pennmom36's Profile
Stat Summary
- Average Rating:3.7
- Helpful Votes:358,445
- Reviews Submitted:4712
- First Review:December 10, 2012
- Most Recent Review:April 24, 2025
- Featured reviews0
Status:
Art By Numbers delivers a new set of incredible painting puzzles! Complete incredible works of art and become the artist!
Overall rating
5
/
5
3 of 4 found this review helpful
JUST LOOK AT THE BF SNYOPSIS PICTURES & YOU'LL SEE WHY THIS IS A 5-STAR GAME!
PostedJune 22, 2021
pennmom36
fromColor & Image selection can make or break a game...and this game definitely is NOT broken! (but please ditch the robot!)
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
There is a huge difference between Art By Numbers and the "other" painting series... quality! The colors are so much more vibrant, the images are so much more interesting, the features are better, and most of all, the majority of the pictures include the entire background as you progress, not just a tiny image.
When they added a Freeplay section a couple of games back I couldn't have been more excited! This is by far one of the best features offered in a coloring game. This feature allows you to choose your own colors from a complete, full-scale color palette so you can be as creative as you want to be. My second favorite feature is that each color tells you how many cells you'll need to fill in and it keeps track of the ones you've filled in so you know exactly how many remain unfilled.
The cursor is an actual Paintbrush and they also have a Wide Brush option that allows you to fill in larger areas. In the last couple of games, my paintbrush cursor seems to be lagging a bit so I wish they would address this issue because I went back to play the original game and the paintbrush cursor still works perfectly fine which tells me they must have changed something?
You can choose from 4 different Background Textures that will compliment your completed works of art (72 total) You can also choose the color of shading for the numbered areas, and the type of painting style, either Flat or a textured Watercolored effect that looks more like a real paint by numbers painting effect.
The Current Number is much easier to see than in the "other" painting game and the black lines are much smaller so the pictures are much crisper. The difference between the two painting series games is like day versus night, this game is quality through and through and the "other" one seems outdated and old-school! These images have a transparent background, unlike the other painting game which has an ugly gray background. These works of art, however, will be displayed on the background you have chosen, and they will be embossed with a blue & gold frame when completed, sometimes it's the little touches that make or break a game!
The colors are beautiful with carefully chosen hues of yellows, purples, pinks, fuchsias, teals, oranges, etc. whereas the "other" painting series has unappealing colors with a ton of brown and black variations, their colors just don't pop like the ones offered in Art By Numbers games! A butterfly might have 5 different variations or shades of pink on its wings which is something I have complained about several times on the "other" painting game. It's not very pretty when the same blue color is used on an entire flower or fish and simply separated by really thick black lines in an attempt to make it look more dimensional.
Every artist knows that you have to use shading variations to give a painting depth, and that is exactly what Awigor has done. This game was created by the same developer who brings us Rainbow Mosaics, one of my favorite Mosaics series, so they are masters of color, in my opinion! Become a Woodsey and meet up with long lost forum members at my new forum, thewoodsforum.boards.net
I recommend this game!
Paint-by-numbers to complete incredible works of art and become the artist!
Overall rating
5
/
5
46 of 56 found this review helpful
BRILLIANT COLOR CHOICES!
PostedJune 22, 2021
pennmom36
fromAmazing colors that pop, really cool features, and interesting images is what makes this a class act game! (but please ditch the robot!)
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
There is a huge difference between Art By Numbers and the "other" painting series... quality! The colors are so much more vibrant, the images are so much more interesting, the features are better, and most of all, the majority of the pictures include the entire background as you progress, not just a tiny image.
When they added a Freeplay section a couple of games back I couldn't have been more excited! This is by far one of the best features offered in a coloring game. This feature allows you to choose your own colors from a complete, full-scale color palette so you can be as creative as you want to be. My second favorite feature is that each color tells you how many cells you'll need to fill in and it keeps track of the ones you've filled in so you know exactly how many remain unfilled.
The cursor is an actual Paintbrush and they also have a Wide Brush option that allows you to fill in larger areas. In the last couple of games, my paintbrush cursor seems to be lagging a bit so I wish they would address this issue because I went back to play the original game and the paintbrush cursor still works perfectly fine which tells me they must have changed something?
You can choose from 4 different Background Textures that will compliment your completed works of art (72 total) You can also choose the color of shading for the numbered areas, and the type of painting style, either Flat or a textured Watercolored effect that looks more like a real paint by numbers painting effect.
The Current Number is much easier to see than in the "other" painting game and the black lines are much smaller so the pictures are much crisper. The difference between the two painting series games is like day versus night, this game is quality through and through and the "other" one seems outdated and old-school! These images have a transparent background, unlike the other painting game which has an ugly gray background. These works of art, however, will be displayed on the background you have chosen, and they will be embossed with a blue & gold frame when completed, sometimes it's the little touches that make or break a game!
The colors are beautiful with carefully chosen hues of yellows, purples, pinks, fuchsias, teals, oranges, etc. where as the "other" painting series has unappealing colors with a ton of brown and black variations, their colors just don't pop like the ones offered in Art By Numbers games! A butterfly might have 5 different variations or shades of pink on its wings which is something I have complained about several times on the "other" painting game. It's not very pretty when the same blue color is used on an entire butterfly and simply separated by really thick black lines in an attempt to make it look more dimensional. Every artist knows that you have to use shading variations to give a painting depth, and that is exactly what Awigor has done. This game was created by the same developer who brings us Rainbow Mosaics, one of my favorite Mosaics series, so they are masters of color, in my opinion! Become a Woodsey and meet up with long lost forum members at my new forum, thewoodsforum.boards.net
I recommend this game!
Summer Adventure: American Voyage 3
Explore incredible cities across the Americas and complete a wide variety of challenging puzzles!
Overall rating
4
/
5
31 of 38 found this review helpful
IF THE OBJECTS WERE BLENDED INTO THE SCENERY BETTER I'D GIVE IT 5-STARS!
PostedJune 21, 2021
pennmom36
fromI've been playing Summer Adventure all day, thanks for the entertainment!
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
I have to give this developer credit, they are constantly tweaking their Hidden Object Games to improve gameplay! Each game has been more enjoyable than the last game because of these changes. Not many developers bother implementing changes we ask for, but obviously, this dev is reading our constructive criticism and going the extra mile to try to give us games with the features we want (and ask for) When a developer has this much heart and dedication, I will always show my appreciation, and wholeheartedly support them...especially my beloved Indies!
There are 60 Hidden Object Scenes that can be played in an Easy Mode (no timer or misclick penalties) a Normal Mode (15-minute timer, no misclick penalties), or a Hard Mode (15-minute timer and a misclick penalty) This is an old-fashioned Hidden Object Game where you are tasked with finding 15 Listed Items in each location to earn up to 3-Stars. You will earn a star for completing the scene, a star for finding all 3 hearts, and a star for finding all 3 dog icons.
Each scene has a single Zoom Zone (as indicated by sparkles next to the diamond icon with 3 curves underneath) that contain 3 listed objects. You can improve your star rating by replaying the scenes, via the level map, but the objects to find are different each time you play.
Each Scene has 3 Dogs to locate that will add Bella's Location photos to your Album (60 Total) Each Scene also has 3 Heart symbols that add 3 animal pictures to your Photo Album (180 Total) and when you complete the HO scene the photo will be added to a third photo almbum (60 total)
After each Hidden Object Scene, you will play a Mini-game such as a Memory Match Game where you flip over two cards at a time, Mahjong, Solitaire, a Word Search variation using images instead of words, a Jigsaw with heart-shaped pieces, a Group Match game where you click on groups of 2 or more identical images,a Square Tile rotation puzzle, a Clutter style Hidden Object game where you click on matching pairs in a pile of clutter, or Spot the Difference scenes, etc. I was absolutely thrilled with the Spot the Difference scenes because this time there were subtle changes made to the scene itself instead of just adding random objects to the scene! This was actually quite challenging to spot 15 differences and it made the puzzle so much more fun to play, so thank you LBG :) I loved the Clutter HO but I found it kind of annoying when the selected pair would spin around to show the correct match, I just want to keep playing and the spinning pair would enlarge and prevent you from seeing the main clutter pile.
If the developer would blend the objects into the scenery better, this would be a 5-star game, hands down. 98% of the objects are just added to the scene, it's pretty hard to miss clouds that are shaped like animals or objects carved into plain cement bridges, walls, etc. If the developer chose the right objects that had colors or shapes that matched the chosen scene, this game would be more like a HIDDEN Object Game...after all, that's why they call these games HOGs, because objects are supposed to be hidden NOT just clickable objects (see them-click on them)
I loved that the GPS icons were replaced with Dogs and that the Hearts were a tad bit smaller this go-round. I'd love to help design the next game if you'd like to consider blending the objects ;) Everyone is invited to take a stroll through the woods at my new forum thewoodsforum.boards.net
I recommend this game!
Can Camelot survive the wrath of the Green Knight?
Overall rating
4
/
5
72 of 89 found this review helpful
CAMELOT AWAITS...PENNMOM ANXIOUSLY AWAITS THE THIRD GAME BY THIS NEW DEVELOPER!
PostedJune 20, 2021
pennmom36
fromI so happy Telltale UK has joined the Big Fish family. Maybe the next game could have Morphing Objects?
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Completed Game a little over 8.0 Hours
(including completion of all puzzles & Bonus Chapter)
36 Main Scene Locations +8 CE Bonus Chapter
Difficulty Range: Intermediate
(including completion of all puzzles & Bonus Chapter)
36 Main Scene Locations +8 CE Bonus Chapter
Difficulty Range: Intermediate
Collector's Edition or Standard Edition Version?
HOPA games of late have been so boring that it's a chore to get through the main game. By the time you reach the Bonus Chapter it becomes evident that it was slapped together with even less consideration to detail, clearly, they were obligated to add a Bonus Chapter, but they weren't required to make it interesting (after all, you won't know it's garbage till the game is over) Camelot's Bonus Chapter was different. This is a new developer and obviously, they still care about their reputation! Because the Bonus Chapter is decent and the Collectible Scrolls were included, I recommend the Collector's Edition version over this Standard Edition version.
HOPA games of late have been so boring that it's a chore to get through the main game. By the time you reach the Bonus Chapter it becomes evident that it was slapped together with even less consideration to detail, clearly, they were obligated to add a Bonus Chapter, but they weren't required to make it interesting (after all, you won't know it's garbage till the game is over) Camelot's Bonus Chapter was different. This is a new developer and obviously, they still care about their reputation! Because the Bonus Chapter is decent and the Collectible Scrolls were included, I recommend the Collector's Edition version over this Standard Edition version.
If there's one person in the kingdom you don't want to mess with, it's the Green Knight. He believes that King Arthur is responsible for kidnapping his wife and has vowed to seek revenge to punish them for betraying his trust. I couldn't be happier that this developer has finally arrived at Big Fish Games. Their first attempt, Pride & Prejudice didn't win over a lot of fans but I actually saw the potential in that game and knew that this developer would work out the kinks and hit the door running...and they have! I'm so tired of the "beginner" games we are getting from the same developer week after week and this game is like a breath of fresh air. I love stories about Camelot and King Arthur, and the fact that this isn't the same story told in 5 different game series by the same developer, makes my day.
If I'm being truthful, I think this developer is being pressured by BF to be less creative than I know they are. I believe BF sets standards on their HOPAs to make them easy enough for beginner players, but what no one realizes is that the largest targeted audience has been playing HOPAs for at least a decade, and for the past 4-5 years, not a single HO game has been offered with even somewhat of a challenge...does this make sense to any marketing department? Does it make sense to burn out your largest targeted group of HOPA players, the ones that are responsible for the success of this entire genre?
If they actually talked to us, they would realize that we still love this genre yet we would rather go back and play our older purchased games 10 times in a row than play another cookie-cutter newbie game. If they talked to us they would realize that HOPA developers went belly-up because they refused to adapt to the wants and needs of HOPA fans. Most HOPA fans are baby boomers born between 1946 and 1964 and are now between 57-75 years old. That's 71.6 million people in the U.S. alone, the largest generational group in U.S. history! Baby Boomers are often the focus of marketing campaigns and business plans, yet Big Fish & their developers still refuse to focus on us?
Let's give this developer some encouragement, we are losing HOPA developers at a break-neck pace and I appreciate that they have stepped up to the plate. This game isn't difficult, but the tasks could have been a tad less cliche. I loved the fact that we finally get a game that has a different kind of gameplay with a completely new type of storyline!... Thank you Telltale UK :)
Collectibles/Morphing Objects:
There are no Morphing Objects but there are 64 Collectible Scrolls that reconstruct a massive Castle. The Scrolls are a little bit too large for my taste which makes them very easy to spot. This feature could have been easily remedied by making at least one of the scrolls Morph, Some scenes have more than one scroll but there is a pullout tab on the left to help you keep track of the Scrolls available per scene.
There are no Morphing Objects but there are 64 Collectible Scrolls that reconstruct a massive Castle. The Scrolls are a little bit too large for my taste which makes them very easy to spot. This feature could have been easily remedied by making at least one of the scrolls Morph, Some scenes have more than one scroll but there is a pullout tab on the left to help you keep track of the Scrolls available per scene.
Audio/Video Quality:
The graphics are decent but tended to be a tad bit cartoonish in nature in some scenes. I think this is because this developer is known for this type of graphics in their incredible adventure games (which I probably can't name out loud, but you should definitely figure out the titles, there are 3 really, really good series in particular! that are must-try games) The graphics match the Camelot time-period and the developer obviously did their homework because they were meticulous about detail. There are 6 different soundtracks so the audio never seems repetitive, unlike some games where the music is constantly sticking or has an obvious soundtrack loop that doesn't flow well.
The graphics are decent but tended to be a tad bit cartoonish in nature in some scenes. I think this is because this developer is known for this type of graphics in their incredible adventure games (which I probably can't name out loud, but you should definitely figure out the titles, there are 3 really, really good series in particular! that are must-try games) The graphics match the Camelot time-period and the developer obviously did their homework because they were meticulous about detail. There are 6 different soundtracks so the audio never seems repetitive, unlike some games where the music is constantly sticking or has an obvious soundtrack loop that doesn't flow well.
Gadgets/Helpers:
There are no Helpers but as a Mage and apprentice to Merlin, you will cast spells, such as a melting spell using a Magic Glove. The Magic Glove is used when you "learn a new spell" but its' not an excessively used gadget considering it's only used 6 times during the very lengthy Main Chapters.
There are no Helpers but as a Mage and apprentice to Merlin, you will cast spells, such as a melting spell using a Magic Glove. The Magic Glove is used when you "learn a new spell" but its' not an excessively used gadget considering it's only used 6 times during the very lengthy Main Chapters.
Hidden Object Scenes:
There are 25 Main Hidden Object Scenes +10 in the CE Bonus Chapter with no alternate games available. I actually loved most of these Hidden Object Scenes, even though most of the scenes were repeated. I loved the variety they offered and the way they were able to blend the objects into the scenery so they didn't stick out like a sore thumb. I rarely have issues finding objects in HO scenes, but I must admit that I spent quite a bit of time staring at some of these scenes or figuring out what objects interacted with what and where. There are Listed Item Finds, Silhouetted Shape Finds, Find & Replace (with silhouettes & pictured items) Matching Pair Finds, Progressive-Interactive Finds, and Matching Symbol Finds, Multiples of the Same Object and Silhouetted Shape Finds. There is also an Amulet-associated HOP where you are tasked with finding Hidden Symbols using the Amulet.
There are 25 Main Hidden Object Scenes +10 in the CE Bonus Chapter with no alternate games available. I actually loved most of these Hidden Object Scenes, even though most of the scenes were repeated. I loved the variety they offered and the way they were able to blend the objects into the scenery so they didn't stick out like a sore thumb. I rarely have issues finding objects in HO scenes, but I must admit that I spent quite a bit of time staring at some of these scenes or figuring out what objects interacted with what and where. There are Listed Item Finds, Silhouetted Shape Finds, Find & Replace (with silhouettes & pictured items) Matching Pair Finds, Progressive-Interactive Finds, and Matching Symbol Finds, Multiples of the Same Object and Silhouetted Shape Finds. There is also an Amulet-associated HOP where you are tasked with finding Hidden Symbols using the Amulet.
Mini-Games:
There are 16 Mini-Games +9 in the CE Bonus Chapter. The mini-games were doable on the first attempt in most cases and for the most part, were fun even though most were not really original puzzles. Here are a few examples of the mini-games offered:
There are 16 Mini-Games +9 in the CE Bonus Chapter. The mini-games were doable on the first attempt in most cases and for the most part, were fun even though most were not really original puzzles. Here are a few examples of the mini-games offered:
1-Swap & rotate puzzle pieces.
2-Swap red & blue tokens positions by sliding to empty slots or jumping.
3-Click stars in the correct sequence order.
4-Select levers to close all steps (1 affects others)
5-Drag the red chain into a matching colored slot (drag blue chain to create an open path)
6-Untangle a fishing net.
7-Arrange tiles so the human figure enters the last star-shaped position on the last move.
8-Lead the blue dragon to the silver chip in exactly 7 moves and the yellow dragon to the gold chip in exactly 9 moves.
2-Swap red & blue tokens positions by sliding to empty slots or jumping.
3-Click stars in the correct sequence order.
4-Select levers to close all steps (1 affects others)
5-Drag the red chain into a matching colored slot (drag blue chain to create an open path)
6-Untangle a fishing net.
7-Arrange tiles so the human figure enters the last star-shaped position on the last move.
8-Lead the blue dragon to the silver chip in exactly 7 moves and the yellow dragon to the gold chip in exactly 9 moves.
Bonus Chapter: (CE version only)
King Arthur and Merlin have been captured by those undead monsters and it's up to you to lure them back through the portal! This is a decent-length chapter that takes place over 8 Scene Locations with an additional 9 Mini-Games and 10 creative Hidden Object Scenes. You will continue collecting the remaining 11 Scrolls to complete Camelot's Castle.
King Arthur and Merlin have been captured by those undead monsters and it's up to you to lure them back through the portal! This is a decent-length chapter that takes place over 8 Scene Locations with an additional 9 Mini-Games and 10 creative Hidden Object Scenes. You will continue collecting the remaining 11 Scrolls to complete Camelot's Castle.
Collector's Edition Extra's:
7 Wallpapers, 20 Movie Cutscene Videos, 6 Music Soundtracks ♪, 0 Replayable Mini-Games♙, 0 Replayable Hidden Object Scenes, 15 Achievements, 64 Collectible Scrolls, 3 extremely long Main Chapters, +Bonus Chapter, and a Built-In Strategy Guide. How about joining us and becoming a fellow Woodsey on my new forum at thewoodsforum.boards.net
7 Wallpapers, 20 Movie Cutscene Videos, 6 Music Soundtracks ♪, 0 Replayable Mini-Games♙, 0 Replayable Hidden Object Scenes, 15 Achievements, 64 Collectible Scrolls, 3 extremely long Main Chapters, +Bonus Chapter, and a Built-In Strategy Guide. How about joining us and becoming a fellow Woodsey on my new forum at thewoodsforum.boards.net
I recommend this game!
Get ready for the sights and sounds of the Big Apple!
Overall rating
4
/
5
62 of 86 found this review helpful
I LOVE THIS SERIES BUT THE THEME & LOCATIONS WEREN'T AS APPEALING
PostedJune 19, 2021
pennmom36
fromLove the gameplay, love the collectibles but the theme has bee done so many times :(
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
I love the variety of Hidden Object Modes and the Collectibles offered in Adventure Trip games, and I did purchase this game, but the "New York" theme has been the subject of so many HOG's that I just kept getting a deja vu, been there, done that vibe. There are 50 states in the US ( +Washington D.C. & Puerto Rico) yet every HOG developer decides that New York is the only one anybody cares about? Maine is beautiful, Pennsylvania was one of the original 13 colonies and holds a lot of historical foundations, the Dakota's have Mount Rushmore and the Badlands, Georgia has Stone Mountain, Tennessee has the Great Smokey Mountains, heck Florida has some fantastic tourist spots but developers never use these states as a theme?? Let's think outside the box next time :)
You can play in an Easy Mode which has no Timer or Misclick penalties, and the Hint feature recharges in 15 Seconds. The Medium Mode is also Untimed but there is a Misclick penalty and it takes the Hint feature 35 Seconds to recharge. The Hard Mode is Timed and also has a Misclick penalty and the Hint feature takes 60 Seconds to recharge. I played in the Hard Mode and had plenty of time to find all of the items on most of the levels. Some of the objects are very well blended and I thought this game had a better challenge than the previous two games. You can purchase 15 Gifts (points are converted to currency) and each scene has two Zoom Zone areas.
There are 20 Hidden Object Locations (Air Space Museum-Botanical Garden-Brooklyn Bridge-Brooklyn Market-Bryant Park-Central park-Chelsea Market-Coney Island-Grand Central Station-Historical Society-Hotel-Library-Metropolitan Museum-New York Stock Exchange-Pizza Shop-Prospect Park-Rockefeller Center-Statue of Liberty-Theatre-Zoo) Each scene must be replayed several times in several different modes. There are Listed Item Finds, Missing Vowel Finds, Scrambled Letter Finds, Silhouetted Shape Finds, and Matching Pair Finds. Each of the 5 HO Modes has a collectible Apple (can be whole, sliced, missing a bite, etc.) but only 3 of the HO modes has a collectible 8 Ball. Every scene also has a Fun Fact item that is shown before the start of each scene. If you forget to look for the fun fact item, it will remind you at the end of the scene with sparkles & a message. When you find all 60 8 Balls it will unlock Suduko & Mahjong levels, when you find all 100 Apples it will unlock the Unlimited or Freeplay levels. All fun facts are stored in the Diary.
Hidden Object Modes:
➺Abc Mode: Normal Listed Item Finds.
➺Missing Vowels: Listed Items that are missing the Vowels.
➺Scrambled Mode: Listed Item Finds with jumbled words.
➺Silhouetted Shape Mode: Items shown as Silhouetted Shapes.
➺Pairs: You have to find matching pairs of items.
After completing a Hidden Object Scene, there will be a Mini-Game variation to play, such as Spot the Difference, Square Tile Swap puzzles, Match 3 games, Word Search, or a round Jigsaw Puzzles. This developer tweaked the Match 3 game to offer powerups which I personally appreciated!
➺Missing Vowels: Listed Items that are missing the Vowels.
➺Scrambled Mode: Listed Item Finds with jumbled words.
➺Silhouetted Shape Mode: Items shown as Silhouetted Shapes.
➺Pairs: You have to find matching pairs of items.
After completing a Hidden Object Scene, there will be a Mini-Game variation to play, such as Spot the Difference, Square Tile Swap puzzles, Match 3 games, Word Search, or a round Jigsaw Puzzles. This developer tweaked the Match 3 game to offer powerups which I personally appreciated!
This Collector's Edition version includes 14 bonus locations,
3 extra mini-games and Extra levels to complete. Come join the conversation at my new forum: thewoodsforum.boards.net
3 extra mini-games and Extra levels to complete. Come join the conversation at my new forum: thewoodsforum.boards.net
I recommend this game!
Can you stop Taleville’s newest criminal from destroying the city?
Overall rating
1
/
5
43 of 50 found this review helpful
WHAT HAPPENED TO THIS DEVELOPER, SURELY THEY REALIZE WE DON'T WANT COOKIE-CUTTER, EASY BREEZY GAMES BY NOW?
PostedJune 18, 2021
pennmom36
fromThis developer used to have some of the most games but they tried to cut corners on production by using the same format on every game...and we noticed!
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
2
/
5
Level of Challenge
1
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
Completed Game approximately 5.5 hours
(including completion of all mini-games & CE Bonus Chapter)
25 Main Game Scene Locations +10 Bonus Chapter
Difficulty Range: Beginner
(including completion of all mini-games & CE Bonus Chapter)
25 Main Game Scene Locations +10 Bonus Chapter
Difficulty Range: Beginner
Another story about crime in a Fairytale world and Fairy Godmother solves it single-handedly? I guess my imagination is more creative than this developer's imagination because there's nothing "fairytale-ish" about this game. Sure, Fairy Godmother has a Magic Wand, a wand she manages to lose at the start of the game every single time! It's a Wand that requires finding Magical Whisp Orbs before it can be used, actually, most of the time she steals them for other people's personal belongings...including inside a locked safe! After finding three Whisps, I have to complete a complicated puzzle, so where exactly does the magic come into play here?
This game is no different than the last 3 games in the series, it's no different than any other Domini series, such as Fatal Evidence and that game isn't even a fairytale game! This game is no different than the hundreds of games they have given us because they all have the same HO's, the same puzzles, and the same ridiculous, repetitive tasks.
Audio/Visuals:
Domini has always had crisp, detailed graphics even though they struggle with the color palette which tends to have an overabundance of one dominant color for each game. The audio always seems spot on and you'll; probably never notice looped soundtracks, but that's exactly how background music should work, it should go unnoticed while subconsciously stimulating the brain to recognize the ebbs, floes, and climaxes of the storyline.
Domini has always had crisp, detailed graphics even though they struggle with the color palette which tends to have an overabundance of one dominant color for each game. The audio always seems spot on and you'll; probably never notice looped soundtracks, but that's exactly how background music should work, it should go unnoticed while subconsciously stimulating the brain to recognize the ebbs, floes, and climaxes of the storyline.
Gadgets/Helper:
Naturally, Fairy Godmother has a Magic Wand which isn't very magical because it requires finding 3 Whisps to recharge the Wand after it's been used. The magic wand is used 5 times in the Main Chapter only. Before using the Wand, you will have to solve a puzzle or mini-game, that varies each time...sounds like the "magic wand" is more of a mechanical wand to me?
Naturally, Fairy Godmother has a Magic Wand which isn't very magical because it requires finding 3 Whisps to recharge the Wand after it's been used. The magic wand is used 5 times in the Main Chapter only. Before using the Wand, you will have to solve a puzzle or mini-game, that varies each time...sounds like the "magic wand" is more of a mechanical wand to me?
Collectibles & Morphing Objects (CE Version Only):
It's hard to enjoy a repetitive Collectible offered game after game. Domini seems to be the only kid left on the block so I guess we'll be stuck with the same routines? Once again, there are 15 Morphing Artifacts and 15 Photo's to click on. I say click on versus collect because they are never challenging to find nowadays! There are 63 Zoom Zone Casino Chips that are used to purchase 15 Fairy Room Decorations...because every Fairy wants an armchair and a deer head mounted on the wall? There is an optional Collection Icon Tab that can be enabled or disabled in the settings menu as well and will light up when there is a collectible in the current scene.
It's hard to enjoy a repetitive Collectible offered game after game. Domini seems to be the only kid left on the block so I guess we'll be stuck with the same routines? Once again, there are 15 Morphing Artifacts and 15 Photo's to click on. I say click on versus collect because they are never challenging to find nowadays! There are 63 Zoom Zone Casino Chips that are used to purchase 15 Fairy Room Decorations...because every Fairy wants an armchair and a deer head mounted on the wall? There is an optional Collection Icon Tab that can be enabled or disabled in the settings menu as well and will light up when there is a collectible in the current scene.
Hidden Object Scenes:
There are 13 Hidden Object Scenes +5 in the CE Bonus Chapter and an alternate Match 3 Game available, which btw, doesn't allow you to make consecutive matches quickly. (you have to wait for all tiles to stop falling before you can make the next match which makes the game super boring, not to mention that the M3 boards are always square and they never add obstacles or new features to make it progress in difficulty. The Hidden Object Scenes vary with Listed Item Finds, Keywords in Sentence Finds, Finding & Replacing items into the Scene, Matching Pairs, Silhouetted Shape Finds, Placing Countries onto a Globe, or correctly placing Mosaic Tiles from an Alice In Wonderland scene.
There are 13 Hidden Object Scenes +5 in the CE Bonus Chapter and an alternate Match 3 Game available, which btw, doesn't allow you to make consecutive matches quickly. (you have to wait for all tiles to stop falling before you can make the next match which makes the game super boring, not to mention that the M3 boards are always square and they never add obstacles or new features to make it progress in difficulty. The Hidden Object Scenes vary with Listed Item Finds, Keywords in Sentence Finds, Finding & Replacing items into the Scene, Matching Pairs, Silhouetted Shape Finds, Placing Countries onto a Globe, or correctly placing Mosaic Tiles from an Alice In Wonderland scene.
Mini-Games:
There are 18 Mini-Games +8 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) I don't even list my personal favorites anymore because Domini has really stopped putting in much effort with the puzzles now that they seem to be the only HOPA devs on the block. You've played them all, hundreds of times, such as aligning tokens according to a clue with symbols telling you which symbol is <> the next. Map navigation puzzles where you use a magnifying glass to locate leaves, Painting patterns so no identical color touches. Clicking on spheres to place them into slots but touching one affects others. Rotating tiles to align paths, or removing bars in the correct order...these descriptions all sound familiar, don't they?
There are 18 Mini-Games +8 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) I don't even list my personal favorites anymore because Domini has really stopped putting in much effort with the puzzles now that they seem to be the only HOPA devs on the block. You've played them all, hundreds of times, such as aligning tokens according to a clue with symbols telling you which symbol is <> the next. Map navigation puzzles where you use a magnifying glass to locate leaves, Painting patterns so no identical color touches. Clicking on spheres to place them into slots but touching one affects others. Rotating tiles to align paths, or removing bars in the correct order...these descriptions all sound familiar, don't they?
Bonus Chapter (CE Version Only)
Ding-dong the Wedding Bells are gonna ring for the Little Mermaid and her Prince Charming Leo. This would be a short chapter if nothing went wrong, so naturally, Domini stretched it out by poisoning Little Mermaid's father, King Newt (who is supposed to be King Triton?) The scenes may be beautiful, but in reality, this is just another boring chapter with more repetitive, cliche tasks spanning over 10 scene locations with 8 additional Mini-Games and 5 Hidden Object Scenes, and not a magic wand in sight. You will continue your search for the final 2 Morphing Artifacts, 3 Photo's, and 10 Zoom Zone Casino Coins which allows you to purchase the final Fairy Room Decorations...which have nothing to do with Fairies or Fairy Godmothers??
Ding-dong the Wedding Bells are gonna ring for the Little Mermaid and her Prince Charming Leo. This would be a short chapter if nothing went wrong, so naturally, Domini stretched it out by poisoning Little Mermaid's father, King Newt (who is supposed to be King Triton?) The scenes may be beautiful, but in reality, this is just another boring chapter with more repetitive, cliche tasks spanning over 10 scene locations with 8 additional Mini-Games and 5 Hidden Object Scenes, and not a magic wand in sight. You will continue your search for the final 2 Morphing Artifacts, 3 Photo's, and 10 Zoom Zone Casino Coins which allows you to purchase the final Fairy Room Decorations...which have nothing to do with Fairies or Fairy Godmothers??
Collector's Edition Extra's: (CE version only)
10 Wallpapers, 10 Concept Art Pictures, 5 Music Soundtracks, 26 Movie Video Cutscenes, 39 Achievements, 18 Replayable Mini-Games, 18 Replayable Hidden Object Scenes, 15 Morphing Artifacts, 15 Photo's a gazillion Missing Notes, 63 Zoom-Zone Casino Chips, 15 Fairy Room Items (purchase with coins) 7 Main Chapters, +Bonus Chapter, and a Built-In Strategy Guide. We'd love for you to join us at my new forum, thewoodsforum.boards.net
10 Wallpapers, 10 Concept Art Pictures, 5 Music Soundtracks, 26 Movie Video Cutscenes, 39 Achievements, 18 Replayable Mini-Games, 18 Replayable Hidden Object Scenes, 15 Morphing Artifacts, 15 Photo's a gazillion Missing Notes, 63 Zoom-Zone Casino Chips, 15 Fairy Room Items (purchase with coins) 7 Main Chapters, +Bonus Chapter, and a Built-In Strategy Guide. We'd love for you to join us at my new forum, thewoodsforum.boards.net
I don't recommend this game.
Dig the Ground delivers unique new match-making challenges!
Overall rating
4
/
5
44 of 47 found this review helpful
TIMED MODE IS REALLY BRUTAL & THE INSTRUCTIONS NEED A SET OF INSTRUCTIONS LOL
PostedJune 16, 2021
pennmom36
fromShould I really be trying to burn the poor little bees out of their honeycomb with fire?
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
I love Dig The Ground games, they have a unique concept and always seem to add new features (even though they aren't original!) I loved the theme of the last game of getting water to the sea turtles and underwater critters, but this one is pretty darn cute too. The adorable little bees turn their frown upside down when the honey reaches their little coves. There are a ton of new obstacles but unfortunately, the instructions are horribly confusing!
You can play in a Timed or Relaxed mode and I will be honest, the timer was so stingy that it became nearly impossible to finish levels before the time ran out and it became too frustrating to continue, so I switched to the relaxed mode and had a better Zen experience!
This is a Chain Match game where you are tasked with creating chains of identical gems. Matches of 5 or more will create a bomb of varying strengths so you need to end the match at a strategic point in order to explode Crates, Planks, Ice, Lava, etc. The larger the match, the bigger the explosion, from a single bomb to a nuclear explosion! Some obstacles such as nuclear lava can only be destroyed with a nuclear bomb. Again, the goal is to clear a path for the honey to reach all of the bees.
Chains can be made vertically, horizontally, diagonally, or any combination within and you'll want to use this to your advantage, for example, releasing an explosion at the end or in the middle of nowhere, may not accomplish anything, it may be more beneficial if the chain is reversed so that the explosion actually hits something such as a lava wall or crates.
As you progress, most of the Bees are blocked by some type of Obstacle. There are Gems with numbers that require removing the specified number of whichever gem is shown. Gems with arrows & numbers require removing the correct number of gems in the direction the arrow is pointing. The most confusing obstacle was the Fire tiles which require making a match of blue tiles adjacent to the fire tile and then making matches next to the fire tile that creates a path of fire to the blue fire tile. This is totally confusing and took me forever to figure out, I almost quit because nothing I did worked and I didn't understand the directions no matter how many times I read them, I finally figured it out by trial and error!
I really liked the feature in the first game where you could manipulate the matches to allow the screen to move back to the area you were at. I also like that they have added a Relaxed mode, however, I really think the developers need to relax the timer a bit as well. I don't normally play in Relaxed Modes, I want a challenge but the timed mode has been crazy difficult for the past 2 games, and I consider myself to be an advanced Match 3 player! Perhaps they could use this current timer on a Challenge Mode and add an in-between Normal Timed option that gives us more time? BTW: we have a daily game chat thread and tons of fun thing to do on my new forum at thewoodsforum.boards.net
I recommend this game!
Lines and Knots
Can you connect all the Lines and Knots in this unique new puzzle game?
Overall rating
3
/
5
46 of 53 found this review helpful
IT'S A LOT HARDER THAN I EXPECTED
PostedJune 15, 2021
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
2
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
I've always been a puzzle geek but I wasn't expecting Lines and Knots to blow my socks off because it can get pretty boring when you are doing the same thing over and over. I played about 30+ levels and bailed before the demo ended. I will say that this game is a lot harder than it looks once you make it past the first few levels and it would be more enjoyable if the developers had added a hint feature or a set starting tile point on every level.
This is a very basic game and it would have been more appealing if the graphics were brighter or they chose different colors each time to break up the monotony.
The gameplay is simple, you swap hexagon tiles until you complete the pattern of lines and knots. There are no time limits, nor are you tasked with completing the puzzles within a specified number of moves, it's designed to be a Zen kind of game.
Some of the levels give you a set tile as a starting point but some don't and it gets somewhat frustrating to figure out because you have no idea where to start. I'd get half of the puzzle figured out and then realize that I had to shift everything to the right or left to be able to fit everything in or complete the patterns. I wish they had given us an option to have a set tile as the starting point, that way you could choose how difficult you want the puzzles to be.
There is a Help Button that will show you the completed image scenario but they should have included a simple hint feature that would simply highlight two hexagons to swap. Sometimes you just need a nudge, not a complete spoiler alert!
I love the concept, but they should have included more options and brighter colors, at the very least they should have changed the colors from level to level and this game would have been more appealing. BTW: we have a daily game chat thread on my new forum at thewoodsforum.boards.net
Help save the forest from a mysterious disease in this classic solitaire fantasy adventure!
Overall rating
3
/
5
31 of 38 found this review helpful
NORMALLY, THIS IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE SOLITAIRE DEVELOPERS
PostedJune 14, 2021
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
I love solitaire games by this developer but this will be the first solitaire game from them that I will not be purchasing! I sped through the first 30 levels during the demo and was bored to death. The biggest problem was not with the cartoon graphics and childish story, it was the fact that you can't make long combos, in fact, you're basically just removing 1 or two cards at a time and you shuffle through 10 or so cards before you actually get a playable card and then you run out of deck cards. People want to be able to make large chains and try to make even longer chains to beat the previous record, out of 30 levels the largest chain I was able to make was 7 cards, and I was hard-pressed just to activate the combo-meter!
This is a Higher/Lower Solitaire game with just 3 Card Backs and 2 Fonts. The card backs don't even offer a themed deck and the selections weren't very appealing. I didn't see nor earn any Trophies that I'm aware of either. The graphics are bright and colorful but the cartoon characters are constantly popping up to speak their mind about impending doom as they awkwardly shift places with one another. There are a ton of dialog boxes with no voiceovers and the story was so uninteresting and annoying that I just ended up skipping the dialog which is rare for me.
Normally, DigiMight has some really cool Obstacles and features, my favorite being the morphing power-ups that only appear briefly on certain cards to give you more coins or deck cards. This game, however, only had Cartoon Character Helpers that remove a card of choice, change the deck card to a useful card, show the number of deck cards, etc. You can also earn Jokers occasionally by uncovering them during gameplay.
During the demo, I only encountered two Obstacle Card types, a Thorn-covered card that clones itself (requires 2 plays) and a Magic Stone card that lifts the dark magic from other cards when played. As I've started, this developer usually has unique obstacle cards and features, this game just seems slapped together (and perhaps the reason it was removed for several months back in April?
I don't mind the cartoon graphics, even though I'm not sure who the targeted audience is supposed to be? I do mind that the gameplay doesn't allow for the removal of large chains of cards, at least once in a while! I was also more than disappointed that this developer's most unique feature was M.I.A. because the morphing power-ups are what made their Solitaire games stand out from the others and I loved them! Won't you stop by my new forum to say hello? thewoodsforum.boards.net
Sharpen your sword and take up your bow - it’s time to fight back against a powerful sorcerer and his mighty dragon in this match-3 adventure!
Overall rating
5
/
5
105 of 114 found this review helpful
A SEQUEL THAT'S BETTER THAN THE ORIGINAL...MUST BE THE SECRET "SAUCE"
PostedJune 13, 2021
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Storm Tale 2 has finally arrived and wow, it's more like a Tornado than a Storm! The developer added his secret "green sauce" to whip up one of the best sequels a Match 3 player could ask for! The 3D graphics were the first thing that caught my attention when I had to navigate around the room from different angles to peek behind furniture or walk to the other side to be able to find hidden scrolls. The village you build can be viewed 3D, as well. Once I started playing the Match 3 levels, I became so engrossed that I had forgotten it was just a demo and was completely taken by surprise when the demo abruptly ended. That's my cue to purchase a game, if I'm so into a game that the abrupt ending of the demo snaps me out of the zone I know it's the right game for me!
You can play in a Relaxed Mode (no time or moves limits) a Challenge Mode (limited moves) or a Timed Mode, and then you get to choose an Expert (fewer power-ups & obstacles) or Casual (more power-ups & obstacles) Mode of Difficulty. What I love about all these choices is that it makes for great replayability because you can play through several combinations, such as, Limited Moves-Casual and then replay the game under Limited Moves-Expert, then switch it up and play Limited Time-Expert, etc. There are 18 different Trophies to earn and several categories within such as 0/48 Once you've earned an achievement, you can claim rewards in a Book that also contains Level Goals, Village Goals, Tasks, and Instructions on how to play.
Large matches earn a Bonus on the board that can be double-clicked or swapped with an adjacent tile to activate.
*Dynamite-destroys a one-tile radius
*Bomb- destroys a two-tile radius.
*TNT-destroys a three-tile radius.
*Bomb- destroys a two-tile radius.
*TNT-destroys a three-tile radius.
Once you have earned enough Gold playing Match 3 Levels, you can purchase various buildings that enable you to shelter and protect the villagers from the dragon, such as Sawmills, and Stone Mills. Purchasing these buildings rewards you with Diamonds and Power-ups to be used at your discretion, diamonds can also be used to Add Moves or Time.
POWER-UPS:
*Sword-destroys a single tile.
*Axe-destroys a single obstacle.
*Whirlwind-shuffles the board.
*Magic Staff-destroys all of the same chosen tile.
OBSTACLES:
*Wooden Crates-requires an adjacent match to destroy
*Chains-requires a match of whichever tile is chained
*Stone-requires 2 adjacent matches to destroy
*Ice Cube-requires 2 matches of whichever tile is frozen
*Earth-requires an adjacent match to destroy
*Grass-requires a match on top of the grass
*Metal Tiles-requires 3 adjacent matches to destroy
*Lava Stone-destroyed by cannonballs, requiring an explosion adjacent to the Cannon (you must create large matches to get the bombs)
*Sword-destroys a single tile.
*Axe-destroys a single obstacle.
*Whirlwind-shuffles the board.
*Magic Staff-destroys all of the same chosen tile.
OBSTACLES:
*Wooden Crates-requires an adjacent match to destroy
*Chains-requires a match of whichever tile is chained
*Stone-requires 2 adjacent matches to destroy
*Ice Cube-requires 2 matches of whichever tile is frozen
*Earth-requires an adjacent match to destroy
*Grass-requires a match on top of the grass
*Metal Tiles-requires 3 adjacent matches to destroy
*Lava Stone-destroyed by cannonballs, requiring an explosion adjacent to the Cannon (you must create large matches to get the bombs)
ELEMENTS:
*Gold Nuggets-require adjacent match to collect
*Gold Tiles-requires matches made on top to change gold cells to normal cells
*Cannons-create large matches to earn dynamite/bombs/TNT and then detonate adjacent to cannons to shoot cannonballs that will access other boards (lava stones require cannonballs to destroy as well)
*Side Boards-requires firing Cannonballs by detonating dynamite/bombs adjacent to the cannons
*Treasure Chests-must be dropped to the bottom of the board
*Keys-must be dropped to the bottom of the board to unlock new board sections
*Portals-connect separate parts of the board to let items go through portals
The bottom line here folks is that you don't need to take shelter to weather this Storm Tale, you'll definitely want to tackle this beast head-on! Please join us on my new forum at thewoods.boards.net
*Gold Nuggets-require adjacent match to collect
*Gold Tiles-requires matches made on top to change gold cells to normal cells
*Cannons-create large matches to earn dynamite/bombs/TNT and then detonate adjacent to cannons to shoot cannonballs that will access other boards (lava stones require cannonballs to destroy as well)
*Side Boards-requires firing Cannonballs by detonating dynamite/bombs adjacent to the cannons
*Treasure Chests-must be dropped to the bottom of the board
*Keys-must be dropped to the bottom of the board to unlock new board sections
*Portals-connect separate parts of the board to let items go through portals
The bottom line here folks is that you don't need to take shelter to weather this Storm Tale, you'll definitely want to tackle this beast head-on! Please join us on my new forum at thewoods.boards.net
I recommend this game!