A Game For Everyone

Deal - MCF: Dire Grove on sale for $1.99 this weekend!

2011-07-29T21:35:00.000-07:00

Friends, Big Fish has a sweet deal for you this weekend. You don't want to miss this one!

Remember my review of Mystery Case Files: Dire Grove?

Well, if you haven't played this thrilling adventure / HOG game yet, here's your chance, with an unbeatable discount.

This weekend only, you can get MCF: Dire Grove for $1.99!

Use the coupon code GROVE at checkout.

This is one of my favorite casual games of all time! Nab it while you can!

Deal - Robinson Crusoe and the Cursed Pirates (PC) and Echoes of the Past: Royal House of Stone (Mac) on sale this week!

2011-07-13T06:37:00.000-07:00

Here's the Catch of the Week for July 4 - 10!

PC: Robinson Crusoe and the Cursed Pirates is a hidden object game.

Mac: Echoes of the Past: Royal House of Stone is a hidden object game.

To get these games for $2.99, click the appropriate image below!

PC users
Mac users

What's happening at AGFE?

2011-07-09T16:54:00.000-07:00

To all of you who keep checking A Game For Everyone despite my infrequent posts: thank you.

I have several reviews I'm eager to write, and I want to keep working on my Royal Envoy strategy guide since so many people seem to find it useful. Life has kept me constantly busy, so I haven't had the opportunity to post everything I want to.

In the meantime, I've been trying to post deals as I find out about them.

As you know, I carefully seek out the best games on the market, and I think I've found a good batch of recommendations for you. Once I can find time, I'll get some reviews posted.

Thanks again!

All Big Fish Games on sale for $4.99 this weekend!

2011-07-01T17:08:00.000-07:00

To celebrate the 4th of July, Big Fish Games is having a sale from July 1 through July 4!

Every standard game is on sale for $4.99 when you use the coupon code FOURTHOFJULY.

Click the image below to go get your cheap games! Woo hoo!

Deal - Sale on all PlayFirst games, starts this Friday!

2011-06-20T05:24:00.000-07:00

Through the weekend of June 24 - June 28, Big Fish Games will have all PlayFirst games on sale for $4.99!

Once the sale starts, you can click on the image below to go get your PlayFirst games!

Here are a few personal recommendations from my wife and me:

Deal - Midnight Mysteries: Salem Witch Trials on sale for $2.99 this week!

2011-06-20T05:18:00.000-07:00

The Catch of the Week for June 20 - June 26 is Midnight Mysteries: Salem Witch Trials!

This is an hidden object game.

To get it for $2.99, click the image below!

Mac users click here!

Deal - The Mystery of the Crystal Portal: Beyond the Horizon on sale for $2.99 this week!

2011-05-30T14:19:00.000-07:00

The Catch of the Week for May 30 - June 5 is The Mystery of the Crystal Portal: Beyond the Horizon!

This is an hidden object game.

To get it for $2.99, click the image below!

Mac users click here!

Deal - The Hidden Object Show: Season 2 on sale for $2.99 this week!

2011-04-13T16:18:00.000-07:00

The Catch of the Week for April 11 - 17 is The Hidden Object Show: Season 2!

This is an hidden object game.

To get it for $2.99, click the image below!

Mac users click here!

Update - Royal Envoy strategy guide - level 57!

2011-04-13T16:15:00.000-07:00

For those of you struggling with level 57, I've finally added it to my Royal Envoy strategy guide.

I hadn't remembered how tricky this level was until I tried it again. I should have added this to the strategy guide earlier.

I hope this helps. Enjoy!

Update - Royal Envoy strategy guide - level 58!

2011-03-27T06:00:00.000-07:00

I added the level 58 walkthrough to my Royal Envoy strategy guide this morning!

Enjoy!

No recent posts?!!

2011-03-17T07:56:00.000-07:00

I haven't been posting lately.

The reason for this is that I haven't been gaming. I haven't done anything with games lately.

Why? Because I haven't had time to sit at the computer. All of my leisure time has been eaten up with the necessities of daily life.

As soon as I can, I'm looking forward to writing more reviews and adding more levels to my Royal Envoy strategy guide.

Thanks to all of you who visit!

Deal - All games $4.99 at Big Fish Games this weekend!

2011-02-19T07:04:00.000-08:00

This weekend, all games are on sale for $4.99 at Big Fish Games!

This is your chance to get those games that you didn't want to buy for full price!

Deal - Dark Tales: Edgar Allan Poe's Murders in the Rue Morgue on sale for $2.99 this week!

2011-02-10T06:52:00.000-08:00

The Catch of the Week for February 7 - 13 is Dark Tales: Edgar Allan Poe`s Murders in the Rue Morgue!

This is an hidden object game.

To get it for $2.99, click the image below!

Mac users click here!

(Sorry it took me so long to get this posted!)

All PlayFirst games for $4.99 this weekend!

2011-02-05T06:27:00.000-08:00

This weekend, all games from developer PlayFirst are on sale for $4.99!

Just use coupon code PLAYFIRST at checkout.

Now's you're chance to pick up the game that you've been eyeing! What will it be? Here are some of my wife's and my favorites:

Deal - The Dark Hills of Cherai on sale for $2.99 this week!

2011-01-31T01:00:00.000-08:00

The Catch of the Week for January 31 - February 6 is The Dark Hills of Cherai!

This is an hidden object game.

To get it for $2.99, click the image below!

Mac users click here!

Update - Royal Envoy strategy guide - level 59!

2011-01-26T20:45:00.000-08:00

I've added level 59 to my Royal Envoy strategy guide!

More to come...

Review - Drawn: Dark Flight!

2011-01-21T12:57:00.000-08:00

After playing Drawn: The Painted Tower at the end of last year, I was very impressed (Read my review!). The unfinished story left me wanting more - more of the same immersive gameplay and the same magical world.

Finally, Drawn: Dark Flight was released later in 2010. But did it live up to the greatness of the first game? That's what I'll tell you in today's review!

What I liked

Same whimsical setting
Fitting music
Engaging puzzles
Smooth gameplay
Fascinating atmosphere

What I didn't like

I can't think of anything

Quick Plot

Picking up where the first game left off, you need to use art, magic, and puzzle-solving skills to help Iris overcome the dark evil that holds power over the city!

Mechanics

Adventure: This game falls solidly into the adventure category. You are traveling around, solving puzzles and picking up inventory items.

What pleased me so much is the fact that the game doesn't leave you clueless or floundering at any point, which is a guarantee in most standard adventure games. In this game, you typically have a pretty good idea about what to do, even if you get hung up for a short time.

Non-HOG: I highlight this because I was so glad this game wasn't a HOG. Most games on the casual scene these days are HOG-Adventures. In Drawn: Dark Flight, you're free from cluttered rooms and item lists. Ahhhhh.

Highlights

Puzzles: This game contained some of the most enjoyable puzzles I've ever encountered in an adventure game - and I've encountered a lot in my years as a gamer. Several puzzles are original in concept, which is exceedingly rare these days. So, puzzle fans, get ready for some fun.

Graphics/Atmosphere: The graphics and mood are the same as they were in the first Drawn game. The fanciful locations will take you to another time and place, where magic is real and anything is possible. The hand-painted art style is masterfully crafted, and the cold, sad atmosphere is easily felt.

Music: As in the first game, the swelling, dreamy music does it's job to accompany you on your mysterious journey. The themes and instrumentation adequately convey the mood and emotion of the game and it's various scenes.

Issues

Puzzle bug: The only issue I ran into was a little bug. During a puzzle in which you have to shift and align a number of rotating pieces, some of the pieces became strangely oriented (perhaps between exiting the game and starting it again?), and I could never find a way to reorient them. I don't know what caused this, but solving the puzzle became impossible, forcing me to skip the puzzle.

When my wife played this puzzle on her game, the pieces all stayed oriented just as they should, and she was able to solve the puzzle. I just happened to get a glitched save game, I guess.

Suitable for the family?

The game had great draw for both my wife and me.

The kids were a little nervous about one or two characters and scenes - it's a pretty solemn and shadowy game, after all. Still, they enjoyed watching, and appreciated various elements of the story and scenery.

The fantastical elements will be attractive to children: things like gnomes, woodland creatures, and flying books.

The family man's final ruling

Excellent. Big Fish Studios has put excellent work into one more brilliant game. I was thrilled to be free from hidden object scenes in what turned out to be a pure adventure game - following clues, using inventory, and solving puzzles while experiencing an interesting story.

The graphics are finely painted. The lighting, music, and ambience manage to pull you into Iris' magical world. Certain scenes made me pause and say, "Whoa." I also like the way that they worked music into the game as a story theme.

Perhaps best of all were the puzzles. The puzzles were original, engaging, and very fun to solve. Ever since the golden age of adventure games (with titles like 7th Guest, Obsidian, Black Dahlia, and Tex Murphy), great puzzles have been hard to come by. Most puzzles now are repeats of the same thing you've done in all of the other games. But in this Drawn sequel, you'll experience fresh, challenging new puzzles that will have your mental gears turning happily.

I liked this game even more than the first Drawn game. It was that good.

Here you have one of the best games of 2010, if not THE best. Get it, and prepare to be immersed in an artistic world of good and evil.

You'll like the game if...

You liked Drawn: The Painted Tower
You like adventure games
You're tired of HOGs
You like solving good puzzles
You like magical stories
You like a dark, somber atmosphere

You won't like the game if...

You don't like adventure games

My rating:

If you want to play Drawn: Dark Flight, click below:

PC - Collector's	PC - Normal	Mac - Collector's	Mac - Normal

Deals - Haunted Hotel II and Mystery of the Crystal Portal: Beyond the Horizon on sale for $2.99!

2011-01-18T07:50:00.000-08:00

Here's the Catch of the Week for January 17 - 23!

PC: Haunted Hotel II: Believe the Lies is a hidden object game.

Mac: The Mystery of the Crystal Portal: Beyond the Horizon is a hidden object game.

To get these games for $2.99, click the appropriate image below!

PC users
Mac users

Deal - Diner Dash on sale for $2.99 this week!

2011-01-10T06:34:00.000-08:00

The Catch of the Week for January 10 through 16 is Diner Dash!

This is an old-school time management game from the early days of casual gaming.

To get the game for $2.99, click the image below!

Mac users click here!

Update - Royal Envoy strategy guide - level 60!

2011-01-02T15:05:00.000-08:00

Level 60 has been added to my Royal Envoy strategy guide! Enjoy!

Update - Royal Envoy strategy guide - level 61!

2010-12-31T20:19:00.000-08:00

I've added level 61 to my Royal Envoy strategy guide!

It was a real challenge finding a solid, surefire method of achieving the gold seal on this one, but I finally came up with a solution for finishing the level with a bit of juice left in the timer. Enjoy!

Update - Royal Envoy strategy guide - level 62!

2010-12-30T13:59:00.000-08:00

Level 62 has been added to my Royal Envoy strategy guide!

Updated my Royal Envoy strategy guide!

2010-12-29T09:53:00.000-08:00

My Royal Envoy strategy guide seems to be helping people, so I've decided to add more levels to it as I have the opportunity.

Today, I added level 63, the last level of the game. I'll probably continue working my way backward from there.

"What is this...Royal Envoy?" you may ask.

Read my review to find out!

Deals - Lost Realms: Legacy of the Sun Princess and Puppet Show: Mystery of Joyville $2.99 this week!

2010-12-26T12:09:00.000-08:00

I hope you all had a great Christmas!

Here's the Catch of the Week for December 27 - January 2!

PC: Lost Realms: Legacy of the Sun Princess is a hidden object game.

Mac: PuppetShow: Mystery of Joyville is a hidden object game.

To get these games for $2.99, click the appropriate image below!

PC users
Mac users

Deal - Haunted Hotel on sale for $2.99 this week!

2010-12-13T07:54:00.000-08:00

The Catch of the Week for December 13 through 19 is Haunted Hotel!

This is a hidden object game.

My wife and I played this one a while back. I can only recommend it if you understand two things first:

The story is poorly written and makes little sense.
The game will only appeal to HOG junkies, because there is nothing special about it. You just hunt for stuff.

There are a few puzzles in the game, and those are the funnest part, for me.

To get the game for $2.99, click the image below!

Mac users click here!

How minor flaws can ruin a casual game.

2010-12-11T06:28:00.000-08:00

I have tested scads of casual games. New games are released every single day, and yet I buy very few of them.

I have identified a category of game that I call "Great game, if it didn't have this minor flaw." Many are the times when I was close to purchasing a game, but decided against it on account of a minor flaw.

Minor flaws have amazing power. They can make or break the purchase, and can often be the difference between satisfaction and agony.

What do I mean when I say, "minor flaw"? I mean, some feature that is small in scope or principle. This is contrasted with big flaws, such as "way too short" or "terrible artwork."

Let me give you some examples that I thought of this morning. I'll begin with the king of all tragic minor flaws.

My Kingdom for the Princess 1 and 2

Here was a game with interesting mechanics and nice graphics, with some strategy and time management. But it wasn't long before I cringed at the realization that you can't chain your actions. Many time management games build in a chaining feature, so that you can plan ahead while your character is carrying out her actions. But this game, which so obviously needs chaining, lacks this feature. A few levels without this feature had me bailing and uninstalling what was otherwise a pretty cool game.

Then, they released a sequel. "Maybe they heard the complaints from the community and allowed chained actions this time!" we all thought. But it was not to be. Again, they denied us the sweet freedom of chained actions. How could they make this blunder twice in a row? Was the feature that hard to build in? For this reason, I bailed on both games.

Robin's Quest: A Legend Born

There are many games that fall into this category, but Robin's Quest is the first game that came to mind.

The flaw: The game is too easy.

The game was beautiful, with nice music, a clean interface, and a variety of tasks to accomplish. But there was very little challenge. If I'm going to spend money on a game such as this, I want it to make my mind work. Breezing through a game doesn't offer the kind of mental challenge that I'm looking for. The puzzles should have been more plentiful and more difficult. With a bit more difficulty, this game could have been really cool.

A second little quibble: It certainly didn't help that Robin was a woman either. I'm not against female characters - I've played dozens of games in the female protagonist role, which is fine with me. But this is a Robin Hood story, so it should be about a man. But this developer wanted to conform to the feminist culture in which we live, casting Robin's husband as a helpless whelp trapped in prison, while his heroic wife escapes from prison and works to save him. In a culture that feminizes and degrades men enough as it is, this game certainly doesn't help matters.

Enlightenus II: The Timeless Tower

I liked the first Enlightenus game (read my review), but was disappointed when I played the sequel.

The flaw: The game was too much like the first game.

I was hoping for some changes and twists to make the sequel fresh. But the developer didn't deliver. Sure, there were some tiny differences, but the game was mostly just an extension to the first game. The mechanics felt just the same, and even the music was recycled. I didn't feel like continuing with more of the same old stuff, so I abandoned this game.

There are cases where doing the same thing over again works out wonderfully, as long as appropriate changes are made. For example, Luxor 3 was an awesome marble popper. Luxor: Quest for the Afterlife was mechanically very similar, keeping every good element from Luxor 3. But they changed things like story, how the marketplace looked, and how you traveled around the map. They even added a battle mode. This is how sequels should work. The Drawn series also did this very well. (I'm still writing my review of Drawn: Dark Flight.)

Farm Frenzy 3 Series

I loved Farm Frenzy and Farm Frenzy 2. Those games did everything right. Even Farm Frenzy Pizza Party was fun, if you didn't mind a rehash of FF2.

Then, Farm Frenzy 3 was released. They had updated the graphics and interface with some new polish, and would eventually start moving into more unique and varied settings. The game also introduced a new female protagonist who would remain the focus of a storyline, which had never been a part of previous FF games. (Need I explain why the developer would introduce this new character? Or why the character was young, blonde, and female? Sex sells, folks. Even on the farm, apparently. *sigh*)

This new Farm Frenzy game engine spawned numerous FF3-based sequels, including:

But there was one minor flaw: incredibly long load times.

As much as I've wanted to enjoy these new FF games, the load times are longer than they need to be. When you're testing a demo and counting the minutes, you can't sit there waiting...waiting...waiting...

I also noticed that the game will sometimes hang for just a split second when a bear is about to fall into the scene. Little glitches like that, and the introduction of the nubile female character (read: cheap marketing strategy), have kept me from investing in these games.

So, what about you? Have you ever run into ruinous little flaws in games that would otherwise be good games?

Deal - Mystery Chronicles: Murder Among Friends on sale for $2.99 this week!

2010-12-06T06:59:00.000-08:00

The Catch of the Week for December 6 through 12 is Mystery Chronicles: Murder Among Friends!

This is a hidden object game.

To get the game for $2.99, click the image below!

Mac users click here!

Deal - Love and Death: Bitten on sale for $2.99 this week!

2010-11-29T07:49:00.000-08:00

The Catch of the Week for November 29 - December 5 is Love & Death: Bitten!

This is a hidden object game.

To get the game for $2.99, click the image below!

Mac users click here!

News- Mystery Case Files: 13th Skull!

2010-11-24T12:15:00.000-08:00

Some of you remember my glowing reviews of MCF: Return to Ravenhearst and MCF: Dire Grove. Big Fish Studios has been making some excellent HOG/Adventure games in recent years.

Tomorrow, they release their new Mystery Case Files game to the public: 13th Skull. (For now, you can only get the collector's edition.)

Want to see a trailer for the game? You can watch it here!

The story appears to involve an old pirate legend in Louisiana. Where pirates are involved, I'm there. (Well, the romanticized treasure-hoarding kind, at least. Yo ho.)

You know I'll be downloading this one!

Deal - Hotel Dash: Suite Success on sale for $2.99 this week!

2010-11-23T13:06:00.000-08:00

The Catch of the Week for November 22 - 28 is Hotel Dash: Suite Success!

This is a time management game.

To get the game for $2.99, click the image below!

Mac users click here!

Luxor: 5th Passage - tragic disappointment!

2010-11-19T20:09:00.001-08:00

Yesterday morning, I posted about how excited I was to discover that a new Luxor game had been released. So, last night, I finally had the increasingly rare opportunity to sit down and spend a few minutes gaming. I fired up Luxor: 5th Passage, ready to enjoy some excellent gaming.

I was very disappointed, and a bit shocked.

To me, Luxor 3 and Luxor: Quest for the Afterlife were as close to perfect as any casual game can get. They abandoned the mediocre marble popping of the first three Luxor games, and made the enterprise into something really special. Now, imagine that these two games had never been released. Imagine that the developer (MumboJumbo) had never upgraded their programming, style, and presentation to create the awesomeness that we saw in these last two Luxor games.

Well, for a reason that I can't fathom, on this new game, the developers chose to revert to the old-school production values of the first three Luxor games! From the moment that the game opened to the menu screen, I could tell that something was wrong. It looked half-baked from the get-go.

This game uses the old versions of

the marbles
the interface
the scarabs that push the marble chains, and
the look of the levels.

The music, sound effects, and graphics have lost their shine, as if they were created 2 years ago (with the exception of some of the standard sound effects that never change).

They even brought back limited lives! It's like I'm playing the first game in the series. What was MumboJumbo thinking?!

They even tried to cover up their slop by introducing new power-ups and a new Blast mode. They also incorporated some levels from previous Luxor games that are thought to be player favorites. None of these features save the game. Additionally, they scrapped the Puzzle mode, which was one of my favorite features of the previous two games.

I couldn't play more than 3 or 4 levels before I quit and opened Luxor: Quest for the Afterlife just to remind myself that the series used to be excellent.

Why does this matter so much to me as a gamer? A few reasons:

I have a detailed and picky eye for quality, and this game lacks it.
I had come to trust MumboJumbo, and they didn't deliver. I imagine that with the current economic struggles, they wanted to cut costs, and so reverted to the old, unpolished style, hoping fans wouldn't notice.
The graphics look grainy, and you can't adjust the resolution.
The controls feel jerky and hesitant.
When marble chains are approaching the exit, the marbles don't load into the shooter in as nice of a pattern as before.

So, if you loved Luxor 3 and Luxor: Quest for the Afterlife like I did, I advise you to skip this new game.

To see why I loved the previous two games so much, read my reviews:

A cause for giddiness - Luxor 5!!

2010-11-19T06:51:00.000-08:00

It's not all that often that something can really get me giddy inside, especially in the current world of casual games.

This morning is one of those increasingly rare occasions.

I just saw that Luxor: 5th Passage is coming out on Big Fish tomorrow. From the look of it, this is more of the same greatness we saw in the two previous Egyptian marble-popper games: Luxor 3 and Luxor: Quest for the Afterlife.

If you loved these games as much as I did, you might want to go grab your download tomorrow!

If you want to know what I'm talking about, you can read my reviews here:

Deal - Veronica Rivers: Portals to the Unknown for $2.99 this week!

2010-11-17T06:08:00.001-08:00

The Catch of the Week for November 15 - 21 is Veronica Rivers: Portals to the Unknown!

This is a hidden object game.

To get the game for $2.99, click the image below!

Mac users click here!

Deal - Strange Cases: The Tarot Card Mystery for $2.99 this week!

2010-11-08T06:48:00.000-08:00

The Catch of the Week for November 8 - 14 is Strange Cases: The Tarot Card Mystery!

This is a hidden object game.

To get the game for $2.99, click the image below!

Mac users click here!

Deals - Reincarnations: Awakening and Lost in the City for $2.99!

2010-11-01T07:30:00.000-07:00

Here's the Catch of the Week for Nov 1 - 7!

PC: Reincarnations: Awakening is a hidden object game.

Mac: Lost in the City is a hidden object game.

To get these games for $2.99, click the appropriate image below!

PC users
Mac users

Review - The Fifth Gate!

2010-10-27T08:00:00.000-07:00

I like when a game has a really unique set of mechanics, which is why I bought and played The Fifth Gate. Although, I have to admit, as unique as these mechanics are, this wasn't the first game to employ them. In fact, this game ripped off an older game: Magic Farm, which I reviewed a while ago.

Because of the similarities between the two games, I think this review will be more of a comparison than a standard review. I'll attempt to identify the positives and negatives of The Fifth Gate's approach to this style of flower husbandry.

What I liked

Lovely scenery
Addictive gameplay
Potion making
Interesting plants

What I didn't like

No experience system
Weak story
Forced advancement

Quick Plot

Plant and harvest flowers to create potions to give to a witch lady who is forcing you to work for her. Oh, and you play young Jane Seymour (not really, but doesn't that girl look like her?).

Mechanics

Time Management: This game is a fast-clicking time crunch. I'll summarize it like this:

Start the day.
Harvest flowers as they bloom.
Water the plants as they become thirsty.
Attack pests as they come to eat your plants.
Do all of this as quickly and completely as you can before the day ends.

In between levels, you may:

Take on new quests from the witch lady.
Use your harvested flowers to make potions.
Sell potions for gold.
Use gold to buy

upgrades for your fountain, watering can, flower basket
new plants, or
magic potions (power items that give you a boost when the pressure is on).

A standard level. Water and gold in the lower right.
Timer and flower basket in the upper left. Fountain in the lower left.

Of course, as the game progresses through the 5 gardens, the difficulty will increase. More numerous and difficult pests will arrive, and you'll find yourself planting, harvesting, and watering more plants at a more rapid-fire pace. The game will certainly keep you on your toes. Well, maybe not your toes, but it will make you sit up in your chair. Okay, maybe not, but it will at least make your shoulders tense up.

Comparisons to Magic Farm

In Magic Farm...	In The Fifth Gate...
You have a pet who helps you.	You don't have a helper.
You gain experience points to improve.	There is no experience system.
You receive quests from various characters.	You only receive quests from the witch lady.
You can complete quests on your own schedule.	You have to complete quests according to the witch lady's schedule.
There is no "expert" goal for quests.	You can complete each quest quickly to achieve an "expert" goal for that quest.
The mood and music are chipper and bright.	The mood and music are more somber and new-agey.
The English is very awkward and poorly written.	The English is fine.
You almost never get to keep your earnings from one garden to the next.	You never get to keep your earnings from one garden to the next.
Late in the game, you can no longer return to some of the earlier gardens.	You can always go back and repeat any quest for any garden.
The story is fleshed out, with ups and downs.	The story is relatively vapid and minimalistic.
You use your flowers to make bouquets.	You use your flowers to make potions.
You are limited to choosing from 4 available bouquets at a time.	You are limited to choosing from 10 available potions at a time.
You get good graphics.	You get better, shinier graphics.
You earn trophies by accomplishing various feats.	You earn trophies by accomplishing various feats.

The level map.
The mirrors at the bottom represent the levels for the garden you're on.

Highlights

Addictive: This game is hard to stop playing. It'll be late at night and you'll be saying, "Just one more level." even though you've already said that 13 times. I wonder if the addiction factor is related to the short levels? Or the reasonable goals you are always working for? Just a couple more of a certain flower and you'll be able to finish that sweet potion you've been working on. Just two more levels and you'll move onto the next garden. A little more gold and you'll be able to upgrade your flower basket. And on it goes.

Potion making: I don't know why this is so fun, but it is. You decide which flowers go into which potion. But even if you don't have every flower you need, that's okay. You can use up as many as you have, and the potion will fill up part way. This means you don't have to keep lots of flowers in your basket, taking up valuable space. In between levels, you can use up most of your flowers on partial potions. Once you finish a potion, it'll go on your sale shelf and you can earn gold for it. The potions look cool, and have weird or silly magical names like "Sneezing Potion."

The potion-making room.

Plant types: There was some cool plants in this game. You could buy a watering plant that gives you extra water every time it blooms. One great plant was this crystal that, when you click it, all of the pests are immediately drawn in and frozen in ice, so they're easy to destroy all at once. There's a butterfly plant that allows you to increase the maturity level of one of your plants (although, you still can't use this unless the next level for that plant has been unlocked....).

There are also some great magic potions you can buy to help you work. One of these is a destroy-all-pests potion. One is a water-all-plants potion. The other is a harvest-all-plants potion. All of these are extremely helpful. You can only have 2 at a time. They each have something like 6 uses. And you have to pay for the slots to store them in your garden. But they're worth it, once you can afford them. And they are essential late in the game.

The trophy room.

Issues

Big bug: My wife ran into a technical bug on her game. During the last garden in the game, the game started taking all of her gold away, making it impossible to water her flowers or do anything else. Big Fish had no fix for the issue. Other people have reported the same issue. If this happens to you, contact Big Fish support to see if they have a fix yet. If not, they might compensate you in some other way.

Story: The story in this game is nearly absent. And even what little story exists is boring and silly.

Forced progress: In Magic Farm, you could take your time and pursue various quests at your own pace. If you wanted to build up your farm for a while, you could. And you could receive quests from multiple people at a time. In this game, you receive quests from one lady, and you are really forced to keep moving. It's just not as fulfilling.

No experience system: In Magic Farm, you earned experience for everything you did on the farm, and you could advance both your skills, and the skills of your dragon familiar. This growth factor was good incentive to play well. It offered improvement. In this game, there is no experience system. They simplified the mechanics of Magic Farm without offering many beneficial additions (except maybe graphics).

Suitable for the family?

My wife liked the game until it glitched.

The children gladly stood by, calling out when I needed to attack a particular pest. They like anything with little creatures, and this game is no exception.

There's a witch in the game, but she is supposed to look deceptively attractive, I think. So there's nothing scary in the game. There are no voice-overs or scary sounds either.

The family man's final ruling

I have a hard time settling on a rating for this game, honestly. I found plenty of nitpicks, but the game really was engaging and kept me busy for a long time. The same mechanics that were fun in Magic Farm are fun in this game. And I did like the graphical presentation even more in this game. I also liked the way potion-making worked more than I liked how bouquets worked in Magic Farm. So while part of me wants to give the game 3 stars because it isn't quite as good as Magic Farm, I also want to give it 4 stars because it was a fun game. But it didn't have all of the qualities of a 4-star game, so I think I have to go with 3 stars. This means the game is average in terms of fun. There are great things about it, but also flaws. I recommend the game, but I recommend many other games more.

You'll like the game if...

You liked Magic Farm
You like fast-clicking time management
You like gardening games
You like games that you can play in short bursts

You won't like the game if...

You get stressed out by tracking lots of things on the screen simultaneously
You don't like time pressure

My rating:

If you want to play The Fifth Gate, click below:

PC	Mac

Deals - Mystery Age: The Imperial Staff and Mystic Diary: Lost Brother for $2.99 this week!

2010-10-25T05:01:00.000-07:00

Here's the Catch of the Week for Oct 25 - 31!

PC: Mystery Age: The Imperial Staff is a hidden object game.

Mac: Mystic Diary: Lost Brother is a hidden object game.

To get these games for $2.99, click the appropriate image below!

PC users
Mac users

Deal - Avenue Flo for $2.99 this week!

2010-10-19T05:40:00.000-07:00

The Catch of the Week for October 18 - 24 is Avenue Flo!

This is an adventure game.

To get Avenue Flo for $2.99, click the image below!

Mac users click here!

Deal - Big Fish weekend sale - games for $4.99!

2010-10-16T18:58:00.000-07:00

If you hadn't seen yet, I'll tell you now!

This weekend, all of these games at Big Fish are marked down to $4.99!

If you've been considering any of these, now might be the time to nab them.

I hope you're all having a great weekend!

Deal - Drawn: The Painted Tower for $2.99 this week!

2010-10-12T12:08:00.000-07:00

The Catch of the Week for October 11 - 17 is Drawn: The Painted Tower!

This is a hidden object game.

If you haven't played this one yet, don't miss this deal! I consider this to be among my favorite casual adventure games. Want some convincing? Read my review!

And keep your eye out for my upcoming review of the sequel: Drawn: Dark Flight.

To get Drawn: The Painted Tower for $2.99, click the image below!

Mac users click here!

All PlayFirst games for $4.99 this weekend!

2010-10-09T08:07:00.000-07:00

Want a deal on games for the weekend?

Until Monday, Oct. 11, Big Fish Games is selling all PlayFirst games for $4.99!

You can get them all here!

Enjoy the weekend, folks!

Deal - Veronica Rivers: The Order of Conspiracy for $2.99 this week!

2010-10-04T06:20:00.000-07:00

The Catch of the Week for October 4 - 10 is Veronica Rivers: The Order of the Conspiracy!

This is a hidden object game.

To get it for $2.99, click the image below!

Mac users click here!

Drawn: Dark Flight - released today!

2010-10-02T10:23:00.000-07:00

For those of you who are like me, today is a good day. Why is it a good day? Because Drawn: Dark Flight came out today in its non-collector's edition format!

I've really been looking forward to this game, since the first game in the series was one of the best casual games I've played.

Go download Drawn: Dark Flight today!

PC	Mac

Deal - The Serpent of Isis for $2.99 this week!

2010-09-27T06:49:00.000-07:00

The Catch of the Week for September 27 - October 3 is The Serpent of Isis!

This is a hidden object game.

To get it for $2.99, click the image below, and use the coupon code CATCH299 at checkout!

Mac users click here!

Review - Enlightenus!

2010-09-24T21:00:00.000-07:00

I can imagine the game designer sitting down with his developer buddies one afternoon:

Designer: "Hey guys, I have a sweet idea for a new game. It'll blow your minds."

Developer buddies: "Oh yeah? Enlighten us."

Designer: "Wait a minute....Enlighten us. Enlightenus. Finally, a title for my game! w00t!"

If you're bored with the endless supply of half-baked HOGs, this game should offer you the change you've been looking for. So read on, and see what Enlightenus has to offer!

What I liked

Excellent graphics
Solid music
Adventure game elements
Object placement

What I didn't like

Repeated scenarios
Lackluster story

Quick Plot

Travel to somewhat magical places, collecting scattered fragments of some dude's books.

Mechanics

Object placement: This is the first game on the market to reverse the functionality of a cluttered scene. In your standard hidden object game, you're given a list of items to seek out with your eyeballs. In this game, you are instead given the objects, and your job is to place them correctly into the scene.

You are given a row of items at the bottom of the screen. When you mouse over an item, it displays the item's name. Clicking on an item will pick it up.

Then, when you hover the mouse over various areas and objects in the scene, names for those areas are displayed. In this way, you are assisted in finding matches. For instance, maybe I pick up the item called "steak" and then move the mouse around the screen. I see that the wolf in the scene is called "hungry wolf", so I click the steak on the wolf and *POOF* - they combine.

Once you do this sort of matching for every item in your inventory, the scene is completed, and you earn an emblem token that will be used on a puzzle somewhere nearby.

These item placement scenes make up the bulk of the game. You find them by walking around the environment, as you would in any other first-person adventure game. When you see a sparkling piece of paper attached to something, you click on it to play the item placement scene. Each scene is named after one of the author guy's stories.

You will visit each "story" a few times, with a different set of items each time (as in many HOGs).

The game is easy enough that you'll rarely need to use hints. But if you want them, you can find two in each scene. They show up as hidden cards with an "E" on them. Each one of these cards counts as one hint in your reserve, and they don't ever expire or refresh; you get to keep them until you use them.

Puzzles: You will have to solve a number of simple, but amusing, puzzles. I always enjoyed when one of these showed up. Many of them involve some form of connection-making, such as memory matching or deciding which items go with which season.

Inventory: You'll have an inventory containing items that you pick up in one location and use in another location. This is a standard adventure game feature.

Highlights

Graphics: This game scratches my adventure game itch in its overall presentation. The graphics are much like those of the old first-person adventure games of the 90s. You walk around in ambiently lit locations, where fascinating visuals greet you at each new turn. The environments were obviously designed with care and skill.

Also, there are a number of paintings in the game. I thought the artwork on these was excellent. There were clearly some pro artists on this game.

Music: Is the music great? No. Does it work well for the game? Yes. The music has a synth orchestra vibe to it, but unlike many casual games, it sounds like the composer was someone who knows what he's doing. The tranquil underscore, I think, complements the gameplay in a satisfying way.

Issues

Repeated scenes: I can't dock the developer too many points for this one, because most HOGs do this same thing: take you back to the same scenes you've already scrutinized. They think that changing the list of items will make it more bearable. After all, they spent all that time designing the scenery, so it only makes sense to get a little mileage out of it, right? Personally, I get tired of repeated scenes in this sort of game.

Let me soften this gripe by saying that I didn't mind it in this game quite as much because of the item placement mechanic. In this game, it can actually be fun to place items into those spots that you didn't get to interact with the first time through a scene. But still, 3 or 4 times through the same scene is just too many for my taste.

Story: "The heck?" This is my response to the story in many games, including this one. I admire the writer for trying to come up with something somewhat fantastical and literature-themed, but the execution left me bored. I think I kind of understand what happened. Or maybe not.

You see? I don't like that kind of story. I want to have a clear understanding of exactly what happened, how it worked out, and why my part in it was significant. I am admittedly slow in the mental department sometimes, but I'm pretty sure this story wasn't tied together very well. You may disagree. I hope you get more out of it than I did.

Suitable for the family?

Sure. My kids stood by watching, and enjoyed some parts of the game. There's nothing scary, shocking, or offensive. I can imagine your whole family appreciating this one. It'll appeal more to older kids, I think. There aren't many bright colors or cute things to watch, so little kids might lose interest more quickly. But that's good, right? Shouldn't they be out playing anyway?

The family man's final ruling

This game was a welcome change for me. HOGs these days are so yawn-inducing that the item placement mechanic of Enlightenus was very welcome. I think if there was more diversity in the item placement scenes, and in the music, then this game would have been even better. Then, hire a professional writer to make the story compelling, and you could have a really great game. I recommend this above most HOGs, even the newer, shinier ones.

So, while it loses points for lack of variety, the game was still beautiful, innovative, and kept me playing through to the end.

And, if you end up really liking this one, there is a sequel! It plays exactly like the first game in terms of mechanics and music, but with a new story and new scenery.

You'll get to solve many of these disc placement puzzles.

You'll like the game if...

You like HOGs
You like first-person adventures
You like a mellow gameplay experience

You won't like the game if...

You get bored by matching items with other items

My rating:

If you want to play Enlightenus, click below:

Deals - Treasure Seekers games for $2.99 this week!

2010-09-20T06:39:00.000-07:00

Here's the Catch of the Week for September 20 - 26!

PC: Treasure Seekers: Visions of Gold is a hidden object game. Read my review!

Mac: Treasure Seekers: The Enchanted Canvases is a hidden object game.

To get these games for $2.99, click the image below, and use the coupon code CATCH299 at checkout!

PC users
Mac users

Deal - Defenders of Law: The Rosendale File - $2.99 this week!

2010-09-13T07:14:00.000-07:00

The Catch of the Week for September 13 - 19 is Defenders of Law!

This is a hidden object game.

To get it for $2.99, click the image below, and use the coupon code CATCH299 at checkout!

Mac users click here!

What's coming up?

2010-09-08T06:56:00.000-07:00

I know it's been a while since my last review, so let me bring you up to date on what's going on behind the scenes here at AGFE.

I am working on reviewing a 2009 game right now, and playing some other games for review. Life is incredibly busy around here, and I'm squeezing in as much gaming time as I can for your sake. Forgive me for not getting more reviews up more quickly.

Have you noticed how many mediocre HOGs are still being released? It's both good and bad. On the one hand, I know I can avoid most of the new HOGs, and that frees me up for other games. On the other hand, that means there is more sludge on the market to wade through before finding the gems.

So keep your eye out for some more reviews. Thanks to all of you who are visiting AGFE regularly, and even greater thanks to those of you who have posted comments. I really appreciate it.

Deal - Hidden in Time: Mirror Mirror - $2.99 this week!

2010-09-07T06:09:00.000-07:00

The Catch of the Week for September 6 - 12 is Hidden in Time: Mirror Mirror!

This is a hidden object game.

To get it for $2.99, click the image below, and use the coupon code CATCH299 at checkout!

Mac users click here!

Deal - Big Fish Games Endless Summer Sale!

2010-09-03T08:02:00.000-07:00

Greetings, friends!

Big Fish is having a sale until September 6th.

Every game is $4.99 if you use the coupon code ENDLESS at checkout. (This doesn't apply to collector's editions.)

This is your chance to nab those games that were fun, but not quite worth the full price!

If you want recommendations, check out my list of top picks on the right side of the page. Those are my favorite games in each category. You can't go wrong with those!

News - Drawn: Dark Flight is out now!

2010-09-02T12:26:00.000-07:00

Well, friends, although I haven't had a chance to play it yet, Drawn: Dark Flight is now available in the Collector's Edition format!

I am in the middle of some other games right now, but I'll be jumping into this Drawn sequel as soon as I can manage it. I suggest you do the same. It's going to be awesome, I just know it. w00t!

Here are some other valuable tidbits.

Drawn: Dark Flight

was developed by Big Fish Studios (whose games have a history of being very good)
is available in several languages, and
is available for the Mac.

You may also want to read my review of the first game in the series: Drawn: The Painted Tower.

Deal - Magician's Handbook II: Blacklore - $2.99 this week!

2010-08-30T06:20:00.000-07:00

The Catch of the Week for August 30 - September 5 is The Magician's Handbook II: Blacklore!

This is a hidden object game.

To get it for $2.99, click the image below, and use the coupon code CATCH299 at checkout!

Mac users click here!

Sequel to Drawn: The Painted Tower, and other thoughts!

2010-08-26T06:43:00.000-07:00

Drawn Sequel

If any of you liked Drawn: The Painted Tower as much as I did, you might be interested to know that the sequel is coming. That's right. Go here to watch the trailer for Drawn: Dark Flight! w00t!

Recent Games

I've been trying a bunch of new games, to see if they're worth buying and reviewing. But I find myself unable to make up my mind about most of them. Perhaps you'll be willing to post a comment and add your own 2 or 10 cents?

Echoes of the Past: The Castle of Shadows: I can't even get this game to work. It just black-screens. The same thing happened with Vacation Mogul, and I never got to try it. It would sure be nice if developers would iron these things out before the release date.

Robin's Quest: A Legend Born: This game has sweet production values! It's lovely to look at and plays smoothly. But I have two gripes that are keeping me on the fence.

In a culture where we have already feminized men beyond recognition, do we really need a game that casts Robin Hood as a woman, and gives her the brains and brawn to break out of jail and save her helpless husband from the same jail?
There's not much challenge in the game. And I've heard others say that the game is a bit short. These are two heavy strikes against a purchase for me.

Enlightenus II: The Timeless Tower: The game looks pretty, just like the first Enlightenus. The game has the exact same music as the first game. In fact, it is almost exactly like the first game in every way. I was hoping for a little something different, but this sequel pretty much feels like a clone of the first game with different environments. Sure, the mechanics are still enjoyable, but with no significant changes to draw me in, I can't decide if it's worth a buy.

Brunhilda and the Dark Crystal: Here, you get cartoony graphics that are reminiscent of The Curse of Monkey Island. The whole presentation is attractive, with satisfactory music, professionally drawn environments, and well-integrated seek-and-find mechanics. But it's the theme and story that don't interest me much. I don't know why. As much as I like the gameplay, the story doesn't make me want to keep going.

Wedding Dash 4-Ever: While I haven't played this game, my wife has. And she's asking me to buy it. Wedding Dash: Ready, Aim, Love was one of her favorite games, and this sequel has once again earned her affection. So, if you like these sorts of games, you ought to give this 4th entry a try.

Deals - Midnight Mysteries: The Edgar Allan Poe Conspiracy, and Hidden Mysteries: Buckingham Palace for $2.99 this week!

2010-08-23T06:50:00.000-07:00

Here's the Catch of the Week for August 23 - August 29!

PC: Midnight Mysteries: The Edgar Allan Poe Conspiracy is a hidden object game.

Mac: Hidden Mysteries: Buckingham Palace is a hidden object game. Read my review!

To get these games for $2.99, click the image below, and use the coupon code CATCH299 at checkout!

PC users
Mac users

Deal - Echoes of the Past: Royal House of Stone for $2.99 this week!

2010-08-16T05:23:00.000-07:00

The Catch of the Week for August 16 - August 22 is Echoes of the Past: Royal House of Stone!

This is a hidden object game.

To get it for $2.99, click the image below, and use the coupon code CATCH299 at checkout!

Mac users click here!

Strategy Guide - Royal Envoy!

2010-08-11T06:59:00.000-07:00

Introduction

Royal Envoy is one of the most enjoyable strategic building games I've played (Read my review!). The goal of each level (besides completing your assigned tasks) is to earn the gold seal. This is accomplished by finishing all of your tasks before the timer runs out. On some levels this is easy to do. On other levels, it's somewhat challenging. But on some levels, it can be a real struggle, taking 3 to 5 attempts to figure out an effective path to success. The purpose of this strategy guide is to give you a step-by-step walkthrough for the levels that I found to be most challenging.

You might find some of these levels to be easy. Still, others of you might play levels that you think should be included here.

If you can't seem to find the path to the gold seal on a level that I haven't included, please post a comment on this article, and tell me which level you'd like a walkthrough for. I'll add a walkthrough for any requested levels.

UPDATE: Now, I'm in the process of adding the gold solutions for every level in the game.

Strategy Guide

Note about taxes: In all of the following walkthroughs, it is assumed that you will be collecting taxes from houses whenever you can, unless specifically instructed to do otherwise. The same goes for Banks.

Level 18

Note: Don't pay the pirate in this level.

Build 2 three-star Cottages (upgrade siding first) in the center row, with a Lantern in between. It is important to keep working on these until they are complete. Don't collect any taxes from them until they're done. You want to keep your workers from going back to the Castle.
Build 3 Cabins on the top row with siding and gardens (no other upgrades).
Build a Lantern between 2 Cabins and a Flowerbed between 2 Cabins. At this point you'll be a little over half of the allotted time.
Pay the balloon guy in the following order:
2000 (2 times)
500 (2 times)
100 (repeat until the scale is balanced)

Level 23

Build a Sawmill next to the Castle.
Process wood (800 at a time) at the Sawmill until you have 4800 materials.
Process 200 wood at the Sawmill. You will now how 5000.
Start construction on the bottom bridge.
Buy 2 Tax Collectors and 1 Worker.
Dig up 2 holes as soon as the bridge is complete.
Start getting good deals at the Market (you're trying to collect 35,000 money). 50 for 3000 or 100 for 4000 are the best deals. Keep doing this as you proceed with the following steps.
Once you have 35,000 money, pay the pirate.
Dig up the hole.
Trade with the merchants until you have 10,000 money. In the meantime, build the upper bridge and make sure you have 4500 wood in stock. You don't need to trade in the Markets anymore at this point.
Pay the 2nd pirate.
When the smoke clears, build a Statue between the Cabins.

Level 26

Build 2 Chalets with siding. I put them on the right and left sides of the Castle.
Build Cottages with siding in all other slots.
Begin paying the pirates whenever you have 3000 money.
Add a garden to each building.
Use your remaining wood to upgrade any houses you can. I focused on the Chalets.
Once you have 7000 money, pay the last pirate.

Level 32

Start producing in the Workshop.
Clear all brambles.
Build a second Workshop right next to the other Workshop. Keep them constantly producing.
Build a Villa under the Circus.
Upgrade the Villa all the way, with siding, but no garden.
Complete the bridge.
Build Cabins with siding in every remaining slot.
Restore the Circus and start running festivals. Keep running them as you proceed. Eventually you will finish the level.
Buy Tax Collectors until you have 7.
Keep collecting taxes and producing materials in your Workshops.

Level 35

Build a Sawmill in the middle row, middle slot.
Add siding to all Villas as soon as you've collected taxes once.
Process 800 wood at the Sawmill once you have enough money.
Process 400 wood at the Sawmill once you have enough money.
Build a Workshop in the middle row, next to the Castle. Keep the Workshop constantly producing.
Keep constantly processing 400 or 800 wood in the Sawmill.
Buy 3 Workers as you go (for a total of 6).
Build Chalets (with siding) in the empty slots in the top and bottom rows.
Demolish the Villa in the middle row.
Build a Bank in the middle.
Demolish Villas on the top and bottom rows.
Build Chalets with siding on the top and bottom rows.
Demolish the Sawmill and build a Market in its slot. You can use the market to help you get the 10,000 money needed to pay the pirate.
Pay the smoking pirate.
Build a fountain.

Level 37

Build a Workshop in the middle row.
Clear all brambles.
Demolish the Fountains and Flowers.
Produce in the Workshop constantly.
Build 2 Villas in the empty slots.
Add siding to both Villas, and upgrade them to 3 stars.
Collect taxes until you have 15,000 money.
Pay the pirate.
Add siding to the Villas on the bottom row.
Pay the other pirate.
Demolish both middle Villas.
Add siding to the Villas on the top row.
Build 2 Banks in the middle.
Build a Flowerbed between 2 Villas, and Flowers between 2 Villas.
Upgrade 2-star Villas to 3 stars.
Buy extra tax collectors (for a total of 6).
Keep emptying the Banks.

Level 38

Clear out the right side first.
Restore 2 Markets, and build a Sawmill at the bottom as quickly as possible.
Spend the rest of the time clearing brambles, digging up holes, restoring Markets, building Markets doing trades, and buying 800 wood at the Sawmill.
Note: Only do Market trades of 3000 for 50, or 4000 for 100.
Once all Markets are restored, build the three flowers. Each flower costs 450 wood. Once you're down to the last flower, use the Sawmill to process whatever amount you need, even if it's just 200. You should finish just before the timer runs out.

Level 57

There are a number of ways to finish this one with the gold seal, but only in the nick of time. I played it over and over, trying to find the quickest method. I finally found a way to get the gold seal while your timer is still above the little metal bar near the bottom of the time meter.

Demolish the Market. This gets you lots of materials.
Start collecting rent right away.
As soon as you have enough money, start buying Workers. Keep buying them as you play, until you have 10.
As soon as your Workers bring back the materials from the demolished Market, start running your Workshop, and keep it constantly running.
Put siding on your Mansion as soon as you can.
Put siding on all of your other houses.
Collect money from your Bank regularly.
Start buying Tax Collectors, and keep buying them as you play, until you have 10.
Buy 400 materials at the Sawmill.
Once you have 2000 materials, build a Workshop next to the Bank. Keep it constantly running.
Note: If you need to, you can occasionally buy 400 or 800 materials at the Sawmill to help you build all of the stuff in the following steps. You should count mostly on your Workshops though.
Start upgrading your Mansion until it has 3 stars.
Build a Mansion with siding in one of the bottom corners.
Build a Bank in the other corner. Keep collecting from it regularly.
Add Gardens to 5 houses. Only add a Garden to one of the Mansions.

Level 58

Build 3 Villas with siding.
Construct the bridge.
Upgrade all Villas to 1 star.
Collect money continuously from Villas and Banks.
Pay the bandit once you have 30,000 money.
Clear the brambles.
Send Workers to dig up both holes at the top.
Buy 5 Workers.
Build a Workshop next to the Castle as soon as you have 2000 materials. Keep the workshop running.
Buy 1,600 materials at the Sawmill whenever you have 16,000 money.
Each time you have 1,200 materials, demolish a Bank and build a Mansion with siding.
Once you have built 3 Mansions, add Gardens to all 6 houses.

Level 59

Start building a Workshop in the empty space at the bottom. Once it's built, keep it running.
Clear all 4 brambles.
Dig up the hole at the top.
Demolish all 4 Villas. You may want to collect money from them first, if it's available.
Build 4 Chalets with siding.
Buy 2 Workers.
Upgrade all Chalets to 3 stars and gardens.
Pay the pirate when you have 20,000 money.
Build 4 Chalets with gardens in the spaces on the right side. Hopefully none of them will need repairs in the short time it will take to complete these. If they break, repair them.

Level 60

Send all 5 Workers to the cave. Leave them there the rest of the time.
Collect the money from all 3 Banks.
Buy 1 Worker.
Start constructing the bottom bridge as soon as you can.
Clear the brambles when you're done.
Buy 1 Worker.
Start constructing the middle bridge.
Clear the brambles when you're done.
Buy 1 Worker.
Start constructing the top bridge.
Clear the brambles when you're done.
Start buying Workers until you have 11.
Send a Worker to dig up the hole next to the cave.
Build a Mansion with siding in every empty slot.
Keep upgrading the 3 Mansions until they all have 3 stars.
NOTE: Remember to keep your Tax Collectors constantly collecting money from the Mansions and Banks.
Start paying the pirates whenever you have 10,000 money.
Clear the brambles each time you pay a pirate.
Buy 1 Tax Collector (you'll have 4 total).
Buy 1 Worker (you'll have 12 total).
Once the brambles have all been cleared, build Mansions with siding in all 3 slots.
Build Statues between all Mansions.
Upgrade all Mansions to 3 stars. Eventually you'll reach 300,000 money and win with time left.

Level 61

Demolish the broken Cottage.
Build a Villa with siding, and upgrade it to 1 star.
Add siding to the Chalet and the Cottage, and upgrade them both to 2 stars. You should be left with 100 wood.
Dig up the hole behind the Castle.
As soon as you have 7,000 money, pay the pirate. You should have used just over 1/4 of your time at this point.
Start running the Workshops and keep them going.
Dig up the hole at the top of the screen.
Save up about 60,000 money.
In the meantime, build lanterns in the 4 available slots.
Demolish 1 Workshop.
Build a Sawmill where the Workshop was.
At the Sawmill, run 3 batches of 1600 and 1 batch of 800. Then demolish the Sawmill.
In the meantime, add a garden to the 3 houses on the left.
Build a Cabin where the Sawmill was. Don't build siding.
Add a garden to the new Cabin.
Once you have at least 10,330 wood, fix the bridge.
Demolish the second Workshop.
Build a lantern in the slot across the bridge.
Build a Cabin where the second Workshop was.
Add a garden to the new Cabin.

Level 62

Repair both Villas on the right side, and add siding right away.
Upgrade both Villas to 2 stars.
Keep collecting taxes whenever you can.
Chop up the brambles in the middle.
Build 2 Villas with siding in the bottom two slots. You can upgrade them to 1 star if you like.
Pay 5000 money to the pirate blocking the Bank. Keep collecting money from the Bank whenever you can.
Pay 10,000 money to the pirate blocking the Workshop. Keep the Workshop running all the time.
Pay 20,000 money to one of the smoking pirates at the top.
Demolish the revealed Statue.
Pay 20,000 money to the other smoking pirate.
Demolish the revealed Statue.
Buy 2 Workers (for a total of 4).
Build a Statue between one set of Villas.
Pay 15,000 money to the pirate blocking the Market.
Add gardens to all Villas.
Demolish the Market.
Build a Sawmill.
Build a Statue between the other set of Villas.

Level 63

Begin clearing out the brambles. You want to gain early access to the bottom middle slots and the two side slots.
Build a Sawmill in one of the lower middle slots as soon as you can. Keep producing 1600 wood whenever you have 16,000 money.
Buy 3 workers (for a total of 8).
Build a Mansion with siding in one of the side slots. Start upgrading it to 3 stars.
Build a Workshop in the other bottom middle slot as soon as you have enough wood. Keep it running all the time.
Build a Villa with siding on the other side slot. Start upgrading it to 3 stars.
Build a Bank in one of the bottom side slots. Keep collecting money from it.
Remember to produce 1600 wood whenever you have 16,000 money.
Remember to keep collecting taxes and Bank money whenever you can.
Build a Chalet with siding in one of the top slots. Start upgrading it to 3 stars.
Build a Cottage with siding in one of the top slots. Start upgrading it to 3 stars.
Build a Cabin with siding in the remaining top slot. Start upgrading it to 3 stars.
Build a Garden for each house.
Build a Market. Don't do any trades there.
As soon as you have enough wood, build the Statue and 2 Lanterns. This will probably require you to run 400 wood at the Sawmill to achieve the gold time.

Review - Royal Envoy!

2010-08-10T07:23:00.000-07:00

Where have all the great games gone?

A lot of my favorite games are older ones (which means 1 or 2 years old in the casual games world) because the commitment to quality seemed to be generally higher back then.

And yet, every so often, a developer will surprise me.

Today, I review a new game that surprised me in a number of ways - a game that puts you in the role of the king's Royal Envoy!

What I liked

Superb graphics
Unique spin on the genre
Good music
Satisfying game length
High degree of polish
Perfect amount of challenge
Stays interesting
Subtle humor

What I didn't like

Character art

Quick Plot

Help to restore safe homes to the realm of Islandshire before the rainy season hits again!

Mechanics

Strategy: There aren't many casual games that immediately strike me as "strategy games." It wasn't long before I discovered Royal Envoy to be just that. Many building games offer some degree of strategy, but not like this game does.

In your typical building game, such as the Build-a-Lot series or the Be Rich series, your goal is to finish the level within the allotted time. If you don't succeed, you have to play the level over. If you finish the level very quickly, you get an Expert rank. But in these games, the Expert goal is something extra to reach for, if you prefer the challenge.

In Royal Envoy, all of the fun is tied into getting the equivalent of the Expert goal. It feels very similar to the Farm Frenzy games. In those games, half of the fun is in trying to figure out the particular sequence of actions that will earn you the Gold medal. That is exactly how Royal Envoy plays out. The developers have given a challenging, but reasonable, timer to each level. When this timer runs out, it just disappears and you can keep playing. But if you finish the level before the timer is out, you get the gold seal.

Pirate Island, with gold seals on all levels, as indicated by the stars.

So what's the point of achieving the gold standard?

There are three benefits:

The gold seal earns you lots of bonus points, which can earn you a higher rank, which earns you trophies.
To unlock expert mode, you must complete all levels with a gold seal.
Achieving gold is very satisfying, mentally. It's a sign of good strategy.

It's very obvious that the designers intended it to be this way. I don't even know if you can lose a level. I suppose you could get stuck without enough resources to continue, and be forced to restart a level.

Strategic tips are offered between levels. These tips give helpful advice for achieving the gold seal.

I think you'll find that a dominant portion of the fun is found in

starting a level,
looking over the level's goals, and
devising a strategy for gold-seal success.

The timer doesn't begin until you give a command to a worker or tax collector (I'll explain these guys in a minute). So you can look over the level and its requirements with no time pressure. This allows you to study the level in advance, and to map out your plan of execution.

Building: Once you have your strategy for a level, you begin building. This is similar to many other buildings games, in the tradition of Build-a-Lot.

There are a number of slots on the screen where buildings or decorations can be constructed. Your objective is to meet the level's prescribed goals by

building (or tearing down) the appropriate buildings
in the best order
as quickly as possible.

You have two kinds of hirelings to serve you:

workers, and
tax collectors.

Workers do all the manual labor of building, chopping, digging, producing and demolition.

Tax collectors are the little fellows who run to money-producing buildings to collect income. They also carry out negotiations with pirates and merchants.

Workers and tax collectors live in the castle. The castle is the central building where all money and materials are dropped off after being collected. You can also hire extra workers and tax collectors in the castle. This costs money.

Money and materials (wood) are the two resources you'll be working with. You collect both resources in a number of ways, and they are both used for multiple purposes.

How a level looks. At the top you can see money, materials, workers, tax collectors, and happiness.

Now, let me explain all of the buildings and their functions.

You have 3 types of things you can build, and they don't have names (just images) so I'll classify them as houses, decorations, and resource buildings.

The 5 types of houses, from smallest to largest are:

Cabin (makes the least money)
Cottage
Chalet
Villa
Mansion (makes the most money)

The 4 types of resource buildings are:

Sawmill: You pay money to receive materials.
Workshop: You pay materials to receive 10x more materials).
Market: You sell materials to receive money.
Bank: Accrues money every time you collect taxes. Money can be withdrawn.

There are 5 types of decorations. They add happiness to adjacent houses. The more expensive the decoration, the more materials you must spend to build it, and the more happiness it adds. (Incidentally, the most expensive decoration, the Statue, is a statue of the Playrix dragon. Playrix is the game's developer.)

Every so often you can gain resources by other means, such as digging up buried treasure or chopping up brambles.

Every type of building. Top row: houses.
Bottom row: resource buildings and castle.

Time Management: This is worth mentioning because the game is really a time challenge, if you play it as I've described earlier. You're trying to achieve goals as quickly and efficiently as possible.

Still, for those of you who like the building aspect, but don't like racing against a clock, you can ignore the clock and go at your own pace. You just won't achieve the gold seal on each level, which is okay.

Highlights

Eye candy: How refreshing to play a game that bathes you in highly-polished graphics. The developers overlooked nothing in the graphics department. With the exception of the cut scenes, I was completely pleased with the game's visuals. Each level is vividly colored, with animated scenery and highly detailed objects.

I sat and admired the map of Islandshire for the pure fun of it. A series of pretty little islands is situated on a large expanse of sea. The rolling waves are gloriously colored, and each island has special animations that play when you mouse-over or click on it (once you've finished the island). You can see whales jump out of the water while the best music track of the game plays. The map spans beyond the edge of the screen, and when you scroll to the side, a navigator's wheel spins. It's wonderful. This is the sort of thing that really draws me in and begs me to keep playing the game. I thank Playrix for putting this kind of effort into the visual aesthetics.

The map of Islandshire. I wish I could live there.

Music: You know I'm almost always disappointed with the soundtracks for casual games. With a few qualifiers, I'll tell you that I did like the music in this game. Let me explain.

There are 4 kinds of game soundtracks:

Those that are so bad that you just turn the music off in the settings.
Those that aren't great, but get the job done, so you leave the music on.
Those that really help the game and sound good when playing, but don't hold up when listened to outside of the game.
Those that are so good that you'd gladly listen to the music on your iPod.

Royal Envoy has a #3 kind of soundtrack. I really liked it in the game, but isolated on its own, it doesn't hold up.

Also worth mentioning is that the music style surprised me. The game has a medieval sort of theme, with castles, men in livery, and wooden ships. And yet the soundtrack sounds like it would be more at home in a Build-a-lot game. I was expecting something more like the Be a King 2 soundtrack. But nope! You can expect a happy, modern style. And yet it works. After I got used to it, I happily hummed along while playing.

Game length: One thing that really makes any game disappointing is too short of a length. I'm glad to say that Royal Envoy has the perfect length. You'll feel like you got your money's worth by the time you're done. The game has 60-something levels, all satisfying.

If you complete the trophy room, you unlock Expert mode and have a chance to replay all the levels with even more challenging time limits.

Humor: The game is cartoony, cute, and funny in its delivery. In between levels and when you complete islands, you'll view dialogue between characters. I laughed out loud when one character said: "What a skinflint! The owner of the balloon refuses to let us have it for free." That quote left me snickering for days.

An example of character art in a cut scene.

Issues

Cut scenes: Each time you finish an island, you view another plot-advancing animated cut scene. Personally, I thought the art style in these scenes was unattractive. All of the character art (with the exception of the girl) seemed strange to me. The animation was kind of awkward, too.

Although, I will say that the voice work was good. They obviously hired experienced voice actors.

Other than that, I can't think of any other gripes.

Suitable for the family?

Everything in here is cute, so you don't need to worry about any offensive or disturbing content.

I was surprised to find that my kids actually liked watching a building game such as this. What they really liked were the little workers and tax collectors running around, and the beer-gut pirates. My little people gladly stood watching. They even helped me keep track of things I needed to keep an eye on!

The family man's final ruling

This was one of the best games I've played in a while. So much effort went into making it a polished product. The game is worth more than you're likely to pay for it, I think.

The levels are all unique, always offering a strategic challenge. The graphics and music support the gameplay with a high-quality delivery. The game kept me interested right up until the end. Virtually every time you mouse over something in the game - buildings, people, trophies, islands - you'll get some interesting animated response. When you get to a level with a cave, try moving your mouse in front of the cave and see what happens!

This is as good as casual games get. It's right up there with games like Luxor: Quest for the Afterlife and Ancient Quest of Saqqarah in terms of production quality. If you like building games at all, don't pass this up. The emphasis on strategy and resource/worker management gives it a completely different feel from other games in the genre.

I would gladly play a sequel!

By the way, I'm going to be writing up a strategy guide for some of the most difficult levels in the game, detailing a method for achieving a gold seal on each level. So keep an eye out for that. You may find it to be helpful if you get stuck on tricky level!

The best way to fill out the trophy room is by achieving gold seals on levels!

You'll like the game if...

You like building games
You like time management games
You like strategy games
You like colorful, cartoony games

You won't like the game if...

You don't like having to do a bit of strategizing
You don't like economic/building games

My rating:

If you want to play Royal Envoy, click below:

Standard	Collector's Edition

Deal - Righteous Kill 2 for $2.99 this week!

2010-08-09T06:29:00.000-07:00

The Catch of the Week for August 9 - August 15 is Righteous Kill 2!

This is a hidden object game.

To get it for $2.99, click the image below, and use the coupon code CATCH299 at checkout!

Mac users click here!

Deal - Cassandra's Journey: The Legacy of Nostradamus for $2.99 this week!

2010-08-02T06:51:00.000-07:00

The Catch of the Week for August 2 - August 8 is Cassandra's Journey: The Legacy of Nostradamus!

This is a hidden object game (primarily).

To get it for $2.99, click the image below, and use the coupon code CATCH299 at checkout!

Mac users click here!

Deal - Steve the Sheriff for $2.99 this week!

2010-07-28T07:02:00.000-07:00

The Catch of the Week for July 26 - August 1 is Steve The Sheriff!

This is a hidden object game.

To get it for $2.99, click the image below, and use the coupon code CATCH299 at checkout!

Mac users click here!

Deal - $2.99 for games from Big Fish this weekend! Huge sale!

2010-07-22T17:53:00.000-07:00

Okay, friends, I found out about another deal today.

On July 24, 25, and 26 (Saturday, Sunday, Monday), all games from the "Felix's Favorites Collections" are on sale for $2.99.

What are the Felix's Favorites Collections?

Apparently it includes

these games for the PC, and
these games for the Mac.

So, now's your chance (and mine) to grab any of these games we've been eyeing, but not buying.

Use the coupon code ONEBILLION at checkout and you'll get a 57% discount off of any of these games.

Deals - Cate West: The Velvet Keys and Blood Ties for $2.99!

2010-07-19T06:51:00.000-07:00

Here's the Catch of the Week for July 19 - July 25!

PC: Cate West: The Velvet Keys is a hidden object game.

Mac: Blood Ties is a hidden object game.

To get these games for $2.99, click the image below, and use the coupon code CATCH299 at checkout!

PC users
Mac users

Review - Simplz Zoo!

2010-07-17T13:12:00.000-07:00

Early this year, Reflexive Entertainment released a match-3-based zoo-building game called Simplz Zoo.

As you may know, I don't usually enjoy match 3. Intrigued by the glowing feedback others have given for Simplz Zoo, I took a risk and purchased the game, then played it all the way through. It's review time!

What I liked

Significant and practical match 3
Zoo development
Optional time limit for match 3
Upgrades and bonuses

What I didn't like

Art style
Music
"Indoor" animal exhibits
No ending?

Quick Plot

Develop your zoo and rise up to become the #1 zoo in the world!!!

Mechanics

Match 3: This game uses your generic swap-style match 3. But one really nice feature is that they allow diagonal swaps. (Thank you, Reflexive). Your goal is to swap 2 pieces on the square grid and make straight matched strings of 3 in a row or more. The biggest match you can make is 9 pieces - and you'll actually earn a trophy for accomplishing this in the game.

Each match you make earns you resources. A level ends once you've

collected all of the required resources, and
directed animals along a path to an exit square, and/or
moved some pieces all the way to the bottom of the puzzle border.

Resources include things like materials, food, money, personnel, and research. Each time you make a food match, you earn food, and so on.

As you go on, levels get more difficult by adding locks on some squares, which are broken by including them in matches. Also, certain squares will have pathway pieces behind them (these are used for building paths in your zoo). Clearing these squares is required to finish a level. Early in the game, you just need to make one match on such a square to clear it. Later, you might have to clear 2 or 3 pathway pieces from a square.

Whenever you make a match of 4 squares, a bonus will be added to 1 square on the board. That might be something like extra money or zoo points. When you break that bonus square, you get the bonus. So matches of 4 are good. Matches of 5 don't give bonuses, but I think they get you more resources or something.

The zoo development interface. Clicking the big PLAY arrow starts the next match 3 level.

Zoo-building: After a level, if you have enough resources, you can build or upgrade buildings and exhibits in your zoo. The zoo-building feature serves the following 4 purposes:

it can be fun to look at, and it's somewhat educational (learn scientific animal names),
it allows you to be creative with your own personal zoo design,
buildings give you upgrades and bonuses for the match 3 levels, and
adding animals to your zoo is what takes you up the ranks to become the #1 zoo in the world.

To build buildings, bring in new animals, or maintain your zoo, you need resources, which I explained earlier. Each time you upgrade a building, or add something new to your zoo, you'll get some extra feature in your match 3 levels. This includes things like

better versions of a resource (Example: Each materials match will bring you 9 materials instead of 3.)
tools (Example: If you click the monkey tool, it will randomly rearrange pieces on the board.)
3-in-a-row bonuses (Example: If you get 3 research matches in a row, a number of locks will break.)
special effect pieces (Example: If you move the water piece, the bottom two rows of the board are cleared. The water piece appears randomly once you've purchased a hippo.)

You're given objectives before each match 3 level.

Highlights

Meaningful and practical match 3: What bothers me about most match 3 games is that all of that work swapping squares, or dragging the mouse across a chain of hexes, serves little purpose. It's just a tedious exercise in finding possible matches.

Simplz Zoo gives significance to the match 3 levels. As you make your matches, you have goals in mind. You know that making 3 matches in a row, of the same resource, will offer a beneficial effect on the board. You know that you have powerful board-changing tools charging up to be used at the right time. You have meters at the top of the screen showing you how many more of each resource you need. Sometimes, you need to clear a path for an animal. Sometimes you need to get pieces to the bottom of the match-3 frame.

All of this makes the match-3 experience practical. You are maintaining and expanding your zoo by playing the levels in a particular way.

As the game progresses, more and more features are added to the match-3 levels. This provides variety and makes the levels more interesting.

Zoo development: I liked that this game had something secondary to work at, and not just an unbroken string of match-3 levels. The developers were clever in giving you goals to work for. The ultimate goal is to become the #1 zoo in the world. The problem is, you start off way at the bottom, working to make it into the top 1000. If you want to become the #1 zoo, you've got your work cut out for you. And if you want to develop your zoo, you need exhibits and other important zoo facilities. To build those, you need to gain resources. To gain resources, you need to play match 3.

So that's how they make the game interesting. The zoo development is the driving force that gives significance to everything you do.

Optional time limit: If you prefer the challenge, you can decide before each level if you'd like to have a time limit. If you don't finish the level's objectives before the timer runs out, you lose and have to try again. If you finish the level with time left, you get bonus points of some sort. I kept the time limit on for a few levels, but then it quickly became too difficult to beat the levels. I preferred taking my time and working to gain lots of resources, rather than racing the clock. So I turned off the time limit for most of the game. I'm so glad they made this optional.

Upgrades and bonuses: Bonuses are to games what sauce is to food. The right sauce can bring any meal to life. Similarly, a game may have swell mechanics, but if you can get helpful boosts in the form of upgrades, it enhances the gaming experience to make it all the sweeter. This game is loaded with such add-ons. As I've explained already, these bonuses exist in both the zoo-building and match-3 portions of the game. They serve as both goals and helpers. They make the game dynamic, and that keeps us playing.

Issues

Production values: This is a game that manages to get away with low-detail graphics and merely adequate music because the gameplay is good. I don't mean the graphics are grainy or poorly crafted. I just don't like the art style. It's too "simplz" for me. The cartoony style lacks depth. It gets the job done in a cute sort of way, but doesn't dazzle on any level.

The best graphics in the game are those in the match 3 levels. The pieces look cool, and when you make matches, little purple lights shoot all over the place.

The music is just.........mediocre, like most games on the market. The composer obviously understands some things about music, but like the graphics, the soundtrack is too simple. I think this is the first game where I actually turned the music completely off for most of the game. But, hey, it's a matter of taste. You may like it, but don't say I didn't warn you.

That's a musk ox. And he's chewing bubble gum.

Indoor exhibits: Part of the fun, when buying a new animal for your zoo, is seeing the animal walking around. You want to watch the beast you purchased - it seems a fair reward for the work you did to earn it.

But for some reason, the developers didn't want to go the extra mile and actually animate every animal in the game. So they created a huge list of exhibits that house 4 animals each. These exhibits show up in your zoo, but the animals don't. You can see images of the animals on the screen where you buy them, but you don't get to watch them moving around their environment. This was disappointing for me, but even more so for my kids, who wanted to observe each animal in action. They were asking me to "go in" to the Carnivore Cubbyhole exhibit, and I had to inform them that I couldn't.

Was it really that complicated for the developers to make all animals observable?

No ending?: If you've read my reviews before, you know that I like good endings. I feel like developers owe it to the player - a final payoff for completing the game, a 5- to 20-minute closer for the story.

I don't think this game has an ending, but I'm not certain.

I achieved the #1 zoo rank after 85 levels of match 3, and then played a few more for no particular reason. That completed my bulletin board (which serves as a sort of trophy room). I had nothing else to work for, but I could continue playing levels and decorating my zoo with flowers and benches and such, should I care to. So, if I played 100 levels, would I get an ending then? I may never know. If you discover an ending, please comment on this post and let me know.

You get to see your zoo ranking after each level, as your resources are tallied.

Suitable for the family?

If you're looking for a game that kids will like, this game fits the bill.

Animals galore - check!
Cute - check!
Educational - check!

There is really no story here, but plenty of light-hearted, zoo-themed, family-friendly gameplay.

The family man's final ruling

I'm not a fan of match 3. And yet I liked this game. I had fun each time I sat down to play, and the kids gladly stood by. They were pleased with each new animal I freed on the match 3 board, and each new animal I added to my zoo.

The audio and visuals were nothing special, but the gameplay was clean, and professionally delivered. Multiple goals kept the game interesting. This is probably the most fun I've had with swap-style match 3.

You'll like the game if...

You like cute games
You love animals and zoos
You like swap-style match 3

You won't like the game if...

You're opposed to all match-3 games
You avoid cute, happy games

My rating:

If you want to play Simplz Zoo, click below:

PC	Mac

Deal - Autumn's Treasures: The Jade Coin for $2.99 this week!

2010-07-15T06:45:00.000-07:00

The Catch of the Week for July 12 - July 18 is Autumn's Treasures: The Jade Coin!

This is a hidden object game, and it's actually a fun one!

To get it for $2.99, click the image below, and use the coupon code CATCH299 at checkout!

Mac users click here!

Deal - Drawn: The Painted Tower for $2.99 today only!

2010-07-10T06:04:00.000-07:00

It's Saturday, and it's a good day. Why? Because one of my favorite casual games is on sale!

You can get Drawn: The Painted Tower for $2.99 by using the coupon code DAILYDEAL at checkout.

If you haven't played this game yet, this is your chance to get it at a great price. You'll rarely find a game this good. Read my review to find out why I like this game so much.

6 new games I tried . . . but didn't buy

2010-07-07T05:59:00.000-07:00

One of my goals is to find the best games on the casual market, and then to share them with you in reviews. To find games worth playing and reviewing, I have to try a lot of games. Much of the time, you don't hear from me about the games I don't like, or the games that were only kind of fun. So, occasionally, I like to catch you up on some games that weren't worth buying for one reason or another.

In order of release date, here are 6 recent releases that I tried but didn't buy.

Ranch Rush 2: When I saw how much love this game was receiving from the casual game community, I decided I had better try it.

You play a farmer girl who has to run around planting seeds, and loading up boxes with harvested plants. You will also need to deliver your harvested goods to the barn and water your plants.

There are a few other time management games that have very similar mechanics.

I'm glad that I tried this game because it reminded me that there is great variety within the time management genre, and not all types are equally fun for each person. Many of my favorite games are time management games. But this game confirmed that I don't enjoy this particular brand of time management. I'm not sure why. Thinking about it, I realize that my pattern is to avoid time management games in which you send some character dashing about. I almost always prefer a 1st person perspective (I did enjoy Mystic Inn, for example).

Ranch Rush 2 didn't offer the type of challenge that I like. The planting, harvesting, and delivering, as presented here, felt boring. You might love the game, but I bailed after a short time.

World Mosaics 3 - Fairy Tales: This is a puzzle game. And I wish I could own it . . . without paying for it.

The "mosaics" you build are "paint by numbers" (or nonogram) puzzles. You have to use your logic skills to figure out which squares in the grid are filled, and which ones are empty. When I first played this sort of puzzle years ago, a completed puzzle ended up with a random array of filled squares at the end. But this game manages to make a picture out of each puzzle by adding a bit of color to the completed image.

This plays just like the previous World Mosaics games, but this time, the theme is fairy tales.

I love this sort of logic puzzle, and I had a great time playing through the first chunk of this game. But I just can't bring myself to pay for it. The presentation is attractive, and the soundtrack was surprisingly good this time around (if short in length). But at the end of the day, it's just a collection of paint-by-numbers puzzles, and the miser in me doesn't want to throw cash at a puzzle collection. But if it was free, I'd grab it right up!

Midnight Mysteries 2 - The Salem Witch Trials: Here was me playing this game:

"Hmm. This looks interesting enough to try."

[downloads game and begins playing]

"Okay, let's see. I need to find all of these items..." *yawn*

[plays through the first scene]

"Hey, a ghost showed up to talk to me." *yawn*

[bails and uninstalls game]

My opinion is that if you're going to design a HOG these days, it had better be pretty special. This new entry in the Midnight Mysteries series offered nothing to keep me interested. If you want more of the same mundane gameplay found in almost every other recent HOG, then you should try this game. The graphics are nice, and the interface is pretty good, but zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.....

Little Space Duo: We get very few space-themed games in the casual world, so I pay attention when such a game is released. When I saw the intriguing screenshots for this one, I downloaded it right away and dove in.

Not only were the controls and interface a bit tricky to get used to, but I couldn't even figure out how to pass the first level. I know I'm not a genius, but assuming the game gets even more complicated in later levels, one would hope that the first level would be relatively easy.

The story was fair, as were the graphics. So I'll just keep looking forward to the day when some clever developer releases that superb space-themed game I'm waiting for.

Be a King 2: Now this is a game that I would gladly nab, if the price was right. This is a building/strategy game. I typically really enjoy this sort of game (my favorite being Coconut Queen). It has a little bit of that Warcraft III flavor (with shooting towers and invading hordes). The graphics are very nice, the music is fair, and the production is nice overall.

So why didn't I buy it? It doesn't seem to offer anything.....special. It was released on the heels of Royal Envoy, which is similar, but has something special to offer. The game is good, but not necessarily worth buying, until you've finished the other games you're more interested in. Still, this is an incredibly good production, considering the tiny development team. Would I buy it as a daily deal for $2.99? Maybe. Probably.

Flux Family Secrets - The Rabbit Hole: This is a weird one for me. On one hand, the interface, graphics, and gameplay are all very nice. On the other hand, it violates one of my personal values, namely, the objectifying of women. This issue is rampant in the world. Everywhere, the image of the female form is used as a tool and a marketing gimmick. Within the first several minutes of this game, the female form was used twice - once in the form of a character drawing, and once in the form of a statue.

Otherwise, the production is very good, and would like to see more games in this style. From what I saw, it included hidden objects and puzzles. I didn't see anything particularly innovative, but the presentation was on the high end of the quality scale.

So there you have it - 6 new games I tried but didn't buy. You may wonder if I've liked any new games. Yes, I have, and you'll be hearing about them before too long.

Deal - Flux Family Secrets: The Ripple Effect for $2.99 this week!

2010-07-05T06:27:00.000-07:00

The Catch of the Week for July 5 - July 11 is Flux Family Secrets: The Ripple Effect!

This is a hidden object game.

To get it for $2.99, click the image below, and use the coupon code CATCH299 at checkout!

Mac users click here!

Deal - 4th of July sale at Big Fish Games!

2010-07-02T05:24:00.000-07:00

Does anyone out there like deals? I know you do. I know you like them as much as I like them.

Sure, $6.99 is a good everyday price for a casual game. But $4.89 is even better!

And that's exactly what you'll pay if you buy any game this weekend at Big Fish Games.

All $6.99 games are 30% off from July 2 - July 5 (Friday through Monday).

Use coupon code JULY4THSALE at checkout.

Review - Luxor: Quest for the Afterlife!

2010-07-01T06:21:00.000-07:00

A while back, I reviewed the Egyptian-themed marble popper game, Luxor 3. The game had many outstanding features, and it remains one of my favorite games to this day.

When approaching the next game in the series, I wasn't sure what to expect. It could be better, the same, or worse. But which?

That's what I'll tell you today in my review of Luxor: Quest for the Afterlife!

What I liked

Amazingly polished production
Soundtrack
Graphics/Scenery
Upgrades
Theme/Setting
Good momentum

What I didn't like

No clues for obtaining treasures
Uninteresting story
Different balls are only for looks

Quick Plot

An Egyptian lady is worried about something having to do with canopic jars and she's trying to figure out who is behind her troubles. She's worried about the afterlife, I think. (I skipped the story segments after the first couple because they just didn't interest me.)

Mechanics

Marble popping: As with all other Luxor games, this 5th entry is a sphere-shooting game. Your shooter slides back and forth across the bottom of the screen. It always has marbles of two colors to choose from. You right-click to switch between these two marbles.

A chain of marbles comes rolling onto the screen. Your job is to launch marbles into these chains to create groups of 3 or more of the same color. When you fire, say, a green marble into a group of 2 or more green marbles, that whole group breaks and the chain automatically fills in the gap. If a chain enters the temple (exit) at the end of the marble path, you lose the level. So you need to destroy each chain completely before it enters the exit.

When you make 3 breaks in succession, "drops" fall down. These are power-ups and treasures. The power-ups and treasures in this game are exactly the same as those in Luxor 3. (I wrote about them in detail in my Luxor 3 review, so look there if you would like to know more.)

Power-ups give you a special one-time ability like a fireball that destroys all marbles in one area, or a color sorter that puts all marbles of the same color together.

Treasures give you points. A certain number of points are required to unlock several items in the store. One type of treasure - ankh coins - are what you use to pay for items in the store.

Bridges level. The marbles look smaller as they get deeper into the chasm. Awesome!

Really, this game does almost everything exactly as it was done in Luxor 3. The only slight differences I noticed were:

New levels
New map travel feature
New music
Slightly different ball physics
Different ball sounds

There are two ways to look at the similarities to Luxor 3. You can either gripe that there is nothing new or innovative in this game, or you can rejoice that there is more of the same goodness.

Personally, I sit solidly in the second camp. I think that Luxor 3 nailed marble popping to something like perfection. And so, I can think of very few areas that could be improved. Let me list the few areas that I think could use improvement. These are very minor and nitpicky, but I think they could be beneficial.

Marble types: You can unlock and purchase 3 additional styles of marbles in the store. But these offer a different look and nothing more, and I don't think any of them look as cool as the standard set. I wonder if the developers could think of a way to make these alternate balls somehow more powerful? Maybe when they hit, they shoot lightning out and destroy other balls? I don't know. But unlocking a new "look" doesn't do much for me.
Shooter types: The same thing applies here. The unlockable shooters offer nothing but a look. Although the sci-fi shooter is so sweet-looking that it is a satisfying purchase.
Treasure room: The treasure room is the same thing as a trophy room in any other casual game. In Luxor 3, you could mouse over the empty treasure slots in the treasure room and at least see the name of the treasure. This gave some clue as to how to earn them. For some reason, in Quest for the Afterlife, they give you no hints at all. So your only option is to play more, I suppose, and hope that your skills earn you those elusive treasures.
Puzzle mode: Luxor 3 had a longer puzzle mode, as I remember it. For this newer game, they seem to have cut down the number of puzzles, and they are easier to figure out this time around. I would have liked more puzzles. Puzzle mode is a great feature where they set up a few stationary chains of marbles and you have to figure out how to destroy all of the chains with a limited, pre-ordered set of marbles. Some of them require you to actually time your shots just right, which is fun and challenging.

The treasure (trophy) room.

Highlights

Production quality: Expect the best here, folks. Games are rarely this fine in quality. While most recent casual games are like McDonald's or Jack in the Box in quality, Luxor: Quest for the Afterlife is like fine dining.

The graphics are all very shiny and professional. The soundtrack, by Somatone, is very nice, as usual. The controls are easy, the physics are slick, and every element of the game is delivered with care. This is the sort of game I look for, and enjoy sharing with you.

Unlimited lives: One of the things I don't like about the Luxor games prior to Luxor 3 is that you have a limited number of lives, and you lose one each time you fail a level. To my delight, they removed this unnecessarily stressful feature for Luxor 3 and Luxor: Quest for the Afterlife.

Features: There is lot to this game. You travel to many cities, with the difficulty always growing. But even on Hard difficulty, the game isn't too challenging for practiced marble shooters. As you travel around, you find pieces of artifacts. These artifacts, once completed, offer you some in-game benefit.

The game also has, as I mentioned before, a puzzle mode that you can unlock, as well as an Insane difficulty. There is a treasure room, where you earn rewards for feats of marble-popping skill. There are many power-up upgrades to purchase in the store, as in Luxor 3.

There are some great levels in this game, and as you progress, more new scenes show up. Some levels are more challenging than others, while other are more beautiful, or have interesting marble paths.

There are a few level modes as well, including:

Classic: Standard level where you have to completely destroy a set number of marble chains.
Statues: Marble chains go back and forth, slowly heading for the exit at the bottom of the screen. Statues pop up to impede the marble chains, shortening their path. You can destroy the statues.
Swarm: A whole bunch of short chains race in and try to overwhelm you. You have to be quick.
Crossing the Nile: The one chain you need to destroy travels around in a circle on the other side of a river. But there are several long chains of marbles floating back and forth on the river, blocking your line of sight to the other side. You have to break gaps in the river chains to reach your target on the other side.
Battle: This is a new mode. When you track down a thief in the story, you have to fight him. Another marble shooter shows up on the top of the screen and you both try to quickly complete as many breaks as you can. Whoever is most successful, wins.

The map. Each blue dot is a level. Completed artifacts appear at the bottom.

Momentum: The game keeps you playing. I found it really hard to get up from the computer. The game beckons me to play "just one more" - you know the feeling. There is something so inherently fun about the mechanics of this game. And the more fun, the better the game.

Suitable for the family?

My kids watched me play some of the time. My son especially liked when I made a big deal out of catching good power-up drops. I can't think of anything that would frighten or disturb children. I didn't watch all of the story scenes, admittedly, so I can't comment thoroughly on the content. But I do know that the story involves Egyptian deities and theories of the afterlife, if that bothers you.

Luxor history

Here is the entire list of Luxor marble games, just so you can see the history leading up to Quest for the Afterlife.

Luxor
Luxor Amun Rising
Luxor 2
Luxor 3 (This is where the series turned awesome.)
Luxor: Quest for the Afterlife

And now they have a Bundle Pack, which includes both Luxor and Luxor Amun Rising. If you want to play these early games, save money by buying the package.

If you like HOGs (difficult ones!), you might like to try Luxor Adventures, and if you're a mahjong fan, why not check out Luxor Mahjong?

The family man's final ruling

I'm amazed with this game, as I was with Luxor 3. It makes shooting marbles feel like something significant and important, as if you're part of something big. I don't know how those geniuses at Mumbo Jumbo do it. It's like magic.

The game is dripping with ancient Egyptian theme (romanticized as it may be). The music is as good as it gets, and very fitting. The sounds and sights are excellent. Everything is polished and shiny to a high degree.

Let me also mention that you'll get plenty of game hours out of this. I think the game clock was at something like 8 hours when I finished playing through story and puzzle modes. Most newer casual games can't boast that kind of play time. And each hour was fun.

If you like marble popping at all, you won't find a better product, friends.

You'll like the game if...

You like a fantastical Ancient Egypt theme
You like quick action-packed gameplay
You like bashing marbles and catching drops
You are hungry for a high quality production

You won't like the game if...

You don't like shooting marbles

My rating:

If you want to play Luxor: Quest for the Afterlife, click below:

Deals - Mystery of the Crystal Portal and The Count of Monte Cristo for $2.99 this week!

2010-06-28T05:49:00.001-07:00

Here's the Catch of the Week for June 28 - July 4!

PC: The Mystery of the Crystal Portal is a hidden object game in the style of Treasure Seekers.

Mac: The Count of Monte Cristo is a hidden object game based on the book of the same name.

To get these games for $2.99, click the image below, and use the coupon code CATCH299 at checkout!

PC users
Mac users

Deals - Robinson Crusoe and Be Rich for $2.99 this week!

2010-06-21T08:01:00.000-07:00

The Catch of the Week deals for June 21 - June 27 are

Adventures of Robinson Crusoe for the PC (hidden objects), and
Be Rich for the Mac (building)! Read my review!

To get these games for $2.99, click the image below, and use the coupon code CATCH299 at checkout!

PC users
Mac users

Review: Burger Shop 2

2010-06-17T15:01:00.000-07:00

If you've been following the recent casual game releases like I have, you're probably feeling let down. It is obvious that the standards for new games have been lowered. I have tried several of them, looking for something to review for you, and I just can't find anything good enough to play all the way through.

Fortunately, today I (finally) have something worth reviewing for you - a tasty little time management game from 2009: Burger Shop 2!

What I liked

Simple interface and controls
Variety of features
First-person perspective

What I didn't like

Not enough bonuses/upgrades
Music

Quick Plot

You wake up in a dumpster. Someone has screwed up your life and burger business, and you're going to track down the dirty fiend while rebuilding your burger empire!

Mechanics

Time Management: This game is a very simple, straightforward, multitasking, time management game. Here's how it works:

Food and drink components come out of the BurgerTron machine on a conveyor belt.
Customers come in asking for menu items.
You pick up components off the conveyor belt and piece together the customers' orders.

Personally, I think the developers (GoBit) got off pretty easy here. They just had a clever programmer who came up with an algorithm for increasing difficulty (by means of more demanding customers, and an always increasing number of menu items). Then, they just throw 120 levels at you with 3 extra modes of play and their job is done. Genius. The game's mechanics are simple, but it keeps you playing. (Don't get me wrong, these developers are brilliant. I certainly couldn't code something like this. But I can see the game design for what it is.)

The interface. This is a standard breakfast level.

Your goal in the game is just to keep your customers happy by serving them quickly. As they wait, their patience meter goes down. If you serve all customers with 5-star happiness, you get a "Perfect" rating for that level. If you do pretty well, but don't satisfy every customer, you get "Expert." If you make too many customers ticked off, you get "Level Up," which just means you can go onto the next level, but with no honor.

There are two reasons to push for Expert and Perfect.

That is what makes the game fun and challenging.
That is how you earn a number of trophies in the Hall of Fame (just your standard trophy room, as in other games - but this game has way more trophies than most games).

I was determined to get Perfect on every level, like I did with the Farm Frenzy games. But the last two restaurants were so stinkin' difficult, that I finally abandoned my Perfection Project in the name of finishing the game and getting it reviewed. But I did manage Perfect on every level before the final two restaurants, so that was cool. Also, you can replay any level, if you want to try for a better rating.

The stats screen after finishing a level.

Highlights

Interface and controls: Everything in the game is controlled with the mouse, as with most casual games. What's cool is how intuitive the controls are. Want to pick up 2 or 3 parts of the same food item? Just click them in succession and they automatically join up. Then, to deliver the food, you click it on the intended customer, or right-click, and the food will automatically deliver to the person who got there first. Need to get a waffle in the toaster quickly? Again, right-click the waffle, and in it goes.

It is very easy to keep track of what's going on. You never have more than 3 customers at once. Breakfast always has the same types of foods, as do lunch and dinner.

One of 15 pages of trophies.
You certainly won't run out of things to work for!

Variety of features: The game gives you lots of variety within the simple framework. For example, you'll get the following:

20 types of customers with different levels of patience, and different food preferences
120 levels
4 modes of play:

Story (this is the standard one)
Challenge
Expert
Relax

Multiple bonuses you can add to your restaurant, including

Freeze (temporarily freezes all patience meters)
Speed (makes all food machines, such as ice cream machines, produce instantly instead of slowly)
Traffic cone (puts a traffic cone at one customer seat, so only 2 customers can order at a time)
Lollipop (adds more lollipops to your tray - these help to raise patience meters)
Money (gives you extra money when you deliver the attached item), and
BurgerBot (he quickly fills customer orders for you)

The Ninja. This guy orders stuff from breakfast,
lunch, and dinner menus at every meal.
Check out how I captured the screenshot right as
one ninja was appearing from out of nowhere. w00t!

Perspective: This is a small thing, but it can make a difference. Many time management games show your character running around throwing things into ovens or serving tables. I find that I actually like games where I don't see my character, but rather, I see everything from a first-person perspective. I like this perspective in the Farm Frenzy games as well.

Issues

Not enough extras: I already said that this game is brilliantly simple. The downside of this is that the developers can only go so far before the basic mechanic becomes repetitive. They mitigate this repetitiveness by increasing the challenge. That works well for a long time. But, by the end of the game, I was glad to be done. Those last couple of restaurants were so mentally and mouse-handingly exhausting that I just wanted to be done with them. They weren't quite as fun as the easier levels. And if the fun level diminishes, what's the point?

The level map, showing your road to all 8 restaurants.

What I think they should have done was to introduce more bonuses or upgrades. Why stop with BurgerBot 2? Why not 5 levels of BurgerBot sweetness? Or longer-lasting bonuses? Anything to help ease the pain of those later levels would be welcome. This would have really helped the game I think. The developers piled on the complications, but didn't match it with numerous upgrades. It's not a big problem, but it would have helped.

Music: The music was fair. It got the job done, but the few short tracks were repetitive and nothing special. I am continually dissatisfied with the way developers skimp on music to save money. I think music is among the top few features that keep me playing a game, or bring me back for a second play in the future. I can say that the Burger Shop 2 music is something I'd gladly forget.

The Clown.
Probably my favorite customer because he
orders completely random and odd dishes.

Suitable for the family?

There is nothing here to offend. The visuals are cartoony and everything about the game is diner-ish and bright. My kids liked sitting with me and telling me what they thought I needed to do. My wife likes the game, too.

Count this as one for the whole family.

The family man's final ruling

This is one of the best time management games I've played.

I was almost done with the game when my computer ran into issues and I had to reinstall the OS, and somehow didn't transfer my save games for Burger Shop 2. I had to start at the beginning, and still had fun going all the way through the game again. It's a light game loaded with strange humor at every turn.

I think the Challenge, Expert, and Relax modes really aren't valuable offerings from the developer. I think these modes were easy to program and so they threw them in so that it would look like you're getting a lot of bang for your buck, but really it's just more of the same, and not really fun to spend a lot of time on, in my opinion. But just playing through Story mode is a great quick-mousing experience.

If you're a time management fan, make sure to get this one.

One of the more colorful customers in the game.

You'll like the game if...

You're a time management fan
You like restaurant-themed games
You like light, simple games

You won't like the game if...

You don't like fast-paced games
You get frustrated trying to keep track of multiple orders at once

My rating:

If you want to play Burger Shop 2, click below:

PC	Mac

Deals- Cate West and Hidden Expedition: Everest for $2.99!

2010-06-14T07:30:00.000-07:00

The Catch of the Week deals for June 14 - June 20 are

Cate West: The Vanishing Files for the PC, and
Hidden Expedition: Everest for the Mac!

Both are hidden object games.

To get these games for $2.99, click the image below, and use the coupon code CATCH299 at checkout!

PC users
Mac users

Deals - PC and Mac games for $2.99 this week!

2010-06-07T05:13:00.000-07:00

The Catch of the Week deals for June 7 - June 13 are

The Spirit of Wandering: The Legend for the PC, and
Azada: Ancient Magic for the Mac!

The Spirit of Wandering: The Legend is a hidden objects game. Read my review!

Azada: Ancient Magic is both hidden objects and puzzles. I haven't reviewed this game, but I've played it, and it was fun. It has a nice orchestral soundtrack, and mechanics that are pretty original. You flip through story books and look for items in various stories that are needed to accomplish tasks in other stories. It's a bit different from the first Azada, but still fun. I recommend giving it a try if you liked the first Azada.

To get these games for $2.99, click the image below, and use the coupon code CATCH299 at checkout!

PC users
Mac users

Where have I been?!

2010-06-04T21:40:00.001-07:00

Friends, I've been wanting to get so many reviews up.

Recently, I had to reinstall the operating system on my computer. When I backed up my data, I managed to, somehow, fail to back up several save files for the games I've been playing for review. What this means is hours of lost work. I like to finish games before I review them. And now I need to start from scratch on 2 of the games I've been close to finishing.

Believe me, I'm wringing my own neck for my backup failures (and it's even more depressing because I'm a professional computer tech!). Please be patient and keep checking back for new updates.

I'll get a review up sometime soon!

Deal: Treasure Seekers II: The Enchanted Canvases for $2.99 this week!

2010-05-31T09:45:00.002-07:00

The Catch of the Week for May 31 - June 06 is Treasure Seekers II: The Enchanted Canvases!

This is a hidden objects and adventure game.

To get it for $2.99, click the image below, and use the coupon code CATCH299 at checkout!

Mac users click here!

Deal: Dream Chronicles for $2.99 this week!

2010-05-23T13:13:00.000-07:00

The Catch of the Week for May 24 - May 30 is Dream Chronicles!

This is an adventure game.

To get it for $2.99, click the image below, and use the coupon code CATCH299 at checkout!

Mac users click here!

Review - Tiger Eye Part 1: Curse of the Riddle Box

2010-05-19T06:08:00.000-07:00

When I was asked to review Tiger Eye Part I: Curse of the Riddle Box, and was told that it was designed by the same team who developed the Nancy Drew Dossier games, I jumped at the opportunity.

I finished the game a few weeks ago and I've been eager to share my thoughts with you. Today, Big Fish has released the game on their site, and so I will now give you my official two cents! Well, maybe three.

What I liked

Mechanics
Music

What I didn't like

Story/Writing
Art
Themes/Content

Quick Plot

Solve a bunch of puzzles as you work at figuring out what kind of deadly conspiracy you've unwittingly gotten yourself into, with the help of a genie-like hulk from the past.

Mechanics

Puzzles: This game is very puzzly. Azada fans should be pleased. You'll play a wide variety of puzzles, none of them very difficult. I never needed to use a hint on a puzzle, and I don't think you will either.

HOG: When you're not solving puzzles, you'll spend most of your time looking for hidden objects. Usually, the objects have a related theme like "weapons" or "vegetables." The hidden object scenes were probably the most difficult and time consuming portions of the game. It always comes down to that last one pesky thing you just aren't seeing.

Minigames: The game will throw a number of minigames at you, including but not limited to

match 3
puzzle pieces
matching similar items, and
word games.

Puzzle: Hang the weapons.

Highlights

Mechanics: The three mechanics I mentioned above were actually my favorite thing about the game. It was the only thing that kept me from running away from the computer to barf (more about that later).

The HOG scenes were pretty fun, and usually made some kind of sense with the scene. A lot of times, you are looking for pieces of things. I remember liking the scene where I had to find a bunch of scattered pieces for a bicycle in an alley.

Usually, you have a list of scene objectives at the bottom of the screen. You can carry them out in any order. Sometimes, you need to solve certain puzzles. Other times, you may need to collect a number of items, or put something back together.

My favorite element was the puzzles, simply because I enjoy puzzling my way through brainteasers and such. You'll get a broad variety of puzzles in this game. You're given very good instructions for solving the puzzles, which is nice.

There's a drag-chain type match 3 game you'll have to play several times, and it's just boring. The graphics are mediocre and the whole thing feels like a waste of time (to me).

Every time you complete scenes and tasks, your hint ball fills up. It fills pretty rapidly, too. Once you save up 50 hints, you unlock the game's bonus material. This was very easy to do, and the reward was minimal. I think it allowed me to play "Dress-up Hari" all I want! And maybe one or two other little features that I didn't bother to remember.

Music: This is the other element of the game that I was able to appreciate. While I think Matt Sayre's work for the Nancy Drew Dossier games was more interesting than what he produced here, it's still better than most casual game music on the market. My only beef is that I really think a composer with his talent should upgrade his sample libraries. He could be pumping out high quality orchestra music instead of the more synthy sound you'll hear in this game.

And I'll give the audio team one more thumbs-up: the voice-over work is actually pretty good. Not great, but it's believable.

The main character: Delilah, or Dela for short.

Issues

Plot: This, of course, is merely opinion, but I thought the story was . . . lame. I know the game is based on a supposedly well-known fiction series, but it just didn't draw me in at all. In fact, it seemed amateurish to me. It's primarily a romance, with a significant amount of paranormal weaved in. The "romantic" scenes between the two main characters made me sick to my mental stomach. I wanted nothing more than to be done with the lengthy cutscenes, and get back to the puzzles. And I don't think it's just because I'm a man. I really think it's a poorly written and unbelievable romantic relationship. You can decide for yourself.

Artwork: A huge chunk of the game plays out as cutscenes, which advance the story. These are done in the same manner as the Nancy Drew Dossier games. A series of hand-drawn images depict the story events, timed with the voice-over and music.

The problem is, the artwork isn't very good compared to some of the high quality casual games on the market. When I looked at the concept art, I was surprised to see that it actually looks much better than the finished and colored art in the game. I'm not sure how this happens. But heck, who am I to complain? I know it probably took those artists hours upon hours to finish their work, and it's better than what I could do.

On a more positive note, I will say that the artwork for the scene backdrops is actually pretty good. It's about the same quality as the Nancy Drew Dossier scenes.

Hari - Dela's burly dream man from the ancient past.

Themes/Content: This is my main gripe, which I'll develop more in the section below. To summarize: I wouldn't play this game with kids around. The themes and visuals are more "mature" (as they say) than most casual games I've played.

Suitable for the family?

This really depends on how you feel about exposed male buttocks. (And that's probably the last time I'll use the phrase "exposed male buttocks" in a review.)

As is often the case with game companies, the developers seem to be pervs, as evidenced by the repeated shots of Dela in nothing but a towel. I found myself actually laughing as there was one scene after the next of Dela heading for the shower. And then, to top it off, Hari goes to take a bath, and then hastily runs out naked to save Dela. This is where the male buttocks come in. Yes - you are actually forced to behold Hari's full hand-drawn moon. Twice. *shudder*

He spends a good chunk of time with his shirt off, too, so that you can admire his muscles. And, of course, so that Dela can hug him. And she's always wearing small, stomach-baring shirts for good measure.

And if that weren't enough, you'll get a chance to see Dela's unmentionables scattered around her hotel room at one point. Gagging yet? If not, then maybe you will be, after a number of other random sexual innuendos pop up from time to time.

I don't remember the exact words used now, but I know the language was also family-unfriendly. I don't remember if it ever got worse than "damn" or "hell" and the like, but I remember thinking, "Whoa! Back off, game!"

The family man's final ruling

I really, really wanted to like this game. I wanted to see what the Nancy Drew Dossier team would offer this time. But what makes the Nancy Drew games so fun was missing here. I think that missing element is primarily a good story, and of course the object-matching mechanic that is still unique to the Dossier games. Curse of the Riddle Box was like a drippy romance novel with a casual game forced into it. And even though I'm not a fan, I think the popular Twilight stories do a much better job with this romance/paranormal genre.

But the weird thing is, despite the crummy story, I found myself interested enough to keep playing, not because of the story, but because the puzzles and other mechanics kept me playing, as any casual game should.

If this game had been published by a high-polish developer like Big Fish Studios or PlayPond or MumboJumbo, and had a good story to go with it, this could have been a great game. As it is, I don't know whether or not to recommend it. I liked playing the game, mechanically, but I didn't like the game in terms of story and themes. In terms of fun alone, I would have rated it a solid 4. If only the puzzles were a little bit more challenging, I may have rated it higher. Will I play the next game in the series? Probably, but I might skip the cutscenes.

(NOTE: I have made many references to the Nancy Drew Dossier games in this review. Let me make it clear that Curse of the Riddle Box was developed/published by PassionFruit Games, who, if I understand correctly, did the development work for Her Interactive on the Nancy Drew Dossier games. Her Interactive produces all of the Nancy Drew-themed games on the market. I think Her Interactive's involvement in the Dossier series is what made the games come out so good. That's my suspicion anyway.)

Dress-up Hari.

You'll like the game if...

You get shamelessly into mawkish romances
You like paranormal stories
You like the art and music style from the Nancy Drew Dossier games
You like lots of puzzles and hidden objects scenes

You won't like the game if...

You don't like sappy romance in your games
You only like top-notch graphics
You want thoroughly challenging puzzles

My rating:

If you want to play Tiger Eye Part I: Curse of the Riddle Box, click below:

Deal - PuppetShow: Mystery of Joyville for $2.99 today only!

2010-05-19T06:00:00.000-07:00

Today's $2.99 Daily Deal at Big Fish is for everyone! Click an image below and use coupon code dailydeal at checkout.

Category: Hidden Objects
I haven't played this game, but my wife and mother-in-law both liked it, so I recommend grabbing this deal while you can!

News: Tiger Eye - Part I: Curse of the Riddle Box available on Big Fish tomorrow!

2010-05-18T05:19:00.000-07:00

I've mentioned the new game, Tiger Eye - Part I: Curse of the Riddle Box, in two previous posts. Well, Big Fish Games will finally release the game on their site tomorrow!

I completed the game in its pre-release form and hope to have my review up for you tomorrow morning. I have plenty to say about this one, so be looking for that post.

Deal: Fairway Solitaire for $2.99 this week!

2010-05-17T05:54:00.000-07:00

The Catch of the Week for May 17 - May 23 is Fairway Solitaire!

This is a card game.

To get it for $2.99, click the image below, and use the coupon code CATCH299 at checkout!

Mac users click here!

Review - Penny Dreadfuls: Sweeney Todd

2010-05-10T07:14:00.000-07:00

According to Wikipedia, a penny dreadful "was a type of British fiction publication in the 19th century that usually featured lurid serial stories appearing in parts over a number of weeks, each part costing a penny."

It appears that developer Playpond is bringing some of these old serials to the casual game format. The first of these is the story of Sweeney Todd.

This story has previously been made into a Broadway musical, and you'll get a good dose of this in the game's cut-scenes.

Today, I'll tell you what I thought of this penny dreadful!

What I liked

Uncommonly high production quality
Sung interludes
Combination of HOG and adventure
Grading system

What I didn't like

Twisted story
Not enough puzzles

Quick Plot

Investigate some recent strange goings-on involving a priest, a young lady, a young man, a boy, a cook, and a barber.

Mechanics

HOG: You'll spend most of the game hunting for items in hidden objects scenes. They sparkle, so it's easy to locate them. The game plays out very much like Return to Ravenhearst or Dire Grove, mechanically.

Rooms like this will offer puzzles and hidden object scenes.

Inventory: As with other adventure games of this type, you will pick up a sizable collection of random items, which can be used in various places to help you advance.

Puzzles: You'll get to solve a brain-teasing puzzle from time to time, but not frequently enough for puzzle enthusiasts like me.

Highlights

High production values: The Playpond team did what every developer should do: They polished and polished until everything was shiny.

To be more specific, you can expect to get a return on your investment in the following areas:

Slick visuals
Orchestral music
Well-planned hidden object scenes
A plot to drive things
Correct English
Convincing voice-overs
Good game length (approximately 4+ hours)

I'll expand some of this below.

Visuals: Boy, they sure made things look good. That was what initially drew me in. Fonts, scenes, and interface - all very professional looking. The designers gave adequate attention to these little nuances, making their game look better than most others on the casual market.

Audio: Being a composer myself, I'm attentive to the goings on in the music section of the market. Right now, with the economy being what it is, developers are skimping on music. As you might guess, I think this is a bad idea. Many of my fondest gaming memories relate to the music and the mental images it can stir up.

One way for a developer to cut music costs is to hire a less-experienced or less-talented composer. You can almost always tell when they do this. Another way to cut costs is to provide fewer minutes of music.

In this game, you'll hear the same few tracks repeated frequently (that's how they cut costs), but I'm glad to say that they at least hired someone who knew what they were doing. The orchestral score is quite nice, and fits the mood of the game very well. It was pleasant accompaniment for the gaming experience.

And to make things even better, they hired voice actors, and good ones at that. Not only will you hear speaking, but you also get singing in this game. That's right. It's a video game musical! Between plot segments, you watch montages of still images depicting the characters and the topics about which they sing. I thought this feature was unique, fresh, and I was glad to have it.

One voice worth mentioning is the unseen British detective who accompanies you through the whole game, offering regular doses of commentary. I really liked this voice. It added to the immersion and gave a human element to the gameplay.

Hidden objects scenes: I've been weary of HOGs for a while, as regular readers will know, but despite this fact, I found this game worth my time. Primarily, this is because of the production values I've been speaking of. But, I will say that if I have to play hidden objects scenes, I like them to be done they way they were done in this game. You have a very manageable list of objects to locate, and they look really cool when you find them. And, of course, it helps to have the British guy talking to you as you search.

There are three more things worth noting.

The HOG scenes will have you searching for a number of things that Americans won't be familiar with. Some of the terminology seems specific to English culture or history. So you might need to look a few things up.
I found that the developers were very good about making sure that the thing you are looking for is obviously that thing. So you shouldn't have to do a bunch of "guess" clicking. A snake, for instance, will very obviously be a snake, once you look in the right place.
The hints use a slow-refill system. Once you use a hint, you need to wait a while before using another.

One of many musical interludes.

Grading system: This game features a grading system. After each segment of the story, you are graded on

how long you took to finish that story arc
how accurate your searching was (it measures wrong clicks)
how many puzzles you solved (as opposed to skipping them), and
how many hints you used. (I think I'm right about this last one. Recall faculties...failing...)

This grading threw that bit of challenge in there for the serious gamer. If you want to "show your stuff," you can work at achieving a high grade. I got an A ("Nighthawk" ranking). I made it through without using any hints and I solved all of the puzzles. But, at one point, I forgot that it was measuring accuracy, so I was impatiently clicking on things for the heck of it - you know - "just in case" it's the thing I'm looking for.

Issues

Twisted story: I suppose I'm in the minority, but I'm just not into these twisted stories. The whole plot, which I won't spoil here, is just wrong on so many levels. It's just not the sort of thing I want in my mind. I'll talk more about this in the Family section further down.

More puzzles please!: Looking back, I think I would have liked the game more if they had replaced some of the hidden object scenes with puzzles. The puzzles that were in the game were enjoyable, for sure. I just wish there were more of them!

Standard put-the-picture-back-together puzzle.

Suitable for the family?

Some of the imagery could definitely spook a little kid. The whole game takes place at night, and everything has a dark and ominous atmosphere, so this isn't a game I'll recommend as a family event.

My wife stepped over to do some hidden object scenes with me, and enjoyed them, but I don't know if she'll ever play through on her own. She liked what she observed, which was very little.

But, in case you're concerned with messed-up stories, I've spoiled some of the disturbing plot features below. Click and drag over the white text in the box to read it.

Sweeney Todd is a barber who ends up killing people with his razor, to take their valuables.
The baker woman is using the dead bodies to make meat pies, and business is doing well.
The aged priest character is corrupt, and he is determined to force young Johanna to marry him against her will.

The family man's final ruling

This game was fun. The whole production was well-done and kept me interested. The rainy atmosphere and dreary music have a way of pulling you into the story. There are hints for those who want them, and a high grade to work for, if you like a challenge.

I would gladly exchange the story for one that isn't so disturbing, but they kept things pretty mild, for which I'm thankful.

I recommend playing this game. The only thing that could have made it even better would be more puzzles instead of so many hidden object scenes.

And, if you like bonus features, there is a Collector`s Edition, which costs more, but includes, according to Big Fish,

Exclusive hidden object scenes
Original puzzles to challenge and confound you
An interactive strategy guide
A new “theatre mode” to replay cut scenes and movies
Spectacular full orchestral soundtrack

Beautiful (and chilling) scenery at every turn.

You'll like the game if...

You like hidden object games
You like adventure games
You like inventory-based tasks
You like dark stories

You won't like the game if...

You don't like finding hidden objects
You want a bright and cheery game

My rating:

If you want to play Penny Dreadfuls: Sweeney Todd, click one of the options below:

Standard	Collector's Edition

Deal: Mystic Diary: Lost Brother for $2.99 this week!

2010-05-10T07:09:00.000-07:00

The Catch of the Week for May 10 - May 16 is Mystic Diary: Lost Brother!

This is a hidden objects game.

To get it for $2.99, click the image below, and use the coupon code CATCH299 at checkout!

Mac users click here!

Deal: Mother's Day sale this weekend!

2010-05-06T16:35:00.000-07:00

Big Fish Games will have all games for 30% off this Friday, Saturday, and Sunday!

This is your chance to get that game you weren't willing to pay full price for!

Click the image below to go get your discounted games! Just use the coupon code SUPERMOM at checkout.

Deal: Ye Olde Sandwich Shoppe for $2.99 this week!

2010-05-02T12:29:00.000-07:00

The Catch of the Week for May 3 - May 9 is Ye Olde Sandwich Shoppe!

This is a time management game.

To get it for $2.99, click the image below, and use the coupon code CATCH299 at checkout!

Mac users click here!

News - Big Fish introduces new weekly deal!

2010-04-29T13:41:00.000-07:00

One thing I know about you is that you like deals.

Big Fish has just introduced a new deal that will happen every week. It's called the "Catch of the Week."

Here's how it works. Every Monday, Big Fish will post a game for $2.99. This game will be available for $2.99 for that whole week. A new game will be posted in this way each week.

And there are two more tasty little tidbits:

The Catch of the Week is always a best-selling game.
The Catch of the Week is available to everyone, not just Game Club members.

Not bad, eh? I hope to get them posted for you here each week.

This week's Catch is Azada!

You can also get the Mac Version!

If you like a playing lots of puzzles, this is the game for you.

News: Collector's Editions for everyone, and more...

2010-04-23T05:31:00.000-07:00

Friday greetings to you all!

Today, I have a handful of news tidbits for you.

Collector's Editions for all!

Big Fish just announced that Collector's Editions are no longer only available to Game Club members. Starting now, if you aren't a current Game Club member, you can still buy a Collector's Edition!

If you're interested, some recent Collector's Editions include the following:

Previewing Riddle Box

Back in mid-December, I posted a press release from the new casual game developer, PassionFruit Games. As I understand it (and I could be wrong, so don't hold me closely to it), they are the crew who developed the Nancy Drew Dossier games (my personal favorites).

At the time of the press release, they were working on a new game: Tiger Eye: Curse of the Riddle Box.

Well, I've got an early copy of the game in my virtual hands. I'm not allowed to say anything about it yet, other than what they told us in the press release. But, I am hoping to get a review to you right away, once they release the game. There is plenty to say about it.

So be on the lookout for that review, once the game shows up on Big Fish.

Review Queue

I have 3 games in the review pipeline, so expect to read more of my opinions in the coming weeks/months.

By the way, I'm interested to know, from those of you who read reviews, do you like the comprehensive style of my reviews? Or would you prefer a more chopped-down quick reference? I could easily do the latter, if that's what you would prefer.

As it is, I try to make it easy to locate the information you're after, so that you don't have to read the entire review to find it.

Feedback is welcome. I want to make reviews helpful and enjoyable for you, so feel free to let me know your preferences. Just leave a comment on this post.

Deal: Gemini Lost for $2.99 today only!

2010-04-21T05:36:00.000-07:00

Today's $2.99 Daily Deal at Big Fish is for everyone! Click an image below and use coupon code dailydeal at checkout.

Category: Strategy
A game about building up a civilization in an unfamiliar land. Get it while you can!

Review - Mystery Case Files: Dire Grove

2010-04-11T19:36:00.000-07:00

At the end of 2006, Big Fish Studios released MCF: Ravenhearst, a super-creepy game that followed in the tradition of the other Mystery Case Files games.

Then, in late 2008, Big Fish blew everyone's socks off with the even more twisted MCF: Return to Ravenhearst. This was the first game in its class, combining hidden objects with an adventure game, and doing it with a high quality that has hardly been matched ever since. (Read my review!)

Then, just a year later, Big Fish released the next MCF game, MCF: Dire Grove, which turned out to be another game with the production style of Return to Ravenhearst, but with even more new features. This time around, as if it were the mid-90s golden age of adventure games, they included a series of live action cutscenes.

So, did Dire Grove live up to the greatness of Return to Ravenhearst? Today I'm glad to (finally) give you my opinions! Read on!

What I liked

All-around high-quality production
Wonderful video sequences
Not as twisted as Return to Ravenhearst
Good balance of puzzles, inventory use, and hidden objects
A good ending

What I didn't like

Can't replay the ending...

Quick Plot

Figure out what happened to a group of students who came to Dire Grove to do research.

Mechanics

HOG: You'll play through an ample supply of hidden object scenes, as with the other MCF games. You'll even recognize familiar sound effects as you locate items.

The hidden object scenes have just the right level of difficulty, as opposed to something overly difficult, like Luxor Adventures. You never have to find too many items, and they're never too hard to find. This is very welcome for those of us who prefer not to waste a whole lot of time poking around for hidden objects.

Another plus in the HOG department is the fact that the scenes actually make some sense. Most of the random junk seems at home in its scene. And you always get to keep one of the items when you finish a hidden object scene, adding it to your inventory.

As in many HOGs, you have a refillable hint meter.

Snow falls as you search the trunk. How'd the driver fit all that junk in there?

Inventory: As with many good adventure games, a high percentage of your obstacles will be inventory-related. You'll be regularly collecting various items and finding appropriate uses for them as you investigate your surroundings. Some of these items are acquired by clicking on an them in the normal environment, while others are gained by completing hidden object scenes.

None of the uses are too obscure. You'll usually be able to guess at which object will work for a particular task, without too much trouble.

Puzzles: You'll have to solve several puzzles, none of which are too difficult. I wouldn't have minded even more puzzles, and more complicated ones. But the ones you get are certainly fun.

Don't expect a warm stay at this snow-covered lodge.

Highlights

Live action cutscenes: I was an adventure game junky in the late 90s, when full motion video sequences were commonly showing up in games (the Tex Murphy series, Black Dahlia, Zork: Nemesis, and Gabriel Knight 2: The Beast Within, to name a few).

So, when I found out that this game had professionally produced video clips with live actors, I was eager to get my in-game-cinematics fix. The game did not disappoint. These video sequences are excellent. The acting is very good, the locations are real, and the style is fitting for the game.

These video clips are acquired by walking around and discovering camcorder tapes on the ground from time to time. Each tape unlocks a new video, and gives you a glimpse into the events leading up to your investigation.

I offer a word of slight caution: some of the video clips are a tad unnerving. You won't be exposed to anything grisly or frightening, thankfully. But more than one clip is certainly spooky and somewhat panicky. I think the majority of people will get a kick out of these, but I wouldn't recommend watching the video clips with little kids around.

Less disturbing: Whereas Return to Ravenhearst was like something out of a nightmare, Dire Grove is more like something out of the X-Files. The story in RtR left me wishing could repress it, while the story in Dire Grove is merely spooky and mysterious, in a way that allowed me to feel like my mind was safe.

I'm sure you'll have at least one unsettling "WHAT THE HECK?!" moment in the game, but it's still comparatively mild, and rather fun.

These surprise moments are likely to show up when you least expect them, so again, I advise you to avoid playing with small children nearby. Some of the content could easily disturb little minds.

Satisfying ending: This is one thing you will rarely hear me say. But, in Dire Grove, they actually gave me an ending I could be satisfied with. Instead of the typical, "THE END. Thanks for playing.", the game ends with a nice video sequence to cap things off.

My belief is that a game, or book, or movie should reward you for investing your time. Well, this game gives you the payoff. If only more developers would put some effort into good endings.

Issues

No replays: When I play a standard video game, I will frequently reload my last save, after completing the game. Then I'll play through the final sequence again just so I can watch the ending one more time.

As you know, most casual games don't have saves. The downside to this is that, if you want to go back later to a particular part of the game, you can't. Dire Grove is such a game. After completing the game, I tried to load my game again, and it just stuck me back at the very beginning. This means you'd better catch EVERYTHING the first time through, because, honey, if you want to see the ending again, you're going to have to work for it!

What can I say? I'm a sucker for good endings. But, this is my only grumble about the game.

Some weather vane, huh?

Suitable for the family?

I'm going to have to say no on this one. Most of the game is pretty harmless, and my kids did watch me play a good chunk of the game, but I just wouldn't want a child to be watching at one of those freakout moments. As I mentioned earlier, some of the stuff in this game would be disturbing to little kids.

While this game isn't nearly as unsettling as Return to Ravenhearst, and the story is much classier, my wife indicated that she might not want to play this one, having seen and heard some of the scenes.

For those of you who really want to know exactly what you'll encounter in this game, I have a spoiler window below. Highlight the white text within the window to read it.

One skeletal corpse, somewhat fake looking.
Ice-frozen, seemingly-possessed people who chant repeated phrases.
White, ghostly figures that appear and disappear in various rooms.
Panicked characters in the live action sequences, with jolty camera motions.

The family man's final ruling

This is one of the best casual games I've ever played. Big Fish Studios put a great deal of time and effort into making this a uniquely solid game. Attention to quality shows up everywhere from video production, to story, to graphics, to music, to puzzles. Every time I play a a rare gem like this, I sigh and wonder why so many mediocre games are released on the casual market. This game kept me interested the whole way through, and I loved the nicely-produced video sequences. All of the actors were good.

And for those of you who like extras, there is a Collector's Edition, which costs more, but includes, according to Big Fish,

bonus 'Easter egg' levels and puzzles that reveal secrets related to both past and future Mystery Case Files episodes
integrated Deluxe Strategy Guide, and
extra video outtakes, concept art, screenshots, and desktop wallpapers.

If you like HOGs at all, get this game, especially if you like the integration of adventure and HOG. You won't regret it.

You'll like the game if...

You like hidden object games
You like adventure games
You like a good story
You like live-action cinematic cutscenes
You like stories involving ancient lore

You won't like the game if...

You don't like hidden object games
You don't want to be spooked from time to time

My rating:

If you want to play Mystery Case Files: Dire Grove, click below:

Standard	Collector's Edition