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Games Tagged with "skill"
Bada Boing is based on a very simple idea: Bounce a ball off a trampoline to hit targets and score points. Using the mouse just click, drag, and release a ball from the unlimited supply to 'throw' it. It's really quite intuitive to play. Included are 4 different game modes incorporating the same addictive gameplay mechanic.
Momentum Missile Mayhem plays like a combination of a tower defense game and a physics-based strategy game such as Bowmaster Prelude. Waves of enemies come piling in from the side of the screen. Your weapon works like a slingshot: grab the missile and pull it back, then release to send the projectile flying. There's a lot of strategy and customization built into this game, so be prepared to sink your teeth into a deep and immensely rewarding casual online game.
Overhead Consistence is another mouse maze game, but please bear with me... this one's good, even if you don't normally go for manual dexterity games. If you don't believe me, go check out Overhead Persistence, reviewed here in March. Has JohnB ever steered you wrong? This one is well worth the effort.
Shuffle is a combination of curling, marbles and billiards played with two rows of colored balls. You take control of the red team and must knock the yellows off the screen before the computer does the same to you. Grab a marble and drag the mouse to choose your throwing angle and power, then let it fly and watch the yellow marbles tumble off the screen.
Each time Ferry Halim of Orisinal.com releases a new game, I think I've seen the most beautiful and elegant combination of music and artwork in casual gaming history. With the latest release of The Crossing, Ferry has outdone himself once again. Control a platform to help leaping deer cross a stream. Go for the highest score possible while eyeing the gorgeous scenery and listening to a soothing piano tune.
Juggler is a neat little diversion that I would categorize as a gravity-based game of mouse dexterity. The goal is simple: You control one paddle (ala breakout) while multiple balls bounce in sequence. You must maintain the balls in the air like a crazy one armed juggler.
The latest offering from the folks down at NinjaKiwi. The objective is to protect yourself from a 30-round onslaught of enemies. Your chief weapons are flasks of potions that you lob at your enemies. You can control the potency of the weapon and the type of damage inflicted by altering the composition of your potion flask.
Too often do we come across Flash games (especially shooters) that are either too brief or too repetitive. Luminara is a brilliant example of how to avoid those problems. It's simple enough: you are a dot and you fire bullets. And like any good game, the premise always stays exactly this simple. What gets more complex are the subsequent waves of enemies that come at you.
For a quick and addictive action game splurge, check out the recently released Angry Faic. Similar to Kill the Pacman, presented here way back a few years ago, Angry Faic is an arcade action game of skill that has you perpetually falling from the sky, constantly trying to land on tiny passing emoticons of a matching color.
A crowd pleaser from one of our Friday link dumps, Spikey's Bounce Around is an arcade action game of skill in which you are given 10 tries per level to release all the butterflies while accumulating points. Butterflies are sealed in jars that must be broken to release their contents. A jar will break if it reaches the ground, thereby setting the trapped butterfly free.
In this gorgeously detailed Flash-based driving game, the developers combine highly stylized computer motion graphics and 3D cut scenes to create a unique experience you won't soon forget. Players travel to (and through) destinations such as Lisbon, Paris, Berlin and Prague, all the while competing to earn credits for upgrades and to purchase new vehicles.
The popularity and success of Ninja Kiwi's recent Bloons game compelled the developer to put its next project on hold while they create another 50 levels to appease fans eager to pop More Bloons. But these levels promise to be even more difficult than the first batch.
Dot Action 2 is a cute little platformer with a personality. For those seeking some old-school gameplay, OffGao of Japan may have just what you're looking for. At first glance these games may appear as nothing special, but as was the case with many early video games, it's all about the gameplay.
Stone Cold Curling is another well-polished game by Preloaded, the makers of CDX and Shootin' Stars. It's a simple Flash version of curling where your goal is to slide stones to the end of a field and come as close to the center of the target as you can.
There is something inherently gratifying about smashing or destroying something, even watching a building be demolished is good fun. So it should be no surprise that we see the concept come up a lot in games. Stephen over at Ninja Kiwi claims that his latest Flash game, "is based on the very simple fact that popping balloons is fun". And you know what? He's right! In Bloons you get to pop a lot of balloons!
Yes, it's an advergame for SPAM: the stinky French garlic flavor kind. But much, much more than that, SPAMalot is a Flash defend-your-castle Flash game with an absolutely severe Monty Python element thrown up into the mix for good humor, good times.
Castle Smasher is a simple but amazingly entertaining game where your goal is to destroy a castle using nothing more than a catapult. Fling stones at the opposing structure to whittle it down to nothing as efficiently as you can. Upgrade your shots between levels and be as frugal as you can with your firepower. Once you run out, it's game over.
Ian Snyder's Valo requires the same painstakingly delicate touch as removing a funny bone or charley horse from the classic game Operation, albeit with a much gentler, more abstract style. Use your expert pointing and clicking skills to navigate dangerous fields of red squares while clicking on or dragging the mouse over all the blue squares to earn points and advance to the next level.
As a casual gamer, you have certainly come across titles that fall into the defend-your-castle category. BowMaster Prelude fits that description as well, but certain aspects elevate it above other candidates, such as earning experience points and gold to recruit an army, the ability to upgrade and buy different arrows, and a unique feature that lets the hero leave the castle.
Trick Hoops is simple game of making hoop shots with a basketball. It is a multiplayer game that can be played one-on-one with a friend over the Web. The mechanic is a simple one and won't take long to become familiar with how to do it. Perfecting shots, however, is another matter entirely and that's what makes this game so much fun.
Arguably one of the best (if not the best) Flash game series of its genre, Dr3i is more than just a game of avoidance. As before, collecting small positive and negative signs speeds up and slows down the rotation of the obstacles that you must make your way past. However, this 3rd version in the series introduces an animated "beast", an engaging cloud of black smoke that follows you in pursuit.
Want a very quick diversion? Try Double Jeu. It's in French. The two words you needs are: jouer (means play) and rejouer (means play again). This is a very, very simple game. Your aim is to keep playing as long as possible. It may drive you round the bend.
Frets on Fire is an open source clone of the ever-popular PlayStation 2 music/rhythm game, Guitar Hero. And just like Guitar Hero, Frets on Fire features a handful of songs and allows you to play the guitar sections by pressing just a few keys. Instead of using a separate controller to mimic the guitar, Frets on Fire lets you pick up the keyboard and jam in right front of your desk. Best of all, a built-in editor lets you tab any song, spawning a growing community of music-modders on the web.
For those of you who have never been drunk in your entire life, the Game of Disorientation will serve as a suitable trainer in case you drink from the wrong plastic cup at the next party you're dragged to. It's when the walls start pulsing and the room starts rotating that things really get confusing.
A brand new game from Tonypa, this one called Keyway and it is a variation on Dance Dance Revolution (DDR) designed for playing with fingers, instead of legs, and using a computer keyboard for input instead of a dance pad.
If someone were to have told me that I'd be spending the next several hours flinging, flicking, snapping, bouncing, dropping and shooting a green gob of gooey slime around 50 levels of a unique new Flash platform puzzle game, I'd probably have expected to see an exceptional piece of work. Well, Sling is exactly that: an amazing new physics-based platform game and I have been playing and enjoying it for hours.
TG Motocross 2 is the sequel to another fine game of the same name, TG Motocross, which we haven't covered before. Both games actually appear to be quite the same except for different courses. This is not such a bad thing, however, as both are excellent games in the motocross genre.
Drag the Dot is a simple Flash game, created by Oliver Castañeda of Scarsdale, New York, in which the objective is literally self-explanatory. Just drag the dot to the goal in each of the game's 16 levels, and a final boss level that is "better than doom" (whatever that means.)
An updated version of the original Reverse game (previously reviewed on JIG), Reverse 2 is a very simple point-to-move-the-block game where the basic rule is that the mouse input directions have been reversed, so pushing the mouse up pulls you down, and so forth.
Mark Arenz has been designing games over at Ridiculopathy for years now and he has amassed an impressive selection with creative and original gameplay. He has recently released a sequel of sorts to a unique game concept he created about a year ago, and this one succeeds in improving the idea and taking it to the next level.
Kodama is a quirky little ball-toss game that had me quickly hooked, and it wouldn't let me go until I had conquered its final challenge... with extreme prejudice. The gameplay is simple: you toss a little metal coin into a red or blue scoring area, while avoiding the black areas that will cost you one of your four lives.
Ever watched Flipper and were jealous about all the tricks he could do? Now you, too, can have the charm of a sea-based mammal with Dolphin Olympics. This flash game by Alan Rawkins puts you in the role of a dolphin in an infinite blue ocean. Build speed, leap from the water and perform tricks to rack up a high score and boost your speed for the next jump. It's a surprisingly simple idea that borrows elements from a number of games yet feels fresh each time you play.
Far, far from Skid Row, in a make-believe land (somewhere that's green,) lives a meat-eating plant in a terra-cotta pot. Now this plant is no ordinary meat-eating plant, for it can use its powerful jaws to grab ahold of ceiling or floor and pull itself along. Use the mouse to move the plant through 15 unique levels in Feed Me, a new platform game by Nitrome.
Geartaker is an arcade action game of skill in which the player jumps from wheel to wheel by clicking the mouse precisely. The author borrows the gameplay from another of his games, High Wheels, but strips it down to just jumping, plain and simple. A charming game with addictive gameplay from one of the best casual game designers there is, Tonypa.
The enviably talented crew at Nitrome have just released their latest game and it's an ambitious effort to put it mildly. Roly Poly is a Flash action game of skill with a unique mechanic: Click and drag to tilt the play field and use gravity to roll the little hedgehog to the goal of each level, and within the time limit provided.
As anyone who's worked in an office knows, staving off boredom is your primary objective. Enter Binball Wizard, a simple flash game similar to Cyrkam Airtös. All you have to do is kick a ball into a trash bin located somewhere in the office. Control the power, height and direction of the ball and smash objects in the room. Then sit back, finish your coffee, then maybe file that TPS report when you have time.
From Lightning Games and Playaholics, the Flash-based Lightning Pool brings all the accoutrements of modern electronic entertainment to the classic game of billiards. Race against the clock as you collect power-ups and coins, unlock secret levels, avoid obstacles and, of course, clear the table with style and finesse in this addictive take on pool.
SpaceCab is an online flash game created and hosted by Sporkle. This tough little game has you piloting a round spacecab through dangerous terrain to rescue lost miners from aliens. Navigate through tight tunnels, uncover secret pathways, and scream/curse every single time you crash. It's a jolly romp in space, bring the kids!
Roboclaw is a simple game of skill that will test your dexterity of hand-eye coordination in your attempts to move a small blue sphere into a goal by controlling a 'robotic' arm. The easy-to-understand gameplay paired with a not-so-easy challenge is the perfect combination for a quick lunchtime distraction that is sure to test your skill, and your patience.
Remember the typing game, Letters, that was reviewed here in November? Well, the author, Hannu Pelkonen, has released a very significant addition to the series: Words! Though lacking the power-ups of Letters, Words uses the same slick interface and addictive dynamic high score display that updates your rank in real-time while you play.
Next up are two brand new games built with Processing from the very talented JP of France. Both arcade style action games involve using a bow to shoot arrows at floating balloons for some quick casual fun.
The latest and, in my opinion, greatest of the Ball Revamped series has been released. John has returned to the original stationary playing field from his previous scrolling version in both parts of III, and added plenty of new obstacles and power-ups in 100 new levels to keep you satisfied for a good half an hour or so.
The modest and lackluster appearance of this game hides well the exceptional gameplay beneath its surface. And yet with the very first serve across the net, one can immediately tell this is no retro game of Pong. Challenging and exciting, this is the latest game by the very talented Taro Ito of GameDesign in Japan. Arigatoo gozaimasu!
Drifts is a Flash action game based on a very simple idea: collect the green bubbles while avoiding the purple ones. And yet the simplicity of the game is deceiving: underneath the surface lurks a challenge that is difficult to master. It's an exceptionally well-designed casual game that is fun to play.
Pixel Field is an action strategy game that shines from its intuitive gameplay, immersive physics, soothing soundtrack, and excellent replay value. The red base that dangles and stretches as it is moved around each level creates an immersing sensation in which you can almost feel the physics in the game. Another brilliant game from Tonypa.
Letters 2 includes everything that made the first version great, plus it adds power-ups and an expanded high scores table to the mix. The result is an even better game, one that can help you be more productive while at the same time having some fun.
One of my favorite mini-games from Globz gets another sequel: Twin Spin III picks-up where the first two left off, continuing the same addictive gameplay formula with 24 all-new levels. The core gameplay mechanic consists of clicking the mouse button (or space bar) to 'walk' a baton around the play field and explode all of the balloons that exist for each level.
Next up is another great little mini-game from GlobZ that offers addictive gameplay with the press of only a single button. Rotobo is a top-down platformer where the object is to find and land on a green ore block hidden in each level through a succession of jumps.
When each level...
Pong was an amazing and innovative game in its time. Unfortunately, after the novelty wore off there just wasn't much gameplay left to hold our interest. And by today's standards, it's just too simple a game to be much fun anymore.
GameLab leverages the simplicity of Pong, as well as that...
Here is a simple one-button mouse game that is easy to understand, and yet difficult to do. In fact, it's likely that it will be downright frustrating for those without the sharpest of reflexes or mousing precision.
ClickRed is an action game in which you must click on the moving red...
An unusual Flash game with a variety of gameplay possibilities, Magnetism lets you select the type of game that is right for you. Created by Tyler Glaiel, a 14 year-old budding game developer, Magnetism is a unique puzzle game that features challenges of strategy and skill with an emphasis on...
One of my favorite casual games that I keep returning to when I have just a few moments to spare is an early Orisinal game called The Amazing Dare-Dozen. The object of the game is quite simple: climb as high as you can by repeatedly landing an egg into the basket above.
Another recent production from Rubilon is this odd and yet simple game of timing. Babycal Throw is an action arcade game in which the player attempts to hit walking and running targets by tossing bean-bags up in the air. What makes this game special is the manner in which Rubilon has implemented the scoring and the power-ups.
Flash Game Zone offers a series of Flash games designed by Uminin of Japan. Each of the games exhibit high production values with a solid design that offers compelling and rewarding gameplay. One of my favorites is Cube, an action strategy game of skill similar to a Shuffleboard game. The objective is to propel colored cubes across the play field so that they come to rest within designated rectangles.
Like Metaphysik to come before, this game is an action arcade game in which the player balances a ball while moving it through a maze of obstacles toward a goal. This time out, John implements levels larger than the game view window, which makes finding the goal an additional challenge.
Time for a break from all the thinking required in those point-and-click adventure games. This next game comes from Jared Tarbell, maths and Flash wizard extraordinaire.
Maeda Path is a relaxing game of eye|hand coordination with elegantly simple graphics and a brilliant use of sound. Using your input device of choice,...
Digital media artist and UC Davis student, John Cooney, has produced this highly addictive Flash action arcade game, and he has made it available for the world to play on his website, jmtb02.com.
Ball Revamped: Metaphysik is a game of dexterity and timing, requiring the player to guide a multi-colored ball...
A delightful holiday Flash game to wish everyone a Merry Christmas. Decorate the trees by dropping stars from above and landing them on the tree tops. Simply click on a star at just the right moment for it to fall onto a tree or a present. Simple holiday fun.
Climb high as you can by jumping from wheel to wheel in this simple and addictive, one-button casual game by Tonypa. Press the mouse button or the space bar to jump. Collect the red dots for points, the blue dots for power-ups. Clear the board for a bonus.
More Monkey Ball madness with mini Flash games from Sega. This time featuring three different games from Super Monkey Ball 2: Monkey Target, Monkey Baseball, and Monkey Bowling. Each game is a mini version of the console games available for the Nintendo Gamecube.
In Monkey Target, press the space bar to open your monkey ball wings and use the arro...
From Preloaded in London comes this sweet, entertaining game filled with combos, skill shots and wonderful particle effects that explode when you shoot a star. Its simple and addictive gameplay is as easy as pressing the right key at the right moment.
This Flash game is from Scenta, the same UK folks behind Reverse. Also created by Mobasher Lqbal, Nucleus features the same minimalist-type graphics, which are clean and simple, and adds atoms and valence electrons to create a sort of platform jumping game that is a lot of fun.
And what would Halloween be without a little gore? Five Finger Fillet, from the now defunct 13th Street website of Universal Studios, is a Shockwave game to test your reflexes and your stomach. Be careful or you'll lose a finger. =p
Six Feet Under is a Flash game with instructions in German, so here is my take on the action: On the way to the cemetery, Alex, the hearse-driving coffin chauffeur, has to step on the gas to make it to the burial on time. Help Alex deliver the coffin by speeding to the cemetary and launching the coffin into the graveyard.
Tontie is a remarkably accessible and addictive action game from On of Eyezmaze. This now classic Web game uses the numeric keypad for hammering enemies whack-a-mole style as they pop-up on the grid. Some enemies require more than one hit, others require hits with precision timing. Numerous power-ups and special features give its gameplay surprising depth.
Here is another mouse cursor game that is nicely put together. Simple, minimalist graphics with levels of increasing difficulty, 20 in all. Guide the mouse cursor to the goal, however the control of the mouse is reversed. Simple and straight forward, Reverse is yet another short little diversion to cleanse the palette of your brain. Created by Moba...
An irresistible, fast-paced action Flash game where the objective is to kill the required number of pacmans (or is it pacmen?) within the time limit. You ‘kill' a pacman by jumping on it, Mario-style. Simply hop from one pacman to the next without falling to the ground. Simple and addictive.
Also known as Yeti Sports Part 6, Chris Hilgert has come out with yet another game in his series of brilliant and famously addictive Flash games featuring penguins and, of course, a yeti. Big Wave is about surfing to gain speed, then rack up the points by doing aerial jumps and stunts, and score bonus points by kicking penguins. Unlike his previous...
The tree of Vanilla grows rapidly and becomes difficult to manage and balance if not cared for properly. Like the tree it's named after, Vanilla is a deliciously refreshing and original game from Eyezmaze that is simple to pick-up and play, but difficult to beat. The objective is to see how high you can make the tree grow before it tips too far towards either edge of the play field.
Gold Miner is a cute and addictive little Flash game that has you mining for gold using just a claw and reel to unearth valuable treasures in a race against the clock. Each level provides a dollar value goal that must be met within the time limit to move on to the next. It's a well produced game with cute, appealing graphics and sound effects.
Mixing elements from platform, puzzle and space flight simulation games, Lunar Mouse House is more than just another Lunar Lander game. The Flash game puts you inside a galactic-sized piece of cheese with caverns running throughout. Your mission is to pilot the spacecraft to find the lunar mouse balls and carry each one via tractor beam to its resp...
The disappearing cursor game was created in Flash by Tom Pennock and released to the public just a few days ago on his site, BeatsTelevision.com. It's a game with a modest design and lofty expectations on the player. There are at least 12 levels where you must navigate the cursor with the mouse from point A (Go) to point B. The concept sounds easy, until you actually give it a try.
Based on the simple game of paper toss, the objective of Cyrkam Airtös is to first catch the various paper objects being thrown at you, then toss them into the waste bucket. If you make it, someone moves the bucket for the next toss to make the game more challenging. A simple concept paired with gameplay mechanics most people can immediately relate to must certainly contribute to why this game is becomming so popular across the Web.
The Australian government has issued this latest game for would-be pilots interested in joining the Australian Defence Force. The Flash game consists of mission based levels that have you flying an F/A 18 Hornet aircraft by using the mouse to guide the plane. You must keep the plane with the boundaries of the gates as you follow the lead aircraft. ...
From David and Goliath, maker of funny T-shirts and other fine apparel, comes this Flash game straight out of their “Boys Are Smelly” department: Throw Rocks at Boys. And why shouldn't we? After all, everyone knows that boys are stupid. If you've ever seen D&G designs then the game will be quite familiar. Otherwise, you might think ...
Appealing to a wide audience requires that your game design be straightforward and easily understood. Games that are instantly and universally accessible are generally based on simple concepts and mechanics that most everyone can identify with. Quite often it's the simpler games that win over our affection, and our attention, and become a joy to pi...
This set of Flash driving drills comes from France. The stylish graphics reminded me of one of those motor vehicle safety manuals they used to pass out in school. Maybe they are coordination tests for driver permits? Oh, that's just plain silly. Anyways, each game requires you to steer your way to the objective using the arrow keys on the keyboard (right, left, forward, reverse) and the space bar for the handbrake.
Scott Shiller is a Javascript and DHTML wizard and to prove it he has recreated the classic arcade hit Arcanoid with all original levels. There is also a level editor with which you can create your own levels and save them for others to play. The interface is slick and simple, and yet looks more like an application program running than code in a browser window. Amazing client-side programming.
Tontie deserves its own entry—and this way I can also add it to the "Recommended" section in the side bar. Posted a while back with the magnificient Grow game by Eyezmaze, Tontie is simply one of the most accessible, fun-to-play and challenging Flash games I've seen. Anyone with a numeric keypad can play: Just follow the on-screen instruction...
Chris Hilgert has finished yet another game in his YetiSports series of Flash games; this one features a flamingo, and of course the penguin obliggato. The object of the game is to hit the penguin as far as you can while avoiding obstacles such as an elephant, a giraffe, and a tree. For best results, don't hit it too high, and use the obstacles to ...
Chris Hilgert has finally made the fourth game in his YetiSports series available online, this one featuring a flock of Albatross. The object of the game is to fly the penguin as far as you can along the Australian beach. "Get close to the wind, Luke". Click....
From the BBC show featuring the same Blobs comes this cute little Flash game that is actually a bit of a challenge. Similar to the classic Lunar Lander game, the objective of Blob Lander is to fly and land your spaceship gracefully.
In January, 2004, Chris Hilgert created a Flash game which spread across the Internet like wildfire. The gameplay mechanics were simple and surprisingly fun: Bat a penguin with a Yeti to see how far you could throw him. Since then, Chris has created a trio of games featuring penguins, a yeti and other arctic mammals, and a fourth one is on the way.
One of the very first games ever to be featured here at JIG, Cats is an adorably cute game created by Ferry Halim. A very simple game that captures the essence of the fickle feline. From his Original site, a treasure trove for the casual game lover, and especially for kids. It is clear that Ferry puts his heart into every game he makes.
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