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 reviews
    0
 
 
Status:
 
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pennmom36's Review History
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Follow Claire on a mesmerizing photo safari while solving fun pixel art puzzles using logic alone!
 
Overall rating 
Loved it!
5 / 5
37 of 44 found this review helpful
ANOTHER BEAUTIFUL ஐ¸.·´¯`·. WILDERNESS MOSAIC
PostedMarch 9, 2021
Customer avatar
pennmom36
fromI loved the Elephant! You should try the "Rough Tile" selection, it looks really cool with this theme!
  • Top Reviewer
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor 
Excellent
5 / 5
Visual/Sound Quality 
Excellent
5 / 5
Level of Challenge 
Good
4 / 5
Wilderness Mosaic 3: Photo Safari is definitely my favorite in this series so far because the images created are amazing! (it also happens to be one of my favorite Indie developers) Not only are the chosen images beautiful, but there are also some interesting features available, and for me, the challenge was perfect. Some of the levels are easily solved while other levels are a bit more challenging, so it was a nice mixture that allowed me to relax and enjoy the mosaics, I don't want all of the levels to be so challenging that I lose the relaxing zen-vibe aura. I also loved that you create the entire scene, not just a single image, and you learn interesting facts as you go along too. The colors are really vibrant and I liked how the crossed-off cells disappear into the background to make it easier to see the grid.
In this second Wilderness Mosaic edition, there are 9 Chapters, or locations to visit in Africa, with a total of 142 Mosaic Puzzles and 18 Mini-Games such as a Memory Game where you flip two cards over at a time, or a Sliding Tile game.
There are 5 Tiles to choose from, Pearl, Glass, Chiseled, Soft, and a Rough texture. I choose the rough texture which I don't normally do, and the finished image was even better! There is also a custom cursor option as well. As I stated earlier, I love how the X'd or crossed-off cells darken & basically disappear or blend into the background because it makes everything so easy to see what's left and what still needs to be filled in. The best part is that the finished image doesn't disappear in a split second as it does on some Mosaic games, you can admire it as long as you want, then simply click on it to move on to the next puzzle. (isn't that the point?)
There is a Butterfly feature that will reveal a single cell and a Whale that reveals a 3 x 3 field on the board. You are allowed up to 5 mistakes, but that will affect your overall Star-rating. There is also a Hint feature available if you get stumped, but it has to recharge before you can use it again.
For those of you who have never played a Mosaic Griddler, there are numbers on each row and column that indicate how many filled-in cells there will be, and each group of numbers must be separated by at least one empty or crossed-off cell. It's easier to fill in the larger groups of numbers first, and whenever possible the top, bottom, and sides, then cross-off cells that couldn't possibly contain a filled-in cell. You can switch between Color bubbles (located on the right side) when you get stuck which will ultimately narrow down the playing field and help you solve the puzzle.
I love developers who listen to the reviewers-their fans and use our suggestions, and constructive criticism to implement changes in the next game, and I know for a fact that that's exactly what this developer does! It shows they care, not just about their game, but it shows they care about the gamer/customer as well Think about it, how hard it must be to spend hours, days, and months working to develop a game. They have to feel a great sense of pride when it's finished and it must be nerve-wracking to have to wait to see the reaction of the reviewers and it has to be gut-wrenching if they don't like the game, yet this developer strives to make the next game better, even though it's impossible to please everyone, at least they try! Won't you join me at my new forum to talk about this game and so much more? thewoodsforum.boards.net
I recommend this game!
+30points
37of 44voted this as helpful.
 
A quest to recover a mysterious relic has surprising implications!
 
Overall rating 
Loved it!
5 / 5
67 of 80 found this review helpful
THEY HAVE RAISED THE BAR ON MATCH 3 GAMES~A BAR THAT OTHER DEVELOPERS MUST STRIVE TO ACHIEVE!
PostedMarch 7, 2021
Customer avatar
pennmom36
fromThis is a game you will want to play over and over. When's the last time you fell in love with a game you never wanted to end?!!
  • Top Reviewer
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor 
Excellent
5 / 5
Visual/Sound Quality 
Excellent
5 / 5
Level of Challenge 
Excellent
5 / 5
Storyline 
Excellent
5 / 5
There aren't many games lately that I become so engrossed in the demo that when the demo ends, it takes me by surprise and I'm scrambling to hit the "Buy Now" button...but this game did exactly that! The creativeness of this game has raised the bar to a standard that other developers must now strive to achieve!
There are so many different aspects to this game that one can't help but be entertained. It is a Hidden Object game, a Match 3 game, a Battle game, a Quest-based game, an Adventure game, and a Strategy game all in one. You can play in an Easy, Normal, or Hard mode of difficulty and you can choose to play the Match 3 games in a Limited Time or Limited Moves Mode as well.
You begin your journey by walking which is in the form of a Match 3 game that requires you to make matches on a path to move the character (shown as a hat) along the path to the top of the board. This scenario was my favorite part!
After completing the Match 3 game, you'll continue your adventure by searching for Inventory Items in each scene along your way. You'll have to figure out how and where to use those items to progress, for example, you may have to remove cobwebs, open doors, and move carts, but the tasks aren't necessarily easy to figure out because sometimes the solution isn't obvious. Once you solve a task, a different variation of the Match 3 game will open up with obstacles that are theme-related to the task, such as cobwebs or spiderwebs that block some tiles.
When you make a Match 4 or larger, you will gain an extra move or time. As you progress, you are given the opportunity to "Learn" a new Skill which is basically a power-up that places bombs on the board or allows you to remove a single tile, or pushes tokens out of your path like a hurricane.
When you come across a Beast or Demon, you'll first have to figure out which inventory item is necessary, then you play a Battle Mode Match 3 game where you take turns against your opponent. Collecting Red Crystals drains your opponent but it also drains your energy if the opponent matches red crystals.
Normally, I would tell people to wait for the Standard Edition of a Match 3 game, but I can assure you that if you love a great M3 game, and you enjoyed this demo, you WILL want the CE version just for the fact that there are added bonus levels. Nobody wants the game to end, it's that good! I have talked with several M3 fans on my forum and they, like me, are totally addicted to this game...many of them are playing the game on every difficulty mode so it has great re-playability!
The Collector's Edition version has 15 Wallpapers, Concept Art (available after completing the game) 15 Music Soundtracks (12 regular and 3 CE Bonus tracks) 4 extra Records Trophies (shown in %'s) 16 Characters, 15 Beasts & Demons, a Bonus Chapter and a Strategy Guide. Please join us at my new forum, to discuss games, meet new friends and catch up with familiar ones from days gone by at
thewoodsforum.boards.net ...hope to see you there!
I recommend this game!
+54points
67of 80voted this as helpful.
 
The original Clutter series is back with its most amazing and challenging set of puzzles yet!
 
Overall rating 
Liked it!
4 / 5
43 of 68 found this review helpful
KI11ER AT A COST?
PostedMarch 6, 2021
Customer avatar
pennmom36
fromHere's a riddle for you to solve: how does one complete a game before it arrives..answer coming soon.
  • Top Reviewer
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor 
Good
4 / 5
Visual/Sound Quality 
Good
4 / 5
Level of Challenge 
Excellent
5 / 5
Norma11y, I would give a new C1utter game 5-stars but Ki11er C1utter was more of a buzz-ki11 for me because it's 1acking the "it" factor. It's 1acking the key feature that made me fa11 in 1ove with C1utter games, re1axation, and pure fun. Now it's just maddening1y frustrating. I 1iked some of it, but I dis1iked a 1ot of it too, and I doubt I wi11 purchase this edition because it made me rather keyed-up and fe1t kind of re1ieved when the demo ended. I'm sure most wi11 1ove this game, especia11y if you have the need for speed and chaos, but for me, I just want to match some good o1d-fashioned C1utter! without a11 the spinning whee1s, moving smi1eys, b1ing & b1itz!
You Can Choose from 3 Cursor sizes in Red, Green, and Blue and you can also customize the following:
*Timer: enable/disable timer.
*Starter Hints: enable/disable Match Hints if you stall a little too long.
*Unlimited Hints: enable/disable unlimited hints mode.
*Click Penalty: enable/disable penalties for misclicks.
*Slider Puzzles (in Quest Mode) allows you to bypass Slider Puzzles.
*Tips & Tricks: enable/disable commentary w/ tips & tricks.
*Colorize Toggle: de-color your clutter world.
*Shadow Toggle: enable/disable Silhouettes in pop-up boxes.
*Story: enable/disable the Story Joe has worked so hard on?
*Tall & Wide: enable/disable the latest Clutter variation, never!
*Chaos Toggle: enable/disable the hectic chaos of moving objects, demons begone!
There are over 1700 puzzles with some old and new Clutter styles such as See 2, Match 2 (match 2 identical objects) Stackers-in Easy & Hard Modes (variations of buttons), Dancing Donuts (2 spinning wheels of donuts) Classic Clutter, Clutter Texture Tiles (remove identical textures) Hunting vs. Finding ("hunt" for matching smiley hearts) Clutter Challenge, Picture Puzzle Challenge (tiles with text) Intermixed (for every match-2 items fall off) Mahjong Tiles, Potpourri (rotating clutter) Clutter Gaps (match halves) Triple Stackers, Clutter Challenge and so much more!
To break up the monotony, there are tons of puzzles like sliders and tile swap puzzles. Come join me at my new forum thewoodsforum.boards.net
I recommend this game!
+18points
43of 68voted this as helpful.
 
Your daughter’s uncanny gift draws the attention of a sinister organization!
 
Overall rating 
It was OK.
3 / 5
29 of 51 found this review helpful
I LIKE THE CE VERSION BETTER BUT THAT'S BECAUSE THEY HAVE SCENE MORPHS & HO MORPHS
PostedMarch 5, 2021
Customer avatar
pennmom36
fromHonesty is honestly the best policy
  • Top Reviewer
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor 
Good
4 / 5
Visual/Sound Quality 
OK
3 / 5
Level of Challenge 
Good
4 / 5
Storyline 
Excellent
5 / 5
Completed Game approximately 6.0 Hours
(including completion of all puzzles & Bonus Chapter
22 Scene Locations +6 CE Bonus Chapter
Difficulty Range: Beginner-Intermediate
Halsey is just your typical 16-year old girl, except for the fact that she was kidnapped from an experimental laboratory, possesses weird powers, and seems to be the key to the strange crystal growing deep within Ember Lake. Now it seems everyone else knows about her connection to the crystals that are slowly mutating the nearby residents, but why Halsey?
Morphing Objects/Collectibles (CE version only)
Each of the 27 Scenes, throughout the Main Game and Bonus Chapter, has a Morphing Object and Collectible Crystal. The collectibles are rather large but they both were difficult to find in some of the scenes. There is also a Morphing Object in all of the 15 Hidden Object Scenes, which are definitely not easy to spot! Any missed Hidden Object Scene Morphs can be picked up by replaying the HO's in the extra's menu, which also allows you to better your star or accuracy score.
Graphics & Sound:
The graphics have room for improvement because MHG changed their graphics a while back and they do tend to be large and cartoonish during close-ups or zoom zones. The graphics remind me a lot of the former Eipix developer where they opted to make the scenes bright and colorful but very plain, you are fooled into thinking they are beautiful scenes because of the beautiful color palette but if you pay attention you'll notice that there are no details, buildings don't have individual bricks, for instance, they are smooth surfaces which makes everything seem huge and cold, instead of giving it a warm and cozy feeling.
Hidden Object Scenes:
There are 14 Hidden Object Scenes, +3 HOP's in the CE Bonus Chapter as well as 4 smaller Zoom Zone HO's where you are tasked with finding 6-8 objects shown as silhouetted shapes. This is the one area that MHG's shined, the HO scenes had a good variety of styles and the objects are really well-blended into the scenery. None of the objects are obvious to spot, on HO's by every other developer, I'm able to spot the correct objects without even looking at the list, but that never happened with these HO's! There are a lot of different variations such as Silhouetted Shape Finds, Matching Pairs Finds, Interactive & Listed Item Finds, Symbol Finds (MHG loves their symbols!) Swatches Finds, and Spot The Differences, one of which requires spotting a symbol that was an oddball out of each grouping of symbols. Each of the Main HO Scenes has a Morphing Object that can be picked up within the CE Extra's menus as well, but there are no alternative games available in lieu of HOP's.
Mini-Games:
There are 17 Mini-Games +6 in the CE Bonus Chapter. I really enjoyed them because there were a lot of mechanical type puzzles which are my favorite type. I did deduct a star because you can't replay any of the mini-games! Here are a few of my personal favorites:
1-Connect dots on a phone to combine 2 symbols in a continuous line. x3
2-Click on sections to fill in or stop the flow of the correct colors to paint a mural.
3-Adjust the bandwidth of the yellow wave to match 3 different red waves using vertical & horizontal sliders as well as shape.
4-Place 3 chips onto 3 groups of numbers to equal the sum of 96.
5-Move the mechanical arm using controls to manipulate the switches and following the clues.
Bonus Chapter: (CE version only)
It's been a few years since the incident at Ember Lake and Halsey is excited about her first class at the University...that is, until she discovers that her biology professor brought back a vacation souvenir from Ember Lake! This is a pretty short Chapter spanning 6 scene locations with just 3 additional Hidden Object Scenes and 3 Mini-Games. There are 3 Hidden Object Scene Morphs, 6 Scene Morphing Objects, and 6 Collectible Crystals. After completing the CE Bonus Chapter, you can access the Ultimate Hidden Object puzzle where you'll open 3 cabinets to access 3 HO scenes. You'll also be able to access the Treasure Hunt game where you return to the 27 scenes to find a single Treasure Hunt object.
Collector's Edition Extra's:
12 Wallpapers (not 4!) 7 Concept Art Pictures with a Before/After slider bar, 10 Music Soundtracks, 11 Achievements (6 available in 3 categories) 15 Replayable Hidden Object Scenes, 27 Collectible Crystals, 27 Scene Morphing Objects, 15 HOP Morphing Objects, an Ultimate HO, 27 Treasure Hunt Objects, 4 Main Chapters +Bonus Chapter and a Built-In Strategy Guide.
Please join us at my new forum at thewoodsforum.boards.net where you can find my series lists, talk about the games and so much more!
I recommend this game!
+7points
29of 51voted this as helpful.
 
Can you claim your powers and save your mom in time?
 
Overall rating 
Liked it!
4 / 5
128 of 147 found this review helpful
LOOKS LIKE THIS DEVELOPER IS BACK IN THE GAME!
PostedMarch 4, 2021
Customer avatar
pennmom36
fromOh, oobee doo, I wanna be like you, I wanna walk like you, Talk like you, too , You'll see it's trueooo, she must be blueooooo, & wants to be human tooooo
  • Top Reviewer
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor 
Good
4 / 5
Visual/Sound Quality 
Good
4 / 5
Level of Challenge 
OK
3 / 5
Storyline 
Good
4 / 5
Completed Game approximately 6.0 Hours
(including completion of all puzzles & Bonus Chapter
21 Scene Locations +7 CE Bonus Chapter
Difficulty Range: Beginner-Intermediate
Your mom instilled core values in you, one of which was punctuality. When she didn't show up in time you knew something was wrong, but you had no idea that your mother was hiding a huge secret from you, the truth about what you really are. While searching Ruby's house for clues about her sudden disappearance, Diana stumbles across a portal that will alter her life forever! Diana is about to embark on a magical journey to Fayron where she'll discover the truth...and discover what pure evil looks like!
Helpers/Gadgets:
There are no Helpers in Fayron but you do have special abilities, The Power of Second Sight. This ability allows you to see hidden items, even behind walls and doors. Because this ability/gadget is only used 5-6 times throughout the game, it isn't very obtrusive and I didn't find this gadget to be annoying or seem more like a chore than something unique.
Morphing Objects/Collectibles (CE version only)
Each of the 28 Scenes, throughout the Main Game and Bonus Chapter, has a Morphing Object that is quite challenging to find in most of the scenes! They morph at a good rate of speed and the objects themselves are scene appropriate, in other words, there's not going to be a basketball morphing in a scene filled with magical beasts, and colorful flowers!
In true MHG fashion, they also have those infamous Morphing Objects within all 20 Hidden Object Scenes, and these morphs are definitely not easy to spot! Any missed Hidden Object Scene Morphs can be picked up by replaying the HO's in the extra's menu, which also allows you to improve your star-rating or accuracy score. (and pick up a few HO achievements)
Each scene also has a Collectible Feather, (28) although they aren't as difficult to spot as the morphs, they did a nice job blending them into the scenery and matching the color of the feather to a similar-colored object.
Graphics & Sound:
The graphics are gorgeous and believable! The whole game feels magical, the sights and the sounds make you feel like you are in Fayron, you can really connect with the characters (even tho one was a guinea pig lol) You'll feel the emotions of happiness, confusion, deceit, and anger as you delve deeper into the plot. When's the last time you felt like something was actually happening to you personally, versus the character you are playing? The sound effects were subtle, hardly noticeable, most of the time you don't notice the music loops because that's what soundtracks are supposed to do. I'm not sure if MHG outsources this feature (syncing music with the game) or if they do this in-house, but it was beautifully done nonetheless!
Hidden Object Scenes:
There are 15 Hidden Object Scenes, +5 HOP's in the CE Bonus Chapter with a dash of smaller Zoom Zone HO's where you are tasked with finding a handful of objects shown as silhouetted shapes. MHG's shined once again in the HO department, the HO scenes had a good variety of styles and the objects are really well-blended into the scenery, not to mention that they were located in really interesting locations. They chose bright and colorful locations or scenes that had a ton of items to sift through. There are a lot of different variations such as Silhouetted Shape Finds, Matching Pairs Finds, Interactive & Listed Item Finds, Multiples of the Same Object Finds, Keywords in a Story Finds, and Symbol Finds You'll be searching for colorful exotic fish in a pond in one scene, and the next you may be sifting through a bunch of mechanical parts and tools. I loved the Story Progression HO's and thought the ones involving finding matching silhouettes of flowers or fish was really enjoyable, TY MHG! Each of the HO scenes has a not-so-easy-to-spot Morphing Object, and if you miss one, you can pick it up within the CE Extra's menu where you can replay 20 of the HOS and also earn achievements for time and accuracy. There are no alternative games available in lieu of HOP's, but you'll definitely want to play these HOs!
Mini-Games:
There are 27 Mini-Games +4 in the CE Bonus Chapter. I found most of the mini-games to be enjoyable puzzles that can be solved within one or two attempts. Although I prefer mechanical-type mini-games, I did enjoy chasing the guards around with a stinky frog, but I wasn't crazy about the connect-the-dots game. There were some puzzles that seemed worthless such as repeating the sequence which literally involved clicking on 3 buttons that lit up in a symmetrical pattern? It may have been a simple game, but I think my favorite game was in the first chapter where you are tasked with finding and placing the correct flower onto its silhouetted in the correct order. There was a similar game where you had to choose the correct rope loop after being challenged to a duel with a talking fox!

Bonus Chapter: (CE version only)
Reminisce the past with Neero and find out how and why Bane came into existence. This is a lengthy Bonus Chapter spanning over 7 scene locations, with an additional 5 Hidden Object Scenes and 4 Mini-Games. There are 5 Hidden Object Scene Morphs, 7 Scene Morphing Objects, and 7 Collectible Feathers remaining. After completing the Bonus Chapter, you'll also be able to access the Jigsaw Puzzles, History, M3 games, and Characters, the Ultimate HO can be accessed when you complete the Collectible Hunt (feathers).
Collector's Edition Extra's: (no wrong info here!)
12 Wallpapers, 4 Concept Art Pictures with a Before/After slider bar, 10 Character Bios, 10 Music Soundtracks, 0 Video Sequences, 11 Achievements (6 available in 3 categories) 0 Replayable Mini-Games, 20 Replayable Hidden Object Scenes, 28 Collectible Feathers which allows you to unlock the Ultimate Hidden Object Scene, 28 Scene Morphing Objects, 20 HOP Morphing Objects, an Ultimate HO Puzzle, 3 Jigsaw Puzzles, a 200 Level Match 3 Game, History of Tale World, 5 Main Chapters +Bonus Chapter and a Built-In Strategy Guide.
They say that imitation is the purest form of flattery...until it crosses the line to plagiarism! Please join us at my new forum at thewoodsforum.boards.net where you can find my series lists, talk about the games and so much more!
I recommend this game!
+109points
128of 147voted this as helpful.
 
In this scholastic escape room puzzler, help Mya to freedom after she’s locked up in school!
 
Overall rating 
Liked it!
4 / 5
53 of 108 found this review helpful
ALL WAS GOOD UNTIL LEVEL 13 WHEN MY BALLS WERE CAUGHT :o
PostedMarch 3, 2021
Customer avatar
pennmom36
fromOh balls... basketballs, soccer balls, volleyballs, they sure are bouncy!
  • Top Reviewer
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor 
Good
4 / 5
Visual/Sound Quality 
OK
3 / 5
Level of Challenge 
Good
4 / 5
Storyline 
OK
3 / 5
I always try to be truthful with my evaluation of a game, and I was enjoying this game until I reached level 13 which required dexterity to solve the level versus merely figuring out the correct solution. Since then I have talked with members at my forum who had the same issue as I did with their balls lol. Sorry, I can't tell you more because it would inadvertently give away the solution to how to solve the puzzle.
This would have been even more amazing if the graphics weren't so plain and the theme was something more adult-oriented, BUT I'm not complaining because I love that BF is finally reaching out a flipper to grab new developers and a whole new genre!!!
This game is super easy to figure out, but not so easy to solve. Your goal is to escape School by figuring out a simple solution in each classroom to find the Key to that door. You may have to find a few inventory items, knock things over, or search for codes, etc. Each solution is pretty simple and basic so don't overcomplicate it! (if you played a ton of older HOPAs a lot, you'll probably figure it out faster because it's the same concept)
As I said above, all was going smoothly until I got to a manual dexterity puzzle, I usually don't have an issue with these but in this particular puzzle, the bounce got me, and my score would reset, so it got to the point that I became frustrated and just wanted to skip that one...but there isn't a Skip Feature!!! That's a huge oversite, in my opinion, if you're going to switch from using your brain to using your mouse skills halfway through a game, give the player an option to skip them! Let's talk about it :) Join me on my new forum thewoodsforum.boards.net
I recommend this game!
-2points
53of 108voted this as helpful.
 
The Unexpected Quest is an adventure game with unique strategy and time management elements.
 
Overall rating 
Loved it!
5 / 5
255 of 279 found this review helpful
WOW! THIS IS UNEXPECTED! WE'RE FINALLY GETTING THE BIG BOY/GIRL GAMES!
PostedMarch 2, 2021
Customer avatar
pennmom36
fromWhy do the characters mumble, it would be so much better if they actually spoke words, even if it was a foreign or ancient language...perhaps saying nothing at all would be better than mumbling?
  • Top Reviewer
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor 
Excellent
5 / 5
Visual/Sound Quality 
Excellent
5 / 5
Level of Challenge 
Excellent
5 / 5
Storyline 
Excellent
5 / 5
Well, folks, it looks like BF finally stepped out of their comfort zone to roll with the big leagues to bring us an amazing one-of-a-kind Strategy Game! Everything about this game is unique and you'll know you've wandered into something extraordinary the second you click play or any other button for that matter. The first thing I wanted to find out was who developed this game so I clicked on the credits which zoomed me around the village, over the mountains, through the woods, and across a river where the developers genuinely thanked me for being curious! The 3D graphics are phenomenal (and you can fine-tune the graphics all the way to Epic) The only thing this game is missing is a strategy guide or some type of hint feature because I was at a loss of what to do more than once...but I did find several SG's online.
There is no Time Limit, this is Strategy at its finest, you can take all the time you want to complete each of the 8 Chapters. Don't let the fact that there are only 8 Chapters fool you, these are Quest-driven chapters (you can decline some or all quests) I barely made it through 2 chapters during the demo and each proceeding chapter is more complicated than the previous! I choose to play all of the side quests, so I suppose you could finish this game in half the time without the added 10+ side quests. You can choose from 35 different Avatars, and there are 15 Achievements...please read the achievements because there are specialty items to find in some of the levels!
The levels are huge, you will need to click right, left, up, and down to pan through the entire scene as you unlock more areas. You can also use the old-school W, S, A, and D keys to pan around, but I found that using the arrow keys was the fastest way to move around, but again, you CAN solely use the mouse, so don't let the multi-function availability intimidate you from trying this amazing game, the graphics alone will impress you!
As you play the game, you will discover a Chest that requires a Key, found elsewhere in the game. These chests are filled with unique resources that are actually Bonuses that help you progress, such as health potions, or bonuses that magically double resources of food, and lumber, etc. These items are added to your Inventory which only holds a handful of your goodies. You can store these goodies in a Large Chest at the beginning of the chapters, and they will migrate with each new chapter.
Even the normal TM buildings are unique! There are the familiar Sawmills and Food Mills, and even a Market to buy, sell, and trade items, You can also construct Tents in newly-opened areas, as you progress, that allows workers to store inventory items in, instead of having to travel all the way back to the original base. You can hire workers at the Town Hall, and hire various skilled labor characters at the Barracks, such as Swordsmen to attack Zombies and Ogres, or Archers, etc. Naturally, you will need to construct small or large Houses for the Swordsmen to live in, or build an Archery Range to allow the Archers to practice. Forges are used to forge and sharpen weapons, such as arrows, pickaxes, and swords, that are used by the workers to progress, and sometimes required to progress when a character blocking the access path needs a specific tool to finish a blocked task.
This is one of the most unique games I have ever played on this site, and I hope everyone sees what I see so BF will keep reaching out to other developers, we need a bigger pool, more diversity! The Unexpected Quest is like a hybrid mixture of Roads of Rome, Hero of the Kingdom, and New Yankee all rolled into one incredible game! It makes you think, but since you have all the time in the world to complete a level, there's no stressfulness, it can get frustrating when you aren't sure what you are supposed to do for a specific character to progress, but as I stated earlier, I did find several guides online.
Please keep offering games that are unique, many of us have grown weary of the same games offered every week. It seems that lately, all we get is a new game in the same boring series', some of which have 45+ games in the same series! Please join me at my new forum to discuss this game and so much more, thewoodsforum.boards.net
I recommend this game!
+231points
255of 279voted this as helpful.
 
 Mediterranean Journey 4
Mediterranean Journey 4
Your Mediterranean Journey continues! Explore new cities and islands while learning about the region's unique spirit and culture!
 
Overall rating 
Liked it!
4 / 5
80 of 102 found this review helpful
WHERE'S MY SPIDER?
PostedMarch 1, 2021
Customer avatar
pennmom36
fromThe Scoring popup takes too long (clicking to bypass would be gr8) and FIND MR. SPIDER!
  • Top Reviewer
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor 
Good
4 / 5
Visual/Sound Quality 
Good
4 / 5
Level of Challenge 
Excellent
5 / 5
This is the part where I normally talk about that Chocolate-eating Spider who seemed to show up in every single game with his smug little chocolate-grin. The first scene didn't have any of those items until I got to the Zoom Zone and ta-dah, there's the infamous Anvil sitting obscurely in front of a building, (I'm sure no one will find that odd) but wait, where's my nemesis Mr. Spider? Is he MIA because there was no chocolate? Did he eat too much chocolate and get diabetes or worse, did he mutate into that caterpillar or dragonfly?
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, and there is a Zoom +/- feature (drag the screen around) and a Hint Feature. In the Timed Mode, you are given approximately 15 minutes to find 15 Listed items. Each scene has a single Zoom Zone that contains the final 3 objects, or the first 3, or the middle 3, depending on how you look at it, the spider used to look at it upsidedown, I sure do miss him :(
I thought the objects were very well done this time, although several items are just blatantly obvious, many of the objects are really tough to spot! The items do tend to be repetitive, so why my spider is MIA is beyond me, he's become family and a vacation isn't a vacation without him. You can improve your star rating by replaying the scenes, but the objects to find are different each time you play, I think I'll replay the first scene until I find Mr. Spider?
Each scene has 3 Hearts and 3 GPS logos that are the size of a small dog, not quite as large as Mr. Missing Chocolate-eating Spider, but kinda big nonetheless. Finding all 3 Hearts will unlock a new animal picture (180) in an album next to the Missing spider with a huge chocolate grin? Finding all GPS icons will unlock an album picture from your Mediterranean Journey (80) Nope, he's not in those pics either! Trust me, I already checked. You can also purchase 18 Gift Shop Souvenirs for the spider, or yourself, but that seems kind of selfish, he is lost in the Mediterranean after all, scared and alone at that...and his sugar-level is probably dangerously low by this point.
After each Hidden Object Scene, you'll play a short mini-game because the tall ones don't fit into the game as easily, such as a game of Pipes where you click to rotate square tiles to connect a path of pipes, Solitaire, Mahjong, Memory Matching Cards, or Spot the Differences. The spot the difference game would be so much better if they changed small details in the pictures versus simply adding objects that stick out like a sore thumb, just saying. You can find my series lists and so much more at my new forum thewoodsforum.boards.net won't you join us?
I recommend this game!
+58points
80of 102voted this as helpful.
 
A detective meets a mysterious stranger in her first case!
 
Overall rating 
Liked it!
4 / 5
63 of 73 found this review helpful
I'M KINDA DIGGING THIS NEW SERIES
PostedFebruary 26, 2021
Customer avatar
pennmom36
fromBring back the CE Morphing Objects Big E!...and keep doing unusual tasks!
  • Top Reviewer
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor 
Good
4 / 5
Visual/Sound Quality 
Good
4 / 5
Level of Challenge 
Good
4 / 5
Storyline 
Good
4 / 5
Completed Game approximately 4.0 hours
(including completion of all mini-games & CE Bonus Chapter)
25 Main Game Scene Locations +11 Bonus Chapter
Difficulty Range: Beginner-Intermediate
Dana Strange became a detective for the sole purpose of solving her sister Ursala's unsolved kidnapping case when they were small children. Now, with the kidnapper finally behind bars, Dana can finally move on, or so she thought. Dana may be trying to move on, but sometimes the past has unfinished business!
Helper/Gadget
There are no Gadgets and no Helpers. There is a Bee that sits on the Hint Icon that apparently bothers a lot of people but it didn't bother me, I look at the game, not the Hint button and I barely noticed it.
Morphing Objects/Collectibles: (CE version only)
One feature I've come to expect in a CE game from this developer is Morphing Objects. This is a really good game but the CE bling is practically non-existent and there are no morphs, which is why I deducted a star! There are 12 Collectible Book Pages about Dana Strange and the usual 48 Jigsaw Puzzle Pieces that allow you to assemble four, 12 piece jigsaw puzzles. The puzzle pieces are nicely blended into the scenery and they have finally allowed you to return to the scenes to search for missing puzzle pieces and book pages within the Expedition Room!
Video/Audio Quality:
Elephant Games has always been one of my favorites when it comes to graphics, hands-down, and their story-telling abilities are phenomenal. I cut my teeth on Mystery Trackers: The Void and fell in love with HOPA games because of this developer! This is the first game in a long time that didn't freeze or unexpectedly, shut down or have a sticky music loop.
Hidden Object Scenes:
There are only 12 Hidden Object Scenes +6 in the CE Bonus Chapter, not including several smaller zoom zone hidden object scenes where you are tasked with finding 1 object at a time that matches the silhouetted shape (usually 5 objects) or smaller Listed Item finds. The objects are pretty easy to spot, but there were lots of HO variations which include Interactive List Finds, Silhouetted Shape Finds, Matching Pairs, Multiples of the Same Object Finds, and Swatches where you find areas on a bulletin board that matches tiny swatches. There are no alternative games available for non-HO lovers, unfortunately.
Mini-Games:
There are 15 Mini-Games +6 in the CE Bonus Chapter. I'm a fan of Elephant's mini-game puzzles, they are doable and rarely frustrating. Here are a few of my personal favorites:
1-Enter arrow directions to navigate a map, each intersection will use the next programmed movement. x3
2-Rotate the disc and snap interlocking pieces into place so all connectors align.
3-Swap tiles with wire sections until they all connect.
4-Repeat the sequence of musical notes. x 3
Bonus Chapter (Collector's Edition version only)
Don't lose your head over this sequel of haunting proportions when a headless ghost is spotted in Denzel Freeman's shop. Is he being haunted or just bamboozled? This is an average-length Bonus Chapter spanning over 11 Scene Locations with 6 Mini-Games and 6 Hidden Object Scenes. You will search for the remaining 3 Collectible Book Pages and 12 Jigsaw Puzzle Pieces which allows you to complete the fourth and final 12-piece Jigsaw Puzzle.
Collector's Edition Version Extra's
5 Wallpapers, 5 Music Soundtracks, 22 Achievements, 11 Replayable Mini-Games, 13 Replayable Hidden Object Scenes, a Secret Room to search for more Hidden Objects, an Expedition Room that allows you to return to the scenes to pick up any missed Jigsaw Puzzles or Book Pages, 48 Zoom Zone Jigsaw Puzzle Pieces to assemble Four, 12-piece Jigsaw Puzzles, 4 Main Chapters +Bonus Chapter, and a Built-In Strategy Guide. I've opened my own forum! You can see all of my Series' Lists at thewoodsforum.boards.net
I recommend this game!
+53points
63of 73voted this as helpful.
 
Overall rating 
It was OK.
3 / 5
131 of 173 found this review helpful
STOP TALKING, PLEASE...since when did I have a voice?
PostedFebruary 25, 2021
Customer avatar
pennmom36
fromDid you know that 42% of Americans (55% UK) believe in ghosts, & 7% want to move b/c their house is haunted, 1/10 believe their house is haunted in Los Angeles 32% said they would move to a known haunted house!
  • Top Reviewer
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor 
Poor
2 / 5
Visual/Sound Quality 
OK
3 / 5
Level of Challenge 
Awful
1 / 5
Storyline 
OK
3 / 5
Completed Game approximately 5.5 Hours
(including completion of all puzzles & CE Bonus Chapter)
25 Main Game Scene Locations +10 CE Bonus Chapter
Difficulty Range: Beginner
What if past events were so painful that they caused you to have a nervous breakdown? What if those memories were all a figment of your imagination, what if your mind reconstructed those events falsely to make life easier moving forward. Would your mind continue to play tricks on you, would you be able to trust anything that happens or anything you see? Would other people believe you when you tell them that you are being literally haunted by those past events i?

Gadgets/Helper:
At the beginning of this series, (when the detective was a woman) she used to have those infamous Mystery Tales Glasses which allowed her to not only see ghostly caches but interact and use those items in the real world. In every game, those glasses would break driving HOPA gamers nutz. After years of enduring the broken glasses gadget, fans were treated to a new form of technology...a paranormal Cell Phone which allowed us to speak with the dead! (I believe this was the point where my female detective character turned into an Uncle detective?) Of course, as most cell phones do, it broke as well...yea, new technology is on its way! Nope...we just have to fix and upgrade our old one! A few episodes later our paranormal mobile device took a weird twist as Morty the Paranormal Cat on his 10th life arrived. Morty had the ability to travel between the land of the living and the land of the dead, so he was technically still a paranormal gadget Morty had bi-colored eyes, a sarcastic attitude, and couldn't have been more adorable! In Master of Puppets, we have switched gears once again! Now we have an old-fashioned Camera that is used on purple paranormal blobs to unlock past events and show us what happened (via movie cutscene) to cause that particular paranormal activity. The Camera is used 6 times during the main game but not in the Bonus Chapter.
Audio/Video Quality:
First of all, the Mystery Tales Detective used to be a Female Detective, then She became an Uncle Detective, now I don't seem to be anyone's Uncle but all of a sudden, I get a voice and I don't like what I'm hearing! My character has the weirdest twang and makes really stupid remarks about obvious stuff that was totally unnecessary. Don't get me wrong, I love a southern accent, but this sounds like a Russian actor pretending to be from Louisana? So please, just stop talking! As for the graphics, Master of Puppets looks like you'd expect from this over-enthusiastic developer, with the usual over-abundance of purple and blue hues??!!
Collectibles & Morphing Objects (CE Version Only):
The collectibles are always the same in Domini games, they just have different names! There are 15 Keepsake Collectibles and 15 Morphing Souvenirs. There are 72 Zoom Zone Coins that are used to purchase 15 unappealing Dollhouse Decorations. You can opt to show or hide the collectible's tab, which alerts you whenever there is a collectible in a 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) They are mostly Interactive List Finds but there were other variations, such as Finding Cutlery and Dishes, Placing cutouts correctly on the scene, Silhouetted Shapes, and Keywords in Sentence Finds. If only Domini would add a skip button feature to their boring HO scenes!
Mini-Games:
There are 17 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 can honestly say that I didn't enjoy any of these mini-games because they were either boring, or they had features of "moving one affects others" which I loathe. Many of the puzzles had instructions that were really confusing and just didn't make sense, I had to figure them out by trial and error?!
Bonus Chapter (CE Version Only)
Miranda Grey's father has been taken to the Ellington Manor, after showing signs of a nervous breakdown. Miranda hasn't been able to contact her father and believes he's in grave danger so once again, she contacts the Paranormal Detective to ask for help. This is an above-average-length chapter spanning over a whopping 10 scene locations! There are 8 additional Mini-Games and 5 Hidden Object Scenes, and you will continue your search for the final 4 Morphing Souvenir's, 4 Keepsakes, and 10 Zoom Zone Coins (of varying amounts) which allows you to purchase the final Dollhouse Decorations.
Collector's Edition Extra's: (CE version only)
15 Wallpapers, 15 Concept Art Pictures, 5 Music Soundtracks, 31 Movie Video Cutscenes, 40 Achievements (the same achievements offered in all of their games and notice how you earn them in the order shown AND you earn them when you didn't really earn them because they are given to you at specific set-points, not by randomly earning them. In other words, you won't earn the 5th achievement first because that's not when the game is programmed to award them...seems rather disappointing now doesn't it?), 18 Replayable Mini-Games, 18 Replayable Hidden Object Scenes, 15 Morphing Souvenir's, 15 Keepsakes, a gazillion Missing Notes, 72 Coins (of varying amounts) 15 Dollhouse Items (purchase with Coins found) 4 Main Chapters +Bonus Chapter, and a Built-In Strategy Guide. Please join me at my new forum, thewoodsforum.boards.net
I don't recommend this game.
+89points
131of 173voted this as helpful.
 
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