With the weather bad in many places (we have snow in Texas) — it’s a great time to cuddle up with a fun adventure and hidden object game. If you enjoyed Mystery Case Files: Return to Ravenhearst and PC Game Review: Mystery Case Files: Dire Grove, download Nightfall Mysteries – Curse of the Opera and don’t bother reading the rest of this.

I haven’t checked out Nightfall Mysteries – Curse of the Opera because I’ve had to lay off games and using the computer in the evenings due to eye problems. But I’m hearing it’s the kind of game that fans of point-and-click adventures will want to play while waiting for the sequel of their favorite to be released.

Take on the role of a lowly stagehand in an opera company tasked with solving a deadly mystery! The Opera troupe is invited by the reclusive Count Vladd Vansig III to his small hamlet to perform a special Opera for him. Strangely, there are no villagers to speak of except for the Count and his caretaker. Over the course of the night, people go missing and are killed! Use your Hidden Object skills to find out the identity of the killer and escape the village alive in Nightfall Mysteries – Curse of the Opera!

Filed Under: Adventure Games, Casual Games Reviews, News & Talk, Game News, PC Games

The following games will be discounted next week on Game du Jour, the first ‘one-deal-a-day’ website dedicated to indie and casual games:

Mon. February 8th: 65% off on Vacation Mogul

Tue. February 9th: 60% off on L!ght Deluxe

Wed. February 10th: 60% off on Architect: Episode 1

Thu. February 11th: 50% off on Strange Cases: The Tarot Card Mystery

Fri. February 12th: 50% off on Habitat Rescue: Lion’s Pride

Sat. February 13th: 60% off on King’s Smith

Sun. February 14th: 60% off on Angela Young 2: Escape the Dreamscape

Filed Under: Casual Games Reviews, News & Talk, Discounts, PC Games

The following games will be discounted next week on Game du Jour, the first ‘one-deal-a-day’ website dedicated to indie and casual games:

Mon. February 1st: 65% off on Mirror Mysteries

Tue. February 2nd: 65% off on 1001 Nights: The Adventures of Sindbad

Wed. February 3rd: 50% off on Simplz: Zoo

Thu. February 4th: 65% off on Boonka

Fri. February 5th: 65% off on Rasputin’s Curse

Sat. February 6th: 60% off on Passport to Paradise

Sun. February 7th: 65% off on Magic Academy 2

Filed Under: Casual Games Reviews, News & Talk, Discounts, PC Games

The following games will be discounted next week on Game du Jour, the first ‘one-deal-a-day’ website dedicated to indie and casual games:

Sun. January 17th: 65% off on Slingo Mystery: Who’s Gold

Mon. January 18th: 81% off on The Build-a-lot Game-Pack [Reviews Build-a-lot, 2: Town of the Year and 3: Passport to Europe]

Tue. January 19th: 45% off on Wedding Dash: Ready, Aim, Love [Review]

Wed. January 20th: 50% off on Collapse!

Thu. January 21st: 50% off on Marooned

Fri. January 22nd: 65% off on Tropical Farm

Sat. January 23rd: 45% off on Gotcha: Celebrity Secrets [Review]

Filed Under: Casual Games Reviews, News & Talk, Discounts, PC Games

First, Big Fish Games is offering 20% off all 19 of its customer favorite award winners.

The following games will be discounted next week on Game du Jour, the first ‘one-deal-a-day’ website dedicated to indie and casual games:

Sun. January 10th: 65% off on Iron Roses

Mon. January 11th: 45% off on Valerie Porter and the Scarlet Scandal [Review]

Tue. January 12th: 65% off on Farm Frenzy 3: American Pie

Wed. January 13th: 60% off on Tourist Trap

Thu. January 14th: 65% off on Nat Geo Games: Mystery of Cleopatra

Fri. January 15th: 50% off on TextTwist 2

Sat. January 16th: 65% off on Princess Isabella: A Witch’s Curse [Review]

Filed Under: Casual Games Reviews, News & Talk, Discounts, PC Games

This is the third Farm Frenzy 3. I appreciate the developer for keeping the numbering at three because it shows there’s not much difference in terms of game play. The main difference is the setting, so there’s no misleading anyone claiming it’s a whole new game with enhancements. The series has many fans who are happy to keep playing the same game with new challenges.

Farm Frenzy 3: American Pie: Manage five different farms around the world and try your hand at penguin breeding and jewelry making in Farm Frenzy 3! Enjoy outrageously fun levels, wacky animals and more upgrades than there are ears in a field of corn! Grow crops, feed animals, collect produce and manufacture goods, while you enjoy zany animation! Help Scarlett become the president of the Farmers` Union by earning the votes of the people she helps.

Farm Frenzy 3: Ice Age: Join Scarlett as she leaves sunshine and warm temperatures behind and travels to the North Pole to check out a farm she purchased through a newspaper ad. When she arrives, she not only finds the property in a state of disrepair, she also meets two brothers who could use her help making ice cream. While whipping up chilly treats in 90 levels of frosty fun, you’ll breed and care for penguins and other arctic animals, manufacture new products and enjoy a parade of visual gags. You’ll also meet a surprise guest who will show his appreciation for your hard work in a special way! Who is it?

Here’s the list of all the Farm Frenzys.

• Farm Frenzy
• Farm Frenzy 2
• Farm Frenzy Pizza Party
• Farm Frenzy 3
• Farm Frenzy 3: American Pie
• Farm Frenzy 3: Ice Age

Farm Mania 2 is also out. Anna of Farm Mania is back again! This time she is even more enthusiastic, active and full of great ideas! Wanna have your own farm? No problems! Fruits and vegetables, animals and fishes, dairy plant and bakery – you can have it all with in Farm Mania 2! By the way, Anna got married to a strong and charming farmer Bob and now all their dreams are coming true! You can help them!

Filed Under: Casual Games Reviews, News & Talk, Game News, PC Games, Strategy Games, Time Management

Celebrities. Blogging. It’s a dream come true for some who would love to write about famous people and their lives. Gotcha: Celebrity Secrets is your chance to get a taste of that. As Gaby, you start working as a blogger and doing whatever you can to break the news so you can drive up your blog traffic. In this hidden object game, you search for people instead of things — a nice twist that unfortunately feels monotonous after a little play despite 40 scenes and 1200 characters.

When you first meet Gaby, she’s in a job that she hates (familiar to many). She begins receiving text messages letting her know where celebrities will appear. A chapter consists of following a celebrity and getting the story. Events include a wedding, a birth, awards and others. Every scene also has bonus objects, which includes finding Gaby, five stars and another person or thing. The game gets harder as you advance by adding more people and creating more crowded scenes. You can also challenge yourself to reach the expert level by finding everyone before time runs out.

The game tells you who you need to find by giving clues. Sometimes you see the person’s image, sometimes you receive a clue like “wearing a t-shirt with a heart on it” and sometimes you see a silhouette. After playing a couple of chapters, you’ll notice the people start repeating and before long, you know exactly what you need to find. Though the scenes grow more crowded, the cues will help you see through them.

One of the things going for the game is its vibrant colors and cartoon-style graphics. Although it offers a creative twist in the hidden object genre, Gotcha: Celebrity Secrets just doesn’t grip you long enough to want to play the whole game. The free hour of play is more than enough to give you an idea of the whole game. If you play to see how it ends, this one’s ending doesn’t satisfy. It’s a shame because this offers an original story and game play that could’ve gone further with the right treatment.

Download Gotcha: Celebrity Secrets.

FTC warning: Game received from publisher.

Filed Under: Casual Games Reviews, News & Talk, Game Reviews, Hidden Object Games, PC Games

The following games will be discounted next week on Game du Jour, the first ‘one-deal-a-day’ website dedicated to indie and casual games:

Sun. January 3rd: 60% off on Jojo’s Fashion Show World Tour

Mon. January 4th: 60% off on Fantastic Farm

Tue. January 5th: 50% off on Sunset Studio: Love on the High Seas

Wed. January 6th: 65% off on Virtual City

Thu. January 7th: 65% off on Tory’s Shop ‘N Rush

Fri. January 8th: 65% off on Murder, She Wrote

Sat. January 9th: 65% off on Sushi To Go Express

Filed Under: Casual Games Reviews, News & Talk, Discounts, PC Games

Cradle of Rome is one of my all-time favorite match three games. I played it for days and hours trying to get the last trophy and finish the 100th level. I never reached either goal. Alas, I had to move on as games needed to be played and reviewed.

Of course, I am excited about the upcoming release of Cradle of Rome 2, which is due out in the spring of 2010. Here’s a preview from Awem Studio:

Awem also posts its developer’s diary for those wanting details.

Filed Under: Casual Games Reviews, News & Talk, Game News, Match 3 Game, PC Games

The following games will be discounted next week on Game du Jour, the first ‘one-deal-a-day’ website dedicated to indie and casual games:

Sun. December 27th: 50% off on Kino One

Mon. December 28th: 43% off on The Cake Mania Mega-Pack

Tue. December 29th: 65% off on Build It! Miami Beach Resort

Wed. December 30th: 65% off on Escape the Museum 2

Thu. December 31st: 45% off on Hotel Dash: Suite Success [My review]

Fri. January 1st: 50% off on Super Collapse! Puzzle Gallery 5

Sat. January 2nd: 65% off on Natalie Brooks: Mystery at Hillcrest High

Filed Under: Casual Games Reviews, News & Talk, Discounts, PC Games