Casual Friday: Update for September 26 – October 2, 2009

While this week hasn’t been as plentiful as previous weeks, there’s still a lot of variety available. There’s the prerequisite hidden object and time management releases we’ve all come to expect, but there’s also a new visual novel and adventure game to sample as well.

If you have a PlayFirst PlayPass, this isn’t really a big week for you. All of the PlayFirst releases this week, save Magic Academy II, were games that already debuted days or weeks earlier on other sites. Let’s hope next week there’s something new for you!

It also wasn’t a big week for Mac games. The only new game is The Conjurer: A Magical Mystery. It’s a bit limiting though, since it only works on Macs running 10.5.

This week’s best bets are: Tales of Monkey Island: Chapter 3 (PC) and The Stolen Diamond Ring (PC).

Save Our Spirit
Genre: Puzzle (Hidden Object)
Availability: Big Fish Games, Harmonic Flow
Retail Price: $6.99
Platform: Windows XP and Vista
Premise: Mary Longstep is a very powerful woman. Unfortunately, her abilities have made her a target. She’s been abducted by DARK, and it’s up to her husband, Lord Longstep, to travel around the world and save her.
Demo Available: Yes

Kitchen Brigade
Genre: Simulation (Time Management)
Availability: Big Fish Games, Harmonic Flow
Retail Price: $6.99
Platform: Windows XP and Vista
Premise: Players get to be a star on the Kitchen Brigade TV show. That means you have 66 days to try and prove you’re the best chef by managing restaurants, keeping kitchens running and making sure customers are satisfied.
Demo Available: Yes

The Stolen Diamond Ring
Genre: Visual Novel
Availability: Nekomura Games, Amaranth Games
Retail Price: $6.00
Platform: Windows 2000, XP and Vista
Premise: Katherine attends her friend Mia’s engagement party. Unfortunately, the next day, her pink diamond engagement ring is gone. You must help Katherine investigate the matter, find out what happened to ring and bring the thief to justice.
Demo Available: Yes

Sushi To Go Express
Genre: Strategy (Time Management)
Availability: Gamehouse, Harmonic Flow, Reflexive Arcade, Big Fish Games
Retail Price: $6.99
Platform: Windows XP and Vista
Premise: Join Tommy Tortuga and his wife as they deliver sushi and sake to all sorts of underwater creatures.
Demo Available: Yes

10 Days to Save the World: The Adventures of Diana Salinger
Genre: Puzzle (Hidden Object)
Availability: Big Fish Games, Harmonic Flow
Retail Price: $6.99
Platform: Windows XP and Vista
Premise: The world is ending, because of horrific natural disasters. The only way to save everyone is to find and figure out how to use an unusual amulet. You assist Diana Salinger as she searches for her father and more information on how a single amulet can save the world.
Demo Available: Yes

Zuma’s Revenge! Adventure
Genre: Puzzle
Availability: GameHouse, Harmonic Flow, Reflexive Arcade, RealArcade
Retail Price: $9.99
Platform: Windows 2000, XP and Vista
Premise: It’s basically just the Adventure Mode of the full Zuma’s Revenge game. You play through 60 levels to try and take down the Tikis. It doesn’t have the Challenge, Iron Frog or Heroic Frog modes from the full game.
Demo Available: Yes

The Conjurer: A Magical Mystery
Genre: Puzzle (Hidden Object)
Availability: GameHouse, RealArcade, Harmonic Flow
Retail Price: $19.99
Platform: Windows 2000, XP and Vista and Mac 10.5
Premise: The world’s greatest magician is about to retire, and he has developed an interesting way to pick his successor. He’s invited 10 great magician’s to his mansion to try and impress him. One of them, though, wants to murder the magician.
Demo Available: Yes

Tales of Monkey Island: Chapter 3 Lair of the Leviathan
Genre: Adventure
Availability: Telltale Games, Reflexive Arcade, Harmonic Flow
Retail Price: $8.99
Platform: Windows XP and Vista
Premise: Guybrush gets trapped in a giant manatee while trying to get to La Esponja Grande. You have to help him find his way out, even if it means cooperating with Morgan LeFlay, so Elaine won’t sucumb to LeChuck’s Pox. Gamertell http://www.gamertell.com/gaming/comment/gamertell-review-tales-on-monkey-island-lair-of-the-leviathan/ reviewed it recently.
Demo Available: Yes

PuppetShow: Mystery of Joyville
Genre: Puzzle (Hidden Object)
Availability: Big Fish Games
Retail Price: $6.99
Platform: Windows XP and Vista
Premise: Joyville used to be a happy place, and it’s puppet show was the main attraction. That is, until the fire. Now it is abandoned and a dark and dangerous place. People disappear in Joyville. A young boy is the latest victim, and the player must journey through Joyville to find him.
Note: This game features mature content and isn’t appropriate for younger players.
Demo Available: Yes

Island Realms
Genre: Simulation
Availability: Alawar Entertainment
Retail Price: $9.95
Platform: Windows XP and Vista
Premise: Sailors have found themselves on a deserted island, and it’s up to you to make it their new home. You have to make it hospitable and help them explore and thrive in their new environment.
Demo Available: Yes

Magic Academy II
Genre: Puzzle (Hidden Object)
Availability: PlayFirst
Retail Price: $19.95
Platform: Windows XP and Vista
Premise: Irene is a witch-in-training attending classes at Tirisfal Fortress. Things go well most of the time, but today isn’t one of those times. Irene’s sister is accused of stealing a treatise, and Irene is the only one that can prove her innocense.
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]