My current gaming thoughts

Devil's Triangle

As I mentioned in a couple recent posts, Big Fish Studios released a new game in their Hidden Expedition series: Hidden Expedition - Devil's Triangle. My wife and I have had a little bit of time to start testing this game out. So far, it's beautiful, as would be expected. The music is good, the puzzles are interesting so far, and the story is pretty cool. I like the gadgety feel to the game. Submarines and mysterious locations are fun topics for a game. So, as of now, I give this one a thumbs up. We'll see how it holds up as I find time to progress further into the game.

What I'm Playing

Currently, I'm trying to get through two games so I can review them. Those games are:

Ancient Quest of Saqqarah	Farm Frenzy

Expect very high marks for both games once I review them. I'm having a blast with these gems.

Needles in the Haystack

As you know, there are always a load of new casual games being released. Due to the nature of such a market, not every game can be great or even good. As casual gamers, we look around, hoping to invest our hard-earned money in only the best of these games. I haven't tested every new game, but I've tested some. I'll list my favorites for you here. I recommend you try these. They are my personal highlights from the last few months. I haven't finished any of these, but I'd like to.

Girl HOGs and Girl TMGs?

You'll remember that I recently posted about what I call Girl HOGs - that is, hidden object games which either

• put you in the position of a young female, or
• are advertised by an image of a young female

Well, I've recently noticed that the majority of time management games have you playing as a young female as well, though they are usually not presented in the same way as Girl HOGs, which seem tailored to attract male players. In the case of Girl TMGs, you'll typically play as a cartoony young lady. This is just interesting to me. Are the audiences for these games that different? I would have thought that the younger players would prefer finding hidden objects and older players would prefer managing time, money, and other things. But the advertising of these game categories seems to be the reverse of my assumption. I guess, no matter what the market is, females sell. The marketers at these game companies know that, and they simply can't help themselves. Girls like playing as girls, and guys like playing as girls. What a world.

Speaking of HOGs

Hidden object games were what drew me into the casual games world. I remember years ago when my mother-in-law introduced me to Mystery Case Files: Huntsville. But I've noticed in recent weeks that I've actually grown somewhat tired of finding hidden stuff. I've found much more mental stimulation by engaging in time management and building games. I like that such games require you to manage resources, while always giving you the opportunity to improve in your skills. Some of these games are just so fun. I've realized that I don't really get into the restaurant games like the Dash series. I prefer the emphasis on building things and making money from them. These games seem to have more things to manage and control, which adds more layers of depth. Have you grown weary of any types of casual games? Post a comment to share!