Casual Game News

If you have money in your wallet, get ready to kiss it goodbye.  Why?  Because Steam has just launched one of their biggest indie sales ever!  Combine that with great iOS deals, Big Fish savings, new bundles and more…. maybe it’s time to think about that second mortgage.

Following the success of Super Sync Sports, Google has released yet another browser-based, smartphone-controlled game. Called World Wide Maze, it turns every website on the Internet into a playable marble maze.

We’ve heard a lot of talk lately around these parts that more and more established game developers are going the way of the free-to-play model. Well it turns out there’s a very good reason for that. A recent study conducted by PlaySpan, in conjunction with Frank N. Magid Associations has shown that an astounding 77% of gamers (and 110 million Americans) spend more time playing free-to-play games than pay-to-play games. The December 2012 study surveyed current gamers between the ages of 13-54, where it was deemed that 52% of these gamers were men and 48% were women.

Have you ever wanted to be a video game tester? I mean, playing all those new games before anyone else just seems like the best job in the world (except for writing about games, that is!). Well if you’re a Steam user, then today is your lucky day. 

Several years ago, KING Art Games created a prototype for a turn-based strategy game that was eventually left behind as they pursued other projects. One of those projects happened to be The Book of Unwritten Tales, an adventure game that's as gorgeous as it is entertaining. After that taste of surprising success, the team looked back to its strategy prototype and decided the time was ripe to bring it back to life.

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?

We like to think of ourselves as classy, well-respected game reviewers here at the big GZ – but even we can’t compete with a name like Conan O’Brien.  

Unless you've spent the last couple months in a remote jungle, or given up Gamezebo for Lent (how could you!?), then you've almost certainly heard about Nimble Quest. Part cellphone classic Snake, part SNES RPG, it's the latest bite-sized concoction from the trio over at NimbleBit, and one of our most anticipated games of the year. Until recently, we'd been feeding that anticipation entirely with gameplay clips leaked by company co-founder Dave Marsh. Then we got our hands on the beta.

We spend a lot of time looking at games here at Gamezebo. You’d expect as much – heck, it’s in our name! But have you ever wondered which games the Gamezebo staff are really passionate about? The ones we can’t personally wait to get our hands on?

EA CEO John Riccitiello is stepping down from his role on March 30. The decision was made by Riccitiello himself, who felt personally responsible for the company falling below the income predictions made in January, as well as the internal operating plan laid out one year ago.

When Fez creator Phil Fish announced that the game would be coming to platforms outside of Xbox 360, he didn’t specify which ones. Most people seemed to assume it would be PC, and as it turns out, most people assumed correctly! Fez is hitting Steam on May 1, and you can preorder it here.

A new point-and-click adventure game is coming to PC and Mac, helmed by Doug TenNapel, creator of Earthworm Jim and cult-classic claymation creation The Neverhood.

Adventure games, indie games, economic simulation games – this weekend’s deals have a little bit of everything!

There’s no trying to hide our excitement for Disney Infinity here at Gamezebo. I mean, it’s a video game that gives you an excuse to buy mass amounts of Disney memorabilia. Chocolate, meet peanut butter. Unfortunately, that very excitement is what makes this news post such a bummer to write. In an attempt to release the game closer to the holiday season, Disney has pushed the game’s release date back to August.

It’s no secret that in-app purchases are a touchy subject around this neck of the gaming woods. On one hand, IAPs let you try out a bunch of great games at no initial cost; but on the other, some developers have been known to abuse the model and manipulate gamers into paying much more than the base game might actually be worth.

Video games have stories galore about princesses in peril and the heroes that are commissioned to rescue them. You might go so far as to suggest that many games tell love stories. Bloom, an adventure game by Studio Fawn, likewise tells a love story—though it’s the deep, cool love of a mother and her child rather than anything to do with the fiery love between mates.

“Who wants to play video games?” If you need a something to help you pass the time while you wait for the restless March weather to settle down, classic game vendor GOG.com has you covered. And covered. And covered. From now until March 19, you can save up to 80% on the regular price of select games, provided you pick up five of them. Sweet Christmas! Okay, the holidays are long gone—but with prices like this, it’s like celebrating Christmas all over again.

When I was in college, if one of my professors had told me to go back to my dorm room and play a video game for homework, I might have never wanted to graduate so I could just keep on learning through playing great games. But for many college students today, that ultimate gamer’s dream is becoming more and more of a reality, as educators and learning institutions of all levels are recognizing the power that gaming has to teach younger people about difficult concepts and important life skills.

Minecraft is by no stretch an offensive game, but the potential for children to wind up playing in a world filled with colossal phalluses or other pieces of R-rated architecture is all too real. Mojang’s solution to this problem is Realms, a subscription-based service for PC and mobile where parents can maintain a private, controlled server for their kids and family to play in.

“I’m sorry, but the Princess is in another castle.” It’s one of the worst things an adventurer can hear after hours of futilely platforming through rooms and rooms of hazards in a daring rescue attempt. But sadly, it seems to happen more and more for our favorite video game stars these days. Of course, this was never so bad for the gamers, as it meant another level was right around the bend. You would just think that after the first time, Mario would have installed GPS tracking in Princess Peach’s cell phone.