pennmom36's Profile
Stat Summary
- Average Rating:3.7
- Helpful Votes:358,445
- Reviews Submitted:4721
- First Review:December 10, 2012
- Most Recent Review:June 22, 2025
- Featured reviews0
Status:
Prepare for Halloween with Holiday Jigsaw Halloween 3. Enjoy 500 excellent puzzles with festive Halloween themes.
Overall rating
4
/
5
56 of 59 found this review helpful
The Puzzles Aren't Interesting Enough
PostedOctober 26, 2015
pennmom36
fromEver do a puzzle that has a different picture on both sides?
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Time Management, Adventure, Match 3
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 love jigsaw puzzles so much that my family bought me the world's largest jigsaw puzzle for Christmas which has 24,000 pieces. I usually love computer generated jigsaw puzzles as well, but the pictures available here just aren't that appealing to me personally.
There are 100 puzzles available in each of the 5 categories, Costumes, Treats, Decorations, Family and Autumn. Any puzzle can be modified with the amount of pieces you want, the style of cut and whether or not you want the pieces to rotate. You can choose four different colored backgrounds, pink, blue, green and white, as well as choose your resolution.
There are several tools available, you can choose to ghost the image of the puzzle on the background, or have a real picture shown in three different sizes. There is a Magnifying glass and a Hint icon, you can use the Border only option or the Sort option, and you can store extra pieces in the box until you have more room. I just wish the pictures were more diversified, enjoy!
I recommend this game!
You’re called in to photograph a wedding, but what you really expose is murder.
Overall rating
4
/
5
51 of 55 found this review helpful
Martha Knows!
PostedOctober 25, 2015
pennmom36
fromThe shortest demo I've ever played
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Time Management, Adventure, Match 3
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 Whittle's are one dysfunctional family, mother Anna passed away last year, father Jasper became an alcoholic, and eldest daughter Martha feels unloved. On the bright side, little sister Carol has just been married to a wonderful man, Frank Gelson. Carol has asked you to shoot one last photo of her and Martha before she changes out of her wedding dress. The storm outside is relentless but the storm inside the Whittle Estate seems to be even more tempestuous! Family secrets never stay secret for long, even poor old dad, Jasper thinks his daughter knows the truth, and this truth is as ugly as it get's!
Because you are a photographer, you are equipped with a camera that will be used to shoot pictures whenever there's a star like symbol (the camera will glow) and the pictures slowly reveal the terrifying history that took place inside the Hollow Oak Estate. I found this feature to be really intriguing, especially once I started taking the pics that began to piece together a storyline I needed to know more about. Some of the inventory items have plus signs that indicate some type of interaction needs to be performed before the item can be used. The Collector's Edition has the addition of Achievements to earn and my favorite feature, Haunted or Beyond Morphing Objects are available in every scene, AND there's no cursor change to say "here I am" which makes it so much better!
The Hidden Object Puzzles vary, but none are really unique, I will say however, for the first time in a long time, there was an item I had difficulty spotting on the very first listed item HOP (the baby carriage) There are Silhouetted Shape finds, and a couple of them required you to find the item in the green text of a sentence one of which was through a tiny keyhole.
The Mini Games seemed a little on the simplistic side, I was able to finish all of them on the first attempt within a few seconds, but I've played a lot of games and I've gotten familiar with most of them. Below are brief descriptions of some of the puzzles you will encounter:
1) Move the colored tokens into the slots that match their symbols using a silver slider device to pick up the token of choice and slide Right or Left to the desired location.
2) Sort through a box of decorations to make matches of related items, the items on top must be matched first.
3) Using codes shown on an ornate box (A+H=3 for example) determine the correct number combination then enter those numbers on the available tumblers.
The Collector's Edition has 25 Concept Art Pictures, 11 Soundtracks, 8 replayable HOP's (that's not very many BF) 10 replayable Mini Games or Puzzles (again not very many BF) 4 Wallpapers, 16 Hidden Photographs, an Attic Room where the photos are kept which allows you to complete portraits revealing the atrocities that took place within the Estate, 30 Haunted Morphing Objects, and a built in Strategy Guide, enjoy!
I recommend this game!
Toxic flowers have been claiming victims and withering plant life in the Netherlands. Can you cultivate the answers to this mystery?
Overall rating
4
/
5
111 of 125 found this review helpful
Mystic Curse Or Curse Of Corruption?
PostedOctober 24, 2015
pennmom36
fromAaaaahhhhhchew!
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Time Management, Adventure, Match 3
Current Favorite:
Phantasmat Collector's Edition
(101)Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
I must admit the graphics are stunning in this game, but the storyline is the same as all the other European Mystery games. Poisonous plant's seem to be responsible for the murder of several prominent citizens, but of course, plant's don't have an agenda (or a motive) which certainly means there must be a human evil doer behind these murders.
A local botanist has equipped you with an invaluable piece of equipment that allows you to capture pollen spores from these deadly plants, and create an antidote, how convenient. Each time you encounter a puff of poison, you get out you're handy spore catcher, insert it into the fancy wooden box and match identical spores. This process then shows you what ingredients you need to create the antidote, and which flower you need as a guinea pig. Once you find the ingredients and the flower, you have to insert the ingredients in the correct order to replicate the flower shown. There are complex inventory items that require some type of interaction before they can be used, 15 Morphing Flower Cards to discover and the usual Achievements to earn.
The Hidden Object Puzzles fall a bit flat in my opinion, most of them are interactive list finds, but there are also multiples to find of certain shapes, and most of them have some type of puzzle to interact with. The only one I really liked was finding Morphing Objects when they were in their correct form, but even that one was super easy because the items morphed so quickly they stuck out like a sore thumb. There are also several Zoom Zone HOP's, which seems to be catching on lately.
The Mini Games weren't too bad, but most of them are really easy. Below are brief descriptions of some of the Mini Games you will encounter:
1) Place figurines in the correct order.
2) Slide colored jewels into their color coded areas, then play a match jewels game.
3) Use directional arrows to guide several color coded balls to their correct slots.
4) Correctly paint a porcelain picture using the example shown.
This Collector's Edition has 15 Morphing Flower Cards, 21 Concept Art pictures, 14 Achievements, Wallpapers, Music Soundtracks, Videos, replayable Mini Games, a Secret Room, a built in Strategy Guide and a Bonus Chapter, enjoy!
I recommend this game!
Redemption Cemetery: Clock of Fate
Can you undo the past and set the trapped souls free?
Overall rating
4
/
5
76 of 87 found this review helpful
Didn't I Just Play This? Didn't I just Play This?
PostedOctober 23, 2015
pennmom36
fromAre you willing to make a deal with death when you have everything to lose?
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Time Management, Adventure, Match 3
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'm not sure how I feel about the repetitiveness of this edition of Redemption Cemetery. It's like watching the movie, Groundhog Day, where you get several chances to make things right, so you do something a little different or in a different order as you try to fix everything. The storyline in all RC's are really intriguing, helping the dearly departed right the terrible wrongs they feel they need redemption from. As with all Redemption games, you will help them move on beginning with Rupert Lee, a single dad who sacrificed his only daughter to save hundreds of other innocent lives. He couldn't deal with his decisions and took his own life, only to be tormented over and over in the afterlife. You have been "chosen" to return to the past, to try to fix the atrocity, over and over, but the outcome never seems favorable for everyone. Death, being the opportunist he is, has given you an opportunity to wager your soul, for a more favorable outcome. Some players found this offensive and I get it, it's kinda like having a ouija board, it probably doesn't work but why risk it?
There's a new feature in this episode, the ability to click and drag items, pull open drawers and even climb vines, personally, it's not that exciting to me. There are inventory items that can be interacted with or that can be combined with other inventory items, as indicated by a green skull (red if the other item hasn't been found yet, green is good to go) The Collector's Edition has the addition of several Crystal Skulls to collect, located throughout the game that can be used to purchase items for your very own graveyard, and there are several Achievements to earn, which is presented to you in a grand way with a large stone that breaks open to expose a creepy figurine associated with the Achievement.
The Hidden Object Scenes, just 3 in the demo, were mediocre at best, the first one tasks you with finding several ladder rungs to repair a ladder with a couple of slightly easy to figure out interactions. The next two were repeats in the same place and the same style, finding items that are associated with the words in bold yellow and red print as a story about Rupert's life, the items in red require an interaction of some sort. You have the option of playing a Match 2 game where you uncover two tokens at a time as you try to match two identical symbols, when you do match two symbols, the tokens do a quick shuffle around the board to attempt to make the game harder.
The Mini Games are very easy, again only 3 in the demo, and I was able to complete them all on the first attempt. Below is a list of brief descriptions on some of the games you will encounter:
1) Set the numbers in place for the year in which Rupert was born and died using a newspapers clues given.
2) Choose two different symbols that together form the 9 different symbols shown on a makeshift rope.
3) Turn gear's to open latches, selecting some gears affect other gears.
The Collector's Edition has 4 different Soundtracks, 6 Screensavers, 15 Wallpapers, 14 Concept Art pictures, 21 replayable Hidden Object Puzzles, 13 replayable Mini Games, 11 replayable Match 2 games, Collectible Crystal Skulls to build a graveyard just the way you like it, Achievements, a built in Strategy Guide and a Bonus Chapter. I love the storyline, but I must admit I found this game to be more of a movie than a game with very little to do in the demo which makes me wonder if the purchased game offers more?
I recommend this game!
Girls with Secrets
In a peaceful small town, an unknown killer has taken the life of a teenage girl. Who would want to kill Amy, the most popular girl in class?
Overall rating
1
/
5
4 of 5 found this review helpful
Girls With Secrets
PostedOctober 23, 2015
pennmom36
fromEver hear of spell-check?
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Time Management, Adventure, Match 3
Current Favorite:
Phantasmat Collector's Edition
(101)Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
1
/
5
Level of Challenge
1
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
It's no secret, this game is horrible! At least have someone look over the game before releasing it to check for spelling errors! A few errors I can forgive, but someone must have been in a hurry to release this game. To be quite honest it wouldn't really matter because the game itself is just too boring. It's about the murder of Amy, the most popular girl in school. When the police are unable to find her murderer, Amy's BFF decides to solve the case on her own, and uncovers more than she bargained for because the entire town seems to have many secrets. This is a pure and simple seek and find game with a handful of puzzle thrown in for good measure. Gamers, keep searching, this is not the game for you.
I don't recommend this game.
Enjoy solitaire in a frighteningly fun Halloween setting! Trick or treat? There are no tricks in Solitaire Halloween Story!
Overall rating
3
/
5
54 of 59 found this review helpful
Nothing But A Game Of Mahjong
PostedOctober 23, 2015
pennmom36
fromOh where oh where have all the good solitaire games gone, oh where oh where could they be?
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Time Management, Adventure, Match 3
Current Favorite:
The Chronicles of Emerland Solitaire
(147)Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
Why do they keep making solitaire games that require you to make matches of identical cards? Solitaire is a favorite game of so many people, yet so few enjoy this type of matching solitaire. There are 10 Halloween themed cards to choose as 3 different face card styles to choose from, and you must start the game in Newbie mode with a tutorial but then you can switch to Pro mode which only allows you to replay the entire 10 game level versus being able to replay any hand.
The goal is to make matches of the same value cards, regardless of suit, until all Gold cards have been removed. If all Gold cards are removed you will get a perfect score even if regular cards remain, and that level will be added to the next hand. Chains will fill the meter bar, and cards with a pumpkin are worth 499 coins, there are also shuffle bonus cards. You can purchase extra Undo's, Jokers or Shuffles with the coins you earn. If you are looking for a really entertaining solitaire game, give The Chronicles of Emerland a try.
I don't recommend this game.
Gothic Fiction: Dark Saga
Rescue your daughter, Hannah, from the clutches of an evil witch before it's too late in this chilling Hidden Object adventure game!
Overall rating
4
/
5
5 of 7 found this review helpful
Gothic Fiction: Dark Saga SE
PostedOctober 22, 2015
pennmom36
fromHas the principal been hanging out for 40 years?
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Time Management, Adventure, Match 3
Current Favorite:
Phantasmat Collector's Edition
(101)Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
After playing both the Collector's Edition and this Standard Edition, in my opinion, this version is a better choice. It isn't a difficult game to play therefore you probably won't need the Strategy Guide and the Collector's Edition really doesn't have enough "frills" to make me want to shell out the extra bucks. Below is a recap on my review from the CE:
You just moved from the bustling city of New York to the quiet outskirts of Blengar, England to escape the rat race. Your daughter has chosen several schools to attend, so naturally you hop on a bus to check out her first choice, a private school that seems more like a castle than a school. The bus driver neglected to inform you and Hannah that this school has been closed and sealed for over 40 years! Things go from bad to worse when an evil witch takes Hannah, claiming that the last child is finally hers and that if you interfere you will die a miserable death.
This game has a creep factor of 10, everything is creepy crawly, the cursor is a gnarled hand with an eyeball and even the inventory bar is decorated with a gothic style fence. There are NO Hidden Object Scenes in this game, just a pure creepy adventure with lots of puzzles to solve. The actors are real and the graphics are wonderfully hand drawn, while the cinematics are either real, or computer generated.
This game has a ton of mini games, some of which are very creative and unusual. I have listed a few of the puzzles you will encounter as brief descriptions:
1) Rotate the center piece to align with several fragments to complete an image.
2) Slide number buttons along tracks until they are in the same position as shown.
3) Help the knight defeat various obstacles in a video for three different scenarios.
4) Create a continuous current in a version of "pipes".
2) Slide number buttons along tracks until they are in the same position as shown.
3) Help the knight defeat various obstacles in a video for three different scenarios.
4) Create a continuous current in a version of "pipes".
The Collector's Edition has Wallpapers, Screensavers, Concept Art Pictures, a built in Strategy Guide and a Bonus Chapter, enjoy......if you dare!
I recommend this game!
The eyes are watching... and they're everywhere.
Overall rating
5
/
5
198 of 248 found this review helpful
PREDICTING THE FUTURE
PostedOctober 22, 2015
pennmom36
fromIs anybody concerned that there's a bat hanging in the library?
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Time Management, Adventure, Match 3
Current Favorite:
Phantasmat Collector's Edition
(101)Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Amelia Jones had the unique ability to see into the future and draw predictions of what was to come. When Evelyn Rogers died in a horrible fire, Amelia was the prime suspect, after all her drawings depicted Evelyn's demise. When Evelyn's sculptures come to life, Emma Roberts is called to Eastwood to investigate this paranormal phenomenon for the Fear For Sale Magazine. Are the spirits of the innocent trying to right the wrongs happening in this tiny town?
There's nothing better than a Fear For Sale nightmare just in time for Halloween! This game has a unique feature where you earn points every time you find items which not only helps you gain journalistic experience (8 different promotions starting with Cub Reporter) but you can also challenge a friend to beat your score. There are several complex inventory items that require some type of interaction before the item can be used, and of course there are plenty of Achievements to earn as well. There are 35 Beyond Objects and 5 different Collectibles in each of the 5 different categories, Eastwood Postcards, Clay Ocarinas, Toys, Actress Things, and Doctor's Equipment.
The Hidden Object Scenes are mostly interactive list finds, but some of them have steps to achieve before exposing the list such as finding multiples of one item or finding and placing items into their matching silhouetted shapes. There are also Zoom Zone puzzles where you find 6 different items strewn about the room. There is an optional Jigsaw Puzzle to play instead of the HOP.
The Mini Games are decent, but nothing really new or spectacular. Below is a brief description of some of the games you will encounter so skip this section if you don't want a spoiler:
1) Find missing objects and place them correctly.
2) Restore an image by placing round tokens, some of which are blocked requiring you to use arrows to switch tokens.
3) Lead a figurine to the green zone using obstacles as bumpers.
4) Interact with several different puzzles on a puzzle board to find the correct solutions.
2) Restore an image by placing round tokens, some of which are blocked requiring you to use arrows to switch tokens.
3) Lead a figurine to the green zone using obstacles as bumpers.
4) Interact with several different puzzles on a puzzle board to find the correct solutions.
This Collector's Edition has: 9 Wallpapers, 11 Concept Art Pictures, 3 Screensavers, 13 Music Soundtracks, 25 Collectibles, 35 Beyond Objects, a built in Strategy Guide and a Bonus Chapter, enjoy!
I recommend this game!
Gothic Fiction: Dark Saga Collector's Edition
Rescue your daughter, Hannah, from the clutches of an evil witch before it's too late in this chilling Hidden Object adventure game!
Overall rating
5
/
5
7 of 8 found this review helpful
Gothic Fiction: Dark Saga CE
PostedOctober 21, 2015
pennmom36
fromGuess you'll be moving back to New York now.
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Time Management, Adventure, Match 3
Current Favorite:
Phantasmat Collector's Edition
(101)Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
You just moved from the bustling city of New York to the quiet outskirts of Blengar, England to escape the rat race. Your daughter has chosen several schools to attend, so naturally you hop on a bus to check out her first choice, a private school that seems more like a castle than a school. The bus driver neglected to inform you and Hannah that this school has been closed and sealed for over 40 years! Things go from bad to worse when an evil witch takes Hannah, claiming that the last child is finally hers and that if you interfere you will die a miserable death.
This game has a creep factor of 10, everything is creepy crawly, the cursor is a gnarled hand with an eyeball and even the inventory bar is decorated with a gothic style fence. There are NO Hidden Object Scenes in this game, just a pure creepy adventure with lots of puzzles to solve. The actors are real and the graphics are wonderfully hand drawn, while the cinematics are either real, or computer generated. This game has a ton of mini games, some of which are very creative and unusual
This Collector's Edition has Wallpapers, Screensavers, Concept Art Pictures, a built in Strategy Guide and a Bonus Chapter, enjoy......if you dare!
I recommend this game!
Alison Ester, insurance investigator, is responsible for leading the investigation in a dilapidated asylum with a grave and mysterious past.
Overall rating
2
/
5
75 of 86 found this review helpful
It's Designed To Be Retro And It's Not That Bad
PostedOctober 21, 2015
pennmom36
fromNo not that brush, no not this brush, ohhh, that third brush is the one you mean?
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Time Management, Adventure, Match 3
Current Favorite:
Phantasmat Collector's Edition
(101)Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
First of all this is an old school "click and drag" game. After reading the reviews it sound as though reviewers weren't aware of this feature which allows you to scroll your mouse to zoom into any area and then click and drag the scene around. With this feature, the items to find aren't tiny. Another feature not mentioned is that whenever you click on a "ghostly apparition" a pop up window appears to tell you a factoid about other haunted facilities , many of which have been featured on a popular ghost show, some debunked, some with no explanations. (yes I love the paranormal) Contrary to what the others have stated, the graphics are lifelike and decent. In fact, I bet the devs devoted much of their budget to the graphics.
I do agree however, that the feet and eye bubbles are unnecessary and bothersome. Whenever you click on the scene, bubbles will appear to show you which directions are available, where there is an available puzzle, or a HOS. There are no voiceovers, and you will have to read dialog boxes to understand the plot, but there isn't a ton of reading, just a few sentences at a time. Basically, Alison Carter has been sent by the insurance company to investigate the Medford Asylum. Workers restoring the asylum that had a deadly fire 15 years ago, have refused to work there because they believe the building is haunted.
There are an overabundance of Hidden Object Scenes, and almost every time you revisit a location, there will be another available HOP in the same place. This is a feature I do not like because it's too easy a second time and too boring. Again, the scenes can be scrolled into to zoom and you can then drag the scene around to search for smaller items, and the factoid ghosts.
The Mini Games are far and few between, and they are a bit lame, such as putting together a torn stencil or changing all the lights from white to blue. This game is mostly about searching for the needed items in a HOP and then using that item to progress. I'm not saying this game is great, but some gamers will enjoy this type of adventure.
I don't recommend this game.