Really GOOD Standard Edition-only Games

I'm trying to compile a list of the really good games that never had a Collector's Edition, or the CE wasn't offered at Big Fish.  This is a work in progress, and I'll be editing in games as they're mentioned and as I think of them.  This isn't just games that I, myself, think are worthwhile -- I may not have even played them!  I'm adding any game that has gotten a lot of good buzz... AND the ones I personally like!

This is going to be almost entirely HOG's, IHOG's and Adventures, since TM's, M3's, etc. are rarely CE's to begin with.

2009 and Previous:

• Department 42: Mystery of the Nine
  
• Drawn: The Painted Tower
  
• Echoes of the Past: Royal House of Stone
  
• Elementals: The Magic Key
  
• Mystery Case Files: Madame Fate (straight HOG w/puzzles)
  
• Mystery Case Files: Ravenhearst (straight HOG w/puzzles)
  
• Mystery Case Files: Return to Ravenhearst
  
• The Mystery of the Mary Celeste (HOG-heavy, good story)
  
• Mystery Legends: Sleepy Hollow (straight HOG)
  
• Season of Mystery: The Cherry Blossom Murders (IHOG-lite, good story)
  
• Trapped: The Abduction
  

2010 Releases:

• Anka (a LOT of people love this game... I need to try it again)
  
• Awakening: The Dreamless Castle (can get it FREE!  Check HERE)
  
• Awakening: Moonfell Wood
  
• Blood Oath
  
• Brunhilda and the Dark Crystal (love-it or hate-it game)
  
• Classic Adventures: The Great Gatsby
  
• Deadtime Stories
  
• Elixir of Immortality
  
• Exorcist
  
• Finding Hope (dark, but well-made and based on true story!)
  
• Golden Trails: The New Western Rush
  
• Green Moon (Adventure - limited inventory, so a lot of planning to do!)
  
• Lost in the City: Post Scriptum
  
• Midnight Mysteries: Salem Witch Trials (I never finished it, but many loved it)
  
• Mystery Age: The Dark Priests
  
• Mystery of Mortlake Mansion
  
• Nightfall Mysteries: Curse of the Opera
  
• Nightfall Mysteries: Asylum Conspiracy
  
• Nightmare Adventures: The Witch's Prison (WOOHOO~!  Love this adventure-lite!!)
  
• PuppetShow: Souls of the Innocent
  
• Robinson Crusoe and the Cursed Pirates
  
• Royal Trouble
  
• Sarah Maribu and the Lost World
  
• Settlement: Colossus (popular HOG/strategy hybrid)
  
• Shaolin Mystery: Tale of the Jade Dragon Staff
  
• Snark Busters: Welcome to the Club
  
• Tiger Eye - Part I: Curse of the Riddle Box
  
• Tulula: Legend of a Volcano (bright and colorful - many loved it!)
  
• Twisted: A Haunted Carol
  
• Vampireville (hehe)
  
• Vault Cracker
  

2011 Releases:

• Age of Enigma: The Secret of the Sixth Ghost (adventure-lite)
  
• Amanda Rose: The Game of Time
  
• Bluebeard's Castle
  
• Charlaine Harris: Dying for Daylight
  
• Dreamland
  
• The Clockwork Man: The Hidden World
  
• Crossworlds: The Flying City (starts off ordinary, gets MUCH better!)
  
• Echoes of Sorrow (definitely worth demoing -- not amazing, but pretty good!)
  
• The Fool
  
• Halloween: Trick or Treat (IF you like straight HOG's)
  
• Hide and Secret: The Lost World
  
• Hodgepodge Hollow (love-it or hate-it)
  
• Murder Island: Secret of Tantalus (I really liked it, but HOG-heavy)
  
• Mystery Stories: Mountains of Madness
  
• Our Worst Fears: Stained Skin (one of Jeanniemouse's personal favorites)
  
• Sandra Fleming Chronicles: The Crystal Skull
  
• Silent Scream: The Dancer (love-it or hate-it -- I really enjoyed it)
  
• Snark Busters: All Revved up
  
• Spirit Seasons: Little Ghost Story (a lot loved it - I thought it was pretty OK)
  
• The Tiny Bang Story (puzzle-adventure)
  
• The Treasures of Mystery Island: Ghost Ship (EXCELLENT!)
  
• Urban Legends: The Maze (a lot loved it -- the nonsensical actions bothered me)
  
• Vampire Saga: Welcome to Hell Lock
  
• Written Legends: Nightmare at Sea
  

2012 Releases:

• 1 Moment of Time: Silentville
  
• Abandoned: Chestnut Lodge Asylum
  
• Amulet of Time: Shadow of la Rochelle
  
• Abyss: The Wraiths of Eden
  
• Christmas Wonderland 3 (IF you like straight HOG's)
  
• City of Fools (adventure)
  
• Criminal Minds (only if you're a fan of the show -- very short)
  
• Cruel Games: Red Riding Hood
  
• Dark Arcana: The Carnival
  
• E.P.I.C: Wishmaster Adventures
  
• Easter Eggstravaganza (IF you like straight HOG's)
  
• Fairly Twisted Tales: The Price of a Rose
  
• Film Fatale: Lights, Camera, Madness!
  
• Ghost Encounters: Deadwood
  
• The Gift
  
• Golden Trails 3: The Guardian's Creed
  
• Howlville: The Dark Past
  
• Journey: The Heart of Gaia (adventure-lite)
  
• Legacy: Witch Island
  
• Mountain Crime: Requital
  
• Natural Threat: Ominous Shores
  
• Phenomenon: City of Cyan
  
• Rita James and the Race to Shangri La
  
• Shaban
  
• Small Town Terrors: Livingston
  
• Snark Busters 3: High Society
  
• Tales of Terror: Crimson Dawn
  
• Tesla's Tower: The Wardenclyff Mystery
  
• The Theatre of Shadows: As You Wish
  
• Time Relics: Gears of Light (love-it or hate-it)
  
• Top Secret Finders
  
• Twilight City: Love as a Cure (strategy - just because I wanted to mention it!)
  
• Twisted Lands: Origin
  
• Weird Park: Scary Tales
  
• Zodiac Prophecies: The Serpent Bearer
  

2013 Releases: (through Aug. 28)

• 9 Clues: The Secret of Serpent Creek
  
• Apothecarium: The Renaissance of Evil
  
• Ashley Clark: Secret of the Rub
  
• Aquascapes (available as SE only)
  
• Barn Yarn (available as SE only)
  
• Crime Line (original-type adventure)
  
• Dark Canvas: A Brush With Death
  
• Dark Lore Mysteries: The Hunt for Truth
  
• Deadly Voltage: Rise of the Invincible
  
• Dreamscapes: The Sandman (SE only - do yourself a favor and get the CE from Playrix!)
  
• Enchantia: Wrath of the Phoenix Queen
  
• Easter Eggztravaganza 2 (IF you like straight HOG's)
  
• Fallen: The Flowers of Evil
  
• Family Tales: The Sisters
  
• Gardenscapes 2 (available as SE only)
  
• Greed: The Mad Scientist
  
• Left in the Dark: No One on Board (I'm reading that the story is VERY interesting!)
  
• Legacy: Witch Island
  
• Motor Town: Soul of the Machine
  
• Nightmare Adventures: The Turning Thorn
  
• Questerium: Sinister Trinity
  
• Shadows: Price for Our Sins
  
• Silent Scream II: The Bride (don't expect it to be like #1, they are VERY different)
  
• Timeless: The Lost Castle
  
• Whispers: Revelation (VERY clunky interface, but excellent story)
  

Ready for suggestions!

Now done through 2012~

Thanks for these lists. As a SE-only buyer I really appreciate them. And although many are familiar to me I'm seeing titles I'd never heard of, woot!

Yay~!  Glad to hear it!  The list is now complete through today.  These titles are, of course, subject to personal opinion, and what you like may be different than what others like.

If anyone has any suggestions, just post 'em here, and I'll add 'em to post #1!  To make it easier, the bolded years are links to the Big Fish releases for that year.

Genki, I saw that the bolded years link to complete lists for those years...WOW! It is so amazing (and interesting!) to have all that info. When I linked to 2013 I couldn't believe how quickly this year has passed. I saw releases from January and thought: "Really? I thought that just came out a couple months ago..." and then realized it's now almost September!  

THANKS AGAIN for taking the time to compile all your wonderful detailed lists... so I don't have to, lol.
   

Thanks so much for all your hard work, genki. Looking forward to trying quite a few that seemed to slip through my fingers.

Thank you, Genki! I have a few I would like to add:

Department 42: The Mystery of the Nine (2009)
Mystery Legends: Sleepy Hollow (2009) HOG only

Robinson Crusoe and the Cursed Pirates (2010)

Dreamland (2011)
Mountain Crime: Requital (2011)
The Fool (2011) This one may've come out earlier...

Top Secret Finders (2012)
Weird Park: Scary Tales (2012)

Dark Lore Mysteries: The Hunt for the Truth (2013) Very good, ADULT vampire game.
Family Tales: The Sisters (2013)
Tales of Terror: Crimson Dawn (2013) Not sure on the date...
(Family Tales & Tales of Terror are from the same developer. I had sound problems with both games and used the "Run As Administrator" setting on my computer and a very nice person told me how to do it.)

I can't believe I missed Dreamland and Mountain Crime: Requital!   I was going entirely off of the BF releases list, through, and it's easy to pass over things, so I guess I can be forgiven...

Keep the suggestions coming!  I'll work on the 2009 and prior when I can!

Oops, never mind.

lol, Genki, I was going through my Purchase History. I have way too many games.  

I threw in Department 42 and Sleepy Hollow as an "Honorable Mention." The voice of the Headless Horseman was voted (by me, hehehe) as the sexiest voice in a Casual Game...since ever.

The voice in Deadtime Stories is pretty good, too.  It doesn't suit his appearance at ALL, but it's a very nice voice.

I totally agree that Department 42 belongs on the list.  It's one of those unsung heroes that's still enjoyable, even today.

By the way, R-mom, you can always delete your own posts if you decide you don't want them to be there... Can't you?  Maybe I have the option since I own the site   Let me know, will you?

Oh yes, Deadtime Stories. I really wish this developer would've added some more games & turned it into a series. I do think this was originally planned, but something must've went awry.

I know, it's really a shame.  There were endless possibilities with the way it was set up, and the game was SO good...!  And here's the kicker... The developer, Nikitova Games, also did Charlaine Harris: Dying for Daylight!  Another game we'll never see a sequel to!

genkicoll wrote:By the way, R-mom, you can always delete your own posts if you decide you don't want them to be there... Can't you?  Maybe I have the option since I own the site   Let me know, will you?

It seems like I can only edit, not delete an entire post.

Oh wow, well, thanks for letting me know, I had no idea!  I just looked in the admin panel, and I don't see any option that would allow it, but I'll keep looking

Not be fussy but you have titles like Rhiannon and Scratches on the list and I don't think they belong there, being older (re-released) LFA games. If they do, you might as well list all the Nancy Drews, Broken Sword, Syberia series and every other LFA not on this list, kwim?

I guess I think of this list as being for shorter, so-called 'casual' games, which I don't consider classic LFAs to be. But maybe it's semantics? Hmm...

This is really a Big Fish-only list, to be used as a resource for when you're trying to use up your game coupons ^__^

I'm worried about the older games... I've found two lately that have been removed with nary a whisper from BF.

I can always make a separate list of LFA's...   Wait, I already did that.  Where is it... *searches*  There are the indexes (Adventure Game Index,  Nancy Drew Game Index,  Sherlock Holmes Adventure Game Index,) but that's not what I'm looking for, either.

*keeps looking...*

Ah, it was in the Games Sorted by Theme listing under 'Adventure Games (no HOG scenes)'  It's out-of-date, though

Right, back on topic, I can always remove the true adventures from the list, and just leave the casual games.

What d'y'all think?

genkicoll wrote:This is really a Big Fish-only list, to be used as a resource for when you're trying to use up your game coupons ^__^

Hmm, the games I mentioned - Nancy Drews, Syberia, Broken Sword - are on Big Fish too.

Right, back on topic, I can always remove the true adventures from the list, and just leave the casual games.

What d'y'all think?

My takeaway of this SE list is to have a handy listing of the games which style one might *typically* find as a CE but in fact was released as an SE only. (Or, for example, a game such as Dreamscapes: The Sandman which is available elsewhere as a CE but only as SE at Big Fish.) For me it became confusing when a few seemingly random LFAs were included, as this classic, lengthy style of game doesn't exist as a CE to begin with.

I mean, if Rhiannon, then why not Syberia or a Nancy Drew? Or one of the Carol Reed mysteries for that matter? But it isn't quite accurate to call those "standard edition-only games", and IMO the same holds true for Rhiannon and Scratches.
Anyway, I'm probably just over-thinking this.

Actually, you're absolutely right.  That WAS the intention and the implication of the thread, so I'll go back and edit out the true adventures.  Thanks for pointing it out!

Still open to suggestions, by the way   I've only added two to this year's releases since the list was made!

Thanks, Genki. There must be more; I'll try to think of some!

Really good lists, Genki.  Thanks.    


I was going through my purchase list, and I'd like to add a few... 


Committed: Mystery at Shady Pines (2012)
http://www.bigfishgames.com/download-games/14754/committed-mystery-at-shady-pines/index.html



Dance of Death (2013)
http://www.bigfishgames.com/download-games/24471/dance-of-death/index.html



　


Dark Sisterhood: The Initiation (2013)
http://www.bigfishgames.com/download-games/24762/dark-sisterhood-the-initiation/index.html



　


Into the Haze (2013)
http://www.bigfishgames.com/download-games/24722/into-the-haze/index.html



　


Island of Death: Demons and Despair (2013)
http://www.bigfishgames.com/download-games/22721/island-of-death-demons-and-despair/index.html



　


Mystic Legacy: The Great Ring (2012)
http://www.bigfishgames.com/download-games/19068/mystic-legacy-the-great-ring/index.html



　


Oddly Enough: Pied Piper (2011)
http://www.bigfishgames.com/download-games/14430/oddly-enough-pied-piper/index.html



　


Scarytales: All Hail King Mongo (2013)
http://www.bigfishgames.com/download-games/21818/scarytales-all-hail-king-mongo/index.html



　


Shattered Minds: Encore (2012)
http://www.bigfishgames.com/download-games/18061/shattered-minds-encore/index.html


　


The Book of Desires (2012)
http://www.bigfishgames.com/download-games/17126/the-book-of-desires/index.html



　


The Dreamatorium of Dr. Magnus (2012)
http://www.bigfishgames.com/download-games/19150/the-dreamatorium-of-dr-magnus/index.html


　


Them: The Summoning (2012)
http://www.bigfishgames.com/download-games/14309/them-the-summoning/index.html

This is a great list Genki! You are a super organizer!! I know this took a lot of time.  I definitely appreciate it!!

Thanks for all your time & effort with this, Genki.  Great List, & very helpful!    

It hasn't been updated since... *goes to look* August, so it definitely needs to be updated!

Thanks for the additions, Frodo!

I don't know that it would be considered *really* good, but I just enjoyed playing Shadow Shelter (2014). And even though the gameplay is repetitive I was never bored.