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:
World Mosaics
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
Current Favorite:
Fright Collector's Edition
(127)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!
Mysteries and Nightmares: Morgiana
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
Current Favorite:
Fright Collector's Edition
(127)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!
Myths of the World: Of Fiends and Fairies
The rat catcher's after more than rats this time. He's kidnapping fairy folk!
Overall rating
5
/
5
141 of 385 found this review helpful
Filling Grandpa's Shoes
PostedJuly 6, 2014
pennmom36
fromWhat's so bad about the familiar?
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Time Management, Puzzle
Current Favorite:
Fright Collector's Edition
(127)Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Grandpa Solomon O'Neil led a secret life as a master thief, and savior to the fairy folk of another realm, who knew! Now that your Grandpa has passed away, the fairies are relying on you to protect them from the evil witch, Ruth and her familiar, a sarcastic owl. One of the first fairies you meet is Orna who gives you a magic monocle, the Monocle of True Vision, that your Grandfather had given her as a gift. With this monocle you will be able to see where magicians have cast spells, and each time you use the monocle, there will be a mini game or puzzle to complete. Some of the games require you to match identical pairs of symbols, or figure out how many times to knock on a door by finding clues.
The fairy realm was ruled by a tyrant King who waged war after war in pursuit of the Heart of Nature, which caused the decline and ruin of the fairy realm. Anyone who spoke out in protest was treated as a traitor, until Solomon found a way to enter the portal between their realm and ours, and allowed them to live in peace. The King became furious, and has ordered Ruth to open the portal so that he can conquer and rule both realms!
The Collectors Edition has the usual extras such as a bonus chapter and built in strategy guide, it also has trophies awarded for achievements, and 36 hidden fairy shoes that make the game really entertaining in my opinion, but either edition is a winner. Most of the characters you come across in this game will have an interactive conversation dialog which allows you to choose the answers you give in the form of categories. Some of the answers you choose are humorous, compassionate, intimidating, bluffing or even charming , none of the answers are wrong, but the conversation will take longer unless you get right down to business. Some of the inventory items you find will have plus indicators that require you to interact with that item or combine that item with another inventory item, and you can customize the difficulty mode and choose whether or not you want the + indicator shown on available items.
The Hidden Object scenes are presented in three or four stages. The first stage may have slightly interactive list finds followed by a description of a specific item and then pictures or silhouetted shapes to match. Even though the HOS were fun, I thought the alternate bubble shoot game was much more fun, I could have played that game all day! The mini games are almost too simple, such as using a lockpick to tap all of the rungs up, or swapping different shaped tokens along the paths of 4 separate rings. The game I liked the best was switching cash register buttons until all three horizontal and vertical rows of buttons equalled the sum 15.
This is an extremely entertaining game with sharp graphics, and a very interesting fairy tale story. It is clear that the devs paid attention to even the smallest details to make this game superior, enjoy!
Secrets of the Dark: The Flower of Shadow Collector's Edition
Can you bring Maria back from a shadowy realm?
Overall rating
4
/
5
149 of 332 found this review helpful
Happy 16th Birthday Maria
PostedJuly 5, 2014
pennmom36
fromThat's the worst present ever!
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Time Management, Puzzle
Current Favorite:
Fright Collector's Edition
(127)Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
A strange glowing flower began to bloom, revealing it's creation for the world to see. This was the rise of an evil Goddess who threw the world into total darkness until she was defeated. The Goddess left behind a loyal servant, desperate to revive his flowering master. He began searching for three innocent souls to revive his beloved withering flower Goddess and restore her powers. Maria Kolak had just received a beautifully wrapped present for her sweet 16th birthday, but the lamp inside would forever seal her fate as the first innocent soul victim. Can this supernatural anomaly be stopped before another innocent soul is taken, can Maria be saved before it's too late?
I was a wee bit disappointed in this game, in my opinion the story was too vague, perhaps it's explained in more detail as you progress. How did this strange flower come to be? Where was this flower, here or another world? How did the Goddess leave behind a servant, in the form of seeds? How did she transform the world into darkness and who defeated her, how did they defeat her?
This game has the usual Collectors Edition extras, concept art, replayable mini games, achievements, a bonus game and a built in strategy guide. There are 30 collectible hidden flowers to earn with an icon to view the collected flowers. There are also 16 morphing objects, they aren't hidden or blended very well, they are in plain sight usually on a large blue monster so I wasn't very impressed with the morphs even though I'm a huge fan of morphs. As with the other Secrets of the Dark games, you need to transform dark areas into normal lighted areas, in this case you will use the lamp in Maria's room. Some of the things you do in the transformed areas will affect what happens within the other realm and visa versa.
You have some type of device that enables you to scan doorways that have been locked with a supernatural force field. Maybe I wasn't paying attention, but I don't think the device gadget has a name. To use the device you click on the icon located to the right of the screen and scan the desired area to receive the code. Each time you use the device, the code becomes larger, but the process is the same. The left knob has a negative number such as -3 and the right knob has a positive number such as +5. You adjust the knobs either three numbers down or five numbers up until your device numbers match the code, one digit at a time. I actually found this mini game kind of fun. Most of the other mini games are fairly easy such as using arrows to slide four different rows with various open slots so that two colored balls at the top of the board drop to the matching colored slots at the bottom. The Hidden Object Scenes were mostly progressive interactions where you find the first item that matches the picture shown such as a battery. You then pick up the battery and place that battery in the camera which will take a picture and reveal a ring which goes onto a ring holder to reveal the next item and so forth.
Although I was slightly disappointed with this game because it didn't seem as exciting as the other games in this series, I do think it's a decent game, with some fun and entertaining aspects, and hopefully you'll like it as well, enjoy!
I recommend this game!
Shadow Wolf Mysteries: Under the Crimson Moon
Is Martha really a werewolf - or has she been wrongly accused?
Overall rating
5
/
5
145 of 631 found this review helpful
Who's In love With The Big Bad Werewolf?
PostedJuly 4, 2014
pennmom36
fromHAPPY 4TH OF JULY! BE SAFE
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Time Management, Puzzle
Current Favorite:
Fright Collector's Edition
(127)Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
There's another mystery to solve, no worries, I've done this before. Ellis Cote has been attacked by a vicious wolf, not just any wolf, she truly believes this wolf is a werewolf, half man, half snarling wolf! Her own brother doubts they exist, after all, he is a doctor, a man of science and reason, werewolves simply don't exists.....or do they? Tonight is the first night of the crimson moon, a blood moon, and legend has been foretold that because of his cruelty, Lycaon, once King of Arcadia, was transformed into a beastly werewolf by none other than Zeus himself. The blood moon will force the brutal and painful transformation of man to wolf, if this is possible, how will it be possible to stop something neither man nor beast?
Everybody loves a good werewolf story, and Shadow Wolf Mysteries won't disappoint you, in fact you just may be on the edge of your seat (computer chair lol) trying to get a closer look at this hideous seven foot Lycan! As a detective you have come prepared with an Analyzer kit, simply put substances in the analyzer that you can't readily identify and answer a few easy questions. Is the substance a gas, solid or a liquid, is the substance toxic, and is the substance natural or artificial, then the analyzer identifies the substance as olive oil, gunpowder etc. Don't worry, if you choose the wrong answer to any of the questions, the lights will flash red indicating that the answer is wrong, and you simply choose a different answer. I found this analyzer amusingly unnecessary because if you know enough about the substance to know if it's artificial or not, and whether or not it's toxic, you could probably guess at what the substance actually is. That's what Detectives do, they analyze things, and naturally people need analyzed or summed up as well, in this case in the form of a mini game where you need to use a magnifying glass and thoroughly scan each new person you meet and click on a specified number of clues such as scratches or gun powder residue (don't laugh, that's how us Detectives, detected in the 1800's)
The Hidden Object Scenes are done twice in the same scene with the same requirements both times. The first time you activate a HOS, you may be required to find 12 werewolf related items and the second time you may have to find 12 metal objects in the same scene. The next HOS requires you to replace items back into the scene where they belong, and the second time the same scene requires you to replace different items back into the scene. Personally, I get bored when the Hidden Object games are in the same scene. The mini games are entertaining and you can choose either casual or hard modes, the one I liked the most was choosing a blackberry to start with and then use directional arrows to to pass over every blackberry without getting trapped and unable to complete a path over all berries.
This edition is by far the better value because I didn't think the Collectors Edition had enough extras to set it apart from a Standard Edition. The CE has the usual wallpapers, concept art, replayable games, but from what I can remember, the only real difference is that there are no achievements in this edition. This is a great Hidden Object game that has the option of playing a game connecting pairs of identical tiles with an uninterrupted line, instead of the HOS, enjoy!
I recommend this game!
My Exotic Farm
Farm your land and develop the most beautiful farm around, full of savannah animals!
Overall rating
4
/
5
54 of 58 found this review helpful
It's A Zoo Around here!
PostedJuly 3, 2014
pennmom36
fromHow does the soil get soiled?
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Time Management, Puzzle
Current Favorite:
Fright Collector's Edition
(127)Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
I'm on the fence with this game between 3-4 stars, it has huge potential and the concept is awesome. Seems Arnold has become bored with his regular farm filled with cows, pigs and chickens, so he's off to a bigger and less boring endeavor. Arnold traveled to the other side of the world (Africa?) to start a farm with exotic animals, ostrich, giraffe's, zebras, lions, monkeys, parrots, gazelles, hippos and crocodiles are replacing the country farm animals, so moo-ve over betsy! You can scan over your new farmland with the mouse in any direction giving the game a 3D effect, which also allows you to find missing animals or clean up any messes you find.
The goal is fairly simple, buy an animal, keep your animals well fed and brush them after each feeding, if they become sick you need to buy appropriate medicines and administer the meds. Some of the animals produce eggs or milk that you can sell to make money and some of the animals will just get larger and will make that animal more valuable. Parrots produce valuable feathers, ostrich lay eggs, Giraffes, Zebra, and Gazelles produce milk, and hippos, crocks, monkeys, lions and elephants for example are more valuable as they get larger. The coolest feature in this game is that when you buy an animal, it has a name and you get to choose the color you want such as a blue zebra or green giraffe. There is an acceleration button which allows you to fast forward day and night which can be beneficial for getting milk and eggs faster but you will also have to keep up with the feeding demand as well.
Occasionally you are given a quest for extra money such as collecting 50 eggs or building a lions den. Once you reach a certain amount of animals you will have to buy watering troughs, and in order to buy some animals you need the right enclosure, for example lions must have a den or they will escape, if you have more than three zebras, you need a zebra pen and if you buy a crocodile or hippo you need to buy a pond. If you buy a storage shed, the shopkeeper will sell you food at a lower price and you will be able to store 400 units of food instead of 200.
The downside to this game is that if you purchase the wrong items at the wrong times you are left with barely enough money to simply buy food and with only a few animals to start with, the production of eggs and milk are too slow and not substantial enough to do anything other than buy more food for those hungry hippos!
I recommend this game!
Hidden Expedition: The Crown of Solomon Collector's Edition
The expedition continues... Track down the fragments of King Solomon's crown and foil a madman's plot in this exciting follow-up to the bestselling series!
Overall rating
5
/
5
297 of 799 found this review helpful
There's A Spy Among Us!
PostedJuly 3, 2014
pennmom36
fromWhat did they do with Baby?
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Time Management, Puzzle
Current Favorite:
Fright Collector's Edition
(127)Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
The agents of H.E.L.P are on a cargo plane heading for the museum to return the priceless artifacts recovered from the Robideaux family of thieves, one of the agents is a spy who has just stolen an ancient artifact, but who is it? Get ready for another heart pumping action game folks cause this ones even better! King Solomon forged a golden crown to pass his powers down to his heir, unfortunately the crown was stolen and torn into pieces that were hidden around the world. Legend has it that whoever owns the crown will rule the world, and one of the agents has that agenda in mind, can he be stopped before it's too late?
This Collectors Edition is jam packed with all kinds of extras, morphs and even 44 hidden crowns. Once again, you will find 20 interesting fact cards throughout the game which will give you facts about different people as well as some of the areas you visit during your search. There are achievements to earn, extra puzzles and HOP games, if you click on pictures you get to assemble a camera which will allow you to see pictures of the actors in the game and if you click on movies you get to throw tomatoes at the bad guy before accessing the movie trailers. There is a souvenir room, making of the game, a built in strategy guide and of course a bonus chapter. There are different modes of difficulty, Rookie, Field Agent, H.E.L.P operative or you can choose to customize the difficulty in areas of skip and hint recharges and sparkles or no sparkles stc.
The Hidden Objects Scenes are varied from finding items that match colored pictures, finding items that match sketches and even finding multiple items such as 4 wrenches or 4 bags. The mini game I thought was fun was clicking on three different designs so that when all three images were combined, the image would look like the clue given. Some of the inventory items have plus indicators which means you have to combine that item with another inventory item or solve a puzzle to open the item for use.
This is a great sequel to the original, certainly doesn't disappoint. Together we can travel the world and nab the bad guys, and hopefully recover some of the Robideaux artifacts that may or may not have survived the crash, enjoy!
I recommend this game!
Fantasy Mosaics 3
Solve a variety of puzzles while travelling across distant worlds!
Overall rating
5
/
5
70 of 75 found this review helpful
Keep Em Coming!
PostedJuly 2, 2014
pennmom36
fromDo you think someday my grandkids will play Fantasy Mosaics 500?
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Time Management, Puzzle
Current Favorite:
Fright Collector's Edition
(127)Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
I was a bit disappointed with the second Fantasy Mosaics because for some reason the games seems really difficult right from the get go. This Fantasy Mosaics, the third edition has totally redeemed itself in my eyes, the colors are beautiful, the games have just the right amount of challenge and I can't wait for number four!
There are two modes of difficulty, casual where the numbers are crossed off one by one and advanced where the numbers are crossed off only when a row is complete. There are 20 different rooms and each room has 5 levels of interesting pictures when complete such as a gardener watering plants or a butterfly. Every step you take in the game helps to cultivate and restore a beautiful garden that transforms from an empty landscape to a beautiful zen garden, no real purpose, just for your viewing pleasure.
There are gold, silver and bronze trophies awarded, depending on the time it takes you to finish the puzzle. Some of the squares have bonus power ups and when they are filled can be used to help you when you get stuck. There is a pickaxe that can be used on any empty square to reveal it's state, a powder keg which gives you one more chance to make a mistake, and a cute little penguin that represents the hint icon and will randomly highlight a filled square. As with the other mosaic games you use the left click button on your mouse to mark a filled square and the right button to mark an empty square, by using the number clues given both vertically and horizontally, every filled square is separated by and empty space or square. If the numbers given are 1 1 2 1 you would click a square to fill it followed by an empty square followed by another single square, empty space two filled squares, empty space and a filled square. It can be difficult when there are more squares than numbers but that's why it's so much fun, enjoy!
I recommend this game!
Dark Parables: The Red Riding Hood Sisters Collector's Edition
Discover the Red Riding Hood Sisters and defeat the nefarious Wolf Queen!
Overall rating
5
/
5
5 of 11 found this review helpful
Dark Parables: The Red Riding Hood Sisters CE
PostedJuly 2, 2014
pennmom36
fromNo big bad wolves allowed in this neighborhood!
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Time Management, Puzzle
Current Favorite:
Dark Parables: Ballad of Rapunzel Collector's Edition
(120)Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Wearing her favorite red riding hood, Isabella was on her way to see her grandmother, but fate wouldn't be kind to Isabella, a wolf with glowing red eyes and snarling teeth had just taken her grandmother's life and would have killed her as well if a hunter hadn't saved her life! This same hunter adopted Isabella now that her family was gone, and taught her how to hunt these vicious wolves led by the evil Wolf Queen. Eventually, the hunter himself was killed by a wolf, and once again Isabella was alone.She vowed to protect the weak and innocent, forming the Red Riding Hood Sisters Order. This brave group of women, Theresa, Eldra, Ruth, Jessica and Rose, were mentored by Isabella and became skillful warriors. The Queen has evil plans in the making, and has ransacked their order, imprisoning all of the sisters but one, and she has a dire warning for you Detective, when the full moon rises, her legion of mist wolves will rise to attack and consume everything that stands in their way!
Dark Parables is famous for the unique Hidden Object Scenes that are in the form of fragmented pieces. Most of the fragments are very well hidden or blended into the scenes and when you find all of the fragments for three different sections, the fragments will combine together to make a single inventory item. The mini games are unique as well, most are interactive scenes requiring you to interact with buttons and gadgets in order to complete the puzzle such as positioning three different wolves correctly so that when the sisters shoot their arrows, the arrow will directly hit the wolf.
This Collectors Edition has the usual extras, Music, Concept art, Wallpapers, Puzzles a built in Strategy Guide, and a bonus chapter, The Boy Who Cried Wolf. As with all the Dark Parables games you collect parables throughout the game which will unlock a short parable story, and there are usually 4 or 5 collectibles for each story. The feature I love in the Dark Parable games are the morphing objects, and they are so well done. There are 20 different morphing objects, so that means that not every scene will have a morph. Not all objects will be activated when you first see them, some objects don't morph until a certain action has been done, some items won't morph until you reach a certain chapter, so you will need to return to previous scenes and search for the morphing objects from time to time. All of the games in this series are top notch and I highly recommend the Collectors Edition because of the morphing objects, enjoy!
I recommend this game!
Chronicle Keepers: The Dreaming Garden
As the daughter of a legendary chronicle keeper, powerful foes are working against you!
Overall rating
4
/
5
130 of 196 found this review helpful
Petrified Mom
PostedJuly 2, 2014
pennmom36
fromThere has to be a better amulet manufacturer, none of them seem to hold up through portals!
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Time Management, Puzzle
Current Favorite:
Fright Collector's Edition
(127)Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Kinnat was just a young girl when she witnessed her mother turning into stone. A stranger rescued Kinnat but she was too young to remember who that stranger was, and the only possession she has linking her to the past is a broken amulet medallion and vivid dreams of that fateful day. Several years later, Kinnat notices a strange book in a book stores window that seems to be connected to her medallion, but when approached by the books owner, she is abruptly told that the book is not for sale! That doesn't stop her of course and the next thing she knows is that she is inside the books magic realm. It is in this strange world that she learns of her mother's fate by a leprechaun (yep a little green leprechaun) "she's petrified" nope she's not terrified, she's been turned to stone! To save her mother she must find the elixir of life to revive her soul, and the other fragments of the broken medallion amulet to resurrect her body.
You will use your medallion throughout the game for various reasons. Some items cannot be seen with the naked eye and the medallion will reveal 200 magic symbols, the symbols will show up in your magic book as groups, that will reveal a background story when a set is found. The medallion will also reveal some transparent animals and when you click on those animals, they will give you a magic coin. The medallion will also be used for finding items marked in green in the Hidden Object Scenes, there are only 16 HOS, so they are few and far between, they are slightly interactive list finds and if you are playing casual or normal difficulty, the items that require the medallion will be green. The mini games weren't bad, but most were super easy such as putting torn book page pieces together, or watching a dragon emit steam in a sequence of colors that you replicate by clicking on bells in that same color sequence. I liked the game with the statue heads where you had to put all blue marbles around the statues right eye and all the red marbles around the left eye with the dual colored marble directly in the center where the two circles intersect, but again super easy.
Personally, I was on the fence with this game between a three star and a four, at times I found the game's pace too slow, there were game glitches, (in all fairness could have been my computer), and it just wasn't visually appealing, but the game does pick up the pace a bit in wonderland, and I found myself curious about the mother's plight. The broken medallion was a nice touch because it reveals things you cannot otherwise see, and after all it is a Standard Edition only. Don't get me wrong, the game has entertainment value, even though the story is similar to several others, it does seem to be going in a different direction than I expected, enjoy!
I recommend this game!