Brainiversity

Released from PlayFirst today is a very game designed to get those synapses firing! Brainiversity is both entertaining and educational, or at least requires a bit of thinking, which is more than most casual games ask, lol.


Play your way through a series of exams, including spelling tests, memory tests, math quizzes and many more! The difficulty increases as you successfully complete exams.

Stimulate your brain with 16 different activities covering Language, Memory, Math and Analysis. Earn stamps, record your daily workouts and compare your results with friends. There's nothing like a good mental stretch to keep your brain fresh!

• 10 different stamps to earn
• Practice mode lets you hone your skills
• Daily chart visually tracks your progress

There have been reports that casual computer games can stimulate memory and brain function and this game is designed to do just that!

Click here to download the free demo or to purchase the game!

Need help? Visit the Game Cafe forum and meet some new friends!

I give this game a 7 out of 10!

Newly Released at PlayFirst

I'm behind! I took some time off this week for the holiday, but I've fallen behind in the daily releases. Here are the games released at PlayFirst this week! Give them a try! :) Click the images to download a free demo or to purchase the games.

Heroes of Hellas

Travel through Ancient Greece and take back the scepter of Zeus! Click and drag your mouse across objects on the game board to create chains of 3 or more identical items. When the going gets tough, draw from the powers of 7 mythical heroes and use special bonuses. Explore the history behind nine classic mythologies as you progress in this visually stunning and challenging game!

Neptune's Secret

Help a young archaeologist uncover the secret of a lost kingdom and discover the truth about herself. Abandoned as a newborn with only a mysterious amulet, Hannah became an archaeologist specializing in ancient artifacts and symbols. Dive deep beneath the waves to the lost city of Atlantis and join Hannah on her search for the true story of Neptune's demise and the mystical secrets of her own lineage and the power of her amulet.

Fashion Fits

Help Francie run a fast-paced clothing store by stocking tables, cleaning fitting rooms, providing customer service, and more! Set the fashion trends by purchasing new styles to sell. Once you complete the first year at Uber-Mart, help Francie open up her own line of clothing stores - from a sunny beach boutique to a posh department store! Be a trendsetter now!

Abra Academy - Returning Cast

Unknown creatures have broken into the campus and are wreaking havoc. The children are frightened and the school is in total disorder. It's up to Wanda and her friends to put a stop to the attacks. Return to Abra Academy with new levels to conquer, hundreds of objects to hunt and a crystal ball to help you!

Chocolatier™ 2 - Secret Ingredients

Chocolatier™ 2: Secret Ingredients has been released from PlayFirst! This highly anticipated sequel really delivers the goods with tons of levels, lots of new chocolates and recipes, new hidden ingredients, an improved chocolate-making mini game and more!

There's deceit and deception in the new chapter of the Chocolatier saga. A mole is controlling Baumeister Confections and it's up to you, along with the granddaughter of Evangeline, to build a new empire from the ground up and take over Baumeister Confections. Rise up in this industrial age of innovation and seek out secret ingredients to create rich new recipes!

• 2 exciting game play modes: story and freeplay
• 20 cities to travel to, and 72 recipes to acquire and create
• 6 chocolate factories, 4 shops and 1 tasting laboratory all available for purchasing
• Secret ingredients and hidden ports

I will post more about this game soon, but I want to play it through first!

Download a free demo or purchase the game here!

Need help? Come to the Game Cafe forums and post about the game!

Land of Runes

Land of Runes is a great puzzle game released today at PlayFirst. I've only seen one other game with the same style of puzzle and I did enjoy it, but Land of Runes is just so much better!

Very cute 3D graphics and an engaging storyline add to the enjoyment of this game. The puzzles involve matching / stacking colored blocks in order to clear the puzzle board. Simple at first, but with increasing difficulty as the game progresses. A series of power-ups can be earned throughout the game which are very useful! Only by clearing the blocks from all of the ancient memorials, can you spare the village from the threatening volcano!

Two of the other things I found intriguing about this game are the interactive backgrounds - in each level there are treasure chests to be found that will add to your score. The scene can also be completely rotated, making the puzzle board (and backgrounds) easy to view!

The other point of interest was the mini puzzle in between the main level sections. A mahjong style matching game appears every few levels that is quite easy at first, but definitely requires some strategy later on in the game!

Eliminate stacks of colored blocks from ancient memorials located at the base of a fiery volcano. Rotate the monolith in an effort to find the best match, then toss your block toward the multicolored stacks. Although you'll have to work fast to clear each board before time runs out, bombs and other powerups are on hand to help. Can you clear the blocks fast enough?

• 80 Regular Levels
• 19 Bonus Levels
• 6 Bonuses

• 
  

I played the demo of this game from three different websites and finally purchased it. For me, Land of Runes is a wonderful quiet puzzler that is different, interesting and charming!

Download a free demo or purchase the game here!

I give this game an 8 out of 10!

(This game is also available here at BFG)

Wu Hing: The Five Elements

Today's release from PlayFirst is a unique puzzle game called Wu Hing: The Five Elements.

Wu Hing is a strategy board game based on the 5 Chinese elements of wood, fire, earth, metal and water. The game pits 2 players (yin and yang) against each other with the objective to create, destroy and transform the elements in play. Only the most cunning player will win, so plan your moves carefully and come up with a winning strategy to outwit your opponent. Have you got what it takes to master the elements?

• Immerse yourself in the atmospheric music and stunning graphics
• Choose from 4 different game styles, including a solitaire mode
• Play against a friend or 4 CPU difficulty levels

• 
  

If you're in the mood for a great puzzler that requires some thinking, Wu Hing: The Five Elements is sure to please. I definitely enjoyed the demo, but I need to play it again when I'm fully awake! The game is fun, challenging and immersive.

The different game play modes offer unique challenges and can appeal to a wide variety of gaming styles. Too easy? Play against the CPU on the hardest setting! I couldn't beat it! (Though I will try again, lol.) Overall, Wu Hing is a refreshingly different puzzler that will keep me going back for more!

Download a free trial or purchase the game here.

Stumped and need help? Visit the Game Cafe forums!

I give this game an 8 out of 10!

Hidden Relics

Today's release at PlayFirst, Hidden Relics is an adventurous hidden object game. Lots of mini games and different levels stave off the boredom nicely and at some points, the game presents quite a challenge!

The Professor calls upon her star student Adrianna to help her with some antiques but they get stolen from right under Adrianna! Help Adrianna recover the stolen articles throughout Europe, all while evading the evil thief. Along the way, earn gadgets from Mr. Gadget by solving fun puzzles. Use the gadgets to uncover valuable, secret artifacts. The search is on!

The graphics are very well done and I enjoyed the overall theme of the game. For fans of the hidden object genre, this game will probably fall somewhere in between the MCF series and the Mysteryville series.

Download a free demo or purchase Hidden Relics here!

Stuck? Need some hints? Visit the Game Cafe forum!

I give this game a 7 out of 10!

Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?

Class is in session - how much have you forgotten since grammar school? Based on the hit game show: test your knowledge with 28 tough grade school subjects with over 3,000 challenging questions, which you can answer with the help from your 5 classmates. Step up to the podium and put your smarts on the line to see if you're smarter than a 5th grader!

Play the popular TV show -"Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader" right on your computer! Test your knowledge of many different subjects and go up against some really bright grammar school kids!

With over 3000 questions in the game, you're bound to get SOME of them right - at least we hope you do! lol Find out how much you really remember from your own school days in this hit game!

The game interface is very similar to the TV show, adding a layer of familiarity for the player. The graphics are bright and clean and the soundtrack is great!



With 5 classmates to help you answer the question and a sneaky way to fast forward by peeking, copying or cheating, the game remains fun and doesn't become frustrating! Just don't waste all of your hints and helpers on the easy questions!

To download the free demo or purchase this game, click HERE.

Stumped? Out of help? Visit the Game Cafe forums!

I give this game an 8 out of 10!

Cindy's Sundaes

Help Cindy make her ice cream parlor a success. Match scoops and design beautiful ice cream sundaes. Upgrade your parlor by unlocking new flavors, toppings and sundae designs to create more icey wonders. Dish out some sundaes now!

• 2 game modes
• Design your own sundaes
• Enjoy 5 unique parlor themes
• Unlock 20 sundaes and 60 toppings
  

Well, what can I say about Cindy's Sundaes? Erm.. it's.. an ice cream themed game, that has to be good right? Well, maybe. I'm sure there are some people that will really enjoy this game! It's cute and the match-3 play is a little different from the normal style, which is always pleasant. The "make your own" sundae part of the game is definitely cute - and delicious! This game wasn't for me, but it's worth trying the demo! You never know, you just might like it.

To download a free trial or to purchase the game, click here.

Need tips, tricks or hints? Sign up at the Game Cafe forum!

I give this game a 3 out of 10.

Reminder! Free Game Trivia Contest!

Reminder!

Enigmadness.com is sponsoring a Casual Game Trivia Contest! Win a free PlayFirst™ game! (Any game from the PlayFirst™ website, your choice!)

On Friday, November 16th at 7pm CST (8PM Eastern and 5pm Pacific), come to the Game Cafe forum chat room to play!

There will be 20 trivia questions asked, all based on PlayFirst™ games and their storylines. Whoever answers the most questions correctly will win a game of their choice! In the event of a tie, there will be a 3-5 question tie-breaker!

Rules:

• You must have an active account at PlayFirst™. Register here for your free account!
• You must register on the Game Cafe forum prior to the contest to access the chat room!
• In the event of a tie, additional trivia rounds will be used to determine one winner.
• The winner will select one game from the PlayFirst™ website and will receive a free game coupon via email.
• You must attend the live chat at the Game Cafe forum to be eligible to play. Register early to ensure a place in the chat and to set up your Game Cafe account!

If you have any questions, please visit the Game Cafe forum for more information! If you have any trouble registering at either PlayFirst™ or Game Cafe, email me at gamefairy@gmail.com.

Ballhalla

Ballhalla is a new, and very unique, puzzle game from Sandlot Games with a quirky cast of characters and an equally quirky storyline! Or should I say "quarky" as the lead character is Professor Quark! (I know.. bad pun attempt. lol)

After a mishap with his new invention, the Insta-Matter Transporter, Professor Quark loses his beloved friends to a distant alternate world. Put your puzzle-solving skills to the test and combine balls of matter to create enough energy to power the Insta-Matter Transporter and bring the professor's friends back home safely.

• 16 collectible trophies
• 60 levels in adventure mode
• 20 extra levels in relaxed mode
• bonus levels

The object of the game is to match colored balls (of energy) in a suspended, swinging container without upsetting the delicate balance and tipping the container over. Each ball match increases their weight and power. I found the later levels of the game incredibly challenging!

I was able to focus test the game for Sandlot months ago and they've made several improvements to the game since that time. I didn't really understand the game then, and it doesn't make much sense to me now, either, lol. (Sorry, but I have to be honest here!) Not the best we've seen from Sandlot. However, it IS unusual and that itself is a great thing!

If you're in the mood for a challenging, different puzzle game, give Ballhalla a try!

Download the free demo or purchase the game here!

Questions? Need help? Post your thoughts at the Game Cafe Forum!

I give this game a 4 out of 10!

Diner Dash - Hometown Harvest

PlayFirst has just released another new diner for the Diner Dash - Hometown Hero™ game!

This latest expansion is called Hometown Harvest and features a Thanksgiving theme restaurant with 10 story mode levels and one expert level!

The graphics are wonderful and really capture the feeling of a harvest celebration. The music is very cute, sort of a square dancing twist on the classic Diner Dash tune.

There is also a free outfit available in the DDHH shop!

This diner does not have a "Flo versus the Waitress" level (hooray!) and you start off with the podium at level one! There are also no snacks in this restaurant, but a delicious looking pie is available for dessert later on in the game.

(Note - the image above is a screen shot from my personal game. The outfit that Flo is wearing is available as a separate add-on item and not part of the Hometown Harvest package!)

The only level that I had trouble attaining the expert score in was level 3. What worked for me was to focus on color matching bonuses above all else. This meant that at times, I had only one or two tables seated instead of trying to fill up the seats. With a little bit of patience and close attention to the seating, you should be able to get an expert score relatively easily.

In order to download and play Hometown Harvest, you will need the full Gourmet version of the game, only available at PlayFirst!

Click here to download a free trial or to purchase the full version of Diner Dash - Hometown Hero™ Gourmet Edition!

Edited to add the following:

I wanted to come back and make a few more comments about the artwork in this new restaurant. I posted this at the PlayFirst DDHH forums, but I'll say it here as well!

The attention to detail is amazing in Hometown Harvest. See if you noticed the following:

• Two people tossing around a football
• Hayride
• harvest band and dancers
• Why did the turkey cross the road?
• animated horse
• animated cow
• animated owl
  
• lighting changes (it actually gets darker as evening falls!)

Didn't see all of those? Good excuse to play through the diner again! :)

Ice Cream Tycoon

Today's release from PlayFirst is a cute time-management / sim game called Ice Cream Tycoon.

You play as an aspiring ice cream salesman and have to build your frozen treat empire! You begin with a small push-cart and if you do well, you can upgrade to the best ice cream truck around! Learn your neighborhood's likes and dislikes, take the weather into consideration, hire helpers, cleaners and security people to aid you in your quest for ice cream supremacy!

The game is definitely more challenging than it looks. It could become a bit boring as well, but with the ability to speed up time, the game keeps moving at a decent pace!

The graphics are a bit old-school, but fun!

Download a free trial or purchase the game here.

Looking for help? Start a thread at the Game Cafe forum!

I give this game a 6 out of 10!

Hotel Mahjong

Make your reservation for tile-matching madness with this suite of mahjong fun! Match tiles in 20 floors of this grand hotel featuring 5 unique variations on this ancient classic. Complete each room and unlock even more fun in the hotel casino, recreation room, and rooftop terrace. Check in today!

Hotel Mahjong is sure to please tile-matching fans! Bright, colorful graphics and easy-to-see tiles make the game comfortable to play and the variety of puzzles kept me interested in the game for much longer than I anticipated!

The game takes place in a hotel and you unlock different rooms and locations within the hotel as you successfully complete the mahjong puzzles. A nice addition to this game is the ability to earn trophies for various achievements throughout the game.

5 different styles of game play make Hotel Mahjong suitable for almost any player. There are 100 levels in the game, so it's definitely a value! You won't finish the game in one afternoon.

To download a free trial or to purchase this game, click HERE.

For tips, tricks and help with Hotel Mahjong, check out the Game Cafe!

I give this game a 7 out of 10!

PlayFirst - Game Bundle Sale!

The cost of casual games can really build up over time. Ranging anywhere from $6.99 to $29.95 a game, I could probably have bought a new house by now! (Not really, but you know what I mean!)

One of my favorite ways to build my game collection is to look for special deals and promotions. PlayFirst has a special sale running on bundle offers of the most popular games! Mac bundles are also available here!

Check out the game packages available below! Click on the image of the game to download the demo and use the text links to purchase the bundles!

Nanny Mania and Daycare Nightmare Bundle - $29.95

Sally's Salon and Build-a-Lot Bundle - $29.95

Alice Greenfingers and Plant Tycoon Bundle - $29.95



Great Deal! Daycare Nightmare, Sally's Salon, Build-a-Lot,
Alice Greenfingers AND Plant Tycoon all for $69.95!



Diner Dash Bundles and Mac Bundles also available! Click here!

Diner Dash - Hometown Hero at BFG!

Released today at Big Fish Games! You can read my review of Diner Dash® - Hometown Hero™ , including tips and tricks, here. This is truly the best in the Diner Dash series, offering incredible graphics, challenging game play, diner and waiter customizations and so much more!

I know that many people have been waiting for the BFG release of this game (as BFG's game club members can get the game for as little as $6.99!) instead of buying it directly from PlayFirst, however, to get access to ALL of the features of this game, you will need to purchase the Gourmet Edition from the PlayFirst website!

Jewel Craft

Fans of matching games will love this interesting new twist on the classic style game. You play as a young apprentice gem cutter as he learns and grows to become a master jeweler in the kingdom.

The goal of the game is to cut a series of gems by matching pieces in each level. The cut gems are used to create lovely pieces of jewelry and each completed piece increases your skill so that you can create more intricate works. 21 levels of increasing difficulty make this a short, but satisfying game. Two modes of play allow for a challenge or story mode version. Unique power-ups will help along the way.



The game mechanics are slightly unusual and I strongly recommend paying attention to the tutorial. I didn't, and wasn't quite sure I was doing it right during the demo! The graphics are beautiful and the storyline was engaging.

To download the free demo or purchase this game, click HERE.

I give Jewel Craft a 5 out of 10.

Shangri La 2 Deluxe

Shangri La 2 Deluxe is an charming sequel developed by Zylom. This unique word game offers 100 different levels, customizable difficulty settings and very engaging graphics.

Solve a series of word puzzles in which you remove lettered tiles to create words in order to recover the golden seals of Shangri La. The storyline is cute and the game play is easy to learn, if not always easy to play!


Each level features a different layout and you must form words with the available letter tiles, removing them from the board and releasing locked tiles underneath. The longer the word, the higher the score.

I enjoyed the first game in this series and the sequel is even better! Word puzzle enthusiasts will most likely enjoy this game as well!

For more information, or to download the free trial, click HERE.

I give this game a 6 out of 10.

Pirateville

Download the free demo or purchase the game here.

Pirateville is a new hidden object puzzle game from NevoSoft (the creators of games such as Mysteryville, Mysteryville 2 and Magic Academy).

The object of the game is to travel through over 160 levels and collect clues, talk to a wide variety of characters and unravel the secret of an ancient casket.

The game mechanics and overall gameplay is very similar to Mysteryville, with an engaging storyline and lovely graphics. (There is a skip conversation feature for those who just want to play and not go through the extensive chat sequences)

The difficulty of Pirateville is again similar to Mysteryville and Magic Academy - not too hard, but not too easy either. I found it much easier than Magician's Handbook but harder than Little Shop of Treasures, if that helps.

Fans of Mysteryville will most likely appreciate this game as well!

I give it a 6 out of 10.

To download the free trial or purchase this game, please click here.

Gamezebo Interview with Angel Ikonon from PlayFirst

Gamezebo published a wonderful interview with Angel Ikonon, producer from PlayFirst!

Here is an excerpt:

Welcome to the fifth instalment of our Women in Gaming series, where we introduce you to some of the women who are working behind the scenes to create the games you love to play. As an associate producer at PlayFirst, Angel Inokon's impressive c.v. includes working on the hits Wedding Dash and Diner Dash: Hometown Heroes.

You can read the full article at the Gamezebo website, HERE!

Plant Tycoon

Download the free trial or purchase the game HERE.

I really love the games produced by Last Day of Work. I own every single one of them! Plant Tycoon is their latest release and it is as good, if not better, than their other titles.

The object of this game is to grow plants in your nursery and sell them, cross-breed them and discover the magic plants of Isola!

This is a wonderfully slow simulation game that requires patience and perseverance. Like Fish Tycoon and Virtual Villagers, Plant Tycoon takes place in real time. It takes several hours (depending on which time setting you choose) for a plant to grow from seed to bloom. I tend to start the game off and leave it running in the background, checking on it every 30 minutes or so.

You also can collect insects that happen to be crawling or buzzing around your nursery. Once you catch an insect and add it to your collection, any subsequent similar insects are turned into cash. This can be a GREAT help early in the game, when money is tight.

With over 500 possible plant breeds to grow and very limited storage space for your seed collection, keeping track of what you're planting is a must. The peeps at the LDW forums have uploaded different tracking charts and even a virtual seed container that can really help! You can also find walk-throughs and other hints there.

Some tips and tricks -

• Get some paper and pencils ready. I found it necessary to track all of my cross breed attempts in order to find the secret to the magic plants.
• Be patient! This is a slow game and that is part of it's beauty. Unless you know exactly which plants you need and how to breed them, completing the game in a few hours is impossible - which is great!
• Adjust the prices! Some plants can sell for $600 or more! Find out which ones they are and breed a lot of them to boost your income!
• Buy the seeds from the shop! Often, some of the magic plants can be grown from those seeds.
• Upgrade your soil as soon as you can. Higher level soils allow you to grow those fragile hybrids.

For more information, tips, tricks and hints about this game, please visit the following forums:

Last Day of Work
PlayFirst
Game Cafe

I truly love this game and give it a 10 out of 10!