pennmom36's Profile
Stat Summary
- Average Rating:3.7
- Helpful Votes:358,445
- Reviews Submitted:4724
- First Review:December 10, 2012
- Most Recent Review:July 6, 2025
- Featured reviews0
Status:
A bone-chilling mystery that will leave you questioning everything!
Overall rating
2
/
5
68 of 84 found this review helpful
STUCK IN A HOPA RUT
PostedAugust 12, 2022
pennmom36
fromRemembering you is easy, I do it every day. Missing you is a heartache that never goes away, until we meet again on the Rainbow Bridge one day. დ Loki
Skill Level:Expert
Current Favorite:
Empress of the Deep: The Darkest Secret
(50)Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
Completed Game approximately 4.0 hours
(including completion of all mini-games & CE Bonus Chapter)
24 Main Game Scene Locations +10 Bonus Chapter
Difficulty Range: Beginner
(including completion of all mini-games & CE Bonus Chapter)
24 Main Game Scene Locations +10 Bonus Chapter
Difficulty Range: Beginner
I knew this would be another clone of Mystery Tales, and I knew the storyline would be predictable the moment they introduced a couple of misty, floating spirits. How many times are they gonna use this ghostly feature, are they really stuck in this thick of a plot rut? Are they really unable to imagine any new storylines, or are they just unwilling to do so?
I guess we can thank the gaming gods that they moved on from the 17th-century evil-doer whose go-to ensemble was always a mysterious black cloak and beaked plague mask and naturally, he was always one step ahead of his foes! (I'm bettin' every HOPA player remembers that scenario!)
I was also confident that I would be tasked with an array of boring, cliche tasks, but I didn't expect them to be crammed into the first scene!
Scene One:
-The very 1st task was to use a key in my car which immediately snapped in two. (has anyone ever experienced key breakage in their lifetime?)...Oh silly pennmom, it's probably because you used your car keys to remove nails from that boarded-up window in last week's game!
-I'm still fidgeting with this darn key when out of the blue a woman faints. I quickly switch gears and run to help. Never fear ladies, I'm a certified Faint Waker-upper, does anyone happen to have a feather and a microscope handy? Maybe she fainted because my next task was to enter a telephone booth, can you imagine...a telephone booth in the middle of the street in 2022? I wonder if it uses regular coins or snapshots as currency?
-The very 1st task was to use a key in my car which immediately snapped in two. (has anyone ever experienced key breakage in their lifetime?)...Oh silly pennmom, it's probably because you used your car keys to remove nails from that boarded-up window in last week's game!
-I'm still fidgeting with this darn key when out of the blue a woman faints. I quickly switch gears and run to help. Never fear ladies, I'm a certified Faint Waker-upper, does anyone happen to have a feather and a microscope handy? Maybe she fainted because my next task was to enter a telephone booth, can you imagine...a telephone booth in the middle of the street in 2022? I wonder if it uses regular coins or snapshots as currency?
Scene Two:
-Gotta unlock that bicycle bag with a shaped emblem because there's always a bicycle chained to a pole...right next to the park bench of course!
-Thorny branches, how lucky am I, the thorny branches are covering the bicycle and there isn't a gauntlet in sight! How long has this bike been here anyway? The bike either looks pretty darn good for its age or those vines are from the little shop of horrors!
-More purse emblems...maybe people from HOPA-world should consider buying a normal purse from non-HOPA world?
-Oops, looks like someone dropped something I need in the sewer drain...I hope it's a shovel because I have a gut feeling I'm gonna need it for that big ole pile of dirt under that tree behind me!
-I'd better backtrack to that payphone to make arrangements to get into the dorm...never mind, I'm sure I'll come across a random keycard, it's probably in this drain, or perhaps at the bottom of that fountain over there with a missing a plumbing valve?
-Gotta unlock that bicycle bag with a shaped emblem because there's always a bicycle chained to a pole...right next to the park bench of course!
-Thorny branches, how lucky am I, the thorny branches are covering the bicycle and there isn't a gauntlet in sight! How long has this bike been here anyway? The bike either looks pretty darn good for its age or those vines are from the little shop of horrors!
-More purse emblems...maybe people from HOPA-world should consider buying a normal purse from non-HOPA world?
-Oops, looks like someone dropped something I need in the sewer drain...I hope it's a shovel because I have a gut feeling I'm gonna need it for that big ole pile of dirt under that tree behind me!
-I'd better backtrack to that payphone to make arrangements to get into the dorm...never mind, I'm sure I'll come across a random keycard, it's probably in this drain, or perhaps at the bottom of that fountain over there with a missing a plumbing valve?
Scene Three:
-I finally get to use my stolen/lost keycard to get inside the dorm but wouldn't ya know it, the janitor's mop bucket is blocking the hallway...let me just push it aside...crap, it's missing a wheel!
-The janitor must be busy trying to find the missing wheel because he didn't have time to change the broken lightbulb in his closet, and by broken I mean it's literally broken in half...I'm probably going to have to do a Hidden Object Scene to find a handkerchief.
-I finally get to use my stolen/lost keycard to get inside the dorm but wouldn't ya know it, the janitor's mop bucket is blocking the hallway...let me just push it aside...crap, it's missing a wheel!
-The janitor must be busy trying to find the missing wheel because he didn't have time to change the broken lightbulb in his closet, and by broken I mean it's literally broken in half...I'm probably going to have to do a Hidden Object Scene to find a handkerchief.
Scene Four:
-Someone needs my help STAT! Hang on darlin' I've got to fix this leaky pipe first, otherwise, the floor could be really slippery...I mean more slippery than the rest of the pool room floor?
-You still doing okay over there darlin'? The funniest thing happened, I noticed something was buried under one of these pool floor tiles, do you mind if I go and get something heavy to smash the tile...you wouldn't happen to have a fang I can use as a wedge on ya would you?
-Someone needs my help STAT! Hang on darlin' I've got to fix this leaky pipe first, otherwise, the floor could be really slippery...I mean more slippery than the rest of the pool room floor?
-You still doing okay over there darlin'? The funniest thing happened, I noticed something was buried under one of these pool floor tiles, do you mind if I go and get something heavy to smash the tile...you wouldn't happen to have a fang I can use as a wedge on ya would you?
Scene Five:
-Well, that's just rude, someone let this candle drip wax all over, well not ALL over, just over the item I need!
-I'll just go in this building to get some supplies...oh no! the doorbell is broken, so broken it looks like I'm gonna need new wires and some tape or they will never know I'm standing out here!
-It's a good thing I came across this broken doorbell, otherwise, I would never have found the inflatable device stuck up in their tree. Now I can see what kind of goodies they have in their personal mailbox! I'm sure they won't mind, besides, I DID feed their cute little pet raccoon!
-Well, that's just rude, someone let this candle drip wax all over, well not ALL over, just over the item I need!
-I'll just go in this building to get some supplies...oh no! the doorbell is broken, so broken it looks like I'm gonna need new wires and some tape or they will never know I'm standing out here!
-It's a good thing I came across this broken doorbell, otherwise, I would never have found the inflatable device stuck up in their tree. Now I can see what kind of goodies they have in their personal mailbox! I'm sure they won't mind, besides, I DID feed their cute little pet raccoon!
Scene Six:
-Let's wrap this up by saying I encountered more faucets & fountains missing their valve handles, collected pollen with a brush, came across several codes that were conveniently written down on sticky notes, and used everything imaginable as a screwdriver... except an actual screwdriver, of course! I made countless makeshift handles, repaired more hooks and chains than humanly possible, tweezed several wedged items with ridiculous household items, and I had to jump through several hoops every single time I had to open doors and drawers! Who else is already exhausted and wondering how to survive 3 more chapters?
-Let's wrap this up by saying I encountered more faucets & fountains missing their valve handles, collected pollen with a brush, came across several codes that were conveniently written down on sticky notes, and used everything imaginable as a screwdriver... except an actual screwdriver, of course! I made countless makeshift handles, repaired more hooks and chains than humanly possible, tweezed several wedged items with ridiculous household items, and I had to jump through several hoops every single time I had to open doors and drawers! Who else is already exhausted and wondering how to survive 3 more chapters?
Gadget/Helpers:
There are no Helpers but there is a Gadget, a Paranormal Camera to take pictures of any paranormal activities (just like Mystery Tales eh?) This feature is used 7 times in the Main game but it isn't used in the Bonus Chapter.
There are no Helpers but there is a Gadget, a Paranormal Camera to take pictures of any paranormal activities (just like Mystery Tales eh?) This feature is used 7 times in the Main game but it isn't used in the Bonus Chapter.
Collectibles & Morphing Objects (CE Version Only):
Same ole, same ole, with different names, and once again you will collect 18 random notes just lying around waiting for you in random places? There are 15 Morphing Dolls that are too big to miss, 15 Magical Runes, and 59 Snapshots which are used as the currency, doesn't everyone hand their clerks a photo? I wonder how you get the change back, do they tear a corner off of the photo? The Snapshots are used to purchase 15 Boudoir Items and I can't think of a more boring feature (I'm betting they can manage to make it more boring in the next game!)
Same ole, same ole, with different names, and once again you will collect 18 random notes just lying around waiting for you in random places? There are 15 Morphing Dolls that are too big to miss, 15 Magical Runes, and 59 Snapshots which are used as the currency, doesn't everyone hand their clerks a photo? I wonder how you get the change back, do they tear a corner off of the photo? The Snapshots are used to purchase 15 Boudoir Items and I can't think of a more boring feature (I'm betting they can manage to make it more boring in the next game!)
There is a pull-out tab on the left that can be enabled to show when collectibles are available and you can enable them to show on the map if desired.
Hidden Object Scenes:
There are 14 Hidden Object Scenes +6 in the CE Bonus Chapter. The first HO in every Do Game is a Keywords in a Sentence finds within a notebook (boring) There is a HO located in a closet where you find items that match 2 combined Silhouettes (_+_=?) and all the usual varieties, the only one I found remotely interesting was finding Symbols located on a bookshelf, but it was super easy! Why can't this developer think outside the box and place the HO scenes someplace more interesting, someplace other than the same places they have used in hundreds of games?
There are 14 Hidden Object Scenes +6 in the CE Bonus Chapter. The first HO in every Do Game is a Keywords in a Sentence finds within a notebook (boring) There is a HO located in a closet where you find items that match 2 combined Silhouettes (_+_=?) and all the usual varieties, the only one I found remotely interesting was finding Symbols located on a bookshelf, but it was super easy! Why can't this developer think outside the box and place the HO scenes someplace more interesting, someplace other than the same places they have used in hundreds of games?
There is an alternate Match 3 Game available, which still doesn't allow you to make consecutive matches quickly because you have to wait for all tiles to stop falling before you can make the next match which makes the game super boring. It's always the same exact M3 game, the boards never change! They never add obstacles or new features to make it progress in difficulty. FYI: one of the achievements requires you to play the alternate Match 3 game in place of the HOS. (just once)
Mini-Games:
There are 28 Mini-Games +8 in the CE Bonus Chapter. You can choose to play most of them in an Easy or Hard difficulty mode and you can choose which mode to have them start out in the Custom Setting (you can still switch between modes for each individual game) Same games, as usual, Swap positions of Green & Blue Tiles - Adjust gauges that move at various speeds to stop at the same time - Adjust arrows to point at the 2 icons shown as a clue - Place knots with various extensions to fit correctly - Move doll pieces along tracks to fit together correctly - and a ton of sequence setups, such as choosing the direction a ball travels through a labyrinth or selecting directional arrows to guide a car to its destination.
There are 28 Mini-Games +8 in the CE Bonus Chapter. You can choose to play most of them in an Easy or Hard difficulty mode and you can choose which mode to have them start out in the Custom Setting (you can still switch between modes for each individual game) Same games, as usual, Swap positions of Green & Blue Tiles - Adjust gauges that move at various speeds to stop at the same time - Adjust arrows to point at the 2 icons shown as a clue - Place knots with various extensions to fit correctly - Move doll pieces along tracks to fit together correctly - and a ton of sequence setups, such as choosing the direction a ball travels through a labyrinth or selecting directional arrows to guide a car to its destination.
Bonus Chapter (CE Version Only)
Holy green goblins there's a ghostly canine who is in need of my paranormal services! There are 8 additional Mini-Games and 6 Hidden Object Scenes that take place over 10 additional scene locations. You will continue your search for the final 2 Morphing Dolls, 4 Magic Runes, and 10 Snapshots that will allow you to finish purchasing the Boudoir items.
Holy green goblins there's a ghostly canine who is in need of my paranormal services! There are 8 additional Mini-Games and 6 Hidden Object Scenes that take place over 10 additional scene locations. You will continue your search for the final 2 Morphing Dolls, 4 Magic Runes, and 10 Snapshots that will allow you to finish purchasing the Boudoir items.
Collector's Edition Extra's: (CE version only)
10 Wallpapers (basically giant photos of each character), 9 Concept Art Pictures, 5 Music Soundtracks, 26 Movie Video Cutscenes, 44 Achievements, 18 Replayable Mini-Games, 21 Replayable Hidden Object Scenes, 15 Morphing Dolls,15 Magical Runes, 59 Zoom-Zone Snapshots to purchase 15 Boudoir Items, 4 Main Chapters, +Bonus Chapter, and a Built-In Strategy Guide.
10 Wallpapers (basically giant photos of each character), 9 Concept Art Pictures, 5 Music Soundtracks, 26 Movie Video Cutscenes, 44 Achievements, 18 Replayable Mini-Games, 21 Replayable Hidden Object Scenes, 15 Morphing Dolls,15 Magical Runes, 59 Zoom-Zone Snapshots to purchase 15 Boudoir Items, 4 Main Chapters, +Bonus Chapter, and a Built-In Strategy Guide.
How do you feel about the new platform? Lets talk. thewoodsforum.boards.net
I don't recommend this game.
A sweeping chronicling of Ronin's epic odyssey!
Overall rating
3
/
5
7 of 9 found this review helpful
THE CARD FONT IS REALLY HARD TO READ!
PostedAugust 11, 2022
pennmom36
fromRemembering you is easy, I do it every day. Missing you is a heartache that never goes away, until we meet again on the Rainbow Bridge one day. დ Loki
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
I'm with nontechiegrannie on my opinion of this game. I found this to be just another solitaire game with nothing special to offer, it wasn't a bad game, but it wasn't impressive either. I wasn't blown away by the 2D cartoonish graphics, and I didn't particularly enjoy the Japanese inspirational music that accompanied it. By the time I completed the demo, I had no desire to purchase the game because it was just becoming boring.
Snow White Solitaire: Charmed Kingdom was one of the first solitaire games developed by Digimight Games and I remember scrambling to hit the "Buy Now" button because I was so blown away by the incredibly unique features it offered. These features were temporary Morphing boosters that would award you with +Coins, +Extra Deck Cards, and my favorite, a Tornado that revealed a few Face Down Cards. The Morphs would only last a few seconds before disappearing but quickly appeared on another card and you never knew what booster would appear, where, or when and it made the game really fun!
Samurai Solitaire doesn't have that unique feature so it's no different than the thousands of other solitaire games offered nowadays. The Boosters are just ordinary boosters that change a deck card to one needed, remove a selected card, or randomly remove 2 cards. You can also purchase these abilities in the Shop so it's not like they are giving you something special.
It has the usual Obstacle Cards, such as Lock and Key Cards, or cards that Clone when you remove the obstacle. The Multiplier starts at 6 Cards, there are 11 Trophies to earn, 5 Wallpapers, 5 Mini-games, 5 Card Backs, and 2 Card Fonts with 200+ Solitaire Levels.
Come join us at my new forum thewoodsforum.board.net
Snow White Solitaire: Charmed Kingdom was one of the first solitaire games developed by Digimight Games and I remember scrambling to hit the "Buy Now" button because I was so blown away by the incredibly unique features it offered. These features were temporary Morphing boosters that would award you with +Coins, +Extra Deck Cards, and my favorite, a Tornado that revealed a few Face Down Cards. The Morphs would only last a few seconds before disappearing but quickly appeared on another card and you never knew what booster would appear, where, or when and it made the game really fun!
Samurai Solitaire doesn't have that unique feature so it's no different than the thousands of other solitaire games offered nowadays. The Boosters are just ordinary boosters that change a deck card to one needed, remove a selected card, or randomly remove 2 cards. You can also purchase these abilities in the Shop so it's not like they are giving you something special.
It has the usual Obstacle Cards, such as Lock and Key Cards, or cards that Clone when you remove the obstacle. The Multiplier starts at 6 Cards, there are 11 Trophies to earn, 5 Wallpapers, 5 Mini-games, 5 Card Backs, and 2 Card Fonts with 200+ Solitaire Levels.
Come join us at my new forum thewoodsforum.board.net
What is Richard up to? Pursue Anna’s missing father through time!
Overall rating
3
/
5
71 of 97 found this review helpful
WILL THE REAL RICHARD PLEASE STAND UP?
PostedAugust 11, 2022
pennmom36
fromRemembering you is easy, I do it every day. Missing you is a heartache that never goes away, until we meet again on the Rainbow Bridge one day. დ Loki
Skill Level:Expert
Current Favorite:
Greed: The Mad Scientist
(51)Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
3.8 Stars ☆
3 Chapters +Bonus Chapter: approx. 4.0 hours
18 Main Game Scene Locations +9 Bonus Chapter
Difficulty Range: Beginner, possibly Intermediate
3 Chapters +Bonus Chapter: approx. 4.0 hours
18 Main Game Scene Locations +9 Bonus Chapter
Difficulty Range: Beginner, possibly Intermediate
Grim Tales has been all over the place lately. The story started morphing into a saga far from the original story as if they had forgotten what the plot was about! They seemed quite content at one point to focus on Anna Grey,
as the McGray family became nothing more than a distant memory.
as the McGray family became nothing more than a distant memory.
Anna Grey has a unique ability that allows her to travel back in time, thanks to her father Richard's dabbling into Black Magic. At first, most Grim Tale fans didn't appreciate putting the original story in the rearview mirror, after all, they were the ones who made us fans in the first place! Eventually, we grew to love Richard's sarcastic humor, not to mention the humor of a time-traveling woman lugging her daddy's skull around in an oversized purse!
Recently, Grim Tales took another drastic turn, just when we grew to love, and anticipate the next episode of Richard & Anna's antics! Out of the blue, we discover that Anna had given birth to baby Alice! Within a few episodes, baby Alice got kidnapped twice but it was becoming abundantly clear that the torch, and the ability to time-travel, were being passed down from Anna.
What we didn't see coming was the disappearance of good ole' daddy Richard! The last few games have obviously tried to phase out our beloved, fun-loving, sarcastic skull! Grim Tales fans were not happy about Richards's disappearance because we all know the outcome of the Grey/McGray family. Everyone began to voice their disproval which seemed to snap Elephant Games back to reality...don't write off daddy Richard!
Clearly, Grim Tales is veering off course once more as they introduce Anastasia, Anna's mum who summons us from beyond via her beloved Cameo...wait, WHAT? Just bring back Richard and his glowing skull and we will pretend this never happened!
GADGETS & HELPERS:
Anastasia is both a Gadget and a helper who contacts Anna via a Cameo on the top left section of the Inventory Bar. She is not a viable option for Richard and/or his glowing skull. Did someone complain that the Dark Magic that allowed Richard to communicate with Anna was too scary, or not politically correct? Why are you flopping the plot and the entire basis of this story around AGAIN, Elephant? The reason Anna stays young has been explained, Richard can't go anywhere obviously because of his "condition" so why can't you just leave well enough alone?? This isn't Richard...bring back the real daddy Richard!
Anastasia is both a Gadget and a helper who contacts Anna via a Cameo on the top left section of the Inventory Bar. She is not a viable option for Richard and/or his glowing skull. Did someone complain that the Dark Magic that allowed Richard to communicate with Anna was too scary, or not politically correct? Why are you flopping the plot and the entire basis of this story around AGAIN, Elephant? The reason Anna stays young has been explained, Richard can't go anywhere obviously because of his "condition" so why can't you just leave well enough alone?? This isn't Richard...bring back the real daddy Richard!
BONUS CHAPTER: (Collector's Edition version only)
Travel forward(?) in a prequel playing as a Detective named Conrad Matthews who is tasked with finding the elusive, Elusive Gang tee-hee-hee This is an average-length Bonus Chapter that takes place over 7 scene locations with 9 additional Mini-games and 6 Hidden Object Scenes. You will continue searching for the final 3 Collectible Pictures, and 6 Screensaver pieces that allow you to complete the Screensaver. After completing the Bonus Chapter, you'll gain entry to the Archives, Expedition, and Secret Rooms.
Travel forward(?) in a prequel playing as a Detective named Conrad Matthews who is tasked with finding the elusive, Elusive Gang tee-hee-hee This is an average-length Bonus Chapter that takes place over 7 scene locations with 9 additional Mini-games and 6 Hidden Object Scenes. You will continue searching for the final 3 Collectible Pictures, and 6 Screensaver pieces that allow you to complete the Screensaver. After completing the Bonus Chapter, you'll gain entry to the Archives, Expedition, and Secret Rooms.
COLLECTOR'S EDITION EXTRA'S:
5 Wallpaper, 1 Screensaver, 5 Music Soundtracks, 22 Achievements, 12 Collectible Pictures, 24 Zoom Zone Jigsaw Puzzle Fragments, a Secret Room (return to scenes in search of Morphing Objects) Expedition Room (return to scenes to search for missed Collectibles & Jigsaw Puzzle Fragments) Archives Room (replay 13 Hidden Object Scenes and 13 Mini-games) 3 Main Chapters +Bonus Chapter, and a Built-In Strategy Guide.
5 Wallpaper, 1 Screensaver, 5 Music Soundtracks, 22 Achievements, 12 Collectible Pictures, 24 Zoom Zone Jigsaw Puzzle Fragments, a Secret Room (return to scenes in search of Morphing Objects) Expedition Room (return to scenes to search for missed Collectibles & Jigsaw Puzzle Fragments) Archives Room (replay 13 Hidden Object Scenes and 13 Mini-games) 3 Main Chapters +Bonus Chapter, and a Built-In Strategy Guide.
If you go down in the woods today, you're sure of a big surprise...join us won't you? thewoodsforum.boards.net
I recommend this game!
Join Helga the Viking on a historical adventure!
Overall rating
1
/
5
43 of 55 found this review helpful
CAN'T YOU AT LEAST CREATE NEW BOARD LEVELS? WHY ARE THEY ALWAYS THE SAME?
PostedAugust 10, 2022
pennmom36
fromRemembering you is easy, I do it every day. Missing you is a heartache that never goes away, until we meet again on the Rainbow Bridge one day. დ Loki
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
1
/
5
Level of Challenge
1
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
The last several games have a serious oversight (that's fancy for saying glitch) When you make matches over the gold cells, it's a hit or miss as to whether the match is accepted and the gold cells are destroyed! It's almost as if the game can't tell the difference between a deliberate match and those that are just tiles falling into place. This happens most often when you swipe upward to make a match over a gold cell. To be clear, it isn't just a case of the gold cell being double layered, this happens from the get-go of level 1.
Every game by this developer is the same, they may change the graphics and the story, and they sometimes even rename the tools (powerups) but the level layouts and goals themselves are identical to the games offered before. The only reason I can think of for a player to purchase another game by this developer is so they can read a new story? (no voiceovers, just text to read)
Some icons are trapped under Crates, Spiderwebs, or Ropes that require making adjacent matches or matches of whatever tile is blocked within them. Have you ever noticed that most of the blocked and hidden tiles are just filler features, and unblocking the tiles is never really a necessity to progress because they rarely expose, or block other areas of interest? They also ditched the spiders that everyone seemed to hate but I actually liked them because at least it was a challenging feature.
The only goal really is to make matches over all of the Gold, Silver, or Blue Cells and make the required number of matches of each specified element tile. Some levels have Treasures or Amulets that can be collected by dropping them off the board when you make matches under them...it's the same MO in the same consequential order every single time!
Two Powerups with various abilities are added at the start of each level. They changed this feature slightly a few games back by not allowing you to purchase the powerups you want. Each powerup comes with a limited amount versus unlimited uses of any powerup once purchased, and/or recharged by filling the Mana Meter.
The powerups include a feature to remove a 5-tile row or column, powerups that destroy a small group of tiles, or just a single tile or chain. Match 5s awards you with a Medium Bomb on the board and Match 6s awards you with a Large Bomb (I never seem to receive a small bomb?) The bomb feature isn't very useful because you have to click to detonate them but you can't swipe them over, up, or down if desired.
Once again, you must purchase all 4 World Upgrades to progress to the next Chapter, 5 Chapters total, with the single Star you earn for completing each level. There are no options for the upgraded worlds, such as choosing which building to construct, where to place the building, or an option to choose from several designs, so it's a boring and meaningless feature for me personally because basically it just allows you to read more text about the saga at hand...not to mention this scenario takes forever before you can move on.
Lots of fellow fishies and game talk at thewoodsforum.boards.net
I don't recommend this game.
Help Stan the museum guard recover priceless artifacts!
Overall rating
1
/
5
10 of 12 found this review helpful
THERE'S NOTHING TO SEE HERE FOLKS, MOVE ALONG
PostedAugust 9, 2022
pennmom36
fromRemembering you is easy, I do it every day. Missing you is a heartache that never goes away, until we meet again on the Rainbow Bridge one day. დ Loki
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
1
/
5
Level of Challenge
1
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
This is just another e-FunSoft Match 3 game, nothing new has been added, and nothing has changed except the title and the story. If you have played any other Match 3 game by this developer, you have basically already played this game, move along cuz there's nothing to see here folks!
This game has the same wooden crates to bust, the same roped items to match, the same artifacts to drop off of the board, and the same golden tiles that require matches on them. Most of the obstacles are just filler features, and unblocking the tiles is never a necessity to progress unless they block other areas of interest. They also got rid of the spiders that everyone seemed to hate but I actually liked them because at least it was somewhat of a challenge.
This game has the same wooden crates to bust, the same roped items to match, the same artifacts to drop off of the board, and the same golden tiles that require matches on them. Most of the obstacles are just filler features, and unblocking the tiles is never a necessity to progress unless they block other areas of interest. They also got rid of the spiders that everyone seemed to hate but I actually liked them because at least it was somewhat of a challenge.
Two Powerups with various abilities are added at the start of each level. They changed this feature slightly a few games back by not allowing you to purchase the powerups you want. Each powerup comes with a limited amount versus unlimited uses of any powerup once purchased, and/or recharged by filling the Mana Meter. The powerups help you beat levels by removing a 5-tile row, or a 5-tile column, some remove a single tile or chain or remove a 2 x 2 area. Large matches put a bomb on the board, a M5 awards you with a Medium Bomb on the board and a match 6 awards you with a Large Bomb (I never did receive a small bomb!)
You must purchase all 4 World Upgrades to progress to the next Chapter, 5 Chapters total, with the single Star you earn for completing each level. There are no options for the upgraded worlds, such as which building to construct, nor does it allow you to place the building where you want, so it's a boring and meaningless feature for me personally because basically it just allows you to read more text about the saga at hand...not to mention this scenario takes forever before you can move on or skip it.
Lots of fellow fishies and game talk at thewoodsforum.boards.net
I don't recommend this game.
Overall rating
1
/
5
50 of 66 found this review helpful
GNOME BODY KNOWS THE TROUBLE I'VE SEEN, GNOME BODY KNOWS MY SORROW
PostedAugust 9, 2022
pennmom36
fromRemembering you is easy, I do it every day. Missing you is a heartache that never goes away, until we meet again on the Rainbow Bridge one day. დ Loki
Skill Level:Expert
Current Favorite:
The Chronicles of Emerland Solitaire
(147)Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
1
/
5
Level of Challenge
1
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
I wish I had gnome this would be today's release, I hope someone loves this game, but it appears gnome body does. I'll probably just be chilling with my gnomies or hanging with my gnombres instead, gnome saying? Everyone gnomes I'm not a fan of this type of solitaire game. I keep telling this developer "you've gotta go big, or go gnome... sweet gnome", (or was it gnome on the range?) I tell them, this type of solitaire game is gnome-sense, it's not like the game is sitting on the shelf at the local Gnome Depot! But they always reply that "good things come to gnomes who wait, so gnome worry, just be happy you're not gnome all alone" OH, Gnome they didn't!
I gnome not what they are speaking of but I'm gnome body's fool! I gnome I'm not making much sense here, so hopefully, I gnome you well enough to tell you a little bit about myself. I'm from Gnome, Alaska, and you gnome what they say... all roads lead to Gnome! I once started a Gnome Fund Me page to raise money for gnomeless gnomes, but gnome body donated? I also love to sing, my favorite song is Sweet Gnome Alabama, and I've been gnome to sing till the cows come gnome. You probably gnome me best from my reviews, however, because I like to write in my gnome words.
I hope you enjoyed a little bit of humor today, it's gotta be better than another mass-produced solitaire game that is identical to every other game "created" by this developer! I use the term "created" lightly because they don't actually create any new games, they just rename them and change the graphics...gnome saying?
You can choose from 9 card backs, none of which are even remotely appealing, and 3 different face cards, one of which is a large font. You begin the game in Newbie mode, which allows you to replay any hand, Professional mode only allows you to replay the entire pack of 10 levels. There are 12 different Packs, and each pack has 10 levels, you need to earn the specified amount of points to unlock the next pack, and the scoring is similar to bowling.
Have you ever noticed that the tutorial makes you click another card off of the deck even though there are several playable cards remaining on the board? I'm reluctant to skip the tutorial just in case they have added a new random feature, but alas, it never happens, this is how the story gnomes :(
The Bonus Cards are one of the most annoying features they have because every time you remove a Bonus Card the screen freezes for what seems like an eternity just so you can get a good hard look at that sucker! Most of the time it gives you +499 extra points, but occasionally, a Joker, Shuffle, or a Mulligan (undo feature). Finding two of these cards back has been gnome to drive players insane.
Quick, pretend you're still playing this game and sneak on over to The Woods Forum while gnomes paying attention: thewoodsforum.boards.net
I don't recommend this game.
Explore the uncharted lands where light and shadow meet!
Overall rating
3
/
5
14 of 17 found this review helpful
IT WASN'T AS CLICHE AS PAST GAMES HAVE BEEN!
PostedAugust 8, 2022
pennmom36
fromRemembering you is easy, I do it every day. Missing you is a heartache that never goes away, until we meet again on the Rainbow Bridge one day. დ Loki
Skill Level:Expert
Current Favorite:
Weird Park: Scary Tales
(152)Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Something's fishy here! Even though I have purchased this game, I'm still unable to download any of my purchased games since the overhaul, so, unfortunately, I can only review the demo of this game.
The first thing that grabbed my attention was the realistic graphics! They didn't use those purple haze, and green neon glitter bombs, they just made the graphics bright and colorful while trying to keep everything as natural looking as possible. I'm not 100% convinced that it isn't a fluke but it would seem that Domini has turned a new leaf because the entire demo seemed to have fewer cliche tasks than most Domini games...could they be listening to our reviews finally?
Collectibles/Morphing Objects (CE version only)
The tasks may have had a facelift, but the Collectibles are still sagging! They are always the same collectibles, they just give them a different name from one game to the next. There are 15 Morphing Relics, 15 Reverse Artifacts, and 75 Zoom Zone Metal Plates that are used to purchase 15 uninteresting Portal Keeper's Room items. There is an optional Collection Icon Tab that can be enabled or disabled in the settings menu which will light up when there is a collectible in the current scene. You can also choose to show/hide the availability of collectibles on the Map.
The tasks may have had a facelift, but the Collectibles are still sagging! They are always the same collectibles, they just give them a different name from one game to the next. There are 15 Morphing Relics, 15 Reverse Artifacts, and 75 Zoom Zone Metal Plates that are used to purchase 15 uninteresting Portal Keeper's Room items. There is an optional Collection Icon Tab that can be enabled or disabled in the settings menu which will light up when there is a collectible in the current scene. You can also choose to show/hide the availability of collectibles on the Map.
Hidden Object Scenes:
The Hidden Object scenes have the usual variants such as Interactive Listed Item Finds, Silhouetted Shape Finds, and Keywords in Sentence Finds. My biggest complaint here is that the developers never apply their amazing graphics, or their story-telling, creative imagination skills to the HO scenes. It's always the same MO, and the scenes are located in really boring locations, usually just a pile of things sitting on a desk or shelf!
The Hidden Object scenes have the usual variants such as Interactive Listed Item Finds, Silhouetted Shape Finds, and Keywords in Sentence Finds. My biggest complaint here is that the developers never apply their amazing graphics, or their story-telling, creative imagination skills to the HO scenes. It's always the same MO, and the scenes are located in really boring locations, usually just a pile of things sitting on a desk or shelf!
Do me a favor folks, take a look at those beautiful graphics, pay attention to the detail Domini poured into the scenery before you click on the first HO scene. It's a mundane interactive list of items to find that are sitting on a table inside the motorhome camper...the entire bottom portion of the left side is pitch black, and the objects to find are so "been there done that" (find a compass, replace the flashlight battery, find a pair of scissors, you get the picture! HO scenes should pop with color, the scenes should be located in imaginative places, not the same locations they have been located in the past 100 games, this IS a fantasy-themed game is it not?
Alternate Match 3 Game:
There is an alternate Match 3 Game available if you don't want to play a Hidden Object Scene. The M3s still don't allow you to make consecutive matches quickly because you have to wait for all tiles to stop falling before you can make the next match and they are the same boards with the same tiles used in every Do Game!
There is an alternate Match 3 Game available if you don't want to play a Hidden Object Scene. The M3s still don't allow you to make consecutive matches quickly because you have to wait for all tiles to stop falling before you can make the next match and they are the same boards with the same tiles used in every Do Game!
Bonus Chapter (CE Version Only)
As I stated earlier, I couldn't play the entire game, I could only download & play the trial for this game because BF has yet to resolve this glitch. I realize my situation is somewhat unique because there are only a few of us who have the infamous 1404 Game Manager Glitch which occurs when you purchase too many games. When creating their new points system, BF either overlooked this GM glitch, or they don't have an actual solution yet, either way, they should at least have the courtesy to respond to my CS support ticket don't ya think?
As I stated earlier, I couldn't play the entire game, I could only download & play the trial for this game because BF has yet to resolve this glitch. I realize my situation is somewhat unique because there are only a few of us who have the infamous 1404 Game Manager Glitch which occurs when you purchase too many games. When creating their new points system, BF either overlooked this GM glitch, or they don't have an actual solution yet, either way, they should at least have the courtesy to respond to my CS support ticket don't ya think?
Collector's Edition Extra's: (CE version only)
21 Wallpapers, 21 Concept Art Pictures, 5 Music Soundtracks, 30 Movie Video Cutscenes, 25 Achievements, 20 Replayable Mini-Games, 20 Replayable Hidden Object Scenes, 15 Morphing Relics, 15 Reverse Artifacts, and 75 Zoom Zone Metal Plates that are used to purchase 15 uninteresting Portal Keeper's Room items, a Bonus Chapter, and a built-in Strategy Guide.
21 Wallpapers, 21 Concept Art Pictures, 5 Music Soundtracks, 30 Movie Video Cutscenes, 25 Achievements, 20 Replayable Mini-Games, 20 Replayable Hidden Object Scenes, 15 Morphing Relics, 15 Reverse Artifacts, and 75 Zoom Zone Metal Plates that are used to purchase 15 uninteresting Portal Keeper's Room items, a Bonus Chapter, and a built-in Strategy Guide.
If you go down in the woods today you're sure of a big surprise, thewoodsforum.boards.net
I recommend this game!
Match Effect
A new set of mystical puzzles awaits in 1001 Jigsaw: Legends of Mystery 3!
Overall rating
1
/
5
9 of 14 found this review helpful
"MATCH 3 FORMULA REIMAGINED" NEEDS TOP GO BACK TO THE IMAGINATION DRAWING BOARD!
PostedAugust 7, 2022
pennmom36
fromRemembering you is easy, I do it every day. Missing you is a heartache that never goes away, until we meet again on the Rainbow Bridge one day. დ Loki
Skill Level:Expert
Current Favorite:
4 Elements II
(156)Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
1
/
5
Level of Challenge
1
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
I'm not sure why the first reviewer was trying to use the keyboard because I just used the mouse and had no issues maneuvering the Players Diamond. This isn't a horrible game if you want to play a far too complicated method to get the same results as a normal Match 3 game.
Basically, you move the special Diamond-shaped box around the board, within the number of moves shown inside the diamond, to create Match 3's (or more) Moving the diamond player box allows you to swap icons so take your time and strategize moves that will create large matches. You can swap the player diamond in any direction but each cell moved deducts 1 move from the counter. When you make a match 3 the counter resets to 6 additional moves and you continue playing until your counter reaches 0 (if you weren't successful at matches)
There are three different Game Modes, a Journey Mode with no time limits or penalties, Arcade Mode which penalizes you by decreasing the moves counter if the move is not made within the time limit, or Time Trial Mode which is a 3-minute high-score sprint mode with no timer or penalties.
There are three Difficulty Modes, a Normal Mode which increases in difficulty gradually, a Delight Mode which is a bit more demanding, and a Juicy Mode which claims to be a brain-teasing mode that is challenging from the get-go. You can also sign up for an online account with Aeternet by clicking the infinity sign and compete for high scores.
Powerups vary depending on which Game Mode you choose (such as Arcade, Journey, Time Trial) Metamorphosis stops the timer and raises the moves counter to 14 moves. The Rescue powerup removes an entire row & column and the Plus One powerup adds 1 additional move.
Granite cells require a bomb to destroy or they can be dropped off the board. Rainbow Tiles can be matched with any icon, Fixated cells push entire columns/rows, the Empty cell refills the moves counter instantly, Shuffle icons will shuffle the board when swapped, the Rescue Swap will remove a column or row, and Wall cells require bombs or they can be dropped off of the board.
As you can see, this is a really complex game, but depending on the mode of difficulty chosen, the game itself isn't hard to play once you get the hang of it. I will say that the "helper arrows" that appeared in the first 3 levels are what helped me figure out what I was supposed to do.
Need help, join us at thewoodsforum.boards.net
I don't recommend this game.
Help Amanda and her nephew make sure the classic tale has a happy ending in this match-3 adventure!
Overall rating
1
/
5
13 of 16 found this review helpful
THE "SHINY" MUST BE BLINDING!
PostedAugust 7, 2022
pennmom36
fromRemembering you is easy, I do it every day. Missing you is a heartache that never goes away, until we meet again on the Rainbow Bridge one day. დ Loki
Skill Level:Expert
Current Favorite:
Cradle of Persia
(27)Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
1
/
5
Level of Challenge
1
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
Colorful and shiny just isn't enough, having a good story is perfect for a HOPA game but neither of these features will make a Match 3 game 5-star worthy. If you are new to this developer's games then you will probably enjoy the game, but if you've played a few e-FunSoft Match 3 games it becomes apparent that it's the same game mechanics, the same board-level layouts, etc., the "shiny like a wealthy woman's neck" just doesn't cut it for me!
The sparkling wooden treasure chests remind me of the song by Tamatoa the crab from Moana, "Like a treasure from a sunken pirate wreck, scrub the deck and make it look shiny" The shiny chests require adjacent matches to bust them, which may or may not expose a golden tile, (sometimes Blue Cells that require multiple matches) Some icons are trapped under Spiderwebs or Ropes that require making matches of whatever tile is blocked within them, but most of them are just filler features, and unblocking the tiles is never a necessity to progress unless they block other areas of interest. They also got rid of the spiders that everyone seemed to hate but I actually liked them because at least it was a challenging feature. (but I guess they weren't shiny enough)
The only goal really is to make matches over all of the Gold, Silver, or Blue Cells and make the required number of matches of each specified element tile. Some levels have Treasures that can be collected by dropping them off the board when you make matches under them.
Two Powerups with various abilities are added at the start of each level. They changed this feature slightly a few games back by not allowing you to purchase the powerups you want. Each powerup comes with a limited amount versus unlimited uses of any powerup once purchased, and/or recharged by filling the Mana Meter. The powerups include a Slingshot to remove a 5-tile row, a Sword to remove a 5-tile column, a Ladle to remove a single tile or chain, and a pot of Boiling Soup to remove a 2 x 2 area. help by removing a single tile, a 2x2 area. A match 5 awards you with a Medium Bomb on the board and a match 6 awards you with a Large Bomb (I never did receive a small bomb!)
You must purchase all 4 World Upgrades to progress to the next Chapter, 5 Chapters total, with the single Star you earn for completing each level. There are no options for the upgraded worlds, such as, which building to construct, nor does it allow you to place the building where you want, so it's a boring and meaningless feature for me personally because basically it just allows you to read more text about the saga at hand...not to mention this scenario takes forever before you can move on, but it sparkles when you purchase an upgrade so it's definitely "Shiny, Watch me dazzle like a diamond in the rough, Strut my stuff, my stuff is so shiny"
Lots of fellow fishies and game talk at thewoodsforum.boards.net
I don't recommend this game.
Complete incredible works of art and let your creativity shine!
Overall rating
4
/
5
14 of 14 found this review helpful
ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL COLOR SELECTION***BUT SOME AREAS ARE IMPOSSIBLE TO FIND :(
PostedAugust 7, 2022
pennmom36
fromRemembering you is easy, I do it every day. Missing you is a heartache that never goes away, until we meet again on the Rainbow Bridge one day. დ Loki
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Once again, this developer creates an amazing game that has Paint By Numbers and Pixel Art in the same game! The colors are fantabulous, realistic, and beautiful and they allow you to choose between a Flat or 3D style which adds highlights and texture for an even more realistic painting. I do, however, agree with my fellow reviewer that some of the areas are so tiny, and so tucked away that they are impossible to spot and aren't numbered because of their small size.
I still hate that Robot and for the life of me can't understand why they feel the need to add him to every game they offer when so many people complain about him? I do love how this developer takes advantage of the full-color palette spectrum to add slightly different hues to give the painting a dimensional depth!
I still hate that Robot and for the life of me can't understand why they feel the need to add him to every game they offer when so many people complain about him? I do love how this developer takes advantage of the full-color palette spectrum to add slightly different hues to give the painting a dimensional depth!
I also wish they would make the Settings Options easier to figure out because there are no instructions and the pictures aren't very explanatory and there are no options to select a specific color for the "grey" areas (other than light grey, dark gray. When an image uses similar grey colors early on, it's almost impossible to see the greyed-in areas and some of the images had very tiny areas to find. If I could choose my own color I wouldn't have had to use the Hint button so often simply because I couldn't see a tiny grey area!
Let's talk... at thewoodsforum.boards.net
Let's talk... at thewoodsforum.boards.net
I recommend this game!