pennmom36's Profile
Stat Summary
- Average Rating:3.7
- Helpful Votes:358,445
- Reviews Submitted:4700
- First Review:December 10, 2012
- Most Recent Review:January 15, 2025
- Featured reviews0
Status:
After crashing your car in the middle of nowhere, you stumble upon a mysterious town with a shady background. Solve a dark mystery!
Overall rating
5
/
5
34 of 42 found this review helpful
Phantasmat SE
PostedJuly 10, 2014
pennmom36
fromI think I would just walk home before staying at that motel!
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
Welcome to my favorite Hidden Object adventure game of all time! I have played hundreds of games and the plot on this game is phenomenal! You are traveling in the middle of the night when you realize you must be lost because nothing looks familiar so you check your map briefly and nearly plow into an oncoming car before plunging over a guardrail and down into a ravine! Thank goodness you're still alive, or are you? Everything is so creepy, especially the owner of the nearest motel and his assistant who warn you not to check in!
I purchased the Collectors Edition but never realized that this Standard Edition has all of the same features except a built in strategy guide and of course a bonus chapter. I will admit that the bonus chapter was really in itself worth the Collectors Edition price. There are achievements to earn, trophies to earn for miscellaneous goals such as not skipping mini games or using the hint button in the HOS. There also 50 Codeminion eyes hidden extremely well throughout the game. There are unique features on the options section where you can choose film grain, fullscreen, detect panoramic screen ( some scenes allow slight scrolling to the left and right) tool tips, match 3 hints, custom cursor and even high detail.
The Hidden Object Scenes consist of 12 listed items and some of the items are very well blended making some of the items a bit tough but not impossible to find. All of the scenes are doubled up so you may want to check those scenes often to see if there is another HOS available. You can opt to play a match 3 game instead where you make matches below the Codeminion eyes and as they fall off an item on the list is removed. There is a trophy for this match 3 game as well. There are lot's of mini games, some simple some a bit more difficult such as turning dials on an electric panel until the power is shut off to all leads.
This is a very suspenseful interactive game, with music that will chill ya to the bone. I can assure you, you're not going to stop playing this game because you just have to find out what Phantasmat is, enjoy!
I recommend this game!
Guide Ethan Black as he attempts to rescue his bride-to-be from a terrifying menace known as the Faceless Ones!
Overall rating
5
/
5
5 of 11 found this review helpful
Dark Strokes: Sins of the Fathers SE
PostedJuly 10, 2014
pennmom36
fromThe demons aren't very brave if they have to wear a mask!
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
When Ethan Blake received a letter from his father the Judge of Cedar Falls, begging him to postpone his wedding to Clair and come home to Cedar Falls, he had no idea how dire the situation had become. The citizens live in constant fear of men wearing masks, the faceless demons, who are responsible for the disappearance of several of the townspeople! These faceless demons are not pleased with the couple's plans to visit the Supreme Justice, causing the train to derail and nearly taking their lives as well! Ethan's resourcefulness has an alternate transportation up and running, the town's abandoned ski lift, but their arrival was anticipated and the phantom grabs Clair and whisks her into the darkness. What has father done to these rebels to make them so angry, what do they want?
This game is packed full of interactive tasks, with intricate locks that need opened, machinery that needs repaired and codes to be solved. The Hidden Object Scenes are slightly interactive list finds such as clicking on a die until the number 6 rolls into view. The mini games are fairly simple yet fun such as clicking on tokens two at a time trying to match two tokens with corresponding items such as a skull and bones. There are also simple games such as clicking and dragging items out of the way until the pair of scissors is revealed.
The Collectors Edition has 4 bonus chapters, wallpapers, and concept art available as well as an integrated strategy guide, but in my opinion, this Standard Edition is the better value, enjoy!
I recommend this game!
Beyond the Unknown: A Matter of Time Collector's Edition
It’s time to solve the secret of this mysterious island!
Overall rating
5
/
5
234 of 523 found this review helpful
WOW!
PostedJuly 10, 2014
pennmom36
fromHow many things does Andre have in his bed? The items just keep coming!
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
Fantastic story! Grandpa found an ancient sarcophagus belonging to the Lord of Time. His ship ran aground, disturbing the sarcophagus, releasing the Guardians of Time and unleashing a massive time collapse. The 4 golden eagles that adorn and protect the sarcophagus must be found before time collapses or you will never be born! This truly is the eighth wonder of the world.
You are equipped with a camera phone and some of the scenes require you to take pictures when there is a camera icon. This will unlock information about the characters you meet, you need to take a picture of five points of interest for each character to unlock that characters picture and information. You have brought along your adorable Jack Russell Terrier and after you rescue him from the man eating shark, you get to name him, my dogs name is Hotdog. Some items will have a pawprint above them which means that your pup can help you out with that item. There are also 20 collectible clocks throughout the game, these clocks open up the locks on the time portal and when all 20 have been unlocked you will be able to see through time and space!
There aren't many Hidden Object Scenes, this is mostly an adventure game, with a lot of adventure! The HOS are interactive list finds with simple interactions such as picking up a block of cheese and placing it in front of the mouse hole until a mouse appears, or clicking on a rose which opens up to expose a butterfly. Some of the mini games were revamped to make them more interesting such as clicking the bolts in the centers to rotate other bolts until the correct colored bolt would engage in the correct matching colored slot, by clicking different bolts you could change the pattern of the center bolt. Other games were simple puzzles where you had to reconstruct torn diary pages by dragging them to the correct place.
This Collectors Edition has the usual extras, achievements, wallpapers, screensavers, music, concept art, replayable Hidden Object and mini games, a bonus chapter and a built in strategy guide. The graphics are well done but I have to give mad props to the artists that created the characters, extremely well done, and very lifelike, even the body movements and voiceovers are well done. They even did a wonderful job with Hotdog, most dogs in these games aren't lifelike and certainly don't move as fluent as this one, enjoy!
I recommend this game!
Guide Ethan Black as he attempts to rescue his bride-to-be from a terrifying menace known as the Faceless Ones!
Overall rating
5
/
5
16 of 25 found this review helpful
Dark Strokes: Sins of the Father CE
PostedJuly 9, 2014
pennmom36
fromThe city built a gate to keep the evil phantom from getting in, really?
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Time Management, Puzzle
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Ethan Blake has just received an urgent message from his father, Judge Blake, insisting he postpone his wedding to Clair and come to Cedar Falls immediately! Something or someone doesn't want to see them arrive in Cedar Falls, a faceless demon causes the train to derail nearly killing both of them! They quickly resort to plan B traveling on an abandoned ski lift, this also turns out disastrous when they arrive, this same phantom whisks up Clair and quickly disappears into the night! The whole town has been living in fear from these faceless demons who are responsible for the disappearances of many citizens including the love of your life, what has your father done to anger this phantom who seeks revenge?
This is a fantastic game with plenty of activities to do in every scene. The Hidden Object Scenes are slightly interactive list finds where you might be required to find a key and use that key on the cash register drawer to expose the money, or turn a die several times until the number 6 shows up. The mini games are creative although nothing new such as flipping tokens over two at a time until you find two tokens that correspond to each other such as a foot and a hand. there are also tasks such as clicking and dragging miscellaneous items out of the way until you find a pair of scissors.
In my opinion there isn't enough backbone in this edition to make it a worthy Collectors Edition. there are wallpapers, concept art, and a built in strategy guide as well as 4 bonus chapters that take you back to the beginnings of the phantoms life. Nothing else, no collectibles, achievements or morphing objects. The story however is still excellent in either edition. The only complaints I have are a couple of misspelled words in the journal and a map that is worthless because it simply shows a red dot stating "you are here" enjoy!
I recommend this game!
Step into the shoes of a detective who has been approached by the FBI to take over a terrifying case and stop a Dark Ritual!
Overall rating
3
/
5
6 of 12 found this review helpful
Dark Ritual
PostedJuly 9, 2014
pennmom36
fromWhat is up with your eyes!
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
Your sister has been missing for months with no leads until FBI agent Johnson informs you that the FBI is investigating Dr. Seymour Brown as the prime suspect in the disappearance of your sister. Agent Johnson believes that your sister is being used in a governmental weaponization project, mind control, even worse, an ancient Dark Ritual. When you arrive at the family mansion of Dr. Brown, everyone starts behaving erratically, including Agent Johnson whose eyes are glowing an iridescent blue as he mumbles that his master is calling him!
I would have given this game a higher rating if I didn't have to scan the entire room until my cursor had a small gear, hand or magnifying glass within the same cursor. The cursor itself doesn't change, just the icon at the bottom of the cursor, because there isn't enough of a change in the cursor, many things get overlooked the first time around. The graphics aren't bad, but there are no voiceovers, just dialog boxes to read, and the different characters just suddenly appear then either suddenly disappear or move stiffly back and forth as if someone is flipping through cartoon cell pages as quickly as possible to give the appearance of movement.
There are a lot of Hidden Object Scenes in this game, they are slightly interactive list finds such as picking up a knife and using the knife on a pumpkin to make a Jack-O-Lantern. Some of the items were very well hidden and I had to use the hint button on more than one occasion. I actually liked most of the mini games, most were simple puzzles such as turning valves until all three tubes had equal amounts of fluid. The mini game I enjoyed the most was sliding different shaped puzzle pieces on an H grid with an extra space below the horizontal bar of the H, until the correct pieces were in the correct positions allowing the lock pieces to come together around the puzzle pieces.
There aren't any extras, no collectibles, no frills, there isn't even a map available, and the hint system will only tell you there's nothing to do here. It isn't a bad game, and can be quite entertaining especially if you like a lot of HOS and some interesting mini games, enjoy!
I recommend this game!
Help rebuild an empire, from building farms to the Great Wall!
Overall rating
4
/
5
140 of 161 found this review helpful
Get's A Little Monotonous
PostedJuly 9, 2014
pennmom36
fromTimed or Relaxed or Relaxed Timed?!
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
After years of being ruled by a Tyrant who oppressed and enslaved his own people, the people rose up against their leader to dethrone him and start anew. Years of civil war and tyranny have left the farmers with improper equipment to farm with and the new leader has vowed to help his people help themselves in the rise of this new Dynasty!
You can play this Match 3 game in Timed or Relaxed modes, each level requires you to clear all blue tiles first, as you progress you will be required to clear red tiles as well. Once these tiles have been cleared, you will need to collect a special item or items by making matches below the items until they fall off of the board.
Creating matches of 4 or 5 tiles will fill the amulet located at the bottom of the board, when the amulet is fully charged you can click on it to release a powerful lightning storm which will clear several random tiles on the board. You want to use the amulet whenever you can because each level starts with an empty amulet. Power-ups can be earned by making matches as well, and there may be several available because you can carry over power-ups to the next levels. some of the power-ups clear a 3x3 area and can be placed anywhere on the board, the fire power-up clears an entire row, each new power-up destroys tiles in a specific way either random or in a cross shape etc.
The coins that you earn will be used to rebuild the farms, buy cottages and houses. You will also buy sawmills, lumber mills and even grain mills. You purchase these buildings one at a time in a specific order, you cannot choose which buildings to buy. In my opinion this Match 3 game didn't have any wow factors to keep my interest, game after game, it was just more of the same goals as the level before. The tiles had lions, bowls, bottles coins and flowers, nothing special, no eye candy. Some of the tiles are "tangled" and you have to make matches of that tangled tile to release the immovable tile. This is a good Match 3 game, but can become repetitive as you progress, enjoy!
I recommend this game!
You are not alone. Join other captives in their quest for freedom as you reveal the evil secrets possessing this puzzling paradise!
Overall rating
5
/
5
13 of 17 found this review helpful
Vesuvia
PostedJuly 8, 2014
pennmom36
fromSearching for buried treasures!
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
What an awesome match 3 game, now I've got to download and play the previous version, Paradise Quest! You can play in either timed or untimed and you can play Quest, which has a story about a person trying to survive on an uninhabited island (or is it?) after his ship sinks during an unnatural freak storm. You can also play Frenzy mode where you play for 60 seconds and try to beat the highest score while you collect coins to spend on power-ups that last for up to 4 rounds. Both modes have a board that is bigger than the screen and to access the parts of the board that you cannot see, you make matches close to the edge to move in that direction.
Quest mode requires you to make matches as well as uncover 4 compass pieces before using the key you uncover onto the lock to exit, but you cannot use the key until you have uncovered all of the tiles covered in sand. There is a meter that will show you what percentage you have uncovered currently. Power-ups are earned as you make large matches such as a Bomb, which is earned with any match 4, simply use the bomb in a match to destroy four adjacent symbols. Matching 5 symbols in an L or T shape gets you a Super Bomb which will destroy symbols in a diamond shape. Match 5 in a line to get a Lightning bonus which will destroy an entire row. Match 6 symbols to get a Crossfire bonus which destroys an entire column and row.. When you match 7 symbols you earn a Megasphere bonus which can be matched with any adjacent symbols to destroy all matching symbols.
There is a journal or equipment item hidden in every level and many of the levels have impassable barriers that can only be overcome by using tools found under covered tiles. There is limited space for equipment in your backpack so you have to choose active equipment wisely. Each equipment requires a different amount of energy, so you need to collect energy by making matches of each color. When energy requirements are met, you click on the icon to use it. This game sounds complicated but once you get the hang of it, you'll love it, enjoy!
I recommend this game!
Put the pieces together before time runs out and save yourself from being lost within the shadows of New Orleans!
Overall rating
4
/
5
8 of 14 found this review helpful
Fallen Shadows
PostedJuly 8, 2014
pennmom36
fromWhat could Grandpa be afraid of with 12 crosses over his bed!
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
I overlooked this game when it first came out which turned out to be a mistake. This is actually a very good Hidden Object adventure game centered around New Orleans six months after hurricane Katrina. You have returned to your hometown after being abroad, in hopes of finding you grandfather, believed to be a victim of Katrina, but what you find is mysterious protection spells cast throughout grandpas house, and a letter from The Guardians, what exactly was grandpa afraid of, are the Guardians responsible for his disappearance and could he still be alive?
The graphics are beautiful and creepy all rolled into one, and not only are there several Hidden object Scenes, there are also several scenes where you first have to find multiples of an item such as 5 missing gate symbols or 12 missing crosses. After you find all the crosses for example, you then have to place those crosses back on the wall in their proper places, using the shadows to match up the size and shape of the crosses. The mini games are fairly easy such as repeating the sequence of lights and music.
There are no voiceovers, you will have to read a lot of dialog boxes to understand the story, but personally, I didn't mind the reading because there were only one or two dialog boxes at a time and the story is really interesting. This is a no frills kind of game, no collectibles, no map, no built in strategy guide to lean on, but it is a really entertaining adventure game with lot's of interesting tasks, games and puzzles, enjoy!
I recommend this game!
Work your way through puzzles and exotic locations like the Parthenon in Greece in this exotic Adventure game.
Overall rating
5
/
5
7 of 10 found this review helpful
The "World" Has Come A Long Way Since This Game!
PostedJuly 7, 2014
pennmom36
fromI made a turtle!
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 most of the World Mosaic games and each new release seems to get better and better, so I decided to go back to the roots to see how it all began. Although a few things have changed over the years, the basics of the game have stayed true, and that's what make this series so fun.
Basically, you need to figure out which squares on a grid are filled in by deduction. You will start with a 5 x 5 grid and the grids get larger and more challenging as you progress. There will be numbers both horizontally and vertically and each filled number must have at least one empty square before beginning the next set of numbers. For instance, if there are 5 squares across and the numbers given are 3 and 1, you would fill in the first three squares, the next square will be crossed out and the last square will be filled in. It is easier to fill in as many of the larger numbers as possible first, and to make things easier always cross off the squares you know are empty. Every time you fill in a square, your hint jar will fill in with sand which will allow you to use the hint to show a few filled tiles, there is a maximum of 4 hints given, and each puzzle allows for a specific amount of mistakes before you lose and have to replay that puzzle. Even though this type of puzzle looks and sounds difficult they aren't, and the tutorial at the start is excellent at explaining how to play as well as giving you tips as you progress. You can either click on the brush to fill in a square and a shovel to cross out a square, or left click to fill a square and right click to cross off a square, you can also click and drag to fill in a large area. Enjoy!
I recommend this game!
Solve the mystery of an abandoned enchanted castle! Search for clues within its ancient underground and seek portals to different worlds.
Overall rating
5
/
5
173 of 568 found this review helpful
Inside Morgiana's World
PostedJuly 7, 2014
pennmom36
fromIf you push everyone down in front of you, does that make you a winner?
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
What a great game, don't let this slip past the radar! I have to admit, I wasn't expecting much when I downloaded this game, I was certainly wrong, and I knew I was going to like this game as soon as I watched the introductory video. A strange force waits outside of the castle until Arabelle falls asleep and whisks her off into the night telling her to remember nothing. When she wakes up, she has no idea who she is or where she is. One thing is clear, the castle she's in isn't abandoned, but who lives here?
This isn't an easy game to play, there were times when I just didn't know what to do next, and the hint button simply tells you that there's nothing to do here. You find a little talking mouse (that just so happened to eat the wrong book!) and he will help you out along the way. They have done a nice job with the graphics and an excellent job with the videos, even the characters are very well drawn.
There aren't a whole lot of Hidden Object Scenes, they are slightly interactive list finds, this is more of an adventure game than a HOG. The puzzles aren't bad either such as turning several rings until all of the snakes are complete from head to toe. I think for a standard edition game only, this is an excellent game, enjoy!
I recommend this game!