Gamezebo: Previews | Puzzle

Collapse! Preview

erin — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 09:57:55 -0600

When it comes to classic puzzle games, GameHouse's Collapse! series is right up there with the best of them -- which is why we were excited to learn that the franchise is returning with a brand new block-busting, color-matching title called simply COLLAPSE!

The premise of Collapse! is of course to click on clusters of three or more of the same colored block to clear them from the screen. When this happens, the surrounding blocks "collapse" in on the hole to create new color matching combinations. In COLLAPSE! you'll travel a new world with more than 180 levels and guide your own customizable character on a heroic mission to free the land from invaders, going up against enemies like Blockzilla and Blocktopus.

Fishdom: Spooky Splash Preview

erin — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 21:27:02 -0500

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!

Lucidity Preview

erin — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 16:55:54 -0500

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.

As StarWars.com reports, Lucidity takes place in a surreal dreamworld inspired by the imagination of a little girl named Sofi. As Sofi drifts through the dreamworld, players must keep her safe and deliver her to the end of the level. Players don't actually control Sofi herself, who moves forward automatically through the level, but must instead place randomly generated objects like stairs, slingshots and platforms to create a safe path for Sofi to follow.

QuantZ Preview

erin — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 08:44:56 -0500

Gamerizon has given us a sneak peak at QuantZ, an upcoming puzzle game that will blend action, match-3 and marble-popper gameplay. The game has been a long time coming, but we're happy to announce that it will launch later this month for PC and Mac.

The objective of QuantZ is to control a cube with your mouse and drop marbles onto it. By manipulating the cube you'll gather colored "QuantZ," which you can launch to make them pop to create colorful explosions and set up combos and chain reactions.

You'll explore 24 beautiful worlds and complete 100 puzzles on your quest to become the QuantZ Oracle. The game offers three modes: Strategy, Action and Puzzle, and will offer 30 hours of gameplay according to the developer.

BumbleTales Preview

erin — Tue, 12 May 2009 08:23:52 -0500

Tandem Games will soon be launching a neat new match-three puzzle game called BumbleTales, and the studio gave Gamezebo a sneak peak. Your job is to repopulate the town of Springleton, which is home to eccentric green blob-like characters known as Bumbles.

Asami's Sushi Shop Preview

erin — Fri, 01 May 2009 08:52:02 -0500

GestaltGames gave us a peak at Asami's Sushi Shop, an upcoming match-3 / time management game similar to Burger Rush or Coffee Time where you'll get to try your hand at running a Japanese sushi restaurant. Swap and slide sushi on the game board to make groups of three or more to fill your customers' orders. Play mini-games between levels to get new recipe, or visit the market to get new decorations
for the restaurant, upgrade your equipment, or stock up on bonuses to keep customers happy.

Dragon Hatchery Preview

erin — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 09:08:17 -0500

Red Thumb Games has given us a preview of Dragon Hatchery, an upcoming game that combines color-matching puzzles with time management as you try to prevent dragonkind from becoming extinct. You'll match colored eggs to hatch baby dragons, then feed and care for them in your very own hatchery as they grow into adults. Along the way you'll use power-ups and gold to help you in your quest, and collect trophies for special achievements. The game is launching very soon, so be sure to check back to Gamezebo for our official review.

Quilting Time Preview

erin — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 08:59:23 -0500

Jenkat Games has given us a preview of Quilting Time, an upcoming puzzle game where you match shapes, patterns and colors to create beautiful quilts (or in our case, not quite so beautiful...)

The gist of Quilting Time is that you have to create quilt squares by filling in the missing shapes (triangles, squares, and so on). Once the square is finished, you can place anywhere you like to build the overall quilt. This sort of gameplay has been done before, but one of the things that helps to set Quilting Time apart is that you can choose the colors and patterns of your squares.

Twinkle Toes Skating Preview

erin — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 08:02:33 -0600

Last year, Twinkle Toes Skating from Hanako Games (Cute Knight, Fatal Hearts) won first place in Casual Connect's Innovate 2007 game design contest. Gamezebo has more details to share about the upcoming figure skating-themed puzzle game.

Legacy: World Adventure Preview

erin — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 08:44:59 -0600

In Legacy: World Adventure, an upcoming match-three puzzle game from Big Blue Bubble, young adventurer Emily King sets out to win the Grand Adventurer's Expedition, a secret race that her family has participated in for generations but never won – thanks to the cheating, money-hungry Barrington family. Emily wants to beat the Barringtons more than anything, but she'll need your help to do it.

The Grand Adventurer's Expedition is a worldwide competition, so Emily will have to use her trusty airship, the King's Legacy, to travel between 30 different countries including Ireland, Russia, Brazil and Australia.

Call of Atlantis Preview

erin — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 09:08:04 -0500

Playrix has announced the next game in its Atlantis series, which also includes Atlantis Quest and The Rise of Atlantis. The new title, Call of Atlantis, will feature a blend of match-three, hidden object and adventure gameplay.

Players will undertake a journey that spans 66 levels across the seven ancient lands of Rome, Greece, Troy, Phoenicia, Babylon, Egypt and Carthage. The goal is to acquire the seven mysterious crystals of power in order to appease the sea God, Poseidon, and save the continent of Atlantis.

As a bonus, players will get an animated screensaver for their computers.

Spooky Spirits Preview

erin — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 08:36:53 -0500

The Swedish-based creators of Dracula Twins, Legendo, are working on another spooky game that's scheduled to launch just in time for Haloween. Spooky Spirits is a puzzle game that centers on the adventures of two "spirit wardens" named Becky and Tim, who are tasked with hunting down runaway ghosts that have escaped from the Netherworld.

Becky and Tim's search takes them to haunted locations including the Egyptian Sphinx, an ancient Mayan pyramid in Mexico, and a haunted house in England. Here, the goal is to recapture the naughty ghosts, known as Spookies, by building and expanding stacks of them in any direction or number in a twist on traditional falling block and match-three formats.

Slingo Supreme Preview

erin — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 09:35:46 -0500

The addictive blend of slots and bingo known as Slingo has been delighting casual gamers for more than a decade in one form or another, and soon Slingo fans will be able to add Slingo Supreme to the list.

According to the team at Funkitron, the goal behind Slingo Supreme is to create a flagship product for all Slingo fans -- and a direct sequel to the hit that started it all: Slingo Deluxe.

The challenge, though, was figuring out how to make a flagship product for a type of game that's not a quest-based or adventure game but still give players a fully-featured experience that lasts a long time.

Puzzle Kingdoms Preview

erin — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 07:10:00 -0500

Zoo Games has revealed the first screenshots for Puzzle Kingdoms. The combination of match-three and a fantasy role-playing theme where players make matches to attack and cast spells on opponents is of course an awful lot like Puzzle Quest, but apparently you'll also have to "manage resources wisely and build an army that will help you conquer all who stand in your way." Puzzle Kingdoms will be available this holiday season for PC, Nintendo DS and Nintendo Wii.

Restaurant Rush Preview

erin — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 09:37:06 -0500

Fans of Burger Rush - a game where you matched ingredients on a sizzling stovetop to create healthy burgers to serve to impatient customers - will soon have a sequel. Gamenauts is putting the finishing touches on Restaurant Rush as we speak, and gave us the lowdown on the game's new features.

What's new in Restaurant Rush? Let's start with the fact that you can now cook more than 50 recipes from Pizza Marinara to Dim Sum and Filet Mignon, and please customers with 15 different desserts.

Another new feature is the Farmer's Market, which gives you the ability to upgrade a dish's ingredients and adds a new layer of strategy to the gameplay.

Elven Mists 2 Preview

erin — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 08:28:34 -0500

In the sequel to Intenium's brainteaser Elven Mists, the old Awakener of the Elves has retired after 750 years of faithful service and nominates you as his successor. But since you're only 99 years old, you'll have to convince the dwellers of the mystical kingdom of Deru that you're qualified to reawaken the Elves, who have been hibernating in their flower beds.

Clueless Preview

erin — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 23:14:32 -0500

Along with Mean Girls and Pretty in Pink, Paramount Digital Entertainment and Legacy Interactive are working on a game based on the 1995 Paramount film Clueless, which stars the plucky Beverly Hills high school student Cher as she tries to find the perfect boyfriends for all her pals.

As a self-proclaimed match-maker and fashionista extroardinaire, Cher will need a sharp eye and quick wit to figure out what kind of guy her friends want by noticing what clothes these potential suitors wear and what sort of interests they have.

Green Valley - Summer Rush Preview

erin — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 09:14:38 -0500

When we last saw everyone's favorite bumbling insect dad, Beetle Bug, he was rescuing his kidnapped kids in Beetle Bug 3. Now the poor guy has inherited a farm and takes his family out to the country only to discover that the "farmhouse" is actually a shack badly in need of repairs. So in Green Valley - Summer Rush, Beetle Bug gets up early every morning to turn the run-down farm into a flourishing business.

Green Valley - Summer Rush will feature more than 100 levels of match-three gameplay as well as bonus levels like sheep-shearing and bird hunting. You'll be able to use the points you earn in the levels to build improvements for the farm.

Mean Girls Preview

erin — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 08:54:36 -0500

Every high school has its "mean girls" - the clique of the prettiest, most popular girls who always seemed to have the most terrible personalities. In Mean Girls: High School Showdown, a game based on the movie that launched Lindsay Lohan's career, you'll take on the role of a high school student trying to restore the balance of power by bringing down the biggest clique of them all: the Plastics.

4 Elements Preview

erin — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 09:04:26 -0500

Playrix Entertainment, the makers of Fishdom and Around the World in 80 Days, are hard at work on their next game, a fantasy-themed match-three puzzler called 4 Elements.

The ancient kingdom where the game takes place is in trouble. The magic of the four elements that had kept the kingdom running for centuries has been corrupted by evil powers, and the altars no longer yield the energy of life.

You must restore life to the kingdom by unlocking the four ancient books of magic and collecting 16 mysterious cards. Guided by a little fairy helper, you'll encounter elementals, dragons, knights and other magic creatures.

Bob the Builder: Can-Do Zoo Preview

erin — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 09:35:41 -0500

Children's software publisher Brighter Minds is excited about the upcoming release of its first downloadable game, Bob the Builder: Can-Do Zoo, and gave us some screenshots to share with you. Although Gamezebo doesn't often preview kids' games, we're making an exception in this case since the co-developer is none other than Gamelab, the creators of Diner Dash, Miss Management, Jojo's Fashion Show and other games that we love.

Gold Rush - Treasure Hunt Preview

erin — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 09:06:11 -0500

Long ago, Prospector Jack dug too greedily and became a ghost. Now he's doomed to haunt the gold mines forever - unless you can help him lift the curse. Go digging for gold nuggets and other treasures, perform more than 100 special tasks and complete time- and depth-based challenges to prove your mining skills. Do you have what it takes to become a top-notch prospector? Find out when Gold Rush - Treasure Hunt launches later this month.

The Pini Society: The Remarkable Truth Preview

erin — Wed, 21 May 2008 23:13:05 -0500

The Pini Society is a secret organization dedicated to finding and protecting mankind's sacred treasures. While this sounds like an intriguing plot point for any casual game, the difference in the case of The Pini Society: The Remarkable Truth is that the Pini Society actually exists in real life. How cool is that?

The Pini Society was founded by James Arthur Pini in 1854, during a time when many of the world's ancient archaeological relics were being sold or desecrated by grave robbers and treasure seekers. The society was recently re-founded in 2006 by Pini's great-great-granddaughter Rebecca Jayne in the hopes that members of the public could carry on the mission of helping to preserve the cultural wonders of the world.

Little Farm Preview

erin — Fri, 16 May 2008 00:06:04 -0500

It's Steve and Martha Norman's lucky day after Martha buys a raffle ticket for a fundraiser and wins! Her prize is a real, honest to goodness farm. Although it's a big life change, the Normans decide to jump into the family motor home with the kids and leave the big city behind in Little Farm, the upcoming puzzle game from MumboJumbo and Hot Lava. "How hard can it be?" asks Steve. Famous last words...

Beebo Deluxe Preview

joel — Thu, 01 May 2008 10:04:12 -0500

Here at Gamezebo we think games for charity are great. That's why we were excited to learn about Beebo Deluxe, an upcoming game from Encore that was created to help preserve the health of honeybees and other important pollinators.

The Amazing Brain Train Preview

joel — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 17:23:38 -0500

Power up your intellect and embark on an epic quest aboard The Amazing Brain Train, a new game that will be launching very soon from Grubby Games. Fueled by your mental energy, Professor Fizzwizzle's Brain Train will take you on a brain-boosting adventure.

Game features include:

Pastry Passion Preview

joel — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 21:56:18 -0500

Pastry Passion - the new game from GameHouse and RealArcade - will be launching mid-May and we got our hands on some screenshots to whet your appetite (literally). In this culinary match-three featuring 60 levels and 2 game modes, the goal is to make high quality pastries by matching the required ingredients to help fun-loving baker Henri prepare for a big wedding. You'll also buy helpful tools and pass Henri's exams to become Master Pastry Chef.

Eye for Design Preview

joel — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 00:42:34 -0500

Sandlot Games sent us some screenshots for Eye for Design, an upcoming puzzle game set in the fun and creative world of interior design. The game should be launching in late April/early May.

ZoomBook: The Temple of the Sun Preview

erin — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 23:05:33 -0500

MumboJumbo's and QB9's ZoomBook: The Temple of the Sun is
either an interactive storybook or a jigsaw puzzle with one heck of a
plot. We'll leave it up to you to decide when the game launches in
June. Either way, the idea is a neat one, and we were pretty intrigued
when we got to test drive the game a little early.

Spacebound Preview

admin — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 11:06:58 -0600

Gamezebo has gotten a sneak peek at Spacebound and we think it may very well be the "next big thing" in puzzle casual games. If you can't get enough of cute games like Qbeez and Chuzzle but enjoy a unique game play unlike any puzzle out there, then you may fall in love with Spacebound.

Ocean Express Preview

admin — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 11:06:58 -0600

Here's what to expect when Ocean Express sets sail next week.

The goal of this downloadable game - which is free to play for 60 minutes - is to perfectly pack cargo on an ocean liner so that all the pieces fit perfectly together. This is done by clicking one of the unique puzzle pieces (that closely resemble the colorful Tetris blocks) and rotating them around until it best fits a spot on the deck.

Pirate Poppers Preview

admin — Sat, 23 Feb 2008 15:51:32 -0600

Ahoy there, swashbucklers! If you liked Luxor or Zuma, you'll want to check out Pirate Poppers from the folks at Mystery Studio and PlayFirst.

PlayFirst is best known in the casual game space for publishing creative and innovative games, such as Diner Dash, Egg vs. Chicken, and Plantasia. While Pirate Poppers won't win any awards for originality, this upcoming puzzle game proves you can take an amazing concept and add some new twists.

Eye patch is optional.

Inca Quest Preview

admin — Sat, 23 Feb 2008 15:51:32 -0600

GameZebo has a special treat for its readers - and especially fans of the mega-popular Jewel Quest and Mah Jong Quest games from iWin.

We went on a bit of a "quest" ourselves to secure an exclusive look at their next game: Inca Quest.

Here's the scoop:

First Look - Slingo Quest Hawaii

admin — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 10:40:28 -0600

Fans of Slingo and its addicting slots-meets-bingo gameplay will be pleased to hear that Funkitron is hard at work on the next game in the series, Slingo Quest Hawaii - rumor even has it that Funkitron President Dave Walls actually played Ukele himself on the theme song!

New features include special board shapes (like 7x7 with a hole in the middle), Hawaiin-themed post cards to collect, and of course gorgeous Hawaiin settings like a coral reef and sunken ship.

DragonStone Preview

admin — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 10:02:32 -0600

Whether you're the kind of player who gravitates towards action-oriented puzzle games or story-driven adventures, DragonStone has both fronts covered. The upcoming fantasy-themed marble popper from PlayPond also ingeniously incorporates role-playing elements like monster encounters, side-quests, equipment upgrades and non-player characters (NPCs), resulting in a hybrid that should prove charming enough to make a few die-hard fans of either genre cross over to the other side.

Cradle of Persia Preview

admin — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 10:59:48 -0600

We have Persian rugs to decorate our homes and Persian cats to "decorate" our rugs, but what do we really know about Persia, specifically the Persian Empire? For most, the answer's "not much." In brief, Persia is known primarily as Iran today. The Persian Empire, however, was actually a series of historical kingdoms that ruled the Iranian plateau and parts beyond. What's the significance? Well, the development of that ancient empire plays out in Cradle of Persia.

Puzzle City Preview

admin — Sat, 29 Sep 2007 11:14:17 -0500

Puzzle City isn't the first casual game to let players try their hand at city planning, but it's certainly one of the most frenetic as Gamezebo found out during our hands-on time with it. As the newly hired construction manager, you'll get to build up the cityscape by matching color-coded pieces on a grid as they fly off a conveyor belt.

First Look: Cindy's Sundaes

admin — Mon, 06 Aug 2007 07:30:27 -0500

Viqua Games, makers of the award winning game Tommy and the Magic Words, shared with the us screen shots and video of their upcoming game, Cindy's Sundaes. Cindy's Sundaes is a puzzle game which reminds us of Burger Rush and Gem Shop but with ice cream.

Click READ MORE to view screen shots and click here to view a sneak peak video of the game.

ZoomBook: Temple of the Sun Preview

admin — Tue, 29 May 2007 08:35:15 -0500

MumboJumbo's and QB9's ZoomBook: The Temple of the Sun is either an interactive storybook or a jigsaw puzzle with one heck of a plot. We'll leave it up to you to decide when the game launches in June. Either way, the idea is a neat one, and we were pretty intrigued when we got to test drive the game a little early.

Escape from Paradise Preview

admin — Wed, 02 May 2007 09:50:52 -0500

The latest title from Gogii Games and Big Fish Games is Escape from Paradise, a "life simulation" set on a lush tropical island where a handful of castaways are trying to survive and find a way home.

Magic Match: The Genie's Journey Preview

admin — Tue, 23 Jan 2007 13:45:02 -0600

Good news for fans of pattern-making puzzlers and everyday Joes alike. Just like those who played last year's offbeat original, we suspect anyone who grew up listening wide-eyed to the tales of the Arabian Nights will appreciate token sequel Magic Match: The Genie's Journey.

Brain Booster Preview

admin — Thu, 02 Nov 2006 08:50:32 -0600

Given the chart-topping success of cerebral challenge Brain Age for Nintendo's handheld DS system on both sides of the Pacific, it's surprising that we haven't seen more titles which follow its intellect-raising example.

Expect things to change soon, however, with the impending release of Gogii Games' novel outing Brain Booster, which purports to tangibly improve one's literary comprehension, mathematical skills, spatial reasoning and other assorted academic abilities.

Luxor 2 Preview

admin — Wed, 04 Oct 2006 11:11:43 -0500

How do you improve on one of the hottest casual games of our time?

If you're MumboJumbo - the makers of the incredibly popular Luxor puzzler, which has been downloaded more than 40 million times since its 2005 debut - you create a sequel that's bigger, better and more beautiful.

Luxor 2 is the stellar follow-up to the hit game, due out on October 10 (mark your calendar, kids!).

The Gamezebo staff was granted an exclusive sneak peek at what to expect - and the good news is the game will likely satiate both Luxor lovers and newbie gamers alike.

Atlantis - Sky Patrol Preview

admin — Thu, 17 Aug 2006 08:22:54 -0500

If you dig "steampunk" - that special blend of widget-happy, Victorian-era science-fiction immortalized in films like Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow and the works of author H.G. Wells - then get ready to rejoice.

Chances are you'll love Atlantis - Sky Patrol, an eye-catching new diversion debuting next week from Big Fish Studios that celebrates the joys of the genre's singular, neo-industrialized aesthetic and eye for wild, wacky inventions.

Glyph Preview

admin — Fri, 16 Jun 2006 09:20:03 -0500

Glyphs appear all around the world -- from England to Egypt, South America to even Utah.

So, what's a glyph, you ask? Well, it's a fancy name for a figure or character that stands for a letter, sound or word. Ancient cultures -- the Egyptians, Mayans and Native Americans for instance -- inscribed these "writings" in rock to communicate.

But for our purposes, Glyph is an addictive match-three diversion from Sandlot Games. Yet, like those inscriptions of old, it's guaranteed to leave its mark indelibly on your life like symbols carved into stone.

Big Kahuna 2: Chain Reaction Preview

admin — Thu, 18 May 2006 13:25:04 -0500

Toss on your snorkeling mask, flippers and your Speedo - it's time to return to Big Kahuna Reef for an underwater puzzle adventure.

This sequel to the wildly popular Big Kahuna Reef - which, in late 2004, became one of the hottest download sensations for its additive 3-in-a-row game-play - offers hundreds of levels, new power-ups and explosive chain reactions.

Gamezebo spent some time getting our feet wet with Big Kahuna Reef 2: Chain Reaction. Here's what to expect when this game washes on shore in June.

Bounty -- Special Edition Preview

admin — Wed, 10 May 2006 23:58:53 -0500

Casual games are fun, accessible and hard to put down, but let's face it - they usually have so-so graphics, a lackluster story or music that sounds like it was more of an afterthought.

Super Collapse 3 Preview

admin — Wed, 03 May 2006 13:33:26 -0500

A good casual game has a funny way of hooking you when you least expect it. You know, what begins as a quick five-minute diversion while finishing your lunch at your desk somehow turns into a two-hour ordeal.

No one knows this more than GameHouse, one of the more prolific providers of downloadable and online games in cyberspace. And so these savvy folks are about to do it again with the third installment in the popular Super Collapse games.

Gamezebo was privileged to get our hands on a near-final version of Super Collapse 3, so here's the scoop...