All Features List

Gamezebo's Best of 2008

From December to January, Gamezebo writers played, reviewed, analyzed and picked apart hundreds of games, so it takes something pretty special to stand out from the crowd. The following list contains our picks for the most memorable games of 2008. Some are simply best-of-breed, while others just stuck out in our minds for being particularly fun or unique. (Read more.)

Evolution of a HOG - Mystery Case Files: Return to Ravenhearst

Mystery Case Files: Return to Ravenhearst is the fifth title in one of the most popular hidden object game franchises in casual game history. But how close did "R2R" come to abandoning its hidden object game roots once and for all?

This was just one of the issues touched on when Gamezebo sat down with Return to Ravenhearst's Lead Designer Adrian Woods, Art Director Jeff Haynie and Producer Chris Campbell, and Big Fish Games VP Patrick Wylie as they reflected on the making of the game. (Read more.)

How Peggle Nights found a new way to an old conclusion

What do you do when you're just not ready to say goodbye?

That was the problem faced by the Peggle team. They wanted to continue their franchise, but they weren't quite ready to let go of the game that they'd had such success with.

What a twist! How Bejeweled Twist went from sushi to sensation

It's one of the biggest casual game releases of the year, but there was every chance that instead of spinning gems in Bejeweled Twist, fans could have  been turning tuna in "Zoingo."

Yohoho! Puzzle Pirates

Back when PopCap was still synonymous with nothing more than Bejeweled, and long before Johnny Depp had perfected his Jack Sparrow swagger, a small development team of six were creating one of the most unique massively multiplayer online games (MMOGs) on the market today.

Yohoho! Puzzle Pirates (Y!PP to those that love it) has the magic that all MMOGs are trying to capture: it appeals to and satisfies both the casual and hardcore player; it can be played - all of it - for free, or you can spend boatloads of money if that is your preference to really put on a show; and, get this... people actually role-play! Yar!!

Recession? What Recession?

“There are two businesses that can survive a recession,” Silvio tells his mafia boss Tony in a classic episode of The Sopranos, “entertainment and our business.”

Casual game companies tend to agree, proclaiming that as part of entertainment, they will survive this global recession. Some actually think casual games will thrive. They could not be more delusional. Like every single sector in our economy, the global recession of 2009 will change everything in casual games. 

Behind the Game: Tradewinds Caravans

Each title in Sandlot Games' Tradewinds series starts with a unique location. In the case of Tradewinds Caravans, Central Asia and the history of the Silk Road proved to be a fascinating setting that was steepd in mystery for people in the West.

Say It Ain't So, Flo

I didn't want to get back into gaming. After spending the better part of the '90's creating complex, labor-intensive adventure games, I was done. Burnt. Fried. Disillusioned. Games were becoming increasingly violent and ever more ridiculous. My dream of creating games with heart and soul was crushed. So I left gaming, became a stay-at-home dad and wrote the great American novel. My feeling was I'd never work in games again. But what happened? In a word: Flo.

Election Time!

The U.S. presidential election is less than a month away, and several developers have weighed in with politically-themed video games. Some of them are educational and inspiring while others are satirical or just plain silly, but there's no mistaking the fact that games are becoming the 21st century version of the political cartoon. Here's a look at some of the games that were inspired by Election 2008.

Mystery Case Files: MillionHeir

With so many popular casual PC games migrating over to the Nintendo DS, it was only a matter of time before mega-popular seek-and-find series Mystery Case Files followed suit. You might well ask, "How on earth could anyone cram scenes full of hidden objects onto that tiny little screen?" Read on to find out how Mystery Case Files: MillionHeir adapts itself to the DS's unique layout.