What's New in Gamezebo
Fashion Fits Preview
I've never worked in a retail clothing store myself, but after getting a sneak peek at the upcoming time management game Fashion Fits, I certainly have a better understanding of how much leg work it actually takes.
Lost Treasures of El Dorado Review
"Three-in-a-row" casual game fans have no shortage of downloadable puzzlers to click through, some not so great, others fantastic. Lost Treasures of El Dorado lies somewhere in the middle.
Hidden Relics Review
Mix Antiques Roadshow with travel and adventure, and the result could very well be Hidden Relics. This hidden object game revolves around finding lost antiques scattered across Europe with an enemy on the prowl. The game introduces the original concept of unlockable gadgets and finding secret hidden items (on top of the regular hidden items).
Ashley Jones: The Heart of Egypt Review
Just about every casual game developer has made a match-three offering by now, but that doesn't stop the jewel swapping in Ashley Jones: The Heart of Egypt from being fun and addictive. On the contrary, the new title from Fenomen Games is one of the more compelling match-three releases in recent memory, due in no small part to its successful blend of elements from similar games.
15 Minutes of Game: Friction
Friction is simple yet surprisingly addictive. Shoot balls out of a cannon and try to get them to collide with other balls on the screen. Three collisions and a ball disappears for one point - but don't let the balls bounce over the line or it's game over. Click here to try Friction.
Ballhalla Review
Ballhalla is absorbing. A unique twist on action-puzzlers, this ball-based game is all about "sucking up" surrounding energy balls to create heavier, more powerful spheres, while keeping their container balanced. The heavier the balls become, the more the "bucket" wants to tip to one side or the other. Append a time element and it adds up to one engrossing, frantically-paced, ball-loony experience.
Hotel Mahjong Review
Casual gamers who played last year's Hotel Solitaire might get a sense of deja vu while entering the lobby, elevator and hallways of Hotel Mahjong, as this is the second in the series from Zylom to fuse a luxurious stay at a hotel/casino and classic solitaire games. But don't worry - the similarities end once you step into a hotel room to begin hitting the tiles.
Steals & Deals
Big Fish Games is offering Mystery Case Files: Ravenhearst for the amazing priceof 99 cents!
Over at Sandlot, you can download Burger Island for $14.99.
Just In - Hidden Relics
More good news for hidden object game fans, as the titles just keep pouring in. The latest one to launch is Toybox Games' Hidden Relics. Travel around Europe to find and retrieve antiques that have been stolen by a nefarious thief, and unlock gadgets that will help you along the way. Click here to download a free trial of Hidden Relics.
Amazing Adventures The Lost Tomb Review
One of the first things that comes to mind when thinking about ancient Egypt (after mummies) is treasure. After death, wealthy pharaohs were laid to rest inside massive tombs with gold, jewelry and other valuables, the vault then sealed tight. Over the years, of course, many tombs fell victim to looters and were picked clean of their artefacts. In Amazing Adventures The Lost Tomb, the latest hidden object game from SpinTop and PopCap, there's still one tomb out there that's unspoiled and waiting to be discovered.
First Look - Mystery Case Files: Madame Fate
We recently posted a Survey Question "When do you think the next Mystery Case Files game will be released?" Whoever answered "Next Month" are the winners.
And technically, everyone who is a big fan of this hidden object game series are winners also, since Mystery Case Files: Madame Fate released very soon. Big Fish Games released both a video and screen shots of the game on their official Mystery Case Files site.
Click READ MORE for screen shots or go directly to the Mystery Case Files Web site.
Luxor 3 Review
It just goes to show you can't keep a good game down... Three episodes deep into the world's most popular hieroglyphic-themed puzzler and we're still head over heels in love with Luxor 3's action-packed, color-matching formula. But to be frank, with graphics, sound effects and gameplay this good, well... it's no wonder the multimillion-selling franchise has practically got the entire world walking like an Egyptian.
Steals & Deals - Spooky Halloween Edition!
Friday Casual Games Weekly News Roundup
It's Friday, which means it's time for our casual games weekly news roundup, where we present top stories and features from around the web.
Gamezebo News: The Oberon Media MySpace Games Deal
Two days ago, Oberon Media and MySpace announced a partnership to create a new games channel on MySpace, exposing casual games to a potential 110 million MySpace users. Sounds huge, but a lot of you are asking, what does this mean? I spoke with Ezra Kucharz, Oberon's EVP, North American Online Operations & Global Online Platforms (and owner of the longest job title in casual games) to get the scoop and to present you my take on the significance of this deal (so now you really have to press the "READ MORE" link).
First Look - Ballhalla
Sandlot Games will be launching its new action-puzzle game Ballhalla on Oct. 29 and we have some screenshots to show you. The adventure begins when Professor Quark's Insta-Matter Transporter machine accidentally sucks his robotic pal Proto and his kitty Widget into an alternative universe. Players help Professor Quark by harnessing balls of energy to power his machine for the return trip. In a twist on typical match-three gameplay, matching balls of the same color will produce a single heavier ball that will actually affect the balance of the container, and can tip it over if players are not careful.
Neptune's Secret Review
Straight from the annals of Greek mythology, Neptune's Secret recounts the tale of warring gods, a lost civilization, a mysterious amulet and a modern-day gal on a quest to unravel it all. Told through a comic-style presentation, the narrative sets the stage for an undersea, hidden-object adventure with greater depth and more puzzle-solving elements than you can shake a squid at.
Women in Gaming: Angel Inokon, PlayFirst
Welcome to the fifth instalment of our Women in Gaming series, where we introduce you to some of the women who are working behind the scenes to create the games you love to play. As an associate producer at PlayFirst, Angel Inokon's most recent project was the well-received Diner Dash spin-off, Wedding Dash.
Innovate 2007 winners announced
The winners of the Innovate 2007 game design contest, which took place during the Casual Connect Europe: East Conference in Kyiv, Ukraine last week, have been announced. More than 50 games were submitted from indie game developers and small studios for a chance to win cash prizes and help with publishing and distribution.
And the winners are...
Gamezebo News: Oberon Media partners with MySpace
When we asked Ofer Leidner of Oberon Media last week about future plans, he coyly responded for us to wait and see.
Well, Oberon today announced a partnership with MySpace, the largest social networking site in the world, to create a games channel for them. Oberon will offer both download and multiplayer games and allow users to embed the games in their pages. Since there are millions and millions of MySpace users, this could be a huge deal for the casual games industry, exposing casual games to 110 million potential active users. Click here for more information.
Agatha Christie:And Then There Were None Review
Agatha Christie: And Then There Were None is an interactive whodunit that, while requiring some sleuth-like perseverance you'll find it a gratifying tale of intrigue and murder.
Jayisgames.com Casual Gamplay Design Competition #4 winners announced
The winners of the casual games design competition on the theme of "ball physics" have been announced over at Jayisgames.com. The Tall Stump from Team MAW took first place. Second place went to Absolute Awesome Ball Game by Felix Reidl, and Ballistic Wars by Wan Hazmer snagged third.
"The level of quality shown in the entries submitted continues to impress and delight us, and we are very pleased to be able to share these quality interactive experiences with the world," said site owner Jay Bibby.
Click here to check out the rest of the winners and play some great indie flash games.
15 Minutes of Game: Wizard's Spell
Our featured web game this week is a fun little word game called Wizard's Spell. Advance through ten levels creating as many words as possible from the scrambled letters provided in a race against the clock, and rise from the rank of Word Apprentice to Word Wizard. Click here to give it a try.
Journey to the Center of the Earth Review
Inspired by pioneering science fiction author Jules Verne's novel of the same name, Journey to the Center of the Earth is a point-and-click adventure that explores Verne's world through the present-day point of view of a photojournalist named Ariane. Although the story is new, the game has all usual trappings that you'd expect from an adventure game - including the ones that can make them absolutely infuriating.
First Look - The Office
MumboJumbo's game based on the hit TV show The Office, which we first told you about in June, is nearing completion and should be launching later this month.
We got our hands on a couple of screenshots to whet your appetite. Click READ MORE to check them out.
Steals & Deals
There are some great deals to be had this week. Check them out:
A cut above: How Sally went from spark to salon
Justin McElroy delves into the making of Sally's Salon in our latest Behind th Game feature
Games Cafe was a company in search of a game. They had narrowed the hunt a little bit, deciding that resource management, a job game, was the way to go. But the question was: Whose shoes did the team want to put the player in to?
Friday Casual Games Weekly News Roundup
It's Friday, which means it's time for us to round up all of the interesting casual gaming headlines throughout the week and bring them to you. Click READ MORE to continue!
Shangri La 2 - Deluxe Review
Fans will be pleased to hear that they can visit Shangri La for a second time in this sequel to the popular word game. With a greater number of levels and some notable new gameplay twists, Shangri La 2 - Deluxe is an all-around better game than the first title, even though its idiosyncratic dictionary takes some getting used to.
Interview with Ofer Leidner, Oberon Media
Oberon Media is the largest casual games company you do not know much about. That is because Oberon has been so busy creating games, developing partnerships, and acquiring companies (just today, they announced the acquisition of 2 Russian game studios, Kenjitsu and Friends Games), they have not had the time to talk to anyone -- until now!
We sat down with Ofer Leidner, Co-Founder and Chief Strategy Officer at Oberon, to talk about their numerous acquisitions, the Russian casual games market, and Shakespeare.
The Age of Innocence
A rare thing happened to me today. I was sitting at my desk minding my own business when out of nowhere I was hit over the head with a wonderful new game. The Scruffs is the best hidden object game I've played since Big City Adventure and easily the most delightful game of the year.
First Look - Amazing Adventures The Lost Tomb
We got our hands on some screenshots for a new hidden object game from SpinTop Games that should be launching in a few weeks. As a globetrotting adventure seeker, you must follow clues on an ancient map to discover the Lost Tomb of Egypt and the treasures locked within. You'll explore 20 beautful Egyptian locations like the Sphinx, the Great Pyramid of Ghiza, Cairo and the Nile river. Click READ MORE to check out the screenshots.
Jewel Craft Review
I'm going to type three words, and I want you to continue reading this review after you see what they are. Ready? Jewel Craft is a new "match-three game" from GameOver Games. While that might elicit weary sighs of disappointment if you've come here looking for something original, stay with me as I reveal what lies beneath the surface of this particular gem.
15 Minutes of Game: Featured Web Game of the Week
Navigate a handcar along a track by pumping the arrow keys and avoid the obstacles in your path in this cute Mexican-themed game. Click here to play Off the Rails.
Pirateville Review
I've never understood the allure of the pirate's life. With the freedom of sailing the open seas come hunger, smelly shipmates and months of chasing treasure that might not exist. But I must be in the minority, as the popularity of movies and other entertainment products featuring yellow-toothed buccaneers suggest. That's good news for Nevosoft, who have released Pirateville, a seek-and-find game in which you play a handsome pirate with a weakness for gold.
Heroes of Hellas Review
Heroes of Hellas is proof you don't need to reinvent the wheel in order to create a highly polished and fun casual game. Sure, it's one of those 3-in-a-row gem-swapping games - a la Bejeweled - but it's played in a different way and weaves in an enjoyable Greek Mythology angle.
Abra Academy: Returning Cast Review
Oh no! Strange green creatures have descended upon the campus of Abra Academy and are scaring the children. While Harry and friends might have been beckoned if this were Hogwarts School of Witchcraft, in Abra Academy: Returning Cast - a brand new sequel from Big Fish Games - it's up to Wanda and her gang to investigate these attacks for the troubled faculty.
Friday Casual Games Weekly News Roundup
It's Friday, which means it's time for our weekly news roundup where we bring you all the casual game headlines that were fit to print.
The Golden Path of Plumeboom Review
He may be a peacock, but Plumeboom - star of several new casual titles from veteran developer Fireglow, known primarily for hardcore wargame series Sudden Strike, oddly enough - is no dandy. Never one to get his feathers ruffled at the thought of adventure, the flashy mascot's all too keen to set off in search of hidden treasures in latest interactive jaunt Golden Path, a click-happy, pattern-making puzzler.
Steals & Deals
For a limited time, click here to get the full version of World Slinger on RealArcade for free. RealArcade is also offering Talismania Deluxe at half price.
Neptune's Secret Preview
Casual gamers in search of a atmospheric adventure to curl up to this fall should will find plenty of game-play buried in Neptune's Secret, a new seek-and-find game that differentiates itself from many others in this genre with a tightly integrated story, fun puzzles you must solve and attractive graphics that nicely fit this epic tale.
Mystery Case Files 4: Gone to the dogs?
Take a good look at this adorable face. It belongs to Bubba, the winner of the Find Felix contest that was part of Big Fish Games' Mystery Case Files: Ravenhearst. You'll soon be searching for this pug's mug, along with hundreds of other hidden objects, in the upcoming Mystery Case Files 4.
Jayisgames.com game design contest - play and vote!
There's a nifty game design competition going on over at Jayisgames.com, where more than 50 designers rose to the challenge of creating a game around the theme of "ball physics." The entries are currently being posted up a few at a time, so click here to head on over and sample some of the 30+ titles that have been posted so far. After you've got your bounce on, make sure to leave some constructive feedback for the designers.
Here are some games to get you started:
Factory Balls
The Tall Stump
Absolute Awesome Ball Game
Day of the Bobteds
Mahjongg Artifacts 2 Review
Considering that the classic game that it's based on is literally centuries of years old, at face value, you'd think it would be hard for Mahjongg Artifacts 2 to innovate on a winning formula. Thankfully, you'd also be wrong, as the popular series strikes gold yet again in its latest installment, which offers more tile-matching, treasure-hunting fun for enthusiasts of all types.
Interview with Sean Ryan, Meez
Last week, Sean Ryan of Meez invited me to his office to give me a sneak peak at the company's new casual game section, quietly released last week. More importantly, he also showed me a really cool demo of how Meez plans to integrate avatars within casual games themselves.
So cool, in fact, I had to ask Sean to sit down with us for an interview so we could share with you all the details as well as screen shots of their new offering.
Land of Runes Review
Tonight, the natives are restless. In fact, they're more than restless. They're downright anxious. Who wouldn't be when the ground begins shaking, the animals run for cover and the volcano on your happy little island starts spewing fire and smoke. It's enough to spoil your usually tranquil lifestyle big time. And, that's exactly what's happened in the Land of Runes.
15 Minutes of Game: Featured Web Game of the Week
Help Fred the fish fly across the water while collectecting pearls to give him more energy. Don't let him touch the water though, because he'll end up as a snack for a whale. Unlike other distance games, you can actually control Fred's trajectory somewhat with the mouse pointer. Click here to try Ancient Origins Flying Fish.
Burger Shop Review
It seems like everyone's opening a burger joint these days, but that doesn't stop Burger Shop's combination of restaurant management and furious assembly-line clicking from being an enjoyable, funny and graphically impressive outing.
Just In - Pirateville
If you're a fan of Mysteryville 1 and 2 then you might also enjoy Pirateville, which combines Mysteryville's seek-and-find gameplay style with a pirate-themed story! We're working on our review, but in the meantime click here to give Pirateville a try.
Puzzle City Review
Call it a great two-for-one deal: All-new brainteaser Puzzle City combines the best that construction sims and head-scratching mindbenders have to offer into a single, spectacular outing - and in a way that's completely original and innovative to boot. The upshot being, of course, that if you're as much aspiring tycoon as lover of logic-driven conundrums, you'll find plenty to admire in its simple, yet addictive mix of civil engineering.
Friday Casual Games Weekly News Roundup
It's Friday, which means it's time for our weekly casual games news roundup. Click READ MORE for headlines from around the industry.
Coming Soon - Burger Shop
Here are some screenshots of a tasty new puzzle/arcade game that's coming out very soon. People in Gamezebo's beta test program might recognize them...
If you are not a member of Gamezebo's Beta Test program and are interested in seeing the latest casual games first and giving developers your feedback, click here to sign up.
Big Island Blends Review
Blame it on the late '80s Tom Cruise flick, Cocktails, but an entire generation of dreamers imagined quitting their day job to sling drinks at a island beach bar. Well, this is precisely what you can do in Big Island Blends, in charge of a smoothie bar, after inheriting an orchard of fruit from a late relative.
Hawaiian Explorer: Pearl Harbor Review
Charlie Johnson, an eccentric multi-millionaire, has a passion for travel and treasures. Not just any baubles, mind you, but those of legendary stature - ancient artifacts such as Japan's 800-year-old Diamond Medal, set with a 96-carat gem. Presented in 1348 to the bravest Samurai in the Emperor's court, it disappeared in 1756. Since then, many have dedicated their lives to finding it, including Charlie.
Now, having investing millions of dollars and years of searching, Charlie has a lead on the relic. As part of his Hawaiian-based diving team, it's you task to scour caves, beaches, shops and sunken vessels in search of the lost artifact.
Behind the Game: How ZenGems found its path to enlightenment
How do you make a game that is new, is innovative, original, but at the same time seems completely familiar? It's perhaps the central question of casual gaming, and something Stephan Smith was struggling with as FreshGames, the company he helmed, was looking for their next game. It was a question they would soon find the answer to in ZenGems.
Supercow Review
The sun was shining, the birds were singing, the crops were swaying in the breeze and the farm animals were basking in the beauty of it all. Life in Sunny Valley was good, very good indeed. One day, however, everything changed: the infamous Professor Duriarti escaped from prison. Immediately, the cold-hearted villain seized the humble homestead and incarcerated its inhabitants. All seemed lost!
But then, Supercow caught wind of the dastardly deeds. And, armed with determination, set off on her mission to thwart Duriarti's evil plans and rescue her barnyard buddies. Honestly, she wouldn't be too super if she didn't.
15 Minutes of Game: Breast Cancer Awareness Month
October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and Large Animal Games and Lifetime TV are helping to raise awareness with its web game Be My Bra. Create a virtual avatar to add to the chain of supporters who want to end Breast Cancer, then email it or upload it to your blog. If action is more your thing, check out Re-Mission where you travel through a human body blasting malignant cells.
Aerial Mahjong Review
When you see the word "mahjong" in the title of a computer game, you know what to expect: It will challenge you to clear elaborate stacks of tiles by matching identical game pieces. And as you begin playing, you'll instinctively know that in order to select a tile for elimination, it must be free to either the left or right. What you don't know from a game's title are the twists that differentiate it from the crowd. That's how it works with Aerial Mahjong from Enkord, a game that plays on your expectations of what a mahjong release is and then turns them upside down.
Dr. Daisy Pet Vet Review
From restaurants, witch's dens and weddings to daycare centers, bakeries and hair salons, the "micromanagement" casual games are one of the hottest genres today. A new game, Dr. Daisy Pet Vet, introduces a budding veterinarian as the heroine of the story. It's good, and animal lovers will enjoy it, but it's not as good as other entries in the genre (most notably Diner Dash), nor is it a wholly unique offering.
The Scruffs Review
There are hidden object games (average and unimaginative) and there are hidden object games (exceptional and inventive). The Scruffs is, predominantly, one of the latter. It offers the usual seek-and-find ingredients - varied locations brimming with "treasures" for Antiques Roadshow and a mix of interspersed mini-games - but it does so with greater panache than the majority of its contemporaries.