9otters's Profile
Stat Summary
- Average Rating:3.1
- Helpful Votes:1,898
- Reviews Submitted:63
- First Review:November 24, 2014
- Most Recent Review:February 22, 2016
- Featured reviews0
Status:
A unique puzzle game in a fantastical mansion of a legendary toymaker! Challenge yourself to solve a series of diabolical puzzles!
Overall rating
5
/
5
80 of 142 found this review helpful
Off the Charts Fun Factor For Puzzle-Lovers
PostedFebruary 22, 2016
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Calling all die-hard puzzlers out there...you know who you are...
It didn't take me long to discover that this is a MUST HAVE game for me...and anyone else who finds fun in thinking their way "out of the box".
There are 3 pieces of a gear to earn in each room. Earning ALL the pieces means you found the most efficient way out of the room. You'll be able to go on to the next room, even if you've earned only one piece...but it COULD be fun to restart to see if you can do better. Just guessing, but it might help with the ACHIEVEMENTS too.
There is a very good tutorial, taught by your friend, and hint source, the friendly lantern. After the tutorial, you can get a hint as to how the room should be arranged by moving your cursor to the lantern. The correct arrangement will be highlighted by depressing the left mouse button. Keep the button down, and you can look at it as long as you want to.
It wasn't obvious to me, at first, so I thought I'd add an explanation of how to get back to the main menu and the game exit...
The lantern is hanging from a gear with a set of double bars in the center. Choose the bars, a menu comes up, choose "Mansion Select" and the full-screen mansion comes up. Choose "Back", and the exit is in the lower left hand corner.
There are 21 achievements to be earned and an "extra" part of the house...the basement...that you can play after completing the mansion. I'm just sure it will be devilish.
Loved the whimsical graphics...and the ongoing story of the mansion maker. I can tell that I'll be spending HOURS in this house. I'm using a game coupon, but I would happily have spent the purchase price for this one.
EXCELLENT fun and SO much bang for the buck. Click on those mansion doors and try it for yourself.
Thank you devs and BFG. Hope YOU find some fun today. Happy gaming!
I recommend this game!
The famous Johnny Abilli has been murdered at the Broadbeach Resort. You've been called in to crack the case.
Overall rating
1
/
5
40 of 62 found this review helpful
Glaring Evidence Of Quantity Over Quality
PostedFebruary 20, 2016
9otters
fromsomewhere in the midwest
Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
1
/
5
Level of Challenge
1
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
Based on the Demo...
Standard gameplay for this dev...open "this" with "that". I noticed that, of the 4 difficulty levels, only one has no sparkles...and "custom" isn't it. The custom setting only allows for no sparkles on the HOPs.
Graphics are FAR worse than their normal. No depth...looking very two-dimensional and "hard". Colors are a bit garish, and there seems to be even MORE sunbeams and refracted light than the usual. For me, very hard on the eyes.
The game page description says that we will find morphing objects. They're normally found in the HOPs, with some kind of indicator to let you know that they are there. I saw NO indicator. Perhaps they are in the regular scenes? That would be a departure, and a surprise, from the past games of this dev, but I cannot say. It is a question that has come up in the forums, too.
HOPs are particularly "junky", and with the flat graphics, all the objects seem to run together. Mini-games were simple.
40 collectible "tools of the trade", which are microphones. They are grey and silver...colors that blend into the background...so they can be a little difficult to spot.
CE extras include replay of 18 puzzles and 15 HOPs. Again...I didn't see the morphs indicator there, either. Standard 11 achievements...5 that have 3 "starred" levels. Alternate game is a bubble shooter. Strategy guide, jump map and transporting hint. Re-set on puzzles. Locking inventory.
Another standard from this dev...the Souvenir hunt...did not show up in the extras. Could I have missed it? Possibly. Has it been cut from the CE extras? I cannot say.
I've always disliked the evidence board and the time-stretching "interviewing" of suspects...a Dead Reckoning standard. That, and the graphics, the "put and take" gameplay, and my lack of interest in playing yet ANOTHER of this dev's cookie cutter games, make this a "no buy" for me. As always, I suggest trying the demo.
I have to add...my jaw dropped when I saw some incorrect spelling ! Easy to overlook with smaller, less prolific devs...but from this one? Just another symptom of quantity over quality, IMO.
The Dead Reckoning series has a lot of die-hard fans so, for those who choose to play...happy gaming. Hope YOU find some fun today!
I don't recommend this game.
Help Ungh find new fire after the flame goes out in his village. Use logic and puzzle solving skills to navigate this fun and vivid Stone Age world.
Overall rating
5
/
5
61 of 70 found this review helpful
WHERE Do I Begin? A FUN Test Of Your "Figure It Out" Abilities. Wouldn't Have Missed It!
PostedJanuary 20, 2016
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
First, I'm gonna say this...if you don't enjoy figuring out EVERY SINGLE THING...and I MEAN EVERY SINGLE THING...you will probably not think this game is a winner. I, on the other hand, spent 45 minutes playing this game and didn't even bother to finish the demo. HAD to have it.
We are cavemen. We have NO speech. Our guy has been thrown out =literally= of the village for letting the ONLY fire die out. We are on a quest for fire.
There are no words for any of the game settings. Again, NO SPEECH. To start, I suggest you click on the gears on the introductory page. This is where you'll adjust your settings. They are primitive. Sliding various animals across strings attached to bones will adjust sound effects, music volume etc. There is one that adjusts how quickly the cursor moves around...and you're gonna want to use it. That thing was as slippery as if it was sliding around on mammoth spit.
Go back to the main page, click on the arrow...and away we go! You'll watch a little story about how we get kicked out, and then the game is on.
Your cursor will turn orange when it crosses something you can interact with. It will turn blue, with a little eyeball at the bottom, when you need to look at something. If you need a clue for where you can do something, press the space bar, and little faces will pop up. These are your areas of interest.
It is good to get the faces to pop up because they will reveal golden coins, or "blunga", that we can collect. What for? Don't know. They're there. I picked them up. There is a banner that lets you know how many you've got. Cannot wait to find out why.
If you want to get back to the main menu, repeat a scene, or go to the map, use the mouse roller, and a banner will slide down with those choices.
If you do not like running back and forth and back and forth to see what has happened in a previous scene, from something you did in another scene...I don't think this is the game for you.
If you do not appreciate "cartoony", whimsical graphic art, it may not be your game.
IF, however, the thrill of discovery gives you immense satisfaction, from doing-it-on-your-own...you'll be up and dancing.
This, my friends, is as good as it gets for anyone who thinks that all of the above sounds like FUN. An off-the-wall, quirky sense of humor will also be a big plus.
Make no mistake. It will be DIFFICULT. Well, it is for me, anyway. Probably for many of us. BUT...the rewards are worth the effort...in my opinion.
This should give you a good start. I say try the demo. That will be the true test. If you need help, or more info, look to the forums. Find it at the top of this page, above the game video. Click on "get game tips".
Played on a PC, Windows 7 Home Premium, 64bit. NO issues. Crisp, clear, colorful graphics. No lagging or black screen.
THANK YOU, Devs and BFG. MORE like this, please. Just can't get enough.
Hope YOU find some fun today. Happy gaming.!
I recommend this game!
Your son is lost in a deserted mansion. Discover the strange things that occurred here to save your child!
Overall rating
5
/
5
151 of 171 found this review helpful
No Walk In The Park...But Capital F U N!
PostedJanuary 18, 2016
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
I didn't even finish the demo because knew that I have to play this game. I don't understand the "Hidden Object" label, because I haven't found any.
What I HAVE found is a maze of places to roam, in search of ANYTHING I can find, to help solve the tasks that will, ultimately, help me solve this riddle.
I think I'd call it an adventure/puzzle game. And, the puzzles are not a walk in the park, for me. The first one I was able to find involved finding the correct sequence of TEN switches. I had to WORK for it! Lol. And it just made me more determined to find MORE. My kind of game!
NO skipping. NO hand holding. There IS a re-set button on the puzzles that require it. I'd recommend the tutorial, because the mechanics are a little different. Graphics are excellent. No voiceovers. Perhaps a bit old school, but it didn't matter.
If you want to oil up your little gray cells...I say PLAY! Oh...and when it says that you have to close each window by clicking on the "X"...ignore it. You can click outside the window and it will close.
For those who haven't already played it, I've put another game that is one of my favorite fun challenges, to the side.
Happy "do it on your own" gaming! I'm using a game coupon, but I would happily have paid for it. Thank you Devs and BFG.
Hope YOU find some fun today!
I recommend this game!
You've been summoned to save the Fantastic Worlds from evil!
Overall rating
5
/
5
13 of 15 found this review helpful
Behind The Crowd, But HAD To Comment...
PostedJanuary 18, 2016
9otters
fromsomewhere in the midwest
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Based On Completed Game
Finally! A game I can get excited about! Grand Ma has become one of my favorite Devs. They are second to none in creating BEAUTIFUL and COMPLEX fantasy worlds, and interesting games to go with them.
Here we have a game that, in places, requires some thought as to your next move. You'll find the HOPs to be varied in difficulty...several with a new "pop-up book" look that I loved. Mini-games were also fun and varied...some that, for me, took awhile to solve. They DO have a re-set button...and I used it SEVERAL times.
There is a game gimmick, but they combined 3 games in one, so it didn't get to be so very tedious. In addition, I thought they used it with great restraint, so it wasn't over-used, IMO.
Good CE extras, with the usual strategy guide and bonus game. An extra bonus game is unlocked after finding all of the collectibles. They're called "observers" and there are 65 of them...animated eyeballs that do a good job of staying hidden. A banner will slide out to tell you how many to find in each scene. If we miss a few, we can pick them up in the extras.
Take note...the game won't automatically tell you the ones you missed. When you choose "Observers" in the Extras, you'll need to scan each location to find where you have to go.
There are also three surprise "Lucky Gifts" to be found, so be on the lookout. The cursor will not change when you run across them. You'll have to click around a bit to see if you get any responses.
Alternate Match 3 game for those who would like a break from HOPs. Four levels of difficulty to choose from. A nice, clear jump map and transporting hint button.
I have to say I thought the bonus game was a little short. BUT...I was hot on the trail of the remaining Observers...and I found one of the Lucky Gifts there. So...in the end I was ok with it.
The BONUS bonus was unlocked after finding the collectibles, and was a pop-up book HOP about the history of the Observers.
I listed another Grand Ma game to the side, if you'd like to play another winner from this Dev. Also...don't forget to visit the forums for game questions and a lot of info you won't find here. Get there by going to the top of this page. You'll see, above the game video, "Get game tips".
The game complexity petered out a bit towards the end, but all in all, I'm happy with my purchase. Grand Ma Studios put a lot of creativity and some new innovation in this game...and it shows. Thank you Devs and BFG. Hope YOU find some fun today. Happy gaming
I recommend this game!
Grim Tales: Threads of Destiny Collector's Edition
Can you free Jackie’s parents from their deadly fates?
Overall rating
1
/
5
17 of 19 found this review helpful
SO Boring...NO Desire To Play Beyond The Demo
PostedOctober 12, 2015
9otters
fromsomewhere in the midwest
Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
1
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
This entry to the Gray family saga just didn't trip my "fun factor" trigger. I felt like I was just going through the same old motions as per usual. When "Fate" steps in to throw a wrench in the works, I found myself not caring about the inevitable outcome.
Animal fed? Check. Rust removed? Check. Bow and arrow located and reassembled? Check. Locate batteries? Check. Find tape for repair of electrical wires? Check. Find and use numerous "key" shapes? Check...on and on...
Nothing special about the HOGs or mini-games. The one mini-game that COULD have been a bit fun involved placing objects back into a cabinet. Moving the cursor over the cabinet revealed the silhouettes of each object. NO thought, NO trial and error...just find the item that matched the shape. Sigh.
This CE offers 18 performance related achievements and 16 collectibles in the form of pictures for a family tree. The Secret Room shows up again, for replay of SOME of the puzzles and HOGs. Something labeled "Archive" shows up in the bonus content, but cannot be accessed until the main and bonus games are completed.
Map jumps and shows active areas. Hint transports. Mini-games can be re-set. Inventory locks. Four difficulty levels to choose from. No alternate game to play if you're not a HOP fan.
Good graphics. Forgettable music...sometimes, NO music. Lackluster voice-overs.
The ONLY bit of fun I found was locating the morphing objects in each scene. It was an actual hunt because the cursor DID NOT change into a hand when passing over them. Thank you Devs.
If you want to play Grim Tales, I'd suggest The Color Of Fright CE. Threads Of Destiny pales in comparison. Don't forget to tour the forums! Many more reviews and game help to be found there. Just click on "Get game tips", in the upper right hand corner of the game page, above the game video.
NOTHING about this demo inspired me to want to play further. Average to boring gameplay in a different setting. Of course, we all have different ideas of fun, so, when in doubt...try the demo.
Happy gaming to those who choose to play. Hope you find some fun today!
I don't recommend this game.
Off the Record: The Final Interview Collector's Edition
A man is dying, and you’re the prime suspect!
Overall rating
2
/
5
23 of 25 found this review helpful
Just One More Eipix Game That Failed To Meet My Expectations
PostedOctober 11, 2015
9otters
fromsomewhere in the midwest
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
Based On Completed Game
This will probably be my final attempt to give Eipix a chance to produce a game that, FOR ME, is worth playing. I thought, from the demo, that it would be interesting. I love a mystery. The game was puzzle heavy, which I prefer. The HOPs were varied and entertaining. The graphics were better than their normal. The bonus content seemed worth the CE price. A good sale tipped the scales to "buy".
They just never seem to maintain the better standard produced for the demo throughout the entire game. It never fails...midway through the game I find myself playing the default Eipix cookie cutter game. Any gameplay complexity in the beginning deteriorates into "take this here and put that there...open this with that". It ends up being boring and tedious. I find myself losing interest and not really caring about the outcome.
When things start getting boring, other things that I could possibly ignore become more annoying. For THIS game it was the less than authentic British accents. By the time I was hoping for the end, they had become totally laughable. As for the mystery, pretty early on it was clear who the culprit would be.
I was disappointed with all the "recycled" scenes in the bonus game. Also, the gameplay in the bonus was entirely of the "take and put" variety. The collectible teapots that were SO well hidden in the main game were suddenly larger and easier to find. The graphics were not as good or as complex as the main game. It was obvious from the beginning who THAT "bad" guy was too.
It isn't that this is a BAD game. It just isn't particularly GOOD. I have plenty of "average" games in my collection. I guess I've reached the point, after so many years, that I want BETTER. And, for me, Eipix is NOT producing "better". They seem satisfied with the same old thing.
What I will say about the final "Off The Record" is that the main game was visually lovely. There were some garden scenes where I would love to spend some time. The HOPs were also a plus. If you aren't rabid for collectibles, and think you'd like to play, I would suggest buying the SE. The bonus was no real treat and the main game ending was definitive. The only use I had for the strategy guide was to locate one pesky teapot. Also, the jump map and transporting hint feature will probably get you where you need to go.
This game may appeal to many...just not to me. The demo was NOT a good indicator of the WHOLE game. If I have no interest in playing it again...and in this case...hardly any interest in finishing it, I cannot recommend it.
Hope you find some fun today! Happy gaming!
I don't recommend this game.
Explore the ruined castle once owned by the infamous Countess Dracula in this spine-chilling hidden object adventure!
Overall rating
1
/
5
29 of 37 found this review helpful
An Exercise In Frustration
PostedSeptember 2, 2015
9otters
fromsomewhere in the midwest
Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
1
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
Based On Demo
The graphics didn't bother me. Although the colors were "dull", they were in keeping with the subject matter. There wasn't a lot of detail, or "effects", but everything was easy to see.
There were many other issues that make this a "no buy" for me. There is a "Help" section that was no help. Nothing it said about game mechanics was true, because nothing worked. There is only one level of difficulty.
The hint button is basically a sound effect, because it never worked the way the Help pages said it should. It didn't take long to fill, I clicked on it EVERY time it filled, I got an actual hint ONCE. In addition, 90% of the time, it took several clicks for it to respond, even though it was "ready".
"Help" said there would be glints or sparkles to indicate active areas. Never saw ANY. The cursor would turn into a magnifying glass once in awhile. The rest of the time was spent clicking on everything to see if something would respond. Got many responses. Picked up quite a few inventory items. Found many places with something to do.
I was able to use four inventory items...two screws for a diary lock that needed three, a wind-up key, and a tap for a faucet. The faucet provided water, but I found no way to use it. I tried a bowl and a towel. The bowl was a "no go". The towel was a "no go", but would not return to the inventory and "floated" on top of it until it just vanished. I needed to make a fire. Had matches and found the "twigs", but had no way to collect the twigs.
USING the inventory items was another guessing game. Sometimes I had to "drag and drop". Sometimes I could click on something and have it "follow" the cursor.
This game is all about the HOs, and most were played to collect coins. No hint whatsoever about WHY we needed coins. They were revisited several times for more coins or an inventory item that was of no use.
I found two mini-games. I was able to play one that was puzzle-like. The other was missing something that I never found in my exploration.
The lack of sparkles would not have been an issue for me, but according to the "Help", they should have been there. The diary/journal was supposed to "glow" when something was added but I never saw that happen either.
In the end, I had a long list of tasks that I couldn't complete, seven scenes scoured for every possible clues, a hint button that was useless, over 40 coins for...whatever, AND a feeling of frustration that NOTHING about this game was worth the trouble.
I suggest you play the demo if, after reading all of the above, you think this game might still have an ounce of fun factor.
Hope YOU find some fun today. Happy gaming!
I don't recommend this game.
From the makers of the Rite of Passage series comes a ground-breaking new series that's as creepy as it gets.
Overall rating
5
/
5
44 of 66 found this review helpful
One-Of-A-Kind Entertainment Beyond My Expectations
PostedAugust 30, 2015
9otters
fromsomewhere in the midwest
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Based on Completed Game
Having been a horror fan since I was a child, I didn't find this game to be particularly creepy, BUT it did have its moments.
This was not a "hard" game, imo. We do SOME things that we have to do in other games. It is the "getting there" that boosts the fun factor in a BIG way. Other Devs should take note.
EVERYTHING we do advances, and is part of, finding the story. And that includes the bonus game. If at all possible, I urge you to play the CE. It isn't that the ending of the main game is left undone. The game page describes the bonus game as a "view of the story from a whole new perspective". It is a perspective that I WANTED to experience, and is in NO WAY "tacked on" to make this game CE worthy.
I got a bit tired of all the "taunting" from the "child" during the demo. Thankfully, we weren't "under her thumb" as much AFTER the demo.
With the CE, there are 44 collectible "swirls" to find in the main game AND the bonus game. Find ONE, and you can collect the rest by playing the swirl game in the extras. Complete your swirl collection and unlock a MONDO HOS, that, if you choose, can be played for bronze, silver, and gold stars in the Achievements.
Many UNIQUE HOPs, with a morphing object in each. A grimacing face by the hint button turns green and spins when you've found it. All 19 can be played in the extras for starred achievements. If you find the morph during regular gameplay, you won't have to find it again when playing for time and accuracy.
Good mini-games, all unique to the game/story.
Extras also include a jigsaw puzzle of one of the game scenes, game and performance achievements, and the usual CE extras.
I never used the Strategy Guide, but there were a couple of times I was tempted. Jump map shows active areas, the "hint" can take you further from there, if needed.
I purchased this game when it became available, but waited three weeks to play, because there was ONE game feature that almost kept me from playing altogether. I was waiting to see if the Devs would "fix" it, because many others found it to be a real atmosphere killer too. A HUGE journal/objectives page pops on to the screen...unwanted, unasked for...frequently...no matter which of four difficulty settings you choose.
I'm glad I chose to try to ignore it, because it would have been a shame to miss this game. One-of-a-kind entertainment beyond my expectations.
Finally, if you cannot get the CE, definitely play the SE. This is one game that is just too good to miss.
Hope YOU find some fun today. Happy gaming!
I recommend this game!
Adventure into the unknown to save a city from evil!
Overall rating
2
/
5
5 of 5 found this review helpful
Disappointing, Confusing, and Boring.
PostedAugust 22, 2015
9otters
fromsomewhere in the midwest
Current Favorite:
Shrouded Tales: The Spellbound Land Collector's Edition
(46)Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
Based On Completed Game
I enjoyed the first Shrouded Tales game so I had high hopes for this one. What a disappointment. For me, it was all downhill after the demo.
We need to use our "magic", or spells, as well as some of our regular inventory items in the HOPs. I thought there would some nice complexity there, but they got much simpler, and downright boring, after the demo.
Our "spell chips" need to be replaced several times. Each time, a token must be found, placed in a "pylon", and a series of mini-games, increasing in difficulty, have to be completed before the spell chip is restored .
Another layer of complexity is added because there is a "dark side" that must be accessed to find the pylons. Other needed items will also be found in that dimension. This started out as a good idea but, again, after the demo, it seemed we had to do it in practically every scene. WAY OVERUSED. The gameplay had quite a bit of "repairing" of machines, etc. Trying to figure out how to repair fantasy technology was frustrating and...you got it...confusing.
Mini-games/puzzles started out ok but ended up being average. Some required some thought but I never had to use the strategy guide to complete them.
There are only three difficulty levels, none are customizable. I played the demo in "casual" mode so I can tell you the hints refill quickly.
Jump map was easy to use which ends up being very important with all the overuse of the back and forth, light and dark worlds.
The story? It started out as a bit complex and ended up being a confused mess. No time to give it much thought because the gameplay created enough confusion all by itself.
I got the CE version of this game, and I regret it. The bonus game was more confusing than the main game. The "secret scroll" that was used to find the collectible runes malfunctioned, which added to the confusion.
The only joy that I experienced with this game was getting to the end of it.
If you want to play a Shrouded Tales I would recommend the first one, The Spellbound Land. It was interesting and FUN, which, for me, this one was NOT.
Hope YOU find some fun today. Happy gaming.
I don't recommend this game.