What's New in Gamezebo
Just In - The Conjurer: A Magical Mystery
The Conjurer: A Magical Mystery has just launched. Take part in amazing magic performances and indulge in Victorian-era mystique and showmanship with this hidden object game. Download The Conjurer, write a review, or chat about the game in our forum.
Save Our Spirit Review
Looking for the Next Big Thing in hidden object games (HOGs)? Save Our Spirit isn't it.
While this new casual game provides a lot of challenging game-play, it's also a frustrating experience due to tricky (and sometimes unfair) puzzles and other shortcomings. As a result, what could have been a highly-polished and deep HOG ends up as a mediocre experience that's not really worth your time or money.
Lost City of Z Review
Nearly a hundred years ago, Colonel Fawcett set out on an expedition to locate the famed Lost City of Z. Your sister, who was trying to follow the Colonel's trail through the jungle, has also gone missing. Your mission in the hidden object game Lost City of Z is to find her, but be prepared - your journey won't be an easy one.
iPhone: Snood
Let's start this iPhone game review with a fun little quiz to test your vocabulary and your game trivia knowledge. What is a ‘Snood'?
1. A small netlike cap worn by women to keep their hair in place
2. A headband or fillet.
3. A fleshy wrinkled fold of skin that hangs down over a turkey's beak.
4. A classic arcade-style puzzle videogame.
PopCap launches Zuma's Revenge! - Adventure
PopCap has just launched a new "single mode" edition of Zuma's Revenge! for $9.95. The single mode edition includes the same graphics, power-ups, features and levels as the main Adventure mode from Zuma's Revenge! but does not include the other modes offered in the premium version, which sells for $19.95 on PopCap.com and other select digital download portals.
Insider Tales: The Secret of Casanova Preview
Francesca Di Porta is on the case of another intriguing mystery in Intenium's upcoming hidden object game Insider Tales: The Secret of Casanova. While reading the memoirs of Casanova, the world's most famous lover and adventurer, she finds the line "There are four moving forces in my life!" What forces are they? What type of secret did Casanova hide?
Travel League: The Missing Jewels Review
These days, hidden object games tend to fall into two categories: those that make a valiant effort to innovate within a genre that has already been thoroughly explored, and those that come off as a little more than an attempt to cash in on our obsession to search for stuff in crowded pictures. Travel League: The Missing Jewels is, unfortunately, a member of the latter group.
Lucky couple wins very own "Dream Day Wedding" in Las Vegas
Florida natives Leslie and Matt Lormann will be travelling to Las Vegas to renew their wedding vows in style after winning I-play's Win a Dream Day Wedding sweepstakes. The contest was held exclusively on MSN Games to promote the most recent title in I-play's Dream Day Wedding hidden object game series, Dream Day Wedding: Viva Las Vegas.
iPhone: Flick Fishing
Let's admit one thing about mobile games. Sometimes we find ourselves playing them when we should be doing something else. Like in the middle of a meeting - when you're supposed to look like you're checking email or doing something productive - but you're really just trying to sneak in a few extra minutes playing your favorite game on your phone. Well, let me warn you right now - Flick Fishing is NOT a game you can play without everyone knowing what you're doing.
2 Tasty Preview
Maximize Games sent us the first screenshots for 2 Tasty, a cooking game featuring a romantic storyline between the young talented cook Libby and her friend Cole. Players will prepare dishes using recipes that you'll also be able to follow along with at home to create real dishes in your own kitchen. There's no word on a launch date yet, but in the meantime you can check out the screenshots and chat about the game in our forum.
The Shivah Review
When a game comes along that features a rabbi as the lead character, you can't help but do a double-take. In The Shivah, a point-and-click adventure game from Wadjet Eye Games, that's just what you'll do.
Moxxie's Tabloid Adventures Review
Amidst all the spooky mansions, archaeological dig sites and yard sales it's sometimes hard to distinguish one hidden object game from the next. There's no danger of that with Moxxie's Tabloid Adventures, the offbeat tale of a tabloid reporter's quest to land the "big scoop."
Wadjet Eye Games offers The Shivah for free
This weekend marks the Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur, and in acknowledgement of the event Wadjet Eye Games is giving away The Shivah - the very first adventure game that the company developed - for free. To learn more about The Shivah and get your free copy, head over to Wadjet Eye Games and using the coupon code FreeShivah at checkout from now until Tuesday.
Age of Oracles: Tara's Journey Review
It seems like tarot cards are every hidden object game designer's favorite theme these days, but the newest game to be based off the deck, Age of Oracles: Tara's Journey, is really something special. Stunningly designed, it offers some intriguing twists on the familiar HOG formula, and throws in a few clever puzzles, too.
Pogo confirms no Fairy Godmother Tycoon 2
When we first reported (via Pogo fansite BadgeHungry.com) that Pogo seemed to be shelving plans for a sequel to Fairy Godmother Tycoon, we hoped the rumor wasn't true. Unfortunately, a company spokesperson has just confirmed that there will be no Fairy Godmother Tycoon 2.
Last week, Pogo published a letter to the editor from a fan asking about the chances of seeing a new Fairy Godmother Tycoon 2 download game. The response from Pogo: As for Fairy Godmother Tycoon... I, too, thought it was a lot of fun, but alas, there will be no a sequel.
There you have it, folks. Straight from the horse's mouth. It's a shame, because we quite liked the first game.
Steals & Deals: Cake Mania: Main Street $9.99 at Sandlot Games
Just in time for the weekend and your sweet-tooth, Cake Mania: Main Street is $9.99 on Sandlot Games (no club required).
Check our review out here and if you are really in the Cake Mania mood, check out the new Cake Mania Facebook App (it's free).
10 Days to Save the World - Just In
iWin has launched FlyWheel Games' new casual adventure game, 10 Days to Save the World (the longest title for a casual game, aside for its prequel, 10 Days Under the Sea). Find objects to solve puzzles to help heroine Diana avert a global disaster.
Download a free trial here, write a review, and discuss the game in our forum.
Save our Spirit - Just In
Anarchy Enterprises' new hidden object game, Save our Spirit, has launched on Spintop Games. Save our Spirit (Yes, we do! Wait, that's we got spirit...) involves a honeymoon, a secret society, a kidnapping, and precious talismans!
Download a free trial of Save our Spirit, write a review, and discuss the game in our forum.
Kitchen Brigade - Just In
Fugazo's Kitchen Brigade, a new time management game that has you running a kitchen, preparing food to serve to customers, delegating tasks to your crew of willing assistants, all while competing on a reality TV series (hence the name), is out.
Download a free trial of Kitchen Brigade, write a review, and discuss in our forum.
Paradise Beach Review
With autumn fast approaching, people who could not enjoy a well-deserved holiday in the sun are able to make up for it virtually by playing Paradise Beach, the latest creation by developer Astargames. In this building simulation you can get along without sunburn and expensive cocktails, but it certainly has its own catch. In a niche setting represented by popular titles such as Coconut Queen it is hard to stand out, but Paradise Beach does not have to dread any comparison.
Steals & Deals - Sept. 25, 2009
Attention strategy game fans! Today only (Sept. 25), Tradewinds 2 is only 99 cents at Reflexive. Until Sept. 27 you can save 35% on Chocolatier, Chocolatier 2, Chocolatier: Decadence by Design, Passport to Perfume, DinerTown Tycoon, and Oasis by using the coupon 35STRATGAME at checkout. Over at GOG.com, Strategy First's entire catalog of classic strategy games (including Ghost Master, Sacred Gold and Port Royale 2) is 50% off until Sept. 28. Finally, the old-school role-playing game Eternal Eden is 50% off through the developer's website. Use the coupon ETERNAL EDEN 2 IS ARRIVING at checkout.
Just In - Age of Oracles: Tara's Journey
Age of Oracles: Tara's Journey, a new hidden object adventure game from Big Fish Games, has launched. Download the game, write a review, or talk about it in our forum.
Casual News - Sept. 25, 2009
PopCap launches a free online version of Plants vs. Zombies, Gamasutra examines the future of downloadable games on the Nintendo Wii and DSi, and Her Interactive releases a new sneak peek video trailer for the latest Nancy Drew game. These headlines and more behind the cut.
Tourist Trap - Just In
Tourist Trap, a new time management strategy game, has launched on iWin.com.
As the newly elected mayor of a small Middle American town that has a major US highway opening right next to it, it's up to you to figure out a way to pull in the tourist dollars. Your solution: spend tax dollars on grand corn palaces and the largest ball of twine to attract the masses.
Download a free trial of Tourist Trap, write a review, and discuss in our forum.
Nat Geo Games: Mystery of Cleopatra Preview
After teaming up on Lost City of Z, Merscom and National Geographic Games are gearing up to release Nat Geo Games: Mystery of Cleopatra, a hidden object adventure starring the famous Egyptian queen.
Slingo Mystery Review
Divorce. Revenge. A mysterious death. A missing Will. Two teams of thieves in an empty casino. No, it's not the latest Hollywood drama-it's a new hidden object adventure game from Funkitron called Slingo Mystery. An ambitious attempt to combine a sophisticated mystery with a casual game where every object and mini-game is part of the plot, the end result falls short of instant classic status but still provides a lot of original entertainment.
Corpse Craft
Have you ever wondered if you have what it takes to raise the undead? Find out at the world famous Weardd Academy! This turn of the century flash game offers a darkly fun twist on puzzle games that fans of the real time strategy genre will love. Embark on an adventure to find out who burned the school down as you send your undead army to do battle with your classmates.
New video trailer for Nancy Drew: Warnings at Waverly Academy
Her Interactive has released a new video trailer for Nancy Drew: Warnings at Waverly Academy. The 21st game in the Nancy Drew adventure game series, in which Nancy goes undercover at a prestigious all-girls boarding school, is coming out next month. Watch the video here. For more information about Warnings at Waverly Academy, read our preview.
Just In - Sally's Quick Clips
Sally's Quick Clips has just launched. See how it all started for Sally in the prequel to Sally's Salon, which offers a mixture of time management and match-3 gameplay. Download Sally's Quick Clips, write a review, and talk about the game in our forum.
PopCap launches free online version of Plants vs. Zombies
PopCap has launched a free Flash-based online version of its undead-battling action game Plants vs. Zombies on PopCap.com. Available exclusively on PopCap's website, the new Web-based Plants vs. Zombies lets players sample a scaled down version of the full downloadable game. The Flash version of Plants vs. Zombies includes three game modes (Adventure, Endless Survival, and Vasebreaker), 14 levels of Adventure mode, six zombie types and 12 plants, and a unique zombie not found in the PC version. According to PopCap, graphics and gameplay remain faithful to the PC download version, which you can learn more about here.
Iron Roses Review
Alex is an out-of-work musician struggling to come up with rent money until she learns about a Battle of the Bands contest at her local club. This could be the big break that her former band, the Iron Roses, need to take them to fame and fortune! The problem is that all of her bandmates have gone their separate ways. Can Alex reunite the Iron Roses in time for the concert? And will they sound any good after all this time? You'll find out in Iron Roses, a new point-and-click adventure game from Sandlot and Cateia Games, the folks who made The Legend of Crystal Valley.
Steals & Deals: Cake Mania for free on Amazon.com
What's better than Cake Mania for free? Well...nothing. What's the catch? There must be one, but none that I see. There is no date posted when this sale ends but you should assume it does soon (in other words, you should download it now if interested).
Download Cake Mania for free on Amazon.com. Thank you Mark Alan for the tip.
Hidden Expedition: Devil's Triangle announced
Big Fish Games has just released a video trailer for the upcoming fourth game in the Hidden Expedition series of hidden object adventures, which will be called Hidden Expedition: Devil's Triangle. You can watch the video here.
Flora's Fruit Farm Preview
Flora's Fruit Farm is an upcoming time management game published by Eidos and developed by Honeyslug where you get to tend an ever-expanding orchard with the help of magic gloves and fairy dust.
Just In - Gemini Lost
Gemini Lost has just launched for PC and Mac. Gather necessary resources and food, build structures, conduct useful scientific research and increase your population by creating happy couples based on their astrological signs. Can you complete the tasks and puzzles needed to find the lost keys to the teleporter and get your people home safely? Download Gemini Lost, write a review, or talk about the game in our forum.
The Lost Cases of Sherlock Holmes, Vol. 2 - Developer Diary #1
Hello Gamezebo readers,
My name is Ryan Modjeski, designer and producer extraordinaire at Legacy Interactive and I am writing to give you all a peek at my latest project, The Lost Cases of Sherlock Holmes Vol. 2.
World of Zellians: Kingdom Builder Review
Many of the kings and queens who appear in World of Zellians: Kingdom Builder display patently poor judgment when it comes to cultivating their realms (much like some of our own leaders, oddly enough). Good thing we're here to keep them on the straight and narrow. As travelling city architects players construct the houses, shops, farms, and community facilities each town needs to safely grow and prosper in this routine but still satisfying city builder.
iPhone: Spore Origins
Back in 2006, Spore creator Will Wright had proudly announced that the game would be playable on pretty much every device known to man. If you're toaster didn't run a copy of Spore it would have been seen as a failure in Wright's eyes. Flash forward two years. The game doesn't exactly make its way to the Wii or Nokia n-Gage as promised. In fact the only devices you find Spore on are the PC, Mac and iPhone. But could the iPhone version possibly offer everything it's PC counterpart did?
Keys to Manhattan Review
Emily - a young artist who wants to make her dreams come true - returns to her abandoned childhood home in New York City to search for her missing uncle. Instead of finding him, she discovers many keys, clues and a rundown townhome in the hidden object game Keys to Manhattan.
Once Upon a Time in Chicago Review
Down on your luck, alone and broke, you can always turn to the one place that can change your luck from downtrodden poverty to stinking rich in a matter of minutes - a casino! Once Upon a Time in Chicago is a rags-to-riches mini-game collection set in prohibition era Chicago. It sounds like it has the makings of a grand adventure, but this is one casino story we're not betting on.
Nanny 911 Review
"Never fear, Nanny is here," says Nanny Stella of Nanny 911, the TV show that inspired this game. Parents with their own children may not care to play Nanny 911 when they already live and breathe the job, and everyone else might find that playing the unoriginal time management game often feels more punishing than entertaining.
iPhone: The New York Times Crosswords Daily 2009
There's a distinct component in New York Times Crosswords Daily 2009 that should appeal to crossword aficionados all over the world. It isn't the 4,000 classic archived puzzles, it isn't the competitive social leaderboards, and it isn't the conveniently designed interface. No, the real draw is in that the fifth little word: daily. This app offers up the exact same New York Times crossword puzzle that is published in the paper, every day, for every puzzle released in 2009. Amateur wordsmiths, your day has arrived.
Miriel's Enchanted Mystery Review
Our favorite trader of delicious recipes, magical potions, and elegant fabrics Miriel is back for another adventure in Miriel's Enchanted Mystery. Again you will find yourself within a story full of magic, schemes, and travels. The second part of the series tries to combine the classic formulas of time management and hidden-object gameplay, but will it really succeed? Or is Miriel's Enchanted Mystery just another lame attempt to satisfy two different audiences at the same time?
Play Like a Pirate: 10 pirate-themed casual games
ARRRR!!!!! T'day be International Talk Like a Pirate Day, and Gamezebo is proud t' bring ye 10 pirate-themed casual games that are ripe for the plundering.... er, downloading.
Steve the Sheriff 2: The Case of the Missing Thing Review
After putting the wily Octopus behind bars, Steve the Sheriff is looking forward to taking it easy. He's been given the honor of cutting the ribbon on the Neptuneville Museum's newest exhibit, the Mona Meduza, but before he can so much as sharpen the scissors, the painting is stolen. A lawman lobster's work is never done.
Just In - HdO Adventure: Hollywood
As the new Assistant Art Director, you have to prove you're good enough to work on the big budget movie productions in this hidden object adventure. Download HdO Adventure: Hollywood, write a review, or talk about the game in our forum.
Just In - Lost City of Z
Explore the rainforest while following the trail of a missing National Geographic researcher in Lost City of Z in his new hidden object game. Download Lost City of Z, write a review, or talk about it in our forum.
Just In - Slingo Mystery
Funkitron has just launched Slingo Mystery, a new game that caters to both hidden object game fans and Slingo lovers. Download Slingo Mystery here, write a review, and talk about the game in our forum.
Steals & Deals - Sept. 18, 2009
To commemorate International Talk Like a Pirate day, Steam is offering The Secret of Monkey Island: Special Edition for just $4.99, and Telltale Games is giving away the first episode of Tales of Monkey Island for free on Saturday, Sept. 19. There's 1 day left to save 35% on Diaper Dash at PlayFirst - enter coupon code PF00069ER at checkout. Reflexive is giving away the original Cake Mania for free until Sept. 23.
Casual News - Sept. 18, 2009
Shockwave drops the price of most of its download games to $6.99; RealGames introduces the Federation of Studios for mobile developers; and Gamasutra profiles the most popular gamer on Facebook (she has more than 4,500 friends!) These headlines and more behind the cut.
Empire Builder: Ancient Egypt Review
In reality it took decades and the effort of thousands of workers to create monuments such as the sphinx or the Pyramid of Cheops. The latest building sim Empire Builder - Ancient Egypt by developer Iguana Entertainment enables the player to experience those miracles of architecture much quicker. While the game might lack the challenge and complexity of similar titles, it is still worth a look for players searching for a resource management title in a new setting.
Little Shop - World Traveler Review
With Little Shop: World Traveler GameHouse is now half a dozen games into its popular Little Shop series of hidden object games, and it's clear the developer is holding firmly to the old philosophy of "if it ain't broke, don't fix it." Despite a change in theme (rather than working local shops we now travel around the world to hunt down specialty items), returning players will immediately recognize the franchise's distinctive hint systems, bonus modes, and game design.
Vampire Saga: Pandora's Box Review
In mythology, Pandora's Box was a jar that unleashed numerous evils upon mankind. However, in Alawar Entertainment's latest hidden object adventure Vampire Saga: Pandora's Box, Pandora is actually a ship. Yet within the creaking wooden belly of this vessel, true to the name of Pandora, a dark secret and deadly danger lurks. You'll join Matthew Ward in this haunting tale as he finds himself alone on Pandora, a grim cloud over the ship abandoned out at sea.
RealGames introduces Federation of Studios for mobile developers
RealGames today announced the Federation of Studios (FoS), a solution designed to give small and mid-sized mobile game developers the ability to port their games across more than 1,700 different mobile handsets, eight different operating systems, and 130 carriers at no up-front cost.
Just In - Nanny 911
Help tame an unruly household in the new time management game Nanny 911. Download the game, write a review, or talk about the game in our forum.
Just In - Legends of the Wild West: Golden Hill
Follow the story of 19th century European circus performers Luca and Natalie as they part, reunite and find true love in the old west! Download the brand new hidden object game Legends Of The Wild West: Golden Hill, write a review, or chat about the game in our forum.
Tinseltown Dreams: The 50's Review
There have been many people who travel to Hollywood looking to produce that one big blockbuster movie. If only they'd played Tinseltown Dreams: The 50's, they would know it's as simple as completing a few match-3 puzzles!
Osmos Review
Regardless of dietary preferences, regional menu choices or personal tastes, there's one universal constant when it comes to the food cycle: big things eat little things. It should come as no surprise then that this rule isn't restricted to consumption here on Earth. Osmos is a game that takes the food chain and applies it on a cosmic scale. Equal parts hypnotic and majestic, Osmos takes zen gaming to a whole new level.
EcoRescue - Project Rainforest Review
Preserving the rainforest is one of the most important eco-missions mankind faces today. With thousands of unique native species and a rich history, including ancient human civilizations, the rainforest is a truly special place. Identifying various animals, restoring broken habitats, and cleaning up after the pollution affecting the world's rainforests are all elements of Big Fish's latest hidden object game EcoRescue: Project Rainforest.
Shockwave drops the price of download games to $6.99
Buying games on Shockwave just got cheaper today. The company has announced a permanent price drop on most of the 700+ casual downloadable games in its catalogue to $6.99.
iPhone: Music Catch
How does that slogan go? "Sometimes you feel like a nut. Sometimes you don't." Well, I think playing games is the same way. Sometimes you feel like exercising your noggin and working on perplexing puzzles. Sometimes you feel like kicking back and relaxing with something mindless and repetitive. I enjoy both types of games. Just depends on my mood. So, if you're in the mood for soothing, brain-yoga experience, then you're sure to enjoy the iPhone version of Reflexive Entertainment's Music Catch.
Fishdom: Spooky Splash Preview
Playrix Entertainment gave us a heads-up that the third game in the Fishdom series is almost ready to launch. You're no doubt wondering whether Fishdom: Spooky Splash will be a match-3 puzzle game like the original Fishdom, or another hidden object game like Fishdom H2O: Hidden Odyssey. Well, match-3 fans, it's your lucky day!
Masquerade Mysteries: The Case of the Copycat Curator Preview
Gamezebo has the early scoop on Masquerade Mysteries: The Case of the Copycat Curator, an upcoming hidden object adventure developed by Elephant Games (makers of Lost in the City) and published by Merscom.
Gamezebo Contest: Win a copy of Empire Builder: Ancient Egypt
Today we're pleased to be giving away five copies of Empire Builder: Ancient Egypt. (Read the preview here.) To enter the contest, head over to our Facebook fan page and tell us about your favorite historical empire. Was it the Greeks? The Romans? The Aztecs? We want to know!
Journey to the Center of the Moon Review
Science fiction isn't particularly well represented in the adventure game genre, so Journey to the Center of the Moon is a welcome change of pace. But while it starts out very promising, and provides an enticing world to explore, it unfortunately gets bogged down in some truly frustrating puzzles that spoil the entire experience.
Zuma's Revenge! Review
When you're working on a sequel to a game that has sold more than 17 million copies worldwide, you must strike that perfect balance between not messing with the winning formula yet also adding enough new features to justify the purchase.
How did PopCap Games fare with the follow-up to 2003's Zuma? Very well, but the savvy game makers erred on the side of caution by staying true to what made the original game an extraordinary success - rather than attempting to deliver something different. If you're a Zuma fan and want more of the same, this great-looking follow-up will provide many hours of ball-bursting fun, but those expecting something fresh might feel PopCap dropped that ball.
Lucidity Preview
LucasArts has announced a new puzzle platform game called Lucidity, which is set for release as a PC download and via Xbox LIVE Arcade on October 7.
The Dracula Files, Developer Diary #6
Howdy folks, it's time once again for another edition of The Dracula Files Developer Diary with eGames Product Manager Greg Zesinger (that's me). As always, follow us on Twitter and Facebook for your chance to win some very cool Dracula-related swag! We last awarded one copy of The Complete Dracula #1 comic book to a lucky Twitter minion, and this week we'll be giving away at least one advance reader copy of Dracula: The Un-dead, the Stoker family-endorsed sequel to the original classic, set for release in October.
The Tudors Preview
Merscom has given Gamezebo an exclusive preview of The Tudors, an upcoming hidden object/adventure game based on the Showtime television series of the same name. You'll play as Elena Sedgraves, a woman enlisted by King Henry VIII to be his eyes and ears abroad and uncover plots against England.
BumbleTales Review
If match-three games suffer from a single flaw, it's that most of them don't give you a reason for your efforts beyond achieving a higher score. BumbleTales takes a slightly different approach: Instead of trying to rise to the top of a leader board, you're helping restore a community.
Be Richer Review
Be Rich has become the real estate gaming equivalent to what Turbo Subs is to food time management titles - which means incredibly fast-paced and challenging gameplay. The sequel with the highly creative name Be Richer by developer Divo Games takes exactly the same line - but is there more to discover than just a tedious rehash of what was once an already good-but-not-great game?
Hide & Secret 3: Pharaoh's Quest Review
If you're getting a little burned out by the seemingly endless wave of hidden object games ("HOGs"), the third release in Anarchy Enterprises' Hide & Secret series won't do much to convince you otherwise. It's not a bad game, no, but certainly below the quality you've grown to expect from today's HOG offerings.
Scribble
Creatures made from drippings of ink may be as adorable as can be, but that doesn't mean they're very bright. In Scribble you'll be responsible for the safety of group of ink blots, a family of cute little creations that just don't know how to stop walking. How do they expect you to protect these pen-dripped people from the predators and pitfalls that permeate the panorama? By scribbling, of course!
MONOPOLY: Build-a-lot Edition Review
You don't have to be confused if you should encounter a feeling of déjà vu while playing MONOPOLY: Build-a-lot Edition. In fact, you are playing a hybrid of Build-a-lot 2 and Monopoly, although the shares of the latter are of minor significance. The idea of combining the probably most popular board game about real estate management and the counterpart of the casual market sounds utterly compelling, but sometimes it's all on the surface.
Just In - Vampire Saga: Pandora's Box
Matthew Ward sneaks aboard a cargo ship to escape the Spanish-American war, but wakes up to find himself alone on the ship with a bunch of coffins. Where did the crew go? And why does he fell like he's being watched? Answer these questions as you explore eerie locations in this hidden object game. Download Vampire Saga, write a review, or talk about the game in our forum.
Gamezebo Forum Announcement
Update: 11:12 PST - Forums are working again. Post away!
As many of you have probably already noticed, Gamezebo's forums aren't functioning correctly right now. Unfortunately no one can post in the forums at the moment. We're sorry for the inconvenience, but rest assured that our technical team is working to fix the issue as quickly as possible. We'll keep you updated on our Twitter and Facebook pages. During the downtime, head over to our Facebook fan page where you can carry on the conversation and check out some extra goodies!
-Joel, Erin, Jim, Debbie and the Gamezebo team
Braid $4.99 on Steam
Braid is on sale at Steam this weekend for $4.99, so if you haven't picked up this action-puzzle masterpiece yet, now's the time!
Fowl Play: The evolution of Farm Frenzy
Alawar's producer and VP of publishing, Kirill Plotnikov, took us behind the scenes of Farm Frenzy to talk about the evolution of its heroine Scarlett, getting the right game balance, and... flying bears?
iPhone: Atlantis Sky Patrol
Can you imagine how you'd feel if you signed up to the armed forces, turned up fully equipped and ready for war, only to find out that the only skill you needed was the ability to match up colored marbles? Chances are, in reality, you'd be a little put out, but when it comes to games, such trickery is commonplace, and in Atlantis: Sky Patrol's case, utterly welcome.
Casual News - Sept. 11, 2009
WildTangent launches the third FATE game; Tetris increases gray matter in test subjects' brains; and a study shows that casual games are just as "sticky" as traditional titles. These headlines and more behind the cut.
WildTangent launches FATE: The Traitor Soul
WildTangent has launched the third chapter of its fantasy role-playing game (RPG) series, titled FATE: The Traitor Soul. The release of The Traitor Soul comes 14 months after the company released the second version of the game, FATE: Undiscovered Realms, and four years after the original FATE was released in 2005.
Women's Murder Club: Twice in a Blue Moon Review
The ladies of the Women's Murder Club are back for what may be their most challenging case yet. In Twice in a Blue Moon, someone is carefully copying famous serial killers like Jack the Ripper and the Boston Strangler, leaving plenty of evidence but few clues to his identity. Lindsay, Claire, and Cindy frantically try to unravel his riddles before another victim falls prey to his madness.
Rooms: The Main Building coming to Nintendo Wii and DS
Hudson Entertainment announced today that it will be bringing the PC puzzle game Rooms: The Main Building to Nintendo Wii and DS video game consoles in 2010.
Drawn: The Painted Tower Review
At times both morose and beautiful, Drawn: The Painted Tower unfolds like a grim fairytale set in a land devoid of all happiness. When the last bastion of hope, a special young girl with magical drawing abilities, falls in imminent peril, you must brave the dangerous, puzzle-filled magical hallways of the tower she's imprisoned in to save her before time runs out. Very little is what it appears to be, and the further you ascend towards the dark spire the deeper you'll be drawn into this strange, imaginative world.
Kingdom of Loathing
I've given up trying to describe Kingdom of Loathing (KoL) to my friends. "It's an online adventure of sorts," I usually say, "and I'm currently a Pastamancer, armed with a spaghetti catapult and clad in a frilly skirt, sporting a monocle I took off a rat. Who was also a Baron." And it's around about that point that my friends politely excuse themselves and make very rapidly to go about doing something else.
Cute Knight Kingdom Preview
Fans of casual role-playing games might remember a little indie gem from Hanako Games called Cute Knight. In the game, you had three years to guide a young orphan girl from the ages of 18 to 21 to decide what path her life would ultimately take. Would she become a hero and marry a handsome prince, or spend her days as a dumpy assistant cook getting bossed around in the kitchen? These were just two out of dozens of possible outcomes.
Hanako Games is working on a sequel called Cute Knight Kingdom that stays true to the original format while greatly expanding what you get to see and do.
Just In - BumbleTales
BumbleTales, the charming match-3 that we previewed back in May, has just launched! Follow the lives of the Bumbles of Springleton as you collect resources to rebuild the town. Download the game, write a review, and talk about it in our forum.
Just In - Fashion Fortune
Help run a trendy boutique in the newly launched time management game, Fashion Fortune. Download the game, write a review, and talk about it in our forum.
Just In - Be Richer
Be Richer, the follow-up to the building sim Be Rich, has launched. Download the game, write a review, or talk about it in our forum.
Hostile Makeover Preview
Supermodel Amanda Manville has been murdered, and it's up to the smart and sassy Lacey Smithsonian to investigate a cast of nine quirky characters before the killer strikes again. Hostile Makeover is a spunky soon-to-launch hidden object game from Merscom and Lifetime based on the third novel in Ellen Byerrum's Crime of Fashion mystery series.
I Spy: Fun House Review
I SPY: Fun House, the latest interactive spinoff of Scholastic's popular hidden object picture books, proves that a good hidden object game can appeal to virtually all demographics. My kindergarten-aged daughter loves the paper versions of these puzzles, and she had just as much fun working through their digital counterparts. I - a man 30 years her senior - played with her, and I'm pretty sure we were both equally engaged.
Horatio's Travels Review
Horatio's Travels puts you in the shoes...er, flippers...of a penguin entrepreneur as he sets off to bring yummy ice cream around the globe. Given the cartoonish graphics and overall cuteness and simplicity, I'd have to say that it's a game made for kids or families, and not your typical time management fan.
Just In - Drawn: The Painted Tower
Big Fish Games' adventure game Drawn: The Painted Tower has launched. Download the game, write a review, or talk about it in our forum.
New York Bomb Squad: An interview with Detective Steve Lanoce
We've interviewed some cool people here at Gamezebo, but it was truly an honor to chat with Steve Lanoce, an NYPD Bomb Squad detective who received the Medal of Valor for heroism during 9/11. Steve and his bomb-sniffing canine, Duke, are starring in Merscom's upcoming hidden object game Bomb Squad: NY, where players jump into the role of the newest bomb squad recruit sent on assignment to hunt down the culprits responsible for planting bombs all over the city.
Steals & Deals - Labor Day Edition!
Let the Labor Day sales begin! (Or "Labour" Day as we say in certain parts of the world.) Get Wandering Willows for 35% off until Sept. 6 at PlayFirst. Everything at the Wadjet Eye Games store (including the Blackwell Games, The Adventures of Fatman, and all game soundtracks), is 50% off until Sept. 7 (use coupon code "labor" at checkout).
Angela Young 2: Escape the Dreamscape Review
Angela Young 2: Escape the Dreamscape follows a pattern of story-telling that can only be described as heavily influenced by Alice in Wonderland. Angela finds herself lost in the Dreamscape. Having lost her cat, Felix, along the way, Angela must find her way back out and recover Felix before the Lord of Nightmares complicates matters even further.
Multitask
There's a certain level of insanity to be found in Multitask that you're not likely to find anywhere else. The tasks you'll be assigned to do in Multitask are so simple a child could do them, but you won't be asked to do them one at a time, you'll be doing them all at once! Multitask is quite literally four games in one, and you'll be playing them all at the exact same time.
Casual News - Sept. 4, 2009
Nintendo launches new DSi and Wii remote colors; According to Nielsen, casual gamers play less but come back more often; and Adventure Gamers has a wonderful game design column by Aaron Connors, half of the creative force behind Three Cards to Midnight and the Tex Murphy adventure games. These headlines and more behind the cut.
Just In - Romance of Rome
Awem has just launched Romance of Rome. Download the game, write a review, and talk about it in our forum.
Chronicles of Mystery: The Scorpio Ritual Review
Don't let it's deceptively generic title fool, Chronicles of Mystery: The Scorpio Ritual is actually a great example of how to do an adventure game right. The story is rich and interesting, the puzzles are challenging without being frustrating, and the world is beautiful and just begging to be explored. It's not without it's faults, and it doesn't tread any new ground, but The Scorpio Ritual is a solid game that shouldn't be missed by fans of the genre.
