October 2011 Archives

FrozenFire and Jon Sandness are back with a spookified expansion pack to their popular Symphonic Tower Defense. Music can get pretty crazy around this holiday, with all the monster-mashing and purple-people eating that occurs. That means once again it is time for the master conductor to dust the cobwebs from his baton and defend tower-style against the awesome power of awesome music in Symphonic Tower Defense: Halloween Edition.

While the techno/trance soundtrack is a tad more scary and the aesthetics a bit more orangey, gameplay works pretty much the same as the previous installment. That's not a bad thing: those who liked the original will love to have more of it, and those new to the series will find this a perfect place to jump in. Overall, Symphonic Tower Defense Halloween will be the closest most of us will get to jamming with the Crypt-Kicker 5. It's a graveyard smash!

Play Symphonic Tower Defense: Halloween Edition

After a long night of haunting and spooking, there's nothing that your average vampire/mummy/witch likes more than going home to the comfort of their own coffin/sarcophagus/cauldron. Wouldn't ya know it though? It seems that some sort of anti-monster conspiracy has constructed all manner of girders and obstacles to prevent their homecoming. In Halloween Shooter, a physics puzzler by GameShot, it's up to the player to blast all the creatures to their proper home for a good day's sleep.

Very polished in presentation, Halloween Shooter has a cool retro aesthetic and some well-designed set pieces. The size of the game window does limit some of the shots you'd like to make, which is a flaw. Also, bits of the game do feel a little generic: one might think that the only thing needed to make Thanksgiving Shooter or Chanukah Shooter would be a change in sprites. That said, it's hard to dislike any game that lets you knock over Frankenstein with a well-aimed Dracula. It's a treat as good as a full-sized Snickers.

Play Halloween Shooter

Spiders. Why did it have to be a top-hatted, web-slinging, physics puzzling spider? Because it's Halloween, sillies, and a fun way to honor the holiday is by playing this whimsically macabre game where said arachnid swings from point to point in quest of turning victims into... well, "headcrab" is already taken, so I'm out of ideas as to what to call them. But beware! Draka may only have twenty levels, but they get ghoulishly tricky fairly quickly. Even the most casual fan will want to try this one out for the art, but only the most dedicated will persevere through them all.

The game is learn-as-you-play tutorial style, but the basic idea is that you have four lengths of web to toss at any one time, and you can hook on to any anchor point within range, and detach from others to swing yourself around. In addition to stationary lamps, the game includes things ranging from helpful balloons to frying-you-like-a-bug-zapper electrical wire. The game's difficulty is perhaps higher than it should be because of the decision to have your life (you get three hearts) taken away one per hit by any harmful area, and if you're floating over a torch, you can go from three hearts to zero before you can even get your mouse over there. A short invincibility period after being hit, similar to the approach most platform games take, would have been a better option.

Generally there is an approach that will enable you to get by without losing any hearts at all, so if you keep dying, the best thing to do is rethink your path to the victim. Definitely a game to tingle the spines of the physics puzzle pro, but even the less adept should give a few levels a try for some spooky fun.

Play Draka

Aah, the salt of the sea. Deadly waves threatening to drown passersby. Armed frigates firing on civilians. Mummies scuttling across the sandy beaches, infecting helpless folks with their embalmed charm. It's just an ordinary day for the citizens in Open Sea!, a satisfying and great-looking mobile arcade game by The Pixelizers. To get everyone to safety, you're going to need a little bit of luck and a whole lot of lightning bolts.

Mo has a sweet job working as a prophetic leader in Egypt. One day, he encourages the people to flee across the sea. The problem is, they have no boats, so all of this fleeing has to be done on foot. Fortunately for Mo and his buddies, you, your Android device, and your swipe-happy finger are there! Simply tap or slide the rows of waves to create gaps so people can cross safely. Guide them from the top of the screen to the bottom, minding every sort of danger that rears its ancient head.

On the friendly side of things are Mo's followers, groups of mindless people who know how to do one thing: walk from the top of the screen to the bottom. Most keep to a fairly straight line and can tiptoe away from the water, but a few troublesome folk need more pampering from you. Lazy followers, for example, will fall asleep in the middle of the screen. Old folks are agonizingly slow. And drunkards weave and bob like a snake playing dodgeball. On the bad guys side of things, expect to see mummies, antagonistic ships, and more throughout your journey.

Levels are splayed out across a map that meanders across the desert. It's mostly linear in nature, but if you earn enough stars, you can gain access to small branches that offer a prize or two at the end. You'll also encounter some friendly faces that may or may not be recognizable. Like Jess, the prophet who, if you guide him to safety, will grant everyone the temporary ability of walking on water. Nice!

Analysis: Open Sea! is precisely the sort of casual game you want on your mobile device. It's easy to pick up and play, a treat to look at, and features a variety of new elements that slowly unlock as you progress, keeping you consistently interested in playing just one more level. Even better, after you blaze through the game, you can go back to earn more stars and unlock even more levels and game modes, a task you'll happily undertake for rewards you'll eagerly consume!

Public service note: Open Sea! is no walk on the beach. The game gets challenging jten or so levels in, and it never lets up, no matter how much crying you do. If you go back to earn more stars, expect even more challenge (and crying), but only subject yourself to that after obtaining a good level of proficiency. Seriously, you will get better at the game. It just takes some time!

Open Sea! is an epic, sweeping game, but at the same time, it's personable and humble. You can jump in and play with no learning curve, but actually getting good at it takes time. It's exactly what you want from a casual game, especially since its so good looking and carries a quirky sense of humor!

Open Sea! Free

(Android)

Open Sea!

(Android)

Mobile games are strange, aren't they? On the one hand, they shouldn't be so complicated you can't get into them while, ahem, occupying the lavatory. On the other, they need to have enough complexity to keep you from doing your homework the night before it's due. There's no right or wrong solution, just a collection of gameplay concepts that either works or doesn't quite work. We're proud to report that every game we feature on Mobile Monday works quite well, the end result being lots of late homework assignments but no time wasted in the loo.

Minesweeper of Wizard (iPhone/iPod Touch) - Are you ready for this? It's minesweeper. With a fantasy setting! An evil Dark Lord cursed the land, cutting livable spaces down to near nothing. A wizard appeared with the ability to separate land from the sea, and she set out on a journey to restore the world to its former state. You are that wizard, naturally, and you're playing a game of minesweeper to save the world. So, you know, don't screw it up! Simple, yeah, and the gameplay is pretty standard for a logic puzzle of this nature, but the pixel art is fantastic, and the setting really brings things to life. Also, friendly PROTIP: turn the music off!

Flapcraft (universal) - Vikings need hobbies, too, Especially when all of the great wars are currently on hiatus. So, to keep in shape and to have a good time, the bravest vikings use wooden logs to fly through the air, taking off from ramps to see how far they can go. These "flapcrafters" work tirelessly at their hobby, and so will you once you get your hands on this game. Tap to send the viking flying down the ramp, then tilt your device to steer him. Catch some wind, take a dive into the trees, then upgrade your flying doohickey with rockets, wings, and other contraptions to help you gain some air. A great little game of perfection and upgrades you won't be able to put down.

Hungry Sumo (universal) - Hey, you remember Hungry Sumo, NinjaKiwi's browser game, right? Now the rice-nomming arcade game is ready for you on your iOS device, and it works even better with a touch screen than with a cursor. Tap your sumo wrestler to make him eat rice and grow larger. When he bumps into an enemy sumo, he'll shrink a bit, taking down the other guy with him. Your goal is to have the biggest sumo possible, one that can crash into other enemies without getting too small. The best part of the iOS version is using the multi touch surface to tend to several wrestlers at once. And the mini-games are superb! Exactly the sort of casual diversion you need with a mobile device.

NOTE: Games noted as 'universal' have been designed for iPod Touch, iPad, and iPhone devices alike. Any game not listed for iPad will work on the system, but native full screen will not be present. Games listed may not be available outside of North America. Prices are subject to change and are therefore unlisted. Please see the individual game pages for purchasing info.

Man, scientists. Haven't you ever heard of placing an ad in a university newspaper advertising your physics research study? Tell people they get to play with a matter-absorbing gun and they'll probably pay you to participate. Why ya gotta be all evil and kidnap a guy to send through a nefarious set of puzzles? The mad scientist villain of Absorption, by Anton Beluzhenko, isn't very smart, apparently. But the backstory isn't why you'll want to play this game. Absorption is a novel and unique platform puzzler that is a lot of fun to play.

You use the [WASD] keys to control the platforming action of your character, while the cursor aims your matter-absorbing gun, which you click to shoot. You'll need to absorb and rearrange various objects to solve puzzles and reach the exit of each level. You can only shoot within the "halo" surrounding your character (the cursor will be bright green if it's within range), and you can only absorb objects that have little white orbs rotating around them. In addition to testing your spatial intelligence when using the absorption gun to rearrange objects, the game also sometimes requires good timing, particularly in terms of dealing with enemies. Just try to get to the exit with as few shots as you can. At the bottom of the screen you'll see what number of shots will give you a 100% efficiency score.

Anton makes a good choice in giving you unlimited shots while also rating your efficiency at the end of a level based on how many shots you used. This means you're free to experiment your first time through a level, and you can always replay it to try to get 100% efficiency if you shoot too much the first time. The portals, boxes, turrets and other elements of the levels give plenty of variety while still being fairly intuitive and thus not overwhelming. And when we're talking about pluses of the game, we shouldn't leave out the fact that the little guy kind of looks like he's from the movie GhostBusters. Who ya gonna call? Absorption!

Play Absorption

Art is a pretty subjective thing, one person's masterpiece being another person's scribble. Fortunately, being an art lover, gamers are invited to the exclusive studio of a famous artist to view their latest work in The Latest Work of Dai Hyakka, a fun little room escape from no1game.net. Unfortunately once the player has arrived they cannot leave until they view this great masterpiece. Considering all of the puzzles (many color-based) that have to be solved to view this precious piece of art, it had better be worth it.

Exploration in this rustic studio is as easy as clicking the mouse. Click on items to examine them, to manipulate them, to take them (hey, the artist locked us in, his stuff is fair game!), and to move around the room using the handy arrows that appear at the edges of the screen. A changing cursor indicates places of interest and the inventory, while rudimentary, is easy to access. The Latest Work of Dai Hyakka is not a terribly difficult escape; seasoned players will probably be out in five to ten minutes. All that is required is some logical thinking and a modicum of art appreciation. Take a break and enjoy the art, even the picture of the giraffe which looks, quite frankly, seriously ticked off.

Play The Latest Work of Dai Hyakka

Costume Quest, DoubleFine's aggressively adorable Halloween RPG adventure, has finally hit PCs after a long solo affair with the Playstation Network and XBOX Live Arcade. The story follows you as one of a pair of twins (either a boy or a girl, Reynold and Wren respectively) on Halloween night. Whoever you select to be "in charge" becomes the main character and is delighted to have control over their sibling for a night of trick-or-treating... at least until their twin, dressed as a piece of candy corn, gets mistaken for actual candy by a monster who is in the process of looting a house they visit. It seems you've stumbled into an invasion, as it quickly becomes apparent the town is crawling with monsters intent on gathering all the candy they can for nefarious purposes, and as the "chewiest looking" one, your sibling is a real prize for them. The adults don't believe you, so if you want to rescue your brother (or sister!) you'll have to do the job yourself or you'll be in a lot of trouble when you come home alone.

The game plays like your typical turn-based RPG. You'll explore areas (initially only the neighbourhood, but later you'll travel elsewhere too) getting in fights with monsters, and that's where things get a bit weird. Throughout the game you'll find different components that will ultimately unlock new costumes to wear. Why is this important? Well, anytime you enter battle your apple-cheeked youngster literally transforms into the embodiment of the costume they're wearing, complete with special abilities. Battle is your standard turn-based affair, though with the inclusion of some Super Mario RPG-style quick time events; tap the buttons you're shown in order to block attacks or get an extra boost. You'll gain experience, level up (levels are capped at 10, unfortunately), and gain candy to spend, cards to trade, and even engage in some light puzzle-solving.

Analysis: Make no mistake, this game is RPG-lite; your three party members all have one-note personalities, the story is resolved almost too simply after a half-hearted stab at some emotional development between the twins, and it's all very linear. Gameplay itself is also fairly straightforward to the point where it can feel somewhat repetitive; there's never any real variation, the battle stamps wind up feeling underdeveloped since they're the only thing you can spend candy on, and it's definitely not going to prove much of a challenge either from a puzzler's perspective or simple battle mechanics. Some of the costumes frankly aren't that useful, and since you can't switch out during battle, you'll probably wind up just sticking with the three you're most comfortable with unless the game forces you into another for plot purposes. (Robot, Unicorn, and French Fries for the win!)

But you know what? Who cares! This game is not intended as a deep, engrossing, complex title; it's fun, light-hearted, silly, and frequently laugh-out-loud funny. Whereas in a lot of modern RPGs I tend to ignore NPCs that aren't directly related to the plot since they rarely have anything useful or interesting to say, in Costume Quest I tracked down every single person I could and chatted with them. (And then hit them with my candy bag.) Almost everyone has something weird and funny to say whether the game forces you to talk to them or not. While a lot of the humour will probably go right over some of the younger kids' heads (such as a boy in a banana costume complaining that last year as a total "banana-fest") it's less of a kids-only/adults-only thing and really seems to be embracing that E for Everyone rating. Kids will laugh at the straight-forward humour, and adults will find that there's a lot of gags for themselves to appreciate as well, a lot like old Bugs Bunny cartoons.

The visuals here are simple, drawn by Tasha of Tasha's Game, but a joy to behold simply because of how bright, creative, and colourful they are. Character designs, both in and out of battle, are absolutely brilliant; I didn't realise my life was incomplete until I'd seen the Statue of Liberty's Anthem special ability, or turned into a maniacal, sentient, crab-walking box of french fries. This is easily the type of game you can play with a big, goofy grin on your face the whole time. Exploring the different environments is just wonderful, and they're all full of a lot of little details that make them stand out. It doesn't do a lot to innovate, but at entertaining you it succeeds with flying stars. It's extremely easy to pick up and play, at any age (kids will have no trouble mastering battle mechanics), and once you do, you'll want to play it all the way through.

While players 10 or younger will probably love it the most, there's enough to like about Costume Quest that I can honestly recommend it to anyone looking for lighter fare and with a sense of humour. Heck, my husband and I don't have ankle-biters and we played it all together in one sitting start to finish, laughing at everything and cheering at the overly-dramatic transformations and special attacks. Even though the whole thing only runs about six hours, not including the Grubbins on Ice DLC included free with the PC version, this is still an adventure game that's easily worth the cost of admission. Put quite simply, Costume Quest is a fun, rambunctious, and effortlessly enjoyable title that you really shouldn't miss. Taken as it is, it's pure fun for all ages, and comes highly recommended.

Windows:
Get the full version

Mac OS X:
Not available.
Try Boot Camp or Parallels or CrossOver Games.

Can't decide if you want to play a rhythm game or a good old fashioned dungeon crawling RPG? Now you can have both, with Iridium Studios' hybrid gem, Sequence. Originally released on the Xbox Live Arcade platform, Sequence takes a little bit of music, adds in combat, spells, weapons and items, shuffles them around in a sort of time management kind of manner, and sets it before you with a side of humor and a dose of "what the heck was that I just fought and why did it insult my mother?".

Sequence stars Ky and Naia, the former a typical young hero guy, the latter as an intercom voice giving you directions, guiding you through the game, and insulting you whenever she gets the chance. Ky is battling his way up a strange tower filled with stranger things, trapped in the pseudo-fantasy world unless he can craft keys to escape each level. Gathering the items he needs to create the keys will take some time, and earning experience to beef up his strength will take even longer. Good thing Ky's got nothing better to do!

Most of your time in Sequence will be spent in battle. But unlike most RPGs, these battles are far from static. Fights take place across three screens, each featuring independently falling arrows that appear in time with the music. In order for any of these arrows to "count", you must switch to that screen and hit the appropriate directions at the appropriate time. So, for example, to gain mana, switch to the blue screen, follow the prompts, and you'll fill your magic meter. Your foes attack on the red grid, so if arrows start falling there, switch over to stop the attack. The spell screen is where you'll complete rhythm sequences to cast the spells you activate.

Between battles, you get to focus on inventory and items, something many players can't wait to do. In Sequence, you gain materials and items from battle and can craft them into new objects. Crafting takes place on its own screen, and in order to make something, you've got to give up something. You'll need three materials to make one item, for example, and when you go to craft, you must give up experience points to actually make the object. The more XP you give, the greater your chances of a successful craft. Don't overdo it, though, as you sorta need those stat bonuses you just gained!

There are seven floors to explore, working your way up the tower with progressively more entertaining and dangerous foes. Apart from the guardians of each level, you can choose which enemies you do battle with, giving you quite a bit of freedom in how you explore, gain items, and strengthen your character. It's basically a fight-equip-fight-grind formula, but it works so well with the rhythm elements you'll hardly notice you're fighting the same creatures over and over again.

Analysis: Juggling screens, multiple rhythm arrows to hit, item management, and a snarky voice as your guide? That's about the gist of it, and it's a good gist, too! Sequence takes a big chance mixing a rhythm game with a role playing game, and the results will certainly feel different for different players. RPG fans won't quite get their fix, but neither will rhythm gamers. Casual players, on the other hand, will feel right at home, as Sequence was designed for short bursts of not-too-serious gameplay. It's easy to save, it's easy to pick up where you left off, and because you choose when and who you fight, there's no risk to setting down the controller while you take a sandwich break.

Sequence looks to hybrid grounds to conjure its "different but not too different" gameplay, but it doesn't run too deeply with either genre, something that both saves the game and prevents it from grabbing hold of a wide audience. The rhythm elements seem tenuous at times, coming across as more visual cues than aural. The music is excellent, but the integration isn't entirely complete. The same goes for the role playing elements. While they add a layer of extra intrigue, don't expect a full RPG's worth of items and character customization. Just enough to add flavoring.

Sequence will overwhelm you the first time you play, and the lengthy tutorial seems to drag on after a few minutes. Eventually you get the hang of things, though, and rapidly switching between screens to fill mana, cast spells, and defend yourself becomes automatic. Difficulty settings in the options menu allow you to customize your experience, so if you're not a rhythm gamer, don't be afraid of Sequence. It wants everybody to get along.

Go give Sequence a shot and see if a hybrid rhythm/RPG has got what it takes to get you excited about a game once again!

Windows:
Get the full version

Mac OS X:
Not available.
Try Boot Camp or Parallels or CrossOver Games.

This week's games were presented before a panel of elite judges prior to publication. They were coffee tasting judges, but you gotta figure their impeccable sense of taste transfers from beverages to games, right? After rigorous screening, the scientifically-verified result is as such: three out of four coffee tasters think the games below are definitely very very fun! The fourth judge thinks they're "rather" fun, but that doesn't make for a very interesting pull quote...

the wall of our hearts (Windows, 13.6MB, free) - This game is so hip. You probably haven't played it yet. You're just so, you know, mainstream. But since you're here, might as well tell you about the wall of our hearts, a cool, lowercase-titled 8-bit-style platformer starring two hipster characters who really want to get together. Problem is, there's a wall in the way. Scale the heights of love one ledge at a time, saving your progress at stereos, using bread to lure ducks to ride on, and experiencing the world's most authentic fish riding simulator. Cool game, good times, but you probably don't really understand it anyway. *dons a dirty flannel jacket, thick-rimmed glasses, a black t-shirt, wool scarf, patched jeans, and mis-matched socks and walks away*

Yeti (Windows, 61.5MB, free) - Adventure games tend to follow a set formula, right? Not this one. In Yeti, you are part of a documentary crew exploring the life of a yeti, filming him in his natural habitat (a well-stocked bachelor pad to a software company in Toronto, of course) and exploring the scene from a somewhat more distant perspective. You can still interact with the world, but puzzles take a more point-and-click feel to them as opposed to a strict adventure flavoring. Marvelously imaginative, quirky, and a great way to learn about yetis in real life. Ok, not that last bit. But seriously, play this game!

Ragmeg Alleycat (Windows, 25MB, free) - The life of a bike messenger is a difficult one. There are cars all over the place, some of which travel in the wrong direction. Pedestrians are always in the way. Police cars chase you for no reason. And packages sit inconveniently on rough patches of sidewalk. What's a rider to do, other than keep trying to get a better and better score? Ragmeg Alleycat is sort of a reverse Paperboy where you navigate the low-res streets to pick up packages and rack up tons of points. A hotseat multiplayer mode is included, but the single player adventure is plenty of game for one person. Just don't try this at home. You know, on a real bike and stuff.

Abduction Destruction (Windows, 3.3MB, free) - A pet project from TIGSource forum member Tipp, Abduction Destruction is an arcade game about an alien with one mean abduction ray. Scoop up animals, apples, people, corn, rocks, and anything else on the ground you can beam your ray onto, then launch stored items as projectiles to keep your enemies at bay. Collect coins to purchase items in the shop, then continue your abducting spree! The game is rather short at this stage, and there are a few level design flaws, but the art style is great, and you can't deny how fun it is to be on the alien end of the abducting business!

Note: All games have been confirmed to run under Windows 7 and are virus-free. Mac users should try Boot Camp, Parallels, or CrossOver Games to play Windows titles, Linux users can use Wine. If you know of a great game we should feature, use the Submit link above to send it in!

If you're looking for some Halloween cheer rather than ghouls and gore, check out the kid-friendly spot-the-difference title from Denis Sokolov and Igor Sotsky, Terrific Halloween. Featuring the art of Yulia Zhuravlyova and a bouncy soundtrack from Nikolay Statilko, it's a vibrant, colourful game with three modes of difficulty that you can let any tender young giblets you have running around play without fear. Just find and click on the differences between each scene as they're presented, moving as quickly as you can to score bonus points, and snag a hint if you're stuck. If you're a grown-up type person who loves to be scared, it can be easy to forget there's a littler, squealier group of Halloweeners who just want to dress up like ghosts and pirates and get some candy without worrying about nightmares, and this is definitely one for them.

Play Terrific Halloween

Minoto, that glorious purveyor of point-and-click puzzle oddities, graces us with 2011 A Father's Travel, which contains most everything you'd expect to find in a Minoto game. That is to say, comb-overs, aliens, abstract puzzle solving, the sun making faces, surreal worlds, and above all... cuteness. This time you actually start out with a bunch of items you can already use to solve puzzles, though you'll gather more as you go, and figuring out to use everything is just as big a challenge as figuring out what's going on. Just remember to try everything, no matter how strange it seems, and examine items up close when you get stuck. Odd? You bet. But if you're a Minoto fan, you probably wouldn't have it any other way.

Play 2011 A Father's Travel

Space Invaders, Breakout and Missile Command are like the venerable elder statesmen of video games. But what if hundreds or thousands of years in the future, scientists are picking through a then-ancient landfill of Atari 2600 cartridges and have to try to piece together what they mean? They might come up with something very much like the arcade mash-up Missilebreak Outvaders, the work of Nathan McCoy and Jonathan S. Fox.

Just move the mouse to control the paddle. The aliens progress back and forth and slowly downwards, shooting missiles at you and attempting to get your six cities, but you can bat their projectiles back at them with the paddle. Projectiles are red as they approach you, and turn blue after they've hit your paddle once. You can explode the blue projectiles at any time by clicking the left mouse button. [Space] or [P] pauses. The game ends when you lose all six cities, but you have until the end of the current wave, because at certain score markers, you can rebuild a city. Go as long as you can.

Missilebreak Outvaders is a throwback to the era in which games were actually hard, designed to suck the quarters from your pockets with every death. The "doomsday theory" mode is particularly punishing, but even the normal game gets intense quickly. There's a surprising amount of strategy to be had, hinging primarily on if and when to manually explode projectiles. But at some point all strategy will probably fly out the window as you frantically whip the cursor back and forth screaming "Make it stop! Make it stop!" And perhaps you will look out said window and realize it is dawn. And it will have been worth it. A classic example where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts, with three classic arcade games rolled up into one awesome experience that is exceptionally fun to play.

For those interested in the music, Nathan wrote the music himself and it's available on his Bandcamp page.

Play Missilebreak Outvaders

It's Halloween again, time for ghosties, ghoulies, goblins, and lots and lots of jack-o-lanterns. Somewhere in those multitudes of pumpkins that are needed for the season some have gone rotten; and like zombies those bad pumpkins can infect the good ones so they must be eliminated, preferably without harming the happy, ripe pumpkins. And no, you can't just build a giant machine to chuck them somewhere, lest they spread their deadly infection further afield. Hey, that's as good an explanation as any for the physics puzzler, Pumpkin Remover 3.

Play all the Pumpkin Remover games:

This is the third Halloween in a row that we've seen the deadly pumpkins arrive and once again the objective remains to simply remove them with a click of the mouse. Well, sort of. Pumpkins can fall in different directions, and you still need to clear all of the bad pumpkins without losing the good ones. Just watch out for the black pumpkins, which can't be exploded with a click, and the flaming ones which wreak their own kind of havoc. With only 20 levels of pumpkin removing madness this is a quick and easy seasonal delight, spiced up with some really bad jokes every five levels. So be a mensch and take a few minutes to make the world safe for all the good, ripe pumpkins out there.

Play Pumpkin Remover 3

Just when you thought all monkeys had gone happy, Robin Vencel drops another series of point-and-click puzzle challenges on us and calls it Monkey GO Happy Marathon!

Choose your favorite monkey, select a cute little hat for it to wear, and then embark on a marathon of simple puzzles and mini-games all designed to delight the little critter. All you need to do is figure out what must be done in each stage. You will need to make the monkey happy as quickly as possible if you're trying for a high score, since the bonus score for completing each stage begins to count down the second the stage begins. Bonus stages serve to mix things up every few levels and give you an opportunity to maximize your score.

Play all the Monkey GO Happy games:

All puzzles follow simple, straightforward logic, so you probably won't need the obnoxious, flashing HINT CLICK ME button (please Robin, stop that shenanigans, the in-your-face flashing makes me NOT want to click it). If you do get stuck, a changing mouse cursor alerts you to objects you need to interact with, and the solution isn't far beyond that (I breezed through this one quickly). So go, please make those monkeys happy once and for all, because nobody wants to see sad little monkeys.

Play Monkey GO Happy Marathon

Wakey wakey, internet! It's Friday, and that means you only have a few more hours of drudgery before the glory that is the weekend rains happiness, fun, and irresponsibility upon us! Of course, because Halloween got all uppity and is suddenly too good to be on a Friday or Saturday this year, we're all going to be shagged out from ghoulish parties come Tuesday, but that's the price you pay for a good time and candy stolen from small children! On this week's Link Dump Friday, not only do we highlight some zombie empathy and a surprising slew of high-quality download titles, but we also take a look at three extremely promising upcoming titles, one of which in particular I am personally very excited for.

Psssst! Confused? This is our new Link Dump Friday format! For an explanation, read this if you missed it!

• Mage Gauntlet - You've got the touch! You've got the pow-WUUUUURRRR! Or at least, our heroine Lexi does in this iOS action RPG from Rocketcat Games. With a snappy sense of humour, easy to master controls, and a lighthearted approach to fantasy, this is simply a great little retro RPG that can keep you wrapped up and tapping buttons for a long time.
• Lab of the Dead - Evil Dog gives us this odd take on zombie games in the form of a simulation/puzzle hybrid where you play a scientist after an undead invasion experimenting on the shambling monsters. Sure you can dissect them in a variety of ways, but the choice to try to help them connect with their past selves using tools, food, animals, and more can make for some surprisingly affecting gameplay.
• The Blackwell Deception - Wadjet Eye Games adds another chapter in their stellar point-and-click adventure series about a young psychic and her ghostly guide who can't seem to stop stumbling across preternatural murder plots. Fantastic writing, artwork, and voice acting make up for some slightly obtuse puzzles and make this one a title adventure fans should definitely check out.
• Drawn: Trail of Shadows - The always captivating hidden-object adventure series gets another notch on its belt with the release of this latest installment. Our own John Bardinelli called it "an adventure experience unrivaled in the casual gaming world", and fans were only too willing to agree. Have you discovered Drawn yet?
• A Game About Game Literacy - What is it about games that deconstruct genres we love so much? Damian Sommer made this weird yet adorable and interesting little puzzle platformer as an extremely simple take on Metroidvania, and both our own esteemed Jay and equally esteemed-er readers took to it like ducks to water. It was made in just a day and a half, and requires some fiddly jumping, but there's just something about it that makes you want to see it through.

Preview Alert! Nearly five years after he first appeared in your browsers, the grizzled mystery solver is making a comeback... on your phones! Super Flash Bros' point-and-click adventure will be hitting the App Store when it arrives, which may be a bit of a disappointment to anyone not in possession of something that runs iOS, but still looks absolutely gorgeous. You'll be sent to a swamp to solve a murder than everyone claims is connected to a mysterious monster people believe has been living there for sixty years. The artwork looks beautiful, and the voice-acting and soundtrack definitely add to that professional polish. Check out more screenshots and the trailer over at the official site, but there's no release date set... yet!

Preview Alert! There's no place like home! Unless, of course, it's the scene of a brutal murder... and isn't your home at all! In Benjamin Rivers' upcoming indie horror adventure, you wake up in unfamiliar surroundings and promptly discover a body, which is usually bad news. Home is billed as "a murder mystery with a twist", and in this case that twist is that occasionally the narrative will ask you questions, and your decision dictates what happens next. (Or what already happened.) As the trailer at the official site informs you, however, no matter what, this will not end well. Cheery! The game is still in development, but you can (and should) follow Mr Rivers himself on Twitter for news and updates... and while you're at it, tell him to hurry up, because Dora needs her horror fix! TAKE MY MONEY, BENJAMIN.

Release Approaching! Freebird Games will be releasing their intriguing RPG adventure game about a pair of scientists who can enter the memories of people on their deathbeds this Tuesday, November 1st. The story goes that this experimental new technology developed by the protagonists, Dr. Eva Rosalene and Dr. Neil Watts, allows people to live out their dreams and fulfill their wishes, all within their minds, but can only be performed on people who are already dying. This time, they're in the mind of an elderly man who's always wanted just one thing; to go to the moon. Will you get through this one without needing to break out the hankies or blink back manly tears? The game will be released for $12.00 USD, but if you already know you need to have it, you can pre-order it on Desura for the discounted price of $9.95 USD.

Straight from the ghastly hallows of Nitrome comes the hobbling horror of a humdinger, Stumped! If you're all right [sic] with tackling this challenging avoidance puzzler, you'll find that you are in fact a foot that can only make right turns (perhaps one of Dr. Frankenstein's high school biology projects?) by clicking or hitting the [spacebar]. Your goal is to reach the target by perpetually hopping on one foot until you reach the checkered finish area, while smashing pumpkins for bonus points. This might sound like a walk in the park, until you realize that you've got to dodge piercing spikes, frightening fire pits, eerie eyeballs, and many more devilish obstacles. Stumped is a quick Halloween treat with plenty of puzzling problems to pounce upon. Now that you've got your marching orders, hop to it!

Play Stumped

When you get right down to it, being held captive in a locked room, forced to decipher arcane clues lest you be stuck there forever, is quite akin to kidnapping, ain't it? Here's an escape game that's up front and honest about it: Kidnapped for Life by Abroy. You're not checking into an upscale hotel with jaunty tunes, flowery artwork and a joyful bit of currency at the end. You're in a drab-colored cell and your abductor has hidden jigsaw pieces all over the room, in locked drawers and even in the most unlikely of places.

Kidnapped for Life defies its name with a short, enjoyable sentence of code-breaking, puzzle-solving and even a smattering of kakuro amongst the usual room escape tricks. The jail keeper probably takes delight in tormenting you by surreptitiously concealing essential tools from your view (what items you do find, use by dragging them to the spot where they're needed). Heck, even the navigation arrows are obtuse, barely visible shapes in the bottom corners of the screen. The echoes of the prison resemble a fiend's hollow chortle as you scrutinize just about every pixel to pry these objects from their secret recesses. But besting him at his pernicious game and assembling all the jigsaw pieces to thumb your nose at that evil, grinning visage is an oh-so-sweet ransom.

Play Kidnapped for Life

Double, double toil and trouble,
Fire burn and cauldron bubble
Letters In Boxes challenge the brave
To find the secret words you crave.
Nightmare nouns and vicious verbs,
And also some prepositions and adjectives and other stuff.
Three witches knew how to cook in rhyme,
But when you paint yourself into a corner trying to rhyme with really hard words, it all falls apart pretty quickly. I'm no Shakespeare or Poe, but... Oh, hold on.

</poetry>

I'm no Shakespeare or Poe, but this puzzle challenge contains some wicked words to worm through! Take a look at the starting puzzle below. Click on it to open up the image in a new window. When you think you've found the answer, hover up to the address bar and change the image's filename (in this case, "hallotwenty") to your answer, making sure your answer is all lowercase and without spaces, and that you stay in the same directory and keep the same filename. If you're right, you'll spirit away to the next puzzle. If you're wrong, you'll see the frightening sight of an error screen, but you can always run back to the last puzzle.

This batch of puzzles contains four puzzles to solve. On the fourth puzzle, you'll find the email address for sending your final answer. We'll hand out a prize to the first correct entry we receive, plus one additional randomly-selected correct entry. Please include your Casual Gameplay account display name with your entry. You must be at least 13 years of age to enter. Only one submission per participant, please. Offer void where prohibited. Your deadline for submitting your answers is Monday, October 31st (OOH, SPOOKY!) at 11:59 PM (GMT-5:00). Be sure to save some candy for later!

Update: Congratulations to the following winners! :D

• cendare ...First!
• GlixD

Both winners were given a choice of prizes. Congratulations and thanks for playing with us! Look for another Letters in Boxes again soon!

Revisit a small town in the middle of nowhere teeming with mystery and secrets to uncover in Hood: Episode 2, the second installment in the point-and-click adventure series by Alice is Dead co-creator, Hyptosis.

Hood: Episode 2 is story-driven and atmospheric, continuing where Hood: Episode 1 left off. While searching the woods for a lost girl (auburn hair, 17-ish, red cloak), you come across a peculiar metal ship. Like something the cat dragged in from a murky swamp. And that's not the only strange encounter in store for you. In this chapter of the series, your main focus is unlocking the secrets of the large tin machine—interrogate the local inhabitants and face unfriendly spirits who cast disparaging labels ("murderer!") upon you in your quest for answers.

Play the entire Hood series:

Although answers in the case can be obtuse or riddled with implication, moving around in Episode 2 is straight-forward and easy: just click on the red arrows to navigate your way around the town. You might catch yourself hammering some distraught imp's head repeatedly only to come up with empty hands for the dozenth time, there's no need (unless you think his tortured "Arww!" amusing); requisite items are rather obvious when they're located. If you can't pick it up or it's not presented to you, it's probable that you aren't supposed to have it yet. The inventory menu is also conveniently located at the bottom of the screen making using an object a simple matter of highlighting it.

While the puzzle solving aspect of the game is certainly gratifying, the greatest appeal of Hood: Episode 2 is in discovery and narrative scaffolding. Poking a tree with a pumpkin, for no other reason than to reveal some ironic or irreverent comment, can be addicting. As you continue to explore, the tainted allegory unfolds before you. Then, at the moment of revelation, a new twist. What happens next? Look forward to Episode 3 when that answer might soon be revealed.

Play Hood: Episode 2

Everyone wants to get into this plummeting into the bowels of the earth business: robots, ninjas, skeletons, pirates, even Santa is jumping over ledges and rolling down slopes. What's down there? Cake and ice cream? Play Plumet 2, a simple but addictive arcade game from Person333 to find out.

The game features 20 different unlockable characters and a number of achievements to keep you playing. In addition to a classic "how far can you go" mode, you can also race the computer or a friend in local multiplayer. However while the classic mode is seemingly bottomless (or at least goes a lot farther than your humble reviewer's skill level), the race mode is rather short, and can be won by the first player to reach the bottom even if the other player is still alive. That flaw aside, this is a simple little time waster that may just suck a few of your coffee breaks into its endlessly descending maw.

Play Plumet 2

Discount Mayonnaise, an action platformer by Joelasticot and UltraPitchfork, is one of those games that blurs the line between genre tribute and satire. Of course, part of the confusion stems from how the genre, ultra-macho run-and-gun shooting, was kind of a parody of itself to begin with. So, while you'll see all the hallmarks: tons of enemies to blast into chunks, cool weapons to fire (including Bill and Lance's favorite, the spread-shot), and power-ups of all kinds to grab, you'll do it all while being chased by an all-consuming sandworm and upgrading your trucker hat for better defense. The art style is a strange mix of Jhonen Vasquez and Salad Fingers, and is so exquisitely ghoulish that it almost makes up for the stickiness of the controls. Strange as it is to say, this is exactly what you'd think a game called Discount Mayonnaise would be.

Play Discount Mayonnaise

When your problem is a little too fanged and violent to fall into the Ghostbusters' jurisdiction, and Will and Tommy Lee aren't answering their phones, just give Ed Ryzhov's Xenosquad a call. The power-suited heroes of this turn-based sci-fi strategy game will be happy to attend to all your KILL IT WITH FIRE needs. The game has no real story to speak of apart from "here you are" and "kill that thing", but you can probably fill in the blanks yourself. You take command of a group of three soldiers sent into areas that could be charitably called "grody" and are teeming with hostile alien life.

The game's handy tutorial level will walk you through the finer points of shooting aliens in the face while remaining undevoured, but for the most part, gameplay is about what you'd expect from a turn-based strategy title. You'll order your men around the level individually by clicking on them and issuing orders; green squares are places you can move to, and small icons that pop up over nearby items means you can interact with something. Ammo boxes and other goodies are littered throughout the area to help you, but you don't play a game called "Xenosquad" without expecting to run into a few interstellar terrors, and so you'll find aliens aplenty that need to be dealt with before you can proceed. Since your squad and the enemy take it in turns to move and act, you'll want to carefully consider where you tell your soldiers to move, as well as make use of their various special abilities.

Between stages you'll get the chance to tweak and upgrade your squad by allocating any skill points they earn into various statistics, as well as purchasing new weapons with the go-to universal currency of science-fiction... credits. While the first two stages are relatively easy, as you progress you'll find that enemies get smarter as well as stronger, so don't be shy about putting some thought into your soldiers. It may save them from winding up as gooey chunks one day.

Analysis: If it helps, think of Xenosquad as a gorier, less kupo-po Final Fantasy Tactics in terms of gameplay, stripped of the story. If you're more narrative-driven like myself, the lack of a compelling tale to push you along might be a big negative, but this game's focus is certainly planted firmly on the gameplay itself, so that isn't necessarily a bad thing. Xenosquad is definitely not what you would call fast-paced, but chances are if you're a fan of the genre, you wouldn't like it if it was. The game encourages careful, thoughtful troop direction, and like any good strategy title it allows for just enough options and tactics to provide a bit of depth and challenge without making you feel like you need to keep a forty-pound manual on hand for reference. It's just a shame you can't replay old missions to grind up levels and cash when you're having trouble passing the latest stage.

Despite being really, really tiny, Xenosquad looks great, and if you prefer the slow, patience approach to games, you'll probably think it's pretty great in general too. Those of us who feel there is never enough gun might wish for more equipment to purchase, but the limited availability cuts down on fiddliness rather than options, so you'll always have sufficient firepower for what lies ahead even if that firepower isn't particularly flashy. Xenosquad is a solid little strategy game with a great presentation that can provide a decent challenge for genre fans without being wholly unfriendly to newcomers. Besides, with the invention of the Taco Bell Dorito Shell, it's only a matter of time before the aliens see us as a threat to the rest of the galaxy, so you might as well get them before they can get us.

Play Xenosquad

It's nearly Halloween, so it's time for a creepy room escape! This week's Weekday Escape is a spooky little treat by Selfdefiant called Spooky Night Escape. Just deal with it and hand over the candy before someone gets hurt.

More of a point-and-click adventure disguised as an escape, Spooky Night Escape evokes the look and feel of the season with its nighttime setting, pale moon, and eerie trees. You have run out of gas somewhere on a dark, deserted road and must search the area, find some clues, solve some puzzles, and get the heck away before the inhabitants of the ominous nearby shack return. Faint navigation bars at the sides, top, and bottom of the scene lead the way while a changing cursor points out hot-spots to find useful items or puzzles. The puzzles themselves are not very tricky (and some are color based), making Spooky Night Escape a quick five or ten minute escaping pleasure.

Don't go into Spooky Night Escape expecting ghosts, ghouls, or jump-scares, because there's none of those to be found. The game merely evokes the feel of the season with its look and unearthly music clip. Think of it as a quick prelude to Halloween, something to set the mood for creepier fare yet to come, and a perfect mid-week break.

Play Spooky Night Escape

Need a little experimental gameplay mixed with puzzle-solving in your day, perhaps with a big resplendent soundtrack to make you feel like you're running a marathon in slow-motion?

Check out TOGgames' engaging Discovery, a sort of minimalist bit of interactive art that puts you in control of a little white dot lost in a void that it can shape as it desires with the god-like powers it unlocks. The text will tell you what to do in the form of a narrative that follows your actions, identifying what keys you should hit next. If you miss some text, hit [spacebar] to see a log of everything written thus far that you can scroll through, and [Ctrl] will open a menu that will display all the keys and their corresponding abilities once you've unlocked them. The lack of much direction means you'll have to be willing to experiment yourself with your powers and surroundings, but a little patience and pixie dust will get you far and make you realise just how appropriate that title really is.

Play Discovery

A good bunny's work is never done, especially when nobody else is willing to fend off a tide of disembodied giant thumbs. Bunny Flags 2 is the sequel to last year's Bunny Flags from Game Launch Project, a hybrid of shooting, strategy, tower-defense and malicious digits. Sound nightmarish? Difficult? Or just plain crazy? Could be all three! Just hope that Anya forgives you for this one, because you're going to be soundly in the "bunny camp" for the next while.

Your goal across several campaigns is to protect your flag from enemies, who will try to carry them away (or try to blast you depending on the stage), planting down towers and other defenses while you run around and handle things more personally; move with [WASD] (or [AZERTY] or [QWERTZ] if you change it under the options) and aim and shoot with the mouse. Initially you won't have much else at your disposal, but eventually you'll unlock more to work with, and you can select and place defenses with the mouse, or by hitting the appropriate keyboard shortcut. Take down enemies and you'll get sweet, sweet moolah you can spend on things like barricades to force the bad guys in a certain direction, or offensive towers to make your life a bit easier. Additionally, sweet success will also grant you skill points if you level up, which you can spend on any of the three talent trees to unlock new abilities or boost the ones you've got. If you're feeling particularly rad in the way that only pretending to be a fluffy killing machine can create, you can set the difficulty higher (or lower!) on any given stage before you play to get a bonus to any experience points earned.

If you were a fan of the original, or bunny-on-sticky-thumb violence in general, you'll be pleased to see that the sequel is a return to form. Dramatic music, clean, cartoonish design, and gameplay that provides for a decent amount of strategy without overcomplicating itself makes this one a solid title. It's definitely not going to be for everyone; shooter fans may be put off by the tower-defense elements that are necessary for victory, and defense fans may find the lack of tower upgrades forces them to be more hands-on in their involvement than they might like. If you have the patience to do a little level grinding, however, and don't mind your games not making a whole lot of sense, Bunny Flags 2 has the potential to suck away a good portion of your free time. Besides, come on... these thumbs are going around driving jeeps and throwing hadokens. If we don't stop them now, it's only a matter of time before they come for us.

Play Bunny Flags 2

What's that you say, young trainer? You want a pet monster to battle with? Well, I'm only going to let you have the kind that crochets! Oh, alright, you can have the battling kind, but you better take good care of it! Only the best trained monsters can make it through Little Giant World's Monster Arena, a turn-based RPG, adventure, and sim game all bundled into one neat package.

Gameplay consists of three kinds of activities: taking care of your monster, training it to raise its attributes, and battling other monsters. While at home base, you can spoil or discipline your pet to alter its behavior, shop for items to increase its strength both on and off the battlefield, or spend ability points earned by leveling. Alternatively, you can train a monster by playing a series of mini-games that vary from platforming races to typing challenges. Of course, all of that is just the icing on the cake. The real fun takes place in the monster arena, where you go head-to-head against a trio of increasingly tough enemies in a series of weekly tournaments. Wait for your abilities to charge, click your face-stomping attack of choice, then watch the gold and trophies pile in.

Monster Arena strikes an interesting balance with cherry picked features inspired by similar titles like the Monster Rancher and Digimon World series and then reconfigured into something completely unique. The game is slightly held back from perfection by the unfortunate presence of minor bugs, but the developer has been making diligent adjustments in response. While not particularly challenging (especially the incredibly weak rival trainers) the varying aspects of gameplay are both engaging and totally addictive. The addition of two secret monsters and a long list of achievements also allows for some great replay value. Whether you'd love a fire-breathing companion or a game of rock-paper-scissors, Monster Arena has something for everyone to enjoy.

Play Monster Arena

That special time of year known as Halloween is just around the corner, and if you have some time in between hiding under blankets after watching that movie you swore wasn't scary and rationalizing eating all the candy you "bought for trick-o-treaters", you may want to cozy up to this week's Vault which features a whole batch of games designed to give you those warm fuzzies. And by "warm fuzzies" I of course mean "paranoia the instant you turn off the lights for bed as you become convinced every sound is a serial killer". If you're feeling really tough, you could also play Amnesia with all the lights off and headphones on, but in the meantime...

• The Dead Case - Waking up in the morning sucks badly enough without adding "being dead" to the list... much less having to solve your own murder and tend to the business of every other restless soul causing havoc in your sleepy little town. This point-and-click adventure is low on any real scares, but earns high marks for managing to tell an engrossing story and pack it full of interesting characters, with the added bonus of placing an emphasis on terrorizing people to help accomplish your goals. Some slightly clunky navigation and a general lack of direction hampers it, but The Dead Case is still one of the best older mystery adventures out there.
• Hotel 626 - This horrifying escape game is only available after 6PM... or right now if you're super sneaky and change your computer's time to fool the site. This point-and-click puzzle adventure stars you (and your microphone and webcam if you're brave enough) after you awaken one night in a hotel and discover that something is very wrong, and it would be a very good idea if you left immediately. Despite being an advergame for Doritos of all things, Hotel 626 is an amazingly creepy and atmospheric experience that had me shut down my browser and refuse to continue for a while more than once. The game does require a "reservation" by giving it an e-mail address, since it e-mails you when the game is available to play, but if you're super sneaky like the rest of us, you'll use a non-personal, for spam and gaming purposes only address and sleep soundly. Or, uh, maybe not since this game is seriously freaky.
• Being One - Now that it's finished (... for now...), Psionic's creepy-cool sci-fi horror adventure game is a four-title series and chock full of scares and surprises. The story begins as you awake in a giant glass chamber full of green fluid (never a good sign), and are forced to escape the facility without knowing who you are and what's going on... or who the voice on the phone you find is... or what those noises in the shadows are. Each game is itself fairly short, but manages to create an impressively engrossing atmosphere, introducing new story elements along the way as you search for an exit and the truth. It you like a campy horror mystery, don't mind a jump scare or seven, and have a strong stomach for gore, you might just want to check this series out.

While we welcome any comments about this weekly feature here, we do ask that if you need any help with the individual games, please post your questions on that game's review page. Well, what are you waiting for? Get out there and rediscover some awesome!

We've all heard the story before: evil wizard captures beautiful princess, so the stalwart knight comes to rescue and marry her. Unfortunately, things got mixed up in this tale a bit, and someone accidentally sent Two Princes! In this puzzle platform adventure by Arctic Arcade, control both heroes, Sir Valiant and... err... Steve, on their heroic quest to save the princess before they wind up killing each other.

While there may be two of them, there's sadly only one of you. You'll have to use the the [Z] key to alternate control between the princes, the [arrow] keys to move the currently selected prince, and the [spacebar] to attack enemies and interact with objects. Both of the characters need to work together to make it to the green flag in order to progress to the next level. Fortunately, each prince has a certain advantage at their disposal. Sir Valiant can swim underwater, while Steve can travel inside caves and has a cooler looking helmet.

Sometimes the best route isn't the most direct, and being a little curious can lead you to one of the many secrets sprinkled throughout the game. Not only are there gold coins to collect in order to buy new weapons, there are also feathers hidden all over that transport you to a bonus level with even more goodies inside. If you manage to capture the red gem at the end of every bonus level, you might find a surprising advantage later on.

Now it wouldn't be any fun if there wasn't some risk involved, so sometimes even the wildest flail of a sword won't save you when one of your princes kicks the bucket. Instead of a trek back to life through the realm of Hades, you take a cue from Eros and shoot through floating hearts with a bow to regain your health. Admittedly, this mini-game can get tiresome quickly if you're stuck on a particular deathtrap or a difficult boss, but it does beat having to go all the way back to the start.

The 8-bit graphics, spot on music by Rayne Leafe, and the homage paid to classic console games are sure to please retro fans, while the snarky humor and challenging gameplay can make it a fun experience for any gamer. Unfortunately, nothing is without flaw and Two Princes is no exception. The lack of a save or level select feature is a frustrating omission, especially since it takes some time in one sitting to make it through all the way to the very end, and there are some levels where it's possible to get permanently stuck. Even returning to the main menu requires you to restart the game from the very beginning, which isn't the kind of replayability most people have in mind. If you can put aside that one shortcoming however, what you're left with is a charming modern interpretation of beloved classic games. Two Princes is a real gem, and you don't need to collect a secret feather to find this one.

Play Two Princes

So you burned the rope and now you're the hero we all wish we could be. If you weren't satisfied with your previous victory over the Grinning Colossus, then you should jump into your genre changing machine and play Gama11's shoot-em-up, Grinning Cobossus.

Play with mouse or keyboard as the game takes you through several stages toward defeating the Grinning Cobossus (likeness used with Mazapan's permission), earning upgrade points and achievements along the way. Now what to do once you've finished the game? Maybe watch a video, maybe press refresh and start again...

Play Grinning Cobossus

The name of Hashi, the Japanese logic puzzle, is short for Hashiwokakero, literally "Building Bridges". This is entirely appropriate for the game of lines and connections that it is. It's interesting however, that, phonetically, "Hashi" can also be translated as "chopsticks", which also would be a perfectly applicable title. Of course, the appeal of the game goes far beyond linguistic trivia. That should be clear from the success Conceptis found in its previous collection. Now, with its palpable boost in difficulty, your mind will be tested like never before in Classic Hashi Light Volume 2.

The goal is the same as before: Each puzzle is based on an arrangement of circles with numbers within. Each circle can be viewed as an island, and the number within represents how many line bridges are horizontally and vertically attached to it. As king of the islands, you must connect them according to the numbers, so that there are no more than two bridges branching off an island in any direction, that none cross and that a continuous path attaches all islands together. To place a bridge between two islands, mouse over the island you wish to start from, then move over the shaded direction and click. Clicking again adds a second bridge, and clicking once more clears them. Victory comes when all bridges are in place and all numbers are satisfied.

The label of "hard" on the title screen indicates how Classic Hashi Light Volume 2 is definitely geared towards the more serious hashi-heads. Since Volume 1 was more of an introduction, beginners might want to start there instead. Still, with 30 new puzzles in the streamlined presentation for which Conceptis is renowned, the developer continues its streak of quality releases. This is a stash of hashi that deserves to be shared.

Classic Hashi Light Volume 2

Mage Gauntlet, from Hook Champ, Super QuickHook, and Hook Worlds creator Rocketcat Games, is the modern 16-bit action role playing game you've been waiting for. Everything about it is retro, from the level design to the pixel art, only instead of having to dust off your SNES, you just fire up your iOS device. In a decidedly awesome twist, this RPG doesn't take hours of playing before you can get into it, opening it up for shorter mobile sessions and casual gamers alike!

Mage Gauntlet puts you in control of Lexi, a young woman out to prove herself to the local wizard Whitebeard. Things don't quite go as planned, however, and Lexi finds herself armed with a weapon, gathering spells and equipping armor as she fights her way across forest and mountain. Controls are of the virtual type, with the left side tied to movement and a few dedicated buttons on the right that allow you to attack, dash, and select spells. If virtual controls make you shudder, fear not, as Mage Gauntlet works very well with them and features a number of options to let you customize your experience.

With every RPG, combat, items, spells and equipment are handled in a slightly different way. For Mage Gauntlet, everything is touch screen friendly and surprisingly light on statistics. Weapons, for example, are largely prized for their special ability, not some stat they endow upon the wearer. The same goes for armor and other wearables. Magic is very unusual in that you must collect bits of energy in order to gain a spell, and when you do, which spell you have is random. You can only hold four spells at once, making you appreciate their value.

While simple gameplay was obviously the focus when Mage Gauntlet was in production, that's not to say there's no meat on this RPG's bones. You'll level up just like in any role playing game, assigning points to upgrade stats in a special menu. There are also some in-app purchases you can browse. Completely optional, of course, but quite fun. Flaming hats, hurrah!

Analysis: Mage Gauntlet is one of the most playable and enjoyable retro-styled action RPGs on the iTunes App Store. Those aren't words aren't to be taken lightly, as there are some serious competitors in that category. It's Mage Gauntlet's ability not to take itself so seriously that makes it so good, and stripping out complex statistics and item management in favor of clean, old fashioned fun has made it better than you can imagine.

Like any true retro game (and like most modern games should be doing), Mage Gauntlet focuses on a few basics and tunes them until they make for interesting gameplay. Different enemies, for example, unleash different attacks, and all have to be dealt with in a slightly different way. Learning these strategies is half the fun of the game, and even though you'll die a few more times than you're willing to admit, it's worth it to get back up and try the level again, just to see what secret passageways and loot you can uncover the second time around.

Mage Gauntlet affords several hours of excellent action/RPG gameplay if you simply blaze through from beginning to end. After beating it, though, you'll unlock a new mode that changes the levels around, adds new secrets, different loot, and more enemies to contend with. Beat the game again and you get a new ending along with the ability to replay levels to unlock new pets. If you're a perfectionist, there's plenty to work on in this game, and you'll be rewarded for your efforts!

A labor of love from beginning to end, Mage Gauntlet is a fantastic action role playing game that will tickle nostalgic gamers to the bone while staying open and inviting for everyone else.

Mage Gauntlet

(iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch)

NOTE: This game was played and reviewed on an iPad. Game was available in the North American market at the time of publication, but may not be available in other territories. Please see individual app market pages for purchasing info.

Cute blue monsters? Evil red ones? Furry ones that leap into the air and can be cut in half? Sounds like Halloween is approaching. And it sounds like you've got some monster-related work to accomplish on your mobile iOS device! Also, did someone say something about COOKIES?!

Arthur & Charles Present Create & Play (universal) - Create & Play (starring Arthur the boy and Charles the Bugapilla) features three rudimentary puzzle/memory games you can play, but the soul of the experience is the face creator. Tap on a square face and choose from a number of features to create just about anything you like. A likeness of your mom wearing a monocle? No problem! A blue pirate with pineapple skin? Easy! Then, head back to the games and use your creations to play match-3 puzzles or memory. It's a very basic concept, but boy is it fun, especially for kids!

Aiko Island (iPhone/iPod Touch, iPad) - A physics game with cookies? Yes, please! The cute and furry blue aikos have all the cookies they could want. But when the red aikos steal the cookie bag, panic erupts! Your goal is to help the blue aiko by knocking the red ones off the screen. You do so by tapping them or removing objects to upset their delicate balance. A branching story map, loads of levels, and plenty of creative obstacles to deal with make this physics puzzler a clear winner. Also: COOKIES! Also also: Aiko Island HD for iPad!

Monster Warrior (iPhone/iPod Touch, iPad) - What does everybody have against fruit these days? Tossing it into the air. Slicing it in half. Better yet, why not cut something that actually deserves cutting? Like... monsters! A witch has sent baddies to the village, and it's your job to "discourage" them from causing trouble. Simply swipe the screen when the bad guys pop up, creating combos and sending lots of little monster halves falling to the ground. Several modes of play give it some staying power, plus, nobody gets tired of being a monster-killing ninja. Monster Warrior HD is available for iPad.

NOTE: Games noted as 'universal' have been designed for iPod Touch, iPad, and iPhone devices alike. Any game not listed for iPad will work on the system, but native full screen will not be present. Games listed may not be available outside of North America. Prices are subject to change and are therefore unlisted. Please see the individual game pages for purchasing info.

A Day in the Woods is a sliding puzzle adventure from Retro Epic that stars none other than Little Red Riding Hood. It's a simple game built around simple, classic puzzle ideas, but it's lengthy and challenging enough to provide an afternoon of brilliant entertainment. Also, one look at the game and you'll absolutely fall in love with the visual style!

Little Miss Hood is trying to get to grandmother's house, but it seems granny has built her cabin in an area filled with thick movable hexagons. In order to deliver those delicious baked goods, you'll need to move these tiles around, swapping them one at a time and moving Little Red Riding Hood in the same manner. After enough head scratching and a few trials and errors, you'll reach the door of the cabin, only to hear the fairy tale equivalent of "our princess is in another castle". Oh well, on to another level!

A Day in the Woods is more than basic tile swapping. You can collect flowers and berries for grandma along your way, grabbing them by landing in an empty space next to their tiles. Immovable hexagons are also a problem, as are wolves who will threaten to eat you and bears that frighten Miss Hood away. Fortunately, you've got some friends, too, including a lumberjack that can cut down trees and some bunnies who will distract wolves.

And here's the real reason you took a second look at this game: graphics. A Day in the Woods looks amazing. The images are like wooden statues lifted from the pages of a storybook. Not only that, but you have free control of the camera while you play, so you can look around the screen to get a better view of, well, all the better views to see! You can even unlock costume changes for the sprite that guides you through the game, though the alterations are purely cosmetic in nature.

Analysis: A Day in the Woods will remind you of a number of classic puzzle games: simple, easy to play, and focused on smart, challenging puzzles. Theseus and the Minotaur or many of the games in Simon Tatham's Puzzle Collection are a few examples. The basic tile sliding mechanic has been done many times, but few games bother to do it with such a visual flair.

In all, A Day in the Woods features 60 levels, which is a good number for a very good price. You'll probably want more by the end, but such is the nature of puzzle games. The experience gets more complex and a bit deeper when the friends/enemies start appearing, but the basic idea stays the same throughout, and A Day in the Woods never attempts to distract you from its core gameplay with mini-games or other diversions.

If you need a game that looks stunning from every angle and provides a well-built, streamlined challenge, look no further than A Day in the Woods. It's distilled puzzle goodness without any filler!

Windows:
Download the demo Get the full version

Mac OS X:
Download the demo Get the full version

A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away... er, well, a long time ago, anyway, there was a Magic Kingdom where the basic elements, earth, air, fire, and water, were in perfect balance and the people in the kingdom lived in peace and harmony. Then, something dreadful happened and the elements went out of control, wreaking havoc across the land and its people. Fortunately, that balance was restored and everything went back to normal. Except, whoops, it's happened again. Playrix Entertainment has come roaring back with a sequel to one of the most engaging match-3 games ever, 4 Elements. Once again the elements are out of whack in the Magic Kingdom and it's up to you to make things right before all life ceases to exist in 4 Elements II. Prepare for tons of elemental delights!

The basic premise of 4 Elements II is that the aging sorcerer who guards and protects the elemental book of magic has weakened, losing control of the elements thus causing tons of natural disasters. Even worse, the fairy of each element has been trapped in the ensuing chaos and nothing can be done about restoring the natural balance until those fairies are freed. Once they are, they can aid you in finding the people and creatures of the element, eventually getting everything back to normal.

4 Elements II is broken up into four main segments, each beginning with the freeing of the elemental fairy. This opening chapter plays like a mini adventure/hidden object hybrid with lots of object pieces to find and puzzles to solve. Once the fairy has been freed she leads the player into the meat of the gameplay, the match-3 action, which is the "chain drag" type of match-3. Within each elemental segment are four people or creatures that need to be found and restored, requiring four screens of match 3 madness per creature. The weakened fairy will "light" the elemental magic at one end of a map, and it is up to the player to create a path for the energy by using the matches to break through the ground to allow it to flow to the elemental altar at the other end of the map. When the altar is restored the game moves on to the next map until the creature has been identified. Once that happens another mini-game pops up (one of a variety including hidden object scenes, spot the differences, swap jigsaws, and other puzzles) to completely restore the creature.

While the heart of the gameplay is the match-3 boards, even these are not your usual match-3 challenges. To begin with, rather than being forced to break all the "tiles" in the game (which is usual in most match-3s), all the player has to do is break enough for the magic to flow through to the altar. Unfortunately, the way to the altar is never really a straight path, and it includes a lot of twists and turns along the way. Eventually the maps will also contain certain obstacles which are themselves mini-games: pipe puzzles, block sliders, and twisting ring puzzles that need to be solved during the match-3 round before the magic can move along. There are the usual ice and stone obstacles to be found, along with helpful pockets of arrows and landmines which, when activated, clear paths as well. To round out the help are four different power-ups which are filled by making matches of certain colors and which affect the board in different ways.

Analysis: If you've played the original 4 Elements and think you know what to expect in the sequel, think again. While the original was fantastic fun it was also pretty static and predictable: play four rounds of match three, then solve a "spot-the-difference" puzzle. Not so with 4 Elements II, which throws in so many mini-games, hidden objects scenes, and the like that it seems to have created its own unique niche of gameplay, the match-3/adventure/hidden object hybrid.

The graphics and animations are bright, clear, and cartoony from the intros and the cut-scenes to the actual gameplay itself. The game pieces in the match-3 rounds have very distinct colors and, if the player is colorblind, each has its own distinctive pattern which makes them easy to differentiate. The action is lively with the bursting of the tiles, the explosions from the arrows and landmines, and the ever-present fairy flying around (along with cute background animations matching the element that is being restored). Major effort has gone into making 4 Elements II a visual feast at every turn.

The gameplay itself is match-3 madness at its finest. The action is smooth, the challenges become trickier as each level progresses, and the interspersed mini-games keep the match-3 action from becoming too tedious, especially in the upper rounds with the progressively larger maps. The option to play in either timed or untimed mode helps make 4 Elements II fun for both those new to match-3 play and experts looking for a challenge.

For those who played the original 4 Elements be warned: the delicate, lovely, shaded illustrations from the first have been replaced with broader, flatter, more cartoon-like fare. Still beautiful, but the sense of playing through a fantasy illustration has been lost, replaced with the feeling of playing through a Disney movie.

With its "everything but the kitchen sink" approach to gameplay, 4 Elements II is poised to appeal to a wide audience, even those who don't necessarily like or who have never played a match-3 game before. Stunning visuals, absorbing gameplay, and enough variety to keep it interesting make 4 Elements II a must-have game, fun for all ages.

Play 4 Elements II (free browser version)

Windows:
Download the demo Get the full version

Mac OS X:
Download the demo Get the full version

Constructing skyscrapers is a dangerous business. Perhaps having robots do it is the answer? In this path-drawing puzzle game, Nuts and Bolts from Gaming Your Way, your mechanical hero Nuts and his fairly useless robot dog Bolts have been picked to test out the system. It's a real budget crunch and there just aren't enough beams to go around, so you'll have to pick them up and rearrange them to get to the exit.

The trick is that you can hold only one beam at a time, so you'll have to think ahead and plan your moves carefully. Just click on a platform to move there, click on a beam to pick it up. Once you have a beam, click on an adjacent platform to place it, if it's of the correct length.

A clean isometric interface and levels that unlock two at a time keep the challenge of this game from getting pull-out-your-sockets difficult. Just make sure that you try the levels in order, however, because rather than an instructions screen, the game uses in-level tutorials, and if you miss the tutorial on how to use Bolts, for example, you may get lost. Aside from that, this is an enjoyable coffee break game that you can pick up quickly.

Play Nuts and Bolts

Tess is looking for an escape from her reality, a world where she is overcome by fear and loneliness. She is tormented by her older brother who taunts, "You're stupid and weird!" Her father has gone off to war and her mother works in a factory making weapons. Tess spends most her time alone until the day she picks up a mysterious orb and is transported to Sphera, a new puzzle-heavy hidden object adventure by Sandlot Games.

When frightened Tess first arrives in Sphera, she meets Zuchary, a walrus-like king who assures her of his help while explaining: "This world was created by the dreams of ones like you, the dream world of the forgotten children . . . You cannot go home until you confront your strongest fears." Tess has to promise him she'll continue no matter how difficult things seem. At that moment, you'll know you're in for a formidable and wondrous odyssey.

Navigate through the mesmerizing world of Sphera, gathering objects and clues as you go, by the click of your mouse. Zuchary, true to his word, will provide hints in both casual and expert modes of play. In casual mode, you'll be given the additional assistance of cursor icons that indicate graspable items and interactive areas, no penalty for random clicking in hidden object searches, a sixty-second hint recharge and the ability to skip puzzles. On the other hand, if you're looking for increased challenge, expert mode has a slower hint recharge and none of the additional support given to casual.

You'll join Tess as she confronts nightmarish scenes of child-sized skeletons, monsters threatening to devour her, and dungeons of trapped souls along with imaginative daydreams such as a bee with a mechanical unicorn, a room covered in gold leafing, and an Escher-esque hedge maze. Alternating from beautiful childhood fantasies to twisted fears and dystopic visions, every scene in Sphera is a gorgeous piece of art, mostly hand-drawn with intricate details and an atmospheric soundtrack that is perfectly paired to each environment.

Analysis: Sphera contains a generous blend of puzzles and hidden object scenes to keep you actively engaged throughout your adventure. The puzzles do not lean too heavily on any one device and are comprised of: jigsaws, physics, sliders, and matching puzzles plus item-combining and rebuilding tasks. None are overly challenging yet each puzzle is uncommonly interesting and aesthetically pleasing in a style that's reminiscent of the Drawn series (the most recent of which, Drawn: Trail of Shadows, was just released). When you complete a puzzle, you are rewarded with even more intriguing animations, special effects and new scenes which make progressing through Sphera a captivating experience.

It's necessary to note that, although the protagonist is a child, the story contains disturbing subject matter and complex concepts making Sphera a mature-themed game. Yet, seeing as Tess learns self-esteem and how to conquer fear on her journey, Sphera manages to have a positive, uplifting message. You can't help but feel good when Tess beams, "I actually did it!" Because of this, disappointment might hit when you reach the finale.

Many of the opening scenes foreshadow what's to come but the twist ending is still a disconcerting jolt: it's curt and dark as well as a bit vague and unexplained. By this point in the game, though, you are thoroughly immersed in Tess' world of Sphera and most likely longing for more. That's not necessarily a bad thing, just a sign of how engrossing this game can be. Sphera is of average-length for hidden-object/puzzle adventures and it goes even further in its impact. Sphera's originality, unique artwork and fantastical scenery far outshine any shortcomings it might have. Playing Sphera is well worth the experience, just be sure to have a cheerful something or other standing by for when you're done. No wonder Tess is hugging that cuddly teddy so tightly.

Windows:
Download the demo Get the full version

Mac OS X:
Not available.
Try Boot Camp or Parallels or CrossOver Games.

Detective Marco is having a week full of horror. There's a serial killer on the loose, the professor he wished to consult has run off to the spooky village of Kraig Rock, and there's all these friggin' dire wolves on the prowl. Even as a typically hard-boiled visual novel adventure-RPG protagonist, he'll need all of his skills and the support of a team of Kraig Rock's mysterious inhabitants if he hopes to unravel all the mysteries of the Town of Fears, a release new from MuHa Games.

Generally, Town of Fears is played by reading through the story until an enemy is encountered. You'll choose a member of your party to lead the battle, then enter a quick timed event-based combat screen. After using the mouse to chose an attack or special move, an arrow will travel along a bar at the bottom the screen. Clicking at the right time means more damage. Enough victories grant Ability Points for upgrading stats and attacks. An innovative battle engine wrapped in an somewhat-cliched story, Town of Fears is quite reminiscent of Steve Jackson's Fighting Fantasy book series. Remember those? They were like Choose Your Own Adventures' cooler older sibling where, if you made a bad decision, you'd have to get out the dice and fight a manticore. Yeah, they were great. Anyway, Town of Fears is much more linear, but it definitely retains the sense of unpredictable menace. It also has some really nice portraiture, even if the attack wounds are strangely MS-Painty. Granted, the timing of the combat engine feels slightly off, and the game's prose could've been improved by a spell-check, but Town of Fears length and uniqueness does much to balance its flaws. Fans of Horror RPGs should find its atmosphere effectively eerie.

Update: Some of the problems mentioned are fixed in the latest build that MuHa Games just sent to us, mostly improvements to text and interface responsiveness.

Play Town of Fears

Each year, the Independent Games Festival (IGF) holds a competition to showcase innovation in the indie gaming community. This year, a group of developers got together and submitted the 2012 IGF Pirate Kart, a collection of "cheap", fast-made games packaged together in a single release. The kart features more than 300 titles created by over 100 developers, including some highly-recognizable names such as Terry Cavanagh, Adam Saltsman, Petri Purho, Bento Smile, Andy Moore, and plenty of others. It's a massive 1.4GB download, but this much random craziness is a true wonder to experience. Check out this collection of reviews for opinions on nearly all of the games, and if you want to know the deeper meaning of this kart's submission, DIY Gamer has a good rundown with plenty of developer comments.

No more stalling! Check out just a few of our favorites from the 2012 IGF Pirate Kart below!

Warning: The pirate kart download contains over 300 games, some of which contain adult content. See our ratings guide before proceeding. Mac and Linux users note that although some of the pirate kart games will run on your OS, not all of them will, so download at your own risk.

ABOVE v. BELOW - A sort of collection of classic arcade games presented in a frantic, 4 Second Frenzy kind of way, pitting you against the computer AI in a series of simple tests. The problem is, the screen flicks through the games while you're playing, forcing you to stop, change control schemes and strategies, and continue kicking AI butt.

/Escape\ - A vertical, one-button escape game that has the ability to frustrate you without even trying! Press the [esc] key to jump from wall to wall, timing your moves to avoid spikes, the giant looming laser barrier, and plenty of other obstacles. It's all about knowing when to jump and when to slide down the wall a touch, and it makes for a challenging and surprisingly satisfying experience!

Hold Right to Make a Metaphor Unfold - Well, do it. See what happens. Also, try not holding right and seeing what happens. It's probably metaphor-related. In fact, it definitely is metaphor-related. This is an art game. It's artistic because... well, it just is. Look, there are pictures and metaphors. Think about it. Or just look at the decades-old clip art, it's your choice!

Fish Soup - It's got all of 60 seconds of gameplay, but, you know, it's cool, text-driven multiple choice gameplay! You play as a fish flopping around on the ground. That sun looks pretty hot, doesn't it? Might want to flop around a bit, just to be on the safe side. Or don't, it's your choice. Maybe if you do the right things, somebody will come along to say hello to you?

Download the 2012 IGF Pirate Kart

Note: All games have been confirmed to run under Windows 7 and are virus-free. Mac users should try Boot Camp, Parallels, or CrossOver Games to play Windows titles, Linux users can use Wine. If you know of a great game we should feature, use the Submit link above to send it in!

The children! Won't somebody think of the children??... okay, admittedly you already have a lot on your plate, including chasing after your beloved when he's kidnapped by a real life Doctor Octopus and transported away to a nightmare realm that feeds on the fears of children. Haunted Halls: Fears from Childhood from ERS Game Studio is a hidden-object adventure game that picks up right where the original left off, and strives to set new heights in weirdness, surrealism, and tentacle shenanigans.

Yes, as you may have guessed from the title, the kids are not all right in this adventure, and the evil Doctor Tentaclepants has stolen away a batch of them and then locked them up in nightmares that feed off their fears. You'll journey into each child's mind and disperse their nightmares... by solving hidden-object scenes and witnessing an emotional break-up between Barbie and Ken, of course. At the beginning you'll be given two difficulty settings to choose from, but gameplay is the same regardless of which you choose. Click around to interact, gather items to solve puzzles and get past obstacles, and make use of the hint and skip buttons whenever you're stuck... which just might happen because you're not exactly exploring a world where things always make sense. You might have to instigate a genie battle, do something shocking to a tentacle, fix a tiki's teeth, or cheer up a despondent toy dolphin... hey, it's all in a day's work for you, right? All we can say is Tim better be worth the trouble... that guy best know how to make mad chocolate chip waffles.

Analysis: With detailed animations and an uninhibited take on design, Fears from Childhood might be the most visually impressive game from ERS yet. The surreal setting really lets you explore some interesting places, with some gorgeous and bizarre design, though at the same time you might find the abstract logic in the realms you visit can somewhat inhibit figuring out logically where items should go. It's also not particularly scary, though this is admittedly only an issue if you're a foolhardy coward like myself and prefer your games to leave you blubbering incoherently under the covers. If what you want is a creative, weird hidden-object adventure that doesn't veer into particularly dark territory, Fears from Childhood might be for you.

If Fears From Childhood disappoints at all, in fact, it's the fact that the gameplay is both mildly repetitive and predictable. It's not uncommon to have to repeat a hidden-object scene twice in around five minutes, and most puzzle solving is fairly predictable... find the obvious missing piece somewhere nearby, kick puzzle's butt like a bawss, wash, rinse, repeat. Still, at over four hours for your average gamer's play time with plenty of odd surroundings and things to investigate, Haunted Halls: Fears from Childhood is a smashing follow-up to Green Hills Sanitarium and a great way to spend an evening. Still, if your doctor shows up with a roiling mass of slimy tentacles underneath his labcoat, you should probably ask to see a diploma... or at the very least have one or two plucky, wisecracking teenage superheroes on speed dial... just in case.

A Collector's Edition is also available. It contains a bonus chapter, art gallery, strategy guide, and more. Remember that Big Fish Game Club Members pay only $13.99 for Collector's Editions (or 2 club credits), and collector's editions count 3 card punches of 6 total needed for a free game.

Windows:
Download the demo Get the full version Also available: Collector's Edition

Mac OS X:
Download the demo Get the full version Also available: Collector's Edition

Hey, po-po, don't you know? You're going about this all wrong! All this "procedure" and paperwork... total dullsville, and slow besides! Dmitriy Fyudorov and Dmitriy Zaletov's physics puzzle sequel Vehicles 2 will show you how to get things done with your criminals as efficiently and hilariously as possible... usually with the sort of vehicular violence that adds that "special" spice to life Vin Diesel movies bring.

Click on municipal vehicles like police cars and ambulances to get them started, then click again to stop them; this time, they each have their own special power to be activated that can help you out of sticky situations, or just add a new level of complexity to the puzzles at hand. After playing this game, you'll definitely be a more careful driver... that is, unless you want to look up to see the murderous, googly-eyes of an ambulance bearing down on you. Apparently they do not mess around with traffic violations in Weirdo-Adorable Anthromorphic Cartown.

Play Vehicles 2

A re-imagining of the classic and original Lemmings game by DMA Design from 1991, Lemmings Returns makes use of draw and erase tools for controlling the little critters instead of assigning skills to individual lemmings.

Just click and drag to draw or erase, using [D] and [E] for shortcuts in selecting the tools. Note, though, that some levels constrain the use of tools, so you may not be able to draw or erase in every level. Use [Esc] to restart, [N] to nuke and kill all remaining lemmings. If you get stuck, right-click and select 'Main Menu'. There is also a mute function in the right-click menu as well.

This new rework is by Jason Smith, a fan of the original game, and it was created and refined over a period of about 8 months. There is no speed-up function, which may put off some who want to just plow through the game quickly. For everyone else, especially those who have enjoyed the original classic, this reworked version provides just enough differences to make playing Lemmings again a lot of fun.

Play Lemmings Returns

Zombies Ate My Phone, a Phones4U advergame developed by KokoGames, isn't the first top-down zombies shooter we've ever featured on JIG. It's probably not even the first top-down zombie action shooter we've featured that's set in a mall. However, it is, in all probability, the first top-down zombie action shooter we've featured wherein you can chuck vintage LPs at a mummy. And you know what? Sometimes that's enough. Well-programmed, with an appropriately goofy sense of humor, Zombies Ate My Phone won't win any awards for genre innovation, but it's addictive and has the right inspirations. Its cartoonish art and movie-styled soundtrack are definite plusses, and, altogether, it makes for some quick, brainless fun... or should that be braaaaaainless?

Play Zombies Ate My Phone

Damian Sommer created this short, no-frills little puzzle platformer, A Game About Game Literacy, to throw the player into a series of one-screen, "extremely distilled metroidvanias." He accomplishes this by first teaching the player some rudimentary game mechanics and then builds upon those rules incrementally while increasing the difficulty and complexity of each level's design. And it works quite nicely for a game made in just a day and a half.

Follow the hints provided in the title text and note the use of the symbols introduced in each level as you make your way to the happy little green and yellow critter that marks the exit. Use the [arrow] or [WASD] keys for control, [M] to mute. There is no save feature or level select screen, you'll have to play through the game in one sitting. Forgivable when you consider the extremely short development period.

It starts out pretty basic, but keep with it: It'll get interesting, don't worry.

Seizure Warning: Strobe effects used in a couple of levels.

Play A Game About Game Literacy

Thanks to Blue and Redmug for suggesting this one!

NEWS FLASH! Link Dump Friday is changing! No, this isn't like the time I told you that you can render a honey-badger ready for cuddles if you tickle its belly. This time is for reals! From now on, we're going to be bringing you more games throughout the week, instead of saving a batch for the Link Dump Friday you've come to expect, and this article is going to change. Not only will we highlight the most popular and noteworthy games we've covered each week, but we'll bring you news and previews from the online gaming community about game updates, upcoming releases, and more. Don't worry, everything I know about being a professional newscaster I learned from Sam the Eagle. I got dis.

• The Asylum: Introducing Dr Wood - Everyone's favourite home for unbalanced and abandoned toys gets an update with an entirely new patient to take care of! If you've never helped a stuffed animal work through his or her psychological issues, you're missing out, and fans of the original will be thrilled to pieces to help the newest resident, a fuzzy black bird, get a new lease on life.
• One and One Story - Puzzle platformers were gettin' all emotional and whatnot in Mattia Traverso's lovely and atmospheric little story that follows the ups and downs of a boy and girl in love. Did the sweet and optimistic message about love make your heart sing?
• The Binding of Isaac - Part top-down rogue-like/Legend of Zelda hybrid, part arcade , this indie download from Edmund McMillen is all squelchy strangeness. It's surreal and creepy to the extreme, but a lot of you were woo'ed by its gooey, gory gameplay. Now with added free flash demo goodness!
• Cactus McCoy 2 - Flipline Studios proves they can make a hero out of even the prickliest characters in their follow up to the wildly popular original platform adventure. Tricky called it "the best kind of sequel", and judging from audience praise you guys are inclined to agree!
• Rebuild 2 - Our hero! Even in the face of a zombie apocalypse, Sarah Northway continues to deliver! This turn-based strategy simulation asks you to lead an initially small group of survivors to take back their city after an undead menace has overwhelmed it and left humanity struggling to stay afloat. Packed with more features, artwork, and even extra endings, Rebuild 2 shambled straight out of the cemetary and into our hearts.

Preview Alert! Can't get enough Amanita Design? Can't blame you! That's why we're excited about Botanicula, their next big point-and-click exploration adventure. Planned for an early 2012 release, it stars a group of itty-bitty forest heroes who have banded together to keep the last seed safe from the parasites bent on destroying their home tree. You can head on over to the official website for some gorgeous screenshots and a short teaser trailer that should make you squeal with delight. If you love Samorost and Machinarium, you should definitely be excited about this... and not just because it sounds like Bunnicula!

Preview Alert! You know what I love? Visual novels! If you do too, then you'll definitely want to keep an eye out for Cinders by indie developers MoaCube. A dark and atmospheric re-telling of the classic fairy-tale packed with luscious artwork and music, not to mention the chance to role-play the heroine however we want? Awwwwww yeah, it's getting all anticipatory up in here! Cinders should be out for Mac and Windows later this year, but in the meantime you can bippity-boppity-boo on over to the official site to learn more, check out some preview art and video, and even pre-order if you should so desire.

Update! Hope you didn't put your chopsticks away just yet, because Ninja Kiwi just updated their adorable arcade game Hungry Sumo with ten new levels. If you can't get enough adorable, chubby physics action, then you might also be interested to know that the game is also available on iPad currently for just 0.99 USD! That's less than the cost of a piece of that shady sushi everyone was always pigging out on in college. (Seriously, do you really believe that sixteen year old barista knows the first thing about sushi?)

Update! Tender lumplings everywhere, even rodents covered with hair, be an action king or queen, because it's a Transformice Halloween! That's right; it's been over a year since we first covered the adorable popular puzzle platforming multiplayer mouse sensation, and like any good game it's only getting better with age. If you haven't played it for a while, there's no time like the present to get started, especially since a very seasonal update just went live! I vant to steal your cheese! Squeak!

Drawn has returned. The third game in the series, Drawn: Trail of Shadows, dares to outdo its predecessors, Drawn: The Painted Tower and Drawn: Dark Flight, in what simply must be the most enchanting hidden object adventure hybrid game to date. The visuals have improved (if you can believe it!), the storytelling is even more intriguing, and the puzzles are as rich as before. Good hidden object games are hard to come by, so when you find a game this great, you'd best dive right in.

There was once a young boy who loved to paint. His drawings were so vivid, they transformed themselves into magical portals that led to other worlds. But one day, he created a door he never should have painted, and out came an evil wizard. The wizard took the boy with the intention of forcing him to paint evil into every corner of existence, removing the sun and stars from the sky itself. Just as he was being pulled into the painting, however, the boy realized he wasn't alone. This is where you, young Iris, enter the story.

Just like Drawn: Dark Flight, Trail of Shadows manages to fill out the story introduced in the previous games without alienating new players. So, if you've never played a Drawn game, you won't feel left out starting with number three. If you're already a Drawn fanatic (which, you really should be), Drawn 3 adds some nice pre-Iris backstory and keeps things moving forward nicely.

Gameplay falls firmly on the casual adventure side of things, keeping jarring lists of objects out of the picture in favor of organic inventory items and scattered clues. Each small section is composed of several screens, many of which have sparkling areas you can zoom in and interact with. To solve the puzzles and move on to the next area, you'll need to climb around and search everywhere for items. Sometimes they're well-hidden, sometimes they're in pieces, and other times, you'll have to jump through a few hoops in order to make them appear.

Drawn: Trail of Shadows features a number of great mini-games, all of which fit perfectly in the fairytale storybook setting, They aren't revolutionary in terms of content, but they're good diversions and always simple to complete. Besides, you can skip them after a few moments if you aren't in the mini-game sort of mood. And yes, before you get too curious, the wonderful pop-up book sections from before have returned!

Analysis: Drawn: Trail of Shadows is phenomenal. Adjectives don't do the game justice, as it's a marvelous thing to see in action. The visuals, as pretty and lush as before, have been upgraded to produce a shifting effect when you move your cursor. It looks as if you're actually standing in a forest meadow, as the foreground and background move independently. It sounds trivial, but when you see it in motion, you'll wonder how you'll ever play a standard hidden object game again.

The Drawn series has always aimed to do things a little differently than the rest. Adding itself to a crowded genre can be a frightening thing to do, but the series stands out thanks to some excellent artwork, storytelling, and puzzle design. Drawn also skips right over most pitfalls hidden object/adventure games fall victim to, showing remarkable polish that leads to a near perfect gaming experience. Trail of Shadows continues this tradition without feeling too much like its predecessors, removing any fear of copy/paste game design before you even start playing.

Don't be afraid of Drawn: Trail of Shadows because it's the third in a series. Newcomers can play it just as easily as veterans. And don't shrug your shoulders because of the genre label shared with all those other games. Drawn: Trail of Shadows is expertly-crafted to provide an adventure experience unrivaled in the casual gaming world, and it's got something every player can enjoy.

A Collector's Edition is also available. It contains a soundtrack, achievements, concept art, wallpapers, behind the scenes information, and more. Remember that Big Fish Game Club Members pay only $13.99 for Collector's Editions (or 2 club credits), and collector's editions count 3 card punches of 6 total needed for a free game. A standard edition will likely be available in a few weeks.

Windows:
Download the demo Get the full version Also available: Collector's Edition

Mac OS X:
Download the demo Get the full version Also available: Collector's Edition

The honeymoon suite is deserted. There's still a little wine left over, and you can see a few balloons are scattered, but clearly celebration time has come and gone, and it's time to leave. The Honeymoon Is Over is an escape game by Timefall. You navigate around the honeymoon suite by clicking the sides of the screen when you see the bars. Examine, interact with, and pick up stuff by clicking. Once you've got something in your inventory, examine it by clicking the triangle in the corner of its box, or use it by clicking the item proper. Oh, and if that music loop gets on your nerves, click the "MUSIC" button to pull the plug on it.

This game could easily pass as one of TomaTea's games, which means photorealistic graphics, mostly logical puzzles, code-locked drawers you can't even fuss with until you've found the corresponding clues, and collecting of many of the same item for use in a puzzle somewhere. There are a few old standby puzzles, such as the jammed drawer and the wobbly picture, but that's as stale as they get. Overall it's a good game, even if it doesn't have a save feature. Now then, it's time to leave the honeymoon behind and get back to married life... er, when I put it that way it sounds pretty uninviting, so forget I just said that.

Play The Honeymoon Is Over

The clock is ticking in Ninjadoodle's latest set of mini-game puzzles, but the only thing at stake is your score... and your reputation as a puzzle master, of course! Binga, which officially takes the prize for game name most fun to shout out in a silent office space, is a series of levels each with their own objective for you to complete. Some are timed, others require a steady but swift hand, and still others require an attention to detail, but all are rendered in adorable cartoon style and come with a catchy soundtrack. Just click around and experiment, but don't think too hard; the answer is usually staring you right in the face.

Play all the Binga games:

As is usually the case with games of this type, the levels that are puzzles are generally more fun than the ones that require reflexes and timing, but Binga is still a great bit of casual gaming to get you through the day, hopefully with all your fingas intact!

Play Binga

Think fast! How quickly can you say the alphabet... backwards? It's harder than you might think! That sort of backwards intuition is what will help you succeed in this week's Letters In Boxes challenge. You've got to throw your brain in reverse to walk away from this puzzle series a winner. (It was either that, or making you guess European football crests or catching paper butterflies in nets.)

Take a look at the puzzle posted below. Click on it to open it up in a new window, and see what you can make of the muddled matrix. When you think you've spotted an answer, move up to the address bar and change the image name (in this case, "neetenin") to your answer, making sure you stay in the same directory and keep the same file extension. If you're right, you'll move backward— I mean, forward to the next puzzle! If you're wrong, you'll hit a dead end, but like every good maze solved, you can just back up and try again.

This batch of puzzles contains four puzzles to solve. On the fourth puzzle, you'll find the email address for sending your final answer. We'll hand out a prize to the first correct entry we receive, plus one additional randomly-selected correct entry. Please include your Casual Gameplay account display name with your entry. You must be at least 13 years of age to enter. Only one submission per participant, please. Offer void where prohibited. Your deadline for submitting your answers is Monday, October 24th at 11:59 PM (GMT-5:00). Kcul doog!

Update: Congratulations to the following winners! :D

• Dataman ...First!
• Zzedar

Both winners were given a choice of prizes. Congratulations and thanks for playing with us! Look for another Letters in Boxes again soon!

It's the end of the world, and you and a group of embittered soldiers are holed up in an abandoned research facility with a few hundred zombies under lock and key. Time to release your frustrations in the bloodiest way possible? Well... maybe not. Lab of the Dead by Evil Dog and SickDeathFiend is a unique spin on the zombie game. Part simulation, part puzzle, all shambling monster, it puts you in the shoes of a scientist scrambling to amass all the data he can on the horde at his mercy, and whether he does so with patience and compassion or cold violence is entirely up to you.

Pick a zombie, any zombie; it doesn't matter which you choose, but the way you deal with it does. The game consists of working with your new rotting pal in a run-down lab, offering it different things and observing both how it reacts, and how those reactions change depending on its mood, hunger, humanity, and so forth. Just click on the icons at the bottom of the screen to get started and experiment; the three categories are weapons, food, and objects, and while each one is fairly self explanatory, the zombie's reaction to them depends not only on their mental wellbeing, but on their own personal tastes, since each one prefers different things. The game's currency is RP, Research Points, which you earn simply by interacting with your zombie, and you can spend on everything from new items and weapons to research upgrades that can influence things like point gain and overall influence on your zombie. In order to progress the story and get new items, however, you'll have to satisfy specific requirements for each stage, such as achieving unique reactions or using enough items. You'll also be able to find notes and tapes left behind by the mysterious "Alpha Team" who occupied the facility before you... who, by the way, have a disappointing lack of "Masters of Unlocking" on staff.

Analysis: Lab of the Dead is a bit of an odd duck, but a welcome one. The game is actually really well presented across the board, with some surprisingly strong voice acting performances, appropriately chosen musical tracks, solid writing, and of course, expressive zombies. It's clear that a ton of thought and work went into this one, and the result is zombie game that stands apart from the pack. In most cases, however, how you feel about the game is going to be tied to how you feel about your test subjects. It's slow moving, and sorely needs to let you press a button to skip reaction animations you've seen before, and combined with the amount of grinding for points you might need to do, it isn't a game for everyone.

However, it's actually surprising at how engrossing it can get when you least expect it. You may go into it expecting your typical slice-and-dice zombie game, but depending on your attitude it can be anything but. On the other hand, having to research items fully and tweak your undead pal's mood and status before you can achieve certain reactions can also be sort of frustrating. Darnit, zombie, you are going to have a touching moment of humanity with that dead rat and you are going to like it! What was interesting about the game for me personally was that it showed me what a weak stomach I actually have for violence; take a creature I've blown up remorselessly multiple times in other games, chain it to a wall, and have it stroke a dead rat with an expression of perplexed, vague sadness and I can't bring myself to hurt it. I wonder if Buffy ever has this problem?

Lab of the Dead is a lot of things; sometimes creepy, sometimes funny, sometimes even oddly touching. Fans of more action-packed, splatter-iffic zombie games might want to check out Evil Dog's earlier work, Road of the Dead, which incidentally takes place right around the same time this game does. If, however, you've always secretly suspected you and Bub would have totally rocked the scientific community and made movie-goers everywhere tear up like they're watching the end of Old Yeller, you just might find something to love about Lab of the Dead. At the very least you should give it a try. And, hey, turns out, zombies and lollipops? Comedy gold.

Play Lab of the Dead

Ah the bard, the most forgotten role playing class. Sure everyone's played a fighter, mage or thief, but few have had experience with the bard, who can conjure magical effects through song. Sapient Games has created a whole world revolving around this character in their text-based RPG, The Bard's Journey. You play as an unnamed bard who is the only one who can defend the land against an evil wizard intent on controlling the people through music. But it's not all nostalgia and retro goodness here, there's a unique feature: you can create your own songs to play in battle! From the main screen of the game, use your mouse to choose the options below the text to either take an action in that area or to move on to the next area (which can also be done with the compass).

The Compose option from the menu in the lower right is where you can create musical stylings to your advantage. There are three types of instruments at your service: guitar, bass and percussion. Each type gives you different benefits based on the number of notes it plays. Balance is the key, as described by the in-game tutorial. It is impossible to create a song that gives a large bonus to all four stats; you must pick and choose. You will have to enter combat before you can reap the fruits of your compositions. Combat runs automatically with occasional interventions from you in choosing one of your four saved songs or casting a spell. Timing is everything as your song will not change until the previous one is done playing. The gameplay is open, so be careful where you wander lest you come to a swift death... followed by a revival by the sage, an inconvenience nonetheless.

As you would hope from a text-based game, the writing is well done. Navigating through a forest does not simply give you the same "You are in a forest" descriptor, but instead, Sapient Games took the effort to make each square unique. Composing your own songs is where this game truly stands out, and you could easily spend your first hour doing only that. Even with help from the tutorial, it takes a lot of trial and error to not only give yourself the bonuses you want, but also to create something you'll enjoy hearing, if you're so inclined. Music writing aside, this RPG is fun and the story is interesting, so feel free to pack up your lute and use the default songs for a quick dive into a melodic, mystical world.

Play The Bard's Journey

Pee Wee's got a big test tomorrow morning, and he's managed to get himself so worked up over it that when he does finally fall asleep he has bad dreams. But instead of normal nightmares like being naked in class or having to eat lutefisk, he dreams up spikes, ghosts, animated suits of armor, fireballs, and much more. Sheesh... show-off! Pee Wee's Nightmare is the latest action arcade platformer created by robot afficianado Hamumu for Boy's Life magazine, and it's your job to get Pee Wee out of his bad dreams before he has to get up for school at 6:00 AM. The game comes with three sets of levels, each with its own degree of difficulty, but no matter what you choose you'll have to put your fingers to the test. Use the [arrow] keys to move and jump (or double-jump!), tap [X] on the floor to perform a ninja-roll past certain obstacles, and hit [X] in mid-air to streak forward a short distance. Get to the open door in each level to proceed safely, and if you're lonely, don't worry; the ghosts of your repeated demise will keep you company, and depending on your chosen level batch you could end up with an entire graveyard's worth of a spectral entourage. This seems like an awful lot of trouble to go through since your reward is essentially to go to school, but at least when Hamumu's at the helm you know it'll be a good time.

Play Pee Wee's Nightmare

One thing you can count on with Strawberry Cafe designed room escape games is the color palette, a luscious mix of reds, pinks, and whites that together evoke images of strawberry desserts. This week, with Enchanted Room Escape, Strawberry Cafe moves the design from the subconscious idea of food to the conscious, because this time you're escaping a room filled with amazing looking desserts in every nook and cranny. For this week's Weekday Escape, be prepared for some drooling.

Enchanted Room Escape is a pretty standard visual design for Strawberry Cafe, a simple one-room escape with basic navigation arrows and a simple inventory. However, Strawberry Cafe has jacked up both the difficulty level of the puzzles and the reliance on a single sense: sight. Aside from the visuals which are guaranteed to whet the appetite, the puzzles involved are heavily color-based and trickier than usual. Unfortunately the lack of a changing cursor does invite some pixel-hunting along the way. On the plus side the controls are pretty easy to master and include a save feature and a handy mute button.

Despite the minor flaws this is one of the better escapes from this designer, simple enough for a snack but complex enough to satisfy the appetite. As the player stumbles around this pretty plain room, bouncing from cakes to macaroons to...more cakes, along with the puzzles to feed the mind the gamer might feel the need for more substantial nourishment in the form of real food. Perhaps you'd better grab some munchies before you dive in, just in case, and prepare to be enchanted!

Play Enchanted Room Escape

It's always intriguing when a game developer takes a technical, even mundane, activity and makes it into a competition. Take kerning, for example: the process of adjusting the spacing between characters in a proportional font, usually to achieve a visually pleasing result... or at least that's Wikipedia's take. Anyways, KernType, a unique puzzle game developed by Mark MacKay for education site Method of Action, charges you with just that: click and drag the middle letters of a given word for a given font to make it aesthetically perfect. Your result will be compared against a professional typographer's, and you will be given a score based on how close you get to their solution. It's not a concept that survives multiple plays-through, but it's quirky fun and a compelling showcase for the beauty of text. Oh, and your friendly neighborhood game reviewer managed himself an 81/100. Beat that, you wingdings.

Play KernType

Calling all Umbrella Corporation drop-outs, amateur mad scientists, and deadly organism enthusiasts, Phage Wars Live by bio-engineer Joey Betz is here to satisfy all your real-time strategy needs. Create and engineer the virus of your dreams (and everyone else's nightmares), then pit it against other players... because everyone knows an AI is just training wheels for ultimate ownage. If you've played Phage Wars or its sequel, you should be familiar with the mechanics; just click on a cell pulsing with nasty viral life, and drag over a nearby unoccupied or enemy cell to send a swarm your own "troops" over to it. If you can overwhelm their numbers with yours, you'll gain the cell and be one step closer to taking over the board... but naturally your enemy isn't going to be waiting around idly to be invaded. You can create your own custom match, or join another player's (against up to four opponents), and should sweet victory be yours, you'll be able to edit and improve your virus with more powerful attributes. If you've been craving multiplayer in your viral warfare, this might just be for you. (Check out the originals for single-player action!) After all, who doesn't love a good ol' fashioned bioengineering hoe-down?

Play Phage Wars Live

Hello out there to all those grim, grinning ghosts and cackling witches on the prowl! With the end of October rapidly approaching, so too comes the season the greatest ween of all, Halloween! With costumes, jack o'lanterns, apple bobbing, and a million cavities worth of candy soon on the way, it seems only right that we dedicate this week's installment of The Vault to featuring some spooktacular games from the JIG archives. Though these works were chosen for their kid-friendliness, they should appeal to trick-or-treaters of all ages. And for those gore-hounds out there: don't worry, we'll have a Vault for you soon enough... MWAHAHAHAHA!

• Translymania 1 & 2 - Listen to them... Children of the night... what music they make. So keep it down! People are trying to sleep here! Jeez. All Lil' Draccky wants is 40 winks. With an entire village full of rowdy rampaging peasants, though, that's easier said than done. That is, until you turn them into your undead minions. Minions know how to stay quiet, after all. This charming platform game by Zeeks stars an vampire that somehow straddles the line between "adorable" and "ferocious". It's probably his fanged Teddy Were-Bear. Frenetic and fun, Translymania and its sequel features an intriguing central mechanic based on switching between walking and flying. It wouldn't work if controls weren't up to the job, but they are and it does. It is, in a vord, vonderful!
• K-Mart Haunted House - A nicely-executed escape advergame, K-Mart Haunted House is short, cute, and perfect for getting you in the spirit of the season. While the isometric controls take some getting used to, it succeeds in combining the measured pace and feel of old-school role-playing with cartoonish visuals and eerie sounds. Even the advertising is well-integrated. Sure, there may be (probably dead) links to purchase each of the 18(!) costumes your avatar can wear, but any game that gives you the chance to play as Superman, Yoda, or Robin and fight werewolves can't be all bad... even if that skeleton-harlequin is kinda freaky.
• Garfield's Scary Scavenger Hunt - While nowhere near as spooky as that time the titular fat-cat found himself locked in that abandoned house, Garfield's Scary Scavenger Hunt is a polished adventure game that invokes a surprising amount of atmosphere without ever resorting to cheap scares or screamers. Help Garfield find seven different kinds of donuts in a spooky mansion that's filled to the brim with puzzles, chills, and shout-outs that every fan of the comic will enjoy. For gosh sake, even Lyman gets a cameo... Lyman! Both Garfield's Scary Scavenger Hunt and its sequel will keep you playing and laughing for quite a bit. Not even a bottomless pan of lasagna would be quite as satisfying!

While we welcome any comments about this weekly feature here, we do ask that if you need any help with the individual games, please post your questions on that game's review page. Well, what are you waiting for? Get out there and rediscover some awesome!

Did Nitrome's original release of Steamlands not give you enough levels, weapons, and bosses to turn into piles of rubble? Then may the Steamlands Player Pack fill any real-time strategy-shaped void you have in your entertainment schedule! Nitrome has just released an expansion to Steamlands, featuring four brand new weapons and several dozen new levels to complete, all crafted by fans of the original game.

This Steamlands expansion plays exactly like the original, putting you in command of a makeshift steampunk vehicle built from the very blocks of your destroyed enemies. Move the craft forwards and backwards and take aim with any guns you've managed to collect, working as efficiently as you can to break down your opponent's defenses and destroy the engineer's room within. When victory is finally yours, you get to salvage the pieces and weld them directly to your tank in any way you see fit.

Steamlands Player Pack also features Dev Mode, allowing anyone to tweak and create campaigns that could be featured in a future update. It's a little complex at first, but like the rest of the game, once you go through the tutorials and play around with it for a bit, it quickly becomes second nature.

The Steamlands Player Pack provides almost as much content as the original game, with the added bonus of some very creative player-made campaigns. It's surprisingly challenging, even for veterans, but it's just gentle enough to capture a newbie or two as well.

Play Steamlands Player Pack

Instead of directly controlling a character across spike-filled pits, over obstacles and onto higher platforms, you control a box that assists and facilitates safe passage to the exit door of each level in You Are a Box, a Lemmings-inspired action oriented puzzle platformer from Games Northwest.

You see, as the title suggests, you are a box, but not just any ordinary box. You possess the power to move yourself into position to help the little box buddies (called "Nabbles") to the exit of each level to progress. Push crates, create paths over spikes and use yourself as a means to reach higher areas. Collect power-ups and use them wisely because you'll need to be perfect as you reach the more difficult later levels.

Control the box with [left] and [right] arrows to move, and [up] to jump when you have the jump power-up. Press [down] to fast-forward to speed things along, and press [Esc] to restart a level if you get yourself into a no-win situation. There is no level select screen, but the game does save your progress so you can [C]ontinue where you left off if you leave and come back again (even in a different browser).

You Are a Box is a cute and fun little game, though the precise timing requirements of later levels will introduce frustration for those without nimble fingers. More action game than puzzle, but unique enough to hold your interest for a little casual gameplay distraction.

Play You Are a Box

Nintendo DS owners most likely recognize the name, but for everyone else, the Scribblenauts series is a relatively unknown treasure. That all changes with the release of Scribblenauts Remix, an iOS version of the phenomenal creativity puzzle game from 5th Cell. The tagline "Write anything. Solve Everything." couldn't be more appropriate, as Scribblenauts challenges you to solve puzzles by typing in words and phrases. If you can imagine it, you can probably do it, so feel free to summon a huge invincible flying pregnant angry rainbow giraffe to fight with Zeus, if you like.

Scribblenauts Remix puts you in control of Maxwell, a happy little chap wearing a chicken with headphones hat, who works his way through a few dozen levels collecting starites. In each stage you must create objects by tapping on the pencil and paper icon at the top of the screen. Open the keyboard, type in a noun, modified with adjectives if necessary, then hit enter to create the item. You can then tap to use the item in any logical way, such as riding in vehicles, equipping objects, wearing items of clothing, attaching ropes and chains to things, and so on. Once the freedom of creation sets in, you'll suddenly become wide-eyed at the possibilities that lay before you!

The stages in Scribblenauts Remix vary in difficulty and are split between puzzle and adventure types. In puzzle levels, you are presented with a simple problem that can be solved by summoning the correct objects. Giving the right items to different people, for example, or creating something that will help a character accomplish a task. Adventure levels are usually more difficult and challenge you to obtain a starite by any means necessary. If that happens to involve summoning a helicopter, attaching a rope to it, and dragging a bulldozer across a lake infested with sharks, well, then that's just what will have to happen!

Analysis: Scribblenauts is a remarkable creation that aims to fulfill what everyone has always dreamed of in a video game: complete freedom. Most games offer up a few puzzles along with a few items to solve those puzzles with, the most logical solutions usually presenting themselves by deduction. In Scribblenauts, however, you are (almost) literally limited only by your imagination, so when the game says "get the starite down from the tree", you can accomplish this however you see fit. Maybe bacon, ceiling cat, and a pink cthulhu can help?

If you're familiar with the Scribblenauts games for DS, you'll recognize most of the content in Scribblenauts Remix. The iOS version contains levels culled from both DS games as well as a few new additions exclusive to the platform. The basic mechanics are the same, and the objects list doesn't seem to have been messed with, though a few seem to have been changed in function (the teleporter, for example). Also, some of the bonus sandbox levels seem to be missing, which is a bit of a shame but not a huge loss.

One oversight in Scribblenauts Remix is failing to feature a left versus right handed layout. The DS releases allowed players to swap preferences from the option menu, but the iOS version features the typing icon only on the right side of the screen, something left handed players (especially those who are using the iPad version) will have to adapt to.

Scribblenauts Remix is an excellent fit for iOS devices, and it's great seeing the visuals looking so crisp on the iPad's large screen. And because Remix doesn't steal everything from both DS releases, you can look forward to much more item-creating fun by seeking out those games as well!

Scribblenauts Remix

(universal)

You want big, important games? Boy have we got some stuff for you! Three heavy-hitters on this week's Mobile Monday, games you could play on their own for days and weeks on end. Afterwards, when you emerge with ragged hair and skin that reeks of aged onions, you can thank us for sharing!

SpaceChem Mobile (iPad) - You know SpaceChem, yes? The incredibly challenging (and rewarding) logic/alchemy puzzle game from Zachtronics Industries? Now that you've stopped cheering, you can go grab it for iPad! This heady game challenges you to turn elements into compounds and split compounds down to their basic components, all using a series of commands you place on the grid yourself. Create a series of repeatable, perfectly-timed contraptions to produce the chemicals you need from the elements you're given, then pat yourself on the back after an hour of strenuous work finally produces a workable compound. SpaceChem was brilliant on PC/Mac, and it's just as brilliant on iOS.

Squids (iPhone, iPod Touch) - A completely charming strategy/arcade/RPG game that has the power to hook you from the very first level. At first, all you have to do is pull on each squid's tentacles to send him or her flying in the opposite direction. Crash into things to find treasure, hunt for power-ups, explore ancient temples, battle evil crustaceans and fish, and complete objectives that change depending on the world. Then, take all of your earnings and buy upgrades and items in the shop. Position all of this on top of an interesting story and fantastic underwater artwork and you've got the makings of your next iPhone addiction.

SteamBirds: Survival (universal) - We gushed over the original SteamBirds browser release back in 2010, and we loved SteamBirds: Survival when it hit later that year. The original SteamBirds has been on the iTunes App Store for some time, but now, SteamBirds: Survival is out the door, and it boasts a number of improvements over all previous versions of the game. At its core, Survival is still the same alternate history turn-based strategy game involving planes, Axis and Ally powers, and sweet power-ups. Eight new aircraft have been introduced along with 64 brand new missions to play, with almost that number again in the pipeline to be unveiled soon. Plenty of content, lots in store for the future, and the same fantastic gameplay we've come to expect from the series. Also worth noting: SteamBirds: Survival for iOS was ported in part by Halfbrick Studios, those crazy chaps who brought us Jetpack Joyride.

NOTE: Games noted as 'universal' have been designed for iPod Touch, iPad, and iPhone devices alike. Any game not listed for iPad will work on the system, but native full screen will not be present. Games listed may not be available outside of North America. Prices are subject to change and are therefore unlisted. Please see the individual game pages for purchasing info.

Not too long ago a relative newcomer to adventure/hidden object hybrids, ChaYoWo games, took us on a journey through the heart of Southern India in The Dark Hills of Cherai. Now they're back and once again the player will be transported to a place few will ever be able to visit in The Dark Hills of Cherai: The Regal Scepter.

The Dark Hills of Cherai: The Regal Scepter features three of the four cousins from the original game, Tara, Maya, and Rahul (of the fourth cousin, Arjun, there is mysteriously no mention). Poor Tara has been suffering night after night from the same nightmare. As she awakens from another occurrence the children are visited by the ghost of the King of Cherai, who aided them on their original journey. According to the King a great evil has awakened in the form of an evil magician named Vishwarood. Many years ago the treacherous Vishwarood, the court magician, betrayed and murdered the king in order to obtain a powerful magical object, The Regal Scepter. Fortunately the scheme was thwarted by a few of the King's loyal guards who fled with the scepter, breaking it up and scattering the power gems across Cherai in a bid to keep Vishwarood from ever finding it. While attempting to seize power Vishwarood was turned to stone and peace settled across the kingdom once more.

Now, in modern times, another attempt is being made to find the Scepter by Vishwarood, aided by his son and a Yakshi (think Indian version of a succubus). It is up to the children, descendants of the old King, to discover the map fragments left behind by the loyal guards as well as the scepter itself and the scattered gems. They also, incidentally, must fight and defeat Vishwarood, his son, the Yakshi, and a pretty nasty fire cobra in order to keep Vishwarood's dreams of freedom and world conquest at bay. As you do.

The Dark Hills of Cherai: The Regal Scepter is a classic adventure/hidden object hybrid with a twist: playing from multiple viewpoints. As in the first game each child sets out on their own in a different direction, starting with Tara. Eventually all three children will have set out on their quest and the gameplay switches from one point of view to another. The children cannot see each other, but can swap objects of interest on a charmed merry-go-round at a mysterious meeting place which is handy as many of the items they find are only useful to the other children. It is this multi-layered gameplay that made the original Dark Hills of Cherai so popular and which is such a nice change to the usual more linear style of play common in most hybrids.

Present in the game are the usual controls found in most hybrids. There's a changing cursor to indicate navigable areas and places of interest, a notebook to keep track of clues and important information, an inventory of interesting items for each child, and a refilling hint timer to help the player along. What is not usual but pretty nifty are the other features, such as a magic mirror to speak to the King's ghost which doles out hints about the quest, a map feature that not only shows the layout of the quest but also indicates areas where things still need to be accomplished (and where hidden objects scenes have reactivated) that can also be used to transport the player from one location to another immediately, as well as a feature that allows each character to "leap" directly to the meeting place to exchange items between the three main characters. The King also pops up unannounced to aid with guidance, advice, and to occasionally scare off the Yakshi who frequently shows up to block the players' progress. Small sparks of light indicate areas of interest (these do not show up in the advanced mode of play) and cascades of sparkles indicate hidden object scenes.

Analysis: The Dark Hills of Cherai: The Regal Scepter is an amazing and unique hybrid with lush, tropical scenery and layered gameplay which makes it stand head and shoulders above the adventure/hidden object crowd. The challenge of keeping track of three characters, their inventories, and their separate quests adds a dimension rarely seen in today's casual gameplay. Once again it's gratifying to see an exotic location done so realistically the player could almost be there. Although the game takes place at night it doesn't detract from the gorgeous backgrounds and design which incorporate the tropical location, the stunning iconography of the region, and of course the wildlife. The amazing accuracy of the design is, of course, due to the fact that ChaYoWo games is actually a company based in India and thus knows the territory.

What makes the gameplay so fun, aside from the switching points of view and the amazing backgrounds is the fact that The Regal Scepter is, like its predecessor, absolutely packed with puzzles. Although the puzzles are not so original, there is a plethora of them to be found within the game, each beautifully done up with Hindu iconography and its lovely, dense designs and fabulous colors. The hidden object scenes are not interactive, but executed with more of a "hide the item in plain sight" vibe rather than the usual "junk pile" mode most games use. Due to the complexity of the play and the mass of puzzles The Dark Hills of Cherai: The Regal Scepter offers some pretty meaty gameplay of a length not often seen these days.

The unique point of view gameplay has one downside, however, and that is that it can be confusing to some players, especially in the last stages of the game where the inventories of each child becomes almost unwieldy and the gamer may have a bit of trouble remembering who needs what for which scene. There is also the usual problem of many clickable areas being too near navigation areas as well as too near the bottom inventory which can cause minor problems in some scenes. And once again the King can be a little too helpful, even when not called upon to give a hint or a clue.

The two modes of play, casual and advanced, along with making the King's advice (for the most part) voluntary makes The Dark Hills of Cherai a delight for a wide range of gamers, from the newbie to the advanced. For those who enjoy traveling to exotic locales, exciting gameplay, and loads and loads of puzzles, this is the game for you!

Windows:
Download the demo Get the full version

Mac OS X:
Download the demo Get the full version

If you're dead and you have a problem (aside from the whole "dead" thing, that is), you might run into Rosangela Blackwell and her otherworldly partner, Joey, if you're lucky. Not that Rosa's had much luck herself these days; despite being extremely psychic, as well as extremely awkward, she's been struggling to catch a break with her writing. A phone call from an old friend might help get her foot in the door at a respected local paper, but it turns out that where Rosa goes, the dead never lie quietly... and in The Blackwell Deception, a point-and-click adventure from Wadjet Eye Games, quite a few people are turning up dead these days. Coincidence? Not when Rosangela's around. Poor kid. She really needs a better hobby, something less stressful. Bomb squad, maybe?

To play, just click around. If an object can be used, its name will pop up when you mouse over it; right click to look at something or someone, and left click to interact. Moving the mouse to the top of the screen will cause your inventory to drop down, as well as let you access the options menu to save your game and such. Both Rosa and Joey are playable characters, and you'll want to swap between them often by hitting [tab] since there are things one can do that the other can't. Joey, for instance, in addition to messing with electronic frequencies, can pass by obstacles Rosa can't, though the only physical way he can interact with objects is by a puff of cold breath. While Rosa can do all the boring usual flesh-bag stuff like physically touch things and talk to people, she's also got her MyPhone, which lets you check her e-mail, call people, or even search for clues online. Make sure you have Our Heroes talk to everyone (including each other); exhausting every conversation object and consulting your notebook frequently is the key to advancement. (You can click on one topic and then another to combine subjects in your notebook and potentially open up new avenues of discussion.) Well... that and having Joey blow on things. He's such a special guy.

Analysis: Classic point-and-click adventure games are something of a dying breed these days, but the Blackwell series has continued to prove that the genre isn't dead and buried yet, and could very well end up being considered a classic one day. The game looks great in a way we've come to expect from Wadjet Eye titles, full of expressive character art, detailed environments, and wonderfully animated sprites courtesy of Ben Chandler. It should also come as no surprise that the game sounds wonderful too, with all the actors delivering solid performances and a light touch with sound that serves to enhance the atmosphere.

Most of the puzzles in the game typically revolve around figuring out how to use your characters to get past an obstacle, and while occasionally this leads to some really creative moments, it can also be intensely frustrating. When you're stuck, the old adventure game failsafe of "try everything on everything else" is annoying without having to do it again with a different character, and some of the solutions can be more than a little overcomplicated for relatively mundane tasks. Fortunately, the story is more than strong enough to keep you going, and almost from the beginning Deception sets out to make it feel more personal. Moments of genuine tenderness or sadness make the storyline this time feel altogether more mature, with Jamie's arc being perhaps the best in all the games, and you start to get the sense that the story throughout the series as a whole is really shaping up to be something big.

The Blackwell Deception isn't an end to the series; you'll get more hints about Joey's past, and a big, satisfying showdown with a villain, but ultimately the game raises more questions than it answers. It lays the groundwork for a very big confrontation in the next installment, and if you've followed the series this far, you'll be eagerly awaiting it when it arrives with the rest of us. Packed full of mystery, character, charm and suspense, it's a delight from start to finish. The Blackwell Deception is around four hours for your average player, and fans of the series will love every minute of it.

Windows:
Download the demo Get the full version

Mac OS X:
Not available.
Try Boot Camp or Parallels or CrossOver Games.

What would you be willing to do to recapture your first true love? You'll get to explore the answers to that question in Media Art's Love Story: The Beach Cottage, the second adventure/hidden object hybrid game in the Love Story series that grabs the hopeless romantic in all of us and takes us on a journey that may (or may not) give us the "happily ever after" we're looking for.

Sandra Walsh receives a letter from her father (who recently passed away), asking her to visit their family's beach cottage one last time before she sells it. She reluctantly does so, and we go along for the ride. Through flashbacks, we learn of Sandra's history with the cottage and explore her reluctance to return caused by bittersweet memories of a childhood love both found and lost on the rocky shore.

Love Story: The Beach Cottage has casual and expert modes, changing cursors to indicate navigable areas and places of interest, and sparklies to indicate hidden object scenes, collectible items, and mini-games. The inventory does more than just show an empty set of boxes where you can stuff items. Instead, you're treated to a view of tasks you need to complete in order to progress. And rather than the usual notebook/journal to track important plot points, Love Story: Beach Cottage includes a charming "memory chest" in which certain objects that relate to the central love story are placed. There's also a nice variety of puzzles and mini-games scattered throughout, all of which are skippable without penalty.

Analysis: Love Story: Beach Cottage is a romantic whirlwind which captures haunting memories of childhood, love, and loss, all within the realm of a highly engrossing hidden object game. It's not exactly the pinnacle of action and adventure, but it does spin a timeless love story that will appeal to the hidden romantic buried deep within the most cynical of souls.

As pretty as the most scenic postcard ever produced, the backgrounds and objects of Love Story: Beach Cottage astound with their breathtaking clarity and color. Appropriately, the music is soft and haunting, and the incidental sounds recreate the experience of being next to the deep blue sea. Combined, it transports the gamer into Sandie's world, both past and present. The hidden object scenes are a nice combination of classic, interactive, pairing, and multiple items. The puzzles and mini-games familiar but with a nice twist and cover a wide range of difficulty.

What makes Love Story: Beach Cottage stand out is the balance between adventure, story, hidden object finding, and puzzles. The difficulty levels even in advanced mode are still not as difficult as they could be, making this more of an adventure for the beginning-to-intermediate crowd. A few minor problems with clickable areas being too close together can be slightly irritating as well.

Love Story: Beach Cottage is a perfect game for a rainy (or snowy) Saturday afternoon that will appeal to anyone who appreciates a good love story. Will Sandie get that happy ending? Journey to the beach cottage and find out!

Windows:
Download the demo Get the full version

Mac OS X:
Download the demo Get the full version

It's adventure and excitement! Dragons and bears! Enchanters and rolling boulders! Everything you could possibly dream of from a collection of free games presented to enliven your weekend!

Arden's Vale (Windows, 11MB, free) - A comedy/fantasy adventure game chosen as game of the month for October on the Adventure Game Studio website. Arden's Vale is the story of a girl who must journey across a magical barrier to seek the assistance of a sorcerer in the hopes he can cure her sister of a strange illness. Along the way, you'll be treated to a smart dose of puzzles and humorous commentary that often breaks the fourth wall. It's a short but extraordinarily enjoyable game with just the right amount of challenge and intrigue!

Start Fight Run (Mac/Win/Linux, 5-9MB, free) - A short, miniature visual novel game by bentosmile that's bite-sized enough even for people who don't normally like visual novels to enjoy! You're on a quest to find the princess, and in each town you visit, a number of people are willing to help. Should you talk to the little girl, take her balloon, and head into the Creepy Woods? Should you speak with the village bear to see if he can help you in battle? Make a few simple (and funny) choices and see how the story unfolds!

Lao's Quest (Windows, 6.4MB, free) - One of those platformers you hate to play, but you really love to play so you do it anyway. Work your way through the ancient temple, avoiding traps at seemingly every turn. Statues shoot at you when you least expect it, rocks chase you down corridors, and those spikes? Who knows what they'll do given half a chance. Collect keys and use buttons to move things around, but play carefully, as the combination of high difficulty and limited lives makes for an especially challenging experience.

The Tribloos is a new time management game from Bumpkin Brothers, creator of the 3D assembly line puzzle game The Machine. Similar to the Roads of Rome series and My Kingdom for the Princess series in basic structure, Tribloos will surprise you with its knack for turning simple tasks into more complex levels. Do not let the game's simple visual presentation fool you, this game is filled with serious amounts of smart challenge!

Trey is the leader of the Tribloos, a tribe of furry blue creatures with tiny little hands, big eyes, and staunchly persistent smiles. A storm recently crashed through the forest of Tribloo Island, destroying everything in its path. The Tribloos are hard workers, but their organization skills are somewhat... lacking. Who are we kidding, they couldn't plan their way out of a paper bag made out of a blueprint. Who can help them get their village back together? Who is awesome at organization? You are! You are!

Working with the Tribloos in this 2D side view game is as simple as clicking the mouse. Your main concern will be dividing available workers between tasks in an attempt to fulfill goals listed at the bottom of the screen. Click an icon to assign a worker to that job. Keep clicking to add more workers (if available) and the job will get done faster. You have to clear piles of wood in order to open paths to the rest of the level, a task that also earns resources used to repair buildings. With wood, you can build things like houses and sawmills, the former providing more workers, the latter more wood.

A series of themed levels progress The Tribloos' story along as well as introduce new gameplay elements you can work with. Nothing too complex, of course, but just enough to make you think "oh hey, that's fun!" Rescuing trapped Tribloos and gathering tools so you can clear piles of rock are just a few examples. There's also a mini-game or two to play in-between worlds, but you can skip them if you're not interested in the diversion.

Analysis: The Tribloos is quite a surprising game. From looking at it, you wouldn't expect much out of a game with dated visuals and flat characters. Once you play it, though, you'll quickly become engrossed in the game's cheery spirit and challenging gameplay. The Tribloos is one of those time management games you can blaze through in several hours, but earning all of the achievements and getting the best time score in each level is a difficult feat to accomplish.

Most modern time management and road building games (Royal Envoy, for example) dilute the central theme by adding layers of complexity to the gameplay. Not only are you managing workers, you're also thinking about half a dozen resources, looking at the clock, keeping an eye out for random events, and so on. The Tribloos is refreshingly streamlined and goes without those "features" in favor of simple, pure time management gameplay. You really have to manage your workers smartly if you want to walk away with a good score.

Don't let the game's lack of visual flair deter you from trying it out. The Tribloos is a lengthy and challenging time management game that dares to do something different from the glut of building-related titles out there. Give it a go and see if you get hooked!

Windows:
Download the demo Get the full version

Mac OS X:
Download the demo Get the full version

Recently, we've seen a bit of a mini-renaissance of quality casual releases set underwater, defying the conventional wisdom that games get terrible when they go down the drain. Fisher Diver, an action game by Eli Piilonen, keeps the quality but darkens the tone. On its surface, it's a retro-styled fishing game about a little ball that hopes to follow in its father's profession. However, like the ocean, there are some unsettling things to be found below the surface.

Fisher Diver is played with a combination of the mouse and keyboard. Use the [WASD] or [arrow] keys to swim, dive and surface and the mouse to jut a spear. Wound a fish enough, and you can collect it for cash: the larger and more complete it is, the more will be awarded, but the bigger they are the more they'll fight back. Also to collect are Guffins/Messages: when pulsing, a hit of the [spacebar] will direct you to one if it's in range. Cash and Guffins are traded in the store for upgrades. Watch the meter on the right to make sure that you have enough oxygen. It can be refilled by returning to the surface. Good luck with your new career and the thrill of the hunt.

It's kind of flummoxing. This is a fishing game: a game in which someone catches fish and sells them in order to purchase equipment to catch more fish. Why then will it likely be more disturbing than 90% of the horror games that will be released come Halloween time? Is it the visual and music design that's reminiscent of a twisted version of flOw? Is it the mechanical wire-framey fish contrasted with their all-too-organic-looking blood? Is it the oxygen black-out and that one bone-cracking sound effect? (You'll know it when you hear it.) Who knows, but Fisher Diver does a better job of turning one off sea food than a thousand PETA ads. There's something grimly ethereal and compelling here. While it takes a while to get going, and has the same problems of repetition that the real-life hobby does, Fisher Diver is a stylistic splash of cold water to the face.

Play Fisher Diver

How are you going to spend your weekend? Building something? Horsing around? Making new friends? Or, uh... Whatever this is? Whatever your plans, Link Dump Friday will start you off right!

• Guild Dungeons - Hyptosis' latest simulation adventure game is an experiment to better learn how to program, but an entertaining one. Create and manage a fantasy city full of fantasy creatures, then recruit and train them to send them into fantasy dungeons and earn you fantasy treasure. There's no save, unfortunately, and the lack of a tutorial may be a bit daunting, but a true leader doesn't need a rule book and counts every painful death of their loyal minions as a learning experience! (Lesson learned: Buy more minions, fewer health insurance policies.)
• Story Hero - Cute and simple, this little text puzzle asks you to walk across lines of text, selecting the proper word from each to deal with the threats placed in front of you. More a concept than a fully fleshed out game, it's still a good idea and adorable as all get-out. Think there's a market for this as a future iPad app to tell nerds and nerdlettes in training bedtime stories? The first adaptations should clearly be Goodnight Moon, Madeline, and The Cask of Amontillado.
• Bone Sniffer - Set out for adventure, cold noses, and big floppy ears in this point-and-click puzzle. Click the correct items in the correct order in each scene to help a dog with curious talents recover his enormous bone, carried off by an equally enormous condor. At least this dog is being proactive about his problems; all a cat would do is take it out on your sofa and clean laundry.
• Verminator - Finally, a use for all that stinky "fancy" cheese everyone has to pretend they like at expensive restaurants! Drop the smelly stuff around the levels of this puzzle game to lure rodents to their demise, All We Need is Brain style. It may seem cruel, but honestly if you woke up one morning and one of these fat, goggle-eyed, puppy-sized rodents was squatting on your chest, cheese would be the last thing you'd reach for.
• Flagman - You think your job stinks? The star of this little platformer is in charge of picking up and planting flags on pads to open doors. And there are spikes everywhere. And teleporters. And his feet appear to be coated in Vaseline. Look, even Mike Rowe would hesitate on this one, and he's been inside unspeakably small places filled with unspeakably foul things.

They say that no jelly is an island, but jellies that cooperate can explore many mysterious islands. That might not be an accurate quote, but it's certainly applicable in Georganism, a puzzle platformer from Karma Team. The jelly arsenal has been scattered over 22 little islands, and these brave and determined jellies need your help to get it back.

Each level has you assume command of one or more colorful little characters, each with a special ability. Blue can jump, Red can dive, and Green can eat wooden blocks. The talented trio needs to work together to navigate the island chain and recover the missing arsenal. The [arrow] keys control your new jelly friend, [spacebar] switches between characters, and if you get two jellies in close proximity, [Enter] combines them into a super striped jelly that possesses both special talents. [Enter] also splits the jellies apart again, allowing you to fit through tight spaces or combine with a different character.

Push blocks, break ice, and activate switches to find and ring the gong that completes the stage. The best jelly wranglers will pick up the hidden weapon on every island and earn a shiny gold star for their reward. Take a break from all that jumping, diving, and wooden block eating by playing the mini-games that unlock as you progress through the stages. You'll find jelly-infused variations on projectiles, stacking, and pachinko games.

Georganism never gets too terribly challenging in terms of puzzle solving, but the character switching and ability combinations make for a well-made and entertaining diversion of a game, suitable for casual gamers and jelly fans of all ages.

Play Georganism

Each week we feature a series of puzzles called Letters In Boxes, but sometimes the letters in the boxes get a bit too much attention. Every once in a while, it's nice to think outside the box, get a bit of fresh air, and find a new perspective on the problems you're facing. This week, we celebrate the box-troverts with a challenge where everything you need to know to solve each puzzle is out of the grid.

Take a look at your starter puzzle below. Some of the puzzles in this series might look a bit familiar! Click on the puzzle to open it up in a new window. When you've discovered an answer (and a little hint, all of the answers this week are five-letter words), check out your browser's address bar. Change the image's filename (in this case, "outsideeighteen") to your answer, making sure you stay in the same directory and keeping the same file extension. If you're right, the next answer is just a short walk away! If you're wrong, you'll have to backtrack a bit, but you can always try another path.

This batch of puzzles contains four puzzles to solve. On the fourth puzzle, you'll find the email address for sending your final answer. We'll hand out a prize to the first correct entry we receive, plus one additional randomly-selected correct entry. Please include your Casual Gameplay account display name with your entry. You must be at least 13 years of age to enter. Only one submission per participant, please. Offer void where prohibited. Your deadline for submitting your answers is Monday, October 17th at 11:59 PM (GMT-5:00). And don't forget to get out and enjoy the day! Good luck!

Update: Congratulations to the following winners! :D

• kdausman ...First!
• Nigma

Both winners were given a choice of prizes. Congratulations and thanks for playing with us! Look for another Letters in Boxes again soon!

During a long and tedious day at work there is nothing better than a lunch break, especially if you've skipped breakfast and are starving. You're so hungry, in fact, that you're ready to take that lovely Bento Box Lunch and dismantle right it down to the bottom where the bomb is...wait, the bomb? Yes, gam.ebb.jp is back (in collaboration with a website called Flips) and has brought us the latest in deadly comestibles, Dismantlement: Box Lunch.

As with all of the wildly popular Dismantlement point-and-click puzzle games all you have is a screwdriver and all you need is a screwdriver (and your wits) to take this delectable Bento Box apart like a lion ripping into a gazelle. Or, you know, like a hungry office worker in the middle of the day. The puzzles this time around are pretty easy and of course there's the usual nasty surprise of a bomb on a timer lurking beneath what looks like a pretty tasty meal, you know, minus the screws and other hardware. Dismantlement: Lunch is one of the simplest of the Dismantlement games with basically one point of view and no navigation around the outside of a three dimensional object. The game is in Japanese but the "return" button (which takes the player out of close up mode) is labeled in both Japanese and English, and if you've played any of the other games in this series the rest is fairly simple.

Not one of the strongest Dismantlement games, Dismantlement: Box Lunch is still a lovely way to start the day, an amuse bouche to whet the palate even if the title suggests heartier fare. Not the usual household appliance or object, Dismantlement: Lunch is a tasty edible snack packed with puzzles (and a bomb). Grab your screwdriver and get dismantling!

Play Dismantlement: Box Lunch

No matter how cynical and jaded you are, it's hard not to be heart-warmed by the simple companionship of a boy and his octopus... especially when the boy is willing to help rescue the octopodess of his pet's dreams from the evil kidnapping clutches of knights, archers and the dreaded Bad Mood Bear. With a wrench at Kit's side and a ready-to-be flung mollusc on his head, though, it'll be easy as octo-pie, right?... Right? Jay Armstrong's Kit and the Octopod may sound like a silver age crime-fighting team, but it has a ton of charm to go along with its action-platforming.

You move Kit with the [arrow] keys and jump with [S]. When you come upon a wall, hold [up] to run up it, and [left] or [right] to jump off in that direction. Tap [A] to show off your karate skills and hold it a bit longer to whip out your trusty wrench for a more serious beatdown, just the perfect thing for bashing open treasure chests and flinging chickens into their nest. [D] throws the octopod, which can hit switches and troll enemies by clinging to their faces. Don't worry, he'll make his way back to you in due time.

Kit and the Octopod is an action-packed romp that has the charm of Mario, the bloody edge of Castle Crashers, and cephalopods aplenty. Its biggest flaw comes in the finickiness of the wall-running mechanic. The author, Jay Armstrong, promises an update soon that should make wall running and jumping easier. At the moment, it's more likely that miss-timed controls will do more damage to your Kit than any of the enemies will. The strange thing is that this game would be perfect if it had a double-jump mechanic. That may be a matter of personal opinion, though. In any case, Kit and the Octopus is some good stuff that'll make you nostalgic for the golden age of the NES.

Play Kit and the Octopod

It's the classic story of boy meets girl meets puzzle platforming in Mattia Traverso's One and One Story, where your goal is to reunite two shadows separated by distance and hazardous terrain. Come into contact with spikes, or fall too far, and you'll die and have to restart the level. (Alternately, if you get stuck, just press [R] to reload a level.) Initially you'll use the [arrow] keys to move, and [Z] or [C] to swap between characters, but as stages progress and the intermittent level text narrates, this will change. The game is divided up into chapters, and each has its own set of rules as to how your shadows move and play off each other.

While One and One Story comes with a selection of bonus levels, the actual story campaign is fairly short, though not necessarily in a bad way. The game may look and feel all moody-broody like something Bruce Wayne would secretly code, but it's actually a fairly sweet and sentimental look at its core themes of love and relationships. If it were any longer than it is, it might feel like it was dragging its feet, especially since some stages towards the end can feel a little repetitive or finicky, combined with trying to judge distance between deadly and safe falls, and how close is too close to spikes. The puzzles, especially the ones in the bonus levels, are mostly well designed and challenging, but how well you respond to the game is probably tied in part to how much you identify with the narration. Gabriele Bonis brings a soft, beautiful art style to the experience, while the soundtrack by David Carney of DVGmusic is just top-notch. If what you want is a short, warm and fuzzy little puzzle game to make you go d'awwwww, One and One Story is worth a peek.

Play One and One Story

Silen Games of Icy Gifts fame has released a new expansion in the popular Prizma Puzzle series of tile-based connection puzzle games. Breaking out of the tyranny of number-based sequel names, this one is called Prizma Puzzle Challenges. A funky 3D style and some sci-fi touches like teleportation and light cannons add some extra interest to the "draw a single path with limited moves and no backtracking" classic puzzle, which is classic for a reason.

Use your mouse to click on a start tile (or one of them, if there are more than one) and then click on adjacent tiles to start drawing a path. Your goal is the tile helpfully marked "finish". Along the way, keep an eye on how many moves you have left, since if you run out you fail the level. Try to pick up stars in the normal level zones, since that's what unlocks more zones and challenge sets. The game also keeps track of your score, and you can check whether you've reached the max score on a completed level by hovering your cursor over the level in the level select screen.

Prizma Puzzle Challenges heard you like achievements, so it put achievements in your achievements so you can score while you score. Or at least that's how it feels early in the game, when achievements are flying at you for even the mildest accomplishments. There are really only 37 awards, so the last ones take actual effort, as opposed to the early ones, which just barely avoid giving you a reward for not choking on your own saliva.

The game is very similar to Prizma Puzzle 3, coming across more as a 40 level expansion pack, which is perhaps why this isn't Prizma Puzzle 4. What it lacks in originality, it makes up for in steady competence, and the developer has been keen to add small improvements in response to feedback. There are no rough edges here, just pure, smooth, 3D goodness.

Play Prizma Puzzle Challenges

Although long, complex, tricky room escapes are lots of fun, there is something to be said for short and sweet as well. It may be that the player is looking to play something simple and straightforward, it may be that the player is new to the genre and needs an introduction, or it could be that it's late at night in the middle of the week and the unfortunate room escaper just wants something light and easy before they head to bed for the night. In that case, isn't it great that Robamimi has come out with a charming little mini room escape just in time for a mid-week break? Enter One Scene and welcome to Weekday Escape!

As it says on the tin, One Scene is a room escape that features...well, just one scene, a single point-of-view of a room, which makes navigation in this amusing little escape pretty easy. There's no wandering around, just investigating everything from one perspective. Despite the constraints, Robamimi has managed to pack in some delightfully designed puzzles and their usual elegant solutions along with their top-notch control designs that include the usual hint feature, changing cursor, easy to manage inventory, and save feature. Accompanying you on your brief journey is a haunting and beautiful little tune that can be muted at your discretion. The game comes in two languages, English and Japanese, so be sure to change the options at the beginning unless you are bilingual.

Robamimi is one of our favorite room escape designers and One Scene is a perfect example of why. They can certainly bring the long and complex (Ancient Scripts, Hermit Rabi), but can also scale down to the small without losing the elegance that makes their room escapes so popular. One Scene is a midnight snack, meaty but not too heavy, a wonderful bite rather than a main course. Tonight, the munchies are on us!

Play One Scene

While zombies are perhaps too common in games nowadays, and pirates are certainly getting there, we haven't seen nearly enough zombie-pirates. At least that's the argument given by Pirates of the Undead Sea: Rise of the Ribcage, the new point-and-click adventure game from Pahu Pahu. Given its quality, its a strong argument indeed. Captain Black Sam has spent years sailing the seven seas plundering and pillaging. After a night of too much rum, Sam wakes up to find he and his ship are at the bottom of the ocean, both not looking too much better for the experience. Fifteen years of decay later, a chance mermaid-sighting convinces him the time is nigh to set out on another grand adventure. And so, you're off to seek glory, gold and grog! Mostly grog!

Pirates of the Undead Sea is controlled entirely with the mouse. Click anywhere on the ground to walk. Click characters to converse with them by selecting dialogue options. Click items to look at, use, or collect by selecting the appropriate icon. Open the inventory by clicking the treasure chest in the lower-left corner. Click items to use them with others on the screen. Click the exits to move around the undersea landscape. Oh... and try to find some clothes for Blackbeard's sake.

Analysis: Pirates of the Dead Sea probably wouldn't exist if the Monkey Island games didn't, and its protagonist is an undead ringer for Jack Sparrow. Not judging, just stating. A game about piracy that happens to borrow from other sources? Who would have thought? Well, if you're going to pillage, pillage from the best and pillage well. Pirates of the Undead Sea does both. It acts as a fitting tribute to its inspirations while effectively showcasing the developers' own creativity and appreciable talents. Oh... and try to find some clothes while you're at it.

Pirates of the Undead Sea does nearly everything right. It has a wonderful cartoonish aquatic aesthetic, that utilizes some neat parallax effects. It's plot is of the loose "walk around doing piratey things" variety, but that allows the characters to take center stage. And what characters they are! The cast's designs and dialogue sparkle with personality and there's not a single one who doesn't get a laugh-out-loud bit of conversation. Fluffy the Salt-Water Pirahna! Finny, the sarcastic mermaid with the prerequisite convenient hair placement! McGonnagal, the ship's poet who didn't really think through the whole "hanging oneself while one is already dead" thing! So few browser games take the time to develop an ensemble cast, but this is definitely one that does.

Not that the puzzles are too shabby either. They have a logical progression, and incorrect attempts will at least cause you to crack a smile. Of particular note is an early sequence when you must find a replacement hat: there are about a half-dozen red-herrings that you can try on, and each of them garners a snarky comment from the protagonist. When developers enjoy making a game, it shows in the details, and one might suspect this team enjoyed it a lot.

The negatives of Pirates of the Undead Sea are standard for the genre: a few obtuse solutions (especially the last puzzle of the game), navigation that's a little confusing, and a protagonist that deserves a faster walking speed, even if he is a zombie. The background music is high quality, but a mixed bag tone-wise: some of it would be suited better in an elevator than for a terror of the seas. However, these minor drawbacks mean little when compared with the positives. Any fan of classic Lucas Arts adventures will love Pirates of the Undead Sea, and it's sure to be a strong performer in our annual Best of 2011 awards. In conclusion... ARRRRRR.

Play Pirates of the Undead Sea: Rise of the Ribcage

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times... No, actually it's just the worst of times. How else could you describe the situation in Menara Games' turn-based strategy/tower defense mix Demonrift TD? As the Baroness Milena, you command the last of the troops of the kingdom of Emaeron, which has fallen to the forces of a demon horde. Using your mouse to control the various aspects of the game, it is your duty to restore the empire and send the enemy back to whatever depths from which they came.

The turn-based portion of the game is played from the map screen. This is the lighter of the hybrid halves as there's not much strategy involved in it. Once you've recaptured a town (in the tower defense part) you earn one of three different types of resources from that town, the type indicated in the corner of the town's icon. The resources (coin, anvil and crystal) can be spent in the Training Camp to improve and purchase unit types for the tower defense levels. They can also be used to construct a building in your towns, each of which give different benefits to your game in both strategy and tower defense.

Most of your efforts toward glory for Emaeron will be spent in the tower defense levels, which are entered by clicking a town on the map screen with a red flag by it. While there are four total 'towers' to build, the game starts you out with just two: the cheap swordsmen and the archers, which are your only defense against flying creatures. Towers can only be built on the hexagons indicated on the level screen. The thing to figure out is whether it's better to build more towers to attack a greater number of enemies or to upgrade your existing towers to create up to three units (all the defenders from a particular tower attack the same enemy). 'And what are we defending exactly?' you may be asking. Well, you're protecting ancient shrines which provide vital information toward permanently defeating these vile demons. The shrines have a specific defense counter which runs down for each enemy that reaches it. The number of counters left at the end of the level determines your rank for the level, and thus the amount of resources you're rewarded for your win. It's not clear how defending these shrines regains the town for you, but a win's a win, right?

Analysis: The tower defense portion of Demonrift TD lives up to expectations. It's nice to see a tweak to the usual formula. The graphics are nice with a mélange of paint-like backgrounds and cute character sprites. Even the enemies are cute in a demonic, 'I'm going to eat your face' kind of way. Where this game struggles is the imbalance between the two aspects of the game. It posits itself as a mix, but the strategy portion is so light as to be unnecessary to even mention. There are times when your towns can be attacked by the enemy, but you don't see the enemy movements or any other indicator of what they're doing, so it's more of a random event.

It's great to see a developer make the effort to update a game after its release based on player feedback, which Menara Games kindly did on this title. It shows humility and a true desire to create a game people will enjoy. Despite a few issues with the turn-based strategy side of this game, and the fact that the combat is on the easy side for a tower defense, it's definitely a solid play with an interesting story and cast of characters. Will you be able to fight back the demons, and what will become of Emaeron if you do?

Play Demonrift TD

Forget world peace, nothing brings a community together like a good puzzle! Time and time again you guys (yes, you out there on the other end of that interwebs pipeline) have proven you're willing to combine your Wonder Twins powers to solve even the most confounding conundrums developers have devised. Here are three of our favourite puzzle games of all varieties designed to get your grey matter churning and wanting to help out a fellow reader in need with a hint. Or, you know, post about your glorious puzzle supremacy and bathe in their tears. Whichever.

• Shift - Not everything is black and white, you know! At least, not unless you're playing Antony Lavalle's sneaky platform puzzle series, the Shift games. On the surface, your objective is simple; find the keys you need and get to the door. It sounds easy, at least until you realise that it involves flipping back and forth between black and white planes to get around. Shift has had its share of sequels, but if you've never dipped your toe into its fiendishly clever pool, there's no time like the present to start.
• Hanna in a Choppa - We've all wanted to get to da choppa at some point in our lives, and Chris Underwood's gloriously silly physics puzzler finally gives you the chance. There are 21 levels you have to win, using a helicopter to accomplish whatever task the game sees fit to give you... usually parodying a well-known game in the process. Hanna in a Choppa is one of those rare funny games where the satire feels like it runs confidently alongside the gameplay, rather than becoming the whole point of the experience, and its silly atmosphere combined with the creative level design makes this an easy choice for just about anyone to enjoy.
• The Codex of Alchemical Engineering - If you like logic and programming puzzles, few are finer and smarter than Zachtronics' exercise in science, patience, and brainpower. The goal of building a machine to complete a specific task may be simple, but achieving it is not... or at least, achieving it efficiently is hard, and if you approach the Codex wanting to prove your worth you can expect to lock horns with it for quite some time. It's more than a little challenging, but it's also one of those games that best displays the talent and goodwill of the community here (that's you guys!) because players are always willing to pool their knowledge. If you like easy, simple puzzle games then this one might be a bit much, but if you want a puzzling experience you can sit down to gnaw at for a long time, you'll definitely want to check this (and indeed all of the Zachtronics games) out.

While we welcome any comments about this weekly feature here, we do ask that if you need any help with the individual games, please post your questions on that game's review page. Well, what are you waiting for? Get out there and rediscover some awesome!

Joe is concerned, and that might just be an underreaction. He's been programmed with a disease called I.H.T.M.O.I.D. ("I have to move or I'll die") by a sadistic game dev narrator who has trapped him in a set of nineteen fiendish puzzle and trap-filled stages, and who won't stop taunting him to boot. It'll take all your platforming talents as well as your brains to get Concerned Joe out of this mess. Featuring fantastic pixel art and design by Xelu and adroit programming by 4ur Entertainment, Concerned Joe is a high difficulty game that provides aesthetic and narrative rewards that are more than worth the effort.

Running and jumping and all that fun stuff are accomplished with the [arrow] keys, and as far as the first play through goes, that's about all you need to know. [M] mutes, [P] pauses, [R] resets (ie kills you), and hitting [Esc] or [backspace] twice takes you to the main menu.

As the disease's name makes clear, you have to move... or you'll die. And unfortunately for Joe, moving very specifically means moving horizontally on tiles. Jumping and moving through the air apparently doesn't qualify as movement. A green tile with a plus sign on it will fully restore your health, whereas white tiles will stop health regen, and red X tiles will kill you outright. There are also tiles you help you jump and many other surprises in store, if you make it that far.

Analysis: Some levels require clever thinking, others require hair trigger platforming skills, and still others require a blend of both. Players with slower computers may have difficulty with some of the levels due to their need for both speed and perfection. If you have an older machine, or even if you don't, you might find that keeping tabs and other programs to a minimum makes the game much less frustrating. Concerned Joe absolutely delights in tricking the player, and the game abounds with traps and gotchas that are designed to be found through trial and error, until the game has you so paranoid that you start looking for what would be the stupidest move to make—and then try that first.

The game includes three bonus mini-games that test your stamina at three aspects of the main game: climbing the sticky blocks, maneuvering around moving walkway blocks, and avoiding red death blocks. You can submit your high scores to a table. The main game also has replay value thanks to certain things unlocked by its ending, although unfortunately getting more specific would ruin it.

Portal codified a new genre of game: the narrator who wants to kill you. Concerned Joe's enemy narrator is its strongest asset. Players who mute the game won't know what they're missing. The combination of the superb voice acting and the alternately hilarious and infuriating taunts combine to spur the player on no matter how many times Joe dies. While hearing "Hey grandma, I need you to beat this level for me" when you die just pixels away from safety might set your blood to boiling, the narrator is also the source of some delightful or just plain absurd quips. This can defuse the tension of repeated failures, because cracking a smile helps remind you that it's just a game after all. While the game flirts a little with the offensive ("Only real men can play this stage. If you're a woman you'll never make it."), those lines actually serve to highlight that the narrator himself is a bit of a loser, something that becomes more evident as you approach the ending. Without spoiling it, it's a twist ending that would only be a twist to someone well-versed in the Portalesque tradition of enemy narrator games. How's that for meta?

Play Concerned Joe

One of our favorite Flash games of all time here at JIG has just received an update! The Asylum, for abused cuddly toys, has just received a new patient and your care and treatment is needed to cure it from its psychological ills. Dr. Wood joins the other adorable messed-up toys: Kroko, Lilo, Dolly, Dub and Sly, and each one is desperately in need of your help!

Enter the patient's lounge and select any of the available toys to begin treatment. Then, once in the treatment room, begin by choosing from available methods of therapy by clicking on the clipboard. The patient will react, sometimes well and sometimes not so well, so you will have to try various methods to ultimately cure the little cuddly toy. Cut scenes of animation will, from time to time, reveal insight into each patient's traumatic past experiences that ultimately caused them to wind up in the asylum.

An indicator of your progress appears in the top right of the clipboard so you can see how you're doing. Once the meter is completely filled with green, the patient is cured and allowed to leave the asylum!

Dr. Wood is perhaps the most unusual patient yet to be admitted to the Asylum, and its behavior is beyond anything ever seen thus far in this delightful game. But be careful, or you just might wind up as the patient yourself(!)

Play The Asylum

The city is under attack! Regular citizens have gone red-eyed with uncontrollable rage, security robots are running amok, mutants are smashing up storefronts, and sales of crowbars and health syringes are through the roof. Could it possibly have something to do with all those high-frequency broadcasting towers that the mysteriously menacing GlobalTek Industries have constructed all over town? Well, there's only one way to find out. Put together a party, load up on weapons, fight or sneak your way past the psychos and start causing massive property damage! Legends of Kong, new from Nerdook, is a randomly generated action-RPG that never plays the same twice.

Use the [arrow] keys to run and jump across the city's landscape, attacking with the [spacebar]. You must make it to the transmitter at the end of each level and neutralize it, before returning to your car. In your way are the red-eyed psychos, who will chase and attack if you walk into their field of village and will prevent you from leaving the screen until they are killed or enough time passes with you out of sight. It is up to the player to decide whether to be aggressive or stealthy. There are chests of cash to loot, new party member to rescue, and teleporters to activate, all activated with the [down] key. New upgrades and weapons are available for purchase after each successfully completed level. These can be equipped before starting a new level, and weapons can be switched while playing with the [Q] key. Bonuses are given for pacifist and kill-all-enemy level-runs. It's up to you to stop GlobalTek Industries from completing their vaguely defined scheme!

Legends of Kong is fun, can't help but suffer most by comparison. The whole feel of the game is quite reminiscent of Nerdook's earlier Zombies Took My Daughter. After all, it has the randomly generated content, doomed urban setting, and ongoing fight for survival. The problem is that there are areas in which the previous work is clearly superior, particularly in combat which here is much more repetitive. Still, Legend of Kong distinguishes itself by offering much more character customization and a tighter plot. Even with the elements of luck inherent in the design's premise, there's a lot of cool ideas here. Whether or not they all pay off satisfactorily will be up to the individual player, but most will conclude that Legends of Kong builds upon Nerdook's already impressive legend as a gaming experimenter.

Play Legends of Kong

The iOS platform has needed a really good original adventure game for a while now rather than just subsisting on a meager diet of ports of preexisting titles. Has Phosphor Games swung to our rescue? After all, dropping you in a hospital crawling with unspeakable horrors and an unstable narrator is how game developers say "I like you", right? The Dark Meadow is an action adventure point-and-click-ish type game with horror elements. As mentioned, you find yourself in a decaying hospital where only one person doesn't seem to be trying to kill you, and he isn't much help. Finn, as he's called, babbles about a witch trapping you both there... and you are well and truly trapped since not even dying will set you free. Find out the truth about the walls you're trapped within, the bleak meadow you can glimpse outside, and the horrible things men do for power.

The Dark Meadow isn't a free-roaming adventure game; you can only move to places the game will let you, a sort of "on rails with options" experience. Navigation is easy; just click on the glowing green circles to move, and on any containers to open them or items, mainly sacks of gold, to pick them up. Gold is important since you'll need it to buy new equipment to increase your health and stats, but don't forget to grab first aid kits, which you can only use outside of battle, and gems; find ten of them and get ten attribute points to disperse as you see fit. Almost more important than gems and equipment, however, are books and bits of paper lying around that will gradually fill you in on the story; there are almost sixty to find, and since Finn's reliability seems... questionable... you might want to hunt them down whenever possible for your own answers.

When a monster appears, usually randomly, you'll shift into combat mode whereupon you can drag your weapon of choice (and by this I mean your finger) around the screen to slash and shoot as you see fit. When enemies are at a distance you can peg them with crossbow bolts, but once they get close enough you'll shift to melee. It's actually a pared down Infinity Blade; you use the arrows on either side of the screen to dodge enemy attacks, and swipe at the screen to slash them when you have an opening. Just remember; dodge towards the arm the big baddie is using to take a swipe at you, and wait to strike until you get the "Attack Now!" message. There are even special combos to use if you find the clues for them. Gain enough experience to level up and you'll get points you can spend in several attributes. If you do die (or take a break from playing), however, it's not the end of the world; you'll just reawaken allllllll the way back in the starting room with all your equipment and levels, and at least you'll find more gold and items randomly dispersed throughout the whole building again when you do. You can also buy large amounts of gold via an in-app purchase if you so desire, but that's entirely optional.

Analysis: The Dark Meadow is powered by the Unreal Engine, and it's clear that the game takes advantage of this. It both looks and sounds great, apart from some slightly muddy textures on iPad Uno, and by and large is very responsive during gameplay. While it really is more of an an action game than anything else, there's a fairly strong emphasis on story as well, and having the notes and papers randomly dispersed throughout the game provides great incentive to explore. Finn's increasingly inane ramblings, threats, insults, and praise can sometimes be goofy enough that they almost feel like they don't fit the setting, but the voice acting and writing is actually very well done and he never repeats himself.

The downside, however, is that Dark Meadow just isn't very scary. It's dark at times throughout the course of its narrative, sure, but that's not the same thing. Nothing jumps out at you, nothing goes bump in the night. The biggest culprit is actually the combat which, while easy, is also more than a little repetitive and honestly just feels like its dragging out the gameplay by making you grind for levels and cash to get past certain encounters. It also really hamstrings the whole atmosphere the game seems to be trying so hard to achieve, making it less creepy adventure and more hacky-slashy-ready-notey. Maybe if death carried a harsher penalty... although making you drag your sorry butt all the way back through each area whenever you get knocked out is admittedly a pretty gross punishment as it stands. Can't you just, like... slap us around a little?

Despite this, The Dark Meadow has a lot going for it. The simplified Infinity Blade combat is easy to get the hang of, the monster designs are varied enough that it helps to take the sting out of how often you'll get in slap fights with them, and the story is actually very well told. Fans of the oppressive horror in, say, Amnesia may be disappointed in the frequent combat and the grinding, and it really feels as if the game might have benefited more from more varied gameplay, but if you go into this knowing what to expect and even anticipating it, then The Dark Meadow has a lot to offer you. It's well written, beautifully visualized, and Phosphor Games clearly has a lot of talent and a lot of potential hits in their future.

Dark Meadow

(universal)

Minecraft? On your Android phone? It's here, folks, and it's an official release from Mojang! It may not be the full-fledged game you were hoping for, but given some time, we might just get our favorite building game fully ported. If building things isn't your style, we've also got Flick Golf and Pocket League Story to keep you entertained!

Minecraft - Pocket Edition - You know the game, now you can take it with you wherever you go! Er... sorta. This early release of the mobile version of the ever-amazing Minecraft features just the most essential elements you need to build your own block worlds. Move around your world, creating and removing blocks with a tap of your touch screen. There's no crafting, no mobs, and most of the other features found in the full desktop version of the game aren't present, but if you absolutely need your Minecraft fix on-the-go, this'll get the job done. With any luck, the game will get more features in the near future. A free Minecraft - Pocket Edition Demo is also available.

Flick Golf - From the makers of Coin Drop, Flick Golf is a touch screen-friendly version of the real-world game so many people secretly love to play. Choose your shot's direction, then swipe the screen to give the golf ball a good hit. Influence its direction in mid-air by swiping the screen, and try to land your shot near the hole (obviously). Simple design, but the game is perfect for quick mobile sessions.

Pocket League Story - Another simulation game from the mobile experts at Kairosoft, creator of Game Dev Story and several other games in the "story" series. You are the manager of a young soccer team hoping to make it big. Train players, attract sponsors, manage research possibilities and keep track of players' stats before and after each game. During the action, you're practically a spectator, leaving you in a tense nail-biting position. If you manage your team right, though, you'll start racking up some victories, giving you more options to improve your team bit by bit. The free Pocket League Story Lite is also available.

NOTE: Games listed may not be available outside of North America. Prices are subject to change and are therefore unlisted. Please see the individual game pages for purchasing info. Games have been confirmed to run on Android 2.2 on an HTC Incredible.

Mining. Building. Fighting. Constructing. In the real world, all of these things are rough, painful sorts of jobs that most people aren't very interested in doing. In the gaming world, they're the Holy Grail of entertainment. Enter King Arthur's Gold, a multiplayer (with some single player, too) construction and combat game similar to Terraria and hempuli's miniature masterpiece Masjin. Teamwork is the central focus of the game, and while some players will be busy mining and building, others will head out for direct combat with the enemy. How much more exciting could it get?!

There are three classes to choose from in King Arthur's Gold: builders, knights, and archers, all of which are necessary to steal and hide gold from the other team. Builders can tunnel through the dirt and create a number of structures ranging from traps to ladders to catapults. Knights excel at hand to hand combat and will be your basic go-to unit for staving off enemy attacks. Archers are a bit more strategic in nature and ambush foes as well as fire arrows at a distance. Each team will naturally have several of each class type, and while the warriors battle things out on the surface, builders are below hiding the gold and setting traps to keep foes at bay.

Gathering gold is the central focus of the game. It's a constant struggle between teams to win, and battles will rage for what feels like an eternity. The little fights are what often matter most, however, as you'll tend to focus on small tasks and small areas of the map that contribute to the overall goal. You have a broad range of movement that uses a combination of the mouse and keyboard, freeing you to build/mine in any direction while moving around to stay safe. And you can accomplish some really creative things in the game, such as constructing high platforms that can be bombed to rain rubble down on your foes. Really, your only limit is your imagination. That, and having to wait to respawn after you die!

Analysis: Seasoned retro gamers will likely recognize the visual style of King Arthur's Gold from a fantastic sidescrolling strategy game released in 1994 for the SNES called King Arthur's World. KAG bears a number of passing resemblances to the older game, but it borrows very little from that decades-old (but still fun!) title. Instead, King Arthur's Gold is more like contemporary sandbox games, though greatly simplified and more focused on action and teamwork than building pretty things.

The best part of King Arthur's Gold: the development team is constantly improving the game, adding new features and balancing out old ones. The not-so-best part is the game isn't too friendly to newbies, and even though the single player tutorials introduce you to the basics, when you join a server you'll be overwhelmed with the frantic action that's going on. The learning curve is shallow, though, so just stick with it and you'll see why the game has such a large base of loyal fans!

King Arthur's Gold is free to play for the basic game, but if you really get into it, you can upgrade to premium and gain access to loads of new features (new modes, single player maps, a level editor, zombies, haircuts, etc.), any one of which is worth the price of admission alone. It's a brilliant and strategy-filled war game with just the right amount of creative construction. You won't regret the time you spend digging tunnels, bomb rushing enemies, or using arrows to climb tall walls!

Windows:
Download the free basic version Upgrade to premium

Mac OS X:
Download the free basic version Upgrade to premium

Linux:
Download the free basic version Upgrade to premium

In the world of time management/casual simulation games there are plenty of Build-a-Lot clones, so it was exciting a few years back when a new player entered the field with Virtual City. Rather than concentrate on building or development, Virtual City took the genre in a whole new direction by focusing the gameplay on the movement of goods, services, and people. Now, G5 Entertainment is back with Virtual City 2: Paradise Resort, which takes the transportation madness to new and interesting heights.

Transportation is the not-so-hidden secret of how cities work. You can build skyscrapers, office buildings, and factories, but without some way of moving raw materials, goods, and people, the whole thing falls apart. Water, Rail, even Flight can be good ways of moving goods and materials over long distances, but within the confines of a single city transportation like that is dependent upon trucks. Good thing you own a trucking company, isn't it? The game consists of over 50 levels, each a small town or city that is in need of some good infrastructure building.

An annoying woman will pop up at the beginning of each level and give you the lowdown on what needs to be done. Does the local populace need something to eat? Perhaps you need a pie factory, the simplest of the merchandise "chains". To get pies to the general populace all you need is a wheat farm, a mill to grind the wheat, a dairy farm for butter, eggs, and milk, a bakery to bring it all together, and four trucks to move all of the materials and finished product. As the game progresses you will be faced with longer and more complex chains to create more complex goods, as well as other challenges to bring the current city or town up to snuff.

Actions are completed with a simple click of a mouse. A tabbed menu at the bottom shows each level's goals, keeps tracks of vehicles, and has the handy construction menu for building necessary houses, roads, tourist destinations, and the like. Each level will have its own unique requirements you need to meet before you can move on. The game begins with a basic stock of certain buildings which are added to in the "R&D" lab after each round, using the investment points earned by finishing a level. Complete a level in a certain amount of time and you earn gold, giving you more investment points to upgrade or to buy new types of buildings.

G5 Entertainment has added some new twists that shake up the gameplay pretty quickly when compared to the original game. In Virtual City 2 you not only have to worry about the movement of goods and services, but the movement of your town's inhabitants (and tourists) goes front and center this time around with the addition of office buildings, motels, resorts, and the like. What good are office buildings if people can't get there to work? And what good are resorts without tourists? With a limited amount of vehicles that can be run out of headquarters the challenge becomes how to balance materials transport, people moving, and garbage disposal without your city coming to a virtual standstill.

Analysis: So many time management and simulation games tend to rest on their laurels, creating game after game with the exact same gameplay updated only with new visuals (cough, Farm Frenzy, cough) so it's nice that Virtual City 2 avoids that trap. The visuals have certainly been upgraded with the new buildings and the like, and the backgrounds are filled with lovely details that catch the eye. What makes Virtual City 2 exciting, though, is the new twist on the gameplay that certainly causes any veteran to rethink their strategies as the levels progress.

The graphics are bright and colorful, the animations amusing, and the lively music is a perfect fit for Virtual City 2. As you travel from the Beehive state to the Sunshine state to the Silver state and The Last Frontier (that's Utah, Florida, Nevada, and Alaska to non-US natives) the background scenery changes accordingly, as does the weather. Those who have played the original Virtual City will recognize the animations of the little vehicles as they go about their duties, as well as the animations of the factories which have also been joined by trains, boats, and even planes leaving and coming back taking goods and returning tourists on certain levels. All of these factors combine to make Virtual City 2 a treat for the eyes, ears, and brain.

If there are any complaints they are minimal, mostly involving the amount of instruction available for what makes a truck, dumpster truck, or bus more efficient and profitable, leaving you to flounder a bit and figure it out for yourself. Other than that there is very little to complain about, making Virtual City 2 a fun and frantic way to spend a lot of time trying on various civic improvements. Take Virtual City 2 for a spin and become the trucking magnate you've always wanted to be! Just, you know, try to avoid the teamsters if possible.

Windows:
Download the demo Get the full version

Mac OS X:
Not available.
Try Boot Camp or Parallels or CrossOver Games.

It seems like only a few days ago we were given a new installment in Yoshio Ishii's gorgeous Hoshi Saga series, and today another one, number 8, lands in our virtual laps: Hoshi Saga Dokuringo. But before you go off playing this one, please note the rating. This latest set of levels contains some risqué imagery, as well as some way more difficult stages.

Inside you'll find 25 new stages to clear, made up of images from the previous "ringo" games with all new puzzles (and mini-games) designed for them, and all you need to do is find the star. How you go about it will take some creative problem solving along with the usual pointing and clicking, dragging and waggling. The first level is mandatory, and it contains a lot of Japanese text, which I suspect explains this set of levels. I'd really appreciate it if someone were to translate what is says for us in the comments. I hope it gives a good reason and warning for the titillating imagery of scantily clad young females that appear in this batch.

Another immediate and obvious oddity of the Dokuringo set is the stage numbering, which starts off at Stage 9976 for the first. I wonder if perhaps this was a set that the author never intended to publish. And maybe he decided to publish them after receiving complaints that the previous games were becoming too easy. What do you think about the numbering, and what do you think about the level of difficulty in this one?

Play Hoshi Saga Dokuringo

Walkthroughs for the Hoshi Saga series...

• Hoshi Saga Walkthrough
• Hoshi Saga 2 Walkthrough
• Hoshi Saga 3 Walkthrough
• Hoshi Saga Ringo Walkthrough
• Hoshi Saga Ringoame Walkthrough
• Hoshi Saga Ringoen Walkthrough
• Hoshi Saga Ringohime Walkthrough
• Hoshi Saga Dokuringo Walkthrough

Similar games:

• Kagi Nochi Tobira series
• Click Play series