phatkhat's Profile
Stat Summary
- Average Rating:3.7
- Helpful Votes:1,517
- Reviews Submitted:70
- First Review:February 4, 2012
- Most Recent Review:December 7, 2020
- Featured reviews0
Status:
Get ready to celebrate Christmas in Germany! This Christmas adventure comes with lots of challenging hidden object scenes and other fun puzzles!
Overall rating
1
/
5
24 of 34 found this review helpful
I lasted a whole 10 minutes
PostedDecember 7, 2020
phatkhat
fromArkansas, USA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Brain Teaser, Large File, Puzzle
Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
1
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
Okay, so I hate junkpile HOGs, which this is in spades. Further, after the first level, you have to buy the levels with stars earned by replaying earlier levels. The first city, Nuremberg, had a list scene, then a silhouette one. What comes after, I have no idea, because I took my two stars and unlocked Stuttgart, where I lived for a while.
Eh, Stuttgart is hilly, but not THAT hilly, and no, that castle is NOT in Stuttgart. At that point, I gave it up. I lived in various cities in Germany for 15 years, and was looking for some nostalgia, but, sorry, not finding it here.
The music is not German, except for the intro. And it's on a short loop making it annoying. The developers made evidently no attempt to get it right, judging from the awful misplacement of Stuttgart in the heart of the Alps.
As to the game itself... IF you are a fan of straight HOGs with, evidently, some minigames but no puzzles, you may actually like this. I suppose putting aside the factual discrepancies, the object hunt is what it is. If you find that fun, you will maybe enjoy.
I don't recommend this game.
Join the Dwarf and on his quest to explore the depths of the forest, solve tricky puzzles, free the fairies and help break the evil curse.
Overall rating
3
/
5
5 of 6 found this review helpful
The puzzles are good, but...
PostedSeptember 19, 2020
phatkhat
fromArkansas, USA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Brain Teaser, Large File, Marble Popper, Puzzle
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
I am absolutely fed up with all these picross games with the punitive rules. I am a picross fanatic, and they are almost all I play now, since the HOPAs are so cookie cutter boring, and point and click adventures are rare as hen's teeth.
I bought this one because I liked the sassy cat. But the cat is about all I like, besides the challenge of the puzzles, which are much harder than the Fantasy Mosaics, or even Rainbow. Okay, it would be a fave IF it didn't have the rule about not being able to play the bonus games if you mess up more than once anywhere in the WHOLE GAME. You cannot make more than one mistake in any level and get the bonus.
This means I finish the board, do a snip, and then "replay" the level by copying the snip. Boring. I play to exercise my brain and relax, NOT to be punished. Yet ALL the games (outside of zen mode in FM) punish you for making mistakes. When you play these with pencil and paper, you can erase your mistakes with no penalty. Why not make that an option in the games online??????? Sometimes my tetchy mouse slips, or the cat bumps my arm. Or I'm just tired and not seeing properly. But I do NOT want to go replay the level because I made too many mistakes. I'm not OCD about games.
ALL games should make timers OPTIONAL, and make a mistakes forgiven mode optional. There are now lots of options to customize HOPAs, and I think these games would be easier to customize than the graphics heavy HOPAs.
I won't buy any more of this series, that's for sure.
I don't recommend the game unless you are OCD about finishing every level perfectly. If you are, this game's for you.
I don't recommend this game.
Use a mystical locket to explore a magical world and save a young girl in Otherworld: Spring of Shadows!
Overall rating
5
/
5
1 of 1 found this review helpful
An oldie, but definitely a goodie!
PostedJune 18, 2020
phatkhat
fromAsh Flat, AR
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Brain Teaser, Large File, Marble Popper, Puzzle
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
I am one of those with many unplayed games in my stash, some of them very old. So I was looking for a specific game, and thought this might be it, so I installed it. It wasn't the game I was looking for, but, WOW! As soon as I watched the opening scene, I was hooked. I played a little over 8 hours on the main game, and have yet to play the bonus.
I was struck by the gameplay, the story, the art, the music. But especially the game play. New HOPAs seem to be an endless stream of find a key, find another key, find ANOTHER key, ad nauseam. It's like they are just stretching out the time hunting keys, which don't really enhance the play or the story.
Well, this was so much like playing a real adventure game! There were a LOT of puzzles to solve, and not too many HOS. Those were mostly multiples, but there were some lists and some finding related pairs. They were so unobtrusive, it took a while for me to realize they actually were HOS - and I'm not a fan of those. Give me the puzzles!
The puzzles were very intuitive for the most part, and neither brain-numbingly hard nor terribly easy, either. On a couple I had to look at instructions, but in the whole game only skipped one that I just couldn't figure out. It was near the end, and one of those where you have multiple buttons and they move these items and you have to arrange them just so. I can never figure out the pattern on the movement, and this one was diabolical.
There were things to find that you used in your inventory. A couple of them stayed for the whole game, which was very cool! Some things you knew you needed, but couldn't access until the story progressed. I did need the guide a couple of times, because I couldn't find things I knew I was looking for. The game reminded me a lot of the old point and click adventures. Most everything was logic-based, and you did have to think outside the box.
I really enjoyed this, and it was SO much better than 95% of the new games coming out. Boom Zap made truly original and imaginative games. I am looking forward to playing the other two games in this series!
I recommend this game!
Solve colorful new nonograms puzzles and help the robot catch the Easter Bunny!
Overall rating
3
/
5
3 of 3 found this review helpful
Huge disappointment - Buggy
PostedApril 10, 2020
phatkhat
fromAsh Flat, AR
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Brain Teaser, Large File, Puzzle
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
2
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
Rainbow mosaics has been my favorite griddler series since Gizmo. But this one is a huge disappointment. I wish I'd tried it before I bought it.
Whether in full-screen or not, the cursor does not light up the right tiles. I have to click on the very edge of the tile to select it, not the middle, or a tile in the next column lights up. It causes me to make mistakes, and those are fatal with the achievement system.
I checked my display to make sure that it was on the correct setting and at 100 %, and it is. I have no idea why it is doing this. It also appears that the screen is stretched horizontally, but there doesn't seem to be a wide screen setting. I might install it on the laptop to see if it works better, but I am not happy at this point.
Painting has never been easier! No need to stress about what color to choose, just relax and enjoy!
Overall rating
1
/
5
5 of 7 found this review helpful
Not my cuppa joe, for sure
PostedFebruary 20, 2020
phatkhat
fromAsh Flat, AR
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Brain Teaser, Large File, Puzzle
Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
I've been playing a paint-by-number app on my phone and tablet since last summer, and like it a lot. I was looking forward to this, but it isn't even close.
The app offers a daily pic, 16 extra pics daily, and plenty of bonus pics. They range from really simple to adaptations of famous paintings with over 100 colors. There are even achievements to win for different categories (animals, nature, fantasy, etc), coloring x number of pics, etc.
Best of all? You can pick and choose what you want to color, and there is no "you can't go to these until you finish all of those". I don't want to color an Indian headdress, and that was the end of it for me.
This might be better on a tablet or netbook with a touchscreen, but clicking and clicking is tedious. I can play the other one with a stylus or my finger.
So, sorry, but no on this one. I will give it 5 stars for the music. Very relaxing and nice.
Adera
Jane Sinclaire faces her greatest challenge in the mysterious city of Adera. Solve puzzles, collect artifacts and unlock its secrets!
Overall rating
4
/
5
3 of 3 found this review helpful
Well, it's a HOPA, not Adventure
PostedOctober 28, 2019
phatkhat
fromAsh Flat, AR
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Arcade & Action, Brain Teaser, Large File, Marble Popper, Puzzle
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Okay, it's not Myst or Syberia. But it's not bad. (Beware if you have slow DSL - it will take HOURS to install the whole game.) The demo was short - took less than half an hour, even with watching all the cut scenes.
In the demo, there were a lot of very well done cutscenes - with decent voice acting, even. The game is point and click style adventuring with puzzles and so far, one junkpile HOS. I like the 360 view, but it only works in some places. Where it does, look everywhere... There is inventory, which seems to get used quickly. I prefer games like Myst where there is no inventory - just solving puzzles. The puzzles I've encountered so far have been logical and solvable with a bit of thought.
The graphics are good - realistic without all the blue and purple - at least so far. Reminds me of the desert scenery of Rhem. The characters are a little stiff, but the game is several years old, after all.
So, not super crazy about it, but I bought it. Why? Well, it's set in the Atacama Desert in Chile in South America, and I'd never heard of it. It's a real place, and fascinating. It's also a sight better than all the cookie-cutter HOPAs from the usual culprits. All swirly purple and blue, with villains in black smoke. Yawn. This one is definitely more original. And the storyline did capture my interest in a big way. Yeah, you're hunting grandpa, but the opening cutscene suggests maybe it will have a twist or two.
And I did like the puzzles a lot. Not mind-numbingly difficult, but not super easy, either. I'm all about the puzzles. Hopefully not too many HOS.
What I didn't like is all the help and hand-holding. Everything sparkles, and you can't shut them off. And there are all kinds of clues. I hate sparkles and black box hints.
Well, you can't have everything, I guess. And I did have fun with the demo.
I recommend this game!
Explore haunted realms, creating spooky mosaics and watching them come to life!
Overall rating
3
/
5
Not my cuppa joe
PostedOctober 25, 2019
phatkhat
fromAsh Flat, AR
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Brain Teaser, Large File, Puzzle
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
It's cute, I'll give it that. But the music grated after about ten minutes, which is about how long I played it. I didn't like the grids, with the tiles run together unless they crossed a 5 row/column marker. And I especially didn't like the NO AUTOFILL factor. I made several mistakes before I realized there was no autofill, and that's when I decided I'd had enough.
The challenge is there, but I just don't like the style - visual or play-wise. I'd sure like to see another Rainbow Mosaics...
I don't recommend this game.
Join Harry and explore a medieval dreamscape full of unique puzzle challenges!
Overall rating
4
/
5
Solid 4 star game
PostedAugust 29, 2019
phatkhat
fromAsh Flat, AR
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Brain Teaser, Large File, Marble Popper, Puzzle
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
It's Fantasy Mosaics, what else is there to say?
They're good games, mostly easy to medium difficulty. They have improved, IMHO, over time. The Zen Mode is different, and a nice addition, though I usually play regular advanced.
And they got rid of, for the most part, the silly stoner animals in the scenes and introduced some interactive items and mini-games, which I love. The new scenery is a HUGE improvement over the earlier games. Can't comment on the music as I play with Pandora on.
The tilesets are helpful, as sometimes the colors are very hard to distinguish with the default set.
I am totally addicted to picross, and the FM series comes out often enough to keep me happy. Rainbow Mosaics is my very favorite, as the challenge is a bit harder and there is a real story to them. But FM is my go to when there isn't an RM available. I play some of the others, but either they seem to have really inconsistent difficulty, you really need hints, or they have logic fails.
So, not my very fave, but I still like these.
I recommend this game!
A classical point and click adventure game where you need to find your twin-brother in a strange world known as Abandoned!
Overall rating
5
/
5
9 of 10 found this review helpful
Amazing game!
PostedJune 5, 2019
phatkhat
fromAsh Flat, AR
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Brain Teaser, Large File, Marble Popper, Puzzle
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
This is no ordinary cookie cutter HOPA. Very original, but reminiscent of games like Machinarium, Full Pipe, and Samorost. You are in a minimalist world with little color, very basic surroundings, and no clue what to do next. NO handholding - YAY!
I appreciate the lush worlds of the old adventure games, like the Myst games, but I can also enjoy these weird indie games that wrack your brain as well. Not too far into this yet, but I am definitely hooked.
There is a story, but it is found along the way, sort of like Myst. You are alone, and, as far as I can tell, you can't die. Inventory is simple, just click to pick up, and click to use. The items stay active until you click again.
The soundtrack is eerie and fits the environment. Kind of an ambient tonal thing, not really "music". I like it. There are also some clever plays on words. I cracked up at "Unobtainium".
This is definitely not going to be for everyone, but puzzle and point-and-click adventure lovers are going to love it. It's hard and will be a long game. Now, excuse me while I get back to "Abandoned".
I recommend this game!
Forest fairies cannot wait for you to discover new pictures with even more colors than before.
Overall rating
2
/
5
Will make you go blind.
PostedMay 1, 2019
phatkhat
fromAsh Flat, AR
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Brain Teaser, Large File, Marble Popper, Puzzle
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
2
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
The music is very nice and relaxing. The visuals are terrible. The background is hard to see which squares are which, and the colors are so close as to be almost indistinguishable. I love picross, but this one is just too hard to see.
I don't recommend this game.