The resource management genre that emerged with the My Kingdom for the Princess series seems to be going through the same expansions as the building sim genre did after the success of Build-a-lot. Hidden World, a new release by Alawar, bears a striking resemblance to the aforementioned role model, but succeeds in creating a unique world while convincing with a general quicker and more engaging pace than we are used to in this genre.
In Sonya, we see a hidden object game with tons of potential: an interesting story mixed with lots of puzzle variety and lovely gameplay visuals. However, we also see a game that seems a bit unfinished, as though Specialbit Studios added repetitive hidden object scenes just to prolong the experience. A bit of a double-edged sword, Sonya is an enjoyable game, but isn't enough to break the mold.
Age of Enigma: The Secret of the Sixth Ghost puts you in the role of Ashley, a young woman who has been having unsettling dreams about an old house. Then one day, she gets a letter that leads her to the house from her dreams. Here you are greeted by a shadowy figure named Nathan, who tells you that you are a medium and that you must help the six ghosts trapped in the house find peace and redemption.
Just how often can Rome be in danger? With Roads of Rome 3, the new release by developer Realore, players might start to feel like Sisyphus doing the same work over and over again. In the vein of its predecessors, the game allows players to rebuild various Roman settlements that have been destroyed by barbarians. The result is a game that's entertaining but that doesn't break much new ground.
With these puzzle games the interest derived from playing them is not what the game gives you to work with but what it holds back and limits you on. In Tetris the pieces fall randomly; in Bejeweled jewels can only be swapped horizontal or vertically, Mahjong tiles need to be picked up in pairs and be "free," and so on. O-G Sokoban hinges its gameplay on that limiting factor as well, but could have benefitted from a greater sense of challenge.
After an unexpected break from the Build-a-lot series, developer HipSoft is back with Build-a-lot: On Vacation. The sixth installment of the popular casual building sim franchise could work very well under the title Full Circle, too, because it bears more similarity to the earlier games. We found this approach rather refreshing and welcome as opposed to a step backwards.
Spandex Force: Superhero Uis a take on the curious match-3 RPG format thatPuzzle Questpioneered. The swords and sorcery are nixed in favor of superhero trappings, this time focusing on a school that trains photogenic teenagers up into the next wave of heroes.
World Riddles is back to take us around the globe once more, this time discovering the locations of the seven great civilizations of the past through a series of puzzles and historical facts.