What's New in Gamezebo
Social Saturdays: PackRat
A "pack rat" refers to someone who has a compulsive need to hoard items and refuses to throw anything away. If you're guilty of this little personality quirk - and have a basement full of junk to prove it - then you might want to look into PackRat. This nifty Facebook application channels all of those crafty, secretive hoarding tendencies into a fun and super addictive game about collecting sets of cards.
Just In - Tradewinds Caravans
Tradewinds Caravans has launched! Click here to download the game from Sandlot Games, and click here to discuss the game in our forum. Review and strategy guide coming soon!
Hell's Kitchen Review
Do you have what it takes to survive Hell's Kitchen? Find out in the new game based on the hit TV series. Starring none other than Michelin Starred chef Gordon Ramsay, Hell's Kitchen the game servers up some hot time management fun.
Suspects and Clues Review
Ever had the desire to play detective? Investigating those creepy neighbors down the block, or that funny man next door who's always digging in his garden... or maybe white collar crime is more abound? You don't have to be Sherlock Holmes or Hercule Poirot to get a mystery work out. Suspects and Clues is a spot-the-difference hidden object game that has you playing detective in an elaborate, international antiquities heist.
Helen Gardener Review
Alright, what is it with all the gardening simulations lately... and sub-par desktop diversions? Helen Gardener deserves some serious raking - over the coals, not law, to be specific. A time management title that's more about precisely that (figuring out how to quickly cut through an ongoing series of tedious tasks) versus, say, having fun or getting to know an intriguing heroine, it sadly gets two whopping green thumbs down.
Casual News - May 30, 2008
A new report from PopCap reveals that the current trend towards banning personal Internet use in the workplace could actually be costing British businesses billions of pounds per year due to declining staff productivity. PopCap's recommendation, not surprisingly, is to suggest employers let their staff take 10-minute "e-breaks" during the day (to fit in a few quick rounds of Peggle, no doubt). More headlines after the cut.
Facebook is Gaming’s Napster
Last week, I had the pleasure of speaking on Eric Goldberg's panel at the LA Games and Mobile Conference. During the session, I made the assertion that Facebook is the Napster of the games industry. The comment really got people talking, and although I must admit that I spoke off the top of my head, I’ve been trying to find a way of encapsulating the emergent changes to the games industry in a succinct way; I think I’ve found it.
Build in Time Preview
Construction is a dirty, messy, sweaty, backbreaking job. Just ask any tradesman. Wood shavings, plaster dust, bent nails, mud, paint spills and, well, you get the picture. Fortunately, you won't get dirt under your fingernails or even break a sweat in Reflexive's upcoming Build in Time, a game similar to Hipsoft's Build-a-lot.
Fury Race Review
Fury Race is the latest game to show that there's still some life to the match-3 genre yet. As the name suggests, this clever game fuses puzzles with car racing - but those with poor hand-eye coordination need not be concerned about commanding fast vehicles since all the driving is handled by the game itself.
Shopping Blocks Review
What do you get when you combine the thrill of time management games with decorating choices a la The Sims? The answer is Shopping Blocks, a quirky but challenging gamee that proves to be a refreshingly different pick for casual gamers.
Money Tree Review
We all know money doesn't grow on trees. Except, of course, in the frantic new mouse-masher Money Tree, where cold hard cash can literally sprout from any branch. As such, it's quite easy to see the click-happy arcade game's appeal, especially in a recession. (Hey, who wouldn't want to harvest a little moolah any time of year?) Unfortunately, what's not so simply to justify is how the outing's worth a fistful of your hard-earned real-world dollars.
Interview with Scott Balaban, Gameblend Studios
Game developer and toy maker, Scott Balaban of Gameblend Studios is the Geppetto of casual games. And, he and his team of game developers and Israeli scientists have just released Hidato, a web-based game updated daily that we think could become the next Sudoku. Bold words, but it's quite an addictive game.
We talked with Scott about the unique story behind Hidato, insights into game development over a wide variety of platforms, and the merging of the toy and games industries.
Web Wednesdays: Hidato
Could Hidato become the next Sudoku? We'll go out on a limb and say, we think so!
Puzzles start semi-filled with numbered tiles.
Connect the numbers together to win. Consecutive numbers must touch hortizontally, vertically, or diagonally. Each puzzle has exactly one solution and can be solved using 100% logic.
Click here to play Hidato (new puzzles updated daily).
Nancy Drew: The Phantom of Venice Preview
Teenage sleuth Nancy Drew will step into a world of art dealers, elite socialites and organized crime syndicates when she travels to Venice to solve a series of art thefts thought to be the work of a mysterious masked figure in Nancy Drew: The Phantom of Venice. The 18th instalment in the Nancy Drew adventure series will launch on July 7.
New video podcast from Wadjet Eye Games
Dave Gilbert of Wadjet Eye Games is hard at work on his super secret PlayFirst project, but he's taken the time to record a video podcast to bring fans up to speed about what else is going on at the studio (besides the super secret PlayFirst project). Click here to see Dave talk about the status of The Blackwell Convergence and reveal details of a completely new project.
Just In - Money Tree
Money Tree, a new game from MumboJumbo, has just launched. Click here to download a free trial, and click here to talk about the game in our forum.
Tip of the Day: Changing Avatars
Sometimes you feel like a Zeeby, other days a Tradewinds Adventurer! You can change your avatar anytime by going to your My Gamezebo Page, clicking “Edit My Profile,” and then clicking your avatar picture on top to change.
We are always adding avatars from the latest games as provided by our friends in the casual games industry. You can now find new avatars from: Virtual Villagers 3, The Clumsys, Airport Mania, Westward II, Eye for Design, and Sandlot’s upcoming game, Tradewinds Caravans.
In Living Colors Review
My three-year-old daughter accompanied me as I clicked my way through much of In Living Colors. No stranger to computer games, my toddler offspring was certain that this matching game, with its giant paintbrush pointer and boldly colored and happy looking little paint blots, was meant for her. Of course, it isn't meant for toddlers. In fact, in some ways, the game nearly proved too tricky for her papa.
Baby Talk: Interview with Michelle McKelvey
Programmer Michelle McKelvey recently met two very important deadlines: the launch of her latest game, Slingo Quest Hawaii, and the birth of her son Elijah, both of which happened right around the same time.
Michelle spoke to Gamezebo about the unique experience of developing a game while pregnant, and shares some insight into how to maintain the all-important balance between work and family.
Casual News - May 27, 2008
AdventureGamers.com interviews Women's Murder Club designer Jane Jensen about her new project, an adventure game called Gray Matter, and an article in The Scotsman explores opportunities and challenges for Scottish game developers - including competition from Eastern European casual game makers. These headlines and more after the cut.
Just In - Helen Gardener
A new time management game called Helen Gardener has just launched on iWin. Help Helen stay on top of a healthy garden by pruning, raking, watering and getting rid of pests. Click here to download a free trial of the game, and click here to discuss it in our forums.
The Flying Trapeezees Preview
The baguettes are soft, croissants are hard, berets are in short supply and Paris is soggier than Seattle. Moreover, the resulting malaise has the French in a funk. Enter The Flying Trapeezees. Set on inspiring France with their amazing aerial skills, the Trapeeze family knows what must be done. They've donned their leotards, loaded up their wagon and hit the road in an effort to put an end to the dastardly doldrums.
Flash Dating Review
Today's hypothesis: The best time management games are based on real-world activities. See Diner Dash, First Class Flurry, Airport Mania and now Flash Dating, which artfully transforms the world's trickiest job - helping busy singles find their soulmate in seconds flat - into an engaging desktop diversion. While some players may find it hard to fall in love with the title's starry-eyed setup and highly repetitious action, thankfully a strong sense of personality and catchy subject matter still carry the day.
The Sultan's Labyrinth Review
In this Arabian-themed adventure, the only things standing between Prince Tallis and his love, Princess Sadira, are the 78 levels and 26 rooms of The Sultan's Labyrinth. Sadira's father Sultan Bahar has decreed that if Tallis can pass through the maze by solving all of the puzzles and challenges inside, he will earn the right to marry Sadira and become the next Sultan.
Curse of Montezuma Review
Alawar's Curse of Montezuma offers a fresh spin on the three-in-a-row gem-swapping formula by introducing rewards, mini-games, a fun story and memorable characters.
