I?m not going to bother setting the scene for this mistake! When I got this quiet awhile ago I was weary of games so similar to each other with to many HOS. The title is what sucked me in.. The saying ?Don?t judge a book by it?s cover? or Game in this case, sure holds true with this one! I assumed this game would be interactive with things to do like roaming the manor, secret passageways, searching for clues to help solve the "Secret".. NOT AT ALL!! It's just another repetitive HOG! Search the same rooms, piece together a ripped letter supposedly that tells a story however the story doesn't seem to matter to the game that I could see. After you play a level you get a stone try it in a locked door to see if it fits there are dozens of pieces you have to put in and they always fit. I'm assuming once you fill the door with all the stone pieces you "Solve" the mystery if there is one? I played it for hours searching the same locations for the same hidden objects. Once in awhile it says you've unlocked a "Bonus room" so you can play it. It's JUST one of the same rooms you've already been in!! I thought it might be fun at first when it started with the Thunderstorms and Howling Dogs? you soon find out the soundtrack doesn't fit the game and actually distracts from the mood you would expect with a Haunted Manor. It?s like cheery amusement park music! Monotonous, no plot, repetitive HO?s and a boring waste of time.

The story was interesting, and I really wanted to know how it ended, but the HOG scenes were tedious, at best, and there were far too many of them, with the same objects/artwork over and over. The up side was being able to solve some of the later scenes by rote -- just because I'd been through them already SO MANY TIMES before. I originally found this game on CD in the bargain bin, and -- along with another (much better) HOG, it introduced me to Big Fish Games, for which I'm eternally grateful. But the game crashed before I could find out how it ended. So I downloaded it in order to see how it ended, and ... the ending was terribly anti-climatic (and after trudging through those same HOG scenes a SECOND time to get to it, even). Don't waste your money unless you're OCD and you really CRAVE an abundance of HOG scenes.

Wasn't going to try based on some reviews, however, glad I did as this is a fun HOG. Objects were good size and just enough of a challenge to find--not too easy, not too difficult. Classic hidden object game that takes you room to room so you are not wandering around. As rooms are cleared, this opens them up for "free play" mode which I particularly like to replay and beat the game. Prefer these classics to many of the newer games in which I have wandered too many hours as consulting a walkthrough goes against my gaming conscience. Am a stubborn gamer--no hints, no skips, no walkthroughs gets frustrating at times and so I really enjoy a good old-fashioned HOG. lol Love you BFG!! Enjoy! -Mama Mia-

Not many people liked this game, but I enjoyed it. The story was interesting enough to keep me playing and to continue to the sequel. You start off with some introductory scenes to get the first piece of the puzzle. After that you need to complete six rooms to get the next piece. Each room is timed and is just a junk pile of items. The items will be in different spots each time you visit the room (and different sizes and orientation). The good thing is once you learn what the item looks like (some of the terms are the English version and not American) the item will look the same for the rest of the game. For each room you start up with 2 hints, but you get an additional hint every three minutes. If you run out of time, you get to replay the room with new items. There is no penalty for randomly clicking around. Out of the six rooms, one room will be in the dark so you use a flashlight and the third room is a spot the difference (not too hard once you get used to what to look for). In between the rooms, you'll find torn up paper that you need to put back together to get the story. Not the most exciting game and it will take a long time to get through all the rooms to get all the puzzle pieces. In addition to the game, after you complete each room you get an object to add to your collection. When you're done the game there will still be more items to collect if you want them all, but you can keep playing the same character and continue searching the rooms. You can also unlock rooms and play each room separately (you'll be graded on how well you do). Doesn't take too long to decide if it's worth purchasing. Try the demo and after you complete the first six rooms, you'll know how the rest of the game will be and if it's for you.

If you want a break from running around in adventure games, this is a great HOG. Straight HOS broken up by jigsaws. This story is the addictive thing--a real mystery, kept me playing.

This is a basic Hidden Object game, with jigsaws of torn up letters written by relatives to piece together and spot the differences of the rooms thrown in for variety. I bought it for free when my card had filled up. Having played the third Margave Manor, the Severed Heart; I just wanted to buy the two earlier ones, so I would know the complete story. Each room has a junkpile of objects, the last one of the set of rooms has a piece of a special jigsaw which when completed will open a secret door. As I haven' t yet played it through have no idea what's behind it. I just hope it isn't a dead body. Get enough of that with some of the darker hidden object games. I found it relaxing, sometimes I find the puzzles of other games too difficult, and I have to use the Strategy Guide or skip. Then I feel as if I have cheated. No problems here about that. One last thing as I am the "World's Worst Housewife", seeing the mess in all the rooms makes me feel an awful lot better about my own untidiness. Enjoy.

Every room you reenter is Different but I always love a challenge when it comes to games like this. The First hidden object game was the Las Vegas Heist, and my husband got me hook on these games ever since :-)

The objects were not only tiny but the description of said items left "something to be desired" and your reward to having to search 6 or more hidden object scenes were these itty-bitty pieces of the door family crest and there are LOTS of itty-bitty pieces to collect before you enter said room. After having played this game for over a month, my computer crashed and I had to purchase a new one; guess what game I'm NOT going to replay.

Exciting story line with varied emotions as letters and journal pages are found. Hidden objects interesting and no repeats. Great game.

I've actually had this for years and am surprised I haven't left a review. What to say... Well, everything about this is okay. Nothing stood out as overly good or bad. Except one thing... It was long. Frankly, the last few chapters were becoming a drag due to repetitiveness. As in the same rooms over and over. I only replayed this one just so I could refresh my memory to leave a review. Do I recommend this game? Yes, because it is a nice way to pass the time when you don't want something overly challenging.

I enjoyed this game for the first FEW hours but it is a game that is repetitive and VERY long!!! It took me months to finish because I would get over it and leave it for a while and then come back to it out of sheer stubbornness, because i bought it, I had to finish it! It's got a good story line I thought, nice hidden object scenes and some good puzzles but it should've been wrapped in a smaller therefore more enjoyable package.