Farm Frenzy, from Alawar Games, weds an arcade title with a resource management sim for a game that's as much thought and planning as it is fast mouse clicking. Gameplay revolves around planting grass to feed animals, which in turn drop goods for you to use. These goods can either be sold for cash to improve your farm or turned into higher-value products to rake in even more gold. As you progress through the game's 45 stages you can buy more animals, get new buildings and upgrade existing structures, all while keeping a lookout for bears that drop from the sky!
The game begins with a few geese wandering a small patch of land. Click the ground to make grass grow, allowing the geese to eat and lay eggs. Click the eggs to put them in your storehouse where they can be sold for precious cash to run your farm. It's a simple loop of generating money to buy better/more things that will in turn create even more income. From time to time a bear will drop in and knock animals out of the farm. To cage the beast and protect your animals, click on it as fast as you can. When it's trapped, click again to send it to your storehouse, ready to be turned into profit.
Instead of hawking basic goods for a few pieces of gold, why not turn them into something more profitable? Build an egg solids plant to turn eggs into powdered eggs which are worth twice as much. But if you build a bakery you can turn the powdered eggs into baked goods that are worth even more. Balancing what you sell with what you upgrade is just part of the strategy, and later in the game the number of structures (and thus uses for each basic good) increases. Each stage's buildings are pre-determined, so you can't create things willy-nilly. This serves to streamline the experience to keep the game from getting too complex.
To complete a level of Farm Frenzy you must meet a set of goals such as collecting ten eggs or owning five animals. The goals get loftier and more numerous as you progress, but they always serve up just the right amount of challenge. Unlocking new levels often requires specific building upgrades that must be purchased beforehand. You may not be able to progress until you have a level two bakery, so stop by the shop and spend your hard-earned stars to keep the game moving along. Sometimes you'll have to replay previous levels to earn the cash.
Every risk has its reward, and every danger has its foil. Later in the game you'll be able to balance out some of these aspects with new purchases, such as buying a dog to keep bears at bay or a cat to help gather goods on the field. These help soften the action element of the game, as when you're trying to store items and create more expensive products a bear (or two) can make things a little too click-heavy.
Analysis: There is very little holding Farm Frenzy back from being a superb game, but it's not without a few minor flaws. The mix of arcade action with time management is good, but oftentimes it's a little too heavy on rapid clicking for my comfort. Things can get frantic with several bears roaming the farm, a full stock-house, and hard-earned goods flickering on the screen ready to vanish. If you manage your money well and buy smart upgrades this can be somewhat alleviated.
The pacing in Farm Frenzy also feels a bit stretched, almost as if the developers purposefully stalled gaining new buildings and upgrades just to fluff out the game. The beginning is especially slow moving and you probably won't own animals other than geese for the first hour of the game. Fortunately these minor quibbles far from ruin an otherwise fantastic, easily enjoyable game.
Gradual advancement, upgradeable structures, and a little action to keep things from getting too stale. Farm Frenzy pulls a number of disperse elements together to create a game that will keep you coming back for more.
Windows:
Download the demo
Get the full version
Mac OS X:
Not available.
Try Boot Camp or Parallels or CrossOver Games.
Farm Frenzy is available to download from these affiliates:
*sigh* Another somewhat cool game that doesn't have a Mac version? Just great.
Cute game. The demo isn't really long enough to get into challenging levels, though -- I never got past geese, and there were periods of thumb-twiddle while you waited for the bakery to do its thing. But it was very easy to pick up and play, and cutely addicting. The fact that you buy upgrades with your stars and then have to buy them again in the level with your $$ is somewhat annoying, but does add another level of complexity: do I upgrade the car or build the bakery?
Can you please post some mac games? all of the weekend downloads are only for PC
use bootcamp to play games for windows on a mac.
Can't an influential game blog such as this do something to help the plight of mac users?
At least there's windows on macs now, but I don't have a new intel mac.
I am also a Mac user, and I encourage all the game portals we work with to carry more Mac versions whenever I can. Big Fish seems to be the only one listening.
Believe me, I am trying.
Looking to the future, I think you will begin to see more and more developers offering Mac versions due to the success Apple has been enjoying since their switch to Intel.
If you are a Mac user without an Intel processor: UPGRADE.
AWSOME!!!!!!1 I have finished it all!!!!
you finished it all? then please tell me what to do for the last level to get a silver or gold medal.. I think it is impossible. Likewise the level where you have to create that ONE CHEESE... never seem to get there in time!
Does anyone know how to get the trophy for filling the store house? I've tried each size store house, different combinations of the products, banging my head on the desk...nothing seems to get me there. It's the only trophy that I need. HELP!
To Bon:
I tried filling the largest store house with the smallest units of products and STILL couldn't get it 100% full. After that, I just gave up on that one. Heh.
@Brom
as far as I remember, it was the second storehouse with one bear and only eggs.
Greetings, Kayleigh
for the fill the store house trophy you need to use the second to last level, fully upgrade your warehouse, fill with two of each item and one bear. That's how I got it anyway, still working on gold for the cheese level.
I have completed every level and have achieved a gold on every level except one. Can't even get a silver. It's on the top row, where I need to get one milk and start with seven geese and seven sheep with no buildings. Don't know how to go about it. Any help?
To Kirsty:
Here's a general strategy for you. I got silver three times and missed gold by only one second, so it seems to work.
Upgrade your truck once.
Upgrade your storage twice.
Sell all of your geese.
Do not build anything.
Cage the bears, but do not store them. They take up too much space and aren't worth it.
Sell at least nine bundles of wool with each trip, which gets you $900 per trip.
When you reach around $5,000, sell one sheep.
When you get to $7,000, sell the remaining six sheep. This gives you enough to buy the cow.
Buy the cow and wait for the milk to drop. Click it fast because it doesn't count until it's in your storage. Make sure your storage is empty, so send anything in it to market when you buy the cow.
I hope this helps you. :)
I am having trouble getting gold on two levels - please help:
The one where you have to get one cheese and you start with 5 ducks, 4 sheep, and 2 cow. I can't seem to get enough money fast enough to build the cheese factory to get the gold.
The last level where you start with no money and have to get 5 ducks, 5 sheep, 2 cow, and 1 cheese all in 40 min.
To Kathy:
I've never been able to get gold on that very last level.
About the other one, I won't be able to find the level from your description. Can you tell me where it is on the map? I'll check and see if I got gold on it.
For help getting that gold on the last level:
only build the basic buildings you need - with NO upgrades. Upgrade storage ASAP. Capture and sell all bears. Before you know it you have advanced to the cow stage and get your cheese. And if you don't get foiled by a bear you do it in enough time to get your gold!
To Pam:
The other level that I am having trouble with is the very last one on the bottom.
To Kathy:
I'll see what I can find for you.
Kathy,
I've only been able to get silver. My strategy is this -
Sell all the chickens and 2 sheep first thing. Process whatever wool you get, then sell the last sheep in the next load. Process all the milk into butter and sell it each time the truck comes back. When you get to $30,000, sell the cows and be sure to keep one butter. Then buy the cheese factory and process that one piece of butter.
to get the full warehouse...
to get the full warehouse trophy you need not fill the ware house just have 1 of every product/animal including a bear
For all of you stuck on filling the warehouse...
spoil it ;)
Get each possible item AND animals including the bear. How many doesn't matter.
I have all the trophies but two...one of which is obviously the trophy for having all of the trophies. Anyways, how do you get the trophy for completing a level without catching any bears?? Please help!
To Jenny:
You need to find a level that has a lot of dogs. Let the dogs corner the bears, but don't cage them. You might have to do the level several times or may take longer than usual, but it can be done.
SPOILER!!
To avoid capturing bears, use the 2nd game in - you need 10 eggs/5 geese to complete - don't do anything except collect eggs, you won't get gold, I've just done it, the bear caught 1 goose, I bought another, the bear seems to walk over the geese a lot! Got the award then replayed the level so I have a neat row of golds! Just got to find a lots-of-bears level for the "seven bears in a field" now...
[Edit: Spoiler tags added. -Pam]
I am just installed this game and found it's not easy to play for Gold.... anyone has the whole walkthrough list? please help me.... a lot of them are blue now... T_T
To Elaine:
You could try going back through the levels after you get all of the equipment upgrades. It will make easier to get gold.
Last level on bottom right - Collect one cheese.
You may have to run thru this a few times, because the timing can be very tight.
Very first thing, even before everything drops, click on the warehouse & sell all the geese.
Upgrade the warehouse .
By this time, you should have caught a bear, and will hopefully have one milk in the warehouse. If you only have wool (darn those cats!), try clicking on the thread-maker & grabbing a milk really quick.
Sell the bear & the milk. This will give you enough to upgrade the warehouse a second time , and the truck once <300>.
Process the wool into thread & cloth, and the milk into butter as quickly as possible. since you have two cows, and can only process one butter at a time, you can sell the extra milk every time your truck comes back.
At some point, upgrade your truck a second time so that you can move goods more quickly. Forget about selling the bears - just catch them so that they don't throw your animals away. If you've completely upgraded your cage, it takes 3 clicks to cage a bear.
Around 2 minutes in, you need to sell the sheep. Keep the wool & finish processing it. Watch your money carefully, and remember that 2 cows = 10,000 gold. Time spent in your warehouse deciding what to sell in not added to your game time, so you have time to pick & choose. Sell as much as possible, but remember to keep back one milk. It can be processing into butter while the truck is making it's last run.
Around 3 minutes in, sell the cows, and as much as you need to get that 40,000 gold for the cheese dairy. Your last milk should be processing, the truck gets back, and voila! Gold.
How do you sell animals? Everywhere is telling me to sell them but I cant!
Bex - selling animals
Click the truck so that your storage opens. On the top right you will find your animals. You will only get half the prize, you paid for them. All animals are for sale, except cats and dogs .
I downloaded Farm Frenzy to my MyTouch phone. I'm completely addicted! I have one problem. I'm to the point where I need to buy a buttermill. In the shop the arrow points to an empty square where apparently the buttermill is supposed to be. Why isn't it in my shop? Actually I have two blank spaces in the shop. What's that about????
Please help!, I am almost finished with the game just need the trophy "to pass 3 levels without any hints" I have played 10 with no luck..any advice?
To Julie about 7 bears...
The level you choose to do the 30 min award is the one that should also give you the 7 bears. Just let them pile up until you get the 7 and then start selling them off until you get to the 30 min mark and complete level :)
How to get Gold on 1 Milk Only level.
Upgrade the truck twice, upgrade the shed once.
Immediately sell all of the ducks and 1 sheep.
When the truck returns fill it with 6 wool. Always fill it with 6 wool!
Sell all 3 bears. Don't worry if you do not have any wool that trip, you have time.
Continue to sell 6 wool until you have at least $6400.
When you have reached that amount fill the truck with 6 wool and 6 sheep, they will all fit.
Buy the cow for $10K. Watch out for the last bears.
Collect the milk and your done!
My best time is 2:35.
How do you get gold on the level that needs 8 butter and one cheese? That's my last one to figure out.
you seem to be all very impressive ! I'm not even able to understand the meaning of the leisurely completion and how to get the trophy :(
Does anyone know how to pass the level where you only need one sheep and one wool spindle? You start with 15 ducks??? Its my only level to finish with gold and I just cannot figure out how...
Hey how get award called ,,for leisurely complention,,??
@ camilla.↲↲↲You have to say where's the level on the map.↲I can help but I don't find it.
Hi, i need help on how to achieve the leisurely completion award please. Thank you!
Hey, has anyone managed to get the trophy for no loss of animals? I swear I've completed more than 10 levels but it won't give me the trophy!
Can you help me too for for leisurely complention and for completetion without taping any goods?
Hello everybody..
Am trying to get the "to finish calmly or slowly" trophy.. This is my last one. How to get this one??? Please help me :) btw i love the game. Thx thx
I also need to know about the leisurely completion. Please help.
Just got this game through Steam. No guidelines though. Only on level 7. Confused about what the bank is for and when I buy upgrades they don't appear in the level when I start it again. Level not at gold status. What am I missing? Thanks!
I can't play the game in bakery. I don't know why that's won't work. Please tell me what should I do to the next level? I've finished all the build :(
What does the yellow and gray rankings mean when you finish a level I get them and sometimes I get a check mark is the gray or yellow the highest
You can get this award easily, At Level 3 get 4 eggs and sell ducks after getting money buy eggpowder machine bears will come u no need to catch them coz there is no ducks after that make 4 eggs powders and finish the level
Dont catch the bears 👍☺️
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