It Happened Here: A Storm is Brewing Collector's Edition > iPad, iPhone, Android, Mac & PC Game

Overall rating

5 / 5

Automatic Buy For Me

PostedApril 20, 2024

taparsons81

fromOregon

Skill Level:Expert

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

Fun Factor

5 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

5 / 5

Level of Challenge

5 / 5

Storyline

5 / 5

When Elephant Games releases a new game it's usually an automatic buy for me. 'It Happened Here' is one of my favorite new game series. Graphics, game play & story line for this game were perfect like always in Elephant Games. Good balance of puzzles & HO's. I love the straight forward detective type game that this game is. No fantasy type stuff in the game, just a more realistic type mystery ...Show more

When Elephant Games releases a new game it's usually an automatic buy for me. 'It Happened Here' is one of my favorite new game series. Graphics, game play & story line for this game were perfect like always in Elephant Games. Good balance of puzzles & HO's. I love the straight forward detective type game that this game is. No fantasy type stuff in the game, just a more realistic type mystery detective game is what I like and that's exactly what this game and the other games in this series is. Show less

I recommend this game!

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Overall rating

5 / 5

It Happened Here: A Storm is Brewing Collector's Edition

PostedApril 20, 2024

andrewhow122

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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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Fun Factor

5 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

5 / 5

Level of Challenge

5 / 5

Storyline

5 / 5

I enjoy playing games by this developer. This series is based on crime and that makes a change for me because it makes me think more about my actions

I recommend this game!

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Overall rating

5 / 5

Great game!

PostedApril 18, 2024

biomix

fromOntario, Canada

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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):Hidden Object, Match 3, Puzzle

Fun Factor

5 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

5 / 5

Level of Challenge

5 / 5

Storyline

5 / 5

So happy to see this offered this morning.
Great game. Love the gameplay. Makes sense. Good story.
So far I love the hidden object scenes. Lists and interactive.
Nice graphics and lots to collect.
have not played enough to check out the puzzles but I will take sunnyglow's word for it. Thank you for reviews by the way sunnyglow.
Always helps.

I recommend this game!

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Overall rating

4 / 5

She was there.

PostedApril 24, 2024

RPgames

fromNM

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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

Good game. I don't know why but it was a little bland. I get that the game makers have certain rules like movie ratings.
Just like all games of this type one has to look for items to use in helping out to get to the end.
This game has more items to search for. Some don't like that so this game is not for you. Most item found you have to look around to use them . Some of them were hard to figure ...Show more

Good game. I don't know why but it was a little bland. I get that the game makers have certain rules like movie ratings.
Just like all games of this type one has to look for items to use in helping out to get to the end.
This game has more items to search for. Some don't like that so this game is not for you. Most item found you have to look around to use them . Some of them were hard to figure out so I use the hint button. This more likely is my problem as I play most games in a couple of days as I don't spend more than a hour playing a day. I do forget things so not really the game's fault.
Try the game out first and if you enjoy it go ahead and buy it as it is consistent throughout as there is no twist in this game. Show less

I recommend this game!

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Overall rating

4 / 5

It's Off To A Good Start

PostedApril 18, 2024

HeavenBound7729

fromOcala, Florida

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Skill Level:Expert

Fun Factor

4 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

5 / 5

Level of Challenge

4 / 5

Storyline

4 / 5

Based on the completed demo I feel this game will be better than the last two in this series. Sunnyglow's evaluation of the game piqued my interest enough to see my trial time to the end. I am one of those silver-haired gamers, though not THAT old, referred to in her review. So this game may be more entertaining for me without the usual very young characters.

I was surprised and happy to see ...Show more

Based on the completed demo I feel this game will be better than the last two in this series. Sunnyglow's evaluation of the game piqued my interest enough to see my trial time to the end. I am one of those silver-haired gamers, though not THAT old, referred to in her review. So this game may be more entertaining for me without the usual very young characters.

I was surprised and happy to see more character involvement this time. It made the tasks seem less daunting and moved the story along nicely. Usually I get bored because the story is just stuck in the background while I unlock, find, fix and tape everything in sight.

The characters were looking and sounding great and fit appropriately into the story's theme and each one contributed in some way to the mystery at hand. Lucas being murdered was the start of the detective's investigation and our adventure. Graphics and characters were excellent in design and color. The scenes were well laid out with all the this-and-thats and not a lot of clutter which I appreciated for the ease of searching for necessary items.

It was great that there wasn't an over-abundance of puzzles because I tend to skip many, due to my impatience to fiddle with them all. I liked the variety of HOPs, none were very challenging but the styles kept everything from becoming boring. The puzzles were very good too. I found them to be more enjoyable than frustrating for a change. I thought the collectibles were hard to spot, many were opaque and blended too well into the scenes. I mostly just accidentally hit on them while clicking around for other things.

The demo had more of the story at play than any other I can recall which is really a big plus! When there are only tasks and Plus Items to assemble it really doesn't give me any indication that the game would be a worthwhile purchase. I want/need some story and action in the demo, not just a bunch of time-fillers. Can't make a sound decision without it.

There were two things I did not like, which were going to the phone for photo evidence and the Plus Items flashed on the screen too quickly when showing the parts needed for assembly. It wasn't enough time for me to process it all at once. Otherwise, no complaints, no glitches to report.

So I will buy the game when the SE is available. With New Releases being banned from the sales for at least a month, I have to pass on the CEs. Big Fish changes have not been kind to us and my game purchases have really dwindled! Show less

I recommend this game!

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Overall rating

4 / 5

Jessica Fletcher vibes but not CE worthy

PostedApril 18, 2024

Loriekay1988

fromBoston

Skill Level:Intermediate

Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object

This is a fun game. SO HAPPY not to deal with princesses and fairies. etc.... It's modern. Love it. And yeah characters remind me of Murder She Wrote kind of. I think what's happening is obvious but maybe I'm wrong. I did buy it ONLY because I have a TON of points. But I don't feel it's CE worthy at all. I suggest waiting for the SE honestly.
Graphics and voice overs are good. I really am ...Show more

This is a fun game. SO HAPPY not to deal with princesses and fairies. etc.... It's modern. Love it. And yeah characters remind me of Murder She Wrote kind of. I think what's happening is obvious but maybe I'm wrong. I did buy it ONLY because I have a TON of points. But I don't feel it's CE worthy at all. I suggest waiting for the SE honestly.
Graphics and voice overs are good. I really am thrilled to have a non fantasy game!!!
I wish they would do away with the 15 second hint/game thing. I know what games I hate and pass on. lol. But the do it I'm sure to make the game seem longer. Just annoys me. Luckily the games are not complicated and well explained. SO they are fun. I totally recommend this game but as I said it's not a good CE at all. They really need to work on that. Show less

I recommend this game!

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Overall rating

4 / 5

IT HAPPENED HERE – ELEPHANT GAMES HAS BREWED UP ANOTHER GREAT GAME IN THE SERIES

PostedApril 18, 2024

sunnyglow

fromStuck in a rat maze! Ugh! Just because a maze is called a “rat maze” does not mean there has to be big, fat, disgusting rats in them. Rats in the maze in this game are bigger than the hallways!

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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

4 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

5 / 5

Level of Challenge

4 / 5

Storyline

5 / 5

REVIEW BASED UPON THE ENTIRE GAME
3 Chapters Plus a Bonus Chapter

BACKGROUND: Join podcaster Emily Smith in her second game in the series. A storm of deceit is brewing for novelist, Jessica Hollingsworth, as she battles health concerns while trying to finish what may be her final novel. Her friend, Emily Smith, has been invited to broadcast a final interview of her life’s work. However, while ...Show more

REVIEW BASED UPON THE ENTIRE GAME
3 Chapters Plus a Bonus Chapter

BACKGROUND: Join podcaster Emily Smith in her second game in the series. A storm of deceit is brewing for novelist, Jessica Hollingsworth, as she battles health concerns while trying to finish what may be her final novel. Her friend, Emily Smith, has been invited to broadcast a final interview of her life’s work. However, while at Jessica’s residence, Emily discovers there is more to her friend’s illness than meets the eye. Romp around a mansion and help Emily find the clues which may signal some foul play at work.

GAMEPLAY: This game has all the sleuth appeal which any amateur detective could desire. The story behind the game is well-written. Although I had my suspicions as to the culprit, I could not be certain who that was until the end of the game. This game should appeal to silver-haired gamers The main characters are a little older than characters from other games by this developer. I feel this is a nice gesture to appeal to the senior citizens in the audience. It demonstrates that brilliant podcasters and novelists come in all age groups! The graphics are the same as those in other Elephant games. Although this is not my favorite series by Elephant, I found it to be a wonderful game. To me, this is the right length for a HOPA game. It is not boringly long and drawn out nor too short to justify the CE price. The pace is good. I found the activities creatively designed.

Collect an author’s personal effects and puzzle pieces which appear as books within the scenes. The puzzles pieces are used to complete a jigsaw puzzle hidden within a secret room upon completion of the game. An expedition room allows the player to return to the 25 scenes to search for those collectibles missed while playing the game.

HOP SCENES AND MINI-GAMES: There are twenty-one (21) mini-games, twelve (12) of which can be replayed upon completion of the game. I feel most of the puzzles are easy. There is one puzzle, a maze puzzle, which has the option to be played in either an easy or hard mode. Some of the mini-games are listed below. As in their other games, Elephant provides many picture puzzles throughout the game. I loved playing the maze puzzles. There are two in the main game and felt both were excellent in design.

There are thirteen (13) HOP scenes in the game. All of these can be replayed upon completion of the game. There are also a variety of mini-HOP scenes with six items to locate. The scenes vary in design and include narrative, cryptic clues, fragment, matching, lists of items, and silhouette scenes. My favorite is a scene in which the player must find a specific number of storm damaged items on a map.

MECHANICS:
• Four (4) levels of play including a customized version.
• 22 achievements.
• Collect 12 personal effects belonging to an author and 24 puzzle pieces (shaped like books).
• 5 Wallpapers along with a screensaver, music, and video sequences.
• Replay 13 HOP scenes and 12 mini-games.
• Gimmicky camera to take photos of evidence throughout the game.

BONUS CHAPTER: It is a sequel. Enter the book world of novelist, Jessica Hollingsworth. Jessica has asked Emily Smith to solve the mystery behind her new novel. Enter the novel and assume the role of the detective trying to discover if a hotel owner was murdered and who the culprit was behind the murder. I found this a nice addition to the game. There are four (4) HOP scenes and a few mini-HOP scenes as well. There are six (6) mini-games. Continue searching for the collectibles throughout this bonus chapter. For me, I found it worth the price of a collector’s edition game.

SPOILERS: HERE ARE SOME OF THE MINI-GAMES AFTER THE DEMO:

A. Switch puzzle. Switch items based on color and purpose. Only items of like color or purpose can be switched.
B. Assembly puzzle. Locate items within a scene with birdhouses and place them where they belong within the scene.
C. Maze puzzle. Move through a maze picking up keys to open doors while avoiding disgusting, big fat ugly rats along the way.
D. Sequence puzzle. Arrange typewriter keys to print AUTHOR. The keys will zigzag, switching directions, so they must be entered in the proper order to end up with that word.
E. Logic puzzle. Enter addresses from a map and then remove information as indicated by given hints. End up with the correct address at the end.
F. Easy/Hard. Maze puzzle. Travel hallways in a house by going down two levels of hallways avoiding flames in your path. Select arrows and set up the path and press “Go” to check your answer.
BONUS CHAPTER:
G. Connection puzzle. Rotate hexagonal tokens with colored lines on them so that connections are made for all the 3 colored lines from one end of the grid to the other.
H. Assembly puzzle. Choose two symbols, which, when combined, equal one of four on the side of the grid.
I. Picture puzzle. On a 3 x 3 grid slide 9 puzzle fragments to recreate a picture. Show less

I recommend this game!

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Overall rating

3 / 5

Could've Been Better

PostedJanuary 11, 2025

DenSire

Key Contributor
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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Fun Factor

3 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

3 / 5

Level of Challenge

3 / 5

Storyline

3 / 5

It's next sequel needs far less backtracking between areas just to either obtain a single item, or complete a puzzle in both its Main & Bonus Games to keep its player from getting board, after guessing its real culprits.

I recommend this game!

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Overall rating

2 / 5

Bored and Confused

PostedMay 13, 2024

redcyn

fromUSA

Skill Level:Intermediate

Favorite Genre(s):Card & Board, Hidden Object, Mahjong, Marble Popper, Match 3

Fun Factor

2 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

4 / 5

Level of Challenge

3 / 5

Storyline

2 / 5

The story dumps you into the situation almost before you know what's going on. I found the premise bland, shallow and boring. Some of the mini games didn't have adequate clarity re: what you're supposed to do or get. I'm a fan of Elephant Games, but not this one.

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Overall rating

2 / 5

I want a refund!

PostedMay 5, 2024

jenchris40

fromUK

Skill Level:Expert

Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Brain Teaser, Card & Board, Hidden Object, Mahjong, Puzzle, Strategy, Time Management

Fun Factor

2 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

3 / 5

Level of Challenge

2 / 5

Storyline

2 / 5

I played the demo and the game seemed OK but it rapidly went downhill after paying for it.

The graphics lack depth, are depressingly flat and the gameplay is clunky. Minigames are poorly thought out with instructions that don't make sense and there are so many typos! Not only should this not be a CE but I'm wondering why Big Fish have taken it on. If this is indicative of the series, and ...Show more

I played the demo and the game seemed OK but it rapidly went downhill after paying for it.

The graphics lack depth, are depressingly flat and the gameplay is clunky. Minigames are poorly thought out with instructions that don't make sense and there are so many typos! Not only should this not be a CE but I'm wondering why Big Fish have taken it on. If this is indicative of the series, and reviews seem to suggest older games are even worse, I'll be skipping it.

Not one I'll bother playing to the end. Consigning it to the "purchases I regret" pile. Since Big Fish changed ownership we're just not getting the same value for money that the old points system gave. I wouldn't mind if the game quality had improved. But they're just getting worse. Show less

I don't recommend this game.

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	, share your thoughts about this game! It Happened Here: A Storm is Brewing Collector's Edition A bestseller to die for! 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.