Blog

Maybe a lot of you have already heard about Caine’s Arcade in East LA. If you are a gamer at heart, and you haven’t watched this chicken-soup-for-the-soul video, take a moment and check it out. Maybe because I have a little brother, maybe because I still love a good arcade, maybe because I am an entrepreneur… bottom line – I love this video. Check out this awesome cardboard arcade this 9 year old boy built in his dad's auto parts store. CGG is proud to donate toward his scholarship fund. You can too at http://cainesarcade.com/

A wonderful way to avoid thinking about the future is.... to play another game. Something like Haunted Manor: Lord of Mirrors. Denial and escapism work perfectly when graduation looms, and you know zero about what to do once you toss that mortarboard in the air. And, escapism takes on an even more ironic dimension when the main character in the game reminds you of yourself just a little too much. In Haunted Manor: Lord of Mirrors, two guys dare their friend to enter the creepy manor on the edge of town. Why is it that when guys make stupid moves the words “dare” and “bet” inevitably figure into the scenario?

My last final is tomorrow, and, frankly, I'm terrified. But not nearly as terrified as I am of... The Flying Dutchman. Tales speak of a fierce, grog-swilling pirate ghost who makes you rake leaves and find scissors. All in a day's work when you're the hero of the new hidden object game Secret of the Seas: Flying Dutchman Collector's Edition. With its fresh seafaring setting and solid adventuring, this game will shiver your timbers in no time. Yeah, I went there.

Well, that’s it. My last final was today. I’m all done. Graduation is in about 2 weeks, and I have nothing really on the agenda but to try to figure out what to do with the rest of my life… or NOT! No, I fully plan on using the hands-over-my-ears method of coping, and indulge in some great games for the next few days. La la la I can’t hear you mom! No, I don’t have a job yet. No, I haven’t decided if I’m going to grad school! Anyhow, with summer fast approaching now, I decide to check out the game Campgrounds, since it’s been awhile since I’ve played a resource management game, and I’m a big fan of camping! And I am happy to report that this charming little game did not disappoint.

On April 15, 1912, the Titanic hit an iceberg, and, at 2:20 AM, it sank out of sight into the icy ocean waters. Out of the 2,223 people on board, 1,500 died. Why the history lesson? Well, first, the story of the Titanic is incredibly fascinating and secondly, I just played Hidden Mysteries: Return to Titanic!

This heartwarming hidden object game set in 1930s France will take you back in time on an unforgettable journey of love, struggle, hope and determination. Join Mathilde, a beautiful young woman left destitute by the scarlet fever, as she becomes caught up in the colorful, character-filled world of the traveling circus. Help her fight her way up the circus ranks and steal the heart of the handsome animal trainer. Sumptuous illustrations, spectacular costumes and an endearing love story will transport you to the elegance and style of the 1930s. Runaway With The Circus!

Uncover the secrets of the mysterious Flying Dutchman in this new game Secrets of the Seas: Flying Dutchman! Find hidden objects and solve adventuresome puzzles in this oceanic hidden object puzzle adventure game! This is a special Collector's Edition release full of exclusive extras you won’t find in the standard version.

Where have I been? Busy! Unlike "some" people in this house who seemingly sit around and play games all day. Don't they know finals are nearly here? Don't they realize graduation is looming? Don't they realize I have to go back to Pennsylvania and live with my parents?! The only saving grace is that my brother is living with friends, so I'll finally have some peace and quiet from the brat. So... I took a small break from studying from the "final" finals to review a game called The Book of Desires.

Join the Behavioral Analysis Unit of the FBI to solve a series of shocking crimes in this thrilling hidden object, adventure game based on the hit TV series, Criminal Minds. As a member of an elite team of criminal profilers, you scour crime scenes for clues, interview witnesses and suspects, and carefully analyze evidence to catch the culprits. In the first case (A Dying Art), the BAU must find a serial killer on the loose in a college town before the body count rises further. Focus on the criminal, not the crime, to pinpoint the predators’ motivations and anticipate their next move!

The time has come for Nelly and Tom to stop a potential catastrophe and save the world in Treasure Seekers: The Time Has Come! With new powerful devices, such as the Ring of Time and the X-Glass, Nelly and Tom must go on their most exciting adventure yet! Is Totenkraft really as evil as they previously thought? Find out in this incredible Hidden Object Puzzle Adventure game!

Novelist Edward Grand has found evidence of a terrible tragedy in the city of Rosemount and sets off to investigate in Living Legends: Ice Rose! Help Edward gather information for his new book and explore the Castle of Ice Queen in this incredible Hidden Object Puzzle Adventure game. Scour the frozen landscapes and thaw out important locations as you solve an intriguing mystery in Living Legends: Ice Rose!

Back when old people were kids, they played these things called board games. And, if you're ready for a break from exploring haunted houses and finding butterflies and shovels, you might be ready for a cool little board game in video game form: Clockwork Crokinole. It will put your twitch reflexes to the test, and it could be a winner at parties because of its multiplayer capabilities.

Dragon Keeper 2 is a sweet, but busy, time management game. Usually Max looks at a game that I am playing (that is, if I "allow him") and watches for a few minutes and says, "Well, that isn't very much fun!" But, this time, I had to peel him away from my side just to write the review for this game! In Dragon Keeper 2, you get to take care of really cute baby dragons while collecting the gems they drop and fending off bad guys. At the end of the day, you can make pieces of jewelry with your gems that you can then sell for money. This money can then be used to buy more caretaking equipment or more dragon eggs. You are also given quests to accomplish that can be quite challenging to finish in expert time, especially if you make the mistake of selling off too many gems.

I admit, after last week’s letdown, I was a little hesitant to begin another adventure on the high seas, but, with all the mayhem that’s hit this house lately due to the upcoming FINAL finals… I jumped at the chance to set sail on this new upcoming pirate adventure game, hoping I would get a few hours of a much-needed escape. I can’t stress this enough… I was not disappointed. Nightmares of the Deep: The Cursed Heart is a stellar pirate hidden object adventure game by Artifex Mundi that had even me shouting “ahoy!” to my fellow roommates… much to their annoyance.

Hey gamers! It's me, Anne, again. If you are wondering why you haven't heard from Lucy in a really long time, well, she's been really busy with school. She sends her regrets - sarcastically, of course - but says she, "unlike some of us in the house," does not have time to be playing games, writing guides, and pleasing the public. I personally think she's just really stressed over final exams, final papers, and realizing she's moving back to Pennsylvania to live with her parents full-time for the first time in years. Who am I to say though, I'm not a psych student. Since I am one of those people in the house who can play games, really I'm just putting off the inevitable; I bring you The Secrets of Arcelia Island.

Well Easter was a nice, quiet event where I could stop pulling my hair out and quit having anxiety attacks every hour. But I swear… I feel like I’m the only one freaking out! Does anyone realize that it’s April???? This is it… this is our last month just about… breathe Morgan… breathe… OK. I can do this. OK, no I can’t… I need to escape reality for a little bit, and the best place I could think of right now is to jump straight into Life Quest 2: Metropoville and play a pretend life for a little bit. But man… pretend life can be just as difficult although pretty fun and rewarding if I do say so myself…

So... between studying for those upcoming finals - the final finals - I decided to take a look at some of my old work. As I was sorting through old papers I had written, it occurred to me to take a look at some of my old online work. I came across Dream Chronicles 2: The Eternal Maze walkthrough and was prepared to gaze upon the glory of one of my first-ever adventure game strategy guides.

I have just played a tantalizing game called Shiver: Poltergeist, the second in the series of Shiver games. Why tantalizing? Because I only had time to play for a little bit, since I’m still getting everything ready for the big move… but that was enough to get me hooked, and now I want to know who, why, and how, and, I’m pretty sure… so will you.

I’m a bit frustrated by life right now. It’s getting kind of hard to see the other side of graduation, so I was really excited when I heard that Alawar Games had created a game that would allow me to shoot and blow things up. You don’t really see too many of these kinds of games in the casual game market, and naturally the girls didn’t really want to try it, so I jumped at the chance to try and take out some of my frustrations on enemy ships in the game Pearl Harbor: Fire on the Water.

This will be a really exciting month for me and my little dog LuLu! Soon, we will be packing up and moving to the great Southwest. Deserts, mountains, monsoons, and sunsets to die for! We have many friends there too, and I just can’t wait to see them all. It will be a brand new start for the two of us, and I can hardly contain my excitement! With all the excitement, it seemed an appropriate time to review the Match 3 game Alice and The Magic Gardens since the young girl, Alice, also got a new start in her life.

Easter’s over and after gorging on jelly beans and marshmallow peeps for hours yesterday, I was finally able to get through my sugar daze and finish the walkthrough I did for the game All My Gods. The All My Gods Walkthrough provides all the information you’re going to need to help you beat this engaging strategy game where you have to please and/or outsmart the gods to earn your rightful place in their midst.

I'm waist deep in the semester, waist deep in homework, and waist deep in annoying roommates. It's the home stretch at school, and this is total war. And that's why it's nice to step back and slip into something a little more... casual. Enter Phenomenon: City of Cyan, a new hidden object game from developer PuzzleLab. You'll be treated to gorgeous environments and some good brain-benders, but terribad voice acting lurks just beneath the surface, ready to strike!

Why is it that whenever there is something going on in this house… I get blamed for it… Whatever is in the fridge is NOT MINE! Do you think I would really let something sit in the fridge that long and get gross? Me? I never have leftovers… I eat other people’s leftovers! Whatever it is, it’s not mine, and I’m not dealing with it! Most likely one of the girls has left some sort of sushi or burrito in there, and it’s growing mushrooms right now… and they need to clean that up before it becomes a biohazard! Uggg. Anyhow… Jasper thinks he’s so smart hiding in his room… well two can play at that game… I decided to do a guide as well, and I figured I would give the Agency of Anomalies: Cinderstone Orphanage another try.

Here are the Luxor Evolved Secret levels, unlocked in all their 80's glory. Be sure to check out the Pacman, Dig Dug, Donkey Kong, and Space Invaders levels.

I’m not one for complaining that much…. But someone has to answer for what’s going on in the fridge right now. There’s something in there that smells awful. I’m not talking leftover fish smell. I’m talking something crawled in there and died smell. I’m pretty sure it’s Zavy’s, because I don’t think the girls would have done that... but no one wants to dig in the shelves and fish it out. So… I’m hiding in my room right now with an air freshener clipped to my fan, and, since I’m sitting here, I figured I would do something constructive and put together a guide. I chose Haunted Manor: Queen of Death, and I was actually pretty happy with my choice.

Living Legends: Ice Rose… Ok… can you guess who the villain is? How many different places can the Ice Queen show up as the enemy? The one that comes to mind is in Narnia, and I’ll tell you… this Queen is not any nicer! Actually, with that said, the storyline is really far from trite and the imagination used to create this game needs a big old pat on the back. It is not a worn out “same old-same old” format at all!

Wait – did someone say Vampires? Hang on… just a minute… this is the perfect time to try out my new fangs! Ok, I think I’m all set for the game Blood and Ruby! In this hidden object adventure game, you have to unravel the dark underbelly of the vampire world to discover what has happened to your dear brother. Fortunately for you, your brother has left you a trail of clues to follow!

Do you ever just have too much to do and then discover that there is a game that you are absolutely desperate to play and just don't have the time? Well, join my club today! I decided to just check out Sweet Lily Dreams: Chapter 1, which was recently released at Big Fish Games. I was only going to take a quick peek, I promise! Well, one hour later I was devastated to have to stop playing. Now, I pulled on my big girl panties and decided not to buy it (yet!); but, my goodness, this is a time when I wish I wasn't a responsible adult. I hope you aren't in my situation and are able to just jump right in and start playing without ceasing. Before I begin reviewing the game itself, let me just say that I am absolutely going to buy this game and will most likely write a guide for it. I am just going to have to clear the decks beforehand because I won't be able to stop once I start! So without further ado…

Mid-terms are over! Can I get a woo hooo please? I can’t believe I survived another batch of cruel tests and papers… but you know what that means? I deserve a treat! And lucky for you that means that it’s guide time! This time, it was Grim Tales: The Bride that sparked my interest. My twin sister, missing or dead on her wedding day? How could I possibly be expected to resist? The answer to that is... I’m not expected to at all, and so here it is, a full walkthrough for the game!

New Yankee in King Arthur's Court is an interesting twist on both the classic tale and classic resource management game (think Royal Envoy, Roads of Rome, and My Kingdom for the Princess). A bolt of lightning sends your character back to King Arthur's time, and you quickly go from a peaceful farmer to a knight with the mission of finding the fountain of youth. In this game, you will command your workers to complete the usual challenges of finding resources, building necessary structures, and attaining stated goals. However, for once, your character has a job to do also. Your job, should you choose to accept it, is to chase off bad guys, rescue kidnapped workers, and perform spells to allow your workers to complete their tasks.

Royal Envoy is a classic resource management game. In fact, it is simply hands-down one of the best (as in the top three!). Royal Envoy was released in 2010, but still holds up against the many other games in its genre. It is a game that I use as a comparison to all other resource management games.

Gardenscapes: Mansion Makeover is the sequel to the award-winning 2009 game, Gardenscapes. I did not play the first one, but instead of creating the perfect garden, this time, you're creating the perfect house.

Hey gamers! It's me... again! Midterms were brutal. I'm so happy that they are the last one's I'll ever have to take. I was so anxious awaiting my grades that I decided to calm down by playing that great game I previously reviewed, Fantastic Creations: House of Brass. As I stated before, Fantastic Creations: House of Brass is fantastic! If you read the review, some of this information will be old hat, but some of it will be new.

I have just finished playing the trial version of Silent Nights: The Pianist. And, it was so good that now I want to be able to play the complete game! The action takes place in the year 1946 in post-war Germany. Two sisters with exceptional musical abilities are supposed to travel on a joint musical tour. However, when the one sister, who plays the piano, arrives at their Uncle Albert’s inn, she finds Albert is out on an errand and her sister Yvette has not yet arrived. A phone call from Yvette alerts the pianist that her sister is still at the train station and is in trouble. When she discovers Yvette’s clothes all over the train platform the hunt begins...

This semester it really seems like I’m caught in a time warp. Some days I feel like it’s going by so fast that I want to use the pause button so I can remember these last few days of college. Others, it’s all I can do to stop wishing the clock would move faster. I’m having one of those days, so in an effort to move things along, I went ahead and tried the game Special Enquiry Detail: Engaged to Kill.

Holy freak’n cow! You’re NOT going to believe this! I’m literally bouncing up and down in my chair as I write this… there’s a sequel to House of 1000 Doors coming out, and I get to preview it before anyone else!!!! This one’s called House of 1000 Doors: The Palm of Zoroaster, and it stars our favorite heroine Kate Reed again! This time, she needs to save the residents of the House of 1000 Doors from a cursed gem that’s wreaking havoc on the house!

This week I got to try the match 3 game 7 Gates: The Path to Zamolxes. A long time ago, the Dacian people asked their gods to hide away their treasure. Now, years later, your objective in this game is to restore the Temples of the Dacians and return the treasure that was hidden by the Gods.

LIKE us on Facebook to qualify to win. Then use your creativity to write a limerick to be entered to get a free game!

Nightfall Mysteries: Black Heart review returns with a vengeance as your best friend’s lover is kidnapped by an enemy thought dead. Powerless to save her lover from the clutches of the malevolent Vansig family and the mystery enemy, she calls to you for assistance. Explore the mysterious Vansig manor in Nightfall Mysteries: Black Heart.

Grave Mania: Undead Fever review will take zombie killing to a whole different level. Put the zombies of Pastryport to rest by preparing them for eternal rest in the coffin! Dress the zombies to their liking and acquire money based on how good of a job you did. This time management game will always keep you on your toes and help you be more fashionably aware!

Hey gamers! Yes, it's me already. I had a weekend to myself - all homework finished - so I decided to try a little game called The Surprising Adventures of Munchausen. What a mouthful! This game is a ton of fun! The story involves an evil villain who has destroyed the magic stone and therefore has removed all the riches and happiness from the kingdom. The villain then offers the King a lot of gold for his daughter’s hand in marriage. The Princess, knowing this is a fate worse than death, calls upon her admirer, Munchausen, to rescue her and the kingdom. Can he do it? With your help he can!

OK, I wasn’t really into Facebook games that much until I saw that Zavy plays with his grandma… then I couldn’t resist getting in on that and seeing it for myself… I started playing a few of the games they play, which is how I discovered the hidden object game Hidden Haunts – a gateway to the paranormal world right from my Facebook account!

Good news! Mystery Trackers: Black Isle is as great a game as the last two Mystery Trackers games. I find this series challenging to the extreme, and I sincerely hope there will be more of these mysteries. Sometimes series, of any type, become a bit lame and boring after a while, but, thankfully, this is not the case in Mystery Trackers: Black Isle.

Hey gamers! I did it! I finished every single level in the game Toki Tori. That includes normal, hard, and bonus levels. Whew! If you read my previous review about Toki Tori, then you already know about this game and my secret (not so much anymore) addiction to platformer-type games. However, can we really call this a platformer? I don’t think so. A regular platformer has you getting from point A to point B while dodging bad guys, jumping on them, collecting coins, etc. Toki Tori is more of a puzzle game disguised as a platformer.

Ok, I admit it. I am completely addicted to the Cradle game series. I can’t help it… they are just so much fun. My absolute favorite game is Cradle of Rome. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve played it, but trust me… it’s been plenty. So naturally, I couldn’t wait to try Cradle of Egypt!