reflexive-entertainment posts

Reflexive Entertainment, known for previously covered games like The Great Tree and Big Kahuna Reef 2: Chain Reaction, is back with a game in the life simulation genre: Sprouts Adventure. This time around, you're charged with helping a group of tiny plant-like creatures called Sprouts develop their society.

This game features a couple of twists on the standard gameplay, but if you're not already a fan, you probably won't find anything new in this iteration on the genre that will induce you to play more. Read on for exactly what I mean.

You may remember a few months ago that Amazon.com bought out the casual game developer and publisher Reflexive. At the time neither company would talk about what this deal meant. Well now we know. Our sister site Joystiq reports that Amazon.com will launch a beta for the company's new game download service called, somewhat unimaginatively, Amazon Game Downloads.

The beta launches with 500 games for under $10 and you can download certain games for free. Much like Valve's Steam service, a separate client is needed for Amazon Game Downloads to work. Even though it is the largest web-based retailer, Amazon.com enters an industry that is already very crowded and it should be interesting to see if this new venture works for them.

Once again we are amazed that even in this economic situation the games industry is still considered to be a major "recession-proof" business. A big example is this week's reveal that online retailer Amazon.com has purchased casual game developer Reflexive Inc. Specific financial terms were not disclosed.

According to the official announcement from Reflexive CEO Lars Brubaker, it seems the Amazon.com purchase was more about Reflexive's casual game online distribution business than its game development studio. Yet Reflexive has released quite a few of its own games in its time. Those games included the popular Richochet series of games, the award winning indie title Wik: The Fable of Souls and even some major retail titles (Star Trek: Away Team for Activision and Lionheart: Legacy of the Crusader for Interplay). It's currently unknown if the new Amazon.com purchase will affect Reflexive's development plans.

Now, before you get all reactionary and declaim this title as "yet another Bejeweled clone", let me just say two things right up front: 1) It is a Bejeweled clone, and 2) There's more to it than the standard Bejeweled swap mechanic. What's the big difference? Explosions. Read on for the full scoop!

Reflexive Entertainment's The Great Tree is a game containing elements reminiscent of other titles while still retaining its own unique identity. Regardless of which other games it might remind you of, it's as addictive as anything else, belying its fairytale appearance.

In The Great Tree, you play as a fairy, charged with collecting free-floating pollen to nourish the titular tree that grants life to all fairies. Don't let the faltering voiceover get in the way of your enjoyment of the game; the story itself can be safely ignored. It's really all about the increasingly frenetic gameplay. More on this after the jump.

Download The Great Tree Demo [Windows]
Download The Great Tree Demo [Mac]

Reflexive Entertainment, the studio behind the excellent Wik: Fable of Souls, has announced their newest casual game. Called Build in Time, it follows the efforts of a real estate guru on his quest to strike it rich and support his family. Starting in the 1950s and continuing to modern day, the player will do things like build houses, design neighborhoods, and maintain relationships with his friends and family. Much like most casual games, it is family-friendly and has mechanics simple enough for any ages to play. You can check out the full feature list and how to buy it over on the official site.