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:
Can Camelot survive the wrath of the Green Knight?
Overall rating
5
/
5
134 of 165 found this review helpful
TWO GAMES BY THIS DEVELOPER NOW & I THINK I'M IN LOVE!
PostedMay 22, 2021
pennmom36
fromCamelot was King Arthur's Castle, known for The Holy Grail, Excalibur, & The Knight's of the Round Table a round table w/no legs or head, which symbolized the idea of a good king because every knight who sat at it had an equal place
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Completed Game a little over 8.0 Hours
(including completion of all puzzles & Bonus Chapter)
36 Main Game Scene Locations +8 CE Bonus Chapter
Difficulty Range: Intermediate
(including completion of all puzzles & Bonus Chapter)
36 Main Game Scene Locations +8 CE Bonus Chapter
Difficulty Range: Intermediate
If there's one person in the kingdom you don't want to mess with, it's the Green Knight. He has reason to believe that King Arthur is responsible for kidnapping his wife and he 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've played their adventure games!) I believe BF sets standards on their HOPAs to make them too easy so no one complains about the games being too difficult, it's just an educated guess, but I'm betting it's probably true in some form or another.
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 :)
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 several quite a bit of time staring at some of these scenes or trying to figure 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.
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 several quite a bit of time staring at some of these scenes or trying to figure 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.
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!
Can you stop Taleville’s newest criminal from destroying the city?
Overall rating
3
/
5
149 of 175 found this review helpful
I THINK PUSS IN BOOTS STOLE THE MAGIC OF THIS GAME
PostedMay 20, 2021
pennmom36
fromPuss in Boots was written in the 17th century by Charles Perrault & published in 1697 under the title Le Chat Botté. and there are over a thousand versions available today
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
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. I'll take that bet, I did not like this game, and odds are, the best this game can hope for is another average star-rating!
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 Whisp's 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 Whisp's 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?
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??
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??
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.
Get sucked into this match-3 paranormal mystery and see if your puzzle skills can help you solve the case!
Overall rating
1
/
5
30 of 42 found this review helpful
I GOT SUPER-EXCITED WHEN THEY SAID "SOLVE THE CRIME" DID SOMEONE STEAL A PUSHPIN???
PostedMay 17, 2021
pennmom36
fromI think my "Solve The Crime" button is broken? Ohhh, what does this button do?...boom, game over
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
1
/
5
Level of Challenge
1
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
The only reason I played the demo of this game was that it's one of the few games by this developer that had a Timed Mode Option. After the first level, I got to learn a little bit about the story and was directed to click the "Pinned Location" to "Solve The Crime" Oh man, this is gonna be good, I get to follow clues that will eventually allow me to make a logical deduction, how cool is that! Hey, wait a minute, nothing happened?? I think I did everything right, I clicked the flashing pin and a sticky note & picture appeared on a chalkboard, maybe I missed a step? Oh, wait! The sticky note & picture flashed a bit so maybe I have to click on the actual evidence to solve the crime...yep, that's got to be the issue here. Click, click, click-click, clickety-click-click...hmmm. nope! So much for solving a crime, the only crime here is that there is no crime to actually solve unless someone stole one of my pushpins used to pin my evidence to the board? And I thought this game was going to be different than the hundreds of other Match 3 games spewed out by the developer over the last few months.
Once again, this is a Swap type of Match 3 game, where you swap tiles to make matches of at least 3 identical elements, You must make matches over all of the Colored Cells on a transparent board (did someone steal them?), and make the required number of matches of each Element shown at the top of the screen. Elements inside of Bubbles, Morph when you make large matches, which allows you to pop the bubble when the desired element appears inside the bubble.
Once again, this is a Swap type of Match 3 game, where you swap tiles to make matches of at least 3 identical elements, You must make matches over all of the Colored Cells on a transparent board (did someone steal them?), and make the required number of matches of each Element shown at the top of the screen. Elements inside of Bubbles, Morph when you make large matches, which allows you to pop the bubble when the desired element appears inside the bubble.
There are the usual Obstructions of Wooden Crates, Chained or Double Chained Tiles, Spider Webs, etc. that require one or two matches of whichever element is chained or webbed (what do spiderwebs have to do with murder, or moonlight, or crimson?) Some levels require you to drop Rings off the board by making matches under them but it's difficult to spot some of the rings, I had to halt all matching several time to stare at the board as I tried to find the missing ring...aha, I just solved a crime, not THE crime, but probably the just the same?
Large Matches of 4 or more tile, fills the Mana Meter, the larger the match, the faster the Mana Meter fills. Filling the Mana Meter charges the Power-ups, and any of the Power-ups can be chosen after purchasing them but the Mana Meter must refill before using another Power-up.
TOOLS (power-ups):
*Magnifying Glass: destroys a single tile of choice.
*Axe: clears a 2x2 area of tiles and/or chains.
*Iron Peg: destroys 5 horizontal tiles.
*Dagger: destroys 5 vertical tiles
*Taser: destroys an entire horizontal line including chains.
*Stun Gun: destroys an entire vertical line including chains.
*Enchanted Shield: clears a vertical & horizontal line.
*Flashlight: destroys all ties of the chose tile.
*Old Propeller: shuffles the board
*Blood-red Chemical: destroys 20 random tiles.
*Dynamite: destroys a large group of tiles and/or chains.
*TNT: destroys all tiles on the board
*Magnifying Glass: destroys a single tile of choice.
*Axe: clears a 2x2 area of tiles and/or chains.
*Iron Peg: destroys 5 horizontal tiles.
*Dagger: destroys 5 vertical tiles
*Taser: destroys an entire horizontal line including chains.
*Stun Gun: destroys an entire vertical line including chains.
*Enchanted Shield: clears a vertical & horizontal line.
*Flashlight: destroys all ties of the chose tile.
*Old Propeller: shuffles the board
*Blood-red Chemical: destroys 20 random tiles.
*Dynamite: destroys a large group of tiles and/or chains.
*TNT: destroys all tiles on the board
WAIT...WHAT??? Let me get this straight, there is a "nuclear" powerup option that allows the player to annihilate the entire board with the click of a button? So you gave us an option to complete an entire level without having to match a single tile...while the option to solve a crime doesn't actually solve any crimes, does that sound about right? Is this a good time to suggest that ALL games, not just HOPAs, should have Beta Survey's available before the game is released, so developers can get important feedback?
This mystery has been solved so let's talk about things that are more fun at thewoodsforum.boards.net
I don't recommend this game.
Return to the undersea world of Atlantis Solitaire in a brand-new adventure!
Overall rating
4
/
5
26 of 31 found this review helpful
OPT FOR THE CE VERSION IF POSSIBLE
PostedMay 16, 2021
pennmom36
fromYou still get a lot of bonus levels with this SE version, but the CE is jammed so full of extras it almost makes you feel guilty :)
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
This is one of the few developers out there that I know with 100% certainty that any game they offer is going to be a buy for me, no demo necessary! I don't care if it's a Match 3 or a Solitaire game, and it doesn't even matter if it's a Collector's Edition, I'm going to buy it the day it's released! I can't wait a month for the SE versions, can you?
This is a Higher/Lower Solitaire, however, as you progress, you will unlock 12 Different Solitaire Versions: Gretchen~Pandinus~Forty Thieves~Augustus~Rose Garden~Sultan~Barrister~The Tudors~Woodford~The Mill~Morocco~Double Youkon. The CE version includes additional variations of Waterloo~Acme One~LaDama~Morgiana~Blind Nestor~Thrice
There are 200 main Solitaire Levels that can be played in a Relaxed, Normal, or Hard Mode, and there are 24 Achievement Trophies to earn (trophies are awarded for selecting options so make sure you read the Achievements before starting the game) There are 4 Card Backs to choose from and 3 Card Fonts, a traditional, antique, and themed style.
There are 200 main Solitaire Levels that can be played in a Relaxed, Normal, or Hard Mode, and there are 24 Achievement Trophies to earn (trophies are awarded for selecting options so make sure you read the Achievements before starting the game) There are 4 Card Backs to choose from and 3 Card Fonts, a traditional, antique, and themed style.
The goal is to Remove Cards that are either one Higher or one Lower than the Deck Card, and you get to remove all of the cards, not just special cards like some games! Each level has at least one Emerald to uncover which allows you to purchase underwater Castle Sections that eventually become available to set as a Wallpaper. Some Cards contain Coins that can be used in the Shop to purchase Power-ups, Wildcards, or convenience features such as a Deck Card Counter~Earn Extra Gold~Remove a Random Card~Remove a Specific Card~Reveal some Face Down Cards~Extra Shuffle and Undo features~Card Specific Wildcards~Jokers, and the Chance to Receive Wildcards and Jokers during the Levels.
As you progress, several Obstacle Cards are added, such as, Lock & Key Cards, Frozen Cards that require two Plays to remove them, Chain & Hammer Cards, Ribbon & Scissor Cards, Seaweed & Sword Cards, Red & Black Sealed Cards or Suit Specific Cards that require removing Red and Black Suit Cards or cards in a specific Suit, such as Clubs, Hearts, Diamonds or Spades.
The Collector's Edition Extra's:
200 Main Solitaire Levels, 6 Classic Solitaire Levels, 30 Supersized Solitaire Levels, 30 Challenge Solitaire Levels, 7 Main Castle Wallpapers, 24 Main Trophy Achievements, 32 Different Fish to Unlock, 4 Main Card Backs & 3 Fonts, 50 Mahjong Levels, 5 Extra Castles, 5 Extra Castle Wallpapers, 6 Bonus Supersized Solitaire Games (Waterloo~Acme One~LaDama~Morgiana~Blind Nestor~Thrice) 50 Extra Mahjong Levels, 30 Extra Solitaire Challenge Levels, 30 Extra Solitaire Supersized Levels, 4 Extra Power-ups, 10 Music Soundtracks & Music Player, the Making Of, 4 Extra Deck Backs, and Extra Trophies to earn.
200 Main Solitaire Levels, 6 Classic Solitaire Levels, 30 Supersized Solitaire Levels, 30 Challenge Solitaire Levels, 7 Main Castle Wallpapers, 24 Main Trophy Achievements, 32 Different Fish to Unlock, 4 Main Card Backs & 3 Fonts, 50 Mahjong Levels, 5 Extra Castles, 5 Extra Castle Wallpapers, 6 Bonus Supersized Solitaire Games (Waterloo~Acme One~LaDama~Morgiana~Blind Nestor~Thrice) 50 Extra Mahjong Levels, 30 Extra Solitaire Challenge Levels, 30 Extra Solitaire Supersized Levels, 4 Extra Power-ups, 10 Music Soundtracks & Music Player, the Making Of, 4 Extra Deck Backs, and Extra Trophies to earn.
A couple of my favorite features in this game were Caves that you need to explore. The caves have optional quests to fulfill that reward you with coins, emeralds, or even new fish after playing a different type of solitaire game such as Classic Solitaire and a bonus game of mahjong for example. I also loved the Challenge & Supersized levels that have a ton of cards that you have to remove. It's really satisfying to make huge chains, not to mention that they take longer to complete versus the regular levels that seem to be over within less than a minute. Won't you join us on my new forum at thewoodsforum.boards.net
I recommend this game!
Return to the undersea world of Atlantis Solitaire in a brand-new adventure!
Overall rating
5
/
5
12 of 13 found this review helpful
THE SUPERSIZED LEVELS ARE CRAZY FUN!
PostedMay 16, 2021
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
This is one of the few developers out there that I know with 100% certainty that any game they offer is going to be a buy for me, no demo necessary! I don't care if it's a Match 3 or a Solitaire game, and it doesn't even matter if it's a Collector's Edition, I'm going to buy it the day it's released! I can't wait a month for the SE version, can you?
This is a Higher/Lower Solitaire, however, as you progress, you will unlock 12 Different Solitaire Versions: Gretchen~Pandinus~Forty Thieves~Augustus~Rose Garden~Sultan~Barrister~The Tudors~Woodford~The Mill~Morocco~Double Youkon. The CE version includes additional variations of Waterloo~Acme One~LaDama~Morgiana~Blind Nestor~Thrice
This is a Higher/Lower Solitaire, however, as you progress, you will unlock 12 Different Solitaire Versions: Gretchen~Pandinus~Forty Thieves~Augustus~Rose Garden~Sultan~Barrister~The Tudors~Woodford~The Mill~Morocco~Double Youkon. The CE version includes additional variations of Waterloo~Acme One~LaDama~Morgiana~Blind Nestor~Thrice
There are 200 main Solitaire Levels that can be played in a Relaxed, Normal, or Hard Mode, and there are 24 Achievement Trophies to earn (trophies are awarded for electing options so make sure you read the Achievements before starting the game) There are 4 Card Backs to choose from and 3 Card Fonts, a traditional, antique, and themed style.
The goal is to Remove Cards that are either one Higher or one Lower than the Deck Card, and you get to remove all of the cards, not just special cards like some games! Each level has at least one Emerald to uncover which allows you to purchase underwater Castle Sections that eventually become available to set as a Wallpaper. Some Cards contain Coins that can be used in the Shop to purchase Power-ups, Wildcards, or convenience features such as a Deck Card Counter~Earn Extra Gold~Remove a Random Card~Remove a Specific Card~Reveal some Face Down Cards~Extra Shuffle and Undo features~Card Specific Wildcards~Jokers, and the Chance to Receive Wildcards and Jokers during the Levels.
As you progress, several Obstacle Cards are added, such as, Lock & Key Cards, Frozen Cards that require two Plays to remove them, Chain & Hammer Cards, Ribbon & Scissor Cards, Seaweed & Sword Cards, Red & Black Sealed Cards or Suit Specific Cards that require removing Red and Black Suit Cards or cards in a specific Suit, such as Clubs, Hearts, Diamonds or Spades.
Collector's Edition Extra's:
200 Main Solitaire Levels, 6 Classic Solitaire Levels, 30 Supersized Solitaire Levels, 30 Challenge Solitaire Levels, 7 Main Castle Wallpapers, 24 Main Trophy Achievements, 32 Different Fish to Unlock, 4 Main Card Backs & 3 Fonts, 50 Mahjong Levels, 5 Extra Castles, 5 Extra Castle Wallpapers, 6 Bonus Supersized Solitaire Games (Waterloo~Acme One~LaDama~Morgiana~Blind Nestor~Thrice) 50 Extra Mahjong Levels, 30 Extra Solitaire Challenge Levels, 30 Extra Solitaire Supersized Levels, 4 Extra Power-ups, 10 Music Soundtracks & Music Player, the Making Of, 4 Extra Deck Backs, and Extra Trophies to earn.
200 Main Solitaire Levels, 6 Classic Solitaire Levels, 30 Supersized Solitaire Levels, 30 Challenge Solitaire Levels, 7 Main Castle Wallpapers, 24 Main Trophy Achievements, 32 Different Fish to Unlock, 4 Main Card Backs & 3 Fonts, 50 Mahjong Levels, 5 Extra Castles, 5 Extra Castle Wallpapers, 6 Bonus Supersized Solitaire Games (Waterloo~Acme One~LaDama~Morgiana~Blind Nestor~Thrice) 50 Extra Mahjong Levels, 30 Extra Solitaire Challenge Levels, 30 Extra Solitaire Supersized Levels, 4 Extra Power-ups, 10 Music Soundtracks & Music Player, the Making Of, 4 Extra Deck Backs, and Extra Trophies to earn.
A couple of my favorite features in this game were Caves that you need to explore. The caves have optional quests to fulfill that reward you with coins, emeralds, or even new fish after playing a different type of solitaire game and a bonus game of mahjong for example. I also loved the Challenge & Supersized levels that have a ton of cards that you have to remove. It's really satisfying to make huge chains, not to mention that they take longer to complete versus the regular levels that seem to be over within less than a minute. Won't you join us on my new forum at thewoodsforum.boards.net
I recommend this game!
Mediterranean Journey 5
Visit new cities and islands across the Mediterranean as you take in the unique spirit and culture of this incredible destination!
Overall rating
3
/
5
62 of 75 found this review helpful
THE MUSIC IS SO BAD IT'S DEPRESSING THE SPIDER (but these devs are constantly trying to improve so for that effort I applauded them)
PostedMay 15, 2021
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Well folks, it looks like my favorite Chocolate-eating spider has returned and he's apparently been working out because he's now a beefy tarantula! I haven't yet spotted my chocolate bar so it is plausable that he's sworn off sweets but that doesn't mean I trust that beedy-eyed little bugger! He may not be sporting a chocolate grin at the moment, but that doesn't mean he's not quilty, after all, the chocolate bar does seem to be M.I.A??!! I can't help but get suspicious when the infamous anvil mysteriously disappears from every scene as well, there's only one individual beefing up here and it isn't me! This is such a complicated relationship I've had with Mr. Chocolate-eating spider, even though he nibbles on that chocolate bar found in every scene, I've grown quite fond of him and his sarcastic little chocolate grin over the last 5 games.
The Hidden Object Scenes can be played in an Easy Mode with no Timer or Misclick Penalties, a Normal Mode which is Timed but has no Misclick Penalties, or a Hard Mode which has a Timer and Misclick Penalties. You can earn up to 3 Stars when you complete the scene and find all of the collectibles (Hearts and GPS Icons) There is a Zoom +/- feature (click to zoom & drag the screen around) as well as a Hint Feature that must recharge after each use. In the Timed Mode, you are given approximately 15 minutes to find 15 Listed items. Each scene has a single Zoom Zone location that contains the final 3 objects, or the first 3 objects, or quite possibly the middle 3 objects, depending on how you look at it...I bet Mr. Spider looks at it with eight beedy little eyes, the same way he looks at that chocolate bar!
The Hidden Object Scenes can be played in an Easy Mode with no Timer or Misclick Penalties, a Normal Mode which is Timed but has no Misclick Penalties, or a Hard Mode which has a Timer and Misclick Penalties. You can earn up to 3 Stars when you complete the scene and find all of the collectibles (Hearts and GPS Icons) There is a Zoom +/- feature (click to zoom & drag the screen around) as well as a Hint Feature that must recharge after each use. In the Timed Mode, you are given approximately 15 minutes to find 15 Listed items. Each scene has a single Zoom Zone location that contains the final 3 objects, or the first 3 objects, or quite possibly the middle 3 objects, depending on how you look at it...I bet Mr. Spider looks at it with eight beedy little eyes, the same way he looks at that chocolate bar!
Strike it rich in Mediterranean Journey 5, they've added giant gold coins in each scene to make up for the fact that the music is so bad it makes Mr. Spider sick to his stomach and no one wants to be around when he throws up an entire chocolate bar! Each scene has 3 Hearts and 3 GPS icons that suddenly have become smaller than in previous games. Maybe this is a reasonable explanation as to why the spider suddenly morphed into a jurassic-sized tarantula? Maybe it's just a matrix Jedi mind trick scenario, where the spider only appears to be larger because the Hearts & GPS icons got smaller? Finding all 3 Hearts will unlock 3 new animal pictures (180) in an album, which does not include any photo's of Mr. Spider? Finding all 3 GPS icons will unlock a new picture of the HO scene (80 total) You can also purchase 18 Gift Shop Souvenirs for the spider. You could be selfish and purchase the gift shop items for yourself but Mr. Spider has been feeling a little blue lately so consider cheering him up with a gift or two; when he's depressed he binges on chocolate bars and we all know what happens then! You can improve your star rating by replaying the scenes, but the objects to find are different each time you play, be careful tho, you don't want to sneak up on the spider, he startles easily (prolly just chocolate jitters)
After each Hidden Object Scene, you'll play a Short mini-game because obviously, Tall mini-games don't fit into the game as easily. Mini-games include a game of Spider Solitaire, wait, what do you mean it's just regular solitaire?... Great, what a way to make the spider feel even more isolated! a Memory Match Card game containing just about every animal imaginable...except spiders, or Spot the Differences which surprisingly has nothing to do with spiders..who knew?
Although I hated the music, I did love the added golden coin collectibles even though this feature would be much better if they were smaller and several were available per scene, perhaps hidden in nooks & crannies, even better would be coins that morph! (whoo-hoo the spider can finally buy his own chocolate bars) I also appreciate the fact that these developers are taking notes with every game and they truly are trying to improve each game. I would have given this game 4-stars had it not been for the dreadfully depressing music. I absolutely love this developer's ongoing sense of humor for playing along ;) PS: I'd love to have you as a member on my new forum, all are welcome! thewoodsforum.boards.net
Rampant fires could burn the Brussels Secret City to ashes!
Overall rating
1
/
5
72 of 83 found this review helpful
STEP RIGHT UP & SIT BACK DOWN, IT'S THE GREATEST SHOW NEVER
PostedMay 14, 2021
pennmom36
fromStep right up folks, hurry, hurry hurry...no rush, I found him in the first scene, case solved, the end!
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
1
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
Completed Game approximately 4.5 Hours
(including completion of all puzzles & CE Bonus Chapter)
24 Main Game Scene Locations +9 CE Bonus Chapter
Difficulty Range: Beginner
(including completion of all puzzles & CE Bonus Chapter)
24 Main Game Scene Locations +9 CE Bonus Chapter
Difficulty Range: Beginner
The Circus has come to town with a brand new attraction, a mythical fire-breathing baby Drake! Unfortunately, it just so happens that the Yoton's stole the drake from the Fire Lakrians which is their only source of life essence! Without the drake's fire, the Lakrains will perish and the drake will spiral out of control and become a havoc-wreaking monster. This leaves me with more questions than answers: If the Lakrains need this "baby" drake to survive, why don't they have a backup drake and just how did they survive before he was born? If baby drake is so vital, why didn't they have the world's best security system in place? How long will it take the Lakrains to die, hours? days? months? When the Lakrain Apocolypse happens will they all drop dead at the same time or start dropping off one at a time? Since they are "Fire" Lakrains, do you think they'll just go "poof" up in smoke and disintegrate into thin air?
Gadgets/Helper:
Fortunately, there are no gadgets other than a magical tattoo that reveals The Secret City. This is a huge plus considering how boring this game is.
Fortunately, there are no gadgets other than a magical tattoo that reveals The Secret City. This is a huge plus considering how boring this game is.
Audio/Video Quality:
Domini usually does well in this department even though they are known for over-saturating their color palettes. I'm sure most people are aware that Creepy Circuses are a favorite plot for many HOPA fans and Domini was surely searching for a sweet spot to gain back the fan base they have lost. The keyword was "creepy circus", not a light-hearted super pink funhouse! HOPA fans are always partial to Dragons as well, so Domini thought "why not, what do we have to lose"? Nice try, but...
Domini usually does well in this department even though they are known for over-saturating their color palettes. I'm sure most people are aware that Creepy Circuses are a favorite plot for many HOPA fans and Domini was surely searching for a sweet spot to gain back the fan base they have lost. The keyword was "creepy circus", not a light-hearted super pink funhouse! HOPA fans are always partial to Dragons as well, so Domini thought "why not, what do we have to lose"? Nice try, but...
Wrong again! Sure, we all love dragons, but they can throw in every beloved type of fantasy character into a single game all day long but it's never going to change the fact that Domini's circus ship is sinking fast! It's sinking because they fail to see the bigger picture! We are sick and tired of brainless games that force us to endure the same mind-numbing tasks over and over. They still believe that every HOPA player is a beginner player after 15 years in the industry (founded in 2006) They still believe that after playing Domini games for 15 years, we can't handle new or logical tasks. They still haven't figured out that we can handle more than 2 unlocked scenes at a time or that we're intelligent enough to figure out that no one in their right mind would use a salad fork to remove a nail or substitute a worn-out shoe for a hammer. They don't seem to care that after 15 years, we have grown weary of their repetitive cliche tasks and games that are identical to the one released the week before!... I'm always willing to help, hurry before the ship sinks!
Collectibles & Morphing Objects (CE Version Only):
While we're on the subject of repetitive, cliche tasks, let's address the Collectibles! The collectibles are always the same they just have different names and they are never interesting! There are 15 Morphing Circus Props, 15 Dragon Statuettes, a gazillion "who cares" Missing Notes, 70 Zoom Zone Tokens of varying amounts that are used to purchase 15 really uninteresting Circus Tent Decorations. Seriously? You had two really cool themes to work with, Dragons and the Circus and these are the best decorations you could think of? Why on earth would you NOT get creative with this feature? We could have purchased a tricked-out Elephant, tamed a roaring Lion, purchased a whole herd of Zebras or decked out the Circus tent to become one of the greatest shows on Earth. We could have purchased exotic dragon eggs or applied magical tattoos to the infamous fire-breathing Drake. Sounds way more interesting than a whip sitting on a table in the middle of a dark tent, doesn't it?
While we're on the subject of repetitive, cliche tasks, let's address the Collectibles! The collectibles are always the same they just have different names and they are never interesting! There are 15 Morphing Circus Props, 15 Dragon Statuettes, a gazillion "who cares" Missing Notes, 70 Zoom Zone Tokens of varying amounts that are used to purchase 15 really uninteresting Circus Tent Decorations. Seriously? You had two really cool themes to work with, Dragons and the Circus and these are the best decorations you could think of? Why on earth would you NOT get creative with this feature? We could have purchased a tricked-out Elephant, tamed a roaring Lion, purchased a whole herd of Zebras or decked out the Circus tent to become one of the greatest shows on Earth. We could have purchased exotic dragon eggs or applied magical tattoos to the infamous fire-breathing Drake. Sounds way more interesting than a whip sitting on a table in the middle of a dark tent, doesn't it?
Hidden Object Scenes:
There are 13 Hidden Object Scenes +5 in the CE Bonus Chapter and an alternate Match 3 Game available. This is a terrible Match 3 game that 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 kind of defeats the purpose of a Match 3 game?? The Hidden Object Scenes vary in style, such as Interactive List Finds, Silhouetted Shape Finds, Spot the Difference, Matching Pairs, Keywords in Sentence Finds, and a Slider variation where you use vertical & horizontal slider bars to align images. To make matters bleaker, the developers decided it would be a great idea to add a giant penalty X to the HO scenes if you happen to select the wrong item or don't click on an exact spot within that object... If only Domini would add a skip button feature to their boring HO scenes!
There are 13 Hidden Object Scenes +5 in the CE Bonus Chapter and an alternate Match 3 Game available. This is a terrible Match 3 game that 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 kind of defeats the purpose of a Match 3 game?? The Hidden Object Scenes vary in style, such as Interactive List Finds, Silhouetted Shape Finds, Spot the Difference, Matching Pairs, Keywords in Sentence Finds, and a Slider variation where you use vertical & horizontal slider bars to align images. To make matters bleaker, the developers decided it would be a great idea to add a giant penalty X to the HO scenes if you happen to select the wrong item or don't click on an exact spot within that object... If only Domini would add a skip button feature to their boring HO scenes!
Mini-Games:
There are 19 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) Once again, the mini-games were the only feature that made this game somewhat bearable to endure, even though they too were repeats of previous games. Every Domini Game has to have some variation of a Map navigation puzzle, some variation of a lock and/or lockpick puzzle, some variation of sliding tokens along a path/track, a ton of puzzles to complete an image, and puzzles that require some sort of basic mathematics to solve.
There are 19 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) Once again, the mini-games were the only feature that made this game somewhat bearable to endure, even though they too were repeats of previous games. Every Domini Game has to have some variation of a Map navigation puzzle, some variation of a lock and/or lockpick puzzle, some variation of sliding tokens along a path/track, a ton of puzzles to complete an image, and puzzles that require some sort of basic mathematics to solve.
Bonus Chapter (CE Version Only)
The bonus chapter continues the story playing as the Yotun Ramona who goes on a harrowing adventure to rescue Ergil the Drake...okay, so it's not really a harrowing adventure after all, but I'm trying to make it more interesting because it's difficult when ya got nothing to work with lol. This is a typical Domini above-average-length chapter, typical because the storyline is short, the adventure is short, but they add a bunch of meaningless tasks that you've just experienced in the 4 previous chapters to make it appear more worthwhile...it isn't! There are 9 scene locations with 8 additional Mini-Games and 5 Hidden Object Scenes, and you will continue your search for the final 2 Morphing Circus Props, 4 Dragon Statuettes, and 9 Zoom Zone Tokens that are used to purchase the final uninteresting Circus Tent decorations.
The bonus chapter continues the story playing as the Yotun Ramona who goes on a harrowing adventure to rescue Ergil the Drake...okay, so it's not really a harrowing adventure after all, but I'm trying to make it more interesting because it's difficult when ya got nothing to work with lol. This is a typical Domini above-average-length chapter, typical because the storyline is short, the adventure is short, but they add a bunch of meaningless tasks that you've just experienced in the 4 previous chapters to make it appear more worthwhile...it isn't! There are 9 scene locations with 8 additional Mini-Games and 5 Hidden Object Scenes, and you will continue your search for the final 2 Morphing Circus Props, 4 Dragon Statuettes, and 9 Zoom Zone Tokens that are used to purchase the final uninteresting Circus Tent decorations.
Collector's Edition Extra's: (CE version only)
15 Wallpapers, 15 Concept Art Pictures, 5 Music Soundtracks, 25 Movie Video Cutscenes, 39 Achievements (the same achievements offered in all of their games) 19 Replayable Mini-Games, 18 Replayable Hidden Object Scenes, 15 Morphing Circus Props, 15 Dragon Statuettes, a gazillion Missing Notes, 70 Zoom Zone Tokens of varying amounts, used to purchase 15 Circus Tent decorations (do they really qualify as decorations?) 4 Main Chapters, a Bonus Chapter, and a Built-In Strategy Guide. Come join some real fun at my new forum & reconnect with old friends at thewoodsforum.boards.net
15 Wallpapers, 15 Concept Art Pictures, 5 Music Soundtracks, 25 Movie Video Cutscenes, 39 Achievements (the same achievements offered in all of their games) 19 Replayable Mini-Games, 18 Replayable Hidden Object Scenes, 15 Morphing Circus Props, 15 Dragon Statuettes, a gazillion Missing Notes, 70 Zoom Zone Tokens of varying amounts, used to purchase 15 Circus Tent decorations (do they really qualify as decorations?) 4 Main Chapters, a Bonus Chapter, and a Built-In Strategy Guide. Come join some real fun at my new forum & reconnect with old friends at thewoodsforum.boards.net
I don't recommend this game.
Rampant fires could burn the Brussels Secret City to ashes!
Overall rating
1
/
5
6 of 6 found this review helpful
THE NOT SO GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH
PostedMay 14, 2021
pennmom36
fromStep right up folks, hurry, hurry hurry...no rush, I found him in the first scene, case solved, the end!
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
1
/
5
Level of Challenge
1
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
Completed Game approximately 4.5 Hours
(including completion of all puzzles & CE Bonus Chapter)
24 Main Game Scene Locations +9 CE Bonus Chapter
Difficulty Range: Beginner
(including completion of all puzzles & CE Bonus Chapter)
24 Main Game Scene Locations +9 CE Bonus Chapter
Difficulty Range: Beginner
The Circus has come to town with a brand new attraction, a mythical fire-breathing baby Drake! Unfortunately, it just so happens that the Yoton's stole the drake from the Fire Lakrians which is their only source of life essence! Without the drake's fire, the Lakrains will perish and the drake will spiral out of control and become a havoc-wreaking monster. This leaves me with more questions than answers: If the Lakrains need this "baby" drake to survive, why don't they have a backup drake and just how did they survive before he was born? If baby drake is so vital, why didn't they have the world's best security system in place? How long will it take the Lakrains to die, hours? days? months? When the Lakrain Apocolypse happens will they all drop dead at the same time or start dropping off one at a time? Since they are "Fire" Lakrains, do you think they'll just go "poof" up in smoke and disintegrate into thin air?
Gadgets/Helper:
Fortunately, there are no gadgets other than a magical tattoo that reveals The Secret City. This is a huge plus considering how boring this game is.
Fortunately, there are no gadgets other than a magical tattoo that reveals The Secret City. This is a huge plus considering how boring this game is.
Audio/Video Quality:
Domini usually does well in this department even though they are known for over-saturating their color palettes. I'm sure most people are aware that Creepy Circuses are a favorite plot for many HOPA fans and Domini was surely searching for a sweet spot to gain back the fan base they have lost. The keyword was "creepy circus", not a light-hearted super pink funhouse! HOPA fans are always partial to Dragons as well, so Domini thought "why not, what do we have to lose"? Nice try, but...
Domini usually does well in this department even though they are known for over-saturating their color palettes. I'm sure most people are aware that Creepy Circuses are a favorite plot for many HOPA fans and Domini was surely searching for a sweet spot to gain back the fan base they have lost. The keyword was "creepy circus", not a light-hearted super pink funhouse! HOPA fans are always partial to Dragons as well, so Domini thought "why not, what do we have to lose"? Nice try, but...
Wrong again! Sure, we all love dragons, but they can throw in every beloved type of fantasy character into a single game all day long but it's never going to change the fact that Domini's circus ship is sinking fast! It's sinking because they fail to see the bigger picture! We are sick and tired of brainless games that force us to endure the same mind-numbing tasks over and over. They still believe that every HOPA player is a beginner player after 15 years in the industry (founded in 2006) They still believe that after playing Domini games for 15 years, we can't handle new or logical tasks. They still haven't figured out that we can handle more than 2 unlocked scenes at a time or that we're intelligent enough to figure out that no one in their right mind would use a salad fork to remove a nail or substitute a worn-out shoe for a hammer. They don't seem to care that after 15 years, we have grown weary of their repetitive cliche tasks and games that are identical to the one released the week before!... I'm always willing to help, hurry before the ship sinks!
Collectibles & Morphing Objects (CE Version Only):
While we're on the subject of repetitive, cliche tasks, let's address the Collectibles! The collectibles are always the same they just have different names and they are never interesting! There are 15 Morphing Circus Props, 15 Dragon Statuettes, a gazillion "who cares" Missing Notes, 70 Zoom Zone Tokens of varying amounts that are used to purchase 15 really uninteresting Circus Tent Decorations. Seriously? You had two really cool themes to work with, Dragons and the Circus and these are the best decorations you could think of? Why on earth would you NOT get creative with this feature? We could have purchased a tricked-out Elephant, tamed a roaring Lion, purchased a whole herd of Zebras or decked out the Circus tent to become one of the greatest shows on Earth. We could have purchased exotic dragon eggs or applied magical tattoos to the infamous fire-breathing Drake. Sounds way more interesting than a whip sitting on a table in the middle of a dark tent, doesn't it?
While we're on the subject of repetitive, cliche tasks, let's address the Collectibles! The collectibles are always the same they just have different names and they are never interesting! There are 15 Morphing Circus Props, 15 Dragon Statuettes, a gazillion "who cares" Missing Notes, 70 Zoom Zone Tokens of varying amounts that are used to purchase 15 really uninteresting Circus Tent Decorations. Seriously? You had two really cool themes to work with, Dragons and the Circus and these are the best decorations you could think of? Why on earth would you NOT get creative with this feature? We could have purchased a tricked-out Elephant, tamed a roaring Lion, purchased a whole herd of Zebras or decked out the Circus tent to become one of the greatest shows on Earth. We could have purchased exotic dragon eggs or applied magical tattoos to the infamous fire-breathing Drake. Sounds way more interesting than a whip sitting on a table in the middle of a dark tent, doesn't it?
Hidden Object Scenes:
There are 13 Hidden Object Scenes +5 in the CE Bonus Chapter and an alternate Match 3 Game available. This is a terrible Match 3 game that 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 kind of defeats the purpose of a Match 3 game?? The Hidden Object Scenes vary in style, such as Interactive List Finds, Silhouetted Shape Finds, Spot the Difference, Matching Pairs, Keywords in Sentence Finds, and a Slider variation where you use vertical & horizontal slider bars to align images. To make matters bleaker, the developers decided it would be a great idea to add a giant penalty X to the HO scenes if you happen to select the wrong item or don't click on an exact spot within that object... If only Domini would add a skip button feature to their boring HO scenes!
There are 13 Hidden Object Scenes +5 in the CE Bonus Chapter and an alternate Match 3 Game available. This is a terrible Match 3 game that 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 kind of defeats the purpose of a Match 3 game?? The Hidden Object Scenes vary in style, such as Interactive List Finds, Silhouetted Shape Finds, Spot the Difference, Matching Pairs, Keywords in Sentence Finds, and a Slider variation where you use vertical & horizontal slider bars to align images. To make matters bleaker, the developers decided it would be a great idea to add a giant penalty X to the HO scenes if you happen to select the wrong item or don't click on an exact spot within that object... If only Domini would add a skip button feature to their boring HO scenes!
Mini-Games:
There are 19 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) Once again, the mini-games were the only feature that made this game somewhat bearable to endure, even though they too were repeats of previous games. Every Domini Game has to have some variation of a Map navigation puzzle, some variation of a lock and/or lockpick puzzle, some variation of sliding tokens along a path/track, a ton of puzzles to complete an image, and puzzles that require some sort of basic mathematics to solve.
There are 19 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) Once again, the mini-games were the only feature that made this game somewhat bearable to endure, even though they too were repeats of previous games. Every Domini Game has to have some variation of a Map navigation puzzle, some variation of a lock and/or lockpick puzzle, some variation of sliding tokens along a path/track, a ton of puzzles to complete an image, and puzzles that require some sort of basic mathematics to solve.
Bonus Chapter (CE Version Only)
The bonus chapter continues the story playing as the Yotun Ramona who goes on a harrowing adventure to rescue Ergil the Drake...okay, so it's not really a harrowing adventure after all, but I'm trying to make it more interesting because it's difficult when ya got nothing to work with lol. This is a typical Domini above-average-length chapter, typical because the storyline is short, the adventure is short, but they add a bunch of meaningless tasks that you've just experienced in the 4 previous chapters to make it appear more worthwhile...it isn't! There are 9 scene locations with 8 additional Mini-Games and 5 Hidden Object Scenes, and you will continue your search for the final 2 Morphing Circus Props, 4 Dragon Statuettes, and 9 Zoom Zone Tokens that are used to purchase the final uninteresting Circus Tent decorations.
The bonus chapter continues the story playing as the Yotun Ramona who goes on a harrowing adventure to rescue Ergil the Drake...okay, so it's not really a harrowing adventure after all, but I'm trying to make it more interesting because it's difficult when ya got nothing to work with lol. This is a typical Domini above-average-length chapter, typical because the storyline is short, the adventure is short, but they add a bunch of meaningless tasks that you've just experienced in the 4 previous chapters to make it appear more worthwhile...it isn't! There are 9 scene locations with 8 additional Mini-Games and 5 Hidden Object Scenes, and you will continue your search for the final 2 Morphing Circus Props, 4 Dragon Statuettes, and 9 Zoom Zone Tokens that are used to purchase the final uninteresting Circus Tent decorations.
Collector's Edition Extra's: (CE version only)
15 Wallpapers, 15 Concept Art Pictures, 5 Music Soundtracks, 25 Movie Video Cutscenes, 39 Achievements (the same achievements offered in all of their games) 19 Replayable Mini-Games, 18 Replayable Hidden Object Scenes, 15 Morphing Circus Props, 15 Dragon Statuettes, a gazillion Missing Notes, 70 Zoom Zone Tokens of varying amounts, used to purchase 15 Circus Tent decorations (do they really qualify as decorations?) 4 Main Chapters, a Bonus Chapter, and a Built-In Strategy Guide. Come join some real fun at my new forum & reconnect with old friends at thewoodsforum.boards.net
15 Wallpapers, 15 Concept Art Pictures, 5 Music Soundtracks, 25 Movie Video Cutscenes, 39 Achievements (the same achievements offered in all of their games) 19 Replayable Mini-Games, 18 Replayable Hidden Object Scenes, 15 Morphing Circus Props, 15 Dragon Statuettes, a gazillion Missing Notes, 70 Zoom Zone Tokens of varying amounts, used to purchase 15 Circus Tent decorations (do they really qualify as decorations?) 4 Main Chapters, a Bonus Chapter, and a Built-In Strategy Guide. Come join some real fun at my new forum & reconnect with old friends at thewoodsforum.boards.net
I don't recommend this game.
Can you save the world of Spirits from a dangerous adversary?
Overall rating
3
/
5
155 of 180 found this review helpful
IF YOU LIKE REPETITIVE & OBVIOUS TASKS, LOOK NO FURTHER
PostedMay 13, 2021
pennmom36
fromBestiaries are a text compiled by an unknown author & consists of 48 sections, each dealing with 1 creature, plant, or stone & linked to a biblical text The stories are based on facts of natural science as accepted by a Physiologus-translation-Naturalist
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
Completed Game approximately 4.0 Hours
(including completion of all puzzles & CE Bonus Chapter)
24 Main Game Scene Locations +7 CE Bonus Chapter
Difficulty Range: Beginner
(including completion of all puzzles & CE Bonus Chapter)
24 Main Game Scene Locations +7 CE Bonus Chapter
Difficulty Range: Beginner
At this point, I feel like I'm just playing Domini games out of desperation because Big Fish rarely offers HOPA games nowadays. There are a ton of new, or new to the genre developers that would give anything to get their foot in the door (or is it "throw a fin" in the pond?) to create amazing HOPAs, they just lack funding. So why not take a chance with them? It would be a win-win situation, new competition would certainly spur the Domini-ant developers to be more creative plus we'd get fresh blood games with creative concepts!
How many times must we endure the same game? Yes, it's the same game because the tasks are always the same from game to game. I know I'll need to scoop out an object from the bottom of every fountain, I know every pile of leaves needs to be removed with some sort of tool, I know there will be a big ole pile of recently disturbed soil that someone thought would go unnoticed, I know I'll need to use a "heavy object" to pound nails with...and it will probably involve placing boards on a broken bridge or rungs of a ladder and probably both! I know the second I see a bookshelf that I'm gonna need to find 2 books to open a secret cache...not 1 book, not 3! I know there will be some sort of mysterious green ooze encasing a much-needed emblem, an object just out of reach that requires some type of MacGyver rig, some sort of purple fog to disperse, gauntlets or gloves required to move thorny branches, and I'll probably have to sew them first. I know that some statue or mannequin with be holding on to an object for dear life until I replace his limbs or adorned jewelry as if it had a soul. It's not about knowing what I need for all these tasks, it's the fact that no one bothers to think outside the box. I know every single person reading this knows exactly what I'm talking about...but did you know that every single task I just mentioned was a task from Chapter One in this game?
Gadgets/Helper:
This game is centered around the Guardians of Harmony and a Beastiary Book to banish the beasts that are conveniently conjured by the Spirits of nature...and always at key moments that prevent you from ending the game quickly and calling it a day tee-hee. The Beastiary Book is used 6 times during the main chapters only; to destroy freaks of nature such as a FireFox or a Gargoyle Batman. Before the book can un-conjure the conjuring, you'll have to complete a mini-game that varies with each beast. I actually enjoyed most of the associated puzzles!
This game is centered around the Guardians of Harmony and a Beastiary Book to banish the beasts that are conveniently conjured by the Spirits of nature...and always at key moments that prevent you from ending the game quickly and calling it a day tee-hee. The Beastiary Book is used 6 times during the main chapters only; to destroy freaks of nature such as a FireFox or a Gargoyle Batman. Before the book can un-conjure the conjuring, you'll have to complete a mini-game that varies with each beast. I actually enjoyed most of the associated puzzles!
Audio/Video Quality:
Domini usually does well in this department, especially after ditching the over-abundance of Purple, and Green hues. Once again, the scenes themselves are fairly uninteresting which is incredible given the fact that the plot's theme was a perfect opportunity to wow us with incredible scenery and exotic flora and fauna!
Domini usually does well in this department, especially after ditching the over-abundance of Purple, and Green hues. Once again, the scenes themselves are fairly uninteresting which is incredible given the fact that the plot's theme was a perfect opportunity to wow us with incredible scenery and exotic flora and fauna!
Collectibles & Morphing Objects (CE Version Only):
The collectibles are always the same in Domini games, they just have different names and they are never interesting! There are 15 Morphing Jodac's Inventions, 15 Spirited Potions, a gazillion Missing Notes, 70 Zoom Zone Coins of varying amounts that are used to purchase 15 Laboratory Items. Why not give us options on each decoration, such as different styles or color choices, or where to place them in the room? At least make the decorations more interesting, who cares about a pile of herbs sitting on a table or red drapes that remind everyone of a funeral home? I guess that would require some effort on the developer's part, so new options are unlikely!
The collectibles are always the same in Domini games, they just have different names and they are never interesting! There are 15 Morphing Jodac's Inventions, 15 Spirited Potions, a gazillion Missing Notes, 70 Zoom Zone Coins of varying amounts that are used to purchase 15 Laboratory Items. Why not give us options on each decoration, such as different styles or color choices, or where to place them in the room? At least make the decorations more interesting, who cares about a pile of herbs sitting on a table or red drapes that remind everyone of a funeral home? I guess that would require some effort on the developer's part, so new options are unlikely!
Hidden Object Scenes:
There are 13 Hidden Object Scenes +5 in the CE Bonus Chapter and an alternate Match 3 Game available. This is a terrible Match 3 game that 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 kind of defeats the purpose of a Match 3 game?? The Hidden Object Scenes vary in style, such as Interactive List Finds, Silhouetted Shape in multiples X3, Matching Pairs, Keywords in Sentence Finds, and a Slider variation where you align Silhouettes with Clues. If only Domini would add a skip button feature to their boring HO scenes!
There are 13 Hidden Object Scenes +5 in the CE Bonus Chapter and an alternate Match 3 Game available. This is a terrible Match 3 game that 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 kind of defeats the purpose of a Match 3 game?? The Hidden Object Scenes vary in style, such as Interactive List Finds, Silhouetted Shape in multiples X3, Matching Pairs, Keywords in Sentence Finds, and a Slider variation where you align Silhouettes with Clues. If only Domini would add a skip button feature to their boring HO scenes!
Mini-Games:
There are 21 Mini-Games +6 in the CE Bonus Chapter, 6 of which are associated with The Beastiary Gadget. 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) The puzzles weren't bad, and some of them were variations of older puzzles and they were enjoyable to play because they seemed new. The mini-games were the only feature that made this game bearable to endure, I actually enjoyed some of the Beastiary associated puzzles such as fragging chains of colored orbs to their matching slots, move a glowing orb to its destination by moving it to empty slots & clicking a button to reveal alternate slots, connect all bats with a continuous line (horizontal & vertical lines only) or capturing your opponent's tokens by touching or jumping them.
There are 21 Mini-Games +6 in the CE Bonus Chapter, 6 of which are associated with The Beastiary Gadget. 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) The puzzles weren't bad, and some of them were variations of older puzzles and they were enjoyable to play because they seemed new. The mini-games were the only feature that made this game bearable to endure, I actually enjoyed some of the Beastiary associated puzzles such as fragging chains of colored orbs to their matching slots, move a glowing orb to its destination by moving it to empty slots & clicking a button to reveal alternate slots, connect all bats with a continuous line (horizontal & vertical lines only) or capturing your opponent's tokens by touching or jumping them.
Bonus Chapter (CE Version Only)
Phyllis has been summoned by King Astis to restore the balance of nature after the kingdom's flora begins to mutate out of control. Naturally, a hooded figure is always one step ahead of you, thwarting your every move! This is a typical above-average-length chapter spanning over 7 scene locations, where you will probably get a case of Deja vu. The tasks are nearly identical to those within the first chapter...find and place a saddle & reins on a horse-find a tool to remove crystals-find & use a fishing rod-use a heavy object to hammer nails...seriously? There are 6 additional Mini-Games and 5 Hidden Object Scenes, and you will continue your search for the final 4 Morphing Jadoc's Inventions, 4 Spirited Potions, and 7 Zoom Zone Coins of varying amounts that are used to purchase the final uninteresting Laboratory Decorations.
Phyllis has been summoned by King Astis to restore the balance of nature after the kingdom's flora begins to mutate out of control. Naturally, a hooded figure is always one step ahead of you, thwarting your every move! This is a typical above-average-length chapter spanning over 7 scene locations, where you will probably get a case of Deja vu. The tasks are nearly identical to those within the first chapter...find and place a saddle & reins on a horse-find a tool to remove crystals-find & use a fishing rod-use a heavy object to hammer nails...seriously? There are 6 additional Mini-Games and 5 Hidden Object Scenes, and you will continue your search for the final 4 Morphing Jadoc's Inventions, 4 Spirited Potions, and 7 Zoom Zone Coins of varying amounts that are used to purchase the final uninteresting Laboratory Decorations.
Collector's Edition Extra's: (CE version only)
15 Wallpapers, 16 Concept Art Pictures, 5 Music Soundtracks, 26 Movie Video Cutscenes, 33 Achievements (the same achievements offered in all of their games) 20 Replayable Mini-Games, 18 Replayable Hidden Object Scenes, 15 Morphing Jodac's Inventions, 15 Spirited Potions, a gazillion Missing Notes, 70 Zoom Zone Coins of varying amounts to purchase 15 Laboratory Items, 4 Main Chapters, a Bonus Chapter, and a Built-In Strategy Guide. Come join the fun at my new forum & reconnect with old friends at thewoodsforum.boards.net
15 Wallpapers, 16 Concept Art Pictures, 5 Music Soundtracks, 26 Movie Video Cutscenes, 33 Achievements (the same achievements offered in all of their games) 20 Replayable Mini-Games, 18 Replayable Hidden Object Scenes, 15 Morphing Jodac's Inventions, 15 Spirited Potions, a gazillion Missing Notes, 70 Zoom Zone Coins of varying amounts to purchase 15 Laboratory Items, 4 Main Chapters, a Bonus Chapter, and a Built-In Strategy Guide. Come join the fun at my new forum & reconnect with old friends at thewoodsforum.boards.net
I don't recommend this game.
Join the Hudson’s for their next journey as they take off to the great white north!
Overall rating
3
/
5
83 of 95 found this review helpful
THEY HAVE ADDED NEW HO VARIANTS!
PostedMay 12, 2021
pennmom36
fromJe ne maîtrise pas la langue française, mais je peux parler canadien hein
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
Finally, something has changed! They have added a few different HO variants, Mirror Reflections where the words are mirrored as well as the screen (as it would be reading the word "ambulance" in a rearview mirror), and Spot the Difference. I love "spot the differences" scenes but ONLY when they make subtle changes to the scenery, which isn't the case here. All you have to do is click on objects that have been added to the scene and in this case, the objects are huge and hard to miss!
One of the biggest reasons I don't feel the need to purchase these games lately is because the items never change position when you replay the levels, which is a requirement to earn the necessary stars to unlock the next level in order to progress, therefore, it can get boring quickly. Sometimes they add a couple of new objects to the repeated scenes, but all the objects are in the same position every time you replay the game.
You can play in 3 different modes, a Relaxed Untimed Mode, 10-Minute Timed Mode, or a 3-Minute Timed Mode to complete each level. You will earn a single star on each HO location and the next location requires 2-3 stars to unlock it. The Hidden Object Modes change each time you replay a scene, between Listed Item, Silhouetted Shapes, Scrambled Letter Modes, and the two new variants, Mirror Reflection and Spot the Differences. Because the objects themselves never move, you can basically guess at the objects by the time you roll around to the silhouetted shapes, and scrambled letters and get 99% of them right!
Each scene has a Lazy Turtle to discover (once you find him he won't appear when you replay the same scene in a different mode) There are trivia facts before visiting each location as well. I STILL think the developers need to use their Lazy Turtle Logo versus the cheap plastic turtle because this developer's Lazy Turtle Logo is one of the coolest logos I've seen. He's an adorable "lazy" turtle wearing a sombrero and leaning up against a palm tree. If they used a semi-transparent image of this logo and hid it in each scene it would be much more challenging to spot, which is the point of a hidden collectible that isn't on the list! (free advertising never hurts either!)
Anyone else think it's creepy that the daughter packed mom & dad suitcases for their latest vacation?
The Hudson Family's trip locations include:
~Ontario, Algonquin Provincal Park
~Vancouver
~Victoria, British Columbia
~Toronto
~Quebec City
~Toronto, The Distillery District
~Toronto, Toronto Harbor
~Alberta, Lake Minnewanka
~Vancouver, Whistler
~Toronto, Chinatown
~Alberta, Train Trip
~Vancouver, Gastown
~Quebec, Ice Hotel
~SGang Gwaay, British Columbia
~New Brunswick, Hopewell Rocks Park
~Ontario, Algonquin Provincal Park
~Vancouver
~Victoria, British Columbia
~Toronto
~Quebec City
~Toronto, The Distillery District
~Toronto, Toronto Harbor
~Alberta, Lake Minnewanka
~Vancouver, Whistler
~Toronto, Chinatown
~Alberta, Train Trip
~Vancouver, Gastown
~Quebec, Ice Hotel
~SGang Gwaay, British Columbia
~New Brunswick, Hopewell Rocks Park
Mini-Games Available:
~Jigsaw
~Forest Solitaire
~Travel Cards (Matching Card Pairs)
~Winter Animals (Restore picture puzzle)
~Canada Cities (Word Search)
~Jigsaw
~Forest Solitaire
~Travel Cards (Matching Card Pairs)
~Winter Animals (Restore picture puzzle)
~Canada Cities (Word Search)
I'm really glad this developer is making changes, but the bottom line is that the objects are huge and not so "hidden" Because the objects never move position from one variant to another, the HO's are super easy to spot. Join us at my new forum for series lists and so much more thewoodsforum.boards.net