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FarmVille Wildlife Adventure Countdown: Everything you need to know

Brandy Shaul — 2012-05-16T22:00:00+00:00

Just as soon as the Mother's Day Countdown in FarmVille has a chance to end, we're greeted with yet another Countdown full of 12 days of prizes! This one might not be as exciting as those released previously, but it does come with tons of wildlife themed items (especially animals) and it's called - you guessed it - the Wildlife Adventure Countdown.

As with other Countdowns in FarmVille, you'll need to ask your friends to send you increasingly large amounts of collectibles each day of the 12-day countdown period, and will receive one prize each day when you've earned the necessary items. We already know the prizes for Days 1 and 2: a Grey Wolf and Douc Langur Monkey, but FVNation has found the contents of the rest of the Countdown, along with the ultimate prize you'll receive at the end:

Day 1: Grey Wolf
Day 2: Duoc Langur Monkey
Day 3: Dancing Cobra
Day 4: Cypress Sculpted Tree
Day 5: Javan Hawk Eagle
Day 6: Black Rhino
Day 7: Peregrine Falcon
Day 8: Red Cassia Tree
Day 9: Caraboo
Day 10: Jungle Fowl
Day 11: Merlion Fountain
Day 12: Canopy Elephant

If you can earn each of these 12 prizes (you can also purchase these items with Farm Cash), you'll receive a free Ankole Watusie Cattle as a final prize. If these Countdowns turn out to be a permanent fixture in FarmVille, with new prizes being released every 2-3 weeks, I can definitely see plenty of farmers coming being very happy with Zynga. We'll make sure to let you know if that ends up being the case.

What do you think of the prizes in this Wildlife Adventure Countdown? Which prize are you most looking forward to winning? Sound off in the comments.

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Game Insight's the Tribez offers tropical city-building, now on iPhone

Brandy Shaul — 2012-05-16T21:30:00+00:00

Last month, Game Insight released The Tribez on iPad, a tropical city-building game that places you in the role of a modern day explorer, sent to another dimension where you'll interact with tribes of friendly natives that think you're their leader. Being available only on iPad limited the game's access to players who prefer the even more portable setup of the iPhone, but that has all been resolved now, as the game is now available to download on your iPhone or iPod Touch as a separate, but still free download.

Unfortunately, there's no way to connect your accounts and access your iPad progress on your iPhone or vice versa, meaning that any time you've spent in the original version of the game will be stuck on the iPad and you'll have to start over here. On the other hand, if you don't own an iPad, you're in for a treat, as the Tribez is one of the most enjoyable and in-depth city-builders we've seen released in recent memory.

With frequent updates that introduce additional lands to explore or items with which to build and design your kingdoms, this is one free game that's definitely worth trying out. Now, even if you don't have an iPad, you have no reason not to.

Click here to download the Tribez on iPhone --->

Have you tried the Tribez on iPhone or iPad? What do you think of the game overall? Which island have you made it to in the story thus far? Sound off in the comments.

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Mystic Ice Blast: Another 60-second puzzler with only the slightest of twists

Brandy Shaul — 2012-05-16T21:00:00+00:00

By now, you've likely played one of the many 60-second puzzle games available on Facebook and elsewhere. Whether it's Bejeweled Blitz, Diamond Dash or even older classics like Collapse, the formula of matching three or more like colored symbols is nothing new. In keeping with this theme is Gamehouse's Mystic Ice Blast on Facebook, a game so similar to Diamond Dash that it might as well be called a clone.

In each 60-second round, you'll need to click on groupings of three or more like-colored gems, destroying them from the screen. The twist here comes in the replacement of gems, as they appear from the bottom of the screen, rather than falling in from the top. Otherwise, the gameplay is as you'd expect: you'll unlock boosts that can clear whole rows or columns from the board, can activate a sort of frenzy mode if you play fast enough (where clicking on matching groups creates large explosions across the board) and so on. Performing well means that point multipliers will be added to the board, increasing your chance of a high score, and these scores will be compared to those of your friends on the game's weekly resetting leaderboard. Rounding out the package are lives that limit how many games you can play before taking a break and a coin / store system that allows you to purchase up to three power-ups that can be used in each game (adding more time the clock, destroying all gems of a single color, etc.).

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Similarities aside, the gameplay here is technically sound, with no game-breaking bugs popping up during our time with the game. Likewise, the graphical theme is bright and lovely, with ice crystals surrounding the board that fill with rainbow lights as you make matches in rapid succession. Everything works the way that it should, including the calming soundtrack, but it's nothing we haven't seen and played before... a lot.

If you're looking for yet another match-three puzzle game on Facebook, by all means give Mystic Ice Blast a try. Just don't be surprised if all of your friends are still playing Diamond Dash or any number of other like games that came first.

Click here to try Mystic Ice Blast on Facebook --->

Have you tried Mystic Ice Blast on Facebook? Do you think it has enough staying power to compete with Diamond Dash? Sound off in the comments.

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Blackwood & Bell Mysteries Lodge Bedroom: Our guide to finding every item

Brandy Shaul — 2012-05-16T20:30:00+00:00

Our trip through the wilds of Africa looks to be coming to a close in Blackwood & Bell Mysteries, with the last scene of Chapter 6 taking us to a relaxing (yet cluttered) retreat in the safari lodge bedroom. This scene, fittingly, is called "Lodge Bedroom," and it contains plenty of random household objects to find that will keep you busy for quite a while. We're here with a guide to help you find this scene's many items, so let's get started!

Note: The items you'll receive will just be a selection of all of those pictured below. If you're looking to find a particular item: Hit Ctrl +F (or Command + F if on a Mac) and type in the name of the object you're looking for. This will take you directly to its image.

Set 1:

Banana
Mustache
Clock
Rose
Slippers
Wine Glass

Set 2:

Giraffe Pillow
Soccer Ball
Phone
Safari Hat
Pistol
Whip

Set 3:

Pocket Watch
Frog
Fruit Basket
Ship's Wheel
Buffalo Drawing
Eye Glasses

Set 4:

Alarm Clock
Trumpet
Drum
Rhino Horn
Sunglasses
Cigar

Set 5:

Guitar
Rifle
Ceiling Fan
Wine

Set 6:

Books
Cactus
Apple
Fountain Pen

Set 7:

Map
Veil
Dollar Bill
Turtle

Set 8:

Candle
Walking Stick
Elephant Toy

Set 9:

Spade
Scorpion
Wooden Statue
Satchel
Scarf
Gecko

Set 10:

Necklace
White Skirt
Snake
Kufi Hat

There are still a few items left to find in this scene that haven't been pictured here, as the game generates each set of 12 necessary hidden objects randomly when you enter the scene. We'll make sure to keep investigating the items in this Lodge Bedroom scene, and will update this space when we've found more items to help you out. Stay tuned!

Check out the rest of our Blackwood & Bell Mysteries cheats and tips right here.

What do you think of this Lodge Bedroom scene? Have you made it past Chapter 6 in Blackwood & Bell Mysteries yet? Sound off in the comments.

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NomNom Combo on iPhone: If Triple Town were about the food chain...

Joe Osborne — 2012-05-16T17:30:00+00:00

Then what you'd get is East Side Games' NomNom Combo on iPhone. Its first game for iOS devices, NomNom Combo draws plenty of inspiration from developer Spry Fox's Triple Town, unabashedly so. In essence, it's a free-to-play match-three puzzle game in which players don't match like colored or shaped items to destroy them, but rather to create them.

The twist, however, is that players are granted a limited number of moves per game in NomNom Combo, meaning players will have to think hard about each move they take. NomNom separates units into two types: Predators and Prey. Of course, each can be matched up in threes to discover new species in each type, which is exactly the point. However, the critical thinking part comes in when positioning is a concern, or all of the time.

To break it down even further, here's how the play hook works: On the Prey side, up to three adjacent green flies create one yellow mouse, while on the Predator side up to three green frogs create one yellow snake. Three yellow mice clumped together make one orange rabbit, and so on. Now, if a player happens to place a green fly near a green frog, that fly will flee to the opposite side of the game board, if it can. If not, then it gets eaten.

Players are rewarded with points for this, but having a unit bite the dust is rarely a good thing--it's largely a wasted move. This is especially when you consider that, whenever players match to discover a new species, they'll earn a shot at more moves via a wheel of chance that appears. To make sure this happens on cue, players can purchase the units they might need with coins they earn from successful matches, or as NomNom calls them, combos. (Hence the name.)

East Side has layered quests on top of all of that to add yet another motivator to how players engage with NomNom. However, you probably shouldn't bother focusing on these, regardless of the coin rewards they offer. Honestly, they just serve to muddy up the game you're currently playing, and aren't exactly elegantly presented. Consider them an added bonus, really.

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NomNom Combo offers an interesting twist on what Triple Town started, and a funny one at that. From the goofy faces on all of the game's various animals to the sound that the Prey critters make when a Predator is about to step foot onto the game board, NomNom will draw chuckles out of some if not smiles out of others.

And that's what East Side Games seems to be about at its core: making games that aren't just fun, but funny. But does NomNom Combo add the "plus one" that company CEO Jason Bailey claims is crucial in drawing inspiration from an existing game? Well, turning Spry Fox's match-three creation gameplay into a dichotomy of predators versus prey certainly sets NomNom apart. However, there's only one way to find out whether that affects your opinion on the issue of copycatting.

Click here to play NomNom Combo on iPhone for Free Now >

Are you interested in NomNom Combo? How does this game make you feel about the whole copycatting issue? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment.

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Here's why yet another EA designer ditched for Zynga

Joe Osborne — 2012-05-16T16:10:00+00:00

The latest in the parade of EA employees marching off to social gaming powerhouse Zynga is Soren Johnson, GamesIndustry International reports. Most recently a resident of EA working on famed designer Will Wright's ambitious Spore game, Johnson joined the social game company way back in September 2011 to begin work as a design director on his first project.

He's been working on that secret project ever since. But before even joining EA, Johnson was one of the main men behind Civilization 4, the fourth in the series that designer Brian Reynolds helped start. Unsurprisingly, it was Zynga convert Reynolds and Zynga East general manager (and former Firaxis fellow) Tim Train that convinced Johnson to join the studio.

However, it was also Zynga's apparent interest in exploring new game types that drew the Civilization designer in. "Ultimately, I told Tim and Brian what type of game I wanted to make, and Zynga is now giving me the chance to make it," Johnson told GII. "The greatest opportunities today are for games that connect players and avoid the traditional retail model of gaming. Zynga suddenly made sense for me when it became clear that they wanted to experiment with new types of games in this space."

As for what that game is exactly, Johnson can't say much. However, he did reveal that it's quite the departure for Zynga. "I can say that I am working on a game that would not be a shocking departure from my development history, but one that is multiplayer-focused, free-to-play, persistent, and playable in the browser," Johnson teased. "Most importantly, the game is one that actually ends, with real winners and real losers." (We'll just see about that.)

Are you surprised to hear of yet another EA employee leaving for Zynga? What kind of game do you he's working on? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment.

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Webkinz hopes to find more friends on Facebook with new game

Joe Osborne — 2012-05-16T13:15:00+00:00

Just when you though Facebook games couldn't get any cuter. Webkinz, the Internet-connected plush toy brand for kids, has made the leap to Facebook gaming with Webkinz Friends. This simulator-style social game allows players to build out their very own version of Kinzville, the town in which the digital version of the kids' fluffy friends dwell.

Kids and adults (fat chance) alike can flesh out their Kinzville with homes, stores, gardens, restaurants and none other than the Clubhouse. More importantly is the fact that fans can register their real-life Webkinz toys for prizes specific to the pets they register along with their choice of either bonus KinzCash, the game's paid currency, or an additional room for their home.

These special prizes for registering various Webkinz toys extend to the online headquarters of Webkinz, Webkinz World. At this point you're likely wondering, "But Webkinz is already a web-based toy. Why the Facebook game?" Well, my inquisitive, hypothetical friend, Webkinz creator Ganz already has an answer to that question.

"When imagining Webkinz Friends, we looked at the areas of our site that could be fun if shared" Webkinz creative director Karl Borst said in a release. "Live in a loft surrounded by cupcake trees...park mobile homes beside a mansion! Visit your friends' Kinzville and comment on their Facebook page." (Plus, there already seems to be enough kids on Facebook whether it's allowed or not.)

Click here to play Webkinz Friends on Facebook Now >

Are you excited about a Webkinz Facebook game for your kids (or yourself)? Will this perpetuate Webkinz's success? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment.

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Zoo Invasion, or the cutest puzzler you'll ever play on Facebook

Joe Osborne — 2012-05-16T12:15:00+00:00

If there's one way to describe Nexon's most popular games, it's "cute". The latest from the Korean games maker (and publisher 6waves) all but takes the cake: Zoo Invasion. A brand new puzzler for Facebook, Zoo Invasion is an interesting variant on the ever-popular Tetris that employs the Blitz-style of gameplay popularized on Facebook by Bejeweled Blitz.

In Zoo Invasion, you play an adorable, blob-like yellow alien that abducts various mammals conveniently condensed into little cutes for such a puzzle game. Using the mouse, players pick up the cubes and rearrange them in order to make matches and for them to disappear. Think of Zoo Invasion as Tetris meets Bejeweled meets Hello Kitty, and you're about on the same page.

Of course, the game features friend-based leaderboards and a heart system that refills over time to control how often players can play the game. And like any good match-three game, power-ups are on the way. This release comes hot off the heels of KartRider Dash, the Facebook version of one of the developer's hottest franchises. If you don't come away from Zoo Invasion with at least one dawww, then you just don't know what "cute" is.

Click here to play Zoo Invasion on Facebook Now >

Are you excited to try out Nexon's new puzzler? What do you think of cutesy games on Facebook? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment.

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Game of the Day: Lost Island Mahjongg

Jenny Ng — 2012-05-16T11:30:00+00:00

What most of us know as 'mahjong' isn't the same kind of game that gets old Chinese ladies excited. The one played on tables is actually closer to rummy, while the ones we find online are better described as "mahjongg Solitaire". These can trace their digital lineage to Brodie Lockard's Mah-Jongg from 1981. Today's Game of the Day, Lost Island Mahjongg, is one such descendant.

With their massive visual arrangements, these games can seem complicated and daunting to new players, but they're actually no harder than a memory-matching game. Lost Island Mahjongg even features an undo button, five hints, and the ability to reshuffle or restart if you run out of matches. Each iteration of the genre may look different, but the core gameplay remains the same. If you want to see a beautifully rendered version with some special player perks, then Lost Island Mahjongg is a good start.

Play Lost Island Mahjongg!

How far into Lost Island Mahjongg were you able to get?

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FarmVille no more: The death of the Ville game

Joe Osborne — 2012-05-16T10:50:00+00:00

Admit it: If someone were to tell you a year ago that full 3D, real-time multiplayer racing games were possible on Facebook or Google+, you would laugh in their face. In 2011, it seemed that the most oohs and ahhs you'd get out of a social game were from a sick chain reaction in Bejeweled Blitz. And that was A-OK ... until now.

It seems that social game fans' tastes have changed--just look at AppData. In May's top 25 Facebook games in terms of daily players, a mere six games involve tending to a property of some sort. (And five of those are courtesy of Zynga.) The rest of them? Arcade-style puzzle games, casino games and even a role-playing game (RPG) along with a strategy game rule the roost.

It's tough to explain this shift in collective gaming taste with any empirical evidence because it simply doesn't exist. (Outside of perhaps a few polls and surveys.) But a critical look at farming and city-building games quickly exposes why these kinds of games won't last much longer on Facebook, and explains why the scene is so focused on pumping out more action-packed, stimulating social games.

Games in which players tend a farm or a cityscape are no doubt relaxing, at times to the point of sedating--a fine way to wind down from a crazy day on the job. But that charm seems to have lost its luster simply due to the fact that there's not much room for new experiences in such games. Developers can add new buildings, animals and properties to maintain ad infinitum, but the core hook of clicking crops away remains unchanged.

But take a game like Bubble Witch Saga, the top bubble shooter on Facebook, for a spin and you'll quickly understand why a game like that would skyrocket to the top. Sure, the core play loop of shooting bubbles never changes--not even a little bit--but end result is rarely the same. That's especially so for players that look to earn the highest scores among their friends. In that regard, games like Tetris Battle challenge players more than, say, CastleVille ever could.

This idea of challenging players and testing their skills, a staple in the console and PC games space, isn't going anywhere. In fact, social games will only take this design philosophy closer to heart in the future. Just look at a few of the games released on Facebook in the past week: Bubble Safari, Jetpack Joyride and KartRider Dash all succeed in rewarding players for their skill.

And this is just the beginning. On the horizon, we have isometric shooters like Ghost Recon Commander, action RPGs such as KingsRoad and a console game streaming service, Gaikai, is already available. With surprisingly invigorating puzzle games in no short supply and gorgeous action games around the bend, is there even room for another farming game? Let's just say it's become dangerously crowded.

Are you still digging simulator-style social games, or did you drop those a long time ago? What game is your favorite? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment.

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CastleVille: Raise an army of blue, gold and pink dragons

Brandy Shaul — 2012-05-15T22:00:00+00:00

After this month's release of the Little Bundle of Fire quests in CastleVille, which introduced a Green Baby Dragon to our Kingdoms as a pet, we've finally been given the option of expanding our little fire-breathing army of dragons via the purchase of three additional colors in the store. Unfortunately, two of these cost Crowns, but you can have at least one more dragon for coins.

To be specific, you can now buy a Blue Baby Dragon and Pink Baby Dragon from the store for 55 Crowns each, while a Gold Dragon Egg (which will hatch into a Gold Baby Dragon over time) from the store for 200,000 coins. That's a ton of coins, especially considering the price of later land expansions for our Kingdom (which can be over 200,000 or 300,000 for a single expansion), but if you have the coins to spare on another treasure-seeking dragon, you can now do just that.

Luckily, none of these dragons seem to come with a time limit on their availability in the store, so if you plan on purchasing Crowns at a later date, or simply need time to save up that many expendable coins, at least they should be available whenever you are. We'll make sure to let you know if additional colors of dragons are released in future updates, so stay tuned!

Will you buy any of these three colors of dragons for your Kingdom, or are you fine with just having the Green Baby Dragon for now? Sound off in the comments.

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FarmVille Hawaiian Paradise Chapter 7 Goals: Everything you need to know

Brandy Shaul — 2012-05-15T21:30:00+00:00

The big day has arrived in FarmVille, as it's time to celebrate a wedding in Hawaiian Paradise. We'll celebrate this joyous occasion via Chapter 7 of the Hawaiian Paradise goal series, which contains 12 goals for you to complete over the next two weeks. You'll need to plan your actions ahead of time to stand a chance at finishing them all in time, so follow along with our guide to know what you'll be facing next!

Pineapple Plantation

Get 4 Sun Hats
Harvest 80 Hilo Pineapple
Harvest 50 Mussels

For this "Get 4 Sun Hats" task and all other that ask you to "get" a certain number of items, you'll need to ask your friends to send them to you. When you complete this first goal, you'll receive 125 XP, 850 Coconuts and a Hawaiian Hitching Post decoration.

Slice of Lemon

Get 6 Lemon Slices
Harvest 85 Kona Coffee
Make 3 Pineapple Hash

Rewards: 150 XP, 850 Coconuts, Hawaiian Trough

Shake It Up

Get 8 Matches
Harvest 90 Golden Sugar Cane
Harvest 2 Island Livestock Pens

Rewards: 175 Xp, 850 Coconuts, Sun Horse

Lava It or Leave It

Get 9 Volcano Maps
Harvest 1 Sun Horse
Make 4 Shave Ice

Rewards: 200 XP, 850 Coconuts, 10 Volcano Monitors, Lava Fissure

The Power of Lava

Get 9 Lava Drills
Harvest 100 Yellow Hibiscus
Harvest Island Pet Run Twice

Rewards: 225 XP, 850 Coconuts, 10 Volcano Monitors, Yellow Shower Tree

That's the Way Lava Goes

Get 9 Dynamite
Make 4 Plantation Iced Tea
Complete an Island Zoo

Rewards: 250 XP, 850 Coconuts, 10 Volcano Monitors, Hawaiian Chapel

Don't Ask Me Hawaii

Get 9 Hawaiian Flower Petals
Harvest 65 Oysters
Harvest 65 Kelp

Rewards: 275 XP, 850 Coconuts, Best Man Dog

All the Reasons Hawaii

Get 9 Bridal Garters
Harvest Best Man Dog 1 Time
Make 4 Seaweed Soup

Rewards: 300 XP, 1,275 Coconuts, Bridesmaid Cat

It Rings True

Get 9 Wedding Bands
Harvest 1 Bridesmaid Cat
Reach Level 8 of Volcano Reef Upgrades

Rewards: 325 XP, 1,700 Coconuts, Rainbow Lake

Tiny Ukuleles

Get 10 Ukuleles
Harvest 210 Taro
Harvest 160 Yellowfin Tuna

Rewards: 350 XP, 2,125 Coconuts, Groom Dolphin

Wedding Lei

Get 11 Wedding Leis
Harvest 230 Double Pikake
Make 4 Hawaiian Kabobs

Rewards: 375 XP, 4,250 Coconuts, Bride Dolphin

Honeymooners

Get 12 Honeymoon Tickets
Harvest 245 Yellow Hibiscus
Harvest Bride Dolphin

Rewards: 500 XP, 8,500 Coconuts, Wedding Tiki

Again, these goals will only be available to complete for the next two weeks, but if you do somehow manage to finish them with plenty of time to spare, you can repeat them all over again to earn duplicate prizes. Good luck finishing them, even if it's only once!

[Via Zynga]

Check out the rest of our Hawaiian Paradise coverage right here.

What do you think of the requirements for this Chapter 7 goal series in FarmVIlle's Hawaiian Paradise? Do you think they're too difficult to complete in just two weeks? Sound off in the comments.

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CityVille Glass Factory Residence Wing: Everything you need to know

Brandy Shaul — 2012-05-15T21:00:00+00:00

For some time now, we've been bringing you guides to building and using CityVille's expanding Glass Factory feature, which allows you to build all sorts of decorations, community buildings and businesses made out of colorful pieces of glass. We've expected a residential wing to launch in the game at some point, and that time is now! If you're ready, you can now start building items like the Crystal Towers, with its 2,600 citizen population, but of course, you'll need to construct the residential wing to your Glass Factory before getting anything out of it.

The residential wing of the Glass Factory requires quite a few building material, 35 in all. You'll earn these through general news posts on your wall or by asking your friends to send them to you via individual requests.

7 Window Glass
7 Carpet Racks
7 Insulation
7 Glass Roofing
7 Glass Tile

When you completed the residential wing of the Glass Factory, you're really only halfway there, as you'll need to collect even more building materials to actually construct any glass homes within it. For instance, the Turquoise Mansion requires 80 different items before it can be built, while the Crystal Towers requires 100! Again, once you've completed the Crystal Towers, as an example, you'll receive a population boost of 2,600 citizens, along with a downtown value of 3,200 points. It can be collected from every 15 minutes for 76 coins in rent. The point here is that these buildings might take a long time to build, but they're pretty worthwhile in the long run.

There are no upgrades for the residential wing of the Glass Factory as of this writing, but we'll make sure to let you know if upgrades do eventually launch, or if the selection of available building projects increases. Stay tuned!

[Via and image credit: Zynga]

What do you think of this Glass Factory Resident Wing? Which of the glass homes will you try to build first? Sound off in the comments.

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The Sandbox: Create life (or destroy it) in the palm of your hand

Brandy Shaul — 2012-05-15T20:30:00+00:00

While Bulkypix's The Sandbox on iPhone might initially appear to be "Minecraft but mobile," the gameplay here is much more focused on utilizing the forces of nature to create new elements, rather than on limitless exploration and construction. Via this pixelated environment, you'll be given the powers of a God, asked to create life or destroy it through levels that are structured as challenging puzzles, in addition to being given free will over the entire galaxy.

In The Sandbox's story mode, you'll be given two or three tasks per level that ask you to create a certain element, destroy another or otherwise combine your powers to create something altogether different. You'll start by learning the basics of elemental combinations: water plus soil equals mud, while stone plus water equals sand. Having mud and soil allows you to grow flowers and gives you access to planting additional seeds for flowers or trees, while increasing the temperature of your map gives you access to oil, fire and volcanic eruptions.

Each level gives you increasing amounts of elements to command, but at the same time, limits your required items to just a handful of options. For instance, in a level where you're asked to freeze a lake, you'll simply pop out the ice elemental power, drag your finger over the lake until the top layer is frozen and move on from there, rather than needing any sort of complex combination of elements or powers. These instances do occur however, as you may need to build electrical currents (using electricity discovered during thunderstorms, and so on) to power heaters to boil water.

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There tends to be an alternate method to completing most tasks, whether that be a simple increase in the environmental temperature (which can trigger instant fires, for instance), which helps lessen the difficulty somewhat, but not enough to stop the game from being truly challenging in spots. Furthermore, simply discovering an element doesn't give you power to control it; control must be purchased with Mana points. Mana is earned by completing in-game achievements or goals, but with some elements costing quite a bit of Mana to purchase, you might be left with no other obvious options to progress than to buy some Mana with real money. Sure, you could play in the game's Free Play mode (given a blank slate on which to endlessly create or destroy) and eventually complete enough achievements to purchase most elements, but this becomes a bit tedious if your own individual focus is on completing goals.

Overall, the Sandbox isn't without its technical problems, as dragging and zooming your view around the environment is slow or even broken in spots (you can easily, unintentionally add rouge elements to your system when doing so), but a quick tap of the undo or reset button will revert you to your previous state. The Sandbox's Story Mode definitely requires plenty of forethought and concentration to master, and while the Free Play mode does give you the option of playing indefinitely, it's clearly not the main attraction. More puzzle game than environmental simulation, The Sandbox has a pretty big learning curve and won't be for everyone. That being said, it's free to download, so why not give it a shot?

Click here to download the Sandbox on iTunes --->

Have you tried the Sandbox on your iPhone or iPad? What do you think of the game's level and goal based play? Do you prefer its Free Play game mode better? Sound off in the comments.

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Blackwood & Bell Mysteries Safari Lodge: Our guide to finding every item

Brandy Shaul — 2012-05-15T20:00:00+00:00

After spending quite a bit of time on the plains of Africa, going face to face with wildlife in Blackwood & Bell Mysteries, it's time once again to step back indoors, and search for clues in the new Safari Lodge scene. This scene is still a cluttered mess, but you'll search for far more household objects than actual animals. As usual, we're here with a guide to help you find this scene's many items, so let's get started!

Note: The items you'll receive will just be a selection of all of those pictured below. If you're looking to find a particular item: Hit Ctrl +F (or Command + F if on a Mac) and type in the name of the object you're looking for. This will take you directly to its image.

Set 1:

Books
Giraffe
Bongo Drums
Crayons
Tea Set
Sketchpad

Set 2:

Bread & Butter
Robot Toy
Pillow
White Mask
Gramophone
Radio

Set 3:

African Statue
Spiky Fruit
Zebra Stone
Binoculars
Tool Case
Chess Set

Set 4:

Printed Scarf
Guitar
Checkered Shorts
French Horn
Bananas

Set 5:

Bicycle
Watering Can
Red Yo-Yo
Green Glassware
Bushbaby

Set 6:

Tribal Necklace
Perfume Bottle
Tennis Balls
Oil Painting
Blanket

Set 7:

Postcard
Spear
Telephone
Wooden Cart
Toad

Set 8:

White Cap Hat
African Pot
Hammer

There look to still be some items available to find in this scene, as the game generates each set of 12 necessary hidden items randomly when you enter the scene. Rest assured, we'll keep playing this scene and will update this space when we find more items to help you out.

Check out the rest of our Blackwood & Bell cheats and tips right here.

What do you think of this Safari Lodge scene and overall African-themed chapter in the game thus far? Sound off in the comments.

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Disney Animal Kingdom Explorers Galapagos Islands: Our guide to finding every item

Brandy Shaul — 2012-05-15T19:00:00+00:00

And here we are, adventurers: we've reached the final scene of the Islands chapter in Disney Animal Kingdom Explorers, which also means we've reaches the final scene currently available in the entire game! This final scene takes us to the Galapagos Islands, to a location filled with rocks and mountains, making things a rather dull affair in terms of color. Luckily, the difficulty is rather light in this scene, as we'll be required to find items in bulk (six Crabs, three birds and three iguanas), rather than finding 12 individual items each time.

Are you ready to master the final scene in Disney Animal Kingdom Explorers? Our guide below will help you do just that!

Pink = Crabs

Blue = Birds

Green = Iguanas

There might still be a few animal spawn locations to find in this scene, as the game generates each set randomly when you play the game. We'll make sure to play this scene more in the future and will update this space when (or if) additional animals are added!

Check out the rest of our Disney Animal Kingdom Explorers cheats and tips right here.

What do you think of this final scene in the Islands chapter? Have you reached the "end" of the game as of this writing? Let us know in the comments!

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Rumored FarmVille 2, 'Big Harvest,' might suffer from bad timing

Joe Osborne — 2012-05-15T17:30:00+00:00

It's all in the numbers. Gamasutra reports that, according to data gathered by analyst firm SuperData, spending in social games is down, especially for a particular type of social game: farming simulators. With Zynga reportedly working on an ambitious sequel to FarmVille, news like this spells horrible timing for the developer to release such a large and loaded Facebook game.

SuperData found in a study that players aren't spending as much per game across the board: ARRPU, or average revenue per paying user, fell by about $8, from $45.58 in April 2011 to $37.59 last month. That said, that figure reached an interesting high of $46.71 in March 2012, so figures like this clearly fluctuate.

Despite this fall (and rise), social games are drawing in more paying players over all, to the tune of converting 2.5 percent of players into payers in April, compared to only 1.4 percent during April of last year. Finally, according to SuperData, the games with the most high rollers are--surprisingly enough--mid-core social games like Empires & Allies and more "hardcore" strategy Facebook games from the likes of Kixeye and Kabam. Um ... back to the drawing board?

Are you psyched for a full-blown FarmVille sequel, or are the days of the farming Facebook game coming to a close? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment.

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KartRider Dash on Facebook: A beautiful kart racer if not for the bugs

Joe Osborne — 2012-05-15T16:35:00+00:00

It's the final lap. You inch toward the racer in first place, your best friend who has been handing your butt to you all night long in KartRider Dash. The both of you approach the last turn on the track, the tightest turn, and you need one last perfect drift to fill your boost gauge and put this race in the bag. And then it hits you: an unresponsive page error that sends your kart out of control momentarily and into a wall.

This is Nexon's next big Facebook game, one of the most action-packed Facebook games we've played this year. That is, of course, when it's not plagued by game-breaking bugs. KartRider Dash offers social gamers real-time multiplayer racing with a speedy matchmaking system as well as the opportunity to race with their friends in two exciting play modes: Speed Mode and Item Mode. One mode includes the racer's kooky weapons, while the other focuses on drifting and nitro boosts.

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Both modes are an absolute blast to play through. Those familiar with the proverbial king of all kart racers, Mario Kart, will feel right at home in KartRider Dash's cutesy world. It must be said, however, that KartRider Dash achieves a much greater sense of speed than its predecessor. (And that says quite a lot for a Facebook game stacked up against a console competitor.)

Like all Facebook games, KartRider Dash employs an energy-like system to inspire players to pay up, called Fuel. Each race played consumes one tank of a player's five total, which refill over time. Luckily for players, refilling fuel costs a measly 500 coins rather than Facebook Credits. (Though, players can opt to purchase unlimited fuel for a premium.) So, yes, you can play KartRider Dash for free indefinitely.

Throw in a hefty amount of customization options to help your racer stand out from the pack, and you've got a fully-featured kart racing game on Facebook. Finally, a void has been filled on the platform with one of the most successful franchises in the genre, but not so fast: There are still bugs to squash.

For one, KartRider Dash seems to suffer from some browser compatibility issues, namely with Google Chrome. While playing, you'll likely suffer the unresponsive page errors that the poor player (i.e. me) experienced above. Other glitches include one in which, when hit with the Water Bomb item, racers find themselves in an inescapable loop of bouncing up and down until the race is through. (Perhaps these issues are thanks to the game's engine of choice, Unity, or something else entirely.)

These are, again, game-breaking bugs that--if the racer weren't so downright delightful otherwise--would make KartRider Dash tough to recommend. Of course, this is a Facebook game, meaning these issues can be fixed and patched in time. Despite that fact, wrinkles like these kill Nexon's chances of a smooth launch. If you're able to get past these early boo-boos (and the Unity download required to play), KartRider Dash is one of the most rewarding Facebook game experiences you'll enjoy all year.

Click here to play KartRider Dash on Facebook Now >

Are you digging KartRider Dash so far? How do you think a kart racer will do on Facebook? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment.

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Religious Facebook game aims to 'K.O.' Diablo III

Libe Goad — 2012-05-15T14:32:00+00:00

Today is not an easy day to release a new game, especially if your game is not titled Diablo III.

But game maker Lightside Games has come up with an interesting approach to grabbing some of the spotlight for its new game Facebook called Journey of Jesus: The Calling, by making a subtle dig at Diablo III and its players. The game's press release points out that Diablo features 'demonic creatures' and that in Journey of Jesus you can, instead, 'walk in the Messiah's steps.'

The press release then features a quote from Lightside Games CEO Brent Dusing that starts with "Both games immerse the player, and you are what you eat..."

This marketing tactic continues on the game's game's official Facebook page, where you'll find an image (see above) of Jesus raising his fist in victory after K.O.'ing 'El Diablo.'

And, while I'm sure this game will be great for those who want to play religious-themed social games, it's interesting that the company is planning to 1. Use Diablo as a way to get attention and 2. To make a subtle dig at the people who plan to play it.

Of course, the whole marketing ploy worked, as I'm covering a game that would have normally flown under the radar. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm off to save the world from forces of evil in Diablo III, something the Journey of Jesus audience (or its star, Jesus) probably wouldn't have a problem getting behind.

Click the image to make it larger.

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Game of the Day: Crazy Go Nuts

Jenny Ng — 2012-05-15T13:00:00+00:00

Squirrels have taken over today's Game of the Day, Crazy Go Nuts, an easy physics puzzle game that's all about angles and an itchy trigger finger. Twenty-five levels offer an impressive amount of acorns to collect. Your rocket-propelled squirrels will catch an acorn each time a squirrel and a nut collide, but don't forget, the nuts are still pretty solid, so as soon as you snatch one, the squirrel will ricochet right back.

Each level starts off with you shooting one squirrel at a time. When the screen is nearly clear of nuts, "Rapid Fire Mode!" kicks in, granting you unlimited squirrel ammo. Use that ability to catch the last nuts that have eluded you, but keep in mind that the real trick is to reach the target score. If you don't get combo nut collections, you might not have enough points to beat the stage. Are you ready to go nuts? Then check out Crazy Go Nuts below!

Play Crazy Go Nuts!

How many levels of Crazy Go Nuts can you beat?

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