A Timid Lady Was Turned into an Ugly Cat, but on the Verge of Fainting Is Picked Up by the Most Fearsome Military Duke 1 by Otori
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
This starts off with a very traditional looking Cinderella storyline, but quickly takes a few turns. Marie's life is turned upside down, beginning with the arrival of her new stepmother and half-sister, and continuing on as her new sister basically takes over their family home and her entire life. Abandoned by everyone except her aunt, Marie tries to re-enter society as she faces a new rushed engagement. That new engagement would put her in a higher position in society than her younger sister though, and of course that cannot stand. The last thing anyone expected was for Marie to disappear in the midst of engagement talks. She hasn't really disappeared though. Instead, she's meeting her would-be fiance and learning an entirely different side to him that society doesn't know. Now if only she could find a way to communicate before she's written off entirely.
View all my reviews
July 30, 2026
July 29, 2026
I Ship My Rival x Me 4
I Ship My Rival x Me 4 by PEPA
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
The ship volume meter is back with highs and lows, though it alters pretty drastically and very quickly (in the most hilarious way possible as usual). Wei is determined to keep Gu by his side, resulting in some rather hilarious antics and causing Gu to get rather jealous when he suspects others may earn the same treatment from Wei. Things go much farther than anticipated with a little liquid courage added into the mix, though thankfully both boys are entirely aware of what is happening. Gu's internal panic over being a good boyfriend when he thinks he's completely failed to be a good sponsor is another highlight, and one of the few pieces we get from Gu's perspective rather than Wei's given Wei typically narrates most of the series. The series isn't over yet though, nor is filming, which thankfully means we're likely to see a lot more shenanigans and drama as these boys slowly figure things out and hopefully get on the same page sooner rather than later in a more official capacity.
View all my reviews
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
The ship volume meter is back with highs and lows, though it alters pretty drastically and very quickly (in the most hilarious way possible as usual). Wei is determined to keep Gu by his side, resulting in some rather hilarious antics and causing Gu to get rather jealous when he suspects others may earn the same treatment from Wei. Things go much farther than anticipated with a little liquid courage added into the mix, though thankfully both boys are entirely aware of what is happening. Gu's internal panic over being a good boyfriend when he thinks he's completely failed to be a good sponsor is another highlight, and one of the few pieces we get from Gu's perspective rather than Wei's given Wei typically narrates most of the series. The series isn't over yet though, nor is filming, which thankfully means we're likely to see a lot more shenanigans and drama as these boys slowly figure things out and hopefully get on the same page sooner rather than later in a more official capacity.
View all my reviews
July 23, 2026
Lover Boy 5
Lover Boy 5 by Zec
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Things start out rough in this volume, and understandably so given where it picks up from the previous volume. It would also seem like much more time passes between encounters than what it may come across as with the quick turn of a page given the multiple holidays in this volume. All that aside, once the boys start talking, it's apparent they really do want the same thing, they're just both afraid (with good reason). The remainder of the series is almost sickenly sweet as the boys seem to be making up for lost time and then some. They both have their turn at moments of jealousy that are highlighted in this volume as well. While it's arguable that there still isn't a definite "ending," there is enough talk of their future and plans together for readers to imagine how things go, especially given the way things usually end up when these two are together.
View all my reviews
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Things start out rough in this volume, and understandably so given where it picks up from the previous volume. It would also seem like much more time passes between encounters than what it may come across as with the quick turn of a page given the multiple holidays in this volume. All that aside, once the boys start talking, it's apparent they really do want the same thing, they're just both afraid (with good reason). The remainder of the series is almost sickenly sweet as the boys seem to be making up for lost time and then some. They both have their turn at moments of jealousy that are highlighted in this volume as well. While it's arguable that there still isn't a definite "ending," there is enough talk of their future and plans together for readers to imagine how things go, especially given the way things usually end up when these two are together.
View all my reviews
July 13, 2026
Tricky Dramas: Short Stories
Tricky Dramas: Short Stories (Android)
My rating: 2.5 of 5 stars
After too many promos to count, I finally decided to give this a try, if for no other reason than to finally be able to beat some of the playable levels I kept seeing in the advertizing. Unfortunately, there's no telling when or if you may find those exact levels in the order of game play. While it's called "short stories" because you are solving some sort of story scenario, really, it's just another type of puzzle to clear the level. Some of them are rather strange in how they play out, and they really love their ads. Overall, this just isn't one that is easy to love playing or is a go-to on a regular basis, which means it's probably on the short list to be uninstalled.
My rating: 2.5 of 5 stars
After too many promos to count, I finally decided to give this a try, if for no other reason than to finally be able to beat some of the playable levels I kept seeing in the advertizing. Unfortunately, there's no telling when or if you may find those exact levels in the order of game play. While it's called "short stories" because you are solving some sort of story scenario, really, it's just another type of puzzle to clear the level. Some of them are rather strange in how they play out, and they really love their ads. Overall, this just isn't one that is easy to love playing or is a go-to on a regular basis, which means it's probably on the short list to be uninstalled.
Jigsaw Link Puzzles
Jigsaw Link Puzzles (Android)
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
This is different than most standard puzzle games that were previously available, which makes it interesting, however, it loses the shine fairly quickly. Eventually, I found I was only playing to keep the dailies current so I didn't have to watch even more ads to unlock them, and closing out the game before the level even finished because I didn't care to watch yet another ad before it would show the calendar again and close it out as finished. The ad play became a giant detractor that I didn't want to deal with until I realized I wasn't even opening the ap for dailies anymore. Once in awhile I'd go back to it just for a change of pace, but it hasn't been enough to boost it up to a favorite or an ongoing game long term.
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
This is different than most standard puzzle games that were previously available, which makes it interesting, however, it loses the shine fairly quickly. Eventually, I found I was only playing to keep the dailies current so I didn't have to watch even more ads to unlock them, and closing out the game before the level even finished because I didn't care to watch yet another ad before it would show the calendar again and close it out as finished. The ad play became a giant detractor that I didn't want to deal with until I realized I wasn't even opening the ap for dailies anymore. Once in awhile I'd go back to it just for a change of pace, but it hasn't been enough to boost it up to a favorite or an ongoing game long term.
Word Screw: 3D Screw Puzzle
Word Screw: 3D Screw Puzzle (Android)
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
While this has some cute levels and can be enjoyable at times, there are points in the game play where it started crashing constantly, especially while watching ads to unlock a bonus or hint for something, which would result in completely restarting the level you were playing on. It would be aggravating at any time, but slightly less so if the game at least saved progress for ongoing levels. Unfortunately, it does not, which quickly made the game more premium than free if wanting to continue on, as well as an exercise in futility with the constantly resetting levels. The idea is cute and can be fun, but the execution needs some help.
Word Associations: Solitaire
Word Associations: Solitaire (Android)
My rating: 2.5 of 5 stars
Admittedly, I'm not sure if I would have chosen to try this version of a word solitaire game or not. It was posed at one point as a required download as the new version of Word Solitaire Now if players wished to continue the game with new content. While the game did an effective job of blocking the previous game until unlocked, it loses points for the false pretext on top of less appealing game play and more ads with a higher draw for premium features. It would have been far better to attempt to let this stand on its own rather than forcing a comparison between the two apps, especially when this "new" one is so severely lacking in comparison. Glad that they aren't actually tied once you manage to bypass that level as this one will not be making the cut to keep playing.
My rating: 2.5 of 5 stars
Admittedly, I'm not sure if I would have chosen to try this version of a word solitaire game or not. It was posed at one point as a required download as the new version of Word Solitaire Now if players wished to continue the game with new content. While the game did an effective job of blocking the previous game until unlocked, it loses points for the false pretext on top of less appealing game play and more ads with a higher draw for premium features. It would have been far better to attempt to let this stand on its own rather than forcing a comparison between the two apps, especially when this "new" one is so severely lacking in comparison. Glad that they aren't actually tied once you manage to bypass that level as this one will not be making the cut to keep playing.
Word Solitaire Now!
Word Solitaire Now! (Android)
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This is one of the better word solitaire games I have tried, with a decent mix of varying levels of difficulty and multiple game play. Daily challenges have 3 puzzles you can do (medium, hard, and expert). There are also frequent special events where you can solve various puzzles that are often more challenging to reveal pictures of different places. Additionally, there's the standard play that you can choose your difficulty for each level and continue playing through normal challenges to earn bonuses. There are ads between most levels, and ads can be watched to unlock hints when you get stuck on one of the special hands if you'd rather not restart and see if a new draw will give you better luck. It doesn't force purchases constantly though as all the bonuses are listed under watching ads standardly, which is a nice change of pace. It will occasionally ask if you'd like to pay for ad-free, but it's not all the time and detracting from the overall game play so far.
Painting Sort: Color Sort
Painting Sort: Color Sort (Android)
My rating: 2 of 5 stars
The images are cute, though sometimes repetitive as you progress through the levels. The game play is part luck, and part either watching extra ads (some are required through game play) for bonuses or paying to unlock things so you can keep going, especially if the level decided that the order of the trays and the order of the paints being stacked should not match, so you'll need extra slots. While the idea is fun, this quickly becomes and exercise in frustration with all the ad watching and game crashing while trying to recolor the same image for a future level yet again.
My rating: 2 of 5 stars
The images are cute, though sometimes repetitive as you progress through the levels. The game play is part luck, and part either watching extra ads (some are required through game play) for bonuses or paying to unlock things so you can keep going, especially if the level decided that the order of the trays and the order of the paints being stacked should not match, so you'll need extra slots. While the idea is fun, this quickly becomes and exercise in frustration with all the ad watching and game crashing while trying to recolor the same image for a future level yet again.
Kitty Sort: Twisted Tails
Kitty Sort: Twisted Tails (Android)
My rating: 1.5 of 5 stars
Nope, just..... nope. It starts off really cute with the multicolored cats and solving the puzzles to get all the same colors on the correct line(s). Things quickly take a turn however when the majority of the cats are hidden behind other cats, and you never know which color is next in the collection order for the rotating screens, so even if you watch ads to unlock all of the extra spaces, you'll end up stuck unless you replay the same level several times over, memorizing the order each time you find another one to try and make a move, which is exhausting and time consuming. It quickly drains the fun out of the game, especially since you'd have to re-watch all those ads every game play to try and make a little more progress. The idea may be to present a challenge, but it pushes for advertising and payment options really hard while sucking all the fun out of the game and making it too frustrating. A shame, as the idea was a cute one.
Mini Room: Playful Nest
Mini Room: Playful Nest (Android)
My rating: 2 of 5 stars
I can't seem to help trying these room decorating games when they come up as recommendations. While the graphics are cute, and there are some very unique designs, this one is really hard to play with how small it is (which makes sense with the "mini" theme). Pieces are incredibly stubborn in finding that perfect spot to snap into place, and often, until you can see how it's coming together, it's really challenging to find where some of them are supposed to fit. It would be easier if there was a zoom feature to help with these small items on such a small screen, but that would also eat up more time, and of course, you're racing the clock for each level. This might be easier to play on a computer than on a tablet or phone, but with the timer and ads pushing for purchasing bonuses to make play "easier," this one will be dropped of the play list.
My rating: 2 of 5 stars
I can't seem to help trying these room decorating games when they come up as recommendations. While the graphics are cute, and there are some very unique designs, this one is really hard to play with how small it is (which makes sense with the "mini" theme). Pieces are incredibly stubborn in finding that perfect spot to snap into place, and often, until you can see how it's coming together, it's really challenging to find where some of them are supposed to fit. It would be easier if there was a zoom feature to help with these small items on such a small screen, but that would also eat up more time, and of course, you're racing the clock for each level. This might be easier to play on a computer than on a tablet or phone, but with the timer and ads pushing for purchasing bonuses to make play "easier," this one will be dropped of the play list.
Word Search Explorer
Word Search Explorer (Android)
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This is a fun basic game like a typical word search, though there are variations. Sometimes you're looking for words that mean the opposite of what is on the list, or words that are hidden on the list, so not everything is just given to you. There are also frequent challenges to earn new avatars and "crowns" in the game play. Overall, it's still low pressure and ultimately, I decided wasn't worth the pressure of scoring high in the global challenges. Still, once in awhile for something easy and enjoyable, it's a good game to have on hand.
Category Sort
Category Sort (Android)
My rating: 2.5 of 5 stars
The cards are really cute, and the idea of sorting to a category plays smoothly. It falls into the same trap as most freemium games though, with a boatload of ads to get extra spaces, turns, or bonus features unless you're willing to pay for them. The events are very short, and often time out, making it rather confusing if you were even playing in them to begin with, let alone if you expect any sort of reward from them. Eventually, it wouldn't let me continue to the next level either, even though I was online at the time and it said there was another level to play. After weeks of hitting the level button with no game play, I gave up and moved on to other games.
My rating: 2.5 of 5 stars
The cards are really cute, and the idea of sorting to a category plays smoothly. It falls into the same trap as most freemium games though, with a boatload of ads to get extra spaces, turns, or bonus features unless you're willing to pay for them. The events are very short, and often time out, making it rather confusing if you were even playing in them to begin with, let alone if you expect any sort of reward from them. Eventually, it wouldn't let me continue to the next level either, even though I was online at the time and it said there was another level to play. After weeks of hitting the level button with no game play, I gave up and moved on to other games.
Arrow Out: Pull Pin Puzzle
Arrow Out: Pull Pin Puzzle (Android)
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars
This is actually one of the better freemium games as far as being able to keep things on a free level and still progress through the game. It does get repetitive though and the constant need to zoom in or out to see where things go or make sure you only hit the line you want can be aggravating. It would likely be more user friendly to play on a computer screen rather than a phone or tablet where everything is scrunched together. Still, for something to kill time in a waiting room, it's a decent pick without totally overdoing the ads.
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars
This is actually one of the better freemium games as far as being able to keep things on a free level and still progress through the game. It does get repetitive though and the constant need to zoom in or out to see where things go or make sure you only hit the line you want can be aggravating. It would likely be more user friendly to play on a computer screen rather than a phone or tablet where everything is scrunched together. Still, for something to kill time in a waiting room, it's a decent pick without totally overdoing the ads.
Cozy Cat Room: Decor & Relax
Cozy Cat Room: Decor & Relax (Android)
My rating: 2.5 of 5 stars
Really wanted to love this one between the decor and sorting features tied in with the adorable cats. Truthfully, it's the same as all of the other decorate/sort type games where the levels start off cute, but eventually it pushes too many ads, doesn't give enough time for a level intentionally, hides features behind payment plans, and drags out what should be a quick play to much longer if you want to keep it free. Players will also likely end up waiting for new levels to be released as coming up on locked content is fairly frequent, resulting in either choosing to replay previous levels or moving on to something else. In this case, it's moving on to something else.
My rating: 2.5 of 5 stars
Really wanted to love this one between the decor and sorting features tied in with the adorable cats. Truthfully, it's the same as all of the other decorate/sort type games where the levels start off cute, but eventually it pushes too many ads, doesn't give enough time for a level intentionally, hides features behind payment plans, and drags out what should be a quick play to much longer if you want to keep it free. Players will also likely end up waiting for new levels to be released as coming up on locked content is fairly frequent, resulting in either choosing to replay previous levels or moving on to something else. In this case, it's moving on to something else.
Connect Master: Match Puzzle
Connect Master: Match Puzzle (Android)
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
This is similar to other connect match games, though it has some variations, like levels where you need to find the matches that create a locked item in the list. It's also very visual since it's all done with picture tiles and no words. Unfortunately, it eventually falls to the same trap of all freemium games, where the timer is set too low for a level of extreme difficulty, attempting to force players to purchase bonus items and extra time in order to solve the puzzles. For those who want to keep the free play like me, it eventually loses it's shine.
Adorable Room
Adorable Room (Android)
My rating: 2.5 of 5 stars
Honestly, I don't know why I keep trying these types of games given they always turn out the same. Timers, tiny details, pieces that won't move even when you try to drag them, and constantly trying to force you to buy premium features for a "free" game. While the idea of this type of game with the sorting and styling is appealing, the freemium features are wearing, ultimately leading to no longer playing the game, especially when there is never enough time to finish a level without using bonus features.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)