Casual Game News

If you’re an ‘80s kid who loved Nintendo, then you probably tried to design at least one level for a favorite video game. Maybe you worked at it with a piece of graph paper and a pencil, a cold glass of Coke at your side. Then you had to imagine the whole thing in motion, since you lacked the skills to make your sketch into a real game. That was then, and this is the future. A Kickstarter for Pixel Press wants to help today’s kids bring their games to life by simply scanning the paper with an iOS device (or Android, if stretch goals are reached).

Hi. Don Kirkland here, one of the two developers on Ninja Raft. Ninja Raft is a tower defense game with a twist. The game is played out in two phases, rather than a continual struggle of resources and tower construction. 

When we started on Project Shuffle, we breathed a sigh of relief. Our previous games had been, comparatively, quite complex, even if they were an endless runner and a puzzle game. 

Wednesdays can always be a little rough for us working and schooling folks around these parts of the internet: so close to the weekend, and yet still so far away. But at least I know I’ll always be rewarded every Wednesday evening with Gamezebo’s New iOS Games Tonight feature!

We cover plenty of new games here at Gamezebo every week, but the number of games we’ve already covered that show up on new platforms?  It’s staggering.  This Wednesday and every Wednesday, Gamezebo is rounding up the games that aren’t quite new, but might be new to you depending on your platform of choice.  And who doesn't love new(ish) games?

The fact that you can play Angry Birds on basically every device under the sun is pretty cool. What's less cool, however, is that your progress isn't saved between devices. With the newly launched Rovio Accounts, that's something Rovio is hoping to change.

After a long and lonely dry spell, the original longue lizard Larry Laffer is back on the dating scene, thanks to his legions of seductive Kickstarter fans. Today we have some exciting information about a new piece of content that’s being added to the remake of Larry’s first dance with love, in the upcoming Leisure Suit Larry: Reloaded. Based on the many votes from the project’s Kickstarter backers, fans of the series have chosen Jasmine to be incorporated into the game as a new woman in Larry’s luxurious love life.

It feels like I’ve been waiting four whole years for a proper sequel to my favorite plant-themed strategy game, Plants vs. Zombies. Oh wait a minute, that’s because it has been four whole years since the original Plants vs. Zombies was first released on PC and Mac platforms back in 2009. Rumors began circulating early this year that the sequel would come with the subheading “Garden Warfare,” but the lack of any real confirmation from the zombies themselves left many of us fans thinking: what’s taking so long PopCap?!

If there’s something strange in the neighborhood, who you gonna call? The Men in Black, maybe. Digital Legends’ latest update for Respawnables makes it possible to utilize weapons and avatars from Ghostbusters and Men in Black in-game. We already know that it’s a bad idea to cross the streams, but what about time streams…?

Welcome to our weekend deals round up, or this week’s selections might fittingly suggest, the best weekend deals roundup of 1992.  Why 1992?  Because it’s full of classic games from that era and nostalgia-inspired modern releases!

A lot of good can come from playing video games. It can reduce stress and depression, and even improve the memory of the elderly. But there are some companies out there who wish to take it further. If playing a game can improve you as a person, why can’t it also improve the world around you? This is a question Global Gaming Initiative is hoping to answer.

If you haven’t been living under a pixelated block these past few years, then chances are good you’re familiar with Minecraft. The game has taken the world by storm, and inspired players far and wide to construct massive, elaborate constructions out of humble squares. To that end, the mobile version, Minecraft: Pocket Edition, just surpassed the 10 million sales mark, and Mojang has announced plans to update the game with a flurry of new content.

As some of you may have noticed, Firaxis's Haunted Hollow appeared and then quickly disappeared from the App Store last week. I suppose it isn't so surprising, seeing as how the word "haunted" is in its title. Regardless, the game has resurfaced on the App Store, and ostensibly is here to stay.

All right, put down that blasted video game. It’s time to read some books. Some video game books. Storybundle.com is offering ten awesome video game-related ebooks that are worth a collective $100—but you can donate whatever denomination you think is fair. Be generous!

Do you think the days go by more slowly when you’re floating out in space? I can’t say I know the answer to that one for sure, but luckily for all of us still here on the ground it’s Wednesday night once again, and that means another round of Gamezebo’s New iOS Games Tonight feature!

We cover plenty of new games here at Gamezebo every week, but the number of games we’ve already covered that show up on new platforms?  It’s staggering.  This Wednesday and every Wednesday, Gamezebo is rounding up the games that aren’t quite new, but might be new to you depending on your platform of choice.  And who doesn't love new(ish) games?

In case you haven’t noticed, we’re suckers for lists around here. We chronicle each week’s major iOS releases, tell you which games we can’t wait to play, and even pick the best games released every month. And while April may not have been the most prolific month of game releases, there was still plenty to get excited about – like a new Cut the Rope!

Frozen Synapse, a much-loved asynchronous shooter currently available on Steam, is coming to iPad and Android tablets. Mode 7 told Eurogamer that it’s working hard to optimize the game for its new handheld environments. "It's an exciting way to play the game and we hope it'll introduce Frozen Synapse to a whole new audience," said joint managing director Paul Taylor.

If you’re even the smallest fan of casual gaming, then you’ve probably heard of Triple Town before: the unbelievably addictive match-three game from Spry Fox. If you somehow haven’t, I would ask my girlfriend to tell you all about how much fun it is, but she barely stops playing it long enough to really speak to me anymore, so I guess you’re just going to have to take my word for it. This game is pretty awesome.

When Rage of Bahamut (from DeNA's publisher Mobage) conquered the top grossing charts on iOS and Android I was stunned. I just couldn't understand how this web port with no sound, with sexist anime graphics and absolutely terrible player flows makes any money. I asked my gaming colleagues around the world and none of them understood why people play this game. After a few tries, I uninstalled the game thinking that this was one of those one hit wonders. A Gangnam Style of gaming.