The Agency of Anomalies: Cinderstone Orphanage Collector's Edition

It's no secret that I absolutely loved [url=https://store.steampowered.com/app/503060/The_Agency_of_Anomalies_Mystic_Hospital_Collectors_Edition/]Mystic Hospital[/url] for it's great writing, creepy atmosphere and unique premise. It set such a high bar for me that in some ways Cinderstone Orphanage had a hard time reaching it. That's not to say the sequel is bad, because it's a very solid hidden object puzzle adventure in its own right, and certainly one of the better examples of the genre. But, despite being the first game in the series to implement the ability to collect and use powers in its puzzle solving, the very paint-by-numbers feel of the rest of the story and gameplay left me wanting more. http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=804335096 Once again, the agency's top agent has been tasked with investigating yet another perplexing incident, this time at the Cinderstone Orphanage, home for children with paranormal abilities. An unexplained Christmas Eve explosion has left the building in shambles and its children and mentor missing, body and all. It's up to The Agent to get to bottom of the things and rescue the vanished orphans and their caretaker. I can't say the story had me as intrigued this time around, but anywhere The Agent goes, I go. I've always been fond of a more realistic art style in HOGs, and Cinderstone Orphanage falls into that category with its gorgeous painted scenery. Unlike most modern-day titles in which bright blues, reds and purples feature prominently, Cinderstone's color palette is subdued with the images all having a softly classical feel to them. As I explored the orphanage, there were areas that I'd sit admiring the breathtaking view for several minutes, especially rooms barely touched by the explosion. If only I'd been able to behold its beauty before the conflagration overtook it. http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=805709795 Gameplay is fairly standard HOPA fare, save for the addition of acquiring special powers that are used in puzzle solving and further exploration of the game areas. Looking through walls, moving items with your mind and bringing drawn pictures to life all have a distinct charm to them, though I would have preferred a little more challenge in their use. Items and areas that are to be manipulated glow the respective ability's color, which makes little sense to me since you have no way of choosing which ability to use as the game does it for you. Not a huge complaint, just something I'd prefer to have been more game-y than it is. Story-wise, this entry is the weakest in the series. I understand that a majority of HOG players are women (although that seems to be changing), so plots that appeal to the maternal instinct tend to crop up quite a bit; and while it's nice to see The Agent concerned for the children's welfare, having him outwit freaks and monstrosities gives his adventures some edge. The writing is more sparse as well with about half the number of journal entries as Mystic Hospital and less character-building mouse over text, something I sorely missed. What's there seems to be more to the point without as much of The Agent's sarcastic flare that I so love. Alas. http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=805709768 Fortunately, the bonus chapter nicely fills in missing story details, adds on to the series' over-arcing plotline, and gives us a hint as to where The Agent will be going next. Theater freaks you say? YES! The gameplay is also enjoyable with The Agent exploring a handful of newly uncovered areas, new puzzles (and old ones with added difficulty), and just enough hidden object scenes to keep you busy, but not totally inundated as they were in Mystic Hospital. Having said all that, would I recommend Cinderstone Orphanage? Absolutely! As a continuation of The Agency of Anomalies storyline, it's a worthy entry to the series with solid HOPA gameplay and a gorgeous world to explore. I'd say most of my disappointments are based on personal taste, and while I'd have liked a creepier atmosphere to the game, others may find the story and themes fully entertaining. So yes, definitely grab this along with Mystic Hospital when you get the chance. Here's looking forward to [url=https://store.steampowered.com/app/647890/The_Agency_of_Anomalies_The_Last_Performance_Collectors_Edition/]The Last Performance[/url]. [code][h1]Curated by: [url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/6458642-Hidden-Object-Gamers/]Hidden Object Gamers[/url] & [url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/33004802-Chudah%27s-Corner/]Chudah's Corner[/url][/h1][/code]

[h1]Short version: 58%[/h1] Whether I recommend Cinderstone Orphanage hinges on one question: can you accept a hidden object game where only the brilliant atmosphere and the exploration-centric story hold together a bland and tedious gameplay? [h1]Long version:[/h1] The second entry of the Agency of Anomalies series, Cinderstone Orphanage lacks its predecessor’s strong plot elements, but it compensates with a more fleshed-out premise. Similarly to Mystic Hospital, we explore and abandoned building, the titular orphanage after it was half-destroyed in a sudden explosion. As we tread its realistically portrayed halls and rooms, the game slowly overwhelms us with its sheer atmosphere, throwing just enough breadcrumbs though the children’s backstory to push us slowly but relentlessly forward. Regrettably, the positives end with the writing, because gameplay is bland at best. The puzzles are long and tedious, whereas hidden object scenes start with some great design ideas but eventually regress to a series of self-repeating screens. The biggest issue is the backtracking. The lack of map in Mystic Hospital created immersion; here, it just adds unnecessary padding and turns many segments into haphazard memorisation exercises.

[h1]Hilarious game - the vase puzzle solution is wrong![/h1] I've long since stopped playing these hidden object games for their story, I'm only here for the fun puzzles and gameplay! Wee-hee! It's one of our favourite hidden object publishers, back with another game full of wonder and joy. Admittedly I was surprised with this one. Some of the puzzles were pretty entertaining. And then there were some puzzles that probably never should have seen the light of day (fireflies for the third time in the bonus chapter, I'm talking about you). I went into this one on Hard difficulty - mostly because I haven't HOG'ed for a while so I wanted to sit back and chill, and see how long it would take. There were a few moments I got caught on a snag but they were resolved after 10-15 minutes. One bad one (this is the one from my h1 header) was the nine pots on the shelf, arranging them in the right slots. The game gives you some ripped up photo segments to go by, and they are pinned to the side of the cabinet. My problem was with the thin white vase, which I was adamant had to be middle row on the right. It turns out this is not correct. BUT! In one of the photo fragments it clearly shows a segment of wall that could only belong to the middle right wall, as it has some paper residue on it. Thankfully the game has a 'strategy guide' button so it's a simple matter to look up the answer. Everything else was pretty smooth. Graphics are about usual for the genre - nothing groundbreaking, but thankfully no cardboard cutout facial animations. [h3]The featured features ;) of this game centre around some ghosts that give you their talents, such as changing an object's size (turn 1mg of gold dust into 1kg), making your drawings come to life (draw the planet cracking in half, or just draw yourself a castle made of diamonds and a stable full of unicorns), reassemble broken things (bring back Atlantis), telekinesis and xray vision (freak out your family surreptitiously from the next room by making all the kitchen knives dance in the air around the room).[/h3] ______________ Lots of hidden scenes, a good number of puzzles, and hard mode isn't very hard. Also, it may not have steam achievements but it has in-game achieves. As per the norm, there is an item to collect on the side (a one card per screen affair featuring teddy bears). I'd say it's worth it despite its flaws, but you be the judge.

You receive a cry for help from the caretaker of an orphanage which burned recently. Everyone disappeared and the building was hiding orphans with paranormal habilities. Given the fact that the caretaker is also missing, it's up to you to help them to come back in their physical forms: they're not dead but if you don't hurry, they might be... What is the truth behind these walls? This is a sequel to Mystic Hospital and if you've played the CE Edition, you learned in the bonus chapter that a member of a brotherhood is supervising an orphanage... which is Cinderstone. So, it's not a shock to find yourself at this destination. The plot is also good: you help the "ghosts" with their most prized belongings and they're giving you their powers so that you can advance in the story. It's just the end that is quite hard to make sense (and it's more confusing in the bonus chapter). Who was really behind all that? I mean, yeah, I've understood who was the real culprit but I still don't understand how he managed to pull all that? Anyway, Cinderstone Orphanage has the same mechanics of Mystic Hospital: you find items, you use them, you solve minigames and you're searching for hidden objects, some even hidden in hidden scenes (red items). You have also a second type of hidden scenes: replace items at their right place. I would say that the game isn't not so difficult but it's true that some minigames need more thinking. I will not say that everything make sense (it's an hidden object game, so searching for vital items hidden where you don't expect them is normal) but at least, it's reasonable. Besides, I've noticed that hidden objects in a word list often find themselves being used in a replace scene. Also, searching for postcards returned, so, it's nice to have collectibles to find. The real new feature is the use of the powers. Mystic Hospital spoke about paranormal stuff but even being stored in the Nexus didn't help. Here, the Nexus comes back but you can use the powers that the caretaker and the kids let you borrow. It means that you can change the size of the items, see through walls, use telekinesis, repair broken stuff or bring pictures alive. That's a nice addition. The art is still good and given the time of the year, it's always sad to see an orphanage with Christmas objects and snow being destroyed. But it's not so dramatic, it's perfectly dosed. The cutscenes are also good. What disturbed me most is the ending, it constrast totally with the rest of the game. I also liked the colored powers as they're really indicating which person holds them and in the end, you can see the "souls" being related. The soundtrack and the voice actings were good too. I've just a little problem with the bonus chapter: the minigames are repetitive (which is a recurring fact in the series, it's worse in the next game) and you always have the impression that there is more hidden objects scenes than in the first game. I like bonus chapter and as in Mystic Hospital, you get a clue of where your next adventure will happen, but if it's to be axphyxiated by hidden objects scenes and minigames, I would prefer none. My conclusion is that this game is still an enjoyable one and while it's maybe an old game, you can still find pleasure in it for the genre. Cinderstone Orphanage is a nice sequel, though Mystic Hospital was better in terms of atmosphere, however, the addition of the powers is a nice feature. So, go ahead for it, you will not regret it!

Even better than the first in the series, this casual point-and-click adventure features many good hidden-object scenes and fun puzzle mini-games. The graphics are wonderful, and even the voice acting is surprisingly good. Just don't expect the game to make too much sense. You have a bunch of cool supernatural powers, but are only allowed to use them when the game designers saw fit... If you don't worry too much about plot holes, you'll have a good time. This game is the second in a series of four games: [I]Mystic Hospital[/I], [I]Cinderstone Orphenage[/I], [I]The Last Performance[/I], and [I]Mind Invasion[/I]. The fourth game is not currently on Steam.

Less atmospheric and more childish than the first episode. The gameplay is still decent.

Very good hidden object game. The mini-puzzles were not just the same ones we've seen. The story was good (for this type of game). It had an unusual element for a hidden object game. Just keep in mind that it is an older game. Set your resolution to 1024x768. I don't think it had a map (I didn't look for it). The hint system is primitive. But none of that bothered me. That was far better than average.

Nice game