All Features List

Monkwerks is a game about spelling, about taxing your vocabulary. That its title is (presumably deliberately) misspelled should tell you all you need to know before you even load it in your browser. This is an excellent example of how to take a simple, appealing concept and run it completely into the ground through fundamentally bad and lazy implementation.

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Spore Islands takes the species-creation idea of the hit PC game Spore and sets it loose in a science experiment type environment. What would happen if I tweaked their diets?  What if I reduced their defences?  What if I introduced two more species into their world?  Spore Islands is a god game in the truest sense of the word. Create creatures, tweak their existence, and let them run amok to see what happens. Read more»

Ask any veteran of Roller Coaster Tycoon or Thrillville and they'll tell you the same -- managing a theme park is hard work. At least it used to be. Roller Coaster Kingdom takes a trip down easy street and strips the traditionally deep theme park management genre of all of its detail and nuance, delivering a social game from Zynga that feels surprisingly underwhelming. Read more»

Dice games have been around for thousands of years, yet our fascination with them has never waxed or waned. Sic bo has been played in the east for millennia. We've been playing craps in the west since the time of the Crusades. Even well into the 20th century, new games were being developed that depended heavily on dice. Where would Monopoly or Dungeons and Dragons be without them?  Now, in this modern age of social networking, the dice game has been re-invented again with Farkle. Read more»

Lexulous may not be a name that is on the tip of your tongue, but say Scrabulous to any old school Facebook fan and you'll see their eyes light up with excitement.  After a long and drawn out legal battle with Hasbro, Facebook's first Scrabble simulation has returned with a new name and a few new twists.  But with a name-brand Scrabble game on Facebook now too, does Lexulous have what it takes to stand up to the big boys of word-building? Read more»

The team at Faunasphere, Big Fish Games' browser-based causal MMO, gave Gamezebo an early peak at some brand new Thanksgiving-themed content that's scheduled to roll out next week. Keep reading for a look at the new content, and to read our mini-interview with Faunasphere's Lead Designer Toby Ragaini.

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Castle Age is exactly what would happen if the makers of Mafia Wars spent their teenage years playing Dungeons & Dragons instead of watching Scorcese flicks.  Instead of a mob you'll have an army.  Instead of committing crimes you'll be completing quests.  Rival bosses are replaced with orcs, different territories with lands of adventure... you get the idea.  Yes, Castle Age is the latest casual MMO to get caught up in the "wars" phenomenon on Facebook - but that doesn't mean we didn't have fun. Read more»

Currently the most popular game on Facebook, Zynga's FarmVille lets you grow crops and raise animals on a virtual farm. You'll start off with a small plot of land that you can use to grow into rows of fruit trees or fields of veggies, or even add animated farm animals that can roam about freely or within the confines of their pens. Read more»

If there are genres that don't seem like they belong together, it's probably safe to say that casual, RPG, and sports titles are close to the top of the Bizarre Combination list. It's an odd grouping, to say the least, but it's one that the developers behind Quick Hit Football  -a new casual sport are banking on. It's an ambitious goal, but it's one that could very well pay off, thanks in large part to some quality work by a development team composed of people who have worked at illustrious studios like 2K Sports, EA Sports, and Turbine Studios. Read more»

Turning the traditionally solitary match-3 experience into a competitive social game was a stroke of genius that only PopCap could perfect.  Little touches like achievements and tournaments provide a decent incentive to keep playing, but seeing where you sit on your friends leaderboard is the perfect carrot on a stick.  It's next to impossible to walk away before your high score knocks a friend down a ranking, and when it does you're going to love breaking out the smack talk. Read more»

Big Fish Games has always been known for their diverse library of casual games, but now their lesser-known online game offerings have taken a step into the spotlight with the launch of Big Sea Games. Formerly known as "Ion Thunder," "atlantis," or the "Big Fish Games Game Community," Big Sea Games is a free online casual game portal containing many fan favorites such as Riddle O'Day, Unwell Mel and Fairway Solitaire. Read more»

The pressure is on.  Do you think you know your friends?  You'd better hope you do, because in six wrong answers a bomb will go off!  Tick Tock is the debut Facebook game from powerhouse developer UbiSoft that puts your relationships to the test.  Send and recieve bombs to each other that quiz your Friends List knowledge, and expect a face full of explosion if you don't know your friends as well as you think. Read more»

If you ever wanted to get your friends to notice you, try kidnapping them on Facebook with the browser game Kidnap! by Context Optional and Rapp. Read more»

It’s not easy surviving a world filled with magical beasts, skeleton armies and fire breathing dragons. Each quest you embark on is filled with the dangers of being roasted on open flames or even devoured by beasts as big as a mountain. This game is not your typical Dungeon’s and Dragons game... it’s much more. You can’t simply role a dice to escape your enemies.

I hope you’re up for a challenge, and I do mean challenge, because Dragon Wars by Zynga will keep your mouse clicking with 2D and 3D quests. The game is available to both Facebook and MySpace users.  Read more»

If you can speak Prada fluently, tote that Gucci handbag with style and wear that shimmering dress like a fashion goddess, then you’ve got what it takes to own the spotlight with your own style in Fashion Wars. Read more»

Exciting news! Gamehouse and Mattel have brought UNO, the card game of matching, strategy and concentration that people of all ages have been playing for nearly forty years, to Facebook. Finally, a way to play a tried and true classic in a fresh new format keeps the same rules and feel. You can play with other Facebook members all over the world, and soon you'll be able to challenge your Facebook friends to play against you as well. Read more»

Fishing is a relaxing activity that could cast away your stressful day with each lure you toss into the lake. If you don’t like the smell of fresh air, or the stench of fish bait wafting past your nostrils, though, you can try fishing on Facebook with Fish Wrangler.  Read more»

If you've played any games from iWin recently, you might have noticed yourself earning dozens of shiny virtula opals. What are these jewels used for? They're currency for the company's brand new social gaming world, Hotel iWin, a place where fans can connect with each other, decorate their own rooms and avatar, and, most importantly, play games. Read more»

Have you ever watched the Sopranos on the television and thought, "Big deal, that looks easier than they let on?"

I wouldn't recommend taking that career path in real life, but if you want to experience the life of a mafia gangster without the risk of being dragged into prison for busintg a few caps into a mob boss then sit back and order yourself a plate of cannoli and a glass of fine wine because there's a war brewing online and it's called Mafia Wars!

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As someone who has spent many academic hours studying human behavior I could write pages explaining why humans like slot machines. Or, I could just say, "They are really fun - particularly when you win!" Egg Breaker, a nifty little title on Facebook which has held my attention since November, curbs all of my slot machine impulses. Ok, well, most of them. Read more»

Ever wonder how smart you really are? I must admit, I'm not the brightest star in the sky but I can twinkle on my own pretty well. If you want to find out just how bright your star is shining, then try Playfish's Who Has the Biggest Brain?, available on Facebook. Read more»

Though I've been using social networks since before they were called social networks, it took me some time to understand exactly what a Facebook game is. What I mean to say is, games have rules and win conditions, don't they? Well, yes and no. Competitive games do. But when you think about socializing with your friends on a Friday night - though you may be playing poker - it isn't about the game; it's all about sharing an experience.

(lil) Green Patch reminded me about sharing an experience, or rather Sarah did. Yeah, I'm going to blame Sarah, it's all her fault.

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Ever wanted a pet but just didn't have the space, time or money to raise one? Well, if you're a Facebook user all you need is a few minutes per day to make a cute and cuddly bunny, kitten, puppy or even a bear happy in the new year.

The game is Pet Society, a cute little world created by Playfish, a social game company founded by casual and mobile industry veterans.

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I love playing games, online and off, but what I hate the most is having to play them alone. The dilema lies in finding someone who likes the games I do and is willing to play a simple game like jigsaw puzzles with me. With the game Jigsawce (part of Iminlikewithyou.com), I don't have to play alone because people who want to play puzzles with me are never in short supply. Read more»

Mesmo TV is a large Facebook gathering place for television and movie buffs that has everything from message boards, trivia and quizzes to video content and games, but the part of the application that we're going to focus on for this week's Social Saturday feature is Make Me a Celebrity, a sim where you claw your way up the celebrity ladder until you're famous enough to rub elbows with the rich and famous. Read more»

Puppies are adorable but a lot of work, and owning one isn't a decision that anyone should rush into. If you want a little taste of what it's like ot own a dog without the mess, chewed furniture, allergies or expensive vet bills, check out Pokey!, a Facebook application by Bonehead Labs that lets you adopt a virtual puppy to live on your profile page.

 

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As a fan of both pixel art and The Sims, I was excited to check out the new social application Citypixel, which deftly combines the two. Like The Sims, the goal of Citypixel is to establish a virtual life for yourself by creating a pixelized avatar and setting up an apartment, car and office space in the virtual city of Pixel York. Read more»

The problem with social network games is that all of your friends have to be members of the same social network for you to be able to play together. A virtual world called Mytopia does things a little differently, however. Operating with the slogan "Helping the World Play Together," Mytopia is a community that lets people play with each other whether through Facebook, MySpace, Bebo, hi5 or Friendster. Read more»

Playfish's fifth Facebook game, Geo Challenge, is a fun trivia game that lets you show off your knowledge of countries, flags and cities and see how you rank against your friends and other players from around the world. Read more»

Tetris Friends puts a social spin on the classic falling block puzzle game Tetris. The gameplay, where you rotate and drop different-shaped blocks as they fall from the top of the screen to clear lines and score points, is as solid as ever, and Tetris Friends offers four different modes to test your mettle. Read more»

If you've played a fantasy-themed role-playing game (RPG) chances are it owes something to Dungeons & Dragons, the dice-rolling pen-and-paper game that started it all. Dungeons & Dragons Tiny Adventures, an officially-licensed product from Wizards of the Coast, brings the Dungeons & Dragons experience to Facebook. Read more»

I don't know about you, but Labor Day Weekend always puts me in the mood to fire up my BBQ grill, turn off my computer, the celebrate with a exciting day of bowling.  

Unfortunately, I don't own a BBQ grill, never really turn off my computer, and the closest bowling alley to my San Francisco pad is in the neighboring state of Nevada.  Thankfully, I can play Bowling Buddies on Facebook by Playfish. Read more»

There are plenty of word games to choose from on Facebook, but Playfish's Word Challenge definitely has the edge when it comes to presentation. Colorful, cartoonish graphics and some fun ways to interact with friends help distinguish this game from others that use the same premise: make as many words as you can from six random letters before the timer runs out. Read more»

The official online version of Scrabble is the result of two industry giants coming together: Hasbro (owners of the license to the Scrabble board game), and video game powerhouse Electronic Arts. Facebook Scrabble is still in beta, so we decided to take a look at the version being offered on EA's casual game portal Pogo.com. Read more»

If you're a fan of word games then you're probably familiar with Boggle, where you're given a set of random letters and have to try to form as many words as possible with them before the timer runs out. Word Twist isn't the first word game to riff on that classic formula, but it does create a unique online framework for it that lets you challenge your Facebook friends to a game without actually having to be sitting across from them, or even playing at the same time. Read more»

Parking Wars is a Facebook game that's based on the A&E reality television show of the same name, which follows parking enforcement professionals around the city of Philadelphia. Refreshingly, the game is much more than just a giant ad for the show. Read more»

PopJax.com comes from the mind of Doug Barry, a former television executive who worked on game shows including The Joker's Wild and Win, Lose or Draw. The website is best described as a collection of online video quiz games that serve as fun diversions for both trivia fans and pop culture junkies. Read more»

We're thrilled to be able to give you an exclusive sneak peak at Prized Collection, a Facebook application that our friends at rmbr will be launching next week. Read more»

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. Read more»

Welcome to a new series we're calling Social Saturdays, where each week we'll feature a game that has some kind of social aspect to it, whether it's something that can be played between friends on Facebook, a social network, or even a causal MMO (massively-multiplayer online) game. This week's game is a Facebook application from our friends at Large Animal Games called Bumper Stars. Read more»