http://www.casualgameguides.com/ Casual Game Guides Blog en-us Copyright 2010 Engenuous http://backend.userland.com/rss Sun, 07 Feb 2010 09:17:16 -0700 Excuse me... I've just had tea with the queen... and how did you spend your afternoon?? That's what I thought... certainly not as exciting as my afternoon... but we can't all be privileged to dine with royalty. LOL! Ok, so the snobbish tea party thing is a little too much fun for me... I'll stop now. Alice's Tea Cup Madness... how fun! Alice was always one of my favorite characters growing up... in fact I'm drinking out of a Alice in Wonderland cup right now, so I couldn't help but be super excited when I saw this new game come out. I just HAD to play it right away! The characters in this game are ridiculously cute! There's the white rabbit, of course, and the Mad Hatter, and the queen, and my favorite... the Cheshire cat... who isn't mad... but he's cranky. Ha ha! Alice fell down the rabbit hole, but this time the only way out is to make money to cross the field of flowers... so Alice teams up with the white rabbit to open up a tea house in order to make some dough... or pastries... whatever. Anyhow, it's a challenging time management scramble to get the orders filled and the tea made and the pastries baked and topped appropriately. Later you add more toppings, and different kinds of teas and different pastry shapes to make it even more challenging! It's crazy! Or should I say... mad?! They even throw in some different kinds of time management techniques... such as if you have two orders of croissants, you can grab the pastry and drag your mouse over two places to fill two plates instead of running back and forth. Alice can only carry one plate at a time, so this comes in handy especially when the orders start pouring in. Ha get it? Pour... it's a tea house? Huh? Man, I'm funny today! My one word of advice is save your money up for the instant serves right away. This feature lets you automatically serve customers at once. So you can concentrate on making the orders and then all you have to do is click a button to serve all of them at once! It really is a time-saver! The graphics are beautiful. Bright pinks, blues, and purples galore, and the game is super fun to play! I know what I'll be doing for the rest of the weekend... well besides breaking for some quality time with my ummmm... "tutor." I think we're hitting it off pretty well... even though I still don't understand a word he says about economics...
» Alice's Tea Cup Madness Cheats & Forum

» Alice's Tea Cup Madness Free Trial & Related Games]]> http://www.casualgameguides.com/games/blog/blog_comments.cfm/gc_id&8325/ http://www.casualgameguides.com/games/blog/blog_comments.cfm/gc_id&8325/ Morgan@engenuous.com (CGG Staff) Sun, 07 Feb 2010 09:17:00 -0700 Well, it's one of those days where you just want to curl up in bed with a good book or a good movie. Cloudy, with a steady drizzle to lull you into a happy place. Even my son, who's normally bouncing around about this time is quietly playing with his toys. I should be taking this free time to start planning my husband's birthday party, but I just can't seem to bring myself to tackling that big event right now. I'm not sure where to even start. Should I keep it small with just immediate family and a few close friends this year? My son thinks we should take a trip to Disneyland, but I'm not sure that my husband would enjoy that as much as my little troublemaker... lol. Anyhow, I thought I would instead take this time to finish up the guide I've been working on for a little bit now: Midnight Mysteries: The Edgar Allen Poe Conspiracy. Ever since Cecelia posted the review for the game awhile back, I've been working my way through solving the mysteries and having a great time. And now that it's finally finished, I thought I would share it with all of you today! I hope you enjoy playing it as much as I did! And now, I guess I'll go back to party planning. Between being a mom and a wife, it's amazing I have any time to myself!
» Midnight Mysteries: The Edgar Allan Poe Conspiracy Cheats & Forum

» Midnight Mysteries: The Edgar Allan Poe Conspiracy Free Trial & Related Games]]> http://www.casualgameguides.com/games/blog/blog_comments.cfm/gc_id&8324/ http://www.casualgameguides.com/games/blog/blog_comments.cfm/gc_id&8324/ Kristi@engenuous.com (CGG Staff) Sun, 07 Feb 2010 08:58:00 -0700 So this weekend I had a blast. Pristine white beaches, blue-green ocean as far as the eye can see, some hottie boy bringing me drinks in my beach cabana. It was like a dream come true. Ok... so maybe it kind of was a dream that I had while I was passed out drooling on my Economics 101 book. But it was a great dream I'm telling you. And all because of my latest find... Vacation Mogul! Normally when I talk about games, it's something that I've played for a while and then I stop to tell you about it and continue playing... sorry guys... not this time. I couldn't stop playing it, it was so much fun! I kind of beat the game already and yet I'm still going back to try to beat my score on some of the really challenging levels. Just imagine this... you're just hanging out say maybe going to school in a western college... and you get a call that says your Uncle has died... booo... but yay, he left you and your sister everything... including five resort islands. Well, naturally you just pack up your things and head to your new island paradise! Once there, it's time to get this place in order... building nice luxury accommodations, shops, and attracting new tourists to stay in your hotels! Everything is going great, and the money is pouring in... until your sister goes missing and the lawyer who handled your Uncle's will stands to inherit everything if you don't find her and make.... One million dollars. Cue evil music now! Now it's time to beat the clock on every board... and yes, it's challenging. You have to strategize before you just jump in there and start building hotels. I had to replay a lot of boards later after I had some more bonus points to get faster building and added time on the clock. Once you played for... oh I don't know... let's just say a couple of hours... you'll get the hang of how to build the perfect resort layout. The game play and graphics were great! I obviously got pulled into the game, although that's really no surprise for me. Please, a game about me owning a tropical resort paradise... where can you possibly go wrong with that kind of premise? I am all over that. Now, if you'll excuse me... I think I'll get back to my dream... it featured the cutest boy of the month... my new crush... Ok... real quick... he's a senior and he's in my Economics class. He's majoring in marketing, and he is sooooooo hot! Good thing I'm not really good at economics... think I'll be needing some major tutoring this semester. Cue evil music!!!
» Vacation Mogul Cheats & Forum

» Vacation Mogul Free Trial & Related Games]]> http://www.casualgameguides.com/games/blog/blog_comments.cfm/gc_id&8302/ http://www.casualgameguides.com/games/blog/blog_comments.cfm/gc_id&8302/ Morgan@engenuous.com (CGG Staff) Tue, 26 Jan 2010 15:06:00 -0700 My son is now at an age where he is very interested in playing games and activities on the computer. He loves cars and trucks so, in looking for a computer game in that genre, I came across Virtual City. I set it up for him and let him go. I figured he would like it, but he loved it! So I thought I would give it a try myself. I was initially very captivated by the graphics. Watching all the vehicles driving their various routes was fun to watch. The intro movie is well done and the city itself has some great detail. Best of all was the challenge in creating the city and helping it to thrive. There are upgrades that give you new structures to add to your city and improve the quality of your existing structures. So though I had originally downloaded this game to entertain my son, I found myself just as engrossed in it. Now we each have our own profile on the game, and we have to address another challenge together, learning to take turns. :)
» Virtual City Cheats & Forum

» Virtual City Free Trial & Related Games]]> http://www.casualgameguides.com/games/blog/blog_comments.cfm/gc_id&8300/ http://www.casualgameguides.com/games/blog/blog_comments.cfm/gc_id&8300/ Kristi@engenuous.com (CGG Staff) Mon, 25 Jan 2010 11:20:00 -0700 I used to love to go to the movies . See a good movie, most of the time, visit with all your friends and eat Dots and Popcorn. All for a good price. The last time I went to a movie I walked out before I went totally deaf and froze to death. Good Grief. Now I prefer to watch in the comfort of my own heated or cooled just right living room. The food is much better, my chair is comfy and I don't have to go to the bank and get a loan to buy a ticket, That said, let's get on with this review. Tinseltown Dreams : The 50's. You are hired by a big movie mucky muck to direct a movie. So if you have ever wanted to make your own movie here is your chance. You play match 3 games and solve puzzles to make the money to hire writers, actors, set directors, caterers and anyone else involved in making a movie. The more you score the more money you have to spend . You have 3 choices when you hire people. Cheap, medium priced or high priced. You get a background-check on each one. In the games there are bombs and power-ups to hold your interest. There is 50's music and 50's themes throughout the game. There is no time limit on the puzzles so make a movie and have fun. In my opinion, this game was the best of the current match 3 releases.
» Tinseltown Dreams: The 50s Cheats & Forum

» Tinseltown Dreams: The 50s Free Trial & Related Games]]> http://www.casualgameguides.com/games/blog/blog_comments.cfm/gc_id&8286/ http://www.casualgameguides.com/games/blog/blog_comments.cfm/gc_id&8286/ Cecelia@engenuous.com (CGG Staff) Fri, 22 Jan 2010 14:16:00 -0700 I don't know why I don't play Mahjong more often. Every time I try a new mahjong game I have a great time. This game was no exception. It has a great story to go along with the game and the graphics are stunning. It is worth downloading just to read the story and see the beautiful scenery. There are several ways to play this latest game. So many in fact that I am not even going to attempt to tell you about them, I would only confuse you. As I have told you before I am not an expert at this game. But that doesn't keep me from enjoying it. There is a wonderful Japanese lady that gives you lessons at the beginning of the game if you are a novice like me. This game has high replay value in my opinion.
» Mahjong Memoirs Cheats & Forum

» Mahjong Memoirs Free Trial & Related Games]]> http://www.casualgameguides.com/games/blog/blog_comments.cfm/gc_id&8285/ http://www.casualgameguides.com/games/blog/blog_comments.cfm/gc_id&8285/ Cecelia@engenuous.com (CGG Staff) Fri, 22 Jan 2010 14:09:00 -0700 In the mountains where I grew up there was a one-room school, a bar, and a fire department. That was it. So needless to say entertainment options were limited. When Dig Dug showed up in the "arcade" (let the reader understand the corner of the bar), we were all pretty excited. We played that game through the late hours of the night while our parents did who knows what. So when Dig Dug was released through Big Fish, I couldn't resist trying it out. It's the classic game, not really any twists or surprises here. There is an "enhanced" version with slightly better graphics, but I preferred playing the original version. If you are a fan of the old one or have never tried Dig Dig, you'll probably enjoy this version either way.
» Dig Dug Cheats & Forum

» Dig Dug Free Trial & Related Games]]> http://www.casualgameguides.com/games/blog/blog_comments.cfm/gc_id&8284/ http://www.casualgameguides.com/games/blog/blog_comments.cfm/gc_id&8284/ zavy@engenuous.com (CGG Staff) Fri, 22 Jan 2010 00:00:00 -0700 OK... so I'm a sucker for the farming games... and especially the Farm Frenzy games. They are probably the time management games that challenges me the most. So when I saw that Farm Frenzy 3: American Pie came out... I HAD to play it. If you recall, I reviewed Farm Frenzy 3 when it came out and we interviewed the developer of the game from Alawar, so I have a special place in my heart for these series. I was very excited to see the return of Scarlett, the self described feisty character from the original Farm Frenzy game... that's right feisty... from now on, I would like you all to refer to me as feisty... although I'm not sure it goes with my name nearly as well as Scarlett... Morgan might not be feisty... but let's try to make it work. Anyhow... I get off topic so quickly... back to the game. So in this new game, Scarlett is done roaming the world and now she's back home and her poor granny needs her help! The evil banks are going to foreclose on her property if we don't help her make this farm profitable! Booooo... hisssssss. Most of the game play is pretty much the same as the original Farm Frenzy, the big difference they threw into this one is your ability to get robots! It is the age of technology after all, so why shouldn't robots help us farm? You can still get cats and dogs, sheep, oh and you start out with turkeys that lay eggs. Bears still come and try to eat them though. Which is so annoying because I can't seem to click fast enough to get rid of them. My advice is spend some time repeating a level or two to get enough money to buy the better cage so you can get them under control faster and earlier in the game. You'll save yourself a lot of frustration and animals. This game has 90 new levels or so it says... I haven't gotten there yet, but I'm working on it between studying and playing soccer. Oh... did I tell you guys I signed up for intramural soccer this semester! I was spending a bit too much time indoors and it was starting to show in certain parts of my figure if you know what I mean... Speaking of... it's probably time I went outdoors for a bit to kick the ball around and run some laps. Still searching for this semester's crush... think I might have found him, but more on that later.
» Farm Frenzy 3: American Pie Cheats & Forum

» Farm Frenzy 3: American Pie Free Trial & Related Games]]> http://www.casualgameguides.com/games/blog/blog_comments.cfm/gc_id&8274/ http://www.casualgameguides.com/games/blog/blog_comments.cfm/gc_id&8274/ Morgan@engenuous.com (CGG Staff) Tue, 19 Jan 2010 12:20:00 -0700 Is it me or are vacations just not long enough! The first week of classes aren't too hectic, so I was able to fit in a game guide for you. Samantha Swift and the Mystery of Atlantis. This is the third game in the series and like those before it, beautifully hand drawn with a fun story-line. Unlike its previous versions however, there were less mini-games and the ones provided were pretty easy, in my opinion. They added a new aspect that unlocks a special area at the end of the game. If you are a fan of the Samantha Swift series, I highly recommend you get this one and play it too! These games are always great plays. When I got back to campus I found out my old roommate had moved! We weren't that close, but still, she didn't even tell me. Now I'm faced with getting a new roommate soon. I'm told I should be getting one this week and I sure hope she's as nice as the last one. Well, I rarely saw the last one, she never hardly used the dorm room, unlike me who is either studying or playing games. It was a nice arrangement, so I'm a little worried. My next game guide will be the latest in the Natalie Brooks series. I'm sure by the time that's done I'll be able to report back to you on my new roommate. Keep your fingers crossed for me!
» Samantha Swift 3: Mystery From Atlantis Cheats & Forum

» Samantha Swift 3: Mystery From Atlantis Free Trial & Related Games]]> http://www.casualgameguides.com/games/blog/blog_comments.cfm/gc_id&8271/ http://www.casualgameguides.com/games/blog/blog_comments.cfm/gc_id&8271/ anne@engenuous.com (CGG Staff) Mon, 18 Jan 2010 00:00:00 -0700 Well... I'm back here at school. Vacation was awesome... if a bit frigid. At least I got to see some snow for Christmas! Mom was great of course... cooked all of my favorite meals. She tried to get me to take some back with me, but I told her it would be a little hard to smuggle lasagna on the plane. The semester's going well so far. Taking some interesting courses... we'll see how they turn out. I think my favorite is going to be British Literature... I get to learn all about the age of epic poems and Chaucer. Since I was in the poetic, creative mood, I decided to give Artist Colony a try. Oh man... this is definitely one of those addicting games that get me in trouble. Before I knew it, I had played past dinner and had to eat some ramen raw... which is not as bad as it sounds! The basis of the story is you play Ben, the son of the artist who started this artist colony years ago with his best friend. Everything was going great until a girl came into the story... Think Shakespeare's Two Gentleman of Verona... one of my favorites. Anyhow, they began to fight over her and things went downhill with the colony. It eventually burned down and was left in ruins. Now present day, Ben has come to the artist colony with his friend Dylan to rebuild. Jack, Ben's half brother also surfaces, and we see that there is a conflict between the two brothers that is surprise surprise... just like their fathers years ago. Other artists come to the colony throughout the game as well and you get to tell them what to do... which is appealing to me I admit. You can get them to train as painters, musicians, dancers, sculptors, or photographers. You can also get them to do yard work and clean debris up off the ground. Clean yards help inspire your artists, which is important if you want them to create masterpieces. And masterpieces equals money in this game! You can also upgrade your buildings, making it possible for your artists to keep growing in levels. The better the artist, the better the masterpiece, the more money you make. Get it? Overall, this game was very fun and exciting! Especially if you like sim games. The nice part about this game though, was that it wasn't something that you had to wait for like Virtual Villagers. You have the option of speeding up time, but I found I never had to do that... there was always someone who needed me to tell them what to do!! Too bad real life isn't like that...
» Artist Colony Cheats & Forum

» Artist Colony Free Trial & Related Games]]> http://www.casualgameguides.com/games/blog/blog_comments.cfm/gc_id&8260/ http://www.casualgameguides.com/games/blog/blog_comments.cfm/gc_id&8260/ Morgan@engenuous.com (CGG Staff) Sat, 16 Jan 2010 10:39:00 -0700