Here's a delicious little treat from DJ Trousdale at deviantART. Crossblock is a simple and rewarding puzzle game with a sublimely deceptive difficulty curve. At first, you might think it's too easy—after all, each puzzle is just a collection of white squares on a grid—but the complexity grows organically, quicksanding you deeper with each level, until you find yourself waist-deep in Puzzle Solving Mode, goggling at some mad conglomeration of blockwork, your brain shutting down in whinnying, eye-rolling stupefaction.

Your goal is to eliminate all the blocks on a level by dragging a line across them, one horizontal or vertical group at a time. Each level has a number that indicates how many blocks you can cross out at once. Just click and drag across a group, consisting of exactly that number of blocks, to erase them.

This is all a lot easier to understand when you're looking at it, and the game eases you into it with a gracious and sinister hand. The lovely hand-pixeled scrolling backgrounds and jazzy soundtrack (all by the game's author) help make you feel comfortable and unthreatened, but don't be fooled. There will come a point where you just can't believe that such a straightforward, honest-looking pile of blocks can hold so many baffling complications; that such a friendly, casual game can so effortlessly grab you by the peaknuckles and lead you around the room skipping.

Nice work, DJ Trousdale. Good puzzle game.

Play Crossblock.

Escape, the third chapter in the Trapped series by Godlimations, inspires in me a confusing mixture of feelings. There's much to admire about the game—excellently animated cutscenes, a number of clever puzzles, an interesting story—but it also at times comes off as amateurish and cheesy. An obvious labor of love, Escape manages to be one of the most epic and expansive room escape games I've played while still providing more than a few wince-worthy moments. Kooky!

In Escape, you play as Dialla Reineheart, a spunky red-headed lady detective tasked with bringing down a sinister crime syndicate. Your partner, Mickey, has been tragically slain by the leader of the gang, the ruthless Dan McNeely; now, you must escape from his clutches. This won't be easy. Even after absconding from your jail cell, there's the matter of finding the evidence needed to bring down the syndicate once and for all...not to mention getting past Merik, Dan's violently brutish second-in-command. And, of course, there is the inevitable final showdown with McNeely himself. What sort of demons will Dialla have to confront when she comes face-to-face with her own past?

Escape is a significant achievement. It's one of the longest escape games I've ever played, spanning four rooms and half a dozen very nicely-animated cutscenes; it also contains a smooth, well-integrated combat section, which is not easy to pull of in the middle of a point-and-click adventure. I was struck most by the completeness of the package that Escape presents: multiple rooms to escape from, a fleshed-out backstory, animated cutscenes, voice acting... Godlimations really went over and beyond to create a game that transcends the room escape genre to become something more substantial and complex.

However, as much as I admired and enjoyed Escape's various cutscenes and story elements, at times I just could not get past the cheesiness. The characters are almost ridiculously two-dimensional (the spirited heroine, evil henchman, heartless criminal mastermind, etc), and approximately one-third of the dialogue consists of evil cackles and plaintive wails. The voice acting is mixed; while some was quite good (I especially enjoyed the campy maliciousness of the actor voicing McNeely), Dialla's voice practically made me grind my teeth. Finally, strangely enough, only certain cutscenes are skippable; considering the length of some of these sections and the fact that there is no save feature, it would have been nice to always have the option to move directly to the next interactive portion of the game. These may seem like petty criticisms, and certainly they don't relate directly to the gameplay; still, these components are a significant enough part of the overall experience to warrant examination and appraisal.

While I found that overall the game's puzzles were rational enough, there were moments that required leaps of questionable logic. The final room in particular contained one puzzle that completely baffled me; it was only after 10 minutes of random clicking around that I accidentally stumbled across the solution. That being said, the game's interface is clean and largely intuitive, and pixel-hunting is nil (woot!).

Even with these criticisms, I don't want to diminish how impressed I was with many aspects of the game. Godlimations is a very talented group, and the effort they put into Escape definitely shows; the game's aesthetic, most of the gameplay and the overall immersion of the experience are really excellent. I think that if the team had scaled down the size of the game just a bit (one less room, perhaps?) and focused their attention upon perfecting the rest, Escape could have been really marvelous. The potential is there... with time and experience Godlimations may very well create some masterpieces.

While you might enjoy playing the Trapped series' first and second parts, it's not necessary to do so in order to understand Escape. Also, while I certainly wouldn't call the game for mature audiences only, there is a fair amount of cartoony violence, so you may want to keep the little ones away.

It's time to end this once and for all:

Play Escape!

Have you ever been driving with the family on a summer day, with all the windows rolled down, the dog sticking its head out the window, and everyone enjoying the breeze of the moving car? When all of a sudden, a bee flies in one of the windows, and everyone's panicking to get it out? I can't say I have, because I don't own a dog. I could venture a guess as to what it's like anyway, thanks to Evacuation, a new retro-styled puzzle game by Ryan Chisholm and Bennett Foddy, creator of QWOP.

Aliens have invaded your spaceship's cargo hold, and your job is to get rid of them, but without the aid of fancy guns that flash a few colorful lights before they vaporize their target. Instead, you harness the maze of gates in your cargo hold to suck the aliens back into outer space. Clicking on a colored gate will open all gates of the same color, and clicking an open gate will close the gates similarly. When a path of open gates leads to the outside air (or lack thereof), anything not tethered down (which is everything) will get sucked outside.

Also wandering around in the cargo hold are your crew members, necessary to keep the ship afloat. Clicking on a room places a flag there, and all capable crew members will work their way into that room. However, if they get caught by an alien, GULP!, they're gone. If they get sucked outside of the ship, EEEK!, they're gone. Most importantly, if an alien sneaks into the control room and consumes the ship's captain, GAAH!, it's all over. At least one crew member (the captain included) has to remain aboard the ship in order to win each level. If you can clear a level without losing a single crew member, you'll be rewarded with two extra crew members from a limited stockpile.

Analysis: On the one hand, Evacuation has a good blend of strategy and luck that makes each level a challenge to figure out. There's no time limit, so you're free to consider all of your options before choosing which gates to open. Tiny, visor-wearing lives are at stake here! On the other hand, some levels leave you feeling a bit too lucky. The level generator, which seems to be making up random levels following a pre-set difficulty curve of some sort, gives a few no-way-to-lose levels from time to time (for example, your captain being put in a room with all solid walls, with no way in or out). One thing that's not entirely clear is whether or not the movement of the aliens and crew members is pre-set or random, which could effect how one plays strategically.

The music does get grating after a bit, but ultimately, it helps to set up the feeling of futuristic-space-travel-attacked-by-aliens goodness. The retro Commodore 64-style graphics also help, with computer fonts and cute little spacemen walking around everywhere. Evacuation might not be the most complex game out there, but (WARNING! PUN AHEAD! DANGER, WILL ROBINSON!) one thing's for sure... It'll definitely suck you in.

Hey, we tried.

Play Evacuation.

If you would describe yourself as both nurturing and sadistic, today's game is perfect for you. Chicken's Flying School, from Xenao Games, is about preparing newborn chicks for a big flying tournament 20 days from now. Since time is short, and you'll apparently be needing a massive troop of trained performing chicken infants, it's sink-or-swim time for the little puffballs. Or, to be more specific, it's get-tossed-into-the-air and-don't-fall time. I have never been more serious in my life than when I say this: Don't try this at home. Do not teach baby chickens to fly by throwing them. You will make everybody sad.

But in a video game, it's totally fine. Adorable, even! On each level, you need to launch a certain number of chicks into the sky and keep them there with puffs of air until they learn to spread their wings and fly on their own. The resident hen will supply you with a steady flow of eggs. Once a chick breaks free of its shell, you can send it upwards with a click of the mouse button. Then keep it from falling to the ground by clicking underneath it with something I've never heard of called an "air sponge". This is easy enough with one chick, but handling multiple flight pupils simultaneously will take a lot of quick thinking and crowd control technique.

After a certain length of time in the air, the little cuties will figure out how to stay aloft by themselves, flutter over to the nearby fence, and perch there in a manner reminiscent of Hitchcock's The Birds. I'm guessing the chicks are planning to thank you for your tough-love style of tutoring by using their newfound powers of flight to go for your eyes.

As you pass levels and the weather gets worse, your job gets more complicated. Gusts of wind threaten to blow the chicks off-screen. Rainstorms make them water-logged, so they fall faster. Predators arrive to terrorize them, and must be booted away with a click of the mouse.

To help balance the odds, power-up clouds float by once in a while. If you burst them in time, they grant you temporary bonuses, like helium balloons for all the little tykes, or a larger, more powerful "air sponge". Activate your bonuses by either clicking on them or pressing the appropriate number hotkey.

Analysis: Chicken's Flying School reminds me of the now classic Popcap title Insaniquarium, which was not so much about time management as it was about attention management. By the last level of this game, you'll be keeping at least four chicks in the air at any given time whilst popping rain clouds to stave off the weather, watching for approaching pests in three different corners of the screen, trying to center everybody in the middle to guard against strong gusts of wind, and planning out a strategy for your dwindling stockpile of power-ups. It's a lot to think about, and if you don't loosen up first, the constant, tense clicking will hurt your wrist. Seriously, don't hurt yourself playing this. The chickens aren't worth it.

But the consistently high level of involvement makes the game fun, and the atmosphere is sugary-sweet enough to make your arms tingle. The artwork is almost supernaturally bright and colorful, while kids of all ages will appreciate the detailed character animation. That fox is so sneaky. Those chicks are so helpless. That rooster who comes to distract the hen is so muscular. The music will drive you insane no matter who you are, but some of us like to flirt with insanity occasionally, thank you very much.

My one big argument with Chicken's Flying School concerns the overall pacing. Xenao Games are trying to stretch about five good gameplay ideas across 20 levels. In order to cover the distance, they roll out new complications at a constant rate, and gradually increase the number of chicks who need to graduate from flying school each level. But instead of just making the later levels harder, they also make them dramatically longer, which eventually turns this from a test of skill into a grinding slog. Don't feel like you have to complete the whole game in one sitting.

This is the sort of game where you're clicking along, going pleasantly mad, having a good time, until you realize that level 18 is twenty times longer than level 1 was, and what you thought was going to be a cute little diversion is now going to make you late for your shift at KFC. Well, at least you'll soon get your revenge.

Play Chicken's Flying School.

Newly thawed from Nitrome, Ice Breaker is a great-looking physics-based puzzle game involving vikings, chunks of ice, and vikings frozen inside chunks of ice. Using the mouse, simply draw lines to cut the ice and drop vikings onto the ship. You'll often need to manipulate the frozen environment to create a smooth path for the vikingcicles to slide down, so timing and a little experimentation with physics are your two best friends in this game.

To slice a chunk of ice, all you have to do is click and drag the mouse. You can only cut using a clean stroke, so the line must begin and end outside of the ice. Use the [arrow] or [WASD] keys to scroll the map, or just slide the cursor to the edge of the screen to take a look around.

Ice Breaker doesn't confine the action to cutting and dropping. More physics puzzles are introduced quite quickly, including fixed points where ice can swing from and ropes that can bind pieces of ice together. You'll also find a few other obstacles and bonuses as you slice your way through the game's healthy 40 levels. And even when you're not trying to complete puzzles, it's a lot of fun to cut up the environment to see what kind of havoc you can wreck.

Analysis: The gameplay in Ice Breaker is reminiscent of the under-appreciated Nintendo DS game Soul Bubbles. In both titles you manipulate objects by slicing chunks off of larger pieces to make them more manageable. In Ice Breaker, for example, you'll often need to cut slivers of ice so a frozen viking can slide down a pathway. Sometimes chiseling a pillar into a properly fitted bridge will be necessary to move a viking to safety, bringing into play your ability to mentally visualize and rotate oddly-shaped objects in your mind.

I've always enjoyed Nitromes pixel-perfect art style, but Ice Breaker's visual presentation really impressed me. Maybe I just like the Norse-like influence, the subtle hints of a grand mythology looming just behind the fuzzy bearded viking guys. The moment I saw the ship floating in the cold waters I was in awe.

A few minor gameplay quirks, such as the mini-map covering areas you need to cut and the slightly "sticky" scrolling function, are slightly annoying but far from ruin the game. A clickable mini-map would also be a nice feature, allowing you to quickly view different areas without moving through the whole stage.

Great-looking, well-balanced and a lot of fun to just play around with, Ice Breaker is an excellent physics-based puzzle game that you'll thoroughly enjoy.

Play Ice Breaker.

My name? That's not important. Just call me "the avatar". Allow me to share the story of my venture through a deep tunnel with interesting purple wallpaper, and my battle with the fierce boss at the end.

This was no ordinary boss, oh no. This was the Grinning Colossus. And he was impossible to defeat with my regular arsenal of axes. I had to employ a creative means of attack in order to take him out. You'll never guess what it was. My feats of heroism were immortalized in a flash game by Mazapán, called You Have to Burn the Rope. Move [left] and [right] with the corresponding arrow keys, jump with [up] or [space], and throw axes with [down] or any other key.

Though it only received a passing mention in a previous Link Dump Friday, YHTBTR has earned quite a fanbase. It boasts a game manual, four walkthroughs (including one YouTube walkthrough and one in German), a speedrun posted on YouTube, a Spanish Wikipedia page, a text-adventure version, a novelization, and a fan-comic. (Links to all of these are provided at the bottom of the game's web page.) There's even a reference to it in The irRegular Game of Life.

Here are some genuine comments from the JIG community about the masterpiece of gaming that is YHTBTR:

"You have to burn a rope" [sic] is seriously hard, especially the final boss. But I love how the ending credits show screenshots of the most exciting moments. Remembering what incredible feats I had to do during the course of the game made me all teary-eyed... -baba44713

[YHTBTR is] the most amazing, graphically intense game ever produced with the most intriguing story ever made. -ThemePark

ZOMG. How could you not give YHTBTR a full review? It has all the requirements of a great game--drama, comedy, cuteness, fire, a rope--I am taking my blog reading business ELSEWHERE! -joye

YHTBTR is the best game ever, no holds barred. -symar

The ending of YHTBTR is the best I've seen in a game since Portal[.] -mysteriousracoon

After some hours of intense brain concentration, I finally beat YHTBTR. Amazingly fun, escpecially [sic] the credits song. I think I'll just press refresh and start again! -Donut

YHTBTR is the best game ever! I love it! -AF

See what all the hype is all about:

Play YHTBTR!

While I admit that the staccato *pop* of a punctured Bloon can be quite pleasant, I dare anyone to deny the ultimate satisfaction that comes from lighting stuff on fire! Fortunately, there is now a great way to soothe your burning desire while maintaining the physics-y puzzle-iciousness you've come to expect from Bloons and other offerings.

From game designer Michael Gribbin comes Pyro, a bevy of burning, a calamity of combustion, and a triumph of torch. In short, a game of flame! The goal is simple: light all of the torches. If the copious numbers of wooden blocks spread across forty levels should also happen to go up in smoke, so much the better! Each level requires a certain number of torches (usually all) to be lit, and a given number of fireballs with which to spread your fiery chaos, though occasionally you may collect bonus fireballs.

Click and drag the fireball at the top of the screen to set the angle and power, then release to put it into play. Lighting all the torches with a single fireball earns you an ace, and once you've collected enough aces, you gain access to one of four secret levels. Some levels cannot be beaten with a single fireball, but you can still earn the ace by using only two.

Analysis: In contrast with everyone's favorite dart-throwing-monkey game, Pyro features sparse levels reminiscent of a medieval castle: wood, stone, torches, and nothing else. The puzzle lies more in plotting out a complex, ricochet-riddled path than in using an arsenal of special tools, especially if you're collecting aces. Even the special powers of the rare bonus shots are used without creativity, introduced and then forgotten, providing hints of future complexity left unfulfilled. Now, I don't mind a bare-bones game (in fact, some of my favorite games may be found in under the simpleidea tag), but the limited use of the special fireballs leads me to question why they were even included.

Nevertheless, the minimalistic design makes Pyro accessible to both careful course-plotters and those who prefer to fire early and often, just to see what happens. Awarding aces for perfect shots pacifies those pesky perfectionists who might otherwise balk at having more fireballs than necessary, while also making the game accessible to people who need those extra shots. Also, you can go back to any level you want and try again to get that ace (and get one step closer to unlocking another secret level), which adds a certain amount of replay value.

My only real gripe with the game is that the fireball will occasionally bounce differently than the trajectory line suggests, but since restarting is fast and simple (just press the [s] key to stop a wasted fireball), it's not really a major issue. So don your flame-retardant underpants and get ready to play Pyro!

Play Pyro.

Kivi's Underworld, a new hack-n-slash action-RPG, is the second installment of the Depths of Peril series by Soldak Entertainment. The developers received a surprising amount of critical acclaim for Depths of Peril, a game that offered the Diablo-inspired genre a breath of fresh air. Year after year, the mediocre titles being churned out by developers with the intention of riding the coattails of "Diablo madness" has now reached a critical mass, and players usually don't give them a second glance anymore. But just as Depths of Peril caught their eye, the new Kivi's Underworld — set within the same world and mythos — is nothing to be scoffed at. In fact, as isometric action-RPGs go, it's a solid win.

I know what you're thinking..."The Diablo series is epic, nothing else comes close — I don't even want to look at anything besides Diablo 3 trailers!" Truth is, a few of us fans here at JIG had the same reservations. But just as its predecessor, Kivi's Underworld isn't some watered-down, derivative clone. It's not some quick-and-dirty rush-job by Soldak to repackage the Depths of Peril engine with new graphics and slap a "new game" sticker on it, which I mistakenly assumed before playing it (in fact, it's an advanced version of the original engine). It's a unique game in its own right, with vastly different mechanics and style. While Depths of Peril focused heavily on strategy and diplomacy, Kivi's Underworld is a lot more action-oriented; in some regard, what you might expect from a platformer, even though it's an isometric, top-down RPG game. Instead of a sprawling game-world like in most RPG's, you'll find a progressing series of level-like "adventures" with quests, achievements, new characters to unlock and skills to beef up. It's a pretty different kind of game than what you might assume from looking at the screen shots.

Kivi is your main character, a member of a race called the Lumen. The Lumen usually stick to their own, leery of outsiders. Kivi, on the other hand, is a real go-getter and decides to adventure out on his own, only to be attacked by the opposing Dark Elves during a mining expedition and left for dead (as seen in Depths of Peril). After his warning about the emerging Dark Elf threat falls on deaf ears, Kivi takes it upon himself to venture out and get proof, as well as taking on the enemy himself. Although I give these indie developers credit for weaving their own inter-connected lore to the series, it's a bit passé in Kivi's Underworld because the game is driven by hack-n-slash action, not lore-driven role-playing. But hey, some fans will love it. Soldak even has a virtual tome of lore and story continuity here on its website.

Kivi is a warrior class, just one of 20 playable characters in the game. Granted, they're more like "mini-classes" (as developer Steven Peeler quotes them). But it's still quite a lot, especially for a small indie game. These characters are unlocked gradually throughout the game, each bringing a unique set of abilities with them. Some are unlocked by encountering them in-game, while others require a certain number of points accumulated. Every character has a main attack, a special ability (drawn from mana) and a passive ability. For example, Kivi's main attack is with a sword. His special ability is "Power Strike," a high-damage sword attack, and his passive ability is called "Stunning Blows," which always gives him a chance to land stun attacks. Just a few of the of the characters you have to look forward to are: [Spoiler alert; skip to the next paragraph if you feel like knowing some of the characters you'll encounter might spoil the surprise]...a Ninja, a Scout (rogue), Fire and Ice Mages and a Warlock.

The controls and combat system are extremely intuitive, and pretty effective when it comes to dishing out damage and keeping your defenses up. Just point the mouse to the spot you'd like to move to and left-click, or hold the button down to "auto-walk" and you'll keep following the mouse cursor. Click the left mouse button while the cursor is hovering an enemy (or a destroyable object) to use your main attack, or keep it pressed to auto-attack. Same deal with your special ability, which is controlled using the right mouse button. Various hot-keys are assigned (and configurable) for commonly-used actions, like opening your quest and character interfaces. Pushing [Space] will let you quickly use the lowest-placed power-up in your power-up box (which can hold up to three, collected from monster drops and chests--more on these later). Pretty much everything you can control with the mouse by clicking the icons on your UI can be done with keyboard. Tip: the exception seemed to be the ability to toggle item nameplates on and off, which can be done by pressing [Alt]. It's a handy feature when the screen feels too cluttered, or conversely, when you're having trouble seeing an item on the floor.

The streamlined control lends itself well with the gameplay. In keeping with the hack-n-slash theme of Kivi's Underworld, hindrances to action are minimal. The whole game is basically just a series of dungeon runs, but the characters, monsters, quests and abilities keep the game positioned right inside the sweet spot between action and adventure. Each "level" of the game (called adventures) features a single dungeon, some with multiple underground levels. Actually, "dungeon" might not be the best word for every adventure, because some of them have an outdoor setting, even though they are all self-contained. There's a main quest objective in each level, as well as side-quests or achievement goals (like killing 20 zombies or finding all the secret rooms). Your score is paramount to character progression, and you get points for almost everything (even achievement "feats" like attacking the first monster in an adventure before it attacks you). At the end of each adventure, your score is tallied and determines whether you receive a bronze, silver or gold "trophy," which awards you one, two or three skill points to spend, respectively.

Skill points earned this way are spent on base attributes like offense, defense, health, mana and abilities. The skill system works a bit differently in Kivi's Underworld than in other RPG's. There are two types of skill points; temporary and permanent. The points you receive from trophies are permanent and will persist throughout the game. The temporary skill points will only persist until the current adventure ends. Temporary skill points come from weapon and armor drops (from monsters and chests), and will add one point to your offense or defense. There are also "Skill Up" drops that let you choose which skill to spend it on, although they are also temporary. It's an interesting mechanic, one that keeps the overall pace at a steady rate, but gives you a little extra edge in combat without committing to specific skills until you decide which way you want to take your characters. Since permanent skill points apply to all your characters—not just Kivi—you can wait awhile to see which character you enjoy playing the most before accidentally dumping a ton of points into mana, for example. In addition to your skills and abilities, there are lots of different power-ups to collect from monsters, chests, crates, barrels or basically anything that you can break. Some of them enhance your offense and defense in various ways, while others are similar to single-use "spells," like stealing monsters' health, casting rings of fire or causing a mini-earthquake that damages all nearby enemies.

Analysis: If you're a hardcore RPG fan, the gameplay and unusual mechanic of Kivi's Underworld might turn you off, or seem repetitive after awhile. On the other hand, it might be just the thing you've been looking for, considering all the isometric action-RPGs (yes yes, "Diablo clones," I know, ::sigh::) that you've probably tried out over the years. The developers at Soldak Entertainment really have a knack for putting a unique and enjoyable spin on the tried-and-true formula.

The drawbacks are minor; character pathing works pretty well, but occasionally you'll run straight into a trap you were trying to avoid if you're not an old-hand with isometric movement. The "fog of war" mechanic (the black areas that dynamically surround your character as it moves) is complete overkill and downright annoying sometimes, because it's just too tight. You get the feeling you're underground with just a candle to light your way, even if you're outside in broad daylight. Monsters will commonly vanish if they walk too far away from you, even if they're still a few steps away from the fog. Lastly, upgradable gear and weapons (or "lewt," as Blizzard fans affectionately call it), are no where to be seen. Granted, the game is designed in a way that you don't need it, and it helps streamline the hack-n-slash action without worrying about micro-managing, but a few different swords and helmets along the way would have been nice.

As it stands though, Kivi's Underworld is an awesome addition to the Depths of Peril series and will no doubt be well-received by fans of the genre. You can have the same amount of fun in a 20-minute session that you can in two hours, an attribute that's pretty rare even in action-RPGs. The graphics and sound are awesome for an indie game, much better than its predecessor. The overall polish given to this title really enhances the entire gameplay, making it a great casual game even for someone who winces when they read the letters "RPG."

Windows:
Download the demo
Order the full version

Mac OS X:
Download the demo
Order the full version

From newcomer World Loom comes the latest resource management game to take the action out of the diner/restaurant/shop/airport: Fix-it-Up: Kate's Adventure. More of a business simulation along the lines of Build-a-lot, you must help Kate expand her profits by buying cars at low prices, fixing them up, and selling them for a hefty profit. The combination of time management and business acumen creates a delightful final product made even better by its whimsical art style and soundtrack.

When Kate returns home from college she finds her father's garage is failing. She decides to help out by cleaning and repairing cars to sell them at a higher profit so the shop can make its rent. As Kate soon learns, however, she has a knack for this business, and after her father's garage is back on its feet, she takes off to half a dozen locations from backwoods farms to Hollywood, California.

Each round of Fix-it-Up: Kate's Adventure has a set of objectives to complete and will progress in much the same way. Cars drive by, some of which are broken and worth less money. Click a car to have the owner make an offer, then drag the vehicle to your lot and start fixing things up. A trip to the repair shop is necessary for broken cars, while the body and/or tuning shop spruces up the ride and increases its resale value. Once all the trimmings have been added, drag the car or truck to the sales lot and wait for someone to make an offer. You can also leave cars on the lot and earn rent, depending on how urgently you need the cash.

It wouldn't be much of a game if you didn't have to manage your resources, and in Fix-it-Up: Kate's Adventure they come in two varieties: spare parts and employees. In order to fix broken vehicles and run them through the body shop, you need a certain number of parts. These can be ordered at any time provided you have the cash. The number of employees affects how many jobs you can perform at once, such as sending one worker to wash a dirty car (dirty cars earn no rent) while three others add a spoiler to an expensive truck.

Each location in Fix-it-Up: Kate's Adventure is arranged differently from the last, which adds a surprisingly strong feeling of variety to the game. I never realized how stale the locations in some time management sims can be! A number of achievement trophies can also be earned, and we all know how much everyone loves achievements! Earning special certificates can unlock new modes of play along with bonus levels, new buildings, and extra machines.

Analysis: Another surprise resource management game that's actually fun (see Parking Dash for my previous bewilderment), Fix-it-Up: Kate's Adventure builds a little variety into itself by including elements of tycoon sims while toning down the twitch gameplay several notches. Instead of worrying about how fast you can click or what order to do things, your main tasks is planning how to maximize your profits. There isn't much thinking involved, however, as this is still a casual game, but the level of financial decision making is sufficient to induce a thoughtful pause or two.

On the side of disappointment, I really wanted to see a little haggling in the game, there was so much potential to expand on this aspect of the business. Buying and selling cars is a straightforward "yes" or "no" response, and everyone seems to offer the same fair price. Just like in real life! (Note: That's sarcasm.) Even a little fake haggling would have made me feel ten times the car tycoon. Let me turn down an offer in the hopes the next sucker fine citizen will offer just a bit more.

A surprising winner in my book, Fix-it-Up: Kate's Adventure mixes all the elements in just the right proportion to make a fun, satisfying, and engaging time management game.

Windows:
Download the demo
Order the full version

Mac OS X:
Not available.
Try Boot Camp or Parallels or CrossOver Games.

If you ask me (trust me, you did... and if you didn't, you know you wanted to), the selection of games on this edition of Weekend Download are some of the most well-rounded and fulfilling titles ever to grace a single article. We've got a pixel-perfect 2D platformer, a 3D spy game, an old favorite RTS title re-imagined in open source, and the classic mahjong puzzle game. Can I get a "YAY!" along with a few high fives?!!

Spelunky (Windows, 11MB, free) - A procedurally-generated 2D platformer created by Derek Yu, artist and one of the developers behind Aquaria. Take the role of a treasure hunter as you carve your way through caverns looking for loot. Use bombs to blast away obstacles, ropes to pull yourself to ceilings, and a few acrobatic-style moves to navigate dangerous ledges.

Gravity Bone (Windows, 24MB, free) - A short but nonetheless impressive 3D first person adventure game powered by the Quake 2 engine (though it doesn't require Quake 2 to run). Take on the role of a secret agent who must perform such dastardly deeds as taking pictures of exploding birds or sneaking into the furnace room to obtain a drink and deliver it to a man with red hair. Only about 20 minutes of gameplay, but the art style and overall presentation are too good to be missed!

Widelands (Mac/Windows/Linux, ~48MB, free) - An open-source realtime strategy game inspired by Settlers that's still under heavy development. You play the role of a regent of a small tribe who must manage and expand an ever-growing settlement. Produce resources, manage relationships with neighboring tribes, build an army and more. Includes a level editor and multiplayer mode where you can take on human or computer AI opponents.

Ivory Mahjongg (Mac/Windows/Linux, 6MB, free) - A simple but surprisingly playable implementation of mahjongg. Choose from a few different tilesets and layouts, rotate the camera view using the [arrow] keys, and start clicking away.

Casual sim/strategy fans (and anyone who enjoyed Virtual Villagers or My Tribe) take note: Westward III: Gold Rush has arrived! Following last spring's release of Westward II: Heroes of the Frontier, the third installment in the series continues the new 3D visual style and basic premise introduced in the second game. Take control of three new heroes as you collect resources, construct farms, saloons, granaries and more to keep your settlers happy and healthy.

Each new game begins with choosing a hero. Heroes bring unique backstories and bonus abilities such as unlocking the ranch or allowing you to build tanneries right away. After selecting a character you'll go through a tutorial that teaches you the basics of gameplay one step at a time. It's a little slow, but newcomers to the genre/series will greatly appreciate the assistance.

Controls are mainly mouse-driven, though there are several keyboard shortcuts that make things easier. Assigning tasks, moving villagers, building structures, etc. is a point-and-click affair, and moving through menu screens is simple and straightforward. Just about every bit of info you need to know is one click away, and once you get familiar with the icons you won't have any trouble with the interface.

The meat of the game takes place across a number of scenarios, each divided into a series of connected quests. These challenges gradually build your skills and your town as you go, introducing tons of fun tasks like battling bandits or blowing up mountain passes with dynamite, and simple necessities such as constructing wells, farms and other buildings. These quests are usually steps that lead to a larger goal, offering an excellent sense of progression and accomplishment. Everything is rather streamlined but with just enough wiggle room to give you a sense of freedom.

In addition to completing quests, you also have to consider the well-being of villagers in your settlement. Everyone needs food, water, and a job.

Analysis: The Westward series had a humble beginning back in late 2006 when it rode in just as the Virtual Villagers craze was beginning to subside. Sandlot Games took a chance with a wild west-themed village sim that sent players on journeys straight out of a classic western. The gamble paid off, and Westward has exploded as one of the most recognized casual realtime sim games around. With its excellent production values and smooth blend of missions and town simulation gaming, just about anyone who picked up the game was quickly hooked by its simple charms.

Westward III sticks to its guns and closely resembles Westward II in every way, from visual style to using the hero set-up to push the story along. Unfortunately you'll find few differences beyond that, though the quests and scenarios are unique and challenging even if you're a long-time Westward fan. There are also a few minor difficulty issues where it seems to spike at certain points in a scenario, leaving you lost and clueless as to what to do next. And would it break the gameplay too much to be able to speed up time while waiting for resources?

Westward III does what its predecessors have done quite well - deliver an evenly-paced wild west adventure in the form of a casual simulation. It's got a great sense of humor evident at every turn, and the gameplay itself is about as captivating as it comes. It doesn't innovate far beyond its predecessors, but who says every game has to be a pioneer? Enjoyable, challenging and fun down to the last nugget.

Windows:
Download the demo
Order the full version

Mac OS X:
Not available.
Try Boot Camp or Parallels or CrossOver Games.

Westward III: Gold Rush is available to download from these affiliates:

I have full confidence that if you all do your duty, if your observational skills are toned, if no hot-spot is neglected, and if the best hunting and clicking strategies are performed, we shall prove ourselves once again able to defend our casual gaming honor, to ride out this storm of 10 Gnomes sequels, and to outlive the menace of gnomery, if necessary for ten minutes, if necessary alone.

We shall go on to the end, we shall find them on the rooftops.
We shall find them in the trees and on the benches.
We shall find them in the gardens.
We shall find them through the fog and in the gloom.
We shall find them in the shipyards.
We shall find them in titanic abandoned warehouses.
We shall find them even if they retreat to the quiet corners of their hometown.
We shall find them in the water forges.
We shall find them at the chemistry building up on campus, where they do their homework.
We shall find them on the beaches.
We shall find them in the quaint village streets.

We shall never surrender, and even if, which I do not for a moment believe, the gnomes somehow got hold of a tank, then our website, armed and guarded by the most enthusiastic, obsessive hidden-object finders the world has ever known, would carry on the struggle, until… wait… what? They do have a tank?

Oh.

Well, then perhaps we should run away.

Yes, it's true—the twelfth and final episode of 10 Gnomes is here, and even Winston Churchill might be getting a little worn down by now. Mateusz Skutnik promised a year's worth of gnomes, and he has delivered. Whether you quit partway through the series or you're just discovering it now; whether you've ferreted out all 120 gnomes singlehandedly, or you just appreciate the pretty scenery; you have to admire the guy's follow-through.

Let's bid a fond farewell to our timid multitude of miniature friends. The next time you look out at the world and fail to see any magic there, just imagine a gnome hiding around every corner. Then imagine you have only ten minutes to find them all. Or they'll get you.

Play 10 Gnomes #12.

Or, go and replay all the 10 Gnomes games.

Thanks for suggesting this one, Mary!

The first Link Dump Friday of 2009 also happens to set another impressive record: the first intro paragraph on JayIsGames to contain the word "bacon"! Remember this moment, as you will no doubt wish to tell your grandchildren where you were when this monumentally important event transpired!

• Fall - A simple but interesting puzzle game that requires some fast thinking. A phantom shape slowly descends onto the grid of shapes at the center of the screen. By sliding pieces in the center, try to put the matching shape where the phantom piece will land.
• Mixel - A tiny but cute platformer where you play a big-eyed kitty who collects coins and grabs keys to progress to the next level. Surprisingly difficult, even on easy mode.
• Flubber Rise - From the creator of Oroboros comes a simple arcade game of timing and reflexes. Bounce the ball of flubber into the sky by clicking on it, and each time you fall, try to destroy as much as you can!
• Mytheria - It's a card-based strategy game! Yay! Your goal is to eliminate the opponent by bringing his or her life total to zero. Do so by drawing and casting combat cards much like a simplified version of Magic: The Gathering.
• Frantic - Your standard vertical shooter, only this one's a bit more n00b friendly. Choose a control scheme and start blasting ships, nabbing power-ups as they appear in the wreckage. A little slow-paced at first, but things pick up soon enough.
• Jewel Lines - A very nice clone of Lines complete with level goals, 3 difficulty levels, and appealing graphics and sound effects. It's even highly accessible, as it doesn't rely solely on color perception to tell the jewels apart. And it even tastes like bacon!

DropSum is an elegant puzzle game released early last year by Nick Harper, the creator of Flipped Out (you may recognize some of the sound effects). Harper describes it as a cross between Tetris and Sudoku, and there are some obvious similarities to