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:
A locked room murder awaits you! Was the killer human or something else?
Overall rating
3
/
5
113 of 140 found this review helpful
You Can't Escape Your Destiny
PostedMarch 2, 2017
pennmom36
fromI have an ancient curse and so does this game!
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
It's time once again to solve a Mystery of the Ancients, the supernatural case of "The Rose Petal Murderer" sounds scary right??? Detective Donovan has asked for your help solving a recent murder, that he believes to be supernatural. The victim's body was found in a room that was locked from the inside, well that's certainly supernatural. The locked room was inside a mansion, the mansion's owner has been out of town and doesn't know the victim, super, supernatural. The victim has been adorned with beautiful and aromatic pink rose petals, extremely supernatural. There seems to be no evidence left behind, even when examined using a sophisticated black light, finally a clue that could be viewed as supernatural, if you dig really deep! Moving along at a snails pace in this investigation, agent Donovan has proven to be a large bag of luggage, because he's totally worthless in this case, but you hang on to him just in case you need that bulky luggage later. He loves barking out orders too and it's really annoying, "I'll stay here and try to open the door" says he. Whilst I'm off doing all the legwork, Donovan hasn't lifted a finger, he hasn't even turned around to face the door!
Eventually, you and agent Donovan are separated (phew, I really needed a break from him) and you discover a walking Tree Stump child, At this point, the demo is winding down and it's the first actual supernatural feature in the entire game! Am I surprised? Am I speechless? After all, it's not everyday that you encounter a living, breathing, tree limb with arms, legs and eyeballs right? Apparently I have met one of these freaks of nature, because it doesn't puzzle me in the least bit. In fact, it doesn't even puzzle Donovan when we reunite, he isn't the least bit surprised, he doesn't even ask about him, but then again, Donovan is a bit peculiar. Here's the good news about the little tree bud, you can choose to ditch him right off the bat, or you can hang on to him as your little helper without affecting the game's story. This guys pretty good, he is able to go where no tree limb has gone before, he's even willing to drink a potion that nobody knows what it is or even how ancient it must be! In this Collector's Edition version, there are 25 fairly well Hidden Clovers, and 6 Collectible Character Figurines to collect as well as the usual extra's and Achievements to earn.
The Hidden Object Scenes aren't bad, but most of the one's offered in the demo are of one type, Progressive, Interactive Silhouetted Shape finds. The scenes are clear though and items are recognizable.
The Mini Games aren't challenging in the least bit, most could practically be done while blindfolded. Below are brief descriptions of some of the games you'll encounter during the demo:
1) Use the Ultraviolet light to find 8 handprints.
2) return each bust to the correct place according to the clues.
3) Use the clue shown to enter the correct number on phone.
4) Select the correct sections of each multi-layered symbol.
5) Arrange books in the correct order to form a completed picture.
6) Find 4 symbols of one theme to learn more about the story.
7) Restore the murals by placing tokens correctly.
8) Flip over two cards at a time to match images.
9) Use rotation buttons to swap tiles to complete the picture.
10) Activate all 3 levers to open the doors in a "blocks" type game.
11) Interact with the mural to find 8 hidden tokens.
12) Put all elements in the correct slots.
This Collector's Edition has 30 Concept Art pictures, 24 Wallpapers, 6 Music Soundtracks, 24 Fresco puzzle pieces, 8 Achievements, 6 replayable Mini Games, 6 Collectible Character Figurines, 25 Hidden Clovers, 6 replayable Videos, a built in Strategy Guide and a Bonus Adventure, enjoy!
I recommend this game!
Test your skills and talent as Cook, Server and Manager of a busy food truck with a steady stream of demanding customers!
Overall rating
1
/
5
28 of 29 found this review helpful
My Food Truck Ran Out Of Gas
PostedMarch 1, 2017
pennmom36
fromI think my truck has a flat tire or two!
Skill Level:Expert
Current Favorite:
Haunted Domains
(48)Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
1
/
5
Level of Challenge
1
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
This game is difficult to earn expert level goals, and just plain ole not fun. To make matters worse, some of the features just don't make sense, and I'll explain why. This is a Time Management game that takes place on a food truck, in the first level, you will sell Hotdogs and related items, followed by other food categories of Chinese, Pizza, and Hamburgers. The hungry customers walk up to a stall with a thought bubble of the food and or beverage they desire, each level usually adds more items such as drinks, condiments, fries etc. You simply click on the items required to make their food, in the first level it's Hotdogs so you will click on a Hotdog bun, then on the hotdog. The hotdog will then automatically go onto the grill and when it is done cooking (turns a reddish color) you click and drag the hotdog to the bun and then drag the completed hotdog to the correct customer and then click on the coins they leave as payment. As you progress, the orders become more complex, and the customer may want catsup, mustard, drinks etc. After just a few levels, customers begin arriving at break neck speed and it's very difficult to achieve the coveted expert or three star ranking.
You can then purchase equipment that will make your job easier, keep customers waiting patiently, or decorate the truck. One of the features that confused me, was that in the shop you can purchase a Whistle to alert you when a customer leaves without paying, however, one of the "tips" given between levels tells you that a whistle will automatically blow if a customer leaves without paying, so why would I want to buy this upgrade?
Another confusing feature is with the requirements of achieving expert goal status. The written information in the help section states that expert status is reached when you score 1.5 times the level goal. The tutorial states that you receive expert status when you serve 5 perfect serves, I'm assuming consecutively. When I played the very first tutorial level, I zipped through each and every hungry customer with ease, with no mistakes, and so quickly that I was waiting for the next customer to arrive, yet I only earned 2 stars!
Needless to say, I wasn't having fun playing this game, and the directions don't even seem to apply, so I didn't even finish the demo. My food truck ran out of gas and it's a no go for me!
I don't recommend this game.
Play 5 different types of mahjong in Winter Mahjong!
Overall rating
4
/
5
85 of 104 found this review helpful
Excellent Customizable Variety Of Mahjong
PostedMarch 1, 2017
pennmom36
fromWish they had Bingo Mahjong!
Skill Level:Expert
Current Favorite:
Phantasmat Collector's Edition
(100)Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
i'm not a huge fan of traditional Mahjong games, so I was pleasantly surprised to find that this game not only offers the traditional mahjong, but four other types as well. You can choose to play in Casual mode for a relaxing, untimed game, Normal, Expert and you can tweak all of these features in Custom Mode. In Custom mode you can set the amount of time you want it to take to recharge hint and shuffle features, whether you want free tiles highlighted, and if you want a bonus for remaining time.
In Traditional Mahjong, you match identical tiles with the goal of removing all Gold tiles to win. In Logic Mahjong, the goal is to make matches of logical pairs. In All By Picture the goal is to make matches of tiles shown within the frame. In Poker Mahjong the goal is to collect a combination of poker tiles. In Non Pair the goal is to find the only two tiles that do not have a matching pair within each frame.
The tiles are beautiful, the music isn't bad, all in all, this is one of the better Mahjong games, but as I stated earlier, I've never really been a fan of this genre, enjoy!
I recommend this game!
The legacy of the Weather Lord continues as King Victor and Queen Victoria prepare to pass the royal torch to their daughter, Jenny. But before Jenny can rule, she must learn the ropes!
Overall rating
5
/
5
50 of 60 found this review helpful
Graduation Test
PostedMarch 1, 2017
pennmom36
fromReally lucky graduates get a car, Jenny gets an entire kingdom!
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
My how time flies, King Victor and Queen Victoria are ready to pass the Royal Torch down to their daughter, Princess Jenny, after she graduates of course! Jenny is eager to begin her Young Queen courses at the University, where Professor Theodor will teach her all she needs to know to be rule her people. Princess Jenny barely gets a chance to settle down when catastrophe strikes, Pirates have invaded the University and have stolen a very important artifact. Princess Jenny's skill's will be put to the test, as she sets out to retrieve the Great Dragon's Golden Egg, before the magnificent beast awakens and wreaks havoc upon the kingdom and it's people!
I have always loved the Weather Lord Time Management series, where you use the elements of the weather to progress. Rain is used to grow crops and even put out the flames of burning buildings. The Sun dries up puddles, Wind can be used to power mills for resources, and Storms can be used to chase away the pirates. You can play in a Relaxed, untimed mode or Normal mode, and you can earn Gold, Silver or Bronze medals for each level completed. Throughout the adventure, you will build flowerbeds, columns and even new houses that will increase your Skill level (9 skills total) This will help you use the weather more effectively, and gather more resources which improves your reputation.
There are the usual TM tasks of clearing paths, repairing bridges, gathering food, wood, stone and gold and building Saw mills, Grain mills, and Stone mines. Bonuses are added which speed up workers, produce resources faster, recharge the weather quicker or increase production, but this effect is only temporary and must recharge before using it again. Merchants sell different goods and tools, and some items can be crafted when combined, you can even gather the essence of rain to create a downpour in this edition. In the CE version, there are 31 hidden Jigsaw puzzle pieces available, but they won't be available in every level apparently because there are 60 regular levels plus the bonus levels, which is kind of a bummer in my opinion, and it would be more of a challenge if they morphed because they are quite large and easily spotted.
In the Collector's Edition version, there are 28 Awards to earn, 10 Bonus Levels and 10 Collector's Edition level 's available, 9 Skills to learn, replayable Movies, 8 Music Soundtracks, 6 Wallpapers, 31 hidden Jigsaw Puzzle Pieces and a built in Strategy Guide. For my personal tastes, these extra's just aren't worth the CE price, making this Standard Edition version the better value, enjoy!
I recommend this game!
Queen Aerin meets a strange guest from another place and agrees to help him to save his world
Overall rating
5
/
5
80 of 95 found this review helpful
Love This Time Management Series, But.........
PostedFebruary 28, 2017
pennmom36
fromHas anyone noticed that in the game the Queen's name is spelled Aeryn, but in the synopsis it's spelled Aerin?
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 love the graphics this Time Management game offers, and each level has really good layouts with plenty of active areas to interact with. However, I do have a few complaints, the biggest drawback for me, is that it takes several attempts to earn all 3 stars, because if you don't choose the right tasks at the right times, you end up not being able to progress any further, but I guess that's where the challenge comes into play. This isn't an easy breezy game (unless you are playing in Relaxed mode which is untimed) and I will admit that I had to restart several levels to "get it right" by slightly altering the order in which I queued my tasks, otherwise I had to waste time waiting for the necessary resources to be available because I used them on a different task that had more benefits. You can earn up to 3 stars in each level, and you will have to use strategy to earn all three stars.
In this fourth edition of Elven Legends' Queen Aerin and the majestic griffin were relaxing and enjoying the beautiful uneventful day when a stranger popped through the elven portal. The stranger has asked for the Queen's help saving his world, and naturally, the Queen has obliged. In this Collector's Edition version, each level has a Morphing little thief, and there are several Potion Bottles to find as well throughout your adventure. There are the normal resources to collect, food, 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.
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 and Magic Wells.
This Collector's Edition has 8 Wallpapers, 8 Concept Art pictures, 50 Collectible Potion Bottles, Morphing Little Thieves, 9 Alchemy Encyclopedia pages, a built in Strategy Guide, 50 Levels & 10 Bonus Levels, 38 Achievements, High Scores and a Bonus Chapter, enjoy!
I recommend this game!
Help a wizard retrieve the missing artifact and restore life to the world in this magical Match 3 Adventure!
Overall rating
5
/
5
138 of 155 found this review helpful
Exactly Like Lauraville But With Better Graphics
PostedFebruary 27, 2017
pennmom36
fromAwesome graphics
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
A crystal shard exists, called the Spellarium, which transforms sunlight into a magical power and brings life into our world. The Spellarium has disappeared, causing our world to decay, so Eric the wizard has been sent by the gods to work with "The One On The Other Side" to fix that which is broken. You must help Eric restore the Altar of 6 Elements and heal our world.
If you are a fan of Lauraville, you will love this challenging game as well. All of the features are the same, but the graphics are way better, and you get to play mini games such as Spot the Differences between pictures and Solitaire. You can play in Relaxed, Limited Time or Limited Moves modes, and I gotta tell ya, this is a challenging Match 3 game right from the get go.
The object of each level is to remove all coins, but in order to do so, you will need to make several Match 5's to receive Rockets that will go after targeted coins that are located on the outside area of the board! Matches of 4 tiles will earn Dynamite that explodes to destroy those nasty ladybugs or set off chain reaction bombs, Matches of 6 tiles earn a Star that targets all tiles of the same kind as matched with, and Matches of 7 will give you a whole pack of Dynamite.
Of course there are several obstacles such as Boards, Shields, Ground, Clay, Fog, Ice, and even Green Fog to make it even more challenging. Each of these obstacles require specific items to destroy, you may need to fill bottles with liquid, fill in coins with liquid gold, move keys towards locks, move coin halves to make a whole coin or even ignite a cannon. It's a really fun but very challenging Match 3 game, enjoy!
I recommend this game!
Can you save reality from the Imaginary World?
Overall rating
2
/
5
44 of 58 found this review helpful
The Reality Is That This Series Is Doomed
PostedFebruary 26, 2017
pennmom36
fromImaginary by forgettable
Skill Level:Expert
Current Favorite:
Phantasmat Collector's Edition
(100)Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
2
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
Uncle Paul apparently doesn't want his job anymore, but who can blame him, after all, he was kidnapped by a book in the first episode. He has decided to retire and has left his not so ordinary Antique Shop in the capable hands of his niece Alexandra. Uncle Paul also handed over the reigns of "The Keeper" whose mission is to sustain peace and life, finding and storing artifacts that have supernatural properties. Andrea hasn't had time to make herself at home, however, because one such artifact has begun to wreak havoc, causing panic and chaos throughout the town. Creatures and even plants are taking over the city, with supernatural abilities, and nothing seems to be stopping them, it's as if they were creatures from another planet, or figments of a very twisted imagination!
This is the second game in this new series, and honestly, I think it's time to go back to the drawing board, because neither game is memorable, neither game is worth purchasing. The Imaginary World is simply a middle of the road game with a lot of gimmicks thrown in to take your mind off the fact that the gameplay itself is mediocre at best. I will admit that I was mildly amused when I searched each scene for things I could interact with, flowers that go poof when I click on them, butterflies flutter into oblivion, and tree's briefly bloom with just the click of a mouse.
In the Collector's Edition version there are more than enough extra's to convince one to spend the extra moola over the Standard version, if you like this series For starters there are the usual Achievements to earn, and each scene has a hidden Jigsaw Puzzle Piece and when you have found all of them you can assemble the puzzles and save the Memories of the Past pictures as a Screensaver. Each scene also has a Morphing Object, my favorite feature, and there are 34 Collectibles from different categories, Elemental's Vessels, Keepers' Figurines, Portal into the Imaginary World, Bob's Drawings, and Illusionist's Tools. I'm pretty sure they should have a category called Kitchen Sink because they have thrown in every other collectible but the kitchen sink. I love all these features, however, I just wish there was an option to choose that would prevent the cursor from turning into a pointer finger whenever you scan across one of the "hidden" collectible or morphs. I know that you can turn the cursor feature off entirely throughout the game, but I just want to turn off the cursor feature for locating the extra's.
The Hidden Object Scenes are usually multi-layered, starting off with interacting with a talking portrait, followed by finding Keywords in a sentence as he gives you the down low, and ending with a good old fashioned Listed item finds. There are also Silhouetted Shape finds, finding 4 items that fit into wax seals to open up the listed items, and several Zoom Zone HOP's where you are tasked with finding a handful of fragments located in the entire scene such as lamp fragments or torn picture fragments. There is an alternate game of Mahjong available for those who dislike HOP's.
The Mini Games are okay, nothing too difficult, nothing that stands out either. Below are brief descriptions of some of the game's you'll encounter during the demo:
1) Arrange the 9 center squares so they create the creature the creatures shown.
2) Set the car's route from start to finish, the route can't connect with any roads the monster could use to attack you.
3) Guide the submarine to the coral on the bottom, interacting with and using objects and creatures to remove obstacles along the path.
4) Move Alexandra and Bob through the labyrinth to the exits. The characters have to press 7 buttons to open the exits, and Bob moves in the opposite direction of Alexandra so their paths cannot cross.
The Collector's Edition has 9 Wallpapers, 11 Concept Art pictures, 3 Screensavers, 3 Music Soundtracks, 36 hidden Jigsaw Puzzle Pieces (to use as Screensavers) 36 Collectibles in 5 different categories, 33 Morphing Objects, 14 Keeper Tools, 18 Achievements to earn, a built in Strategy guide and a Bonus Chapter, enjoy!
I don't recommend this game.
Avalon Legends Solitaire
Harness the power of the Deck of Nature to weave your spells and save the magical realm of Avalon in this fun Card game!
Overall rating
4
/
5
3 of 5 found this review helpful
No Option To Replay?
PostedFebruary 26, 2017
pennmom36
fromHope I can replay hands in the second Avalon!
Skill Level:Expert
Current Favorite:
Magic Cards Solitaire
(28)Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
This would have been a fantastic Solitaire game, and an instant buy for me however, there is no option to replay any level whatsoever! This is a Higher/Lower type solitaire game with lots of exciting features otherwise, but I personally want to be able to replay all levels until I get a perfect score. Even in the Freeplay section, you don't get any chances to replay the levels for a better score.
There are blocked cards such as stone covered cards that require finding the Hammer card, and Snow covered cards that require you to use all Frozen cards first. As you collect coins they can be used in the Magic Shop to purchase amulets to help you with "seeing the next foundation card, getting an extra Undo card or even revealing a percentage of face down cards on the board.
The goal is to find all 52 Magic cards that are collected when you remove them. There are 15 Achievements to earn as well, it's just a shame that you cannot replay any of the levels. If you are okay with that feature, then this is an excellent and fun Solitaire game, enjoy!
I recommend this game!
Can you give Romeo and Juliet the happy ending they desire?
Overall rating
3
/
5
84 of 103 found this review helpful
Is This Shakespeare or Aladdin?
PostedFebruary 26, 2017
pennmom36
fromI didn't know they had car jacks for horses, poor thing!
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
'O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou? Oh Juliet, Juliet, here I am, in prison guarded by a giant bear! Hang on my love, I shall simply dig around for some tranquilizer darts and a blow gun, that should do the trick. Oh look, a puzzle, give me just a second sweetie, it looks so intriguing. Then Romeo and Juliet ride off into the sunset on a magic carpet and live happily ever after, well, okay, it doesn't really end with the magic carpet ride, but it probably would have been best to just have ended the entire game that way.
I have always enjoyed the Dark Romance series, one of the only games I know of that allows you to switch between characters, in this case you will play Romeo and Juliet. I found this game to be slow and super easy, you will know exactly what inventory item you will need to complete a task BEFORE you even find it. The characters speak, and then their lips move which is annoying and I'd rather see no lip movement at all. In this Collector's Edition version, you will collect Journal notes, 11 hidden Masks, 13 hidden Scrolls and 89 Coins that allow you to purchase items for the Boudoir. Remember the first Dark Romance? You could purchase interface upgrades which was way cooler than buying virtual wedding items to decorate a room that doesn't exist.
The Hidden Object scenes are varied with Interactive List finds, Silhouetted Shape finds and Multiples of a single item. There are smaller zoom zone HOP's as well and you can opt for a Match 3 game instead.
The Mini Games are available in Easy and Hard modes which is a fantastic feature in my opinion. Below are brief descriptions of some of the games you'll encounter during the demo:
1) Match top and bottom tokens on the wheels by rotating and swapping tokens.
2) Guide the golden rose into the far right slot by creating a clear path using other shapes to unblock the path.
3) Interact with the story scene by placing objects and characters correctly according to the storyline.
4) Restore the image by rotating rings, moving one ring may affect others.
5) Push in all of the lock parts, pushing one may affect others.
6) Move all red hearts to the left side and all of the yellow hearts to the right side.
7) Move all 3 goblets to the blood drop slots above the board without getting touched by the arrows.
This Collector's Edition has 36 replayable Movies, 18 Wallpapers, 26 Concept Art pictures, 5 Music Soundtracks, 11 Collectible Masks, 13 Collectible Masks, 86 collectible Coins to purchase items for the Boudoir, 16 replayable Mini Games, 29 Achievements to earn, a built in Strategy Guide and a Bonus Chapter, enjoy!
Hoist the Jolly Roger and seek the treasures of the Caribbean sea!
Overall rating
3
/
5
14 of 21 found this review helpful
Aaarrr.....
PostedFebruary 24, 2017
pennmom36
fromGreat mosaic, not so great features!
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
I agree with the "other" reviewer on this timed mosaic game. Although you can opt for a relaxed mode, not many people want to earn only two out of three stars because they couldn't place puzzle pieces at a neck breaking speed. I am a total Jigsaw puzzle geek, I have assembled the world's largest puzzle that comes in 4 different panels of 6000 pieces each, and I can finish a 1000 piece puzzle in about a half of a day, my favorite being the puzzle mosaics which are pixel pictures on every piece to form a picture within a picture. My point is, I love to assemble puzzles because it's relaxing, and I'm very good at it, but even I have a hard time finishing puzzles like this one within the allotted time!
The goal of this type of Mosaic puzzle is to take pieces from the ribbon and place them correctly onto an incomplete picture. At first, they give you plenty of time, and there are only a few pieces to place. As you progress, there are less pieces on the incomplete puzzle and several more pieces to place, many of which are small, and it becomes really hard to finish the puzzle within the allotted time. This is fun for a while, but then it just gets frustrating and you find yourself making mistakes because you are trying to beat the clock. You can purchase extra hints and add more time with the coins you earned, but when I use a hint, it takes away from the feeling of perfection, because I didn't figure it out on my own :(
I don't recommend this game.