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Jewel Mania™
Games and Entertainment
App
Jewel Mania - The new match 3 sensation is here, with brilliant jewels in over 600 dazzling puzzles!...
Slow Motion Camera Free - Slow & Fast Video Camera
Photo & Video and Utilities
App
FREE for limited time! Take high-quality slow motion videos and edit them easily using your iOS...
Kids Learning - My First Numbers Counting Game
Education and Games
App
Grasshopper Apps = Top Educational iPad Apps for Kids :-) Why Grasshopper Apps? We believe that...
Governor of Poker HD
Games and Sports
App
Youda Governor of Poker goes back to the roots of this very exciting card game. Great HD...
Purple Phoenix Games (2266 KP) rated Cthulhu Realms in Tabletop Games
Jun 12, 2019
Cthulhu – a theme that is deeply rooted in the board gaming world. There are SO MANY Cthulhu-based games and spin-offs of standard games. Some people really dig the theme, and some people really don’t. So where does this particular game fall on the spectrum? Keep reading to find out!
In Cthulhu Realms, a deck-building game, you are a Cthulhu cultist that is trying to drive your rivals literally insane. By gathering followers, collecting artifacts, and discovering new locations, you will gain enough power to influence the sanity of those who would oppose you! On your turn, you will play cards from your hand to Conjure (acquire new cards from the communal pool), Draw/Discard cards, Gain/Lose Sanity, or Abjure (permanently discard cards from the game). The game ends when a player is reduced to zero sanity – and the player who has retained their sanity is the winner!
I love deck-building games. I really do. I think it’s a neat mechanic that allows you to customize your strategy with every play. So I enjoy playing Cthulhu Realms because of that element. And that’s kind of where my enjoyment ends with this game. Don’t get me wrong – it’s a decent game. I just have a couple of issues with the actual cards and abilities. The cards themselves are very reliant on iconography to communicate powers/abilities. Props to the player boards for having a quick reference for the basic actions, but I still always keep the rule sheet on hand for the in-depth explanation as I play. And even then, the rule sheet still has a bit of ambiguity on how some of the powers work. I wish they’d provided a couple of examples because sometimes I still get confused by certain combinations of icons. Just a little more detail in the rule sheet could alleviate some of the ambiguity of the icon abilities.
For card abilities, each individual card can have anywhere from 1-3 special abilities. The tricky thing is that the abilities do not all have to be used at the same time. So I could use 1 ability from a card, use an ability from a different card, and then come back to my first card and use another of it’s printed abilities. And with a hand of 5 cards every turn (not counting additional cards you may draw…), it can be hard to keep track of which abilities you’ve already used that turn. On top of that, many of the abilities have prerequisites – you can’t use that specific ability unless you’ve already played/have in play the requisite card. Some abilities only have 1 prerequisite, but some have 2, which just adds another layer of bookkeeping to your turns. Not only are you trying to remember which card abilities you’ve already used, but you’re also trying to keep track of your cards/actions that turn that could unlock other card abilities. The rule sheet suggests sliding a card to one side of your play area once you’ve used one of its powers. But again, if it has more than 1 ability on it, you’ve got to remember which ones you’ve used/haven’t used yet, regardless of where they are in your play area. This is a competitive game overall, but with all of these elements to track on your turns, it saps the tension from the game and makes it feel a little more luck-based than strategic.
To alleviate some of my grievances, I think the game could just have more cards with fewer abilities on each. That would make it much easier to execute all of your turns. And eliminate some of the ability prerequisites – having them on most of the abilities just adds another element for you to keep track of, and it feels a little unnecessary. If the turns were a little more clear and concise, I would like this game a lot more. It’s not bad, it just gets bogged down a little bit with too much action on your turns. That’s why Purple Phoenix Games gives Cthulhu Realms a 6/12.
https://purplephoenixgames.wordpress.com/2019/03/22/cthulhu-realms-review/
In Cthulhu Realms, a deck-building game, you are a Cthulhu cultist that is trying to drive your rivals literally insane. By gathering followers, collecting artifacts, and discovering new locations, you will gain enough power to influence the sanity of those who would oppose you! On your turn, you will play cards from your hand to Conjure (acquire new cards from the communal pool), Draw/Discard cards, Gain/Lose Sanity, or Abjure (permanently discard cards from the game). The game ends when a player is reduced to zero sanity – and the player who has retained their sanity is the winner!
I love deck-building games. I really do. I think it’s a neat mechanic that allows you to customize your strategy with every play. So I enjoy playing Cthulhu Realms because of that element. And that’s kind of where my enjoyment ends with this game. Don’t get me wrong – it’s a decent game. I just have a couple of issues with the actual cards and abilities. The cards themselves are very reliant on iconography to communicate powers/abilities. Props to the player boards for having a quick reference for the basic actions, but I still always keep the rule sheet on hand for the in-depth explanation as I play. And even then, the rule sheet still has a bit of ambiguity on how some of the powers work. I wish they’d provided a couple of examples because sometimes I still get confused by certain combinations of icons. Just a little more detail in the rule sheet could alleviate some of the ambiguity of the icon abilities.
For card abilities, each individual card can have anywhere from 1-3 special abilities. The tricky thing is that the abilities do not all have to be used at the same time. So I could use 1 ability from a card, use an ability from a different card, and then come back to my first card and use another of it’s printed abilities. And with a hand of 5 cards every turn (not counting additional cards you may draw…), it can be hard to keep track of which abilities you’ve already used that turn. On top of that, many of the abilities have prerequisites – you can’t use that specific ability unless you’ve already played/have in play the requisite card. Some abilities only have 1 prerequisite, but some have 2, which just adds another layer of bookkeeping to your turns. Not only are you trying to remember which card abilities you’ve already used, but you’re also trying to keep track of your cards/actions that turn that could unlock other card abilities. The rule sheet suggests sliding a card to one side of your play area once you’ve used one of its powers. But again, if it has more than 1 ability on it, you’ve got to remember which ones you’ve used/haven’t used yet, regardless of where they are in your play area. This is a competitive game overall, but with all of these elements to track on your turns, it saps the tension from the game and makes it feel a little more luck-based than strategic.
To alleviate some of my grievances, I think the game could just have more cards with fewer abilities on each. That would make it much easier to execute all of your turns. And eliminate some of the ability prerequisites – having them on most of the abilities just adds another element for you to keep track of, and it feels a little unnecessary. If the turns were a little more clear and concise, I would like this game a lot more. It’s not bad, it just gets bogged down a little bit with too much action on your turns. That’s why Purple Phoenix Games gives Cthulhu Realms a 6/12.
https://purplephoenixgames.wordpress.com/2019/03/22/cthulhu-realms-review/
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated the PlayStation 4 version of Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2 (Remastered) in Video Games
Oct 8, 2020
Tony Hawk Pro Skater 1+2 Takes What Was Old And Makes It New And Amazing
It’s a sunny day in Southern California. Friends are gathered around the Playstation and the CRT. The game in the console is letting us do what many of us just can’t do in real life. You’re mashing buttons trying to string together those combos for bragging rights among your friends. There’s a cold drink by your side, and your friend’s mom pops in to see if anyone wants some tortas. Nostalgia at its finest. I know this wasn’t everyone’s childhood, it wasn’t even mine most of the time. But those moments when we were blissfully unaware of what the future holds were some of the greatest of our lives. And like some out there, I can link a lot of this to video games, and few are more important in my life than Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater.
Flash forward 21 years and the world is crumbling around us. But there’s still that shining light waiting for those of us that know. An escape. A chance to do something we really can’t do in real life. Most of us couldn’t do it in 1999 either, but that’s neither here nor there. Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1+2 is the perfect release during this pandemic, whether you believe in it or not (I can’t believe I actually have to type those words). It gives the nostalgic fun to the old-timers like me, and introduces a whole new generation of gamers.
As I am sure you know by now, THPS1+2 is essentially the exact same games that we know and love, with a few minor tweaks. First and foremost, graphics have been updated significantly. From cut scenes to gameplay, everything has been modernized. Even the veteran skaters in the game have been updated to their current appearances, though their original appearances in the game are still available. There are other small things, like Subway Tokens being updated to Subway Cards, which, in true Tony Hawk fashion, are also about to be discontinued from use in the NY Subway System (tokens were on their way out when the game first released).
We also see some new skaters this time around, with a good addition of female skaters to the game. But beyond that, the games are, in many, many ways the same as original. It feels the same, and quite honestly looks the exact same to what I remember. Now clearly, this is not the case, but it’s weird what the brain will tell you when looking at things 20 years apart. Not only is the game play, goals, and levels set up exactly the same as it has always been, even most of the original soundtrack is present, with the addition of 37 new songs as well.
There’s not a lot I can tell you that will convince you either way. You’re either a fan of the series or you’re not. If you had a problem with the series back then, especially some people’s issues over the controls (which brought about competition such as Skate – which is being rebooted as well – or the newly released Skater XL), you will likely have the same issues now. As mentioned, and as you will see in many reviews, the gameplay is nearly identical to the first releases of both games. It is just really nice to revisit an important part of my young adult life, even if they still included those crappy competition levels.
With a price tag of $39.99, Tony Hawk Pro Skater 1+2 seems the perfect bit of happy distraction to help get us through the unknown in these difficulty times. My only qualm with the game would be platform availability. It’s available on PS4, Xbox One, and PC (by way of Epic Games Store), but I think they hindered themselves with 2 decisions: no Nintendo Switch version and EGS. I would love to be able to take this game on the go with me on the Nintendo, and the alleged anti-consumer practices of Epic Games regarding their store, not to mention their current publicity stunt with Apple and Google, has left a sour taste in the mouths of many gamers. Hopefully we will see availability on more platforms, including Stadia, in the future.
Flash forward 21 years and the world is crumbling around us. But there’s still that shining light waiting for those of us that know. An escape. A chance to do something we really can’t do in real life. Most of us couldn’t do it in 1999 either, but that’s neither here nor there. Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1+2 is the perfect release during this pandemic, whether you believe in it or not (I can’t believe I actually have to type those words). It gives the nostalgic fun to the old-timers like me, and introduces a whole new generation of gamers.
As I am sure you know by now, THPS1+2 is essentially the exact same games that we know and love, with a few minor tweaks. First and foremost, graphics have been updated significantly. From cut scenes to gameplay, everything has been modernized. Even the veteran skaters in the game have been updated to their current appearances, though their original appearances in the game are still available. There are other small things, like Subway Tokens being updated to Subway Cards, which, in true Tony Hawk fashion, are also about to be discontinued from use in the NY Subway System (tokens were on their way out when the game first released).
We also see some new skaters this time around, with a good addition of female skaters to the game. But beyond that, the games are, in many, many ways the same as original. It feels the same, and quite honestly looks the exact same to what I remember. Now clearly, this is not the case, but it’s weird what the brain will tell you when looking at things 20 years apart. Not only is the game play, goals, and levels set up exactly the same as it has always been, even most of the original soundtrack is present, with the addition of 37 new songs as well.
There’s not a lot I can tell you that will convince you either way. You’re either a fan of the series or you’re not. If you had a problem with the series back then, especially some people’s issues over the controls (which brought about competition such as Skate – which is being rebooted as well – or the newly released Skater XL), you will likely have the same issues now. As mentioned, and as you will see in many reviews, the gameplay is nearly identical to the first releases of both games. It is just really nice to revisit an important part of my young adult life, even if they still included those crappy competition levels.
With a price tag of $39.99, Tony Hawk Pro Skater 1+2 seems the perfect bit of happy distraction to help get us through the unknown in these difficulty times. My only qualm with the game would be platform availability. It’s available on PS4, Xbox One, and PC (by way of Epic Games Store), but I think they hindered themselves with 2 decisions: no Nintendo Switch version and EGS. I would love to be able to take this game on the go with me on the Nintendo, and the alleged anti-consumer practices of Epic Games regarding their store, not to mention their current publicity stunt with Apple and Google, has left a sour taste in the mouths of many gamers. Hopefully we will see availability on more platforms, including Stadia, in the future.
Caffeinated Fae (464 KP) rated Sleeping Giants (Themis Files #1) in Books
Jul 10, 2018
I just finished this audiobook for the second time and realized I never left a review for it the first time. I heard about this book while I still worked at a bookstore. One of my coworkers snatched the ARC when it came to us. I listened to her raving about the book so I had to buy it the second it came out. I bought the audiobook because it has a full cast and that is always a huge plus for me.
I was not disappointed with this book. The narrators were phenomenal. The full cast really just makes the book. I love the mystery of the book. I really didn't know what to expect at anytime. It was fascinating to listen to this novel and I couldn't put it down. I was hooked by the first chapter which is rare for me.
The characters are brilliantly developed and I love how learning more and more about them. I'm truly invested in all of the main characters. I cannot wait to reread the next book & I'm chomping at the bit to read the 3rd book.
If you like Science Fiction this is an amazing novel. I highly recommend it.
I was not disappointed with this book. The narrators were phenomenal. The full cast really just makes the book. I love the mystery of the book. I really didn't know what to expect at anytime. It was fascinating to listen to this novel and I couldn't put it down. I was hooked by the first chapter which is rare for me.
The characters are brilliantly developed and I love how learning more and more about them. I'm truly invested in all of the main characters. I cannot wait to reread the next book & I'm chomping at the bit to read the 3rd book.
If you like Science Fiction this is an amazing novel. I highly recommend it.
Bookapotamus (289 KP) rated Loot Time Podcast in Podcasts
Oct 9, 2018
Love the content - An 80s kids dream conversation!
So, I really enjoyed most of this - the content is awesome and the discussion is really thoughtful and thorough and different from most podcasts of this genre. I loved how it would bring up things from my childhood in the 80s. How things scared me (Ghostbusters 1 vs 2 - definitely 1 OMG!) And I love that they talk about not all the mainstream stuff - hell Bill & Ted!! I really like listening to Steven - he's solid, talks really well and is easy to follow. Kevin needs to jump in more with conversation... he does a lot of agreeing and sound effects (Yea. Right? HaHa!) it's a bit distracting (and kinda loud) and doesn't add much to the conversation (the Colossal ep specifically). Steven really does well running the conversations and his voice is pretty smooth and mellow which is why I think maybe it's just as simple as Kevin turning his mic down a bit?! I'm sure you guys will find your groove - and I look forward to seeing it happen!
LeftSideCut (3776 KP) rated Friday the 13th (1980) in Movies
Jul 14, 2020
Friday the 13th is great to look back on. It's full to the brim of cheesy over-the-top acting, weirdly boring sections and dodgy dialogue, but knowing how the horror and in particular slasher genre developed in the decades following, it's an easy film to love.
Following hot on the heels of Halloween, Friday the 13th is the slasher genre stripped down to it's bare bones - a group of horny teenagers isolated from the rest of the world, a relentless killer hunting them down one by one, until we're left with a lone final girl.
Tropes that have since become iconic, much like the setting of Camp Crystal Lake.
The summer camp setting has been aped and parodied for years following the films release back in 1980.
The practical effects used by the now legendary Tom Savini are still great. They may be showing their age, but I would take it over sub standard CGI any day. Throw in a frantic and memorable musical score courtesy of Harry Manfredini, a gleefully sinister performance from Betsy Palmer as Pamela Voorhees, and one of the greatest "Gotcha!" endings in horror cinema, and you have a title that's deserving of the love it gets.
Following hot on the heels of Halloween, Friday the 13th is the slasher genre stripped down to it's bare bones - a group of horny teenagers isolated from the rest of the world, a relentless killer hunting them down one by one, until we're left with a lone final girl.
Tropes that have since become iconic, much like the setting of Camp Crystal Lake.
The summer camp setting has been aped and parodied for years following the films release back in 1980.
The practical effects used by the now legendary Tom Savini are still great. They may be showing their age, but I would take it over sub standard CGI any day. Throw in a frantic and memorable musical score courtesy of Harry Manfredini, a gleefully sinister performance from Betsy Palmer as Pamela Voorhees, and one of the greatest "Gotcha!" endings in horror cinema, and you have a title that's deserving of the love it gets.
Nashville is the next stop on the summer camping trip. After introducing the reader to Nashville hotspots, a trip to a famous honky-tonk bar leaves Irma and by extension Mabel and her camping buddies with the task of discovering who murdered two people two decades ago.
“If you like wacky characters, quick-witted banter, and crooners with a twang, then you’ll love Rita Moreau’s clever caper…”
It is always fun when a promise is made and kept. This book is full of wacky characters with snappy dialogue that makes turning the page a privilege rather than a chore. The well-written, quirky characters are the core of the story and with a couple of new additions to those returning from book one, there is more to love this time around.
The mystery comes at a fair pace and makes this book a quick steady read. This is the second book in the series and reads well enough as a standalone, but for the full effect of the camping summer of fun picking up book one is recommended.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4 out of 5.
I received an advance review copy for free through Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours, and I am leaving this review voluntarily
“If you like wacky characters, quick-witted banter, and crooners with a twang, then you’ll love Rita Moreau’s clever caper…”
It is always fun when a promise is made and kept. This book is full of wacky characters with snappy dialogue that makes turning the page a privilege rather than a chore. The well-written, quirky characters are the core of the story and with a couple of new additions to those returning from book one, there is more to love this time around.
The mystery comes at a fair pace and makes this book a quick steady read. This is the second book in the series and reads well enough as a standalone, but for the full effect of the camping summer of fun picking up book one is recommended.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4 out of 5.
I received an advance review copy for free through Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours, and I am leaving this review voluntarily