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In Journey: The Heart of Gaia, a puzzle adventure game, you play a a woman named Liz who was kidnapped from her museum by a hunter and brought to a world deep within the center of the Earth. There you'll soon find out that a tyrant named Scartaris Umbra is threatening the balance of the land, and the whole of Underworld is dying as a result. Journey through the land with your quirky little companions as you search for the Heart of Gaia in hopes of overthrowing Scartaris and saving Underworld. The game was developed by Water Lily Games.


There are actually no hidden object scenes in the game. You aren't given a list of random objects to find but instead you will need to look for items in the various locations. You'll need to use your magnifying glass to zoom into scenes and locate parts of items to complete your journey. For example, you might be asked to find six logs for the campfire. The items are usually not difficult to find although there are a few that are better camouflaged within the surroundings. Most of the items you find are part of a set. Your inventory will tell you how many remaining parts you still need to find. You don't need to complete a set first before you can apply your items to the appropriate locations, which is something that is usually not available in most hidden object games now. I really appreciate this because I like to be able to use my items, even if I have only found one wheel out of two, to various scenes as soon as I get them. This helps in reducing inventory clutter too.

While there are no HOS, there are plenty of puzzles scattered around in the game. Most of the puzzles are really short and quick to complete. The solutions are often rather intuitive, which can be good for a casual puzzle game lover. But if you ever do get stumped on a puzzle there's always the Skip button, which loads fairly quickly. With all these puzzles and no HOS around it makes me wonder why the game was categorized as a HO game on many websites rather than as a puzzle/adventure game.

In this puzzle you'll have to paint the various shapes different colors so that no two colors directly touch one another.

In terms of graphics, everything is animated. The world of Underworld is a very cheery and bright place, despite the foreboding name. Overall, the design is simple and reminiscent of a kid's cartoon show. While the graphics might not be as exquisite as those in games produced by Blue Team Games (Macabre Mysteries, Dark Parables), they are still very nice and a refreshing take from all those realistic-looking hidden object games. The game is certainly very pretty.

The campsite

The map is interactive so you'll be able to quickly move from one location to another without needing to move through all those intermediary locations. It will also tell you which scenes still require tasks to complete.  When you first open the map it is covered in a thick layer of clouds, blocking your view from all the other locations you haven't visited yet. At first it even covers all those you've visited before it slowly parts. This can be somewhat annoying when you just want to go in to the map, click on the location that has a green exclamation point over it, and be done. This is definitely not a game-breaker though it can be slightly annoying at times.

Hints: The hint system can be sometimes "inaccurate" and "repetitive". I mean this in the sense that the hint will often times just point you in a general area but not tell you specifically where the part you're looking for is. As a result I often end up wasting time trying to rely on the hint system in trying to figure out what I need to do next. You're better off just using the map to figure out which locations are still incomplete (Note that when you have done everything needed in a scene for good, the location will then be marked as "Completed"). Unfortunately, because the game has limited instructions, hints are almost necessary. Often times I am stuck in a scene unsure of what needs to be done next only for the hint system to almost botch it for me.

Companions: Along the way you'll be meeting the various inhabitants of the Underworld, who have all been imprisoned by Scartaris. It is your job to find the necessary items to free them. Once freed these adorable creatures will accompany you on your journey and lend you their power. For example, you will be able to use the giant's strength to move heavy objects or to smash open things. These creatures won't always help you though as they think it is better that you find some other object to help you instead.

Dialogue: Most of the interactions that you'll have have voice-overs. The voice-acting is actually pretty well done. The dialogue can be very engaging too. The characters often one another, giving you a few laughs here and there. You won't be at all put off by the dialogue as it's not overly done at all.

Conclusion: Journey: The Heart of Gaia is a very fun, entertaining, and cute game. Although advertised as a HO game, it would be more suited as a pure puzzle and adventure game. With relatively easy puzzles, this game can be great for a casual puzzle lover to spend his or her afternoon. The graphics are very pretty and the creatures of Underworld are adorable. The storyline itself is also pretty interesting. My main complaint though would be that it's not always evident what you should do next, so you end up being forced to rely on hints. Problem is, the hint system isn't really that great. Other than that, Journey is a great game and it's very unlikely that you'll end up regretting your purchase (There's always a one hour free trial on Big Fish Games just to be safe). I rate this game 4 out of 5 stars.

Magicindie Softworks has recently created a "sequel" to the popular Brink of Consciousness: Dorian Gray Syndrome hidden object game, titled Brink of Consciousness: Lonely Hearts Murders. However, this is more of just another addition to the Brink of Consciousness series than a direct sequel to Dorian Gray Syndrome. In Lonely Hearts Murders, you play Owen Wright, a grief-stricken father who is looking for his missing daughter Olivia. The stage is set in the 1890's London, and there's a serial killer on the loose in the city that is causing much disturbance among the upper classes. The killer only targets young people who are single or have recently underwent a breakup. All of his victims are held alive for 30 days before being killed and put on in a horrifying display somewhere in town. And, of course, Owen's daughter had to just go through a painful breakup. Fearing the worst, Owen calls for the help of his old detective friend Logan Green to help find his daughter and to stop the Lonely Hearts Killer before it's too late.

Unlike the previous installment in the series, Lonely Hearts Murders focuses more on the adventure aspect than hidden object scenes. For me this is a good thing, because I sometimes really hate needing to constantly search through crowded hidden object scenes just to be able to move on with the story. Instead, you'll find most of the items you need either scattered through the streets or in buildings or as rewards from puzzles. Of course there will always be a few hidden object scenes, but the amount is noticeably smaller. Regarding the hidden object scenes though, the scenes have been expertly handled so that they do not feel crowded. It won't at all feel like you're just scrambling around in a trash heap looking for random items. A few items will require further interactions to find in the scene. For example, using a key to unlock a jewelry box in order to find a ring. Most of these interactions are pretty straightforward though. Remember, if you ever get stuck, there's always either the Hint button or scanning your cursor across the scene until it turns into a hand. You'll end up revisiting a few hidden object scenes every now and then but none to the degree that you feel that they have been overused. Though, of course with these hidden object scenes, it's always frustrating when say you need to find a screwdriver, a screwdriver is in the list of hidden objects to find, yet you don't get it as your "reward".


Speaking of the Hint button, the Hint button will not be limited to only the hidden object scenes but will also work outside them. If you are in the wrong scene the Hint will guide you with arrows, telling you to move from one scene to the next. However, unlike the Mystery Trackers series, there will be no dialog box that pops up that will almost tell you exactly what needs to be done.When being directed to another scene, the Hint button will not deplete itself, so you can use it again if you still don't know which scene you're supposed to be in.

The graphics themselves are absolutely stunning with high-quality graphics and nice little details. Sometimes I find myself pausing the game just to admire the scenery.  The color-filtered scenes lend an eerie touch to the overall game. Add that with the game's soundtrack calls for even more suspense. The music fits very well with the game and are not at all overbearing like in other games. Instead they act more as background music so that you don't have to complete the game in silence when there are no cutscenes.


Everything is fully voiced and done extremely well, I might add! All the characters have emotions and it won't at all sound like the voice actors are just reading off a script. All the voice-acting was done just as beautifully, if not better, than Dorian Gray Syndrome. The cutscenes themselves are also fully animated, voiced, and lip-synched. You will also be able to see the movements and responses of other characters in the scenes, which is a very nice touch. This just proves that live-acting is not required in order for good animations. In fact I found the animations to be better than the live-acting in some of the other games I've played. The dialogue however can be a little cliched at times. A few of the cutscenes are actually quite funny, particularly the interactions between Logan and Evans, and these can serve as comic-relief to an otherwise creepy setting.

Map: As in most hidden object games of this nature, a map will be provided. It will show you the various locations and notify you if there are unfilled tasks in certain locations. Unfortunately, the map is not interactive so you will not be able to quickly move from one scene to another. This is just the same as in Dorian Gray Syndrome. Needless to say, the lack of an interactive map will result in much backtracking.

Puzzles: While the game does lack in hidden object scenes, there are a lot of puzzles scattered throughout the game. Some are fairly obvious and simple while others can be much more challenging. For example, in one particular puzzle you'll be asked to guide a ball through a maze using steam. If you ever do find yourself stuck, you can always Skip the puzzle, though the Skip button can take awhile to load. But none of the puzzles are truly worthy of frying your brain.


Journal: Surprisingly, there was no journal/diary to be found in the game. Though not necessary, the journal is always a nice addition so that you'll be able to read further on the thoughts of the main character or in case you didn't understand something. It's also a great place to keep track of any codes or clues you find along the way. But then again, the journals never did really make sense to me since in most of the games I've played it is highly unlikely that the main character would be carrying around a journal with him or her in the first place let alone filling it out. And here I am, playing a hidden object game and complaining about the lack of logic in having a journal.

Difficulty: There are three difficulty levels: Casual, Normal, and Expert. In Casual mode, the game can be fairly easy. However, Expert mode can prove to be more of a challenge/problem. This is because in Expert Mode you are unable to use hints or the map and active zones will not sparkle/are not highlighted.


Regarding the game's suspense, I found it to be much more casual than Dorian Gray Syndrome. I guess maybe it's because you're not constantly being taunted by the enemy or placed into life-threatening situations in the game.Plus the whole thirty days thing just made it feel like you have all the time in the world to save Olivia. I think the game would have been much more suspenseful if the time limit had been shortened to say less than a week or something. While the storyline is very interesting and creepy, it just didn't seem to be convincing enough. I had many questions but some of them were answered satisfactorily in the end.

Nevertheless, Lonely Hearts Murders is an excellent game and Magicindie Softworks has once again outdone itself. It is perhaps the best hidden object/adventure game I have played this year and I really do hope that it will win Best Game of the Year this year. It is a definite addition to any game collection. If you liked Dorian Gray Syndrome then you will definitely like this game as well. I rate this game 5 stars out of 5.

Get the game (Collector's Edition) here! (Link directs you to Big Fish Games website)

Disclaimer: All images belong to their respective owners.

Usually when you hear the word "knight" you think of someone from medieval times, one who is noble. However that is not what the knights in Hallowed Legends: Templar are. You have just received a note from your sister in France, who urgently begs you to come to Southern France because something terribly has gone wrong. Of course, you travel to Southern France to see what on earth is going on. You have just entered your hotel room when a knight suddenly barges into the room and attacks you. You later wake up only to find the dam broken, the streets flooded, and the knights instilling terror everywhere. People everywhere are dying. To make matters worse your sister is nowhere to be found and you must go find her as soon as possible.

The basics of this game is point-and-click. Arrows will guide you from one room to the next. Magnifying glasses indicate a scene of interest (close-up to reveal puzzles). The game consists of both hidden object scenes and puzzles to solve. You can pick up items around to place into your inventory which you can later use to interact with the scene to progress in the game.


Cutscenes: These cutscenes are animated to the fullest extent and are viewed from a first-person perspective. Usually these cutscenes will involve the knights trying to hunt you down, which can be quite a scary experience if you're not ready for it. Hands will suddenly break through wooden doors in an attempt to grab at you or the knights will throw weapons at you in an attempt to kill. The graphics themselves aren't as sharp as they could be, so I'm rather disappointed in terms of that. Lots and lots of pixels, hooray!

Hint Button: The hint system in this game is truly great. During hidden object scenes, the hint button loads rather fast so you won't have to wait too long between objects if you're stuck on more than one. When you're not doing a hidden object scene, the hint button will open up a small dialog window. This window will contain precise instructions as to what you should do next. No more circling an area of interest! Instead it will tell you something along the lines of "Go to the second floor and use the medallion on the cupboard to open the secret compartment". How nice is that? Seriously! I wish all games had such a great hint system as this! Of course, this might also make the game a little too easy, but it's just absolutely great if you're completely stuck and you've circled around all the available scenes for the fifth time now with no avail.

Conclusion: The main perks of this game is that it offers a great hint system. As a result, this game really isn't that hard when it comes to difficulty level. The inventory items themselves though are somewhat hard to find and easy to miss because your cursor will not change into a hand (or some other shape) when you hover an item of interest. The storytelling is a little confusing to follow because you have knights suddenly attacking you for no apparent reason.  In the end, this game might be good to play to simply pass the time but I wouldn't suggest for you actually to purchase this game for your collection.

Your friend Jenny has suddenly disappeared and your search leads you to Lockwood Manor. There, you find Jenny chained up in the basement by your best friend John Lockwood. You are quickly knocked out and held in a cell door. After you escape you have to go find a way to escape with Jenny without being sighted by John. Pieces of the diary kept by John's brother Matthew will slowly piece together the story. Does John and Matthew have anything to do with the Lockwood sorcerers who were executed for practicing dark magic during the 19th century? Are there even demons in the first place?

Hint Button: The Hint button loads pretty quickly, which is quite nice. Furthermore, it doesn't deplete itself when you need to go look at another scene (when there's currently nothing to do in the current scene).

Hidden Object Scenes: You'll need to solve hidden object scenes in order to find the tools you need in order to progress in the storyline.These scenes are a little crowded though, and several items can be quite difficult to find because they're presented in a different form. For example, some numbers are the results of addition or some items are displayed as silhouettes and outlines instead of the actual item in the scenes. So be prepared for that. If you're ever stuck, there's always the Hint button.

Journal: The journal is where you keep all your notes. Along the way, you'll find pages from Matthew's diary. These pages will eventually piece together the story and will be kept in your journal. Check your journal to find notes on important codes that you'll need in another scene.

Overall, the game is pretty interesting and there's nothing that presents itself to be extremely annoying. The fast restoration of the hint button is certain a plus when it comes to hidden object scenes. I was actually quite curious as to why John had Jenny imprisoned. Certainly things weren't as it seemed. In the end Mystery of the Ancients: Lockwood Manor is a great game and will certainly add to your collection, but I won't exactly say that it's a must-have.

Twisted: A Haunted Carol is based off, as the name suggests, the popular story of "A Christmas Carol". You play as Scrooge's business partner Marly, who has just been murdered by Scrooge. The Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future then come to give you a solid form so that you may journey through time and stop Scrooge from his evil miserly ways which will cause the entire town to go bankrupt. In order to travel through time, you'll have to search for Time Pieces, purple gems that you can insert into a clock to move through the space-time continuum.

The sound is this game is pretty horrible and doesn't make sense. You're in an abandoned poultry shop but you still hear people moving around in the store and dropping lots of coins here and there. Furthermore, a lot of the background noise has the horrible horrible sound of creaking doors. No one wants to hear that. You're better off muting the game while playing. Anything to get rid of those annoying sounds. There aren't even any voiceovers either.

Accuracy is also bad in this game when you have to use one object to interact with another. For example, I try to unlock a door with a key I just found but every time I drag the key over to the door it results in the key returning to the inventory and a message popping up telling me that I need to go find the key. Mind you, the key is the correct one, but the game just has a horrible time of recognizing it.

Hint Button: The Hint button looks just like the Time Pieces you have to find and is located in the bottom right hand corner. It loading time is above average, not as quick as in Awakened: Goblin Kingdom but not painstakingly slow either. Pretty good actually. Though beware when you use it outside of hidden object scenes. Often time the hint will just reshow you something that you just saw (a locked door). It also doesn't tell you where you should use your objects. For example, I need to open a cupboard but I don't know how. I click the Hint button and it only tells me to look at the cupboard again. Back where I started.

Journal: While most games of this type will have a journal somewhere to keep notes on your progress so far, this game doesn't have a journal. Well, technically, there is a journal, but it does none of the functions as in other games. Instead, it only pauses the game and asks if you want to change the options or return to the main menu.

Hidden Object Scenes: You'll have to solve these hidden object scenes in order to find some of the objects that you'll need in your inventory in order to progress in the game. These hidden object scenes will usually be distinguished with sparkles in the current scene, so keep a lookout for them.

People: There are no people to interact with in this game. Makes sense considering that you Marly are a ghost now and can only interact with other ghosts. Speaking of which, the Ghosts of Christmas don't really play any major roles in this game other than for storytelling. They'll appear, introduce themselves, take you to another time period, and then will simply hang out in the upper left hand corner of the window. They're a little creepy, particularly Christmas Past and Christmas Future so beware, particularly when they decide to zoom up on you when it's time to leave. 

Penalties: The penalty for random clicking applies both within hidden object scenes and outside. It also doesn't accept a lot. About five wrong clicks will cause your cursor to spin wildly. This also happens when you click around too much outside of these hidden object scenes. Considering the accuracy problem mentioned before, this presents a problem when your key just refuses to go open the door. Click the Hint button repeatedly because you're impatient for it to load and your cursor will spin around too. Really just annoying.

Clock: To journey through time you'll have to gather the Time Pieces and place them within a clock. Any clock. After that, you'll have to move the discs of the clock until the line up and until the hands point to twelve o'clock. With each time you need to travel, the puzzle will get harder and harder to solve. Moving one disc will no longer simply just move that one disc but will instead also influence the other discs. Fortunately, the Skip button loads pretty fast so if you're ever stuck there's always the Skip button. I actually also believe that these are the only puzzles you'll ever really encounter in this game. The others are extremely easy to solve. 

Conclusion: While this game might be okay to pass the time, it is hardly worthwhile to spend money on to place in your collection. The background music is just absolutely horrible, and the bad accuracy in terms of object interactions will leave you frustrated. The Hint button also fails outside of hidden object scenes. The graphics themselves are okay but hardly as splendid as games like Drawn. You can play the free one hour demo if you want but anything beyond that is just a waste of time.

Mystery Legends: Beauty and the Beast is an interactive hidden object game whose plotline is a dark sequel to the Beauty and the Beast tale. Not all is happily-ever-after in this land. An evil enchantress has cursed the land and turned the Beast to stone, scattering the Beast's soul to various parts of the world. The enchantress wants to take the Beast as her husband and is intent on destroying Belle in the process. It is now your job as Belle to go find the scattered Soul Shards and heal the land from the enchantress's evil.

The story begins when you receive a letter from an old friend telling you to go back to the village because something terrible has happened. You return home only to find creepy vines covering the place and all your animal friends either missing or turned to stone. 

The mechanics of the game is the same as any other interactive hidden object game out there. You use your mouse to navigate the world and move from one location to the next. Within these locations you will find hidden object scenes to search through and find key objects that will go into your inventory. You then use these inventory items to interact with the rest of the world, whether you use them to complete puzzles or to help advance you into the next part. You will have a journal located in the bottom right hand corner. This journal will keep notes on important findings (sometimes even hints to puzzles) and a World Map that you'll be able to access to see what other places are still in need of some investigating. Sadly though, you cannot use the World Map to jump from one location to the next; it is there simply for reference.

A note on finding Inventory objects: In a lot of games your cursor will change shape if you move over something that you should pick up. However, this does not happen in this game and so it is rather easy to mis-look something in the scene. 

The Hint button is in the shape of a mirror with Beast's image in it. This is located in the bottom left hand corner. When the Hint button is loading, sparks bounce around the rims of the mirror and the mirror itself is completed by piecing together broken shards. Do note that the Hint button takes a rather long time to load even in Casual mode so try not to use it unless you really need it. The good thing about this Hint button though is that your hint will not be used if there is nothing to do within a scene.

There will also be quite a number of cutscenes scattered around the game to tell the story. The narration is voiced but the animation is rather simple. You have an inanimate picture of a character simply zoom in or out if it's moving closer or further away. Still the graphics in this game are gorgeous.

Overall, an interesting game. The graphics are gorgeous but I can't really say anything for the music. The voiced-over cutscenes are a nice addition even if the animations themselves are really simple. What's also nice is that some characters are given a voice-over when you interact with them, even if their mouths don't move. Certainly saves you a bit of reading but this requires you to keep your volume on. So make sure you don't mute the game while playing. The storyline is a little cheesy to be honest. It's your typical bad vs evil and evil witches trying to steal away your husbands story. But do give this game a try if not for the graphics. I wouldn't really recommend this game as a must-have in your collection because nothing really struck me as "worthwhile" while playing this game.