it's best to hold off until after you collect the Sword and Shield, which will help you win the battle.
The battles are a worthless, time consuming feature that I really hated. Once you select the fight icon, you are taken to another screen, where you are on the left, the enemy on the right. This is a turn based battle, after you click the attack button, a wheel will spin to select the attack force you will make, and then your enemy spins his attack wheel. (number based points such as -2 health, sometimes you miss the opponent entirely) If you have already collected the battle power-ups, The Sword adds +1 to the attack, the shield defends your health by +1 automatically. If you lose the battle, you lose a Star, if you win the battle you earn a star.
You can earn up to 3 stars per level, and you can replay the levels as often as you'd like. You must remove all cards to complete the level, and you must fight the enemies to progress to the next level. You earn 1 star for removing all of the cards, a second star for saving all Royals, and a third star for winning the battle.
The Treasure Chests have several different items to win, that help you beat the harder levels. Bombs remove any open bottom blocks. The Sun removes any enemy, and the Scroll adds 2 extra blocks to the deck. You can also win multiple Jokers which can be used as any card value.
There are two things that I disliked in this unusual Solitaire game, the battles that are time consuming and quite frankly boring, and that there is no Undo feature that I could find, I accidentally used a Joker because it was so close to the icon located directly above the jokers when the pillar above it reaches the bottom, and had no way to undo my move. I will use a PCC however, because I did enjoy the change of pace it offers, enjoy!
I recommend this game!
In the latest Braveland adventure fight criminals on the high seas, captain a pirate ship and discover unknown treasures!
Overall rating
1
/
5
12 of 16 found this review helpful
SHIVER ME TIMBERS I'M GLAD THE TRILOGY IS OVER!
PostedNovember 2, 2017
pennmom36
fromNothing better than a quiet day on a pirate ship!
Skill Level:Expert
Current Favorite:
Lilly and Sasha: Curse of the Immortals
(12)Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
1
/
5
Level of Challenge
1
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
Braveland Pirate is the third and final chapter of this turn based, strategic battle based RPG. I wasn't impressed with the original Braveland, or the second game in the trilogy, Braveland Wizard, and other than the theme, Braveland Pirate is no different! The graphics are old school, and there's way to much dialog in between battles, you don't even get to pick and choose your battles, you just move along the board in a TM fashion. Everything is basically the same in all 3 games except the theme of the game, which are all 3 different so I'm not sure how this qualifies for a trilogy. It seems to me that it should at least be the same main character, but on different adventure, to be a 3 part series??
Braveland Pirate begins with a traveler embarking on a journey, with empty pockets, but a head full of hopes of discovering an amazing adventure. When he reaches the port, he begins to search for a job that will help fill his empty pockets. He doesn't want just any job, because he's a fairly laid back kind of guy, so he searches for a quieter line of work. Eventually he applies for a position as a pirate, because that's certainly a quiet, laid back career, right???? Nope! because his first day on the job, is anything but laid back, because their ship has just encountered a Ghost ship....and you know what that means....time for a Battle Royale, pirate style!
Each battle shows the number of fighters each unit has, from both sides, the more fighters there are, the more dangerous the battle is. You can move your players to any highlighted cell, in a honeycomb grid arena. Some units are faster than others, some have special abilities, and that's where the strategy comes into play. Once you are close enough to fight, you click on your opponent to battle them. Eventually, you will be able to use special abilities, that will have a cool down period after each use. Targets that are marked with a solid circle, deal damage without penalty, and with each battle you win, will help you gain experience points.
BRAVELAND GAMES AVAILABLE
Title***Release Date***Average Rating
Title***Release Date***Average Rating
1-Braveland (June 25-2014) 3.4
2-Braveland Wizard (September 12-2017) 3.7
3-Braveland Pirate (November 1-2017) n/a
2-Braveland Wizard (September 12-2017) 3.7
3-Braveland Pirate (November 1-2017) n/a
If you enjoy battle type RPG's, then you might enjoy this game. But there are way better RPG's available such as Lilly & Sasha. For me personally, I found all 3 Braveland games to be monotonous, and the graphics less than desirable, they just don't have any wow factors.
I don't recommend this game.
Can you keep history from destroying the present?
Overall rating
3
/
5
25 of 31 found this review helpful
AT LEAST THE COLLECTOR'S EDITION HAS COLLECTIBLES
PostedNovember 2, 2017
pennmom36
fromBet Amber's daddy, Tony Stark could fix this problem,
Skill Level:Expert
Current Favorite:
Phantasmat Collector's Edition
(100)Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
Sadly, I bought the CE version of this game because I needed a second game for a BOGO sale. There are 6 chapters worth of nothing special, so I will admit it has a nice length to it, but if those lengthy chapters have nothing interesting, nothing special to offer, who cares? At least the CE has collectible crystals, figurines and flowers (not to mention a gazillion notes spread haphazardly throughout the kingdom). If Enchanted Kingdom wants to make a name for itself, they are going to have to come up with less tedious tasks, and a storyline that isn't almost exactly the same as the game before. The first one was about a mysterious illness that was turning its victims into trees, and this one is about a mysterious illness that turns its victims into crystals, I'm quite sure number 3 will be about an illness that turns its victims into animals! Here's a recap of my review to help you decide which version, if either is right for you:
Hey, guess what, the very first inventory item I picked up was a can of oil! Not just any oil, this is the good stuff, the kind that not only instantly removes 30 years worth of corrosion, but somehow restores the item to it's former glory! (well, after all I am a healer)
The next item I discover is a bee fogger, and just in the nick of time too, because there's an angry mob of bees guarding THE very area I need to examine more closely (I live on 7 acres of land and have yet to come across an angry swarm of bees in a random place, yet they appear in nearly every game!)
Soon I discover a bottle of water and you know what that means, yep I found a shriveled up plant that looks as if it flatlined about a year ago, maybe longer. Guess what happens next? Ta Dah! I add just a dash of water and this prune of a plant goes through an amazing cellular molecular transformation, and the rejuvenated chloroplasts instantly begin the photosynthesis process. Just when I think I can't be more impressed, poof! In the blink of an eye, my beautiful plant blooms!
Pretty soon I find a Hilt, and it's a good thing because over yonder's a knife with no hilt, and you and I both know you can't remove a knife that's stuck in something without a handle. My only question is, if the hilt fell off in the first place, won't it fall off again when I give it a giant King Arthur tug? Did I hang onto the hilt for a while before discarding it in the next location?
There's a fireplace, I'm positive there's a very important object buried deep within it's fiery hot embers. Yes! I'm right, there IS indeed a puzzle piece I need, it's affirmative. Oh wait, I'm going to have to find an oven mitt, otherwise I'll burn my delicate Healer Hands. Oh, here's one, all's good, let me just carefully open the screen, careful now, it's HOT, very hot. Whew! rut row, an ember accidentally fell out, let me just pick that up with my UNgloved hand...got it?????
By now, I've done very little investigating and even less healing, because.....I've got to pick this lock with the hairpin I just found, I've got my priorities straight.
So now that we've completed all of the cliche and very predictable tasks, let's talk a little about the storyline. Clarissa Stark was supposed to be the star of the Dance Imperium show, but was fired by the boss Domenico for the treasonous act of using dark magic.Apparently, HR didn't get involved, innocent Clarissa meets her demise, leaving behind a bitter daughter named Amber. Amber Brown is not a crayon, but she does cry blue crystal tears. Being the fantastic healer you are, you agree to perform a ritual for Clarissa to help her weakened body reach the underworld. Clarissa assures us that she doesn't believe nor practice the art of dark magic as her mother before her did, so why is she willing to be ritualized by dark magic now? (I guess when you die, morals are less meaningful!)
The Hidden Object Scenes are mostly Interactive Silhouetted Shape finds, but there's also one that requires finding and replacing Keyword items correctly, and there is an alternate Match 3 game to play instead of the HOP's. The CE version has 17 replayable HOP's in the bonus section as well.
The Mini Games aren't bad, and most are available in either an Easy or Hard difficulty mode. Below are brief descriptions of some of the games you'll encounter during the demo:
1) Swap articles of clothing between 4 mannequins, using the sign labels as a reference.
2) Use the Diagnosis Lens to examine the patient, and click on the affected areas. (okay, I'll admit this is a stupid game)
3) Position the dancers limbs to match the image shown.
4) Use directional arrows to move flowers to their matching spots. Some passes may be affected if you cross over the red spinners.
5) Trace the symbol without drawing over lines twice.
6) Place ritual items in the correct space by moving tokens to adjacent spots.
7) Prepare a potion in the Healer Kit by placing all items where you think they logically go, then click the button to test your arrangement. Correctly placed items will light up, but if any are wrong all items will be removed.
8) Paint the canvas using the picture as a reference.
ENCHANTED KINGDOM GAMES AVAILABLE
Title***Collector's Edition Release Date***Average Rating
Title***Collector's Edition Release Date***Average Rating
1-A Dark Seed (April 6-17) 3.9
2-A Stranger's Venom (September 28-17) 3.7
2-A Stranger's Venom (September 28-17) 3.7
The Collector's Edition has 10 Concept Art pictures, 16 Wallpapers, 5 Music Soundtracks, 17 replayable Hidden Object Scenes, 17 replayable Mini Games, 30 Achievements to earn, 15 Morphing Flowers, 15 Collectible Statuettes, 39 hidden Crystals that allow you to purchase virtual items for your Medico Imperium Laboratory, a built in Strategy Guide and a Bonus Chapter.
I don't recommend this game.
Save your cousin and his new bride from a horrible beast!
Overall rating
5
/
5
278 of 325 found this review helpful
LOOK INTO MY EYES, THIS IS WHERE MY DEMONS HIDE.....
PostedNovember 2, 2017
pennmom36
from"Only the beast can seal your fate, take the first step, the master awaits",,,,,,,no, I'm good, I'll just hang out around the garden for a bit!
Skill Level:Expert
Current Favorite:
Phantasmat Collector's Edition
(100)Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
This ain't your mama's version of Beauty and the Beast! This is a Living Legends version of a hideous beast who took control of the castle, just hours before Leo Bonnet and Beatrix Chastel were to be wed. Uninvited guests are not welcome here, but Kate and Leo have stuck together since they were children, and Kate is always welcome at cousin Leo's castle. This invitation is either a curse or a cure, because nobody has left the castle alive, with the exception of Beatrix's father, who will stop at nothing to destroy the beast that holds his daughter captive!
Uninvited Guests reminds me of the earlier games in this series, and in my opinion, 4 Friends Games has been listening to us reviewers complaining about how games are becoming cookie cutter versions,. I hope other devs will follow suit and go back to their roots, when games were epic! Each scene has a Morphing Object, and 2 hidden Owls, one that looks like a statue, the other is usually a drawing and a wee bit harder to spot. Both have a pull out tab on the left of the screen that tells you how many of each are in that location, and as you collect the owls, they become real when you visit the collections section. You are joined by a friendly squirrel helper, sort of. He doesn't really stick by your side, but he is in just about every scene, and he does get tricked into helping you occasionally, but he's certainly not an annoying helper per se.
The Hidden Object Scenes are mostly Interactive List finds, and that's alright by me, I kind of like old school in the HOP department. There are also Multiples of the same item finds, and Keyword in Sentences finds. I really enjoyed a couple of unusual one's where you had to find several predator's from different levels such as an eagle or hawk for the sky category, and I liked one where you had to find sketches of things that were alive. The graphics are clear and the objects for the most part are recognizable.
The Mini Games tend to be on the easy side of the scale, but I don't mind how easy or hard a puzzle is, as long as it's fun to solve. Below are brief descriptions of some of the games you'll encounter during the demo:
1) Restore each animal's face by swapping pie shaped sections.
2) Find matching roses by choosing 2 roses to reveal at a time.
3) Assemble the portraits by swapping the pieces between 2 portraits. Pieces must be of the same orientation.
4) Click on puzzle sections until the correct image fragment appears.
5) Aim the crossbow and shoot when the scope turns green. (this is never a fun puzzle, the target is just standing still, where's the skill in this type of game?)
6) Engage in a Battle Royale by clicking on 3 or more identical tiles to remove them. The goal is to strategically remove all tiles, matches can be made horizontally, vertically, diagonally, or all of those directions, removing tiles will cause the tiles above the match to fall down. Repeat this game 3 increasingly difficult times.
7) Arrange the animals on the board so that no animal type repeat either horizontally or vertically.
LIVING LEGENDS GAMES AVAILABLE
Title***Collector's Edition Release Date***Average Rating
Title***Collector's Edition Release Date***Average Rating
1-Ice Rose (March 22-2012) 4.5
2-Frozen Beauty (June 13-2013) 4.5
3-Wrath of the Beast (January 22-2015) 3.4
4-Bound by Wishes (March 3-2016) 4.5
5-Beasts of Bremen (February 16-2017)
6-Uninvited Guests (November 2-2017)
2-Frozen Beauty (June 13-2013) 4.5
3-Wrath of the Beast (January 22-2015) 3.4
4-Bound by Wishes (March 3-2016) 4.5
5-Beasts of Bremen (February 16-2017)
6-Uninvited Guests (November 2-2017)
This Collector's Edition has 10 Wallpapers, 10 Concept Art pictures, 4 Screensavers, 5 Music Soundtracks, 32 replayable Movie Videos, 16 replayable Mini Games and replayable Hidden Object Scenes, 68 Collectible Owls that become real when you collect specific amounts, Morphing Objects, a built in Strategy Guide and a Bonus Chapter, enjoy!
I recommend this game!
Come back to the ancient Roman empire and help defend it against new threats in this latest edition to this revered time management series.
Overall rating
5
/
5
123 of 143 found this review helpful
OMNES VIAE ROMAM DUCUNT
PostedNovember 1, 2017
pennmom36
fromMīlle viae dūcunt hominēs per saecula Rōmam
Skill Level:Expert
Current Favorite:
Phantasmat Collector's Edition
(100)Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
It's all about the roads in this strategy based, time management series, and all roads eventually lead to Rome! It looks like the graphics have improved since the last release, and there are some added features as well. Some levels have hidden caches, which aren't really difficult to spot, it's just sometimes difficult to remember to spot them!
After the earthquake, the citizens of Rome were hoping the peace and tranquility would remain for the rest of their days, but that wouldn't be much of a story right? The Vikings attacked viciously and without mercy, they destroyed the empire's roads, bridges and just about everything else standing in their way. Marcus saves the day once again, as he leads his army and pushes back against the Vikings. Not wanting to be left behind, Valeria convinces her father to grant her the authority to help the residents of the Empire, and restore their lands to their former beauty. But first you need a road to travel on.
This is a Time Management game based on strategy because you need to do things in a certain way in order to achieve expert status on each level. I found myself replaying many levels to change the order in which I queued a task, or change the type of building I constructed, so I could finish the level before nightfall, because once the sun sets, you can't receive expert status. There are several modes of difficulty available: Relaxed, Easy, Normal and Hard, I chose Normal but was unable to queue tasks when no worker was available, the only downside to this game.
There are the usual Time Management tasks, clearing debris from paths, removing boulders and repairing flooded areas, and of course rebuilding several bridges, as well as gathering resources and finding Viking stashes. To complete all these repairs, pig farms need built to feed the workers, Sawmills need built to produce the wood needed for repairs, and Storage Building will increase and permanently increase resources. Many of the buildings can be upgraded, such as the workers camp to gain more workers. Some of the people you meet are willing to make exchanges of goods for a necessary resource such as bombs needed to clear huge boulders. Occasionally you come across speciality items, such as speed boots that allow the workers to move faster. or boots hidden or a clock, they will increase speed or freeze time once the path is cleared to them.
ROADS OF ROME GAMES AVAILABLE
Title***Release Date***Average Rating
Title***Release Date***Average Rating
*Roads of Rome I (October 6- 2010) 4.3
*Roads of Rome II (January 19-2011) 4.4
*Roads of Rome III (October 5-2011) 4.2
*Roads of Rome IV: New Generation (February 1-2016) 3.9
*Roads of Rome V: New Generation 2 (November 1-2017)n/a
*Roads of Rome II (January 19-2011) 4.4
*Roads of Rome III (October 5-2011) 4.2
*Roads of Rome IV: New Generation (February 1-2016) 3.9
*Roads of Rome V: New Generation 2 (November 1-2017)n/a
Although each level has different goals to achieve, the main goal is to build the road. In order to build the road however, you need to gather the necessary resources, and keep the crew fed. In order to gather enough resources and food, you need to strategically build the right buildings, such as farms, sawmills and quarries, at the right time. I love the updated graphics, and the day and night visual effects in this game, and that you need to use strategy rather than the course already laid out, "can't make a wrong choice" scenarios. Give this one a try, the series has been around for a long time, and each one is better than the last, enjoy!
I recommend this game!
A Halloween party becomes a spine-tingling fight for survival!
Overall rating
4
/
5
33 of 37 found this review helpful
MARY, MARY, QUITE CONTRARY, THOSE BEYONDERS WILL MAKE US SING LIKE CANARIES!
PostedNovember 1, 2017
pennmom36
fromDoesn't everyone's car have a picture of the remote control plastered to the hatch window?
Skill Level:Expert
Current Favorite:
Phantasmat Collector's Edition
(100)Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Halloween Stories is an awesome introductory game that I'll look forward to playing next year's release. It is a bit on the short side, offering only 3 chapters, but that doesn't bother me as long as it has a good plot, and this one certainly does. I agree with kerith90angel's statement that it would be nice if the devs would offer replayable videos as a standard option, or at least a play by play storyline journal to refer to. I too always wait for a good CE sale, and I usually don't finish playing the game until the SE is released, and by that time you usually forget many of the details. I highly recommend this game as a Collector's Edition because this is one of the few games that's truly CE worthy with Morphing Objects, Puzzle Fragments, and cleverly hidden spooky dolls. Here's a recap of my review to help you decide which version if either is right for you:
Haunted Hotel move over! This is the big leagues baby, and this will be an evening Jane and Joe will never forget, unless they die of course. Halloween costume, check. Huge pumpkin head mask, check. An extra pair of clean underwear, ugh, prolly not, but this looks like the most awesome Halloween costume party ever! That's because it's real, these guys are the real McCoy's, and these two orphans are in for an unforgettable evening, as they try desperately to find each other first, and then a way out, before the Beyonders do terrible beyonder things to them!
This is my favorite kind of game, filled with creepy Ninja dolls that climb the walls, evil sadistic looking clowns (I couldn't stop making the clown do his creepy eye laughing thing, I spent more time interacting with the weirdness than playing the game) Just when I thought this game was going to be the first game to push the limits of the horror genre games here at big fish, they backed off and added some pretty comical features. I'm pretty sure they weren't doing this intentionally, but for once I want to play a game that doesn't hold back, and I'm bettin' a game like that would skyrocket sales. I know a lot of people don't like dark games with things that go bump in the night, and I'm okay with glittery games filled with unicorns occasionally, but there's way more horror genre fans than not, otherwise there wouldn't be so many games like this offered. I say, make me show proof of age (cause I can double it!) and make me tremble with fear!
In the Collector's Edition version, there are Morphing Beyonders Objects to find in each scene, Album Picture Fragments to collect and assemble 4 eight piece puzzles, and 12 Rare Halloween themed Dolls to find.(love the dancing skeleton) I'm glad I don't have to hang on to them for real, everyone knows creepy dolls are always possessed just like Annabel!
Right at the get go, Joe suspiciously disappears, and come to find out, he's been taken hostage. Surely it will be difficult to find Joe in this huge mansion filled with things that go bump in the night, right? Oh look, here's your sign..Hostage This Way, written in blood...red paint. That was easier than I thought it was going to be! So once I find a map leading to THE very room I need to find, I decide to investigate my surroundings, while trying my best to be stealth like so as not to alert the Beyonders.
First things first, fix the broken wire to the lights so I can see, I'm sure a light won't alert the bad guys to use as a beacon to find me. (why are wires always on the outside of the wall, and always frayed in half just shy of the switch?) By this point, I've already removed the famous broken skeleton key from the door lock, found away to open the ole "trap door hidden under a rug with a missing handle, used a coin as a screwdriver, solved a mini game to open a ridiculously complicated purse lock, used a rag as a tourniquet to compress solid iron pipes, found and used a razor blade to find a hidden treasure inside a sewn up patch, and of course found and replaced every emblem ever made since the beginning of time, to open up every trinket box and hidden caches I've come across, and this is just the third room!
Moving on to the hostage situation, I enter an underground maze of complicated tunnels, most of which lead to a dead end. At one point did this lead somewhere? Did they scrap this passage mid-way during construction? It's a good thing I have a map to follow, don't all mansions come stock with a map? Did I mention there's a horseshoe shaped magnet just out of reach that I simply must have, because I need it to remove an important object inside a Spider cage? Did I mention the bars on the cage are so wide I could stick my hand through them, if it weren't being guarded by an attack steroid ridden spider? He's still just a spider, I'm pretty sure he can slip through the bars with no problem!
By now I've had several close encounters with a ghost who seems to just float back and forth, with seemingly no rhyme or reason, surely it's a trick? Finally I reach the bedroom where Joe is being held hostage, bummer, the door is locked with a keypad. It's a good thing the code is written on the glass next to the lock. (the keyword is glass, Joe could have easily busted the glass and escaped) In all fairness Joe's hands are bound with magic rope? It's okay though, he knows they hid the special Magic Knife in the same room he's in, he just doesn't know where??
In order to find this knife, I need to look for some anti-rust remover, this stuff impresses me more than a Magic rope does hands down. But wait, first I need to find a drawer pull because its missing one, and simply placing a new drawer pull on the opening always seems to do the trick! While I'm searching for a way to free Joe, I may as well place these fragments on the picture and do a little Hidden Object searching. Man, this picture suddenly does seem larger up close, it's so big I have to look at it in 5 different sections as I practically do a 360 degree panoramic viewing!
I'm totally exhausted at this point, this is a big house after all. On a serious note, although it sounds as if I was unimpressed with this game from my review, I'm not. Quite the opposite, I just like to look at unrealistic things with a sense of humor. I loved the creep factor, and even though all of the tasks are predictable and obvious, I still had a blast playing it, in fact I've already bought it!
The Collector's Edition mostly has a bunch of creepy dolls and clowns speaking Latin, Spiders and cobwebs, shadows and objects that come to life and some even jump out at you. It also has 8 Concept Art pictures, 8 Wallpapers, 4 Music Soundtracks, 24 Achievements to earn, a Secret Room, Collectible Fragments to assemble 4 Album pictures with 8 pieces each, 12 Collectible Halloween themed Doll Figurines, and Morphing Objects, enjoy the escape!
I recommend this game!
Solve the most mystical layouts you've ever seen!
Overall rating
3
/
5
47 of 59 found this review helpful
IF SOLITAIRE GAMES WERE MADE ON AN ASSEMBLY LINE THIS IS WHAT IT WOULD LOOK LIKE
PostedOctober 31, 2017
pennmom36
fromThree items for sale in the Shop, how creative!
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
The graphics are really good, some of the board layouts are interesting, and there's a nice selection of creepy Raven themed card styles available, but that's about all this game has going for it. There's no mystery to this solitaire game, The Black Raven is just another cookie cutter version of all the other solitaire games by this dev. They never change a single thing, not one single feature is different, well, technically they change the title and the backgrounds. The main feature with these games, are that the game ends once you find all of the Gold cards, and it drives me bonkers! I'm way too OCD for this feature, I want to be able to remove ALL of the cards on the board to receive a perfect score, not just some of them! I will play a hand over and over until I achieve my goal of what I consider to be a perfect score.
This is a Higher/Lower type solitaire game, and the only goal you have, is to remove all cards that are Gold, it doesn't matter how many regular cards remain, and you don't get the option to continue playing after the Gold cards are removed. You can choose from 9 Raven themed card backs, and 3 different face cards, one of which is a large font. You begin the game in Newbie mode, which allows you to replay any hand, Professional mode only allows you to replay the entire pack of 10 levels. There are 12 different Packs, and each pack has 10 levels, you need to earn the specified amount of points to unlock the next pack, and the scoring is similar to bowling.
Another feature I don't like in this devs games, is that the tutorial makes you click another card off of the deck even though there are several more cards available on the board. I'm reluctant to skip the tutorial just in case they have added a new feature, which never happens, but one never knows, and I remain hopeful. I also hate that when you remove a card with a Wax Seal, it takes forever to explain what the card gives you, as it freezes continued game play to tell you what you won. Most of the time it gives you +499 extra points, but occasionally, a Joker, Mulligan or a second deck deal, finding two of these cards back to back is agonizing!
If you have purchased any of the other holiday themed solitaire games by this dev, then this game will just be a waste of money because there just isn't anything new, different or exciting offered. As my title says, if Solitaire games were mass produced on an assembly line, this is what I picture they would look like. I had high hopes when I saw another solitaire game being offered because the last few have been awesome, but I guess the run on really entertaining solitaire games had to end sooner or later. I'll go back to playing Jewel Match Twilight Solitaire, now that's a really good solitaire game!
I don't recommend this game.
An evil witch turned the famous prince into a frog! Help the poor prince remove his curse and find his princess in this hidden object adventure.
Overall rating
5
/
5
63 of 66 found this review helpful
EVEN BETTER THAN THE LAST ONE!
PostedOctober 31, 2017
pennmom36
fromKiss the frog Alice, it works every time!
Skill Level:Expert
Current Favorite:
Phantasmat Collector's Edition
(100)Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
I'm really digging these "Clutter" type games by Shaman, in fact, I'll go as far as to say that I like them even more than the Clutter games by Joe! A Plot Story was really good, but Witch's Tale is even better, because they have a very unique way of presenting the storyline, one sentence at a time. You can choose between 3 different modes of difficulty, Very Casual with no time limits, Casual with just enough time (well, not always) or Hard which gives you 20% less time than casual.
Alice is a young witch who must find a mentor after graduating from the Academy, and she has chosen Circe, a very powerful witch, whom she has always admired. Looks can often be deceiving, and Alice soon finds out that Circe has turned the Prince into a frog, when he wouldn't accept her marriage proposal. Now it's up to Alice to find a way to break Circe's evil curse, but will she live Happily Ever After?
Although most of the puzzles are Clutter type games, there are also the occasional jigsaw puzzles or slider type puzzles available as well. These jigsaw type puzzles will earn you an extra hint to use in the clutter puzzles, and the hint feature will recharge faster when you click on the crystals, located within each clutter puzzle. If you've never played Clutter, these are HOP's where you must find matching pairs, triple matches or both, in a huge pile of clutter. Crystals can be collected with a single click. My favorite Clutter puzzle was finding a black and white match to a colored match, and I will admit, this one got me and I had to make several attempts before finding all the matches within the specified time!
At the end of each Clutter round, your score is tallied with the number of items found, hints used, crystals found, and even your longest run of matches without mistakes. As soon as the demo began, I realized that this was the same kind of game as A Plot Story and by the same devs, and I have enjoyed playing that game over and over. This game is even better, the storyline is interesting, and it looks like the graphics have improved a bit, to make it easier to see the junk. I'm definitely going to take advantage of today's sale and add this game to my collection, enjoy!
I recommend this game!
It was a dark and stormy night... for Solitaire! Jewel Match gets spooky in this new Solitaire adventure! Play 200 levels and build 5 eerie castles!
Overall rating
5
/
5
85 of 97 found this review helpful
I BOUGHT THIS GAME 10 MINUTES INTO THE DEMO!
PostedOctober 30, 2017
pennmom36
fromWho knew Jewel Match could create such fun solitaire games?!?
Skill Level:Expert
Current Favorite:
Phantasmat Collector's Edition
(100)Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Jewel Match delivers once again with a spooktacular Solitaire game! This is one of the few games that I actually get into when it comes to building things with the coins you earn because they are always beautiful castles, but in this case, they are spooky castles. There are several features that probably go unnoticed for the most part, but I love the fact that after each level, all 3 stars (or however many you earn) immediately pop into place at the same time as a group. I hate it when you have to wait for an eternity as one star appears, after it's placed, the second one arrives and finally the third. To me, it's equivalent to dial-up as you sit there waiting for what seems like an eternity, for all of the stars to make their appearance. I also loved the colony of bats that fly into the night sky after each level, and the fireworks that form creepy spiders.
This is a Higher/Lower Solitaire game, which is my favorite type, but it is also a Mahjong game because as you progress through the Solitaire levels, you unlock groups of Mahjong Games (50 total) that can be played anytime, to earn more gold. Personally, I think that part was a big mistake, they should have offered different types of Solitaire Games such as Spider or Tri-Peaks. You can choose from 4 different card backs and 2 front card styles, and you can play in Relaxed mode which allows for more than one deal, Normal mode, or Hard mode which is a timed mode. If you want to earn all of the 24 available Trophy Achievements, make sure you click to choose the custom cursor because this option is one of the trophies! You can choose to replay a level immediately from the score tally window or by choosing a particular level at anytime from the level map, which is a must have feature for me personally.
Some cards are blocked with obstacles that require finding the tool card, such as a Key Card to open Locked cards, Hammer cards to break the Chained cards, Scissors to snip the Ribbon cards (some cards have multiple ribbons) and Scythe Cards to whack down Throned cards. Frozen cards require 2 plays to remove them, Wax Sealed cards require playing a specific colored card, red or black, and some seals have specific suits that require you to include the specified suit and color from the board.
Some of the cards on the board have Jewels under them, the collected jewels are what you will use to buy Castle sections with. Some cards have hidden coins under them which allows you to purchase items in the shop to help you win. Combo's begin at a 5 card chain which will raise the coin index, and allow you to buy even more power-ups. Items in the Shop include a remaining card counter,additional undos and shuffle's, remove a specific or random card on the board, reveal a percentage of face down cards, more deck cards, earn more gold per level, specific numbered Wildcards, Jokers or increase the chance of getting jokers and wildcards.
OTHER JEWEL MATCH GAMES AVAILABLE
*Jewel Match 1: (Match 3)
*Jewel Match 2: (Match 3)
*Jewel Match 2: Reloaded (Match 3)
*Jewel Match 3: (Match 3)
*Jewel Match 4: (Match 3)
*Jewel Match: Winter Wonderland Match 2 (Match 3)
*Jewel Match: Snowscapes (Match 3)
*Jewel Match: Twilight (Match 3)
*Jewel Match: Royale Collector's Edition (Match 3)
*Jewel Match: Solitaire Collector's Edition (Solitaire)
*Jewel Match 2: (Match 3)
*Jewel Match 2: Reloaded (Match 3)
*Jewel Match 3: (Match 3)
*Jewel Match 4: (Match 3)
*Jewel Match: Winter Wonderland Match 2 (Match 3)
*Jewel Match: Snowscapes (Match 3)
*Jewel Match: Twilight (Match 3)
*Jewel Match: Royale Collector's Edition (Match 3)
*Jewel Match: Solitaire Collector's Edition (Solitaire)
This is a Halloween themed Solitaire game, but it's a game that in my opinion can be enjoyed throughout the year because other than a few bats and spiders during the scoring section, there's nothing more than a few creepy looking haunted mansions, enjoy!
I recommend this game!
Can you uncover the secrets hidden in the Alexander Valentine Hotel?
Overall rating
4
/
5
45 of 51 found this review helpful
aleXander Valentine
PostedOctober 29, 2017
pennmom36
from"ouch, I think my leg is broken" What? it took you 10 minutes to figure this out?
Skill Level:Expert
Current Favorite:
Phantasmat Collector's Edition
(100)Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
I just finished playing The Evil Inside, and it was a fantastic game from beginning to end. (not yet finished with BC but seems equally as interesting) I've always been a huge Haunted Hotel fan, which was an original Big Fish Games Studios production until Elephant games took over its production in 2013 with their first release of Haunted Hotel #5 Eclipse. Elephant Games, formerly known as White Elephant also took over production of the Mystery Case Files, which in my opinion, is when these games really began to take root. I preferred the Collector's Edition over this Standard Edition, because of the CE bling, which is why I'm only giving this game 4 stars. Here's a recap of my review to help you decide which version, if either is right for you:
The Ghost Seekers have invited a special guest host on their latest paranormal investigation of the Alexander Valentine Hotel. Rachael Collins didn't have to pull any strings to have her cousin join the team however, because James is certainly no stranger to the paranormal field, especially when it comes to Haunted Hotels! By the time James arrives, the entire team has disappeared, and he soon realizes that this Hotel holds many secrets, and even more haunted ghosts. The XV Hotel gained a seedy reputation long before it became a Hotel, dating back to 1927, when the entire Valentine family was found viciously slaughtered! Now James is left with no choice but go it alone, to save his cousin from the Evil Inside!
I was a tad bit disappointed with this 15th edition of one of my favorite series, Haunted Hotel. I own every game in this series, including the 3 original Haunted Hotel games that are only available in Standard Editions. I was disappointed that after the last 2 incredibly epic storylines, they took a step backwards, with just a run of the mill plot. I still love this game, but it pales in comparison to the last two games in the series. The second disappointment I have with The Evil Inside, is that for some reason, these devs decided to offer a stupid gimmicky device called Patrick, an acronym for Paranormal Activity TRacker & Interactive Computing Kernel. Why oh why, oh why did they have to do this to my beloved Haunted Hotel???????
At least they didn't mess with the CE bling, HH never disappoints, because I can count on the fact that they offer some type of Morphing Objects, and always in the game locations NOT within the HOP's which is a feature I loathe.The CE version also has 20 hidden Puzzle Pieces that will form 4 different Screensavers when all have been found, Morphing Collectible Business Cards to find as well the usual Achievements to earn.
The Hidden Object Scenes vary with each one, with Interactive List Finds, Interactive Silhouetted Shape Finds, Listed Items that uncover Fragments, and one of my personal favorites, where you move objects two at a time, to Match 2 of the same items hidden within. There isn't an alternate to the HOP's, but they are fairly well done HOP's with decent graphics.
The Mini Games are all doable, although a few of them are fairly time consuming. Below are brief descriptions of some of the games you'll encounter during the demo:
1) Reveal only the symbols that are shown on the left by flipping tiles, clicking on one tile may affect others.
2) Use Patrick to scan the scene for 7 orbs that can't be seen with the naked eye. (this is me shaking my head <<O>>)
3) Move the knobs on Patrick to focus the image. <<0>>
4) Align the image shown on Patrick with the correct location in the scene. <<0>>
5) Place metal pieces on the disk so that all of the cells are filled, using the rotation button to correct the angle of the pieces.
6) Use directional arrows to guide the ball through the maze.
7) Restore the image by moving horizontal and vertical puzzle strips on Patrick's screen.
8) Find 7 more hidden orbs using Patrick <<0>>
9) Swap adjacent tiles to restore the image shown on Patrick.
10) Swap adjacent tiles in yet another Patrick game <<0>>
11) Direct arrows so that the 3 balls will land on the top spaces at the same time.
12) Move picture pieces into the correct spots using arrows to rotate the pieces that will rotate each time they move over a circle.
13) Move the tiles to adjacent empty slots to reveal the compartment.
HAUNTED HOTEL GAMES AVAILABLE
Title***Collector's Edition Release Date***Average Rating
Title***Collector's Edition Release Date***Average Rating
1-Haunted Hotel (SE only March 2008) 2.9
2-Believe The Lies (SE only January 4-2009) 2.7
3-Lonely Dreams (SE only August 27-2010) 3.2
4-Charles Dexter Ward (June 10-12) 3.9
5-Eclipse (October 10-13) 4.1
6-Ancient Bane (May-29-14) 3.9
7-Death Sentence (December 18-14) 4.1
8-Eternity (April 25-15) 3.7
9-Phoenix (August 20-15) 3.7
10-The X (November 12-15) 4.3
11-The Axiom Butcher (April 30-16) 4.1
12- Silent Waters (September 17-16) 3.7
13-The Thirteenth (December 24-16) 3.6
14-Personal Nightmare (May 25-17) 4.1
15-The Evil Inside (September 30-17) 3.6
2-Believe The Lies (SE only January 4-2009) 2.7
3-Lonely Dreams (SE only August 27-2010) 3.2
4-Charles Dexter Ward (June 10-12) 3.9
5-Eclipse (October 10-13) 4.1
6-Ancient Bane (May-29-14) 3.9
7-Death Sentence (December 18-14) 4.1
8-Eternity (April 25-15) 3.7
9-Phoenix (August 20-15) 3.7
10-The X (November 12-15) 4.3
11-The Axiom Butcher (April 30-16) 4.1
12- Silent Waters (September 17-16) 3.7
13-The Thirteenth (December 24-16) 3.6
14-Personal Nightmare (May 25-17) 4.1
15-The Evil Inside (September 30-17) 3.6
The Collector's Edition has 10 Wallpapers, 10 Concept Art pictures, 4 Music Soundtracks, 18 Achievements to earn, Collectible Business Cards, 25 Morphing Objects, 20 hidden Picture Fragments that give you 4 different Screensavers when complete, a Secret Room, 12 replayable Mini Games, 15 replayable Hidden Object Puzzles, a built in Strategy Guide and a Bonus Chapter to return to the Hotel, assuming you make it out alive! Enjoy your stay!
I recommend this game!