pennmom36's Profile
Stat Summary
- Average Rating:3.7
- Helpful Votes:358,445
- Reviews Submitted:4712
- First Review:December 10, 2012
- Most Recent Review:April 24, 2025
- Featured reviews0
Status:
Sea of Lies: Burning Coast Collector's Edition
A mysterious plague is sweeping through towns along the coast, and you're the only one who knows the truth!
Overall rating
4
/
5
58 of 65 found this review helpful
Population..... Zero
PostedFebruary 2, 2015
pennmom36
fromDid that officer tell me to break into the Doctors office?
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Time Management, Puzzle
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 had the opportunity to beta test this game a while back, and I guess this Sea of Lies didn't move me like it did other reviewers. In my opinion, the graphics are bland hues of yellow with little detail, the storyline has been played to death, and it lacks that heart pumping excitement that the other games have. If it wasn't for the entertaining Mini Games, I would have only given this game three stars. The "Chemist Plague" has arrived at the shores of Port Talbot and a mandatory evacuation has been ordered for all citizens. Nurse Bridget Tramell has been assisting the local doctor as they feverishly try to find a cure to stop this mysterious disease, some believe it's a punishment for turning away a ship carrying the same disease 20 years prior!
There are 44 Collectible Ships in a Globe to find located throughout the game, and there are plenty of Achievements to earn for the usual tasks of not skipping a puzzle or using the map to quickly transport to another location. Some of the inventory items you find have Plus Signs which indicate that further action is required before using that items such as combining that item with another inventory item or repairing the item.
The Hidden Object Scenes are lengthy and have an unusual style associated with all of the Sea of Lies games, where you start out searching for interactive list finds, followed by silhouetted shapes (usually in multiples of three such as 3 fish, 3 ships, 3 bobbers) and the final item is in the form of a description. Many of the HOP's actually moves slightly to another section as the camera pans to the right or left and sometimes up or down. There is a Match 3 game available instead of the HOP just in case you're not into the hidden objects. I did enjoy the Mini Games, some of them were actually new, or variations of classics. The game I enjoyed the most (and was the most challenging) was dropping 5 coins from the top of a board, in a specific order so that all of the latches would be lowered. Some latches would affect other latches to either raise or lower, and the game resets after all 5 coins have been released.
This Collectors Edition has replayable HOP's and Mini Games, Achievements, 44 Collectible Ships, Souvenirs, the Making of, Pictures, Movies, Music, a built in Strategy Guide and a Bonus Game, enjoy!
I recommend this game!
Midnight Mysteries: Ghostwriting
Characters from classical literature are coming to life!
Overall rating
4
/
5
101 of 110 found this review helpful
Fiction Or Non-Fiction?
PostedFebruary 2, 2015
pennmom36
fromI feel like the crow's watching me with those beady little eyes!
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Time Management, Puzzle
Current Favorite:
Phantasmat Collector's Edition
(100)Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
People say the classics never die, but are they ever rewritten? Anything can happen at the stroke of midnight, because this is when the ghostly visitations frequently occur. They come to you seeking your help to right the wrongs they have endured in the afterlife, and sometimes during their time on earth. Somethings different this time, this time it seems evil. Washington Irving was a famous writer, a ghostwriter who wrote several classics under a different pen name. Several characters from his books began to pay him a visit, his imagination had literally come to life, unfortunately, not everyone was happy with their characters demise! He thought perhaps his good friend Charles Dickens, was experiencing similar situations, so he asked Charles for his help...and he was never seen again! A young girl named Mary, the daughter of Charles Dickens, is seeking your paranormal services to find out what happened to her father that fateful night. You will enter the scenes of these classic literature adventures, page by page, as you search for clues written by the authors themselves, and try to put a stop to these evil characters before the classics are forever rewritten!
This MM episode comes with your very own pet Raven who waits patiently for your command to fly to unreachable locations and retrieve those objects that mysteriously got there in the first place. You will also notice that some of the inventory items require some type of interaction before you can use that item such as combining two inventory items together. The Collectors Edition has 56 hidden four leaf clovers and 45 collectible Raven Coins.
The Hidden Object Scenes range from interactive list finds to progressive silhouetted shapes where you find the first item and use that item to uncover the next item and so forth until all items have been found. The mini games are nice, rearranging books on two different bookshelves, the first row requires you to match symbols on the binders so that the last symbol on the first book matches up to the first symbol on the second book etc. The second shelf has books with sections of a picture that you arrange to complete a picture. My favorite game was using several tetris shaped tiles to fill in all empty spaces around an existing shape in the middle of the board without leaving any gaps.
The Collectors Edition has Before And After sketches, which was really awesome seeing the original rough draft sketch of a scene in the game, then the same sketch in color and finally the computer generated picture! There are also Achievements to earn, Cutscenes, Music, the Backstory, Characters, Wallpapers, Tic-Tac-Toe raven games, 56 hidden Clovers, 45 (not so) hidden Raven Coins, a built in Strategy Guide and a Bonus Chapter. Both editions allow you to choose which mode of difficulty you want to play the game, as well as a Custom setting where you choose which features you want, I thought it was clever that they used a new hatchling raven for Beginner, a young raven for Advanced, and a mature and wise raven for Expert, the Custom setting just had gears and a raven skull (what's that mean?) Enjoy!
I recommend this game!
Drawn™: Trail of Shadows
Re-enter the enchanted world of Drawn in the highly anticipated third installment of the cinematic series!
Overall rating
5
/
5
10 of 10 found this review helpful
Drawn: Trail of Shadows SE
PostedFebruary 1, 2015
pennmom36
fromWhat is this boys name, Leonardo?
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Time Management, Puzzle
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 have to give the Drawn series credit, when you can play a game that was released in 2011 and it still captivates the targeted audience, something was done right. The Drawn series began with a young girl who has been imprisoned by a tyrant King, in the Painted tower. Iris is a very special person with a very special talent. Iris is able to make her paintings come to life, if she needs a bridge over the river, she simply paints one! The second Drawn game gives us clear directions after Iris escapes the tower. Although the King is still pursuing Iris, she must find a way to light the three beacons to chase away the darkness so that she can become the Queen and fulfil her destiny. The final chapter, Trail of Shadows takes us back to the beginning, Iris is practically a baby when Franklin tells her the story of a young boy, with a very unique talent.....and so the saga begins, from the beginning of course!
There are no Hidden Object Scenes in any of the Drawn games, but it makes it up with an overabundance of mini games and puzzles. You will have to use your brain with these games, if you use the hint buttons, you will receive a partial clue, up to three, but you aren't told specifics of any kind. This game has added a weird feature where the screen moves slightly to the left and right whenever you scroll your mouse over the scene. I think they were trying to give the game a 3D effect, but it just seemed annoying to me. This game added more vibrant colors, mostly because the previous games were blue/gray hues because the darkness had consumed the world, and this game takes place before the darkness.
The Collectors Edition has Achievements, 27 Collectible Pigs, Concept Art, Wallpaper, Soundtracks, and a Bonus Chapter, enjoy!
I recommend this game!
Drawn™: Trail of Shadows Collector's Edition
Re-enter the enchanted world of Drawn in the highly anticipated third installment of the cinematic series!
Overall rating
5
/
5
11 of 13 found this review helpful
Drawn: Trail of Shadows CE
PostedFebruary 1, 2015
pennmom36
fromWhy doesn't Iris paint the evil wizard into another door, like a cell door?
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Time Management, Puzzle
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 is the third installment of Drawn, Iris was trapped inside the Painted Tower, she escaped from the King, as the tower came crumbling down by hiding beneath the giant bell from the tower. Her mission was clear in the Dark Flight, she had to light the three beacons and banish the darkness to become Queen. The Trail of Shadows shed's a whole new light upon the Drawn series as they take us back to the beginning, where it all began. Iris was just a small girl, who listened intently to Franklin who told the story of a small boy who was able to paint doorways that became portals to other worlds. Behind one of these doors was an evil wizard who captured the boy with the intention of making him paint the world into darkness. You must stop the wizard before he reaches the Mountain Giant, if not, we're all doomed!
They have added a new feature that didn't float my boat, as you move your cursor, the screen moves slightly to the left and right to give the game a kind of 3D effect, but it doesn't work for this game. This game is also a bit more colorful, afterall it is a story that takes place before the darkness. The mini games are plentiful as usual, and you will have to put on your thinking cap because the hint system is very vague as with all Drawn games. There are Achievements to earn and 27 collectible pigs which are usually within the pages of your journal, in the form of a pop-up with pull tabs to interact with the story.
This Collectors Edition has Achievements, 27 Collectible Pigs, Concept Art, Wallpapers, Soundtracks, and a Bonus Chapter, enjoy!
I recommend this game!
Shiver: The Lily's Requiem Collector's Edition
Can you uncover what’s causing the strange symptoms in Blackwill?
Overall rating
4
/
5
124 of 138 found this review helpful
That Hospital Makes Me Shiver!
PostedJanuary 31, 2015
pennmom36
fromWhat is up with the woman's vampire hand as a cursor? I thought I was Dr. Robert Thompson??
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Time Management, Puzzle
Current Favorite:
Shiver: Vanishing Hitchhiker Collector's Edition
(52)Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
What have they done to my beloved Shiver series? My favorite game in this series is the Vanishing Hitchhiker, but this game pales in comparison. The other games did a phenomenal job of connecting you to the game, you really feel as if you are all alone in an old abandoned town or searching old haunted rooms, and even chasing down werewolves! This game however, feels like you are just playing a game or watching a movie, you definitely feel disconnected. The Lily's Requiem is a decent game, I just wish the devs would stick to the theme of the series, stick to the same creepy graphics, and above all, don't make me collect pet goldfish and redecorate my house, what does that have to do with a suspenseful supernatural thriller named Shiver???
Dr. Robert Thompson has just accepted a position at the Blackwill Hospital, and this hospital is disgusting, which makes me wonder if he checked out the hospital before making his decision! It's not even his first day at work and and he's come across a nearly catatonic woman who has been attacked by something or someone. After a healthy dose of the doctors medicine, he finds out that this was no chance meeting, she had been searching for the good doctor, following him to Blackwill when she found an article in the newspaper. The victim is Beatrice Stanley, daughter of Kat Stanley, Dr. Thompson's former patient, is it possible that both women are victims of the Blackwill curse?
As I stated before, this game has a very unnecessary feature, you collect black pearls throughout the game, hidden in zoomed in areas, and the scenes themselves, they are even located within the HO's. You will use these pearls to buy upgrades for your dilapidated house such as wallpaper, flooring, furniture and decorations. Each category will have several options and costs to choose from. Then there's the pet goldfish that you rescue and you can change his name from Felix to whatever floats your fish. Oddly enough, you will also find random aquarium supplies, from decorations to fish food, laying conveniently around the town for you to acquire. Not a bad feature, just a bad choice of features in a serious thriller genre. There are Achievements to earn and some of the inventory items require some type of interaction before you can use that item, such as combining that item with another inventory item.
The Hidden Object Scenes are varied from silhouetted shape finds, to interactive list finds (after all these years I'm still partial to the old school list finds) Some of the scenes even have small puzzles or mini games within, and they also contain the collectible black pearls. The Mini Games are pretty good, although they have been done several times before such as using arrows to bend a paperclip in order to push lock tumbler pins to their correct positions with the red line on the pin, matching up to the red line on the lock itself.
This Collectors Edition has, Achievements, Collectible Black Pearls, Collectible Aquarium Supplies, Wallpaper, Concept Art, Videos, replayable HOP's and Mini Games, a built in Strategy Guide and a Bonus Chapter, enjoy!
I recommend this game!
Revived Legends: Titan's Revenge
Stop a vengeful Titan from destroying Athens – and the world!
Overall rating
3
/
5
87 of 106 found this review helpful
Maybe He Just Didn't Want To Be Disturbed!
PostedJanuary 30, 2015
pennmom36
fromMay the gods be with you!
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Time Management, Puzzle
Current Favorite:
Phantasmat Collector's Edition
(100)Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
When archaeologists accidentally disturb the peaceful slumber of a legendary Titan, in Athen's Greece, your much anticipated vacation becomes more exciting than you imagined. First, there's an eclipse that wasn't supposed to occur, followed by a massive earthquake that rips the earth so far apart that it swallows up entire vehicles! As if that isn't enough excitement, a giant Titan rises from his century long slumber and he's seeking revenge. The Gods have deemed you worthy enough (because apparently you were the only one who could solve the mini game) to receive the Amulet of Time, which will allow you to travel through time itself, between ancient Greece and Modern Greece as you seek the help of the mythical Gods, time has forgotten. Time hasn't been kind to the Gods, modern Grecians no longer worship these powerful Gods, which has caused their powers to weaken. Can these weakened Gods defeat the Titan once again, (with your help of course) or will the Titans' thirst for revenge destroy everything and everyone in their path?
Who doesn't love a good story based upon the Olympian Gods of Greece? The mythical twelve Gods and Goddesses that once ruled the universe from atop Mount Olympus, must return after hundreds of years of dormancy. Zeus, was the Leader of Mt. Olympus, who overthrew his father, Kronos, the leader of the Titans, his wife was Hera, and they became the King and Queen, and ruler of the gods. Poseidon, was the god of the sea, Hades was the god of the dead (sounds like a dead end job), Aphrodite the goddess of love and beauty, Apollo the god of music, Ares the god of war, Artemis the goddess of the hunt and protector of women during childbirth, Athena the goddess of wisdom, Hephaestus the god of fire, Hestia the goddess of the hearth (doesn't sound very impressive) , Hermes the messenger god, Demeter the goddess of the harvest, and Dionysus was the god of wine (now that's a job!) I have always loved stories about these gods, so I thought I would list the Greek Gods because they are often confused with Roman gods, who for the most part are similar but have different names for these gods (Zeus=Jupiter)
The Amulet of Time gives you the unique ability to travel back in time, to the same place, hundreds of years ago. Several portals are located throughout the game which are activated by the Amulet. Because you are visiting the same location in a different period of time, you will be doing a lot of back and forth tasks, but it really isn't that time consuming. The Hidden Object Scenes are mostly interactive list finds, but there are some scenes where all of the listed items require an interaction such as finding one object to use like a knife, for example, to cut open a chair to expose the next object. There are some scenes that require you to find several groups of items that resemble a shape shown such as 6 strawberries and 2 potatoes. You can choose an alternate Match 3 game instead of the HOS. The mini games were entertaining, not frustrating, such as placing several items in each scene as a story is being narrated, you put the items in the correct places to continue with the story. My favorite puzzle requires you to swap red, blue and green tiles with 1/2 of a gem, in one, two or three different placement directions, so that all of the same color tiles connect to each other when all of the gems match up.
The Collectors Edition has 16 Achievements, 21 Collectible Statues (possibly morphing) Wallpapers, Music, Videos, Mini Games, a built in Strategy Guide and a Bonus Chapter, enjoy!
I recommend this game!
The Emptiness
Depression... You are looking for light, but darkness already has you... Your soul is engulfed by THE EMPTINESS!
Overall rating
2
/
5
61 of 76 found this review helpful
The Emptiness Is Right, This Game Is Empty Of Entertainment!
PostedJanuary 29, 2015
pennmom36
fromI hope my worst fears involve warm and sunny
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Time Management, Puzzle
Current Favorite:
Phantasmat Collector's Edition
(100)Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
2
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
Have you ever watched a really bad movie all the way to the end because you were convinced that the movie would eventually pick up the pace and become more interesting, but it just doesn't? I kept playing this game thinking eventually it's gotta get better, the descriptions and warnings led me to believe it would.....it just doesn't. The Emptiness is a house that represents your empty soul. You are looking for light, because darkness has found you. Black shadows hover all around you, even your thoughts and feelings are abandoning you. Your soul engulfs......The Emptiness. Your goal is to escape this virtual space you have created in your mind, these are your worst fears, you must open the doors one by one to overcome your fears.
The problem is (well just about everything from the storyline to the credits) that the story is a very twisted version about mental health. I get the symbolism, but I'm sure a lot of people will be turned off by this demented story. The mechanics of the game are old school, requiring you to use navigation arrows to give the player a sense of realism as you view the room in a 360 degree fashion, using the top arrow to move the player forward. It's not a bad feature, but disliked by many gamers. The graphics are very basic, and void of any interesting features. The goals or tasks are the exact same for each and every door. You must find the door that has a hand painted symbol or seal. You are then given a word that will open the door once all the letters in the word have been found. You search all available rooms (basically by turning around in a circle) for scraps of paper with clues as to where you can find a specific letter, such as, the M hides in foliage, and R can be found when you open the wall cabinet. You don't have to find the clues, you can just go searching for the letters themselves. When all the letters have been found, the sealed door will open and TA-DAH! Nothing! Just another basic room with nothing to do except find another sealed door, a clue scrap of paper and perhaps a letter. Lather, Rinse, Repeat....The End!
I don't recommend this game.
The Mystery of a Lost Planet
Can you solve the mystery of a lost planet and rescue the crew of a spaceship in distress?
Overall rating
3
/
5
64 of 69 found this review helpful
If Only........
PostedJanuary 29, 2015
pennmom36
fromOh look, I just found an artificial heart!
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Time Management, Puzzle
Current Favorite:
Phantasmat Collector's Edition
(100)Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
If only this game had better graphics, if only this game had better game mechanics, if only this game had voiceovers, if only this game wasn't so difficult to figure out! This game could have been phenomenal, and I can only hope that BF will accept the challenge to make more alien themed games (based around a spaceship) This game had huge potential, I loved the direction this game was headed, BUT it lacks the finesse (or finance) that one of the larger devs could bring to the table.
Some of the tasks require that you find items in order to fix or complete that item before using, several circles will appear with silhouettes of the items you need to find, and then place upon the correct silhouette. The Hidden Object Scenes are interactive list finds, and because the graphics aren't the best and the colors tend to be hues of the same colors, some items can be difficult to spot. There are simple mini games such as rotating puzzle tiles to complete a picture. There are also scenes that require you to search for multiple numbers of a single item such as 18 crystals and 12 flowers.
This isn't a bad game, but it could have been sooo much better. I did like the feature that allows you to meet the survivor of a previous spaceship crash when you play this game in the Hard mode of difficulty, enjoy!
I recommend this game!
Bloom! Share flowers with the World
Help Jasmine make the world a better place, one beautiful bouquet at a time!
Overall rating
5
/
5
81 of 87 found this review helpful
Plant-Water-Grow.......BLOOM!
PostedJanuary 28, 2015
pennmom36
fromsomeone needs a hug........
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Time Management, Puzzle
Current Favorite:
Phantasmat Collector's Edition
(100)Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Fantastic Time Management game where you make beautiful flower arrangements to brighten the world. There are six different countries to visit, from the United States to Denmark, and several achievements to earn along the way! The goal is simple, serve your customers as fast as you can, while keeping them happy (as indicated by the amount of hearts shown) so that they will leave you a big tip. When the customers come in, they will have an image above their head, of what they want, and you click on the customer and drag them to their desired location. They may want to sit down in a cozy chair and drink a glass of orange juice or read a flower magazine. Once seated, you deliver the necessary items and you will have to refill the orange juice container occasionally and pick up the dirty glasses when they leave. Next step is choosing a vase, you drag the customer to the vase chair and a pop up window appears with several vase options, scan over the vases until the customer smiles and click on that vase. Next step is the bouquet department, drag the customer to that station, another pop up window will display flowers, click on the flowers the customers thought bubble shows, and if they want an accessory, drag them to that booth, otherwise collect their money at the cash register.
The flowers won't reproduce on their own, so you must constantly grow a new supply while waiting on the customers. The bottom right is your garden, first click the icon to plant the seeds, when that is done, a watering can icon will appear so you can water the flowers, the final step is to cut the bouquets when the scissors appear, and repeat the process throughout the day. At the end of each level, you will get the opportunity to purchase upgrades, more chairs, more flower bouquets, items to make customers happier, and even employees to help Jasmine with the customers.
There is a quick tutorial for the first level that will show you how to play this game, and it really is an easy (but very addictive) game to learn. The hard part is mastering TM games, because each level gets progressively faster, and more tasks are constantly being added as you get more and more customers. Steer clear if you're not a fan of fast paced games, otherwise enjoy!
I recommend this game!
Help Jill & Mike to save their wedding and uncover Jill's heritage!
Overall rating
5
/
5
85 of 90 found this review helpful
How Does Your Garden Grow?
PostedJanuary 27, 2015
pennmom36
from......but that only happens in the movies
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Time Management, Puzzle
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 have always loved the Gardens Inc. Time Management series, although the features are usually the same, from game to game. The story is based upon Jill and Mike, who own a landscaping business named Gardens Incorporated. Jill and Mike are in Barcelona, Spain in hopes of landing a contract with the prestigious park, La Sagrada Familia, before their wedding. To prepare for the competition to land this huge contract, they enter smaller competitions, to hone their skills, Time Management style!
The goal is to complete the tasks given at the beginning of each level, within a specific amount of time to earn Gold status. (bronze and silver times also) You can replay any level to try to earn a better score. Each level has a Bonus Goal such as: Plant one color for all flowers, or Different flowers planted together, it isn't necessary to achieve these bonus goals but you will get extra points for their completion. You will left click on any available tasks (circled in green if you have enough available resources and money) and they can be canceled by right clicking. First you clear the paths of leaves, rocks, and even wood, making sure to collect resources needed such as tools, seeds, and coins. There are specific areas to plant the correct plants (when clicked on, several choices of colors are available to choose from) and there are also requirements to repair certain items such as a lizard fountain. Some levels require buildings to be constructed to produce more resources, such as a Tool Shack or a Seed Shack. The truck can also be upgraded which will give you extra available workers.
You can use the money you have collected to purchase renovations for Jill and Mike's new house, starting with the base foundation. Most of the renovations you purchase will have color or style options, and some renovations can be exchanged if you change your mind. There are Achievements or Trophies to earn in either the CE or SE which is unusual.
The Collectors Edition has 10 Additional Levels, Additional Trophies to earn, Wallpapers, and a built in Strategy Guide, enjoy!
I recommend this game!