What's Hot:

• BREAKFINITY
• The Elder Scrolls Online
• Battle Casters
• Monument Valley

There are some game developers that consistently churn out pure gaming gold, while others tend to be a little hit or miss. In our experience, Tasty Poison Games falls into this latter category. We fell in love with Pocket RPG, had our hearts broken by Neon Shadow, and now, with Tom Sparks and the Quakes of Ruin, we’re learning to love once more.

A top-down action game destined for Steam (you can upvote it on Greenlight here), Tom Sparks sets players on the loose as a steampunk hero trying to figure out why his world is being ravaged by mysterious earthquakes. The developers are citing Ratchet and Clank as a gameplay influence, and it’s not hard to see why. Players will be exposed to a variety of weapons, each of which will be unlocked with the currency you collect by smashing things with a giant wrench… and that currency looks an awful lot like bolts.

They don’t list Tom Sparks middle name anywhere, but I’m pretty sure it’s “Homage.”

Nico and George are back on the road with Broken Sword 5: The Serpent's Curse - Episode 2. The previous episode of the fan-funded adventure game ended on a cliffhanger, with the conspiracy-loving duo barely escaping London with their lives. Episode 2 keeps up the pace by delving more into the mystery of La Maledicció, a stolen painting that allegedly harbors a world-changing secret.

The hefty length of Nico and George's newest adventure made it necessary for Revolution Software to split Broken Sword 5 in half. Episode2 plays much like Episode 1 as a result, meaning the latter retains the former's strengths and weaknesses alike. But Episode 2's story should keep you engaged through all its twists and turns, which is arguably the most important thing you can say about an adventure game.

Agent 47, or Jonathan Hitman as I like to call him, is an assassin with a heart. He may garrote goons with piano wires taken from actual pianos and dump their bodies in children's ball pits, but he usually does so for some contrive good reason. I think the previous games involved clones or …something?

You know what? It doesn't matter. Hitman GO is nothing like the games from which it derives. It's a board game - several board games, according to the main menu. You move the titular hitter of men across prescribed grids like a game piece while other pieces representing civilians and thugs of various orders patrol and/or survey the board to knock him over. The hitman always moves first, and moving into an opposing piece from behind or the sides will knock them over instead.

That's literally all there is to the game. It's as minimalist as 47's own well-waxed dome, and far more appealing to look at than Timothy Olyphant's.

Early on in my conversation with Virtys’ Laurent Devigne at PAX East, I find myself explaining why I haven’t tried his studio’s free-to-play MMORPG Therian Saga yet. I just haven’t had the time, I say, because even though it looks really intriguing, it seems so complex for …

“For a web game?” he said, laughing while doing so. “Go ahead, you can say it.”

It’s true, and it’s unavoidable. If there’s still a little skepticism among a segment of the gaming community toward free-to-play games in general, there’s even more for those that come to life within your browser. Virtys would prefer you not paint its game with too broad a brush.

“We don’t want to be compared to a Facebook game,” Devigne said. “We’re web-based because we want people to enjoy it without installing 20 gigs.”

That’s perfectly logical reasoning, but then everything about Therian Saga follows a sensible path. Originally dreamt up by a small group of French-speaking developers, it found a solid audience of about 40,000 to 50,000 players upon release in France and Quebec (as Fatecraft: The Therian Saga).

Broken Sword 5: The Serpent’s Curse is a point-and-click adventure game developed by Revolution Software.  In this game, you take on the role of George and Nico as they investigate multiple murders and an artistic conspiracy that could determine the fate of the world.  Gamezebo’s walkthrough will provide you with detailed images, tips, information, and hints on how to play your best game.

Farmville 2: Country Escape is a free to play farm simulation game from Zynga, where you build your own farm, cultivate crops, take care of livestock, and harvest your crops for money. Its addictive blend of social elements have made it a popular go-to Facebook game, and now it’s made its way to your iOS device. Gamezebo's quick start strategy guide will provide you with detailed images, tips, information, and hints on how to play your best game.

I've already written about how much I love Hearthstone. I talked about how the game is a ballet of mathematic interactions glazed with Blizzard's trademark visual flair, production values and the World of Warcraft aesthetic. I probably said something about how the free-to-play elements are balanced with in-game currency that accrues at just the right speed to keep you from ever feeling obligated to spend real money.

I've admittedly fallen off my daily quest schedule quite hard in the months since Hearthstone's official release out of beta, but now it's on iPad. Now the game has changed.

Except that it hasn't, really, which is a good thing. It's a fantastic thing, as Hearthstone was already a fantastic game. The transition to a mobile platform hasn't changed that. In fact, it feels rather like the game has come home.

When he’s right, he’s right. Back in January, Gamezebo founder Joel Brodie made a bold prediction: Apple and Google would start pushing companies for exclusives on mobile games, in the same way that Microsoft and Sony do in the console space. This weekend, the Wall Street Journal released a feature that suggests Joel’s assumption is now well underway.

“The two Silicon Valley giants have been wooing game developers to ensure that top-tier game titles arrive first on devices powered by their respective operating system,” WSJ reports, citing sources close to the situation.

When you have only two big players, though, I suppose a situation like this is an inevitability. Especially when both seem equally matched in appeal for developers. Apple might be less effected by piracy, and developers may see more success with paid games as a result, but the install base of Android dwarfs what Apple is doing on a global scale. If you’re not sure who to develop for first, being courted by either Google or Apple for an exclusive might make that decision a whole lot easier.

"When people love a game, and it's not available on an alternate platform, they'll change platforms," Kogregate’s Emily Greer told WSJ. "The level of attachment a person has to a game can exceed almost anything."

Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft is a collectible card game from Blizzard Entertainment. In this game, you build decks of cards based on classes from World of Warcraft and battle opponents online. Gamezebo’s guide will provide you with some tips and hints that will give you a headstart on the surprisingly wide array of strategies.

On April 16th, Valve announced that they have selected a new batch of 75 games for Steam distribution through the Steam Greenlight system. As always, the batch included games of all types: from puzzlers and platformers, to a game about shark attacks, and a game about a pixel in an old TV.

This latest group features some stand-out games in terms of visual presentation (as well as gameplay). These are the games sure to catch your eye, even before you see them in motion.