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:
The bad kids are taking over the Polar Express!
Overall rating
2
/
5
86 of 120 found this review helpful
SO LET ME GET THIS STRAIGHT-THE GOOD LITTLE BOY STOLE A COIN FROM HIS PARENTS DESK & THEN DECIDED TO SNEAK OUT THRU HIS BEDROOM WINDOW?
PostedDecember 9, 2021
pennmom36
from"Sometimes the Smallest Things Take Up The Most Room In Your Heart" ~ Forever in my heart, Loki ❣
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
1
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
Completed Game approximately 5.5 hours
(including completion of all mini-games & CE Bonus Chapter)
23 Main Game Scene Locations +10 Bonus Chapter
Difficulty Range: Beginner
(including completion of all mini-games & CE Bonus Chapter)
23 Main Game Scene Locations +10 Bonus Chapter
Difficulty Range: Beginner
Great Green Grinches! We wait patiently for an entire year to play the infamous Christmas-themed games but it looks like this year all we got was a Lump Of Coal! In the past, it was well worth our wait, but this year the Sleigh Bells are Ringing but no one's Listening while we're left outside in the cold Glistening snow hanging on to our Christmas Balls wondering what went wrong.
Some people apparently found a Golden Ticket to the North Pole but I think mine got switched with one of Willie Wonka's leftover chocolate fringed tickets because I've yet to see a magical wonderland and I have a sneaky suspicion that I got dropped off somewhere near Glasgow, Montana and Peck, Idaho cuz there's not a lot going on here.
I just have one question...why did they decide that Christopher should receive a Golden Ticket to visit Santa at the North Pole because he was such a "Nice" kid...only to turn around and have him do an entire List full of "Naughty" deeds? He made plans to sneak away from home without alerting the parents of his intentions to flee. Just before giving his parents the slip, he steals a Gold Coin from the drawer and shimmies out his bedroom window on a makeshift ladder, boards a train SOLO and heads off to Santa's Wonderland at the North Pole! I'm pretty sure Santa would consider all these deeds as a check on the Naughty List?
Audio/Visuals:
I can never really find fault with the audio or graphics in a Domini game. Lately, this is the only aspect of their games that really shines with superior quality, the stories are unimaginative and the tasks are so repetitive that surely even a beginner would take notice? Domini is also known for adding items that can be interacted with but as you'll soon discover, these interactions become a rarety after the demo portion!
I can never really find fault with the audio or graphics in a Domini game. Lately, this is the only aspect of their games that really shines with superior quality, the stories are unimaginative and the tasks are so repetitive that surely even a beginner would take notice? Domini is also known for adding items that can be interacted with but as you'll soon discover, these interactions become a rarety after the demo portion!
Gadgets/Helper:
Fluffy, who isn't fluffy is our Christmas Elf helper. Of all the creative names they could have given a talking dog with an attitude, they chose Fluffy...nuff or ruff said!
Fluffy, who isn't fluffy is our Christmas Elf helper. Of all the creative names they could have given a talking dog with an attitude, they chose Fluffy...nuff or ruff said!
Collectibles/Morphing Objects (CE version only)
Once again, there are a gazillion Missing Notes to discover, and the same collectibles and morphs...only the names have been changed to deceive the innocent! There are 15 Morphing Christmas Items and 15 Christmas Card Clickables. I say "click on" versus collect because they are NEVER hidden or challenging to find! There are the same infamous 70 Zoom Zone Gingerbread Star Coins that are used to purchase 15 boring Boudior Items...what does this have to do with Christmas? 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.
Once again, there are a gazillion Missing Notes to discover, and the same collectibles and morphs...only the names have been changed to deceive the innocent! There are 15 Morphing Christmas Items and 15 Christmas Card Clickables. I say "click on" versus collect because they are NEVER hidden or challenging to find! There are the same infamous 70 Zoom Zone Gingerbread Star Coins that are used to purchase 15 boring Boudior Items...what does this have to do with Christmas? 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:
There are 14 Hidden Object Scenes +4 in the CE Bonus Chapter. The Hidden Object Scenes were Christmas-themed but none of them have a wow factor or exciting features. These are no different than the HO's offered in the last several Domini Games, you'd think they would at least try to blow our socks off with some amazing Christmas scenes?? There are the standard Interactive Listed Item Finds, Keywords in Sentence Finds, Silhouetted Shape Finds, Matching Objects, and Fill in the Blanks with ? + ? = a Doll
There are 14 Hidden Object Scenes +4 in the CE Bonus Chapter. The Hidden Object Scenes were Christmas-themed but none of them have a wow factor or exciting features. These are no different than the HO's offered in the last several Domini Games, you'd think they would at least try to blow our socks off with some amazing Christmas scenes?? There are the standard Interactive Listed Item Finds, Keywords in Sentence Finds, Silhouetted Shape Finds, Matching Objects, and Fill in the Blanks with ? + ? = a Doll
Alternate Match 3 Game:
There is an alternate Match 3 Game available if you don't want to play a Hidden Object Scene, 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. The M3 boards are always square and 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)
There is an alternate Match 3 Game available if you don't want to play a Hidden Object Scene, 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. The M3 boards are always square and 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 19 Mini-Games +9 in the CE Bonus Chapter. You can choose to play 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) Christmas only comes once a year but these puzzles come every game...nothing new here folks! Do any of these sound familiar?... Swap the gears to make them rotate, Adjust paddles in a snowball-pinball game, place cupcakes according to the mathematical clues, remove stains in a chain type match 3 game, choose accessories to play dress-up according to the picture shown, place items in a box so they don't overlap when the box folds, select directional arrows to move a character from point A to B, use right & left arrows to avoid obstacles...this is a Christmas game, HOPA fans wait all year for these special games so why offer us the same ole same ole you offer in games that are released twice a week by the same developer?
There are 19 Mini-Games +9 in the CE Bonus Chapter. You can choose to play 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) Christmas only comes once a year but these puzzles come every game...nothing new here folks! Do any of these sound familiar?... Swap the gears to make them rotate, Adjust paddles in a snowball-pinball game, place cupcakes according to the mathematical clues, remove stains in a chain type match 3 game, choose accessories to play dress-up according to the picture shown, place items in a box so they don't overlap when the box folds, select directional arrows to move a character from point A to B, use right & left arrows to avoid obstacles...this is a Christmas game, HOPA fans wait all year for these special games so why offer us the same ole same ole you offer in games that are released twice a week by the same developer?
Bonus Chapter (CE Version Only)
Georgie the Elf is trying to sabotage Christmas so put down your cocoa and hang on to your jingle bells, it's time to save Christmas! There are 9 additional Mini-Games and 4 Hidden Object Scenes, and you will continue your search for the final gazillion notes, 5 Christmas Cards, 5 Christmas Items, and 9 Gingerbread Star Coins of varying amounts to finish decorating the boring Boudior.
Georgie the Elf is trying to sabotage Christmas so put down your cocoa and hang on to your jingle bells, it's time to save Christmas! There are 9 additional Mini-Games and 4 Hidden Object Scenes, and you will continue your search for the final gazillion notes, 5 Christmas Cards, 5 Christmas Items, and 9 Gingerbread Star Coins of varying amounts to finish decorating the boring Boudior.
Collector's Edition Extra's: (CE version only)
15 Wallpapers, 20 Concept Art Pictures, 5 Music Soundtracks, 25 Movie Video Cutscenes, 39 Achievements, 19 Replayable Mini-Games, 18 Replayable Hidden Object Scenes, 15 Morphing Christmas Items, 15 Christmas Cards, a gazillion Missing Notes, 70 Zoom-Zone Gingerbread Star Coins, 15 Boudior Items (purchase with gingerbread stars) 7 stretched out Main Chapters, +Bonus Chapter, and a Built-In Strategy Guide.
15 Wallpapers, 20 Concept Art Pictures, 5 Music Soundtracks, 25 Movie Video Cutscenes, 39 Achievements, 19 Replayable Mini-Games, 18 Replayable Hidden Object Scenes, 15 Morphing Christmas Items, 15 Christmas Cards, a gazillion Missing Notes, 70 Zoom-Zone Gingerbread Star Coins, 15 Boudior Items (purchase with gingerbread stars) 7 stretched out Main Chapters, +Bonus Chapter, and a Built-In Strategy Guide.
Take a stroll thru The Woods at my new Forum just in time to give & receive Rudolph's Presents! thewoodsforum.boards.net
I don't recommend this game.
Elf is back! Solve festive match-3 puzzles and build a winter town!
Overall rating
3
/
5
21 of 31 found this review helpful
CUTE CHRISTMAS MATCH 3 BUT NOT MUCH DIFFERENT THAN THE LAST ONE
PostedDecember 8, 2021
pennmom36
from"Sometimes the Smallest Things Take Up The Most Room In Your Heart" ~ Forever in my heart, Loki ❣
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
Looks like it's that time of year again, time to rebuild Elf Town that is! It's been about 5 years since the last game was offered but it doesn't look like anything has changed, the tiles and game mechanics are the same as last time, even Elf Town itself was the same town with the same buildings to rebuild (is this another revamped game?)
You can play in a Relaxed or Timed Mode and switch between modes at any point in time. Levels can be replayed but the levels are pretty easy and can be finished faster than a sleigh bell rings while the snow is glistening. The Stars are converted to coins which are used to rebuild Elf Town with Houses, Factories, etc., or to complete tasks such as gathering firewood.
Large matches will give you a Powerup on the board. A Match 4 gives you a Jewel, a Match 5 gives you a Bomb and as you progress, Bonuses are added to the right of the board to be used at your discretion. There are Directional Rockets, Mighty Bombs that clear a 9 cell square, and Magic Wands that clear all of the same type of tile as chosen.
There aren't a whole lot of Obstacles other than Snow or Ice covered Tiles. Some levels require you to drop a Treasure Chest or two off the board but it doesn't have a whole lot of bells and whistles...especially when comparing it to the amazing Cursed House which was just released a few days ago!
Come join us at The Woods forum just in time to give and receive Rudolph's Presents at thewoodsforum.boards.net
Philatelist is an indie jigsaw puzzle game inspired by philately where you piece together stamps and add them to your collection!
Overall rating
1
/
5
9 of 11 found this review helpful
PUZZLES ARE SUPPOSED TO BE RELAXING??
PostedDecember 7, 2021
pennmom36
from"Sometimes the Smallest Things Take Up The Most Room In Your Heart" ~ Forever in my heart, Loki ❣
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
1
/
5
Level of Challenge
1
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
I'm a puzzle geek but I want puzzles that take me out of the zone and away from the hustle and bustle of the world. I want puzzles that have beautiful scenery in remote locations that I can only dream about visiting, pictures of wild animals in beautiful, vibrant colors, or even fantasy-themed pictures of Fairies, Gnomes, Dragons, or worlds seen through the artists' minds.
Unfortunately, the only puzzles offered here are stamps...they aren't even stamps with colorful images or scenery, they are just pastel-colored, plain Jane stamps :(
To make matters worse, they have 3 modes of difficulty, which in itself isn't so bad, but if you want to earn all 3-Stars, you have to play in the Hard Mode which is a Timed Mode (120 seconds) with 24 Pieces AND the pieces are constantly spinning...who wants to assemble spinning puzzle pieces?? The Normal Mode allows you to earn just 2-Stars, there is no timer but you must complete the puzzle within 60 moves AND the pieces are desaturated...they are ugly enough without desaturating them?? You can play on the Easy Mode without all the spinning desaturated pieces but you can only earn a single star... the worse concept I've ever seen in a puzzle game!
There are 3 Features available on the right side. A Red Ticket that adds 1 Random puzzle piece, a Green Ticket that adds 3 Random Pieces, and a Blue Ticket that adds 20 seconds to the Timer, and eventually one that adds 20 extra steps or moves...the worse features I've ever seen in a puzzle!
The Stars earned are used to purchase new Tickets, and the Stamps you complete are stored as a Collection that can be sold...whose buying them? You will collect 9 stamps from 9 different countries (Italy, U.K., France, Germany, Netherlands, Spain, Ukraine, Russia, and Japan)...the worse collections feature I've ever seen in a puzzle???
Come join me at my new forum just in time to give and receive Rudolph's Presents thewoodsforum.boards.net
I don't recommend this game.
Go on an outer space adventure while completing colorful and challenging pixel art puzzles!
Overall rating
4
/
5
1 of 3 found this review helpful
IT NEEDS AN OPTION TO SELECT THE COLOR OF THE AVAILABLE CELLS
PostedDecember 7, 2021
pennmom36
from"Sometimes the Smallest Things Take Up The Most Room In Your Heart" ~ Forever in my heart, Loki ❣
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
If you are a fan of the other pixel art games, prepare yourself because this series is lightyears ahead of Pixel Art! I still think it needs a few tweaks such as images where the entire scene is available versus a small image in the center of nothingness. The biggest issue, however, is that once you use any yellow crayon, the available cells shown on the map are impossible to differentiate. Perhaps giving us the option to change this color at will would solve the issue?
Other than that, I still think this series is fantastic. I love that the colors are shown as individual Crayons (# or letter specific) at the bottom of the board and once you highlight a crayon, all associated cells will appear in an easy-to-spot yellow color. Even better, there is a Map on the top right corner that shows the image and where all those yellow cells are located within the picture so you'll know exactly where the cells are located! (unless the colors are yellowish) I also love how the cells flip over as you are coloring them and that the cursor tip is a fine point to reduce accidental coloring.
The Crayons were so much more authentic versus a table with colored blocks! When you click on a crayon, a tab appears to tell you exactly how many cells are available in that specific color. When all cells are filled in, the associated crayon disappears! There are two difficulty mode options as well, a Relaxed mode, and a more like the real thing mode which doesn't protect the previously colored cells. In this mode, if you accidentally paint a cell that was already colored with a different color, the cell returns to default and the crayon will reappear, requiring you to repaint that cell...how cool is that! (again, if you don't like this feature, choose the relaxed mode!) It may be fun to mix it up a bit from game to game and change the crayons to artists' brushes with different colored tips, or perhaps tubes of paint...maybe even add a bit of texture to the filled-in cells?
Some of the cells will reward you with icons that fill the Power-ups, similar to mosaic puzzles. There is an Autofill Powerup that will automatically fill in the desired group of cells, a Rainbow Crayon Powerup that will paint the cells using any color correctly, and a Blockbuster powerup that blasts a rectangular area with the correct color.
There are 6 Chapters with 20 puzzles available, and 16 Reward Trophies to earn as well. You cannot visit another Chapter until it's unlocked, but you can choose to play any of the 20 puzzles on the current chapter in any order!
Come join us at my new forum, just in time to send and receive Rudolph's Presents! thewoodsforum.boards.net :)
I recommend this game!
Go on a spooky adventure with this new batch of pixel art puzzles!
Overall rating
3
/
5
5 of 10 found this review helpful
LOT'S OF YELLOW SHADES WHICH RENDERS THE MAP A BIT USELESS
PostedDecember 7, 2021
pennmom36
from"Sometimes the Smallest Things Take Up The Most Room In Your Heart" ~ Forever in my heart, Loki ❣
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
I love the Artists of Fortune series but this one has a ton of yellow shades (understandably because of the Halloween theme) so once you fill in cells with yellow shaded crayons, it renders the really cool map feature kind of worthless because from that point on, you can't differentiate between the yellow cells to be filled-in versus the yellow shades you've already filled in. This has always been a problem on this series, but you can usually work around that by waiting until the end to select the yellow shades, unfortunately, a Halloween-themed game has a ton of yellow shades so most of the time I couldn't use the really cool map feature! Seems to me this issue could be solved by adding a new feature that allows us to change the color of the available cells at will?! (such as purple, red, etc)
Other than that, I still think this series is fantastic. I love that the colors are shown as individual Crayons (# or letter specific) at the bottom of the board and once you highlight a crayon, all associated cells will appear in an easy-to-spot yellow color. Even better, there is a Map on the top right corner that shows the image and where all those yellow cells are located within the picture so you'll know exactly where the cells are located! (unless the colors are yellowish) I also love how the cells flip over as you are coloring them and that the cursor tip is a fine point to reduce accidental coloring.
The Crayons were so much more authentic versus a table with colored blocks! When you click on a crayon, a tab appears to tell you exactly how many cells are available in that specific color. When all cells are filled in, the associated crayon disappears! There are two difficulty mode options as well, a Relaxed mode, and a more like the real thing mode which doesn't protect the previously colored cells. In this mode, if you accidentally paint a cell that was already colored with a different color, the cell returns to default and the crayon will reappear, requiring you to repaint that cell...how cool is that! (again, if you don't like this feature, choose the relaxed mode!) It may be fun to mix it up a bit from game to game and change the crayons to artists' brushes with different colored tips, or perhaps tubes of paint...maybe even add a bit of texture to the filled-in cells?
Some of the cells will reward you with icons that fill the Power-ups, similar to mosaic puzzles. There is an Autofill Powerup that will automatically fill in the desired group of cells, a Rainbow Crayon Powerup that will paint the cells using any color correctly, and a Blockbuster powerup that blasts a rectangular area with the correct color.
There are 6 Chapters with 20 puzzles available, and 16 Reward Trophies to earn as well. You cannot visit another Chapter until it's unlocked, but you can choose to play any of the 20 puzzles on the current chapter in any order!
Come join us at my new forum, just in time to send and receive Rudolph's Presents! thewoodsforum.boards.net :)
I recommend this game!
Christmas is coming, along with a new collection of festive pixel art riddles to complete!
Overall rating
4
/
5
23 of 38 found this review helpful
MAGICALLY MORPHING PICTURES?
PostedDecember 7, 2021
pennmom36
from"Sometimes the Smallest Things Take Up The Most Room In Your Heart" ~ Forever in my heart, Loki ❣
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
I fell in love with Artists of Fortune from the get-go, and I still love the features offered but I don't understand why some of the completed images magically morph into a beautiful swan, so to speak, that looks nothing like the actual picture? In other words, after completing the image a small pixellated picture appears for a brief moment as you ponder just what in the heck it's supposed to be. Within a second or two, a new image appears beside the pixellated image without the pixels and the pixellated image suddenly morphs to match what the image is supposed to look like, not the image you just created. To be clear, this isn't the case with every picture, just some of them, most notably the second image of a white blob. It just left me wondering why they chose to include those images if they couldn't replicate the image when pixellating them...especially when the images are practically unrecognizable?
Other than that, I still think this series is fantastic. I love that the colors are shown as individual Crayons (# or letter specific) at the bottom of the board and once you highlight a crayon, all associated cells will appear in an easy-to-spot yellow color. Even better, there is a Map on the top right corner that shows the image and where all those yellow cells are located within the picture so you'll know exactly where the cells are located! I also love how the cells flip over as you are coloring them and that the cursor tip is a fine point to reduce accidental coloring.
The Crayons were so much more authentic versus a table with colored blocks! When you click on a crayon, a tab appears to tell you exactly how many cells are available in that specific color. When all cells are filled in, the associated crayon disappears! There are two difficulty mode options as well, a Relaxed mode, and a more like the real thing mode which doesn't protect the previously colored cells. In this mode, if you accidentally paint a cell that was already colored with a different color, the cell returns to default and the crayon will reappear, requiring you to repaint that cell...how cool is that! (again, if you don't like this feature, choose the relaxed mode!) It may be fun to mix it up a bit from game to game and change the crayons to artists' brushes with different colored tips, or perhaps tubes of paint...maybe even add a bit of texture to the filled-in cells?
Some of the cells will reward you with icons that fill the Power-ups, similar to mosaic puzzles. There is an Autofill Powerup that will automatically fill in the desired group of cells, a Rainbow Crayon Powerup that will paint the cells using any color correctly, and a Blockbuster powerup that blasts a rectangular area with the correct color.
There are 6 Chapters with 20 puzzles available, and 16 Reward Trophies to earn as well. You cannot visit another Chapter until it's unlocked, but you can choose to play any of the 20 puzzles on the current chapter in any order!
Come join us at my new forum, just in time to send and receive Rudolph's Presents! thewoodsforum.boards.net :)
I recommend this game!
Set out on an exciting journey around the world!
Overall rating
3
/
5
31 of 42 found this review helpful
BEAUTIFUL PUZZLES BUT FAR TOO EASY TO ASSEMBLE
PostedDecember 5, 2021
pennmom36
from"Sometimes the Smallest Things Take Up The Most Room In Your Heart" ~ Forever in my heart, Loki ❣
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Review based on completion of India & Australia only
First of all, let's give credit to New Bridge, they have created a gorgeous game and I just wanted to make sure that everyone understood that Patchwork: Explore the World is a different game than Patchworkz, Alice's Patchworks, and Frozen Patchworks (those were developed by 2 different developers)
First of all, let's give credit to New Bridge, they have created a gorgeous game and I just wanted to make sure that everyone understood that Patchwork: Explore the World is a different game than Patchworkz, Alice's Patchworks, and Frozen Patchworks (those were developed by 2 different developers)
The puzzles couldn't be more beautiful, or more colorful as they span the globe with images from India, Australia, Brazil, Germany, Turkey, and Canada. (USA, Mexico, and Japan in the CE version's Bonus Chapter) There are 25 puzzles for each country with fragmented pieces of different materials, such as Wood, Paper, and Metal.
Unlike the above-mentioned series, this game has no Timer so it's designed to be a relaxing, Zen kind of puzzle. The problem is, the difficulty doesn't progress fast enough, if at all, and I breezed through the first 2 levels (50 puzzles) before the demo stopped and I still had time left on the demo! I'm okay with Zen, but the pieces were huge and all I had to do was look at the color patterns to get a general idea of their placement. It didn't matter which random piece I chose, it was easily placed and eventually, I became bored because of the lack of challenge!
You will earn one Star for completing the puzzle, one Star for completing the puzzle with No Mistakes, and the third Star for completing the puzzle without using Hints. One feature they did right, was to add a Magnifying Glass feature that allows you to view your completed puzzles at any time!
If you don't mind that these puzzles can be solved in less than a minute, I do recommend this game because the images are so incredibly beautiful, but for me personally, I need a little more challenge to prevent boredom....but then again, I am a puzzle geek who plays computer jigsaw games every day.
The CE Version has 5 Achievements, 10 Wallpapers, 6 Music Soundtracks, and a Bonus Chapter with 25 puzzles each in the USA, Mexico, and Japan.
Come join us at my new forum, just in time for Rudolph's Presents! thewoodsforum.boards.net
I recommend this game!
Extraterrestrials have arrived! Fortunately, they’re not here to invade, they just want to observe. Can you find them all?
Overall rating
5
/
5
194 of 220 found this review helpful
PUT ON YOUR TINFOIL HATS CUZ THE TRUTH IS OUT THERE!
PostedDecember 4, 2021
pennmom36
fromRemembering You Is Easy, I Do It Every Day-Missing You Is A Heartache That Never Goes Away ~ Forever in my heart, Loki ❣
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
What an incredible Hidden Object game! This is the most unusual, unique, non-linear HO game I have ever played and Yustas has just raised the bar on how a game should be done! I haven't been this entertained by a game in a long, long time. Looking For Aliens is Light-years ahead of all those cookie-cutter games Big Fish has been offering lately and I strongly urge this developer to delve into the Hidden Object market because this game proves that THIS genre is actually their wheelhouse!
At first, you may be slightly intimidated because it's not easy to find the pictured items. Some of the objects, characters, and aliens are hidden in plain sight, some objects are blended into a crowd of people that look almost identical, others may require going on a hunting expedition that requires dragging the extended scene around.
You can interact with almost everything...in fact, you'll need to check under boulders, open doors, boxes, and hatches to find the objects and/or aliens shown at the bottom of the screen. There are tons of achievements to earn for various interactions as well, such as eating 100+ food items, turning on monitors, etc. so click on everything and have fun with it! (there are no penalties for clicking and no timer, it's designed to put a smile on your face) Yustas has added some really clever interactions and their imagination and inner creativeness shines through in this incredible game.
If you can't find an object, you can click on that object's picture (bottom of the screen) to get a Text-based hint. I absolutely love this feature, the hint doesn't take you to the exact location the item can be found, it simply gives you a clue as to where the item can be found...don't worry, the clues are very helpful if you pay attention to what the clue says! I also love that there are no penalties for using the hint clues, it's designed to be fun... 100% entertainment!
Each level requires you to find a certain number of objects to unlock the next level, which is shown in the lower right corner. Once you meet these criteria, you can opt to play the next level even if you haven't found all the pictured items. The Lock icon will change to a UFO when the next level can be accessed and the Level Monitors (level map icons) will show how many objects remain on each level. Objects that have a Star next to them indicate you must find every object in a set, for example, the pictured object may show a lady standing next to 4 tires so you'll have to find and click on 4 different tires to recreate the picture shown.
Collectibles:
Bonus Objects are available on each level and are shown on the bottom Left Corner. When you find all Bonus Items, you will earn a new Collectible Card (25 Bonus Cards total) This is an optional feature and you do not have to locate these items to proceed in the game. I think it would have been kind of cool if these Bonus Items were Morphing Objects to give them a bit more challenge??
Bonus Objects are available on each level and are shown on the bottom Left Corner. When you find all Bonus Items, you will earn a new Collectible Card (25 Bonus Cards total) This is an optional feature and you do not have to locate these items to proceed in the game. I think it would have been kind of cool if these Bonus Items were Morphing Objects to give them a bit more challenge??
Unlike most Hidden Object Games that have large, out-of-proportion objects slapped onto a stationary scene, Looking For Aliens is a moving scene with aliens and humans constantly moving around. The objects you search for not only tell a story, but they are proportionate and incredibly well hidden, it's almost like a "Spot The Difference" Interactive Hidden Object hybrid and practically impossible to describe!
Please give the demo a try long enough to get the hang of the unique type of gameplay. We tend to be critical when a game comes along that is different than what we have become accustomed to but I truly believe "The Truth Is Out There" and if you keep an open mind you will see that Yustas has put a lot of time and effort into making this unique and incredibly creative game!
This Collector's Edition has 4 Wallpapers, 5 Music Soundtracks, 59 Achievements, 25 Collectible Bonus Cards, and 5 Bonus Levels.
Stop by my new forum and chat about this game and so much more at thewoodsforum.boards.net
I recommend this game!
Help Robin Hood pursue and defeat the villainous Gisbourne!
Overall rating
4
/
5
30 of 43 found this review helpful
"You Know Somethin', Robin. I Was Just Wonderin', Are We Good Guys Or Bad Guys?" (Little John)
PostedDecember 3, 2021
pennmom36
fromRemembering You Is Easy, I Do It Every Day-Missing You Is A Heartache That Never Goes Away ~ Forever in my heart, Loki ❣
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
I loved the first Robin Hood and the second one was good but it was crazy-difficult to earn all 3-stars. I had given up all hope by the time Hail to the King rolled around because it seemed the developers had nothing left to offer and were just rolling out new games without putting forth any effort, probably just to keep up with the demands (and contracts lol). Robin Hood: Spring of Life, on the other hand, is absolutely perfect and has me singing the ♪ Oo-de-lally, Oo-de-lally, Golly What A Day♪ song once again!
You can play in an Easy (untimed) or Normal Mode and each level has 3 Hidden Objects that unfortunately aren't so hidden. Some of them are partially hidden but they are too large and too colorful to miss! I love collectibles but these are more like clickables, they are supposed to be an added challenge so it would be amazing if they were blended better into the scenery on the next game, it would be even more fantastic if they morphed! Each level has different objects but you can see which collectibles are available by looking at the level map. The clickable-collections include Crowns, Potions?, Crystal Balls, Banners, Torches, Chests, Maps, Swords, and Gems.
There are the usual Time Management tasks of Clearing Paths of weeds, Wooden Logs, Boulders, and stakes used to guard the Gold Taxes collected from the peasants. You will harvest Berry Bushes, Apple Trees, Walnut Trees, Food Caches, and go Fishing for food, Repair Rope Buildings, Sawmills, Farms, Bridges, and Ladders. Shearing the sheep will allow the posse to make even more rope which is used to repair bridges and concoct traps to capture the sheriff's guards! "Every Town Has Its Ups And Downs, Sometimes Ups ♪ Outnumber The Downs, ♪ But Not In Nottingham." (Alan-A-Dale) ♪♪♪
Robin Hood and his merry men steal Gold from the Rich to Give to the Poor so you will be required to set up elaborate traps and snares, and of course, shoot arrows at the watchmen guards. These guards are either pretty resilient, or they have some kind of awesome superpower because Robin Hood's arrows only "stun" the guards temporarily in this game! This feature is puzzling, why do the arrows only stun the guards, are the arrows defective? Has Robin Hood lost his toxophilite, marksmen edge? Are the guards wearing some kind of arrow-proof or magical armor? Is Robin Hood having a "woke" change of heart? Did the developers get a lot of complaints about arrow violence in the Robin Hood TM series? Or, did the developers just have a hard time coming up with a better scenario than allowing the Merry Men to gather resources in guarded areas only after being "stunned" by an arrow? Oo-de-lally, golly what a stun!
All good deeds will help to fill the Bonus Bar. You will receive permanent bonuses for each hero when you fill the good deeds bar. Before starting the level you can choose which Hero's will be joining the quest and the order in which they will arrive to join the posse! The hero's abilities can be Upgraded to last longer, recharge faster, etc. These bonuses will make them run faster, add extra outlaws, produce more resources, and even add more good deed points.
Robin Hood and his outlaws can be equipped with new bandit outfits as you progress but this wasn't really a feature that interested me personally. I did, however, love the Heist Levels which allows you to rob the sheriff's people to earn more gold with a slightly different type of gameplay than the normal, resource-collecting levels.
This Collector's Edition has 6 Wallpapers, 4 Music Soundtracks, 3 Hidden Collectibles on each level, 38 Main Levels, 12 Bonus Levels, 10 Heist Levels, 17 Achievements, 8 Character Outfits, and a built-in Strategy Guide.
Come to The Woods and check out my new forum where you'll find game talk, series lists, what's on deck, general chit chat and so much more! thewoodsforum.boards.net :)
I recommend this game!
When Santa’s sleigh is damaged as he’s leaving the North Pole on Christmas night, only one person can save the holidays. You!
Overall rating
5
/
5
219 of 257 found this review helpful
LET THE HOLIDAYS BEGIN!
PostedDecember 2, 2021
pennmom36
fromRemembering You Is Easy, I Do It Every Day-Missing You Is A Heartache That Never Goes Away ~ Forever in my heart, Loki ❣
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Everyone knows "It isn't Christmas until Christmas Wonderland arrives" and this is a game tradition I look forward to even more than the Christmas HOPAs which always seem to be a hit or miss. I don't care how repetitive, or how cheesy this game series is, year after year, they are an instant buy for me and always will be. It's like that feeling you get when you bring out your favorite sweater or a favorite pair of warm boots for the winter. It's the feeling you get as you decorate your tree and turn on some Christmas Music. Now it feels like Christmas...Hang on to your Reindeers and Ho, Ho, Ho...Let the Holidays Begin!
Are people who are scared of Father Christmas Claustrophobic?
Would a singing elf be called a wrapper?
Did you know the Christmas alphabet only has 25 letters – there’s Noel.
What’s a female elf called?
A shelf.
A shelf.
Where do elves go to dance?
Christmas balls.
Christmas balls.
When Santa’s in your room, can you sense his presents?
You can play in Casual, Challenge, or Extreme difficulty mode, which is a Timed Mode requiring you to find all Golden Angels and Lost & Found items to earn all three stars. There are 18 Achievements to earn and 16 Christmas Presents to purchase, and you can see the presents you've purchased by clicking on the Christmas Presents Display Tab on the Top of the screen, opposite of the Shopping Cart Icon where they are purchased,
Each Hidden Object scene has about 29 Listed Items to find, items in Red are hidden in or behind something, and items in Blue require a task such as dragging a Flag to the flagpole, or putting a nose on the snowman. There are usually two Zoom Zone Areas in each scene, the zoom zones (indicated by twinkling stars) may come and go, depending on whether or not the items are available on your list yet.
You will earn a Bronze Star if you complete the HO scene, a Silver Star if you complete the HO scene and find all Golden Angels OR all Lost & Found Items, and a Gold Star for completing the HO scene and finding all Golden Angels and Lost and Found Items. When all of the Golden Angels have been found, the doors will close on the Icon on the bottom left by the Inventory Bar. The Lost and Found Items are shown as Silhouetted Shapes within the Snowglobe and Santa's Sleigh will appear to indicate all items have been found. Remember, you will not earn all 3-stars if you don't find all 3 lost & found items and all golden Angels in each scene.
Some of the Scenes have a Photo Opportunity Icon located somewhere within the scene. Once you find the icon, you can click on it to add the photo to your Photo Album which can be viewed by clicking the Camera icon located next to the trophy icon on the bottom left of the screen.
My favorite part of the HO games by this developer is the puzzles! Yes, they are the same puzzles, yes, they are super easy, but they are still fun and I still feel like a kid on Christmas morning playing them! After each Hidden Object Scene, you'll solve a simplistic mini-game or puzzle such as placing those infamous puzzle pieces into Springfield's map, Rotating Square Puzzle Tiles, Jigsaw Puzzles, Word Search, Matching Pairs, or Spot the Difference.
Collector's Edition Extra's
The CE Bonus Levels have been incorporated into the main game scenes and have Gold Rosette Ribbons to identify them. There are 18 Wallpapers, 20 downloadable Music Soundtracks, and 48 Replayable Mini-Games and Puzzles.
The CE Bonus Levels have been incorporated into the main game scenes and have Gold Rosette Ribbons to identify them. There are 18 Wallpapers, 20 downloadable Music Soundtracks, and 48 Replayable Mini-Games and Puzzles.
❆-8 Jigsaw Puzzles
❆-8 Flipsaw Puzzles
❆-8 Rotation Puzzles
❆-4 Spot The Difference Puzzles
❆-4 Concentration Matching Pairs Puzzles
❆-8 Word Search Puzzles
❆-Santa's Places (place labels & icons)
❆-The Woodwork Shop (find HO's shown on a phone)
❆-Delivery List (rotate & swap)
❆-Cake & Cookies (swap puzzle strips & rotate disks)
❆-Advent Calander (open the days in order)
❆-Nativity Window (rotate disk rings)
❆-World Flags (place flags on each country)
❆-Santa's Grotto (click & slide squares)
❆-8 Flipsaw Puzzles
❆-8 Rotation Puzzles
❆-4 Spot The Difference Puzzles
❆-4 Concentration Matching Pairs Puzzles
❆-8 Word Search Puzzles
❆-Santa's Places (place labels & icons)
❆-The Woodwork Shop (find HO's shown on a phone)
❆-Delivery List (rotate & swap)
❆-Cake & Cookies (swap puzzle strips & rotate disks)
❆-Advent Calander (open the days in order)
❆-Nativity Window (rotate disk rings)
❆-World Flags (place flags on each country)
❆-Santa's Grotto (click & slide squares)
Christmas is beautiful in The Woods so stop by and throw a snowball or two at thewoodsforum.boards.net
I recommend this game!