Latest Reviews

If you couldn't get enough of Aveyond, then you'll love Aveyond 2 as well. Amaranth Games has delivered another 2-D fantasy role-playing epic that rivals the first in terms of gameplay depth and length. Read more»

Turn your clocks back - way back - to the year 1930, when a young Nancy Drew sets out on her first mystery. Nancy Drew: Secret of the Old Clock is an interactive version of the first ever Nancy Drew novel, which celebrates its 75th anniversary this year. But it should be pointed out this downloadable point-and-click adventure game actually debuted more than two years ago - on CD-ROM - as part of Her Interactive's popular Nancy Drew computer game series. Now that many web surfers have a broadband connection, it might be just as easy to download this 500MB+ game directly to your PC. Read more»

Anyone who regularly tunes into television networks like Bravo and Lifetime or dreams of DIY (Do It Yourself) stardom will feel an instant affinity for Home Sweet Home. An original, eye-catching blend of puzzle-solving and real-time strategy mechanics based on an innovative concept - you're the interior designer - the title's sure to resonate with would-be decorators of any style or gender. Read more»

Enjoying the familiar flavor of your favorite chocolate is always a delightful experience, but game sequels face a greater challenge in that they have to bring new experiences to the table while retaining the charm of their predecessors. We're happy to report that the much-anticipated Chocolatier sequel - Chocolatier 2: Secret Ingredients - is another sweet experience. Read more»

If you're a big fan of stories in casual games then you won't want to miss Fatal Hearts. From independent game developer Hanako Games (the makers of Cute Knight), Fatal Hearts features a deep choose-your-own-adventure story where the choices you make affect not only the ending of the game, but how you get there. Read more»

As anyone who's tussled with a gopher or combated a mole in hopes of guarding their precious flowers and/or vegetable patch can attest, protecting one's home from pests can be a daily battle. Now, the pastime's also an incredibly deep and engaging real-time strategy game in the form of Garden Defense, another smash hit from the folks at iWin. Read more»

Agatha Christie: And Then There Were None is an interactive whodunit that, while requiring some sleuth-like perseverance you'll find it a gratifying tale of intrigue and murder. Read more»

Inspired by pioneering science fiction author Jules Verne's novel of the same name, Journey to the Center of the Earth is a point-and-click adventure that explores Verne's world through the present-day point of view of a photojournalist named Ariane. Although the story is new, the game has all usual trappings that you'd expect from an adventure game - including the ones that can make them absolutely infuriating. Read more»

There was a time when side-scrolling platform games ruled the gaming world -- when a new Mario or Metroid title brought visions of frantic jump-and-run fantasies, not gratuitous 3D worlds and multiplatform launches. With the emergence of powerful console hardware, though, the side-scroller became something of a lost art, much to the frustration of fans. Thank goodness, then, for the creative freedom the PC and the Internet offer small developers, and for games like Ozzy Bubbles. Read more»

Having three young kids of my own, I doubted how much fun it would be to play a game that requires you to take care of a baby. I mean, this is my life, so the games I usually enjoy playing are for a temporary escape after the kids go to bed and not living my day-to-day life again inside the digital world. Well, after booting up Baby Luv, I was pleasantly surprised at how much fun this game is. Read more»

Plant Tycoon is a lot like the film Pan's Labyrinth: you might not have heard of it, or you might have written it off as not your cup of tea, but it's an example of entertainment done right. Read more»

Many people might find the world of real estate intimidating, but HipSoft's tycoon game Build-a-lot makes it seem easy. With a few clicks of the mouse you'll be building, buying, renovating and selling properties in no time - and having a blast doing it. Read more»

Somewhere deep within the ocean, two underwater forces are battling for supremacy. It's a war that will rage from one end of the ocean to the other, and you're invited to take part. But take heed: This isn't a fight for the timid. Read more»

Dreaming of running Cover Girl, L'Oreal, Elizabeth Arden or Bobbi Brown Cosmetics? For those few folks who want to be a cosmetics CEO when they grow up, Beauty Factory requires keeping track of research and development, production and sales and marketing, providing players with a simulation of the life of a retail executive minus the chauffeur, dream office and golf meetings. Read more»

Before vocal Gamezebo readers write in and accost me for giving a great score to yet another seek-and-find game, do yourself a favor and download Mortimer Beckett and the Secrets of Spooky Manor, a highly enjoyable yet not entirely original adventure that gets mostly everything right. Read more»

Sick of all those 3-in-a-row clones? Restaurant management sims? Seek-and-find mystery games? You're not alone. Thankfully, there are fresh new games like Azada to keep the casual game genre from imploding. Read more»

So many hidden object games are out now, you could make one concealing just the names of all of the hidden object games, and have a pretty beefy release. So how can a developer attract players already stuffed to the gills with such offerings? BC Soft Games hopes the hand-painted backgrounds and eerie atmosphere in The Magician's Handbook: Cursed Valley will do the trick. Read more»

Frequently, descriptions accompanying new games include a good dose of hyperbole, exaggerated promises and more. Phrases like "stunning artwork, enveloping music and prose worthy of the masters" are spun by marketing mavens you'd swear have never even seen the title they're hawking. On occasion, however, the "overstated" is actually true. That's the case with Dream Chronicles from KatGames and PlayFirst. In this instance, "gorgeous Art Nouveau artwork, mesmerizing music and a gripping storyline" accurately illustrate the experience that lies ahead. Read more»

"Everybody wants to rule the world" - Tears for Fears, 1985. For those with nostalgic memories sitting around engrossed in a game of Risk - you know, that classic "world domination" board game played with cunning tactics (and a bit of luck) -- a brand new "casual" version from iWin is a new and faithful reproduction worth downloading. Read more»

If we're honest, most of us have yearned to be rock stars at some point in our lives. The fame, the money, the adulation, the not having to get up till three o'clock in the afternoon, stadium extravaganzas and enough money to fuel a bonfire for a year. Well, if like most of us your dreams of superstardom disappeared years ago, fear not, because thanks to Kudos: Rock Legend you can now live out some of your starry-eyed fantasies without ever having to step into a rusting tour van that smells of feet. Read more»

Troubled by things that go bump in the night? Not sure if it's a haunting or a hoax? A specter or a spoof? A phantom or phony? If you're uncertain, don't take chances. Dial Ghost Hunter, Inc. instead! G.H.O.S.T. Hunters: The Haunting of Majesty Manor, the latest offering in the hidden-object genre, blends macabre and mystery in a tale of "supposed" spectral taunting. Your job, as a newly-hired investigator, is to figure out whether the haunting is genuine or a cruel deception. Read more»

It's that time of year again. Sunny skies, warm weather, kids playing out-of-doors, the sound of canned music in the air. Yep, you guessed it. The ice cream truck is headed this way. Fudgesicles, ice cream sandwiches, cones and other frozen treats await! However, though almost everyone enjoys ice-cold treats (too much, in fact), maybe you've always dreamed of creating an ice cream empire. If so, Ice Cream Tycoon lets you give it a whirl. Read more»

The only thing better than eating chocolate is building an international chocolate empire. You can taste this sweet success if you spend some time with PlayFirst's Chocolatier, a tasty little business simulation that challenges players to travel the world to acquire recipes and ingredients and produce fine chocolate for profit. Godiva, eat your heart out. Read more»

Few games have enjoyed as many shots at stardom as Defender of the Crown. Back in 1986, it was a showpiece for the Commodore Amiga computer, next a PC, PlayStation 2 and Xbox game (starring legendary knave Robin Hood, no less) from Capcom circa 2003. Now, the catchy fantasy-themed title - in which you play a dashing knight who enjoys several action-packed adventures - is getting yet another lease on life, having just been released as a casual game by Cinemaware. Read more»

Not content with having players search their computer screens for well-hidden objects in Paparazzi, Gogii Games is at it again with Private Eye: Unsolved Greatest Mysteries, the latest "hidden object" casual game, but with a P.I. spin. Read more»