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:
Dive into an epic story of honor and courage to help preserve ancient Japan in this Match-3 adventure.
Overall rating
5
/
5
191 of 197 found this review helpful
Match 3 Japanese Themed Game With Exciting Features!
PostedApril 15, 2014
pennmom36
fromShouldn't I build the well first?
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
This Match 3 Game has an option to please just about everyone! You can choose Relaxed or Challenge modes, as you rebuild and protect villages destroyed by Civil War. Satsu is a Geisha, a guardian of art, music and Japanese culture, she is joined by Miyamdo a Samurai Warrior dedicated to preserve and protect the villages and their people. You can choose from three styles, the classic match 3 where you swap tiles to match 3 or more identical tiles, clicking on a group of matching tiles or clicking and dragging a chain of identical tiles. At the start of each level you are given a task of making a certain number of matches for each item such as 15 bamboo matches and 15 sushi matches, and you may have to break a certain amount of crates and golden tiles as well. You get a limited amount of moves as indicated to finish each level, and you will collect extra moves which can be used after you deplete the given moves or pay for extra moves with the coins you collect, or you can restart the level. You receive 50 golden coins for each golden tile you destroy by making a match over the golden tiles. These coins are used between levels to rebuild the village with sawmills, wells, buildings for worship and housing. There are two unique features, one is the fact that you are able to rotate the entire board in either direction as often as you want to avoid empty tiles and make strategic moves, and there is a Shuffle feature that allows you to shuffle all the tiles on the board. If you make a match of 5 or more tiles a bomb will appear on the board which can be used by double clicking anytime. Some tiles are blocked with crates, wood, ice cubes, rocks and metal, you must make one or more matches next to these blocks to expose the golden tile within. You will earn bonuses as you progress, the Katana can destroy a single tile, a Shuriken destroys 5 random tiles, a Kungi destroys a row of tiles and Dragon's Breath destroys a row and column of tiles. The tiles to match are Japanese themed with bamboo, lanterns, sushi, logs and of course the bonus tiles with shurikens, katanas etc. I really liked this match 3 you should give it a try, enjoy!
I recommend this game!
Taking your daughter to school is no easy feat when twelve of her friends tag along! Juggle a dozen kids with unique demands in this challenging time-management adventure!
Overall rating
4
/
5
82 of 88 found this review helpful
Car Pool Fun
PostedApril 14, 2014
pennmom36
fromWhat bus are they talking about?
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
This is a nice Time Management game for the younger generation, and possibly for adults as well. The object of this game is to get kids to school via mom's carpool caravan and get tipped for getting them to the correct school on time. You choose from a timed mode or a relaxed mode and you can earn trophies too. Stars are awarded for each level, 1 star for the targeted time, 2 stars for a good score and 3 stars for an expert score. There are different combos available, several girls picked up at the same time will give you bonus points, picking up the class clown raises the other students morale and some kids want private transportation. There are different schools with different colored emblems on the kids themselves so don't forget to pay attention. Enjoy!
I recommend this game!
Become a real detective of the Ancien Régime and visit renowned carnivals collecting rare masks for the countess!
Overall rating
5
/
5
91 of 100 found this review helpful
Riddles Of The Mask
PostedApril 14, 2014
pennmom36
fromHave you ever been almost finished with a puzzle and accidentally left clicked a group of tiles when you thought you were right clicking?
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 great (although more of the same) Mosaic tile game. There are 6 Locations: Brazilian Carnival, The Day of the Dragon, The Festival of Masks, The Solstice Celebration, The Festival of Ganesha, and A Night in Venice. There are 16 different Trophies to earn which are basically achievements such as finishing 3 or 5 games in a row (raw) without using the available hints. With the coins you earn in each level you can visit the shop and use these coins to purchase 2 starting hints, rights for a mistake x 3, and refill hints on this level. If you haven't played griddlers before I know it looks difficult, but there is a very good tutorial and this is a basic game of deduction, rather than math. For instance in a 10 x 10 grid you start with the largest number, each number of cells must have a space between each group of numbers. If the numbers are 2 1 3 1 there would only be one solution in a cell of 10 tiles because of the spaces between the tiles. If you left click, the cell will be marked with a colored tile and right clicking will mark the cell with an x or empty cell until a simple picture of a mask or a dragon is completed. There is some very soothing music to accompany this game and to me it's a brain teaser game that is actually quite relaxing. You should really give this game a try, enjoy!
I recommend this game!
A dragon has awoken after a hundred years - and it's after your son.
Overall rating
5
/
5
161 of 173 found this review helpful
GRIMTOOTH
PostedApril 13, 2014
pennmom36
fromI think the elf guard was hitting on me!
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
It's hard to review a game after yesterday's epic game but if you compare apples to apples, this game is still a 5 star game with or without the bells and whistles of the Collectors Edition. The Dragon has risen from a 100 year slumber, and the huge, scaly, fire breathing beast has snatched young Tevin through the roof! Everything's ablaze as you quickly scurry down a rope and follow the dragon into the Elvin forest. That's where you meet Eridan and are introduced to the Elf community and the King himself. Legend has foretold of a human child that is able to speak the dragon tongue, an Emberwing, that legend is Tevin, he's safe for now!
This is a beautifully crafted fantasy themed Hidden Object Adventure Game with clever mini games and entertaining and interactive HOS. I really enjoyed the mini games and I'm pleased that that puzzles are true to the theme of the game. There are simple puzzles with different shapes to assemble. puzzles with rings that are controlled with different buttons and even puzzles that require you to swap discs by turning a maze located in the center to allow the discs to swap positions with the disc at the end of the maze path. Then there are more complicated puzzles such as reading a short description and moving the correct character on a diorama stage. When you correctly place the character or prop, that action will expose a gem, and you keep interacting with the story until all gems have been exposed.
The Hidden Object Scenes are mostly interactive list finds where you might have to rotate shelves to expose more items. The HOS I enjoyed the most was a wall of paintings. A story is told in sections with a single word in the paragraph highlighted in yellow, such as the word dragon or star. You need to zoom into each painting to find a certain amount of this item like 3 dragons and 9 stars. Some of the items are on the wall themselves so don't forget to look there too. This story explains that at one point in time there was a pact between the Dragons and Elves, but the Dragons were greedy and the pact would forever be broken, it's up to the Emberwing to help us now, enjoy!
I recommend this game!
Help Sam rescue his love Anna in Brink of Consciousness: Dorian Gray Syndrome, an incredible Hidden Object Puzzle Adventure game!
Overall rating
5
/
5
4 of 5 found this review helpful
Brink Of Consciousness: Dorian Gray Syndrome SE
PostedApril 12, 2014
pennmom36
fromMaybe Sam should write poems instead!
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Strategy, Time Management, Puzzle
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
This is quite simply one of those games that you can replay several times and still thoroughly enjoy. I purchased the Collectors Edition when this game was first released and I loved this game so much that I wanted to play this Standard Edition to see if it was just as exciting without all the bells and whistles. Yes, even after a few years I still feel the same way, and it turns out that the bells and whistles of the CE weren't missed! I still place this 2011 game at the top of my favorite Hidden Object Adventure Games in 2014! Sam Wilder is a journalist that has been investigating the disappearance of several young adults in the neighborhood as his latest assignment. He quickly makes the connection that a mental health patient on the lam is the prime suspect of these disappearances. The man Sam believes is responsible suffers from Dorian Gray Syndrome, The suspect was abused by his father when he was just a boy and he became obsessed over the loss of his youth, obsessed with aging (aren't we all) and obsessed with the anti-hero Dorian Gray. Things take an unexpected turn when Sam is lured into a huge mansion with explicit orders to arrive alone and alert nobody if he wants to see his love Anna alive! The mansion is full of locked doors, secret hiding places and obstacles to overcome, but most of all the rooms are full of cameras and speakers watching Sam's every move and staying one step ahead. The killer taunts Sam as he appears and disappears hidden behind a strange mask and blocked passages just beyond reach. The killer has posed the victims as forms of art throughout the mansion, will this be Anna's destiny, is Anna still alive? There aren't a whole lot of HOS but they are very well done with several items requiring some type of interaction. I loved the mini games, such as figuring out the safe combination that the killer tells you is +11/-3/+8 and I'll leave it up to you to figure out. The Collectors Edition includes a bonus game, concept art, strategy guide and an interview with the developers, enjoy!
I recommend this game!
You've returned from school to visit your father at his famous Jazz Pepper Club during Mardi Gras, but everyone is hypnotized. Have they heard the wrong note?
Overall rating
5
/
5
356 of 412 found this review helpful
Jazz Pepper Club
PostedApril 12, 2014
pennmom36
fromHow'd they get all those frozen bodies out of the door?
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
Wow! EVERYTHING about this game is different, in a good way! I love Out Of The Box Thinking, and who doesn't love jazz? (I wish the music played in the background as well) It's Mardi Gras in New Orleans and you are visiting your dad at the famous Jazz Pepper Club. A stranger in a white suit nearly knocks you down as he rushes out of the club and what you see inside stops you dead in your tracks! Everyone inside the club is frozen in a hypnotic state, daddy as well, was the stranger in the white suit responsible? You can choose from several modes of difficulty, Novice, Artist, Virtuoso, Maestro, or Improviser (custom settings). You can earn achievements and collect 44 hidden musical notes, there are several mini games such swapping tiles with musical notes so that they match up with the edges. There are mini games that you solve with information you receive or find such as unlocking daddys office/calendar lock in 3 sections with the month, day and year that you discover is when he opened the Jazz Pepper Club. The quality of the graphics are going to knock you socks off, blow your socks off! I can honestly say I've never seen characters so lifelike, so well done so detailed. The voiceovers are superior and the scenery pops! The story is different, mysterious and this is the kind of game that you just can't stop playing, you have to know more of this story, you have to find out who Frankie is and why he is targeting members of the Jazz band. I was most impressed with the uniqueness of the Hidden Object Scenes. You are shown a single word in an icon such as hat. When you find and click on the hat, it will roll over to expose a musical note that you click on. The next item will be an actual piece of an item such as 1/2 of a pair of sunglasses which you pick up and place into the scene with the other 1/2 of sunglasses and again a musical note is exposed. It was a refreshing change and very entertaining. There were also scenes that required you to pick up an item in the scene that was in color and place it correctly into the scene and that section would change from black and white, to color. My favorite HOS scene was one I haven't seen done before. Some of the items in the scene could be clicked on to uncover a specific item such as a single glove. You had to click on two exact items to match up the gloves, if you chose the wrong item, both items would close back and you would have to uncover two more items until all items were matched correctly! I love everything about this game, the genre, the music, the graphics, the scene interactions and the characters themselves. Fantastic job, Kudos and a huge Thanks to the devs for a game well done, it's obvious how much time and detail went into the making of this out of the ordinary game, enjoy!
I recommend this game!
Dark Dimensions: Somber Song
Townspeople flee as the black smoke covers their town. Can you close the dark dimension, before it's too late?
Overall rating
5
/
5
149 of 173 found this review helpful
The Sound Of Smoke
PostedApril 11, 2014
pennmom36
fromPhew, sure is warm in here!
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
Seven children perished in a music school fire last year, and the Dark Dimensions fog has the town in panic mode once again. All the signs are pointing to foul play, is the music teacher responsible, or perhaps that innocent young man who perished after saving his friend Lydia, perhaps he isn't so innocent! You will need to find a way to break past the black fog and break into this now abandoned (or is it?) school of music and find the truth and save Lydia before it's too late! This is a top notch hidden object game with several gadgets to tinker with and lot's of inventory items to recover. All the bells and whistles of the CE have vanished in this SE but it doesn't matter, the game has enough backbone to stand alone. The hidden object games are interactive progressive list finds. You find the first item listed in white such as an oven mitt. Then you use the oven mitt on the oven door to pull out a loaf of bread, you use the bread crumbs to feed the bird and so forth. The only complaint I have is the fact that the HOS double up on the scenes. Even though they are different interactions, it's still boring to do a second game there soon after you just finished a game there. The mini games seem fairly easy, although some require more patients than others. For instance the first mini game required you to turn tiles with different colored wires to connect the circuits from top to bottom. This is very easy to figure out. Then you need to open the gate by clicking on several circular paths to make different shapes move along these paths until they get to the matching shaped slot. This one's certainly doable, just a little more time consuming. If you love the creepy genres and the ability to talk to the dearly departed, then you're going to love this game, enjoy!
I recommend this game!
Be swept away by a heart breaking romantic tale of love, romance, deception, and tragedy seen through the eyes of Maria Lopez!
Overall rating
3
/
5
18 of 21 found this review helpful
Broken Hearts: A Soldier's Duty
PostedApril 10, 2014
pennmom36
fromWho serves Lobster at a wedding? Count me in!
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
I actually didn't think this game was all that bad, I actually liked the different concept of hidden object themes. The story doesn't really matter in respect to the game play, but Maria Lopez is planning her wedding to a soldier, David Fox. It is a pretty mushy girly game with romantic music and tons of hearts so I'm pretty sure the guys are going to pass on this game. You are given two main themes in which to find several items that are associated to those themes, for instance under the theme Time, you would find and click on anything related to time, hourglasses, watches, calendars, sun dials etc. The goal is to earn hearts and if you use a hint, you will receive less hearts. If you use a hint you can choose to get an outline of the item, or a picture of the item or the actual location of the item. When you use a hint it will temporarily freeze, but you can still choose to get an outline or picture of an item until it unfreezes. There are achievements to earn and you can purchase card games with the hearts you have earned and play these card games as often as you want, There are several different types of card games available, Klondike, Pyramid, Prisoners, Golf and Free Cell, each require a different amount of hearts. This isn't the kind of game that will blow your socks off, but it is interesting enough to pass a couple of hours, enjoy!
I recommend this game!
Olivia has been kidnapped by the mysterious Lonely Hearts Killer who murders those suffering from a shattered love. Save her!
Overall rating
5
/
5
4 of 5 found this review helpful
Brink Of Consciousness: The Lonely Hearts Murders SE
PostedApril 10, 2014
pennmom36
fromDid Owen ever say why he waited to report Olivia missing?
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 purchased Brink of Consciousness: The Lonely Hearts Murders in the Collectors Edition when it was first released, but I really believe the Standard Edition is the better value because there isn't enough substance in the CE. The Lonely Hearts Murders and Dorian Gray Syndrome are fantastic games! I will admit that I like Dorian Gray better for the story and creepiness of the game but Lonely Hearts is hands down a better quality game with extremely well done voiceovers and the characters move so fluently that they are realistic. To give this game a touch of the past, you can opt for film grain in the options box (Dorian Gray has this feature as well) You play Olivia Wright's father, Owen Wright and pair up with Logan Green the detective you mentored many years ago. Olivia has gone missing after a painful relationship leaves her heart broken, this is the type of victim the Lonely Heart killer preys upon, broken hearted! Owen and Logan know they must find Olivia within 30 days, after 30 days the murderer leaves the victims body displayed in the streets, he removes their heart and replaces it with a single yellow lotus, time is of the essence, what are you waiting for? As I said before this game is a first class kind of game, professional and quite well done on every facet of the game. Most games don't have you actually following a character because the character looks, sounds and moves so fake, not so with this game, characters as very well done and very realistic. The hidden object scenes are interactive, some items require you to click and drag that item where it belongs such as dragging patches to pants to cover up holes. My favorite mini game was placing shoes with stockings of multiple colors and patterns onto shelves that lit up when correctly placed. Each pair had to have something in common with the adjacent pairs, such as green stripes could be placed next to red stripes and the red stripes next to red plaid etc. The only extras you get with the Collectors Edition is Wallpaper, Concept Art, Soundtracks and an Interview with the developers, accessible after completing the game, either way, it's a great game enjoy!
I recommend this game!
Olivia has been kidnapped by the mysterious Lonely Hearts Killer who murders those suffering from a shattered love. Save her!
Overall rating
5
/
5
4 of 5 found this review helpful
Brink Of Consciousness: The Lonely Hearts Murders CE
PostedApril 10, 2014
pennmom36
fromThat's kinda grainy!
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 actually bought this game when it was first released but never wrote a review and I don't know why because both The Lonely Hearts Murders and Dorian Gray Syndrome are fantastic games! I will admit that I like Dorian Gray better for the story and creepiness of the game but Lonely Hearts is hands down a better quality game with extremely well done voiceovers and the characters move so fluently that they are realistic. To give this game a touch of the past, you can opt for film grain in the options box (Dorian Gray has this feature as well) You play Olivia Wright's father, Owen Wright and pair up with Logan Green the detective you mentored many years ago. Olivia has gone missing after a painful relationship leaves her heart broken, this is the type of victim the Lonely Heart killer preys upon, broken hearted! Owen and Logan know they must find Olivia within 30 days, after 30 days the murderer leaves the victims body displayed in the streets, he removes their heart and replaces it with a single yellow lotus, time is of the essence, what are you waiting for? As I said before this game is a first class kind of game, professional and quite well done on every facet of the game. Most games don't have you actually following a character because the character looks, sounds and moves so fake, not so with this game, characters as very well done and very realistic. The hidden object scenes are interactive, some items require you to click and drag that item where it belongs such as dragging patches to pants to cover up holes. My favorite mini game was placing shoes with stockings of multiple colors and patterns onto shelves that lit up when correctly placed. Each pair had to have something in common with the adjacent pairs, such as green stripes could be placed next to red stripes and the red stripes next to red plaid etc. The Collectors Edition has Wallpaper, Concept Art, Soundtracks and an Interview with the developers, accessible after completing the game, enjoy!
I recommend this game!