This Mother's Day (through 5/16/08), save BIG on all casual game downloads from Big Fish Games. Take your pick. The whole inventory is on sale. Be sure to use the coupon code above when ordering to receive your discount.

Two heavy-hitting adventure games hit the casual scene this weekend, one a re-release of a classic point and click title, the other an exclusive from a seasoned adventure development studio. Each one spins an unforgettable tale using famous crime novel monikers everyone should recognize. Although the titles take strikingly different gameplay approaches, each one offers a deep mystery experience wrought with hidden agendas, misleading clues, and plenty of riddles to solve.

Ready to fill your hard drive to the brim? This weekend we've got several commercially produced games released as freeware. That means you get all the polish and production value of a big studio title without shelling out the cash. You'll have to be patient while they download, and the games aren't as friendly to casual gamers as we'd like, but you can't beat paying nothing for a game that used to carry a retail price tag.

My goal for this Link Dump Friday was to feature five games with one word titles. Did I succeed? Nope. Does that mean my mutant powers are waning? NEVER! It's just due to the position of Jupiter in relation to Capricorn, you see... And besides, one word or two, all the games are still fun, right?

Wan Hazmer has been very busy. Entering two of our latest competitions, Hazmer and his studio Easy Only! Games placed third with Ballistic Wars and more recently took the top prize with The Last Canopy. What's next for Hazmer and his pals? Read on to find out.

For a limited time, Big Fish Games is offering 40% off any game! Save big on titles such as: Agatha Christie: Peril at End House, Dream Chronicles 2, Westward 2, Build-a-Lot 2, Hidden Object games, Time Management games, and more! Be sure to use the coupon code above when ordering to receive your discount.

You awake rather late in the morning, the sun bursting between the blinds it's been banging on for hours. Your head hurts a bit, and your stomach aches ever so slightly. What was that you ate last night, anyway? Veggie lo mein? Groggy, you pull yourself out of bed, flip on the trusty computer and connect to the Internet. Your favorite website immediately opens, and your dreary face brightens as they rest on the sanctuary that is Weekend Download.

If you're like me, it's time for a distraction from Mario Kart Wii. This week's collection of Link Dump Friday games successfully stole me from kart steering just long enough to allow me to drive a real car without reaching for my stack of turtle shells in the back seat...

Our main course this evening is a heaping plate of voxels served on a bed of romaine and topped with bits of rock from an underground jail cell. Following that will be a tiny space ship served in bite-sized pieces that must be consumed within three seconds.To wash that down feel free to eat as many bugs as you see fit.

This week on Link Dump Friday: Nitrome likes boogers, your castle is being attacked by evil letters, a centipede is after you, and we trap you in a burning Atari 2600 house. Fortunately you have your glamorous life as a video store clerk to recharge your batteries while you contemplate the origin of life as we know it.

Mat from Nitrome sent over a short video preview of Skywire 2, the upcoming sequel to one of their most popular games, Skywire. So far it looks like it will be bigger and even better than the original, and is that 2-player versus split-screen I see?!

Noitu loooove Miss Teri Tale! Danger Mouse? In the black forest, ad nauseam, with Albero and the great blue emblem.

For those of you who have been waiting for Dream Chronicles 2: The Eternal Maze to be released at Big Fish, the wait is finally over! The second chapter of this gorgeous series of games is here and offers a unique mix of point-and-click puzzles and hidden objects that are all woven together into a compelling narrative adventure.

This week we have a special edition of Link Dump Friday, a collection of games that were not selected as finalists into our recent Casual Gameplay Design Competition #5. Even though these games didn't reach the last round, there is no doubt that considerable time and effort were put into each one.

I have a confession to make: before August 2007, I knew nothing of Jayisgames. Back then, I was this little guy who keeps coming up with game ideas, but had no drive to execute them. It wasn't because I was lazy or anything; I just kept questioning the games' purpose. I was drowning in a culture where people keep questioning the financial feasibility of a creative piece. Of course, this was the after-effect of being in the advertising industry for some time. In the end, no effort was taken to realize those ideas.

Driving, driving everywhere, but not a brake to squeek. Er... never mind about that lousy rhyme, its driving time! So hop in, close the door, and press that pedal to the floor. And you can also play the other non-driving games. You know, if you want to.

This week's Link Dump Friday pours out a paint-based shooter, a once multiplayer basketball game adapted for solo gamers, an adventure parody and a few twists on some old-style brain teasers. It's better than peanut butter!

On the topic of game design competitions, Brian Crecente over at Kotaku sends word that he's currently running a game design challenge to create a game about teen dating violence without using any violence. There is a $1,000 first prize up for grabs and the deadline is May 15th. For a complete list of the official rules, visit the JenniferAnn.org website.

Our 5th competition today comes to a close and we are here to honor all of the games that were entered, as well as award a few prizes, too. The "upgrade" theme was not an easy challenge, and several game designers rose to the occasion and delivered some of the most compelling and promising games we've seen in a CGDC yet.

Looking for casual games to download and play? Then check out the selection of games available through Casual Gameplay, our casual games portal where you will find most of the latest and greatest games available as well as many of the classics that have been around a while.

In addition to an utterly superb isometric adventure game, on this edition of Weekend Download we'll be teasing you just a bit. Teasing how, you say? Teasing with a Mac-only demo and a preview build of a game that isn't complete! Yes, we're cruel. But you'll love every minute of it.

Wacky. That one word describes half of this week's collection of Link Dump Friday games. Well, maybe wacky and challenging, but challenging in a wacky sorta way. And the other half? Room escapey. Room escapey in a multi-lingual kinda way.

A little bit of this, a little bit of that. This edition of Weekend Download throws a strange variety of games your way, but with one major headliner: Westward 2. Insert obligatory "oohs" and "ahhs" (and maybe even a "cool it's about time yay" or two) here.

We have another winner to announce today, and we also want to thank everyone for participating in our Asylum plushie drawings! Be sure to keep checking the site, as we'll be giving away another plushie again soon!

It's a feast of sound toys and room escape games on this week's Link Dump Friday!

Total from voting... $437.34!
Not quite the level of support we've seen in previous competitions. Our sincerest thanks to everyone who voted and for your kind support of these competitions!

This Dolly plushie was recently delivered to JIG headquarters, except the doctor is way too busy to take care of it, so we're giving it away to some lucky visitor with a JIG Casual Gameplay account! All you have to do is leave a comment here on this entry by signing into your Casual Gameplay account. If it's a valid comment, our little mascot (the JIGster) will appear next to your name. That's all there is to it!

Ready for some serious content? This week we spill the beans on two games — one brand new, the other, well, not so new. One is serious, the other... not so much. One is in color, the other— well, you get the picture. It's The Graveyard and a remake of the classic King's Quest II!

We're looking to add an extra layer of support by forming a casual gameplay help squad consisting of a few dedicated readers who can follow discussions on weekend download games and provide hints and support when necessary. It's a simple but fun job that requires you to play through games in their entirety and check in on the comments several times a day, providing feedback, hints and tips when necessary. And the best part is you get free casual games for your help!

We have another winner to announce today, and we also want to thank everyone for participating in our Asylum plushie drawings! Be sure to keep checking the site, as we'll be giving away another plushie again soon!

Dragons, towers of shaky steel, a pink octopus, and stuffy 18th century aristocrats. No, it isn't my last family reunion (steel girders were scarce this year), it's a Link Dump Friday, the happiest weekly-occurring day of the year!

Finally, the moment we've been waiting for, the day all the finalists into our 5th Casual Gameplay Design Competition are now available to play! The extension of the deadline was well worth the wait as we now have 21 solid entries for you to enjoy. Don't forget to leave your kind feedback and constructive criticism for the game designers.

This Kroko plushie was recently delivered to JIG headquarters, except the doctor is way too busy to take care of it, so we're giving it away to some lucky visitor with a JIG Casual Gameplay account! All you have to do is leave a comment here on this entry by signing into your Casual Gameplay account. If it's a valid comment, our little mascot (the JIGster) will appear next to your name. That's all there is to it!

Hangovers, guns, and retro roguelike games. Sounds like a typical Saturday night in the 80s. This weekend, however, we're celebrating the good ole days casual gaming style, which results in less money spent, fewer blackouts, and absolutely no inexplicable bruises.

We have another winner to announce today, and we also want to thank everyone for participating in our Asylum plushie drawings! Be sure to keep checking the site, as we'll be giving away another plushie again soon!

Retro Sabotage edition! We here at JayIsGames love old games. You know, assuming they're good. We also like developers who try something new, which is what Retro Sabotage does with this collection of weekly-updated parodies. The humor is simple, the games are very short and are often more like interactive movies than traditional games. But you'll grin every time. And if you don't, we've still got you covered with more games below. Who loves the fuzzy wuzzy casual gamers out there? Yeees we do, yes we do!

Just a quick note to point you to two new updates to previously reviewed games that you might want to know about: Amateur Surgeon and Bow Street Runner.

This Sly plushie was recently delivered to JIG headquarters, except the doctor is way too busy to take care of it, so we're giving it away to some lucky visitor with a JIG Casual Gameplay account! All you have to do is leave a comment here on this entry by signing into your Casual Gameplay account. If it's a valid comment, our little mascot (the JIGster) will appear next to your name. That's all there is to it!

She is tolerable, I suppose. But she is not handsome enough to tempt me. Bingley, I am in no humour to give consequence to young ladies who are slighted by other men. Go back to your partner and enjoy her smiles. You're wasting your time on me. Just give me a few Weekend Download games and that's all I could ever need.

We have another winner to announce today, but before we do we want to thank everyone for participating in our drawings! You guys rock! Keep the great comments coming, we read each and every one and we appreciate all the kind words of support!

But the man he brought with him, Mr. Darcy as he calls himself, is not worth our concern though he may be the richest man in Derbyshire! The proudest, the most horrid, disobliging ... He slighted poor Lizzy, you know, and flatly refused to stand up with her. And furthermore, I hear he enjoys each and every Link Dump Friday! Such a disagreeable man.

The deadline for CGDC5 has come and gone, and the entries are in. Looking over the 25 entries we have so far, although impressed, we think we could be a bit more impressed. Some of the entries need a couple more coats of polish, and many of you wished you had more time to finish up and get your entries in. The judges and sponsors have talked it over, and we have decided to allow a bit more development time by extending the competition deadline by almost 2 weeks.

Today is the day! The deadline for our 5th Casual Gameplay Design Competition! It's time to finish up those games and send your entry in to us before midnight tonight. Even if you have previously filled out an entry form, we still need your game SWF for judging purposes, so don't delay!

This Dub plushie was recently delivered to JIG headquarters, except the doctor is way too busy to take care of it, so we're giving it away to some lucky visitor with a JIG Casual Gameplay account! All you have to do is leave a comment here on this entry by signing into your Casual Gameplay account. If it's a valid comment, our little mascot (the JIGster) will appear next to your name. That's all there is to it!

A very special treat reaches lucky gamers this weekend: a mini-release from Nifflas, author of Within a Deep Forest and both Knytt games. KnyttNano isn't much more than two tiny experiments Nifflas cooked up while trying out new ideas, so don't expect a life-shattering sequel-sized experience, just two simple games worth their weight in atmosphere alone.

It's not often we get to post something on February 29th, so I'd like to take this opportunity to update you on a few things that have been happening around here, including the winner of our Lilo plushie giveaway!

Today's Link Dump Friday, much like the calendar date of February 29, doesn't really exist. Well, it does, but, you know, it's just kinda thrown in there. You see, each year we have precisely 487.25 units of casual gaming love to give to the world. Since none of us are particularly good with fractions, we just express that extra bit of love every few years in the form of a (special) Link Dump Friday. What? That doesn't make sense? Well... um... lookhereatthesegamesasadistraction!

This Lilo plushie was recently delivered to JIG headquarters, except the doctor is way too busy to take care of it, so we're giving it away to some lucky visitor with a JIG Casual Gameplay account! All you have to do is leave a comment here on this entry by signing into your Casual Gameplay account. If it's a valid comment, our little mascot (the JIGster) will appear next to your name. That's all there is to it!

The Weekend Download arrives with glee, Bringing fun games to you, from me. Just download and play, Then sit there all day, On Saturday you couldn't be more free!

It's Link Dump Friday: Kitchen Sink Edition! Why kitchen sink? Because that's practically the only thing we've left out of this weeks article. Seven game in all, almost twice the usual dose, and they range from hamster slingshots to soul-searching cursors to brain teasers.

With only 2 weeks left before the deadline for our 5th Casual Gameplay Design Competition, it's getting down to the wire. With more cash and prizes (over $10,000) up for grabs than any of our competitions to-date, along with a supporting $10,000 advertising campaign via MochiAds from Mochi Media, there has never before been a better time to enter a CGDC than now!

Of all the strange game ideas I've seen, building a platformer around hockey and Randy Savage has to be one of the wackiest. But that's exactly what we have this weekend, along with such unlikely company as a spooky horror-adventure game and a physics sandbox toy.

We've just finished a complete walkthrough (with images) for Dream Chronicles 2: The Eternal Maze!! Be warned: contains major spoilers, so proceed only as a last resort.

Friday has arrived, Bearing games upon its back. Ah, bliss! To waste time. This little haiku, and the five others below, are brought to you by... Link Dump Friday!

It's old-school RPG fest here on this installment of Weekend Download! Three out of five games featured have that special "console flavor" those of us who grew up playing SNES games can't get enough of. Barkley Shut Up and Jam: Gaiden is a must-play simply for its odd setting and premise, while Legacy of Flan turns the RPG battle system on its head and Ethereal Dreams brightens your day with nice artwork. And if you aren't into the role playing scene, give BumperBlast or Teewars a shot for a little more action.

What goes better with a Link Dump Friday than a delicious fruit smoothie? But don't just fly to the produce department and start grabbing shiny melons, as it's important to consider the balance of tastes you fold into the mix. For example: too many kiwis and you might have a tart little drink on your hands, but too many ripe peaches and you'll pucker up from the sweetness. Balance your tastes evenly and you'll have the perfect healthy beverage to accompany today's serving of games.

We are pleased to report that the competition buttons are now ready. Since each button needs to be customized specifically for your entry, they will be handed out individually and upon request. We need to know a few things from each of you as part of your entry, so we have set up a CGDC5 Entry Form for you to both provide us with your entry information as well as to request your buttons.

This week we've got a few mega-doses of nostalgic bliss for our seasoned gamers. At the top of the list is Excelsior, a deceptively simple-looking role playing game that doesn't try anything unconventional but still manages to deliver an excellent experience. Hurrican, on the other hand, modernizes a classic shooter by leaving the gameplay intact and giving the visuals a facelift. And if retro gaming isn't your thing, we've also included some not-old titles that are sure to please your twitching gaming fingers (and eyes).

Happy February! The shortest month on the calendar happens to be quite special in 2008: it's a leap year! So from now until December 31, every time you see a Link Dump Friday on this website, you must leap. Not jump, not bound, not bounce nor hurdle or even canter. Leap. After all, each of these games is worth at least a tiny leap, right?

It's time for Mysterious Mysteries of the Unknown! Mysteries! We've uncovered an old, import-only Japanese Game Boy Advance puzzle game from a company that folded shortly after publishing the title, a 450 year-old investigator/vampire, and a Cactus release drops you in a dream-themed platforming game that makes no sense. What a world we live in.

Steampunk robots, polygon drawings, shaky pinball games, ladybug chains and plywood?! Oh my! Throw in a reminder about JIG Poker Night and it can only mean one thing: it's Link Dump Friday!

Just a quick reminder that we are just a few weeks into the design and development period for Casual Gameplay Design Competition #5, and there is still plenty of time to come up with an idea and to get your game design underway that incorporates the theme: UPGRADE. Up for grabs are prizes worth over $10,000, and the deadline is March 16th.

Enjoy a feisty romp through a flat, 2D dungeon now and again? That's good, because this weekend we've got two games that drop you in the middle of a maze of corridors and monsters with only a pixelated sword to save your hide. And then there's a fish that eats other fish and faeries that collect shiny pollen. Go figure.

Accompanying this Link Dump Friday is a highly unusual paragraph. How quickly can you find out what is wrong? It looks so ordinary that you would think nothing was wrong with it at all. In fact, nothing is. But it is unusual. Why? If you study it and think about it you may find out, but I am not going to assist you. You must do it without coaching. No doubt, if you work at it, it will dawn on you.

Thanks to the thousands who voted (we received close to 25,000 votes) the results for the Best of 2007 are now up. You can see all the winners and view how most of the games performed in their relative categories (if a category had more than 10 nominations we list just the top 10) by visiting the Best of 2007 feature page.

Lemmings as penguins? A game for Mac only? A shmup-based RTS title? A game about mushy emotions and feelings? Games that are award finalists for design innovation? It can only be... Weekend Download!!!

In case you haven't been playing with us, your last chance to qualify for our championship tournament has passed. The following qualifiers will play a championship tournament next weekend for a chance to win an iPod Nano or a Nintendo DS!

What an odd combination of games this week. Both Bloons and StormWinds get a little tune-up with more levels and refined game mechanics respectively, while everyone else gets to enjoy some RPG-style carnage in Paladin, exploration in Key to Adventure, or some artistic splendor in ritMika. Make Bouncy Bouncy has an odd title, but the gameplay is strangely satisfying, and it's a great-looking game to boot.

It's the first Link Dump Friday of 2008! *confetti emoticon*!!! To celebrate we're dancing to random pop music and knocking each other off a perilous cliff with a baseball, all while journeying through an abstract world of random objects throwing pies.

We are pleased to announce our 5th Casual Gameplay Design Competition! Up for grabs are more prizes than ever before: over $10,000 in cash and prizes, including Adobe CS3 Professional licenses and the opportunity to have your Flash game appear on other platforms! We're kick-starting the new year with our biggest competition yet, and you can help make it our BEST ever! (Deadline: March 16, 2008)

It is difficult to believe another year has passed, but we have tons of games and reviews to show for it. And what better way to celebrate the passing of another year than with a look back to give credit where credit is due by giving props to those special titles that stood head and shoulders above the rest. This is our fourth annual "Best of" feature and, like each year before, we invite you to participate. Update: RESULTS ARE IN!

I hate having cold feet. Once in a while it helps to put on an extra pair of socks. But what about those days when it's 6 degrees Celsius? That's when I put on a third pair of socks. And what about 6 degrees of Kevin Bacon? Well, as you can tell, I'm now stretching for a joke, so we'll heat up some hot chocolate, throw another log on the fire, and enjoy this week's Link Dump Friday!

The holiday season is a time of joy. It is brought into our lives through the gifts we give and receive. And it should be fun. Over the years, we've seen a lot of great holiday and winter-themed games come and go, and here we are to suggest a few to give you all some festive cheer.

It's Link Dump Friday, special hyper mega Christmas holiday edition! Spread a little end of the year wintertime cheer with these festive games, most of which involve presents and/or destroying things!

This week's Link Dump Friday is dedicated to viruses. Yes, those pesky little creatures that invade larger organisms, hijack their cells and force them to make more of the virus to continue the biological shenanigans. Fortunately a little video game of sorts plays out and the immune system kicks in, sending forces to destroy the invaders with really cool sound effects. It's kind of like a tower defense game, only with sneezing.

By now, everyone's heard of The Fancy Pants Adventure. If you haven't, it's only one of the most polished, whimsical and entertaining Flash-based platforming games released in the last few years. Creator Brad Borne has been hard at work on a sequel to The Fancy Pants Adventure for some time and he was kind enough to share the latest build with us. Read on for a preview of one of the hottest upcoming Flash games around!

Yay, a second weekend download! Woo hoo! There were so many games to feature this weekend, we had to split it into two parts to accomodate them all. Also, I had to clone myself, and if anybody asks, that was a necessity, not a fun weekend project.

Trilby: Peril at the Static Art of Rocks'n'BOMB is our featured game this weekend. Or... something like that. Gameplay involves placing bombs on the screen to guide a gentleman thief through each level (stealthily) while finding hidden objects along the way. Don't forget to grab an emerald while hopping through the confusing mass of animated static!

Link Dump Friday = Kaboom!

Weekend Download is here! Caution: Weekend Download may suddenly accelerate to dangerous speeds. Weekend Download contains a liquid core which, if exposed due to rupture should not be touched, inhaled, or looked at. If Weekend Download begins to smoke, get away immediately. Seek shelter and cover head. Weekend Download may stick to certain types of skin. When not in use, Weekend Download should be returned to its special container and kept under refrigeration. Do not taunt Weekend Download.

A healthy smattering of link dumped games this Friday, many of which are from developers you already know and love. The creators of Warp Forest, Bloons, and Submachine each have a new game available to play, and as luck would have it, they're all different genres than the titles that the developers are famous for!

Did you know that today is the 328th day of the year? You only have 37 days left to ponder the events of 2007 before you leap into the future and begin living the life of a 2008ian. Hope you have your hoverboots ready.

Woozy from the post-holiday food rush in the U.S., Link Dump Friday attempts to set its mind on other things. Namely, free online games. Trains have nothing to do with food, so they're fair game for today, as are Japanese numbers, being dumb, and brains. Well, brains could count, but not really. Something's missing, though. Just one more game to complete the day. How about... AH! This skydiving game has nothing to do with food, this Lamb Chop — oh, wait, nevermind.

This edition of Weekend Download serves as a firm reminder that some video games used to be painfully difficult. None of this coddling, tutorialized hand-holding gameplay you find today. Back then you were tossed in a blocky four-color world and had to fend for yourself. Brutally difficult games may be a thorn in the side of modern-day casual gamers, but it will help you appreciate the experience programmers have collectively gained over the decades.

The holiday season is approaching so everyone knows what that means: hoards of enemies that never seem to stop coming, training new troops, adding new turrets to your base, cannons with legs, stealing crops from your local agriculture community, and messing with the forces of gravity... All the usual stuffo. Oops. Did I say the holiday season? I meant LINK DUMP FRIDAY! Wooty-tooty!

By far the biggest, most first-paragraph-worthy news of in the downloadable world this week is Sam & Max are back. Not only are they back for another season of episodic adventure games, but the highest rated release from season one is now free. Free as in download it now. No excuses. We've also got a healthy portion of other great games to download, including an almost-too-cutesy casual game, Nanda's Island, that came out of nowhere to steal my afternoon. Don't you just love games that are... good?!

Friday is a day of much rejoicing as it signals the end of another work week and the arrival of a glorious fun-filled weekend soon to come. It is also an indication that a Link Dump Friday feature may appear at any moment on JIG, and it doesn't get much better than that. Commence fun and frolicking.

Are you good with pixels? Are you good at creating eye-popping, awe-inspiring graphics and icons? Do you live and work in the US? If so, we have some freelance opportunities for you. Please inquire at the email address to the right. Thanks!

This edition of Weekend Download is the most love-filled edition ever. There's so much love below, you might think it's Valentine's Day. But it's not, it's just a whole lotta love. For example, tons of people love Dwarf Fortress. Tons. That collective love is now focused here on this very page, and if you download and play, you'll experience some of that love, too. Dr. Daisy Pet Vet is all about the pet love. Just look at those cute animals! And the kitty, she's reading a magazine! The energy orbs in Ballhalla love each other so much all you have to do is click them and they get all cozy with each other. And to top it all off, Mr. Heart just straight-up loves you. Very much, I hear.

This week's introductory paragraph was eaten by my dog. Of course, I don't have a dog, so that makes my excuse a bit awkard. Hopefully the game feast below will distract you from my folly.

The department of Media Management at the University of Ilmenau in Germany is conducting an online survey about online games and they need your help. The survey should take approximately five to 25 minutes, depending on the types of games you use. Your participation is of great help and importance for their academic research of online games.

It's time for adventures in Halloween Land! The ghostly holiday is just a few days away and we're pouring on the spooky games. This special installment of Weekend Download showcases a handful of adventure games that get the Halloween atmosphere just right. Paired with our Halloween-themed Link Dump Friday and sprinkled with a few Halloween-style reviews in the coming days, you should have no excuse not to don that Super Mario costume and head out on the town.

Gene is shorter than Bruce but taller than Imhotep. Imhotep is taller than Gene but shorter than Lord Scotland. Lord Scotland is twice the height of Gene and Brutus combined, but only 1/10 the height of Millsy. Millsy is at a constant height of X-Y. If Gene stands exactly one nautical mile away from Lord Scotland, how tall is Imhotep? Find out in the games below! Or... maybe not.

Hello, faithful readers, and welcome to a special spookified edition of Link Dump Friday! In honor of the season, I've chosen a few of my favorite previously-reviewed games (including a few new ones) with a spooky edge. We've got ghosties, beasties, sleepy vampir-ies, tentacle monsters and, naturally, Garfield! So get out that bowl of candy corn, put on the "Monster Mash" and settle in with one of these fun titles.

On behalf of the Ballistic Wars team, I would really like to thank you and your reviewer-judge panel for giving us the opportunity to show our potential in casual gaming. On top of that, you have ranked us in third place, so I really can't thank you enough.

Four times we have made a call for entries to a competition that celebrates and rewards excellence in casual gameplay, and four times we have been, ourselves, rewarded by the Flash game development community and the exceptional level of quality within the entries submitted. Choosing a small group to represent the best of those submitted, whether for the selection of finalists or for the top awards, is not an easy task. We wish we could reward everyone who submits an entry, but for every competition there must be a winner.

Three new hidden object games have recently hit the web, each one with a different setting and storyline wrapped around familiar seek-and-find mechanics. They don't go out of their way to bend the rules of item hunting, but if you're one of the many people who can't get enough of these games, these should keep you busy (and entertained) for a while!

It may surprise you to know that each and every Weekend Download article is written by a team of highly trained elves adept at both gaming and making waffles. This week, however, the elves have been replaced. By gnomes. The gnomes do a comparable job with words, links and images. But let me tell you, the waffles aren't nearly as good. It's like that old saying that neither I nor anyone else has ever heard before: If you want waffles, better get the elves.

We're sorry to announce that today's Link Dump Friday is delayed due to unforeseen circumstances. We hope you don't mind waiting. In the mean time, here are some other links you can try...

Total from voting... $652.89!
Wooty! We have exceeded the donations record set by CGDC #3!!! Thanks to everyone who voted. Thank you for your kind support of these competitions.

Since beginning the Casual Gameplay Design Competitions in August, 2006, each competition has presented us with an impressive collection of entries, as well as a few challenges to deal with, too. This time the unprecedented number of entries received was unexpected, which has forced us to take steps to reduce that number to facilitate the next two stages: community voting towards the Audience Award prize, and the final round of judging to determine the winners of the competition.

Today is a special day for the Flash game development community, as it is the day that MochiAds throws open its doors to everyone. Previously an invitation-only closed beta, anyone with a Flash game and a dream can now sign-up to begin earning ad revenue with MochiAds.

Got a little bandwidth to spare? We've got a fresh batch of downloadable games to clutter up your hard drive and eat up your precious weekend time. Most of the games have what we like to call a "classic" look or feel that hails back to the days when polygons were nothing more than scribbles on your high school math notebook.

This special edition of Weekend Download highlights two games that are a bit less accessible due to their large download size and lack of a playable demo. We feel they deserve some attention, however, as each one pushes the envelope by delivering an immersive gaming experience that's both fun and engaging. We've spent a lot of time with them and are ready to sing praise from the roof (in the form of short mini-reviews), so read on to see if one could be your next slice of delicious gaming pie.

Two major events, the 13th Annual Interactive Fiction Competition and the 10th annual Independent Games Festival, are underway, sending a deluge of top-quality games right into our collective gaming laps. Interactive fiction continues to blossom as authors push the boundaries of gaming with better stories, deeper gameplay, and more rewarding gameplay using nothing more than words and creativity. Most of the IGF games aren't available for download just yet, but you'll recognize some of the games/authors and immediately jump for joy.

Whew! After rolling out tons of amazing competition entries over the last two weeks, it's time to take a little breather to see what the rest of the casually-oriented internet has been up to. A small sampling of what we found: a new Nitrome game, prawn, exploding cats, aliens fighting humans, and a guy reading a newspaper. In other words, business as usual!

Now that all the entries are up, I think most everyone will agree that nearly 50 entries is quite a lot to include in a competition like this(!) And while we want everyone to have the opportunity to receive the valuable feedback and constructive criticism the JIG community is so good at providing, we must also take steps to reduce the field to a more manageable size.

The final entry(!) to the 4th Casual Gameplay Design Competition is from Will Emigh, Ian Pottmeyer, and Rory Starks of Studio Cypher. Entropic Space is an action game of colliding planets to collect the debris they leave behind while avoiding black holes and supernovas. The "ball physics" theme is well represented and integrated within the gameplay.

The next entry to the 4th Casual Gameplay Design Competition is from Guilherme Töws of Brazil, another fresh name to the CGDC. Bisection Dominion is an arcade-style action game that uses gestural input to split bubbles, which incorporate the "ball physics" theme, in two until they are so small they are eliminated from play. Please leave your kind feedback and constructive criticism for Guilherme in the comments.

The next entry up is from Aqui Griffin of Washington (US). You might remember Aqui from our "grow" themed competition back in March with his entry, enQbate. Bug Bug in Sky Tower is a platformer in which the "ball physics" theme can be seen within the player character itself as well as in other elements of the game. Please leave your kind and constructive feedback for Aqui in the comments.

The next entry up is a game designed by Andrew Paradise with art and characters by Georg Pedersen. The authors are from Massachusetts (US). Fluke Ball is a turn-based strategy game in which players take turns throwing common office objects toward a microwave and the strange phenomenon that surrounds it. The game includes a creative interpretation of the "ball physics" theme.

The next entry up is from Gareth Thomas ("Gaz") of the UK. Gaz may be new to the competitions but his games are familiar here at JIG: Avalanche having received a review from us, and Square Divide making an appearance in a Link Dump Friday. Particle Blaster is an arcade style geometric shape shooter that implements the "ball physics" theme within the gameplay.

The next entry up is from Wildsnake Software of Russia. Although new to the CGDC, you may remember reading about another Wildsnake Software game here in a recent review of Shuffle. Chap Hai - Way of the Dragon is an action strategy game of skill in which "ball physics" plays an important role in gameplay also similar to pool.

The next entry to the 4th Casual Gameplay Design Competition is from Dom Camus of the UK. You may remember Dom from our 3rd competition with his entry, The Turtles of Time. This time Dom delivers a pinball game with a twist in Ballrooms, an entry that incorporates the "ball physics" theme in a straightforward implementation. Please leave your kind and considerate feedback for Dom in the comments.

Next up is an entry from Carl Foust of Indiana (US). You may remember Carl's highly imaginative entry from CGDC #3, the Super Earth Defense Game! Balancing Act takes the theme of "ball physics" and translates that directly into gameplay in which you must keep balls (and other objects) in a state of balance. Please leave your kind and considerate feedback for Carl in the comments.

The next entry to the 4th Casual Gameplay Design Competition is from Aaron Cox and Graham Jans of British Columbia (Canada). Ballonius is an action arcade-style game of collecting energy while avoiding bubbles with elastic "ball physics" properties. Please post your kind and constructive comments for Aaron and Graham about their game.

The next entry to the 4th Casual Gameplay Design Competition is a game from Tom Methven of the UK, participating in a CGDC for the first time. Sky Blocs is a block tumbling, chain reaction puzzle game that includes an implementation of "ball physics" within elements of the gameplay. Please leave your kind and constructive feedback for Sky Blocs in the comments.

The next entry up is from Sean Hawkes of Louisiana (US). You may remember Sean from our first competition as he was responsible for 3 of the entries: the prize-winning Clack, Weight and Houses. Contour is an action puzzler in an isometric pseudo-3D perspective that integrates "ball physics" within the gameplay. Please give Sean your kind and constructive feedback on his game in the comments.

The next entry to the 4th Casual Gameplay Design Competition is a game from Eduardo Omine of Brazil, another newcomer to our CGDC festivities. Rmvblls is a goal-based action game in which the objective is to remove the required number of balls from play. The "ball physics" theme is present here in a straightforward implementation. Please provide Eduardo your kind and constructive feedback on his game in the comments.

The next entry to the 4th Casual Gameplay Deisgn Competition is from Zach Archer and Miles Johnson from Oregon (US), both new to the JIG competitions. Space Kitteh is a platform game of planetary jumping and saving kittens that implements the "ball physics" theme in an outer space adventure.

The next entry to our 4th Casual Gameplay Design Competition is from Phillip Reagan of Texas (US). You may remember Phillip as he is a prize winner from our very first competition with his game, Thief. Osmosis is a unique game that relies on gestural input to control sheep that roll and react to various "ball physics" properties. Please leave your feedback and constructive criticism for Phillip in the comments.

The next entry into our 4th Casual Gameplay Design Competition is from Monsterkodi of Germany. You may be familiar with one of Monsterkodi's games previously mentioned here, Kiki the Nano Bot, so please give him a warm JIG welcome. Koogel is a unique game that leverages the "ball physics" theme visually as well as integrates it within the gameplay.

The next entry comes from Ali Maunder of VarStudios in the UK. You may know Ali from his games previously reviewed here, Neon and Abstract Sea. Kaichou is an 'experimental' shooter created expressly for this "ball physics" competition. Please offer up some feedback and constructive criticism for Ali in the comments.

The next entry comes from The Netherlands and a team of two game developers: Robert Berrier and Roland Ariens. Angular Momentum is an action puzzle game in which momentum plays an important role in the gameplay, as does the "ball physics" theme. Please give Robert and Roland a warm welcome by posting your feedback and kind constructive criticism in the comments.

Another long time JIG visitor participating in his first Casual Gameplay Design Competition, Bart Koning from New Zealand reels in the next entry for you. Stranded is an action game of catching fish by tossing stones into the water and knocking them out. While the "ball physics" may not be all that obvious, I'm sure it's in there somewhere (the stones must be ball-shaped.)

The next entry up for your review is a game by Dan Black of Ohio (US), also new to our competitions. There seems to be a lot of new people participating this time, and we are very excited. So please join us in giving Dan a warm welcome. The Perfect Shot uses "ball physics" and some gestural input as the basis for its gameplay. And as always, provide Dan with some awesome constructive criticism and praise in the comments.

The next entry into our 4th Casual Gameplay Design Competition is from Rob Gray of the UK, and this is his first CGDC so please give him a warm JIG welcome. Save the Planet is a projectile shooting game in which the "ball physics" theme has been implemented as gravitational force applied to spherical bodies in orbit around a planet. It's a simple idea with mesmerizing effects.

The next entry is from Mateusz Skutnik of Poland. If you enjoy point-and-click Flash games, then you are most likely familiar with Mateusz' work, as he is the creator of the popular Submachine series, as well as the Covert Front and Daymare Town games. Mateusz also creates many other types of Flash games, and his competition entry, Mr. MothBall, is a platform game that includes "ball physics" within the player character.

The next entry up is from Rob Allen of the UK. You may know Rob's work from the incredible Hapland series, or from the banner game that graces the top of the JIG homepage. He was also part of our very first competition with his entry, Keys. In Day of the Bobteds, Rob delivers an action puzzle game based on bobteds and... "ball physics". Go figure.

The next game up is an entry from Ben Gillbanks (UK), and we wish Ben a warm JIG welcome as this is his first competition with us. Roll takes "ball physics" seriously in an action puzzler that injects a variety of surfaces and contraptions into the gameplay. That's all I'm going to say, the rest is up to you to discover and discuss in the comments.

The next game up is an entry from Bart Bonte (Belgium). Factory Balls presents a twist on what you might think of when considering the phrase "ball physics." It's a clever play on words and, well, the rest is up to you to discover. Not only is Bart familiar with our competitions, this is his 4th CGDC as well!

We have a lot of entries to share with you, and we're going to start rolling them out as we have done before, one every few hours, so that each game has a chance to receive attention and feedback from the JIG community. It will take us about a week to publish them all, so please be patient with us.

This is it! We are down to the last few hours before deadline for our 4th Casual Gameplay Design Competition. Entries have been pouring in all weekend and today, and we have already surpassed all previous competitions in terms of number of entries received, so we are very pleased!

Stuck at work on the weekend? Tired of spending your Saturday/Sunday doing homework? Or are you one of the lucky folk who have two days of (relatively) work-free bliss? In any case, we've got a boatload of distractions for you. No matter if you're hopping the company firewall to grab a few games or just relaxing at home, consider this your excuse for not doing anything especially productive.

October is almost here, and you know what that means! It's time to celebrate Apple Day! Yes, the holiday everyone looks forward to all year long is finally near. Now you can eat as many apples as you like without worrying about people teasing you. And if you live in Japan you're doubly lucky, as Health and Sports Day is also in October, making sure you'll be in top condition to burn off that apple fat at the end of the month.

We are down to the final 5 days before the deadline for our Casual Gameplay Design Competition #4, and we're getting very excited to see and play all the games to have incorporated the "ball physics" theme! All entries must be in by October 1st, 2007 at 11:59PM. That is this coming Monday night. Please see the competition announcement page for full details on entering.

DJ Sultan is in the house! His just-released Yoshitoshi Montreal collection is one of the most amazingly uplifting, feel-good mixes of songs I've heard in quite a long time. So good that it warrants interrupting the flow of game reviews to share with you the wonderful positive energy it contains. If you enjoy good dance music, you won't be disappointed by this absolutely spirit-lifting mix!

Everybody panic! There are less than 100 days left to complete your Christmas shopping! You'd better start now! Begin by purchasing a silly clown outfit by the end of October. After that, be sure to grab a large bird to cook by the middle of November. After that, the rest should be a breeze. But before you spend hundreds of dollars on Halloween candy, be sure to check out this sugar-coated Link Dump Friday!

John Cooney recently put together a site that aims to help developers, particularly those using Flash, protect their intellectual property. His site, FlashRights.com, provides information and links that explain copyright, licensing issues, and ways to protect your Flash game and your rights as a developer. While it may not cover every issue surrounding intellectual property rights, it is a good place to start understanding the basic concepts, terms, and issues facing Flash game developers today.

We are just two weeks away from the deadline for Casual Gameplay Design Competition #4, and I have to say we're getting pretty excited about what is shaping up to be our biggest competition ever. With over $6000 in cash and prizes to give away, we're also looking forward to reward the best game designs that incorporate the "ball physics" theme.

Fret Nice is a unique platformer game for Windows with one of the strangest control mechanisms we've ever seen. Instead of using the keyboard, you use the guitar controller from Guitar Hero. The game is breaking boundaries across the globe, and game designer Lars Doucet sat down with the creator to get the inside scoop on the making of the musical platformer.

A smattering of games for the weekend, begging you to answer just one question: exactly how much is a 'smattering' anyway? Serve yourself up a helping of Sauerbraten if you're in the mood to shoot some baddies, and puzzle fans can delight in not one but two games to send their neurons in a tizzy. Always careful to cater to my adventure gaming bretheren, you'll also find a fun little adventure title full of pirates!

Finally, after months of no rain, early this morning I heard the sweet sound of magic sky-water falling from above. This magical collection of Link Dump Friday games encouraged the clouds to release their water. As you work your way down the list, keep an eye out for strange events such as birds falling from the sky, strangers on the street offering you large sums of money, or finding a really good coupon in the newspaper.

Just a quick reminder that there is still plenty of time to come up with an idea and to get your game design underway for Casual Gameplay Design Competition #4. The theme is ball physics and up for grabs are cash and prizes worth over $6000. The deadline is October 1st. Please see the competition announcement page for full details on entering.

I have this lamp in my room with a lampshade from which I hang all sorts of stuff. The top and bottom of this lamp is littered with clothespins to hold things in place. Yes, it's all a huge fire hazard waiting to happen, and a lot of random, all in one place; but it also reminds me of LINK DUMP FRIDAY!!!

Manuel Fallmann of Mindistortion had to move his site's domain recently. Previously at Mindistortion.net, the site, his animations and his games can now be found at Mindistortion.tv. If you have linked to any of Manuel's animations or games before, please make sure you update those links to point to the new site. Manuel thanks you for it. :)

Just a quick reminder that there is still plenty of time to come up with an idea and to get your game design underway for Casual Gameplay Design Competition #4. The theme is ball physics and up for grabs are cash and prizes worth over $6000. The deadline is October 1st. Please see the competition announcement page for full details on entering.

Hello. You've reached Friday. I'm not around to take your call at the moment, so please leave your message after the beep and I'll call you back. While you're waiting, try one of these scrumptious links offere