Tested under wine 1.8, on Linuxmint 18.2, had a little trouble in fullscreen of the game going black and the mouse coming disconnected from the special mouse game cursor. SO under wine either click the no fullscreen or do a CTRL-ENTER to get out of it. Turn off that special mouse game cursor.




Also if you find yourself with a black locked up screen try touching another window and then come back to the game and it unfreezes. Also with two sound cards I had to get into pulseaudio mixer to switch to the right soundcard's output. After that the Music and Ambient sounds kicked in.

So with these minor issues the game is so-far playable in linux using wine. I know winehq give out medals Gold, SIlver Bronze -- I don't know the qualifications for that but I would put this in the BRONZE to SILVER category personally, since it wasn't perfect and took some troubleshooting skill to get her goin past the black screens. (which I initially thought was the end --- wasn't.)

fredward@blue:~ $ wine --version
wine-1.8

...........................................Moderator comment...................................

Thank you for your feedback Fredward, appreciated.

Easy download + installation. I have to assume that it's registered... The graphics are lovely, and it looks to have some nice variety of gameplay. I don't enjoy games that provide major challenges; this one should be very relaxing. Many thanks again to GAOTD and MyPlayCity.

...........................................Moderator comment...................................

Thank you for your feedback.

This is a good game. It installed great on windows 10. No problem with it at all. I don't think I would change any thing about the game. Thanks a lot, for all who is involved with making the game.

...........................................Moderator comment...................................

Thank you for your feedback Mary.

Hey Wabbit,

Good to have you back. I see I missed a cool game yesterday...Oh, well. as you know real life trumps the internet. In, oh so, many ways...I like those puzzle games like sudoku etc. Makes my brain work.

Cool ......a "Artifex Mundi" game. I love their graphics/art work but they are usually too dark for me because of my cataracts. This looks like it might be a bit lighter so I am gonna try it. Downloaded fine with no hiccups with my Win 7 PC, with Comodo Anti Virus, Malwarebytes Pro and Super AntiSpyware Pro. Did not even need to turn anything off. Looks like I may keep this. Love the graphics, mini games, The "adventure" part, and the HOG sections are bright enough for me to decipher the objects.

If you really like Artifex Mundi" games, Indiegala has a bundle of them HERE
Pay C$1.36 or more to get 3 Steam games! And Pay C$5.42/£3.25 or more to get 10 Steam games and SAVE 96%.

Thanks, GGOTD and MPC for the game And thanks to That Wrascally Wabbit for the review.

Huggles to you and the family.

Happy Easter to all and I am out of here for now..Got food to finish cooking and eat.......

...........................................Moderator comment...................................

Hi Delenn

Thanks for your feedback and comment. Got that Artifex Mundi bundle. I nearly always buy them (to add to the list of games I give away over in the forums). I've added code to the link you've provided plus added the UK price, hope you don't mind. :)

Joan Jade and the Gates of Xibalba

A MPC HOG game that downloaded and installed well on Win 10. It is a HOG game with puzzles and other mini-games in it, we didn't have much time with it so far (busy day for us ;) but it looks good, but did frustrate her a bit as it doesn't have the best explanations or hint system as I believe others have mentioned, and they could improve it by making that better. Will give it more time later, and see if she likes it enough to keep.

Happy Easter everyone :) hope it's a Blessed one for everyone, and for WhiteRabbit know you and your family have been going through a lot recently, hope that improves and you get a much smoother time now. Take Care

...........................................Moderator comment...................................

Thanks and thank you for your feedback.

I would like to know why every time i try to install a game from myplaycity.com I get File setup exe has been modified would you like to update it? when I try to unzip it with 7-zip the only options are OK or cancel. You click on OK and all that it does is the game has been activated (what game?) and with winzip I get this app can't run on your PC to find a version for your PC, check with the software publisher. I guess I'll just stick with the GameTop games

...........................................Moderator comment...................................

Hi I_M_Short

Please see my reply to Terri.

Plays well Windows 10 x64 Pro. Nice sliders to allow just a low music level since the drums get to be a bit much. Typical mystery search HOG, mini-games with female
lead (seems lot of this kind use the fem as lead, figure women more prone to that genre?).
Worth playing and keeping for occasional pickup since doesn't seem too demanding.
Thanks GOTD.

...........................................Moderator comment...................................

Thank you for your feedback Beergas.

I disabled both Kaspersky and Malwarebytes, I get the same message " The setup files are corrupted". Something has either changed on this site in the last few months are my PC has a problem. Actually don't think it's my PC because I was getting the same thing on the other PC.

~Happy Easter~

...........................................Moderator comment...................................

Hi Terri

Please excuse the late reply, we had guests until late last night. Do you have any other security installed such as an ad blocker? MPC games do have a mild form of adware, so your ad-blocker may also be blocking the installation. Thousands of community members are able to install this game with no issues , that said the cause of your issue could possibly be something that you have installed that is conflicting with the giveaway wrapper or MPC installation files, or the way you have your computer configured? Try turning off background programs then install. Either en mass to see if one of the programs is the cause, or one a a time to find out which it could be. Installing programs that allow you to configure your start up programs can help, for example a free program called Game Booster which turns off all unnecessary system programs that usually run automatically in the background while you play your games, then when you've finished playing your game it turns them back on. You can also configure it to turn off non system programs, for example, many of the giveaways from the other side of the giveaway project can end up running in the background.

Downloaded file. Turned off Anti-virus for a few minutes. Clicked on file and installed game. Turned Anti-virus back on. Played game. Installed and played just fine. Interesting game and different from the other similar type games from Alawar etc. I like it. Thanks GOTD!

Short review, just played a few levels as it is F1 day (and Easter, happy Easter everyone)
So far I like the looks of the game although I thought it started out with too little explanation tbh. Graphics are up to par for this kind of title, music as always muted after 2 levels. The hint system is a joke, it is utterly useless, it does not provide me with a hint at all it just repeats the last "clue" that was told. The puzzles start out easy but I have no idea how hard they will get.

Seems to be a title I play through one time adn then delete again
6/10

Installed on Win 7 computer with no problem, for an older game it has good graphics. Play is a bit slow with the constant tutorial popup boxes,but it is a fun game,objects are fairly easy to find,and puzzles are easy to figure out. this would be a good game for a younger kid or a beginner to hidden object games.
I would recommend this game for anyone to play.

I have not been able to obtain any games for some time now. It downloads fine and when I click on the setup file, I get a message that says "Activating." Then a message pops up, "The setup files are corrupted. Please obtain a new copy of the program." Then the "successfully activated" message pops up. I deactivated my antivirus, but that did not help. Does anyone know of a fix for this?

I like adventures, this one seems to offer a lot of different puzzles. I also like most Artifex Mundi games, and don't have this one yet. Downloaded, installed and ran with no problems (Win 10, McAfee / Intel antivirus). Music is very pleasant, always a bonus! Graphics work well for the game, I'm glad it runs in full screen (1920x1280). I think it does a bit too much hand-holding but I'm only on the fourth or fifth scene (inside the temple). One of the puzzles described an orange and black cat and the answer was a kind of cat with no orange at all. The way the puzzle was designed, the correct answer was pretty obvious so no problem getting past the puzzle. Other than that, everything makes sense so far. The wait time to skip a puzzle seems to be very long, I usually have them done before the skip bar (snake) is 1/4 of the way across. Maybe they use the same time regardless of the difficulty of each puzzle.

I would recommend this game for those new to hidden object games, or those that want to relax with a game that's not too hard. Very cool to see where Artifex Mundi got their start. I'm enjoying it, thanks GGOTD and MyPlayCity!

...........................................Moderator comment...................................

Thank you for your feedback Mr Dave, appreciated. I didn't see your review until Wednesday morning, one of the admins moderated your comment while I had family visiting. I think because of your previous feedback and today's feedback you qualify for a Steam key. Check the thread out HERE for a list of available games.

D/l'd and installed fine on Win 8.1 (after turning off Avast for a minute or so). VERY happy to see a new HOG/adventure; have only had a chance to play for a few minutes, but so far liking it a lot. I like that there are a lot of mini-games, so that the HOGs are just one type of puzzle and not overwhelming everything else. I think I will enjoy this one; thanx to MPC and GGOTD (and always and forever, Rabbit :)).

Getting the same result as post #5.
Setup ends with the "activation complete" window but the game does not start the actual installation.

Installed on Win7 and started, then as soon as it asked to create a profile the screen went black with just a cursor showing. Using windows key to break the process only flashed the popup for a split second anytime I pressed it. Ended up having to ctrl-alt-del to get to task manager to kill the process. Still can't get it to fire up right after the initial splash screen. At least there's almost a whole day for someone to have a solution possibly.

I can download the game and unpack it but I can't install the game and there is a activation window.Everything works as it should except the installation of the game.What can be the problem?Is there someone with any idea?The same happened last week There is no problem with the Daily softwaregiveaways

Win10 64bit Home. Saw this game as only going to Win7 on MPC but I thought I will try it anyway as I liked the look of it. Glad I did. When I started the game, I thought oh no small screen but it seems to have sorted itself out and is an easy game to play. Only had time to play a couple of scenes but all in all a great game. Thank you.

This is the first game released by Artifex Mundi in 2010. Even in this older game you can see they were high quality. They even put extra effort in to their credits page!

Same ...removed by moderator due to unsuitable language........as several weeks behind. Download, unzip, install ????? the only thing that happens is the prompt 'successfully activated', but NO install at all.....

...........................................Moderator comment...................................

This is a family site and swearing, even when abbreviated is not acceptable. If you've bothered to ever read other comments here you'd see that the game giveaway uses a Themida based wrapper which some security software will block as a precaution because Themida code can also be used to hide malware. There are three things you can do to sort the issue. White-list the giveaway files with your security software, then install, reboot in safe mode with networking then install or temporarily turn off your security then install then turn it back on. Each one of these should allow you to install the game.

<

p.s. the game giveaway site has been giving games away for over 10 years and has never given away a game infected with malware.

...........................................Moderator comment...................................

I have family around for Easter dinner so will not be moderating as often as I usually do until later this evening. Please continue to post comments and I will moderate when I can. I will be sending out games to all winners of Steam keys soon - (names of winners listed over in the forum thread HERE, though I've not checked the last two weekends comments yet, so more winners may be added). Sorry it's taken so long to sort. I was away all last week at my sisters and attended two funerals.

Please only post comments about today's game giveaway; other comments either inappropriate, or not about today's game will be deleted at the moderator or administrators discretion; however a little light banter among community members and with the moderator to keep this a friendly place to visit is acceptable and welcomed. All comments not specifically about today's game giveaway will be judged by the moderator and if deemed not appropriate, will be deleted with no explanation. Please see the end of this review for a link to more details about posting comments, other game deals and links to the teams contact form , moderation policy and the FAQ's thread, thank you.

In Brief

A Hidden Object Adventure game with loads of mini games.

Suggestions:

Whether you like or dislike Joan Jade and the Gates of Xibalba please give some feedback about your opinion of todays game giveaway, for example, what you liked or disliked about the game, and how it could be improved from your point of view. If you don't like this genre at all, please explain why. What improvements would change your opinion? There are thousands of subscribers to the game giveaway of the day every weekend which makes this an ideal forum for giving developers ideas as to what their consumers (i.e you) would like to see in a game. For example, you could suggest extra content such as better or more original mini games, or a level editor that you would like to see that would make it more appealing to you. Maybe you think the graphics are a little dated and are in need of re skinning, or maybe you've just had enough of the genre and want to see something different or something with more originality?

Giving such feedback instead of saying nothing or just saying this game is rubbish or good may bring more developers to the site, which could mean more and better games. Would you give away thousands of copies of a game (or extra content for a game) away to a community that complains all the time instead of giving useful feedback? It only takes a few moments of your time. This site could be transformed if only the community would be more forthcoming in their opinions of the games they are getting for free instead of complaining about the way this site has changed or that they don't like Steam games. If something isn't for you then move on to the next giveaway, or check out the extra's section at the end of this review; you never know, you may find something that interests you..

If you miss today's game giveaway you can always get the game via MyPlayCity 24/7 HERE. If you prefer to buy the game you can get it via big fish games HERE.

Installation:

Joan Jade and the Gates of Xibalba downloads to a 85 MB zip file that unzips to three files, (a setup.gcd security wrapper, the set up file and a read me). Those with multiple hard drives are able to save games on any drive they wish. The newly installed game is 108 MB in size. The game installs to the following path by default, but can be changed by the user if you prefer:

C:\Program Files (x86)\MyPlayCity.com\Joan Jade And The Gates Of Xibalba

Four shortcuts are installed to the desktop. three of which can be safely deleted (Play Online Games, MyPlayCity Games and shortcuts to a free online game which vary each week). Also, if you don't like icons installed to the quick launch task bar, make sure you uncheck the box when the additional tasks window appears (after the Select Start Menu Folder window)

Introduction:

Explore secret locations with Joan Jade in the amazing game Joan Jade And The Gates Of Xibalba! Are you a true daredevil able to think clearly even in the unexpected situations? Lots of obstacles are waiting for you and if you don’t step back, you’ll be able to save the children. A great reason to fight till the last, isn’t it? Joan Jade needs your help! She won’t be able to find her children alone! In the game Joan Jade And The Gates Of Xibalba you dive into the mysterious whirlpool of ravishing adventures, so get ready to lots of surprises! You’ll visit in the remote corners of the world, only a few of explorers can boast that they have been there, others will lie you. So, let’s start! Joan Jade is a famous archeologist, who took part in lots of expeditions but recently she decided to finish her career as an explorer and study the new area – cooking.

Now she is a happy mother and it’s very important to take care of children. But her rivals who are not so successful are at all pains to get all the maps with secret routes and they have kidnapped Joan’s children to obtain this information. Join Joan to teach the enemies a good lesson! All the traces are going to the mysterious Xibalba, an extremely dangerous place. Start the expedition right now! Guide Joan in the stunning locations and do your best to cope with the hidden object scenes and brain training mini-games. It’s high time for training both your attention and quick sightedness, there is a list of hidden objects in front of you: find all the items to go to the next locations and reveal the criminals. Explore the dangerous jungles, complete all the mini-games there and go to the ruins of an ancient Mayan tribe in the game Joan Jade And The Gates Of Xibalba! Enjoy the amazing graphics and the intriguing storyline, Joan is relying on you. Lots of precious trophies await you, help Joan cope with difficult tasks and find her children in mysterious Xibalba!

Reference accessed HERE. April 16th 2017

Main Features:

Gorgeous scenery
Fantastic gameplay
Save Joan's children!

If you have a problem installing or activating or getting Joan Jade and the Gates of Xibalba to work please visit the problems section, which I've now incorporated into the FAQ's thread, and which you can find HERE

The Game:

The story opens with Joan rushing to the Yucatan to search for her children, Jim and Emily, who were volunteering at an excavation site but went missing during a storm. Frustrated by how slowly the local police force is taking to get a search party together, Joan – who’s no stranger to exploring – sets out to find her kids herself and ends up investigating a strange old temple nestled deep within the jungle.

Joan Jade combines elements of hidden object and adventure gameplay. You’ll spend most of your time picking up anything that looks important and adding it to your inventory, then figuring out how to use these items on your surroundings in order to gain access to the next area. One of the first things you’ll do, for example, is search base camp to find something to clear vegetation and a light source. You’ll also occasionally be able to zoom in on certain areas and enter a close-up hidden object search where you’ll search for random objects like a vase, hammer, arrowhead, or gloves.

Some areas are larger than one room, and you can move from one scene to the next by clicking on arrows that mark each exit. If you get stumped and need a clue about what to do next, you can click on a compass to receive a hint. The compass takes a minute to recharge.

Joan Jade and the Gates of Xibalba makes a good first impression, with bright cartoonish graphics reminiscent of the Samantha Swift series, well-designed scenes, not-horrible writing, and a handful of interesting – if not groundbreakingly original – mini-games, like sliding block, pipe fitting, spot-the-difference and memory matching puzzles. I enjoyed the way you were allowed to skip a mini-game after a certain amount of time had passed but would suffer the consequence of not being able to earn a trophy for beating it. (Ample incentive to stick around and try to figure the mini-game out rather than rush past it.)

The game starts to lose a bit of steam half way through its 3-4 hour playthrough time, though, as the temple interiors start to look similar to every other Mayan, Aztec or Incan-themed hidden object game you’ve ever played, and the mini-games start to repeat themselves. If I’m going to be asked to spot miniscule differences on fish, for example, the game could at least swap in different-looking fish for the second, third and fourth time around, or maybe even come up with some different animals altogether. The ending is abrupt and rather unsatisfying as well.

Joan Jade and the Gates of Xibalba is a pretty package and not a bad hidden object adventure, but ultimately comes up a little short on depth and staying power.

Edited reference accessed HERE. Original review written by Erin Bell on 29th Jan 2010. Edited by Whiterabbit-uk 16th April 2017

Other Reviews, Videos and Walkthroughs of Joan Jade and the Gates of Xibalba:

You can see community reviews of Joan Jade and the Gates of XibalbaHERE and more information in the Big Fish forums HERE. You can also see a walkthrough of the game HERE

You can see some videos of game play HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE (Polish), as well as a slide show of almost 90 images HERE.

Conclusion:

I've not played the game the whole way through, but enjoyed what I did play (about two and a half hours in). I'm not a lover of HOG's, but this one had plety of mini games to keep me occupied, some easy, some requiring a little thinking. If you like HOG's this will be one i'm sure you'll be keeping. 7.5 out of 10.

I'd like to take this opportunity to thank MyPlayCity for giving away Joan Jade and the Gates of Xibalba and also to the game giveaway team, as always, for securing other ways to get free games, in this case Steam keys.

Useful Information not related to today's game giveaway:

The problems section that used to be posted here in the Game review is now included in the Game Discussion FAQ's thread; which you can find HERE.

I've updated the games section that used to be posted with the review. The thread is now called 'Weekly round up of game deals', formerly the games section of the weekly reviews. You can find the new thread (which I've posted in the sticky section of the game discussion forums to make it easier to find if you are perusing the game discussion forums) HERE.

The rest of the information that used to be posted here can now be found over in the forums HERE. I haven't had the time to update certain sections, but most of the information is still valid and the links that take you to certain deals will still take you to the places where new deals are live.