My current heroin is Super Candy Crunchers, over at Gamehouse.
Whenever I have dishes to do, carpets to vacuum, clothes to wash, clutter to put away, what do I do?
Play computer games, of course!
Online computer games make evil procrastination way too easy. Places like Gamehouse and Iwin.com offer hundreds of java and flash games of a variety that is bound to have something for everyone. And it sure keeps you away from the vacuum cleaner!
I'm a puzzle type of person, not a shoot-em-up network game person. I don't really want to steal a car or be a member of a gang. Not even in video. Watching my son and his friends play Grand Theft Auto on their Playstation was one of the most alarming things I've done in a while. In the true spirit of GTA my son would get sick of getting killed and simply cheat and get himself a jet and fly away from the cops. The whole game is about cheating, so why not? Seems like a cheating game is self-defeating.
No, I'm Mom and I'm not into shooting, monsters (unless it's Zombies Ate My Neighbors, a very silly, old SNES game I have that's all cartoony, campy and silly with a definite 50s monster movie flair), soldiers, vampires, and all that. And I don't want to play those online network games, that's way too much pressure. I play games to relax.
Well, sort of. Actually, I play the games I play in order to exercise my brain. I play strategy puzzle games for the most part. And it does keep my brain sharp. Of course it's also more fun than doing dishes. If you go to Gamehouse to find the games I mention, look under Puzzle games. That's where they are.
The most wonderful game so far is Incredible Ink. The graphics are just gorgeous. You haven't seen anything else like this before. There is a ball, there is a quill pen, and there are obstacles. You use the quill to draw a line to guide the ball through the hazards. It's a simple idea, but a different one. There is a second mode for the game where you use the ball to break bricks, rather than run a maze. Both modes are just as engaging as they could be. The music is just beautiful! There is no online tryout for this game, but all the Gamehouse games can be downloaded and tried in demo.
ShapeShifter is the first one that got me. It has a circus theme, great music, and graphics that include mockups of old-fashioned circus posters. I really like designers who pay homage to graphics of the past. Incredible Ink does that, too. The folks designing these games are real designers, not just someone copying a style such as anime (barf) or trying to look "computery." Since I'm a graphic artist myself I appreciate the work these folks put into these games.
Super Candy Crunchers is not as much eye candy as the other two games, but it's still agreeable to look at. The music is very nicely Willy Wonka-ish, and the sound effects are great as long as you disable that stupid siren alarm in the Options menu. It takes a while to build up your skills on this one. I played the demo for a month before I bought it.
Jewel Quest can be slow. I'll say that right off. It's also fun, though! It has the least well-done graphics of the bunch, too. However there is a slow buildup of difficulty that will eventually get you involved. It's nice because they don't make it too hard right away, they give you plenty of time to work on your chops. I really don't like the music in this game and generally turn it off. Then it's quiet, with levels that get progressively harder and more challenging. It's not a frantic game at all. Really rather zen, actually.
Games have come a long way from the bit-mapped shareware things we used to have. Go check these out, they also have lots of word games, which I like a lot (Text Twist is great fun), and casino games and all that. Action, shoot-em-ups if you absolutely have to have that.
Not that I'm trying to sabotage your house cleaning. Really.
