Hidden-Objects – Chickpea Chronicles

Edgar Allen Poe’s The Bells

Another hidden object game in the same week (I don’t learn, do I?) Especially when I’ve said it a thousand times on here how I’m not a big fan of hidden object games but sometimes you’re just in the mood for an easy point and click game to pass time, you know?

Well anyway, I heard the Dark Tales series are popular so I gave this one a shot especially when it’s an Edgar Allen Poe game. I knew it wasn’t going to be The Dark Eye material in any way (THIS Dark Eye in case it skipped your radar; a fantastic classic Edgar Allen Poe game back in the 90s). I figured at least we might get a fun twist of Poe’s poem. I even read it before playing it to be prepared; it really made no difference.

Story wise, I suppose the plot is slightly more interesting-ISH than the average H.O. game. The plot has a couple of twists, though predictable. There were also a few hysterically funny moments like the punching scenes, although now that I think about it I’m pretty sure they weren’t meant to be funny.

The way you find and collect your items inventory also resembles a hidden object game in a way, which is a nice change. The mini puzzles; however, were laughably easy except for the final puzzle which I spent a really long time trying to solve. It wasn’t even that difficult but required a reset which didn’t occur to me. I guess in puzzle games the RESET button is the equivalent of kicking a vending machine when it swallows your coins and nothing comes out. I need to make a mental note of that.

Is it worth playing? Maybe. If you like hidden object games, then you might enjoy this one. The graphics are nice, there’s that. And while it’s considered a short game, they do give you extra content upon completion (which I’m afraid I didn’t bother to try). That says everything I guess.

My final score is 2/5 ★★

2/5 for gameplay
3/5 for design
2/5 for Puzzles
1/5 for plot
Game Platform (played on): Steam.
Game Link | Click Here

Poisonous Promises | Review

Poisonous Promises is part of the Family Mysteries series, developed by Brave Giant and published by Artifax Mundi. It’s a hidden objects game that centers on Emma– a detective who tries to unravel the mystery behind several incidents where survivors show up with traces of poison on them. And much like many of the Family Mysteries series, the incidents involve several people/suspects and their connections to each other.

Steam did a fantastic job in writing up the game description. Sadly I didn’t really find enough “oozing coolness” to keep me entertained. It’s a straight forward hidden object game with a few mini games on the side. The graphics are nice. They also focused a lot on technology, which I suppose is a cool feature. You can use your mobile phone as a flash light (which never occurs to other games), collect data and inspect evidence.

The game is very short but once you’re done they give you a bonus chapter, which I thought was great– only it didn’t really add much to the original story.

Not worth the full price for a PC/Mac unless you’re getting it cheaper on the iOS.

My final score is 2/5 ★★

2/5 for gameplay
3/5 for design
3/5 for Puzzles
1/5 for plot
Game Platform (played on): Mac (Apple App Store).

Red Crow Mysteries: Legion

Red Crow Mysteries: Legion is a mystery hidden-object game by Cateia Games. I finished the game today and frankly I still don’t know what the game is about. I do expect some of these hidden-object/mystery games not to take their plots seriously but this one is on a completely different league of its own. The narrative is so rushed, you forget what’s going on. It tries to deliver a serious tone and then it turns slang.

Its navigation system is probably the worst of its kind. Instead of simply giving you an arrow to indicate backtracking, it shows you weird symbol of footprints that has to be triggered clicking on a specific angle on the screen otherwise it won’t work. It’s also hard figuring out what’s clickable and what isn’t. Usually that’s intended to make a game difficult, but in this one it’s beyond workable. I had to switch to Easy mode to see hint sparks on my screen to figure out what I need to click. There are also several glitches in the game that made solving some of the puzzles a total nuisance. Also did I mention how much I really hate games with inventories that hide their inventories?

Putting aside all of the bad, the thing I DID like about this game is the difficulty of the puzzles. The hidden objects are kept to a minimum and more than half the puzzles in the game actually demand thinking. That came as a surprise. Although a couple were repetitive, I didn’t mind that. I think the puzzles alone were what kept me motivated to play.

As for the ending, it’s safe to say it’s laughable and there’s going to be a sequel.

Would I recommend the game? Probably not. There are plenty of games out there far better. I’m giving it 3 stars though because I actually stuck with it and it kept me company when I’m not feeling well.

My final score is 3/5 ★★★

2/5 for gameplay
1/5 for plot
3/5 for puzzles & exploration
2/5 for overall experience

Game Platform (played on): Mac.

Game link

Game trailer

True Fear: Forsaken Souls I

This game is part one of a trilogy, two of which are released and the third still in development.

The game begins with the lead character Holly receiving a letter from her sister, whom she hasn’t seen in ten years. The letter informs Holly to visit a house in order to unravel the truth about their family. Shocked and elated at the same time, Holly makes her way immediately to the given location and begins following the leads.

The game is described as a hidden-object with mini games. The puzzles are not traditional hidden-object and the game tries hard to be inventive but perhaps a little too innovative, at least to my taste. I didn’t find a logical pattern to the hidden objects and overall they felt flat to me. Thankfully, the developers opted out of hidden objects all together in the second part of the trilogy.

I think what stood out the most to me was the story itself. Often a garden-variety of these games lack depth and the plots feel rushed. In fact, many people I know just skip through the scene sequences to get to the puzzles. In this game; however, the story is engaging. Without saying too much, there are many aspects of the game’s playability that make the narration of the story interesting.

The atmosphere of the game is spooky with a few jump scares here and there but not more than that. The music, by far, is what keeps you on your toes. And it just happens to be that this game is one of the first games I got to play testing my new gaming surround system. Let’s just say I kept my volume at the lowest at all times!

Overall the game is decent and memorable. I heard the sequel is good so looking forward to playing that next. One thing that I absolutely hated, though, was the navigational system. Clicking to maneuver out of places can easily unlock your inventory display by mistake, which happened A LOT. It made moving around a total nuisance to be honest. I’m one of those people that prefer keeping my inventory opened at all times so having it unlock every couple of minutes was seriously annoying. Hopefully they got that sorted out in the sequel.

My final score is 3/5 ★★★

1/5 for gameplay
3/5 for plot
2.5/5 for puzzles & exploration
3/5 for overall experience

Game Platform (played on): PC, Steam

Game link

Game trailer

Review: Bonfire Stories

It’s been a while since I played a Big Fish Game but when I saw the game Bonfire Stories: The Faceless Gravedigger selling for $2 I thought why not. Upon logging in though the price changed to $6. It seems the promotion is only valid for new subscribers.

I’m assuming the game is part of a Bonfire Stories hidden game series. One thing about me is that I’m not a huge fan of hidden object games. I prefer mini-games over hidden objects but every now and then I get in the mood to play one when I don’t want to think too much.

The story is about a group of friends who decide to camp in the forest of Quiet Grove. At night, they gather around a bonfire and tell each other spooky stories. One of the gang members tells the story of the faceless gravedigger and that’s when your game launches. As usual you’re either a journalist or a cop trying to follow the lead of a mysterious phenomenon and in this one- you probably guessed it- is a faceless cult of gravediggers.

The story is a little cheesy not to mention the transition of cutscenes can be rushed and laughable but the graphics look ok. In some parts like the Cinema & Reception the design is nostalgic and 60s style which I’m a sucker for. They tried to be inventive with the hidden object games which was nice so there’s a bit of variety. One that stood out for me was an audio-based hidden object which frankly I haven’t seen done before. A conversation takes place and you have to find the items spoken.

Aside from that item manipulation- which I usually enjoy- was average. In the beginning it was okay but eventually I noticed they make you find the same items, not sure why. You can combine the items but everything is very straightforward. There’s also no journal to refer to- only a map and a task list, which is very odd. The funny thing is that I hardly ever use the notebooks/journals in adventure hidden object games but in this one they wanted you to remember certain code combinations. In some mini games, as is customary, they’ll let you see the code clue you find side by side with the mini game, but in others you have to depend on your memory. Which is fine but with these games it’s something unexpected as the majority of the game is easy and doesn’t demand jotting anything down or trying to remember. When I clicked on the information button it laughably said “it’s the same code and letters you heard so many times in the game”. I guess the game designer was bored that day.

The mini games were fine. In fact, some of them actually made me think for a change. They weren’t exceptionally difficult but they weren’t that easy either. Overall the game lasted for about 2 hours, which is not very long but for the promotional $2 they’re offering (provided you’re a new subscriber) I think it’s fair.

I’m sure it’s even cheaper (if not free) for the iPad and iPhone. Would I play it again? Definitely not. Would I recommend it? Probably not but possibly, if I stumbled on it and someone happened to ask me about a game at that very moment in need of something laid-back to play to waste time- I might.

My final score is 3/5 ★★★

2/5 for gameplay
2/5 for plot
3/5 for puzzles & exploration
3/5 for overall experience

Game Platform (played on): MAC, Big Fish Games

Game link

Game trailer

Note: The link provided here is for the Collector’s Edition which is $13- Couldn’t find the standard Not sure why they have so many different prices for the same game. Aside from the collector’s edition which is usually pricier there’s also $6 and $9 and the $2 promotion. I definitely don’t think this is worth $13.