Over the years, Big Fish has improved upon this hidden object theme incorporating other puzzles into the mix, along with complete and sometimes surprisingly compelling story lines.

Over the last couple weeks I’d heard some buzz surrounding one of Big Fish’s newer games, The Search for Amelia Earhart. Because I’ve been captivated by Earhart and the mystery of her disappearance since childhood, this game was my first free download when we picked up the new iPad.

While the graphics aren’t necessarily designed for the retina display, the HD version looks fantastic on the new iPad. The music, while brief and repetitive, is only moderately derivative of every uplifting theme you’ve ever heard. That said, I did find it wholly identifiable which is something I enjoy when revisit a game. (I’m calling out the Big Fish Rhinna Ford line of games here and their clearly ripped off X-Files theme. Not fair!)

The Search for Amelia Earhart combines a bit of hidden object with a few other types of puzzles along with a full multimedia experience to create a wholly realized, if abbreviated, biography of this enigmatic historical figure.

I’m typically hyper-critical of attempts to blend history or science into games. Confuse astrology with astronomy and you’ve lost me for good. However, The Search for Amelia Earhart holds it’s own. Like all Big Fish games I’ve encountered, it is designed for young adults, but there is enough substance that it needn’t fall into the total fluff category. I can easily imagine it being a great game to play along with your kids.

As a player you’re taken on a journey through Amelia Earhart’s life. When you progress through each hidden object quest, puzzle and challenge, you’re presented with interesting and little-known facts about Amelia. And as you complete each part of the game, you’re treated to first direct quotes, and ultimately video footage of Amelia herself. The quotes, footage and music are designed to inspire.

Each segment of the game further advances one of the theories surrounding Amelia’s final flight. While none of the theories presented by the game are entirely outlandish, you might find yourself a bit skeptical. It’s up to you to do the research after you finish the game. This shouldn’t be difficult because, coincidentally, the search for Ms. Earhart is all over the news right now based on some newly discovered evidence. It will be interesting to see if the game is updated in the future to incorporate this new information.

Aside from the game being relatively short, my real disappointment was the timing involved when prompted to upgrade from the free version to the paid version. I didn’t know this then and without giving anything away, I was fully halfway through the game at this point. That alone isn’t a big deal, but I will reveal that there are no new puzzle types to encounter when you pull the trigger on the paid version. Yes, there is more game to play. Yes, some of the puzzles become a wee bit more difficult. And yes, there are more theories, more Amelia videos and a tiny denouement.

If you’re a huge dork like I am for strong female historical figures shrouded in mystery, and like your hidden object games beefed up with puzzles and, of course, the online equivalent of flying lessons, you can’t go wrong downloading the free version of The Search for Amelia Earhart for your iPad. You’ve got plenty of game to play before you have to decide whether or not to spend $4.99 on the complete version. Frankly, I’m not convinced I’d do it again. I’d probably play through the free part, spend the money on a latte and google search the hell out of Earhart to satisfy any remaining curiosity.

Final note: The latest iPad HD version of the game is not the same as the PC/Mac version of the game. If you’re researching the game and read any of those reviews, there are no clairvoyants or detectives or intrusive voice overs in the iPad version.

Overall Rating: ★★★☆☆ 

© 2012 – 2013, The Indie Mine. All rights reserved.

FREE Two Days Only: A Vampire Novel with Actual Bite!

As the modern world establishes itself and pushes the supernatural into the shadows, the supernatural fights back.

The Darkening Dream is a chilling new dark fantasy novel by Andy Gavin, creator of Crash Bandicoot and Jak & Daxter, that has received rave reviews on Amazon and Goodreads and is FREE for two days only on Amazon Kindle (February 7^th to 8^th)! Download your FREE copy here: http://amzn.to/yTvZPG

Long-time readers of dark historical fantasy (Tim Powers, Guy Gavriel Kay, Katherine Kurtz) will appreciate the weaving together of mythology, occult, and religion, while younger readers and fans of HBO dramas (True Blood,Carnivàle) or urban fantasy (Laurell K. Hamilton, Kim Harrison, Jim Butcher) will be drawn to the twisted imagination, graphic action, and romantic tension.

About The Darkening Dream

Even as the modern world pushes the supernatural aside in favor of science and steel, the old ways remain. God, demon, monster, and sorcerer alike plot to regain what was theirs.

1913, Salem, Massachusetts – Sarah Engelmann’s life is full of friends, books, and avoiding the pressure to choose a husband, until an ominous vision and the haunting call of an otherworldly trumpet shake her. When she stumbles across a gruesome corpse, she fears that her vision was more of a premonition. And when she sees the murdered boy moving through the crowd at an amusement park, Sarah is thrust into a dark battle she does not understand.

With the help of Alex, an attractive Greek immigrant who knows a startling amount about the undead, Sarah sets out to uncover the truth. Their quest takes them to the factory mills of Salem, on a midnight boat ride to spy on an eerie coastal lair, and back, unexpectedly, to their own homes. What can Alex’s elderly, vampire-hunting grandfather and Sarah’s own rabbi father tell them? And what do Sarah’s continuing visions reveal?

No less than Gabriel’s Trumpet, the tool that will announce the End of Days, is at stake, and the forces that have banded to recover it include a 900 year-old vampire, a trio of disgruntled Egyptian gods, and a demon-loving Puritan minister. At the center of this swirling cast is Sarah, who must fight a millennia-old battle against unspeakable forces, knowing the ultimate prize might be her very soul.

The Reviews Are In

“A vampire novel with actual bite.” ~The Kirkus Reviews

“Mr. Gavin has brought something refreshingly new to a genre now suffused with poorly-concealed bodice-rippers which have more in common with Fabio than Bram Stoker: depth. His big baddies are scary, not romantic interests, and the added religious lore is complex and engaging. Don’t expect another Twilight — the story can get downright creepy, so be prepared for a return to the old horror sensibilities of supernatural fiction.” ~Amazon Review

“With Mr. Gavin’s video-game pedigree, I was expecting something aimed squarely at the 18-25 year old fanboy contingent; what I got in The Darkening Dream was something wholly unexpected: A period novel with a female protagonist, a crash-course on Judaism in the colonial years, and multi-layered series of plot arcs featuring a crazy cast of natural and supernatural characters populating 18th Century Colonial America.” ~Amazon Review

“…A perfect blend of mystery, magic and myth. A grown-up Grimm’s fairy tale…emphasis on grim.” ~Amazon Review

Read the first two sample chapters here >> http://bit.ly/xXVxXS

Get your FREE copy of The Darkening Dream for two days only on Amazon here. http://amzn.to/yTvZPG

No eReader or Kindle? No problem. Get free apps for your Web Browser, PC, Mac, iPhone, iPad, BlackBerry, or Android Phone.

© 2012 – 2013, The Indie Mine. All rights reserved.

Here’s the rest of their press release:

Timeslip was originally a Playstation One game developed with a Net Yaroze and released on an “Official Playstation Magazine UK” cover disk.  It’s a time travelling 2D platform game where you are caught in a continual time loop, forever travelling back in time to encounter past echoes of yourself.  Whilst using your past echoes is the key to opening doors and progressing through the levels they must also be avoided to prevent causing a paradox.  Timeslip was the very first game to feature self co-op back in 1999 and was re-released for the XBox LIVE Indie Games channel featuring updated HD graphics and a fresh sound track with the ability to switch back to the original version for that retro feeling.

© 2012 – 2013, The Indie Mine. All rights reserved.

In a show of support for the anti-SOPA movement, Delver Deeper! developer Lunar Giant Studios has announced that they’ll be releasing new DLC content on January 18th for the grand sum of free.  Better yet, this update is based off of submissions from fans of the game.  So if you’re struggling with depression at the loss of Wikipedia, go try out the new DLC “Gratis Grottos” today.  If nothing else, it’ll get you fired up for Delver Deeper 2: The Deepening which is currently in development.  Kudos to Lunar Giant for supporting their title and including the fans who support them in the process.  While you’re at it, check out the other cool stuff Lunar Giant does in our recent interview with them.

© 2012 – 2013, The Indie Mine. All rights reserved.