All Features List

After developing a string of puzzle games including Emerald Tale and Jewel of Atlantis, Enkord decided it was time to make something different. Really different. Enkord's CEO Yaroslav Yanovsky talked us through the highs and lows of working on Totem Tribe's ambitious blend of adventure, strategy and hidden object gameplay. Read more»

Like an object hidden in a puzzle, where oh where is Joel this week?

Well, guten morgen where you are, and guten tag from Germany.  I am in Hamburg for Casual Connect:Europe.  Though it is freezing outside, I am here to share you the warmth and excitement that is Casual Connect: Hamburg.  Read more»

Most people can follow a recipe, but it takes a special kind of culinary talent to be able to throw ingredients together and make up mouthwatering dishes on the fly. It's this creative side of cooking that Gamelab and Brighter Minds Media wanted to explore with Top Chef. Brighter Minds Media Game Producer and Online Sales Director Ran Flasterstein gave Gamezebo a behind the scenes look at the making of this kitchen management title. Read more»

It feels like every day for the past year, we are working on changes to help improve the Gamezebo web site.  Every blue moon, we actually release them on the public web site!

Yesterday was such a day.  As many of you have noticed, we have released new Kudos, added a lot more sub-channels, and improved navigation on the Web site.  More details below the fold. Read more»

In the hit-driven business of casual games, if a game flops it rarely gets a second chance because it's already been bowled over by the "next big thing." That's what makes the story of Bubble Town (also known as Scrubbles) so interesting.

The title was developed as a PC download for college-age students, released to a market dominated by 50+ year old women (who hated it), condemned as a failure, resurrected as a mobile game with a new name, released onto Facebook and MySpace where it became a hit, and then re-released as a PC download under its new name and, most recently, a version for the iPhone.

The story of Bubble Town provides a great insight into why certain games are given second chances, and why some games become hits and others don't.

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As a developer we often deal with so many fires and situations that force us to be innovative, cunning and creative. This helps empower us and our team to create a compelling product in this very competitive environment. With all the pleasures of quality, testing and creativity thrust upon us, why oh why are we also forced to deal with the squabbling of our distributors like a bad family during the holidays? Read more»

From December to January, Gamezebo writers played, reviewed, analyzed and picked apart hundreds of games, so it takes something pretty special to stand out from the crowd. The following list contains our picks for the most memorable games of 2008. Some are simply best-of-breed, while others just stuck out in our minds for being particularly fun or unique. (Read more.) Read more»

Mystery Case Files: Return to Ravenhearst is the fifth title in one of the most popular hidden object game franchises in casual game history. But how close did "R2R" come to abandoning its hidden object game roots once and for all?

This was just one of the issues touched on when Gamezebo sat down with Return to Ravenhearst's Lead Designer Adrian Woods, Art Director Jeff Haynie and Producer Chris Campbell, and Big Fish Games VP Patrick Wylie as they reflected on the making of the game. (Read more.)

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What do you do when you're just not ready to say goodbye?

That was the problem faced by the Peggle team. They wanted to continue their franchise, but they weren't quite ready to let go of the game that they'd had such success with.

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It's one of the biggest casual game releases of the year, but there was every chance that instead of spinning gems in Bejeweled Twist, fans could have  been turning tuna in "Zoingo." Read more»

“There are two businesses that can survive a recession,” Silvio tells his mafia boss Tony in a classic episode of The Sopranos, “entertainment and our business.”

Casual game companies tend to agree, proclaiming that as part of entertainment, they will survive this global recession. Some actually think casual games will thrive. They could not be more delusional. Like every single sector in our economy, the global recession of 2009 will change everything in casual games.  Read more»

Each title in Sandlot Games' Tradewinds series starts with a unique location. In the case of Tradewinds Caravans, Central Asia and the history of the Silk Road proved to be a fascinating setting that was steepd in mystery for people in the West. Read more»

I didn't want to get back into gaming. After spending the better part of the '90's creating complex, labor-intensive adventure games, I was done. Burnt. Fried. Disillusioned. Games were becoming increasingly violent and ever more ridiculous. My dream of creating games with heart and soul was crushed. So I left gaming, became a stay-at-home dad and wrote the great American novel. My feeling was I'd never work in games again. But what happened? In a word: Flo. Read more»

The U.S. presidential election is less than a month away, and several developers have weighed in with politically-themed video games. Some of them are educational and inspiring while others are satirical or just plain silly, but there's no mistaking the fact that games are becoming the 21st century version of the political cartoon. Here's a look at some of the games that were inspired by Election 2008. Read more»

There are two numbers that are big news lately: $700 billion for the US government to bail out Wall Street and $83.3 million venture capital investment in Big Fish Games.

Both confuse and intrigue me. I can't fully explain the $700 bail-out (and if I did, I would end up writing a boring and depressing tirade comparing the current administration with the Hoover presidency). But, I can share my thoughts on the $83.3 million that Big Fish Games just raised.

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This week in San Francisco, the technology industry's leading lights gathered for the second annual TechCrunch 50 (nee 40, 20) to pick the best and most exciting new companies and business ideas. The event, spearheaded by the insidery blog TechCrunch, is designed to ferret out the best new companies and ideas regardless of their stage, ability to pay, or PR savvy.

As usual, there are myriad doubts about the honesty of the process and politicization of the choices, but the basic premire is sound: filter a large number of ideas to 52 good ones and let the experts decide on the best and brightest.

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The Princess Bride is a film that could truly be considered a "new classic." One that has been passed from parents to children and become a pop culture touchstone in the process, as well as one of the most universally loved films of the past quarter century.

So, to say that Worldwide Biggies was "a bit cautious" about turning the film into a casual game might be something of an understatement.

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In the casual game market, there is a lot riding on a game's replay value. Sure, a game could have only one level and be successful, but it has to be something that players can tune in to over and over.

That's why when Isaac Shepard designed Music Catch, he knew that it had to be, well, catchy.

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For the first time in Gamezebo's history we're publishing a Behind the Game feature about a title before it launches. With expectations for Cake Mania 3 running high, Sandlot Games Founder & CEO Daniel Bernstein took us behind the scenes for an in-depth look at how the anticipated time management sequel came together. Read more»

Quebec-based studio Ludia created two video games based on television shows at essentially the same time, but they couldn't have been more different. One was based on the squeaky clean and family-friendly game show The Price is Right; the other, Hell's Kitchen, an edgy reality cooking show starring British bad boy chef Gordon Ramsay. Read more»

If you've been following the Hasbro vs. Scrabulous saga then what happened this week wasn't all that surprising, but it still came as a kick in the teeth to the 4 million or so Facebook users who enjoyed playing the immensely popular multiplayer take-off on Scrabble.

On Tuesday, fans found that Facebook had shut Scrabulous down in response to a lawsuit that Hasbro, owner of the North American rights to Scrabble, was filing against the makers of the game.

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Video game consoles are no longer just for teenage boys - at least that seemed to be the prevailing message at this year's Electronic Entertainment Expo, which wrapped up this week in Los Angeles. Traditionally the event where companies gather to show off the next Halo, Grand Theft Auto or Call of Duty, this year saw a ton of announcements that might convince more than a few casual gamers to ask for a Nintendo DS, Wii, or even an Xbox 360 this holiday season. Read more»

Story is not always the top priority in casual game development. Sure, it's a great compliment to some games, adding an extra layer of satisfaction to the gameplay or a few laughs, but for other games it's a downright hindrance.

That's part of what put I-play in such an unusual position while developing Women's Murder Club. They wanted more than a threadbare way to get from Level A to Level B; their primary motivation was a solid narrative.

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Studios like PopCap and EA have been developing mobile phone games for years, but they've never seen anything quite like Apple's iPhone. The device's multi-touch screen, motion sensors and high-definition graphics open up intriguing new possibilities for game design - and companies have already starting to take advantage of them. Read more»

Some game companies use pretty pedestrian means to pick their projects; maybe doing some market research and testing what ideas have been popular in the marketplace, or by licensing an IP and going from there, or just making a sequel.

For Reflexive's Russell Carroll, the producer of Airport Mania, the process is much less regimented.

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Place more than two casual game executives in a room together and the one thing they will agree on is that casual game downloads are dead. They are not, of course. The market is just changing, evolving into a whole new market with new genres, distribution channels, and pricing (unlike the price of gas, download games are cheaper, yea!). Read more»

I would love to go to one store to buy every product I want. But shuttling from one retailer to another is the reality of the American consumer. That's what specials are all about. That's why Macy's has one-day-only sales and AT&T has the iPhone. People who sell stuff employ all kinds of strategies to get you into their establishments, because capitalism thrives on the better mouse-trap theory, and mouse-traps are not just products, but offerings and services. Such as, only available here. Read more»

Much like a real estate tycoon staring at an empty lot, HipSoft had a blank canvas in front of them as they pondered their next project. So why, with all those possibilities, return to Built-a-Lot, especially just a month after the first game was completed? Read more»

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 fourth game in the series, Mystery Case Files: Madame Fate. Read more»

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. Read more»

We have been working hard to fix the issues we were having with the new Gamezebo Web site. As promised, here's my update:

We fixed the issue so that screen shots display with all our Margie B's huge Tips (and we've been posting new ones quickly). We've also made fixes so that our search feature should be working much better and you'll see a lot less file not founds on the site.

Next Up: Fixing Gamezebo To Go so you start to get daily updates again. Thanks for your patience and excellent suggestions.

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When Harold Snaring of Lake Cushman, Washington suffered a stroke last year, his wife Marilyn brought some unconventional therapy to the rehab center: her copy of Mystery Case Files: Huntsville, a popular hidden object game from Big Fish Games. Read more»

It was just 2 years ago that we launched Gamezebo. Our goal was then and still remains the same: to create an online home and community for people passionate about casual games, just like you.

During this time, many of you have written in with suggestions and requests for new features and ideas on ways we can improve the Web site. Well, we’ve listened and the result is new Gamezebo, featuring improved search, enhanced community, new personalization, and a lot more fun and games! Read more»

The West wasn't conquered with one wagon train. It took group after group braving the wilderness for years before the land was tamed. In much the same way, the team behind Westward realized they had plenty of reasons to return to their first game's subject matter for a follow-up, the recently released Westward II: Heroes of the Frontier. Read more»

Listen to me now. A black man is close to becoming President of the United States. A black woman is Secretary of State. A black man just became Governor of New York. Oprah is arguably the most powerful media personality in the world. Yet when was that last time you saw black face in a game? A real black face. Oh, there are a few, in the background. There's a couple in Wedding Dash. There might be one in Shop Mania. But the fact is that Sasquatch sightings are more common. Unicorns outnumber people of color in casual games at least 10-1. What's going on here? Read more»

Chock it up to growing pains - maybe. Some great games have come out over the past couple of weeks, but at the same time, it seems like Gamezebo's writers have handed out more sub-par scores than we have in the entire history of the site. And trust us, that's not because we've just arbitrarily decided to get tougher on games. It's because so many of the new games being released are just not up to the standards we've come to expect. Read more»

As you could probably imagine, most casual game developers set out from the beginning to make a game. After a time, it's inevitably required that said game be encased in a story, some narrative thread propelling the player from level to level. But Gamenauts' Cate West: The Vanishing Files arrived a different way entirely. Stanley Adrianus, founder of the company, had a lead character and a story he wanted to tell about her -- he just needed the right game for the job. Read more»

With its challenging click management gameplay and spunky hero Flo, the Diner Dash series is the crown jewel in PlayFirst's game catalogue. However, after 200 million downloads, two successful sequels, portable versions for the Nintendo DS, Sony PSP and mobile phones, and a SpongeBob Squarepants-themed spin-off, the big question for PlayFirst heading into 2007 was "what next?" Not content to rest on its laurels, PlayFirst looked closely at websites like Gaia Online, Maple Story, Pogo and Puzzle Pirates for inspiration for the next Diner Dash game. The result, Diner Dash: Hometown Hero, introduced micro-transactions, user-generated content and multiplayer modes to the series. Read more»

Remember that controversial article from The Escapist the other week about "cloning" in casual games? Gabe did, and he responds, in this week's excellent installment of Gabe's Corner. Read more»

The first year I went to the Game Developers Conference (GDC), there was one session for casual games and it was in a closet across the street from the main convention center. This year, GDC devoted a whole day for the Casual Games Summit. Indeed, casual games are coming of age. Read more»

Look around your average casual games site and you're likely to think you have double-vision. Clones and copy-cats abound, whether it's the latest gem-swapping game or the next version on Sudoku. It's enough to make you think (and many people do) that the casual gamer has been figured out. Casual gamers, the argument goes, don't want something new - all they want is the same safe gameplay in a new package. Nobody is interested in innovation. Read more»

As this is the inaugural issue of both Gamezebo and Gabe's Corner, I wanted to take a moment to welcome you to the site and explain what we're all about. Read more»

Last week, most of the casual gaming industry converged on Amsterdam in The Netherlands for a weeklong event called Casuality. Contrary to popular belief, the event was not merely an excuse for a European boondoggle - but also a chance for key industry folks to discuss the pressing issues of the day. These included topics such as advertising in games, the need for more regionalized content, and the impact of community and multiplayer features. Read more»

Peanut butter and jelly. Ham and eggs. Laurel and Hardy. ... Golf and solitaire? OK, so it may not seem like the most natural combination. But by drawing on the best bits of both, Fairway Solitaire may have created a whole new perfect combination to rank right up there with PB&J. Read more»

"Where will the money come from?" is probably the most important question game developers face. Even with the most ground-breaking, unique, industry-shaking idea, it's the cold hard cash that brings that idea to life. Or doesn't. Money was the topic of conversation at the recent GameON Finance in Toronto, Canada. Fittingly taking place in the high-ceilinged ornate meeting hall of a former downtown bank, the event drew an eclectic mixture of established game developers and new studios, venture capitalists, consultants, agencies and investors who came together to discuss ways for game-makers to secure funding for their projects. Read more»

To feel secure. To feel safe. To feel a sense of control. The comfort of knowing that certain efforts will yield certain results. Do good, get good in return. Predictability. Affirmation. A modicum of recognition, a genuine expression of gratitude and appreciation. The satisfaction of a job well done. Love. And all this can be yours for $19.95. All this from a game. Read more»

You wouldn't think of it to look at it, but JoJo's Fashion Show, the unusual dress-up casual game, got its start as a different animal entirely. "Like many casual game characters, Jojo was originally a store owner. She had a little boutique where she sold clothes that she designed," said Gregory Trefry, senior game designer at Gamelab. "We were thinking of it as Diner Dash with an actual menu - not everyone just got a grilled cheese. It was pretty fun, but [iWin VP] Jim [Stern] and the guys at iWin very astutely observed a real glut of spinning plates hitting the market." Luckily for JoJo and fans of her game, a change of clothes was about to take her from "also-ran" to runway diva. Read more»

When the original Super Granny launched in 2004, we were concerned that the Lode Runner-inspired game dynamic would be too hardcore for our target audience. No keyboard action/platform game had ever been successful in the casual games market. So how were we going to make a hit? After recently launching Super Granny 4 and observing record-breaking downloads from our site, let me reflect on why the audience for this franchise continues to grow. Read more»

2007 was a banner year for casual games. Traditional video game companies finally woke up to the phenomenon that is casual games and announced they're joining the bandwagon. More casual games were released on more platforms than ever before. And, according to the Casual Games Association's (CGA) 2007 Report, casual games is now a $2.25 billion a year business! But, don't you go trading in your Nissan Altima for a Mercedes CLK just yet, my casual game industry friends. 2007 was indeed a year of great promise, but for the most part, of it was a year of promise unfulfilled. And we only have ourselves to blame. Read more»

My phone's ringing and it's probably one of my girlfriends, but as much as I enjoy gabbing with her all day (as well as doing laundry, knitting sweaters and foraging for wild berries - it's in my genes), I'm going to have to ignore her for the time being to set a few things straight. Read more»