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

I am starting a new thread (part four) 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 three, it can be found here.

Thanks, Marian

You are most welcome, Mad! I really enjoy these discussions and hope they will continue to be of interest (and helpful) to others.

I'm ready to start the bonus chapter of Royal Detective : Queen of Shadows now but first I'll push a bit further into my Win7 installation of Camelot. Yeah !!

That all sounds good, Mad!

I have about five levels left of Shop-n-Spree. Still having fun with it.

Hi, Marian!

I'm currently playing "Living Legends: The Blue Chamber" CE that I picked up in one of Big Fish's 70% off sales and am enjoying it very much. I haven't given up on "Moontrain", though, but it's spending some time in the penalty box . I came to a spot that I couldn't figure out what to do to get to the next location so, when I get back to it, I'll start again and follow the Guide to get past that point.

I'm now waiting for another good sale to pick up the new "Crossroads".

Susan

Susan, I played Living Legends: The Blue Chamber CE and enjoyed it; it was a nice long game too. I understand the difficulty with Moontrain. Good to take a breather and then revisit it.

There will probably be another sale this weekend, although maybe not a "good" one.

Hi, Marian!

I've got "Connected Hearts: Fortune Play" CE (another 70% off game) waiting in the wings, but I will definitely finish "Moontrain". What is so frustrating is that it really is a good game if not for the glitches and lack of a "Skip" button for the puzzles, and I don't understand why the developer hasn't come out with a patch.

Susan

Susan, what is confusing to me is that the game was originally released on Steam and so buggy that it was almost unplayable. Supposedly Big Fish got a patched version that was supposed to fix things - either they did not get such a thing, or the game was even buggier before. One person I know was able to finish the Big Fish version after having been unable to finish with the Steam version, so *something* may have been fixed before the Big Fish version was released, but obviously not enough.

I know the company has been in a bit of turmoil because one of the main people there passed away suddenly, but whether or not this had any impact on this game in terms of its development or being rushed to a release date before it was ready is anyone's guess.

I hope they get it sorted, because their HOPA of Tearstone: Thieves of the Heart was interesting and unusual, too.

I played Connected Hearts: Fortune Play CE and enjoyed it quite a bit.

And I just finished Shop-n-Spree without ever using a hint. Yay me!

Marian!

Thanks, ob!

Hi, Marian!

I just uninstalled and am downloading "Moontrain" again on the off-chance that a patch was released since I purchased it on August 17. I'm not holding my breath, but it's worth a shot. You can't pick up inventory items until it's time to use them and, the first time I played, when it came time to use one that was sitting on the dash of a car or van, it had disappeared. I'm stubborn and determined, so I'm not about to give up !

Thanks for letting me know that you enjoyed "Connected Hearts: Fortune Play" CE because we seem to enjoy the same games so I'm sure I will as well !

Susan

Hi Susan, I just noticed this: there's a 65% off sale for Game Club members that ends tomorrow morning.

I finished Red Crow Mysteries: Legion. I'll start by saying that I can understand why some people didn't like the ending. It didn't actually bother me but it does not end like you would expect. It is more of a set up for a future game which I'm assuming was never made. I definitely enjoyed playing it though and I liked the puzzles, probably because I was able to do all of them . There was one I got stuck on last night and it was late so I backed out of it. It was a door puzzle and when I backed out I ended up through the door. I got a bit miffed thinking it skipped but when I went back out the door the puzzle was still there to do. I was able to proceed with the game but I don't know if I would have been able to finish the game or not. I didn't really want to try that. I don't know if it was a glitch or meant to do that. Today I solved the puzzle on the first try. I just needed fresh eyes and a more clear brain.

Hi, Marian!

Thanks for the heads up, but I can't get into my account. I signed in using the Game Manager and, when I clicked on "Buy", a message popped up that new accounts must purchase games from the website. I tried signing in on the website and nothing happened. Then I tried a different browser and was finally able to sign in but, when I placed "Crossroads" in my cart, the cost was full price and I was prompted to add a Game Club membership. If nobody else here is having problems, I guess I'll have to find a link contact Big Fish. The last game I purchased was on September 13, so I have no idea what happened between then and now. For some reason, Big Fish's software no longer recognizes my Game Club membership.

Susan

Hi Susan, the link to contact Big Fish is here - just click on "submit a request" to the right of the page.

However, I think it may just be a glitch that will correct itself, as I am experiencing the same issue. This did happen to me for a few minutes in the last week or so, and it straightened out after a bit. I will try to keep my eye on it and post here when it's fixed.

Hi, Marian!

Thanks so much for the link and, if you're experiencing the same problem, it's obviously a glitch. I'm glad I tried Google Chrome (which is not my primary browser) because I followed the suggestion on Big Fish's website and erased my browsing history, so I would have lost everything for nothing.

I'll try again in an hour or so and, if the glitch hasn't been fixed before the sale ends, I'll contact Big Fish.

Susan

Edited to add that I just checked Big Fish's Facebook page and we're not alone because there are several posts there from members who can't log into their accounts either. Hopefully, they'll extend the sale after they fix the glitch !

Yes, I just found numerous people complaining about this glitch on another forum.

Definitely write to Big Fish if you find yourself unable to take advantage of the sale due to this. They would probably compensate you with some points. This may not get fixed until the crew shows up and it's still pretty early in the morning out here, but hopefully soon!

Hi, Marian!

I must have been adding to my original post at the same time you were replying ! I should have realized something was not right when the sale didn't pop up in my Game Manager after reading your post !

Susan

Hi Susan,

It's working now! Since the sale is still on, I bought one more game (I bought one during the sale yesterday as well).

Hi, Marian!

Thanks very much! "Crossroads: Escaping The Dark" CE is downloading now. I still didn't receive the 65% off sale alert when I launched the Game Manager, but was able to use 699 points to buy the game. It would have been helpful if Big Fish had put a message on their website letting us know that there was a glitch preventing some of us from logging onto our accounts so we didn't make unnecessary changes to our browsers.

I've bookmarked the link to report a problem that you very kindly provided in case I ever have the need to contact them.

Susan

Hopefully you won't need to contact Big Fish very often with a problem, if ever, but I thought it would be good that you have the link regardless.

Glad you were able to purchase the game at a discount!

Hi, Marian!

I joined Big Fish in 2009, and this morning was the first time I have not been able to access my account. I can also probably count on one hand the number of times it has been necessary to contact them about a problem I was having with a game (which was always resolved to my complete satisfaction), so I think their record is pretty darn good, but I really appreciate the link if ever the need to contact them arises again .

When I wasn't able to access my account this morning, I backtracked to the last thing I did, and that was uninstalling, downloading and re-installing "Moontrain". My first thought was, "that game is really out to get me" ... and then I read your post .

Susan

I am happy that it worked out for you, Susan.

I am on a time management roll here as I just started Heart's Medicine: Season One Remastered CE. So far it's very entertaining and enjoyable.

"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." (Brought over from old thread.)

Just want to make sure you saw my post above about the game Marian.

Thanks, ob! I had missed your post. I did not know that the ending of Red Crow Mysteries was something that some people did not like. Maybe they were thinking about a sequel, as you say. Whatever it is, it won't bother me. And that sounds very encouraging about the puzzles, and I'm glad you did not end up having to skip one of them. I will look forward to playing it.

Hi, Marian!

I'm playing the Bonus Game of "Living Legends: The Blue Chamber" CE, but I think I'm nearing the end. I'm enjoying it very much!.

Susan

I'm glad you are enjoying the game, Susan.

Reached the bonus chapter "Win10 crash point" of Camelot - whilst playing the game in Win7 - and passed it without a hitch. YAHOO !!!!

Can carry on with the fun, now

That is such good news, Mad!

Mad!

I re-started and finally made it to the bonus game of "Moontrain" ! I'm stuck ... but I got there !

Susan

Well, that's progress, Susan! I hope you can get unstuck now, though!

I finished Heart's Medicine Remastered: Season One CE. Not sure what will be next.

Hi, Marian!

The problem with "Moontrain" is, there really isn't a clear explanation for some of the puzzles and actions that allow you to progress to the next location, so you have to put on your thinking cap ! The solutions to some of the puzzles are located in various rooms and you need to perform actions to reveal them. For instance, the code for a safe or the correct pattern for a puzzle is revealed by pulling a lever or turning on a light, and then you've got to remember where the safe and puzzle were, which is the opposite of most other games where you find a code and then use it when you find the puzzle. You also have to locate a certain number of inventory items until you are able to use that item. If you've played "A Tale For Anna" or "My Brother Rabbit", the collection of inventory items is the same. Having said all that, I am enjoying it because it's different and challenging.

I have "Crossroads: Escaping The Dark" CE and "Connected Hearts: Fortune Play" CE waiting in the wings, and I also discovered that I used a Punch Card coupon last year to buy "Hidden Motives: The Diamond Rush" but haven't played it yet, so they should last me until the next sale !

Susan

Good that you've made it to the bonus chapter Susan! It is very short so don't be shocked when it ends.

I've been playing Twin Mind: The Power of Love. It's okay, not great. I think I like this second one better than the first one anyway.

Hi, oldbroad!

Thanks! This is the second time I've restarted the game and was shocked when I actually finished it. Thanks for the heads up about the length of the bonus game. Since I never thought I would make it that far, I won't complain ! It may take a while for me to get myself unstuck.

I played all 3 "Twin Mind" games and also enjoyed the first one the most. I wonder when we really enjoyed the first game in a series if our expectations for the sequels are a little too high .

Susan

Totally finished my Camelot game now and really enjoyed it

Looking at a couple of Adventures now - to see if I fancy having a go at anything from my ridiculously high stack - before I start another Casual

Excellent news, Mad!

Dear Me !!!! In the end I just couldn't resist installing the other Camelot game first

Talk about willpower - or - more accurately - the lack of it

I think it's great that you like the games so much!

Thank you, Marian 😬

Last night I was stuck in the last puzzle of the bonus game of Twin Mind. I really wanted to finish the game but knew I should be able to solve the puzzle. I actually think I did but just not with their solution, but anyway, I got out of the game and tackled the puzzle today. I ended up frustrated and used the guide to complete the puzzle and game.

I'm having some issues with my sound while using my headphones in my Windows 7 computer so I unplugged the headphones and turned on the sound bar and needed a game to test it out, so I started Halloween Chronicles: Cursed Family. The very first puzzle was the exact same puzzle as the one I had trouble with in Twin Mind except that game had symbols in the puzzle and in this game there are numbers. I thought that was pretty funny. I did get the puzzle in this game, however, I'm stuck in the second puzzle and am taking a break to post and read here. This is one of those puzzles where you repeat the same puzzle three times and I am on the third time, afraid to get out of it because I figure I'll have to re-do the first two parts. I don't know. I'll see when I go back to it. I am already enjoying this game more than the last game though anyway.

Mad, I already had that first Camelot game downloaded but your enthusiasm for the games had me moving the game shortcut to my desktop (meaning I moved it into the more immediate line-up), though I haven't started it yet. I actually have a whole lot of games in that line-up. Shortcuts for other games that are downloaded are kept in a folder on my desktop.

EDIT: Hah! Got the puzzle right away after taking my break .

Well Done, oldbroad !!

And I hope you enjoy Camelot - when you get round to it 😬

LOL I do the same thing.

OK, don't laugh: I have gone back and played the first Mystery Case Files: Huntsville, Madame Fate, Prime Suspects. Kind of brain-numbing they are, but maybe that's what I needed. I might just continue through all the MCF series. (Fate's Carnival is still my #1 favorite)

I don't think that's anything to laugh about. Those first games were good. I don't replay a lot of casual games but I have replayed some of those early MCF games. My favorites are the first Ravenhearst and Madame Fate.
I have not played all of the series yet. I am only up to #18 The Countess, which I'm preparing to start soon.

Hi, oldbroad!

You're weren't kidding when you said the Bonus Chapter of "Moontrain" was short ! As I was patting myself on the back for completing the pipes puzzle, "The End" popped up on the screen and that was that! Now I can move onto something else. I have "Connected Hearts: Fortune Play" CE and "Crossroads: Escaping The Dark" CE waiting in the wings, so I'll flip a coin to see which one I play first.

Susan

Glad you were finally able to finish the game Susie07!

Enjoy whichever of those game you choose first and then, enjoy the next one .

Hi, oldbroad!

Thanks! I was beginning to think I'd never finish it but, despite the glitches, it really was a fun game! Since I beta-tested "Crossroads: Escaping the Dark" several months ago and have been waiting for it to be released ever since, I think I'll tackle that one first ! I'm now waiting for the next 65% off or BOGO sale to pick up a few more games.

Susan

Took a break from Puppet Show & Fear for sale & I've been enjoying myself playing Skyrim on GOG
I still intend to get back to the HOG game's

Ps I wasn't sure if it was alright to post this on here being for casual games, if it wasn't sorry about that

Happy Gaming Boomers

he Man with the Ivory Cane .....loved it then loving it now more so

I haven't played that game, Leeana, but it's in my Purchase History.

No worries, Taintedfury.

Currently playing MCF: Return to Ravenhearst. Well into it, and have not yet used a hint in a hidden object scene. (Oh no; that'll jinx it! And they're HARD.)
The reason I am mentioning this game is because I am so impressed with the music. I cannot find credits included with the game, and a search takes me to a list of credits; but the music is credited to a "SomaTone Interactive Audio" in California, but not a composer's name. I think it's odd the credits are not included with the game as they usually are.

Can you tell? I have decided to re-play all the Mystery Case Files; and hoping to see a new one soon, as they usually release one this time of year.

I am replaying Reflections of Life: Equilibrium CE now and have been for several days. I first played this game in 2016. This is a "big" game, with a lot to do in every scene and things to come back for once you've learned something or found a piece of inventory elsewhere. Notes are essential, and even though there is a Map in the game, I am drawing my own as I go along since it helps me keep track of what there is to do and where there is Inventory needed to do it. You get one of those companion animals to help you retrieve distant objects, etc., and I always enjoy that feature. Most of the puzzles aren't challenging, but I will say there were a couple that I had no idea what to do with, much less solve. I don't usually skip any puzzles, and I skipped one in this game.

There is no purple smoke nor any cheesy antagonists. The graphics are excellent, realistic and helpful in solving your tasks. There isn't much character interaction, but I am so engrossed in the game that I didn't notice it until halfway through. I finished the main game and am playing the Bonus Game now.

There are at least eight games in this series, but they aren't all this good. In fact, I test drove and bailed out on five of them without buying. So, it pays to play the Demo before deciding to purchase!

Tally Ho, a new MCF game will be released this year, probably in November. It's called Mystery Case Files: The Last Resort.

Reenie, I have played Equilibrium and had recommended it on a list of good games; at the time you told me that was what prompted you to download it and give it a try. I am glad to hear that you are still enjoying it.

Yes, and thank you again! The good games are ALWAYS good and worth coming back to again. This is the third time I have played it.

Reenie - wow. Your recommendation gives me something to look forward to. I have 3-ring binders full of game notes from when I was writing walkthroughs, but havent taken notes recently playing the casuals. I will download this one, just to have on hand. Thanks!! (And I promise to take notes.)

I've finally finished playing Fear for Sale City of The Past... still playing Puppet Show Her Cruel Collection SE & Amaranthine Voyage Legacy of The Guardians CE - fitting in some Elder Scrolls along the way.

Take care and Happy Gaming 😊

I finally started MCF: The Countess. I was enjoying it but am currently stuck in a puzzle without a clue even though I looked at the objective. Maybe tomorrow it will make sense to me .

Good luck, ob!

Taintedfury, I can remember Fear for Sale: City of the Past being a nice long game.

Oldbroad I hope you worked that part out...I know you can do it...happy Gaming:)

Marian yes it certainly was, but with a very good story 😀 loved it...

I just finished "Bridge to Another World: The Others". I love the graphics in this series. While the storyline wasn't as good as in "Alice in Shadowland", I did enjoy the puzzles. There was only one mini-game I had to skip as I simply could not solve it after more than an hour. I actually wanted to go back and replay it in the Extras section but alas it was not one of the available mini-games 😢

LaurenJodi, I replayed Bridge to Another World: The Others this year, and I did enjoy the game quite a lot. I don't remember if I skipped any puzzles, but I probably did. I don't usually get through one of these games without skipping at least one.

I finished MCF: The Countess but haven't started a new casual yet, but I think the next one might be Labyrinths of the World: Changing the Past.

I want to say I liked The Countess because overall I did, however, I found the puzzles to be a mix of some that had no clues, some that made no sense even after I looked at the guide, and one that I had correct but it wouldn't accept it so I had to "skip" it. I know it was correct as I confirmed it in the guide and it was not a difficult puzzle that had multiple ways to solve.

Oldbroad, I played Labyrinths of the World: Changing the Past earlier this year, and I quite enjoyed it. I liked going to different time periods.

I haven't played MCF: The Countess yet.

I have started playing Cradle of Rome. I played this game years ago and never finished it because I ran out of lives. I thought I would see how far I could get this time.

I played both Cradle of Rome games in 2018.

I am still playing Labyrinths of the World: Changing the Past. I like it but I did not like one of the very first puzzles which I had to use the guide to solve. "Arrange figurines according to historical periods." I lost interest after multiple fails.

I kind of remember that puzzle and I liked it. I am sure with a different puzzle, you would have little trouble and I would fail miserably.

Somehow, I knew that was a puzzle that you liked .

I just now finished Cradle of Rome - finally!

I hope you enjoyed it Marian!

I finished Labyrinths of the World: Changing the past two nights ago I think. I haven't started a new casual yet. Been going crazy trying to finish Frankenstein: Through the Eyes of the Monster and finally accomplished that last night after multiple tech problems and a lot of walkthrough help. I've also been busy downloading games on my Win 10 so can't play much on it. Maybe I will start something later today though.

I enjoyed the game, but I also found myself getting aggravated at times, probably made worse by stressful life events. I am very happy to be able to say that I finished it, though.

I have Frankenstein on my computer running through a virtual machine but haven't played it yet.

I just finished City Legends: Trapped in Mirror which I thought was pretty good. It had some different puzzles, all doable in hard mode. One of them was glitchy though and several times I got kicked out of the game before I finished the puzzle. I did end up doing it though eventually. The error was DG engine stopped working. It was fine when I went back in.

I'm glad to hear you made it through the game in spite of the glitches. I played the game but did not have any technical issues.

It was just the one puzzle where the glitch occurred Marian (but more than one time). I think it didn't like all my clicking around while trying to figure out the correct route.

Ha!

I've been re-playing all the Mystery Case Files games starting with Huntsville. Right now, about 3/4 the way through Escape From Ravenhearst. I had forgotten some of the yucky stuff (Mother's nose hairs etc.) but I do think this one ranks as the most difficult game in the series. Much of it plays like a traditional adventure; and the hidden object scenes are actually hidden morphing-object scenes.

Just downloaded MCF The last Resort.

I finished Adera last night. It is definitely a game to be played. There are a lot of puzzles and I enjoyed MOST of them. There were a couple that required just a bit more quickness and mouse mashing than I like but they may not be a problem for others. There were also a couple of puzzles that you can't tell if you have everything you need to complete them. I think they were in the last episode which seemed just a tad different than the others though I can't say why or how - it may have just been in my mind. This game took me about 17 hours to play. I admit to one peek of a video walkthrough.

I started The Christmas Spirit: Journey Before Christmas two nights ago. I didn't play much but felt a bit bored, possibly because I was still playing Adera or maybe I was just tired. I'll see how it goes when I continue it.

I will definitely put Adera on my play list, ob. It sounds great!

I am still playing Cave Quest 2. It is a nice long game. I am still playing the main game so haven't seen the CE portion of the game yet.

I only have the SE of Cave Quest 2 which I still haven't started but I think I will download today since you have reminded me of it.

I am replaying Portal of Evil: Stolen Runes and loving it. Challenging, huge environment, clear and realistic graphics. The HO scenes can be a pain, as they feature some very tiny objects. The graphics are exemplary and puzzles creative. Glad I have the Bonus Play to look forward to when I've finished the main game.

That is a very enjoyable game, Reenie. Thanks for reminding me of it, as it is probably time for a replay.

I'm currently playing "Book Travelers: A Victorian Story" CE and enjoying it very much. I just started last night but, so far, so good!

Susan

That's good to hear, Susan! I have the game but haven't played it yet. I look forward to it.

Hi, Marian!

I think you'll enjoy it as well. It's not overly difficult and the characters are all familiar . I had 5 games that I either bought on sale or got for free, and "Lost Lands: Redemption" was a very long one, so I think I'm good to go until the next sale.

Susan

Couldn't find the thread that deals with current games being played

Anyway. I finished "Christmas Stories : The Christmas Tree Forest [CE]" and really enjoyed it

And have now started "Ms. Holmes : The Monster of the Baskervilles [CE]" and so far it's also lookin' good

Mad, that is the last casual game I played in 2022 also (The Christmas Tree Forest) and I also enjoyed it.

Yesterday I started Living Legends: The Blue Chamber and am enjoying it.

Thank you for helping me resurrect this thread, Mad and for telling us what games you are enjoying.

OB, I played the Blue Chamber CE and found the game to be quite long.

I finished Laruaville 13 a few days ago and am now playing Spellarium 8.

I've been replaying the Dark Tales Edgar Allan Poe's series. It was nice to start with the very first one.

That sound good, judith! I have been wanting to replay this series for a while now.

I've been wanting to start playing that series for a long while now .

My first casual and my first adventure game of the year are both frustrating me. The repeating puzzle in The Blue Chamber is starting to annoy me as it requires some quickness and timing but you lose control of the cursor after each move and don't get control back quickly enough. Argh

I don't remember that repeating puzzle in Blue Chamber. I will look it up on YouTube.

I don't know if you found the puzzle or not Marian but it was the one you did each time you had to find a feather for the music box in the left corner of the screen so you could break a spell or something or other. Anyway, the one I was frustrated about in my last post was the last of those puzzles and I ended up skipping it. I have now finished the main game. At the end you choose yes or no to believe the woman and give her the daggar or not. I wonder if anybody tried the "yes" option. I was looking at some walkthroughs on YouTube but they all showed taking the "no" option. I wonder if it made any difference to the ending. Do you know? Or anybody else know?

Ob, I can't remember what option I chose at the end of the game. I wish I knew!

And I thought I knew what puzzle you were talking about after having looked on YouTube, but I was wrong. I'll take another look when I get a chance.

This one here that starts at 2:28:11 or so. In the video the "count" goes away real fast after just a couple of moves but I could not get it to stop. I could not get control of my mouse for some reason.

Forgot the link.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7tykvLB2p8I

Wow, I don't remember that puzzle at all. My mind must be going!

Well, I played the mini-game in the "extras" after I completed the bonus chapter and finally did manage to beat it.

Well done!

Well, Marian! I wonder if your mind is going to the same place as mine.
I spent most of the yesterday trying to remember this game I wanted to replay, drove me crazy. I finally found it late last night.........Riddles of Fate: Wild Hunt CE. It is a long game, great graphics! I'm, finally, playing it now.

That is such a good game, smitty! I have played it twice and will most certainly play it again.

I finished Spellarium 8 yesterday. Next up will be a HOPA, but not sure which one yet.

I have yet to play any of the Riddles of Fate games.

I'm playing Insane Cold: Back to the Ice Age. It's not bad. SE with no collectibles getting in the way. No voice acting (I don't think). Have to read the journal to know what the story is about and you have to remember to go back to some prior scenes to check for HOGS. I'm not getting frustrated so I'm happy .

Oh, I loved that series, too! Especially liked Riddles of Fate: Wild Hunt Wow! Huge game, great graphics, tough puzzles and a long playing time. I replayed all three RoF games during the Covid shut-in.

Nice to see you, Reenie! Hope you had a good holiday.

Ob, I have Insane Cold but haven't played it yet. I think it's supposed to be a pretty long game, too!

Sorry I haven't been active recently. Had some pesky medical issues. I'm busily catching up on old posts now, looking for new games that people have played and rated.

Sorry to hear that, Reenie. I hope things are going better for you now (and that you find some good new games to play).

Well, I just bought Riddles of Fate: Wild Hunt based on this conversation (not to mention a 50% sale.) Quite a decent game, so far.

I'm close to the end of the bonus game in "Ms. Holmes : The Monster of the Baskervilles [CE]" now and have to say the whole game has been excellent !!
Right up my street

EDIT :
OK. Totally finished Ms. Holmes now and very much enjoyed it

And I've installed "Dark Alleys : Penumbra Motel" for my next play.
[I think it might be an old game but I've never played it before. It does have a strategy guide included though and is looking as though it will have a pretty decent story - from the opening scenes ]

Mad, I played Penumbra Motel for the first time last year and enjoyed it quite a bit. I liked the Ms. Holmes game too.

I hope you enjoy Riddles of Fate: Wild Hunt, Tally Ho.

👍👍👍

I'm very much enjoying the Penumbra Motel game but it definitely encompasses some complicated puzzles !!

[I've come up against a couple where I've just HAD to consult the guide ]

I needed to consult the guide too, Mad. As I recall, I looked at it more than a few times.

Yes. I have no doubt I'll need to consult it again, too, at some stage

I started House of 1000 Doors: The Palm of Zoroaster last night.

I am replaying "Secrets of the Dark ~ Eclipse Mountain," and really loving it. This game has everything I want: lots of depth, lots of different scenes, original ideas (morphing scenes, for one example), a high degree of complexity, a wide variety of puzzles (some of which are unique), good graphics, etc. There are plenty of HO scenes but none is particularly difficult (although some items are small). I would love to hear from anyone about games similar to this one. One of my Top Ten.

I haven't played that game Reenie but I have it along with the other 3 in the series. Have you played any of those? Maybe they are similar.

https://adventuregamers.com/gameseries/view/21325

I loved all the games in the Secrets of the Dark series.

Here is a list of most or all of their games. As I recall, they all play similarly.

Yes, I bought them all, too! Superb games with HUGE environments to explore, loaded with unusual and complex puzzles to solve, innovative design, great artwork with terrific detail. The only one that let me down was Temple of Night. Didn't measure up to the others.

I really enjoyed Temple of Night, even though it seemed a little shorter than the other offerings in the series. I've played it twice so far. You really can't go wrong with any of Orneon's games.

I haven't played that particular House of 1000 Doors game, ob, although of course I have it.

I've played a lot that are on that list too, Marian, and enjoyed them

Yes, they are all very good, Mad.

I am just now starting It Happened Here: Streaming Lives CE.

Enjoy !! 👍

I'll be curious to know what you think of it Marian.

I am between casual games at the moment.

I've only played a little bit of the game but so far I am finding it merely okay. A lot of that has to do with the environments presented so far, which have been rather grungy (like an automotive wrecking yard). They are in keeping with the subject matter of the game, though, so I can't really complain. I'll see how I feel after I have gotten further into it.

Hope it improves for you, Marian 🤞

Im replaying the Dana Knightstone series, I like them all but my favorite is the first Death at Fairing Point.

I love that series, judith!

I played the Dana Knightstone series sometime between 2011 and 2015 (going by what computer I played them on according to my games list). I have the first game only on disc but the rest are downloads.

Recently I played Fairy Godmother Stories: Little Red Riding Hood. It was okay.

Currently I am playing Lost Lands: The Wanderer. It's going well so far.

I’ve re-played the Dana Knightstone series twice as I really like those games 👍

Currently I’m into an iPad Casual called Cave Quest 2 - with Cave Quest (1) waiting in the wings (as I didn’t find that one first).
And am VERY much enjoying it 😑

Just in case y'all wonder where I have been; I started with Huntsville, and have continued to re-play each and every Mystery Case Files game in order. As of now, about three-quarters done. Check back in a month.

p.s. - If I ever see that domino puzzle from Ravenhearst again, you will hear me scream!

Domino puzzle in Ravenhearst? I can't picture it.

I've got Cave Quest 2 loaded on my Win 10 to play but haven't started it yet. Cave Quest 1 was very good but very short.

I finally finished the main game of Cave Quest 2 a while back. It took me quite a while to get through. Definitely longer than the first game, although I thought the first game was of a decent length too.

Now I am playing another match 3 game, Helga the Viking Warrior: Ivar's Revenge. I still have the bonus game left to play in It Happened Here: Streaming Lives CE.

I have been doing more reading than gaming lately, but this will probably change at some point.

Seeing as I very much like Cave Quest 2, I decided to go to Big Fish.
And I got both Cave Quest games in their Match 3 Sale.
So I can play them on the bigger screen of my PC.
[Despite even SALE items from Big Fish still being way too expensive here in the UK - since the shake up.]

But Yahoo !!

Playing the first Cave Quest on my Win10 machine now and loving it !!

Oh, that's great, Mad! I enjoyed both games so much!

And they are also working on a Cave Quest 3!

Ooooh .... Nice !!
Thanks for that info, Marian

I'm also playing "Brink of Consciousness : Dorian Gray Syndrome CE" - and this, too, seems to be looking good.
I've only just started it though so I'll have to see how it goes before giving a real opinion

The "Brink of Consciousness" game is turning out to be really enjoyable

A similar story-line to other Casuals but then so many follow a similar plot

A well crafted little adventure all the same

Brink of Consciousness: Dorian Gray Syndrome is one of my favorites - and if you haven't played Brink of Consciousness: The Lonely Hearts Murders, that too is well worth your time.

The developer, Magic Indie, made a lot of good casual games.

I have those two games on disc but have never played them. I'll have to find out if they work, one of these days.

Hi Marian

Yes. I played "Brink of Consciousness: The Lonely Hearts Murders" some time ago and liked it - and that's what probably prompted me to find another by the same maker.

[I'll have to go see if there are others, now, but if there are they will have to wait for a sale ]

EDIT :

I went to Big Fish and entered the developer name but that didn't work

And .. Hi oldbroad

I hope they do work for you, oldbroad

Hi Marian

I looked on Big Fish but couldn't find a search category for "Developers".
So then I googled for "Game Developers Magic Indie" - but I couldn't find anything

Are you able to please offer any suggestions as to where I might find any info. about other games by them besides the Brink of Conciousness ones ??

I found this but I don't know if it's complete.

https://hogs.fandom.com/wiki/MagicIndie_Softworks

There's a link in there for the "homepage" but it brings up an error 404 page not found.

Thank you SO much, oldbroad !!

I looked at their games list and the only one I don't already have is "The Fool" so I am off to buy it

I don't have the Robinson Crusoe games. Have you played (and liked) those?

The first Robinson Crusoe game was a very basic HOG, as I recall. It has been a long time since I played it.

The second one, while not a HOPA, did have somewhat more interaction. Again, though, this is all based on a very dim memory. I do remember some humor in it.

They were both very good of their type but might seem tame now compared to what has been released since then.

Thanks Marian! You know, I often like the older games better. I guess it does depend on my mood though .

I know what you mean, oldbroad. Sometimes a good old HOG is just what the doctor ordered.

I‘ve played the first Robinson Crusoe but wasn’t overly impressed.
(As Marian says, it was rather “basic”.)
But I’m hoping for better with Robinson II 😑

According to this page, Mystery Case Files: The Dalimar Legacy CE is being released this Thursday, March 2nd.

I am presently playing Awakening Remastered: Moonfell Wood CE, which is terrific.

And I just finished another match-3 game, Jake Everest: Wakanga the Unseen Civilization.

Mad, Robinson II is somewhat less basic, as I recall.

Thanks for the info on the MCF game Marian. I liked the original Ravenhearst game the best of all of them. The second and third were good the first time I played them but not so much the second time. The others that followed didn't really do anything for me. That being said, I will of course buy and play the game.

I'm still playing Lost Lands: The Wanderer. So much back and forth in the game that I lost track of the story. Focusing more on my replay of Atlantis.

Thanks, Marian.
I’ll certainly give Robinson II a go at some time 👍

I'm playing The Fool now. It's interesting.

Oh, that sounds good then, thanks, oldbroad 🤗

I finished The Fool tonight Mad. I thought it was a fun little game. I did, however, skip two puzzles. The first one I feel I should have been able to get but couldn't and wanted to continue playing; the second one I probably never would have gotten though it probably is not a hard puzzle for somebody else - just not my thing. I did play in "expert mode" which, after looking at a guide just now, gave me fewer moves in the first puzzle I skipped.

Not sure yet what's up next.

Oldbroad, I remember The Fool making a fool of me numerous times.

I've been replaying as many MCFs as I can get to run on Windows 11 which in combination with my laptop makes running older Big Fish games a royal pain by eliminating the compatibility option in properties.

Fate's Carnival was good the first time and this time. The game that impresses me more now than when I first played it is Broken Hour because puzzles, task, notes, story, and graphics mesh so well. Eipix has the ability to confound me by putting a necessary object in the extreme foreground while I fixate on everywhere else. This works well in Black Veil, too.

I started Mystery Tales: Her Own Eyes last night and I like it a lot so far

Thanks for your thoughts after finishing the “Fool” game, oldbroad 👍

I also have been re-playing all the MCF games. Fate's Carnival remains one of my all-time favorites.
Just finished The Countess; onward to Moths to a Flame.

Also: Lost Lands - Sand Captivity - the end is in sight. Bonus Game is wonderfully long. Only skipped one puzzle; got it 98% and couldn't get the last bit.

Still have Dalimar Legacy to look at.

I just finished Valerie Porter and the Scarlet Scandal, an older casual game that is no longer in the Big Fish catalog since the publisher Playfirst removed all of their titles. It's a HOG, but it has a good story line along with a few word puzzles between HOG scenes. I found it to be one of the better efforts along these lines.

I just finished a replay of Hope Lake, and thoroughly enjoyed it. It is a HUGE game, took several days to play through. Lots to do, lots of scenes to explore and exhaust. The only down side for me is how many rotation puzzles it has in it. I can get tired of too much repetition of one type of puzzle in the same game.

I have Enigmatis:The Mysts of Ravenwood loaded and ready to replay next.

Those are both really good games, Reenie! I would like to replay both of them this year.

Yes, I had given Hope Lake my highest rating, and wasn't disappointed with the replay. It took several days to play through, lots of map drawing and note taking, some very pesky puzzles to solve. My hat is off to them for providing such a great gaming experience.

I have those games but haven't played them. I'm getting ready to start The Wisbey Mystery right now.

Let me know how that goes. I stopped playing the game because I was having this odd technical problem where the screen would go black for about a half a minute every time I went to a different game screen. I never bothered trying to troubleshoot it. Maybe it was just something about my computer (Windows 7) the game did not like. I cannot remember if I ever tried uninstalling and reinstalling. It would probably be fine on our Windows 10 computer, but I haven't tried it on that one yet.

Hi Reenie. I have Hope Lake installed and ready to play - just watched the very beginning - but hoping to get into it properly very soon

Marian, I finished The Wisbey Mystery already. It's very short. I don't know how much you played but the translations are not too good in some parts, the text goes away fast in some parts, and I think there was only one actual puzzle, the rest of the game being to find and use items. I don't think the one puzzle even responded to me. I'm fairly certain I had the correct solution but the (cabinet) door didn't open until I hit the "skip" button. Nothing rearranged itself but the door opened then. I played in Windows 10 and did not have any technical problems with the screen going black. The game is okay but you really won't be missing anything if you don't play it.

Thanks so much for that information, ob. Based on the 20 minutes or so that I played, I was not left with the impression that I would be missing out on something special if I did not play it. Still, I like to give things a fair chance. Based on what you have said, maybe someday I will try it on Windows 10/11 but I won't be feeling any particular urgency about it.

I'm playing enigmatis the mists of ravenwood collectors. I bought this game quite awhile ago but for some reason never played it. It's pretty good, but those butterflies are hard to find.

I loved Enigmatis: The Mists of Ravenwood. I am also quite sure I never found all the butterflies.

I hope you enjoy Hope Lake, Mad.

I started Golden Trails 2: The Lost Legacy last night. I was disappointed though when I had to "solve" a puzzle involving 8 liquor bottles and 8 country flags. I wanted to exit and Google to see if I could figure out (find) some answers but the game would not let me out of the puzzle unless I solved it one way or the other. Other than that, I do like this series. Thank you Marian for suggesting / mentioning it some time back last year (or 2 ago).

You are most welcome, ob! Glad you are liking this series.

Probably of interest to pretty much no one here, but I just finished Hotel Ever After: Ella's Wish CE, a time management game with 60 levels. I enjoyed it.

Not sure what is next.

I'm always interested Marian, even if I don't play time management games!

"I hope you enjoy Hope Lake, Mad. :)"

Thanks, Marian ....

And like oldbroad and probably everyone else here, I'm always interested in what you might be playing !!

Well, thank you both! I will continue to mention the time management games that I have completed, then.

I've been playing Hope Lake today and really like it !!

Does anyong know if there are there any other games from this developer at Big Fish ??

Thanks.

Mad

Mad, this may or may not be an inclusive list, but the developer is Mystery Tag and I found this information here.

Big Fish has all three games mentioned under Pillars of the Earth.

And when I Googled Hope Lake, I found Far Mills as part of the development team:

https://www.mobygames.com/company/13208/far-mills-llc/

Yes, it sounds like maybe two developers were involved.

I don't have an answer for you, Mad, about other games by the Hope Lake developer, but I will watch to see what others comment. I loved Hope Lake and so I replay it every couple of years.

I did a search on Big Fish to see what games they might have that were mentioned in comments above, and they have Riddles of the Past and A Tale for Anna, both listed as being by the same developer who shared development of Hope Lake. The two games are not recent.

I have the A Tale for Anna CE (released in 2021) and it is a very well-made game.

A Tale for Anna Collector's Edition

Thank you both, Reenie and Marian !! 🤗🤗

Wow!! I just finished playing Eternal Journey: New Atlantis. What a fantastic game.

Eternal Journy is one of my Top Ten games. I have replayed it several times over the years.

Judith, that game is also one of my favorites. Another great game from 5 BN!

Just checked my Purchase History - and I do have Eternal Journey: New Atlantis CE - so that could be my next play !!

Sounds good, Mad!

Well into Hope Lake now. And it's a "goodie" alright

I am glad you're liking it, Mad! It felt rather old school to me, which proved to be a good thing in this instance.

I actually played (and liked) Eternal Journey: New Atlantis in 2021, probably based on comments in this thread here.

I get Hope Lake mixed up with some other game and always think that I have played it already but, according to my list, I have not. I guess I'll have to add it to my very long queue of "I want to play now" games.

I finished the main game of Golden Trails 2: The Lost Legacy and am working on getting the "best" score in the unlimited play area.

I did start Twin Mind 3: Ghost Hunter last night but somehow got confused very early, and while the mini games / puzzles are different so far, I'm just not sure I like them.

I think “old school” suits me, Marian. Just as long as there aren’t HO scenes every five minutes and the objects in them aren’t microscopic !!
And Hope Lake is nicely fitting THAT bill on both counts 👍

I reckon I have more unplayed games in my computer den than I have years left on this earth, oldbroad, and yet I still buy more.
So you go to it, gal, and enjoy your massive collection to the max 😬

Yes, exactly!

I am into the bonus game now of Gloomy Tales: Horrific Show CE. So far I have enjoyed the game.

Finished Hope Lake (really liked it) and started Eternal Journey : New Atlantis CE.

So very much looking forward to another good experience

Two good games in a row, Mad.

I agree, Marian

I am quite enjoying the Atlantis game - but not as much as I did Hope Lake !!

If I find any more buried treasures like Hope Lake on Big Fish, I will certainly post about it here!

Thanks very much, Marian

[There's rather a lot of "gadgety" stuff in the Atlantis game and that's not really my forte.]

I agree with Mad on old school and am replaying some Dark Parables and other series to reteach myself puzzle skills. I recently discovered in 13th Skull that I can still do a complex modified slider with relative ease and also managed to solve the tricky tall-masted ship where the tile you click also turns adjacent tiles so I was encouraged that I hadn't forgotten everything. Alas the devilish dominoes in Return of the Salt Princess stymied me. I failed to work out that some pieces which appear to be duplicates, in fact, twirl differently or, at least, I think that's what happens. Salt Princess is a much better game than I remembered.

Just before Return of the Salt Princess, I replayed the first Final Cut, a fabulous game. Top of the line.

Edited to add: I also had forgotten how wonderfully amusing the openings of Dark Parables are. The detective, clearly no horsewoman either driving one or riding, jolts along reading notes and listening to a recording without a thought to oncoming disaster. In 2023, she'd get a ticket for texting while behind the wheel.

And now I'm playing Jack and the Sky Kingdom although the puzzles are way too simple I am still loving the game. I like a series that presumes player familiarity with previous episodes and builds on that to deepen character portrayal and player immersion, hard to do in any casual game, doubly so if helpful remarks are turned off. Sometimes I turn them on just to get some idea of who the dickens the player character is. Old school casual games, less bifurcated from the adventure game branch, tend to have comments unrelated to spelling out tasks and I treasure that feature.

Jack and the Sky Kingdom has a good puzzle at the end. I was sorry when the game ended.

I hope to some day get around to the Dark Parables series.

I finished Twin Mind: Ghost Hunter and last night I started Camelot: Wrath of the Green Knight. One thing I like right off the bat in this game is that you can replay the cut scenes from the journal.

I liked everything about the Camelot games, oldbroad. Enjoy !! 👍👍👍

Well, I've sidelined the Atlantis game for the moment - just wasn't enjoying all the gadgety stuff
[Left it installed, though.]


But I AM enjoying one of the Grim Tales games I own but have never played before .... "The White Lady CE"

EDIT :
Yes !! Liking this Grim one MUCH more

I am happy to hear that you like the game, Mad!

I am currently playing Magic City Detective: Secret Desire CE. It is a nice long game.

I’ll have to check it out, Marian 😑

I can't remember about the "gadgety stuff" in the Atlantis game Mad, but I can say that I am not enjoying the Camelot game nearly as much as you did, unfortunately. I'm glad the Grim game is going better for you though!

I haven't bought any of the Magic City Detective series because of my Domini video issue. Someday I should test a game out again to see if something may have changed as sometimes mysteriously happens .

Oh, I'm sorry you aren't enjoying the Camelot game as much as I did, oldbroad.
Another case of not everyone liking the same thing, eh ??

Oldbroad, trying out the Domini games in future would be a good idea. Who knows? Something might have changed such as a video card driver update, their programming, etc. Thus far I have not had any technical issues with their games, but you aren't the only one who is having problems with their games now.

Hello everybody! I have been replaying the Ravenhearst series. I like the first 3 best as they are mainly hidden object games with a story. Less complicated than the later games. I also replayed Mystery Case Files The Thirteenth Skull. It's really a fun game and I love the characters to talk to, especially Cooter and Charlotte! So funny! I have played this game over and over through the years and never tire of it!

Everybody seems to like MCF: The 13th Skull and I can't even remember it, so I just watched a game trailer of it and just a scene or two looked familiar. Maybe I will put it in line for a replay.

Nice to see you here, Marlene! I am definitely due for a replay of 13th Skull. I remember a lot of humor in the game but many of the details for me are fuzzy now too, oldbroad.

Hi Mariian! Love that game! Yes there are some very funny moments with Cooter and Charlotte! Such a lovely couple! Cooter and Charlotte forever!

Just finished Dark Parables: The Swan Princess and the Dire Tree CE. Never played it before and was reminded of its existence in my Purchase History by 8dognight having mentioned it. A nice long game and very well done.

Now I have started Ominous Tales: The Forsaken Isle and I am quite liking what I have played so far.

I finished my CE of Grim Tales : The White Lady and enjoyed it very much .... so now I've started the CE of Grim Tales : Dual Disposition and it, too, is looking good

That is great news, Mad! And the new Grim Tales game is something I plan on playing very soon.

Would that be another title than those two I’ve mentioned, Marian ??

(I lose track of what’s new and what’s not )

I believe Dual Disposition is the latest one Mad, while The White Lady is in the middle of the series.

I am currently playing the bonus chapter of Camelot: Wrath of the Green Knight. Not sure yet what will be next.

Thanks, oldbroad

Did you get to enjoy the Camelot game any better or has it just not appealed to you

Yes, Dual Disposition is the newest of the Grim Tales series.

Thank you too, Marian 😬

Mad, the Camelot game didn't appeal to me too much. The story confused me which is not unusual but I didn't care for the puzzles too much either.

Did the 13th Skull not too long ago; since I have been working my way through ALL of the MCF series. Currently in the middle of "Moths to a Flame"

Also played Dual Disposition last week. Not bad.

Well, we definitely differ with our opinions on THIS game, oldbroad, because I enjoyed the story.
And the story is always a major part of my liking or disliking a game

Tally Ho, at some point I would like to play through all of the MCF games too. It's quite a project now considering the number of them!

I am playing Mystery Trackers: Four Aces. I got it to run on Windows 11 by changing the DPI.

This is one of my favorite casual games, nice and long with an adventure game feel and some entertaining puzzles. I quite like this early iteration of Elf. The detective acquires Elf, who was chained to a lamp post, in a previous game. One of the best features is the use of live actors.

The detective makes comments that add touch of character. My current favorite is "Oops. I didn't mean to blow the whole place up. Sorry." before we trundle on past the destroyed obstacle without another thought and after remarking piously that private houses are not to be ransacked.

Another gem: "You can never have too many tool box handles."

The game isn't that complex but I have had to use hints several times after quitting for several days.

I think I'm going to start Cursery: The Crooked Man and the Crooked Cat later on today.

Oldbroad, that is a very nice Blue Tea game that I enjoyed.

I replayed the game recently, too, after being reminded of it when I read that either Mad or Reenie was replaying.

I googled Steven Zhao, who founded Blue Tea, a minute ago and he is still going strong on VR. I gathered, rather dimly, that he is working on bringing Squid Game to life as a game on Sandbox. I admit I'm not entirely clear what Sandbox VR is. Game production company? Game engine? Platform like GOG for selling games? I don't know but sadly for those of us who miss Zhao's aesthetically pleasing casuals I think Zhao has found more lucrative uses for his prodigious talents.

EDIT: I found this article on Sandbox VR which explains what it is.
https://venturebeat.com/games/squid...-locations/?trk=public_post_comment-text

Thanks for the info 8dognight! I am not a VR person.

Thank you very much for the tip. I will add that to my arsenal of things to try if an older BF game doesn't seem to want to run on Windows 11.

I have been playing PuppetShow: Destiny Undone CE the last couple of days. It's a good game.

I will give Four Aces a replay this year.

Puppet Show - one more series I haven't even started yet .

I have been playing the first Raincliff, Black Isle, and Four Aces all once because my resulting utter confusion makes the games last longer. However, I foolishly finished Four Aces. Lusting for more early Mystery Trackers, I have started The Void, which is the very first in the series and not surprisingly more of a HOG than a HOPA. As HOGs go, The Void is relaxing without being unbearably tedious; the objects are realistic and attractive except for the occasional snake or spider.

The journal is a pleasure to read and shows someone at Elephant really liked telling stories, always a good sign.

In the HOG department, Mystery Trackers: The Void is a pleasant excursion.

I played The Void upon its initial release and haven't revisited it since. Another one for me to keep in mind for a replay. I did not remember the game having a journal, but so many of the earlier games included one.

8dognight, have you played Urban Legends: The Maze? That was an even earlier game of Elephant's and I remember finding it quite interesting.

I'll give that a whirl today, Marian. The game with "maze" in the title that I've played is more recent.

This may not be the proper place to post this but, speaking of Elephant Games, in case you haven't seen this page on BF which shows some games they're working on.

https://www.bigfishgames.com/us/en/promotions/developers/elephant-games-20th-anniversary.html

Elephant is one of the few HOPA developers who either haven't stopped making them altogether, or are making games for mobile only. They were saying on their Facebook page that they hoped to have more new PC releases this year than last year. The games may not be overall as good as they used to be, but I appreciate them not abandoning the PC market altogether.

Round of applause and huge cheer for Elephant who also made my bar-none favorite Christmas game and also probably my favorite casual.

Pause for fanfare of trumpets, followed by a waltz.

Christmas Stories: Nutcracker.

And I am playing right now because I have a virus which is neither Covid nor the flu but has laid me low for several days, so I am snuggled up in bed with four dogs, cheese straws, and elderberry drops. Christmas Stories: Nutcracker feels like the correct fit for the circumstances. Riddle of Fate: Wild Hunt would have been good, too; however, I have played it too recently.

There is a beautiful puzzle toward the end of Nutcracker that I have never conquered and don't expect to this time either. It's one of those where all the adjacent tiles whirl around the one you click. I like trying to solve it because it's pretty.

It sounds like a really good way to spend time when you are under the weather, 8dognight. Enjoy, and I hope you feel better soon!

Ditto what Marian said - can't say it any better!

Some of you have probably heard me whine about games that won't play for me in full screen because they flicker like an old TV with bad vertical hold. Those games do work in a window, but it's about a quarter the size it should be. Well, I finally put in a (cheap=$50) video card, and voila - it worked! The most recent one that gave me trouble was Dead Reconing: Silvermoon Isle. Now I have played it full-screen; that's on a 40-inch monitor. Much better! Now all I have to do is remember what games wouldn't work before. 🤔

Also I had bought Obduction a while back, and it wouldn't run at all. Now it does, and it turns out I don't like it. Them's the Breaks.

Still working through Moths to a Flame.

That's great news about the video card, Tally Ho! I do remember the issue you were having.

I am playing Hidden Expedition: The Eternal Emperor now and am liking it quite a bit so far. Just finished the first location and will see how it continues.

Marian, you were right about Cursery being a long game. For me, it became repetitious and stretched on a bit too long, unfortunately.

Let us know how you get on with Eternal Emperor, ob. I am sorry to hear that Cursery wore out its welcome, but hopefully you liked some things about it nevertheless.

I just finished Secret City: Sacred Fire CE, which I enjoyed.

Oh yes. There is always something I like in all the games I play even though it seems like I complain about a lot of them. I think I'm trying to cram too many in and sometimes it starts to feel like a chore.

What I said the other day about Obduction - - -

Well, rats! I played around with it some more, and now I'm hooked. Here goes another hundred hours I'll never get back. 🤣

And it's interfering with my MCF cycle. Them's the breaks!

That's great, Tally Ho! Good thing you decided to try playing Obduction a while longer. I hope you have a lot of fun with it.

Ob, I know what you mean what with the number of unplayed games and how are you ever going to get to them all. When I am playing a game now, I try to think of it as one of the few games that I have (although that's not easy) and then I find myself settling in a lot better with it. A bit weird, but it gets me into a mind space that is more relaxed about the whole thing.

I have really reached back and played the 2 Interpol games. Now I am playing Forgotten Riddles; The Mayan Princess. I have even pulled out Big City Adventure; San Francisco. By the way are any new BCA games being developed? A long time ago I read they were working on Big City Adventure; Moscow. I haven't heard anything more about it for years !

I don't think there are going to be any more Big City Adventures, unfortunately. The last one released was a long time ago.

I don't think I have played the Interpol games. I do remember playing Forgotten Riddles but I am sure it would seem like a new game to me now.

I had to look up those Interpol games; never heard of them. Do they work in Windows 10?

I have heard of Big City Adventures but, believe it or not, I don't have any of those . I have Forgotten Riddles: The Mayan Princess on disc only but have never played it. I do have the second game as a download, also not played.

They are Interpol-The Trail Of Doctor Chaos and Interpol 2 -Most Wanted TIK games . They are available on Big Fish Games. They came out back in the late 2000's. They are strictly hidden object which I like. They play on windows 10.


https://www.bigfishgames.com/us/en/games/2103/interpol-the-trail-of-dr-chaos/?pc&lang=en


https://www.bigfishgames.com/us/en/games/2727/interpol-2-most-wanted/?pc&lang=en

Thanks Penny Lane! I had found them on Big Fish but I don't trust some of those old games to play in Windows 10. They look interesting though so I may purchase them one day. I also like regular old hidden object games sometimes.

I have windows 10 and they play just fine.

Ob, on the developer's website (Big City Adventures developed by Jolly Bear) it says that the games are compatible with Windows 10/11.

Thanks Marian! I don't know about those. I usually like to have a complete series but there are so many of those. Maybe I'll try one or two though. I do like the look of some of the different locations (like Istanbul).

And there is one that has been removed from the Big Fish website, which is Big City Adventure: Sydney. No idea why they removed that one game from the series. I wish I knew the reason behind some of these removals on Big Fish, particularly when some of them are still sold on other websites.

Yeah, I wonder why some games get removed also. It makes you think they are no longer playable or something. Sydney shows on Game House but I don't use them.

I've just installed "Dark Parables : Ballad of Rapunzel" which seems to be a pretty old game. And it looks nice

But I don't remember anything of the opening scenes at all !!
So maybe it's one I've not played before

But then again, anything I played before yesterday could easily fall into that category

Well, whether it is new or a replay, I hope you enjoy it, Mad! All of my played games become unplayed games in an alarmingly short time after having finished them, so I know what you mean.

I am playing Royal Legends: Marshes Curse CE. The game did glitch out at one point and dropped me to the desktop, along with a message saying that the DO engine had stopped working (or words to that effect), but happily I was able to get right back into the game with everything resuming the way that it should, and no trouble since. I believe I am getting close to the end of the main game.

Hi Marian 😊

Glad you didn’t suffer a completely catastrophic breakdown and hope you will now get happily through to the end of your game 👍

Quite enjoying the Rapunzel game - even though I have to play in short bursts 👍

Glad to hear it, Mad!

I got through the rest of the Do game I was playing with no problems at all. Next up is Fierce Tales: Feline Sight CE. I played this several years ago but don't remember much about it except that I enjoyed it, so I decided it was time for a replay.

Just finished playing "Fright", I played it once when it first came out, thought I'd give it a go again. I really enjoyed it, not difficult at all, I found it fun & relaxing.

I agree, judith! I replayed that game in the last couple of years and I enjoyed it.

"Fun & relaxing." That's how I like my casual games. Maybe it's time to play this one soon.

Thanks, judith. I don't have "Fright" so I'll go check it out

Fright also has full-motion video.

I have the game already and am actually downloading it now. Not sure when I'll actually get to it though. I'm still playing Hidden Expedition and still enjoying it.

Sounding good

I've decided I'm getting it - despite the dreadful cost

So thanks for the comments

You can always wait until a non-member discount like there was this past weekend. I believe it was 25% off or something like that? Not a lot, but better than nothing.

I bought Lost Lands: Sand Captivity and am enjoying it very much. It holds up the franchise well, with excellent graphics and challenging puzzles, plus a touch of humor now and then. It is so fun to be back with the characters I so enjoyed through all the other chapters of this ongoing saga. I was just SO glad to see a new chapter in this series, although I did take my time buying it!

Woohoo, Reenie! It was a long time coming, but it was sure nice to have a new 5 BN game to play. I am happy to hear that you are liking it!

I have just downloaded Fright. I have never played it but now I will give it a go!



I have started playing it and I really like the videos! Makes the game seem more realistic. Looks like a winner! Thanks for the tip!

Oh LOL indeed!! I thought that only happened to me.

So - - - what am I playing right now? Finished Moths to a Flame (one of the better MCF ones IMO)
Got started on MCF Black Crown, and then Obduction hit. Oy!
What a frustrating game. I have had to constantly refer to a walkthrough (two of them actually) and I NEVER do that. But the stubbornness in me won't say 'quit'. And what's worse, I have learned there is a maze in my future. Long-time GBoomers know how I feel about mazes. That will put me to the test for sure. There might be a computer-shaped hole in my window.

Sit back, take a deep breath, and I'll get back to you in a few days. Or decades.

I don’t keep up with sales etc unless I happen to catch a relevant post here at GB

Anyway, earlier I just blew caution to the wind and splashed out for both “Fright” AND the new 5 BN game “Lost Lands: Sand Captivity.

And am looking forward to both

Tally Ho, if there is a maze in your future, you have my heartfelt sympathy. I don't believe I've played Moths to a Flame - will put that on my mental to-play list.

Mad, throwing caution to the winds works quite well too - I am familiar with that method.

I hope you enjoy both of the games!

I'm surprised to hear that Tally Ho, as I played a good portion of Obduction before needing a walkthrough [if I'm remembering correctly ].

Moths to a Flame is the next MCF game on my list. It will be a first play for me. I'll get to it soon-ish.

Mad - you're gonne love the new 5BN

Marian - Moths to a Flame is "Heavy" but good MCF.

Oldbroad - Maybe I'll try to proceed without hand-holding, but I doubt it. (Don't forget I have written dozens of walkthroughs, but never played a game as frustrating as this one.) Um - maybe it's my system. Yes; I'll go with that., Couldn't be me, right?

Exactly my point Tally Ho. I've used some of those walkthroughs of yours (most recently Atlantis 2 & 3) and that's why I'm surprised that Obduction is the game that you find so frustrating. Maybe for me it helped that I was getting motion sick from the game so I didn't play it in long enough stretches to get too frustrated.

Finished Rapunzel and enjoyed it - and have now played the opening scenes of Fright - only to discover it doesn’t get “saved on exit” so I will have to re do some puzzles

Guess I mustn’t have read the section in which that bit of info appeared

It doesn't? When does it save?

I never had this problem with the game, Mad. It did save on exit. I can't remember ever having to redo any puzzles either. Odd. There are also 13 pages of game reviews and I did not see a single one that mentioned it not saving on exit - and the way reviewers complain about everything, someone would certainly have mentioned this. I would never mention it as a play possibility if it did not save on exit, because that would have been a dealbreaker for me.

If you read this page on Big Fish here it might help you with troubleshooting this. There are Windows 10 suggestions toward the bottom of the page.

Thanks, Marian

I’ll use that link you’ve provided tomorrow.

The message I got from the game itself mentioned “auto saves at intervals” but not at exit

I also went and skimmed some of the reviews looking for mention about the saving but didn't find anything. I just finished Hidden Expedition (which I liked through and through) so maybe I'll try Fright tomorrow to see what I see.

Curiouser and curiouser. If I have time, I will download the game and check this out. It's so weird because I know I exited the game many times while playing, have played it twice, and never had to repeat puzzles after going back in. Maybe I have just lost my mind.

Hi again.

I played more of the game today, with the same result of course, that there was no save on exit, and I will have to re-play a portion once again next time I go into the game !!

In light of this I've submitted a Help Request to BF along with a DrFelix report.

[Quite exasperated :(]

Good, Mad! I am glad you submitted a help request, something that I was going to suggest. At the very least they will probably give you game points such that you can purchase a different game.

Yes. A welcome policy, Marian, although I would prefer to be able to play THIS game

Mad, I just started the game. I didn't see anything about the saves BUT it appears photos are taken at regular intervals so I'm wondering if those are the save points? I haven't gotten out of the game yet to test that theory out.

So I did get the message about the periodic saves when I went to exit out of the game. There is some time between some of the saves. It's sort of different scenes but not exactly. I guess if you see the photo being taken and aren't sure about spending much more time, you should probably exit then. I played about 45 minutes. I'm not sure how many times it saved but I'd have to say maybe 5.

It is a rather good game so far.

I've played a lot more now and not noticing the photos being taken as often though I may just not be noticing them. I do really like this game. I hope you are able to play it, Mad.

Glad you got started on the game, ob! I haven't had a chance to take a look at it. Those photos ring a vague bell with me. I am still left wondering why I don't remember having to repeat anything with this game. Thanks for posting about it!

Yes. I really like the game too😑

However, As the game decides WHEN a photo is taken, even if an auto save IS made at the time, that would still rule out manual saving.

Maybe as are going along you might be able to somehow clarify that oldbroad - and let me know ?? 🤓

With many people playing it, or having already played it, I’m surprised the subject hasn’t been mentioned before now ….

(And I probably won’t hear from BF until after the weekend.)

Well, I'm sure there isn't any manual saving if that's what you're asking. I am surprised too, that it's not mentioned in the reviews but then again, I really only did a very quick skim of them myself.

My only one small issue with the game so far is that I cannot increase the voice volume.

And honestly, I'm still not sure the photos are saves. I'm going back to look a reviews again.

I’ve also been reading reviews and none have mentioned saving at ALL 🙄

Well, I finished the main game already. I didn't have to replay any puzzles or portions of the game. I believe there were some short clips repeated and then that was it. Unfortunately, the conversation at the end was hard for me to *catch* and the captioning went off screen too fast to read, so I missed stuff at the end. I'm not sure I understood the story but you know, this is not the first time I've had that problem.

Finished the bonus chapter. I think it was supposed to help explain the story somehow but...

I still very much enjoyed the game and puzzles!

Very glad to hear you enjoyed the game, oldbroad

[ I don't understand though why I am having to replay sections when I come back to it if no one else is ]

Have you tried stopping right after a photo is taken? I admit, I only stopped at those times. I did not test it by solving some puzzle and then getting out of the game. I was going to but didn't.

Yes. I have watched a couple of times now and it seems that that IS when the game auto saves. So you are correct, thank you, oldbroad

Not the best arrangement for me, though, as the time between the saves can be too long.
[ I can't play the long sessions I once enjoyed because of health issues ]

Anyway, I do like the game so will persevere the best I can

[You said at some point in this thread that you also did get the "periodic saves" message coming on screen - but I can't find where you said it now ]

I think I only saw it the first time when I exited out of the game. I don't think it showed up again after that.

How strange !! I see it every time I quit

LOL! Maybe it was there but I just didn't notice it again.

Tonight I started Fairy Godmother Stories: Puss in Boots.

I started Rite of Passage: Child of the Forest CE yesterday and it sure is a beautiful game. It has been languishing in my Purchase History for a very long time!

Marian, I've had that game since late 2015 but haven't played it yet. I hope you enjoy it!

That makes me feel better, ob! I am very much enjoying the game so far.

Glad you are enjoying your game, Marian

Sadly, I'm still getting save problems with my Fright game

After agreeing with oldbroad that the auto saves DID appear to occur when the in-game camera produced a photo, I found that after solving a puzzle in an earlier session today, and the camera producing a photo, when I went back into the game just now, the save that had been made was before the puzzle I had solved !!

My advice from Big Fish was to un-install and re-install the game and/or use Administrator privileges - both of which I had already unsuccessfully tried.
And there has been nothing since

So even though I really do like this game, at the same time I AM rather disappointedwith it

I am really sorry to hear that Mad. It's very strange that you are having this problem.

I had another email from BF and this time they offered me a refund or a replacement .... which is very appreciated !!

I will carry on with the game (although probably only intermittently) because apart from the saving fiasco I think it is good ....

That is good news, Mad. Thanks for letting us know.

I am playing So Much Stuff and Just Find It. by Tiny Little Lion Games. I really like the variety of hidden objects and spot the differences.

That is great, Marlene! I'm glad you found something to enjoy.

I just started Dark Mysteries: The Soul Keeper CE this morning. So far, so good.

Well Marian, you got me again! I don't seem to have that game. Let us know how you like it please.

Once again the system has broken down, ob.

I like the game. Graphics are very easy on the eyes, and it's a combination of hidden object scenes and inventory items. The puzzles so far have been very mild, which suits me just fine at the moment. There is a funny line in the game early on about a crowbar that had me grinning. Maybe I am about halfway (?) through the main game. Very pleasant game so far.

The developer (or publisher- not sure) is Cerasus Media. The only other HOPA game of theirs that I could find through a search is Mystery Stories: Mountains of Madness. I looked to see if it is in my Purchase History, and it is; however, unless I am missing something, I'm not finding it on Big Fish, so I guess it was removed. I see Gamehouse is still offering it, though.

With my BF compensation for "Fright", I have decided to go for the game you are currently playing, Marian .... Dark Mysteries : The Soul Keeper CE

[I will have to pay towards it though as under the new system I am not getting the value of an actual game replacement. I have been allotted "points" which cover about half the price of a game.]

Very grateful, nonetheless, and hopefully, I won't have any saving issues with this one !!

I know how you feel about the save issue, Mad. I recently played a game where my inventory items kept disappearing - started the game over twice and it just kept on happening. Very strange, as I have never had this happen before. Now I worry that this will repeat itself in another game, even though I know that it's very unlikely!

I hope you enjoy the game. It is not the best game I've played but it is also far from the worst - and I am still having a nice relaxing time with it.

Yes. Over the years we have experienced all KINDS of weird and wonderful happenings within games, eh, Marian ??

Anyway, I've just played the opening scenes of "The Soul Keeper CE" and it definitely looks like my kind of game so my fingers are crossed

Indeed, Mad!

There may be a few more hidden object scenes than you would like, but for some reason the hidden object scenes aren't bothering me all that much. There is enough "adventure" to keep me going.

You can always request a credit/points if you find that it is not much to your liking as you progress.

Thanks, Marian 🙂

I would normally only request any kind of credit if a game turned out to be faulty in some way, however it’s good to know of that option 👍

Yes, if you play a bit and it isn't what you thought it would be, I know people who have received points/credits in exchange. Big Fish is really generous that way.

I finished Fairy Godmother: Puss in Boots and am now playing Labyrinths of the World: Stonehenge Legend.

I finished 9 Clues: The Ward a couple of days ago and am now replaying a TM: Amber's Airline: High Hopes CE.

I finished Amber's Airline CE and then fired up Jet Set Go, a TM I got in 2015. I enjoyed both of them.

Now I am downloading The Great Unknown: Houdini's Castle CE.

I'm replaying all my Grim Facade games in order that they appear in my game manager, some good, some so-so.

Sounds like fun, judith!

You got me with another one Marian. I don't have that Houdini game. I hope you enjoy it!

I'm playing Fatal Evidence: The Cursed Island. I'm currently stuck in a puzzle. I did eventually figure out how to place the pieces where I want them but now I am stuck figuring out where they all go.

Good luck with the puzzle, ob!

I am quite liking Houdini's Castle. There are some hidden object scenes but it's more adventure lite than HOG. I am probably about halfway through the main game and enjoying it a lot.

Thanks Marian. I've put a good bit of time into it and I'm not accomplishing anything. It resets if I quit out of the game which doesn't matter a lot I guess but I wish it wouldn't. I'm starting to get bored with it though.

You have a lot more persistence than I do, ob.

I am liking Houdini's Castle more and more. The hidden object scenes are more interesting too, as many of them are of the "find the related pair" type. It's a very good game and I am glad that I finally (after having purchased it in 2012!) got around to playing it.

I haven't given up yet. I'll try again for awhile today and then see if the guide can get me going or complete it for me. It's time to move forward in the game!

I put Houdini's Castle on my "to get" list.

Yes, it should run on Windows 7 - not sure about Windows 10, as I haven't tried it yet. When I downloaded it, there were black bars on the side, but I switched to Widescreen in the Options menu and the whole screen was filled after that. I would definitely give it a try if you are able to do so.

Ah, I was going to ask about the operating system. I am trying to stay away from games that are not confirmed to work on Win 10. Seeing some games not working on Win 11 is even getting me worried about the ones that do work in Win 10. We'll see. I have a fairly long list of older games that sound good but I'm not sure about buying. I already have such a long list of old games, already purchased, that I haven't played; not sure I should really add to it.

Yes, I understand. We actually have a Windows 11 and a Windows 10 computer now, but we also have an old Windows 7 that my son got working again (even though I suspect it's going to need more work to keep it going much longer) and I am using that for some of these older games. I will mention it whenever I can get an older game working on Windows 10/11.

Theoretically there is no reason why a game that works on Windows 10 should not work on Windows 11, but I too have been reading about issues here and there. Sigh.

Well, I made it through that puzzle. I did look at the guide to get myself started. I didn't have the heart to even try again on my own. I was trying not to see too much so then it took several looks because I wasn't absorbing what I was looking at. It was this puzzle "S" just before the beginning of Chapter 4.

https://www.bigfishgames.com/blog/walkthroughs/fatal-evidence-the-cursed-island.html

I took a look at it. That kind of puzzle can be so tricky sometimes! Congrats on getting through it mostly on your own.

I haven't played that game yet, but I do have it.

I only just finished the main game of "Dark Mysteries : The Soul Keeper" CE .... because life got in the way

However, I very much like this game and am really looking forward to the bonus game now
There ARE rather a lot of hidden object scenes but that hasn't pertubed me or spoilt my enjoyment at all as they haven't been boring or very difficult !!

Unfortunately I can only see ONE Dark Mysteries game at Big Fish. Is that right ?? Or am I mistaken ??

Marian, I didn't expect so much trouble from that puzzle but it was so big that I kept losing track of what I tried and where. Later, I ran into another puzzle that caused me grief. I won't even try to describe it but it really shouldn't have been a problem either. I had already run out of patience though and used the guide for that one too.

Good to hear you enjoyed the game Mad! Did you play that in Windows 10?

Mad, I am so glad to hear you are liking the game! That is great news. Sadly, there was only one Dark Mysteries game. The only other HOPA I could find by this developer is Mystery Stories: Mountains of Madness, which I have in my Purchase History but unfortunately it appears to have since been removed from the website. Gamehouse is still selling it.

I just finished The Great Unknown: Houdini's Castle, which I also greatly enjoyed (see above posts).

I am now playing for the third time one of my all-time favorites, which is League of Light: Dark Omens CE. I last played this in 2018 so it is almost like a new game.

Ob, I am going to have to consider checking the walkthrough when I need help getting started with a puzzle rather than just skipping it altogether. I guess I was always afraid I would see too much were I to do so, but I would like to give it a try.

Yes. I'm playing it in Win10, oldbroad

ALL the games in my BF account have so far played without any hitches in Win10 - even some of the very, very oldest - about which I'm really happy

Mad, please see my post above yours if you haven't already. The posting time was pretty close together.

And I am *very* glad to hear that some of the oldest Big Fish games play on Windows 10 - I haven't tried many of the oldest ones on Windows 10 yet.

I don't have "Mystery Stories: Mountains of Madness", Marian, but I have a lot of "League of Light" games .. including "Dark Omens" CE

[I played it some time ago and I liked it too ]

Oooops. Someone at the door .... Gotta go !!

That is good news Mad!

Marian, even if I use the guide to complete the whole puzzle, I at least can see it and sort of feel like I did it. I do skip sometimes though.

I am playing Hidden in Time-Mirror Mirror. I bought it a long time ago but I don't remember playing it! So it's a new game for me!

I have that game, Marlene, and I don't think I've ever played it! Will have to take a look. I hope you enjoy it.

Just took a look and it's there in my Purchase History, purchased in 2009! Yikes!

Ob, I would rather solve the puzzle via the guide than have to skip it - and maybe on a replay I wouldn't need the guide for it. That's a big maybe.

I too have purchased many games which haven't been played. A lot of the time I will start a new game and get bored then never finish it.

I have done that too, Marlene. Sometimes I will go back to it, though, and give it a second chance.

Finished "Dark Mysteries : The Soul Keeper" CE and really enjoyed it.

Now I've started "Mystery of the Ancients : Lockwood Manor" CE - another I've not played before - and it too is looking good

Mad, congrats on finishing the game! So glad you liked it.

Lockwood Manor is a game that I really enjoyed when I played it years ago - I hope you have fun with it!

I finished my third playthrough of League of Light: Dark Omens CE yesterday and it was just as good as I remembered. I'm currently deciding what's up next.

Thank you. And it is definitely a game I will play again.

I have such a great many games played ages ago about which I remember nothing - so they are all like "new" ones for me !!
[ Which could save me ££££'s considering the high BF (UK) prices since the new tariff ]

But I know I hadn't played the Dark Mysteries one before or this Lockwood Manor one
Anyway, I'm sure you'll find something fabulous to play out of YOUR massive collection, Marian

Finished Fatal Evidence 1 and am now playing Timeless: The Forgotten Town. It is old and has a lot of HO scenes but it is not only an HO game. There are other puzzles and a story and so far, it is fun and peaceful.

I remember really enjoying the music in Timeless: The Forgotten Town. And I thought it was a lovely game and yes, it's time for a replay.

I started Hidden Expedition: A King's Line CE today. I've played several hours already and have just finished the main game.

And it's the same way for me, Mad - any game I have in my massive Purchase History collection that was played more than a couple months ago becomes essentially a brand-new game for me. I will definitely never run out of "new" games to play.

I just realized that I bought my first game on Big Fish 17 (!) years ago. No wonder I have so many of their games.

I don't usually play more than one Casual game at a time unless one is a Match 3 or something, but I also just started Dark Romance: Vampire In Love and am enjoying it a lot after just 45 minutes.

It seems like you play pretty fast Marian. I often spend 8 to 10 hours on these games.

I know also that I could replay most of my games and they would be like new.

I just realized that I bought my first game on Big Fish 17 (!) years ago. No wonder I have so many of their games.

A good while before me, then !!

I bought my first one from them in July 2010.
[Before that I just never fancied HO games .... thinking they wouldn't have any storyline.]

I'm not sure but I don't think I downloaded any games until 2011. I did (and do) have BF games on disc though,

Ob, I think I probably spend about 6 to 8 hours on these games. If I were never to skip any puzzles, no doubt it would be considerably longer! I have Vampire in Love but haven't played it yet.

Mad, I think a lot of people felt the way that you did and then they played something like Return to Ravenhearst and they were won over. I started earlier in large part because there were a lot of time management games back then and I got hooked on them quickly.

It was the first "Drawn" game that sparked my interest. [I had bought the disc version.]

And playing that that got me to wondering if there were others like it out there

I have to correct this to 2013 as I just took a look at my history on BF. For some reason that first account shows at the top that I have 127 points although I have not purchased through that account since 2020. If I click on that message, it shows I have none. Whatever...

I am still enjoying both games I'm playing but it is probably not good trying to play them both. Some ways it is but some ways it's not. The Forgotten Town crashed to desktop on me yesterday but was fine when I went back in it. I'm playing that on Win 7, bought from Steam. Vampire in Love is getting harder. There was one puzzle that I finally figured out what I needed to do but wasn't getting it so I left that game for awhile. When I went back in I solved the puzzle but it didn't accept my solve. Very, very clear puzzle to see that it was solved, with some arrows in the right places, pointing in the right direction. There's a picture note clue you pin right next to the puzzle. Anyway, using the guide to follow the steps the game wanted me to make solved it, but I don't like that. I then quickly got stuck in another puzzle which I left for today . It's a nice game and I think you will like it Marian, when you get around to it.

I am playing Mysteryville (2007) I have the series 1, 2 and 3 on disk. I dug it out of my games box. I have a lot of games that I haven't played in years! It's fun going way back and replaying these games. I looked at Big Fish and they now only have Mysteryville 2 for sale. I wonder why? I downloaded a lot of games from Spintop Games back in the day but Spintop no longer exists. I do remember that they merged with BFG.

Also I have MCF Dire Grove in that box but unfortunately it won't play on windows 10 as we all know. Why won't MCF remaster it? It's such a great game!

Marlene, games are sometimes removed from the Big Fish catalogue and they never tell us why. I think that it has to do with licensing agreements, sometimes because one company has bought another one out, among other reasons. I just wish that they would notify us if a game is going to be removed so that we would have the opportunity to buy it before it is removed from the site. Fortunately if we have previously purchased them we don't lose them and are still able to download them from our Purchase History.

I agree that it is fun going back and replaying these older games. I am playing Millennium Secrets: Emerald Curse right now and finding it quite enjoyable. I haven't played it since it was released in 2010.

I don't think Spintop merged with Big Fish, but they were bought out by another company and many Spintop games were then removed from the Big Fish site after that.

I have (and played) Mysterville 1 & 2 on disc also. I seem to remember something about cats with those games? When I look at 2 on BF I don't see anything about cats. I never knew there was a 3.
I have Dire Grove on disc also and was going to give it a replay in Win 7 but never got around to it. I keep telling myself to get to all those old games on disc, many of which I have never played, but I never do.

I don't have those Millennium Secrets games.

No
I was mistaken there is no Mysteryville 3. But the one with the cats is Mysteryville 1 Here is the link to a free download to Mysteryville 1.[edit: removed link]

Hi Marlene, thank you for providing the link to the game. The website is probably okay but I cannot be sure, and would prefer to not allow links to websites of which I am not sure that they are legit. Thank you for your understanding. Whenever I see "free downloads" I believe it bears further investigation.

Yes I understand that. After I posted it I thought maybe I shouldn't. But I have downloaded games from there and no prroblem. I will not do that again. So sorry! We cannot be too careful!

No worries!

I finished Dark Romance: Vampire in Love last night. Some of the puzzles are very easy while some were quite hard. Several have to do with numbers but they didn't really add up right. I skipped one in the bonus chapter where I didn't like the way it worked, having to hold the mouse button down and move the cursor through a labyrinth. After falling back to the beginning 5 or 6 times I got tired of it. I'm not a fan of that type of movement and I did want to finish the game last night. The story was simple enough for me to follow but was a nice story also.

For the most part a very nice and enjoyable game!

When you have to hold the mouse button down and move the cursor through a labyrinth, I am grateful when the game does not start you over from the very beginning. I am not a fan of that type of movement either.

I am glad to hear you enjoyed the game! It sounds like I have another unplayed game to look forward to.

I just started Emberwing: Lost Legacy CE and am liking the game very much so far.

Marian, I made a post on the 13th that I'm not sure you saw. I mentioned that I think it is a game you would like.

Have fun with Emberwing! That is in my library.

Thanks, ob! I just went back and read the post. I do believe I missed that one.

And by the way, your mentioning that account showing points on the home page and then if you click on the link to the Big Fish points page, you have none - I have the same discrepancy with the points on the first page not matching the points on the Points page. I notice that this happened after Big Fish did system maintenance weeks ago and has been wrong ever since. It would appear to be a glitch that needs fixing.

Stuck in two puzzles in two different games. Trying to finish up Timeless: The Forgotten Town. I'm on what must be the last puzzle in the bonus chapter. Can't get it. Also playing Enchanted Kingdom: A Dark Seed. All was going well but about half way through the game I ran into a nasty puzzle. No luck yet even on "easy" mode. I almost had it in hard mode but just couldn't quite get it and hit reset. Now I can't even get close.

Two very nice games though!

Well, good luck with the puzzles!

I have played Enchanted Kingdom: A Dark Seed CE twice now. Yes, I like that game!

Still playing Emberwing and still enjoying it.

Emberwing keeps track of your playing time. I just now finished the bonus game and it says that the entire game took me 10 hours 10 minutes. It would have been considerably longer than that if I hadn't skipped some puzzles. Definitely worth the money.

I wasted two whole days not progressing in A Dark Seed. This evening I used the guide to complete the puzzle. Two lousy pieces that just needed to switch places but I could not get it. Now I am having trouble remembering what was going on in the story. I will get back to The Forgotten Town tonight and will skip that puzzle if I cannot get it (or use the guide) even though I hate when I have to skip the last puzzle of a game. It is time to move forward!

Marian, that is more like the amount of time I spend on these games. I can't figure out how some people play them in 4 hours unless they skip all the puzzles.

Yes, I have a hard time believing that anyone finishes them in four hours or less if they don't skip any puzzles.

I also like it when a game tells me how long I have been playing. I would like to see that feature more often in these games.

Good luck with the Forgotten Town puzzle!

Because I can’t do the long game playing sessions of old, I am now finding a game can take me DAYS to get through rather than hours !!

But as long as I’m enjoying myself …. Who cares ?? ….

Believe me Mad, I take days to play them. There have been a couple of shorter or easier games that I played in 2 days but most of the time I take 5-7 days. I am on a mission right now though trying to do 2 a week but not really succeeding.

Edit: The puzzle in The Forgotten Town was not quite the last one; there was one more after it. The guide did not help because I could not reset the puzzle to start over so I had to skip it as I couldn't figure it out.

Finished the whole of "Mystery of the Ancients : Lockwood Manor" CE and absolutely enjoyed it - so I'm going to install and play another from that series

Sounds good, Mad! I have enjoyed all of the games I have played in that series.

I've installed the "Deadly Cold" CE and watched the opening scenes

I have some of those Mystery of the Ancients installed but haven't played any yet.

I finished Enchanted Kingdom: A Dark Seed last night. Later today, I hope to start Secret City: London Calling.

I don't think I've played that Secret City game yet, ob. Let us know what you think of it.

I am replaying a time management game, Alicia Quatermain: Secrets of the Lost Treasures CE.

Played some of "Deadly Cold" now and am very happy with the game

Great! I liked that one too.

I am playing Faircroft's Atiques The Forbidden Crypt. Not challenging but just a relaxing pasttime.

I've got Faircroft's: The Forbidden Crypt waiting on my desktop to play. I played the first 3 of the games but was getting tired of them then. For the longest time I have been playing (off and on) Secret Investigations: Revelation and whenever I finish that I will go back to Faircroft I think.

I started London Calling and played quite a bit of it. I didn't like the beginning much but it did get better, but I won't say it's as good as the last couple of games I played. The verdict is still out .

I finished Secret City: London Calling tonight. Not bad, kind of different, 12 hours (including bonus chapter) and I never got hopelessly stuck, so pretty long. I think that you will like it, Marian.

That sounds really good, ob! I will keep it in mind for my upcoming plays.

I have been playing Mystery Tales: Eye of the Fire for about 4.5 hours, more than half of which was spent on one puzzle but I got it!

ob!

I have played that game and most likely skipped that particular puzzle!

Ugh!!!

Two thirds of the way through a puzzle I've been working on for hours and I accidentally backed out of the puzzle and it reset!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

EDIT: I finally got the puzzle after another 1-1/2 hours. To be fair, the 2/3 that I had done before it got reset was not correct, but still - really annoying.

Oh, I hate it when that happens! Hopefully no more puzzle mishaps!

I always find myself clicking out of puzzles it seems, especially HO scenes. My cursor moves too far down on the screen and Wham!

That puzzle really was not that hard and never should have taken that long anyway. Once I really focused on it, maybe a half hour was all I needed, so maybe it was a good thing I had to start it over.

I'm on to my next Mystery of the Ancients now .... Three Guardians ....

Wonderful, Mad! Have fun. It sounds like you are enjoying this series as much as I do.

Ob, I have had that cursor issue before and it sure can be irritating!

I guess I'm getting cranky now. I've come across 3 puzzles this afternoon that I didn't like. One I was able to solve in easy mode, though it made no sense to me in hard mode. The other 2 required used of the skip button.

Oh, the days when I was prepared to struggle with a puzzle for days (not just hours) are long gone .... even for "full-on" Adventure games.

So the "skip" facility in a Casual certainly gets used in frustrating situations !!

Yup! More and more for me too, Mad!

I am playing Stone Age Cafe now, a time management game.

It's getting really challenging already and I am only eight levels in, so not sure how much longer I will be able to play without repeatedly trying to pass levels. It may turn out to be a game that I just dip into between other games.

How many levels is average for a time management game, Marian? I think it's good to have those "dip into between other games" games. I have a few of those going now myself.

About forty or fifty levels is average, I would say. With a CE you often get ten bonus levels.

I am now playing Hidden Expedition: The Lost Paradise. I spent one whole hour on the very first puzzle I hope that's not a sign of what's to come.

I am replaying Golden Trails 3; The Guardian's Creed. I wish there were more in the series.

That's a great series, Marlene! I wish there were more, too.

I am playing two games right now - the previously mentioned Stone Age Cafe, and I am also playing Gardenscapes.

I haven't played Gardenscapes in years! I will pull that one out!

Great, Marlene! It's lots of fun, and I enjoy watching Austin the Butler puttering around the property.

Finished Gardenscapes (I have completed the garden, although actually the game allows you to continue on after that for as long as you please).

Now I am playing Special Enquiry Detail: The Hand That Feeds.

I am playing Golden Trails 2; The Lost Legacy


I see that I purchsed Special Enquiry Detail: The Hand That Feeds. I don't remember playing it. Guess I'll give it a go!

Marlene, if you have ever played the Women's Murder Club games, Special Enquiry Detail is along those lines. I just finished the game and enjoyed it quite a lot, but be warned that some of the items you are looking for are very small. I just hit the hint button when that happened.

The game came out in 2010. I feel like an archaeologist playing some of these for the very first time!

Purchased the game, " Committed: Mystery at Shady Pines " , and I tell you so well done put together very nicely Had a few scarey Moments , but I love games that are not timed - or cant be skipped ..... this one was a real get to know shady pines easily and save your daughter ....I enjoyed it was very Good alot of fun ...Fuego does great Games Thank yoiu

Leeana, I played Shady Pines in the last couple of years and I enjoyed it. I think it may be time for a replay as I don't remember much else about it. I am happy to hear that you liked the game.

I just finished The Cursed Island: Mask of Baragus which was quite a good game as well. I don't really have anything negative to say about it except that the game seemed to deteriorate in the editing/proofreading department as it progressed, and it really could have benefited from some help. However, this was not enough to ruin the game for me, as the rest of the game was very well put together.

Now I am starting to play Autumn's Treasures: The Jade Coin, which has fractured hidden objects. I'm liking it so far.

I just purchased Committed: Mystery at Shady Pines also but don't know when I'll get around to playing it. So good to know you enjoyed it Leeana. I've had it on my "to buy" list for a long time based on Marian's recommendation. I also just purchased a couple of HO games mentioned by Marian and Penny Lane recently.

Marian, you've been mentioning a good number of games lately that I do not have.

I recently finished Hidden Expedition: The Lost Paradise which was okay but not nearly as good as the one before it. I am currently playing Labyrinths of the World: Secrets of Easter Island but I don't really care much for this one. I'm probably about half way through it.

Marian Im going to try d The Cursed Island: Mask of Baragus or Autumn's Treasures: The Jade Coin who knows for now I have a Baby shower coming up ...where My sister will be 4th generation ... My nieces sons wife will be have her shower Saturday and will have baby on my Sisters Birthday of all days ((i Hope )( so, I will be busy between now and Monday will decide then ..... Oldbroad I think Frostlind will be out with her game soon as per mikael shes got things needed for another game cant wait You will like Mystery ASP it was great I must be honest I skipped 2 hard puzzles but hey I can say I liked the game Take care ladies keep gaming :happy:

Best wishes for the baby shower and for the baby and family, Leeana.

Oldbroad, I am playing some of my much older games in my Purchase History that have been neglected for far too long, so it's not really surprising that some of these titles are new to you. I don't know how long this trend will continue, but I am really enjoying finally getting around to some of these.

I have played The Lost Paradise as well as Easter Island. I remember liking both of them, but again, it's been too long since I played them to remember much detail.

I am playing another purchased game that I forgot about. Hidden Legends; The Queen Of Spades

Oh, Haunted Legends: Queen of Spades, correct? I have played that game twice so far!

Thanks Marian. I looked for Hidden Legends on BF but couldn't find that. I do, however, have Haunted Legends; just not played yet

Haunted Legends:The Queen Of Spades is on BF. In fact it is listed on their home page right now on the bottom of the page.

Thanks. I do already have the game

Well, I just finished Autumn's Treasures: The Jade Coin. Quite a nice retro game of its type, a FROG with some mini-games that are mostly quite easy. Voiceovers as well, which I was not expecting. The game keeps track of your time spent and mine was a little over five hours.

So, on to the next (undetermined as yet) oldie game in my Purchase History!

I finished Labyrinths: Easter Island last night. I can usually find something about a game that I like but really can't think of anything in this game. The story totally lost me very early on. Yes, I am bad with stories but this one really was nonsense to me. I didn't like most of the voice acting. I didn't like many of the puzzles. I used the guide for a couple but one I still couldn't figure out with the guide. I can honestly say that I think I skipped more puzzles in this one game alone than I've skipped in all other games combined. They just were not fun or interesting enough for me to put too much time into. And while I'm complaining, I've been very disillusioned with the guides when I use them lately. They mostly are hard to use - hard to figure out where I'm at, don't say much of anything helpful, and the pictures are so small I can't really see anything useful in them either.

Okay, done ranting!

I'm currently playing Fatal Evidence: The Missing. I'm probably one third through the game. It is nothing special but it is not irritating me anyway.

I'm happy to hear you enjoyed Autumn's Treasures, Marian. I've put it on my list to possibly purchase. Looking forward to hearing about the next one!

Glad Fatal Evidence isn't irritating you! You are making me want to play Easter Island again just to check out the puzzles, etc. Will do at some point.

My new game is Abyss: The Wraiths of Eden and I am loving it so far. Great old Artifex Mundi game that I am really enjoying. Why I never played it after it was released I have no idea, except that I was probably just too darn busy. It's lots of fun. I am reading it's a pretty long game, too. Unless something goes seriously wrong with the rest of the game, this one will come highly recommended.

I have actually played that game Marian. I have it from ShinyLoot and played it way back when I bought it. Though I can't remember anything actually about it, I'm sure I liked it. I've thought of re-purchasing it since I'm not sure about my ShinyLoot games anymore but have not done so as of yet. I'm pretty sure I have it installed on my Windows 7 computer. I don't replay casual games too often since I have so many that I never played and so many of them are the same as each other but I have actually thought of trying this one again. I'm glad you are having fun with it!

Well, I just finished Abyss: The Wraiths of Eden and enjoyed it very much.

Now I am starting the Shattered Minds: Masquerade CE.

I am playing Hidden Mysteries- Salem Secrets. A lot of HO scenes but some hard to see. I am mostly following the walkthrough.

I'm playing Dark Romance: Heart of the Beast which is enjoyable so far.

I've had Shattered Minds on my "to buy" list for awhile. I'll be interested to hear your thoughts on the game.

I do not have any of the Hidden Mysteries games.

Marlene, I was thinking about playing Salem Secrets one of these days. It's in my Purchase History.

Ob, I played Heart of the Beast in the last three years or so and I liked it.

I am also liking Shattered Minds: Masquerade so far. Will let you know more about it when I have gotten further into it.

Finished Heart of the Beast. The game seemed a little short which was okay with me. A good game, but I did like Vampire in Love a little better though.

Next up - Enchanted Kingdom: A Stranger's Venom.

I do recall Heart of the Beast not being all that long, but that was okay with me too.

I've played A Stranger's Venom. I believe that is the second game in the Enchanted Kingdom series. I liked it.

Just finished the main game of Shattered Minds: Masquerade. I thought it was an enjoyable game with puzzles that were fun but not overly difficult. On to the bonus game now.

Time to move the thread up again.

Finished A Stranger's Venom. I also liked it. So far, this seems to be a nice series.

I also played Secret City: The Sunken Kingdom, which was pretty good.

Next up - Mystery Tales: The Hangman Returns.

I am playing the Midnight Mysteries series. Midnight Mysteries: Witches of Abraham. What I like about them is I can skip the puzzles

I haven't played that Midnight Mysteries game yet, Marlene. I like all the ones that I have played so far.

I have played Secret City: The Sunken Kingdom but it was quite a while ago.

I just finished Immortal Love: True Treasures CE for the second time. It was almost like a new game. Before that, I played Samantha Swift and the Hidden Roses of Athena as well as the Spirit of Revenge: Unrecognized Master CE and the Labyrinths of the World: Eternal Winter CE. I had played Samantha Swift before, probably about 13 years ago.

Not sure what's up next, but I've been having a great time with all of these.

I have all the above mentioned games except Samantha Swift. Four of my Midnight Mysteries are on disc only. I've put them on my list to possibly purchase the downloads. I haven't tried the discs and used to love discs but downloading does seem so much easier these days. We'll see.

You've been quite busy Marian!

Yes, I have been busy with games - once it's around 9 a.m., it's too hot to do anything else! I get all my other stuff done from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m.

EDIT: I have locked this thread and have started a new one - Part Five of this discussion.