Secret City: London Calling > iPad, iPhone, Android, Mac & PC Game

Overall rating

5 / 5

52 of 61 found this review helpful

Domini is a dev to pay attention to!

PostedMay 27, 2018

2020moonlanding

fromOuter Hebrides

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

Fun Factor

5 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

5 / 5

Level of Challenge

5 / 5

Storyline

5 / 5

I found this game to be refreshing in it's unique storyline. So there's a London below London where fantastic beings dwell? The next time I'm there, I'll have to check that out.
You play as a detective to solve the murders that are happening below London that threatens the secretive balance where both worlds can exist together in harmony.
The game has all the bells and whistles one would expect ...Show more

I found this game to be refreshing in it's unique storyline. So there's a London below London where fantastic beings dwell? The next time I'm there, I'll have to check that out.
You play as a detective to solve the murders that are happening below London that threatens the secretive balance where both worlds can exist together in harmony.
The game has all the bells and whistles one would expect from Domini as well as charming graphics. There's a lot in each scene to do without the drudgery of going back and forth, a map, customizable settings, excellent cutscenes, and great voice acting.
The HO scenes are a lot of fun and I think players who love mini-games will enjoy this game as well. It is on the short side but the story was very engaging and different that it deserves a 5 star rating.
I do have one question, though, the inhabitants with the four arms... what do they do with the extra arms. They just kinda of hang there. Hmmm. Show less

I recommend this game!

+43points

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Overall rating

5 / 5

9 of 9 found this review helpful

Between a 4 and 5 so I Went With the 5

PostedJune 9, 2018

LikeAGoodStory

fromFlorida

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Skill Level:Intermediate

Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object

Current Favorite:

Modern Tales: Age of Invention

(13)

Fun Factor

5 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

5 / 5

Level of Challenge

5 / 5

Storyline

5 / 5

This review is based upon completed play of the game.

I read the reviews on both the SE and CE versions of this game. It's interesting that the CE reviews are higher over all, not surprising, but interesting.

The story line is different in this game so I went with a 5 rating. It is not that good and evil is a new theme in storytelling but I liked the way it was presented here, with a bit of ...Show more

This review is based upon completed play of the game.

I read the reviews on both the SE and CE versions of this game. It's interesting that the CE reviews are higher over all, not surprising, but interesting.

The story line is different in this game so I went with a 5 rating. It is not that good and evil is a new theme in storytelling but I liked the way it was presented here, with a bit of magic and fantasy as well as detection. I like that combination.

The graphic detail is superb as are the voice overs. Some have mentioned the blue blur as scenes change but that does not bother me nor does the ever present blue. It seems a natural setting. Of course, this is a matter of preference. I have always liked the detail that this developer, Domini Games, provides. It is distinctive.

The Hidden Object Scenes are interactive and less about hidden objects and more about relationship between objects. These are a favorite of mine over the more traditional but again, personal preference. The Mini Games are also my kind of game, with the developer offering both an easy and hard option. Some, took me a while but I enjoyed the "puzzling.

This is a long game or at least it took me a long time to play. Sometimes, the back-and-forth seemed a bit much and I lost track (having to rely on hints) but again that may just be my gameplay, as I am no expert, just one who enjoys a relaxing game. And this game fits the bill. I know I will enjoy replaying it. Show less

I recommend this game!

+9points

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Overall rating

5 / 5

6 of 6 found this review helpful

Excellent! Superb Craftsmanship! A Keeper!

PostedJune 4, 2018

Yurnmesis

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Skill Level:Intermediate

Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object

Fun Factor

5 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

5 / 5

Level of Challenge

5 / 5

Storyline

5 / 5

Fast moving, forward advancing game with great characterization, exceptional graphic designs and first-rate hidden object and mini games. This game offered creativity, an interesting story, and enough interest in each scene to propel me to move on to the next one. I am a critical reviewer because I expect developers to step up to the plate and provide an interesting game that avoids tired old ...Show more

Fast moving, forward advancing game with great characterization, exceptional graphic designs and first-rate hidden object and mini games. This game offered creativity, an interesting story, and enough interest in each scene to propel me to move on to the next one. I am a critical reviewer because I expect developers to step up to the plate and provide an interesting game that avoids tired old themes and the same old scenery and story that is far too familiar. Sadly there have been too many of these lately and the developers who try to step out of the box get kicked down pretty hard. I was surprised this one received such poor reviews. Maybe because it’s a little different ? But that is what I enjoyed. I hope to see more of this quality, innovation and creativity in future games. The story is fantasy and magic, the goal to save the world, return souls and “take care” of the bad guy, but what story isn’t...even in the real world? I’ll grant you this doesn’t offer an entirely new theme, but the way it was developed and crafted with graphic excellence and superb characterization and a script that used mature voice overs and well thought out dialogue proved a big step above what many other “top tier” developers have been offering lately. Good closure and potential opening for another episode? Wish I had purchased the CE. I’m giving this a 5! A solid, long game with interesting locales, well crafted scenery and solid story line. Please give this one a trial run to see what you think.

Graphics: First rate graphics, excellent attention to detail, texture and design

Sound/Music: Turned down, but appropriate to scenes

Characters: Most are superbly developed with great attention to appearances, attire and strong animation, even the 3-headed dog was well-crafted…drooling, snarling, red eyes

Hint: Transported to map

I really liked the little dragon in the beginning and was sorry to see that it didn’t return after completing a task

Voice Over: Excellent and varied, mature voices

Hidden Object Games: Exceptional design with a great focus on detail along with a lots of variety and well thought out selection of objects that fit into theme. Outstanding use of hidden object games to tell backstory as well as a few storybook themes that used finely drawn graphics with thought put into design

Mini Games: Varied in difficulty and time usage. Not a big fan of these, however, I found them attractive and well-designed and that pulled me into a few more than I usually attempt. I even enjoyed many of them, but I don’t have the patience or maybe the cognitive “cleverness” for those more challenging and/or time consuming. There will there be enough mini games to keep fans or non-fans amused or pulling out hair Show less

I recommend this game!

+6points

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Overall rating

4 / 5

4 of 5 found this review helpful

A Good One

PostedJune 24, 2018

Yanie1020

fromIowa, USA

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Skill Level:Expert

Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File, Marble Popper, Puzzle, Strategy

Fun Factor

4 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

4 / 5

Level of Challenge

5 / 5

Storyline

3 / 5

I like to play the mini-games in the hard mode, so I was happy to see that offered. Graphics very good; some of the voiceovers lacked emotion but others were very good. Had several hours of playing time. Got my money's worth with this one.

I recommend this game!

+3points

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Overall rating

4 / 5

1 of 3 found this review helpful

FUN GAME

PostedJune 12, 2018

deddu

fromCalifornia USA

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Skill Level:Expert

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

Fun Factor

4 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

4 / 5

Level of Challenge

4 / 5

Storyline

4 / 5

Really enjoyed the game. Has a lot of different features and good mini games.

I recommend this game!

-1point

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Overall rating

4 / 5

5 of 12 found this review helpful

great game

PostedMay 28, 2018

almawings

fromDacula, GA

Skill Level:Intermediate

Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object

Fun Factor

4 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

5 / 5

Level of Challenge

5 / 5

Storyline

4 / 5

played before - but overall it is a great game.
well worth downloading

I recommend this game!

-2points

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Overall rating

3 / 5

17 of 19 found this review helpful

IT WON'T REMAIN A SECRET FOREVER

PostedMay 30, 2018

pennmom36

fromI think I need special glasses to tone down the blue and purple hues!

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Skill Level:Expert

Current Favorite:

League of Light: The Game Collector's Edition

(46)

Fun Factor

3 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

3 / 5

Level of Challenge

3 / 5

Storyline

4 / 5

There have been several murders in London, mysterious murders of mysterious beings! Few people are aware that London has a secret. In fact, London has a Secret City that humans can't see, and don't even know it exists! Within the magical barrier of the city, resides three different species, the Lakrians, who are four-armed, powerful Mages, the Youtuns, who are blue-skinned giants and the Dwarves ...Show more

There have been several murders in London, mysterious murders of mysterious beings! Few people are aware that London has a secret. In fact, London has a Secret City that humans can't see, and don't even know it exists! Within the magical barrier of the city, resides three different species, the Lakrians, who are four-armed, powerful Mages, the Youtuns, who are blue-skinned giants and the Dwarves who live underground. Each culture is pointing their finger at the other, as the soul-stealing culprit. Even though humans aren't aware of their existence, you are called upon to investigate this case with complete authority to enter all three domains. Too bad nobody will believe you if you solve the case!

When I first started playing this game, I was confused. I thought this was a new series title but it looked exactly like a Mystery Tales game, heavily laden with excessive blue hues! A few minutes later, I was handed a pair of magical Glasses that reveals the Secret City, isn't that what the Glasses do in Mystery Tales? In my opinion, if Mystery Tales games were sinking ratings-wise, why would you ruin a new series by including everything Mystery Tales games have? It even has Missing Note Pages and all the same collectible types of Mystery Tales, I just don't get it, cut the apron strings, the MT baby is all grown let it go!

The Hidden Object Scenes are clear and the images are recognizable, but because the items aren't really hidden, they tend to be less challenging to find. The scenes vary with Keywords in Sentences of a background story, Silhouetted Shape finds, Interactive List finds and several smaller Silhouetted Shape find Zoom Zones. One of the Zoom Zone HOP's required you to switch colored filter lenses, but the items stuck out like a sore thumb. There is an alternative Match 3 game available, but I never understood why they don't just allow you to skip an HOP like they do the Mini-Games?

The Mini Games are actually quite challenging for a change! Don't worry, you can choose to play them in an Easy or Hard difficulty mode. (just like MT) Below are brief descriptions on some of the games you'll encounter during the demo:

1) Drag sketches to align with the images shown.
2) Find 3 sections for each symbol shown on the Amulet.
3) Swap and rotate triangle shaped tiles to complete images.
4) Grab 2 tokens at a time, rotate and replace to correct slots
5) Select colored eyes to reveal tile images & swap correctly.
6) Arrange tokens to match the clue, rotating 1 affects others
7) Reassemble image using arrows on columns & rows.
8) Move Knights in L formation to cover the entire board.
9) Adjust the lens to restore the images.
10) Adjust the dial to locate footprints.

The Collector's Edition version has 16 Wallpapers, 9 Concept Art pictures, 5 Music Soundtracks, 28 re-playable Movie Videos, 18 re-playable Hidden Object Scenes, 19 re-playable Mini-Games, 15 Achievements to Earn, 15 Collectible Secret City Newspaper Stories, (allows you to read Newspaper Articles from the Secret City) 55 Hidden Crystals (that allows you to purchase 14 Evidence items, 15 Hidden Artifacts (allows you to visit the Room Of Mystical Cultures and read about the Artifacts used in the Secret City) Missing Notes to discover (why do I lose my notes in every series by Domini?) 6 Main Chapters +Bonus Chapter and a built-in Strategy Guide, enjoy! Show less

I recommend this game!

+15points

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Overall rating

3 / 5

7 of 7 found this review helpful

Fabulous idea---not followed through!

PostedMay 30, 2018

Ayoni5

fromWest Point, VA

Skill Level:Expert

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

Fun Factor

2 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

3 / 5

Level of Challenge

3 / 5

Storyline

2 / 5

I played the beta version, and I have been waiting eagerly for the game to come out. I love the idea of a secret London that can only be seen with magic glasses! The visuals in the first scenes were terrific--the bridge entirely different when viewed with or without glasses, the man 2-armed or 4-armed.
But in the full version, the double reality/vision drops away. We don't get to use the glasses. ...Show more

I played the beta version, and I have been waiting eagerly for the game to come out. I love the idea of a secret London that can only be seen with magic glasses! The visuals in the first scenes were terrific--the bridge entirely different when viewed with or without glasses, the man 2-armed or 4-armed.
But in the full version, the double reality/vision drops away. We don't get to use the glasses. We enter the secret London and that's all we see. And all the adventures and challenges feel like ones I have encountered many times before in other games.
I hope the developers will make a sequel, and this time move us between the London we know and the secret London, and let us use the glasses to solve mysteries, get clues, and meet the challenges of the game.
The idea of this game is the most imaginative and original one I have encountered in a long time! Please, developers, build a game around it. Show less

I don't recommend this game.

+7points

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Overall rating

3 / 5

2 of 2 found this review helpful

Everything well done except story

PostedJune 16, 2018

ninja226

fromwichita, KS

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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Skill Level:Expert

Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object

Fun Factor

4 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

4 / 5

Level of Challenge

4 / 5

Storyline

3 / 5

The game is well executed in every aspect, but the story and the way it is told drags it down. The puzzles can be played on easy or hard mode, and the hard mode can be pretty challenging. HOPs combine narration with highlighted words to find instead of a simple list, and there are other variations experienced players have seen before. Artwork is nicely done and not dark and gloomy. Tasks to ...Show more

The game is well executed in every aspect, but the story and the way it is told drags it down. The puzzles can be played on easy or hard mode, and the hard mode can be pretty challenging. HOPs combine narration with highlighted words to find instead of a simple list, and there are other variations experienced players have seen before. Artwork is nicely done and not dark and gloomy. Tasks to accomplish are mostly logical and intuitive, making for fun sleuthing.

I found the narrative clues strewn throughout the game boring to read and excessive in detail. If you were rummaging through items in a real quest, you would not find detailed notes explaining how the city sprung up. It's not realistic and does not add to the game. Keep it simple, keep it interesting, and make it a connecting point to the other clues to make a narrative whole. Show less

I recommend this game!

+2points

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Overall rating

3 / 5

2 of 2 found this review helpful

The Secret~you never actually see London!

PostedJune 6, 2018

BooksandGameFan

fromJacksonville, Florida

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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Skill Level:Expert

Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Arcade & Action, Brain Teaser, Card & Board, Family, Hidden Object, Large File, Word

Current Favorite:

Reflections of Life: In Screams and Sorrow

(11)

Fun Factor

3 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

4 / 5

Level of Challenge

5 / 5

Storyline

4 / 5

An OK game worth a free credit or to buy on a good sales day.
Not a bad game just not a great game. You never actually see London which is a big shame and a lost opportunity by the devs.
I like Domini games, but this one was really just same old same old nothing to really get excited about. Hopefully the next in the series will be better.

I recommend this game!

+2points

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Secret City: London Calling

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	, share your thoughts about this game! Secret City: London Calling A magical and dangerous world lies just beyond your sight! 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.