Mystery Trackers: Blackrow's Secret Collector's Edition > iPad, iPhone, Android, Mac & PC Game

Overall rating

5 / 5

139 of 160 found this review helpful

Finally, an interesting game in some time now!

PostedAugust 28, 2014

MusicNat

fromNew England

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

Skill Level:Expert

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

Current Favorite:

Grim Tales: The Vengeance Collector's Edition

(82)

Fun Factor

5 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

5 / 5

Level of Challenge

4 / 5

Storyline

5 / 5

Norma Shine is a movie star that is at the height of her career. Upon arriving home she found mysterious death threats that left her shaking. Together with the Mystery Trackers detective, she arrived at the abandoned and plague stricken town of Blackrow to investigate the source of the threats. No sooner had they arrived, Norma was chloroformed and snatched by a mysterious figure. Along your ...Show more

Norma Shine is a movie star that is at the height of her career. Upon arriving home she found mysterious death threats that left her shaking. Together with the Mystery Trackers detective, she arrived at the abandoned and plague stricken town of Blackrow to investigate the source of the threats. No sooner had they arrived, Norma was chloroformed and snatched by a mysterious figure. Along your journey you find mysterious alchemical symbols which you can examine with a new age device. Who or what is behind these threats? Your trusty dog Elf is there to keep you company on your journey, just as in the previous Mystery Trackers Games.

This is the 7th game in the Mystery Trackers series, and most of them are wonderful games play.

This game is brimming with collectibles and extras. Collectibles include items you spot with your device, and glass pieces that will form a beautiful mosaic when joined together. I am not sure is something special will occur when it is finished, but I bet that is a great possibility. I did not come across any morphing objects to my chagrin since I really love those. Maybe my eyes are not very keen right now (in the middle of the night lol).

Also the "Secret Room" is back by popular demand, which includes bonus game-play on top of the bonus chapter. A number of recent Elephant 'games' have stopped including it like they used to. I am very pleased by that change.

Although the whole 'movie star' and 'starlet' games have been done too many times recently, I was very impressed with the game so far and decided to purchase the Collector's Edition. This game seems to be light on the HOS and have more interesting puzzles (which pleases me much). I have come across some totally new and innovative puzzles that I have not seen before. If you are not into HOS heavy games like myself, you will enjoy this game a lot.

The games released lately were disappointing and this one seems very promising, spooky, and mysterious. I recommend this game. Show less

I recommend this game!

+118points

139of 160voted this as helpful.

Was this review helpful?Yes139No21

Flagged as inappropriate.

Overall rating

5 / 5

123 of 141 found this review helpful

An Excellent New Mystery Trackers Game For Those Who Love the Series

PostedAugust 28, 2014

biscuitsmama

fromCalifornia, USA

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

Skill Level:Expert

Fun Factor

5 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

5 / 5

Level of Challenge

5 / 5

Storyline

5 / 5

Well detective it looks like you and your trusty companion Elf, are off on a new adventure, this time protecting an actress who is receiving death threats. Since she is a prominent new star, the agency has been hired to provide her with the best detective possible, and you guessed it, that is you!

There are four cleverly named levels of difficulty, with Black Tie being the most difficult having ...Show more

Well detective it looks like you and your trusty companion Elf, are off on a new adventure, this time protecting an actress who is receiving death threats. Since she is a prominent new star, the agency has been hired to provide her with the best detective possible, and you guessed it, that is you!

There are four cleverly named levels of difficulty, with Black Tie being the most difficult having no sparkles, hints or skips. The graphics are excellent but because of the nature and setting of the game they are a bit dark. The voiceovers are excellent, although there is no lip-sync. The rest of the sound package is very good and replicates the MT theme.

There is a new tool that you will find early in the game and it is something that will help you detect energy fields in certain areas. Be careful since it has never been used before. If you click on the spinning map icon it will open your map, diary, achievements and collectibles for view. The map is the interactive transporter type. The hint system in the game will allow you to transport to a scene where there is an active task available. Of course we have our trusty companion, Elf, to help us when needed.

The HOS in Elephant games are generally not as varied as they are in HOPS from other developers and are mostly the slightly interactive list type. I must say that for me at least, it is a refreshing change to see good list type HOS because I have tired of the HOS where I have to always figure out what to do to find something, or what item to open to begin the scene. It is okay once in a while but too many developers are making the HOPS too interactive and too heavy on silhouettes for my liking. I wish more devs would go back to including more list type HOS in their games instead of relying on one type of HOS as in a recent game.

The puzzles start out fairly easy and even though I have only encountered a few in the demo, I know that the puzzles from this developer increase in difficulty as we progress through the game. Most of the puzzles from the Elephant team can be a bit tricky but they are not overly difficult. Unfortunately, and I say this again and again, most developers have moved to including fairly basic and easy puzzles in their HOPA games. This is a bit disappointing to us who love the brain challenge but I know that many gamers don’t care for puzzles, thus the move towards simplicity.

There are achievements to be earned and collectibles to find but I have no idea what they are since there is an object we need to find in the game that will allow us to see the collectibles. Aside from the hidden collectibles, we will find 26 stained glass pieces that will go into a puzzle box. There are no morphing objects that I’ve found in the demo but I might have missed them. Of course, we have a secret room that will open once you have completed the bonus game.

I love this game. The MT series has always been a favorite of mine and this one proves to be excellent. One of the great things about this developer is that their games always have a great storyline that keeps me entertained. For me this latest Mystery Trackers CE game is very appealing, and I guess I am one of the few who has not yet tired of having my little friend Elf, accompany me on my adventure. Now I am off to hit the buy button and add Blackrow’s Secret to my collection. As always, I recommend that you at least try the demo to see if this is a game you will like. Show less

I recommend this game!

+105points

123of 141voted this as helpful.

Was this review helpful?Yes123No18

Flagged as inappropriate.

Overall rating

5 / 5

55 of 61 found this review helpful

Mystery Trackers-Blackrow Secrets---YEAH Another Great Game

PostedAugust 28, 2014

beverly2196

fromheber, ut

Skill Level:Intermediate

Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object

Fun Factor

5 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

5 / 5

Level of Challenge

4 / 5

Storyline

5 / 5

Another great Mystery Tracker game. I have all the games except one older one. I really enjoy playing these games they keep you interested and you don't want to stop playing. Elephant did it again for me. I played it for only 15 minutes and knew I just had to purchase it. Here is a brief intro into the game. A woman has finally made it big as an actress and on top of the world, then, she enters ...Show more

Another great Mystery Tracker game. I have all the games except one older one. I really enjoy playing these games they keep you interested and you don't want to stop playing. Elephant did it again for me. I played it for only 15 minutes and knew I just had to purchase it. Here is a brief intro into the game. A woman has finally made it big as an actress and on top of the world, then, she enters her dressing room and sees all these weird images painted on the walls and right then she knew someone was out to kill her. The police hasn't been able to find out anything or why someone wants her dead. Thus a detective has been hired to protect her (same one as in the prev. games# and as the detective is driving her home they have to go through Blackrow. This area has been condemned years ago because of a plaque. As they are driving all of a sudden a ghost of a woman appears in front of the car and they wreck. As the woman and detective are coming a man #I think# is kidnapping the actress and taking her away. The detective has to search for her through Blackrow area which I said has been condemned. You have to play the game yourself and see if this game is as good as the previous ones. I do!!

Hos scenes are not too cluttered that you cant find the items
you need.
Graphics are great.
Puzzles are fun and not frustrating. #the ones I played#
There are collectable too...Stain glass pieces #22# Vases #16#
Chapters #8) plus bonus.

Oops almost forgot, you get a special gadget to detect ghostly things. Also same helper ELF!

Try it ....You wont be disappointed. Show less

I recommend this game!

+49points

55of 61voted this as helpful.

Was this review helpful?Yes55No6

Flagged as inappropriate.

Overall rating

5 / 5

30 of 34 found this review helpful

It's a 4.5 star rating for me...

PostedAugust 30, 2014

skullfun

fromTennessee

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

Skill Level:Intermediate

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

Current Favorite:

Mystery Trackers: Raincliff's Phantoms Collector's Edition

(88)

Fun Factor

4 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

5 / 5

Level of Challenge

3 / 5

Storyline

4 / 5

It doesn't matter who you are, finding bloody threats and arcane symbols scrawled on the wall like Lovecraft had a fingerpainting class is a little unnerving. You're escorting actress Norma Shine home late one night after the police have been unable to track down who's been leaving her these red missives when an apparition makes you crash, and you awaken just in time to see her being hauled off by ...Show more

It doesn't matter who you are, finding bloody threats and arcane symbols scrawled on the wall like Lovecraft had a fingerpainting class is a little unnerving. You're escorting actress Norma Shine home late one night after the police have been unable to track down who's been leaving her these red missives when an apparition makes you crash, and you awaken just in time to see her being hauled off by a mysterious figure into the Blackrow District. Which, by the way, has been quarantined for almost two hundred years after the plague ripped through it. You know, just to complete your round of Bad Omens Bingo with a win. In Elephant Games' Mystery Trackers: Blackrow's Secret, the latest installment of the popular hidden-object horror thriller adventure series, you'll need to discover what grim truth is behind the darkness of Blackrow, a place that hasn't seen the light of day in centuries but is by no means "empty". Together with your faithful yap-yap dog Elf, who can be used to reach things you can't, and an unstable device that can allow you to see the memories of those long dead, you'll find items, solve puzzles, and maybe think of changing careers to something that involves a bit less mortal peril, corpses, and possession.

Mystery Trackers series is one you can always count on to deliver the goods in story, presentation, and gameplay. Like its predecessors, Blackrow's Secret suffers from an egregious amount of backtracking, but offers up a genuinely interesting, if melodramatic, story that unfolds over some gorgeous and deliciously creepy areas. The artwork here is beautiful in every regard, enlivening some familiar puzzle types with rich design and detail, and the cutscenes are both well voiced and frequent as you use your magical memory MacGuffin machine to learn more about the past. It's not something you'd call scary, and it's considerably more restrained from some of the more flamboyant stories other games in the series have served up, but its still creative and full of twists and turns. ... and, admittedly, bad decisions. I don't know how you're supposed to feel sorry for someone who decides to go to the "forbidden district" alone, at night, after receiving a letter from a hulking hooded man. I know we don't all have Spidey Sense, but come on. Things get serious around the second half, and it's actually a pleasant surprise to have a villain who's somewhat sympathetic... you may not agree with their actions, but it's hard to deny their motives.
Blackrow's Secret does feel like it could have used a bit more of the wild flair of Mystery Trackers: Raincliff or Mystery Trackers: The Void, because as well made as it is, its quality of design is the only thing really making it stand out from the pack. Which admittedly is a strange complaint, but the Mystery Trackers series has always been at its best when it really let loose with its plot, and there's just something about Blackrow's Secret that seems, well, tamer. It also feels as if it's a little on the easy side regardless of the difficulty you choose, so players will likely find themselves zipping through it in a few hours, not counting the bonus chapter. This is a game you'll want to finish all in one sitting, and you'll want more of it when it's over, and some seriously cool scenes and events will keep you hooked for the duration. Crazy zombie demon cats? Psychotic ghost twins? Bodies stuffed into every possible crack and crevice? Mystery Trackers: Blackrow's Secret isn't just gorgeous... it's a good time to boot. Show less

I recommend this game!

+26points

30of 34voted this as helpful.

Was this review helpful?Yes30No4

Flagged as inappropriate.

Overall rating

5 / 5

36 of 45 found this review helpful

Can you rescue Norma Shine?

PostedAugust 28, 2014

MSBAM100

fromTampa, FL

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

Skill Level:Expert

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

Current Favorite:

Ghosts of the Past: Bones of Meadows Town Collector's Edition

(51)

Fun Factor

5 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

5 / 5

Level of Challenge

5 / 5

Storyline

5 / 5

What a treat for the nice long holiday weekend coming up! This is episode 7 of Mystery Trackers, and if you haven't played the others, you will enjoy them also. Each story stands alone, except your buddy Elf the dog is your helper throughout.

Anyway, you are supposed to be guarding actress Norma Shine who has received threats, when you take a detour, have a wreck - of course! - and Norma is taken ...Show more

What a treat for the nice long holiday weekend coming up! This is episode 7 of Mystery Trackers, and if you haven't played the others, you will enjoy them also. Each story stands alone, except your buddy Elf the dog is your helper throughout.

Anyway, you are supposed to be guarding actress Norma Shine who has received threats, when you take a detour, have a wreck - of course! - and Norma is taken by a large man and dragged into Blackrow Manor. Except Blackrow Manor and the surrounding streets have been quarantined since the 1800s and everyone around should be dead!

To help you rescue Norma, you have a new device that reacts to "disturbances" and finds memories of people who lived back when. With your device, you meet the Blackrow Manor family of Abigal Blackrow and her dead alchemist husband Samuel. Abigal decides to use Samuel's notes to find the secret to immortality -- a good way to survive the plague, I guess.

You also have a very nice teleporting map with activities marked and a hint button that will also teleport. Your CE bling includes the Secret Room, 26 pieces of stained glass to find and assemble, collectibles which didn't appear in the demo that I could find, 19 categories of achievements, and of course the strategy guide and bonus chapter. No developer video, however.

The HOS were all lists, and the mini-games were not unique and not hard. But the game is easy to follow and fun. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did! Show less

I recommend this game!

+27points

36of 45voted this as helpful.

Was this review helpful?Yes36No9

Flagged as inappropriate.

Overall rating

5 / 5

28 of 37 found this review helpful

Elephant Games Provides

PostedAugust 28, 2014

OldLady50

fromMcKinleyville, CA

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

Skill Level:Expert

Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object

Fun Factor

5 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

5 / 5

Level of Challenge

4 / 5

Storyline

5 / 5

Thank you, EG and BFG, for a non-fairy based story! The graphics are great (how do they manage to make pouring metal look so real!), and except for an occasional cranky puzzle (press the center of the round lock to get it to close) it's smooth game play. Not a super hard game, but enjoyable. Now I don't have to interface with my relatives over Labor Day weekend!

I recommend this game!

+19points

28of 37voted this as helpful.

Was this review helpful?Yes28No9

Flagged as inappropriate.

Overall rating

5 / 5

20 of 26 found this review helpful

Immortality, A Lifelong Quest

PostedSeptember 27, 2014

pennmom36

fromDon't worry little buddy I'll save you from the burning car as soon as I check out the vending machine!

Top Reviewer
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.
Top Reviewer

Skill Level:Expert

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

Current Favorite:

Phantasmat Collector's Edition

(100)

Fun Factor

5 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

5 / 5

Level of Challenge

5 / 5

Storyline

5 / 5

The Agency has been assigned to escort Norma Shine home after the up and coming actress receives death threats, but a ghostly apparition causes the detective to swerve and flip his car. As you fade in and out of consciousness when you realize that Norma has been chloroformed and a large shadowy figure is hauling her away, into the abandoned plague infested town of Blackrow! The Blackrow Estate was ...Show more

The Agency has been assigned to escort Norma Shine home after the up and coming actress receives death threats, but a ghostly apparition causes the detective to swerve and flip his car. As you fade in and out of consciousness when you realize that Norma has been chloroformed and a large shadowy figure is hauling her away, into the abandoned plague infested town of Blackrow! The Blackrow Estate was one of many unfortunate casualties that was in the section of town that authorities quarantined, sealing off the entire region ill or not in 1815! If f this story doesn't keep your attention, nothing will folks.

You are equipped with a device capable of picking up memories of people who have participated in that event, the Supernatural Energy Device. Not only can you use the device to hear peoples memories, but you can use the device to search for collectible vases that only appear when using the device. There are also 26 Stained glass puzzle pieces to find hidden throughout the game and each piece that you find can be placed onto a stained glass puzzle board. There are also 17 different Achievements and each achievement has several categories within. You can access icons for the achievements, collectibles, diary and stained glass puzzle whenever you click on the map which is a good concept. Mystery Trackers wouldn't be a fantastic series without the help of Elf, the best detective the Agency has. He can assist you several ways such as squeezing into small places, digging through the ground and retrieving items just out of reach.

This Collectors Edition has Wallpapers, Concept Art, Music, Achievements, Collectibles (vases and stained glass) a Secret Room, a Bonus Chapter and of course a built in Strategy Guide. I was disappointed that this edition didn't include morphs which have been a staple in this series but it's still an awesome and entertaining game, enjoy! Show less

I recommend this game!

+14points

20of 26voted this as helpful.

Was this review helpful?Yes20No6

Flagged as inappropriate.

Overall rating

5 / 5

10 of 11 found this review helpful

Another Great Mystery Trackers Game!

PostedAugust 31, 2014

SubaruFrog

Skill Level:Intermediate

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

Current Favorite:

Royal Envoy 3 Collector's Edition

(74)

Fun Factor

5 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

5 / 5

Level of Challenge

5 / 5

Storyline

4 / 5

Mystery trackers delivers once again! Love this series, they're always interesting, different, and very challenging. Blackrow is just as good as the previous titles in the series. Great graphics, voice overs are good, HO scenes are challenging, and puzzles are, well puzzling!
Great game, check it out. ;)

I recommend this game!

+9points

10of 11voted this as helpful.

Was this review helpful?Yes10No1

Flagged as inappropriate.

Overall rating

5 / 5

17 of 24 found this review helpful

Mystery Trackers continues

PostedAugust 29, 2014

Apollo50

fromNew South Wales, Australia

Skill Level:Beginner

Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object

Current Favorite:

Mystery Trackers: Silent Hollow

(42)

Fun Factor

5 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

5 / 5

Level of Challenge

5 / 5

Storyline

5 / 5

I love the mystery trackers games and this one really keeps you interested. I love the fact that each game in the series is different and that they all even this one keeps your interest. I love that ELF is back to help you get into tiny spaces, you try out a new gadget and that you save the actress. All in all this game is not for those that lose interest easily.

I recommend this game!

+10points

17of 24voted this as helpful.

Was this review helpful?Yes17No7

Flagged as inappropriate.

Overall rating

5 / 5

12 of 16 found this review helpful

A New Sequel of Mystery Trakcer!

PostedAugust 30, 2014

YungFY

Favorite Genre(s):Brain Teaser, Adventure, Time Management, Hidden Object, Marble Popper, Match 3, Puzzle

Fun Factor

5 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

5 / 5

Level of Challenge

5 / 5

Storyline

5 / 5

The 7th game of this series is great andElephant doesn't disappoint me this time as before!

I recommend this game!

+8points

12of 16voted this as helpful.

Was this review helpful?Yes12No4

Flagged as inappropriate.

Browse by Genre:

Browse by Genre:

Mystery Trackers: Blackrow's Secret Collector's Edition

Reviews

Mystery Trackers: Blackrow's Secret Collector's Edition

, share your thoughts about this game!

Mystery Trackers: Blackrow's Secret Collector's Edition

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.


	, share your thoughts about this game! Mystery Trackers: Blackrow's Secret Collector's Edition A two-hundred-year-old secret… 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.