Games.com News. CityVille, FarmVille, CastleVille games news

CastleVille: Play Zynga Bingo for free prizes

Brandy Shaul — 2012-05-30T20:08:00+00:00

In Zynga's second round of cross-promotional activities amongst its many games and Zynga Bingo, CastleVille players have finally been given some incentive to play Zynga's Bingo game on Facebook, as they are now being offered three prizes for reaching Level 6 in that number daubing game.

Once you reach Level 6 in Zynga Bingo, you'll be able to come back to your Kingdom in CastleVille and will receive two Gold Bricks, three Hypercrafts and a potion worth 30 Energy points. Remember, the different rooms in Zynga Bingo offer different amounts of experience points per number daubed, so you'll want to keep track of how many points you'll earn per daub, per room, in order to reach Level 6 as quickly and painlessly as possible.

There's no guarantee that this cross-promotion and its prizes will be active forever, so make sure to play Zynga Bingo sooner, rather than later, in order to earn all of these prizes.

Will you try Zynga Bingo to earn free items in CastleVille? Had you already reached Level 6 before this promotion launched? Sound off in the comments.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Celebrate the elements in Mahjongg Dimensions Blast [Exclusive]

Brandy Shaul — 2012-05-30T19:30:00+00:00

Over the next week, a new theme of boosts will roll out in Arkadium's Mahjongg Dimensions Blast on Facebook, offering players a chance to celebrate the natural elements of Air, Water, Earth and Fire. Of these different Puzzle Boosts, only the Air and Fire options are available now, with the Fire Puzzle being available to purchase in blocks of 10 for 50 Facebook Credits (or $5 US).

As for the Earth and Water Puzzle Boosts, both of these will be available to access on June 4. In the meantime, you can look forward to all four of these puzzles being easier than the standard game, offering fewer symbols to match and granting the ability to earn tons of points as a result. Only the Fire Puzzle Boost is a Super Puzzle, which is larger than the others, but still fairly simple in terms of how many different symbols are available on the tile blocks.

Regardless of the Puzzle Boost you activate, you'll be met with a themed background and tiles to match, which will help keep your time with the game fresh. Just make sure to play these four themed puzzles while you can, as they won't be around forever. Good luck earning massive scores!

Are you excited to try out these four new Puzzle Boosts in Mahjongg Dimensions? What's your high score in the game thus far? Sound off in the comments.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

CastleVille: The Unicorn Migration comes with new items for your kingdom

Brandy Shaul — 2012-05-30T18:53:00+00:00

The launch of the Unicornucopia quests and party in CastleVille is really only part of the game's new Unicorn-themed event, as new limited edition items have also been added to the game's store for your shopping pleasure. There are only nine items available to purchase as of this writing, but it's enough to get you started at truly decorating your Kingdom to welcome these magical new creatures.

Pink Unicorn Tree - 15 Crowns
Rainbow Flower - 5,000 coins
Unicorn Breastplate (Female only) - 12 Crowns
Unicorn Cottage - 29 Crowns
Unicorn Crossing Sign - 30 Reputation Points
Unicorn Helmet (Male only) - 6 Crowns
Unicorn Horse - 25 Crowns
Unicorn Skirt (Female only) - 5,000 coins
Unicorn Tiara (Female only) - 6 Crowns

As a bit of clarification, the Unicorn Horse is a regular horse dressed in a unicorn costume, so both names definitely work in its name. While there's no specific expiration date listed alongside these items, we do know they'll only be available for a limited time, so shop fast while we know they're still available.

What do you think of the new Unicornucopia themed items in the CastleVille marketplace? Sound off in the comments.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Fruit Ninja took three days to make, and nine other things you didn't know

Joe Osborne — 2012-05-30T18:00:00+00:00

It's one of the games on iPhone and iPad that embodies pure, beautiful simplicity, so who knew Fruit Ninja had so much to hide? Developer Halfbrick Studios had executive producer Luke Muscat and marketing officer Phil Larson tell GameSpot Australia 10 things that we didn't know about its mega-popular fruit flayer. Well ... until now.

How about the fact that Fruit Ninja's base concept of slicing flying fruit took a mere three days to make? (The rest of development was all about that gorgeous polish.) Did you know that Fruit Ninja is currently being played in hospitals as part of a study with Neuroscience Australia to help treat stroke patients? Oh, the things you never knew about your phone's primary function.

Are you still digging Fruit Ninja after all these years? What's your favorite little factoid? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

You Don't Know Jack on Facebook: Iconic, sardonic and slightly social

Joe Osborne — 2012-05-30T17:00:00+00:00

Pro tip: If you don't want everyone in the office to know that you're playing a Facebook at work, wait to play You Don't Know Jack (YDKJ) until you get home. Jellyvision Games' social take on its hit trivia game series is that laugh-out-loud funny. The developer has pulled no punches in bringing its most beloved franchise to Facebook, making for an irreverent, hilarious trivia romp specially tailored for social gamers (in ways both good and bad).

Rather than the quite lengthy sessions players are used to in previous renditions of YDKJ, its Facebook version features games of just five questions, with a few specials among the standard trivia. Favorites like "Dis or Dat" are back--and the iconic "Jack Attack" is always the final round--but goofy, new round types such as "Elephant, Mustard, Teddy Roosevelt or Dracula" make their debut in YDKJ on Facebook.

%Gallery-155956%

Games go by as quickly as they start, peppered with hilarious voice over work courtesy of none other than Cookie Masterson and phony advertisements for businesses like "Animal Lovers' Boutique." You're almost guaranteed to let out a laugh or two every game, but only if there were more of said games to play.

Players are given five free rounds of trivia to start off with and a free round for every level they reach, with the money the earn from each game contributing to a green meter on their home screen leading up to the next level. Other than that, the only to play more rounds than the one doled out for free daily is to pay up via Facebook Credits. For a game with such a shining presentation to be so stingy in how often it lets its players enjoy that polish for free leaves a harsh sting.

Salt to the wound is the fact that, rounds do not seem to be played in real-time with other players. And if, in fact, it is in real time, finding a way to play with your friends in real time is a challenge, if nigh impossible. When Games.com's Libe Goad and I attempted to join a game together from the "Friends" tab in YDKJ, it appeared that she was playing with me right up until the list of contestants appeared.

While this writer's ugly mug appeared in her game, hers did not appear in mine, and the two of us were presented with completely different questions. Since the lack of any real-time play appears to be the case, the only remotely social feature to YDKJ on Facebook is the option to "give props" to friends' avatars that appear in your rounds. (Of course, players can share achievements and high scores to their Timelines.)

You Don't Know Jack on Facebook is a gorgeous, faithful and hilarious rendition of the greatest trivia franchise known to video games. It's a shame, however, that the game doesn't use players' friends in a more interesting way, like sending challenge questions back and forth perhaps. What hurts the most is that players aren't given enough time with YDKJ--outside of paying up--to enjoy it daily. But I'd be damned if that wasn't a way to squeeze a dime out of me.

Click here to play You Don't Know Jack on Facebook Now >

Are you digging YDKJ on Facebook? What about its money-making model? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Instagram in FarmVille: Coming soon to a virtual farm near you

Libe Goad — 2012-05-30T16:00:00+00:00

For virtual farmers who have used various screen capturing methods to capture your masterful farmscaping, that's all apparently about to change. Zynga CEO Mark Pincus, speaking at a conference, mentioned that the powers behind FarmVille have "created something like Instagram, where you can take pictures of farms and share them."

"Wait a minute," you may be thinking to yourself. "There's been a picture taking button in FarmVille for ages." And, you're right. But if you head to your farm today and click on the camera icon, you'll get a pop-up that says this feature is 'coming soon.' So maybe with the Instagram reference, the new FarmVille camera will be able to snap screenshots, give the option to apply a funky filter and then enable you to share your handiwork with the world on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest or other relevant social media.

To put this FarmVille update into context, this was part of a larger discussion with Pincus and All Things D's Kara Swisher about Zynga innovations. He mentioned this new Instagram-like add-on as one example of the company's innovation, in addition to its analytics system (which the company relies on heavily when making games) and its Zynga's cloud gaming service, called z-Cloud.

Not sure if creating an in-game photo-taking app necessarily fits the bill for innovation (we'll have to reserve further judgement until that feature arrives) though, I can see how the game's 21.7 million players might be interested in such an app. From a consumer standpoint, Zynga has certainly been innovative in changing the entire landscape of gaming, making free-to-play viable in the United States, reaching that much-coveted non-gamer audience like no other company has before and, largely, giving the sequel-driven business of video games a wake-up call that the times they are a-changin'.

> Zynga's Mark Pincus Talks About His Management Style, Acquisitions and Mobile [All Things D]

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Google Chrome and Flash not playing nice? Here's how to fix that

Joe Osborne — 2012-05-30T13:00:00+00:00

Have you Facebook and social gamers may been playing less and staring at taunting jigsaw puzzle pieces more? Then you must be playing your favorite games on the hottest browser around, Google Chrome. Well, it's looking a little chill these days, thanks to some pesky Flash player crashes that many players (including this writer) have experienced over the past week.

That's where CE Gamers comes in. The social games fansite has posted a handy guide on how to potentially solve your Flash--the main tool used to play and make social games--woes in a jiffy. It all boils down to the fact that, unlike most browsers like Firefox or Internet Explorer, Flash is built right into Chrome and updated almost automatically.

The error you're seeing across pages every now and then probably reads, "The following plug-in has crashed: Shockwave Flash." This actually has nothing to do with Shockwave, which CE Gamers gets into in depth in its guide for how to thwart this dastardly error. Just follow the steps, and you should see Chrome back to its speedy senses in no time. Check out the guide in full right here.

Are you having trouble playing games in Google Chrome? Did this guide solve your troubles? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Game of the Day: The Book of Treasures

Jenny Ng — 2012-05-30T12:00:00+00:00

Part mystery, part adventure, all word game -- in today's Game of the Day, The Book of Treasures, you play as Jessica, a librarian hunting for a lost Egyptian manuscript. One day, Jessica finds a secret room in an ancient library with 35 envelopes, each envelope contains 6 letters that you can use to make as many words as possible within two minutes. Landing the right word will reveal a piece of the Egyptian manuscript.

Each envelope represents one level, so there are 35 levels. To beat a level, you just need to find the manuscript piece and you don't even have to guess every word to do it! If you've guessed every word you can, then press "Finish Level" and lucky players may find they've already gotten the word. This works in Quest Mode, but also in Endless Mode and Timeless Mode. But if you want a high score, you'll want to find all the words. If you love word games, The Book of Treasures is a fun and beautiful game worth trying.

Play The Book of Treasures!

What's your favorite mode to play in The Book of Treasures?

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Backyard Monsters rides Mobage into battle on iOS, Android this summer

Joe Osborne — 2012-05-30T11:50:00+00:00

Social game maker Kixeye isn't satisfied with conquering your free time on Facebook. No, now the developer is keen on hitting you where it hurts the most: your pocket. Backyard Monsters, Kixeye's most popular social game, is headed for iOS and Android devices this summer through a partnership with ngmoco (and DeNA by extension) and its Mobage network.

In the mobile version of the game, players will have access to 15 varieties of monsters at launch to build their empires and assault their friends' home bases. Backyard Monsters on mobile will feature Facebook Connect for such invasions and alliances. We're sure this version of the strategy hit will include copious amounts of tower building and wild monster attacks.

"Our focus is developing super high quality games for the browser, but this is an opportunity for us to experiment on the mobile platform and broaden the reach of one of our most successful games," Kixeye SVP of Marketing Brandon Barber said in a release. "We're confident mobile users will enjoy spilling blood in Backyard Monsters just as much as they do on Facebook."

It will be interesting to see whether Kixeye manages to make an entertaining free-to-play, social strategy game on mobile devices. Save for gems like Battle Nations, the sub genre has been somewhat barren or devoid of fun, so Backyard Monsters has a tall order to fill ... or destroy.

Are you excited about Backyard Monsters on iOS and Android? Will it bring some fun into RTS games on mobile? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

CastleVille Unicornucopia Quests: Everything you need to know

Brandy Shaul — 2012-05-29T22:00:00+00:00

The great Unicorn Migration has started taking place in CastleVille, bringing with it new themed areas to expand your Kingdom into, and the ability to meet a lovely new Spirit Unicorn via the accompanying 10 Unicornucopia quests. We're here with a guide to help you speed through these quests (well, as quickly as the game will allow, anyway), so let's get started!

Unicorn-U-Copia

Move 1 Item
Tend 1 Flower
Collect Taxes from 2 Houses

Rewards: 1,000 coins, 20 XP, 7 Unicorn Hair, 6 Wood Planks and 3 Unicorn Punch

Party Like Unicorns!

Have a Pavilion
Spend 10,000 coins
Host 1 Unicornucopia Party

If you hadn't guessed already, the Unicornucopia Party is an item that can be crafted inside your Pavilion using the Unicorn Hair, Wood Planks and Unicorn Punch you received at the end of the last quest. Unfortunately, those prizes aren't all that you'll need, as you need 10 of the Unicorn Hair and Wood Planks (each), along with five Unicorn Punch in total. You can earn extra Unicorn Hair via individual requests sent to friends, while the Unicorn Punch is earned via a general news item on your wall.

You'll receive 1,000 coins and 20 XP for completing this quest.

Exploration Go!

Craft 4 Wood Clubs
Craft 2 Unicorn Tiles
Explore the Gloom

The Spirit Unicorn appears and then quickly disappears in your Kingdom into a section of the Gloom to the right of the new section released for the Dragon Cave. The Unicorn Tiles are the first prize available to craft in the Pavilion with this new event, and each individual tile requires 10 Unicorn Hair, 10 Magic Hoof-Prints and three Stone Blocks to create. You'll earn 1,500 coins, 30 XP and a Celebration Topiary Unicorn for completing this quest.

Stand Back!

Banish 3 Gloom Wolves
Restore the Beacon of Wisdom
Clear 1 Amythite Rock

Rewards: 1,500 coins and 30 XP

Fixer Upper

Craft 5 Glue
Craft 4 Fasteners
Restore the Beacon of Courage

The Beacon of Courage requires eight Stone Blocks, one Rainbow Prism, five Moon Beams and 10 Unicorn Sparkle to construct. The other beacons requires similar sets of items to create. Rewards: 1,750 coins and 35 XP

For the Unicorns!

Have 7 Thick Books
Restore the Beacon of Happiness
Restore the Beacon of Creativity

The Thick Books are earned by posting a general news item to your wall. When you complete this quest, you'll receive a Unicorn Rocking Horse decoration, 3,250 coins and 65 XP.

Scouting Ahead

Craft 2 Berry Scones
Collect 8 Wool
Explore the Gloom

Rewards: 1,500 coins and 30 XP

The One Tower

Craft 4 Hammers
Remove 2 Amythite Rocks with Rifting Scepters
Restore the Beacon of Generosity

Rewards: 3,250 coins, 65 XP, Male Unicorn Crown, Female Unicorn Crown

Six Degrees of Beacon

Craft 2 Unicorn Fences
Restore the Beacon of Friendship
Have 1 Celebration Peacock

Both the Unicorn Fences and the Celebration Peacock are crafted inside the Pavilion. You'll earn 4,250 coins and 85 XP for completing this quest.

The Unicorn Tower

Restore the Beacon of Hope
Host 1 More Unicornucopia Party
Have 2 Tomato Bisque

Rewards: 1,500 coins and 30 XP

When you complete this quest, you'll have finished the entire Unicornucopia event, and will have plenty of beautiful new decorations and animals to show off in your Kingdom. Good luck finishing them all off!

[Via Zynga]

What do you think of the introduction of this new party and Unicorn-themed items in CastleVille? Sound off in the comments.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

CastleVille: Upgrade your Storage Cellar to hold 1,000 items

Brandy Shaul — 2012-05-29T21:12:00+00:00

When the Storage Cellar launched in CastleVille in December, it was originally upgradeable to Level 5, which gave you a maximum item storage capacity of 500 individual items, including duplicates. Apparently, that just wasn't enough space to store all of the seasonal or otherwise rare decorations and items that many users have accumulated in their kingdoms, so the Storage Cellar has been given one more upgrade.

This sixth upgrade is now available to build, that is, so long as you have 40 Stone Blocks, 12 Gold Bricks, 4 Angle Finders and 12 Gloom Wolf Pelts available to actually construct it. These items can be earned either by crafting them, or by asking your friends to send them to you.

So, what will all of these items actually earn you? Once you upgrade to Level 6, your Storage Cellar's capacity will jump from 500 items to a whopping 1,000 items! That's double the capacity of the original cap! Surely, this higher storage cap will be enough to keep most players satisfied for quite some time, but if not, we'll make sure to let you know if / when additional Storage Cellar upgades launch, so stay tuned!

[Via CastleVille Quest Links]

Have you already started to upgrade your Storage Cellar to Level 6, or had you never even updated to Level 5 yet? Sound off in the comments!

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Trophy Slots on Facebook doesn't quite hit the jackpot

Brandy Shaul — 2012-05-29T20:42:00+00:00

In the ever-growing casino genre on Facebook, players now have plenty of games to choose from if they just want to gamble virtual money on themed slot machines (such as Mirrorball Slots or Doubledown Casino), and yet another option is now available to gamers: Trophy Slots.

Trophy Slots comes with 10 different slot machines to play on, but you'll need to unlock all but one by leveling up (you'll earn experience points simply by gambling money). The first available slot machine is an Irish themed game that sees you spinning the wheels for Leprechauns and Pots of Gold, while other games may be based on genies and magical wishes, the California gold rush, cops and robbers, fairies, and so on. There's no shortage of variety in these slot machine themes, but all of them function in mostly the same fashion, with the ability to bet on as many or as few lines as you choose, and also choose how much you'd like each line bet to cost (say, $1-2 a line).

Free coins are available every hour or so, so you'll still be able to eventually play more of the game if you do run out of your initial supply of cash, and free spins of the wheel are available in your spin results in a specific combination of symbols or wild cards.

Unfortunately, Trophy Slots isn't without its issues, as you might be able to load the game's lobby but the actual slot machines won't load until you've refreshed the game a few times, and the slot wheels can sometimes spin for an excessively long amount of time as the game loads in the background. There's also no "Auto-Play" option, which has become fairly standard in such games.

%Gallery-156398%

Fleshing out the experience are trophies and badges that can be earned by completing in-game tasks, but these are more about repetition and luck than skill, which might not interest some players.

With so many slot machines games now available to play on Facebook, players might find themselves being a bit pickier in their decision making. That is, a game with slots that simply "work" might not be as popular as a game that adds in a story, mini-games and the like. Trophy Slots falls into the former category. There's nothing particularly wrong with the game, other than the aforementioned loading issues (which were admittedly rare), but there's really nothing here that makes the game stand out from its competitors. If you've yet to try any of the many Facebook slot machine games that have already been released, you might find satisfaction with Trophy Slots, but otherwise, the game will likely fail to win you over as much as others.

Click here to try Trophy Slots on Facebook ---->

Have you tried Trophy Slots on Facebook? Which Facebook slot machine game is your favorite one? Sound off in the comments.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Rockstar Madness: A Facebook music game that struggles to hit the right notes

Brandy Shaul — 2012-05-29T20:11:00+00:00

While a few music-themed Facebook games have come and gone, the genre has struggled to really find a strong foothold on Facebook. Hoping to change that is Rockstar Madness, a game that allows you to live the life of a struggling musician that rises through the proverbial ranks to fame and fortune, earning thousands of adoring fans along the way.

Rockstar Madness is part studio-design simulation and party rhythm game, as you'll be able to split your time between completing missions that require you to decorate your studio and change the appearances of your band members (three in all: the singer, guitarist and drummer) and those missions that ask you complete jam sessions and actually record albums.

The former is an incredibly basic formula, giving you the chance to spend your earnings on new furniture and decorations for your studio, while also raising the "sex appeal" of your band members with new clothing (items are unlocked as you level up), while the rhythm game portion is just as basic, but ultimately flawed in this initial release.

In this first stage of the game, you'll only be able to record three albums, with the first album requiring you to complete six different tracks. Each track is recorded in the same way, as spotlights change colors over your band members' heads and symbols fall down through the light. You'll need to click on the appropriate character when one of those symbols appears, giving you experience points, fans, energy, etc.

%Gallery-156397%

In between tracks, you'll be greeted by fans and studio employees that give you a chance to spend that energy on free (but small) amounts of the same prizes, but this feature is fairly useless as you energy should be spent on actually recording tracks. Unfortunately, the music recording process is quite flawed, with graphical hitching that can cause the game to freeze (therefore causing you to miss clicking on the appropriate singer until it's too late) and music that has very little flow, but rather sounds like a repetitive assortment of 5-10 second musical outtakes with loud singing in one, soft singing in another, and all spanning multiple genres in the process.

It's not that Rockstar Madness is a bad game so much as it is an experience that feels unfinished. There are technical issues that need to be addressed, and the character models could definitely use a redesign (as they are, they're fairly ugly). It's very unlikely that Rockstar Madness will be a game that quickly climbs up the Facebook gaming charts, but if you're into music or rhythm games, it might be worth a spin.

Click here to try Rockstar Madness on Facebook ---->

Have you tried Rockstar Madness on Facebook? Which music game is your favorite on Facebook? Sound off in the comments.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Tap Creepy Manor: Get your mobile spook on, now for free

Brandy Shaul — 2012-05-29T19:32:00+00:00

After releasing at the first of May with a price tag of $0.99, Pocket Gems' Tap Creepy Manor has gone free-to-play, which is the standard for the developer's many games in its "Tap" franchise (Tap Pet Hotel, Tap Dragon Park, etc.). That interesting time period as a paid app notwithstanding, the game comes with all of the free-to-play gimmicks you'd expect, as you build a massive manor with spooky rooms for the game's many kinds of guests.

Tap Creepy Manor can be compared to the (now closed) Facebook game Hotel City, in that you'll be able to build your manor from the ground up by stacking rooms of different shapes and sizes on top of one another. Each room, regardless of size or function, has three building stages that take time to complete (and coins to start), and each room tends to add one unique character to the manor. Likewise, each room will generate coins in profit or "rent" for you, allowing you to continue the cycle of constructing more rooms and eventually expanding your manor to hold more rooms over time.

There's an in-game quest system that pushes progress along, and ghosts that appear at random that can be tapped on for a few extra coins. You'll earn achievements for most in-game actions, especially those that introduce a new type of character to a room (of the more than 25 that are available as of this writing). You'll also be able to upgrade specific rooms by repairing broken down furniture or adding pets to them, but overall, Tap Creepy Manor is still a very light experience in terms of complexity.

While Tap Creepy Manor can be played by your lonesome, the game's social features do allow you to visit your friends' manors and tap on ghosts while there, along with simply being able to look at the different room arrangements and guests they've welcomed to their game. Still, the social aspect of the game is hidden within a rarely used menu, so it's clearly not the focus.

%Gallery-156395%

All told, Tap Creepy Manor seems to be a bit too basic to draw players in for the long haul, but if you're interested in trying a freemium game with a darker theme, it's now completely free to give this one a shot.

Click here to download Tap Creepy Manor on iTunes --->

Have you tried Tap Creepy Manor on iPhone or iPad? Which is your favorite game in Pocket Gems' "Tap" franchise of mobile games? Let us know in the comments.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Speed Racer: The Beginning Giveaway

Alexander Armero — 2012-05-29T18:00:00+00:00

This week, Games.com is doing a massive Speed Racer giveaway in celebration of the new iPhone game, Speed Racer: The Beginning. Thanks to our friends at Social Games International, we'll be dishing out a ton of awesome Speed Racer merchandise to four lucky Games.com fans for FREE. Of course, our winners will also receive

Four lucky winners will each win:

1 Speed Racer Mach Five Limited Edition Collectible
1 Speed Racer Comic
1 Speed Racer T-shirt
1 Speed Racer Game Soundtrack
Speed Racer: The Beginning for iPhone/iPad

<br>
So whether you're a veteran fan of the old Speed Racer show, or a new fan interested in the new addictive iPhone game, this is one free giveaway you do not want to miss. Find out how to enter below.

How to Win:

Step 1. Click this 'Like' button to share the free Speed Racer: The Beginning Giveaway with your friends:

Step 2. Go to our Facebook fanpage and click 'Like'. This enables you to leave us posts.

Step 3. Leave a post on our Facebook fanpage telling us the following:

Speed Racer's car, the Mach Five, has tons of awesome gadgets and abilities. It can jump, has rotary saws, and can drive on walls with its grip tires! If you were to give your own vehicle a crazy feature, what would it be and why? Be creative, the more detail the better!

(Ex. My car would be able to drive on its side to easily move through rush hour traffic.)

Next week, the Games.com council of elders will choose four winners and reach out to them on Facebook for their shipping address. So if you leave a post, definitely check your Facebook inbox and submission next week.

Sound easy enough? Good luck!

Note: To enter you must be a resident of the United States and have a Facebook account.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Bubble Safari tips straight from the monkey's mouth

Libe Goad — 2012-05-29T17:00:00+00:00

Zynga jumped on the Facebook bubble popping game bandwagon with the recent release of Bubble Safari. After an initial reaction that went something like, 'Oh gawd, another bubble popper," we started playing and found that, as far as puzzle games with bubbles go, Zynga has crafted one of the more compelling ones out there. In fact, this game has kicked off a heated interoffice competition that we haven't seen since the debut of PopCap's Zuma Blitz.

In an effort to gain a competitive edge, we asked Zynga San Diego Senior Creative Director Mark Turmell to give us seven pro tips on how to transform into a mean bubble popping machine.

%Gallery-154888%

1. Any time that you disconnect some bubbles, they turn into fruit. Once you see fruit dropping, look at the bubble in your cannon, and the next bubble in your hopper to see if there's another drop that's possible. The On Fire mode is the key to beating this game. You need to drop fruit three consecutive times to catch on fire, and you should be able to do so two or three times per level.

2. Bank Shots, Big Drops, Big Pops, and consecutive successful shots will fill the Boost Bubble meter more quickly.

3. When a swarm of bees fly away from the hive to sting your monkey, quickly use your next shot to drop the hive or blast it with a fire bubble, and the bees will change their mind just before stinging you.

4. On Spawners levels, the Spawners will add a bubble to the rack upon each shot you take. But if you shoot quickly before the first spawned bubble lands, they won't shoot a second bubble up into air!

5. The most important Powerup is the Extended Aim pointer. Try it out because it makes each level sooooo much easier.

6. Use the Anti Poacher Trap Powerups to clamp down all traps for several turns, making the level safe.

7. Always remember to use your bubbles from friends. They can help you at the most important moments. And remember, if you use one friend's bubble enough, they'll send you back a Boost Bubble for even more destruction.

Have any other good tips and cheats for Zynga's Bubble Safari? Leave them in the comments below. Add comment.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Armies of Magic on Facebook: Fantastic(al) real-time strategy

Joe Osborne — 2012-05-29T16:50:00+00:00

There's something to be said of a game that respects your time. That goes for both when you have the time and when you don't. Armies of Magic, Playdom's brand new real-time strategy game on Facebook, is exactly that. From its sprawling city-building system borrowed from City of Wonder to its real-time combat that takes cues from games like Swords & Soldiers, Armies of Magic does not dally around with your precious minutes.

In fact, this strategy game makes fine use of them. If you only have a few minutes to steal away, why not find someone to do battle with in real time in the Live Arena? With a few hours to kill after work, it's time to dive into the game's lengthy story mode or spend some time building up your kingdom for the next battle. Armies of Magic isn't limited by an energy system--or any system that artificially limits your play time, for that matter.

%Gallery-156383%

Like most enjoyable Facebook games these days, your time spent playing is only limited by your skill at commanding your squads of dwarves, humans or elves in the numerous skirmishes in Armies of Magic. Combat here is somehow both simple and strategic in that you merely manage the amount of resources at your disposal with miners in conjunction with the amount of units you can send charging to their deaths at a time. Of course, it's all in the execution.

For instance, it would be a fool's errand to send in your ranged soldiers ahead of your brutish axe-wielders, and the same goes for your healers. It's also smart to send in large squads of units rather than attack with one soldier at a time, or your army will slowly and surely get stomped. There's plenty to think about in Armies of Magic, and even more so when the need to build a balanced kingdom looms over your head.

Luckily, the proven set-it-and-forget-it style of city building works brilliantly here in Armies of Magic. Frankly, this portion of the game takes somewhat of a backseat to the meat and potatoes: the combat. Getting your town in gear is a simple as clicking a few buttons, and rather than wait around for those buildings to finish, just leap into another battle to pass the time. The beauty of Armies of Magic is in its logistics, how every feature works in tandem to keep players hooked for as long as possible.

But that's not to say that Armies of Magic isn't a looker. From animated cityscapes to units that slash, sling, shoot and slam with meticulous detail, it's clear that Playdom spent plenty of time ensuring that, if Armies of Magic doesn't draw players in with its time-friendly approach to play, that it would with its cutesy looks and adorable sounds.

Armies of Magic isn't without its flaws, like rampant connection errors in its real-time play mode and a painfully steep difficulty spike around Level 6. But throw in guild options, player raids on fellow kingdoms, rivals and three different worlds to play around in, and Playdom's crack at fantasy strategy promises plenty more fun to outweigh its flaws. Armies of Magic is an all-out assault on your free time that succeeds in almost every way.

Click here to play Armies of Magic on Facebook Now >

Are you digging Armies of Magic right now? What's your favorite race or play style, and why? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

This is how You Don't Jack will embarrass you on Facebook [Video]

Joe Osborne — 2012-05-29T13:10:00+00:00

It's simple, really: The game will just call you out in the funniest way possible in front of all your Facebook friends. You Don't Know Jack is now live on Facebook--the trailer below says so. (But not according to our experience trying to get into the game, so it might be another couple hours.) And it seems like pretty much what you'd expect out of a YDKJ game on Facebook.

That is, this is a trivia game on Facebook with most of the game modes you've come to love in the YDKJ series and standard fare such as leaderboards, real-time multiplayer and achievements. But remember: It's not about proving how much smarter you are than your friends, but by how much they're stupider than you. And, in theory, you'll get to do just that today.

Click here to play You Don't Know Jack on Facebook Now >

[Via VentureBeat]

Are you excited about YDKJ on Facebook? Were you a fan of the series back in the day? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Digital Chocolate founder takes his last bite, steps down as CEO

Joe Osborne — 2012-05-29T11:10:00+00:00

Who doesn't like chocolate? Video game industry legend Trip Hawkins might have grown tired of it, as he has reportedly left his own social gaming company, Digital Chocolate. TechCrunch reports that Hawkins--founder of both EA and 3DO back in the day--left the company and announced as much on his personal blog.

"I am transitioning now into a consulting and advisory relationship with Digital Chocolate," Hawkins wrote. "For its next stage of growth, Digital Chocolate is narrowing its focus and it made sense to get more streamlined." TechCrunch also says, based on a "report", that the company has laid off up to 180 people across its offices in Russia, San Mateo, India and more.

According to TechCrunch, the layoffs have resulted in the closing of Digital Chocolate's Mexico office as well as spots in Armenia, Bothell, Washington, and St. Petersburg--the latter belong to Sandlot, a company the developer acquired back in August 2011.

Aside from possible layoffs and closures, times are tough for Digital Chocolate. The developer is ranked number 61 in terms of monthly players, and its most popular games are all on a downward slope, according to AppData. Digital Chocolate president Marc Metis is reported to take the helm as CEO. We'll see whether he steers this ship in the right direction. We've contacted Digital Chocolate for comment.

[Via Digital Trends]

Are you bummed to see Digital Chocolate in a potentially sad state? What's your favorite game from the developer? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Game of the Day: Cake Mania

Alexander Armero — 2012-05-29T10:00:00+00:00

Folks, baking runs in Jill's family. And in Cake Mania it's up to you to help Jill serve her ever-increasingly difficult customers, while upgrading her kitchen with state-of-the-art baking tools. Help Jill earn enough money to reopen her grandparents' bakery in this fast-paced culinary crisis.

Cake Mania is an oldie but goodie. It may not be as flashy as Papa's Freezeria or Papa's Taco Mia, but this game is still a ton of fun. In this sweet time management game, you'll have to juggle taking orders, baking cakes, frosting, and serving customers all at the same time. Think you're up to the challenge? Check it out below.

Play Cake Mania!

Pro Tips:

Never let Jill stand still! Learn the timings of the various activities so you can constantly be working on a job. Multitasking is the key to efficiency.

Click here to play Cake Mania!

Which Cake Mania frosting and cake combination looks most delicious? (My choice? Star cake with chocolate frosting.)

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments