Capybara Games hit it big with 2011's Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP. It was - and continues to be - praised as one of the greatest games in the smartphone market, courtesy of its surreal storyline and clever adaptation of classic adventure gaming. But well before Capybara introduced us to the antics of Logfella, they invited us into the deceptively cute world of Critter Crunch for iOS. It's been removed from the App Store for reasons unknown, but worry not: it's now available on Steam.
The Blergs are a happy, adorable, square-shaped race of creatures with a problem: They've been infected with a disease that turns them into nasty, green Gerblins. Professor Blerg has created a potion that can cure the disease, but only you can decide who should get it. Give a dose to an infected Blerg and he'll be cured and removed from the board, along with all the other Blergs around him. But if a healthy Blerg takes it, he'll be instantly turned into a Gerblin and escape from your grasp.
It's been a while since such an impeccably-made hidden object adventure hit the 'net, but without doubt, Angelica Weaver: Catch Me When You Can is destined to become what some people might call an "instant classic." Brought to us by the folks at Mumbo Jumbo, it represents a rare mix of creativity, beauty fun and narrative skill—a formula not seen enough in the hidden object genre, or even in games in general.
The story of the abandoned mansion, haunted by a ghost or demon, is all-too-common in the hidden object space, and it's what we're once again presented with in Mystery Heritage: Sign of the Spirit. Here, you'll step into the role of detective, out to investigate the apparent suicide of one of the last surviving members of the Williams family, a clan that was apparently cursed by a witch generations ago.
When you get right down to it, few social/building games really offer any kind of real motivation to play. You get paltry reasons like, "Build your own zoo full of cuddly animals so kids can gawk at them," or, "Make some money, or else you're a godless Communist." My Singing Monsters might be the first social/building game that directs you to complete something final and substantial--namely, a monster chorus that swells into an otherworldly orchestra as you add one booming tenant after the next.
It's not an exaggeration to say that if you didn't play FarmVille, you knew someone who did. Probably more than one someone, because it was popular enough that it practically became synonymous with social gaming on Facebook. Now that the original is long in the tooth and Zynga isn't the all-conquering force it once looked like it was becoming, FarmVille 2 was probably inevitable. It's got a much glossier look and a more laid back vibe, but that still might not be enough to cause farm hysteria again.
I don't know this to be true, but I bet there's a league of text adventure purists out there who look down on us current gamers. "Back in our day," they probably say, "we didn't need any of those newfangled graphics - or any kind of graphics!" If that sounds like you, quit being so judgmental. Also, check out Cypher, a new text adventure game with more than a few similarities to the classics.
Since I've started playing it, I've heard countless theories on how to best the endlessly twisting geometric minefield of Super Hexagon. Keep your eyes on the outer edges of the screen to stay ahead of incoming walls. Avoid staring at the rotating background. Make sure to stare at the rotating background. In truth, though, it's all heresay. There's only one thing you need to do for certain in this retro-tinged thunderdome. Only one strategy: avoid everything.