Big Fish Games $2.99 Game Deals: Murder, She Wrote & Royal Envoy

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Otty Ott

CAGiversary!
Today's Big Fish $2.99 Daily Deal game is:

Trial Of The Gods: Ariadne's Fate - a match 3 game.

Click here for Trial Of The Gods: Ariadne's Fate

Now no coupon code needed. To get the $2.99 price, you must either be a Game Club member or do the 1 month Game Club trial which you can cancel after buying the game.

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Big Fish has also started a $2.99 Catch of the Week:

Redemption Cemetery: Curse Of The Raven - A hidden object game.

Click here for Redemption Cemetery: Curse Of The Raven

Now no coupon code or Game Club membership needed. Available to everyone.

I will update this post every day for the new game each day.
 
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Gamezebo review:

"All in all, Lost in Reefs is a beautiful piece of work which is more fun to play than your regular build-a-city match-3 installment. However, don’t expect any development on the story during the whole course of your adventure, probably making the game quite stale if you’re just keeping on with all the levels without any storyline to back up all your efforts."

Pros: Build an underwater city, unique mix of three famous match-3 gameplays, explosive graphics, smooth controls

Cons: Power-ups are too random, no storyline developments during play

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Click to read Gamezebo's review of Lost In Reefs
 
Gamezebo review:

"It's hard to shake the feeling that Hidden Secrets: The Nightmare is an attempt to cash in on the popularity of Azada by creating something that is similar in so many ways. The story, however, is an admirable attempt at tackling a more mature theme that's a departure from the love stories and mystery-lites of most casual games - even though I saw the ending coming a mile away."

Pros: Can play mini-games separately. Unusual mature story. Creepy music and voice-acted dialog.

Cons: Too many puzzles. Harsh penalties for "wrong" clicking. Some obscure puzzle solutions. Predictable ending.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Click to read Gamezebo's review of Hidden Secrets: The Nightmare
 
Gamezebo review:

"Cate West - The Vanishing Files is a prime example of a hidden object game done right - with thought, care and a few innovations to keep pushing the genre forward. It's not too short but has the good sense to end before overstaying its welcome. Enjoy this one while you can and stay tuned for the hinted-at sequel."

Pros: Satisfying length. Many variations on seek-and-find gameplay. Excellent production values. Interesting story. New drag-and-drop twist. Multiple endings.

Cons: Delay between clicking on multiple objects. Gets a bit formulaic.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Click here to read the Gamezebo review of Cate West: The Vanishing Files
 
Another repeat game, but it hasn't run in about three months. It's a very good hidden object game well worth the $3.
 
[quote name='Bullwinkle']I made it all the way to the very last sequence when the game randomly reset my save.[/QUOTE]


Well, that's no fun! That really sucks...
 
Gamezebo review:

"Although a little rough around the edges, Be Rich is an enjoyable building sim that in spite of its generous “borrowing” does also expand the experience in challenging new ways.
"

Pros: Flexible grid-based town layouts. Can build and demolish roads and structures anywhere. Expanded sandbox mode. Tenants factor into gameplay.

Cons: Borrows much of its aesthetic and gameplay from Build-a-lot. Awkward English throughout.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Click to read Gamezebo's review of Be Rich!
 
Today's Big Fish $2.99 Game Of The Day is:

Boonka - An unusual Match 3 game that seems to play a bit like Meteos.

Click here for Boonka

Use Coupon Code: BOONKA299

I will update this post every day for the new game each day.
 
Gamezebo review:

"While bordering on excessively-complicated, Boonka offers a fresh look at a packed genre. Don’t let the cutesy graphics fool you. This is a robust match-three that stacks up against any of them, and will hopefully Super Crushka its way into your casual game library."

Pros: Inventive mechanics. Deep gameplay. Lots of levels. Different modes of play.

Cons: Complicated, sometimes confusing bonus structure. Hard to play on a trackpad.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Click to read Gamezebo's review of Boonka
 
Gamezebo review:

"Fun, frantic, but also slightly unpolished, there's not much more to say. A hardcore outing dressed in casual game industry trappings, Star Defender 4 offers more of what you already know and love from the shoot-'em-up genre - or don't."

Pros: Slick range of bonuses. Good variety of enemies. Simple to approach. Over 100 levels to jam on.

Cons: Game balancing issues. Difficulty level. Theme may alienate mainstream players.

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Click to read Gamezebo's review of Star Defender 4
 
Definitely not a casual game by any means. The Star Defender series is as old school shooter as you can get. Brings back memories of all those great shooters back on my Genesis!
 
Gamezebo review:

"So, despite strong production values, good writing, interesting innovations, and engaging play (excluding the brief cannonball levels), Camelia’s Locket is, strangely, difficult to recommend wholeheartedly. It may prove modestly challenging for players new to the genre, but it might prove too easy and too short to satisfy people who have any previous experience with marble popping games."

Pros: Engaging marble-popping play. Novel ball-towing mechanic. High production values. Well-written story. Simple to learn.

Cons: Too short. Easy, compared to other games in its genre. Ball-towing chain sometimes fires off course.

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Click to read Gamezebo's review of Camelia's Locket
 
Just a note about the reviewer's comment that the game is too short... Camelia's Locket has 100 levels, 80 regular levels and 20 mini-game levels. It took him around 4 hours to finish. That really isn't that short for a casual game.
 
Gamezebo review:

"If you’re bored of managing restaurants, beauty salons or fitness clubs, perhaps you’ll be “driven” to perform in a handful of auto repair shops. Such is the premise behind World Loom’s Fix-it-up: Kate’s Adventure, a challenging and gratifying business simulation for virtual grease monkeys."

Pros: Enjoyable and challenging business management game. Many different scenarios, structures to build and locations. Story and characters are interesting. Can unlock additional game modes.

Cons: Can get quite tough and some aspects confusing. No Help button.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Click to read Gamezebo's review of Fix-It-Up: Kate's Adventure
 
Gamezebo review:

"All in all, Steve the Sheriff a fun game to play, and an impressive accomplishment in integrating several different game styles. Both Hidden Object, with the partial object reveals, and Find the Differences deliver real advances in gameplay. It doesn’t feel new, but it does feel fresh, and players who enjoy these genres can settle in for a highly-entertaining mid length game."

Pros: Good mix of hidden object and inventory tasks. Excellent updating of find the differences puzzles. Fun characters. Timed and untimed modes. Good hint system.

Cons: Minor translation errors. A few scenes contain multiple objects that fit the same clues.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Click to read Gamezebo's review of Steve The Sheriff
 
Gamezebo review:

"In case you haven't noticed, the popular hidden object game genre is evolving rapidly. This includes adding elements from the once-popular point-and-click adventure game genre. The latest to fold these two gameplay concepts into one is GestaltGames' Nick Chase, a puzzle-filled detective story with high production values."

Pros: Good mix of adventure game puzzles and hidden object tasks. Fun film noir story with great voice acting and music. Enjoyable mini-games. Attractive hand-drawn artwork.

Cons: Doesn't always save your progress in correct spot. Some items are confusing.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars, Player reviews 4 out of 5 starts

Click to read the Gamezebo review of Nick Chase: A Detective Story
 
Oh, now I think that score is way too low. I loved Nick Chase. It was one of those rare games where the puzzles actually serve the story.

It's extremely short, but it was a ton of fun. Plus it has really good atmosphere.
 
They have been running some great games lately. I agree, Nick Chase was great. I've got it on my iPhone, too. The sequel just came out, too.
 
Gamezebo review:

"If you like http://www.gamezebo.com/games/alice-greenfingers-2/reviewAlice Greenfingers 2, you can play Farm Craft as a similar game with much better graphics. If you like challenging strategy games like Build-a-Lot, we think you’ll find this compelling once you get past the first few levels."

Pros: Plays as either a simple farming game or a serious business sim. Highly detailed graphics give excellent strategy clues. Optional farmhands increase profit and reduce tedium of long levels. Visiting other farms adds variety.

Cons: Instructions for the sim portion are not clear. Game crashes after level 7.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Click to read Gameebo's review of Farm Craft
 
Gamezebo review:

"Tradewinds Caravans is like a breath of fresh air amid the staleness of casual game clones. While it might not appeal to as broad an audience as a match-three or hidden object game, this is one you don’t want to miss.

"In case you haven’t played any of its predecessors, Tradewinds Caravans is like two games in one: On one hand it’s a business simulation that challenges players to buy and sell products for profit, make decisions on borrowing cash versus the interest they’ll face on the loan and negotiate with traders on goods you might need on your journey across the Middle East. On the other hand, it’s not unlike a role-playing game (RPG) where you get to experience epic journeys, meet memorable characters, choose “party” members based on their skills and engage in combat along with way."


Pros: Fresh strategy/business sim/role-playing gameplay. Good story and well-written dialogue. Funny. Attractive graphics and great music. Multiple stories to play.

Cons: Turn-based combat would be better for this game. Some minor interface issues.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Click to read Gamezebo's review of Tradewinds Caravans
 
The Tradewinds series is incredibly fun. Most are sea-based with pirate-themes etc. This one is based along the Silk Road, so it is a little different than the others, but is still a blast. I can't recommend these games enough. The dialogue is really funny, there are multiple story lines, and the trading sim portion is very addictive.
 
Today's Big Fish $2.99 Game Of The Day is:

World Voyage - An unusual match 3 puzzle game that takes you to the world's best vacation spots.

Click here for World Voyage

Use Coupon Code: WVOY299

I will update this post every day for the new game each day.
 
Gamezebo review:

"While World Voyage's classic gameplay can be quite addictive, the game still fails in its overall graphical presentation. In other words, visuals are not all that pleasing, and animations are unimpressive, especially on the illustrations of the actual places you get to collect during the picture puzzle mini-game. On the other hand though, there are many things you’ll learn from playing the game as you’re given trivia facts about each landmark’s rich history and background. You get treated to some sounds native to a certain landmark’s location too when you click them, making the whole match-3 exercise quite rewarding."

Pros: High number of power-ups. Ability to populate your own land and learn more about famous landmarks all over the world. Unique “countdown” ball feature.

Cons: Repetitive gameplay. Unimpressive visuals. Flat difficulty curve.


Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Click to read Gamezebo's review of World Voyage
 
Gamezebo review:

"The Blackwell Legacy is a bit of a departure from the kind of games Gamezebo usually reviews, but the mature story - about a psychic medium and her "spirit guide" investigating cases of unhappy ghosts - had us intrigued, as did the retro two-dimensional art style that made us fondly recall classic adventure games like King's Quest and Quest for Glory."

Pros: Interesting plot and characters. Fairly straightforward adventure without obscure items or backtracking.

Cons: Uneven voice-acting. Adventure is on the short side. Borrows ideas from other sources, i.e. The Sixth Sense.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Click to read Gamezebo's review of The Blackwell Legacy
 
Gamezebo review:

"There are some good ideas in Mae Q'West and the Sign of the Stars, a hidden object game starring a woman who's trying to find her long-lost husband by following messages left for her in her daily horoscope. Unfortunately, the game's roughness around the edges might be too much for some players to overcome."

Pros: Unique premise and "shopping list" concept. Interesting way of handling hints.

Cons: Numerous design quirks. Lackluster English. No user profiles.

Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars

Click to read Gamezebo's review of Mae Q'West and the Sign of the Stars
 
Gamezebo review:

"Veronica Rivers: Portals to the Unknown might not offer anything outrageously different than other hidden object games but it certainly deserves top marks for doing everything extremely well -- from story and presentation to fun game-play and mini-challenges to music and replayability. In this crowded hidden object game it’s certainly one of the better titles in the genre to download and play."

Pros: Highly polished. Different twist for each level. Great story, graphics and audio. Items are relevant to scene. Good replay value.

Cons: Mini-game puzzles too easy. Items you find aren’t used for anything. Only one game mode. “Hints” are actually solutions.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Click to read Gamezebo's review of Veronica Rivers: Portals To The Unknown
 
Gamezebo review:

"The game is also quite short, clocking in at a couple of hours. The list of items to find is different on subsequent play-throughs, but mini-game puzzle solutions seem to be the same each time. This coupled with the fact that so many items repeat in the first place, and replay value is limited.Haunted Hotel II: Believe the Lies is an improvement over its predecessor, but the series still has a way to go to break into the upper echelon of hidden object games."

Pros: Better cutscenes and dialogue than the first game. Decent graphics.

Cons: Confusing plot. Uneven soundtrack. Short. Puzzle solutions the same each time.

Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars

Click to read Gamezebo's review of Haunted Hotel II: Believe The Lies
 
Gamezebo review:

"While on the short side - about 4 or 5 hours or so - the sub-$10 Blackwell Unbound is a fun adventure worth clicking through, especially those with a nostalgic leaning towards "old school" graphical adventure games. And of course this downloadable diversion might also whet your appetite for Wadjet Eye Games' next game in the series, The Blackwell Convergence."

Pros: Well-written, and funny. Good puzzles. Optional audio commentary is a great idea.

Cons: Classic graphics may turn off some players. Voice acting good but audio quality uneven. Relatively short. Some minor bugs.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Click to read Gamezebo's review of Blackwell Unbound
 
Today's Big Fish $2.99 Game Of The Day is:

Tradewinds Legends - Third in the popular series of strategy/trading sims. Widely regarded as the best in the series. Very funny story lines with sea combat and trading.

Click here for Tradewinds Legends

Use Coupon Code: TRADELEG

I will update this post every day for the new game each day.
 
There is no Gamezebo review of this game. However, I have played it extensively. It is one of my all-time favorite casual games. My favorite by far in the Tradewinds series. There are multiple characters to choose from, each with their own funny storyline. The scripts are loaded with jokes that actually are funny. The trading sim portion of the game is very addictive. The battles are mostly hands-off, with outcomes determined by how well you have upgraded your fleet with stronger ships and weapons. If you haven't tried the Tradewinds games, this is the one to pick up.
 
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