Casual Friday: Update for February 27 – March 5, 2010

This week’s update is huge. HUGE. There are eight new casual games out this week and the best part is, only half are hidden object games! Okay, Eden’s Quest: The Hunt for Akua (PC) is technically part hidden object and should boost the count to five hidden object games and three from other genres, but it also has adventure and match-3 elements so that kind of makes it more of a general puzzle game.

Seriously, take a good look at this week’s offerings. Chances are, no matter what kind of casual gamer you are, you’ll find something new that you might really love. There are games representing the puzzle, action, adventure, simulation and RPG genres below.

There’s only one Mac game though. Thankfully, that Mac game is RE: Alistair and happens to be free. (It also happens to be available for computers with Windows and Linux OSes.)

This week’s best bets are: RE: Alistair (PC, Mac, Linux), Apparitions: Kotsmine Hills (PC) and Clover: A Curious Tale (PC)

Pathfinders: Lost at Sea
Genre: Puzzle (Hidden Object)
Availability: Big Fish Games, Harmonic Flow
Retail Price: $6.99
Platform: Windows XP and Vista
Premise: A relic in the Atlantic has caused an island to appear in the Atlantic Ocean, and now you must investigate the new island and the relic that has caused it to appear.
Demo Available: Yes

Last Heroes
Genre: RPG
Availability: Amaranth Games
Retail Price: $11.99
Platform: Windows 98, 2000, XP, Vista and 7
Premise: King Viktor of Abakam must find allies and fight against his brother, Viper, who is leading a resistance force against him.
Demo Available: Yes

Nora Roberts: Vision in White
Genre: Puzzle (Hidden Object)
Availability: Harmonic Flow
Retail Price: $19.99
Platform: Windows 2000, XP, Vista and 7
Premise: Based on Nora Robert’s romance novel, help Mackensie discover if her fling will turn into something more, despite her fears of commitment and turning into her mother. Mackensie always is photographing other people’s weddings, but could the next wedding she attends be her own?
Demo Available: Yes

Apparitions: Kotsmine Hills
Genre: Puzzle (Hidden Object)
Availability: Big Fish Games, Harmonic Flow
Retail Price: $6.99
Platform: Windows XP and Vista
Premise: Kotsmine Hills is haunted. In 1929, there was a terrible fire when the town was snowed in, and the ghosts of those who died still remain. You must search for ghosts and help them find peace.
Demo Available: Yes

Clover: A Curious Tale
Genre: Action and Adventure
Availability: Blitz1UP
Retail Price: £5.99/$8.99
Platform: Windows
Premise: Help Sam learn about the attack on Sanha that killed his mother, and learn the truth of what’s going on in the world.
Demo Available: Yes

RE: Alistair
Genre: Adventure (Visual Novel) and Simulation
Availability: Sakevisual
Retail Price: Free
Platform: Windows, Macs and Linux (It’s free, so download and try to see if it works.)
Premise: A girl named Merui is enjoying her favorite MMO and is so close to getting a rare item, when a rogue named Alistair appears, deals the final blow and takes it. Merui learns he attends her school, and decides to exact her revenge in real life. She only has one month to do it though! Visit Gamertell Monday for a review!
Demo Available: No

Hidden Identity: Chicago Blackout
Genre: Puzzle (Hidden Object)
Availability: Big Fish Games, GameHouse, Harmonic Flow
Retail Price: $6.99
Platform: Windows XP and Vista
Premise: You’ve awoken in a Chicago hotel without any memory of who you are, how you got there or why you’re even there. Fortunately, you left clues and notes for yourself before you ended up in the position that you’re in and now have the opportunity to find the truth.
Demo Available: Yes

Eden’s Quest: The Hunt for Akua
Genre: Puzzle (Hidden Object) and Adventure
Availability: Big Fish Games
Retail Price: $6.99
Platform: Windows XP and Vista
Premise: Eden Hunt has been invited to take part in the Akua treasure hunt. If she manages to be the first to find the treasure, she’ll win enough money to go on many more archeological expeditions.
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]