Lost Souls: Enchanted Paintings Collector’s Edition Review
Lost Souls: Enchanted Paintings Collector’s Edition is a Mac hidden object adventure game. Like so many other games of this genre it begins with an eerie story of abduction. It is full of puzzles, hidden object games and different scenes to search.
Bella and her son receive a mysterious package on their front doorstep. It turns out to be a painting and her son wants to hang it in his room. In the middle of the night Bella hears her son call out and she rushes to find him gone from his bed and the painting changed to her son’s image. Spooky, right? Months go by with no 
clues or leads from the police or FBI to the whereabouts of her son. In desperation Bella consults a fortuneteller to help her. This leads her in wild searches in another dimension where she sees her son’s painting break into many pieces and the pieces are spread out in different worlds. She discovers strange and enchanting lands where she is commissioned to help the residents of the area. You start in Chapter 1, Frozen World where everything is covered with ice and snow from a blizzard created by the wicked wizard, Ethiel. According to an old gentleman, their land gets colder and colder each passing day. If she can help revive the magic flame, they will help Bella look for her son. Along her journey Bella will be helping others with different tasks.
Move your cursor across the scenes and when your cursor changes to a hand, pick up the item. A magnifying glass will bring you a larger view and stars will open a hidden object game. There are puzzles where you must get inventory items in order to complete like finding keys in order for you to enter locked areas or things. This game is a little different from other games because it does not have navigation arrows to lead you to other areas. You must go to the map and click on other places to travel. This game will tell you when you need to go to the map and go to a different site. The map will also show you with a green checkmark when that area is completed and you do not have to go back there.
Even though the thought about having your only son abducted in a mystical and unusual way, this tale is not spooky, the mother is not frantic and the search through the lands is not scary. So in each land you will need to complete a main task like stop the blizzard or get water, and within the land you may need to help others with minor tasks like finding someone’s heirloom watch. The puzzles are not difficult but are fun to do like mixing paint and painting objects, weighing gems with an old fashion scale. The HOGs are in 2 forms: list of items written at the bottom of the screen or a row of pictures to find in the scene.
The search for Bella’s son is more light-hearted than scary. There are beautifully drawn scenes and quirky characters to enjoy. The scenes are not the dark and gloomy areas difficult to see and search, but they are bright and almost cheery like the snowman scene or the room with the telescope. The HOGs and puzzles are easy
to do and not very challenging. More than likely you will not need to use the hint, skip or in-game strategy guide but they are there if you need them. The game is entertaining if not challenging. It will be good for kids and those new to this type of game. Expert mode is not timed or hard, but experienced gamers might enjoy the game play as well. I give this game a 3.0 out of 5 for a solid, pleasant game. Find all the gold coins.
Features of Lost Souls: Enchanted Paintings Collector’s Edition:
-Interesting Tale
-Adventure, Hidden Object and Mini Puzzles
- Collector’s Edition: In-game Strategy Guide, wallpapers, Screen Savers, Bonus Game
Rating: 
Hidden Wonders of the Depths 3: Atlantis Adventures Review
The third one is the charm, right? Well, in Hidden Wonders of the Depths 3: Atlantis Adventures it is. Even though it is much like Hidden 
Wonders 1 and 2 in the match 3 play, the timed game is very much a challenge. There are many differences in this latest match 3 version. The colors are more intense and vibrant, more hidden object games and less memory games. The music not as intense as before but it is appropriate to the play. The crab is still its sassy and impatient self, losing none of its funny personality.
The premise of this game is that you can resurrect Atlantis destroyed many centuries ago to its former glory by making matches to earn money, bonuses and upgrades. With the money you earn you can purchase buildings, statues and more to beautify the once grandiose city.
Bonuses will get you fish, coral and other items to enhance the scene.
The match 3 is the main play still in Hidden Wonders of the Depths 3 with playful board designs and related icons. You swap 2 tiles to make a match of 3 or more similar items either vertically or horizontally. In addition you must make matches in front of the crab so he travels to the treasure chest. Also there are colored tiles you must make matches over to destroy before the level can be completed. I got the crab to the chest easily but the level did not end because I had missed one tile in a corner. If you should lose a level, you have 4 more lives in the timed mode and you can get more lives by playing the mini games.
There are fun bonuses and upgrades to help you along on your journey. Some will need a few levels to complete your upgrade tools. You’ll see them on the right side of the screen. The powerups are on the left side. There are many blocks that will need to be cleared with your upgrades to pass barriers. The blocks can be stone, vines and other things to block your passage. The crab himself is a block because you can’t move him to make a match.
Between match levels there are many mini games related to the story. The hidden object scenes will take you to undersea places where you 
will look for items. There is a beautiful mosaic puzzle you must return to its original design. Other games are the blank board with very few objects scattered around and the match by collapsing your objects game.
The rebuilding of Atlantis is a game in itself. You need to make enough money from your match games to buy different beautiful buildings and statues for your city. Remember you can only purchase one building a day. With each improvement you will win a reward like coral. To see your city any time click on the eye icon at the bottom left.
Many of these things are familiar and may be too easy for you, but it’s still fun to do and try out. The main play is very similar to the first 2 games, but the developers listened to your suggestions and improved on many aspects. The artwork is more vibrant and colorful from the first game. I checked it out. The music is slightly different and more calming. If you want a challenge, play it timed to meet your difficulty demands. If you liked the first 2 games, you’ll like this third improved version. Try it out and see what you think.
Features of Hidden Wonders of the Depths 3: Atlantis Adventures:
-Improved Match 3 Levels
-Rebuild Atlantis
-Lots of Mini Games
Rating: 
Profiler: The Hopscotch Killer Review
What could be worse than being female, young and African American starting your first day on the job on the New York Police Department in 1974? Probably not much but Jane Smith is feisty enough to make a go of it in Mac Hidden Object Adventure Profiler: The Hopscotch Killer.
Her first day is not a great success when she finds out that her fellow workers are not happy she is there and her grumpy trainer (she is replacing him) wants nothing to go wrong before he retires. After cleaning up the office, her first case involves a grisly murder of a homeless man. The hidden object game has the items you need to find at the bottom of the screen. Once you find and click on an object, it will scroll to the left and supply you with more things to find. Sometimes you will look for multiple of items designated by how many and an X. Remember to expand the scene (left and right or up and down) for more items hidden from your view. Most of the objects are easily found but if you need help, use the clue button at the bottom left of the screen. On the button will be the number of clues left for you to use. However, don’t worry about running out of clues because right after you use a clue, there will be a star in the scene for you to get another clue in the standard 
game. If you are playing the timed version, then you’ll get extra time for finding the star. There are only 2 modes of play to this game: Standard (untimed) or Timed for more of a challenge. The tabs to the left will help you remember your tasks for the level, zoom in on a scene, pause and the inventory case at the top. After finishing the standard HOGs (including some outlined items), you’ll be asked the cause of death.
In between the HOGs you find puzzles to solve like jigsaws, match 3s, Rush Hour, and more of your familiar mini games. The jigsaw has tabs on the right side to maneuver the pieces in different directions. You can skip any game by waiting for the button to recharge.
Profiler: The Hopscotch Killer is a retro game set in the 70’s. Going from one murder to another you find a pattern and Jane discovers there’s more to it than meets
the eye. The game is your standard HOGs filled with puzzles for answers and clues to the murders, but it really didn’t spark my interest in the stories or the characters. The game actually suggests you brighten your screen all the way to be able to find objects. The scenes are dark and some items are hard to find due to that fact. The constant sound effects get annoying after a while but the music when present is eerie and appropriate. Jane, although smarter than her predeccesor, could have been a lot more sassy but is content to follow meekly an almost comical Deck to solve cases. Donuts anyone?
Features of Profiler: The Hopscotch Killer:
-1974 Story of a Serial Killer
-Hidden Object and Mini Games
-Dark, Grisly Scenes, Sound Effects and Eerie Music
Rating:
Mr Jone’s Graveyard Shift Review
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to run and manage a cemetery? In Mr. Jone’s Graveyard Shift you can tackle the answers to your conundrum by sim time management playing in the graveyard. You’ll discover what happens after the sun sets and how to handle those ghostly dilemmas.
Mr. Jone’s Graveyard Shift is a different kind of sim play from Youda Marina or even County Fair. First of all you have a very involved tale of Kranky who retires to an idyllic forested area to spend his final days with his faithful dog. Kranky becomes very cranky and lonely in his little house in the woods and calls his lady friend Mimi. Luck will have it, and she wants him to come down to her tropical paradise, but he needs to bring a few items. Unfortunately, Mimi wants a lot of things that cost plenty of money that Kranky does not have. In order to 
meet her needs Kranky must work to earn money. He stumbles on a scheme to turn his land into a cemetery to make the money, because, let’s face it, he’s old and no one is going to hire him. I guess he’s never heard of age discrimination.
The cemetery play is very similar to your usual sim play where you click on the customer to find out what he/she wants and then you go about preparing the plot to their specifications. In order to keep your supplies handy, you must buy from Mr. Bingo who delivers headstones, fountains, flowers and trees for the gravesite. You have different types of clients with different price ranges, likes and dislikes that you have to satisfy as quickly as possible. You must keep your customers happy in order to increase your reputation so you get more clients and make more money. You do this by providing the types of flowers that the deceased enjoyed while on this earth and decorating the gravesite with the best headstone they can afford.
In addition to all that, you must avoid the scary part of living on cemetery land. You have to sidestep the ghouls, zombies and ghosts who 
frequent the gravesite at night. You can avoid these pitfalls if you go home to bed, but sometimes you have to work the graveyard shift to meet your timelines. What’s even scarier is Mimi when you do not make enough money to purchase all her wants.
I think the tutorial is very good and the play interesting and funny. The character reminds me of the cartoon Courage the Cowardly Dog except the dog has a minor role in this game. It has the same dark, acerbic comical humor especially when the dead body plops into the grave you just dug. This game may not be for everyone because of the theme, but it is a good Mac sim game with many features you must deal with in the scope of the play, and it’s funny on top of it.
Features of Mr. Jone’s Graveyard Shift:
-Build Cemetery Empire
-Battle Ghouls and Zombies
-Collect Crystals
Rating:
Frankenstein: The Dismembered Bride Review
I was ready to be scared or at least a little spooked in Mac Hidden Object Adventure Frankenstein: The Dismembered Bride. However this game is more campy than bone chilling. There are a few creepy scenes but mostly it is a straightforward hidden object game with mini puzzles to solve.
The story is about Brad who is looking for Janet, his fiancée, who disappeared suddenly on one of his work related trips to Europe several months ago. He waits this long to go searching for her? His car breaks down in Bavaria in front of a manor. Lucky for him this is the very castle he was looking for even though he doesn’t know it. Here begins your adventure trying to enter this estate. Screams from within the establishment prompt Brad to enter quickly and find out the source of the terrifying noise. I don’t know if Brad is brave or not but he manages to find his beloved, but unfortunately, she is in many pieces and only her brain can communicate with Brad. Are you frightened yet? When Brad is feeling something like love, irritation and other emotions, you see it above his head as hearts (when he sees his favorite wine) or lightning when he is frustrated. I guess this is suppose to be 
funny, but I’m shooting lightning rods out of my head playing this game. Let’s get past this and go on to the games.
The hidden object play is the one similar to one I recently played Profiler: The Hopscotch Killer and Bonnie and Clyde. The objects scroll across the bottom of the screen. You may have to find multiples of the objects. In other HOGs you may just get pictures of what you need to find like in the topiary garden. Some of the scenes will need to be expanded by clicking near the edge to see a little more and find objects out of your initial view. There are other times when you need to clear an area to see things. Brambles are plentiful in and around this manor. You may also have to click on spider webs to clear a room. If you are having a problem finding an object, use the hint button to help you. When solving mini games, the skip button becomes available after 3 long minutes. There are 2 modes of play in this game. The Standard mode is not timed and the Timed mode is. Since the scenes tend to be dark and the game does tell you to brighten your screen as much as possible, you will not be able to see all the objects you are looking for. I click in dark areas knowing I’ll come across something hidden in the recesses. However, this is not fun. You get only a set amount of hints but you can look for the stars in the scenes and get more clues or if you are playing the timed, you will get extra time.
The rest of the game is looking for Janet’s body parts throughout the castle and garden and solving mini games like finding keys to use to get into locked areas or 
looking for gold teeth (really?) that Dr. Frankenstein lost when he slipped on Janet’s brain and died. What?
This story is like pulling teeth (groan). It did not hold my interest, it was very hokey, standard and familiar mini games, dark areas to search, and no voice acting (thank goodness). Like their other games the artwork is good, music minimal with lots of sound effects. For all of the above, I give it a 2.5 out of 5. Try it for yourself and see if you like it.
Features of Frankenstein: The Dismembered Bride:
-Crazy Story
-Lots of Hidden Objects and Mini Games
-Good Artwork, Music, Sound Effects
Rating:
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