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:
Sinister thrills await you in this gorgeously dark and unsettling real-life ghost story from New Orleans’ shadowy history!
Overall rating
5
/
5
3 of 7 found this review helpful
Not Your Typical Bedtime Story!
PostedOctober 5, 2014
pennmom36
fromI have to admit that I was afraid to use the virtual ouija board!
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
I played this game when it first came out about 3-4 years ago, usually older games don't appeal to me because they are so dated. Not this game, it was just as exciting as the first time I played it. The features of this game are unique and developers seemed to either stray away from them or just plain ole forgot about em. Shortly after starting the game you will find two books that stay with you throughout the game. The first one is a botany book to help you identify plants you will need to create spells, the second book is your spell book with the listed ingredients you will need for each individual spell. Once you have the ingredients (a checkmark will appear next to the item once found) you will follow the directions to mix the ingredients upon the potion table for each spell. The Hidden Object Scenes are simple list finds, but you will also interact with the scenes such as using your botany book to identify listed flowers as well as using the scissors from your inventory. Some of the scenes are repeated which isn't necessarily bad, but I was disappointed that several of the listed items were repeated as well, it wouldn't have been so bad if I didn't have to find the same exact items a second time, where's the challenge? The hint system is unique as well, when you click on the hint icon, a list of available hints will show up according to the tasks at hand and you choose which question or item you want to know about or how you go about locating it. The mini games are part of the story such as finding a clue phrase in one drawer and a ouija board (simply called a spirit board) in another. You have to click on the letters one at a time that spells out the phrase clue you found. The graphics are stunning, vibrant and colorful, and the story is very captivating, well worth the purchase price, enjoy!
I recommend this game!
Margaret's soul has been broken into fragments and strewn across multiple worlds. Can you find them all and save her?
Overall rating
5
/
5
128 of 147 found this review helpful
HR Probably Needs To Get Involved Here
PostedOctober 5, 2014
pennmom36
fromIf I needed a rope ladder to climb to the treehouse, how did I get the rope ladder up there in the first place?
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
Nothing worse than that feeling of being used by your boss, except being used by your boss so he can dominate other worlds! Margaret wrote her brother to share some exciting news about a groundbreaking invention that would change the world! Margaret had been working on this invention for quite some time, and Dr. Samuel Thompson was kind enough to allow Margaret to stay at his villa on the rivers edge. Your arrival to the villa was a huge surprise for Dr. Thompson, he certainly had not planned on a family member spoiling his evil plans! Turns out the good Doctor isn't so good after all, he has invented a soul separation machine to extract 4 components from Margaret's soul, love, logic, loyalty and creativity. Her soul has been distributed to other worlds through the very portals that Margaret had been so eager to show you! Now you must enter these portals to recover your sisters soul before the mad doctor destroys those worlds by depleting their magical ether energy!
One of the biggest reasons I love this game is because of the abundance of mini games ranging from simple to complex, every location is chock full of em so if you don't like tinkering with locks and gadgets, steer clear. Some of the mini games include, repeating a color coded sequence, arranging the sequence of events such as seeds, sprout, plant and then fruit, swapping fangs to the correct position and creating 4 different pictures by flipping levers to change each section of the picture. Some of the inventory items have + sign indicators which indicate that further action is required before using that item, usually involving a small puzzle to put the pieces together. Margaret has invented a mechanical Harlequin doll capable of fixing items that are broken, this feature made no sense to me. This is supposed to be a game about two brilliant scientists who are capable of inventing spectacular devices, a game that is based upon science not magic, which is how the doll fixes things ala kazaam poof!??This game also features a mechanical Dossier, which is basically a journal that serves little purpose other than to look up information you forgot about or may have missed. The Hidden Object Scenes are very interactive list finds for example, you have to find a candle to place on a burner, find matches to light the candle, find a frying pan to place on the lit burner and finally find an egg to crack onto the frying pan for a fried egg! There is an alternate jigsaw puzzle if you're not a fan of HOS, in my opinion the jigsaw puzzles are way too easy because the picture is shown in the background and the puzzle pieces are clearly outlined on the background, it's almost impossible not to know exactly where each piece goes.
The Collectors Edition has a lot of extra goodies however many of the features aren't available in the demo version. There is a built in Strategy Guide, Concept Art, Music, Wallpapers, re-playable puzzles and free search games, 26 Achievements, a Bonus Chapter where you go head to head with the evil doctor, a Museum (full version only) and a Boudoir (full version only) to dress up that magic wand waver Harlequin doll. Either edition is sure to please the puzzle geek adventurer in everyone, enjoy!
I recommend this game!
People have been disappearing in the town of Ridleton for the past 15 years... Can you weather the storm and solve the case?
Overall rating
5
/
5
164 of 196 found this review helpful
When You Make A Deal With The Devil This Is What Happens!
PostedOctober 4, 2014
pennmom36
fromI felt a little guilty igniting a collectible flame on the cart that was already on fire where Emily was trapped!
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
John Forgehill was desperate to find a cure for his daughter's blindness, so desperate that he made a deal with the Dark Lord himself! The demon warned John the blacksmith, "You wish to heal your daughter, this comes with a high price, but so be it"! It has been 15 years since John was last seen, the first person to disappear without a trace, but certainly not the last. Lately a strange storm has appeared, claiming another victim each time it appears. This time you would have been a victim of the demon if the Huntress had not appeared out of nowhere to challenge this evil minion! Fate sometimes comes back to bite you, the Huntress is Emily the daughter of the blacksmith, determined to destroy the demons and find her father. Emily has no knowledge of the agreement her father made with the Dark Lord, but she truly believes there is a correlation between her sight being restored and her father's disappearance. You owe Emily for saving your life, are you brave enough to help her fight these demons and save her father?
It seems that with the abundance of games that have been rolling out, that there couldn't possibly be a new plot to cover that would be interesting enough to hold your attention. Seems that I was wrong because not only does this game have a great story plot, but the plot keeps thickening as bits and pieces of the story are uncovered and you just don't see that angle coming. Emily has given you a mirror which can be used to communicate with the Huntress, this is an icon that can be quickly accessed to the left of the screen. Shortly after you begin the game, you find a Red Panda trapped in a cage (from a circus?) and you release him by playing a mini game of swapping four different knot types to match the clues given at the top of each row. Once released, the grateful Panda joins you to lend a hand er..paw whenever your cursor displays a pawprint. Some of the inventory items have + sign indicating that the item needs further action before using such as combining two inventory items, opening or fixing the item.
Flames! There are really cool flames to collect, at first I couldn't find the flames, I kept looking for flames that might be hidden within the scenery, there is a tab on the left center of the screen that says there are 4 flames in this location out of 168! Turns out that you need to click on the glowing embers floating about random areas, that will poof into a flame, nice, really nice concept! The Hidden Object Scenes are interactive list finds the first time around, then they are repeated a second time in the same location as find 12 seashells etc. The mini games aren't too bad either, although nothing really new such as listening to a story about the Dark Lord and after a paragraph is read, you must find three symbols within the illustrations that are shown on the upper right corner of the book.
This Collectors Edition is fully loaded with 168 collectible flames that light candles that will shed light on the mysterious events that are taking place within the city (once they are all collected) Wallpapers, Concept Art, Achievements, Music, Movies, a built in Strategy Guide and not only do you get a Bonus Chapter, but there is a Hidden Chapter as well once you complete the lighting of all candles in the flame room, enjoy!
I recommend this game!
Your investigative report on the Weeping Woman of San Cristobal turns personal after you witness a kidnapping. Is the legend true?
Overall rating
4
/
5
21 of 28 found this review helpful
Nothing Worse Than A Woman Scorned!
PostedOctober 3, 2014
pennmom36
fromHere's an idea, watch the children more closely!
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
Every October the town of San Cristobal holds a festival, Flores de sol Muertos to appease the Weeping Woman. Everyone knows the legend of Domingo the handsome young man who stole Maria's heart (and soul as well) They fell in love, got married and Maria bore Domingo two beautiful children. Eventually Domingo's eyes began to wander and he left Maria for another woman, taking with him the children she loved so dearly! As you can imagine, Maria's pain was more than she could bear and she took her own life! For years the festival seemed to appease Maria, but a child has been taken by the Weeping Woman for the past three years. You have been sent to Mexico to investigate this tragic legend when you witness the Weeping Woman abducting Catalina, the Hotel owners only daughter, before your very eyes! Now this legend has become personal, has Maria returned from beyond to seek vengeance?
The Hidden Object Scenes are interactive list finds, some of the scenes contain a mini game within such as finding and using 5 different colored keys in a cabinet, and then turning those keys in a specific order. The mini games are a little too easy in my opinion but still not bad, such as arranging dancing skeletons so that each skeleton is touching the skeleton to the right and to the left with the exception of the first and last of course. Another mini game requires you to read a paragraph from a short story and place the characters in the correct setting according to the story and after they have been placed you click on the check mark button to read the next paragraph.
The Collectors Edition was more appealing to me because there are 25 morphing flowers and 25 golden skulls to collect, Achievements, Wallpapers, Concept Art, a built in Strategy Guide and a bonus chapter, The tale of El Sombreron, enjoy!
I recommend this game!
Save your cats and investigate a series of leopard attacks.
Overall rating
5
/
5
114 of 127 found this review helpful
Purr-fect
PostedOctober 3, 2014
pennmom36
fromWhew! It's a good thing I fell to the bottom of the ravine!
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
Once upon a time Snow Leopards lived peacefully amongst the villagers. The crops grew and the village flourished until outsiders came and pushed them off their land. Since then an eternal winter has fallen upon the village. Something or someone is controlling these fierce leopards who are attacking anyone who crosses their path. When the local Veterinarian witnesses her personal house cats abandon their warm cozy beds to follow the snow leopards into the wilderness she knows something is wrong, very wrong. Can she stop these big cats or will she become their next meal?
The graphics are very well done, lip syncs could use a little polishing, but the story makes up for that. This is certainly a short demo, but it's long enough to begin to understand the story and you are going to want more, which is the whole point of a demo. Some of the inventory items have + signs indicating that that items needs further action to fix the item or combine it with another inventory item. There are several modes of difficulty to choose from including a customizable mode which is one of my favorite features.
The Hidden Object Scenes are varied, find 12 bottles, interactive list finds and even placing items into the scene in their logical place. The mini games were a bit too easy in my opinion such as sliding dancers on a jewelry box until they were in their color matching slot, or changing several cubes until they all turned green. This isn't a difficult game to play, there doesn't seem to be any surprises, every action you need to do seems logical meaning you will probably know right away which inventory item to use.
I wasn't too impressed with the Collectors Edition which has 25 hidden sketches, achievements, a Cats Shelter room, concept art, music, videos, a built in strategy guide and a bonus game. I think this edition is a better choice, enjoy!
I recommend this game!
Green City: Go South
Feel summer blossom as you develop the infrastructure of lush coastal lands. Build a flourishing Green City in the middle of the ocean!
Overall rating
5
/
5
16 of 18 found this review helpful
Green Or Just Greedy?
PostedOctober 2, 2014
pennmom36
fromIt's cheaper to repair buildings than to build new ones
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
Green City is a really fun and entertaining game that requires you to meet certain goals such as building 3 cottages, earning 500 dollars profit and building up the prestige of the neighborhood. There are several different houses that are available and eventually you will unlock Power Plants and Commercial Buildings, there are also Gardens and Parks available that will perk up the neighborhoods as well make those locations more desirable which will bring in more money from the surrounding houses. Some of the plots for houses are on lakes which means that you will have to build platforms first, each building and gardens will require a specific amount of plot so you need to plan for that when required to build more than one specific building because a house takes a 3x3 plot but a cottage requires a 4x4 plot. You will have to tear down abandoned buildings, repair aging houses and pick up trash in the surrounding areas, and there will be a treasure chest that appears periodically and if you click on it before it disappears you will earn more money, enjoy!
I recommend this game!
Without warning, a group of mysterious figures arrives and reduces your village to flames and rubble. What do they want... and who is controlling them?
Overall rating
5
/
5
251 of 304 found this review helpful
Flame Banshees
PostedOctober 2, 2014
pennmom36
fromI am the Stone Whisperer!
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
Your father tries desperately to hold back the flame banshees that have reduced your town to ashes. You run to the attic to retrieve the chest your mother has left you for this very scenario, inside you will find a magic medallion and magic boots that will allow you to escape unnoticed, they make you invisible until you are out of danger! The villagers, including your father have become minions of the banshees, leaving you no choice but to find the Queen and bargain for their lives. This won't be an easy journey, Valera, but your mothers medallion can help, magic is your only defense.
There are 57 hidden flames to collect and you have magic boots that can be used to become invisible as well as your medallion which have several features such as the ability to turn statues to life. Some of the inventory items have + signs indicating that item can be opened, fixed or need to be combined with another inventory item before using.
The Hidden Object Scenes are a mixture of interactive list finds, some items actually move to reveal a puzzle piece that will open a chest after everything has been found. I liked the HOS that required you to find the item matching a word in a sentence hidden in a mosaic picture. My favorite mini game was where you had to click when a ball reached the center green circle before crossing some boards, each time more balls were added and some of the balls had erratic movements before entering the green zone.
This Collectors Edition comes with 57 collectible flames, Wallpapers, Soundtracks, the Making of, unlockable timed HO's, a Northpearl jigsaw puzzle, a game of cards, a card gallery, a Bonus Chapter and a built in Strategy guide, enjoy!
I recommend this game!
An amulet purchased in an antique shop has awakened an ancient and terrible evil. Help rescue your beloved and save mankind from the coming eternal frost!
Overall rating
5
/
5
61 of 71 found this review helpful
INSANELY GOOD!
PostedOctober 1, 2014
pennmom36
fromMr. Hope isn't giving me much hope!
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
I have played a ton of games and the first thing I noticed in this game was insanely awesome graphics, not necessarily with the scenery, but the characters themselves. It's almost like a video game, I haven't seen such fluid movements in a PC game ever. Think about it, whenever a character walks, it is jerky and stiff with no joint movements, and don't get me started on animals, a recent game I played had a small dog that glided sideways and his legs didn't even move! Pay attention during the cut scenes and you'll see what I'm so impressed by.
Jacob purchased an ancient medallion from the local antique shop to give to his wife Helen for their anniversary. Jacob was watching Helen from the window of the cafe they were to meet at when a 7 foot giant appeared just behind Helen. Before Jacob could get out of the booth, the stranger blasted Helen with his icy blue eyes and froze her in her tracks, threw her into a black coffin and dragged her into the darkness! Jacob returns to the antique shop to confront Mr. Hope who fesses up that he inherited both the shop and the medallion from his great grandfather who told him of a legend about 7 foot ice giants that need human souls to survive. The only way to stop the giants is with the medallion that needs the souls of 17 people to activate. Jacob sets out on a quest to collect 17 souls one at a time from the innocent bystanders now frozen because they were in the wrong place at the wrong time. Can Jacob destroy the ice giants in time to save Helen?
The Hidden Object Scenes are slightly interactive list finds with at least one zoom in area that contain items listed in red. Some of the scenes are repeated which disappoints me, I hate repeated scenes because it's boring and you know where everything is a second time around. There are only a handful of mini games but there are plenty of inventory items to pick up and use as well as tasks to accomplish. This game surprised me, I wasn't expecting much from a stand alone edition but I really did enjoy playing this game, enjoy!
I recommend this game!
Your Uncle Tony needs you now more than ever! He's just spent all his savings on his lifetime dream: running his own gas station!
Overall rating
4
/
5
81 of 93 found this review helpful
The Need For Speed
PostedOctober 1, 2014
pennmom36
fromI think I just had a virtual car crash!
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
5
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Uncle Tony has hired you to work at his new gas station, but he may have made a mistake hiring me, I don't think I'm cut out for this job! The gas station theme works, it's an excellent choice for a Time Management game, I just haven't figured out if it's the game mechanics or my mechanics that made this game awkward. You have a line of cars that travel in front of your gas station and you click on the cars with the gas pump icon, and then you click on the pump you want them to go to. You start out with two pumps but you can add more as you progress, and you will want to purchase extra parking spaces to put excess cars in while waiting for a pump to open up. Once the car has filled up you click on the car again and then the exit/cash register. You earn more money for color combos, everything is colored, the pumps, the register and the cars. Eventually you will upgrade your station with garages and mini marts and you will be able to purchase tools to make the TM process easier.
The problem I had with this game is that it was sometimes difficult to click on a moving car and the multitask clicking wasn't obvious enough. In other words I wasn't sure if the car had been selected as well as the action, and then the car would just drive on past. This would be an awesome game if the tasks were shown on each item as 3 checkmarks or something to let you know what was going on with that item. I found it a bit odd that the vehicles move sideways and even run through another car as if it wasn't there, enjoy!
I recommend this game!
Manor Memoirs Collector's Edition
Help Scarlett write her next novel!
Overall rating
4
/
5
3 of 4 found this review helpful
Garage Sale Seek And Find
PostedSeptember 30, 2014
pennmom36
fromWhat we need is a dog, a cat and a cow!
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
Scarlett has writers block, the big city usually inspires her famous novels, but not this time. The solution, buy a fixer upper manor nestled in the beautiful countryside. The manor was more expensive than she budgeted for so we must have a garage sale, out with the old, in with the new!
This is a really fun find and seek game, not really a hidden object game because the items are scattered about not really "hidden" with the exception of semi hidden coins in each scene that help fatten the piggy bank. The customers show up on the left of the screen with either a picture or list of the items they want to buy and how much they are willing to pay for that item. If you find the items quickly they pay full price but as they lose their patience, the less money they will be willing to pay. You will earn more money if you find groups of items such as 4 books, before searching for another customers request. You will use the money you get from the garage sales to refurbish the manor with new sofas, televisions and desks. You can play this game in relaxed or timed modes, and choose to get sparkle hints or not.
This Collectors Edition has 24 Achievements, Concept Art, Exclusive Wallpapers (less available in Standard Edition) Soundtracks, a special Bonus level and there are more options to choose from under the furnishing (5 furniture options in each category vs. 3 furniture options per category in SE) Both editions are fun, but I'm not all that excited with the extras included in the Collectors Edition, enjoy!
I recommend this game!