SparkleGlow100's Profile
Stat Summary
- Average Rating:4.3
- Helpful Votes:3,053
- Reviews Submitted:371
- First Review:September 24, 2014
- Most Recent Review:November 18, 2020
- Featured reviews0
Status:
Take a journey through an isolated research facility in the Antarctic and discover the secrets of its past.
Overall rating
5
/
5
3 of 5 found this review helpful
Excellent, Realistic, Sci-Fi type Game. Challenging and Enjoyable.
PostedMay 28, 2016
SparkleGlow100
fromMichigan, USA
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Adventure, Match 3, Word
Current Favorite:
Vacation Quest: The Hawaiian Islands
(26)Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Roam around the rooms, laboratories and living quarters of Facility 47, in a frozen, icy, windy Antarctic. Modules, towers and labs, are all scattered around different buildings and areas, so you get to venture outdoors a lot. If you’re in the mood to be alone, then it’ll suit you. Your job is to find out what happened to a handful of people who worked there. Collect notes and samples and activate equipment to achieve your goals. The story is well-paced and you gradually start to understand what they were doing there, and what it must have been like to live there. Even though I didn’t play it in one sitting, when I did play it, I loved every minute! Please make more like this!
GRAPHICS: REALISTIC including the environment and equipment.
HOPS: NONE
PUZZLES: Medium amount. Enjoyable and mostly 'middle' difficulty. If you get stuck, hit the ‘?’ button, and the puzzle solution will pop-up. A few puzzles are skippable because of the greater difficulty involved.
SOUNDS: 2 sounds, the music and sound effects. You get quiet…and then freezing winds…and humming etc. Good and effective, without having to listen to music.
NO audible narration, or voice overs.
HINT: The ‘?’ button WILL give you a written task with hint of where and how to achieve it. So you are not totally left in the dark. It will update each step of the way.
DIFFICULTY LEVELS: Only 1 mode. Your CURSOR will NOT CHANGE SHAPE to help you out. So, quite a bit of clicking on objects will be necessary. If you’ve missed an item, when it's needed, the ‘?’ button will tell you the exact location of it.
MAP: NONE. You need to remember the routes or draw yourself a little line-map.
INVENTORY: Stays locked at all times.
JOURNAL: NONE
GRAPHICS: REALISTIC including the environment and equipment.
HOPS: NONE
PUZZLES: Medium amount. Enjoyable and mostly 'middle' difficulty. If you get stuck, hit the ‘?’ button, and the puzzle solution will pop-up. A few puzzles are skippable because of the greater difficulty involved.
SOUNDS: 2 sounds, the music and sound effects. You get quiet…and then freezing winds…and humming etc. Good and effective, without having to listen to music.
NO audible narration, or voice overs.
HINT: The ‘?’ button WILL give you a written task with hint of where and how to achieve it. So you are not totally left in the dark. It will update each step of the way.
DIFFICULTY LEVELS: Only 1 mode. Your CURSOR will NOT CHANGE SHAPE to help you out. So, quite a bit of clicking on objects will be necessary. If you’ve missed an item, when it's needed, the ‘?’ button will tell you the exact location of it.
MAP: NONE. You need to remember the routes or draw yourself a little line-map.
INVENTORY: Stays locked at all times.
JOURNAL: NONE
I recommend this game!
Trapped at the bottom of the sea by Davy Jones, you must discover his secrets, save your father and find a way to escape!
Overall rating
5
/
5
1 of 1 found this review helpful
Whoooooooooooooooo, lives-in-a-pineapple-under-the-sea?…Not Davy Jones!
PostedMay 15, 2016
SparkleGlow100
fromMichigan, USA
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Adventure
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Bubbles, shark, octopus, coral gardens, sunlight beams and various wrecks of different sizes. Completely enjoyable, with great music! The TASKS list is very important in this game, because the HINT and MAP are only minimally useful. Not a beginner’s game.
GRAPHICS: Underwater marvel. Loved the angles and sense of depth created with shipwrecks looming into the beyond. Stylized graphics that suit the game. Does not fill the whole screen.
HOPS: Plenty. Will sparkle for you and the HINT will help you out here. Clearly visible objects.
PUZZLES: Generally straight-forwards.
SOUNDS: Fine, but not great. Music is good. The other control is mainly for mouse-click action. A lack of general ambient sounds, like bubbles etc.
HINT: Will circle any area that has something for you to do, at any point. Won’t show you which item to use, or how to find the item if you don’t already have it. Scour the scenes top to bottom, and see when your cursor changes to find stuff.
DIFFICULTY LEVELS: Only 1 mode of game play.
MAP: Helps you get your bearings only. NOT travel and but will highlight an area you need to go to.
INVENTORY: NOT lockable
JOURNAL: Will hold the MAP, the TASKS and CLUES.
CHARACTERS: They are Davy Jones, his barnacled skivvies and trapped souls. Pleasant intermittent interaction which helps you on your quests. No voice-overs or lip-sync; you read.
GRAPHICS: Underwater marvel. Loved the angles and sense of depth created with shipwrecks looming into the beyond. Stylized graphics that suit the game. Does not fill the whole screen.
HOPS: Plenty. Will sparkle for you and the HINT will help you out here. Clearly visible objects.
PUZZLES: Generally straight-forwards.
SOUNDS: Fine, but not great. Music is good. The other control is mainly for mouse-click action. A lack of general ambient sounds, like bubbles etc.
HINT: Will circle any area that has something for you to do, at any point. Won’t show you which item to use, or how to find the item if you don’t already have it. Scour the scenes top to bottom, and see when your cursor changes to find stuff.
DIFFICULTY LEVELS: Only 1 mode of game play.
MAP: Helps you get your bearings only. NOT travel and but will highlight an area you need to go to.
INVENTORY: NOT lockable
JOURNAL: Will hold the MAP, the TASKS and CLUES.
CHARACTERS: They are Davy Jones, his barnacled skivvies and trapped souls. Pleasant intermittent interaction which helps you on your quests. No voice-overs or lip-sync; you read.
I recommend this game!
Solve the mysteries of Stoneville and escape with your life!
Overall rating
4
/
5
6 of 7 found this review helpful
Rocks of DOOOOOOOOM!
PostedMay 15, 2016
SparkleGlow100
fromMichigan, USA
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Adventure
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
A game for anyone. This game stays interesting! The graphics are good and the locations keep changing. There's lots of crumbling, ancient stone buildings to explore. You have 4 sound controls. The MAP is invaluable, because you’ll be all over the place. I liked the puzzles/minigames that kept popping up, and the HOPS are varied. Not big on characters, but the ones that are present are ok.
I LIKE that you can choose to hear a male or female voice as the character you play as! In the storyline, just when you think you know what is happening, and it’s all getting a bit predictable, there’s a twist for you! I think the only thing slightly annoying was that you can’t skip to the next piece of dialogue without listening to the whole thing -maybe to prevent kids from missing it perhaps?
I LIKE that you can choose to hear a male or female voice as the character you play as! In the storyline, just when you think you know what is happening, and it’s all getting a bit predictable, there’s a twist for you! I think the only thing slightly annoying was that you can’t skip to the next piece of dialogue without listening to the whole thing -maybe to prevent kids from missing it perhaps?
I recommend this game!
Find the Tomb of Isis and finish the search that Robert's Grandpa started! Travel the globe and find clues that will help you!
Overall rating
5
/
5
6 of 7 found this review helpful
Wonderfully relaxing with compelling storyline – TONS of HOPS (ignore the unfortunate sounding name.)
PostedMay 15, 2016
SparkleGlow100
fromMichigan, USA
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Adventure
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Go to Italy and France and more, explore a train, ride gondolas, and explore your grandfather’s old house, hiding clues. The HOPS are fun and attractive, and mainly wordlists. 9hrs 58 minutes was the cumulative game time, and that included skipping a lot of puzzles!
One of my favorite type of games I’ve realized are the HOPAS that have less color, outstanding looking HOPS and are more on the calm side. This is one of those games. There are no voice-overs, and the characters zip on and zip off, look cartoonish, and have a set number of facial expressions. However, the background surrounding artwork is really good. Appropriate sound effects combine to create a game atmosphere that is so much more involving and immersive than many of the current games, at least that's what I found. I couldn’t quite get to grips with the puzzles, and ended up skipping many. I wanted to try them, but I couldn’t get them to work right sometimes.
GRAPHICS: Soothing to the eye. Neutral palette with soft-focus. Nice artwork. Wonderfully stylized.
HOPS: Always word lists with sometimes many of an item eg, 4 dice, 7 teapots etc. Good looking and relaxing.
PUZZLES: Several, and not always straightforwards. You can skip.
SOUNDS: 3
HINT: Limited Hints. You collect different items per chapter. Luckily I never ran out and usually had between 4-7. At one point I had 12.
DIFFICULTY: Only 1 mode
MAP: Travel map, and shows active sites.
INVENTORY: Not lockable
JOURNAL: NONE. Your clues are saved as info in your inventory.
CHARACTERS: Very likeable, even without the voice-overs. Maybe more so, because it’s the style of the game.
GRAPHICS: Soothing to the eye. Neutral palette with soft-focus. Nice artwork. Wonderfully stylized.
HOPS: Always word lists with sometimes many of an item eg, 4 dice, 7 teapots etc. Good looking and relaxing.
PUZZLES: Several, and not always straightforwards. You can skip.
SOUNDS: 3
HINT: Limited Hints. You collect different items per chapter. Luckily I never ran out and usually had between 4-7. At one point I had 12.
DIFFICULTY: Only 1 mode
MAP: Travel map, and shows active sites.
INVENTORY: Not lockable
JOURNAL: NONE. Your clues are saved as info in your inventory.
CHARACTERS: Very likeable, even without the voice-overs. Maybe more so, because it’s the style of the game.
I recommend this game!
The dark influence of an old curse still taunts the city of Amsterdam! Explore this beautiful city on this mysterious guided tour.
Overall rating
4
/
5
4 of 4 found this review helpful
PURE HIDDEN OBJECTS, with a storyline thrown in. Relaxing. Very old style.
PostedMay 15, 2016
SparkleGlow100
fromMichigan, USA
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Adventure
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Feeling under the weather, I was looking for something EXACTLY like this. Everything old-school. I loved the hidden diamonds on each scene and the feeling that I was in Amsterdam. The still scenes are real photos, with moving ripples on the water. The sounds of the city are spot-on. Won’t fill your screen, and some items are so well blended and hidden, that I think anyone with eyesight problems might struggle a bit. The hint recharges with the diamonds, but I never ran out. All word lists. There are some puzzles thrown in too. A 3 hr game for me. Only 1 mode of difficulty. No modern bling, bells or whistles. There’s no map because you’re led through the scenes.
I recommend this game!
Uncover your grandfather’s secret in Youda Mystery: The Stanwick Legacy, an incredible Hidden Object Puzzle Adventure game!
Overall rating
5
/
5
7 of 7 found this review helpful
Stylistically riveting. Big on HOPS. Real pictures of manor. Fills the whole screen.
PostedMay 14, 2016
SparkleGlow100
fromMichigan, USA
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Adventure
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
GRAPHICS: Realistic scenes, with emphasis on light and dark effects. Creep around large, expansive and smaller rooms, hallways and secret passages.
HOPS: LOTS and clear
PUZZLES: Quite a few
SOUNDS: Good
HINT: Not very good
DIFFICULTY: only 1 mode
MAP: Will only remind where there are things to do. NOT travel.
INVENTORY: Stays locked
JOURNAL: Yes
CHARACTERS: Not really any character interaction. Talks about characters that were there once, giving the game a sense of discovering past history. The young woman’s voice is a little annoying, but she hardly talks much.
HOPS: LOTS and clear
PUZZLES: Quite a few
SOUNDS: Good
HINT: Not very good
DIFFICULTY: only 1 mode
MAP: Will only remind where there are things to do. NOT travel.
INVENTORY: Stays locked
JOURNAL: Yes
CHARACTERS: Not really any character interaction. Talks about characters that were there once, giving the game a sense of discovering past history. The young woman’s voice is a little annoying, but she hardly talks much.
I recommend this game!
The miracle of the Green Moon, which flourished with plants of all kinds, had lasted for only a few moments. A cataclysm made the Moon lifeless again. Find out why!
Overall rating
3
/
5
10 of 15 found this review helpful
“GAME OVER” :(
PostedMay 10, 2016
SparkleGlow100
fromMichigan, USA
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Adventure
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
I thought this was going to be a game I would absolutely love! I immediately took a liking to it. I liked the style, the freedom, the adventure, and the sound-effects. I’m glad I trialed it and didn’t jump in and buy it after the first 15 minutes - which I was tempted to do. Just another 5 minutes later and it was “GAME OVER” for me! I had died in the game! Not only that, but I had to start from the beginning! Then I died again…
There are no regular type HINTS in this game that will show you where and what to do, only objectives. But if you click on the objectives they WILL give you a clue where to look. I liked the fact that it was purely down to me to navigate around, and it was funny and entertaining that my inventory got completely loaded with all manner of items, that I didn’t actually need, like the ‘strong tipple’ which was just for me to gulp down. However, I wasn’t prepared to be babied by a YouTube walkthrough that I would inevitably need from start to finish, if I was going to save myself from constantly dying!! Therefore I was very sorry that it was a no-go :(
There are no regular type HINTS in this game that will show you where and what to do, only objectives. But if you click on the objectives they WILL give you a clue where to look. I liked the fact that it was purely down to me to navigate around, and it was funny and entertaining that my inventory got completely loaded with all manner of items, that I didn’t actually need, like the ‘strong tipple’ which was just for me to gulp down. However, I wasn’t prepared to be babied by a YouTube walkthrough that I would inevitably need from start to finish, if I was going to save myself from constantly dying!! Therefore I was very sorry that it was a no-go :(
The people of Lightfalls are disappearing, and it’s up to you to save them!
Overall rating
3
/
5
6 of 7 found this review helpful
Treat your fellow man badly as children and you shall create revenge-ridden brutes with psychopathic tendencies!
PostedMay 9, 2016
SparkleGlow100
fromMichigan, USA
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Adventure
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
Starts off so well. I loved the quality of the graphics too in the beginning. About 1/3 of the way into the game, the sophistication begins to wane, and instead we are left dealing with a game that completely fizzles out. It seems to turn into a child’s story with a plot that is annoying more than anything else.
Good puzzles though. Didn’t think much of the HOP quality of picture or layout.
I really enjoyed Surface-Alone in the Mist, (the last one of this series) SO MUCH MORE. Had to play this game, mixed in with others to get to the end.
Good puzzles though. Didn’t think much of the HOP quality of picture or layout.
I really enjoyed Surface-Alone in the Mist, (the last one of this series) SO MUCH MORE. Had to play this game, mixed in with others to get to the end.
Black Viper: Sophia's Fate
Cop by day, formidable thief by night: Sophia, aka Black Viper, is a young woman leading a double life.
Overall rating
2
/
5
2 of 2 found this review helpful
A very silly costume, if you ask me!
PostedMay 6, 2016
SparkleGlow100
fromMichigan, USA
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Adventure
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
2
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
WARNINGS!!! Do not exit this game or adjust options in the middle of a HOP scene. If you do, you will have to restart the HOPS.
CONS:
1) Why can’t I silence the music???? Arrrrgggghhhhh!!!!!! Definitely some volume issues. For example, only 2 sounds: music and everything else. However you cannot silence the voice, this seems to rely on your overall computer volume setting. Ended up playing in silence to remove repetitive music from driving me crazy! Oh finally the music DOES change!
2) EYE STRAIN possible, unless you intermittently use the magnifying option (easy to do though; use scroll on mouse and scroll back to exit it).
3) NO ability to change difficulty level.
4) Seriously, we have “panties” in one of the HOPS! A thong more like it, and the game continues in that vein – sleazy. Yeah, I do have boundaries on what I want to see and I don’t need to see panties!!! Political statement perhaps?!? Some unsavory dialogue included, that was just creepy, like it would if you had someone making lewd comments to you. But the whole slant of the game is sort of James Bondian, so what can you expect?
5) The gameplay really isn’t intuitive.
PROS:
1) I did like the old décor in the rooms and the contrast to the high-tech areas.
2) The story had so much potential.
1) Why can’t I silence the music???? Arrrrgggghhhhh!!!!!! Definitely some volume issues. For example, only 2 sounds: music and everything else. However you cannot silence the voice, this seems to rely on your overall computer volume setting. Ended up playing in silence to remove repetitive music from driving me crazy! Oh finally the music DOES change!
2) EYE STRAIN possible, unless you intermittently use the magnifying option (easy to do though; use scroll on mouse and scroll back to exit it).
3) NO ability to change difficulty level.
4) Seriously, we have “panties” in one of the HOPS! A thong more like it, and the game continues in that vein – sleazy. Yeah, I do have boundaries on what I want to see and I don’t need to see panties!!! Political statement perhaps?!? Some unsavory dialogue included, that was just creepy, like it would if you had someone making lewd comments to you. But the whole slant of the game is sort of James Bondian, so what can you expect?
5) The gameplay really isn’t intuitive.
PROS:
1) I did like the old décor in the rooms and the contrast to the high-tech areas.
2) The story had so much potential.
GRAPHICS: OK and fill whole screen, but not sharp .
HOPS: OK, tiny images, forcing use of the magnifier option.
PUZZLES: The ones I played were good
SOUNDS: Terrible: see CONS above.
HINT: Close to useless! Takes a minute to recharge in Casual, and will only go as far as taking you into the next room, then you have to wait an additional minute! Whhhhhaaaaat? WHY? Walkthrough on YouTube was essential and I used it a gazillion times.
MAP: NONE
INVENTORY: Not lockable
JOURNAL: Yes in diary form. I didn’t use it once.
CHARACTERS: Sleazy and Cheesy.
HOPS: OK, tiny images, forcing use of the magnifier option.
PUZZLES: The ones I played were good
SOUNDS: Terrible: see CONS above.
HINT: Close to useless! Takes a minute to recharge in Casual, and will only go as far as taking you into the next room, then you have to wait an additional minute! Whhhhhaaaaat? WHY? Walkthrough on YouTube was essential and I used it a gazillion times.
MAP: NONE
INVENTORY: Not lockable
JOURNAL: Yes in diary form. I didn’t use it once.
CHARACTERS: Sleazy and Cheesy.
I hope NOT play more games like this. Or perhaps they could have a category all of their own, called “Sleaze-Cheese," so I'd know to avoid them.
I don't recommend this game.
Uncover secrets about a murdered woman and her missing daughter.
Overall rating
5
/
5
3 of 4 found this review helpful
DARK, BROODING, HAUNTING ATMOSPHERE…ENJOYED EVERY MINUTE!
PostedMay 6, 2016
SparkleGlow100
fromMichigan, USA
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Adventure
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Endless rooms to unlock and discover, all made from stone, like in the dark chapel with stained glass windows! Very medieval interiors! Night scenes with good creep factor. HOPS and sound that suit the game. I had a seriously good time playing this game. I was a bit worried that it would be too sinister and scary, but it hit the right balance. SPOILER ALERT below if you want to know more details on the level of scare factor.
Interesting puzzles, the HOPS are pleasant looking and include a few items which are morphing-hidden objects too!
In the CE version the Bonus game was enjoyable but a bit on the short side. If you don’t want all the extras, the SE will be a fine buy. The CE collectibles are: coins, scrolls and dolls. The scrolls give you bits of info on the various characters.
Interesting puzzles, the HOPS are pleasant looking and include a few items which are morphing-hidden objects too!
In the CE version the Bonus game was enjoyable but a bit on the short side. If you don’t want all the extras, the SE will be a fine buy. The CE collectibles are: coins, scrolls and dolls. The scrolls give you bits of info on the various characters.
***SPOILER ALERT***
A lot of the goblins have minimal detail. It creates atmosphere without showing gore, hideousness, or pain. I think the “scariest” face was a sculpture, which had sharp and numerous teeth, and also a demon’s head toward the end, which reminded me of the Balroc from Lord of the Rings. There are shadows in windows and stuff like that. There’s a guy at the beginning who is “got” and he has strange red markings across his eyes and surrounding skin. He gets pulled away suddenly, and that was quite unnerving the way it was done. Not a fairy tale.
******************
A lot of the goblins have minimal detail. It creates atmosphere without showing gore, hideousness, or pain. I think the “scariest” face was a sculpture, which had sharp and numerous teeth, and also a demon’s head toward the end, which reminded me of the Balroc from Lord of the Rings. There are shadows in windows and stuff like that. There’s a guy at the beginning who is “got” and he has strange red markings across his eyes and surrounding skin. He gets pulled away suddenly, and that was quite unnerving the way it was done. Not a fairy tale.
******************
I recommend this game!