Gardenscapes: Mansion Makeover Review

Gardenscapes: Mansion Makeover is the sequel to the award-winning 2009 game, Gardenscapes. I did not play the first one, but instead of creating the perfect garden, this time, you're creating the perfect house.

Hey gamers! I clearly have too much time on my hands when I should be doing other things... like schoolwork? I got a chance to review a game from Playrix called Gardenscapes: Mansion Makeover and what girl doesn't like to makeover something? Gardenscapes: Mansion Makeover is the sequel to the award-winning 2009 game, Gardenscapes. I did not play the first one, but instead of creating the perfect garden, this time, you're creating the perfect house. Gameplay is pretty straight forward. You have an open house sale for all your neighbors who come in and request items. You have to find those items in a scene, much like a hidden object game. The number of visitors increases as you progress through the game. The faster you find the items, the more money you make. At the end of a scene, your butler totals up your money earned, which you use toward buying new items for inside your home. Some hidden object scenes simply want you to find X amount of one type of item, like a teddy bear, and then, you are rewarded with something at the end - not money. What are those sparkly gold objects hidden behind things? Money of course! Pick those up! Hints come in various ways. You can find a "?" in a scene, which adds to your normal hints. You can find a camera in a scene, and it will do a quick snapshot of the room, leaving a quick picture of where the items you need to find are. You can also find a thermometer that will turn the items’ names on the list bright red when you are really close to the item. Remember that game as a kid? Well, I do - we used to play it all the time. The game also throws in little tasks you need to complete such as finding the dog or stopping a leak. In the hidden object scenes themselves were cute things like the Playrix dragon, lighters and candles that lit when your cursor brushed them, or balloons that floated around when the cursor got near them, etc. Nice touch Playrix! The game itself is a great way to pass the time. I played it on relaxed mode, because I can't stand the frustration of being timed! I haven't played any games like this before, but I'm aware they are out there and I may have to look into them now. I found the game very enjoyable, and I just wanted to keep decorating! However, the real world calls, and I must answer.