Richard's Game Reviews

Cube Buster

2012-02-11T19:39:00.000-08:00

Game Description: Click on groups of 3 or more same-colored cubes to destroy them. Destroy all of the cubes before any cube reaches the top. If you destroy enough cubes, you will make it to the next level of play. If any cube reaches the top... it is immediate game over! Also during game play, pay close attention to the POW window that is located on the right side of the screen. Wait for the top red line to charge. When the POW is charged you will be granted a special bonus in the form of an icon. Click on the icon to get the bonus. Some POW icons give you extra points when you click on them. The rabbit icon will speed up the game. The turtle icon will slow down the game. Some icons will change all cubes to a single color if you click on them repeatedly. There is also one icon that allows you to jump a level. Richard's Rating: 3 out of 5.

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Ice Shape Master

2012-02-08T21:56:00.000-08:00

Game Description: Select and grab the ice figures from the pipeline and drop them into the empty holes with the same shape. A successfully matched hole gives you a score. If you are able to make an entire row the same color, you earn bonus points! Each level has a specific goal that you must meet. But pay attention to the clock because you only have a limited amount of time to reach your goal! Each level becomes more and more challenging. If you fail a level, you may repeat the level as many times as your need until you succeed. Ice Shape Master will automatically save your game progress for you. Then, as long as you use the same computer, simply click the 'Continue' button to resume your saved game. Good luck! Richard's Rating: 4 out of 5.

Play on Full Screen

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Sim Taxi 2

2012-02-04T21:58:00.001-08:00

Game Description: Another day in the big city from a taxi driver's point of view. Pick up passengers and deliver them to their destinations as fast as you can, and without damaging your taxicab too much. Controls: Arrow keys to drive, 'R' key to change the radio station, 'H' key to honk, and Spacebar to refill your taxi with fuel at a gas station. Richard's Rating: 4 out of 5.

Play on Full Screen

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Word Search Games Page 1

2012-01-30T17:47:00.001-08:00

You are very likely already familiar with Word Search games. Who hasn't seen a Word Search game, or its equally famous cousin the Jumble, printed in their favorite newspaper or magazine? But there are two differences with those familiar printed versions of Word Search games, and the computer versions. The first difference is obvious. You don't need a pencil. lol. No, you just need to use your mouse and click on the first letter of the word, and then drag and release your mouse when you reach the last letter. But the second difference is rather significant, and here is where the computer Word Search games have their big advantage. They have the ability to give a time limit, where you must find all of the words on the list before time is up. No newspaper or magazine can do that! This makes the computer Word Search games, oh so very challenging. And, oh so much fun!


Word Search	Find Words	Baseball Word Search
Play the classic game of word search.	Find all of the words on the list before time runs out.	Find all of the baseball words before time runs out.


Insect Word Search
You have 4 minutes to find up to 10 insect related words.

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Tripeaks Solitaire Games Page 1

2012-01-30T10:19:00.000-08:00

As an overall group, I would say that the Tripeaks Solitaire games are probably among the most popular card games I have on my site. I think the reason for this, is their sheer simplicity. This does not mean that they are necessarily easy to win. But the rules are easy to understand, and once you grasp the basic concept you can play virtually any tripeaks solitaire game. Some tripeaks games have only one set arrangement of cards that you will play over and over, while others will have what seems to be an almost infinite variety of card arrangements. Each round begins with some cards dealt to the playing field, with the rest of the cards remaining in the deck. The goal is to remove all of the cards from the playing field, before the deck runs out of cards, by clicking on the next card that is higher or lower. Each game has its own special rules, of course. For instance, some have wildcards to help you win. The collection of tripeaks solitaire games I have here, I think is very nice. Do enjoy!


Magic Towers Solitaire	Crystal Golf Solitaire	Cardmania Tripeaks Deluxe
A fun and more skillful version of the classic game of tripeaks solitaire.	Move all cards unto the Home pile before the deck runs out.	Play 20 challenging levels of tripeaks solitaire.


The Ace of Spades 2	Halloween Tripeaks	Castle Solitaire
Play a fun version of tripeaks solitaire with dozens and dozens of layouts.	Reveal the haunted castle of Frankenstein and his Witch bride by clearing all the cards.	Visit up to 10 enchanting castles while playing tripeaks solitaire and spot the difference games.


TriPeakz	Tripeaks Reserve	6 Peaks Solitaire
Meet the first multiplayer solitaire game on the web... TriPeakz!	Win each round and get the gold from the Tripeaks Reserve.	Play a fun version of tripeaks solitaire. Try to make it through 6 tough levels.


Solitaire: A Deck Of Cods	Tripeaks Solitaire	Golf Solitaire Pro
Clear your cards to reel in the fish! The more cards you play in a row the bigger your catch!	Move the cards from the playing field to the discard pile before all cards are exhausted. Beautifully animated!	Try to win as many rounds of golf solitaire as you can by removing all of the cards.


The Ace of Spades 3
Build all cards by sequence until the board is clear.

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Pyramid Solitaire Games Page 1

2012-01-30T09:35:00.000-08:00

Pyramid Solitaire are card games based on the number 13. Each card, from Ace to 10, has a value based on its number. For instance, a six card has a value of 6, a seven card has a value of 7, and so on. Jacks have a value of 11, Queens have a value of 12, and Kings have a value of 13. Typically 28 cards are dealt in the shape of a pyramid in overlapping style. (I presume that is where the name comes from). The goal is to remove all cards from the pyramid by making matches that add up to the number 13. If you do, you will either win the game, or go on to the next level of play, depending on that particular games' rules. Matches may only consist of a single card (a King), or a pair of two cards, but never more than two cards. Most pyramid solitaire games have a clock, and if you are able to clear the pyramid before the clock counts down to zero you will earn bonus points. There are some versions, like Jungle Solitaire, where not only are you required to remove all of the cards from the pyramid, but you must also beat the clock in order to advance to the next level. The most popular pyramid solitaire game, by far, here on Richard's Game Reviews is Pyramid Solitaire Ancient Egypt. Not only is this the most popular card game I have on my site, it is also the second most popular game on my entire site second only to Who Wants To Be A Millionaire. If you have ever played pyramid solitaire, you already know how much fun it is. If you haven't, well, what are you waiting for?


Pyramid Solitaire Ancient Egypt		Jungle Solitaire
Clear all cards from the pyramid by making combinations adding up to the number 13.		Make combinations of 13 to clear the pyramid before time runs out.

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Contact Page

2012-01-29T13:48:00.001-08:00

There may be any number of reasons why you would want to contact me. If you want to send me a personal message, you can always email me at richardsgamereviews@yahoo.com. I don't check my emails very often because quite frankly, I don't get very many. But, I always answer each one.

If you would like to report a missing game, or a game that is not working as it should, the best way to do this would be to leave a comment on the page where the game appears. Or in the case of a missing game, where it should appear. Each morning, when I log into my Blogger account, one of the first things I do is to check to see if I have any new comments here on Richard's Game Reviews. So if you do report a game problem by posting a comment, I can usually jump right on it and try to find a solution as quickly as possible. With hundreds of games now here on Richard's Game Reviews, it is impossible for me to monitor every single game. If a game is missing, or not working properly, there is no way for me to know unless someone tells me. A game could be down for days, or even weeks, before I might find out. I know I personally hate it when I go on any game website, whether it be on someone else's site, or here on my own, and a game is missing. That just makes for a bad user experience. And, of course, I want to give you the best possible gaming experience I can while you are here. So, let's all work together! And remember to report any game problem by leaving those comments!

Thanks,

Richard

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What's New? Page 6

2012-01-28T01:08:00.001-08:00

The main purpose of the What's New? pages is to tell you about any news, and any changes, here at Richard's Game Reviews. However, I also use these pages as sort of an online journal; and I sometimes talk about day-to-day things in my personal life too.

I don't post to these pages regularly, or follow any certain schedule. In fact, I have been known not to post here for weeks, and occasionally even for months at a time. As I said in my very first What's New? post: I will post "as the spirit moves me." So, just check in here every once in a while to see if I have anything new to say.

What's New pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6

Friday, January 27, 2012

Well, as you can see, I have installed a brand new design for Richard's Game Reviews. This after saying, back in October of 2011 when I did my last major overhaul, that it probably would be another 2 years before I would try that again. lol.

I think this design is a real keeper though. I only decided to do this two days ago, and I think the results are pretty darn impressive! You will find some brand new features, including a slideshow on my homepage. I think this design is quite an improvement over the last one. Don't you agree?

However, please know that this is definitely a work in progress. I have lots, and lots, of work to do before everything will be the way I want it. You will likely see some minor glitches. For instance you may see some of my html code, instead of plain English, on certain pages. You may also see some magnified, and distorted, pictures on some pages. In order for me to correct these things, it requires that I write a new introductory paragraph on every one of my 417 post pages. This will undoubtedly take me at least a couple of weeks, if not several months, to fully accomplish. I certainly did not want to wait that long. I wanted to get this up, and running, immediately. The good thing is though, is that this will not affect any of your game play whatsoever.

I will probably also be changing some of the link colors, and I want to make some improvements in the comment area too. Plus, there will be several other changes I need to make. So just know that this is not a finished product, by any means. And please bear with me until I can work all of the kinks out. I hope everyone enjoys the brand new look!

Sunday, January 29, 2012

Beginning today, I am going to start a brand new policy here at Richard's Game Reviews. Actually, it is more than a policy change. It is really an entirely new way on how I will present games to you. For new games, I will no longer be writing a comprehensive review. Instead, I will only write a brief game description, and then rate the game from 1 to 5.

This policy change is something that I have been thinking about for a very long time. Some games are very complex. And in order to write a detailed review, I must figure out every nuance. This can mean playing a single game for hours to figure everything out, and then writing about it for another hour or two. Even writing a complete review for a simple game can take upwards of up to an hour.

The bottom line is this. Implementing this new policy will allow me to bring you many more new games at a much faster pace! And it will free up some of my time to allow me to find, and bring you, even more games. It is a win-win situation. It will be good for you, and it will be good for me as well. Of course, all of the game reviews that I have written in the past two-and-a-half years will remain here for you to enjoy.

What's New pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6

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American Cowboy

2012-01-24T23:22:00.000-08:00

Game Description: American Cowboy is a 48 piece jigsaw puzzle. At the beginning of the game you will briefly see how the puzzle should be put together. Then, click the 'Play' button to unscramble the pieces. Now, drag each individual jigsaw piece with your mouse to place it into its proper position. When a piece fits, you will hear a sound effect and that piece of the puzzle can no longer be moved. Time yourself with the clock to see how fast you can recreate this picture from the classic American Old West!

Play on Full Screen

Please Note: Before playing American Cowboy in Full Screen mode, you may want to take a moment, or two, to read my review. Then, after playing your game, simply click the back button on your browser to return to this page.

How to Play American Cowboy:

Once the game fully loads, click the 'Play' button to unscramble the puzzle.
Drag each piece with your mouse.
When a puzzle piece is in the correct position you will hear a sound effect, and that piece can no longer be moved.
Time yourself with the clock to see how fast you can solve this puzzle and try to make the Leaderboard!

How to Submit Your American Cowboy Game Score:

Once your game ends, it is time to submit your score.
For this particular game, your score is the time it takes you to solve the jigsaw puzzle. So obviously, you want to complete the puzzle in as little time as you possibly can.
Submitting your score is easy and fun. It allows you to compare your score with other players from around the world.
After your game ends, simply type your name in the space where is says 'Save score as a guest'. (You can use all, or part, of your real name; or just make up a nickname).
Then press the 'Submit Score' button to send your score.
That's all there is to it! No registration or login is required.
If your score is low enough, it may appear on the Leaderboard below. (You will need to refresh this page before you can see it).
There are four tabs on the (game name goes here) Leaderboard: day (displays high scores for the day), week (displays high scores for the week), month (displays high scores for the month), and all (displays high scores for all time). In addition, the top three players for each time period, and their scores, appear at the top of the Leaderboard as you click each tab.
First, look for your name in the day tab. If it is going to appear anywhere it should display there first. If you see it, you will also notice that your country flag will automatically be displayed in front of your name.
If your score is low enough it may also appear in some of the other tabs: week, month, and all time. And, of course, if you are really really super, you may also make the top three low scores for the day, week, month, or even for all time (which, of course, for most of us is just a wish!)
Your score should remain on the Leaderboard until other players score lower, and possibly knock you off of the Leaderboard, or until a new time period begins.
Some Leaderboards allow multiple scores per player for each time period. While other Leaderboards only allow one score per player for each time period. Should that be the case, then if you do submit a better score later, your best score will replace your previous score.
Don't forget to remember the name, or nickname, you used when you submitted your score. You may even want to write it down, and keep it for future reference. It will be more fun if you always use the same name.

American Cowboy Playing Tips:

Listen for the sound effect when you place a piece correctly. Also notice that a jigsaw piece placed correctly can no longer be moved.
Use the background picture and puzzle shapes as your guide.
Do play the game in Full Screen mode. Everything will be nice and big, and you will undoubtedly be able to score much better.

Richard's Rating: 3 out of 5.

Pro: If you enjoy putting together jigsaw puzzles, you should find American Cowboy a pleasant game to play. It can also be fun to try to make the the American Cowboy Leaderboard.

Con: None.

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Bubble Shooter 3

2012-01-19T23:05:00.000-08:00

Game Description: Bubble Shooter 3 is a somewhat easier version of the classic game of Bubble Shooter. You will shoot bubbles up into the grid with your crossbow. Each time you form a group of 3 or more like-colored bubbles, those bubbles will explode and be removed from the playing field. If you can remove all of the bubbles from the playing field, you will advance to the next level of play. But, be careful. If even a single bubble gets to the bottom, it is instant game over!

Play on Full Screen

Please Note: Before playing Bubble Shooter 3 in Full Screen mode, you may want to take a moment, or two, to read my review. Then, after playing your game, simply click the back button on your browser to return to this page.

How to Play Bubble Shooter 3:

Rotate the crossbow with mouse movement.
Left click with your mouse to shoot.
Each time your shot forms a group of 3 or more like-colored bubbles, those bubbles will explode and be removed from the board.
There are 5 white crossbones in red circles located near the lower left corner.
For each shot that does not produce an explosion, by forming a group of at least 3 like-colored bubbles, one crossbone will be lost.
On each occasion that you have no crossbones remaining, the next shot that does not produce a bubble explosion will cause new bubbles to be introduced at the top, pushing the rest of the bubbles down towards the bottom.
Your goal is to remove all of the bubbles from the board. If you do, you go on to the next level of play.
On Level 1 there are only 3 different colors of bubbles: green, red, and blue. On every 4th level you reach (as in levels 4, 8, 12, and so forth) a new color of bubble will be introduced to make the game more challenging.
Should any bubble reach the bottom... it is immediate game over!

Bubble Shooter 3 Game Options:

The game sounds may be turned on or off by clicking the microphone icon located at the lower left corner.

Bubble Shooter 3 Playing Tips:

Learn the bank shot, by bouncing bubbles off of the left or right wall. Many times, the only way to reach your intended target will be with the bank shot. The bank shot is very easy to learn and only takes a little practice.
Pay attention to the next bubble that is coming up (you will see it just to the left of the crossbow). Knowing what bubble you will shoot next can help you plan your current shot.
Try to make bubble explosions high up on the board near the top. If any of the other bubbles that are connected to the bubbles you are exploding are not connected to other bubbles, they will all fall in one big group. This not only creates big points, but it also removes lots of bubbles at once. Thus clearing the way, and making it easier for you to remove even more bubbles.
Use your mouse pointer as a guide. For instance, my mouse pointer is in the shape of an arrow. So I simply place the arrow on my intended target, then fire.

Richard's Rating: 4 out of 5.

Pro: If you want an easier version of Bubble Shooter, then this is the game for you.

Con: If you have already mastered the bank shot, you will have to go through quite a few tedious levels until you finally will be challenged. If you would like a more challenging game from the get-go, you may be better off playing the original classic game of Bubble Shooter.

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Strategy War

2012-01-11T00:07:00.000-08:00

Game Description: Fight your enemies through land and air! Protect your home base at all costs! There are up to 32 different units you can use to fight your enemies. Each unit is pictured at the top of the screen. Your enemies will also be using these same 32 units. Your units move from right to left, and the enemy units move from left to right. When your units meet up with the enemy units, they fight. If you win your battle, you go on to the next level. If you lose your battle, you must replay the level until you win. Win or lose, each battle earns you money that you can use to buy upgrades to make youself stronger for the next battle. There are 100 amazing arcade levels!

Please Note: Strategy War has two different games you can play: Campaign and Domination. For my review, I am only reviewing Campaign. (If you want to play Domination, I am sure you will have fun figuring out everything for yourself). Also here is a reminder. Before playing Strategy War in Full Screen mode, you may want to take just a moment, or two, to read my review. Then, after playing your game, simply click the back button on your browser to return to this page. There is one more point I would like to make, and that is this. Don't worry if you do not understand everything. (To be completely honest, I haven't quite figured out everything for myself yet either. But I am still having a blast!) Just start playing, and you will pick things up rather easily.

Play on Full Screen

How to Play Strategy War Campaign:

Once the game fully loads, click the word 'Enter' with your mouse. This will take you to the Menu screen.
If this is a new game, from the Menu screen, click the 'New Campaign' button. (Remember, the 'New Campaign' button is only used for starting a new game).
If you wish to continue a saved game, click the 'Continue' button on the Menu screen. Then click the 'Continue Campaign' button.
If you are starting a New Campaign, that is, a new game, you will first see several pages of game instructions. Keep clicking the 'Next' button until you reach the 'Start' screen. Then, click the 'Start' button.
On the 'Select Level' screen, click the level icon button (the one that is highlighted in dark brown). If this is new game, that will be, of course, Level 1. If this is a saved game, this will be the level where you last left off.
After you click the level icon button, you will see the 'Enemy Unit(s) Available' screen. This screen shows you the enemies you will fight in the upcoming battle. Hover your mouse over each picture to read its description. After you read this information, click the 'Start' button to begin the battle.
Your home base is at the right. (There will always be a little man dressed in green clothes, and a green hat, standing at your base. This character is your last line of defense. I will tell you more about him in just a moment).
The goal of each battle is to defeat your enemies, and to protect your base at all costs!
There are up to 32 different units you can use to fight your enemies. Each unit is pictured at the top of the screen. Your enemies will also be using these same 32 units.
Your units move from right to left.
The enemy units move from left to right.
When your units meet up with the enemy units, they fight.
You will not be able to see the entire battlefield at one time. Move your mouse to the left or right edge of the screen as needed, to adjust your view accordingly.
To unleash an available unit, click its picture when it lights up at the top of the screen. Only available units will light up, and can be used. For instance, when you begin the game on Level 1, you, and your enemy, only have two available units to use: Stone Man and Clubswinger. As you continue the game, you will be able to buy additional units with your Upgrade points. (I will explain more about the Upgrade points in the next section). Your enemy will also have access to additional units.
Each time you click an available unit, all of the unit pictures at the top of the screen will go dim for a brief period of time. You cannot use any more units until the available units light up again. Each time the units light up at the top of the screen, you may click on any available unit to unleash it. Each type of unit may be used in the battle again, and again, but only when it is lit up.
The little man dressed in green clothing, who stands on your base, is your last line of defense. You may use him at anytime when your enemies get too close to your base. You may have him throw objects, or shoot arrows and fire guns (if you have upgraded to either arrows or guns).
To have your little man throw objects, move your mouse to the top of the screen to throw high, to the center of the screen to throw medium, or to the bottom of the screen to throw low. Hold down your mouse to increase the throw power (watch the red bar indicator), then release the mouse to throw the object.
To have your little man shoot arrows you must first purchase the arrow upgrades. Move your mouse to change the direction of your shot. Click your mouse to shoot. The red bar is your ammo. When your ammo is empty it will automatically reload.
If you have purchased arrow upgrades, press 2 to have your little man shoot arrows, or press 1 to have your little man throw objects. You may switch back and forth between the two.
Although the game's instructions demonstrate, and state, that the little man can also shoot guns, I have not been able to figure out how he shoots his gun.
If you have purchased special weapons upgrades, press your Space bar to cast special weapons. Some special weapons may only be used one time on a level.
If you win your battle, you go on to the next level.
If you lose your battle, you must replay the level until you win. You may replay a level as many times as you need, until you win it.
Strategy War will automatically save your game progress. The only thing you need to do is to leave the game, and then come back later and use the same computer. (It is not necessary to ever click the 'Quit Game' button).
Strategy War Campaign Mode has 100 fun levels for you to play!

Strategy War Campaign Upgrades:

Each time you play a level you will earn Upgrade points.
You will earn only a few Upgrade points when you lose a battle. You will earn more Upgrade points when you win a battle!
Upgrade points can be used to buy the things you need to win future battles. Once an upgrade is purchased, you will have that upgrade for the entire game.
There are two different Upgrades screens. After a battle is over, win or lose, Strategy War will automatically take you to the first Upgrades screen.
On the first Upgrades screen, you can see how many Upgrade points you have available to spend near the top of the screen, right above the 'Next' button.
The first Upgrades screen is divided into two sections: the Unit Tree (where you can buy new types of units), and the Skill Tree (where you can buy skill for your units to make them more powerful).
On the first Upgrades screen, everything you already have is lit up. Everything you do not yet have is dim.
Both the Unit Tree and the Skill Tree are like flowcharts, and you must follow the paths. An upgrade will only become clickable if it is next in a path. You may buy any clickable dimmed upgrade as long as you have enough Upgrade points. (Hover your mouse over each dimmed picture to see what each upgrade is, and to find out how many Upgrade points it will cost you to unlock it).
You do not have to buy any upgrades from the first Upgrades screen, even if you have enough Upgrade points. The choice is yours.
When you are done shopping at the first Upgrades screen, click the 'Next' button to go to the second Upgrades screen.
On the second Upgrades screen, you can see how many Upgrade points you have available to spend near the upper left corner, just above and slightly to the right of the word 'Base'.
The second Upgrades screen is divided into four upgrade sections: Base, Weapon, Character, and Special.
Base -- You may upgrade your Base up to 7 times during the game. Each Base must be purchased from left to right. Hover your mouse over the next available Base (the next dim one immediately to the right of the last lit up base you currently have) to see how many Upgrades points it will cost. Each time you upgrade your Base, the stronger it will be.
Weapon -- Weapons are for that little guy in the green clothes who stands on your Base. There are three kinds of weapons you can buy: Throw, Arrow, and Gun. (Each Weapon has its own row, and the weapons in each row must be purchased from left to right). Hover your mouse over the next clickable Weapon to see how much it costs.
Character -- There are four different Character traits that you can buy: Endurance, Shield, Speed, and Power. These four Character traits will apply to every unit you currently have. Hover your mouse over the plus sign for each Character trait to see how many Upgrade points it will cost.
Special -- There are three rows of Specials that you can buy. There is one row of Special Weapons, and two rows of Special Effects. Each row of Specials must be purchased from left to right. Some Specials may only be used one time per level. Hover your mouse over each Special to see what it does and how many Upgrade points it will cost.
When you are done shopping at the second Upgrades screen, you may either click the 'Back' button to go back and shop again at the first Upgrades screen, or click the 'Next' button to go to the 'Select Level' screen where you can select the next level and begin your next battle.
All unused Upgrade points will carry over to future levels.

Strategy War Game Options: From the Menu screen, click the 'Options' button. The game Options are:

Slide the Music control to adjust the music volume.
Slide the SFX control to adjust the sound effects volume.
There are three different quality buttons. (You probably do not need to change these unless you are having problems with the game display).

Strategy War Campaign Playing Tips:

Do play the game on Full Screen mode. You will have a lot more fun!
Once you become a little familiar with the game, you will come to realize the importance of the information contained in the 'Enemy Unit(s) Available' screen. As you hover your mouse over each picture, take particular note to see if each enemy unit is skilled or not. (When a unit is skilled, this makes the unit that much more powerful). You will learn, by playing, what units are effective in fighting other units. So by using the information in the 'Enemy Unit(s) Available' screen, you will have a good idea of which units of your own to deploy, especially at the beginning of a battle.
Do buy the Character trait upgrades. The Character trait upgrades apply to every unit you currently have so they are well worth buying.
The key to making progress, and winning the game, is to evolve before your enemy does. If you can have units that your enemy does not have, or if you can have a skilled unit and your enemy only has the same unit but the unit is unskilled, this gives you a definite advantage. On the other hand, if the situation is reversed, you will be at a disadvantage.

Richard's Rating: 5 out of 5.

Pro: Strategy War is absolutely fantastic! It is every bit as good as Age of War 2. And believe me, that is saying a heck of a lot. Play it for 15 minutes, and I am sure you will be quite impressed!

Con: None.

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Insect Word Search

2012-01-05T20:32:00.000-08:00

Game Description: You have four minutes to find up to 10 insect related words in this challenging, and fun, word search game. All words will run horizontally, vertically, diagonally and backwards. Select each word by clicking on the first letter and dragging your mouse until the end of the word. Be careful! Because wrong answers will cost you 25 points. The more words you can find, and the faster you can find them, the more points you will score! Good Luck!

Play on Full Screen

Please Note: Before playing Insect Word Search in Full Screen mode, you may want to take a moment, or two, to read my review. Then, after playing your game, simply click the back button on your browser to return to this page.

How to Play Insect Word Search:

Once the game fully loads, click the 'Play' button.
You have 4:00 minutes to find 10 insect related words.
All words will run horizontally, vertically, diagonally and backwards.
Select each word by clicking on the first letter and dragging your mouse until the end of the word.
Be careful! Wrong answers will cost you 25 points.
After you find a word on the list, that word will remain circled and the word will be crossed off the list.
The more words you can find, and the faster you can find them, the more points you will score!
If things are not going well, you can always click the 'New Words' button at anytime to begin a new word search puzzle.
Each time you replay Insect Word Search, the puzzles will be different!

How to Submit Your Insect Word Search Game Score:

Once your game ends, it is time to submit your score.
Submitting your score is easy and fun. It allows you to compare your score with other players from around the world.
After your game ends, click the 'Submit Score' button.
On the small window that pops up, simply type your name in the space where is says 'Save score as a guest'. (You can use all, or part, of your real name; or just make up a nickname).
Then press the 'Submit Score' button to send your score.
That's all there is to it! No registration or login is required.
If your score is high enough, it may appear on the Leaderboard below. (You will likely need to refresh this page before you can see it).
There are four tabs on the Insect Word Search Leaderboard: day (displays high scores for the day), week (displays high scores for the week), month (displays high scores for the month), and all (displays high scores for all time). In addition, the top three players for each time period, and their scores, appear at the top of the Leaderboard as you click each tab.
First, look for your name in the day tab. If it is going to appear anywhere it should display there first. If you see it, you will also notice that your country flag will automatically be displayed in front of your name.
If your score is high enough it may also appear in some of the other tabs: week, month, and all time. And, of course, if you are really really super, you may also make the top three for the day, week, month, or even for all time (which, of course, for most of us is just a wish!)
Your score should remain on the Leaderboard until other players score higher, and possibly knock you off of the Leaderboard, or until a new time period begins.
Some Leaderboards allow multiple scores per player for each time period. While other Leaderboards only allow one score per player for each time period. Should that be the case, then if you do submit a higher score later, your highest score will replace your previous high score.
Don't forget to remember the name, or nickname, you used when you submitted your score. You may even want to write it down, and keep it for future reference. It will be more fun if you always use the same name.

Insect Word Search Playing Tips:

Watch for two word insect names on the list of words to be found such as HORSE FLY, HOUSE FLY, DUNG BEETLE, FIRE ANT, and so forth. (Sometimes you will get two word insect names on your word list, and sometimes you won't). It is somewhat easy to find these words quickly because of the space between the two words. What you need to do, is to find an empty space in the puzzle. There will usually be around two of these. One of those empty spaces will correlate with the empty space in the name of the two word insect name. So, obviously you know where to start looking for these words.
Look for words that are fully contained in other words on your list. For instance, if you have both BEETLE and BEE on your word list, you can use the first three letters in BEETLE to find BEE by dragging through those letters a second time. This can save you valuable time. Some other examples of this are BUMBLEBEE and BEE, HORSEFLY and FLY, HOUSEFLY and FLY, DUNG BEETLE and BEE, and DUNG BEETLE and BEETLE. (You won't always get these types of combinations on your word list. But be alert for them when you do).
Look for double letters in a word such as the letters SS or PP in the word GRASSHOPPER, or the letters GG in the word EGG. Double letters can be easier to spot with your eyes.
Be careful not to play this game too long. You may get eye strain, or a headache. I know that when I play too long, I usually get a headache. I think this could be one game where playing on Full Screen mode may even make this worse. But I still included a Full Screen version for those of you who prefer it.

Richard's Rating: 3 out of 5.

Pro: If you are trying to get a high score, Insect Word Search is both challenging and fun. Each time you replay the game it will be different, so you will never get bored. If you enjoy Word Search games, you should like this one.

Con: None.

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Save the Monkey!

2012-01-04T21:40:00.001-08:00

Game Description: Our monkey friend needs your help! He got himself into trouble with a bully, and the only way to save him is to find the hidden word or phrase. Your goal is to find the hidden word or phrase using the letters on the leaf. You can click the letters with your mouse, or type letters on your keyboard. You have 6 chances to find the word! For every wrong guess, the monkey is a bit closer to falling!

How to Play Save the Monkey:

After the game fully loads, click the 'Start' button.
Your goal is to find the hidden word or phrase using the letters on the leaf.
You can click the letters with your mouse, or type letters on your keyboard.
You have 6 chances to find the word! For every wrong guess, the monkey is a bit closer to falling! Think and have fun!
Click the leaf near the lower right corner (the one with the double arrows) to play the next word or phrase.

Save the Monkey Game Options:

Click the musical note icon, located near the upper left corner, to turn the game music on or off. (There is also a microphone icon located just above the musical note icon. However it doesn't seem to do much, if anything).

Save the Monkey Playing Tips:

Try to find the vowels (A, E, I, O, U) first. This will make solving the puzzles easier.

Richard's Rating: 2 out of 5.

Pro: Save the Monkey! is a simple, and quick game to play.

Con: Adding a scoring system could have made Save the Monkey! perhaps a bit more interesting. Also allowing 6 wrong guesses seems like too many. Allowing only 5 wrong guesses probably would have been a better choice.

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Winter Solitaire

2012-01-02T17:56:00.000-08:00

Game Description: In Winter Solitaire all 52 cards are dealt to 13 stacks, of 4 cards each, in overlapping style. There are 4 foundation piles, one for each suit. A card may be moved from one stack to another if the card you are moving is an alternate color and one rank lower. For example, a red 4 may be moved onto a stack whose outermost card is a black 5. Your objective is to manipulate the cards and try to build the four suits from Ace to King, before time runs out, in this challenging solitaire game. For the first level you are given 5 minutes. After that, your time decreases. Good luck!

Play on Full Screen

Please Note: Before playing Winter Solitaire in Full Screen mode, you may want to take a moment, or two, to read my review. Then, after playing your game, simply click the back button on your browser to return to this page.

How to Play Winter Solitaire:

Once the game fully loads, click the 'Start' button.
All 52 cards are dealt face up in 13 stacks of 4 cards each in overlapping style.
The rank of cards is the usual rank of: A, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, J, Q, and K.
There are 4 foundations at the upper right corner, one for each suit.
The clock, which shows you how much time you have remaining to complete the level, is located near the upper left corner. For Level 1, you have 5 minutes. The alloted time decreases by 20 seconds as you go through each level. So each level becomes more and more difficult. (I believe once you reach Level 7, the time limitation stops decreasing, and you get 3 minutes for all levels after that).
Only the outermost card, or cards, from each stack may be moved.
A card may be moved from one stack to another by dragging with your mouse.
Try to build each of the 4 foundations from Ace to King before time runs out. You may move a card to a foundation pile either by dragging the card, or by double-clicking it. (Hint: double-clicking is faster!)
A card may be moved from one stack to another if the card you are moving is an alternate color and one rank lower. For example, a red 4 may be moved onto a stack whose outermost card is a black 5.
Cards may also be moved in groups provided they are in alternating colors and in descending sequence. For example, a group consisting of a black 8, a red 7, and a black 6 may be moved unto a stack whose outermost card is a red 9.
When all of the cards from a stack have been removed you will see a large snowflake, which signifies a blank space.
Any card, or any group of cards that are in alternating colors and in descending sequence, may be moved unto a blank space.
Click the 'Undo' button to undo as many moves as you wish.
If you run out of moves Winter Solitaire will ask you if you want to continue your game by clicking the 'Undo' button, or if you wish to give up and quit.
Score 20 points for each card you build to a foundation.
Lose 10 points each time you click the 'Undo' button.
Score Time Bonus points for finishing a round early. The faster you finish a round, the more Time Bonus points you will earn!
Your goal is to get all 52 cards unto the foundations before time runs out. If you do, you go on to the next round.
It is never necessary for you to move all 52 cards unto the foundation piles. Once you have all remaining stacks in alternating colors and in descending sequence, Winter Solitaire will immediately release all of the cards and automatically bring them to the foundation piles for you.
The game ends when you run out of time.
Important: Never click the 'Main Menu' button after you begin play. If you do, you will lose all of your game progress with no possibility of getting it back.

How to Submit Your Winter Solitaire Game Score:

Once your game ends, it is time to submit your score.
Submitting your score is easy and fun. It allows you to compare your score with other players from around the world.
After your game ends, click the 'Submit Score' button.
On the small window that comes up, simply type your name in the space where is says 'Save score as a guest'. (You can use all, or part, of your real name; or just make up a nickname).
Then press the 'Submit Score' button to send your score.
That's all there is to it! No registration or login is required.
If your score is high enough, it may appear on the Leaderboard below. (You will likely need to refresh this page before you can see it). However, don't be too surprised if you don't see your score on the Leaderboard. Although Winter Solitaire is a very new game (it was only made available for publication 10 days ago) it appears that it is quickly becoming a very popular game. There are lots of players, and the competition to make the Leaderboard already looks very tough. Of course, even if you don't score high enough to make the Leaderboard it is always fun to try!
There are four tabs on the Winter Solitaire Leaderboard: day (displays high scores for the day), week (displays high scores for the week), month (displays high scores for the month), and all (displays high scores for all time). In addition, the top three players for each time period, and their scores, appear at the top of the Leaderboard as you click each tab.
First, look for your name in the day tab. If it is going to appear anywhere it should display there first. If you see it, you will also notice that your country flag will automatically be displayed in front of your name.
If your score is high enough it may also appear in some of the other tabs: week, month, and all time. And, of course, if you are really really super, you may also make the top three for the day, week, month, or even for all time (which, of course, for most of us is just a wish!)
Your score should remain on the Leaderboard until other players score higher, and possibly knock you off of the Leaderboard, or until a new time period begins.
Some Leaderboards allow multiple scores per player for each time period. While other Leaderboards only allow one score per player for each time period. Should that be the case, then if you do submit a higher score later, your highest score will replace your previous high score.
Don't forget to remember the name, or nickname, you used when you submitted your score. You may even want to write it down, and keep it for future reference. It will be more fun if you always use the same name.

Winter Solitaire Game Options:

The game music may be turned on or off by clicking the musical note icon.
The game sounds may be turned on or off by clicking the headphone icon.
Stop the game by clicking the 'Pause' button. To resume play, click the 'Play' button.

Winter Solitaire Playing Tips:

Do play the game on Full Screen mode. It will make the cards bigger, and more readable, and enhance your overall game playing experience.
Try to get a blank space as quickly as possible by removing all of the cards from a stack. Having one or more blank spaces dramatically increases your flexibility and opens up the game. This gives you the ability to make a lot of different moves.
If possible, try to play all 4 aces to the foundations early in the round. If you can, it seems to make things quite a bit easier.
Double-click the cards to the foundations instead of dragging them. It is definitely faster. Remember, every second counts!
Use the 'Undo' button when necessary. Yes, you will lose some points. But it is better to lose some points, rather than losing the entire game.
Personally I like to play with the music turned off. For me, I find that it is easier to concentrate with the music off.
Give Winter Solitaire a few tries. No doubt, it is certainly a challenging game. But, after you play it a few times you will start to get into a rhythm and suddenly it doesn't seem nearly as hard. So, just give it a chance.

Richard's Rating: 4 out of 5.

Pro: Winter Solitaire is addictive and fun!

Con: None.

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Comments & Scores

2012-01-02T00:43:00.000-08:00

I thought it might be kind of fun to have a page where I could offer additional comments about some of the games I have here on Richard's Game Reviews. As you can see, I have named it Comments & Scores.

Here I will share some of my own gaming experiences, and give you my personal best scores for some of the games I play. I spend a lot of my available computer time searching for new games that I can bring here for you to play. So I don't have too much time for actual game play myself. But I do indulge from time to time.

You can marvel about how good my scores are, or laugh about how bad they are. I am sure you will be doing a lot more laughing than marveling, but that's okay. It's all in good fun! So, anyway, here goes.

One of the games I have been playing quite a bit lately is Wordstacks. Wordstacks is a fantastic game. If you haven't yet tried it, you really should. My highest Wordstacks score so far is 826 points which, at the time I am writing this, places me in 7th position for the all time high scores on the Wordstacks Leaderboard. If you check the Leaderboard, look under the all tab and look for Richard C. (By the way, if you happen to check any of the Leaderboards on Richard's Game Reviews, and if you ever see the name Richard C., just know that is me). Right now, the person who has the highest score is someone from Canada using the name Aud. As a matter of fact, right now Aud has positons 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, and 9, plus many more postions among the top 50 scores. I would venture to guess that Aud probably has discovered a few high scoring words that he or she is using over and over again. So my suggestion would be to make your own list of high scoring words that you can use again and again. Of course, you have to make sure that Wordstacks will accept your high scoring "word", but it has been my experience that Wordstacks is pretty fair about what words it will accept. You also have to have those letters come up in your game and then be skillful enough to move the letters around to score your word. I hope that sometime in the foreseeable future that I can possibly move up on the Wordstacks Leaderboard.

Another game that I used to play here on Richard's Game Reviews is Gems Swap II. Click the 'High Scores' button on the Gems Swap II game and a window will pop up that says 'World's Highest Scores of All Times'. Actually that title is somewhat misleading. I set up this Leaderboard to only show scores from people who play Gems Swap II here on Richard's Game Reviews. If you take a look at this Leaderboard you will see that there was quite a battle brewing between someone named Rey Gamba and someone named Surfer Boy. Well I don't know who Rey Gamba is, but I am going to reveal here for the first time that I was Surfer Boy! We had quite a competition going for a while but he eventally won out. I haven't played Gems Swap II in probably more than 9 months. To get scores that high it can take almost a full hour, and the game was becoming a little bit too addictive for me.

Here are some of my personal high scores for some of the games I play here on Richard's Game Reviews. Some of the games like Pacman (which you can see that I am terrible at), and Jewel Quest do not have Leaderboards. So you will just have to trust me that I am giving you my true accurate scores, which I promise I will always do. I will begin by playing a few quick games just to get this list started. Then, from now on, each time I play a game and improve my score I will post the results here. And then, you can laugh or marvel. Feel free to post your comments below.

Bubble Shooter 3 -- 318,336
Fishy -- 11,376
Gems Swap II -- 89,320
Gutterball -- 194
Insect Word Search -- 1,962
Jewel Quest -- 141,856
Pacman -- 4,780
Winter Solitaire -- 7,215
Wordstacks -- 826

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DropSum Colours

2011-12-27T23:08:00.000-08:00

Game Description: Click on the colored tiles to make them disappear. Single tiles will not disappear - you need pairs of at least two, or larger groups. The larger the group, the more points you will score! There are two different games you can play: the Standard game, or the Numbers game. With the Numbers game, the tiles are bombs! So, you must concentrate on removing specific tiles before they explode and end your game. One thing is for sure. With two great games, whichever one you play, DropSum Colours is sure to delight!

Play on Full Screen

Please Note: Before playing DropSum Colours in Full Screen mode, you may want to take a moment, or two, to read my review. Then, after playing your game, simply click the back button on your browser to return to this page.

How to Play DropSum Colours the Standard Game:

Once the game fully loads, click the 'play standard game' button.
Click on groups of at least two tiles to make them disappear. The larger the group, the more points you will earn.
Single tiles cannot be clicked, and will not disappear.
There is a small red box at the left, just under the word 'Remaining'. To win a round, clear enough tiles so this red box turns green. You'll see balloons if you do it!
The round is over when you are unable to clear any more tiles (that is, there no groups remaining).
Combo multiplier -- Clear groups of 5 tiles, or more, and you'll increase your combo multiplier! (Keep an eye on your combo multiplier at the bottom of the game screen. It will move one space to the right each time you make a match of a group of 5 or more tiles. When you make a match of less than 5 tiles your combo will end, and the Combo multiplier will move all the way back to the left and remain there until you begin another combo).
Power ups -- As your combo multiplier increases, it also triggers useful power-ups! As you earn power-ups, they will stack up in a column at the right side of the game screen. When you earn a power-up, hover your mouse over it to see what it does!
Bonus Points -- The longer your combo multiplier, the more points you earn when the combo ends.
The game ends when you do not clear enough tiles, and fail to turn the small red box at the left from red to green. (When this occurs, DropSum Colours will warn you that you have 7 seconds to use any of your power-ups. If you are quick, and if you have the right power-up available, you may still be able to win the round)!

How to Play DropSum Colours the Numbers Game:

Once the game fully loads, click the 'play numbers game' button.
Click on groups of at least two tiles to make them disappear. The larger the group, the more points you will earn.
Single tiles cannot be clicked, and will not disappear.
In DropSum Colours-the Numbers Game the tiles are bombs!
Each tile has a number on it. This number represents the number of moves you can make before the tile will explode. Each time you make a move and a tile does not fall, that tile's number will decrease by one.
Every time you cause a tile to fall, its number will not decrease. It will stay the same. So the tiles that don't fall are more likely to detonate first.
When a tile has 5 moves or less left, it flashes to warn you of the danger.
When any tile's number goes below zero, the tile will explode... and it's game over!

How to Submit Your DropSum Colours Game Score:

Once your game ends, it is time to submit your score.
Submitting your score is easy and fun. It allows you to compare your score with other players from around the world.
After your game ends, click the 'Go' button.
On the next window that pops-up, simply type your name in the space where is says 'Save score as a guest'. (You can use all, or part, of your real name; or just make up a nickname).
Then press the 'Submit Score' button to send your score.
That's all there is to it! No registration or login is required.
If your score is high enough, it may appear on the Leaderboard below. (You will likely need to refresh this page before you can see it).
Because there are two different games, the DropSum Colours Leaderboard has two seperate tabs, one for each game.
There are four tabs for each game: day (displays high scores for the day), week (displays high scores for the week), month (displays high scores for the month), and all (displays high scores for all time). In addition, the top three players for each time period, and their scores, appear at the top of the Leaderboard as you click each tab.
First, look for your name in the day tab. If it is going to appear anywhere it should display there first. If you see it, you will also notice that your country flag will automatically be displayed in front of your name.
If your score is high enough it may also appear in some of the other tabs: week, month, and all time. And, of course, if you are really really super, you may also make the top three for the day, week, month, or even for all time (which, of course, for most of us is just a wish!)
Your score should remain on the Leaderboard until other players score higher, and possibly knock you off of the Leaderboard, or until a new time period begins.
Some Leaderboards allow multiple scores per player for each time period. While other Leaderboards only allow one score per player for each time period. Should that be the case, then if you do submit a higher score later, your highest score will replace your previous high score.
Don't forget to remember the name, or nickname, you used when you submitted your score. You may even want to write it down, and keep it for future reference. It will be more fun if you always use the same name.

DropSum Colours Game Options: All of the game options are located at the upper left corner of the game screen. The game options are:

Click the musical note icon to turn the game music on and off.
Click the microphone icon to turn the game sounds on and off.
Click the icon with the three horizontal lines to turn the game pop-up messages on and off.

DropSum Colours Playing Tips:

It is important to realize that neither the DropSum Colours-the Standard Game or the DropSum Colours-the Numbers Game have a clock or a timer. So you can relax, and take your time to think and plan each move. (You may find it easier to relax if you turn the music off. At least, I find that to be true for me). The only exception would be for the Standard Game when you fail to clear enough tiles to win a round. In that circumstance, you are only given 7 seconds to use any available power-ups. So, in that one instance, you will need to think and act very quickly.
For the DropSum Colours-the Numbers Game you want to cause the greatest number of tiles to fall with each move because each time a tile falls its detonation timer (that is, its number) will not decrease. So, you may want to make a lot of matches near the bottom.

Richard's Rating: 5 out of 5.

Pro: Like its namesake, DropSum, DropSum Colours is simply brilliant. Though perhaps it may take you a few times playing it, like it did for me, to realize how great this game can be.

Con: The tiles seem to sometimes drop a little slow. However this could be simply a problem on my personal computer, which is getting old, and probably needs a little more RAM.

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Eight Off Solitaire

2011-12-23T20:46:00.000-08:00

Game Description: Eight Off Solitaire is a patience game similar to Freecell Solitaire. There are three areas on the playing field with 8 reserve cells across the top, 4 foundation piles down the right side, and the larger area in the middle called the tableau. The goal is to build all 4 foundation piles by suit from ace to king.

Play on Full Screen

Please Note: Before playing Eight Off Solitaire in Full Screen mode, you may want to take a moment, or two, to read my review. Then, after playing your game, simply click the back button on your browser to return to this page.

How to Play Eight Off Solitaire:

After the game fully loads, click the 'New Game' button.
There are 3 areas on the playing field. There are 8 reserve cells across the top, 4 foundation piles down the right side, and the larger area in the middle called the tableau. (I just want to point something out, so that will be no confusion. The space in the upper right corner is one of the foundation piles, and not a reserve cell).
Eight Off Solitaire is played with a standard deck of 52 playing cards.
All 52 cards are dealt face up. There are 48 cards dealt to the tableau in 8 stacks of 6 cards each. The remaining 4 cards are dealt to the top, filling half of the 8 reserve cells. (You begin each game with the remaining 4 reserve cells empty).
The goal of Eight Off Solitaire is to build all 4 foundation piles by suit from ace to king.
Only one card can be moved at a time.
A card can be moved by dragging it. (To move a card to a foundation pile, you have also have the option of double clicking it).
The only cards that can be moved are the bottom card of any stack, or any card in a reserve cell.
Any moveable card may be added to the bottom of a stack in the tableau provided that it is the same suit and one rank lower. For example, if the bottom card of a stack is the 4 of diamonds, the 3 of diamonds may be added to that stack.
Any moveable card may fill an empty stack.
Any bottom card of a tableau stack may be moved to an empty reserve cell. (There are 8 reserve cells at the top, and each reserve cell may only hold one card at any one time).
You may click the 'Undo' button to undo as many moves as you wish, one move at a time.
There is a clock at the bottom, which quite frankly isn't very important. You have an unlimited amount of time to play, and Eight Off Solitaire has no scoring system. So the only purpose of the clock would be to time yourself, if you wanted to see how fast you can finish the game.
The game ends when either you win, or when you decide to give up. (To give up you would need to click the 'New Game' button, and then click 'New Game' again on the small window that pops up).

Eight Off Solitaire Playing Tips:

Always try to leave at least a couple of reserve cells open. This will give you the flexibility you need to move cards around. This does not mean that you can never fill all 8 reserve cells at the same time. You can, but be careful. Just be sure that you have thought things out thoroughly, and have a workable plan to start clearing out some of the reserve cells again.
Do play the game in Full Screen mode. You will simply enjoy it that much more!
Double click a card when it is ready to be played to a foundation. It is simply much quicker than dragging each card.

Richard's Rating: 3 out of 5.

Pro: Although Eight Off Solitaire is one of the easier solitaire games to win, I still enjoy playing it. It may also occasionally surprise you. I remember one game in which I had a particularly difficult deal that seemed almost impossible to win. I had to use the 'Undo' feature three times to get back to the beginning of the game. Finally, after a little over 28 minutes, I was able to find the elusive solution. (A typical game of Eight Off Solitaire would probably take me about 4 to 6 minutes while playing at a casual pace). By the way, I had more fun with that difficult deal than with all of the others. It was a real challange... and a blast! Deals like this are pretty rare, but they do exist.

Con: Since I review so many games where the sounds are overwhelming, is it always a surprise to find a game with absolutely no sound at all. Of course game sounds are not really required for this game, but I think a few sound effects could have made the game just a little bit better.

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Discover USA

2011-12-21T16:26:00.000-08:00

Game Description: Discover USA has a rather unusual combination of three challenging, and fun, types of games. There is a Bubble Shooting game, a Spot the Difference game, and a Scrambled Picture game where you will be required to put the scrambled pieces of a picture back into its original form. There are 10 levels of play. You will play all three types of games on each level. Each level has a 10 minute time limit. It is important to know that the clock will continue to count down as you complete each game. This means that you must complete all three games within the 10 minutes, in order to advance to the next level of play.

Please Note: Normally, I will position a game right here near the top of the page. However, because this game requires a particular width, it simply won't fit in this spot. So the only way I can bring you the game is to position it near the bottom of the page. So, just scroll down until you see it.

How to Play Discover USA:

Once the game fully loads, and it may take a little while because this is a rather large game file, click the 'Play' button.
On the next screen you see, click 'Play' once again.
There are 3 types of games you will play on each level: a Bubble Shooting game, a Spot the Difference game, and a Scrambled Picture game.
The time you have remaining to complete a level is indicated by the clock at the upper left corner. You begin each level with 10 minutes of time. Please note that the 10 minutes is the total amount of time you have to complete all 3 games for each level. For instance on Level 1, the Empire State Building, you have 10 total minutes. So, let's say for example that it takes you 2 minutes to complete the Bubble Shooting game on Level 1. That would leave you 8 minutes to complete the final 2 games (the Spot the Difference game and the Scrambled Picture game) on Level 1.
For the Bubble Shooting games, shoot the bubbles up into the grid and make matches of 3 or more like-colored bubbles to destroy them. You goal is to destroy all of the bubbles as quickly as possible and before any bubble crosses the line at the bottom. If you are able to destroy all of the bubbles you will go on to the next game which is a Spot the Difference game. If any bubble crosses the line at the bottom, the game is immediately over.
For the Spot the Difference games, there are two pictures side-by-side. There are 7 differences to be found. When you find a difference click on it; and something will either be added to or removed from one of the pictures, or some other change such as a color change will be made, to eliminate the difference. Each time you click anywhere other than on a difference, 10 seconds will be deducted from the clock. Your goal is to find all of the 7 differences as quickly as possible. If you do manage to find all of the 7 differences, you will go on to the final game for that level which is the Scrambled Picture game.
The Spot the Difference games have two 'Hint' buttons located near the upper right corner of each picture. To use a hint, you may click either 'Hint' button and Discover USA will briefly encircle the area where you should click.
For the Scrambled Picture game, your goal is to put the scrambled picture back into its original form as quickly as possible. You do this by clicking on any 2 picture pieces to swap their positions. (Hint: If you need to refresh your memory, you can see what the original picture looks like once more by clicking and holding your mouse button down on the eye icon located at the lower right corner of the screen. Then, release your mouse to start working on the picture once again).
Earn Time Bonus points for finishing a level. The sooner you finish a level, the more Time Bonus points you will earn!
You lose, and the game immediately ends, if any bubble on the Bubble Shooting games crosses the bottom line or if you run out of time on any level.
Discover USA has 10 levels of play.
Important: Never click the 'Menu' button after you begin playing. If you do, you will lose all of your game progress with no possibility of getting it back.

How to Submit Your Discover USA Game Score:

Once your game ends, it is time to submit your score.
Submitting your score is easy and fun. It allows you to compare your score with other players from around the world.
After your game ends, click the 'Submit Score' button.
On the next screen that comes up, simply type your name in the space where is says 'Save score as a guest'. (You can use all, or part, of your real name; or just make up a nickname).
Then press the 'Submit Score' button to send your score.
That's all there is to it! No registration or login is required.
If your score is high enough, it may appear on the Leaderboard below. (You will likely need to refresh this page before you can see it).
There are four tabs on the Discover USA Leaderboard: day (displays high scores for the day), week (displays high scores for the week), month (displays high scores for the month), and all (displays high scores for all time). In addition, the top three players for each time period, and their scores, appear at the top of the Leaderboard as you click each tab.
First, look for your name in the day tab. If it is going to appear anywhere it should display there first. If you see it, you will also notice that your country flag will automatically be displayed in front of your name.
If your score is high enough it may also appear in some of the other tabs: week, month, and all time. And, of course, if you are really really super, you may also make the top three for the day, week, month, or even for all time (which, of course, for most of us is just a wish!)
Your score should remain on the Leaderboard until other players score higher, and possibly knock you off of the Leaderboard, or until a new time period begins.
Some Leaderboards allow multiple scores per player for each time period. While other Leaderboards only allow one score per player for each time period. Should that be the case, then if you do submit a higher score later, your highest score will replace your previous high score.
Don't forget to remember the name, or nickname, you used when you submitted your score. You may even want to write it down, and keep it for future reference. It will be more fun if you always use the same name.

Discover USA Game Options: All of the game options are located at the upper right corner. The game options are:

Click the headphone icon to turn the music on and off.
Click the microphone icon to turn the game sounds on and off.
Click the 'Pause' button to take a break. Click the 'Back' button to resume play.

Discover USA Playing Tips:

For the Bubble Shooting game, use the shot indicators (that is, the red circle and the red lines). Your shot will always go exactly where the red circle is positioned. So, for instance, if you are trying to "squeeze" a shot between two bubbles and if the red circle will fit in between those two bubbles you will know that the shot is possible. On the other hand, if the red circle will not fit between those two bubbles you know that you cannot make that particular shot. Also use the red line indicators to "bend" your shot and position the red circle exactly where you need it. And, like all Bubble Shooting games, if you can make a match higher up, the lower bubbles will also be destroyed if they are not connected to other bubbles elsewhere.
For the Spot the Difference games there seems to be no point deduction for using the hints. And the hints, as far as I have been able to tell, seem to be unlimited. So my advice would be to use as many hints as you can if you are trying for a high score, or if you just want to make things easier.
For the Scrambled Picture game, notice there is an outside border that surrounds all of the picture pieces. You should use this border to help you place the picture pieces into their correct positions.
Also for the Scrambled Picture game, if you need to see the original picture you can click on the eye icon located at the lower right corner. It will cost you 10 points each time you use the eye icon. However, if you are running out of time this can help you finish a level. Remember you will not only need to click on the eye icon, but you must also hold down your mouse button while you are clicking to view the original picture. Then, release your mouse to begin working on the picture once again.

Richard's Rating: 4 out of 5.

Pro: Discover USA is yet another fine game from game developer Bram Schoonhoven. Bram's games are always innovative, unique, and challenging. Discover USA meets these same criteria. Having a Bubble Shooting game, along with a Spot the Difference game, and a Scrambled Picture game, is a very unusual combination. However, somehow it works. I do enjoy the variety. Anyone who likes playing games should enjoy this one.

Con: I know Bram a little bit. We have even communicated by email a few times, and I know how he operates. He prides himself on having challenging games. In fact, the way we got to know each other was when I complained, in one of my reviews, that his games seemed much too difficult. So, I know that having unlimited hints on the Spot the Differences games is simply a mistake on his part, especially since no points are deducted. It makes no sense, of course, because everyone can simply use a hint on each of the 7 differences. I could send him an email about this... but I won't!

Play on Full Screen

Other Games: If you liked playing Discover USA, you may also like to play Discover Egypt.

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Egypt Hidden Objects

2011-12-19T20:25:00.000-08:00

Game Description: As its name implies, Egypt Hidden Objects is, of course, a hidden object game. There are 10 levels, each with its own picture of Ancient Egypt. Each level has a list of 9 hidden objects to be found, and you get 4 minutes to find them all. If you do, you will advance to the next level of play. If you run out of time on any level, it is immediate game over!

Play on Full Screen

Please Note: Before playing Egypt Hidden Objects in Full Screen mode, you may want to take a moment, or two, to read my review. Then, after playing your game, simply click the back button on your browser to return to this page.

How to Play Egypt Hidden Objects:

After the game fully loads, click the 'Start' button.
There are 10 levels, each with its own picture.
Each level has a list of 9 hidden objects to be found.
You have 4 minutes to find all of the hidden objects on the list.
Click on an object if you find it.
When you successfully click on an object you will earn 1000 points, and the item on the list will turn from orange to grey.
Each time you click anywhere other than on an item from the list, 10 seconds will be deducted from your time.
You may only use a hint when the hint meter, located at the lower left corner, is fully charged up. (You will see a sparkling effect when it is ready).
To use a hint you will need to click on the hint meter when it is ready and then click on the object's name from the list to get a hint. (Egypt Hidden Objects will briefly show you where to click).
There are only 3 hints available for the entire game, so use them wisely!
If you find all 9 hidden objects on the list before time runs out you go on to the next level of play. You will also earn Time Bonus points.
The faster you find all 9 objects, the more Time Bonus points you will earn.
The game ends when you complete all 10 levels, or when you run out of time on any level.
Important: Never click the 'Menu' button after you begin playing. If you do, you will lose all of your game progress with no possibility of getting it back.

How to Submit Your Egypt Hidden Objects Game Score:

Once your game ends, it is time to submit your score.
Submitting your score is easy and fun. It allows you to compare your score with other players from around the world.
After your game ends, click the 'Submit Score' button.
On the next screen that comes up, simply type your name in the space where is says 'Save score as a guest'. (You can use all, or part, of your real name; or just make up a nickname).
Then press the 'Submit Score' button to send your score.
That's all there is to it! No registration or login is required.
If your score is high enough, it may appear on the Leaderboard below. (You will likely need to refresh this page before you can see it).
There are four tabs on the Egypt Hidden Objects Leaderboard: day (displays high scores for the day), week (displays high scores for the week), month (displays high scores for the month), and all (displays high scores for all time). In addition, the top three players for each time period, and their scores, appear at the top of the Leaderboard as you click each tab.
First, look for your name in the day tab. If it is going to appear anywhere it should display there first. If you see it, you will also notice that your country flag will automatically be displayed in front of your name.
If your score is high enough it may also appear in some of the other tabs: week, month, and all time. And, of course, if you are really really super, you may also make the top three for the day, week, month, or even for all time (which, of course, for most of us is just a wish!)
Your score should remain on the Leaderboard until other players score higher, and possibly knock you off of the Leaderboard, or until a new time period begins.
Some Leaderboards allow multiple scores per player for each time period. While other Leaderboards only allow one score per player for each time period. Should that be the case, then if you do submit a higher score later, your highest score will replace your previous high score.
Don't forget to remember the name, or nickname, you used when you submitted your score. You may even want to write it down, and keep it for future reference. It will be more fun if you always use the same name.

Egypt Hidden Objects Game Options: All of the game options are located near the lower right corner of the screen.

Click on the horn icon to turn the game music on or off.
Click on the disc like icon, with the muscial note, to turn the game sounds on or off.
Click the 'Pause' button to stop play. Click the 'Continue' button to resume play.

Egypt Hidden Objects Playing Tips:

Do play the game on full screen. Everything will be larger. You will have a much easier time, especially finding the smaller objects, and you will have a lot more fun.
Make sure you click directly on the object itself. Even a slight miss can cause a 10 second deduction.
When you do use a hint be ready, and keeps your eyes peeled. The hint only appears briefly, and if you are not careful you can easily miss seeing it.
Each time you replay Egypt Hidden Objects the pictures will always be the same, so each hidden object will always be in the same position. However, the list of hidden objects will always be different. Obviously the way to get a high score is to play the game over and over. Each time you replay the game you will remember where more of the hidden objects are located. This will allow you to finish each level faster, and earn more Time Bonus points!

Richard's Rating: 3 out of 5.

Pro: Egypt Hidden Objects has a nice mix of easy and hard to find objects. Each time you replay the game the pictures will be the same, but the list of hidden objects to be found will always be different. This keeps the game challenging and fresh. As you get better and better, you can also have a lot of fun and challenge yourself to finish as quickly as possible, and try to earn a high score on the Egypt Hidden Objects Leaderboard.

Con: The picture quality is less than crystal clear. This is even more noticeable when you play the game on full screen mode.

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Find Words

2011-12-16T23:03:00.000-08:00

Game Description: Find Words is a challenging word search game. Each level has 144 letters displayed on a 12 x 12 square grid. There is a list of words to be found. Words can run horizontally, vertically, and diagonally. There is a time limit for each level and you must find all of the words on the list, before time runs out, to make it to the next level of play. Good luck!

Play on Full Screen

Please Note: Before playing Find Words in Full Screen mode, you may want to take a moment, or two, to read my review. Then, after playing your game, simply click the back button on your browser to return to this page.

How to Play Find Words:

After the game fully loads, click the 'Play' button.
Each level has letters displayed on a 12 x 12 square grid.
There is a list of words to be found.
Words can be found horizontally, vertically, and diagonally. Hint: The first 4 levels do not contain any diagonal words.
Use your mouse to click and drag on the letters to mark a word.
When you find a word from the list, that word will fade. (You will also hear a sound effect, provided that you have not turned the game sounds off).
Score 500 points for each word that you find.
Each level has 3 available hints.
You may use one of your 3 hints by clicking on the 'Hint' button at the top center of the screen.
When you use a hint, Find Words will place a circle around a single letter on the grid. This tells you that this letter is the first letter of one of the remaining words on the list.
Each time you use a hint you will lose 500 points.
The time you have to complete a level is indicated by the yellow bar near the upper left corner.
The time bar moves from right to left.
Your goal is to find all of the words on the list before time runs out. If you do, you go on to the next level.
Each level gives you a little less time than the previous level, so the game gradually gets harder and harder.
Score a Time Bonus for finishing early. The earlier you finish, the more Time Bonus points you will score!
The game ends when you run out of time and fail to find all of the words on the list.
Important: Never click the 'Menu' button after you begin playing. If you do, you will lose all of your game progress with no possibility of getting it back.

How to Submit Your Find Words Game Score:

Once your game ends, it is time to submit your score.
Submitting your score is easy and fun. It allows you to compare your score with other players from around the world.
After your game ends, click the 'Submit Score' button.
On the next screen that comes up, simply type your name in the space where is says 'Save score as a guest'. (You can use all, or part, of your real name; or just make up a nickname).
Then press the 'Submit Score' button to send your score.
That's all there is to it! No registration or login is required.
If your score is high enough, it may appear on the Leaderboard below. (You will likely need to refresh this page before you can see it).
There are four tabs on the Find Words Leaderboard: day (displays high scores for the day), week (displays high scores for the week), month (displays high scores for the month), and all (displays high scores for all time). In addition, the top three players for each time period, and their scores, appear at the top of the Leaderboard as you click each tab.
First, look for your name in the day tab. If it is going to appear anywhere it should display there first. If you see it, you will also notice that your country flag will automatically be displayed in front of your name.
If your score is high enough it may also appear in some of the other tabs: week, month, and all time. And, of course, if you are really really super, you may also make the top three for the day, week, month, or even for all time (which, of course, for most of us is just a wish!)
Your score should remain on the Leaderboard until other players score higher, and possibly knock you off of the Leaderboard, or until a new time period begins.
Some Leaderboards allow multiple scores per player for each time period. While other Leaderboards only allow one score per player for each time period. Should that be the case, then if you do submit a higher score later, your highest score will replace your previous high score.
Don't forget to remember the name, or nickname, you used when you submitted your score. You may even want to write it down, and keep it for future reference. It will be more fun if you always use the same name.

Find Words Game Options: All of the game options are located near the upper left corner. The options are:

The game sounds may be turned on or off by clicking the headphone icon.
The music may be turned on or off by clicking the disc icon, just to the right of the headphone icon.
You may Pause the game by clicking the 'Pause' button. Click the 'Continue' button to resume play.

Find Words Playing Tips:

Although you will lose 500 points for using a hint, it is still better than losing the entire game.

Richard's Rating: 3 out of 5.

Pro: There are a couple of things I really like about this particular word search game. For one thing, the game isn't too hard. How many times have you played a word search game where the grid was entirely too big with way too many letters? Not so with Find Words. The grid is only 12 by 12, which is very reasonable. Another thing I like is the game starts out easy by giving you plenty of time to finish a level, and then only gradually becomes more difficult by giving you slightly less time as the levels progress. I feel if you like word search games, you will probably enjoy playing Find Words.

Con: None.

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Puzzle Prince

2011-12-09T15:08:00.000-08:00

Game Description: You are the Puzzle Prince, a prince with magical powers! Do you have what it takes to battle against zombies, monsters and other bad guys in this amazing puzzle battler? Taking on the game mechanics of Collapse and combining it with the versus battling of Puzzle Quest, you are set on a journey to save the kingdom with the aid of destroying magical groups of orbs. Good luck!

Play on Full Screen

Please Note: Before playing Puzzle Prince in Full Screen mode, you may want to take a moment, or two, to read my review. Then, after playing your game, simply click the back button on your browser to return to this page. By the way, don't let the length of this review scare you into not playing this fine game. I always try to be as thorough as possible. But sometimes, perhaps, I tend to overdo it a bit and get rather long-winded. This game is easy to play, and easy to understand. The only tricky part is perhaps figuring out when to click the 'Save' button, which is part of the game strategy.

How to Play Puzzle Prince:

You are the Puzzle Prince, a prince with magical powers!
There are 5 types of orbs: Water (Blue), Fire (Red), Earth (Green), Air (Pink), and Evil Orbs (Black).
Use the power of the 4 elemental orbs (Water, Fire, Earth, and Air), that is, Blue, Red, Green, and Pink to conjur up powerful magic to defeat your enemies by clicking on groups of orbs of the same color to break them open and throw magic at your enemies! (Evil Orbs, that is, Black Orbs, cannot be clicked on or broken. However, Evil Orbs will automatically turn into elemental orbs after only a few seconds).
There are 4 spell cards on the board. Each card represents one of the 4 elements: Water, Fire, Earth, and Air. Water and Earth, (Blue and Green), are on the left. Fire and Air, (Red and Pink), are on the right.
Each card has a magic bar directly below it. Each time you break an orb, the magic bar for that color increases (the larger the group you destroy, the quicker the magic bar increases!) Once the bar fills up completely, the card will glow around its edges. This tells you that the card is ready to be used. You can use that card to cast a powerful spell against your enemies by clicking on it.
A spell card may be used an infinite number of times. Each time you fill up the bar below the card, you may use that card again and again.
Puzzle Price has 11 Levels of play: Harbour, Village, Witch Lake, Dark Ruins, River, Evil Woods, Caves of Fire, Citadel Dungeon, Caves of Ice, Citadel, and Throne Room.
Each of the first 10 levels has 2 separate battles called waves. (Level 11, the final level, has only 1 wave).
There are 2 things to watch at the top of the screen: Your Health (depicted by the red bar on the left), and your Enemies' Health (depicted by the pink bar at the right).
You win a battle if you can destroy your enemies' health before he destroys yours. You lose if your health gets down to zero first.
When you win a level, (by defeating the 2 waves of enemies), you earn money. Your health also increases by 10% when you begin the next level.
You may spend your money in the Shop, to upgrade your cards and make your spells more powerful, by clicking the 'Shop' button.
Each spell card has 4 levels. You begin the game at Level 1 for each card. You may upgrade each card to Level 2, 3, or 4 when you have enough money. (Hint: I recommend that you only buy the Level 4 card for each card. Find out why in my Playing Tips section below).
You may only have 4 cards at a time. One of each color.
You may save your game progress by clicking the 'Save' button. However, do not make this decision lightly. It is important to understand when to save your game, and when not to save your game. When to save your game, and when not to save your game, is a big part of the Puzzle Prince game strategy. To find out exactly what I mean, and to find out about the mistake I made the first time I played the game, read my Playing Tips section below.
If you lose a level you will see a 'Game Over' screen. However, your game is not really over! Far from it. What 'Game Over' really means is that you can begin playing again at the last point you saved your game (called the 'Save Point'). You can see the 'Save Point' on the map.
When you lose a level you can either choose to save your score, or not. (Read more about saving your score in the next section). After either clicking 'No Thanks', or submitting your score, it is time to resume your saved game.
To continue a saved game, always click the 'Load Game' button.
If you should accidently click the 'New Game' button, don't worry too much. Your saved game will still be there as long as you have not saved your new game. (If you do save your new game, your previous game will be lost forever). To get back to your saved game, simply click the 'Load Game' button.
You should not click the 'Save' button simply because you want to quit playing and come back later. (If you want to come back later, you can either click the 'Quit' button or simply leave the page. Either way, and your game will be automatically saved without clicking the 'Save' button. The only requirement would be to use the same computer when you return). Remember, only click the 'Save' button if you want to change the 'Save Point'.

How to Submit Your Puzzle Prince Game Score:

When you lose a level you have the option of submitting your score. (Strangely enough, when you win the final level there is no option to submit your score).
Submitting your score is easy and fun. It allows you to compare your score with other players from around the world.
After you lose a level, simply type your name in the space where is says 'Save score as a guest'. (You can use all, or part, of your real name; or just make up a nickname).
Then press the 'Submit Score' button to send your score.
That's all there is to it! No registration or login is required.
If your score is high enough, it may appear on the Leaderboard below. (You will likely need to refresh this page before you can see it).
There must be a trick to this game to get a high score that I have not discovered. Even though I was able to complete the entire game on my second try, my score I think was still only around 100,000 points. Yet I see leaderboard scores of 300,000 and higher. In fact, there are some scores of 999,999. I have no idea how these very high scores were achieved.
There are four tabs on the Puzzle Prince Leaderboard: day (displays high scores for the day), week (displays high scores for the week), month (displays high scores for the month), and all (displays high scores for all time). In addition, the top three players for each time period, and their scores, appear at the top of the Leaderboard as you click each tab.
First, look for your name in the day tab. If it is going to appear anywhere it should display there first. If you see it, you will also notice that your country flag will automatically be displayed in front of your name.
If your score is high enough it may also appear in some of the other tabs: week, month, and all time. And, of course, if you are really really super, you may also make the top three for the day, week, month, or even for all time (which, of course, for most of us is just a wish!)
Your score should remain on the Leaderboard until other players score higher, and possibly knock you off of the Leaderboard, or until a new time period begins.
Some Leaderboards allow multiple scores per player for each time period. While other Leaderboards only allow one score per player for each time period. Should that be the case, then if you do submit a higher score later, your highest score will replace your previous high score.
Don't forget to remember the name, or nickname, you used when you submitted your score. You may even want to write it down, and keep it for future reference. It will be more fun if you always use the same name.

Puzzle Prince Game Options: The game options may be accessed by clicking the 'Options' button located at the upper right corner. (During game play the 'Options' button will be located near the lower right corner). The game options are:

The music volume may be adjusted.
The game sounds volume may be adjusted.

Puzzle Prince Playing Tips:

Each time you use a spell card not only do you attack your enemies, but there are two other very important advantages. The first advantage is that extra orbs will be dropped unto the board for the color of the card that you just used. It is important to realize that all new orbs are dropped from the top. This means that they are usually dropped in large groups, which allows you to make more big matches quickly. The second important advantage is that each spell card you use increases your health by 20%! So, the obvious strategy is to use as many spell cards as quickly as you can.
You can only use 1 major spell at one time, and when you are doing that you cannot fire magic bolts at your enemies.
Different colored magic has different effects on your enemies. Some spells will work better than others, depending on the enemy.
The smallest magic bolts do not stop your enemies but will still do some small amount of damage. It's always better to try to group as many orbs together as possible.
The second wave of Level 4 (the giant) is really tough. The only way it seems to me to defeat the giant is to make lots and lots of big orb matches. Casting spells on the giant seems to have little effect. However, casting spells is still important because it does bring more orbs to the board and increases your health by 20%. So make a lot of big matches, and cast a lot of spells, and you will eventually defeat the giant.
My advice is not to buy any level cards unless you can afford to buy a Level 4 card (that is, the highest upgrade available for each card). What I am trying to say is this. You only have a limited amount of money to spend on your cards. I think the best approach is to try to end the game with Level 4 cards for each of the 4 elements if you can, and there is simply not enough money to spend on Level 2 and Level 3 cards. You are better off if you save your money and buy only Level 4 cards.
The magic bars below each spell card carry over to the next level at their current capacities. Ideally you would like your 4 magic bars to be near full capacity when you finish a level. This will allow you to attack your enemies quickly, drop new orbs on the board, and quickly replenish your health.
Make it a priority to finish each level with as much health as you can. If you complete a level with too little health left, this can create a real problem, especially if you compound things by saving your game at that point. Let me give you my own example. The first time I played Puzzle Prince I saved my game after I completed Level 10. This placed the 'Save Point' on Level 11. This meant that if I failed Level 11, I could not go back in the game any farther. My only choice would be to repeat Level 11 over and over. However what I failed to realize is that when I arrived at Level 11, I had very little health left. Even though my health increased from Level 10 by 10% (at the end of each level your health will automatically increase by 10%.), it was still extremely low. Think of it this way. When you add 10% to almost nothing, you still have almost nothing. Even though my 4 magic bars were near full capacity as I begin Level 11, adding 20% to my miniscule health each time I played a magic card, still could not help me enough. So, without enough health to begin Level 11, and after repeating it countless times, I finally decided to give up and begin a New Game back at Level 1. Don't let this happen to you! (Here is an update. I did go back to Level 1 and started over. On my second time playing the game, I finally managed to complete Level 11, which is the final level. I was able to do this by having more health when I started Level 11).
Do not click the 'Save' button unless your health is in a strong position. Continuing my example from above, it is now clear to me what I should have done in retrospect. (Of course, since this was my very first time playing Puzzle Prince I did not know any better). I should not have saved my level progress after Level 10. I should have kept playing, lost Level 11, and then went back and replayed Level 10. This would have allowed me to come back to Level 11 in a much stronger position. My advice now is not to click the 'Save' button unless your health is in a very strong position. You may also not want to click the 'Save' button even if your health is strong but some of your spell cards are at low capacity at the end of a level. The lesson is clear. It is always better to go back and replay a few levels, rather than finding yourself in an unwinnable postion, like I did, and needing to repeat the entire game. So, be very very cautious about clicking the 'Save' button. (The only exception, I would say, would be after completing Level 4. I would recommend clicking the 'Save' button after Level 4 regardless of your health. Here's why. The giant on Level 4, at least for me, is very tough to defeat. Even if you should get struck on Level 5, by not having enough health, and you need to begin the game again back from the beginning, as you gain a little experience you will find that Levels 1 to 3 are fairly easy. So, you will be back at Level 4 very quickly anyway).
If you should accidently click the 'New Game' button instead of the 'Load Game' button, don't panic! As long as you don't save your new game, your saved game will still be there. To get back to your saved game, click the 'Load Game' button and you will be right back to the point where you last saved it, that is, at the 'Save Point' on the map.

Richard's Rating: 5 out of 5.

Pro: Great concept, great graphics, great game!

Con: The game frequently loses its sounds. This usually happens after you either go to the Shop, or after completing a level.

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Sneaky's Road Trip Paris

2011-12-06T12:22:00.000-08:00

Game Description: Sneaky, the Super Secret Spy Guy, is off on yet another adventure. This time Sneaky has gone European, and he is in the "City of Lights" -- Paris, France. Join Sneaky as he searches for hidden objects. There are 145 hidden items that need to be found. How many hidden items can you find? Use your magnifying glass to take a closer look!

Play on Full Screen

Please Note: Before playing Sneaky's Road Trip Paris in Full Screen mode, you may want to take a moment, or two, to read my review. Then, after playing your game, simply click the back button on your browser to return to this page.

How to Play Sneaky's Road Trip Paris:

There are 145 items to be found.
All of the items you are searching for are listed on the left side of each game screen.
Click on the magnifying glass to turn it on or off. You can use the magnifying glass at any time.
When you find an item, click on it with your left mouse button. The found item will disappear from the screen.
Try not to click anything other than items, or you will be penalized 5 seconds.
The more items you can find, and the faster you can find them, the higher you will score!
Once you find all of the items you will automatically move on to the next level of play.
There are 5 fun-filled levels of play.

How to Submit Your Sneaky's Road Trip Paris Game Score:

Once your game ends, it is time to submit your score.
Submitting your score is easy and fun. It allows you to compare your score with other players from around the world.
After your game ends, simply type your name in the space where is says 'Save score as a guest'. (You can use all, or part, of your real name; or just make up a nickname).
Then press the 'Submit Score' button to send your score.
That's all there is to it! No registration or login is required.
If your score is high enough, it may appear on the Leaderboard below. (You will likely need to refresh this page before you can see it).
There are four tabs on the Sneaky's Road Trip Paris Leaderboard: day (displays high scores for the day), week (displays high scores for the week), month (displays high scores for the month), and all (displays high scores for all time). In addition, the top three players for each time period, and their scores, appear at the top of the Leaderboard as you click each tab.
First, look for your name in the day tab. If it is going to appear anywhere it should display there first. If you see it, you will also notice that your country flag will automatically be displayed in front of your name.
If your score is high enough it may also appear in some of the other tabs: week, month, and all time. And, of course, if you are really really super, you may also make the top three for the day, week, month, or even for all time (which, of course, for most of us is just a wish!)
Your score should remain on the Leaderboard until other players score higher, and possibly knock you off of the Leaderboard, or until a new time period begins.
Some Leaderboards allow multiple scores per player for each time period. While other Leaderboards only allow one score per player for each time period. Should that be the case, then if you do submit a higher score later, your highest score will replace your previous high score.
Don't forget to remember the name, or nickname, you used when you submitted your score. You may even want to write it down, and keep it for future reference. It will be more fun if you always use the same name.

Sneaky's Road Trip Paris Game Options:

Click the 'Pause' button, at any time, to take a break and rest your eyes. To resume, click the 'Play' button.

Sneaky's Road Trip Paris Playing Tips:

Don't forget to search near the edges of each picture. Sometimes, the hidden items are there.
When you click, make sure that you click directly on the item, or else you will get a 5 second penalty.

Sneaky's Road Trip Paris the Complete Walkthrough: If you would like to see the complete solution to Sneaky's Road Trip Paris here are the links. I suggest, that if you get seriously stuck, that you take a quick peek at each solution, and then try to do it on your own.

Richard's Rating: 4 out of 5.

Pro: Sneaky's Road Trip Paris is yet another wonderful addition to the Sneaky's Road Trip game series. This one seems to be a bit easier than most of the others ones, or perhaps I am just getting more familiar with Sneaky's tricks!

Con: Sneaky forgot to put a sound button on this particular Sneaky Road Trip game. I do enjoy that wonderful mesmerizing music. In fact, I find the music to be one of the most appealing aspects of these games. However, it is always nice to have the option to turn it off. So, you will have to do it the old-fashioned way and simply adjust your computer speakers.

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Bloons 2

2011-12-02T13:31:00.000-08:00

Game Description: Pop bloons with darts. Pop at least the required number of bloons to make it to the next level. Not only are there darts. There are bees, boomerangs, airplanes, and all kinds of wonderful things to help you pop the bloons! Each level presents a brand new challenge and will really make you think, and use your imagination, to figure out a solution.

Play on Full Screen

Please Note: Before playing Bloons 2 in Full Screen mode, you may want to take a moment, or two, to read my review. Then, after playing your game, simply click the back button on your browser to return to this page.

How to Play Bloons 2:

Once the game fully loads, click the 'Play Game' button. (Note: This is an exceptionally large game file, so it may take a little longer to load than most games).
The next screen you will see will be the Map. The Map has eight main sections: Popping Fields, Bloon Dunes, Frosty Fun, Sneak Peaks, Rubber Jungle, The Temple of Bloon, Crazy Coast, and Mount Magma. Each section, that I have played so far, contains 12 levels. So it looks like there may be 96 levels in all. You must win each level before you can go on to the next one. (Please Note: You may play the first 72 levels here on Richard's Game Reviews. Crazy Coast and Mount Magma are reserved for the game developer's site).
If this is your first time playing Bloons 2 you will need to start with the Level 1, so you would click Popping Fields. (You will also see that all of the other Map sections have a lock on them. As you complete a section, the next section will unlock).
If you are a returning player, you may start on the last level you played by clicking on the corresponding Map section. You may also go back and replay any unlocked level to try to get a higher score.
The goal of Bloons 2 is to pop the required number of bloons before you run out of darts.
You shoot the darts with your mouse. Hold down your left mouse button, then release. Control the direction of your shot with mouse movement. Control the strength of the shot with the timing of your release. The longer the arrow, the stronger the shot will be.
The number of darts you have available is shown just to the right of the green Map button.
If you pop the required number of bloons (shown as the Target number at the bottom of the screen), you go on to the next level.
If you fail, you may try as many times as you need until you succeed.
Should things be going poorly on a level, and you know you will not succeed with your current try, you may click the 'Reset' button rather than shooting the remaining darts. This will reset the level from the beginning.
You may click the 'View Solution' button, if you have any View Solution credits left, and Bloons 2 will show you a one-time view of how it is done.
If you have any Super Monkeys left, you may click the 'Skip Level' button. The Skip Level button does not automatically skip a level for you. You must use the Super Monkey to finish the level. The Super Monkey shoots a red beam to pop the bloons and destroy anything else that is in your way. Just remember, you still must pop enough bloons with the Super Monkey to get to the next level. Also, when you use a Super Monkey, you will earn no level points.
There is also another way to get through a level, and that is with Unlimited Darts. You may turn on the Unlimited Darts by clicking the 'Unlimited Darts' button. This will give you, as the name says, an unlimited amount of darts to use. You can find the 'Unlimited Darts' button near the lower right corner on the level screen after you click a Map section. However, if you do use the Unlimited Darts feature, just like when you use the Super Monkey, you will not earn any points for the level.
You can always go back, and replay any level again to try to get a higher score.
Each time you complete a section of the Map, you will earn one additional Super Monkey and one additional Solution Credit.
Bloons 2 will automatically save all of your level progress, and your game scores, as long as you use the same computer each time you play. So, you can always pick up right where you last left off!

Bloons 2 Game Options:

The game music and game sounds each have their own control located at the bottom right corner on most game screens.

Bloons 2 Playing Tips:

Be creative with your shots. Here is just one example. Some levels require that you earn extra darts with a shot before you can complete the level.
Watch each shot carefully. Find out what works, and what doesn't work.
I don't want to spoil too much of your fun, but I will just give you this one tip. On Popping Fields, once you release the bees, you will need to guide the bees with your mouse to the areas where you want them to go.
If you have no more Super Monkeys left, and you still want to make progress, you may use the 'Unlimited Darts' feature. Even though you will earn no points; using the 'Unlimited Darts' feature will at least allow you to progress to the next level. Remember, you can always come back later to any level and try again to earn those points!
Please Note: There are some short-cut features in this game that require MochiCoins. However, if you are skillful, you may play the entire game for free. It will just take you a while.

Richard's Rating: 5 out of 5.

Pro: How creative is Bloons 2? This game will really make you think. Not only are there darts. There are bees, boomerangs, airplanes, and all kinds of wonderful things! This game should keep anyone entertained for hours on end!

Con: Sometimes before the last bloon, or two, pops on a level, the game seems to freeze up momentarily.

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Beleaguered Castle Solitaire

2011-11-29T13:40:00.001-08:00

Game Description: In Beleaguered Castle Solitaire all 52 cards are dealt face up. The 4 aces are dealt to the middle column, and are the foundations. The remaining 48 cards form the tableau, and are dealt in overlapping style in eight rows of six cards each. The object is to move all of the cards from the tableau, to the 4 foundation piles, building each foundation by suit and in sequence from Ace to king.

How to Play Beleaguered Castle Solitaire:

Once the game fully loads, click the 'Start' button.
On the next screen you see, click 'Start' once again.
Beleaguered Castle Solitaire is a card game played with a standard deck of 52 cards.
Each game begins with all 52 cards dealt face up. The four aces are dealt to the middle column, and are the foundation piles. The remaining 48 cards are dealt in overlapping style in eight rows of six cards each, with four rows to the right, and four rows to the left, of the foundation piles. Those 48 cards are the tableau piles.
The rank of cards is the usual rank of A, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, J, Q, and K.
The foundation piles must be built up in suit and by sequence. Example: Ace of Spades, 2 of Spades, 3 of Spades, and so forth.
The only moveable cards are the outermost card on each tableau row. (To move a card, simply drag it with your mouse, and release).
A card may be moved onto the outer end of a different row, provided that it is one rank lower than the card already there regardless of suit. For example: Any 6 may be placed on any 7.
Any moveable card may be placed in an empty space (that is, in any row with no cards).
Your goal is to move all 48 tableau cards onto the foundation piles.
Score 500 points for each card that you place on a foundation.
A winning score is 24000 points (48 x 500).

Beleaguered Castle Solitaire Game Options: The game options may be accessed by clicking the object that sort of looks like a gear shaft; located just to the right of the question mark near the lower right corner of the game. The game options are as follows:

The game sounds may be adjusted from low to high.
The music volume may be adjusted from low to high.
Full Screen may be turned On or Off. (Yes, you may play Beleaguered Castle Solitaire in Full Screen mode!)

Beleaguered Castle Solitaire Playing Tips:

The best strategy, it seems to me, is to first remove all cards from one row if you can. This creates an empty space, and will give you some flexibility. Once you accomplish that, you should try to create a second empty space. Now, you have even greater flexibility. Things may still be difficult, but you now have a good chance at winning!

Richard's Rating: 4 out of 5.

Pro: Beleaguered Castle Solitaire is a fun game of strategy. It is difficult, but certainly not impossible to win.

Con: I am convinced that some hands are simply not winnable. Of course, if you get an impossible hand, you can always click the 'Give Up' button and begin again.

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Arcade Games Page 4

2011-11-29T13:38:00.001-08:00

This page has a few more arcade games for you to play. Here are some highlights. Save the Birds is a fun physics game where you must shoot food to the hungry birds. In Stay Yellow you are a little yellow blockhead and you want to stay that way for as long as you can! With Bloons 2 you will need to think, and use your imagination, to figure out how to pop enough bloons to make it to the next level of play. There is also DropSum Colours, which is actually two different games where you will need to destroy the colored tiles by clicking on groups of at least two or more. Finally, there is Ether of Magic Cards and Puzzle Prince, two adventure type arcade games.

Arcade Game pages: 1 2 3 4


Save the Birds	Ether of Magic Cards	Stay Yellow
Shoot food to the hungry birds with your catapult.	You, a skillful wizard, will battle against numerous magical enemies.	You're a little yellow blockhead. Avoid the other blockheads and Stay Yellow as long as you can.


Christmas Sorter	Diego's Puzzle Pyramid	Bloons 2
Sort the christmas ornaments in sets of 3 or more. Fill the chrismas tree to get to the next level.	Help Diego solve the puzzles and open the pyramid door.	Pop the required number of bloons to make it to the next level.


Puzzle Prince	DropSum Colours	Bubble Shooter 3
Battle against zombies, monsters and other bad guys in this amazing adventure game.	Click on groups of at least two tiles to make them disappear.	Shoot and destroy all bubbles before any reach the bottom.


Sim Taxi 2	Ice Shape Master	Strategy War
Pick up passengers and deliver them to their destinations as fast as you can, but don't damage your taxicab too much!	Select and grab the ice figures from the pipeline and drop them into the empty holes with the same shape.	Fight your enemies through land and air! Protect your home base at all costs!


Cube Buster
Click on groups of 3 or more same colored cubes to destroy them. Do not let any cube reach the top!

Arcade Game pages: 1 2 3 4

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