It took a while for me to get a feel for the game...it worked a bit different than most other HOGs. All the scenes were delightfully full of items and your find list had some interaction, 2 birds to find in each scene that sat atop the hint meter, 2 lightning bolts to find in each scene which provided your number of hints. I very rarely use hints in HOGs, at the end of the game I had accumulated 25 of them. There is no click penalty, so you can click to your heart's content. The items are very small and/or well hidden and tricky. I don't mind the heavy challenge and a magnifying glass will become your best friend throughout much of the game. There is also a scanner to help in each scene, it will be easier to catch onto than to try and describe here. There is an additional step to completing a few of your found objects but it is fun and all easy to figure out. The game involved traveling across the globe seeking important artifacts and bringing them back to a museum to keep them safe and out of the hands of the female villain. It was a fun and busy journey and the story was different for a change and it was good. It even had a very satisfying ending which was not abrupt like so many others are. So for a less sophisticated game, it delivered a really good time and I am looking forward to playing my other Samantha games, hoping the challenge will be as enjoyable in those as well. Bonus feature at the end provides all the HO games, allowing you to collect points and test your time skills with no pressured time limits to drive you nuts. You can replay them as often as you like. It was fun, challenging myself. This entire Samantha Swift game, has great replay value and I highly recommend it
I gave 5 stars just to be fair...no fault of the devs if I can't decide if I like it or not. It was a bit difficult to figure out what to do and how to do it in the beginning, but once I got it, I had no trouble. I was really hoping for a good vampire tale but my hopes were shattered. The music was good, the sound of footsteps kept me on edge a little. The scenes were all perfect for something really scary to happen...I always had that sense of urgency to move on before a vampire materialized. But alas, NOTHING happened but a lot of back and forth, round and round, back to the same old locations way too many times to achieve anything. The photo album helped ease the frustration somewhat once there were enough pics to use as a jump map. The HOGs repeated themselves and made it very boring and all the items I found the first time were right back in place when the scene was revisited. Why not a new HOG each time to make it more interesting? I wish there had been some adventure and some vampire interaction. After ending up in the mine, I thought for sure the pace would pick up. NOPE, no such luck! However, I am sure this game was fun for others who played, who did not take the time to write a review. For a vampire story it was just "too empty" of the qualities I personally look for in a supernatural tale. Maybe the sequel will be better!
It was based on a Jules Verne novel, so it caught my eye. The voice of Minha the storyteller was so lovely, it made listening to every word very pleasant. The hidden objects were VERY well hidden and VERY tiny, thus making the game longer and the eyes more tired. However, unlike most other reviewers, that does not bother me at all. I hate easy HOGs and I adore a super great challenge. And this game did not disappointment me in the least. The few games that were included were also challenging because there were no instructions, no clues, no hints, no skips...NADA !! But they were all do-able and made me feel quite clever, lol) ! Also, do not quit a scene or game until you have completed or you will have to start it over again, that should never be part of any game as it is not fair. There was no penalty for clicking like crazy and the hint refilled quite quickly. I seemed to always use the hint for the last hidden object. And contrary to one reviewer's comment...there were just a few HOGs that were find 10 of this or 12 of that. The story was very good, was easy to follow and led to non-abrupt, appropriate ending. And that does not happen in a game very often. I think Jules Verne may have been pleased with this fun game created, thanks to one of his wonderful books. I am sorry that some of the reviewers did not give it a chance and quit too soon. As for me, I truly enjoyed it. I just grabbed my trusty old magnifying glass when needed and got down to business.
When the entire audience disappears from a film screening at an old theater, you must go behind the scenes to find out who is running the mysterious Nightmare Cinema.
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Card & Board, Hidden Object, Large File, Mahjong, Puzzle, Strategy, Word
Fun Factor
5/ 5
Visual/Sound Quality
5/ 5
Level of Challenge
5/ 5
Storyline
5/ 5
I thoroughly enjoyed Nightmare Cinema from start to finish. The storyline was very good and easy to follow throughout the game. It was a very full and busy game with lots of tasks and locations to go to. Your goal is to save all the souls that have been stolen from the theater patrons by the evil Aggel and the projectionist who is possessed by him to help take over the world.
I thought the game was overflowing with wonderful artwork. All the scenes were so bizarre and just absorbed my attention to the max. Sometimes I am in awe of the imaginations that are capable of creating such fascinating pieces of fantasy and "extreme" art. My game time could have easily been cut in half had I not been so caught up in the scenery. My time for the main game was shown at the end as being 16 hrs, 5 min. Good grief !!!
Loved the music. The map was great, eliminated all stressful running back and forth which we all hate. Diary was good, each event was entered along with pics, I found it very useful. Hint system worked very well. Locking inventory which is always a good feature. Graphics and color, script which was minimal were excellent.
There are 66 beyond objects and 6 categories of collectibles, each containing 5 objects which you can keep track of if you go to achievements. You earn points for each accomplishment which flashes on your screen to keep you advised. A great feature, IMO...made it more fun. These collectibles and beyond objects appear in the scenes and HOPs. When you revisit a scene that your map indicates, you may find additional ones. You really have to have a sharp eye, there is so much to look for and sometimes hard to spot. Just click away and you will find! I clicked just about everything so I could achieve big. It was fun to challenge myself. The HOPs and games/puzzles were the best and unique and quite interactive. There is a very involved game of mixing potions that I loved. I was stuck on it a long time and finally had to use the guide and write down the instructions. But that was the only time the guide was ever needed. The story continues and comes to its ultimate end in the bonus chapter, and still be on the lookout for the collectibles. The game came to a satisfactory end... the souls returned to everyone and they woke up unharmed. No blood or frightful sights, the demon Aggel was aptly destroyed and the theater went up in smoke !! HURRAY !
I finished recently, Sunnyvale and McInroy Manor. Nightmare Cinema outshines them by leaps and bounds! I am anxious to play all my other Fear for Sale games.
You might absolutely hate this game or find it too this or not enough that. But for me, it was absolutely superb and I, of course, highly recommend it.
Thanks to everyone who takes the time to write their reviews, whether they be good or bad. I cannot nor will I ever buy a game without reading all the reviews. They are always a great help in making my choices...so, THANK YOU.
This beautiful game can be so relaxing or it can make you scream in frustration...just depends in which mode you choose to play. I was so sorry to read one of the reviewers uninstalled the game because it was too difficult...just did not realize there is also an untimed mode and can still earn your merits.
For me it was such a treat because of the beautiful patchwork textures and designs. Not being a quilter or a stained glass artist, I really appreciate the art form. I thought the use of colors not typically found in Alice in Wonderland pictures made the game even more beautiful.
There is excellent replay value here, so I feel I certainly got a bargain. My opinion is the game is probably too difficult for younger kids, but with adult assistance it would be lots of fun for them and a great feeling of accomplishment.
I loved the first Alice Patchwork, also. I own all the patchwork games and truly wish we could have more of them. There is a big shortage of these games as well as good quality jigsaws.
Glad I didn't buy the CE as I was disappointed with much of the game. It started off well enough but just lost its pizazz along the way. The storyline was good but had too many weak links to keep it all together in a satisfying way for my expectations. It did not provide enough inside info on Alice and Jean and why she was murdered (unless I just didn't pay close enough attention), The game felt kind of empty of SOMETHING!
I did enjoy the many HOGs, they were very good and the interactive ones are always fun. The games/puzzles were also quite good. The graphics were excellent in some scenes, kind of grainy in others. I was thankful for the journal, it provided extra info on the characters, etc. I read every word, as I do in every game I play. In my opinion, the entire script is as important as the visuals. I don't really mind if the voices sound hokey or are out of sync, as long as they tell the story. One thing I definitely did not like was all the back and forth, it wore holes in my game shoes (lol). It also made me lose direction sometimes and all the back-tracking became irritating. However, after all the time spent in Sunnyvale and finally solving the mystery, I was thoroughly disappointed with the ending. The ending is always an important piece of any story. I have played several other Fear for Sale games...Sunnyvale, I liked the least because it lacked more of the substance I expect to find in a murder mystery.
I am sure other gamers will absolutely love Sunnyvale. It is not difficult and has great HOGs. My disappointment will not keep me from buying new Fear for Sale games.
In spite of my opinions here, I DO recommend this game.
These Park Ranger games are so delightful. I own all 4 of them and this one and number 4 are especially good. The variety of park locations in the entire series are very scenic, the characters are done very realistically, all the scenes are full of stuff to keep you busy. I like the Lost and Found which is usually 3 or 4 silhouetted items and I love the more challenging recycling task because you are not shown a specific number of items, you just keep looking til you think you got them all. I always do these 2 tasks first because if you find all your required list items first, your level ends and goes right on to the next scene.
The Park Ranger games are very laid back, no pressure to race around going back and forth, or trying to find keys to open this and that! The hidden objects can sometimes be a little challenging but I very rarely used a hint. All the games and puzzles were a lot of fun and I really appreciated the educational value that many of them offered, that makes these games great for children, even we older folks can still learn. Good family entertainment.
You may want to take a look at the Vacation Adventures: Cruise Director series. Same concept with so much going on, "real people" characters, great HOs, games, etc. Only difference....travel by cruise ship to fun destinations instead of visiting the parks. I hope more of these games will be coming soon !!
How in the world is it possible to make any progress when the birdies move so quickly and the trails are so short?? I have been on Area 4 FOREVER. It has occurred to me that I may not live long enough to get out of there (lol) ! It is such a fun game, especially with the silly looking birds and the big hungry cat. I love how the birdie pales in color while pacing on the loading bar and their snapshot expressions. But seriously, I want so much to see their little town grow and also see what the next areas/trails will be like. It just becomes so frustrating playing the same area repeatedly til I could just scream. The birdie shooter could be a little more accurate too, IMO. Have to limit myself now to 5 tries, then for my own sanity just get the heck out of Dodge and try again another day. My goodness ! How silly is that?? But as other reviewers have said (and I totally agree), the game is so addicting! It is the cutest little game and even though it turns me into a screaming mimi, I will continue to love every painful minute of it. Fun for all ages, very colorful, cute concept.
If you love birdies, check Claws & Feathers I and II. Goofy, colorful, some strategy involved, also includes cats. So much fun! When the birds are in the right position they pick up the cat by his ears and carry him away...another very addicting, clever game.
I think we all need a break sometimes from the dark, fantasy, monster & witch themed games.
Just guessing, as I have not finished the game yet. I have been playing for so many hours my bottom is NUMB, so I am writing my review during a standing up break ! So far, it is a very good game with a few puzzles and many HOGs. The HOGs are quite challenging and I love that. Lots of back and forth, as there is no map. The journal keeps me on track and the hints I just use to point me in the right direction so I am not needlessly going to a location that is of no use. I think the game is creepy in a very subtle way, have not seen anything really scary yet. The graphics are very good & crisp which I appreciate when playing the HOGs. Very interesting story here, I am anxious to discover what tragedy happened to the family & also find out more about the caretaker who seems a little too suspicious. Well, my butt has recovered so back to the game I happily go!
I hope you enjoy the game and write a positive review. I never purchase a game without reading and considering all the reviews. Thanks to all of you who take the time to submit them, it is extremely helpful !!
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Card & Board, Hidden Object, Large File, Mahjong, Puzzle, Strategy, Word
Fun Factor
5/ 5
Visual/Sound Quality
5/ 5
Level of Challenge
5/ 5
Storyline
5/ 5
I am currently playing this lovely game & felt the need to let you know what a jewel this is! Fantasy and fairyland lovers will really appreciate it. The artwork is simply divine and the beautiful pastel colors add a very special quality to the game. At the beginning it seems like a child's game, but I know it is very much for adults too! I would be content just getting lost in Hodgepodge Hollow, surrounded by all the beautiful whimsical things and little people that live there. However, there is a good game here, good challenges with hidden objects and making potions, LOTS of potions! A good little story and I am really having fun with it. I truly recommend this game. I am a senior citizen, I still love fairytales and this simply takes me back to a sweeter time. God Bless...