pennmom36's Profile
Stat Summary
- Average Rating:3.7
- Helpful Votes:358,445
- Reviews Submitted:4701
- First Review:December 10, 2012
- Most Recent Review:February 1, 2025
- Featured reviews0
Status:
Take an ominous trip with Dominic and help him piece together a mystery from his dreams in Dominic Crane 2: Dark Mystery Revealed!
Overall rating
3
/
5
5 of 5 found this review helpful
Dominic Crane 2: Dark Mystery Revealed
PostedDecember 16, 2014
pennmom36
fromJust stay awake from now on
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Time Management, Puzzle
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
Dominic Crane is an artists who has been having dreams about his sister who disappeared when she was 13 years old. In his dreams he meets his sister who is full grown now so he seeks the help of the psychiatrist once again. The doctor once again puts Dominic into a hypnotic trance and you will enter his dreams once again. In order to progress to the next dream you must find a scroll, find all of the scrolls and you will solve the mystery of Dominic's sister.
The first game in this series wasn't that bad with the exception of the fact that the hint system was practically worthless and there was no explanation for any of the mini games. This game is a mirror of the first game, the mini games are the exact same, find the safe's code, enter the code and then figure out which symbols relate to each number. The puzzles are the same, swap tiles to create a picture or correctly place the jigsaw pieces. The Hidden Object scenes are the same, some items difficult to find because the scenes are the same color hues. I just wish the devs had used a little creative imagination instead of tweaking a few scenes.
I don't recommend this game.
Dominic Crane's been having recurring dreams about places he's never been to. Uncover the meaning behind the mysterious dreams!
Overall rating
3
/
5
8 of 10 found this review helpful
Dominic Crane's Dreamscape Mystery
PostedDecember 16, 2014
pennmom36
fromThat's some dream Dominic
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Time Management, Puzzle
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
Dominic Crane is an artist who lately has been having recurring dreams. Dominic decides to visit a psychiatrist to find out what these dreams mean. The doctor puts Dominic into a hypnotic trance and voila, you enter one of Dominic's dreams. The goal is to find a key to enter the next dream and when you have located all of the keys, you will solve the dream mystery.
You will need to visit each location available in the current dream, and solve various problems, such as fixing electrical wires, finding doorknobs and door keys, and whatever inventory item you need to progress. The inventory items are found within the hidden Object Scenes and because each scene has the same basic color hue, some of the items are difficult to find. There is also a cursor penalty for misclicks, but only a second or two. The items that sparkle in the scenes are the items that require you to use an inventory item such as a pair of scissors needs to be used on the pillow to receive a safe's code.
There are also several mini games to solve such as turning several discs to complete a picture, swapping puzzle tiles and rotating jigsaw pieces. Some of the mini games require you to find a clue first such as the number to the safe, and then you have to figure out the rest of the code by reason of deduction.
The problem I had with this game is that you don't get any guidance with the mini games, no explanation and no hint, only the option to skip the entire puzzle. The hint system seems to only work in a HOS.
Help Santa make Mike and Mary’s Christmas the best ever. Decorate trees, build snowmen, visit Santa’s workshops and open fabulous presents.
Overall rating
5
/
5
278 of 321 found this review helpful
Christmas Wonderful
PostedDecember 16, 2014
pennmom36
fromThose are some pretty big golden rings!
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Time Management, Puzzle
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Christmas Wonderland is a family tradition that just keeps getting better and better. The thing I love the most about this game is that it's designed to entertain the family as a whole, in other words, it's meant to be played with the kids, and even grandkids! This game will take you through an advent calendar as you countdown the days till Christmas, from picking out the tree to waking up on Christmas morning!
Each scene has beautiful Christmas themed graphics and several listed items to search for within the scene. You will also need to find hidden candy canes, when you have found all the available candy canes, the lid will close on the candy cane jar. Each scene also contains the 12 days of Christmas items, you know, 8 maids a milking, 7 swans a swimming, and the item you need to find will be shown as a silhouetted shape on the icon, when you have found all available in that scene, an icon will appear. Some of the items to find are listed in red which means that you need to preform some type of interaction such as clicking on a pillow to expose a set of keys or clicking and dragging a shovel to the steps to clear the steps.
After each seek and find game, there will be a mini game available such as rotating puzzle pieces, putting together a puzzle one piece at a time, flipping over two ornaments at a time in search of matching pairs and even my personal favorite, spot the difference.
Your score will be tallied at the end of each scene and you will earn a bronze star if you complete the level, a silver star if you complete the level and find all of the candy canes and a gold star if you complete the level and find all candy canes and all silhouetted twelve days of Christmas items. You can replay any level at any time in order to find items you didn't find the first time. There are achievements to earn and you can visit the shop to buy Christmas presents to display under the tree. There is a regular Hint as well as a Mega hint which highlights all items for a brief period of time, but you will earn Eagle Eye points for not using any hints, enjoy!
I recommend this game!
Escape from the clutch of the spiteful innkeepers! Can you help Cosette have a better future?
Overall rating
2
/
5
78 of 81 found this review helpful
Les Would Be Les Miserable
PostedDecember 15, 2014
pennmom36
fromI hope this is the final chapter!
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Time Management, Puzzle
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
2
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
The father of Fantine's daughter has abandoned her, giving Fantine no choice but to leave her daughter, Cosette, with the innkeepers as she searches for work in the city. Fantine has no idea that the Thenardiers have turned Cosette into an all purpose maid.
This is yet another old fashioned click and drag HdO with mundane tasks, repetitive music, sluggish mechanics and bland graphics made up of brown and gray hues, nothing more, nothing les!
Each scene has a Hidden Object Scene, you do have the ability to zoom into the scene, but all of the items simply blend together because there just isn't any color. To make matters worse, the HOS are repeated in the same location at least once. Each scene has at least one simple mini game such as arranging matryoshka dolls on shelves according to color and size with the clues given.
The only feature even remotely interesting in this game is the fun facts given about the author, and characters in the original novel. There are several opaque butterflies that will give you fun facts when clicked on, and the butterflies can be found within the HO's as well as the main game.
I don't recommend this game.
Come celebrate Christmas with these holiday themed puzzles and help the residents of Gizmoland bring on the Christmas cheer!
Overall rating
5
/
5
73 of 81 found this review helpful
I Believe In Gizmo!
PostedDecember 14, 2014
pennmom36
fromI never knew presents could be so difficult!
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Time Management, Puzzle
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Another fantastic nonogram puzzle, Gizmo Christmas style. A nonogram consists of cells that can be filled in or left blank. To solve the puzzles you need to unlock all the filled in cells. The numbers along the sides of the grid indicate the number of filled in cells in the rows and columns. With every correctly filled cell, the hint vessels will fill up with energy for you to use, however, all of these puzzles can be solved without using the hint vessels (yeah right!) Your score will be based upon comparison of your time vs. the perfect time, and whether or not you used the hint vessel, had misclicks and actually solved the puzzle. There are achievements to earn as well, with 6 different categories and 5 games within each category. If you click on the settings options, you can choose to auto fill in blanks, disable backgrounds images, disable voices, and even disable the helpful hints, enjoy!
I recommend this game!
Haunted Legends: Stone Guest
Someone is stealing the hearts of children – literally! Is it a brilliant inventor, seeking to cure his ailing son? Or has dark magic taken over the village...
Overall rating
4
/
5
120 of 139 found this review helpful
The Stone Guest
PostedDecember 14, 2014
pennmom36
fromHow come nobody questions the dwarf's motive?
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Time Management, Puzzle
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Dr. Leporello worked day and night to find a cure for his dying son. His efforts paid off and the Doctor invented the world's first artificial heart! This should have been the happiest day of his life, instead it turned out to be the worse day of his life! The townsfolk are blaming the doctor for the slew of missing orphan children, they claim he is using the children's energy to keep his own son alive! When that annoying dwarf shows you the doctor's diary with proof that the doctor is indeed using the children's life force, you have to figure out whether Doctor Leporello is practicing black magic or if he is being framed.
You will find an Amulet that requires several gems to complete, but honestly I don't know what will happen when it's completed. For now all it seems to do is change colors with every new gem or casing I find. Someone is responsible for casting black magic spells upon some of the citizens, using a Knot Spell placed upon a homemade creepy looking Knot Doll. When a mysterious old lady approaches you out of nowhere, you will learn that in order to break the spells that render their victims speechless or wipes out their entire memory for example, you must first find the Knot Doll and remove the victims personal item attached to the doll. This personal item must be returned to the victim and a mini game must be completed before the spell is broken. The mini games to break the spell aren't difficult, you may have to find several crows hidden in a room or select two symbols that when combined will create the symbol shown on the clue that is also attached to the doll. You will also find a Revealing Magnifying Glass, but I think it's only used for the first two mini games. The first time you used it was to "reveal" the placement of gears to open the gate, and then in a mini game where you looked through the gate openings and scrolled up, down left and right, clicking on the revealed symbols that matched the buttons on the gate.
There aren't a lot of Hidden Object Scenes, in my opinion, Haunted Legends is known for it's entertaining mini games and puzzles more so that it's HOS. You may have to find 12 water vessels of various types, and later on in the game, that same scene is repeated with an interactive scene requiring you to find items within the scene that are out of place, and return them to their logical place within the scene. There are a lot of puzzles and mini games, some very simple, and some a little more complex such as swapping numbered books that are on two different shelves so that each group of four books, two on top and two directly underneath, will add up to the number shown between the two shelves. The second group of books will include the last books, one on top and one on the bottom, from the last group.
The Collectors Edition has Wallpapers, Screensavers, Concept Art, Music, Achievements, Movies, Hidden Object Games, Mini Games, a built in Strategy Guide and a Bonus Chapter. In my opinion this Standard Edition is the better option, I just felt that the CE was lacking substance, enjoy!
I recommend this game!
Reveries: Soul Collector Collector's Edition
Your wedding day gets interrupted when your fiancée is kidnapped!
Overall rating
3
/
5
88 of 94 found this review helpful
Another Wedding Day Nightmare
PostedDecember 13, 2014
pennmom36
fromHow come King Richard sounds like Bane?
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Time Management, Puzzle
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
Welcome to Misty Island Kingdom, your Majesty, King Richard has been in love with you since the day you first met. Unfortunately the King's heart is so full of love that Dark Wing (isn't he a duck?) plans on using his royal heart to feed to the wolves. Dark Wing (I just can't take this serious) must appease the guardians of the gate, in order to flood the world with chaos. These guardian wolves represent human emotions such as, greed and envy, and only needs one more heart to open the gate, the heart of true love! Before walking down the aisle, your Majesty, you must enter the portal and save the King before Dark Wing turns King Richard into....... a tree?! (I know, I know, the story kinda lost credibility here)
Once you enter the portal you will save a wee tree, the best I can describe this anomaly, is a miniature tree, complete with limbs for hair and limbs for er..limbs. Whatever he is supposed to be, he tags along to lend you a limb here and there, squirming about whenever his services are needed. (I should've just waited for Richard to turn into a tree and used him) There are some features that I liked, the menu and map icons are located directly on top of the lockable inventory bar, and there is a drop down tab on the top left to access achievements and a drop down tab on the top right that accesses an eagle which will eventually have 22 feathers once you find find them within the game. This game must be fairly short because I found about half of the feathers within the trial version, but this is just an assumption on my part.
The Hidden Object Scenes were mostly interactive list finds, but some of the scenes were repeated a second time which is a feature I despise because it's too boring a second time around. One of the HOS that I did find interesting was finding items in a room one at a time as the healer asked you to find a needed ingredient, but this feature isn't anything new either. You can opt to switch to a jigsaw puzzle instead of Hidden Object Scenes. The mini games were way too easy such as moving dancers of different colors to their matching slots on a board, but I must admit there were a couple of mini games that I totally loved. One of them was choosing the correct object that correlated to several riddles being asked, and the other was defeating a monstrous cave dwelling wolf. The wolf had five lives and you only had three lives, the wolf held a sphere that represented a different element of either fire, water or earth, and you would choose which element would defeat the wolf's element such as water would defeat fire.
This Collectors Edition has Wallpapers, Concept Art, Screensavers, Movies, Music, replayable HO"s and Mini Games, Jigsaw Puzzles, Collectible Eagle Feather's, a built in Strategy Guide and a Bonus Chapter. The problem with this game was that is was super predictable, and way to easy, which makes the game kind of boring. I don't mind stories that have been done several times before, as long as the game is interesting enough, and there just isn't a wow factor to keep me entertained.
I don't recommend this game.
A monster lurks in the fog of Victorian London. He seems to be related to the individual staying at Dr.Jekyll’s house: Mr. Hyde!
Overall rating
2
/
5
3 of 4 found this review helpful
Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde: The Strange Case
PostedDecember 12, 2014
pennmom36
fromThose are matches?
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Time Management, Puzzle
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
2
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
I was hoping this would be a really entertaining game because the storyline sounds interesting. Unfortunately the game lacks entertainment. This is a HdO type game with the main feature that allows you to click anywhere on the scene and drag the entire scene around, as well as zooming in and out of that particular area. The items that you are supposed to find are incredibly small and most are unrecognizable despite the fact that you can zoom into the scene. You can click on gold stars that are randomly placed in each location, that will give you an extra hint for each star collected. There are mini games and puzzles available as well. It's a no go for me, if I can't identify any objects, it's just no fun.
I don't recommend this game.
You've been called to investigate a strange purple tide. And that's when the mermaid shows up...
Overall rating
5
/
5
165 of 186 found this review helpful
The Sea Goddess Must Be Angry!
PostedDecember 12, 2014
pennmom36
fromI think Pinocchio just got sacrificed!
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Time Management, Puzzle
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
An anomalous Purple Tide has rolled onto the shores of Crete, Greece, setting off a chain reaction of deadly waves which causes the mythical underwater kingdom of Prasino to rise from it's barnacle infested grave hundreds of feet below sea level. Prasino isn't the only thing to appear out of nowhere, a giant eel has also been disturbed, and it's hard to ignore sightings of mermaids when none of this seemed remotely possible in the first place! It is your job Detective, to find a way to stop the deadly Purple Tide, and perhaps solve an ancient mystery.
In true Dark Parable fashion, the Hidden Object Scenes are actually very well blended fragments of an object, in three different sections. When the fragments for all three sections have been found, the three sections will magically combine to create a single inventory item such as a key or emblem. Some of the inventory items require some type of interaction before using the item, such as combining that item with another inventory item. You will also collect Parables, which are items related to four different tales pertaining to the story. Mini games are always creative in Dark Parables, my favorite game was collecting glowing spheres on a board, as you make your way to the red boxes, collecting the spheres will give you additional moves that you will need to make it to the red box.
The Collectors Edition has Pictures, Movies, Music, Collectibles, Parables, a Souvenir Chest, Achievements, replayable HOP and Mini Games, a built in Strategy Guide and a Bonus Chapter: John and King Bluebeard, enjoy!
I recommend this game!
Christmas Eve: Midnight's Call Collector's Edition
Do you have what it takes to save Christmas?
Overall rating
4
/
5
95 of 106 found this review helpful
Christmas Nightmares!
PostedDecember 11, 2014
pennmom36
fromAn ice giant the best you got?
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Time Management, Puzzle
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
"On Christmas Eve, your dreams are sweet, at midnight all your fears you'll meet. When the clock strikes 12, it's time to hide, from the darkness emerge those who've died. The ancient evil is again made flesh, they'll turn your living world to ash. What do you see, is it a dream? Wake up, try not to scream!"
With an opening poem, such as this, I was expecting more, than just Christmas bliss. I'm told that an ancient evil will soon be alive, but there's really nothing scary, so why should I hide? The Queen of Snow Hill, want's to make me a deal, just save the kingdom from the wicked sorceress so real, and she will return my dear sister, so our family can heal! I haven't yet seen the dead arise, just presents and decorations as you can surmise!
It's difficult to review this game without comparing it to the "other" Christmas game that was recently released, for starters, the graphics pale in comparison. Keep in mind that the graphics in this game are hand drawn, and not meant to be realistic. I was hoping for an epic Christmas tale, but in my opinion, the story is just an adaptation of the same old story told a million times, your sister dies in a tragic accident but you keep having recurring dreams that indicate she is still alive and well. I thought this was a good game, just not an epic game. There are collectible presents to discover and you will decorate your living room with assorted Christmas decorations for each achievement you earn. (again, nothing epic)
The Hidden Object Scenes are mostly interactive list finds, with only one or two items requiring a simple interaction such as pulverizing a mushroom with a pestle. I did however, really enjoy the mini games which allow you to choose between Casual and Hard modes for each game. My personal favorite was putting a calendar together by matching two sections of different animals. The center buttons rotate the outside disk, the inner disk is stationary with pictures of half of the animal, and there are dragons on the outside of the disk on the left and right side which will swap to adjacent tiles until you have complete pictures of each of the animals.
This Collectors Edition has Music, Screensavers, Videos, Wallpapers, Concept Art, replayable HO's and Mini Games, Collectibles, Achievements, a built in Strategy Guide and a Bonus Chapter. This is an entertaining game, but it just left me wanting a little more, see what you think, enjoy!
I recommend this game!