Stray Souls: Dollhouse Story
4.5
5
58
58
Weird, in a good way
Stray Souls definitely has some unusual aspects that make it stand out. There are some truly weird plot elements in this game, and I was a little dubious about them at first.
But in the end, I feel like the same things that made it strange also make it distinctive, which is a strong aspect of the game, overall. It has a 'missing person' plot that is common to a lot of HO games, but some of the specifics are unique, and satisfyingly creepy.
Most of the puzzles are fairly easy, I think, which is fine with me. The story and the style were intriguing and I was happy to hurry through the puzzles to find out what would happen next!
March 31, 2013
Such a fun, creepy game, although a bit short!
My mom loves HOG's as much as me, so as a surprise I purchased this game for her mac and it for me, and we went through it together, and competed on HOS's. It was a really fun game, although a couple of times I got creeped out. :D
I'm normally very bad at navigating HOG's, so I need to refer to the strategy guide a bit, but I didn't need to once with this, which was a nice change, it's just the right blend of hard and easy, which is hard to find! :)
The gameplay is pretty short though, it took about 3 hours and I was taking my time - which means looking at every scene, conversing about every little object, etc.
All in all, this is a fantastic game, and I highly recommend playing it silmatenously with someone, as it's a lot of fun! :)
January 30, 2013
Terrific game
This was my kind of game with many HO'S and a few puzzles.
Long game play
Many different locations
The music created a lot of tension & a sense of urgency
I've played this game several times and always have fun. If you like HO'S this game is for you.
Oh yeah - loved the knitted doll !!!
January 13, 2013
Pretty Good Game
I mean, this game is pretty solid overall. I've played much better games, and I've played much worse. It's a bit easy but the story sucks you in and it ends up being very fun and I thoroughly enjoyed playing it. Definetely give this one a look if you're into this sort of hidden object/adventure gaming.
January 6, 2013
Clowns and dolls spookiness - shortie but goodie.
Looking for something a bit spooky with an engaging story line, that won't take up too much time? This ticks the box.
Immediately when you start this game, the muted colours of the artwork and unobtrusive sounds, effectively set the eerie mood of the world you are entering. Which is a world of haunting children, clowns, magic and voodoo dolls - a good freaky mix. With an ending scene which is not disappointing and worthwhile getting to the end for.
The game play and navigation was quick and responsive (unlike another game I tried to play recently, so I have to comment positively on this.)
When solving the game objectives, the items/ codes you need are never too far away, so not much too-ing and fro-ing. When playing, if you make click errors you don't get penalties, but the text that appears adds to the sense of urgency, that you have to hurry up to save Sam! I quite liked this unexpected prompt to stop messing about with strange object combinations that in the back of my head I knew really wouldn't work (well all do it ;) I half expected the game to make Sam more worse for wear dependent on the number of click errors I made. That doesn't happen, but it made my imagination work overtime!
The HO games and objects, felt in context with the theme of the game. Very clear and straightforward to complete. Nothing too strenuous. You do return to some of the HO piles, but not to a great degree.
I would score this game another star if it were a bigger and longer game. It took about 2-3 hours of leisurely play for me to complete. Other reviews report shorter times. For me, adding extra puzzles and areas in order to stretch the game out, would have made me switch off from caring what happens in the story. So the story for me was well paced.
If you're looking for a short sharp blast, that sucks you in and spits you out, ready for more adventures (especially if you haven't played in a while). Then this is a worthwhile credit spend. Enjoy.
December 9, 2012
could not stop playing this game
This is the fourth game I have played with BigFish and it is the best. It is challenging without being too easy, the storyline is excellent and spooky, and I like the way the book shows you where on the map you need to be. This means you don't have to use the hints, but can try to find out what to do, knowing you are in the right place.
Love the graphics. If you like this, try Dreamland.
November 26, 2012
Just the demo...
...proved to be really very, very good. The game itself worked well, the hints easily recharged. I liked the story and will buy, 'after Christmas.'...although may purchase it for a gift. :D Nice, BF!
November 23, 2012
Strangely enticing...
Despite the fact that the storyline makes very little sense, this game is highly enjoyable. The pace is pretty fast, with lots of good hidden object scenes and very little needless backtracking. There are few puzzles and overall, it isn't terribly difficult, but the creepy atmosphere and engaging cut scenes more than make up for that deficit. Would definitely recommend the SE, especially if using a free game code. This is an under-advertised gem!
August 31, 2012