My New Year's Resolution is to play more casual games, which is causing a bit of a problem, because my resolutions for the past five years have also been to play more casual games and, as a result, I am spending so much time gaming that I have been falling behind on life's little responsibilities. The house is such a tip that gypsies have set up camp in the garden. My cats are starving. My husband has set me an ultimatum: it is either him or the games. And the kids... well, to be honest, I can't even remember whether I have any.
What am I to do? Squeeze any more games into my schedule and I won't have time to breathe. I was thinking about training as a Time Lord and adding a couple of hours to the day but the Open University time lording course requires eight hours of study a week and I simply...er, do not have the time.
So I have reluctantly concluded, given the huge number of games that I already play, that the responsible and mature thing to do is... let the non-gaming side of my life go to rot. Who needs a tidy house, fat cats, happy husbands and children you can remember... when you can play games like these. It is with great pleasure and absolutely no regret that I present to you ten new casual games hand-picked and tested by yours truly. Happy New Year!
1The Saviour
I was expecting an adventure game about a noble young man's quest to save the human race. But instead I got an unusual and brilliant action-packed RPG battle game - the best way to imagine it is Zelda taking on the cast of Street fighter in one-on-one battles. The RPG leveling system adds a fun twist to the game play. Play The Saviour here.
2Where is 2010
I am still wondering what happened to 2009 but genius Polish game developer Mateusz Skutnik (see our interview with him here) is clearly thinking ahead with this little gem. Where is 2010 is a quirky adventure-cum-puzzle game. It is typical Mateusz fare, featuring his trademark hand-drawn graphics and fun point-and-click style puzzles. You can play it here.
3Burney
First off, a warning to all you pyromaniacs out there, you're going to be disappointed by this game. Yes, it does feature fire but the burning is not really the main thing about it. If you really want to have fun with fire, you'd be a lot better off with a can of petrol, some matches and an Iranian police car. For those not of a pyromaniacal temperament, Burney is simply great fun. Basically, progress as far as you can along the obstacle course in the allotted time. Burning things as you go does not help in anyway but is great fun. Burney can be played here.
4Ninja Cubes
I struggled with this game initially. It requires quick reactions and after a Christmas break spent drinking, eating and sleeping a lot, my reactions are not so much slow as non-existant. Still, a bit of persistance pays off and after a few minutes playing Ninja Cubes I began to really enjoy it. The premise is simple: touch as many of the little ninja cubes flying around the screen as you can within the set time. Reaction games like this are not for everyone but Ninja Cubes is so slickly made and features such cute grapics that it is difficult not to get drawn in. Play the game here. If you like Ninja Cubes, you might also enjoy Ninja Glove, which features 21 mini reaction challenges.
5Fire and Bombs 2
There are plenty of Bomberman-style games around the web. But what sets this game - Fire and Bombs 2 - apart is that you are not the only one with the bombs. You have to compete with three or four computer or human controlled characters who are trying to bomb themselves to victory too. Avoid what I did first time I played: blowing myself up with my own bomb! Play Fire and Bombs 2 here.
6Shopping Cart Hero
This game brings back memories of my student days. What is it about booze and shopping carts that makes you put the former inside you and then put yourself in the latter. In Shopping Cart Hero, your challenge is to ride a shopping trolley as far as your drunken body can make it go. There is really not much more to it than that. Perform really well and you may end up on the leaderboard, and then all your peers will really think you are a hero. Honest. Shopping Cart Hero can be played here.
7Siege Master
Yay! Another Armor Games production. Armor are renowned for creating some of the best Flash games on the web (Sonny for example) and Siege Master - the company's latest offering - does not disappoint. It is perhaps the best example of the destroy-stuff-by-launching-objects-at-it genre I have come across, featuring clever destruction puzzles and an extensive campaign. Recommended. Play Siege Master here. For an unusual twist on this style of game, you might also want to check out Making Fun Games's cult game Destroy All Cars.
8Dutamassa Battle
I love games that draw you back again and again. Dutamassa Battle is a game that has the potential to do that. This is a very slickly-made card-based RPG game where you battle against enemies of steadily increasing strength before you face the ultimate test. You fight the battles using a variety of creatues. Creatures gain experience and level up from battling. Plus, as you progress in the game, you gain Turanggamasa level, allowing you to deploy more powerful monsters against your enemies. Beats Top Trumps, that's for sure. Play Dutamassa Battle here.
9Bush Royal Marriage
They might not on the surface appear to be the perfect match. Him an ex-alcoholic with a speech impediment, her the head of an increasingly dysfunctional family, but give them both machine guns and a bunch of evil terrorists to fight, and George Bush Junior and Queen Elizabeth || of Britain suddenly look like Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor (younger readers think Bella Swan and Edward Cullen in Twilight) in their pomp, so perfectly do they fit together. Yes, you've guessed it. This is not the real world but, rather, the bizzare universe created by the developers of the Bush Royal Marriage - in short one of the quirkiest action games I've clocked. Take on the role of Bush and the Queen and kick terrorist butt through the streets of London by clicking here.
10Pandemic Boy
You have been struck down with a deadly contagious disease. But in this evil little game - Pandemic Boy - there is no need to suffer alone. Indeed, you are veritably encouraged to share your ailment with everyone you meet, as if it was a piece of good news like a baby been born, rather than a nasty little microbe that will rot you from the inside out. Infect all the people before you die and you will progress to the next level, whereupon you will repeat the revolting process again and again. Now, what did I do with those tissues. My nose is beginning to run and my eyeballs are bleeding. Play Pandemic Boy here.
Honorable mentions
I felt a bit guilty about missing out these games, so I here they are: Mumphy Quest for Banana (a Mario style platformer), Fast Track (slick 3d racing game), Batman: In the Heat of the Night (Batman-themed platformer), TDP3: Ultra Kill (2d deathmatch game), Khun (immaculate move the block game), Bagataway (crazy Indian Lacrosse game), Adrenaline (Geometry Wars style shooter), Drink Cafe (bar management game).
If you have discovered any great new games this year, please tell us all about them in the comments section below.
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