Ten games that make you think about life
Games might not yet be recognized as art but they are increasingly being used to explore the kind of deep themes that were previously the preserve of artists and philosophers.
At the start of this year, we decided to come up with a list of Flash casual games with a philosophical bent. To be honest, we struggled. After days of research, we could only find a handful of games that had the thought-provoking depth we were looking for. Our list (which you can view by clicking here) was therefore only five games long.
Fast forward to now, and it is remarkable how much difference a few months can make. Thanks to the work of pioneers like Daniel Benmergui, Gregory Weir and PixelAnte, there is now an abundance of clever arty Flash games to pique our intellects, and as a result creating this follow-up list of games that make you think has been a doddle.
Published by Tasha on 19th July 2010
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Top 30 Online Tower Defense Games
Tower defense games are among the most addictive games around, and we have 30 of the best of them for you to play.
Every so often someone comes up with a game that is so new and innovative that everyone starts copying it and as a result a whole new genre of games is spawned. That is what has happened with tower defense games. Not so long ago, there was no such thing as a tower defense game. Then in 2007, David Scott released Flash Element Tower Defense. The game proved a hit and in almost no time other developers were mimicking the game play that Scott had pioneered.
Now, just three years after Flash Element TD's launch, there are literally hundreds of tower defense games available. Here, we present you with a list of what we consider to be the Top 30 Online Tower Defense Games. All the games can be played in your browser for free. Enjoy!
Published by Alex Kearns on 16th March 2010
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ImmorTall
ImmorTall is a beautiful, emotionally moving game that makes you ponder on the nature of life.
If you are expecting some mindless entertainment from today's Game of the Day - perhaps whacking hedgehogs into outer space, or lobotomising zombies with an AK47, or maybe just shooting up aliens - then, I am afraid, you are going to be disappointed. For today's Game of the Day cannot in any way be described as an action game (although it does have some action in it).
Neither is it an adventure style game (sorry, Zelda connoisseurs). Fans of escape-the-room games are also unlikely to find much in the game - there is very little point and clicking going on at all. And strategy game fans, get back to the latest version of Civilisation for there is nothing for you here. Ditto RPGers (replacing Civilisation with Dragons Age Origins).
Published by Tasha on 11th March 2010
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Home Sheep Home
Home Sheep Home is proof that casual games based on films or TV shows need not be shoddy rip-offs of existing genres.
Not so long ago, video games inspired by films or TV shows had a very bad reputation. They were usually just shameless attempts to cash in on the brand, rarely offering interesting game play or cutting edge graphics. Most seasoned game players didn't even consider buying them. That, however, was before the release of Ghostbusters: The Video Game and Batman: Arkham Asylum in 2009.
These two games have transformed our expectations of brand-based games. Both of them are really quite good and are worth playing even if you have no interest in Ghostbusters or Batman. Hence why Ghostbusters: The Video Game scored a very respectable 79% on game-review mash-up site metacritc. Batman: Arkham Asylum did even better. As of today, it is rated as one of the top 20 xBox 360 games of all time, with an average rating of 92%, putting it above classics such as Mass Effect 1 and Rock Band.
Published by Tasha on 9th March 2010
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Top 25 online Defend your Castle games
We've scoured the internet and found what we think are the best defend your castle games you can play for free on the web.
Defend-your-castle games are among the most addictive casual games around. The concept is simple. You are the defender of a castle (sometimes it is a base, or a home or even a pub) under attack from an onslaught of enemies. The enemies are usually soliders, zombies or monsters (though they can also be bunnies, for some reason). Your task is to fight them off using any means at your disposal (rocks, bows and arrows, guns, cannon and, in one case, potatoes).
Usually, your enemies come at you in waves. Once you have fended off one wave, it is common for you to have the option of upgrading your weapons or repairing your barricades. Not to be confused with tower defence games (which Casual Girl Gamer will be featuring in an upcoming list), castle-defence games are a great way of wasting away a few minutes (or if you are an addict like me, a few hours).
Published by Alex Kearns on 8th March 2010
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Potion Panic 2
Potion Panic 2 is an unusual but effective take on the defend-your-castle game genre.
I have played loads of defend-your-castle style of games. You know, where your castle (sometimes it is your home) is under attack by hordes of nasty things, usually zombies, monsters of some kind or enemy soldiers, and you have lob rocks at them (or shoot them, or fire arrows at them, etc, etc) to prevent them breaking in and killing you.
Classics in this genre include The Last Stand by Con Artist and xGen's Defend your Castle (the game that started the whole genre off). Some developers have tried to spice up the genre by using unconventional themes (Black Sheep Acres, for example, has you killing cute bunnies rather than vile monsters) or adding innovative game play mechanics. In some games, rather than chucking things at the enemy hordes, you might pick them up and throw them away.
Published by Alex Kearns on 4th March 2010
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Top 10 most relaxing online casual games
Some games aim to soothe and calm your nerves rather than get your heart pounding like crazy with non-stop action.
Gaming need not be all white-knuckle adrenaline-buzzing action. Games can also soothe and relax, providing the perfect come-down after a frantic day at the office. Think games like Endless Ocean on the Wii and Flower on the PS3. But you don't need a console to get your fix of gaming serenity. There are plenty of cool relaxing games you can play online for free. So take a few deep breaths, put aside all stressful thoughts and settle down to some tranquil fun with Casual Girl Gamer's Top 10 most relaxing online games.
If you can think of any more great relaxing games, please share them with us in the comments section below.
Published by Tasha on 27th February 2010
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One button Bob
You don't need fancy controllers or joysticks to have fun with games, as One Button Bob - a game that requires just one button - amply proves.
One could be forgiven for thinking that a game needing just one button to play would be so limited as to be boring. Not so, if One Button Bob - an inventive new platform-style game that can be played for free in your browser - is anything to go by. While some games (Street Fighter, for example) force players to learn complicated combinations of button presses, the developers of One Button Bob have distilled the game play into the press of a single button (the left button of your mouse).
Rare is it to find a game that is so simple to control. And even more rare is it for such a game to offer such a wealth of game play as One Button Bob. The secret to the game's success is that what happens when you press the button changes depending on which level you are on. Sometimes pressing the button will cause Bob - the game's Indiana Jones-style protaganist - to jump. Other times it will make Bob fire his weapon. And other times still, you have to repeatedly click the button to fly or run fast. A press of the button may also cause Bob to climb ladders or stop on the spot to avoid falling objects.
Published by Tasha on 25th February 2010
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Fat Slice
Slice up shapes without letting the balls escape in this wickedly addictive puzzle game.
The best ideas always sound so obvious when you first hear of them. Suitcases with wheels. Pre-sliced bread. A status updating service limited to 140 characters. Why didn't I think of any of them. They're so simple.
Today's game of the day - Fat Slice - brings out similar feelings in me. The premise of the game is ridiculously simple - you chop off bits of shapes without isolating any of the balls bouncing around inside the shapes. To progress to the next shape, you have to reduce the size of the shape by a certain percentage.
Published by Tasha on 24th February 2010
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Civilisations War
Civilisations War is a beautifully designed new strategy game that achieves the perfect balance between ease-of-play and depth.
Many strategy games fall into the trap of being too complicated. Players are presented with so many options - often through impenetrable menu trees - that they suffer information overload and simply give up. Other games make the opposite mistake: stripping away all complexity in an effort to make the game accessible to everyone. The result is an easy-to-play game but one which lacks replayability.
The best strategy games manage to combine ease-of-use with deep game-play. One game that achieves this balance perfectly is Civilisations War, a beautiful new Flash game that you can play in your browser for free. In this game, you assume the role of the commander of a tribe that is seeking to rediscover a magical power that was lost when an brilliant, ancient civilisation collapsed many aeons before.
Published by Alex Kearns on 23rd February 2010
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Developer spotlights
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Jake Elliott
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Con Artist Games
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Gregory Weir
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John Cooney
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Evan Miller
In ImmorTall, indie developer Evan Miller created one of the most emotionally moving games to grace the internet. We speak to him about his gaming philosophy and plans for the future.
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Mateusz Skutnik
Mateusz Skutnik is a rarity: a gifted artist who is also a skilled coder. He is responsible for some of the most beautiful casual games on the web.
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