Casual Friday: Update for July 3 – 9, 2010

This week is packed with new video game releases. There are tons of new casual games out there for both Windows and Macs. And, while there are still a ton of new hidden object games, there are a few other genres out there to balance things out.

The big releases this week are two new entries in two beloved series. PlayFirst has released a new entry in the Dream Chronicles adventure series, called Dream Chronicles: The Book of Air (Windows, Mac). If you are a member of the Big Fish Games Club, you already had early access to it a few weeks ago though! There’s also a brand new Farm Frenzy game, Farm Frenzy 3: Madagascar (Windows).

This week’s best bets are: Dream Chronicles: The Book of Air (Windows, Mac), Skymist: The Lost Spirit Stones (Windows, Mac) and Farm Frenzy 3: Madagascar (Windows).

Flux Family Secrets: The Rabbit Hole
Genre: Puzzle (Hidden Object)
Availability: Big Fish Games, Harmonic Flow
Retail Price: $6.99
Platform: Windows XP and Vista and Mac 10.4 or better
Premise: Help Jesse return to the present time after stopping Veronica! She thought she was going back, but went back in time 30 years. Now she has to go even further back to get back to the present.
Demo Available: Yes

Vault Cracker: The Last Safe
Genre: Puzzle (Hidden Object)
Availability: Big Fish Games, Harmonic Flow
Retail Price: $6.99
Platform: Windows XP and Vista, Mac 10.4 or better
Premise: Melissa used to be a famous burgler, but now she’s just a mom living in secrecy. She decides to return to her hometown, and upon arriving her son is kidnapped. Now she has to find him and who took him.
Demo Available: Yes

Skymist: The Lost Spirit Stones
Genre: Puzzle (Hidden Object)
Availability: Big Fish Games, Harmonic Flow
Retail Price: $6.99
Platform: Windows XP and Vista, Mac 10.4 or better
Premise: Skymist’s energy has been drained by a spell, and you must find the Spirit Stones to save the land.
Demo Available: Yes

The Fifth Gate
Genre: Simulation (Time Management)
Availability: Big Fish Games, Harmonic Flow
Retail Price: $6.99
Platform: Windows XP and Vista and Mac 10.4 or better
Premise: Help Eden return home by restoring and managing gardens that will make the five gates open.
Demo Available: Yes

Farm Frenzy 3: Madagascar
Genre: Simulation (Time Management)
Availability: Alawar Entertainment, Harmonic Flow
Retail Price: $9.95
Platform: Windows 98, 2000, XP, Vista and 7
Premise: Scarlett has headed to Madagascar to start farms and help save sick animals on a reservation.
Demo Available: Yes

The Last Airbender
Genre: Strategy
Availability: GameHouse
Retail Price: $19.95
Platform: Windows 2000, XP, Vista and 7
Premise: Help Aang, with the help of Katara and Sokka, save the world and master all four elements. It’s based on M. Night Shyamalan’s The Last Airbender movie.
Demo Available: Yes

Immortal Lovers
Genre: Puzzle (Hidden Object)
Availability: Legacy Interactive
Retail Price: $19.95
Platform: Windows XP, Vista and 7
Premise: See Valerie fall in love with the supernaturally alluring Vincent while on a faily vacation.
Demo Available: Yes

Deadly Sin 2: Shining Faith
Genre: RPG
Availability: Amaranth Games
Retail Price: $19.95
Platform: Windows XP, Vista and 7
Premise: As the descendent of a heroic father, you are also an Imperial Soldier. You’re called into action when the Empire’s heiress is kidnapped, and must save her.
Demo Available: Yes

Dream Chronicles: The Book of Air
Genre: Adventure
Availability: Big Fish Games
Retail Price: $6.99
Platform: Windows XP and Vista, Mac 10.4 or better
Premise: Faye’s daughter Lyra is trapped in a strange dimension on her 18th birthday and must find the Clockmaker to get home.
Demo Available: Yes

Memorabilia: Mia’s Mysterious Memory Machine
Genre: Puzzle (Hidden Object)
Availability: GameHouse, Big Fish Games, Harmonic Flow
Retail Price: $6.99
Platform: Windows XP and Vista
Premise: You help people search their memories to find lost items using a mind reading device.
Demo Available: Yes

Laby
Genre: Puzzle (Match-3)
Availability: Big Fish Games, Harmonic Flow
Retail Price: $6.99
Platform: Windows XP and Vista
Premise: Help an alchemist make extraordinary discoverys, and maybe even make the Philosophers’ Stone.
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]