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Post by jimanddelora on Oct 30, 2021 18:47:28 GMT
So just going thru my old games again and just finished EleFun's game Fear for Sale, Nightmare Cinema CE from 2013, well I purchased it in 2013, and it was really fun and the ho scenes were so much better, it had collectables and beyond objects(morph's) at every scene and every ho scene had a morph as well. even when repeated. I really miss the quality we used to get as I am sure you all do, but in case you were looking for something to play I recommend it, I am going back into my games and going to check out the other old Fear for sale games, good day to all! Delora
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pennmom
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Post by pennmom on Oct 31, 2021 15:39:04 GMT
jimanddelora, One of my favorites is Forbidden Secrets: Alien Town. Lake House: Children of Silence, Abandoned: Chestnut Lodge Asylum, Twisted Lands, Stray Souls are awesome too but as far as storylines go, NONE COMPARE to my #1 favorite. the original Phantasmat by Codeminion
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Jo
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Post by Jo on May 15, 2022 22:14:04 GMT
I was sorting through the various threads to see if we already had one dedicated to old game replays. And, ta da, we do and this is it. It seems especially appropriate now that we all feeling the drought at BF. Not too much exciting going on there right now.
pennmom, mentioned Phantasmat and Codeminion so I decided to look them up and found this: 
We should add Phantasmat to our possible group play games. Apparently Codeminion only did the first one and then Epix mostly took over. The first really successful game from Codeminion was Ancient Quest of Saqqarah which I didn't remember at all, probably because I rarely play Match3 games. But it got great reviews including one by SynthpopAddict.
jimanddelora makes some good recommendations in her post above, too.
I don't have any recommendations right now because I've just played a few minutes of Lost in the City lately. I'm trying to figure out how Elephant Games went from a completely unique, dystopian and surrealistic game to apple-cheeked rosiness that followed in terms of graphics style.
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pennmom
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Post by pennmom on May 16, 2022 1:57:39 GMT
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Post by SynthpopAddict on May 16, 2022 13:47:23 GMT
Ah, Codeminion. Those were the days when you could get expansion packs for Ancient Quest of Saqqarah and I'd bought 2 of the 3, but lost my hard drive many years ago on an old PC and never got the packs back, of course, which now you can't anymore... 
Games which I regularly replay are assorted DragonScales games, Luxor Evolved, and assorted Jewel Match games when I can find the time to get through those huge games. The one game I wish I could get is the Platinum edition of Jewel Quest: The Sleepless Star to play in my personal challenge mode, but it looks like only GameHouse has it and I don't want to pay $10.99/month to play one game which I already have in SE version and 15 years old to boot.
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Jo
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Post by Jo on May 16, 2022 14:49:35 GMT
My favorite solitaire game is Super Gamehouse Solitaire. It has three volumes and I like #1 best because it has Addiction Solitaire. I bought it years ago at Shockwave (does anyone remember that site). It wouldn't work so I bought volume one at Gamehouse for my Win7. It works fine on Win10, too. It's my go-to distraction when I have to think about some RL problem. I've played it so much that I go on autopilot and can use most of my brain to problem solve.
I had several other casual games that I mostly can't remember the names. A good basic mahjong, Zuma, a game that had fairies and wizards where you had to put in the jewels to make the water/fire/air flow. Ozzy Bubbles, Super Cow, Alex Gordon, a match 3 that was set in Egypt. I was obsessed with Super Granny for a while. Oh, the list goes on! I enjoyed them but could never find a suitable replacement when they wouldn't work on an upgraded computer.
I think I need to change the name of this thread because we're just not talking about BF games. I'll see if I can contact the OP for permission.
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Post by good2bqueen on May 16, 2022 17:57:44 GMT
Two that come to mind without research are Dawn of Hope: Skyline Adventure and Where Angels Cry. I've played them both several times. I remember them as having the atmosphere to really put you in the game.
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Jo
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Post by Jo on May 20, 2022 2:22:39 GMT
Just finished playing Lost in the City by Elephant Games that was released on March 14, 2009 at Big Fish. I'm using a Steam Review Template because I just wanted to try it and it gives me structure because I don't normally write reviews. This game has a hint/skip button and a magnifier which you will use in every scene because the objects are teeny-tiny little bitty specks without it. Don't play this game on your phone! The game save at the start of a chapter so finish a chapter before you shut 'er down or you'll have to repeat the whole chapter. There are 40 chapters, all pretty short. Graphics - You forget what reality is
- Beautiful
- Good
- Decent
- Bad
- Don‘t look too long at it
- MS-DOS
Lost in the City is very close to monochromatic and each scene is static. This might be off putting to some but I thought it fit the story perfectly. It is gloomy and depressive but completely appropriate. I found myself fully immersed in the story and that wouldn't have happened without the graphics it had.
Gameplay - Very good
- Good
- It's just gameplay
- Mehh
- Mehh
- Just don't
This game consists primarily of finding objects within the game environment. There are no separate hidden object scenes. It had a repeating lock picking puzzle where you had to turn the rings to line up that became progressively harder as the game went on. I got bored with this puzzle after about six of them and hit "Skip" thereafter.
Another repeating puzzle was one where you had to connect all the pieces to get a vision.
Other puzzles were anagrams, simple jigsaws, figuring out passwords and codes with hints from clues or dialogue. Some were very easy and others took some thinking.
Audio - Eargasm
- Very good
- Good
- Not too bad
- Bad
- I'm now deaf
There are no voice overs in this game. All dialogue and diary entries are written. The music plays on a loop which usually drives me crazy. I lowered the volume significantly but I thought it was fitting for the subject matter and it did not annoy me at all. I didn't hum along but it did set the appropriate mood.
Audience - Kids
- Teens
- Adults
- Grandma That would be me!
PC Requirements- Check if you can run paint
- Potato
- Decent
- Fast
- Rich boi
- Ask NASA if they have a spare computer
Run smoothly on my Win10 computer with no hiccups, burps or glitches. The system requirements are Win 7 or later so I think it will run on anything.
Difficulty - Just press 'W'
- Easy
- Easy to learn / Hard to master
- Significant brain usage
- Difficult
- Dark Souls
I thought this was at an above average difficulty level for a casual game. It did not hold your hand and I had to actually think about most of the puzzles.
Grind - Nothing to grind
- Only if u care about leaderboards/ranks
- Isn't necessary to progress
- Average grind level
- Too much grind
- You'll need a second life for grinding
There are a few timed puzzles in the game, like deciding who you should shoot, but they were fairly easy and if you ran out of time "Game Over" popped up with an immediate option to try again. There is one timed puzzle at the end that I had to play several times to beat because it had 10 responses. But they didn't change with each try so it was pretty easy to map the solution.
Story - No Story
- Some lore
- Average
- Good
- Lovely
- It'll replace your life
I thought the story was pretty compelling and it kept me interested from start to finish. Was it ground breaking? Nah! Was it well told? Yup! You can read the story summary at BF.
Game Time - Long enough for a cup of coffee
- Short
- Average
- Long for a casual game
- To infinity and beyond
It took me about 8 hours more or less to complete.
Price - It's free!
- Worth the price
- If it's on sale
- If u have some spare money left
- Not recommended
- You could also just burn your money
It's an SE so it costs $6.99 at BF. Well worth the price but everything is better on sale.
Bugs - Never heard of
- Minor bugs
- Can get annoying
- ARK: Survival Evolved
- The game itself is a big terrarium for bugs
Nothing untoward at all. Zip, ziltch, nada for the bugs.
? / 10 Recommend? Conclusion: I am amazed that this is an Elephant Games game. It is innovative, creative and interesting and breaks all the rules for a casual, hidden object game. It really is much more an adventure game and could hold its own with many of the current indies. I just enjoyed the heck out of it. It's lucky for me that I played it so long ago that I didn't remember much. I highly recommend this game.
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Jo
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Post by Jo on May 22, 2022 21:32:10 GMT
Well, I started playing Lost in the City: Post Scriptum by Elephant Games which was released on August 27, 2010 at BF. I lasted about a half hour because they changed the format. I only played two scenes and had four (4) hidden object scenes.
In the previous game, the player had to hunt for inventory items in various places in each scene. There were no formal and separate hidden object scenes. Every item you found was used in some way that advanced the game whether it was a clue on paper or an actual object like a knife. In the first game, you had a magnifier that covered about 1/8th of the page. In this game, you have a magnifying glass that only covers a small circle. You need it in the HOS because the object are still quite small. Now I am an old adventure gamer so hunting for inventory objects is second nature to me and I had no disinclination to do that. Hunting for useless items that do nothing to advance the plot is tedious as always. In the original game, there is a lot of written dialogue and interaction with the protagonist. In Post Scriptum, not so much which took away a lot of the charm of the first game for me. I enjoyed feeling like I was privy to the hero's thoughts and I don't mind reading. The first game was full of puzzles. The second one only offered a couple of puzzles in the half hour I played although the safe code did take a little thinking.
Conclusion: I'm not sure I'll ever get back to this game to finish it.
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Jo
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Post by Jo on May 23, 2022 17:44:54 GMT
I decided to download and try Diamon Jones: Amulet of the World released May 12 , 2009 at BF. I already own it. I remember this and I loved it. I had to update Direct X which is not unusual with older games. I watched the intro cut scene and played for about 10 minutes. It works just fine on my Win10. This is a fully voice adventure game and it's funny as heck. Diamon Jones is a reprobate par excellence and a smart a** on top of that. One of the Diamon Jones games had the best Hanoi puzzle I've ever seen but I can't remember which one. I do remember laughing a lot at Diamon's exploits and attempts at bending the rules to get what he wanted.
I will vote two thumbs up and borrow an extra thumb from the neighbor on this one.
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pennmom
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Post by pennmom on May 23, 2022 18:55:43 GMT
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Jo
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Post by Jo on Mar 2, 2023 20:29:35 GMT
I think I finally completed a replay of the whole 5BN catalog unless I somehow missed one from when they were part of Alawar. This is my favorite HOPA developer.
Lost Lands Game Series
- Dark Overlord
- The Four Horsemen
- The Golden Curse
- The Wanderer
- Ice Spell
- Mistakes of the Past
- Redemption
- Sand Captivity
Darkness and Flame Series
- Born of Fire
- Missing Memories
- The Dark Side
- Enemy in Reflection
Legendary Tales Series
House of 1000 Doors Series - Family Secrets
- The Palm of Zoroaster
- Serpent Flame
- Evil Inside
The Legacy Series
- Forgotten Gates
- Prisoner
- The Tree of Might
Sacra Terra Games Series
- Sacra Terra: Angelic Night
- Sacra Terra: Kiss of Death
Forbidden Secrets: Alien Town
I have to say, the older the game the more I enjoyed it and, although I enjoyed them all a lot, I think I prefer the ones made under Alawar supervision more than the ones with Big Fish influence. I really did enjoy Forbidden Secrets and the Sacra Terra games.
I think now I'm going to replay some MCF games because I've never replayed most of them since they came out. I need to refresh my memory a little .
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pennmom
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Post by pennmom on Mar 3, 2023 13:38:33 GMT
Jo , What about New York Mysteries! Don't forget about Laura & Bishop! Five-BN Games available: Legendary Tales, New York Mysteries, The Legacy, Darkness and Flame, Lost Lands, Lost Island: Eternal Storm, House of 1000 Doors, Eternal Journey: New Atlantis, Sacra Terra, Forbidden Secrets: Alien Town, The Treasures of Mystery Island, Mystic Saga, Lost Island Mahjong Adventures, Mystic Journey: Tri-Peaks Solitaire, Clover Tale, The Magic Valley, Vampires Vs Zombies, Path To Success, Settlement Colossus, Sprill and Ritchie: Adventures in Time, Sprill: The Mystery of the Bermuda Triangle, Huru Beach Party, Masyana Beach Party Craze, Pet Show Craze, Beach Party Craze, Road of Mahjong. They also have a free to play Lost Lands on Steam
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Jo
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Post by Jo on Mar 3, 2023 14:35:58 GMT
Jo , What about New York Mysteries! Don't forget about Laura & Bishop! Oh, I did play all of the New York Mysteries first but I didn't put them on my list. They convinced me to replay all the rest. I was a big fan of Warehouse 13, the tv series, and NY Mysteries is a little like that show including Bishop looking like Mrs. Frederic in the first game which is still my favorite of the series.
Now as to the others, some are genres in which I am just not interested like TMs and M3s. A couple of others I didn't even realize were by 5BN like Sprill and Ritchie and Plants vs Zombies. I didn't buy Lost Island: Eternal Storm at release because it's my least favorite kind of HOG. I've downloaded Eternal Journey: New Atlantis, The Treasures of Mystery Island and Sprill and Ritchie: Adventures in Time because I own them and what the heck - I'll give them a try again. I'm not sure Sprill and Ritchie (2009) will work.
I should have looked at your list first. After all, that's what it's there for.  , pennmom, for keeping me on my toes and for giving us such a great resource.
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Post by lisabella on Mar 3, 2023 16:12:44 GMT
I'm about to replay Darkness & Flame in hopes that it will invoke another game. LOL
I just finished my replay of both Lost Lands and Legendary Tales! I have the demo for the first The Legacy game waiting for me.
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pennmom
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Post by pennmom on Mar 3, 2023 18:49:53 GMT
I'm about to replay Darkness & Flame in hopes that it will invoke another game.  I just finished my replay of both Lost Lands and Legendary Tales! I have the demo for the first The Legacy game waiting for me. suspiciously starts whistling  |
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Post by lisabella on Mar 3, 2023 18:56:53 GMT
I'm about to replay Darkness & Flame in hopes that it will invoke another game. I just finished my replay of both Lost Lands and Legendary Tales! I have the demo for the first The Legacy game waiting for me. suspiciously starts whistling suspiciously stares at pennmom |
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pennmom
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Post by pennmom on Mar 3, 2023 18:59:33 GMT
lisabella, pennmom stops whistling and flushes with paranoia....they're getting suspicious
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Jo
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Post by Jo on Jul 8, 2023 0:45:16 GMT
This morning, pennmom and joybelle were talking about a couple of old TM games. Specifically Finders and FishCo. I didn't remember either game so I looked up Finders at BF and found this: I wondered what the heck Top Secret Finders was so I clicked on it. It's a HOPA with a 4.1 stars rating by Vendel Games. And, much to my surprise or not, I already own it. It must have been released in 2012 because I bought it on May 19, 2012.
I've played about 1 1/2 hours and have to say that this is a little gem of a game. It's FMV (full-motion video) with real human actors and very good voice acting. The music is cinematic - moody and dark in keeping with the story. The graphics are grungy, dirty and depressing perfectly in sync with the dystopian world. I don't need a pretty game to be happy. It may have ghosts but, then again, they may be people caught in a time warp. I'm not sure yet. The protagonist does opens a time warp, rather than a portal, but can't go through it because the radiation is too strong. There's a time travel machine, a deranged scientist and a couple of kids who are in love. It has way too many hidden object scenes for me but they're easy and go fast. The puzzles have been interesting with one quite difficult, for me, swap the double sided tiles to make a picture puzzle. It has no collectables or morphing objects. It plays with no problems on Win10.
I'm not going to recommend that anyone buy this game. But if you already own it and haven't played it since 2012, dust it off and give it a try. I'm having a great time with it because I don't remember a thing about it. Whether this is forgetfulness or something more sinister, everything old is new again works for me.
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pennmom
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Post by pennmom on Jul 8, 2023 2:07:51 GMT
Jo , our very own charlene reviewed this game REVIEW FROM COMPLETED GAME This sort of game is right up my street and I loved every minute of it. There is: * Casual and Advanced modes of play; * Voiceovers; * Journal/map; * Use the hint and it will take you to wherever you need to go. The graphics are sort of muddy with plenty of gray and brown but it is very clear to see everything. Its not too dark and there is colour splashed around. Sound and music are very good. Music is orchestral. The hidden object games are slightly interactive and a lot of fun. These are not too hard to do as items can be seen clearly and you don't spend too much time on them. There are a lot of them though, but honestly I was having so much fun that I really didn't notice when playing them. The mini-games have a very good challenge and I played every single one without skipping. Some of these took a long while to do. They are not too hard or frustrating, but some do take a while to get in the right order or to think about. However, you can skip them if you feel inclined. There are a lot of mini-games to play and there is a good selection of them. The story line was good and easy to follow. The ending finished satisfactorily with all loose ends tied up BUT I WANTED TO CARRY ON PLAYING as I was having such a good time. All up the game took me about 10 hours to play. I'm not a fast player and the mini-games certainly took a while to do. The developers hit the target on this game. It is everything you want in a game - good graphics, great HOS and mini-games and a story line that you can follow. Definitely worth putting in your collection. Happy playing fishies.
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