What Casual Games Are You Playing Right Now? - Part Three

I am starting a new thread (part three) of What Casual Games Are You Playing Right Now? so that we can continue our discussion, as the last thread is getting very long.

For those wishing to read the previous thread which was part two, it can be found here.

I just finished Living Legends: Voice of the Sea. It's just an okay game. Story and graphics are fine. Puzzles are a big mix of super easy to a couple semi-hard; none of them great or particularly fun. The best ones were in the "Collections" section after the game. (Sorry Marian. I know you didn't play this yet. I hope I'm not spoiling it for you.)

I finished Runefall last week and started Legend of Egypt: Jewel of the Gods last night. It's okay so far.

I'm having trouble playing lately. I feel like I want to but then I never quite get around to it. I have a few Adventure games going and they're good but sometimes days go by in between plays.

You haven't spoiled anything, ob, no worries.

I have been in those slumps before. It will pass!

I just started Botanica: Into the Unknown and it seems fun so far.

I liked that game, oldbroad, along with its sequel. Enjoy!

I just started Beyond - Star Descendant. Its very good so far and its much different than the usual hidden object fare.

I really liked Beyond: Star Descendant. I liked Beyond: Light Advent, the first game in the series, even better, and I have played that more than once.

Good to know Marian. I do have the sequel lined up to play also.

I have the Beyond series (not played).

I am replaying LOTW: Secrets of Easter Island now. It is one of the top four in the series, and is a satisfyingly long game. There are the usual Collectibles to seek as you go. Some of the puzzles are pretty challenging, if you play on the Hard setting (you have the option to choose Easy). I've taken lots of notes as I've gone along. An onboard Map lets you hop around rather than doing a lot of tedious back-tracking "on foot."

For the most part, the game follows the same formula we know so well, but it introduces some novel uses for Inventory that had me chuckling and some puzzles that were totally new in design and real head-scratchers. The art work is detailed and well rendered, albeit a tad too "colorized" to be realistic. The story line is the usual save-the-world thing. I'm enjoying the replay because the game is so complex that you couldn't remember everything when replaying it three years later. :-)

I have played that Labyrinths of the World game once, Reenie, and I could easily replay it now because I don't remember much of it at all. I remember it had a very good length.

I am currently playing the Gothic Fiction: Dark Saga CE. I played it once years ago and am enjoying it the second time around. It is more of an adventure game, as it has no hidden object scenes.

I finished the Gothic Fiction: Dark Saga CE. The game was good, but I actually enjoyed the bonus game more than the main game.

Yesterday I started the Agency of Anomalies: Mind Invasion CE. This is the first time I have played this one.

I finished Botanica: Into the Unknown. I liked it but could have liked it better. I didn't like some of the puzzles.

I seem to remember liking all of the Agency of Anomalies games though.

I haven't started another casual yet.

I don't remember the puzzles in Into the Unknown. Are you going to play the other Botanica game? The same character is in the second game so I guess it's a sequel of sorts.

I am enjoying Mind Invasion so far.

Yes, I will be playing the second Botanica game but with something inbetween.

I hope you continue to enjoy Mind Invasion. I'm thinking you will.

Having dropped Goosebumps for the time being, as per my post on the "Goosebumps the Game" thread, I'm now plating City Legends : The Curse of the Crimson Shadow

Curse of the Crimson Shadow got some good reviews. I hope you like it, Mad.

I finished The Agency of Anomalies: Mind Invasion CE. The bonus game was quite lengthy.

I am liking it so far, thank you, Marian 👍

Last night I started Amazing Adventures: The Forgotten Dynasty which is straight HOG, and today I started Mystery Case Files: The Revenant's Hunt. So far, so good for both games!

I haven't played either of those games, ob. Keep us posted.

Haven't had a lot of "play" time lately but I am really enjoying City Legends : The Curse of the Crimson Shadow.

Because, thankfully, it is NOT stupidly full of smoke and glowing eyes and other such stuff - which I half expected it to be considering the title

That is good news, Mad - Curse of the Crimson Shadow does sound like a candidate for the glowing eyes and smoke scenario.

Mad, I have to ask - are you playing this game in Windows 10 or Windows 7?

Win7, oldbroad. I haven't done any BF stuff on Win10 yet 😑

Okay, thanks Mad. I was just asking because this is yet another game with no video in my Win 10.

Oh, heck !! I hope you soon get to the bottom of this problem, oldbroad

I finished Curse of the Crimson Shadow today and enjoyed it very much - right up to and including the finale

I'm checking out what to play next now !!

Glad to hear how much you enjoyed Curse of the Crimson Shadow!

I am still playing MCF: The Revenant's Hunt. I've been stuck on a puzzle for two days. If I can't get it today, I will use the guide (if it has steps) or just skip it. I suppose it doesn't fit the MCF *criteria* regarding puzzles but I like the ones that I've encountered so far, even the one I'm stuck in.

I played that game some time ago, oldbroad, but I don't remember any details (to help you) sorry !!

[I actually don't remember much about any Casual games I've played, even only days after I've finished them ]

Glad you enjoyed the game, Mad.

Good luck with the puzzle, ob!

Thanks for the "good luck" Marian! I solved it and finished the main game. Still have the bonus game to play.

Congrats on solving it!

Played a bit of Myth or Reality Fairy Lands CE earlier and quite enjoyed it

Good to hear, Mad! I bought the game but haven't played it yet.

I haven't yet come across anything spectacularly different in this game compared to any other new-ish Casuals, but am still enjoying it and I think you will too, Marian, when you can get round to playing it 😉

I think you are right, Mad.

I am presently replaying the Dark Parables: The Exiled Prince CE, although it might as well be for the first time as I don't remember much of anything about it. It looks like I first played it about 10 years ago. I can't believe it's been that long.

I started Halloween Stories Horror Movie several days ago. I played the first movie but haven't gotten back to the game as I've been doing some other stuff. I think today will be the day to go back to it though.

I haven't played any of the Dark Parables games yet but look forward to doing so some darn day! I have the first 4 of them on disc.

10 years ??

I can't remember details of stuff I've played after 10 days

[I have several Dark Parable games. Have to check if I've got this one :)]

EDIT :

Yes. I have Eight Dark Parables and The Exiled Prince is one of them

You're all set then, Mad.

Oldbroad, I haven't played that particular Halloween Stories game yet.

I finished Halloween Stories: Horror Movie tonight. I thought it was fairly good. I liked all of the puzzles except the last one in the main game which I had to skip because it was a mouse masher (click, click, click until the meter rises). I cannot do all that clicking. The main game is divided up into 3 different stories that loosely tie together into 1 story. I think I spent more time on the bonus game than on each individual story.

I'm in the "unlimited HO bonus section" of the Amazing Adventures Forgotten Dynasty game (HOG). These games are okay but you do repeat the same scenes many times so if you don't like the scenes you won't like the game. Also, some of the in-between games repeat which I find weird.

Not sure yet what's up next but will let you know when I figure it out.

Sounds good, oldbroad. I will have to give Horror Movie a try. And I do remember how those Amazing Adventures played.

I just finished the main game of Dark Parables: The Exiled Prince yesterday and will start the bonus game today. It's a lovely game but you better be in the mood for fragmented hidden object scenes because there are an awful lot of them and towards the end of the main game I will admit that I was getting pretty burned out on them. I can't fault the actual game, though. It is done very well in all aspects.

I'm curious if Lex ever finished Caribbean Hideaway and what he thought of it. Lex??

Started Gothic Fiction : Dark Saga CE today and despite the rather vast quantities of "smoke" am really liking it 😬

I just finished Botanica 2: Earthbound and enjoyed it quite a bit. I liked it better than the first game.

Oldbroad, I am a little stuck on level 56 of Caribbean Hideaway but still enjoying it: some of the levels get a bit manic as you are playing against the clock to clear a screen and/or attain particular objectives!

I tend to play computer games in fits and starts, so it often takes me several months to complete a game of any substance.

From what hagatha said, it sounds as if I am not more than about half way...

Mad, Gothic Fiction feels an awful lot like a regular adventure game.

I think Caribbean Hideaway has 100 levels? I should know by now - I have played and finished it maybe five times now.

Good to know about the second Botanica game, oldbroad.

I started the Wanderlust: What Lies Beneath CE yesterday. I am done with the main game and will start the bonus game today. I quite enjoyed the main game.

I'm nearing the end of a replay of Echoes of the Past: The Citadels of Time. This is such a huge game and so textural and full of novelties and unusual puzzles that I am already feeling sad that it will end soon. It is a LOOOONG game and very complex, so much to explore, figure out and determine how to solve. In that sense, it feels like a "real" computer game of the 80's, where you were on your own and your only recourse was to belong to a gaming group that shared hints and tips.

My only gripe with it is that there is no Map, and you really NEED one. Sometimes, you exit a scene by going left when the location makes no sense given what you have just seen on the other side of that wall. Very confusing. I've got three sheets of blank paper covered with attempts at mapping and what I've found in each location, but still I struggle to figure out where to go to find that room with the Guillotine. Another small quibble: the items in the HO scenes can be very tiny, indeed.

As far as I know, there are 8 games in this series. I haven't played all of them. One was buggy from the start, a second was incompatible with Win10 and a third was such a letdown that I bailed from it halfway through the Demo. But this one and Revenge of the Witch were stellar. Wolf Healer was good, too, and I plan to replay it as well. I like my games puzzle-rich, without timed scenes.

Yes, Lex. I know about being stuck on some of those levels. I'm glad you are still enjoying it!

I have Gothic Fiction downloaded on my Win 7 so maybe I will bump it into playing position when I am back on that computer.

I haven't played any of the Wanderlust games yet.

My next HOG is going to be Faircroft's Antiques: The Heir of Glen Kinnoch. I'm still deciding between a couple of HOPA's.

I am going to take a look at Gothic Fiction: Dark Saga, thanks, Marian. I'm also going to look at the following, based on comments in this thread:
Beyond: Star Descendant
Ghost Files: Memory of a Crime
Gothic Fiction: Dark Saga
Paranormal Files: Ghost Chapter
Whispered Secrets: Ripple of the Heart

I hope you find another game to enjoy, Reenie.

I started The Heir of Glen Kinnoch tonight and played 5 chapters of 20. The game froze and crashed once in Chapter 3 and once in Chapter 4, so we'll see if I am able to make it through the whole game or not.

I think I will also start Curse of Twilight: Thief of Souls soon.

I hope you will be able to get through the game, ob.

I really liked Curse of Twilight. I should keep it in mind for a replay pretty soon.

You were right about Gothic Fiction : Dark Saga CE, Marian. it IS very "adventure" oriented and I am really enjoying it

I am so glad to hear you are enjoying it, Mad.

I'm playing Charlaine Harris: Dying for Daylight, it's a vampire game like no other I have ever played.

It's got great music, it's funny, it's got lots of really good puzzles and HO's and it's seems like it's a long game(unless I'm a slow player of course) !

I'm enjoying this game more than any game I've played in a long time.

Copper, I replayed Dying for Daylight in the last six months and it was a lot of fun the second time as well - I'm so glad you tried it.

I am a bit disappointed now with Dying for Daylight, the game seems to end half way thru, with a sequel promised in the closing credits.

It would appear that now, many years later, there is no sequel and probably never will be.

What a shame............

Yes, this has been discussed here before and I thought you knew. That was a disappointment for all of the players of this game. Someone even wrote to Charlaine Harris asking about it and she said that a developer was welcome to continue it, but that never happened.

No, I must have missed that discussion, I might not have played this game had I done so.

I did enjoy "part one" but like all the other players, I'm very disappointed.

Three months ago, this was discussed here.

Thankfully, I did know there was no ending when I played the game copper, because I know how that feels when you don't know. Knowing at least gives you the option and you expect it even if you do get disappointed.

I just finished The Heir of Glen Kinnoch. I think it froze up 9 times, had 1 puzzle glitch which caused me to have to skip the puzzle, and I missed some text due to it going off screen almost immediately and also due to the freeze ups. But, I did finish it!

I haven't started Curse at Twilight yet.

I would like to know what caused all that freezing in the game, oldbroad. Glad you managed to finish it despite all of that!

I have played the first 51 levels of Cradle of Rome over the last few days. I am not going to try to play the rest straight through, though, but will be taking a break from it. Not sure what's up yet.

I played 4 of the Cradle games and while I can't remember anything specific about them, I know I liked them.

I first played Cradle of Rome about 12 years ago but never finished it. I got to level 89 or 90 or so and kept failing the level. After that, I moved on to a different game.

I hope you make it through this time. Maybe I should replay since I can't remember it. I played it in 2018.

Well, I tried to continue playing this but it was not to be. I will try it again sometime, though.

What happened is that every time I tried to start up the game, it would immediately drop into the taskbar. Nothing I tried to do to troubleshoot this issue fixed the problem, so I deleted the game and then reinstalled it, thinking that might clear up the problem.

And it did clear up the problem, but it also deleted my profile, forcing me to start over from the beginning. I am not up for that right now.

I never had this problem the first time I played the game but I played the game from a physical CD rather than from a download. No idea if that is relevant to this weird issue or not, but it is a moot point now anyway.

Well that is weird and disappointing Marian. Now I'm definitely going to have to try to replay the game to see what happens. It is still installed on my Win 7 computer. Of course, I will hate if I get deep into the game and then have problems with it.

I have been playing Curse at Twilight, two times now, and it is a pretty cool game!

I can't really complain, as I have technical issues with games so seldom - I was overdue.

I'm glad you are liking Curse at Twilight. By the way, maybe you already know this, but you won't find a bonus game as a separate thing in the Curse at Twilight CE. Instead, there are bonus scenes integrated into the main game.

Thanks for that info Marian but I have the SE version anyway which I bought last month based on talk in this thread, I believe.

I just finished Curse at Twilight: Thief of Souls. It sounded like there would be another game called Order of Twilight. I searched but didn't find anything. Was that ever made?

I found a game with this title HERE oldbroad - but it's a "platformer"

Unfortunately Curse at Twilight was a one-off and there were no other HOPAs from them after that.

Thanks, and thanks!

Until I get into another HOPA, I am playing Autumn in France, an easy Match 3. Well, I'm playing in medium mode and DID have to repeat some levels already, but it is just a "fill in" type of Match 3.

I haven't played any games in that match 3 series yet, ob.

Marian, I said this game was easy but I just took about 70 tries to finish a level - not exaggerating - I keep a tally!

I finished Autumn in France. None of the other levels gave me trouble. I don't know what was wrong with that one level.

I started a word game called Amazing Pyramids: Rebirth. I guess I like it but am not sure what purpose it serves. I did real good on one or two levels but am just guessing letters most of the time.

I also started Hidden Expedition: Smithsonian Castle which is pretty good so far.

I've played Smithsonian Castle and I enjoyed that one. Interesting about the 70 tries to finish a level - I think that is probably where most would have given up, so good for you for persisting.

I am replaying Mystery Trackers: Darkwater Bay now, and enjoying it very much. It is beautifully rendered and this was before the advent of all that purple and green smoke. It is pretty naturalistic artwork and that helps it feel more real to be in the scenes. Some of the puzzles are pretty darned hard and I actually skipped one that I could not figure out. Most of them are the usual type, though, and some include original ideas.

I've played about 20 games in this series, and this is not the best, but I still would recommend it. Black Isle, Fall of Iron Rock and Paxton Creek still are my favorites in this series.

Thank you for the recommendation, Reenie. I did play Darkwater Bay when it was first released, but it's probably time for me to replay it.

I'm playing Spring in Japan (the first in the series). I don't know why I started with the second in the series. I never do that! I figured I'll play this one though before I play the last one.

I am also playing Mystery Tales 1: The Lost Hope. (Have to get going on these Domini games.) I started it last night and I like it but there are some things that can make a person crazy, such as: I had two purse like bags. One had a cloth lining with something inside of it and I believe it even had a tear in it (which could probably be made bigger by hand in real life). The second bag was leather I guess with straps that I could not open for some unapparent reason. I found a straight razor so I tried to cut the cloth lining in the first purse. Nope! It did work on the leather straps of the second purse but I needed scissors for the cloth lined purse. There is a lot of going back and forth and some HO scenes open up later when you go back to places. None of this really bothers me, but it may bother some.

What you describe about Lost Hope and the inventory sounds very similar to a lot of other HOPAs I have played, so it probably would not bother me either. I think it was one of the 5 BN games where I used the same knife multiple times during the course of the story, though, and I must say it was a refreshing change from the usual.

I finished Whispered Secrets: Song of Sorrow CE yesterday, and before that I played and finished Paranormal Files: Ghost Chapter CE. I enjoyed both of them.

I hope you enjoy Spring in Japan.

I am not sure what will be next.

Finished Spring in Japan.

I have to admit, I'm getting frustrated with Mystery Tales: The Lost Hope. There are so many things I need and I cannot seem to find any of them. Whenever I have something that I think should work somewhere, it doesn't, and it also doesn't work anyplace else. I played 45 minutes last night, got frustrated and left the game. Today I made some progress, but after 45 minutes again, I'm frustrated and out of the game - again.

I played Lost Hope when it was first released (about seven or so years ago?) and don't really remember much of anything about it. Now I am kind of curious to download it and replay it.

Congrats on finishing Spring in Japan.

I am replaying Nevertales: The Abomination (CE) and enjoying it. There is some clever use of Inventory, fine artwork and some original puzzles that will leave you scratching your head, all appreciated in these HO games. I've been left thoroughly "puzzled" and once exclaimed out loud, "What the #&!!$@#" to my husband's amusement. There are four different "worlds" to visit, and it is fun to collect the materials you need to cast each spell and then use that spell to help you solve problems or defeat an opponent.

There are at least ten games in this series (that I have played). Beauty Within and Abomination were my two favorites, for quality of artwork, story creativity and length. Some of the earlier games in this series were too easy and full of cliché, but it is a good series overall.

I still have not played Nevertales: The Abdomination, Reenie, but I will try to get to it pretty soon!

Thanks for the info on the Nevertales games and series. I haven't played any of them yet.

Marian, I'd be interested in your thoughts on Lost Hope if you do ever replay it. I can't exactly say I'm enjoying it even though it is a good game. I went through everything again today without getting anywhere so I read the first 28 pages of the guide before I found something that needed to be done. Mind you, I had already used the item in the area several times with nothing happening but I tried it a few more times moving it around here and there. Apparently I never hit quite the right spot in previous attempts. This time I knew it was supposed to work and it did and I moved forward some more and again now, I am frustrated! I've even tried using the map which I usually don't do and it is not helping me either. I can't find places; I can't find items. Maybe I'm using items not quite in the correct dot again. I don't know. Done with it for tonight!!

Marian, I really enjoyed the game Whispered Secrets: Golden Silence, that I played in 2019. It was a good, long game, with uneven puzzles but a decent Bonus Game. The rest of the Whispered series didn't really measure up. But I will try Song of Sorrow on your recommendation and see if it is as good as Golden Silence. Thanks!

I would recommend "Song of Sorrow" too, Reenie

Thanks, Mad. I have that one on my Watch List ("Watch for a 2-for-one sale").

Since I wanted to see if Gothic Fiction: Dark Saga would play okay for me and it is, I am playing that along with Winter in New York and Glass Masquerade 2. I finished Lost Hope a few days ago.

Glad Gothic Fiction is playing okay for you, oldbroad.

I finished the Twin Mind: The Power of Love CE yesterday. It was a pretty long game as per usual with Domini.

Now I have started the Mystery Trackers: Silent Hollow CE which I played once before upon release, and I must say it's really a terrific game. I am very much enjoying it.

I finished Gothic Fiction (good game!) and Winter in New York. I think Lost Lands: Dark Overlord is next on the agenda.

I'm glad you liked Gothic Fiction, oldbroad. ERS/AMAX did several games that were adventure-lite with no hidden objects.

I have played Dark Overlord three (?) times already.

I am working on the bonus game of Mystery Trackers: Silent Hollow.

I am replaying Bridge to Another World: The Others and it is excellent. It checks all the boxes of great graphics, pesky puzzles, lots of variety in the environments, quirky stuff that makes me pause or grin, a character I can admire and a supporting character for part of the play. There is a lot of originality in this game.

I have enjoyed the series, of which I have played 8 or 9, and this one was one of my top four in that group. Endless Game, Alice and The Others were my other faves. Unfortunately, this series is uneven, and I bailed on a few of the games while still trying out their Demo (too easy, cartoony, too many pop-ups, one that wouldn't properly fill the monitor screen), so it is a good idea to play the Demo even on an otherwise great series.

I remember enjoying Bridge to Another World: The Others a lot. Having said that, I played it when it was first released and barely remember anything about it now. A good game to put on my replay list.

I bought the new (?) MCF: Incident at Pendle Tower and am enjoying it. It has all the usual bells and whistles, plus a bit of creative scene work and new puzzles that have me smiling. It is not so linear that you feel like a trained mouse going through it, and people don't do stupid things in order to advance the plot or get in bigger trouble, either. You could see yourself making the same choices that the character does as the game progresses. Otherwise, it is the usual MCF sort of thing. Got it in the 2-for-1 sale and definitely worth it. I have played something like two dozen MCF games, and there only have have been a few that didn't delight me. This one definitely goes in the Replay list.

I am so glad to hear that you are liking the game, Reenie. Thanks for the feedback about it.

Currently, my game is "Legendary Tales: Cataclysm."

It started out on the easy side, and I thought it felt like a typical bonus game, rather than the main effort. However, it totally has my attention, and praise - since it comes from my (today - am I fickle?) favorite source: 5BN games.

It has all the high-quality attention to detail that their other games possess, and that's what keeps me engaged again and again. There are familiar puzzles redesigned, and a couple of original ones I think. Anyway, I recommend it.

Reenie - I also played Incident at Pendle Tower. Some originality there too, and I liked it! I think I have played ALL of the MCF games, and would recommend most but not all. Glad you liked it!

Merry Christmas and Best Holiday wishes to all.

The Legendary Tales games were very good!

I recently started the Lost Lands series and have completed the first game Dark Overlord which I enjoyed.

Currently I'm playing The Christmas Spirit 3: Grimm Tales and am enjoying it. I'm almost finished with the main game. I also started a timed HOG called Secret Investigations 3: Revelation, which is good in short spurts .

Lost Lands games are just superb in my opinion, oldbroad. May you enjoy them as much as I did.

Thanks Tally Ho! I'm sure I will. I moved them up in my "to play list" some time back when the games were being discussed in this thread (probably when you played them). I'm just now getting to them and I won't play them straight through one after the other. I have a few series going that I'll rotate as well as putting some stand alone games in there or squeezing in some more from the recommendations here.

Tally Ho, there is supposed to be a new Lost Lands coming in 2022. Fingers crossed!

Glad you liked Dark Overlord, ob.

I am going to be starting a new HOPA today - just haven't decided what it will be yet.

Ooh Ooh can't wait. Fingers, legs, eyes, everything crossed. 🤣

I've almost finished a replay of Vermillion Watch: London Howling, and am enjoying it every bit as much as the first time. It is challenging and presents several novel ideas and formats that will appeal to someone who isn't looking for a cakewalk but revels in an occasional head scratcher. The story ranges all over Victorian (?) London, loosely structured along a Jules Verne sort of them. The scope of the game is as big as London, the puzzles are quirky and fun to figure out, there are multiple characters and they don't do stupid things to advance the plot. Also, the art work is terrific. This is the fourth Vermillion that I have replayed and they have lost none of their appeal. Of this series of six (?) games, Fleshbound was the only one that didn't match up and caused me to bail out during the Demo.

I played London Howling and agree with all that you have said. However, I also liked Fleshbound very much!

I started playing "Lost Lands : The Wanderer" today and very much like it so far
[It's not a CE version so maybe I got it with a code I won or something because the others I have are all CE's.]

And I do have several - but can't remember which I've played and which I've not - so an Adventure all by itself waiting there !!

That is quite a coincidence, Mad, as I am also playing Lost Lands: The Wanderer right now. It's the CE version. I am very much enjoying it.

Do you two color coordinate your clothes also?

There was one thing about Dark Overlord I got frustrated about Marian. Not the game itself, but the collectibles. There were four different ones and I ended up short one of each which seems very odd to me. I thought maybe they would turn up in the bonus chapter, but nope, and no way to go back to look for them, so then I could not play the puzzles in the "extras" section which is a game feature I dislike.

I finished Grimm Tales and am playing Christmas Stories: Enchanted Express.

Yes, I understand what you mean about the collectibles in Dark Overlord, ob. I have never been able to get them all, and I much prefer it when I can go back and get the ones I have missed. That part is all very hard core and I have never been entirely successful with it.

Let us know what you think of Enchanted Express - I haven't played that one.

Yes, Marian, Vermillion: Fleshbound was a decent chapter in the game series. Just way too easy and made the game end too soon.

I had one other game that I pushed forward on my list from a recommendation in this thread (I think) that I hoped to play this year. I did start it two days ago but will not finish it by tomorrow, but at least I did get to it. It is Eternal Journey: New Atlantis. So far, so good!

I am at the very end of Enchanted Express bonus chapter and had to get out of the game because I just am not sure what to do and don't want to look at the guide. If I can't figure it out tomorrow I will look. With the exception of one puzzle (which to me was illogical and I used the guide to complete it) I enjoyed the game quite a bit. It is divided into 3 "tales". Most of the puzzles were fun. I think you would like it Marian.

Thanks so much for the recommendation on Enchanted Express, ob! I thought I had this game but taking a closer look at my Purchase History, I do not. This will have to be rectified.

Eternal Journey: New Atlantis is a game that I really enjoyed. And it's 5-BN!

I am replaying Echoes of the Past: Wolf Healer and loving it all over again. It is complex, artistic and challenging. It is quirky and imaginative, and makes you think, although most of the puzzles are very easy. None of the Hidden Object scenes is difficult and all contain a reward. Overall, not quite as good a game as Revenge of the Witch in that series, but still engaging and definitely worth a replay.

I haven't played that one yet, Reenie, but it sounds like I have something to look forward to.

After I finished Eternal Journey: New Atlantis, I played City Legends: The Curse of the Crimson Shadow. Now I am playing an old game called The Chronicles of Shakespeare: Romeo and Juliet.

I have Chronicles of Shakespeare but haven't played it. I did play Curse of the Crimson Shadow as well as New Atlantis.

I finished the new Edge of Reality: Lost Secrets of the Forest CE yesterday. It was a nice game. If you like Friendly Fox's games, you will probably like this one too.

What did you think of Curse of the Crimson Shadow? I thought it was okay but I didn't really have fun playing it. I had to use the guide on the very last puzzle in the main game (the candle puzzle). There wasn't any feed back to know what to do. I later looked at a video wt and it shows feedback (lines lighting up). That did not happen in my game. It also kept feeling like it was going to get stuck loading scenes (but didn't).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l3vhapfiQCg


I have played through Act 1 of The Chronicles of Shakespeare and am not sure about it yet. The game plays in full screen but the cut scene videos play in a smallish rectangle and I wish I could see them better. The text usually leaves the screen before I have time to finish reading it. It is very linear and tells you exactly what to do. (That is both good and bad, I think.) It doesn't have HO scenes; you find things as you look around (as in an adventure game). You cannot pick anything up until the game tells you that you need it. But, it's Romeo and Juliet !

I thought Curse of the Crimson Shadow was an okay game; not bad and not outstanding.

I had one time with Edge of Reality: Secrets of the Lost Forest CE where I thought the game had gotten stuck loading scenes, but the next scene finally appeared. It sticks in my mind because I pretty much never have this issue.

I will have to take a look at Chronicles of Shakespeare pretty soon.

I just bought Ms. Holmes: The Adventure of the McKirk Ritual and Edge of Reality: Lost Secrets of the Forest, based on other games in both series being good.

Ms. Holmes: The Orange Pips was excellent, which is why I sprang for McKirk without trying the Demo first.

The Edge of Reality Series has some excellent games and I've marked a few for replay. Games in this series tend to be long, with good graphics and challenging puzzles. I have to say, though, that three in the series were so simple as to be silly and I bailed out of them, so you need to play the Demo to see if you like a game in this Series.

Well, you two talked me into playing Eternal Journey New Atlantis - and guess what? I liked it. Very different; although you can definitely see the 5BN style in it. It's fairly old, I think. Couldn't run it fullscreen due to the (familiar to me) flicker effect.

Yes, Eternal Journey: New Atlantis was different which is why I liked it also. It did play full screen for me in Windows 7.

Another good older 5 BN game is Forbidden Secrets: Alien Town, with both CE and SE versions. Definitely worth a playthrough if you haven't already.

Thanks Marian! I have that one already downloaded on my Win10 computer, waiting to be played. It must have been mentioned before somewhere.

Yes, I believe it was mentioned here before.

Boy, I sure agree with you about Alien Town, Marian! I have replayed that one, too. Excellent in every way, and one of my Top 20. Holds up well for a game five years old, too. 5BN is one company whose games I will buy without playing the Demo first.

Played it thanks!!


Me too for sure

And have you played the two Sacra Terra games, Tally Ho? Those are 5 BN games too.

So, I was playing Mystery Tales 2: The Twilight World and having a good bit of fun with the game. Got to the end of Chapter 4 (of 5) and hit a game stopping glitch. I see others in the BF forum had the problem when they played the game years back. Apparently, it was never fixed. Very disappointed. Even though it is fun and fairly easy, I really don't want to replay the whole game. I already spent 5 hours in it. However, I know it will gnaw at me and I'll probably restart and try to do the puzzle that glitched me a little differently. There was a post about doing it slowly and leaving a particular item for last.

That's no fun at all, ob. I did not know about glitches with this game. Will keep it in mind if I decide to play it.

It's a good game Marian, and I think you would like it, IF it worked properly. I tried it again and still could not finish it. I may give it one more go in a different computer.

I went ahead and tried it in Win 7 and made it through the whole main game. Still have the bonus chapter to play but am thankful I made it past the glitch!

That is very good news, ob. I am so glad that the extra effort turned out to be worth it!

Almost 5 years ago I purchased the two Shaoulin Mystery games, I believe on the recommendation of Jenny100. I finally tried to play the first one tonight but cannot because it uses Flash. I then watched a "Let's Play" video but it is incomplete and I cannot find any more parts to it.

It does look like the second game will play though so I guess I will be playing that one next.

I did the walkthrough for this one, oldbroad. Don't know if it was the first or second.

Thanks Ana (that is the first one) but since I cannot play the game, I was hoping to at least watch a video of it. It does not seem though that the second game continues the first so I guess it doesn't much matter.

I finished Shaolin Mystery: Revenge of the Terracotta Warriors. Nothing special with the puzzles. A lot of HO scenes and cut scene text that went by too fast to read so I could not even follow the story which was annoying at the end for sure.

I just looked, and I don't have this game in my Purchase History. Not sure why the text was going by so fast, as I don't see anyone in the reviews section mentioning this and you would think they might have if they had experienced the problem.

Interestingly, the first Shaolin Mystery appears to have been removed from the Big Fish website. That one I do have in my Purchase History and I did play it, but don't remember much about it.

Marian, the partial video walkthrough for the first game showed that game had audio, not just text. This second game didn't. When you talked to people, you had to click to advance the conversation but in the cut scenes it just went crazy fast. There was a *replay* button you could click but not at the end of the cut scene. It was on each page. Two different cut scenes froze on me on the first part of it and then I was able to hit the replay button and it replayed that first part and continued on. I am just figuring it has to do with it being an older game on a newer, faster computer or something. (I played it in Windows 7.) BUT, that first night when I tried to play the first game, I got some message when I was shutting down my computer about the game not running right with an option to notify Microsoft and a question if the game ran right or not. (I do not really remember specifically what it said but something on that line.) I clicked that the game ran right so I could shut down. I assumed the message was about that first game but I had also tried this second game so maybe something just wasn't working properly with it. I don't know.

Yes, I was thinking that maybe the problem had something to do with a faster processor, although it seems odd to me nevertheless.

I will try downloading the first game one of these days and see if I have any issues with it. I know I did not have any problems when I played it more than 11 years ago, but that was a long time ago.

I'll be interested to hear if you try it.

I admit to being a slow reader but in this case, it had nothing to do with my slow reading.

I just finished a replay of House of 1000 Doors: The Serpent Flame, a game I first played in 2014. It is on my Top 20 List and will probably never be kicked off that list by any of the simple games that BF puts out now. Serpent Flame is a superb game in every respect. Fantastic artwork, for one. Innovative and challenging mini-games, for another. The characters don't do stupid things to advance the plot. Very creative use of Inventory. Epic in scale. Decent Map included, but I still drew my own so I could annotate it with info about tasks to be completed and Inventory need for them. My only quibble with the game is that objects in the HO scenes are very small to my aging eyes.

There are three additional games in this series, but the fourth, The Evil Inside, was dreadful. They phoned it in, complete with the cackling evil witch cliché. I didn't buy it, didn't even finish playing the Demo, it was so bad. Stick with the first three games in the series. They are stellar, and perfect for replay.

Reenie, I love Serpent Flame and have played it a couple of times.

As for The Evil Inside, I know some people who really liked the game, even loved it. I have it in my Purchase History but haven't tried it yet. I believe the developer was Logris Games. I do plan to play it at some point and will see what I think of it.

I have all 4 games (the first 3 on disc as well as download) but still have never played them. I didn't know they were 5BN. Of course I don't know who puts most of the games out. I have so many already on my *bumped to the front list* that I don't know if I can squeeze these in but I'm going to try.

I'm currently playing Hidden Expedition 9: Dawn of Prosperity. It's pretty good.

Oldbroad, I just downloaded Shaolin Mystery: Tale of the Jade Dragon Staff and it runs just fine on my Windows 7 computer.

I'm jealous, Marian. I wish I never uninstalled my Flash.

I'm gonna replay Fate's Carnival. It has been a long time!

That is such a good game, Tally Ho! Have fun with it.

I am replaying Timeless: The Lost Castle. It has been a few years, and I had forgotten how large and elaborate the game was. I am enjoying the exploring, the wide variety of puzzles and tasks to be solved and the creativity of the designers in coming up with so many original ideas. I don't know when the game originally was issued, but it predates all that candy-apple color and purple smoke that became the bane of Casuals a few years ago. This game is naturalistic and more like a wonderful old Adventure game than an HOA. You definitely need to take notes and keep a map going, because you go back and forth from various sites, unlike the modern HOs that have you enter a scene, do the tasks within it, and then leave without another thought.

There are a few HO scenes scattered throughout, but most of the stuff you acquire and use is what you find or earn. There are some unique ideas (like having a separate "Combine" function for various parts you find), a scanning function to find hidden information in a scene and some very original puzzles. Everything is suited to the genre of the game, so you don't encounter bizarre objects that don't belong and you use no tools or inventory that aren't natural to the milieu.

I definitely will replay this game, after I have forgotten it all once more.

I thought I had this but I don't. Have you also played Timeless: The Forgotten Town, and if so, did you like it also?

I finished Hidden Expedition: Dawn of Prosperity and also played Labyrinths of the World: Shattered Soul, both of which were pretty good. I have downloaded the House of 1000 Doors games and pushed them up into my rotation (based on posts here) and also My Brother Rabbit due to a recent posting, but I think the next casual I play will be Lost Lands: The Four Horsemen.

I have Timeless: The Lost Castle but have not played it yet. I also have Timeless: The Forgotten Town CE and liked it. There are quite a few hidden object scenes as was the case when the game was first released, but I remember enjoying the game and it had a lovely soundtrack.

Lost Lands: The Four Horsemen is great.

Marian, I enjoyed the complexity and creativity of The Lost Castle so much that I downloaded the trial game for The Forgotten Town. I really wanted to like the game, but unfortunately, it was a mountain of HO scenes and I got so bogged down with them that I decided to bail out without purchasing the game. It frequently is the case that there will be a wonderful game (or two or three!) in a series and then a subsequent game is not up to that quality level.

It is great that BF lets players take a trial run before committing to buy any game. It is one of the reasons I am so loyal to BF. If I had been stuck with some of the games I decided against, it would not have taken long for me to give up on BF. As it is, I have continued buying games from then for more than a decade and will continue as long as good games are to be had.

Reenie, I completely agree that it is great that Big Fish offers the demos.

Still working my way through Fate's Carnival. I especially enjoy the mega-puzzles. I know some people whined about those, saying they were too difficult. We have never seen the likes of those since, sorry to say. My crumbling memory allows me to 're-discover' games I played years ago, with minimal spoilage.

I have also just replayed MCF: Ravenhearst. Oh my; I forgot how difficult that one was (enjoyed it for just that reason!)
I think it is the longest and toughest of all the pure hidden object games.

Glad you're still enjoying Fate's Carnival, Tally Ho. I should do a replay of MCF: Ravenhearst. It's been so long since I played it that it would be like a brand-new game.

I am currently playing the Mystery Tales: Master of Puppets CE. It's a typical Domini game, which suits me just fine right now.

Glad you're enjoying your replays Tally Ho! The first two Ravenhearst and the two Carnival games were probably my favorites of all the MCF games.

Last night I finished the main game of Lost Lands: The Four Horsemen. I'm sorry to be the only person in this thread that is not thrilled with the game. It is okay but not one of my favorites. However, I am in a real gaming slump right now, not seeming to enjoy any of the games I've been trying to play. Just call me crabby!

I've been in a bit of a gaming slump lately too, ob. I started Flight of the Amazon Queen yesterday and that is helping pull me out of it. If I still feel in a bit of a slump after that, it will be Gabriel Knight 2: The Beast Within for me (although I plan on a replay of that this year anyway).

Oh man, I know I posted here last night.

Talking about Mystery Case Files got me to playing Rewind which is where I'm at in the series. The regular mode play said the levels were timed. I didn't know that the game was a throwback to the older games in the series so I didn't understand what would be timed and chose the easier, untimed mode. It was kind of fun but really easy which suited my (still) crabby mood, though I think a couple of the puzzles solved themselves while I was still trying to figure them out ?? I finished the game and started a new profile so I can play the game in the timed mode now (kind of a cheat since I just played it but...).

I haven't played Rewind yet.

Since I last posted I have replayed Dreampath: Curse of the Swamps (a wonderful game, and unfortunately it has been removed from the Big Fish website. There are three Dreampath games, and the only one still for sale on the Big Fish website is Dreampath: Guardian of the Forest). After that I played Immortal Love: True Treasure, which was a solid Friendly Fox offering.

I have those Dreampath games in my library.

Rewind is mostly HO and Super Puzzles but the Super Puzzles are pretty simple. Some of the HO scenes are different.

It looks as if the other Dreampath games may still be available as free downloads here, although perhaps less than the full game

Lex, I removed your link because that site is unfamiliar to me and assessment of it was mixed when I googled to investigate it further. It may be perfectly fine but I can't be sure. Thanks for trying to help, though. I do know that Gamehouse still has Dreampath: Curse of the Swamps.

Thanks Marian: I was likewise unfamiliar with the other site and a little suspicious of it, but had downloaded a free sample of another game from it without any problem (yet) becoming apparent...

I just finished "Timeless, the Lost Castle" Wow! This is a casual that plays in the True Adventure territory. I didn't take notes the way ones does playing a major adventure, but it would have saved some time knowing where to return. Playing it one or two hours at a time, it took nearly three weeks to complete. Standard, not collector's edition (if there is one)

The hidden object scenes are intelligently integrated into the story, and not so numerous that you get frustrated by them. There are many puzzles, a few of which are truly original; and the ones that are familiar concepts, skilfully re-designed so as to keep your interest. I actually had to choose the 'skip' option once, something I just hate to do.

I have also played their earlier game the Lost Town, and was not particularly impressed. I can imagine the developers having a meeting after reading the feedback, and saying "all right - we know what the players want, let's get it right this time." I believe they did just that.

Wow, that is a long play, Tally Ho. And there was no CE version of Lost Castle. I will move this one up in my play list. I have certainly heard a lot of praise for it over the years.

Boolat has made many fine games over the years. Here is a list of their HOPAs. Unfortunately Big Fish has removed three of them from their website. Happily I have them in my Purchase History.

Thanks for your game info Tally Ho.

Thanks for the list Marian. I have all of the games except the two Timeless games. I guess it is time to buy them. That first game I have on disc. I haven't played any of them.

My current casual game is Fairy Godmother Stories 1: Cinderella which I'm enjoying.

I haven't played any of the Fairy Godmother Stories games yet.

Right now I am playing Laruaville 9 and I am on level 81.

Now I am playing Hidden Expedition: The Fountain of Youth which I am enjoying but I had to get out of the game before I hit the "skip" button or open the guide to help me solve a puzzle. I'd rather try again later.

I don't have any of those Laruaville games Marian. Maybe I should try one. I'm still working on Jewel Match: Aquascapes.

Good luck on the Fountain of Youth puzzle!

I picked up the Jewel Match: Aquascapes CE but haven't started it yet.

I finished Laruaville 9 and enjoyed it. This series (along with their other two series of Cursed House and Spellarium) is quite a bit dfferent from the usual match 3 games.

Not sure what's next. I am also playing some older adventure games.

I'm also playing a couple of older adventure games. One I'm enjoying; one not so much!

Solved my puzzle!

Well, I guess 220 levels is all I'm getting out of Jewel Match: Aquascapes.

Good for you for solving the puzzle!

And 220 levels sound good to me.

I have been working my way through the original Diner Dash game, which I first played about 15 years ago. I am in the last section of levels now and am pleased that I have gotten this far. I thought it might seem more difficult now being as I am quite a bit older than when I first played it, but I am happy to report that it does not seem to have made much of a difference.

Just goes to show, you haven't aged a bit!

I started playing Mystery Murders: Jack the Ripper last night. It's an old game and feels old but that is okay with me. I'm not too far in yet but I like Jack the Ripper stuff so I think I'll enjoy this game.

Thanks, ob! It is a nice thought, anyway.

I like Jack the Ripper stuff too. The game you mention is in my Purchase History, but I haven't played it yet. Let us know how you get along with it.

Interestingly, the developer is Casual Arts, who is now best known for the Vacation Adventures: Park Ranger and Vacation Adventures: Cruise Director series of HOGs.

I just went through The Key to Ravenhearst. A bit creeeepy at times. Loved it even though the Bonus Game seemed a bit short.

I haven't played that MCF game yet, Tally Ho. I will have to keep this one in mind.

I finished Mystery Murders: Jack the Ripper several days ago and I liked it. As I mentioned earlier, it has an older feel to it but the game looks real good. It's mostly HO scenes with some easy puzzles like film developing and swapping or rotating picture tiles. I didn't care too much for the end but that may be because I had envisioned a whole different ending coming up. This game has voice acting.

Then I played The Spell (match 3) for the fourth time.

Last night I decided to stick with Jack the Ripper and started the Real Crimes game. You can play it in regular or timed mode. I'm playing timed. It's similar to the other game as far as HO scenes and easy puzzles, such as piecing together a torn letter and spot the difference, but it has a whole different feel to it. So far, so good. This game does not have voice acting but there is a story to read.

That is good news about Mystery Murders. I will have to take a look at it one of these days.

I had to look in my Purchase History to see if I have The Spell. I do have it. I have a feeling that I picked it up after you mentioned it. Will have to download that too pretty soon.

I just finished the Azada: In Libro CE a few minutes ago. It only took me eleven years to play and finish it. This game is adventure lite; there are no hidden object scenes. It was a nice game. The bonus chapter, while on a par with the main game in quality, was on the short side.

I also could not remember whether I had Real Crimes so I took a look, and I do. I haven't played that yet either, and I will be interested to hear what you have to say about it overall when you are done.

Yes, you bought The Spell after I mentioned it. I know you played it, or some of it. I don't know if you liked it or not. Obviously, I do.

I played all of the Azada games in 2019, first 3 on disc. I liked them all but especially the first one which was more of just a puzzle game. My In Libro is a SE.

Well, I downloaded The Spell yesterday and I have played about 20 levels of it. I think the first time I tried it, I just took a look at it and not much else. I am enjoying it, so thank you for the reminder.

I think my favorite Azada so far (I have yet to play Elementa) is the second one, but it has been so long since I played it that I barely remember it now.

Marian, the Real Crimes game was okay. It kind of followed behind the Mystery Murders game even though they were not related, so I'm glad I played them in the order I did. Several times I had to hit my Windows key and then hit the (minimized) game icon to get the game moving to the next scene because it would get stuck. I played it in Windows 7 and that is the only problem I had with the game. It was a little worse at the beginning but then it wasn't bad. At the end of the game you decide who you think is the most likely suspect and you get more information about that suspect.

Thanks for letting me know about the game. It sounds like it might be worth a play. I will play them in the same order as you, if I do.

Does The Spell tell you what level you are on, or does it just show you what rooms you have cleared? I am working on the last two rooms, which are still showing in red.

It doesn't show you the levels. As I'm sure you've seen, there are 8-10 ? levels per room. After the rooms and game is over, there are 30 bonus levels that you unlock one at a time.

Have you been reading the journal on the left at all? I don't think I even saw it in my prior play throughs.

I have read a couple of pages of the journal. I did not notice it at first but then clicked on it to see what it was for.

Good to know how many bonus levels there are. I have been kind of addicted to it since I got started with it yesterday.

I am replaying a lot of games lately, since most of the new ones aren't that interesting to me. I'm replaying the Secret City series now. The artwork is almost all candy-colored stuff, with tinted smoke in every scene, but the puzzles are fun to solve and that is the appeal to me. So far, I have replayed all the Lost Lands games, the Amaranthine series, Otherworld, House of 1000 Doors, and a few of the Dead Reckoning. These were all wonderful games, long, challenging and fine artwork. There are also a few stand-alone games (not part of a series) that I replay every couple of years. I keep waiting for some new games to come out that are as good. Still waiting.

Reenie, that is a lot of great games to be replaying. Thanks for giving us the list.

Quality or no quality, HOPAs are going to be very few and far between this year as long as the war continues. In the past four weeks, we only had one new release that was a CE HOPA. Unfortunately I don't expect that to get much better until the situation changes. Most of the remaining HOPA developers are either from Ukraine or Russia.

I know that 5-BN was working on a new Lost Lands game, but they are located in Ukraine so I would not expect to see that anytime soon either.

Boomzap would also like to make the fourth and final game in their Otherworld series. Big Fish has told them they might consider it if the remastered version of Awakening: The Dreamless Castle does well (which is an upcoming release this year).

Good you're finding stuff to play that you are enjoying Reenie.

Marian, why would Big Fish even not consider something at this point? What do they really have to lose? (Just the thought in my head but if you know of some answer or thought of your own, please share.)

Did you finish The Spell?

I haven't started a new casual yet but I believe I will be going back to the Mystery Tales series and playing Alaskan Wild next.

Before I forget, I want to mention to Reenie that a newer CE that is pretty darn good is Tearstone: Thieves of the Heart; I would recommend that one. I haven't played the whole thing but have played enough to be pleased with it.

Ob, I am on the final stage of The Spell and keep running out of time on this one particular level. I think it is very close to the end, but it is discouraging because given the number of things that are consistently left on my list to match when the timer runs out, I don't think I will be passing it anytime soon. And the hourglass is not one of the powerups on this level, more's the pity!

Alaskan Wild is the only Mystery Tales game that Big Fish no longer offers on their website.

And in answer to your question, apparently what Big Fish has to lose is money. HOPAs cost a lot more money to make and when more money is involved, they would proceed with more caution. That is my take on it, anyway. Maybe Big Fish would have a financial stake in it? Maybe share in some of the development costs? Not sure.

Apart from The Spell, I have been playing Jewel Match Solitaire: Atlantis CE, and I'm on level 60.

"And in answer to your question, apparently what Big Fish has to lose is money. HOPAs cost a lot more money to make and when more money is involved, they would proceed with more caution. That is my take on it, anyway. Maybe Big Fish would have a financial stake in it?"

Thanks. To me, I would rather put my money out there for a new Otherworld game (providing it's an actual HOPA like the others were) than a remastered Awakening game or all of the straight HO games Boomzap has been making. You know I like straight HO games but even I have grown sick of the Faircroft and Cats, Dogs, and Critters games. (Additional) I guess when I say, what do they have to lose? I'm thinking of how people are getting upset with the game selection (speaking of prior to the war) so you'd think they'd jump on Otherworld.

Maybe you just need a rest from The Spell. I know I spent a lot of time on some of the levels in prior plays, though not quite as much on this last play. It went much better.

5-BN posted this on April 27th. Friends! We've got so many letters from you lately. Thank you for your concern! We are safe and sound at the moment. We don't post much, as Meta forbids cruel and sensetive content, but we think you're well aware about the current situation in Ukraine. We're still working, as much as it possible under such circumstances, but now we're mostly updating old projects. Fixing bugs, adding new languages, making bonus in f2p versions free from the start, etc. We actively support our clients, so if you need help our email support@five-bn.com is open for you.

We're holding strong. Supporting our country's economy by working and paying fees, among other things. We are sure that our work in potencial will save lives.
We want to kindly remiтd, that we aren't planning new releases until the war is over. And surely it'll take some time to recover the office work and continue where we stopped at 24th of February. But we'll stay tuned on that and frankly share on the status and work.

Thank you for your prayers, stay safe.
P.S. Please, accept our a bit late congrats for Easter. We didn't celebrate it this year, but hope to share prayers and kindness with you next time!"

Happy Gaming!

Thanks, Ana. I had seen some of their posts on Facebook but hadn't seen this one. Appreciate your conveying the message here.

Thank you Ana!!

Another thing Boomzap has said is that if they sell enough of these HOG games (which I too am tired of), it will help finance a HOPA, which takes a lot more money to make. You would think that Big Fish would rather fill the void with a few new HOPA games rather than this HOG onslaught, but again it most likely all comes down to money.

And yes, I agree with you about taking a hiatus from The Spell. I will look at it again with fresh eyes one of these days.

Now I am playing the Scarlett Mysteries: Cursed Child CE. It is a nice game so far.

I have that game. Good to know.

I think I am almost at the end of the main game of Scarlett Mysteries. For me so far it has been an okay game, not great and not terrible. I will see how I feel after playing the bonus game.

I also just finished The Fool, a game by MagicIndie who also was the developer of Nearwood, among others. This game was quite good and in fact better than I thought it would be. I think it came out around 2011 (?) but it holds up very well. I'm very glad that I finally got around to playing it.

I have The Fool waiting on my Windows 7 to be played. Glad you liked it.

I did start Alaskan Wild a few days ago but have been unable to get back to it. I played a little over an hour and it seems good so far although the very first real puzzle/mini game gave me a bit of trouble. It involved moving a mouse to the middle of a maze using directional buttons but there was one doorway the mouse got stuck on and I thought I would have to skip the puzzle. I consulted the guide just to be sure I was in the right place (even though there was only one way to go) and then I gave it one more try. I somehow managed to push two of the buttons rather quickly and got past the sticky area and into the middle of the maze.

Also, I think I may have dead-ended myself in Emerald City Confidential but am not positive yet.

I would be dismayed to learn that Emerald City Confidential has any dead ends. Please let me know when you know for sure.

I think you will enjoy The Fool.

Glad you managed to get past the puzzle in Alaskan Wild. I am always annoyed when I end up having to skip the first puzzle in a game.

Thank you for the updates on the game developers in the Ukraine, Marian. As horrible as the invasion/war news is for us here, in the US, I can't even imagine what the daily reality is like for them! :-( It is heartbreaking.

I have moved on to replaying, Sacra Terra: Kiss of Death now. It is a fabulous game. Yes, another evil witch attempting to corrupt the world, but you spend very little time interacting with her. The game is rich in scope, five different "lands" to visit and puzzle out, challenges every few minutes, innovative puzzles (!) and great graphics. I had forgotten why I marked it down for replay, but ~ WOW~! 5BN is one of the most outstanding bunch of game designers in the field.

Reenie, I really liked both of the Sacra Terra games and am looking forward to replaying both of them this year. Glad you are having fun with Kiss of Death.

No dead end in Emerald City Confidential. I guess I didn't quite realize something I did was right and thought I was supposed to be doing something else, then I looked in the Steam discussions and 2 people there talked about a dead end in a different area than I was in but a very similar sounding situation, so that fed into my brain. An itsy, teeny peek at the walkthrough and I was back on my way. I was trying to confirm the situation but accidentally saw something else and immediately got out of it because I did not want to see anything else but it set my brain moving again anyway. Finished the game tonight and looked at walkthrough and I think I saw what I didn't see when I was playing. I must have blinked at the wrong time.

Thanks for letting us know, ob. Good to know.

I just played and finished Fearful Tales: Hansel and Gretel CE. For anyone who is fond of the graphics in the Drawn series, the art style in this game is very reminiscent. I thought it was a really nice game, not terribly difficult (although I did end up using the hint button at times, having missed something I could click on), with some fun little puzzles. I really enjoyed it. I played in the advanced/challenge mode for the main game and in casual mode in the bonus game.

Fearful Tales: Hansel and Gretel is another one in my library but not yet downloaded for play.

I finished Mystery Tales: Alaskan Wild today. I mostly liked the game. One voice I didn't care for, and the very last puzzle in the (short) bonus chapter was the one where you have to fill more spaces than your opponent. I tried it for awhile last night and then got out of the game. Tried it again today and got it fairly quickly, to my surprise. I thought I was going to have to use the guide or skip it.

Not sure yet what's next. Maybe Lost Lands: The Golden Curse; maybe The Fool; maybe something else.

Mystery Tales: Alaskan Wild sounds pretty good.

In the last several days I finished The Secret Order: Ancient Times CE (really good) and Living Legends: Voice of the Sea CE, which I also enjoyed.

I decided on The Secret of Hildegards. I've played about 1-1/2 hours and I like it so far. It is an old game, no audio, lots of HO scenes and mini games after each of them. I think I had 8 HO scenes and 7 different mini games. Instead of a mini game after it, one of the HO scenes had another HO scene inside of it. The mini games don't give you the objective but so far I've been able to figure them out easily enough.

Thanks for the heads up about "Ancient Times," Marian.

I just bought and am enjoying Reincarnation: Back to Reality. I think it may be the first game I've played by this developer as it is unique in style and content. There are all the usual HO scenes and things to solve or find the parts for, but with a subtle twist that sustains my interest. I think there are four "worlds" to investigate and make right, at least it seems like that after I have played for a couple of hours. I am nearly finished with the second world, one of ice and snow.

None of the puzzles in this game is difficult in the least. The difficulty lies in the size of the objects you have to search for, both in the HO scenes and in the various locations. Some objects are pretty darned small and either well hidden or located in corners or under something.

The thing I am enjoying most about this game is that, despite embracing all the usual HO game tropes, it manages to feel novel and that makes it more interesting.

Reenie, Reincarnation: Back to Reality was developed by Vogat Interactive. They only did a few Collector's Editions but they did quite a few standard-version games, most of which did indeed feel novel, so I know what you mean when you use this word. I am glad you are enjoying Back to Reality.

You can see a list of Vogat Interactive's games for the PC here. Unless something has been removed from the website that I am unaware of, I believe that Big Fish has most or all of the games listed.

I started Phantasmat: Curse of the Mist CE yesterday and I am enjoying the game so far.

Oldbroad, The Secret of Hildegards doesn't ring a bell. I will investigate.

Thanks for that link Marian. I do not have 10 of those games and I had just bought the other 5 two months ago, including the Reincarnations games. I'll have to check out the ones I don't have.

You are most welcome, oldbroad. Always glad to help facilitate the acquisition of more games!

I finished The Secret of Hildegards tonight. It is certainly not a game to play for story. There are many HO scenes and a lot of mini game puzzles. I found the game pretty challenging but doable. One area was glitchy in my Windows 7, where the cursor was slow in a HO scene and I thought the game was going to crash so I got out of it but it was still the same when I went back in a few hours later. I got through that and encountered a gear puzzle. Every time I clicked a gear the game froze for several seconds, but with patience I managed to get through that and into the next section of game where it was okay again.

Glad you were able to make it through! Thank you for telling us about it.

I have played Mystery Trackers: The Fall of Iron Rock CE as well as Mystery Trackers: Winterpoint Tragedy CE. They were both pretty good games, but I would say that I enjoyed Winterpoint a bit more as I found the setting and story more interesting. I also replayed Mystery of the Ancients: Mud Water Creek, which was fun. I like pretty much all of the Mariaglorum games that I have played.

Now I am playing Mystery Legends: Beauty and the Beast, which I played once many years ago. I am liking it a lot so far.

I have all of those games/series you mentioned and some of the games are downloaded ready to play. I've never played any of them though. My Mystery Legends: Beauty and the Beast is a disc. Are you playing in Windows 10 or 7?

I am playing the game on my Windows 7 computer. Memory had dimmed about what a good game this is. I am really glad that I decided to revisit it.

I've started Labyrinths of the World: Forbidden Muse today and it is fun so far.

Glad to hear it! I played that game years ago but don't remember much about it. I will put it on my replay list.

I just finished Whispered Secrets: Tying the Knot CE. A very nice game as always for Grandma Studios, but it seemed shorter to me than some of their other games that I have played.

Now I am deciding what's next.

I finished Labyrinths of the World: Forbidden Muse yesterday. I thought most of the puzzles were kind of fun and a bit different.

Today I started Secrets of the Sea: Flying Dutchman which I am liking a good bit. I tried playing it in Windows 10 but if I clicked on anything after the opening video, the game crashed and closed. I had to install it in Windows 7 but now the game manager is giving me trouble in there. I can't sign out of it and when I clicked on "purchase history" it gave me some error. I'll try it again tomorrow with a new boot up.

I hope you get better results today, oldbroad. Let us know what happens.

Secrets of the Sea: Flying Dutchman is one that I have always enjoyed. I will have to give Forbidden Muse a replay at some point.

I just finished Haunting Mysteries: The Island of Lost Souls CE, which I liked way more than I thought I would. My only quibble is that some of the hidden object scenes were a bit dark and not as well defined as I would have liked (my monitor is not all that great and I also have aging eyes so these two things may also factor into this); however, the rest of the game more than made up for this for me. Logical puzzles that were fun and not frustrating; sensible use of inventory but not always immediately obvious as to where it went; a pretty good story; and morphing lost souls that were done in a very subtle way such that I found very few of them (something like ten out of forty!). It was also pleasing to listen to the Scottish accents found in many of the voiceovers. This one will go on my replay list.

My game manager problem was ME as I had gone offline before trying to sign out.

I had to look up Haunting Mysteries: Island of Souls as I do not have it. Did you play it in Windows 7 or 10? It sounds good but I'm getting wary of buying old games that may not work on Windows 10. I already have a lot of older games that I have not played that I will probably never be able to, a lot of which are already installed on Windows 7 but a lot are not installed at all. Of course, even some of those new games (Domini - I'm talking to you!) don't play on MY Windows 10. I had just bought Secrets of the Sea: Flying Dutchman in December. Not sure if I saw it mentioned here or if something else brought it to my attention.

I played it on Windows 7, but I can try downloading it to my Windows 10 one of these days and will let you know what happens when I do.

I have a ton of HOPAs downloaded and ready to play on my Windows 7, and The Island of Lost Souls was one of them.

As far as Domini goes, there are two new CEs of theirs on Steam now which Big Fish has not released yet. I am hopeful that eventually Big Fish will get them too. I am also hopeful that their games will run on your Windows 10 computer in the future.

That's interesting that Big Fish doesn't have them but Steam does. I have not bought the last 10 or so games that Domini has put out. Someday I will if I am able to play them. I do have a list of them (except whatever two you are talking about, which I will go search out).

The reason Steam got them first, I believe, is because Domini went independent and is no longer under contract to Big Fish. I do believe that Big Fish plans on releasing Domini games in the future, though.

The two games in question are Royal Legends Raised in Exile CE and Twin Minds: Ghost Hunter CE.

I had not found the Royal Legends game but also see a second Connected Hearts game (coming soon). These two games show the developer and publisher as Do Games Limited though they are clearly Domini Games. Interesting(er).

Yes, it would seem that Domini has changed their company name, too.

The other game is here: Royal Legends

It is actually the second in the Royal Legends series, but Steam is not listing it that way. The first game is on Big Fish and is Royal Legends: Marshes Curse CE/SE.

I had not known they had changed their name.

I did already have the first Royal Legends game on my list to buy someday if they work on my computer.

Thank you for this information Marian.

You are most welcome! And I am sitting here thinking to myself that there's no reason I (or anyone else) can't announce new Domini game releases on Steam before they arrive on Big Fish, if I happen to see one.

Finished Lost Lands : The Wonderer - which I enjoyed very much - and have now started Detectives United : Phantoms of the Past

I thought you would enjoy the Lost Lands game, Mad.

I haven't played that particular Detectives United game yet.

Happy to say I am liking it, Marian

Good to know, Mad!

I am currently playing Rite of Passage: The Perfect Show. I haven't played it since it was released in 2012, so it's a brand-new game for me.

I am playing The Seven Chambers now and enjoying what feels much more like a true Adventure game than a Casual. The graphics are excellent and realistic, there is no purple nor fuscia excess anywhere. You are pretty much alone; there are characters around but they don't directly interact with them. The characters don't do stupid things, every scene is full of things to be accomplished and not simply eye candy. The puzzles are challenging but the inventory use is logical and appropriate. I think I stripped out the "Help" options and cranked up the Difficulty, and I'm so glad I did. It is a great ride and I want it to last.

That sounds great, Reenie! I have The Seven Chambers in my Purchase History but have not yet played it. I have heard good things about the game, though, so thank you for the feedback and for the reminder.

I thought I had bought The Seven Chambers but see that I did not as I was hoping to hear from people here who might play it. It sounds glitchy to me which doesn't always deter me from buying a game, but this time it did. I hope you don't run into any problems Reenie and please come back to let us know when you finish the game.

I just bought the Seven Chambers because of what I read here; started the game and really like it. But - - -
When I solved a puzzle, suddenly was totally stuck because there is no response to anything. No hint, no menu, no spot to click on, no arrow to return to the previous location, no nothing.
It's still running, but I will have to ctrl-alt-del to get out.
Will keep you informed.

Well, that worked. Upon solving the puzzle again, this time the cutscene ran instead of freezing; so onward I hope!

Good luck! Hopefully it was a minor glitch that will not continue.

Good luck Tally Ho. Hopefully you can enjoy the rest of the game without issue.

Is there a WT for this game (Seven Chambers)? I am stuck at the Courtyard of Four Halls. I have opened each Hall and done a few twiddly things inside each, but I can't seem to find anything else to do despite having a lot of Inventoy to play with now. All I could find on line was video and I'd like a simple WT text I can read to see how to get past this block.

The only written help I can find is a Steam guide that contains puzzle solutions only.

And it sounds like you haven't had any technical problems with the game, but please correct me if I am wrong.

Not having a WT to help me past this point with the Four Halls is disappointing, Marian. I guess I'll have to keep noodling around until something makes itself clear. One of the things about this game is that it is non-linear and sometimes non-intuitive.

As for technical problems, none have arisen for me. I am playing on my PC.

I found a written walkthrough here - I don't have any experience with this site, but it seems okay. Any old port in a storm, as my grandmother was fond of saying.

Good to know that you have not had any technical problems with the game so far.

I finished Seven Chambers and definitely will replay it at some date in the future. What a gorgeous game, so cleverly structured, original in so many places. However, I will not replay it on the "Challenge" level as that is too difficult to play without hints (that Maze part took half a day!). Still, what a gorgeous game. So innovative. You want to reward people who create a game with such beauty and originality and obvious love for it. I will be looking for more games by this developer.

Glad you made it through, Reenie! Good to know that you enjoyed it so much.

One of the developers responsible for this game is Cateia Games; we have had discussions about them in the past. They did one CE for Big Fish and several standard-version HOPAs. This page lists some of them here.

I found out recently that Cateia Games has been bought by Playrix. Playrix also acquired Eipix, Boolat, and Daily Magic, among other HOPA developers, which meant bye-bye to HOPAs for all of them being as Playrix has gone to mobile only, unfortunately.

Oh, that sounds good Reenie. I will probably be putting this one back on my *to buy* list. I'm hoping Tally Ho will come back with good news also.

Marian, part of what did catch my eye with this game was the involvement of Cateia Games. I have several of their games and have enjoyed the ones I've played. Looking at that list there are a couple I have that I still haven't played.

Thank you for that link, Marian. I see at least half a dozen games on that list that appeal to me as well-drawn Adventure Light. I don't like the candy shop palette nor the combat/timed action play of the others. But these new games will give me something to look for, and the info is greatly appreciated!

So far, so good. I have put in a couple of hours without any further problems. (However, one more "untangle the strings" puzzle and I might just use some words unbefitting a detective!)

And Reenie said something about a maze. Arrgh - don't the developers listen? I have said "I Hate Mazes" at least a thousand times. Going back years. Decades maybe. Oh well, I'll face it.

Don't get me wrong; I really like this game; it's so different from anything I have played before.

LOL and Good Luck, and good.

You are welcome, Reenie! As you could see, not all of the games on that page were HOPAs/adventure lites. Cateia also did another game called Hotel, also on Big Fish, which is an adventure game. It's an older game, but I liked it. There may be others - I would have to look into it more.

Good luck, Tally Ho - and yes, I know how you feel about mazes.

I actually like those untangle-the-strings puzzles as I rarely have to skip them.

On the Cateia list, if you follow the game titled Brightstone Mysteries: Hotel, it brings you the the game titled Hotel on Big Fish, so, I'm assuming that is the same game.

I did not even notice that, ob. You are right. They seemingly just changed the name. You can find it on Big Fish here. Thanks for pointing that out.

The Legend of Crystal Valley is another adventure lite that they released. Unfortunately the game has been removed from the Big Fish website, but it is still available on Steam.

I just finished a replay of Darkness and Flame: Enemy in Reflection. This game was very engaging, had superb graphics, sensible characters and some new puzzle ideas. The puzzles were creative takes on old tropes with some totally new ideas and all were fun to figure out. The style and graphics of the game reminded me of the Lost Land series, in terms of art and navigation, thought-provoking "missions" to be accomplished and the dignity of the characters. It was enjoyable to inhabit their world for a couple of days, intent on repairing old damage as well as saving the people in the present. I bought the CE, as usual, and am always glad to have that extra play when the main game ends. This was a story I didn't want to finish. (N.B. I have played four games in this series. The one subtitled The Dark Side had the same good graphics but was childish and way too easy to be any fun.)

It's a great series. I did not find The Dark Side to be either childish or easy, though!

I finished "Detectives United : Phantoms of the Past" but wasn't overly impressed. I thought the previous ones I played of the series were better
And also I thought both the main game and bonus game were really short !!

Anyway, now I've started "Witches Legacy : Hunter and the Hunted".
I think it's a really old one ?? However, I've not played it before.
And I am liking the small part I've played so far

Mad, I have enjoyed all the Witches' Legacy games I have played so far, which would be the first four games in the series. I've played the first game in the series two or three times over the years, in fact.

And thank you for your comments on Phantoms of the Past. It doesn't sound all that great, but I will no doubt play it at some point.

Thanks for your gaming comments Mad and Marian. I haven't played any of the games in either of those two series yet.

I finished Secrets of the Sea: Flying Dutchman several days ago and enjoyed it til the end though I did have to consult the guide for the last puzzle (always the darn last puzzle) as I didn't really understand it. I still didn't really understand it after looking at the guide but clicked my way through it.

I am currently playing Halloween Chronicles: Evil Behind a Mask. Not sure about the story but I'm enjoying the puzzles. (I'm not a big story person.)

Hi.
I don't think I have the whole Witches series. I'll have to check. Although maybe at this late date they might not still be available at BF.
(Have to check that, too.)
Mad 😬

I believe that all the games in the series are still available.

Oh, thank you, Marian. That's good to know 👍

Unlike for you, oldbroad, the story in a game is important for me. I don't enjoy a string of puzzles or hidden object screens unless there is a story to connect them.
(And I find collecting stuff and especially detecting morphing items distracting and annoying - whereas I know other folk really enjoy that aspect 😉)

Each to their own !!

I will keep that last puzzle in mind, ob, the next time I play Secrets of the Seas. I probably won't understand it either, though.

I haven't played Evil Behind a Mask yet.

I checked and I only have two Witches legacy games and there are LOTS of them - so I'll have to wait for a sale.

Yes, there are a lot of them! I would certainly wait for a sale.

It's not that I don't like games with a story; it's just that I so often forget what the story is about while playing or I just don't understand the story at some point, so for me, I need to enjoy the puzzles and scenery. Ideally, I will enjoy ALL of it though. I am not particularly fond of morphing objects.

I have 12 Witch's Legacy games.

I am counting 12 games in the series, too. I think we have them all, ob.

If the story during the game is poor I start to lose interest altogether

Yes, with twelve Witch games in total - and I only have two - I am going to need a BIG sale !!

I'm now playing Whispered Secrets : Everburning Candle .... and liking it !!

I think I might have played it before as some things seem familiar - but then others seem entirely new

[And that's about all I can say on the subject ]

I liked Everburning Candle too, Mad!

I have been playing Delicious: Emily time management games for the past few days. First I played Emily's Honeymoon Cruise, then Emily's Home Sweet Home, and now I'm playing Emily's Wonder Wedding. Having a great time with all of them.

As far as I'm aware, I've never played any TM games, Marian, and I think I have enough unplayed games still to get through without opening up yet another genre 🤡

But good to hear you are enjoying yourself. That's what it's all about, eh ??
Keep up the fun 👍

Thanks, Mad.

Well, I have finished the Seven Chambers. It's not exactly my kind of game, but I admit I liked it well enough to stick with it (not to mention that I shelled out money for it )

Also played Winterpoint Tragedy, liked it as well. Then went on to Haunted Legends the Cursed Gift. That's the series with that obnoxious dwarf, and at the end, he finally gets his comeuppance. I have decided to replay the entire series, so I re-installed (or bought) them all. What I can't determine is the order them come in. It probably doesn't matter if I play them in sequence, but I would like to do that if possible. Marian, can you help? It's OK if you can't - I will play them and enjoy!

Where is everybody? It seems like Oldbroad, Mad, Reenie and I are the only ones playing. Let's hear from some lurkers.

Later; luv ya all.

Here you go, Tally Ho (hey, that rhymes!).

Haunted Legends series from oldest to newest

Sadly, four of these games have been removed from the Big Fish website - and this list includes those while also noting that they have been removed from the site.

And I am glad that you liked Winterpoint Tragedy.

I too, wish more people would chime in on their game playing, here and on the Adventure board. I'm not sure why, but I enjoy knowing what people are playing and whether or not they like the game. Maybe because I have no real life friends who play games.

I have all of those Haunted Legends games and the first seven of them are installed on my Windows 7 computer. If only I can ever get to them.

I finished Halloween Chronicles: Evil behind a mask last night. Still can't say much about the story but the game was okay for me. The bonus chapter had two pretty tough puzzles but somehow I made it through them. I haven't decided a new casual yet but will post when I do.

I've played about 1-1/2 hours now of House of 1000 Doors: Family Secrets and I am really liking this game a lot.

Finished House of 1000 Doors: Family Secrets. Excellent game except at the end where the end of the story scrolls up (like credits rolling) too fast for me to read and digest. Luckily, I found a video walkthrough that I could pause and read at my own slow time.

I too really enjoyed this game, oldbroad. I'm glad you were able to get around to playing it.

I just finished replaying Haunted Legends: The Queen of Spades CE. I had not played this one for over 10 years; Tally Ho mentioning this series is what reminded me of it. I enjoyed it very much.

Finished "Whispered Secrets : Everburning Candle CE" and had a good time with it but haven't started another Casual just yet.
I've gone back to carrying on with an unfinished Carol Reed adventure.
Although at this late date I can't actually remember why I had stopped playing it !!

Thanks for keeping us posted, Mad.

I'm currently halfway playing Amaranthine Voyage: Legacy of the Guardians SE...hope to play the CE off this another time..
Happy Gaming all

Thanks for joining in, Taintedfury! Amaranthine Voyage is a good series.

Hi Taintedfury. I played the Amaranthine Voyage series 1-2 years ago. Keep us posted if you can!

I started Lost Lands: The Golden Curse last night but only played for 35 minutes as it was quite late already, so no comment on it yet. I just wanted to get it started and have an idea what it was about.

I should play a 5 BN game soon - it's been a while since I played one!

Glad to be here Marian & playing one off my favorite series

Hi i certainly will Oldbroad Enjoy your game tonight lets us know on it, I myself haven't got into the Lost Lands series yet though i believe i have the first in my game manager library..

Hopefully Marian you'll start one tonight or very soon...

Goodnight Boomers

Just finished playing Amaranthine Voyage: Legacy of the Guardians SE I throughly enjoyed playing this game as i enjoyed the storyline, the music was very adventurous & my gosh heaps off puzzles to do...

I like the old Guardian man who had alot of wisdom about him, Sera was a very good character who assisted you & if it wasn't for Kato we wouldn't have the story...Great game

I've played several "Amaranthine Voyage" games and liked them

I haven't played Legacy of the Guardians yet but it sounds like a good one.

Glad you had fun Taintedfury! I never got to my Lost Lands game last night. I got too tired and went to bed early (1:00 am) for me.

Yes Mad they're very likeable games , Oldbroad crossing fingers you're able to tonight & Marian it sure is but i reckon the CE version would even be better

I'll be starting Amaranth Voyage The Burning Sky the next game in this series.....Happy gaming all & Enjoy your night/day...Goodnight

PS All your above games sound great, nice to see a variety

I have played The Burning Sky and I enjoyed it.

And lucky for me, I do have the CE version of Legacy of the Guardians waiting for me.

Happy gaming to you too, Taintedfury.

Thanks Marian enjoy playing your game

Thank you, Taintedfury.

I just finished Myths of the World: Fire of Olympus CE and enjoyed the game quite a bit.

Good to know Marian! I haven't started that series yet.

Myths of the World is another series I like and have played some of 👍👍

Hi Everyone I'm still playing getting through Amaranth Voyage The Burning Sky...so far it's turning to be a great game

Glad you are enjoying it, Taintedfury!

I am now playing City Legends: Trapped in Mirror CE. Just getting ready to start the bonus chapter.

So what's everyone playing now?

I finished Dreadful Tales: The Fire Within which I thought was really good. For the last several days I have been playing Echoes of the Past: Kingdom of Despair CE and it's a very long game. I'm quite impressed with it. This game will last you a good while if you aren't skipping most of the puzzles.

I'm afraid my answer might get me kicked off the board here.

I'm still playing Lost Lands: The Golden Curse. I have been playing for about 14 hours, am still in the main game, and have used the guide maybe 3 times for a nudge. This is a long, tedious game and not really my definition of a fun casual game.

That's okay, oldbroad. I think of The Golden Curse as more of an adventure game than a casual game, and if you aren't in the mood for that sort of thing, I can understand why you might feel that way. There is a lot of to-ing and fro-ing and a player really needs to be up for that and have a lot of patience. I can see where something like that could start to weigh a person down. I found the game very challenging as I try not to use the map.

I just finished playing Gravely Silent: House of Deadlock. It was a game with great (though mostly "dark") artwork. The intricate and engaging plot involves the usual trope of someone mistreating a string of partners, and we have to step in to stop the madness, then restore the haunted souls. So, the action takes place mostly in dark, haunted places, etc. I suppose that is fitting, and if you are OK with darkness everywhere, it'll be fine.

The pluses are the many innovative designs, locations and excellent graphics! There is wonderful detail in everything, from the bark on trees to the petals of flowers and the atmospheric movement added to it, also. All well done, alive, engaging. However, there are very few animate characters in these worlds, neither animal nor human, except in the few cut scenes. No one to interact with at all.

One of the minuses of this game is due to the minutia involved, especially in the HO scenes. Most objects were depicted at what would be actual size, so imagine looking for a thimble or a peppercorn in a full screen of piled up stuff. ha ha I play on a 32" Envy and still had to resort to the Guide to find some of the smaller bits. I even brought out a magnifying glass to help on some scenes. It was almost as if the game didn't WANT you to find the objects. I gave up on more than one HO scene as being simply too much work.

There isn't a map, and this game is huge (four basic "stories" to be told, in four different locales). That was impressive all by itself. You'll have to remember how to get back and forth between places you had not visited for a day or so of playing. I didn't mind drawing a detailed map as I went along, as my career is design-related and I do art anyway, but this might daunt some others.

The game was definitely up to snuff, from my perspective. It features sliders, board games, rotation puzzles, a music puzzle (not too hard) and an HO scene in every location. I love complicated games like this one that make me take out the paper and pencil, calculator or even bring my cel phone into play (doing screen shots so I can study a puzzle closely). However, I doubt I will replay it. The bottom line is that it was way too much work sifting through all those very tiny items. Others may find it delightful. That is what is fun about these games.

I was very interested to read what you have to say about this game, Reenie. It is one that is in my Purchase History that I haven't played yet. What you said about it has definitely piqued my interest. Thank you for the reminder!

Thanks for all that info Reenie. This is one I don't have.

Just installed Whispered Secrets : Morbid Obsession. Hoping it will be as good as the other Whispered Secret games I've played

I don't think I've played that one yet, Mad. Let us know how it goes.

I am playing League of Light: Silent Mountain CE. I really thought I had played this one before, but have since decided that I have not. Nothing about it is familiar to me and I really like Mariaglorum games so I am pretty sure I would have remembered something about it. Just started the bonus chapter. Good game!

I seem to have completed the "first main task" in the game but don't actually know if I made the right decision at the end of it !!

No doubt the game will let me know at some later stage.

I am enjoying my play though and there are some different puzzles to work on, so all good so far.

I hope !!

That's good news, Mad! And I doubt that the choice you made will be punitive.

I finished League of Light: Silent Mountain CE and thoroughly enjoyed it.

I started Dream Hills: Captured Magic last night. So far, so good. Much more light hearted for me than the Lost Lands game was.

That sounds good, oldbroad. I'll have to see if that is in my Purchase History or not.

Golden Silence and Ripple of the Heart were my two favorites from that series. Let us know what you think of Captured Magic when you've finished it!

Those two games are part of the Whispered Secrets series so I assume you are addressing Mad who is playing Morbid Obsession?

Just checked, and Dream Hills: Captured Magic is not in my Purchase History. I will consider it for a future purchase.

I've been working my way through the Haunted Legends series. That's the games with that Dreadful Dwarf, and eventually includes the Cardinal and his cat. There were something like 15 titles, of which four have become unavailable. I have finished six (in order), and it's amazing the difference in graphic quality and creative quality. The Dwarf is just as repulsive and evil as ever, but the story writing has gotten better. They were 'economical' in the beginning, having used the same music for the first three games in the series. Probably they thought nobody would notice 🤪 but there really are musicians out here. Anyway I am enjoying the series, and although I have played some of them before, no matter. My memory has expired in the meantime.

Tally Ho, I replayed the first Haunted Legends game recently because your mentioning of the series reminded me of them. I really enjoyed the replay and actually ended up with all the playing cards at the end, which was not the case the first time I played.

Glad you are enjoying them! I plan on replaying the second game in the series pretty soon.

I have the first 7 of the Haunted Legends games downloaded but who knows when I might get to start squeezing them into my playing rotation. I am starting to feel defeated by the number of games I want to play.

I hear you on that one, oldbroad. When I am playing a game, I try to pretend that it is the only game that I have. Weirdly, this thinking at least partially succeeds in that I find myself enjoying more whatever I am playing at the time (rather than thinking about all of the unplayed games I still have waiting for me). I also don't buy anywhere near as many games as I once did, which helps me not only from a financial standpoint but also from the standpoint of not feeling as overwhelmed by how many there are yet to be played.

I've finished the main game of Whispered Secrets : Morbid Obsession but have to admit to being confused by some of the later puzzles in there

However, I'm well into the bonus game now so hoping to get through it alright

Finished the whole game now but have to say this one was my least favourite of those I have in this series

Will go and see what game I fancy next, now

Sorry to hear that, Mad. At least it got played.

I hope your next selection is more to your liking.

Well, I just installed Vermillion Watch : Order Zero - but am not enarmoured with the bit I've played

Or maybe I'm just not in the mood

I have heard such praise here about the Vermillion Watch series, but my reaction to the first game in the series (after about a half an hour of play) was very similar to yours. Maybe I just did not give it enough of a chance. I do plan on giving it another try at some point.

Could be your mood, Mad - or maybe not.

I hope you are holding up okay in the heat.

I'm going to play a bit more, shortly, Marian but if I don't get into liking it better it will get shelved

Got plenty of other games of different genres still to sample - as so many of us have

I've managed so far in the heat by the use of curtains, doors and air con. But I will be so glad when it dies down !!

Hope you, too, are coping ??

Yes, I think it's quite well-established that the lot of us have enough games to sink the Titanic.

I am coping okay, thank you. You take good care of yourself, Mad.

Thanks, Marian

Played a bit more now but can't say I really like this game. However, not ready to uninstall it quite yet !!

Well, you are certainly giving it a fair trial, Mad.

I do dislike shelving ANY game but I can't say I'll persevere with this one all the way because it just doesn't grab me at ALL

I am wondering if playing the series in order would make any difference? I can't answer that question because I have only played a wee bit of the first game in the series, which is Moorgate Accord.

I know I HAVE played one other in this series but without reading a synopsis of each of the games I couldn't tell you which one. And I haven't had time to bother just yet.
[Once I've played a game its content often goes straight out of my head !!]

However, I'm sure I would have remembered if I'd given up on it

EDIT :

OK. Got too fed up and have now uninstalled it and started "Dark Tales : Edgar Allan Poes The Gold Bug" which is looking much more like something I will enjoy

EDIT 2 :

Yes !! Enjoying THIS game very much indeed

That sounds good Mad! I haven't played any of those games yet. Glad you are now enjoying yourself again!

I finished Dream Hills: Captured Magic. I thought it was a decent, enjoyable game, though some of the HO scenes were a little hard to get into. I'm not sure exactly what made them that way, too dark or what. I used the hint button 2 or 3 times there.

I started Twin Mind: Murderous Jealousy and it seems okay so far.

That's great about Gold Bug, Mad!

I am not sure what's up next. I'll probably decide today.

And thanks for the thoughts on Dream Hills, ob.

I only have a few of the Dark Tales series so in the next good sale I might get some more

There's a CE BOGO this weekend.

Horror !!!!

I have come to a dead end in this lovely game and have approached Big Fish for help.

I am about two thirds of the way through and an item I should be able to manipulate on-screen is totally unresponsive so I checked the in-game guide and found that I had completed an action slightly before the guide describes it as getting completed and I am thinking that that could be the cause of the problem.
[There was nothing to stop me from doing this I might add !!]

I had a similar issue a couple of years ago with another game I really liked (it was called something like "The Black Veil") and the only solution offered at that time was a credit for a different game which is not what I ever really want.

I suppose I could start the game over agin and play the two actions in exactly the order as described by the guide - but much as I like the game that is not what I really want to do having already got so far through it

Meh !!!!

Oh, I do not like when that happens but I do usually end up starting over even though I say I'm not going to. Really ruins the game though.

I don't like the sound of that at all, Mad. I do remember playing the game when it was first released and do not recall hearing about this kind of problem from anyone. This is not to say that it does not exist, though. Fortunately it did not happen to me.

I have been sent a game code, Marian, however that doesn't help with the issue ☹️

But better than nothing of course.

At least Big Fish do always offer something 👍

I started playing Cave Quest (Match 3) last night and was enjoying it until I got stuck. I hope I can get unstuck tonight.

Good Luck then, oldbroad 🤞🤞🤞

Ob, I have played the original Cave Quest all the way through three times now. One of my favorites!

Mad, I did not think that they would have a solution for you, more's the pity. But as you say, at least you have been compensated for your trouble.

O.K. I restarted the game with a new profile and speeding up the process by skipping through puzzles whenever I could, reached the point just before where the dead end occurred in my original play.

Then I resorted to the guide and did the next few actions in the exact way it described .... and yes .... got past the dead end.

This is obviously a fault that was not picked up in the pre-release testing.

I shouldn't have been allowed to do the actions in the order I did them in my original play, even though it did make sense to do them that way !!

Anyway, hopefully there won't be any similar issues during the rest of the game because I really do like it

I'm glad you decided to give it another go and hope you make it through the rest of the game without issue Mad.

Is it possible for you to describe where you had the problem? If so, I will note it on my spreadsheet with the hope that I'll see it and make sure to try to avoid it when I some day get to playing the game.

I managed to find what I was missing in Cave Quest and moved on. It is a good game Marian. Mad, have you played it?

I haven't played any Cave Quest games, oldbroad, in fact I don't think I've ever bought any

As for my issue with the Gold Bug game ....

Thank you Mad! I've made the notation on my spreadsheet, for what it's worth. I do have this game already downloaded on my Win 7 machine.

As I said before, I did not have this problem when I played Gold Bug, but am making a note of this too for when I replay the game. Thank you for the information, Mad.

I finished Witches' Legacy: The Ties That Bind CE yesterday. This is the fourth game in the series and I am playing them in order (but not all of them in a row!). Really good game, and a long one too.

This morning I started Fear for Sale: Sunnyvale Story CE. This game came out in 2011 so there are more hidden object scenes than I would like, but the game is so nicely done that I am playing it anyway and having a good time while doing so.

I am glad you are liking Cave Quest, ob! The sequel is much longer and more elaborate, but they did not fix what wasn't broken, thank goodness, and all the elements I liked about the first game are present in the second one.

Good to know about Cave Quest 2 Marian, as I do already have the game.

I haven't yet played any of the Witches Legacy or Fear for Sale games but I have several of each downloaded. That is how I try to play the series - in order, but not straight in a row.

Ob, I figured you already had Cave Quest 2, and I see that you have not disappointed me.

Finished the Edgar Allen Poe story - both main and bonus - and really enjoyed it very much

Now I've installed "Mystery Tales : The Hangman Returns" and from the few minutes I've played it looks like another I will like

I just finished replaying all the Hero of the Kingdom games.

Connie, that sounds great! A marathon playthrough of the Hero of the Kingdom games.

And I am so glad you were able to finish the Gold Bug, Mad.

Thanks, Marian

Just finished Twin Mind: Murderous Jealousy. I thought it was just so-so. Anybody else played it? What did you think of it?

Connie, good to see you stopping in on this thread.

Hi Oldbroad and Boomies, Im Playing Mystical Riddles and Nancy Drew s Shadow Ranch ..... Lots of fun day and night Have fun everyone

Ob, I think I played Murderous Jealousy but will have to check.

Leeana, glad you are having fun with Mystical Riddles and Shadow Ranch.

Shadow Ranch is not a casual game but Big Fish does sell it, and that is in my top three ND games. I've probably played that one maybe three or four times.

Good to see you posting here Leeana! I don't have those Mystical Riddles games yet but I have played ND Shadow Ranch (long ago).

I'm replaying all the Awakening games in order, half way through the second. I forgot that there were a lot of good puzzles in these games.

I like this! Some different people coming to this thread to share their gaming with us. I liked the Awakening series too judith!

That's a great series, judith! Thanks for letting us know what you are playing.

Haven't had a great deal of playing time but "Mystert Tales : The Hangman Returns" is a good game and I am really enjoying it 👍

I am very glad to hear that, Mad! I haven't played this one yet but look forward to it.

I finished the CE of Labyrinths of the World: Fool's Gold yesterday and enjoyed it very much.

That's great !!
I'm sure I have some from that series, Marian, but couldn't say which ones without checking 🤡

Good to know about those games Mad and Marian. I'm working my way through the Mystery Tales series but am only at game 4 and The Hangman Returns is game 6, so it will be awhile still. I'm also making my way through the Labyrinths of the World series but have about 7 games to go before I hit Fool's Gold, so an even longer while for that one.

Sadly, I finished Cave Quest yesterday. It was a good game but way too short!

I started Golden Trails: The New Western Rush last night, thank you Marian!

Oldbroad, I wanted more of Cave Quest when I was done, too. The good news is you don't have to wait years for a sequel the way that I did, and the second game is also longer.

I am glad you are enjoying the Golden Trails game!

After my successful re-play of the Edgar Allen Poe game - that got me past the dead end - I've decided to give The Black Veil another go now

I was really enjoying it when I played it (absolutely ages ago) until I came up against a similar dead end.
[I seem to remember I had opened a door before I had picked up a book (or something in that vein) and that was the end of that ]

I'm nowhere near that point yet though as I've only just started playing and I know I was well into the game before the sudden halt.

I hope you are able to work your way around the glitch this time, Mad! May it all go well.

What is The Black Veil? Mystery Case Files? I played that without issue and have no notes of any glitches anybody else ran into.

Thanks, Marian !!

Yes, oldbroad, I posted about the problem here at Gameboomers at the time and no one else (here, anyway) had experienced it.
However, I DID experience it

And it was a similar type of issue as happened with the Gold Bug game.
I didn't do an action when I should have but wasn't allowed to go back and do it. The game just stopped entirely
[And I found out what the action was afterwards from looking at the walkthrough.]

I do sort of remember you posting something about it. I'm surprised I didn't notate it on my sheet. Anyway, good that you remember so you can get through the game this time.

It probably doesn't really count, but I have just added Wordle to my morning routine https://www.nytimes.com/games/wordle/index.html?success=true

I've been playing it every day for quite a while, Lex, and I enjoy it !! 👍

Thanks for letting us know, Lex! Wordle has apparently become all the rage, as I know a lot of people who are playing it.

Thanks for posting that link Lex. I've heard of Wordle but did not know how it works. I just solved my first one in 4 tries.

Clearly selection of the first word is pretty important and I see that adieu is popular although I have used audio


... and Pandora has just introduced me to to a tougher version for those who really want to torture themselves - Quordle https://www.quordle.com/#/

I got fed up with my re-play of The Black Veil. I'd forgotten just how many puzzles there are and how much thinking some of them require.
And I'm really not in the mood

So I'm playing my latest purchase "Bridge to Another World : Cursed Clouds" instead and the number of puzzles and their difficulty level are much more to my liking right now.
It is a very nice play

Glad you are liking it, Mad!

I know what you mean about not being in the mood for puzzles, and particularly more difficult ones. I return to such games when I am feeling more up to the challenge.

Me too, Marian.
And when there are LOTS of them as well, I get tired of them more quickly these days.
I much prefer plenty of "story" instead !!

Yes, Mad. I'm sure you've read some of my *crabby* posts which happen when I'm not in the mood for certain things in the game I'm playing. I have trouble moving away from the games though.

Oh, I don't have any such problems, oldbroad

I think we also differ about "content" as you've said previously that the story is not a very important aspect for you whereas for me it's one of the key elements of a game.

This is how things should be though otherwise we'd all just be sheep !!

The Wordle got me this morning. I didn't know that I could use 2 of the same letter.

It beat me too today oldbroad: I had *a**y with too many options...

By the last line I was only missing the middle letter and tried all of the unused letters even though they didn't make sense, before trying to double up on the right letter.

Thanks for mentioning The Black Veil, Mad. I'll check it out. I know what you mean about some puzzles, though. They can bounce you right out of the game, especially if there are so many that you lose track of the plot.

I don't know if the plot is anything you would like, Reenie, but I'm pretty sure you'd enjoy the puzzles

I just finished Death at Cape Porto: A Dana Knightstone Novel CE and enjoyed it very much. A fun game with nice puzzles. It has been a long time since I played this game, but I do remember that I enjoyed every game in this series. So glad I replayed this one.

I really like that series too, Marian, and have re-played some (or maybe all) of them.
[Can't quite remember.]
But now you are making me want to play them again !!!!

I'm in the bonus chapter of Bridge to Another World : Cursed Clouds at the moment and am very much enjoying myself

I am really glad to hear you are liking the game, Mad. These games are such a blessing to help take our minds off our troubles.

I finished the main game of Golden Trails: The New Western Rush last night but still have some stuff to play in the "Extras" section. I think I need to get back to the Hidden Expeditions series, so Midgard's End will probably be next.

Since I started playing the Master Of Pieces Jigsaw Puzzles, I am finding that really relaxing and spend a lot of time doing that.

That sounds good about the jigsaw puzzles, oldbroad. I don't think I've played Midgard's End but I do have it (surprise, surprise).

I just started Dark Canvas: Blood and Stone CE. Nice game so far - I am about 90 minutes into it.

I spend a lot of time playing the jig-saw puzzles in Master of Pieces. I'm also playing My Free Zoo on 3 different servers, I guess I like it.

Neat, Connie! Thanks for letting us know what you are playing.

I took a look at My Free Zoo. It looks like fun.

Really enjoyed my Bridge to Another World game and have now started another CE .... Web of Deceit : Black Widow.
A very different kettle of fish indeed !! Lots of spiders to contend with

I've probably played it before at some time because the opening scenes seemed familiar but since those nothing else has rung any bells

Mad, I remember you playing this game earlier this year. Unfortunately you had trouble with both Web of Deceit games. You can read about that here.

Maybe you won't have any problems this time? I know I played through Web of Deceit: Black Widow and had no issues.

Dark Canvas: Blood and Stone CE turned out to be quite a good game. Quite long, too. The bonus game was also fairly lengthy. Now I am playing the Grim Tales: Horizon of Wishes CE.

Well that could explain the initial familiarity, Marian, thank you !!

So I'll see how I go on THIS time ....

Good luck, Mad!

Thank you very much !! I'll let you know how it goes

Good! Fingers crossed, Mad.

Yesterday I finished Connected Hearts: Fortune Play CE, which I enjoyed. I was in the mood for a Do (Domini) game and it delivered.

A few minutes ago I started Crossroads: On a Just Path CE and it seems like it will be a lot of fun. Looking forward to playing more today.

I'm still playing in the Golden Trails game. Have to get my name listed as highest score on all the Unlimited Play scenes .

I did start Midgard's End today though and it seems pretty challenging so far.

Too funny!!

Let us know how you get on with Midgard's End. I finished Crossroads: On a Just Path CE today and I really liked it, enough that I will be replaying it in a month or so. There are three parts to the main game and I only got the best, most desirable ending in one of them. I want to go back now and see if I can do better with the other two parts of the main game. This was definitely one of the best HOPAs I have played in a while. Looking forward to the second game in the series (yes, one is in the works).

I just started Royal Detective: Queen of Shadows CE.

Different endings in a casual game? Sounds different. I have the game from Steam. I'll have to remember to bump it into rotation somewhere. I haven't played any of the Royal Detective games yet.

Up until now, I had only played the first game (played it twice, actually) in the Royal Detective series, The Lord of Statues, which was excellent. Queen of Shadows is turning out to be another very good game. It horrifies me to think that I might never have gotten around to playing it and makes me wonder how many other good games I could possibly miss out on. Still trying to make up for lost time.

I've made it to the bonus game in Black Widow, without any hitches
[I think it might be because I have it on Win10 this time .... but who knows ]
However I'll definitely re-try Deadly Sands on Win10 as well, now

That is such good news, Mad! I was hoping that things would go better this time. And yes, I would certainly give Deadly Sands another whirl, too. I had no issues with the game on Windows 7, but there are so many variables, so who knows? Just glad it's working properly now.

Yesterday I finished Royal Detective: Queen of Shadows CE (really good game). Now I am playing Cursed Fables: White as Snow CE.

That is good to know Mad!

I'm currently playing "Bridge to Another World: Cursed Cloud" CE that I picked up in the 65% off sale last week, and "Moontrain: CE is waiting in the wings. I'm also hooked on "Wordle" !

Susan

I've been doing the Wordle everyday too since Lex posted about it.

A lot of people are hooked on Wordle.

Hi, oldbroad!

I got it on the 5th try today. How did you do? On the 4th try, I had a choice of 2 words and, naturally, I chose the wrong one !

Hi, Marian!

It's addicting . I first heard about it from one of the hosts on the radio station I listen to. Unless you start with the same word every day, how well you do all depends on what word you pull out of thin air on your first try !

Susan

4th try today which is pretty usual for me so far. A couple that were more and a couple that were less, including one on the 2nd try. I make that wrong choice often also!

I'm into Deadly Sands now and doing fine so far

The only Royal Detective I have is the "statues" one - which I played and liked - so I might have to look into getting another !!

The news just keeps getting better, Mad.

I can't vouch for the other Royal Detective games but I thought the first and second ones were very well done.

Hi, oldbroad!

Congratulations! I've got more "4"s than anything else as well, but I have managed to rack up 8 "2"s, only because I lucked out on the first word !

Susan

Just finished Bridge to Another World: The Others CE (which was very good). Played it years ago and did not remember much of it at all.

Now playing Dead Reckoning: Broadbeach Cove CE. This is a replay for me but again might as well be a new game for all that I remember it. I'm liking it a lot so far.

Hi, Marian!

I also have Bridge to Another World: The Others CE but, for some reason, only picked up the SE of Dead Reckoning: Broadbeach Cove and Sleight of Murder. If there were 8 games in that series, I have them all. I'm still playing Bridge to Another World: Cursed Clouds CE. I'm chuckling because whenever I replay an old game, it's a new one for me as well because I never remember much about it !

Susan

I just checked, and there appear to be a total of eight Dead Reckoning games. There are still a few that I haven't played yet.

I liked "Bridge to Another World : The Others CE" too, Marian

I've finished both Web of Deceit games and their bonus games now. Rather a lot of HO scenes but really enjoyable nevertheless.
[I think installing in Win10 must have done away with the issues I previously had with them in Win7 because I didn't experience anything untoward with either !!]

Now I've started "Vermillion Watch : Fleshbound" and think it will be a good one. Even though it's not a CE version. Although at this late date I can't remember why ....

That's good to hear Mad!

I am still playing Hidden Expedition: Milgard's End. I'm currently stuck in a puzzle. I was stuck in a different one not long ago and tried in four different sessions over two days before consulting the guide. I hope I won't need the guide for this one too but I probably will. The puzzles are not new to me but are pretty challenging.

Hi, Marian!

Thanks. I have all of them then. I think I'll replay them in order because that was a series that I really enjoyed.

I'm now in the bonus game of "Bridge to Another World: Cursed Cloud" and am looking forward to playing "Moontrain" when I'm finished.

Susan

Sounds good, Susan. Let us know what you think of Moontrain.

I finished Broadbeach Cove (fun!) and just started Dark Alleys: Penumbra Motel CE. No hidden object scenes in this one so it's adventure-lite.

[I just checked, and there appear to be a total of eight Dead Reckoning games. There are still a few that I haven't played yet.]

I have all eight too, Marian, but don't know how many I've actually played. Even though I do like the series

EDIT >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

I am finding my current game "Vermillion Watch : Fleshbound" to be excellent and so am getting tempted to play the others I have in this series next

Hi, Marian!

Will do! I'm about halfway through the bonus game of "Bridge to Another World: Cursed Cloud', so it shouldn't take too much longer to finish. I checked my Purchase History and I also have "Dark Alleys: Penumbra Motel" CE, but I don't remember a thing about it. Maybe it's worth a replay.

Susan

Hi Susan,

I am enjoying Penumbra Motel a great deal and would say that it is definitely worth a replay. It's basically an adventure game with some full-motion video, which I also find appealing if the game is good - and this one is.

Hi, Marian!

It still doesn't ring a bell, but I played it 10 years ago so I can be forgiven ... and I used 2 Game Club credits to buy it ! After I've finished "Moontrain", I'll download it and maybe the light bulb will come on once I start playing.

Susan

Sounds good, Susan.

If I had one complaint about the game, it would be that the environments are kind of dark and grungy, which isn't much to my taste as I find a little of that goes a long way. Probably not the best choice if you are feeling down. Well, it is called Dark Alleys, so ERS/Amax gets points for truth in advertising.

Being SO impressed by my current casual - Vermillion Watch : Fleshbound - I just checked my purchase history and was delighted to find I own all that have been released.
Yeah !!

I know I've played some of them already but with my sieve-like brain I'm pretty sure I won't remember much, if any, of those so the re-plays will be great !!

That's great news, Mad! I sometimes find myself wondering if I should purchase a certain game because it sounds interesting and then discovering that I already have it. Nice to find out that you have all the games in the series ready and waiting for you.

I have them all too Mad. Guess how many I've played. So glad you are enjoying it!

I just finished Hidden Expedition: Midgard's End. I guess the story was good as far as I was able to follow it. The puzzles were also pretty good, some I've encountered before and some I have not. All were pretty challenging. I used the guide for one of them.

Not sure yet what's next.

Yes. It IS nice, Marian. I have taken to checking before I buy now though so as to make sure NOT to double up !!

I have 8 Hidden Expedition games, oldbroad, but can't remember how many of them I might have played.
Pobably several.
But if I do remember any bits when I start to play a game - who knows how much I might remember ??
So I'll probably just carry on and play it all anyway

Good to know you finished Midgard's End, ob. I haven't played that one yet. I find that overall Eipix had interesting puzzles and they were pretty darn good at coming up with ones that I hadn't seen before, or at least interesting variations of ones that I was familiar with.

When I finish Dark Alleys: Penumbra Motel, I think another Eipix game will be up next.

It is always good to check the Purchase History before buying, Mad. Big Fish's new platform is now telling us when we have purchased a game, but it does not work with games purchased prior to the change, unfortunately.

I just finished a replay of Nightmare Adventures: The Witch's Prison. I'm not sure when it came out, but I bought it in 2016. It is an odd game, in that it has no voice dialogue or sound (except for a repeating theme song). It is dark and grim, as befits a story about a horrendous witch, but the artwork is well done and detailed. There are no voices, only a text box that tells you what the characters say. After you get used to this, it doesn't seem important that it is set up that way. The fun of this game is the PUZZLES, and figuring out where to get what you need and how to put it together. It will push you hard on some of the tasks, but if you pay attention and keep Notes, you will find all the info you need.

The graphics are clear, the environments well rendered and the puzzles are serious head-scratchers. Very creative. You'll find all the clues to solve all the puzzles if you carefully inspect and explore each environment. There are no HO scenes at all, it is all adventure.

I had marked this game as being in my Top 25, so don't know why I waited six years to replay it. Yes, it feels a bit antiquated, for being older (no voices, etc.) but if you like a Challenge, exploring and figuring out everything on your own, you might like it.

Hi, Marian!

Gameboomers is great for my mental well-being because I've discovered that I'm not the only one who contemplates buying a game that someone praises only to discover that I already have it . On the plus side, since I don't remember a thing about it, it's a new game to me and I don't have to pay for it !

Susan

That's exactly it, Susan! We know we are not alone.

Reenie, thank you for the recommendation for Witch's Prison. I will put the game on my to-play list for the rest of this year. It sounds very good.

Finished my wonderful Vermillion Watch game and decided to go down a very different track with "The Veil of Mystery : Seven Little Gnomes".

Not sure I will stick with it though. There are LOTS of HO scenes with some items in them quite small and/or difficult to find AND the Inventory is not automatic. It has to be clicked on to get it open

I think it must be an older game.

But the story sounded interesting so .... I'll see how it pans out ....

Veil of Mystery is indeed an older game, Mad. It's in my Purchase History but I haven't played it yet. It was released in 2013.

I finished the Dark Alleys: Penumbra Motel CE. Not sure what will be next.

Hm. I don't have that game

Good Grief, oldbroad, what's going on ??

( Thanks for that info, Marian )

I am presently playing the Dark Realm: Lord of the Winds CE. I have had this game for six years and have never played it before. Better late than never, as the game is excellent!

I just finished playing Brink of consciousness the Dorian Gray Syndrome, I only played it once when it first came out so I thought i'd replay it. It's a good game but boy does it ever need a jump map. I can't count on how many times I got lost.

I started Fair Godmother Stories: Dark Deal last night and liking it quite a bit so far.

Got fed up with the Veils of Mystery game and instead am now playing "The Unseen Fears : Outlive" which is looking to be more my cup of tea

judith, I want to replay Brink of Consciousness one of these days.

Mad, I enjoyed The Unseen Fears: Outlive.

Ob, I haven't played that particular Fairy Godmother Stories game yet.

I finished my Dark Realm: Lord of the Winds CE. Really good game.

Not sure what's next.

Whatever is "next" we all hope you enjoy it !! 🤗🤗🤗

Thanks, Mad!

I’ve returned to casual games (and adventure games in general) after a long hiatus and began with Bridge to Another World: Alice in Shadowland on the iPad. I am so impressed with the graphics and the quality of the production and the mini-games. It looks like I’m hooked!

Welcome back to gaming LaurenJodi, and please keep posting about what you are playing, or whatever else might be on your mind!

to GameBoomers, LaurenJodi. Alice in Shadowland is a really good game.

I am just starting the last set of levels in Heroes of Hellas 2: Olympia. I am playing on the normal mode of difficulty (there is easy, normal, and hard to choose from) and it certainly is not easy. It is fun and challenging, though.

I am replaying Riddles of Fate: Wild Hunt, and loving it, for many reasons: The commitment to detailed, refined artwork is evident (even my husband commented on this and he has seen me play hundreds of these games). It is colorful without being "Children's Toys" about it. The complexity of the plot overcomes its basically clichéd story line (thwarted love). The many different scenes to investigate make for lots of running around, but the map is great for "transporting" when you need to go back and forth for something. There is some originality in the use of the inventory items. For those who like to collect items, they are everywhere. A map allows you to jump back and forth quickly. Note-taking is essential, however. There are several groups of items that have to be collected as you proceed, and you will have to remember where you saw them so you can go back and pick them up. I usually take notes, but with this game, I also drew a sketchy map as I went along so I could annotate the finds that I'd have to come back for later.

Reenie, I have played that game twice now and I agree that it's a really good game.

I finally got to the end of Heroes of Hellas 2: Olympia. The game offers you an option of skipping five different levels in the game and I opted to skip three of them that I was having a really hard time with. I had a good time with this game and it got quite difficult towards the end.

Thinking about more good match-3 games, I downloaded 4 Elements, which is a wonderful match-3 that I haven't played in years. Oldbroad, this is one I highly recommend if you don't already have it. I am playing it on my Windows 7 computer but I looked at the system requirements of the game that Gamehouse lists and it says that it supports Windows 10 as well. This is one of my all-time favorites.

Thanks for that info Marian! I do not have the 4 Elements games. I've added to my "to buy list" along with Heroes of Hellas. I've been looking in my library recently to see what Match 3 I can play but haven't picked one yet.

I finished Fairy Godmother Stories: Dark Deal a few days ago but still haven't started a new casual. The game was quite easy, even with the puzzles on hard. One did give me trouble (the last one of the main game, as usual).

Thanks Oldbroad! I definitely will 😊

Thanks for the recommendation Reenie. I see it is available for iPad so I’m going to try it.

Hi Everyone
Got side tracked with playing Fear For Sale: City of The Past and Puppet show Her Cruel Intentions...all good games

Taintedfury, I like all the Fear for Sale games. I will have to check and see if I have played that particular PuppetShow game.

Ob, thanks for the info about Dark Deal. That one is still on my to-play list.

Just started Camelot : Wrath of the Green Knight CE - and it's lookin' good

Marian 🙋 The Puppy Show games are another good series to play, if you haven't played that one yet I'm sure you'll enjoy it...👍

Mad 🙋Wrath of the Green Knight sounds great CE 👍

Happy Gaming Boomer's 🌄

Good news, Mad.

Taintedfury, I have played several of the PuppetShow games and enjoyed them very much. They have a unique style to them.

I just finished Jane's Hotel: Family Hero. Not sure what's up next, but I think it will be another time management game.

I've started Moontrain now and played for about an hour. Every time I get a bit stuck I'm worrying that I hit a glitch.

I also started Matchventure 2 a few days ago.

I will be the same way when I am playing Moontrain, ob. I will be relieved if and when you tell me that you did not have big issues with it.

I decided my next game would be Spa Mania, and I'm having a lot of fun with it. I played it for the first time in 2010, so this is my second playthrough. I hardly remember it, so it's like a new game.

Camelot : Wrath of the Green Knight CE is indeed proving to be a good game. But I have to take my time with it because there is a LOT to find and DO

Yes, that is one of the things I read about it. I am glad you are liking it. Settle in, because you are going to be playing it for a while.

If the game continues as it has started I'm sure I will settle in and enjoy myself without any problems, thanks, Marian

Marian Most definitely - Just something about the Puppet Show games - I like them, I also have played several off them myself...It sounds like you've got some good choices in games tonight enjoy.

oldbroad & Mad enjoy your games and have fun.

Happy Gaming Boomers

Thanks, Taintedfury !! Hope you are enjoying yourself, also

I just finished up Wedding Dash, a time management game.

Now I am starting the Mystery of Unicorn Castle: The Beastmaster CE. I haven't seen much of it yet but am enjoying what I have seen so far.

I started Classic Adventures: The Great Gatsby yesterday. I have mixed feelings about it. The gaming part is a bit different but it is keeping me from really getting the story, and I am not very good at understanding stories as it is, so...

I liked that game enough to have played it twice already. I haven't read the book but did see the movie so knew the plot going in. Thanks for reminding me about it. I think I would like to play it again at some point. I wish there had been more games in this series.

Matchventures2 is not as relaxing as it is supposed to be. I have skipped two mini games. The first one I was trying to close out of and it turns out is was the skip button so I said "yes". The second one I said "no" hoping it would close the puzzle but it didn't so I had to skip it but will be restarting the level tomorrow. I don't like that I can't back out of the mini games to try again at another time.

That is too bad. It would be nice to be able to back out of them, I agree.

I still couldn't figure the pipe puzzle out and it was irking me. I found somebody else who had a problem with it on chapter cheats .com and asked for help in 2019. Somebody posted a response in 2021 and I used it. Then I found myself shaking my head and saying "Oh, come on - I MUST have tried that" .

That definitely sounds familiar!

I finished The Great Gatsby. It was alright but I wish I could have understood the story better. All while playing it I kept thinking about the Love Story series which is one of a handful of casual games I have replayed. I might have to visit it again - maybe.

I have heard good things about the Love Story series. Thanks for reminding me. And also for reminding me about Gatsby - I will replay it soon.

I looked at Wikipedia to help me get the story straight. Seems a bit farfetched, but interesting.

Yes, it's an interesting story. F. Scott Fitzgerald drew upon a lot of his own experiences for the time and the place, so it really wasn't farfetched although it may seem like it. You know that expression that truth is often stranger than fiction. It is actually an autobiographical novel in several ways.

Whilst waiting for (and getting !!) a solution to the glitch in the Camelot game I was playing, I started Royal Detective : Queen of Shadows CE and it is most enjoyable

[I intend to re-play the Camelot game as I feel it is an excellent one - and hopefully not come up against the glitch ]

Mad, I played Royal Detective: Queen of Shadows CE a couple of months ago and I really enjoyed it!

And best wishes for your Camelot replay.

Yes. I saw your post and thought "if Marian likes it I'm sure I will too" so I bought it !! 🤗🤗🤗

(And thanks for the Camelot wishes.)

I wondered if your playing Queen of Shadows was a coincidence. Well, being as it's not, I am VERY glad that you like the game!

Mad, I know you enjoyed the Camelot game and want to replay it, but were you able to finish the bonus chapter? Just wondering.

oldbroad

No. In my efforts to get rid of that awful superimposed screen glitch I uninstalled the game and started another whilst the glitch was being sorted.
So my replay, when I go for it, will have to be be from the very beginning,

But I don't mind because it's such a good game

Marian
[I wondered if your playing Queen of Shadows was a coincidence. Well, being as it's not, I am VERY glad that you like the game! grin.]

Yes. I DO like it .... a lot.
But I like the Camelot game more !!

I love the subject matter in Camelot and I feel confident that I will like it!

I saw Richard Burton live onstage in Camelot in San Francisco years ago. Wow!

So, forgive my ignorance, but when you uninstall and reinstall a game, you lose your profile?

No, you don't lose your profile. It is generally saved elsewhere on the computer and not in the game folder.

But if your profile is there (I'm talking about Mad's profile in Camelot) can't you then continue the game, rather than restart it?

Yes. I think she is thinking that it might just crash again. Certainly worth a try, though - maybe it wouldn't.

No to both !! 😁

When I uninstalled the game I deleted the profile as well.
Did a clean up.
Then re-booted.
Hoping doing that would get rid of the glitch - but it didn't. I needed Draclvr's aid for that 😎

In fact I usually DO delete the profiles of BF games.
I just keep the game files and create a new profile on the re-play.

Ah, that explains it Mad! Thanks for clearing that mystery out of my brain .

I started playing Red Crow Mysteries: Legion last night. No comment on it yet.

Thanks for clearing that up, Mad.

Ob, I have Red Crow Mysteries but it's still unplayed. I usually like Cateia games, so I will be interested to hear what you have to say about it.

Just a Camelot footnote ....

I installed "Wrath of the Green Knight" on my Win7 machine last night and because I already know from my other play what I have to do in many places, I'm making fast progress.
So it will be interesting to see what happens when I reach THAT puzzle ....

Love it !!

An interesting experiment, Mad - and a good idea at that.

Good luck Mad!

I have liked all the Cateia games I've played too Marian!

Thank you both - and hope you are having fun with your current games

Crossroads Crossroads: On A Just Path Love this Game and I love Elephant Games they make Great Playing a pleasure

I really enjoyed that game, Leeana. I will replay it at some point.

The second Crossroads game was released last week.

I am replaying an older game right now and having a great time with it: Shop-n-Spree. It is all executed very well.