joybelle_1's Profile
Stat Summary
- Average Rating:4.2
- Helpful Votes:3,596
- Reviews Submitted:94
- First Review:January 13, 2015
- Most Recent Review:October 16, 2019
- Featured reviews0
Status:
Return to the famed and mystical island of Isola and craft, farm, solve puzzles and build a thriving village!
Overall rating
5
/
5
50 of 52 found this review helpful
Familiar friends, Same fun
PostedJanuary 7, 2019
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Usually I complain about games being 'the same' but with this series the puzzles are always different, but having the same game play makes you feel right at home with our friends.
Whilst you are left to navigate and explore your territory, solve mysteries of landmarks and breed a well balanced population, there are some major changes in this offering compared to those past.
For the free to play market I guess it has also been turned into a 'casino' game in some parts. You may risk your 'lava stone' to try to get ahead and upgrade the qualities of your people without having to wait the ions it usually takes for skills to be gained. (I was fortunate enough to get a 'perfect' master of all skills on my first spin) maybe everyone does? But it allowed me to get on with repairing buildings and the dock etc.
When I first ran the tutorial I was aghast, I thought my game had been reduced to pin head size, but on leaving and re-entering the game I was back in familiar territory sized normal.
This was an instant buy for me. I love these games. They are difficult but there is help available on the internet if you need it. And of course a warning to newcomers these games are quite drawn out to get through. I didn't see an option to speed it up.
Remember this game runs in 'real' time. If you leave your villagers will carry on while you are away. If you don't want to come back to any disasters or deaths, there IS a pause option to set before you leave. (especially if you use the 'auto breed function, they may get out of control? lol)
Really just another great installment. I love it!
I recommend this game!
Chaos has emerged from Pandora's Box! Only you can stop the apocalypse!
Overall rating
4
/
5
6 of 7 found this review helpful
Fruit Salad Time Management
PostedJanuary 5, 2019
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
In itself this is quite a tidy little standard 'gather resources' game. The first of this series copped some flack for trying to be a rip off of the Hercules games. Well..this game is a bit more fun than the first as it has stolen some other features from other games too lol!
The gameplay here is smooth, and fast, and you will gather the usual wood, gold,food. So what's different?
With this CE you get to choose a bonus from one of three chests each time you get five stars, (which is really reminding me of a M3 I am playing). The bonus only lasts for one level, and sometimes you get nothing. You have to guess which two of them have the prize and you don't know what it is. There are the 'standard' bonuses that appear to speed up functions and they stay always (and annoyingly jiggle at you)
There is now also an alter feature that the lady uses with a golden orb that replenishes your bonus energy also. (just like a mana well would)
There are also boats now that take you from island to island like in a (tribe) game. This does allow you sometimes to attack a particular island from 2 directions at once, you may or may not have to wait to 'clear the path' So there are new but not original concept features in this installment.
You can click ahead and there are three modes of play including untimed.
There are achievements but still no strategy guide, and I must admit I have after the trial period had to replay and change my strategy as to when and what I upgraded. But you don't really need it, just repeat. The only extras as a CE are you will get 10 more levels, music and art.
I have bought this on sale and therefore its actually not a bad value game. I would be disappointed to have paid full price. So rather than just buy the SE..get this on a good sale as I have done today and its really a quite OK little TM game just a bit repetitive and unoriginal.
I recommend this game!
Create an Inca settlement and construct all the vital buildings and facilities needed to turn your village into a prosperous city!
Overall rating
3
/
5
8 of 11 found this review helpful
Same game again
PostedJanuary 1, 2019
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
I will keep it short and sweet. This is EXACTLY the same game play as the last many offerings of match3 from this developer.
Whilst I did enjoy the Legend of Rome- the Wrath of Mars, that was the only one out of the last 3 games I bought that I finished due to the tedium of actually building and upgrading what is needed. So yes they are long games!
I am quite upset that we are being offered the equivalent versions of 'cookie cutter' M3's one after the other. The only redeeming feature for me is the graphics in this one are quite lovely. Otherwise, you will get to choose blind your reward from this time, not cups or lotuses, but a statue with five arms if you complete the level perfectly.
It really is just too much to expect people to buy the SAME game basically over and over just with different tiles! If you don't have all the other games, you may enjoy it.
Its not a buy for me.
I don't recommend this game.
It's Christmas time and the Queen decided to celebrate!
Overall rating
5
/
5
22 of 24 found this review helpful
A forever game
PostedDecember 26, 2018
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
This game is a delight. There are five profiles available and six gardens to be made for each one. There are three modes of play, timed, relaxed, and super relaxed where you don't even get to see the weeds grow.
It is a standard M3 and very much in the style of previous games in the series, but they are generous in this (must be the season) and you are given tasks of buying certain plants which may cost you less than $100 and they reward you with twice as much for completing the task, and if you don't like the plant you can remove it anyway. There are as well manmade items which also include large Christmas decorations for the garden. There is even a button where you can see your game in summer mode if the snow makes you chilly.
The game board is very colourful, and the tiles extremely clear, even the bonuses which remove tiles or blow them up are themed (a santa sleigh, a bauble instead of a bomb etc)
There are the usual M3 tiles of obstruction, match 2x or concrete to make matches next to several times..and obviously there will be growing weeds (but I am not that far yet) The only thing I haven't encountered yet is any mini games, but you don't need them to make money, just complete the tasks.
There are the usual M3 tiles of obstruction, match 2x or concrete to make matches next to several times..and obviously there will be growing weeds (but I am not that far yet) The only thing I haven't encountered yet is any mini games, but you don't need them to make money, just complete the tasks.
This really will be a game you will have to play for a long time. A nice one to bring out each year and re-arrange your garden. Enjoy!
I recommend this game!
Hercules is back and he’s about to embark on a time management adventure that leads to love and romance!
Overall rating
5
/
5
27 of 31 found this review helpful
You can't go wrong with Hercules
PostedDecember 22, 2018
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
When I first started this game I thought it may be the only time I would ever just give 4 stars to a Hercules game. It wasn't long though thank heavens until it livened up and showed itself to be yet another classic in the series.
This time we are in Egypt, with mummies to banish, sheep to bring home and chests to open for resources, and recources to collect also. Thre is for some reason a vending machine that will give you food for gold (well I guess we are in the desert and food is sparse) You will need to work out how much to spend vs keeping your gold to remove crystals. And because it is Hercules, there are puzzle pieces to collect.
There is not much new in the mechanics of this game, but I did notice that clicking ahead to far can be dangerous. Although you can change your mind and cancel tasks, sometimes it seems to stick in your workers memory and they seem to do it anyway unless you have lined up a numbered task to replace it. That's new
It is nice to be in a different setting, and I am hoping that one of the features that was in the beginning on the ship, of going down secret entrances to collect extra resources will occur again, but if it doesn't it is still everything you expect from a Hercules game. You need strategy, and to use your bonuses wisely.
For TM fans it is yet another quality game to make you smile.
I recommend this game!
Experience a challenging match 3 game and appease Mars, the god of war! Build and restore the proud city of Rome to its original splendor.
Overall rating
4
/
5
15 of 17 found this review helpful
Best of the Series
PostedDecember 5, 2018
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
I have played all games in this series and to be honest found it quite tedious trying to meet the achievements needed in them to move on and upgrade buildings. This one however whilst not different in gameplay to the others seems to move along well.
You will still choose a 'blind' bonus if you finish in perfect time, but you are choosing from leather cups, and not lotus flowers etc. It is more realistic.
All in all I feel this is the best of the offerings in this series so far and although the graphics are not outstanding they are peaceful (until Mars drops by) and eye pleasing. Perhaps it is the Village setting of the build that makes it seem just less childish or cartoony as the previous games. The board the tokens are large and very colourful.
I am playing normal timed, and find the challenge just right enough to make me get a little anxious, but really at the end of the day you don't have to make every level, it will keep playing on till you get there and all you will miss is your bonus pick and making another step toward how many 'perfects' you need for one achievement. You just keep playing. This developer gives us long length games.
I am enjoying this one.
A mysterious villain is playing with time and it’s up to you to fix the time paradoxes in this fast-paced strategy adventure game!
Overall rating
4
/
5
38 of 40 found this review helpful
Better than Expected
PostedDecember 1, 2018
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
If you only played the demo levels of this game you would be wondering why I was generous enough to give it four stars. But it gets a lot better.
This is really the 'same game' again as other offerings in this series, and a standard gather resources, upgrade buildings, gather food and mana,and fulfill tasks TM. I was not going to ever buy another one of this series, but this time the developers have listened at last.
There is a strategy guide included, and achievements to earn, and the graphics are quite improved from the last few games of this series. The characters have improved and are feasible in their task and role. There are scientists who can deal with the 'sands of time' and skeletons in your way, hunters who deal with creatures like wooly mammoths, and Craftsmen who speed up production in your production buildings (merrymakers lol)
There are portals, and generators and drones showing quite pleasant graphics..
I am on the fence as far as recommending it as a CE. I can recommend the gameplay, and strategy is definitely needed so perhaps I will need the guide as I have had to shuffle along and change my directions and upgrades already quite early on. But I have so far worked it out on second shot at any level. There is however nothing totally outstanding here. There are no collectables, but there are 50 levels and then bonus levels.
I am really enjoying this one, and the gameplay is quite good so I will recommend it.
I recommend this game!
Margaret needs your help once again! You must repair the railway across 50 time management levels and manage an enormous budget!
Overall rating
5
/
5
41 of 45 found this review helpful
Whoa.. This is Challenging!
PostedNovember 26, 2018
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
This game is pure strategy! It begins mildly to let you know the basics, but from about level 7 it is a full on challenge to the brain cells. (There are two levels of play, timed/click ahead and relaxed) I am an intermediate player and having to accept (for the moment lol) silver to move on.
This is quite a novel game akin to running a railway and maintaining it. It plays however like a standard gather resources, upgrade, hire workers, fix buildings type TM. There are trees to chop, mail to pick up from the ground to earn money, fruit and freight to be gathered and to taken to the pick up point for the train, and then the actual tasks of maintaining the line (clearing weeds, filling holes in the track etc)..to speed up the time it takes for the train to do its rounds.
I really enjoy this game, and I own the other two in the series. I find this one the most challenging. Much of the strategy is whether to gather goods for sale, pick up resources from the ground and the best way to increase your money.
You can click ahead at anytime and also turn off your choice at any time. I found going too far ahead really made a mess of my strategy even though it seemed like "just clearing' things was the answer at first..
Experts will love this game but it is for all levels. It is an SE so there is no strategy guide included. I am happy to repeat levels a few times as it makes for a long lasting game. If you run out of time it will cut you off and ask if you would like to replay. You cannot play out to the end to see how it goes in timed mode.
Try the demo. The graphics are quite ok, but it's a no frills sort of game, concentrating mainly on the gameplay for its worth. I have to give it 5 stars. It lacks nothing as far as TM is concerned. I guess I would have just liked an "easy' level included other than totally untimed in relaxed to choose from.
Enjoy..It's a TM!! YAY!!
The Viking Brothers face their greatest challenge yet in an epic journey to save Midgard in this magical time management adventure!
Overall rating
5
/
5
32 of 34 found this review helpful
A Fabulous Offering!
PostedNovember 19, 2018
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Viking Bros never fail to please and it shows that games can keep expanding and improving even when the series has run for a while.
The quality graphics, the smooth game play, and the need for strategy quite early on means you will not get bored with this game
There are 3 modes of play, relaxed, normal, expert. There are also many achievements to earn. Dialogue can be skipped.
There are many new features even though it is a classic build and 'gather resources' game, wood, food, gold, mana. There are now magic chests which allow you to choose which resource they give and you can change at anytime between them.
There is a magic alter which 'powers' a character to complete feats of strength, and the obstacle will tell you which god or Viking is required to be 'charged' There is also a scroll on the screen that gives you small hints if you need them to figure out what to do.
There is not a lot more I can say about the game other than each level is never the same setting or screen as the last, meaning you will need to think each time. I went the wrong way on a quite low level and needed to replay.
This is fabulous TM, with everything in its perfect place. (although I did notice when I upgraded to my second worker he sounded more like Dracula character than a Viking when he said hello lol)
I am really enjoying this game. Don't miss treating yourself to a great SE.
I recommend this game!
Beautify your garden because there's a dream wedding coming! Hidden Object, Match-3 and Decoration!
Overall rating
3
/
5
5 of 7 found this review helpful
Just ok old style game
PostedNovember 7, 2018
joybelle_1
fromAustralia
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Match 3, Strategy, Time Management
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
This game is a few years old. Its standard point and click gameplay. Its ok and that's about it.
Not thrilled with it, but don't hate it
Its a 'no buy' for me.
I don't recommend this game.