I like these Hidden object/adventure games, but this one was disappointing. Hint button stopped working, items in some of the hidden object scenes were wrongly labeled (I was looking for a piece of paper and it turned out to be an oak leaf) or written in Russian, not English. There was also a lot of annoying back and forth between locations.
I realize there are workarounds, and the game is being given free, but this was awfully glitchy.

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Thank you for your feedback Laura

Hello White Rabbit and thanks to you and MyPlayCity.

@neme and others having problems with the hint bottom: Install the game in safe mode with network connection. Each time the hint bottom is not working correctly anymore (sound only) go back to main menu and restart the game. My system: Win10/64.

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Thank you Peter. :)

This is a pretty good game. I am very in to it. It did freeze up on me with the first little game and had to restart the pc, but after that no more freeze ups. Lovely graphics so really nice... Thanks gotd and play city...

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Thank you Mary

A very long, slow download this time - in fact it was so bad that I stopped it twice, and wasn't sure about trying again. However the third time it did work, still slowly, but at least I could see it was moving. Set-up went smoothly (Win 10) and it started up quite happily.

The graphics are nicely done, not too cartoony, and so far it's reasonably easy to find what's needed. The music is less annoying than some, although as you know I normally turn the sound off anyway.

Starting and ending the game were not a problem for me - I found the menus quite usable, and there are obviously quite a lot of other places to explore when I have some time to spare. The history slant was interesting to me - although I suspect I can see ahead to where parts are going to lead!

But overall I'm glad I persevered with the download - it looks like a good tale to follow as far as it will let me. So thanks to GGAOTD, MyPlayCity and - of course! - to Whiterabbit for his introduction and tips.

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Thank you for your feedback Basilica

I'm probably giving up. I got stalled in one of the hidden pictures (to get the clover) because the hint was glitchy. Shut down and restarted. This fixed the hint button, but when I used it to find the "piece of paper" it highlighted a leaf...which was correct. Now, I have two items in my pack, neither of which works on the one thing I have to do, and I can't figure out where to go next. With the hint button being glitchy, I can't get over the stall by clicking hint in every room until it finds something else to do because it says there's nothing else. Shut down again, and I may try one more time, but... This is my favorite type of game, but not when it doesn't keep me engaged by having tools to get over being stumped...and not when the hidden objects it asks for aren't what it wants.

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Thank you for your feedback Margaret. The Steam sale is on at the moment and they have upwards of 50% or more off most HOG's

For the last three or four weeks when I down load the ggotd, I get the successfully activated message, but I don't get down load menu to down load it so I cannot get the game? Anyone else?

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The games exe file is wrapped in a Themida based code that protects the game from being ripped by hackers. Trouble is, Themida can also be used to hide malware, so some security programs block the installation. To install the game you can either reboot your computer in safe mode then install, white list the wrapper or temporarily turn off your security while you install the game. The giveaway team have been giving games away virtually every weekend for the past 10 years (and for 18 months every day back in 2006 to 2008) and have never given away a game infected with malware. the giveaway team thoroughly check all files for download to ensure they are safe. They are highly regarded by the major search engines; if they allowed malware to be downloaded they would lose this standing.

Well, I certainly love this game! Seems like lots of variety! (Plus, it IS one of my favorite game genres!) I have Windows 7, 64-bit, Home Edition, Intel G45/43 Express Chipset.

I too had to do Ctrl-Alt-Del to get out of it at first. And once you do that, there's a 2nd thing that's running called "Engine.exe" - so get out of that as well. I right-clicked on the Shortcut to the game and went to the "Compatibility" tab and checked off the bottom 3 items under settings.

I was then able to play the game normally. And the Hint Button worked fine as well. The only thing I would suggest is for the auto-run cutscenes at the very beginning, make it so that the user has to click to get to the next block of text - much preferred for slower readers like me. :-)

And I've only encountered a couple of mini-games so far, but yeah, they seem easy....at first anyhow.

Thanks for this game GGATD & PlayCity!

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Thank you for your feedback DelennDax7

Lovely graphics, fun game. I needed to restart into Safe Mode With Networking for it to install properly. Thank you, GAOTD and BigFishGames/MyPlayCity!

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Glad you got it sorted. :)

Thanks GGOTD and MPC for the game, it is nice, but quite simple HOG.
For the first time I finished a game on the day it is given away ;-)
(also due to running a B&B, always busy in the weekends)

Some descriptions in the HOG scenes are a bit weird and not at all what you would expect, in those cases was the hint button a big help and always pointed to what I needed, so no issues with that.

The graphics were nice and colourful, enjoyed playing the game.

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Thank you for your feedback Irene.

Don't drink the tea!

I'm enjoying the game so far!

I'm sort of stuck at the moment -- I'll be consulting a walkthrough -- and one thing that might improve the game is to put icons on the map, showing which rooms are all done, which rooms have a puzzle you can make progress on, and which rooms aren't done but which the player can't make progress on until later.

Thanks for the game!

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Did you find a decent walkthrough? I did post a link to one, but didn't look for an others due to time constraints at the moment. My son still has a few more exams to go before he finishes his exams, so am still spending a lot of time helping with revision, especially as he needs high grades to be accepted on the course he's applied for. They have reserved a place, but only if he gets 2 A's and a B grade for his Chemistry, Biology and Math papers. Thankfully he finished at the end of this week. It will be a relief as the last several weeks have been very stressful.

VERY disappointed. I was excited to see once again that we had a HOG/adventure game, my faves, and despite reports of the hint button being buggy, I installed with fingers crossed (Win 8.1, flawless installation). But as soon as I started the game, after putting the roses in the vase right at the beginning, my mouse was no longer working---couldn't click on anything. C-A-D to get out and restarted, but it happened again almost immediately. I could tolerate a buggy hint button, but this won't even allow me to play. I really have missed HOGs these last few weeks, so this stings even more!

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Thank you for your feedback neme, others appear to have had issues as well, though rebooting seemed to fix the issue. Also try changing the compatibility settings.

Hello White Rabbit and thanks to you and MyPlayCity for a very interesting game today. Don't know how I missed this, but I am enjoying so far.
I thought I found a suggestion to improve play, but then I found the map! Had no problem installing on Windows 10. I have not had any problems with the hint as you and Ros reported. Graphics are clear and not too small (although aging eyes need a little help from reading glasses). Have played so many HOGs, thought I had seen them all so I'm pleased to be surprised by this one especially since Alawar is one of my favorite developers.
Again many thanks and enjoy your day. snow

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Thank you for your feedback snow

Hey Wabbit,

I "liked" everything but i am not downloading this. The graphics are pretty but I have enough of these Hog's I don't play...because "the graphics are pretty". But, hey, it's a free game..so not complaining at all.

Thanks to GGOTD and MPC for the game. It's the thought that counts...

And thanks, Wabbit, for the review. Won't be long and kids will be out of school and you go on vacation..YEAH!
Take care and huggles.

Freebies:
Now the giveaway is Desert Thunder @IndieGala:
https://www.indiegala.com/dieyoung?massive

Free From Giveaway Club-Russian Car Driver HD by MyPlayCity

Exclusive Giveaway Club and MyPlayCity offer: no third-party ads and browser add-ons!
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You appear in the village somewhere in Russia but don’t get upset, this place is the special playground for all kinds of racings. So what are you waiting for? A huge Russian countryside and all its roads are at your disposal, it’s time to learn how to drive like a pro! Take part in the race with local riders, it will be a really amazing and challenging adventure.
Also, due to the advanced physics of the game, your vehicle is deformed by blows and will feel different on the sand or asphalt, so you’ll get the unforgettable emotions!
Unlock the exclusive aerography coloration and prove your superiority in driving a car in the game Russian Car Driver HD!
Features:
Dynamic music
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Authentic landscapes
System Requirements: Windows XP/Vista/7/8/10; Processor 800 Mhz or better; 512 Mb RAM; DirectX 8.1
Get the best Games for Windows with the Giveaway Club for free!

http://games.giveaway-club.com/

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Thank you for posting Delenn. Hope all's well with you and yours?

Install went fine. Seems like a nice game...except!..got to one point (painting the red box), went for hint and my mouse froze. Initiated Task Mgr., and NO Mouse indicator. Had to reboot. What gives? Win 10 64bit thanks

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Thank you for your feedback bluzedrumr, please excuse the very late reply. There does seem to be an issue with the hint button. You can skip those puzzles, however, if you want to complete it, but are still stuck, let me know and I'll describe how to solve it..

I am getting the message: "The key cannot be decrypted" when running the setup.exe file. I am running Windows XP.

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It's possibly your security that is blocking the game. It has done so for several of the games we've got recently for me and other community members as well. This is becasue the giveaway files are wrapped in a Themida based wrapper to protect the game from hackers. Unfortunately Themida can also be used to hide malware, though in this case it's not. As I've said many times the giveaway team have been giving away games for over 10 years virtually every weekend and for the first 16 months of the project virtually every day of the week, and have never given away a dirty game. They always check all games thoroughly with several anti malware suites to ensure they are clean.

There are three things you can try, the easiest is to temporarily turn off your security, install the game, then turn it back on, or you can try white-listing the giveaway files with your security software and finally reboot your computer into safe mode with networking then install the game. Each one should fix the issue. you may have tio do it with all of these games, but it is worth trying initially without doing them to see if it installs.

The giveaway team were forced to add the Themida wrapper about 3 years ago becasue it had become common knowledge how to rip off the executable easily and then be able to install the game at your leisure any time any where. Some community members were even posting details on blog sites and you tube showing how to do it. this was impacting on developers giving us games because their games were appearing on Peer to peer sites.

The game downloaded and installed ok on windows 10. The sound and the graphics are ok and the mini games. I did find the hint didn't work very well and was frustrating at times. I will be keeping it installed for a little time. thank you MPC for the game today.

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I wasn't able to find the crane on the first HO scene and after several attempts at using the hint button, gave up on that particular scene (to return to later if i get around to it) Thank you for your feedback Ros.

Will not download

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Thank you for your feedback bilk, sorry for the late reply. It's likely your security that is blocking the download due to the Themida wrapper, which some security software sees as a threat becasue Themida code can also hide malware. To install the game you can either reboot your computer in safe mode then install, white list the wrapper or temporarily turn off your security while you install the game. The giveaway team have been giving games away virtually every weekend for the past 10 years (and for 18 months every day back in 2006 to 2008) and have never given away a game infected with malware. the giveaway team thoroughly check all files for download to ensure they are safe. They are highly regarded by the major search engines; if they allowed malware to be downloaded they would lose this standing.

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LAST few Hours to get Killing Floor for FREE

Today is the last chance to get a free Steam key for the excellent zombie apocalypse shooter Killing Floor available from the Humble bundle site HERE, and which has hundreds of free custom made maps available and can be played in either single player, coop or multiplayer modes. That deal ends at 6pm today (UK time) At the time of updating there was only 3hrs and 32 minutes left to get a key. If you see this late and really wanted the game (and I do mean really wanted) I do have a spare key that I'm happy to give away; however, you must first try and get a key from the Humble Store first. To get the free Steam key there's no catch, or things to do apart from sign into your free Humble Bundle account. If you fail to get a key and want my spare, please don't ask here, post in the forum HERE and where you can see a few images and videos of game play. first to post that they want the key will get it. Include your Steam name so that we can perhaps have a coop game together sometime. I'll send you a friends request if you post your Steam name. I think I may have more than one key spare as I purchased a spare copy that's stored in my Steam inventory possibly a couple more from purchasing indie bundles, so, if more than one asks for a key you may still get a key, but I would need a Steam name for the second key as it has to be gifted.

Please only post comments about today's game giveaway; other comments either inappropriate, or comments with only one or a few words; for example good, thank you, TY, bad, rubbish, this game is ~%!£*? etc , or if the comment has nothing to do with today's game they may 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 inappropriate, will be deleted and usually with no explanation. Please see the moderation policy HERE for details about posting comments. If you are having problems installing the game check the FAQ's thread HERE and read through the communities comments because sometimes fixes have already been posted; and if for any reason you want to contact the giveaway team, for example, you have a game to offer the community, or are unable to download the latest game or other issues that the FAQ's thread or these comments don't cover or solve you can do so HERE

Love Alchemy: A Heart In Winter

In Brief

A Hidden Object Adventure game.

Suggestions:

Please take a few moments to give some positive or negative feedback about your opinion of Love Alchemy: A Heart In Winter; for example, what you liked or disliked about the game, or how it could be improved from your point of view. If you don't like the genre at all, please explain why and if any, what improvements would change your mind? There are thousands of subscribers to the game giveaway of the day every weekend which makes this an ideal forum for giving developers new or fresh 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, they don't like MPC games, they hate HOG, have had enough of Match Three and Time Management games, they want to see the latest version of Call of duty or some other big name AAA game given away or that they don't like Steam games. If something isn't for you then please move on to the next giveaway, or check out the forums HERE, HERE and HERE, where a few members of the community post details of various free games and free game sites as well as links to various indie bundle sites etc; you never know, you may find something that really interests you.

If you miss today's game giveaway you can always get the game via MyPlayCity 24/7 HERE.

Installation:

Love Alchemy: A Heart In Winter downloads to a 473 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 487 MB in size. The game installs to the following path by default, but can be changed if you prefer to install to a different place for example I install mine onto a different hard drive into a folder labelled J:/Games/Arcade Games/MPC:

C:\Program Files (x86)\MyPlayCity.com\Love Alchemy - A Heart In Winter

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:

When a new romance blossoms, the door to mystery opens in Love Alchemy: A Heart in Winter. Follow a young woman as she's caught in the tightening web of intrigue surrounding her charming but mysterious lover. To do so, you'll have to search for hidden objects, solve puzzles, and win mini-games, even as the game romances you with its astonishing beauty. From opulent castle halls, to creepy dungeons, to exotic faraway lands, you'll want to stop and soak in the visual splendor. But you won't because each discovery will lure you closer to an ending you won't expect. If you enjoy adventures that hold your heart in their grip like a budding romance, then play Love Alchemy. As the door to mystery opens, you'll be helpless against it!

Reference accessed HERE June 24th 2017

Main Features:

⦁ A magical love story
⦁ Amazing worlds inside paintings
⦁ A shocking alternate ending
⦁ Captivating characters
⦁ Challenging puzzles

If you have a problem installing or activating or getting Love Alchemy: A Heart In Winter 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:

There are two modes available Casual and Expert. Casual mode gives you fast recharging of the hint buttons and hidden object scenes include highlights, whereas the expert mode hints and the skip buttons recharge much slower and you get no highlighted hints. As with most modern hidden object games when your cursor changes to a hand it indicates some sort of interaction, for example you can interact in some way, or pick an object up to add to the inventory for later use. The cursor also changes to a magnifying glass when the zoom function is activated. Clicking on an object when the magnifying glass appears means you can zoom in by clicking the object or scene. The cursor also changes to an eye when an object in your inventory is useful and finally a door icon indicates that you can move to a different area of the game.

I found the hint button a little ineffective at times, having to use it a few times before I found what was being indicated. If you get stuck on a particular hidden object scene, you can leave it and continue later by clicking on the arrow that appears when you hover along the bottom of the scene, you can also skip puzzles, which will solve automatically for you. Hovering your mouse along the lower part of the game board also opens up your inventory.

Other Reviews, Slideshow, Videos and a Walk-through of Love Alchemy: A Heart In Winter:

You can see community reviews of Love Alchemy: A Heart In Winter Winter HERE and HERE and more information in the Big Fish forums HERE. You can also see a slideshow (spoilers present) of around 70 images HERE

You can also see some videos of game play (spoilers present) HERE, HERE (German), HERE, HERE and HERE. You'll find a written walk-through HERE.

Conclusion:

A typical middle of the road adventure HOG with decent graphics, pleasant background music and some reasonable puzzles, though most I found easy to solve.

I'd like to take this opportunity to thank MyPlayCity for giving away Love Alchemy: A Heart In Winter 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 be found in the forums HERE. Finally, check out Delenns thread over in the forums HERE. There are games available for free, some of which are limited to the number of free keys available. Today is the last chance to get a free Steam key for the excellent zombie apocalypse shooter Killing Floor available from the Humble bundle site HERE, and which has hundreds of free custom made maps available and can be played in either single player, coop or multiplayer modes. That deal ends at 6pm today (UK time) At the time of updating there was only 3hrs and 32 minutes left to get a key. If you see this late and really wanted the game (and I do mean really wanted) I do have a spare key that I'm happy to give away. you must first try and get a key from the Humble Store first. There's no catch, or things to do apart from sign into your Humble bundle account..