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Multiplayer Game Reviews
August 31, 2010
 10 Seconds or Less. The title pretty much says it all. This is a game where you are given a number of obscure images and set to the task of altering your perception a little in order to “see” it better. What I mean is, you’re given a picture of…say, a plate of sushi. Then you are given a small picture on top of that plate, which is a cut out of the larger version. So, your goal is to find the one little section of the picture that is highlighted in the small version in ten seconds or less. The faster you do so, the more points you get.
It’s worth pointing out that this game is extremely simple at first. You see a picture of a zebra, a close up of the zebras nose and wham, points. It isn’t until the small pictures get more obscure and the picture you’re given gets larger and more complex that the real challenge sets in. On that note, it’s also a great game if you want your puzzles to become gradually more difficult. I didn’t experience any of that shock you sometimes get where you’re cruising and all of a sudden you’re fighting mini boss battles every time you want to get something finished. Instead the game sort of blended between difficulty levels and ended up being somewhat pleasant as it increased the effort necessary.
The music in this game is one of the key elements. I’m not sure why but I’ve always had a really strong reaction to rhythmic heartbeats in video games. This is no exception. The game thuds steadily as your time runs out and as it grows faster you may find your own heartbeat growing quicker. It really pulls you in.
If you’re struggling the game has a set number of hints it can give to you. This can make your playing experience a little smoother, though there is nothing that can be done if you aren’t one for hand-eye coordination. This is a game that relies heavily on seeing, speed, and accuracy. It’s not for anyone who gets frustrated easily or who doesn’t have dexterous digits. A sad but brutal truth. Still, the game is straight forward, aesthetically pleasing, and easy enough to maneuver with a little bit of patience. It’s a good way to spend a few hours of your time and maybe hone your perceptive skills while you’re at it. You may look at your surroundings a little different afterward.
Game: 10 Seconds Or Less | Developer: PlayItLoud
August 30, 2010
 'Cause I'm freeeeeee... Free Fallin' If I had to pick only one word to describe Continuity, I’m pretty sure I would say “innovative.” This game is flat out amazing. It’s hands down one of the most creative puzzle games I have ever played. In fact, it is one of the only games I’ve given a full 5 stars to.
So what is this incredible game? It’s a puzzle-platformer crossover where you navigate through mazes. You must first gather every key in the maze, then make your way to the exit. But there’s a catch: each maze is broken up into sets of tiles, which must be moved around in order for your character to be able to move from one to the other. If the edges of the tiles don’t line up, you aren’t allowed to pass to the next one.
Essentially, there are two modes to Continuity. In one mode, you can slide the tiles around with the arrow keys but you can’t control the stick figure. In the other mode, you move the character with the arrow keys, but you can’t slide the tiles. To swap between modes, just hit the spacebar.
When the game begins, the puzzles are pretty simple, allowing players to get the feel for the game. But by the end, it gets insanely difficult. If you are the kind of person who gets headaches from thinking too hard, you probably will want to skip most of the second half of the game. And don’t even attempt the final maze. Yeah, it’s a real doozie. But personally, I like my puzzlers extra difficult, and Continuity kept me on my feet.
The music is great. No, better than great. The music is perfect. There are two songs during the actual gameplay: when you are sliding tiles, the music is eerie and “puzzle-ish” with its reverb and its bells, to put you in a contemplative mood; when you are running and jumping, there is a frantic melody that gives you a real sense of urgency. Every time you hit the spacebar to switch modes the music fades from one track to the other. Yeah, like I said, perfect.
Final words: Go play Continuity.
 Slide the tiles around to open new pathways. Game: Continuity | Developers: Elias Holmlid, Dmitri Kurteanu, Guy Lima, Jr., and Stefan Mikaelsson
August 27, 2010
 Fortix is an adventure strategy game about reclaiming your ancestors’ land. Basically, evil beings have taken over the once fertile land of Fortiana. Your mission is to pillage castles and return glory to your rightful hands. You get to fight dragons, even.
I liked this arcade-esque game. It was really easy to get a hang of the controls and actions, which I was not really expecting. I like to look at the screenshots before I decide to try a game out and this one looked a little more complicated than what I am used to. Still, I am glad I tried it. It was one of those games that had a nice learning curve. It was not hard to get but ultimately, as the game got tougher and the controls and power ups got more advanced it was a very challenging adventure.
It is not really what the game developers focused on but I loved the story for this game. Rather than just killing for no reason or defending some nameless castle, you have a point and reason for everything you are doing. This might not seem like an important thing to everyone but to me it is really important. I do not want to do all that work for something I do not care about.
The visuals and music for Fortix are nice. The game runs smoothly and really takes you to another world while you are playing it. It is one of those games that you can really sink into. Not to mention that this is a game that is family friendly. You can play it with anyone of any ages. The mechanics are childs’ play, being very simple and easy to remember.
 One of the most obvious things about the game is also one of the most compelling. A fantasy game really sucks you into the world it sets up. This means that you do not only play as a valiant knight who battles dragons but you are also presented with many different chances to really submerge yourself in the medieval culture.
As I said before Fortix is great for the family. It has something for everyone. It is fantastic and gritty while being both a strategy game and a casual game. It is very versatile and you might be surprised by the different levels. It was a real pleasure the entire time I was playing it.
Game: Fortix | Developer: Nemesys Team Studio
August 26, 2010
 Harry Quantum and his trusty robotic sidekick, Graeme. Harry Quantum: TV Go Home is the first episode in a series of point-and-click Flash adventures about the detective, Harry Quantum.
 This seems a tad bit embarrassing. The adventure begins when the boss of a TV station (who bears a striking resemblance to Mr. T) walks in and informs Harry that he has misplaced the tapes of that channel’s four best TV shows. He will pay $100,000 if Harry can find a way to recover the lost episodes. Graeme, Harry’s robotic sidekick, says the TV signals probably ended up in space somewhere, so Harry should just go into outer space to retrieve them. The problem is that getting into space is no small task. Well, Graeme has a simple solution: just signal a UFO.
After the whole UFO dilemma (I will let you see for yourself exactly what that entails), Harry gets the video footage, but it’s all scrambled. In order to make things right, Harry must step into a Virtual Reality system and fix each program from the inside. Of course, this means visiting each of the four TV shows and straightening out the mess by hand.
The subplots in this game are absolutely ridiculous. In a good way. You’ll be laughing at each of Harry’s missteps as you try to solve the puzzles spread across the game. And there are little homages to various video game-related things scattered throughout for the observant, pop-culture savvy gamer. (Hint: look at what is currently on Harry’s computer screen in his office.)
To make the game more interesting, there are PIPs (Private Investigation Points) spread across the game for players to discover. These points have no bearing on whether or not you complete the game, but they are sure fun to collect. To find them, you must try looking in places and finding combinations the average player would simply overlook. So if the puzzles are too easy, you can still challenge yourself by trying to seek out all the PIPs in the game. (There are 15.)
Harry Quantum: TV Go Home is quirky and has enough little non-essential tidbits thrown in to keep players on their toes. Hopefully this will be the beginning of a long and entertaining series of point-and-click adventures.
 Welcome to Virtual Reality, where you can step into various TV shows. Game: Harry Quantum: TV Go Home | Developer: Long Animals and RobotJAM
August 25, 2010
 Now, based on the title of this review you might have a little bit of difficulty finding this game. That’s why I added the cover picture as well, hoping that would help. The title of what I am calling Kohei Gallery is actually in Japanese. Of course, that only made me want to play it that much more, so I went ahead and downloaded it, just for the slim possibility that it would be in English somewhere.
Thank goodness for my ability to hope against hope. Kohei Gallery does indeed provide the option to play in English. It won’t translate all of the text but it gives you enough so that you get the point of the game. Ultimately all you’re doing is flipping tiles in order to get them all on the side that is see-through. The tiles have different properties, depending on their color and when you push one in you flip a certain pattern surrounding them. This makes the puzzles that you play in order to reveal the pictures behind them somewhat challenging. You can control how difficult the puzzles themselves are when you purchase the full game.
The game itself is cute and upbeat. The music is cheerful and the color pallet is really bright. The fact that the goal in the game is to look at pictures of pretty anime girls doesn’t hurt either. I went into this game knowing little to nothing about what I would be doing, other than the fact that anime girls would be smiling at me. If that kind of thing makes you happy then you’ll love this game. There are lots of different poses and outfits to look at, which is something that’s always a plus in my book.
My only concern about this game is that it doesn’t have much by way of depth. Once you’ve mastered the puzzles and looked your fill at the pictures there’s not much else to do. Still, at the price it stands at it’s a good way to spend a few hours feeling good. You may even find yourself pleasantly challenged by the game play, as some of the time the puzzles can get pretty tricky. Still, if you don’t mind a little bit of skin flashing (there’s nothing worse than girls in bikinis but some parents still may object), then this is a game for all ages. I thoroughly enjoyed it and I believe you may too!
Game: Kohei Gallery | Developer: kohei
August 23, 2010
 Breeze is one of those games you break out when you have a nice cup of steaming tea that you want poured all over your lap. You know what I’m talking about. One of those games that you sit down to, thinking it’s going to be a nice, chill ride and ends up being a crushing blow of gravity and finger speed. Yeah, that’s exactly what I’m talking about. It’s another one of those games that presents itself as a walk in the park and is surprisingly hard in the end!
Breeze seems like a nice little whimsical game about a flower. I mean, how harmful could it be? The entire point behind it is to get a little white (the color of purity!) flower from point A to point B with the help of a fan. You use one button and your joystick through the entire experience and somehow it still managed to raise my blood pressure through the roof.
Now I think it’s worth mentioning here that gravity is never your friend in video games. I mean, c’mon: that ledge you’ve been trying to jump to for the last ten minutes isn’t the enemy. No, the enemy is gravity. Those bombs you’re trying fruitlessly to dodge? All gravity. So when you’re puffing around an insanely fragile daisy and you’re subjected to the soul crushing destruction that causes it to blow up whenever it touches anything not meant for flowers don’t be surprised.
All kidding aside, the game did pose a bit of a challenge after a while. When you’re first getting started the most annoying thing about the game is the little time score at the bottom.  You’re given your score as well as the score from the game makers and it’s just infuriating that no matter how hard you try you can’t seem to complete the run in 2.8 seconds. It’s impossible!
After a while, though, you start to be glad that you got through the track at all. The game starts asking you to not only avoid obstacles but also to get pin pricks of prerequisites if you want to complete it. Armed with your little fan you may just find your shaking hands are not the best for maneuvering through small spaces with the power of a fan and gravity in your arsenal. This is a wonderfully frustrating game that anyone can get into.
Game: Breeze | Developer: Rob Hutchinson
August 7, 2010
 Be a Doodle God. It's a tougher job than you might think. Doodle God is an interesting concept for a game. You begin with the four basic elements (earth, water, air, and fire) and you combine them to make new elements. By this method, you must create the entire world.
There are 115 elements that you must create (well, actually 111, since you start out with 4) to complete this world. These elements are divided into fourteen categories to keep them better sorted. You have a counter at the top of the page that tells you how many elements and categories you’ve unlocked.
This may sound pretty straightforward, but it’s not. Not at all. I started this game thinking it would take maybe five minutes. An hour later I was about halfway done, running out of combinations to try, and losing my patience. Let me just say that this game is NOT easy. And let me explain why…
Four elements is just the beginning. You mix air and water to get steam. Now you have five elements. Which means the amount of possible combinations has increased. This number will continue to increase exponentially as you make more and more new elements until there is an overwhelming amount of combinations to try. Yeah, you’ll start feeling anxiety at about 50 elements. Maybe even sooner. Trust me.
Some of the combinations are fairly obvious, while others are just plain mind-boggling. Here’s an example: egg plus sand equals turtle. Sure, it makes a little bit of sense once you think about it for a little bit, but Doodle God expects you to come up with this on your own. You will definitely resort to trial and error very quickly.
And some of the elements are just bizarre. Like the entire supernatural beings category. You’ll wind up making strange things like vampires and zombies and dragons. (But really, what world would be complete without the occasional zombie?)
But don’t get discouraged. If you are at the end of your rope, you can ask for a hint once every four minutes. You will probably use this feature. A lot. And when you successfully get combinations that work, you are rewarded with tidbits of wisdom from philosophers, writers, and comedians.
Doodle God is a completely unique puzzler that is challenging enough to frustrate even geniuses. And I love that. Any puzzle game that’s worth its pixels should stretch your brain to the limit, and be interesting, and simple. Doodle God is all of these things and more.
I dare you to try this one. I triple dog dare you. Are you up to the challenge?
 Pick elements from separate categories and combine them to make new elements.
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Game: Doodle God | Developer: Elite Games
August 5, 2010
 What The?! is a game show style game that is set in the 1970’s. As such, it has the overly cheerful host, the prizes that may have been cool then but are dorky now, and the out of nowhere questions you may remember from the game show network.
What The?! Is obviously a game that is meant for more than one person. If you want to just go through and see how much you know, you can. But the fun lies in completely obliterating the self esteem of someone near and dear to you. I know, that sounds awful, but if you’ve ever played a game like this, maybe Buzz or Trivial Pursuit, then you know how vicious they can get! It’s a game about proving that you know more than your fellow companions and sometimes you have to get a little down and dirty to do so!
 The game makes an attempt to be funny. With ridiculous prizes and lukewarm voice acting the game is amusing but mostly you’re interested in the questions. It was funny enough that I understood it was written to amuse me but that’s all it did. We didn’t laugh out loud at the silly antics of the game so if you’re looking for that you might be a little disappointed. Still, though I wasn’t laughing, I was genuinely amused.
The questions are really the important thing of this game and I have to say they come in a wide variety of topics and ease. At the end of each game you are given statistics on your ability to answer. You get to see how many of which category and difficulty level you were able to answer, as well as how quickly.
 There are also different round types in the game. I played the one without the time limit but I’m sure the more fast paced the game is, the more challenging for all.
I really think that this game would be great for parties. The questions are asked in a wide range of topics so you don’t have to be “smart” in order to play and win, you just have to know a little bit about something and be lucky enough to have your categories used. In the end I feel like this is a game for families. It may be a little mature for young children but if you have teenagers you guys should definitely think about trying this one out.
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Game: What The?! | Developer: Social Loner Studios
August 4, 2010
 Yes. You will by flying Porta Potties on the LOST island. Potty Racers 2
Part of creating a quality flash game is breaking barriers, to borrow a phrase, to boldly go where no one has gone before. Potty Racer is one of those games. Erring on the scatological, this is by no means a game that should be taken lightly. Your job, should you choose to accept it, is to fly and upgrade a port-a-potty.
Gameplay
One area that Potty Racers 2 does not break barriers is in the actual gameplay. This is one of those push your cart off a hill and then try to land safely games. Then you earn money based off of how high and how far you go. It’s better than some, because you actually have to do things in the air and motor control is the better part of it.
You also have to be aware of your landing gear, because you have to land. However, it literally doesn’t matter how fast you are moving. I was moving down so fast that the clouds were a blur, but because my wheels lined up with the ground, I made it out to fly another day.
Technical
 Hooray for safe landings! Technically, this was a pretty great game. The graphics were neat. The whole concept is pretty great. Unfortunately, the whole thing gets pretty repeditive. Although you move from stage to stage, you literally are buying the same upgrades, just a little bit faster.
On top of that, you can buy tricks, but I never really understood why you would want to use them. Sure you get points, but in the grand scheme of the game, they are worth a pittance compared to how much you earn from playing the game as is.
Final Verdict
Fun game. It has a lot of simple touches. For example there is always feces flying out of the back of your portapotty. Also, when you are upgrading it, even after you have made a jet fighter, you are very clearly still pushing a porta potty down a hill.
It’s in stages, which means that it is easy, but addicting to play at work.
Game: Potty Racers 2| Developer: Addicting Games dot com
August 3, 2010
July 31, 2010
 I got really lucky this time around, I picked a really good batch of games to play and review for you all. Mole Control is another favorite of the week, it’s simple, fun, and challenging without being annoying. It’s also extremely cute and it’s made, once again, by the same people as Fluttabyes and KrissX. Now, I don’t usually speak much on Publishers, but so far, this one (one I’ve never heard of, actually, but maybe I haven’t been paying enough attention) really knows what it’s doing.
Mole Control is cute, but unlike the other two games I’m lumping in with this publisher you won’t hear me telling you stories about how my niece and I rolled up our sleeves to pitch a battle over this one. The game starts out almost like a fairytale book.  It’s funny little rhyming lines and still art as if you’re turning a page. The game, however, stops being for children-children once you’re actually playing. Mole Control may look like a cartoon for children but in all actuality it’s sort of a new twist on an old game that we’ve all dabbled in at least a little: mine sweeper.
Now maybe it’s just me and my family but mine sweeper is a fairly difficult game and the frustrations of said game play are transferred over to Mole Control. In Mole Control you have this little hovercraft with a mole grabbing arm attached to it. The hovercraft can tell you when a mole is close and even how many are close and then drops convenient little numbers in the grass to remind you of what it said a little while ago. Your job is to find the moles where they hide in the ground, and this can be easier said than done.
 Don’t get me wrong, as much as I stink at mine sweeper (though at least I tried, my niece played two rounds and tapped out…wuss), the game IS fun. It’s more than just finding the moles; it’s also a silly little story and neighbors who need you for particular things. I’m not even sure how I want to categorize this game because there is really a great deal to it. It’s a very well rounded, fun, beautiful game that I am putting on my list of “good buys” for you guys. I mean…because I bought it and don’t regret it. If you’re willing to exert a little time and patience Mole Control is well worth it!
Game: Mole Control | Developer: Remode
July 30, 2010
 This game was published by the same company as Fluttabyes and presents the exact same problem as before: it’s cute, seemingly simple, and though I’m fairly sure that it is a game that was made with children in mind, it’s frighteningly challenging.
In KrissX (pronounced crisscross — isn’t that cute?!) you are charged with correcting a sort of jumbled crossword puzzle. You do this by switching around letters along a single line, be it horizontal or vertical, until they line up in their proper places and thus form words.
The game itself is quick paced and fun, an easy thing to do even when you’re as stressed out and worried as I was before I decided to sit down and try to play. There’s really nothing you can do to mess up along this game, even though your scores can reflect on slow performance, it doesn’t hurt to take your time and think.
This is a game that not only promotes the ability to think and problem solve but it’s also cheerful and fun while it forces you to wrack your brain for simple enough answers. If I were a teacher I would look into getting this game used in the classroom. It’s not only fun but beautifully done and…and I know that this is a silly thing to fawn over as an adult, but it’s got a cute little cartoon character as the basis for your actions. It’s all for the sake of this owl who kind of sounds like Yogi Bear.
Now, just like I did with the last game I ended up buying this one for my niece. Well, that’s kind of a lie; I bought it for myself as well. She and I played it for quite a while and I’m happy to report that unlike in Fluttabyes I totally won some of these games! Yes! Power to the adult.
All in all, I really couldn’t recommend this game any higher. It’s good for the family, challenging for everyone, and in times where I feel like I don’t work my brain out enough it lets me know that the ol’ noggin still works. Mental exercise is good for you, do not fear it.
Game: KrissX | Developer: Regolith Games
July 27, 2010
 There's a monkey in the kitchen. Isn't that a Health Code violation? Café World allows you to become a world-class chef and run a restaurant. You decide what your café should look like, what to cook, and even what to wear. You are given a cookbook with recipes that you can make, and every item you cook grants you Café Points (Café World’s version of XP.) As you level up, you earn more stoves and buffet-style serving tables, and more of the items in your cookbook are available to you.
Your café also has a buzz rating, which is affected by how well your customers enjoy their meals. A good experience will boost your buzz rating by 0.1, but a bad experience will drop it a full point. (The maximum rating is 105.) In order to keep your guests coming back, make sure they have a clean table to sit at when they arrive and a hot meal within a fair amount of time. If guests wait too long for their food, they will storm out and lower your buzz rating. The higher your rating is, the faster customers will spill in.
It takes a little bit of foresight to keep your café running smoothly, since most of the items in your cookbook have a fairly long cook time. (Times range anywhere from 3 minutes to 4 days.) And if you let something sit too long, it will spoil. An item’s cook time will determine how long it can sit before it spoils, so items with longer cook times last longer than those with short ones.
Since it is a Facebook application, Café World rewards the highly sociable. You can add your friends as neighbors, earning medals as your neighborhood grows. There are many actions that you will need help from your friends to complete, like building a spice rack, baking a wedding cake, obtaining a super stove that allows one-click cooking, or opening a crate that contains a coffee maker. And your friends can send you free gifts every day, usually bonus servings of your favorite dishes. You can even hire your friends for extra help around the kitchen.
There are also weekly themes, such as the Stone Age and Sci-Fi, which are celebrated by adding brand new decorations for your café as well as new menu items. This provides great incentive to keep coming back.
Café World is highly addictive. You’ll have a blast decorating your restaurant and unlocking new menu items. And with that, I must be off. I think my quiche is done!
 A page from the menu. Yes, there are dinosaur eggs on it.
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Game: Café World | Developer: Zynga
July 25, 2010
 Fluttabyes (pronounced “butterflies” but with a “Fl”) is one of those games you unwind with. Family casual, it’s cute, brightly colored, and couples with the kind of music you expect to hear at the end of a Noggin show. It’s a pairing game which allows you to “free” butterflies by basically making families of more than four. Now, with bejeweled and the various bubble copies of bejeweled you either play with a sliding action in which you are given a block of items and forced to pair them up by switching pairs about or clicking on pairs as they appear. In fluttabyes you replace one butterfly with another (and the occasional ladybug) in order to make these sets; which, in my opinion, makes the game much, much easier but also takes out some of the challenge. The game doesn’t have a win, lose, or draw feeling to it, instead it’s more…you always win; it’s just how much you win that is the question.
Now, I’m never going to label games “kid games.” The reason being is that I frequently run across games that are marketed towards children that are actually interesting and challenging enough to hold the attention of an adult. Goddess knows how long I spent on that darn Hello Kitty Adventure game trying to find all the strawberries for my stupid shortcake. This game sort of falls into that category. I’m not entirely sure who they made the game for, but it’s found this wonderful niche that I feel is neglected: games for adult children. As it is, I did end up buying this game from my niece. She’s all of eleven and while I like to pretend that as an adult I am far superior in my gaming capabilities, saying so would be a lie. She and I paired up and each did a set and for whatever reason, be it because she’s an evil genius, or she somehow cheated (I’m going with evil genius), she kicked my butt here. So, yes, it’s a little bit dinky for adults but there’s still a certain amount of strategy and quickness that is required to beat and continue to beat your personal bests repeatedly.
All in all, I would definitely put this game on the list of things you should try if you’re just looking to relax and have a good time. It’s not very challenging but you can sit down, play a few rounds, and feel as if you accomplished something, albeit somewhat minor. It’s still time well spent. Fun for the whole family.
Game: Flutterbyes | Developer: Red Chain
July 18, 2010
Now, I know what you’re going to say and trust me, I thought about it too. Why would I review something with a title like this? Well, browsing through the indie games on my Xbox I noticed that this bad boy is actually one of the most frequently downloaded games there is. Surprising, isn’t it? Well, I wanted to know what all the hype was about so I went ahead and got me a download. There’s nothing like running into a real shocker, and believe me, I really was.
Try Not To Fart was actually pretty challenging. I’m not one to fall in the line of toilet humor at all. I don’t even like it in my cartoons and I never make my Sims slobs because I don’t want to deal with the stupid fart cloud they make. But this game is actually about coordination. You have to hold a number of buttons down and release them within certain amounts of times. If you fail to do so you end up letting one rip.
There is a set amount of gas tolerance and if you go over it your game is over. The goal in the whole thing is to impress a beautiful woman. Of course, she ends up turned off to you completely if you pass too much gas around her but the funniest part of this game has got to be the dialogue. From annoyed bar tenders to uninterested waiters, you and your date spend a little bit of time getting to know one another while you try desperately to hold in your bowels.
Now, I know the concept seems fairly simple but for someone like me who is not entirely sure where all the buttons were and, you know, doesn’t have three hands, the game mechanics themselves were beautiful. The game shows you exactly where you can find your buttons. Even so, that doesn’t by any means make the game easy. It’s kind of like playing Twister with your hands and fingers. Once you put your hand down on red you have to figure out how in the world you’re going to get it to blue when your entire body is facing away from it.
I would recommend this game for anyone, really. After you ignore the fact that you’re totally and completely playing a game about farting you’ll probably mange to have yourself a good time playing Try Not To Fart.
Game: Try Not To Fart | Developer: Silver Dollar Games
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