In my adventures in the internet, I come across a lot of really cool stuff. Unfortunately, there just isn't enough time to write about all of it, and just as often someone else has already done a great job of writing about it themselves. That's what this newsletter is about - I'll inform you when I write new articles and about my giveaways, sure, but I'll also share the funny, cool, interesting and awesome stuff that I come across as well. I'm not sure how often this will get sent out, but it certainly won't be a daily thing, and anyone who subscribes is always welcome to unsubscribe any time, and I swear I won't do anything uncool like selling your info (or giving it out for free either!)
To celebrate, (and in all honesty, to get some people to actually see what I'm sending out!), I'm gonna give away five copies of Siege of Turtle Enclave on Desura AND everyone who subscribes by the end of the giveaway will get a free copy of When Asteroids Attack (my game!).
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Sunday, March 16, 2014
Saturday, March 15, 2014
Derrick the Deathfin Review
Derrick the Deathfin was one of those games that I just had to play the very second I saw a glimpse of it. The game is "the world's very first underwater papercraft videogame", and aside from games like Paper Mario that are made to look like paper, it's the first true papercraft video game I've ever seen at all! Seriously, watch the launch trailer below and avoid drooling before it's majesty, I dare you!
The sheer amount of papercraft, from Derrick himself to the cardboard numbers (and world!!!), animals, humans, explosions, life meter... It's just overwhelmingly awesome! Heck, the developer even has D.I.Y. paper kits on the webpage for you to freely download and create! You don't even have to buy the game to enjoy that awesomeness!
The game itself is all about speed. And carnage. And avenging the death of your parents. And the destruction, pollution and evilness of us humans. And collecting gems. And launching into the air to get through fiery rubber tires. So I guess it's all about a lot of things, but speed is definitely #1. It's like an underwater Sonic the Hedgehog meets Ecco the Dolphin's swimming abilities (and not dying 3 seconds after going underwater...). Speed comes from both the way you move through the water and the speed at which your life meter drops - you are a VERY hungry shark, so you need to munch on other critters quite frequently to survive through the end of the level. There are also timed levels, where you have to get through the level in a certain amount of time, those are extra speedy!
The sheer amount of papercraft, from Derrick himself to the cardboard numbers (and world!!!), animals, humans, explosions, life meter... It's just overwhelmingly awesome! Heck, the developer even has D.I.Y. paper kits on the webpage for you to freely download and create! You don't even have to buy the game to enjoy that awesomeness!
The game itself is all about speed. And carnage. And avenging the death of your parents. And the destruction, pollution and evilness of us humans. And collecting gems. And launching into the air to get through fiery rubber tires. So I guess it's all about a lot of things, but speed is definitely #1. It's like an underwater Sonic the Hedgehog meets Ecco the Dolphin's swimming abilities (and not dying 3 seconds after going underwater...). Speed comes from both the way you move through the water and the speed at which your life meter drops - you are a VERY hungry shark, so you need to munch on other critters quite frequently to survive through the end of the level. There are also timed levels, where you have to get through the level in a certain amount of time, those are extra speedy!
Monday, March 10, 2014
Interview with Patrick Casey, Developer of Voyage to Farland
I sat down (at my laptop) to speak with Patrick Casey, sole developer with Peculiar Games and developer of Voyage to Farland (a cute-but-hardcore, addicting roguelike that I reviewed).
I often see you refer to Mystery Dungeon or Shiren when you talk about Voyage to Farland. Were there any other inspirations for Voyage to Farland?
I probably mention Shiren TOO much when talking about Voyage to Farland! I guess I'm hoping to snag a few Shiren fans or at least get them interested in my game. Shiren was indeed the main inspiration. I'd seen Rogue, Nethack and so on, but nothing that brought those older ASCII games into the present with a modern graphical treatment. And Chunsoft does such a fantastic job with the design - they didn't just take a couple of ideas from Rogue and make a so-so game to generate a few bucks. Shiren's design is TIGHT - especially the revamped 2006 DS release (2008 for the English version).
I'd been playing Earthbound before I picked up Shiren, and I think a few elements (or at least atmosphere) worked their way into Voyage to Farland as well, more subconsciously than by design. Since I started working on Voyage when I lived in Japan, there's a Japanese cultural influence also with a few of the monsters: Oba (from Obatarian - the way Japanese people describe "battalions" of pushy middle-aged women), Oni (the Japanese word for demon), and the Maskboy monster which is influenced by the bouncing heads and the masked "No-Face" character in Miyazaki's film, "Spirited Away".
 |
| HE MENTIONED EARTHBOUND!!!! YES!!! Auto-awesomeness in my book. |
Some of the weapons also reference actual blades manufactured in Seki, Japan (in Gifu Prefecture). But it's a very obscure & convoluted shout-out!
Sunday, March 9, 2014
Clobbr for Android/iOS - "Precious, Adorable Mild Violence"
 |
| Doesn't this just SCREAM "Precious, adorable mild violence"??? |
I was informed about an intriguing little title called Clobbr that the developer very cleverly calls "precious, adorable mild violence." I'll admit, that little tagline alone had me intrigued!
Note: Since I have no device that can play the game, I couldn't test this out myself. I have only the developer's information, images and videos to go by.
 |
| That kitty is gonna get it! |
Like any good puzzle game, the concept is incredibly simple: slide each row right or left to line up the symbols, then clobber the ball into the ground, watching it follow the path you've created. Your goal is to get the rock to hit the kitty, saving the mice, and you've got a limited amount of time to line it all up. At first, it looks like it's just arrows, but then there are trampolines, ice blocks, portals, bowling balls, mouse traps... Craziness galore! To quote the developer: "The game includes 100 levels across 5 worlds, each introducing a new type of block - trampolines, catapults, ice cubes, portals and bowling balls, with new worlds and blocks planned in the near future."
Available For: iOS ($1.99), Android ($1.99)
Developed By: Czarcade
Saturday, March 8, 2014
The String Arcade - [AWESOME] Video Game Music Arranged for String Quartet
Note: I received a free review album, but the fact that it was free absolutely didn't affect my opinion. All the words below are my true thoughts, and this game music lover couldn't be happier to be sharing such awesomeness!
When I first took a look at the songs in The String Arcade, I was a bit perplexed. Normally an album of game music covers the same typical stuff - some Final Fantasy, some Zelda, maybe a little Mega Man or Duck Tales or Contra and possibly a lesser-known game here or there just to mix things up. The String Arcade, on the other hand, has more eclectic pieces of music from games even I've never heard of than ones I have, and I've been playing games since before the days of the NES! There are some classics (a TRON Arcade Medley and the Legend of Zelda Title Theme, for example) that are really fantastic, but I was even more amazed that even the songs from games I'd never even heard before were really amazing. Typically unknown game themes lack the heart that come with actually playing the games, so no matter how good the music may be it's dull and not worth listening to. That's certainly not the case here!
Grasswalk, from Plants Vs. Zombies, starts the album off and really starts things on a great foot. It's a playful melody that, for some reason, makes me imagine Sherlock Holmes (Robert Downey Jr's Sherlock, that is) sitting and toying with his violin. It's also easily one of my favorites on the album.
On the other end of the album sits The Legend of Zelda Title Theme. It was the first one I played, as it's very often covered by people and gives a great idea of what to expect out of a cover artist... Will it be a simple, uncreative-yet-skillful copy of the theme but with a string quartet, or will it be something unique, something new? Luckily, it was the latter... In fact, the song is the best kind of temptress, luring you in with the idea of something familiar, then weaving around those notes and many others before really bringing it home, giving you the theme you came to hear but so much more as well! It's always wonderful to find a group with as much skill composing as actually playing the music.
The 13 tracks between (15 if you're willing to spend the extra $2 to get the physical CD that comes with the Altered Beast theme and TRON Arcade Medley - SO worth it, but I'll go into that more later) are great as well. I'm sure some of you will recognize some of the games better than I did, but like I said, even though I didn't recognize the music (or even half of the game titles), the music is fantastic. It bounces from playful to peaceful to dramatic like a great platformer keeps your hands JUST the right amount sweaty. Of those Particularly of note is Dance of the Space Bugs from Galaga, which even after several listens reminds me of getting my butt kicked but loving every moment of it at the arcade as a child.
Ah yes, and then there's the TRON Arcade Medley for those who buy the physical CD... Yes, I remember promising to come back to that. That one alone easily makes up the $2 price difference. Heck, aside from the fact that 100% of the sales from this recording go to the Alameda Music Project (AMP - alamedamusicproject.org) and that the rest of the CD is great too, between it, the Legend of Zelda theme and Grasswalk, it sells the CD! TRON had a beautiful enough soundtrack, putting it into these talented musicians' hands is almost too much awesomeness, if such a thing were possible.
Homepage: http://www.thestringarcade.com/
Price: $10 for Digital, $11.99 for physical CD (plus two bonus songs, ONE OF WHICH IS THE TRON MEDLEY!!!! DO IT!)
When I first took a look at the songs in The String Arcade, I was a bit perplexed. Normally an album of game music covers the same typical stuff - some Final Fantasy, some Zelda, maybe a little Mega Man or Duck Tales or Contra and possibly a lesser-known game here or there just to mix things up. The String Arcade, on the other hand, has more eclectic pieces of music from games even I've never heard of than ones I have, and I've been playing games since before the days of the NES! There are some classics (a TRON Arcade Medley and the Legend of Zelda Title Theme, for example) that are really fantastic, but I was even more amazed that even the songs from games I'd never even heard before were really amazing. Typically unknown game themes lack the heart that come with actually playing the games, so no matter how good the music may be it's dull and not worth listening to. That's certainly not the case here!
 |
On the other end of the album sits The Legend of Zelda Title Theme. It was the first one I played, as it's very often covered by people and gives a great idea of what to expect out of a cover artist... Will it be a simple, uncreative-yet-skillful copy of the theme but with a string quartet, or will it be something unique, something new? Luckily, it was the latter... In fact, the song is the best kind of temptress, luring you in with the idea of something familiar, then weaving around those notes and many others before really bringing it home, giving you the theme you came to hear but so much more as well! It's always wonderful to find a group with as much skill composing as actually playing the music.
The 13 tracks between (15 if you're willing to spend the extra $2 to get the physical CD that comes with the Altered Beast theme and TRON Arcade Medley - SO worth it, but I'll go into that more later) are great as well. I'm sure some of you will recognize some of the games better than I did, but like I said, even though I didn't recognize the music (or even half of the game titles), the music is fantastic. It bounces from playful to peaceful to dramatic like a great platformer keeps your hands JUST the right amount sweaty. Of those Particularly of note is Dance of the Space Bugs from Galaga, which even after several listens reminds me of getting my butt kicked but loving every moment of it at the arcade as a child.
Ah yes, and then there's the TRON Arcade Medley for those who buy the physical CD... Yes, I remember promising to come back to that. That one alone easily makes up the $2 price difference. Heck, aside from the fact that 100% of the sales from this recording go to the Alameda Music Project (AMP - alamedamusicproject.org) and that the rest of the CD is great too, between it, the Legend of Zelda theme and Grasswalk, it sells the CD! TRON had a beautiful enough soundtrack, putting it into these talented musicians' hands is almost too much awesomeness, if such a thing were possible.
Homepage: http://www.thestringarcade.com/
Price: $10 for Digital, $11.99 for physical CD (plus two bonus songs, ONE OF WHICH IS THE TRON MEDLEY!!!! DO IT!)
Friday, March 7, 2014
Wordspionage - Scrabble for Sneaky, Tricky Spies!
Note: I don't have any of the platforms this game is available for, so this information and excitement is taken purely from the game's app pages and the developer.
Wordspionage is Scrabble with special operations, special words and craziness aplenty. Boom, post done in one sentence! Have a great rest of your day everyone! :D
Seriously though, and don't get me wrong, I do like Scrabble... But there's only so much of coming up with random two letter words and trying to figure out what to do with a Q when there are no Us anywhere to be found. Since I've only recently gotten back into writing, my vocabulary has all but fallen apart, so looking at seven random letters typically leads me to coming up with words like "cow" or "hat" or other 3-letter words that children learn before second grade. Wordspionage, on the other hand, adds some much needed strategy for those who aren't masters of the dictionary.
Best of all, the game is free for iOS and Android, so get on it! And make sure you give Sterling and Madeline - the code names of the husband and wife development team - a challenge once you do!
Available For: iOS (FREE!), Android (FREE!)
Developed By: Napland Games
Game Homepage: www.Wordspionage.com
Wordspionage is Scrabble with special operations, special words and craziness aplenty. Boom, post done in one sentence! Have a great rest of your day everyone! :D
Seriously though, and don't get me wrong, I do like Scrabble... But there's only so much of coming up with random two letter words and trying to figure out what to do with a Q when there are no Us anywhere to be found. Since I've only recently gotten back into writing, my vocabulary has all but fallen apart, so looking at seven random letters typically leads me to coming up with words like "cow" or "hat" or other 3-letter words that children learn before second grade. Wordspionage, on the other hand, adds some much needed strategy for those who aren't masters of the dictionary.
 |
| FEEL THE WRATH OF MY Q!!! |
Best of all, the game is free for iOS and Android, so get on it! And make sure you give Sterling and Madeline - the code names of the husband and wife development team - a challenge once you do!
Available For: iOS (FREE!), Android (FREE!)
Developed By: Napland Games
Game Homepage: www.Wordspionage.com
Monday, March 3, 2014
F.I.T. Quest on Kickstarter - Perform the Actions of Heroes to Get in Shape!
Gamification of exercise is one of the areas that, while it sounds easy, actually isn't. Fitocracy is a pretty cool site, don't get me wrong, but it doesn't fully capture the game as much as I'd hoped. F.I.T. Quest, on the other hand, sounds like it just might! I'm all for mimicking the actions of an epic RPG/Adventure hero to advance my quests, earn gold and experience and become more fit at the same time!
The game consists of two separate portions - an optional offline version with real cards and a map, as well as the online one. What makes it really awesome, though, is that (according to the creator) you can even print out card versions of yourself as you progress, losing weight, becoming more fit, etc. What could be cooler than having numerous PHYSICAL cards of yourself as you grow more fit? That's some awesome motivation in my book!
Estimated Completion: May 2014
The game consists of two separate portions - an optional offline version with real cards and a map, as well as the online one. What makes it really awesome, though, is that (according to the creator) you can even print out card versions of yourself as you progress, losing weight, becoming more fit, etc. What could be cooler than having numerous PHYSICAL cards of yourself as you grow more fit? That's some awesome motivation in my book!
Estimated Completion: May 2014
Monday, February 24, 2014
iCoffee Giveaway
Disclaimer: This is not my own giveaway, nor is it my own post. I am helping to promote someone else's awesome giveaway because caffeine rocks! :D
Welcome to the iCoffee Giveaway!
Sponsored by iCoffee
Hosted by Mostly Together Mommy
Most coffee makers use a drip system, which can compact the coffee grounds and bring out too much of the bitterness of the beans. In contrast, the iCoffee by Remington machine steams the grounds, before using hot water jets to stir the grounds, extracting the maximum amount of great flavor.
You can read a full review of this great machine from Mostly Together Mommy.
The iCoffe Brewer can be found at many major retailers and retails for $170. One lucky winner will be taking home their own iCoffee maker! To enter, simply use the Rafflecopter form below. This giveaway will end on March 10, 2014. Good luck!
*This blog has not been compensated to promote this giveaway. This giveaway is not affiliated with Facebook, Pinterest or Twitter. The sponsor is responsible for prize fulfillment.
Sunday, February 23, 2014
Simply 7 Snacks Giveaway!
Disclaimer: This is not my own giveaway, nor is it my own post. I am helping to promote someone else's awesome giveaway because snacks rock! :D
Sponsored by
"Do you know what you're really eating?"
The makers of Simply 7 asked themselves this very question, after noticing a distressing trend in their local grocery stores: They found it difficult to find food made with ingredients that most people could recognize, or even pronounce for that matter. For the past few years they began learning how to closely examine the nutritonal content of foods (calories, fats, vitamins, etc). They believe it's important for the average consumer to be able to pronounce the ingredients on the label so they know exactly what they are consuming! The idea behind Simply7 was to create a company that makes sure that every ingredient in their products are not only natural, but also SIMPLE enough for the average person to comprehend as well. Not to mention their strong desire to show the public that simple ingredients can be exceptionally delicious too.
I recommend Simply 7 Snacks to anyone who has been searching for a more healthy snack choice, and for anyone who may be watching their calorie intake for weight loss purposes.
♥♡♥♡♥ It's Giveaway Time! ♥♡♥♡♥
Simply 7 Snacks was gracious enough to sponsor this giveaway! Yaaay! They will be giving one (1) winner a boxed assortment of their chips (similar to the ones shown in the picture above), at the end of this promotion. ($36.95 value)
This giveaway runs from 2/19 - 3/12 To be eligible to enter this giveaway you must be 18+, and a legal resident of the U.S.! Please use the giveawaytools firm below to enter.
Disclaimer: My Sweepstakes City and the participating are NOT responsible for the prize! The sponsor is responsible for prize fulfillment! The winner has 48 hours to claim their prize or ut will be forfeited! This giveaway is in no way connected to Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest!
GOD bless you, and thank you for participating in this giveaway!
The makers of Simply 7 asked themselves this very question, after noticing a distressing trend in their local grocery stores: They found it difficult to find food made with ingredients that most people could recognize, or even pronounce for that matter. For the past few years they began learning how to closely examine the nutritonal content of foods (calories, fats, vitamins, etc). They believe it's important for the average consumer to be able to pronounce the ingredients on the label so they know exactly what they are consuming! The idea behind Simply7 was to create a company that makes sure that every ingredient in their products are not only natural, but also SIMPLE enough for the average person to comprehend as well. Not to mention their strong desire to show the public that simple ingredients can be exceptionally delicious too.
Simply 7 Snacks took these very principles to heart, and established what they refer to as their "7 core standards" that the company stands behind. Hence, the name Simply7 which boasts that their products have: 0 Grams Trans Fat and No Cholesterol. They believe strongly in "eliminating the bad stuff!" Which means in plain English, No Artificial Colors or Flavors, and no Additives or Preservatives added to their food. Simply 7's motto for their chips is "The closer it is to its original form, the purer it is and the better it is for you."
I recommend Simply 7 Snacks to anyone who has been searching for a more healthy snack choice, and for anyone who may be watching their calorie intake for weight loss purposes.
♥♡♥♡♥ It's Giveaway Time! ♥♡♥♡♥
Simply 7 Snacks was gracious enough to sponsor this giveaway! Yaaay! They will be giving one (1) winner a boxed assortment of their chips (similar to the ones shown in the picture above), at the end of this promotion. ($36.95 value)
This giveaway runs from 2/19 - 3/12 To be eligible to enter this giveaway you must be 18+, and a legal resident of the U.S.! Please use the giveawaytools firm below to enter.
Disclaimer: My Sweepstakes City and the participating are NOT responsible for the prize! The sponsor is responsible for prize fulfillment! The winner has 48 hours to claim their prize or ut will be forfeited! This giveaway is in no way connected to Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest!
GOD bless you, and thank you for participating in this giveaway!
Query, The Party Game!
I don't often peruse or pay attention to party games because I don't party and very, very rarely play games with more than one other person, but Query has to be an exception. The concept is simple and hilarious - guess the second half of the search string!
Saturday, February 22, 2014
Catapult for Hire is on Kickstarter!
Catapult for Hire is a game that I'd heard a lot about over the last several months. When I ran across it on Kickstarter, I was really psyched - it means the game is getting closer to release! Tyrone, the developer, lovingly calls it a Nintendo 64 era world, and he's absolutely right - the art and aesthetic are reminiscent of games like Banjo Kazooie or Ocarina of Time in the very best of ways.
Humble Indie Bundle 11 - Guacamelee, Dust, Giana Sisters and The Swapper (Plus More!)
I managed to resist the Double Fine Humble Bundle and I resisted countless awesome bundles before that. Heck, I even managed to get through the Steam sale without a scratch, and hadn't purchased a single game this year. I regret to inform you, however, that the Humble Indie Bundle 11 has drawn first blood for 2014.
This is the first bundle (aside from publisher/developer-specific ones) where I actually recognized nearly all of the games in the bundle, and had heard great things about them. Guacamelee sold me on this one alone, but I'd also been very curious about Dust: An Elysian Tail and Giana Sisters: Twisted Dreams.
I'd also heard great things about Antichamber and Monaco: What's Yours is Mine, but couldn't justify the extra $3.56 for the two games when I've had car repairs to take care of for weeks now. For those of you other gamers on a budget, keep in mind that you can get Guacamelee! Gold Edition, Dust: An Elysian Tail, Giana Sisters: Twisted Dreams and The Swapper for as little as $0.01 if you do the "custom amount", but you'll want to spend at least$1.00 to get the Steam keys as well at least the minimum so you can grab Fez too! Besides, the more you spend, the more goes to the developers, the charities and the awesome Humble Bundle site as well.
Update: I'd originally paid $1 to get the Steam keys, but then when the other games were unlocked, the addition of Fez was just too much to resist! Seriously, you HAVE to grab this bundle!
The Humble Indie Bundle 11 ends Tuesday, March 4th, so if you're at all interested, it would be wise to act quickly. Enjoy!
This is the first bundle (aside from publisher/developer-specific ones) where I actually recognized nearly all of the games in the bundle, and had heard great things about them. Guacamelee sold me on this one alone, but I'd also been very curious about Dust: An Elysian Tail and Giana Sisters: Twisted Dreams.
 |
| Updated from 3/1 11:58am Eastern time. Behold the updated awesomeness, now with Fez! |
I'd also heard great things about Antichamber and Monaco: What's Yours is Mine, but couldn't justify the extra $3.56 for the two games when I've had car repairs to take care of for weeks now. For those of you other gamers on a budget, keep in mind that you can get Guacamelee! Gold Edition, Dust: An Elysian Tail, Giana Sisters: Twisted Dreams and The Swapper for as little as $0.01 if you do the "custom amount", but you'll want to spend at least
Update: I'd originally paid $1 to get the Steam keys, but then when the other games were unlocked, the addition of Fez was just too much to resist! Seriously, you HAVE to grab this bundle!
The Humble Indie Bundle 11 ends Tuesday, March 4th, so if you're at all interested, it would be wise to act quickly. Enjoy!
Thursday, February 6, 2014
Under the Sea Shells Giveaway - Make Math Fun!
Welcome to the Learning Resources - Under the Sea Shells Giveaway
Sponsored by: Learning Resources
Hosted by: Savory Savings
Co-hosted by: Gloriously Green Gal & ContestPatti
Is math a drag in your house, or is it something you worry about with your younger child that they may not do well, or are showing earlier signs of struggling? If so, why not try injecting some fun into their math building practices? Krista over at Savory Savings had the chance to check out the new Under The Sea Shells math word problem activity set from Learning Resources and shared that her kiddos did not even realize they were learning and flexing their math skills when working with this set! This set, aimed for first grade and above, brings fun and silly sea creatures into the world of math word problems and challenges little thinkers to consider operations and algebraic thinking. It follows the Common Core guidelines for learning and really keeps children engaged.
Would you like to win the Learning Resources Under the Sea Shells word problem set to help engage your little one with math? If so, enter with the giveaway tool below. This giveaway is open to US residents, ages 18 and older.
If you have won a Learning Resources giveaway anytime from another blog in the last 6 months, you are not eligible to win this giveaway. The giveaway will run from February 6, 2013 through February 20, 2014 at 11 PM CST and is open to US residents, ages 18 and older. Entries will be verified. Winner will be notified via email (consider adding gloriouslygreengal@gmail.com to your safe list) – winner will have 48 hours to respond and claim prize or another winner will be selected.
Good luck!
Krista from Gloriously Green Gal and Savory Savings received products from this sponsor to facilitate her review, no other compensation was received. All participating blogs are not responsible for prize fulfillment. This giveaway is in no way associated with social media sites including Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.
Saturday, February 1, 2014
SodaStream Giveaway!
SodaStream Giveaway
Hosts: Inside My Head.. ~ Co-Host: Reviewz & Newz
Available in three colors: white, black/silver, and red.
PRIZE: Fountain Jet - Soda Starter Kit Fountain Jet – winner’s choice of color (black/silver, red/silver or white) 1 carbonating bottle, reusable for up to 3 years Reusable carbonator to fizz up to 60L of soda Variety 6-pack of popular sample-size flavors 3 full-sized flavors of the winner’s choice
SodaStream is an innovative company always expanding and re-engineering their awesome products with consumers needs in mind. Read my review of the New SodaStream Source for more information on how they are constantly improving!
I actually own a SodaStream myself, and while we didn't try too many of the flavors, it's absolutely fantastic for making diet energy drinks! Out of all of em, that's definitely the best savings over buying expensive energy drinks, and it even tastes good! :D
GIVEAWAY
(2/1 - 2/28)
Enter through the Rafflecopter form below for your chance to win
Be sure to follow SodaStream on their social networking sites to stay up to date on current promotions and special offers!
Thursday, January 30, 2014
The New Year, New Games Giveaway!
 |
| That's right, breaking out the Critterverse-style graphics again! |
Thanks to the generosity of some fantastic indie game developers, I still have quite a few games to give away left over from the Christmas game giveaway!
Five lucky people will win up to 13 different games each. First place is worth just over $100, and the grand total of all the prizes is a little over $300.
The Games!
The games below are listed by the lowest place winner that will receive them.
Fifth Place - ARV $34.95
Color Fusion (Android) - 99 cents
When Asteroids Attack (Win) - $1.99
Angvik (Win/Mac) - $3.99
Disco Dodgeball (Win/Mac/Linux) - $5.00
Siege of Turtle Enclave (Win) - $7.99
Steel Storm: Burning Retribution (Win/Mac/Linux) - $14.99
Fourth AND Third Places - ARV $37.94
All of the above, plus...
Wiwi's Adventures 3 (Xbox 360 OR Win, winners choice) - $2.99
Second Place - ARV $88.90
All of the above, plus...
Forge Starter Pack (Win) - $14.99
Hacker Evolution Complete Bundle (Win) - $29.99
Ice Cream Truck (iOS) - $2.99
Tiny Dentist (iOS) - $2.99
First Place - ARV $101.88
All of the above, plus...
Reversion - The Meeting: Chapter 2 (Win/Linux) - $5.99
Crystals of Time (Win) - $6.99
All of the entries on the giveaway are completely optional, but the more of them you complete, the better your odds for winning! Each person may only win once, and winners will be chosen from 1st place to 5th place, so if you do happen to have your name drawn more than once you'll get the better prize. Charlie's Point of View is the only blog responsible for prize fulfillment, please email Charlie@CataclysmicGames.com with any questions. Giveaway is open worldwide as all prizes are downloads.
Winners will be emailed using the email they log in with on Rafflecopter, and will have 7 days to reply to verify the email works from Charlie@CataclysmicGames.com (you may want to add the email to your safe list). If I don't hear back within that time, a new winner will be chosen for that prize. Good luck! :D
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Tuesday, January 28, 2014
Tower of Guns Alpha Review AND GIVEAWAY!
Tower of Guns is roguelike meets Doom meets some great humor. The game is currently in alpha state, which means it's not quite as awesome, or complete, as it will be one day. Despite that, and the fact that my laptop really wasn't great for handling it, it was a load of fun! In a sentence, if you're a fan of FPS games and want one that's always fresh, Tower of Guns is absolutely worth your money.
Note: I did not create the Lets Play video above, but it was very effective in showing the game off.
Note: I did not create the Lets Play video above, but it was very effective in showing the game off.
Tuesday, January 21, 2014
"CANDY CANDY CANDY! Oh, and CANDY!" - A Game Jam and a Horrible Twist of Events
For those who aren't aware, King.com, the developers of Candy Crush Saga, the match-3 game that everyone and their grandmother plays and brags about making it to level 795 after a billion hours of failures and barely-successes (or lots of invested money) has officially trademarked the word "Candy". Already, apps in the iTunes app store are being told they must be removed for having the word "Candy" in the title. Oh, it was made 3 years before Candy Crush Saga? Too bad! You can read lots more about this much more eloquently than I could ever say right here on Rock Paper Shotgun. Oh, and you can also play the very first game I ever finished - Candy Catastrophe - here as well. It's not a match-3, but it IS close! Good thing it wasn't a mobile app...
 |
| Despite being developed nearly five years before Candy Crush Saga, it's quite obvious that I ripped it off on purpose to try to make lots of extra money. |
Anyway, on the up side, there's a game jam that's taking a subtle little stab at this horrible turn of events... The Candy Jam! The goal? Make a game and submit it before the 3rd of February, use "Candy" in the title, cleverly steal millions of dollars from King.com since no one could possibly associate "candy" with anything but "Candy Crush Saga", so they'd immediately get excited and be unable to resist buying it... Okay, maybe not the last part, but you can (hopefully) expect a lot of games with the word "Candy" in their title soon!
Oh, and one more thing... I think I'll be making a game myself! Candy Catastrophe 2: The Saga of the Witch's Bubble that Stole Pear's Papa and His Loop De Hoop! I'll be patenting "The", "Of", "Bubble", "His", "Loop", "Hoop" and "2" myself once it's done.
Maths Tree VS for iPad
Note: I cannot play/test/review the game myself as I don't own an iPad, this information is all coming from the developer's webpage, video and iTunes page
As a former kids' game developer myself, I'm always on the lookout for games that are both fun and educational for kids and not insanely annoying for adults. Not an easy feat, trust me.
Maths Tree VS seems like a perfect fit from what I can see! You play as a monkey that throws balls up at descending ones, each with a number on it. Your job is to change the number on your ball so that it matches the mathematical statement in the middle, like "sum: 15" or "difference: 13", etc. The game uses addition, subtraction, multiplication and division, so kids (or adults!) will become masters of each. Plus, as you play the game, you earn bananas that are used to customize your monkey's look, so players will be hooked!
The game is called VS for a reason - two people can play at the same time on the same iPad, and we all know that competition (when used right) can be an incredible force for learning something. The game also has dozens of challenges across five difficulty levels that unlock as you play, so there's plenty to keep players interested as they go.
Available for: iPad ($4.99)
Developed by: Hamster Force
As a former kids' game developer myself, I'm always on the lookout for games that are both fun and educational for kids and not insanely annoying for adults. Not an easy feat, trust me.
 |
| Really fun art certainly doesn't hurt either :D |
Maths Tree VS seems like a perfect fit from what I can see! You play as a monkey that throws balls up at descending ones, each with a number on it. Your job is to change the number on your ball so that it matches the mathematical statement in the middle, like "sum: 15" or "difference: 13", etc. The game uses addition, subtraction, multiplication and division, so kids (or adults!) will become masters of each. Plus, as you play the game, you earn bananas that are used to customize your monkey's look, so players will be hooked!
The game is called VS for a reason - two people can play at the same time on the same iPad, and we all know that competition (when used right) can be an incredible force for learning something. The game also has dozens of challenges across five difficulty levels that unlock as you play, so there's plenty to keep players interested as they go.
Available for: iPad ($4.99)
Developed by: Hamster Force
Sunday, January 19, 2014
Default Dan on Kickstarter - The Anti-Platformer!
When I say "platformer", what do you think of? A game where you run to the right, stomping on enemies heads, collecting coins (or whatever item you might have to collect), avoiding spikes and carefully jumping across holes? Default Dan does stick to one of those things - running to the right (or left sometimes) - and you do dodge things, but it's not enemies or holes... It's coins! That's right, in Default Dan, coins are fatal.
What makes a platformer unique enough to talk about on Kickstarter? A crazy sense of humor mixed with platforming execution! While it's funny enough that it mocks other platformers with style, it also looks like a solid, challenging platforming game. The Kickstarter page even has a couple 9+ minute videos where you can watch people playing it! That's pretty unheard of for a Kickstarter game, you're usually lucky to get a couple minutes in one video trailer.
Aside from that, there are some really fun perks! It's only $5 for the game on a platform of your choice, $15 adds the mp3 soundtrack, a short comic pdf and other digital goodies, $25 adds a tshirt and beta access... Then it gets AWESOME! $50 adds Bobble Head Mode, where you send in six photos of your face and they make a special version just for you (Which looks HILARIOUS!), and the rest is fantastic as well.
Estimated Completion Date: May 2014
Goal Platforms: Windows, Mac, iOS, Android (maybe OUYA too!)
Lowest Price Point for Game: $5 ($25 for beta)
Aside from that, there are some really fun perks! It's only $5 for the game on a platform of your choice, $15 adds the mp3 soundtrack, a short comic pdf and other digital goodies, $25 adds a tshirt and beta access... Then it gets AWESOME! $50 adds Bobble Head Mode, where you send in six photos of your face and they make a special version just for you (Which looks HILARIOUS!), and the rest is fantastic as well.
 |
| There's a video, too, and it's amazing!!! |
Estimated Completion Date: May 2014
Goal Platforms: Windows, Mac, iOS, Android (maybe OUYA too!)
Lowest Price Point for Game: $5 ($25 for beta)
Saturday, January 18, 2014
That's What She Said - The Game - On Kickstarter
NOTE: This game involves sexual innuendo as its primary game play mechanic, and therefore might not be the safest thing for kids. You've been warned!
I'll admit - I don't really play party games because I really don't party. I very, very rarely "hang out" with people. If I did, though, this would be the game I'd want to play! Oh, and YOU can even play the game a bit (for free!) since there are 100 "print and play" sample cards! Who doesn't love free?
TWSS is something I say rather often (too often? Probably), usually at the silliest times possible, and the game brings a much needed strategy to using the phrase "that's what she said!" There are two types of cards - setup cards and phrase cards. Each round, each player picks one of their phrase cards to play on the setup card, and the judge decides which is the funniest, awarding that player a point. Whoever hits x points first wins!
Of course, the first thing I think of with TWSS is Steve Carell's character, Michael Scott, from The Office. What a surprise it was to find out that he actually sent in a signed photo of himself! Seriously, how is this not successfully funded yet?
I'll admit - I don't really play party games because I really don't party. I very, very rarely "hang out" with people. If I did, though, this would be the game I'd want to play! Oh, and YOU can even play the game a bit (for free!) since there are 100 "print and play" sample cards! Who doesn't love free?
TWSS is something I say rather often (too often? Probably), usually at the silliest times possible, and the game brings a much needed strategy to using the phrase "that's what she said!" There are two types of cards - setup cards and phrase cards. Each round, each player picks one of their phrase cards to play on the setup card, and the judge decides which is the funniest, awarding that player a point. Whoever hits x points first wins!
 |
| "Wow, that is really hard. You really think you can go all day long? Well, you always left me satisfied and smiling..." - Jim, trying to force Michael to say "That's what she said" after being told never to do it again. (The Office) |
Of course, the first thing I think of with TWSS is Steve Carell's character, Michael Scott, from The Office. What a surprise it was to find out that he actually sent in a signed photo of himself! Seriously, how is this not successfully funded yet?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)