Reviews for House of 1000 Doors: Family Secret Collector's Edition

There are 7 chapters and bonus chapter. Demo sample is for the first 3 chapters. I had not finished the demo when my hour was up. Still hope the other chapters are a bit longer or it may end up being less than 3 hours total for main game.

Option of casual or advanced. Advanced says active zones are not indicated but the HOG parts sparkle. Option in menu to change screen resolution.

Interesting storyline IMO. Voice overs throughout. Hint button is very good. Points to where you need to go and once you get to the room that you need to do something in will tell you what to do.

There is a map which shows if there is something that needs to be done but you can not click on a place and go there. HOG scenes are interactive. I liked the graphics in this one as well

There are morphing objects as well. 35 total. Cursor changes when it goes by one so not too hard to find. Don't know if anything happens if you find them all.

Based on the story I think there may be only 4 special doors you personally will go through.

I think I will be getting this but will have to wait until payday.

At first I was bored with this game. The play was very linear and the inventory items were located in the same area that they were to be used in. However, as the game progressed the game became more interesting. The hidden object scenes were interactive and there was a lot of back and forth between scenes, which I enjoy.

Those who get irritated with hidden object scenes that contain the same objects that were found from a prior visit won't be happy.

The graphics were fairly good. I didn't find the storyline too interesting (ghosts in a haunted house etc...) but to me, that's not as important as the actual game play.

The mini puzzles were fairly simple to solve.

I played on the expert mode and the hints recharged fairly quickly. No sparkles.

Depending on length, I will buy when this comes out as a SE. I finished the demo within the trial time.

At first I was bored with this game. The play was very linear and the inventory items were located in the same area that they were to be used in. However, as the game progressed the game became more interesting. The hidden object scenes were interactive and there was a lot of back and forth between scenes, which I enjoy.

Those who get irritated with hidden object scenes that contain the same objects that were found from a prior visit won't be happy.

The graphics were fairly good. I didn't find the storyline too interesting (ghosts in a haunted house etc...) but to me, that's not as important as the actual game play.

The mini puzzles were fairly simple to solve.

I played on the expert mode and the hints recharged fairly quickly. No sparkles.

Depending on length, I will buy when this comes out as a SE. I finished the demo within the trial time.

I was bored too. And stayed bored for the rest of my hour. Music added nothing, and I like good music.
Too many cut scenes at the beginning for my taste.

Mini games were pretty simple. Morphs easy to find as far as I got.

I don't know but there is just something too simple about this game. Nothing new really.

Nice graphics, easy to see, nice H0 scenes.

High quality game! Thanks developers!

7chapters and a Bonus chapter. The 7 chapters are total 88 pages in the SG (although there are many pages written only to the half).

35 morphing objects, and a map, which enables to skip to the room you want to be. (yay!!!). The hint system helps with location arrows and hints out of the HOS.

Thanks BF for posting it here...

Edit: Impossible to see what is the length of the Bonus game, before playing all the game...

This game (from Alawar-since it's not for sale there I guess the name is allowed) is pretty disappointing.
The story is somewhat of a mess, making little sense at all but that could change as the game develops (it almost has to!)
Gameplay mechanics and graphics are just ok.
A very frustrating option is the screen resolution which only offers 1024 x 768 amd 800 x 600 so say hello to the lovely black bars. (And this dev has been offering most of its recent offerings in widescreen so what's up with that? Could be that the game is older or been in the making for a while--it does seen a little aged.)
The voice-overs are among the worst I've ever heard. It's especially grinding to hear an adult (actor?) try to sound like a child as this game features.
Seems to be of decent length although no clue about the length of the bonus is anywhere as the SG is locked up in the demo.
This might be ok as a SE but certainly does absolutely nothing to merit CE money. (Personally, I will NEVER pay CE money again for a game that doesn't offer WS.
Too many devs are showing that this is easy enough to offer and the failure to do so indicates a severe lack of quality and attention to detail. But until enough fishies respond to this by refusing to buy some devs will keep on cranking them out and point to gushing reviews and nice profits that they need not change)
As always, try it, you might enjoy--but not me.

cbtx wrote:This game (from Alawar-since it's not for sale there I guess the name is allowed) is pretty disappointing.
The story is somewhat of a mess, making little sense at all but that could change as the game develops (it almost has to!)
Gameplay mechanics and graphics are just ok.
A very frustrating option is the screen resolution which only offers 1024 x 768 amd 800 x 600 so say hello to the lovely black bars. (And this dev has been offering most of its recent offerings in widescreen so what's up with that? Could be that the game is older or been in the making for a while--it does seen a little aged.)
The voice-overs are among the worst I've ever heard. It's especially grinding to hear an adult (actor?) try to sound like a child as this game features.
Seems to be of decent length although no clue about the length of the bonus is anywhere as the SG is locked up in the demo.
This might be ok as a SE but certainly does absolutely nothing to merit CE money. (Personally, I will NEVER pay CE money again for a game that doesn't offer WS.
Too many devs are showing that this is easy enough to offer and the failure to do so indicates a severe lack of quality and attention to detail. But until enough fishies respond to this by refusing to buy some devs will keep on cranking them out and point to gushing reviews and nice profits that they need not change)
As always, try it, you might enjoy--but not me.

Of course Cbtx you're entitled to have your own opinion, but I couldn't disagree with you more. This is, IMO, a very beautiful and wellmade game, worth to be a CE and worth to be played.
The voice-overs are excellent, the graphics stunning, the music is a pleasure to listen to, and the story is interesting, although people that aren't into the occult might think differently.

To me this is a 5 game. It's nicely challenging and overall interesting and amusing.

Just look at (Spoiler, highlight to read): that room the boy is sitting in, how beatifully made that is, and the same goes for the train you will be transported to, it's all high class developing!

This game's a winner to me, and fishies able to afford buying this new CE are lucky fishies in my eyes, with one more beautiful game to play during the Holidays.

Enjoy!

Morning Everyone

I just played for 15mins and am just off to buy it. I really liked it. Luckily for me it is payday

The graphics are great and I love morphing objects, I just had a nice feeling about it all.

Could someone tell me what WS stands for please?

Linda

The game opened in widescreen on my wide monitor. If it doesn't for you then try to click on the widescreen square in options. Removing the "X" from the widescreen option makes it fullscreen, no black bars.
Don't know why it works that way but it's frequently the case.

pcully wrote:Morning Everyone

I just played for 15mins and am just off to buy it. I really liked it. Luckily for me it is payday

The graphics are great and I love morphing objects, I just had a nice feeling about it all.

Could someone tell me what WS stands for please?

Linda

WS=widescreen

Well, CG, you are correct that everyone is entitled to their own opinion and in this particular case we are certainly at opposite ends of the spectrum.
I simply feel that when compared to many of the recent CEs that have been offered this game absolutely does not measure up. And that WS issue is huge for me when it comes to CE money. (Removing the WS x option shrank mine) If other devs can provide that option so can they all.
But I'm very happy that you like the game.

I love what I've played so far so am downloading the full game. I have a 24 inch monitor and have full screen without changing anything. Have fun fishies .

cbtx wrote:Well, CG, you are correct that everyone is entitled to their own opinion and in this particular case we are certainly at opposite ends of the spectrum.
I simply feel that when compared to many of the recent CEs that have been offered this game absolutely does not measure up. And that WS issue is huge for me when it comes to CE money. (Removing the WS x option shrank mine) If other devs can provide that option so can they all.
But I'm very happy that you like the game.

The game opened in widescreen on my wide monitor. If it doesn't for you then try to click on the widescreen square in options. Removing the "X" from the widescreen option makes it fullscreen, no black bars.
Don't know why it works that way but it's frequently the case.

judyglenning wrote:

cbtx wrote:Well, CG, you are correct that everyone is entitled to their own opinion and in this particular case we are certainly at opposite ends of the spectrum.
I simply feel that when compared to many of the recent CEs that have been offered this game absolutely does not measure up. And that WS issue is huge for me when it comes to CE money. (Removing the WS x option shrank mine) If other devs can provide that option so can they all.
But I'm very happy that you like the game.

The game opened in widescreen on my wide monitor. If it doesn't for you then try to click on the widescreen square in options. Removing the "X" from the widescreen option makes it fullscreen, no black bars.
Don't know why it works that way but it's frequently the case.

Tried that but it just shrinks the screen---but thanks for the suggestion

Played 30 minutes of the demo

- Alawar Games
- You are offered Casual or Advanced
- You can check the bonus play in the sample offered
- Hint refills quickly and is very useful, showing directions, etc
- Interactive H0
- A map indicates where you are and places where you have to do something, you can't jump from one place to another
- Beautiful graphics
- Mini games fairly easy
- SG available from the game and in the demo too
- You have to find 35 (?) morphing objects
- Usual ghost story and family mystery to solve

I've enjoyed playing this game, seems a very good one, a buy for me.

-

Here it is Christmas week and there's a deluge of occult games like the Exorcist.
No demo for me today.

cbtx wrote:The voice-overs are among the worst I've ever heard. It's especially grinding to hear an adult (actor?) try to sound like a child as this game features.

Oh joy!! If there's one thing I can't stand, whether it's in games, movies, or radio ads, it's fake children's voices (fake senior citizen voices are a close second!) It's especially grating to hear these "children" deliver dialogue that most adults would have trouble with. This almost always causes me to lose the immersion in a story.

MEMO to all Devs: Get child voice actors instead, and if they can't deliver the lines you've written, then how about making the dialogue more age appropriate!

I'll wait for more reviews on this game before trying it out as there have been a nice amount of decent new games lately. Even if this game turns out to be the greatest thing since sliced bread, I won't get the CE if it has annoying voice-overs. Maybe the SE at a later date, after all money's tight these days. Thx for the heads up cbtx! Have a on me!

Great CE!!! I can't buy it until next month but I really enjoyed the demo!

cbtx wrote:Well, CG, you are correct that everyone is entitled to their own opinion and in this particular case we are certainly at opposite ends of the spectrum.
I simply feel that when compared to many of the recent CEs that have been offered this game absolutely does not measure up. And that WS issue is huge for me when it comes to CE money. (Removing the WS x option shrank mine) If other devs can provide that option so can they all.
But I'm very happy that you like the game.

Did you try adjusting your Resolution? I have a 22 inch wide screen monitor and I have a full screen. Did you maybe think it's YOUR monitor? There is a recommendation on my monitor's res screen to set the res to that res. It doesn't seem to be a problem on anyone else's monitor. I agree with CasualGran a thousand percent. I don't normally buy CE's anymore but this one is a must have, and I bought it. The graphics are downright gorgeous. The one's who made this game is one of the top game makers out there.