Christmas Fables: Holiday Guardians Collector's Edition > iPad, iPhone, Android, Mac & PC Game

Overall rating

5 / 5

137 of 194 found this review helpful

SAVE CHRISTMAS FROM AN ELF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SHELF

PostedDecember 15, 2022

sunnyglow

fromMerry Christmas! Kudos to Domini Games for another fantastic Christmas game!

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This "Key Contributor" plays, rates, and reviews a lot of games. We think you'll trust their thoughts and opinions about games.
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Skill Level:Expert

Fun Factor

5 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

5 / 5

Level of Challenge

5 / 5

Storyline

5 / 5

REVIEW BASED UPON THE ENTIRE GAME
7 Chapters Plus a Bonus Chapter – Strategy Guide: 74 pages (My Time: 10 Hours)

Take very long sleigh ride into Christmas! My ride through this game took ten hours - the longest HOPA game I have played this year! This game has twice the gameplay as other HOPA games. It is almost like two games for the price of one! Enjoy a delightful Christmas delight, filled with Christmas scenes filled with all the joy and wonder of the season. Your grandfather is Santa Claus! He has hidden his identity from you throughout the years, but now that you are a young adult, he has revealed the truth at last. However, the holiday is in trouble and chaos has come to the North Pole. Treachery is afoot at the North Pole, where a disgruntled elf, Ambrus, is plotting to see the holiday eliminated and with it, your grandfather, Santa Claus. The Guardians of Christmas are a team which have worked to keep the spirit of Christmas alive! However, Ambrus, has infiltrated the group and there is a traitor working with him in his plans to end the holiday. Discover the evildoers behind the scenes and help your grandfather save Christmas. You will have the assistance of many magical creatures along the way.

If this game does not get you into the Christmas spirit, nothing will. This is a very long game, chock full of Christmas spirit and scenes resplendent with bright festive scenes with delightful music, lights, presents, and glistening Christmas trees. A lot of work went into the creation of this game. There are numerous activities within this game. The story is unique in its depiction of the North Pole. This is a great holiday game; however, I do not believe it is one which can be played with younger players. I believe the puzzles are more difficult than a younger child would enjoy playing or would be able to play. However, it could be played if a parent played with the child.

The collectibles are morphing Christmas items and Christmas stockings. Collect candy canes which can be exchanged for Christmas items to deck out a bedroom. I found the stockings and candy canes easy to locate; however, I did have difficulty in locating some of the morphing Christmas items. As in previous games, this developer provides extra gameplay. The player can opt out of playing the scenes if they do not want to play the extra scenes. The player is asked if he wants to enter or tour this extra scene. There are four (4) instances of extra footage including a romp through Santa’s toy workshop, a tour of Blizzard Castle, a search for the Snow Queen’s mirror, and another romp through Santa’s toy workshop in the bonus chapter. No other developer offers this feature and I feel this is a nice touch.

MECHANICS:

• Four (4) levels of play including a customized version.
• 41 achievements.
• Collect 15 morphing Christmas items and 15 Christmas stockings
• Collect 70 candy canes to exchange for Christmas items for a bedroom.
• 15 wallpapers along with concept art, music, and video sequences
• Replay 23 HOP scenes and 21 mini-games

BONUS CHAPTER: It is another story. Play a ragged girl with a good heart and kind disposition who has been asked by the King to locate his daughter, Goldilocks. She has been missing for years. Her star-shaped medallion is rumored to be located within the woods where she disappeared. Only a person who is pure at heart can locate this medallion. The King feels you are the right person for the job. Nevertheless, there is one person who will be opposed to you searching for the missing princess. Help the King find his daughter and discover something about yourself as well. This is a nice addition to the game. There are five (5) HOP scenes and ten (10) mini-games. This chapter is well-worth the price of this game.

HOP SCENES: There are twenty-three (23) HOP scenes, all of which can be replayed upon completion of the game. As with their other games, this developer provides a variety of HOP scenes, and all are interactive. Although Domini Games is best known for their puzzles, their HOP scenes are amazing as well. They are creatively designed and provide some new innovative design with each new game. The scenes include standard lists of items, silhouette, and matching. There are scenes with items which are found and returned and used within the scene. I personally love the scenes with rebus clues. There are a few scenes with items highlighted within a narrative. There is a scene with items portrayed on a Christmas themed stained-glass window. As in their other games, an optional Match-3 game can be played instead of the scenes.

MINI-GAMES: There are thirty-eight (38) mini-games, twenty-one (21) of which can be replayed upon completion of the game. Most of these can be played in either a “hard” or “easy” level. The “hard” level is not challenging but provides a little more challenge than the “easy” level. For me, the “hard” level games are more moderately difficult as opposed to mind crushing. As in other games by this developer, the difficulty of the puzzles can be set in the menu; however, if a puzzle is too difficult, it can be changed while playing it within the game.

SPOILERS: HERE ARE SOME OF THE 38 MINI-GAMES FROM THE GAME: (E = Easy; H = Hard)

A. E/H. Assembly puzzle. Rotate rings on a staff to re-create a picture. In the hard version, rotating one segment of the staff affects the others
B. E/H. Connection puzzle. Create a railroad track by connecting 2 ends using given segments of a railroad track. The easy version has more silhouettes of places where track is to be laid. The hard version has only 1 silhouette section shown. All segments must be used to create the track
C. E/H. Connection puzzle. Rotate knobs within the inner workings of a hair dryer so they are attached to wires within. In the hard version, moving one knob affects the others.
D. E/H. Riddle me this. Choose items on a gate which answer riddles within a book.
E. E/H. Map puzzle. Skate down a frozen river avoiding obstacles within your path. The easy version gives you 2 extra lives. The hard version has more obstacles to avoid.
F. E/H. Picture puzzle Novel idea. Push pistons up and down to move picture fragments to restore an image. The easy version has 3 pistons and the hard 4 and more pieces to maneuver.
G. E/H. Matching puzzle. On a whackamole arcade, click on, and uncover circles to find a matching image to the one in the center of the screen. In the hard version, the circles rotate with each move.
H. E/H. Strategy puzzle. Rotate hands and the face on a clock so they display the correct number of symbols shown on the weights. The easy version has 2 weights and the hard has 3.
I. E/H. Rope puzzle. Untangle a rope so no sections cross it other. The easy version has a less tangled rope than the hard version.
BONUS CHAPTER:
J. E/H. Move music notes up and down on a piano until they are within their proper position on a scale.
K. E/H. Map puzzle. Place wooden plaques with directional numbers on them into a grid to set the path for you to travel across an icy lake. Use all the numbered planks The hard version has more planks to place. All must be used.
L. E/H. Assembly puzzle. Cut an outline according to directions
M. E/H. Switch puzzle. Switch pieces of a train track to create a track. The harder version has more track pieces to put together.
N. E/H. Ride a sled avoiding obstacles in your path. You get 3 lives and lose one every time you hit an obstacle. The easy version is just easier to navigate. Show less

I recommend this game!

+80points

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Overall rating

5 / 5

12 of 13 found this review helpful

Such a bad elf...

PostedDecember 18, 2022

Old_Sepp

fromAhrensburg, Germany

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This "Key Contributor" plays, rates, and reviews a lot of games. We think you'll trust their thoughts and opinions about games.
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Skill Level:Intermediate

Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File, Match 3, Time Management

Current Favorite:

Nevertales: Legends Collector's Edition

(84)

Fun Factor

5 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

5 / 5

Level of Challenge

4 / 5

Storyline

4 / 5

...which gives Santa Claus a hard time. Thank goodness Santa Claus has put together a great team with you and other henchmen working to save Christmas.
I found the story exciting and above all of a nice length, you haven't experienced that lately. It took me 10 1/2 hours including the bonus part and I wasn't bored for a moment.
The graphics are really fantastic and the actors are beautifully animated as usual.
The background music is appropriate and pleasant.
The Hidden Objects were well blended and clearly discernible. Alternatively, you could switch to the 3-in-a-row mode. In the match 3 mode, I would have liked it if it had had a Christmassy theme as well. The mini puzzles were easy to moderate. Friends of sliding and labyrinth puzzles will get their money's worth.
The bonus part tells a separate story about Goldilocks and also had a satisfactory playing time.
Also hidden in the scenes were 15 Christmas socks, 15 Christmas decorations and 70 candy canes. The candy canes could be redeemed for decorations in your room after completing the bonus game. Show less

I recommend this game!

+11points

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Overall rating

5 / 5

2 of 7 found this review helpful

Christmas Fables: Holiday Guardians Collector's Edition

PostedDecember 17, 2022

andrewhow110

Key Contributor
This "Key Contributor" plays, rates, and reviews a lot of games. We think you'll trust their thoughts and opinions about games.
Key Contributor

Fun Factor

5 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

5 / 5

Level of Challenge

5 / 5

Storyline

5 / 5

I enjoy playing games from this developer. I enjoy playing seasonal games when they are released

I recommend this game!

-3points

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Overall rating

5 / 5

Escapist Christmas fun to get you in the mood for the season

PostedNovember 27, 2023

rainstormy

fromLufkin, TX

Skill Level:Intermediate

Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Brain Teaser, Card & Board, Hidden Object, Match 3, Puzzle, Word

Fun Factor

5 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

5 / 5

Level of Challenge

4 / 5

Storyline

5 / 5

Delightful, plot driven Christmas themed HOPA from Domini Games. Although there's more dialog here than I've seen in some other Domini HOPAs I've played there's also plenty of action cut scenes, too which breaks up the monotony and keeps the gameflow interesting. Graphics are top notch of course – in fact there's almost a sensory overload of Christmas in every single scene and you can practically smell the Christmas pine and Santa's gingerbread cookies wafting from your PC screen. The gameplay itself seems remarkably similar to another HOPA I recently played from Domini (Myth or Reality: Fairy Lands) – in fact it's practically the same game, with some superficial plot twists and wrapped in a Christmas skin. This one has a Santa (hero), a cynical dwarf Ambrus (villan) – who seems dead set on putting a stop to Christmas forever, oh no!, a princess, some mischievous mice up to no good and the usual plot devices and mini puzzles you'll instantly recognize if you've played any recent HOPAs from this game designer. It's all good, though – it's easy going gameplay and seasonal, whimsical escapist fun which should appeal to any level casual gamer as well as seasoned “pros”. Recommended, ho ho ho! Show less

I recommend this game!

0points

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Overall rating

4 / 5

22 of 24 found this review helpful

Ambrus Has A Chip On His Shoulder

PostedDecember 15, 2022

HeavenBound7729

fromOcala, Florida

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This "Key Contributor" plays, rates, and reviews a lot of games. We think you'll trust their thoughts and opinions about games.
Key Contributor

Skill Level:Expert

Fun Factor

4 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

4 / 5

Level of Challenge

4 / 5

Storyline

4 / 5

It takes more than a long story to make it a good one. Coming from Domini means it probably is filled to the brim with tasks. Hours and hours of them! The CE format is the same but that was expected. You'd think for Christmas we'd get some new numbers for collectibles or something other than another room to decorate, Maybe next time!

There's an option to skip everything but that would remove ...Show more

There's an option to skip everything but that would remove most of the activity from the game, which isn't a good thing to do, especially considering the CE price. However, it's nice that we have the choice of skipping. Also noticed that it isn't so easy to figure out what needs to be done in a scene. That's a nice improvement! Without every action being so obvious, I think it's a lot more fun and interesting.

In the first HOP it was difficult to tell what to do and where to place some of the items. It was a good challenge, kept it from being boring. I loved the puzzles, played in Hard Mode, weren't overly difficult. I've a good feeling about the HOPs and puzzles in this game, which is rare these days. Not too crazy about the graphics but there was a lot to see and very Christmasy. Just not the best, imo.

Why was it necessary for a rat to say what the "heck" in a basement scene? A stronger word was actuaslly used. What purpose did it serve? Bad idea! Lots of anger displayed in this story! The demo was again laden with tasks, saw little of the action. Not sure, yet, if I will purchase. Show less

I recommend this game!

+20points

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Overall rating

4 / 5

6 of 6 found this review helpful

DIDN'T EXPECT TO LIKE THIS

PostedDecember 16, 2022

lynnminer

fromSeattle, WA

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This "Key Contributor" plays, rates, and reviews a lot of games. We think you'll trust their thoughts and opinions about games.
Key Contributor

Skill Level:Expert

Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Puzzle

Fun Factor

4 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

4 / 5

Level of Challenge

4 / 5

Storyline

4 / 5

This game was a lot more fun than I thought it would be. It starts off quickly with an angry elf, a fire, and the disappearance of Princess Nutcracker. The HO scenes were slightly different and not so ho-hum. Although I played the puzzles in 'hard' mode, they still were not difficult. I enjoyed them though! (like the maze in the dark with a flashlight). Love those!

I recommend this game!

+6points

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Overall rating

4 / 5

7 of 9 found this review helpful

Conversations

PostedDecember 18, 2022

texastammy

fromTexas

Skill Level:Intermediate

Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object

Fun Factor

4 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

4 / 5

Level of Challenge

4 / 5

Storyline

4 / 5

This game is very fun to play. It takes longer than other HOPA games, but that is mostly because of the long conversations. Some of the character conversations were 1 1/2-2 minutes long. I would prefer shorter conversation times, as I got bored after a while.

I recommend this game!

+5points

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Overall rating

4 / 5

3 of 3 found this review helpful

Based on Gameplay only.

PostedDecember 20, 2022

tottin

fromFlorida

Skill Level:Expert

Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Puzzle, Time Management

Current Favorite:

Roads of Rome: New Generation 2

(36)

Fun Factor

4 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

4 / 5

Level of Challenge

4 / 5

Storyline

4 / 5

I liked this game although I found it more challenging and often more difficult than other Christmas games. I play on Casual Mode. The voice overs were a bit lengthy but they do provide a skip button. Music was very pleasant.
I do have a beef and I'm not sure what the problem is. This is the second Christmas CE I've purchased and played where there are NO wallpapers. Setting one results in a black screen. It creates the folder in Documents but the folder is empty! This is a Domini game. The last one was "Taxi of Miracles" by Elephant games. NO wallpapers in either game. This has never happened before. I'm on Windows 10 and have never had a problem with other CE's.
Please BigFish, contact these developers for a fix.
Recommending this game for the gameplay only. Show less

I recommend this game!

+3points

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Overall rating

4 / 5

0 of 1 found this review helpful

OK game and good time filler

PostedJanuary 7, 2023

Kay_Erin

fromSnowy (and cold!) Wisconsin!

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Skill Level:Expert

Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3

Current Favorite:

Cursed Fables: Twisted Tower Collector's Edition

(14)

Fun Factor

4 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

5 / 5

Level of Challenge

4 / 5

Storyline

3 / 5

I actually quite enjoyed this game, although it took a long time to get through. Two reasons:
1. Way to much "speachifying" by the characters. I was afraid to skip because I might miss a clue, but then I ended up not playing the game for awhile
2. The story was not tight with their narrative. Needed an editor. Also mixing up Goldilocks, Santa and the tale of the Winter witch was a bit too much, ...Show more

I had some difficulty finding all the morphs and christmas stockings (I missed one of each) but this is not necessarily bad, as it is more challenging.

Altogether I would recommend this game but be warned; parts are really boring! Show less

I recommend this game!

-1point

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Overall rating

3 / 5

157 of 184 found this review helpful

HOLIDAY GUARDIANS ARE COMING... TO TOWN

PostedDecember 15, 2022

pennmom36

fromRemembering you is easy, I do it every day. Missing you is a heartache that never goes away, until we meet again on the Rainbow Bridge one day. დ Loki

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This "Top Reviewer" is one of our most frequent game reviewers. We think you'll trust what they have to say and find their reviews helpful and informative.
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Skill Level:Expert

Fun Factor

3 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

4 / 5

Level of Challenge

3 / 5

Storyline

4 / 5

Completed Game in less than 6 hours
(including all mini-games & Bonus Play options)
23 Main Game Scene Locations +8 Bonus Chapter
Difficulty Range: Beginner-Intermediate

Oh Holy Night, if ever there was a time to Believe, tonight's the night! I may have seen something I shouldn't have seen and I'm not talking about Grandma kissing Santa Claus, this is much more serious! Seems the Elves have taken sides and it's not sitting well with Ambrus who has vowed to stop Christmas forever. (does someone need a Candy Cane?) It's a good thing Santa put together a fantastic team...no, not the Reindeer, the Guardians of Christmas, problem is, one of the Guardians may not be on board with all the Ho Ho Ho's this year!

It's almost Christmas so I won't let the Do Games Grinch out, the story is cute, although it seems like it was taken directly from an episode of Tim Allen's Santa Claus movie. Yup, the tasks are still the same, you'll still be thawing out ice, using hairpins, magnets, wire & tape (and you'll know exactly what you'll need the second you come upon a task) It's really hard to play a simplistic Do Game right now because I'm currently playing Lost Lands, 7 hours logged in and I'm only halfway done which says a lot about a game doesn't it? Lost Lands is a thinking kind of game and this is just an autopilot kind of game, it may have more chapters but it won't take you an entire day to complete it.

Collectibles/Morphing Objects (CE version only)
Still has the same ole collectibles with a different name. There are 14 Morphing Christmas Stuff (that's the best name you could come up with Do..."stuff"), 14 Christmas Stockings, and 70 Zoom Zone Candy Canes that are used to purchase 14 Bedroom decorations. I wonder how that works for currency, is everything priced at an even candy cane number or does the recipient get to take a few licks off one of the candy canes?

Hidden Object Scenes:
I will admit, the Hidden Object Scenes were better than usual with some well-blended objects. Right off the bat, you use Santa's Christmas list to figure out which presents go into which box according to the descriptions followed by a scene where you must read letters to Santa and find Keywords from each letter. There are also Find & Replace HOs, and the usual Interactive Lists, etc.

Alternate Match 3 Game:
There is an alternate Match 3 Game available. It's the same M3 game, the same boards, and the same icons offered in every game, they didn't even bother to make it Christmassy.

MINI-GAMES:
You can play the mini-games on Easy or Hard but honestly the hard version mostly adds more "one affects others" scenario which in my opinion is just an annoying time-waster and not necessarily harder. None of the puzzles were strategy-based "thinkers" in fact, some were so easily solved I'd be taken by surprise when it was suddenly over. I twisted sections of a magic staff and "tested it" and got it right on the first try. I led a mouse thru a maze while picking up inventory items to progress, keep in mind I was using a flashlight so I couldn't see the path ahead but I still managed to take the correct route on the 1st attempt. I'm not claiming to be a mini-game wiz, I'm just saying the puzzles are way too easy. I will say that I enjoyed the mini-game where I had to repeat the order of Rats arriving by clicking on the correct rats, but with each click, the rats would do a shuffle of positions and each level added more Rats.

BONUS CHAPTER (CE version only)
Kevin! Oops, wrong missing kid on Christmas...This time it's Goldilocks that's missing, in fact, she's been missing for a few years just waiting for someone with a pure heart to find her medallion and reunite the King with his beautiful daughter...anyone else suspicious of those beady-eyed bears? She probably broke a few household items while the bears were out foraging and they probably worked up a big appetite, just saying, it seems logical to me! I know its fairytale magic world at play here, but did it really take years for the King to find someone with a pure heart? Did he interview anyone else or did he think no one was good enough to look for his daughter? If I were the King and my daughter went missing in the forest, I'd be sending in every single townsfolk one at a time, if they don't return you just assume they had an unpure heart, and move on down the line, "NEXT!" This seems like a much better option than sitting around for years waiting on the purest of heart to come strolling into town.

As for the Bonus Chapter's glitter, there are 10 Mini-Games and 5 HO scenes across 10 additional scene locations. You will continue your search for 5 Christmas stockings, 4 Morphing Christmas Stuff, and 9 Zoom Zone Candy Canes as well.

Collector's Edition Extra's: (CE version only)
15 Wallpapers, 15 Concept Art Pictures, 5 Music Soundtracks, 29 Movie Video Cutscenes, 41 Achievements, 21 Replayable Mini-Games, 23 Replayable Hidden Object Scenes, 15 Morphing Christmas Stuff, 15 Christmas Stockings, and 70 Zoom Zone Candy Canes that are used to purchase 15 Bedroom Decorations, 7 Main Chapters, +Bonus Chapter, and a Built-In Strategy Guide.

If you miss the BF forums then come to my new forum which has even more features to enjoy, Rudolph's Presents are now available for Christmas so stop on by and maybe throw a snowball or two thewoodsforum.boards.net Show less

I recommend this game!

+130points

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Christmas Fables: Holiday Guardians Collector's Edition

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	, share your thoughts about this game! Christmas Fables: Holiday Guardians Collector's Edition Imagine a world without Christmas! Heres what your review will look like once it’s posted. Click Submit if you’re happy. Your review should appear soon. To make changes, use the Edit or Cancel buttons. Thanks for sharing your thoughts about this game! You’ve already shared your thoughts about this game. Thanks for submitting the review below.