Dark City: Kyiv Collector's Edition > iPad, iPhone, Android, Mac & PC Game

Overall rating

5 / 5

122 of 131 found this review helpful

The Friendly Fox Is A Welcome Guest In My Henhouse!

PostedAugust 3, 2023

caseyduhamel

fromGreat Places, Great Faces- South Dakota

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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

Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Card & Board, Hidden Object, Large File, Mahjong, Match 3, Puzzle, Strategy, Time Management

Current Favorite:

True Fear: Forsaken Souls Collector's Edition

(322)

Fun Factor

5 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

5 / 5

Level of Challenge

5 / 5

Storyline

5 / 5

Where to start? I have the entire Dark City series- all are fantastic, some more than others. Dark City Paris and Dark City Budapest were the best- up until now.
There are some "indie" developers that I really like. But Friendly Fox is at the top of the heavy-hitter-heap, no debate there. They've come such a long way and it shows. The artwork in this particular game -graphics, color palette and ...Show more

Where to start? I have the entire Dark City series- all are fantastic, some more than others. Dark City Paris and Dark City Budapest were the best- up until now.
There are some "indie" developers that I really like. But Friendly Fox is at the top of the heavy-hitter-heap, no debate there. They've come such a long way and it shows. The artwork in this particular game -graphics, color palette and saturation, the characters themselves -OUTSTANDING. The story is very engaging and absolutely original. The voice acting is very good. Friendly Fox has taken us all over Europe and the UK. And, for whatever reason, regional accents are never employed. The accents are always straight-up American. Once in a great while you might catch a hint of a character's accent. This has always bothered me as it doesn't allow me to completely immerse myself into the story. However, in this game the voice acting is good enough that I don't even mind. The attention given to Ukranian tradition is wonderful. Some of the puzzles were definitely harder than others and the collectibles are not obvious- you have to look. Thank you, Friendly Fox for a completely enjoyable experience! Show less

I recommend this game!

+113points

122of 131voted this as helpful.

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Overall rating

5 / 5

54 of 69 found this review helpful

Others ---- take note

PostedAugust 3, 2023

cbtx

fromTexas

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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

This is a game that borders on perfection.
This what casual gaming should strive to be.

Going way beyond a mish-mash of cluttery hidden objects and mini games of ancient technology, this beautiful game features a good story, fantastic graphics, intelligent and intriguing gameplay that will command your attention, and bonus material that actually is meaningful.
This is why I come to BF ---- ...Show more

This is a game that borders on perfection.
This what casual gaming should strive to be.

Going way beyond a mish-mash of cluttery hidden objects and mini games of ancient technology, this beautiful game features a good story, fantastic graphics, intelligent and intriguing gameplay that will command your attention, and bonus material that actually is meaningful.
This is why I come to BF ---- games that go infinitely farther than little animals and busy work. I like to relax when I play but I also like a bit of mental stimulation.

THANK YOU TO THESE EXCELLENT DEVELOPERS for reminding us how great casual games can and SHOULD be.

Excellent game with the highest recommendation! Show less

I recommend this game!

+39points

54of 69voted this as helpful.

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Overall rating

5 / 5

45 of 58 found this review helpful

And We've Got A Winner!

PostedAugust 3, 2023

spicey12

fromNashville, TN

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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

Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object, Word

Fun Factor

5 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

5 / 5

Level of Challenge

4 / 5

Storyline

5 / 5

Review based on trial.
I have paid for all of the Dark City installs. This one not only does not disappoint, it reminds me of why I began playing HOGs in the first place (in the olden days). Great storyline, visually stunning, and generous game play! I love how in this series there's always something new for me to learn. Friendly Fox, you have truly outdone yourself with this one. Very well ...Show more

Review based on trial.
I have paid for all of the Dark City installs. This one not only does not disappoint, it reminds me of why I began playing HOGs in the first place (in the olden days). Great storyline, visually stunning, and generous game play! I love how in this series there's always something new for me to learn. Friendly Fox, you have truly outdone yourself with this one. Very well done! And thank you! Show less

I recommend this game!

+32points

45of 58voted this as helpful.

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Overall rating

5 / 5

159 of 237 found this review helpful

A MAGICAL WORLD AWAITS IN KYIV

PostedAugust 3, 2023

sunnyglow

fromSlava Ukrayini! Friendly Fox. You cover the world in sunflowers with your games and bring happiness to many. You are in my prayers. God bless you all!

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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
4 Chapters Plus a Bonus Chapter – Strategy Guide: 48 pages

What a fantastic game! This game definitely deserves the Editor's Choice designation! The game reflects the Ukrainian culture, filled with its legends and native customs. Friendly Fox does not provide many HOPA games; however, the ones they do create are masterpieces. This game is no exception. It is a ...Show more

REVIEW BASED UPON THE ENTIRE GAME
4 Chapters Plus a Bonus Chapter – Strategy Guide: 48 pages

What a fantastic game! This game definitely deserves the Editor's Choice designation! The game reflects the Ukrainian culture, filled with its legends and native customs. Friendly Fox does not provide many HOPA games; however, the ones they do create are masterpieces. This game is no exception. It is a long game and a nice tribute to this developer’s country. The game is one of the best HOPA games this year and one I would recommend highly. I enjoyed learning about some the Ukrainian legends. A great deal of work went into this game. It is worth the price I paid for it. With all the little extras within the game, I think it should have been priced even higher.

STORY OUTLINE: Detective Agatha is off to Kyiv to investigate fraudulent fortune tellers and astrologers who have been bilking the city residents out of their money. After entering a séance by a renown spiritualist, she discovers that an evil entity, Viy, is being summoned by some local resident. Taras, who asked her to ferret out psychic imposters admits that he and other residents do have paranormal abilities. He himself is a wizard, a molfar. He and others are being attacked by someone with great magical power who is absorbing the magical energy from molfars and other magical beings, turning them into Motanka dolls and leaving ice in their path. Learn the story of the paranormal community, its history and track down who is responsible for trying to resurrect an ancient evil.

I loved the graphics within the game with colorful scenes reflecting the Ukrainian culture. If the player exits the game and reenters it, they will receive little nuggets of information about the Ukraine. The collectibles are Ukraine’s national flower, the sunflower and morphing objects. The sunflowers are huge and easy to locate; however, I found the morphing objects somewhat difficult to find in the scenes. There are forty-nine (49) of each collectible. Upon completion of the game the player is taken to a room with a Motanka doll which can be dressed in different costumes and placed in different backgrounds. I felt this was a nice touch and something a little different than in most HOPA games.

Throughout the game, the player will use the gimmicky all-seeing eye to search for four items within a scene. There are five (5) of these scenes within the game. There is also a scene in which Agatha will make deductions about what transpired in the game by placing four (4) pictures in the proper location on a narrative about the case. I like this feature as it outlines the case in each section played.

There are thirty-four (34) mini-games, twelve (12) of which can be replayed upon completion of the game. There are nineteen (19) HOP scenes, all of which can be replayed upon completion of the game. The HOP scenes are interactive and puzzle-like. There are standard lists of items, silhouette scenes, matching scenes, and fragment scenes. There is a nice variety of mini-games, all creatively designed. There is also a nice assortment of difficulty levels for the puzzles, from extremely easy to challenging. There are a few mini-games which can be played in either a casual version or a hard version. I loved the puzzles within this game.

MECHANICS:
• Four (4) levels of play including a customized version.
• 25 achievements.
• Collect 49 sunflowers, Ukraine’s national flower and 49 morphing items. Once all have been located, you will receive your very own Motanka doll to dress in a variety of costumes and accessories plus be able to change backgrounds for her as well.
• 8 wallpapers along with 5 screensavers, concept art, music, and video sequences
• All seeing eye symbol on the inventory bar which lights up when Agatha makes deductions about the case.
• Replay 12 Mini-games and 19 HOP scenes.

BONUS CHAPTER: It is a sequel. Before Agatha leaves Kyiv, she receives a letter from a mavka asking her to investigate why her fellow sisters are disappearing. A demon has escaped and with the help of Taras and Stepan from the main game, you must work together to capture it and place it somewhere so it can never escape again. I found this chapter a little confusing. In the beginning I had no idea what this story was about. I also had no idea what a mavka was, but before the end of the bonus chapter, I could figure it out. There are six (6) HOP scenes and six (6) mini-games. It is a long chapter and provides a little more folklore about the Ukraine.

SPOILERS: HERE ARE SOME OF THE 34 MINI-GAMES AFTER THE DEMO:
A. Casual/Hard. Put a puzzle together to complete the image. In the hard version the pieces must be rotated.
B. Casual/Hard. Matching puzzle. Match ink blots on a document to a matching paint color. The hard version has more colors to match.
C. Paint By Number. In this case – paint by symbol. Match up symbols to paints to complete a picture of Marina.
D. Math puzzle. Using an abacus, place the beads into position. Answer the math problem by adding or subtracting beads on the left and putting them into position on the right.
E. Paint puzzle. Paint Pysanka eggs by choosing which pattern goes with each size egg and then adding color. Nice cultural addition to this game.
F. Maze puzzle. Find your way through a forest by locating items to overcome obstacles.
BONUS CHAPTER:
G. Blackjack. Flip 2 to 3 cards that total 21. Cards which do not tally to 21 will flip back to be replayed. All cards must be played, and the player may end up with extra cards which do not tally to 21 at which time the game starts over.
H. Maze puzzle. Move a chain through a maze to open a lock. Select numbers on the lock to move the chain a certain number of steps.
I. Rotating rings puzzle. Rotate rings to restore an image. Show less

I recommend this game!

+81points

159of 237voted this as helpful.

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Overall rating

5 / 5

7 of 9 found this review helpful

Wonderful Game

PostedAugust 7, 2023

gameidiot

fromWilmington, NC

Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object, Time Management

Fun Factor

5 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

5 / 5

Level of Challenge

5 / 5

Storyline

5 / 5

Beautiful game. I love that it focuses on Kyiv in Ukraine. All my prayers are for the war to end in Ukraine.

I recommend this game!

+5points

7of 9voted this as helpful.

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Overall rating

5 / 5

41 of 71 found this review helpful

I loved this game!

PostedAugust 3, 2023

travor

fromVancouver, Canada

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

What a fun, unique and captivative game! I've been looking forward to it for a long time!

I recommend this game!

+11points

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Overall rating

5 / 5

2 of 2 found this review helpful

Best Game I've Played in a Year!

PostedAugust 15, 2023

Galaxiana

fromChicago, IL

Skill Level:Expert

Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Puzzle

Fun Factor

5 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

5 / 5

Level of Challenge

5 / 5

Storyline

5 / 5

Dark City - Kyiv is easily the best game I've played in a year or more (and I play about 30-40 full-length HOPA CEs annually). The game has incredibly high-quality voice acting for the genre, and numerous cut-scenes to help tell the story and make the playing experience immersive.

The HOPs are varied and creative, and I found the mini-games to be a delight! They are mostly difficult enough to ...Show more

Dark City - Kyiv is easily the best game I've played in a year or more (and I play about 30-40 full-length HOPA CEs annually). The game has incredibly high-quality voice acting for the genre, and numerous cut-scenes to help tell the story and make the playing experience immersive.

The HOPs are varied and creative, and I found the mini-games to be a delight! They are mostly difficult enough to be a real game, (rather than just a click-things-in or move-stuff-around with no strategy required), but not so challenging that they were frustrating or annoying.

The story flows in a compelling manner that makes you want to keep playing and has a fairly satisfying ending for this type of game. The bonus chapter was also excellent.

All-in-all, an outstanding experience! I just bought 2 more Dark City games, I liked it so much! Show less

I recommend this game!

+2points

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Overall rating

5 / 5

2 of 2 found this review helpful

Stand Out Game

PostedAugust 12, 2023

Sadeyed

fromEngland

Fun Factor

5 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

5 / 5

Level of Challenge

5 / 5

Storyline

5 / 5

This is the first time for ages I have been inclined to purchase a game of this genre. I have downloaded and played the demos on quite a few, but none have grabbed me enough to buy them. But this one did and having played the full game I am not regretting it. The storyline is excellent and I really enjoyed all the puzzles. Very impressed.

I recommend this game!

+2points

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Overall rating

5 / 5

28 of 50 found this review helpful

Masterpiece

PostedAugust 3, 2023

mmdgaston

fromoklahoma

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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

This is a rare chance to play a true masterpiece.....what a wonderful game!!!!!!!!! i can't find anything wrong with this one. and if you knew me...that is saying alot. .....play this people!! what a surprise.........

I recommend this game!

+6points

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Overall rating

5 / 5

9 of 15 found this review helpful

Unbelievable ...

PostedAugust 4, 2023

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:

Adera

(120)

Fun Factor

5 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

5 / 5

Level of Challenge

5 / 5

Storyline

5 / 5

what great games there are. FF has outdone itself once again!
You can expect the usual gorgeous graphics, great music, realistic actors and a great story that is apparently based on a Ukrainian legend. You always notice with the Dark City games that they think a lot about the plot and don't deliver a mishmash. I always find it amazing how much attention to detail the developers of the Dark City ...Show more

what great games there are. FF has outdone itself once again!
You can expect the usual gorgeous graphics, great music, realistic actors and a great story that is apparently based on a Ukrainian legend. You always notice with the Dark City games that they think a lot about the plot and don't deliver a mishmash. I always find it amazing how much attention to detail the developers of the Dark City series put into building the stories. I also like it when dark city games convey cultural knowledge.
In this game you can puzzle, paint and calculate to your heart's content. The labyrinths are available as well as card games and spinning of the rings. Plus a lot more. I never got bored with a single puzzle. For my taste, there was a very well-balanced variety of puzzles, so that no wish was left unfulfilled.
The morph objects hidden in the scenes were sometimes difficult to find, the sunflowers easier to find.
My conclusion: Huge thanks to the developers for this really fantastic game. Unfortunately I only have 2 thumbs, otherwise I give 10! Show less

I recommend this game!

+3points

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