casual posts

The folks at Arcen Games have been hard at work continuing AI War. Once of the sleeper hits of last year, it's a stellar strategy title that builds design around cheating AI, as opposed to simply having it there. However, they are not just working on AI War's expansions. Recently, they released a new game that is far outside of what one would expect from an indie strategy darling. The game is Tidalis, and it is a casual puzzle game in the same rough ballpark as Bejeweled. Tidalis is not just for casual players, however. Under its simple match-3 exterior hides a game of incredible depth and complexity that will intrigue players from every camp.

Download the Tidalis PC demo right here on Big Download!
Download the Tidalis Mac demo right here on Big Download!

Everyone wonders about just how cool it would be to knock a golf ball around planets in outer space. If they deny it, well, they are just rejecting their true feelings. Don't worry, they'll come around eventually. Gravitee 2 is an excellent take on this concept, and a vast improvement over the original. Combining gravity, stellar objects, and the fine art of golfing has never been so much fun!

The basis of Gravitee 2 is very simple: Knock a ball in a direction and let the gravity of various stellar objects, such as planets and suns, do the rest. The difficult part comes in the form of the challenges, which include things such as scoring, collecting items, passing through hoops, and your average, everyday golf course (make it into the hole). There's lots of awards and specials to unlock through continual play, which makes it a great coffee break sort of game.

Games that mix awesome physics and innovative gameplay are some of the most addicting and entertaining, and that is the focus of Splitter 2. A game comprised entirely of cutting through different kinds of objects, Splitter 2 mixes physics and Incredible Machine-esque contraptions to great effect, especially since it has a level editor and even more people have made such levels!

The goal of Splitter 2 is to simply get your ball to the end of each level, represented by a button. You do this by slicing wood and rope so that physics pushes the ball to your goal. It's a very casual game, which fits, given that it is developed by the Casual Collective. You can play through the given levels, try out other user's levels, or create your own. It's all up to you!

Strategy games, especially those of the 4X kind (eXplore, eXpand, eXploit, eXterminate) tend to be extremely difficult for new players to get into. Part of the reason for this is the incredible amount of depth, with a focus on every element of gameplay, not just combat. Things such as diplomacy, culture, and economics are just as important as warfare. This level of detail can cripple new players to the genre, which makes great interfaces and gameplay systems more essential than any level of depth. Light of Altair is a game of this genre, but interestingly enough, it doesn't follow the typical difficult norm of the 4X stereotype. No, Light of Altair is accessible through a good interface and a vast simplification of many gameplay mechanics seen in other 4X games. In a way, it is one of the first "casual" 4X games, and it is a great entry point for anybody looking to try their hand at complex strategy games.

We have to say, this is one of the most interesting and hilarious games we've seen to come from the indie scene. An entry into TOJam #4, Cheesohol has simple graphics and animation that belie the true nature of the beast: get a bunch of brewskis and chug until you pass out. The catch is that you do this by connecting Wiimotes to your computer through a bluetooth dongle, and then duct taping a beer to the Wiimote. As expected, this is definitely a social game!

The goal of Cheesohol is very simple: kill the goats and reach the top of the mountain. You do this by drinking, or, in order to move forward out of your drunken stupor, stop drinking. The more you drink, the more inebriated you become, with your character's attacks being little black Ts of simulated vomit. It would be digusting if it wasn't so hilarious, especially since there is none of the gross sound effects associated with such things. Just get as far as possible, drinking with your buddies all the while! For those inclined to a less inebriating course of action, you can play the game with your mouse in solo mode, but it isn't nearly as fun.

This is the official demo for Samantha Swift and the Golden Touch, a casual puzzle adventure game developed by MumboJumbo.

"When Samantha's new benefactor asks her to track down Alexander the Great's Scroll of Wealth, the opportunity seems too be good to be true-searching for the scroll while collecting amazing finds for the Museum of Secrets Lost! Little does she know that a secret brotherhood is watching her every move and that she'll have to do a lot more digging to find the true treasure."

Download Samantha Swift and the Golden Touch Demo (157 MB)

Also check out:
Samantha Swift and the Hidden Roses of Athena Demo (110 MB)

This gameplay trailer for Plants vs Zombies runs down a few of the units players will have at their disposal to repel the zombie invasion. Some zombies are tougher than others and require special plants to counter. However, the trailer does not indicate what one needs to repel the zombie bobsled team. Players will have a chance to find out for themselves when the casual strategy game releases on May 5th.

Download Plants vs Zombies gameplay trailer (4 MB)
Download Plants vs Zombies Demo (25 MB)
Check out all Plants vs Zombies downloads

Welcome to Freeware Friday, a weekly column showcasing excellent games that you can play free of charge!

There's two kinds of casual games out there: ones that are mindless diversions, and ones that actually challenge the brain to work a little. While a casual game is approachable by anyone, the second set tends to get a little better reputation than the first solely for the fact that it requires more brainpower to excel at. A good example of this is Bejeweled versus Sudoku. While both challenge the mind and provide simple entertainment, Sudoku is significantly more cerebral than Bejeweled with its more logic-oriented gameplay. However, when you merge the two together into a sort of Casual Frankenstein Monster (and no, we don't mean Puzzle Quest), well, you get something truly addictive. That game is the freeware puzzler Blocksum, and it has completely ruined my productivity.

Capcom released a playable demo for Age of Booty, "a casual, real-time pirate-themed multiplayer strategy game that puts you at the helm of your own pirate ship with the goal of sending your enemies to the briny deep, and looting/capturing towns for your pirate faction." The full game can be purchased for $10.

Download the Age of Booty Demo (103 MB)

Players blast off into the future with Puzzle Quest: Galactrix, the sci-fi follow-up to the first fantasy themed Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords. Like its predecessor, Galactrix is a role-playing game that uses different variations of a gem-matching mini game for everything from combat to crafting. Apart from its setting, the sequel features some significant changes from the first game, the least of which being a circular board using hexagonal pieces. The plot involves a far-future humanity after it has spread out into the stars, met different alien races, and conquered them. In an age of relative peace, a new mysterious threat arises, revealed in number of cryptic cut scenes.