DatPixieGirl's Profile
Stat Summary
- Average Rating:4.8
- Helpful Votes:18
- Reviews Submitted:6
- First Review:November 21, 2015
- Most Recent Review:May 23, 2023
- Featured reviews0
DatPixieGirl's Review History
Can you save the city from nature’s destructive forces in time?
Overall rating
5
/
5
People may dislike it, but it is an excellent game.
PostedMay 23, 2023
DatPixieGirl
fromHouston, TX
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Brain Teaser, Hidden Object, Large File, Mahjong, Marble Popper, Puzzle, Strategy, Time Management, Word
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Something that I love pointing out to people because it seems to blow their minds:
Just because you like something, that doesn't mean it's good.
And just because something is good, that doesn't mean that you have to like it.
And just because something is good, that doesn't mean that you have to like it.
Overall, this is a well-designed traditional HOP/puzzle game with a well-told storyline and good music and sound to back it up. I happened to like the style of it and wish there were more games in the same vein, because I would be happy to buy and play them all.
The key element that is NOT present in this game as it is in other HOPs, including other games in this series, is that there is no map exploration and independent movement between locations; the story progresses from HOPs to puzzles to cutscenes, with no wandering around trying to figure out what to do next or what to click on to trigger the next event. I loved it - no wasted time, just excellent gameplay and well-animated cutscenes.
My one gripe with the storyline is that because it is not a clear-cut good vs evil scenario (which I love), I was disappointed that there is no user-directed choice as to how the detective views and responds to the overall situation. I did not agree with the action that the detective ended up pursuing, so the ending wasn't as satisfying as it could have been.
As far as gameplay, there is an overwhelming variety of HOP scenes and puzzles, ranging from "get your feet wet" easy to "I want to use a hint, but I HAVE to do it myself" difficult. I have one complaint: there are a few puzzles that require "test and adjust" methodology to solve, and instead of leaving the moving pieces in place between test runs, they completely reset after each failed attempt. This makes it frustrating, annoying, and unnecessarily time-consuming to solve these particular puzzles, when they could have been fun if I hadn't had to keep redoing everything each time I clicked the "run" button.
If you give a game that is technically solid a negative review just because it wasn't to your personal taste, you are doing a major disservice to the developers, as well as other people who are looking for good games and may not share your preferences.
I recommend this game!
Help the brave caveman tribe build a new and safe paradise to live in happily ever after!
Overall rating
5
/
5
13 of 13 found this review helpful
An EXCELLENT game when played correctly.
PostedFebruary 8, 2020
DatPixieGirl
fromHouston, TX
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Arcade & Action, Brain Teaser, Card & Board, Hidden Object, Large File, Mahjong, Match 3, Puzzle, Strategy, Time Management, Word
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
***For others like me who are used to starting with TM games set to either medium or hard, that WILL NOT WORK with Cavemen Tales. It is literally impossible to complete levels on extreme, and sometimes impossible to complete levels on normal within the gold time UNTIL you get all of your workers upgraded! Start off in relaxed or normal and do NOT worry about medals until after you have played enough levels to upgrade your workers. THEN go back and replay levels to get gold and diamond medals***
Review: I am so glad that I did not give up on this game! I started off on Normal mode, expecting to make gold medals on my first run through most of the levels, but quickly got frustrated with the [seemingly] impossible difficulty that the game throws at you within the first 10 levels. I took a break, read a review that said to upgrade workers before trying for medals, and went back at it with the "just get through" mentality. I began to enjoy the game after that, and am currently working towards diamond medals on all levels with minimal frustration required. =)
Fun Factor: I have never played a game with mechanics quite like this; I've not been drawn to the "collect rent" type TM games, so this was a good way for me to transition from Northern Tales/Viking Bros type TMs into the rent collector type. Once I realized that it is a game that is meant to be replayed (and re-replayed), I really enjoyed the mechanics.
Visual/Sound Quality: While the music is nice, and the graphics are cute and appealingly unique, I felt like a few things were missing, especially for a CE version. The characters' dialog is not voiced, only text. Another big thing that I felt was missing was some form of animated cutscene to show the big events in the story; they are just presented through text and static character/background animations. They could have done so much with animations for those events and really made something spectacular, so it feels like a huge missed opportunity.
Level of Challenge: This (along with the Ranch Rush games) is one of the few where I actually enjoy replaying the levels over and over to try for achievements. It does not feel like a slog because the levels change drastically when the workers are upgraded. It was frustrating at first, until I realized that the game was designed for immediate replay; then it became very enjoyable and fun.
Storyline: Nothing particularly unique here, but the characters were interesting and I enjoyed reading their conversations; there are some particularly funny jokes (especially if you like puns), including a few that made me laugh aloud. In the CE version, they also include 15 levels (the main game is 40 levels) of what is effectively an epilogue to the main story. I love a good, thorough epilogue and a happy ending, and I got both!
I recommend this game!
Bluebeard's Castle: Son of the Heartless
His mother escaped her murdering husband just before he was born. Now the son of Bluebeard must break his father's curse.
Overall rating
5
/
5
Beautiful art, fun puzzles, enjoyable gameplay!
PostedJanuary 26, 2020
DatPixieGirl
fromHouston, TX
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Brain Teaser, Card & Board, Hidden Object, Large File, Mahjong, Match 3, Puzzle, Strategy, Time Management, Word
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
I liked the first Bluebeard's Castle game, but this one blows it out of the water in terms of artistic quality. There are references to the first game in the visuals and story, which is a nice throwback. The graphics overall are right up my alley - I'm a fan of hand-drawn art and cell-shading; each area that you investigate has its own unique feel, while the entire game is still cohesive in style. The HOPs were well-rendered and clear, so that the challenge was in finding the items rather than figuring out what the heck you're looking at. The music is perfect for setting the scene and the sound and voice acting were a good fit for the story.
For the most part, the puzzles were self-explanatory and mildly challenging. There were a couple in particular that made me hit "reset" several times until I got the answer, though. Overall, it's a good game to play if you want to do a bit of thinking but don't want to be frustrated with time- and thought-intensive puzzles.
I enjoyed the story tie-in to the previous game, but I wish the relationships between the main character and his mother, father, and aunt had been elaborated on a bit. The ending was a lovely pay-off for finishing the game; there are entirely too many HOP games that, after the final "confrontation," immediately cut to the credits with no true ending cinematic or story finale. This game, however, includes a lovely ending sequence that makes the most of the beautiful graphics and made me feel like the entire story had been wrapped up nicely.
I can't recommend this game highly enough, and I'm disappointed that the small studio who produced this game and its predecessor haven't produced any other games (that I know of).
I recommend this game!
Fairy Maids
Even the happiest of storybook creatures have their messy habits and dirty laundry. Become the cleaning fairy!
Overall rating
5
/
5
2 of 2 found this review helpful
Witty dialog and unique premise make for a great game
PostedJanuary 5, 2020
DatPixieGirl
fromHouston, TX
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Arcade & Action, Brain Teaser, Card & Board, Hidden Object, Large File, Mahjong, Marble Popper, Match 3, Puzzle, Strategy, Time Management, Word
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
I chose to try this game because I love House Flipper on Steam, so I figured I'd like another game that involves cleaning up filthy houses. And from a fairy tale angle, too! I was not disappointed, particularly with the dialog, which is snarky, suggestive, and clever. The base story - clean up before the royal wedding - is simple, but effective. It's a bit confusing to figure out exactly what role you're playing in the story (human assistant to Beatrix, Beatrix herself, one of her fairy helpers, etc.), but I still enjoyed it even though I am still not quite sure who I was supposed to be. ;-)
The 2D character art is outstanding! I couldn't ask for anything better, EXCEPT it seems that the art for Beatrix was done by a completely different artist; it's much more simplistic and flat than the other characters. I also wish that the furniture designs for each house were different models, rather than being reskins of the same model; it made the houses feel too similar, which made things seem a bit repetitive.
As far as the gameplay itself, it's an enjoyable little twist on time management and hidden object pictures combined. I didn't really feel any sense of urgency, and I actually wonder if there even is a time limit, because I always got the biggest time bonus and never saw a clock/timer of any sort. The perfumery and boggert hunter minigames are a nice break and a good way to "grind" a bit for extra gold to upgrade tools.
Despite its few faults, which are definitely negligible, this is a highly enjoyable game and I plan to get plenty of replays out of it.
I recommend this game!
Primrose Lake is not as quaint as it seems. Experience a new Time Management mystery where everyone has a secret.
Overall rating
4
/
5
3 of 3 found this review helpful
Great game with no payoff...
PostedDecember 18, 2019
DatPixieGirl
fromHouston, TX
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Brain Teaser, Card & Board, Hidden Object, Mahjong, Match 3, Puzzle, Strategy, Time Management, Word
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
I really enjoyed this game, right until the end. The gameplay elements were excellent, the normal mode is challenging without feeling impossibly frustrating. The storyline is involved and I became concerned for the characters, which means they were developed enough for me to give a crap about them. The sound and music add to the game without being distracting or annoying. And I LOVE the graphics.
HOWEVER -
I really think that ending a game on a cliffhanger, especially when the description says you will "solve the mystery," is a cheap marketing tactic in order to sell the next in a series. The game is certainly good enough that I would buy the next one just on the first one's merits. There's no need to hold the ending for ransom, especially considering we have no idea WHEN the next game will be released. Or even if it will contain the answer to the mystery, if they plan on making this a multi-part series...
I really think that ending a game on a cliffhanger, especially when the description says you will "solve the mystery," is a cheap marketing tactic in order to sell the next in a series. The game is certainly good enough that I would buy the next one just on the first one's merits. There's no need to hold the ending for ransom, especially considering we have no idea WHEN the next game will be released. Or even if it will contain the answer to the mystery, if they plan on making this a multi-part series...
I recommend this game!
Hostile Makeover
Solve a fashion murder mystery! Help smart and sassy Lacey Smithsonian investigate nine quirky suspects to find the killer!
Overall rating
5
/
5
Challenging and Addicting
PostedNovember 21, 2015
DatPixieGirl
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Time Management, Adventure, Match 3, Strategy
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
I would guess that the main reason this game doesn't get as much "good press" as it should is because it is fairly difficult. Even though you get three different hint abilities as the game progresses and there is plenty of time for each stage in the timed mode, some items can be nearly impossible to find.
Two tips for playing this game:
- Never assume that an item is a particular size; the elephant is the size of an apple in one image, but "life size" in another.
- The objects are sometimes partially/mostly covered by part of the scene, making it difficult to know exactly what you are looking for; the elephant, though "life size", is only partially visible through a window.
- Never assume that an item is a particular size; the elephant is the size of an apple in one image, but "life size" in another.
- The objects are sometimes partially/mostly covered by part of the scene, making it difficult to know exactly what you are looking for; the elephant, though "life size", is only partially visible through a window.
However, I'd rather have a game be satisfyingly difficult than ridiculously easy. Plus, the story is great, the dialogue is witty and fun, and the mode of play is unique without being crazy.
The one slight negative I would note is that the music is very monotonous and bland. But that is in no way a deal-breaker because, in my opinion, everything else makes up for it. Definitely play Hostile Makeover if you like a challenge!
I recommend this game!