''Dana Knightstone'' is a series of casual

hidden object A hidden object game, also called hidden picture or hidden object puzzle adventure (HOPA), is a subgenre of puzzle video games in which the player must find items from a list that are hidden within a scene. Hidden object games are a popular trend ...

puzzle A puzzle is a game, problem, or toy that tests a person's ingenuity or knowledge. In a puzzle, the solver is expected to put pieces together ( or take them apart) in a logical way, in order to find the solution of the puzzle. There are differe ...

adventure games An adventure game is a video game genre in which the player assumes the role of a protagonist in an interactive story, driven by exploration and/or puzzle-solving. The genre's focus on story allows it to draw heavily from other narrative-based m ...

with a

mystery novel Mystery is a fiction genre where the nature of an event, usually a murder or other crime, remains mysterious until the end of the story. Often within a closed circle of suspects, each suspect is usually provided with a credible motive and a re ...

storyline. It was developed by

Boomzap Entertainment Boomzap Entertainment is a casual games video game developer, developer registered in Singapore with a virtual office environment. It was formed in 2005 and has released 50 games to date that are ported on various platforms. Boomzap has develope ...

and published by

Big Fish Games Big Fish Games, Inc. is a casual game company based in Seattle with a regional office in Oakland, California, owned by Aristocrat Leisure. It is a developer and distributor of casual games for computers and mobile devices. In 2016, the company ...

. It is available on PC,

Mac Mac or MAC may refer to: Common meanings * Mac (computer), a line of personal computers made by Apple Inc. * Mackintosh, a raincoat made of rubberized cloth * Mac, a prefix to surnames derived from Gaelic languages * McIntosh (apple), a Canadi ...

iPhone The iPhone is a line of smartphones developed and marketed by Apple that run iOS, the company's own mobile operating system. The first-generation iPhone was announced by then–Apple CEO and co-founder Steve Jobs on January 9, 2007, at ...

and

iPad The iPad is a brand of tablet computers developed and marketed by Apple Inc., Apple that run the company's mobile operating systems iOS and later iPadOS. The IPad (1st generation), first-generation iPad was introduced on January 27, 2010. ...

platforms. The franchise draws its title from the main character, Dana Knightstone, a fiction novelist."Death at Fairing Point: A Dana Knightstone Novel"
on

The first ''Dana Knightstone'' novel was released on December 31, 2010. To date, five games in the series have been released. The latest installment ''Death and Betrayal in Romania'' was released on August 30, 2014.

Plot

Dana Knightstone is an up-and-coming fiction writer. The series begins when she comes across a murder mystery while on vacation in Scotland. Her ability to see ghosts guides her in searching for clues and solving puzzles. As she becomes a best-selling novelist, she continues to travel around Europe including Italy and Austria,"Death Upon an Austrian Sonata: A Dana Knightstone Novel"
on

where she encounters more spirits and mysteries to unveil. She discovers new abilities during her adventure in Portugal."Death at Cape Porto: A Dana Knightstone Novel Collector's Edition"
on

Games

Death at Fairing Point: A Dana Knightstone Novel

''Death at Fairing Point: A Dana Knightstone Novel'' is a game in the

adventure An adventure is an exciting experience or undertaking that is typically bold, sometimes risky. Adventures may be activities with danger such as traveling, exploring, skydiving, mountain climbing, scuba diving, river rafting, or other extreme spo ...

genre that plays like a

. The main character is Dana Knightstone, a fiction writer who uncovers a mystery while on vacation in

Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...

. ''Death at Fairing Point: A Dana Knightstone Novel (Collector's Edition)'' was released exclusively on

on December 31, 2010. It peaked at #1 on all the PC charts and lasted 34 days. It was also the first game by Boomzap Entertainment to be featured as a Collector's Edition. The Standard Edition was released on February 7, 2011. It peaked at #6 and lasted in the top 10 for 14 days. The

iPod Touch The iPod Touch (stylized as iPod touch) is a discontinued line of iOS-based mobile devices designed and formerly marketed by Apple Inc. with a touchscreen-controlled user interface. As with other iPod models, the iPod Touch can be used as a po ...

and

ports were released simultaneously by Big Fish Games on August 25, 2011. The game received good reviews, with

Gamezebo ''Gamezebo'' (sometimes stylized ''GameZebo'') is a website which reports on and reviews video games. Founded in 2005 by Joel Brodie, it was billed as the first website to solely cover casual games and expanded its scope to social games in 20 ...

giving it a 3.5/5 rating, saying that it "isn't a revolution but it is still a very good hidden object adventure that's especially enjoyable for gamers with a taste for romance." Jay Is Games wrote that "for players who aren't looking for a real brain twister and just want something to enjoy, ''Death at Fairing Point'' easily exceeds expectations."

Death Under Tuscan Skies: A Dana Knightstone Novel

''Death Under Tuscan Skies: A Dana Knightstone Novel'' is the second game in the ''Dana Knightstone'' series and like its predecessor it is a hidden object/adventure game. In this sequel, Dana Knightstone heads off to

Tuscany Tuscany ( ; ) is a Regions of Italy, region in central Italy with an area of about and a population of 3,660,834 inhabitants as of 2025. The capital city is Florence. Tuscany is known for its landscapes, history, artistic legacy, and its in ...

to give a lecture, only to discover another case of a murder mystery. The Collector's Edition was released exclusively on Big Fish Games on November 11, 2011. It peaked at #4 on the Big Fish Games' Top 100 PC Chart and lasted 8 days in the Top 10. The Standard Edition was released on December 12, 2011. The iPad, iPod Touch and iPhone ports were released simultaneously by Big Fish Games on October 4, 2012. The game received better reviews than the prequel, with Gamezebo giving it a 4/5 star rating and Jay Is Games saying, "What makes it stand out is the fact that it is packed front to back with a wide variety of games and puzzles ranging from easy to head-bangingly difficult, with the hidden object scenes almost an afterthought."

Death Upon an Austrian Sonata: A Dana Knightstone Novel

''Death Upon an Austrian Sonata: A Dana Knightstone Novel'' is the third game in the ''Dana Knightstone'' series and was released on December 7, 2012. A new adventure brings Dana Knightstone to

Austria Austria, formally the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine Federal states of Austria, states, of which the capital Vienna is the List of largest cities in Aust ...

where she investigates a ghost seen by her cousin, Sebastian Knightstone. On February 14, 2014, Boomzap released ''Death Upon an Austrian Sonata: A Dana Knightstone Novel'' for

and

. This sequel did not disappoint as a visual investigation game and brought Boomzap more positive reviews. According to

, it is "another great addition to developer Boomzap’s library, offering up a gorgeous landscape to explore, excellently executed music and sound, and a wide range of puzzles and mysteries to solve." Jay Is Games says that it is "worth your recognition and favor".

Death at Cape Porto: A Dana Knightstone Novel

''Death at Cape Porto: A Dana Knightstone Novel'' is the fourth game in the series. It was released as a Collector's Edition on December 1, 2013 on

while the Standard Edition followed on December 30, 2013. It still follows the mystery novel storyline, with the main protagonist Dana Knightstone discovering new abilities in interacting with ghosts, and is set in Portugal. ''Death at Cape Porto: A Dana Knightstone Novel'' received a rating of 4 out of 5 stars from AllAboutCasualGame.com. According to the reviewer, it was "very beautiful, very entertaining but unfortunately, very short" and the overall atmosphere of the game was "very romantic supported by lovely composed background music".

Death and Betrayal in Romania: A Dana Knightstone Novel

''Death and Betrayal in Romania: A Dana Knightstone Novel'' is the fifth game in the series wherein Dana is captured by a ghost to make her his bride, thinking that it was his murdered wife-to-be, but later in the game he does come to realize that he was wrong. The Collector's Edition was released on August 30, 2014 on

, followed by the Standard Edition on September 28, 2014. A mobile version for

and

devices was also launched on April 2, 2015. ''Death and Betrayal in Romania: A Dana Knightstone Novel'' received mixed reviews. According to Jay Is Games, "the scenery is easy on the eyes and the music is lush," also adding that "the characters and the storyline are delightfully over the top." However, AllAboutCasualGame.com rated it only 3.5 out of 5 stars. on AllAboutCasualGame.com

References

{{reflist, 30em

External links

Boomzap Entertainment Homepage
Casual games Hidden object games Puzzle video games Adventure games Video game franchises Video game franchises introduced in 2010 Video games featuring female protagonists