KathyC312's Profile
Stat Summary
- Average Rating:3.7
- Helpful Votes:40
- Reviews Submitted:16
- First Review:July 29, 2014
- Most Recent Review:January 8, 2025
- Featured reviews0
Help your little sister get a second chance this Christmas after she gets on the naughty list.
Overall rating
5
/
5
Fun games and beautiful Christmas scenes
PostedJanuary 8, 2025
KathyC312
fromChicago, IL
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
I just finished this game and liked it so much I thought I'd write a review. I've played other games in this collection, but this one was a step above. It's not groundbreaking but it definitely gets you into the Christmas spirit. I enjoyed the game play and the scenery and was happy that the number of talking cat characters was kept to a minimum, unlike other games from this developer (bonus chapter excepted). Some Christmas games end up looking dark and dreary but this one glowed with Christmas cheer.
I recommend this game!
Death and Betrayal in Romania: A Dana Knightstone Novel Collector's Edition
Can you escape from the grasp of a lovestruck ghost?
Overall rating
1
/
5
3 of 4 found this review helpful
Didn't like it
PostedJanuary 8, 2018
KathyC312
fromChicago, IL
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object
Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
I own all the other Dana Knightstone games and enjoyed them. After reading the good reviews for this one, I was excited to play it. Unfortunately I couldn't wait for the game to end. Here's why:
- I found the storyline to be dull
- A few of the mini-games were interesting, but a lot of them didn't have good instructions or weren't coded correctly so the game objects you are manipulating wouldn't stay in place
- Not many HO scenes. I don't need hundreds of them, but there should be more than there are in this game. There were a lot of the 'here's an outline of an object, find all the pieces of this object' games (e.g. broken pieces that make up a vase), but I'm not a fan of these.
- There were a lot of items where you had to find a multitude of the items, and like most games you couldn't do anything with them until you found, say, all 5 lion heads. Imho, it doesn't make for a very interesting game when your inventory is filled with items that are not a complete set and, therefore you can't do anything with them.
- The tasks were just not that evident to me. I'm usually a stickler for not clicking on the 'hint' button or using the map, but the tasks just did not click with me so I found myself having to click on 'hint' because I couldn't follow what I was supposed to do.
- Quite a few items stay in your inventory for a long time, so you carry them around wondering when you'll use them.
- If i'm looking for a 'lubricant,' then olive oil should work just as well as lard! :)
- A lot of the items were difficult to tell what they were.
- A few of the mini-games were interesting, but a lot of them didn't have good instructions or weren't coded correctly so the game objects you are manipulating wouldn't stay in place
- Not many HO scenes. I don't need hundreds of them, but there should be more than there are in this game. There were a lot of the 'here's an outline of an object, find all the pieces of this object' games (e.g. broken pieces that make up a vase), but I'm not a fan of these.
- There were a lot of items where you had to find a multitude of the items, and like most games you couldn't do anything with them until you found, say, all 5 lion heads. Imho, it doesn't make for a very interesting game when your inventory is filled with items that are not a complete set and, therefore you can't do anything with them.
- The tasks were just not that evident to me. I'm usually a stickler for not clicking on the 'hint' button or using the map, but the tasks just did not click with me so I found myself having to click on 'hint' because I couldn't follow what I was supposed to do.
- Quite a few items stay in your inventory for a long time, so you carry them around wondering when you'll use them.
- If i'm looking for a 'lubricant,' then olive oil should work just as well as lard! :)
- A lot of the items were difficult to tell what they were.
I was relieved to finish this game and the bonus game and immediately uninstalled it. Hopefully others enjoyed it more than I did!
I don't recommend this game.
Can you save your uncle before it's too late?
Overall rating
5
/
5
2 of 2 found this review helpful
Very fun game
PostedApril 16, 2017
KathyC312
fromChicago, IL
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
I really enjoyed this game and I'm glad I bought the collector's edition. The bonus gameplay was definitely worth the price of the CE. Enjoyed the storyline, the variety of different types of HO scenes, and nice graphics. I also liked the fact that you could click on various objects that were unrelated to the objective and they would do something cute (e.g. click on the bird perched on the tree and it would fly away)
I recommend this game!
Enigmatis: The Ghosts of Maple Creek
Find a kidnapped teenage girl and save yourself in Enigmatis: The Ghosts of Maple Creek, a fun Hidden Object Puzzle Adventure game!
Overall rating
2
/
5
4 of 6 found this review helpful
Not very interesting
PostedMarch 26, 2017
KathyC312
fromChicago, IL
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
I guess I'm in the minority here, but I really didn't care much for this game. It got to be very repetitive very quickly which made it pretty boring to play.
Other viewers raved about the oh-so-interesting evidence board, but I found it to be repetitive and trite. It basically restated all the stuff you discovered during the cut scenes.
Thank goodness there was a map that told you where the actionable areas were, as most of the time it was not clear what you should be doing. I've been playing HO's for 7 years or so and I'm not a novice, yet I found myself stumbling around the scenes looking for stuff to do.
The map should have had 'teleport' capabilities. The action was spread out all over the map, so you usually had to backtrack for 8 or 10 clicks to get to the other side of the map. There's one house that can only be reached by sliding down a rope off of your balcony. Really?
HO scenes were aplenty, but were very repetitive. I usually enjoy the HO scenes, but there were so many in this game that they got in the way of the adventure.
I don't recommend this game.
Dark Parables: Rise of the Snow Queen
Journey into the mythical Snowfall Kingdom and investigate the disappearance of children in Dark Parables: Rise of the Snow Queen!
Overall rating
1
/
5
3 of 4 found this review helpful
Hated it
PostedMarch 15, 2017
KathyC312
fromChicago, IL
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object
Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
I played the whole game (because I'm a glutton for punishment, I guess) and I found it very boring and repetitive.
Cons:
- In the HO scenes, instead of searching for items, you are searching for fragments of 1 item, like parts of an ornate shield, or pieces that make up a figurine. You are given pictures of the 15 - 20 fragments that you need to collect in the scene, but the sizes are not relative and the picture could be upside down or sideways. You're thinking "Hey, I need to find a big square thing that looks like it's 3x the size of the other objects, only to find that the big square thing is actually tiny. This is the ONLY type of HO scene there is in this game, and there are a lot of them. Very boring and repetitive.
- Cursor turns into a magnifying glass for EVERYTHING, not just for interactive areas or items you can pick up. e.g. you think you've found something interesting, but when you click on the area it reads something mundane like "this cabinet is very ornate" or "the silver moon will illuminate the golden child."
- Outside of the HO scenes, the hint button is pretty useless. It will only indicate if there is something to do in the room you are in. Thus, if you're stuck, you have to go to every room and click on the 'hint' button until it says something other than 'there is nothing to do here right now.' Yawwwwn...
- Mini games aren't well described; half the time you don't know what you're supposed to do. One particularly boring mini game is repeated 7 or 8 times. I just skipped it after the first time (penalty is that you can't use the 'hint' button for 5 minutes)
- No zoom areas. Usually if you need to interact with an area, such as a lock on a door, you click on the area and a zoomed-in popup of the area appears. With this game, there are no zooms, so you don't know which areas you need to interact with. e.g., instead of zooming in on the lock on a door, you get a message that reads 'this looks like an intricate lock.' Well...does that mean there's a key around, or should I pick the lock?
- Most of the inventory items you collect are not used actively in the games. You're collecting 5 globes, 6 jewels, etc. that you will put in a collection cabinet, which will give you a key to a door. I think there was one instance where you get a grappling hook and rope and used it to escape something. Other than that you have useless figurines, globes, jewels, etc.
- In the HO scenes, instead of searching for items, you are searching for fragments of 1 item, like parts of an ornate shield, or pieces that make up a figurine. You are given pictures of the 15 - 20 fragments that you need to collect in the scene, but the sizes are not relative and the picture could be upside down or sideways. You're thinking "Hey, I need to find a big square thing that looks like it's 3x the size of the other objects, only to find that the big square thing is actually tiny. This is the ONLY type of HO scene there is in this game, and there are a lot of them. Very boring and repetitive.
- Cursor turns into a magnifying glass for EVERYTHING, not just for interactive areas or items you can pick up. e.g. you think you've found something interesting, but when you click on the area it reads something mundane like "this cabinet is very ornate" or "the silver moon will illuminate the golden child."
- Outside of the HO scenes, the hint button is pretty useless. It will only indicate if there is something to do in the room you are in. Thus, if you're stuck, you have to go to every room and click on the 'hint' button until it says something other than 'there is nothing to do here right now.' Yawwwwn...
- Mini games aren't well described; half the time you don't know what you're supposed to do. One particularly boring mini game is repeated 7 or 8 times. I just skipped it after the first time (penalty is that you can't use the 'hint' button for 5 minutes)
- No zoom areas. Usually if you need to interact with an area, such as a lock on a door, you click on the area and a zoomed-in popup of the area appears. With this game, there are no zooms, so you don't know which areas you need to interact with. e.g., instead of zooming in on the lock on a door, you get a message that reads 'this looks like an intricate lock.' Well...does that mean there's a key around, or should I pick the lock?
- Most of the inventory items you collect are not used actively in the games. You're collecting 5 globes, 6 jewels, etc. that you will put in a collection cabinet, which will give you a key to a door. I think there was one instance where you get a grappling hook and rope and used it to escape something. Other than that you have useless figurines, globes, jewels, etc.
Pros
- Length? Usually I like long games, but in this case it only made the game more painful.
- Length? Usually I like long games, but in this case it only made the game more painful.
Like I said, I'm not sure why I felt I had to finish the game (I do the same thing with books that I don't care for). In 6 years of playing HO games, I can't think of a game I disliked more than this one.
I don't recommend this game.
Hidden Mysteries®: Salem Secrets
Help Constable Hawthorne investigate the rumors of witchcraft in Hidden Mysteries – Salem Secrets, a fun Hidden Object game!
Overall rating
5
/
5
1 of 5 found this review helpful
Interesting game
PostedMarch 1, 2017
KathyC312
fromChicago, IL
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
I'm a bit surprised at the low ratings for this game. I loved the storyline and the graphics. This is one of the first HO games I've ever played and I've enjoyed replaying it every few years.
I recommend this game!
Final Cut: Death on the Silver Screen Collector's Edition
Save your brother and try to solve the mystery behind the silver screen in Final Cut: Death on the Silver Screen, a thrilling game set in the 1950's!
Overall rating
5
/
5
Enjoyable game
PostedJuly 29, 2016
KathyC312
fromChicago, IL
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
This was a fun game to play...lots of scenes and a good amount of HO scenes. It took me about 4 hours to complete the main game and 1 hour for the bonus chapter.
- Good graphics and story
- Good duration (I hate HO games that end too soon)
- Has a map that tells you where you are and where there are 'available tasks.' However, it can't be used to teleport you to that area.
- Be sure to watch the "Making Of" movie in the bonus section. Fun to see the production team and them goofing off.
- Good duration (I hate HO games that end too soon)
- Has a map that tells you where you are and where there are 'available tasks.' However, it can't be used to teleport you to that area.
- Be sure to watch the "Making Of" movie in the bonus section. Fun to see the production team and them goofing off.
I recommend this game!
Surface: Mystery of Another World Collector's Edition
After your son, Bobby, mysteriously disappears, it’s up to you to find him in Surface: The Mystery of Another World!
Overall rating
5
/
5
2 of 2 found this review helpful
Enjoyable game
PostedJuly 29, 2016
KathyC312
fromChicago, IL
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
I really enjoyed this game. When I feared it was coming to an end, I would be pleasantly surprised by more game play. This was also the first HO game I've played where items in your inventory are necessary to complete some of the HO scenes E.g. if you don't have a can opener in your inventory, you can't use it to open the can necessary to complete the HO scene. This adds a level of challenge because you don't know what inventory items are for necessary for completing tasks and which are for completing HO scenes. Very interesting! Here are my pros and cons...take it for what you will, as my pros could be cons for others...
Pros
-Great value...this game lasts a long time (in a good way!)
-Good graphics
-Good story
-Challenging
-Plenty of scenes to explore, and each scene has a good amount of areas to search
-Inventory items are needed to finish some of the HO scenes.
- Map allows you to teleport to an area
- Requires you to have a pretty good memory, as sometimes you'll find a necessary item 15 scenes past the room where you need it ("Finally found this button, now what door lock did I need it for?")
-Great value...this game lasts a long time (in a good way!)
-Good graphics
-Good story
-Challenging
-Plenty of scenes to explore, and each scene has a good amount of areas to search
-Inventory items are needed to finish some of the HO scenes.
- Map allows you to teleport to an area
- Requires you to have a pretty good memory, as sometimes you'll find a necessary item 15 scenes past the room where you need it ("Finally found this button, now what door lock did I need it for?")
Cons
- The game map shows an icon that represents the area, In other games, when you hover on an area of the map, it shows a photo of the scene. This map tells you the name of the room.
- Game map doesn't show active tasks
- Instead of guiding you in a certain direction, the hint button tells you what to do next. E.g. "Go to the airplane and switch the cockpit button to "on"
- A few of the tasks are a bit far-fetched. If I hadn't used the hint button I would never in a million years have guessed what to do.
- There is some backtracking necessary ("what? I have to go all the way back to the mansion to use the item?") but the map has teleporting.
- The game map shows an icon that represents the area, In other games, when you hover on an area of the map, it shows a photo of the scene. This map tells you the name of the room.
- Game map doesn't show active tasks
- Instead of guiding you in a certain direction, the hint button tells you what to do next. E.g. "Go to the airplane and switch the cockpit button to "on"
- A few of the tasks are a bit far-fetched. If I hadn't used the hint button I would never in a million years have guessed what to do.
- There is some backtracking necessary ("what? I have to go all the way back to the mansion to use the item?") but the map has teleporting.
One final note...who the heck keeps taking the handle off of the vice grip on the workbench? I feel like I'm looking for the darn handle in every game I play. People, please don't take apart the vice grip! (and don't even get me started on the missing drawer handles) ;)
I recommend this game!
Danse Macabre: Deadly Deception Collector's Edition
Was Marion Ashworth murdered? Uncover the victim's true identity!
Overall rating
3
/
5
Okay...maybe 3.5 stars
PostedJuly 20, 2016
KathyC312
fromChicago, IL
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
I bought this because I liked "Danse Macabre: The Last Adagio" so much. This is good, but not nearly as interesting or fun as The Last Adagio. It took me a little over 3 hours to finish. The bonus chapter was another 30 minutes or so. This takes place in the South and the southern accents are pretty hokey.
I recommend this game!
Danse Macabre: The Last Adagio Collector's Edition
Your sister disappears the night of her star debut – and there are ghosts in the theater! Will this dance ever end?
Overall rating
5
/
5
1 of 1 found this review helpful
Best game I've played in a while
PostedJuly 13, 2016
KathyC312
fromChicago, IL
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
I really, really enjoyed this game. I've played a lot of HO games and perhaps was getting a bit tired of them ("Oh look, another cabinet drawer with the handle missing..."). This was like a breath of fresh air.
- High-quality graphics, cut scenes and speaking parts
- Lots of places to explore (I hate when you finally gain access to a room and there's only 1 thing to find in the room...this game had lots to explore)
- Lots of HO scenes which were fun to do
- Map to tell you which rooms have 'unfinished tasks' and can 'teleport' you to that room
- Good bonus game and extras
- Even loved the list of credits at the end...actually paused them to read everything. Very funny :)
- Lots of places to explore (I hate when you finally gain access to a room and there's only 1 thing to find in the room...this game had lots to explore)
- Lots of HO scenes which were fun to do
- Map to tell you which rooms have 'unfinished tasks' and can 'teleport' you to that room
- Good bonus game and extras
- Even loved the list of credits at the end...actually paused them to read everything. Very funny :)
I'd put this in my top 10 HO games. To give you an idea of other games I liked: the first few Puppet Show games, European Mystery Series and Dana Knightstone series.
I recommend this game!