Social Gaming

Gamezebo Rating: Sometimes you play a game so simple yet so effective that it leaves you wondering why no one has done it before. Meet Super Puzzle Platformer Deluxe, a sort of Tetris match-3 and platformer mash-up that gives as good as it gets. With twinges of Spelunky in there too, this fast-paced, quick-thinking blaster will kill you every few minutes, and yet you'll keep coming back for more. The soundtrack is sublime, the controls are spot-on, and the challenge is very, very real. What I'm saying is, you're going to love this game.

The global War on Drugs is the four-decade-long policy of many western Governments, including the U.S. and Mexico, to stamp out the supply of narcotics. Now, developer Auroch Digital from GameTheNews.net is exploring the conflict with a new title for iOS, Android, PC, and Mac. NarcoGuerra is a strategy title that puts players in the role of the Mexican government. Using mechanics similar to the board game Risk, gamers must try to find and destroy drug cartels in a never-ending battle. “We’ve built a simulation based on our research about the reality of the War on Drugs,” NarcoGuerra lead designer Tomas Rawlings told GamesBeat. “[The game shows] how corruption and street price ebb and flow with police actions.  It’s up to the player from there [to decide] what they get out of the game, but most gamers I come across are smart people. I think they’ll figure out that to win this war to have to understand it’s not a war in any conventional sense at all.” Rawlings previously produced strategy title Endgame: Syria that used game mechanics to explore that nation’s civil war. Endgame: Syria drew some criticism for using real-life current events in a game, and Apple blocked its release on the iOS App Store. Rawlings feels that this is an unfair double standard. “In reflecting the world around us a singer might write a song, a filmmaker produces a documentary, and a journalist writes an article. As games developers we express our interests via games,” said Rawlings. ”Just because our form of expression is through games, this doesn’t mean we take the subject any less seriously. This game aims to engage players in the issue and get them to think about why this war is still going on despite the billions [of dollars] spent on it.” NarcoGuerra costs 99 cents. It is the first time GameTheNews is charging for one of its titles, and that’s because the group feels it is a premium experience. “The game is the biggest ‘newsgame’ we’ve created, which has taken a lot of time, effort, and expense,” said Rawlings. “All news organizations have to make income to pay staff — we’re no different in that respect.” This isn’t the first time video games have looked at the War on Drugs, but Rawlings feels it’s the first time an interactive title is investigating it with any nuance. “Games have covered this area a lot but never in a deeper sense that just good versus bad,” he said. “For example, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 has the Favela level, but we don’t ask why is this fighting going us, just point and shoot. We wanted to delve a bit deeper into the why and a strategy game makes a great frame to do this.” In fact, just in making this game, Rawlings said he learned many things about the Drug War that he wasn’t previously aware of. “I assumed the solution was going to be in tackling consumption and not production and trafficking,” the designer told us. “But it turns out that consumption per person hasn’t really changed that much.  I also learned how violent and damaging this situation is for so many people.  Albert Einstein said insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” Rawlings believes that by experiencing the decision making themselves, gamers might get a better understanding that the War on Drugs requires a fresh infusion of ideas. Filed under: Games GamesBeat 2013 is our fifth annual conference on disruption in the video game market. You'll get 360-degree perspectives from top gaming executives, developers, and analysts on what’s to come in the industry. Our theme this year is “The Battle Royal.” Check out full event details here, and grab your early-bird tickets here! .blurb-cat-games hr { margin: 10px 0 10px 0; }

Gamezebo Rating: The world of light and bright fairy tales has been turned dark and sinister as characters like Jack (from Jack and the Beanstalk) have been trapped inside books in Grimm Reaper: Hidden Tales. Once you’ve downloaded this free-to-play world onto your computer, though, all of the charm behind the game’s setup is quickly shoved aside in favor of all-too-frequent pay walls and repetitive gameplay.

I was wrong about something when I noted that RPG classic The Bard’s Tale was coming to the Green Throttle Arena: I suggested that the game was the 2004 console version from InXile Entertainment, and not the 1980s version from Interplay. As it turns out, the game actually contains both tales — the original turn-based trilogy, and the [...] Related posts: Throttling Up: Duke Nukem, The Bard’s Tale, and More Monster Tale Announced for Nintendo DS GameKlip Brings DualShock Controllers to Android

Managing Resources Cities require resources to buy them. Make extra matches on the resources you need to purchase the next city. Finishing levels quickly earns you the resource the game determines you need the most. Sweet! Every 20,000 points gets you an extra life. Try to link 5 tiles or more to get the maximum amount of points. Power ups Use fully-upgraded power-ups early so you can have time to refill it.That way you can refill it and use it again or save it for the next level. Don't use power-ups at the end of a level if possible so you can use it in the next round. If you only have 1 match to finish a level, match as many power-ups as you can and replenish your bonus so you'll have it for the next round End-Game In the harder levels, make matches in the hard to reach corners first. Hang on to your bonuses during the last levels since there is no bonus round to replenish them. Check out the full guide at CasualGameGuides! > Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

What's The Saying is a fun and challenging game that will put your brain to work. The object of the game is to match a common phrase with an accompanying coded image. These will test even the most avid players, puzzling them throughout over 200 levels! Luckily, with Modojo, you can now clear that level that had you almost pulling out your hair and breeze through the game. Variety 1 (Levels 1-10) Variety 1 (Levels 11-20) Variety 1 (Levels 21-30) Variety 1 (Levels 31-40) Variety 1 (Levels 41-50) Variety 2 (Levels 1-10) Variety 2 (Levels 11-20) Variety 2 (Levels 21-30) Variety 2 (Levels 31-40) Variety 2 (Levels 41-50) Clever (1-10) Clever (11-20) Clever (21-30) Clever (31-40) Cunning (1-10) Cunning (11-20) Cunning (21-30) Cunning (31-40) Cunning (41-50) Witty (1-10) Witty (11-20) Read more about What's The Saying? at Modojo > Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Looking for answers to Emoji Pop? This wildly crazy game can sure be tricky to figure out sometimes. Thankfully, our friends at Modojo have done all of the hard work for you! To find out which level you're stuck on, check the top right corner of your device's screen and then click on the corresponding article below! Level 0-9 Level 10-19 Level 20-29 Level 30-39 Level 40-49 Level 50-59 Level 60-69 Level 70-79 Level 80-89 ? Level 90-99 Level 100-109 ? Level 110-119 Level 120-129 ? Level 130-139 Level 140-149 ? Level 150-159 Level 160-169 ? Level 170-179 Level 180-189 ? Level 190-199 Level 200-209 ? Level 210-219 Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

CrayonPixel rolled out their freshman title on Facebook, “Atlas Raider.” The new game has a plotline, one you may not understand initially as the player introduction is sparse. However, the storyline is this: your father has gone missing on a treasure hunt (perhaps for crystal skulls). Only a mysterious group called “The Foundation” knows his whereabouts. They hire you to find the crystal skulls and in the process you might find your father through your guide, an enchanted atlas. The atlas is a map of different lands and is navigated as a board game that advances moves through the roll of a dice. Along your quest you will complete tasks, encounter characters, plant crops, construct buildings, and battle wildlife. If you appreciate anime and comics, the graphics will be up your alley. Similarly, if you play Facebook games with friends – emphasis on the words “with friends,” here – the social components will appeal to you, for you will not get far in your quest without a little help from your friends. In fact, you may find yourself circling the same block for a while as you try to unlock the next level free. That is not say your free play quest does not go a long way. You can certainly continue rolling the dice and moving around the board collecting experience stars and coins, harvesting and having conversations with natives for fair amount of time. However, pixel and energy points are hard to come by and can prevent leveling up. There are only so many times you can circle the same block without major action and still maintain interest. Friends and money can move this process along, as most major moves will request help or notification to friends. If your Facebook friends are more of the casual friend type, it might be a bit awkward to offer to sell them as slaves to the game’s dealmaker Bic Mac or to bug them for tools and power-ups. If your friends are into it, this could be pretty hilarious. In a collective society this will probably be popular, stateside time will tell. PROS: Plenty of free game play, opportunities to grow crops to replenish depleted funds, new characters to interact with or battle with a dice roll for rewards, special features unlocked by friends, rewards for daily check-ins and a variety of lands to explore. CONS: Still buggy at times, just because you move — the board does not move with you, not much storyline guidance, the aid of friends is required to complete major tasks, without leveling up it can get boring fast. Several years in the making, “Atlas Raider” is the first and only social game and release from the design studio. Formed by a team of gaming veterans from EA, Sony and Disney, CrayonPixel has offices in Pasadena and Seoul, Korea. The Facebook game has earned a spot on Zynga’s new third party platform for its originality, which should give it a big marketing advantage and push. “There are a lot of clone games in the industry, you see them pop up fast,” said Jaxon Fang, director of game design. “Companies are not taking risks. I understand that is all about the biz. I think for us, we are gamers and we know what is fun. We love board games and social adventures the whole family can enjoy.”

One of gaming’s rising studios is partnering with mobile publisher Chilllingo to release a new action title on smartphones and tablets. Ninja Theory, the developer responsible for DmC: Devil May Cry, is producing a side-scrolling brawler with 3D visuals for iOS and Android called Fightback, according to a Chillingo blog. The title is free-to-play and looks to capture the spirit of ’80s action movies. It’s just a shame they couldn’t get the Roadhouse license. “Chillingo is very excited to collaborate with such a talented, critically-acclaimed studio to help shape their first title for the mobile market,” Chillingo chief operating officer Ed Rumley said in a statement. “Our team is working closely with Ninja Theory to ensure Fightback delivers a phenomenal experience for mobile and tablet devices.” Chillingo has a larger roster of core and casual games for mobile devices. It’s focused primarily on iOS, but it is slowly expanding its Android offerings. Ninja Theory, on the other hand, is a team of console veterans. In addition to DmC, the studio also produced action-adventure title Enslaved: Odyssey to the West (PS3, 360, PC) and character-action game Heavenly Sword (PS3). “Mobile and tablet gaming is a phenomenon that we just couldn’t ignore as a studio and we’re very proud to be working with one of the industry’s heavy-weights on bringing Fightback to market,” Ninja Theory product manager Dominic Matthews said. “Ninja Theory has always strived for the highest production values and that absolutely remains the case in this exciting new space.” Critics and gamers, even those that don’t love Ninja Theory games, admit the developer is capable of producing high-quality visuals and design. That’s a rare occurrence in mobile titles and is something that could set Fightback apart. Filed under: Games GamesBeat 2013 is our fifth annual conference on disruption in the video game market. You'll get 360-degree perspectives from top gaming executives, developers, and analysts on what’s to come in the industry. Our theme this year is “The Battle Royal.” Check out full event details here, and grab your early-bird tickets here! .blurb-cat-games hr { margin: 10px 0 10px 0; }

Greedy Grub is a grub simulation game from PIXOWL INC, wherein you are tasked with maintaining a forest’s energy by crafting, planning, and harvesting trees that grow in the forest. You’ll need all of the help you can get to keep the forest as happy as can be, but with Gamezebo’s quick start guide you’ll have all of the tips, tricks, and walkthroughs you’ll need to stay ahead of the game.