Ravenhearst

Mystery Case Files: Return to Ravenhearst
$19.99
The disc was delivered as promised and in good condition. The game is wonderful at first but then has puzzles to solve which are practically unsolvable. There are no clues to solve the puzzles and once stuck you cannot get unstuck. The game does not allow you to visit other areas of the environment when stuck in one area so that you can enjoy them too. There should be an opportunity to skip a puzzle one cannot solve so that the forward movement of the game is not blocked.

Hidden Expedition: Everest
$19.99
Game was purchased "sight unseen" - I didn't know anything about it. It is a fun game and my sister and I have really enjoyed it.

Hidden Secrets: The Nightmare
$9.95
I've bought a number of cheaper, ie. older, puzzle and hidden object video (PC) games, and this is one of the best of the older puzzle games. The story is atmospherically creepy, though, because this is an older game, there's no video, it's just screen shots. The puzzles are only obliquely integrated into the storyline, but they are fun and varied. The hidden object part of the game is limited - this is really a puzzle game.

A couple of the puzzles were maddening to me - I just couldn't get a good time. But that's OK, because I didn't get bored, either. You are allowed to skip any puzzle, and continue on with the story, if you get too frustrated. And, in a nice touch, all the puzzles are kept in an archive and you can go back and replay to your heart's content. Unfortunately, if you replay a puzzle from the archive, you cannot save midway. That is, if a puzzle has four secrions to complete, you have to always start at the beginning, with the 1st section, any time you play.

Overall, a nice little brain teaser game.

G.H.O.S.T. Hunters - The Haunting of Majesty Manor
$19.99
This hidden object game has a promising concept: you're called in to investigate the apparant haunting of a spooky old house, Majesty Manor. So, you set about exploring the house to investigate each suspect by finding hidden objects. The suspects are quite a group: family and friends, employees of the manor, neighbors, both alive and dead might be responsible. Definitely a good concept, but this game gets repetitive quickly. With 15 levels exploring the same rooms and doing nothing but finding objects, one can tire of the game quickly (which I did). This was one of those "fun for the first hour, but after that it's questionable" sort of games.