Casual Friday: Update for August 22-28, 2009

Initially, this week’s Casual Friday looked like it was going to be a bit sparse. There were very few releases, and the majority were hidden object titles. That changed a bit mid-week, when a larger selection and variety of casual games debuted at Big Fish Games and Alawar Entertainment. So, thankfully, there is now a nice assortment of new titles to choose from.

Like many weeks, the new offerings are predominantly hidden object games, like Princess Isabella: A Witch’s Curse, Insider Tales: The Stolen Venus and The Mysterious City – Golden Prague. There were a few strategy and simulation surprises though, in the form of Fill Up!, Antique Shop and Aztec Tribe.

This week’s best bets are: BurgerTime Deluxe (PC and Mac) and Nancy Drew Dossier: Resorting to Danger (PC).

Princess Isabella: A Witch’s Curse
Genre: Puzzle (Hidden Object)
Availability: Big Fish Games, Harmonic Flow
Retail Price: $6.99
Platform: Windows XP and Vista
Premise: Princess Isabella’s homeland has been cursed by a witch. Thankfully, she was away from the castle when it happened. Every living person in the castle has been trapped inside mirrors, and Princess Isabella must search, with the help of her fairy friend, to find a way to break the curse and set everyone free.
Demo Available: Yes

BurgerTime Deluxe
Genre: Action
Availability: PlayFirst, Harmonic Flow
Retail Price: $19.95
Platform: Windows XP and Vista, Mac 10.4 and 10.5
Premise: The classic BurgerTime game returns to computers. Once again you have to go through 60 levels assembling burgers while walking over them, all while being chased by devious and maniacal hotdogs and other foods. This time around there are story and quick play modes, and players can choose to be Peter Pepper or Sally Salt.
Demo Available: Yes

Antique Shop
Genre: Strategy (Time Management) and Puzzle (Hidden Object)
Availability: GameHouse
Retail Price: $5.99
Platform: Windows XP and Vista
Premise: This unique casual game offers the best of both worlds, just like Passport to Perfume. You run an antique shop during part of the adventure to earn money for expeditions where you seach through hidden object puzzles for rare items.
Demo Available: Yes

Fill Up!
Genre: Strategy (Time Management)
Availability: Big Fish Games, Harmonic Flow
Retail Price: $6.99
Platform: Windows XP and Vista
Premise: You’re now in charge of your family’s gas station. Sadly, it’s seen better days. So now you have to fix it up and find a way to make it the best and most profitable in town.
Demo Available: Yes

War Chess
Genre: Board Game
Availability: GameHouse
Retail Price: $5.99
Platform: Windows XP
Premise: It’s basically chess, only after you make your move, you get to see 3D rendered characters perform that action. There are 10 levels of difficulty included.
Demo Available: Yes

Hidden World of Art
Genre: Puzzle (Hidden Object)
Availability: Alawar Entertainment
Retail Price: $19.95
Platform: Windows XP and Vista
Premise: You get to clean up and restore classic paintings by finding hidden objects that don’t belong in them and removing them.
Demo Available: Yes

The Mysterious City – Golden Prague
Genre: Puzzle (Hidden Object)
Availability: Alawar Entertainment
Retail Price: $19.95
Platform: Windows XP and Vista
Premise: Your professor and mentor has disappeared somewhere in Prague, and it is up to you to scour 30 locations to try and discover where he is and what has happened to him.
Demo Available: Yes

Insider Tales: The Stolen Venus
Genre: Puzzle (Hidden Object)
Availability: Harmonic Flow, Reflexive Arcade
Retail Price: $19.99
Platform: Windows XP and Vista
Premise: The painting “The Birth of Venus,” by Sando Botticelli, has been stolen from a museum that was displaying it. You must step into the shoes of Francesca di Porta and discover what has happened to the painting, and hopefully recover it.
Demo Available: Yes

Aztec Tribe
Genre: Strategic Simulation
Availability: Alawar Entertainment
Retail Price: $19.95
Platform: Windows PC
Premise: You help an Aztec tribe create a prosperous village. You develop the surrounding area, help your citizens and deal with unfriendly neighbors.
Demo Available: Yes

Angela Young 2: Escape the Dreamscape
Genre: Puzzle (Hidden Object)
Availability: Big Fish Games, Harmonic Flow
Retail Price: $6.99
Platform: Windows XP and Vista
Premise: Angela Young is searching for her cat Felix, who’s been lost in the Dreamscape. The problem is, while searching, she found she’d gotten lost as well! So now, with the assistance of the Keeper of Dreams, she is searching not only for her beloved pet, but for a way home.
Demo Available: Yes

Nancy Drew Dossier: Resorting to Danger
Genre: Puzzle (Hidden Object) and Adventure
Availability: Big Fish Games, Harmonic Flow
Retail Price: $6.99
Platform: Windows XP and Vista
Premise: The Redondo Spa could have to close its doors, and it’s all because of of some rogue bomber who keeps threatening the popular tourist destination. As Nancy Drew, you have to search for evidence and clues, question people and save the Redondo Spa.
Demo Available: Yes

Editor’s Note: Due to so many casual games sites offering game plans or preferred member prices, which can cause a game to have multiple price-points, the games’ average retail prices is mentioned in Casual Friday.

Site [Big Fish Games] Site [PlayFirst] Site [GameHouse] Site [eGames] Site [Alawar Games] Site [Amazon] Site [Reflexive Arcade] Site [Harmonic Flow]