Giveaway of the Day Forums » Tag: Puzzle

Giveaway of the Day Forums » Tag: Puzzle - Recent Posts http://www.giveawayoftheday.com/forums/tags/puzzle Giveaway of the Day Forums » Tag: Puzzle - Recent Posts en-US Sun, 12 Feb 2012 12:39:36 +0000 http://bbpress.org/?v=1.0.2 Whiterabbit-uk on "Week 170 - Good Games to Grab - La Mulana (action adventure)" http://www.giveawayoftheday.com/forums/topic/11000#post-98209 Tue, 27 Dec 2011 11:29:07 +0000 Whiterabbit-uk 98209@http://www.giveawayoftheday.com/forums/ Than you for the update chazzo. One of the things I've wanted to do is rework all of the older posts, add images and seperate out those posts with more than one game. The original idea for the project was to cover the days that the game giveaway had stopped posting, which were the weekdays Monday to Friday. I decided at the outset not to review the games properly, but use the provided reviews with references apart from a short introduction of how I'd found the game because otherwise it would have taken too long, especially as within a few weeks of starting the project I was posting multiple games every day. Three months into the project I was posting multiple games every day and it had become quite time consuming, but thankfully Wizzard of Oz offered to help me with the project several weeks into starting the project. We were then joined by Reverse Order and Idunno as well as a few other occasional helpers over the following months. Initially we were not able to post images in the forums until about 2 years ago when the forums got a big update. I've always intended rewriting the early games that were posted but things have just got rather busy over time. delenn13 on "Week 170 - Good Games to Grab - La Mulana (action adventure)" http://www.giveawayoftheday.com/forums/topic/11000#post-98142 Mon, 26 Dec 2011 02:03:11 +0000 delenn13 98142@http://www.giveawayoftheday.com/forums/ Wow, Love the graphics on this one, Chazzo. Thanks. Good thing it has a walkthrough.LOL I likek Castlevania so I should like this. Got Cave Story in "The Humble Bundle" but haven't played it yet. chazzo125 on "Week 170 - Good Games to Grab - La Mulana (action adventure)" http://www.giveawayoftheday.com/forums/topic/11000#post-98119 Sun, 25 Dec 2011 02:45:48 +0000 chazzo125 98119@http://www.giveawayoftheday.com/forums/ La Mulana (6Mb) This is an extraordinarily good 2D action adventure (side-scrolling) platform game with an RPG flavour. It was first posted without images in Week 51 by WR <a href="http://www.giveawayoftheday.com/forums/topic/6092">HERE</a>, using Caiman Games description. It has a huge area to explore (Caiman posts 21 maps!) for free exploration, along with a plethora of downright difficult puzzles to solve. It doesn’t hold back the punches puzzle-wise and you might need to really, as in really get thinking, just to get through the first level. And the further you get into the game, the more difficult and diabolical the traps become! It does have some similarities in gameplay and appearance to 'Maze of Galious' posted <a href="http://www.giveawayoftheday.com/forums/topic/8836#post-85300">HERE</a>, and which are sometimes more than superficial, but the settings of course do differ greatly between the two games. La Mulana are a set of ancient ruins, that you as an archaeologist, have to explore, looking for treasure, Indie Jones whip-cracking style. It’s a very long game that might easily take you 26 hours or more to complete, even as an experienced and expert action-puzzle platformer (60 hours of gameplay is not unknown!). Even if you knew answers to all of the puzzles first, it would still take 10-12 hours to complete. The game is very much inventory and exploration based, but with a very good action base also thrown in for good measure. The main puzzle items (30 in total) need to be collected in a set order just to make things even more difficult! There are walkthroughs if you get completely stuck! You’ll need to find the Hand Scanner and translation software for the portable MSX PC that you have brought along with you for the adventure, in the first place to be able to read the tablet inscriptions found at various points in the game, but also for other equally as worthy tasks. Your Hand Scanner will allow you to find items and search the bones of other and particularly ‘less fortunate’ (!) adventurers (hopefully not yours!). While some items in the game give you extra abilities (you start with just your whip and a small amount of vitality), others allow you to access new areas in the game, or to take further items. Most of the non-boss enemies will only cause you minor damage, though this will slow your progress and as there are few ways to restore life and your vitality, you can’t afford to take too many hits, even from ‘minor’ enemies. As well as some most terrible traps, there also several notorious dead-ends from which there is no escape. The traps have been set to protect the ancient ruins and the secrets they hold. There are 8 Guardian bosses to defeat, and various characters you will meet or spot during the game. Each guardian is unlocked by by both unlocking the Ankh and finding the respective Ankh Jewel to put in it. La Mulana is very much non-linear. You can virtually go anywhere when the game starts, and you have to ‘turn every stone’ to find the abilities and new areas required to make progress. Then you have to figure out where and how you should use these abilities. If you play it without reference to a walkthrough, you’ll find it leaves you very much to your own devices, and where you might expect some games to give you a clue or gentle hint, in La Mulana, you really do have to figure things out for yourself. It’s almost certainly best at first, to give the game a try as is, before resorting to walkthrough hints, when and if you have to. Your first challenge is getting to the ruins entrance! It’s easy to attempt, yet so, so much more difficult to master! A good few attempts should eventually have you ‘breezing your way’ through the ruins! But getting past the 8 guardians will really, as in really test your mettle! The huge labyrinth is colorful and varied. The controls take some getting used to, but once you get the hang of how jumping works you’ll be well on your way to starting to explore the ruins. But can you get past the gatekeeper? You can read more about the game’s plot, the Guardians and the game’s characters at Wiki <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La-Mulana">HERE</a>, and a written Intro <a href="http://raven.theraider.net/showthread.php?t=20114">HERE</a>. As well as the freeware PC version, there’s a soon to be available reworked pay-for version for the Wii (that will also have extra downloadable content), which has in part prompted this repost. Fortunately for us all, the PC version is free. Nintendo haven’t watered down the Wii version as it won’t have an ‘easy mode’. This is well and true to the spirit of the game and it just goes to show how a game that looks, sounds and plays like very retro games from twenty or so years ago can beat most modern ‘blockbusters’ hands down every time! Nintendo certainly think so! A huge amount of work is being put into the remastered Wii version for when it comes out. The game uses the ‘F’ keys and two action keys. Do read the game manual in the extracted folder for details of the controls, and the story behind the game. In La Mulana, you are unable to save your game until you get enough money to buy a save card. Even then, you can’t save without returning to the beginning of the game. And don’t think you will always get killed before you advance further through the game. It may be likely, but it isn’t inevitable, and a fresh try sometime later might well get you past that awkward or really difficult bit! Until the next difficult encounter or extra difficult puzzle! Like a real archaeologist, some days you’ll make progress, other days you just keep trying that bit harder each time! And there’s a rival archaeologist hot on the quest, just to get that competitive edge in you out into the open! It’s a traditional action-adventure game, reminiscent of the Castlevania and Metroid games. It was originally only available in Japanese, but is now translated by an English translation patch. This game is in many ways far superior to the ever popular Cave Story or Akuji The Demon, as well as being almost impossibly difficult (without help!) in places. La Mulana is a fantastic platform game where difficult really does mean difficult! If you want a game that has a classic very retro look and feel, great music, and is a great challenge that you can come back to over and over again, then this is for you! It’s also easy enough to get into, and can give you plenty of action-filled puzzling gameplay before you encounter really troublesome enemies or some really brain scratching puzzles! Throw away all your next-gen devices, and see if you can uncover and reveal an ancient mystery in this magnificent game! Video <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ZqZQkLqkN4"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ZqZQkLqkN4" rel="nofollow">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ZqZQkLqkN4</a></a> (Search for ‘Let’s Play La Mulana’ in YouTube for video part walkthroughs) Maps and More Info <a href="http://www.caiman.us/scripts/fw/f3393.html" rel="nofollow">http://www.caiman.us/scripts/fw/f3393.html</a> Download <a href="http://games.softpedia.com/get/Freeware-Games/La-Mulana.shtml">HERE</a> or <a href="http://indygamer.blogspot.com/2007/01/top-10-freeware-platformers-2006.html">HERE</a> ---- (Scroll down to La Mulana for the second download link that I've posted)---- delenn13 on "Week 167 - Good Games to Grab - Johhny Platform Saves Xmas (platform)" http://www.giveawayoftheday.com/forums/topic/10878#post-97547 Tue, 06 Dec 2011 00:51:38 +0000 delenn13 97547@http://www.giveawayoftheday.com/forums/ Thanks, Chazzo! Cool platformer. Whiterabbit-uk on "Week 167 - Good Games to Grab - Johhny Platform Saves Xmas (platform)" http://www.giveawayoftheday.com/forums/topic/10878#post-97496 Sun, 04 Dec 2011 11:01:54 +0000 Whiterabbit-uk 97496@http://www.giveawayoftheday.com/forums/ Good looking platformer; thanks Chazzo. chazzo125 on "Week 167 - Good Games to Grab - Johhny Platform Saves Xmas (platform)" http://www.giveawayoftheday.com/forums/topic/10878#post-97493 Sat, 03 Dec 2011 19:25:30 +0000 chazzo125 97493@http://www.giveawayoftheday.com/forums/ Johhny Platform Saves Xmas (7.4Mb) As it’s Advent, here’s a splendid free (was pay for!) platform game with a Christmas theme (with present boxes, snow and Johnny wearing a Santa hat!) There are 100 levels of manic platforming here to keep you well and truly occupied in the days leading up to Christmas! It’s been released as a PC freebie, to promote the Ishisoft games site, where the Xbox version can be purchased for 80 MSP (was 240 MSP!). It’s a sequel to Johnny Platform’s Biscuit Romp reviewed <a href="http://www.giveawayoftheday.com/forums/topic/10288">HERE</a>, but this time runs directly on a PC without needing to use an emulator. This has to be one of the very best Indie games you can get for free. It’s a very polished platform game with tremendously varied, and very entertaining levels. The graphics and sound are great and it will have you learning plenty of new platforming tricks. Info signs help out by telling you what you need to do. Doing what they say might take some practice though! It’s the usual platform fare with, in this case (almost mandatory!) cups of coffee to collect/drink, and extra lives to earn. It’s best described as an action puzzle platformer. It’s is a huge evolution over the original, quite apart from playing full-screen rather than in a small emulator window. In JPBR, most of the levels were fairly straight forward and pretty easy. In JPS Christmas, the puzzles are much more elaborate and feature multi-step solutions that sometimes require some level of brain power to solve. It’s still not overly difficult, but it’s a big step up. As with JPBR, you can (and sometimes need to) exit on one side of the screen and reappear on the other side of the screen. It should keep you well entertained trying to get through each and every platform level. There’s a whole robot army out there trying to spoil Christmas! It’s a great game and is playable at all times of the year, not just Christmas, as it doesn’t go overboard with the Christmas theme. You will find that the levels vary quite a lot in difficulty, perhaps a more structured approach would suit some, but then again, it’s nice to have a moderately easy level sometimes after a really quite tricky one. Accurate timing is essential with double jumps to get the maximum height, and might take some initial practice, but it's all part of the fun! Use the ‘Arrow’ keys to move, the ‘Z’ key to jump (press twice and time it right to double jump), the ‘A’ key to roll/cartwheel, and the ‘X’ key to read signs. ‘Z’ key and arrow keys to select in menu, ‘Esc’ key to return to the menus. The ‘C’ key will restart a level if you get stuck. (see the readme for alternate keys for some actions). It’s compatible with game pad, joystick and Xbox 360 for Windows controllers. It requires the XNA 3.1 runtime distributable and .NET 2.0 frameworks to be installed (both obtainable free directly from Microsoft), see the games readme file for details. You can play the game windowed or full-screen at various resolutions (including HD high resolution if your monitor supports it) by choosing between various batch files provided to launch the game, or adjust the resolution in the games option menu. It plays in XP, Vista and Win 7 and is portable, playing directly from the extracted folder (subject to XNA 3.1 and .NET 2 runtimes being available). The jingles and tunes are suitably jolly and bright, with catchy tunes to play along to. There's also a time trial mode where you can select levels to try again, giving extra added replay value to the game! Can you take on the entire robot army across 100 fabulously fun levels and live through and win the day? We’re depending on you to save Christmas! I’d rate this one a good 9 out of 10 as platform games go, and for a freebie it’s absolutely stunning. Go get it! Video <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ugssr7-LWnc" rel="nofollow">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ugssr7-LWnc</a> Download <a href="http://ishisoft.com/archives/28">HERE</a> If you need them, you can get the XNA 3.1 files you need <a href="http://www.microsoft.com/download/en/details.aspx?id=15163">HERE</a>, the .NET 2 files <a href="http://www.microsoft.com/download/en/details.aspx?id=19">HERE</a> , with .NET 2 SP1 files <a href="http://www.microsoft.com/download/en/details.aspx?id=16614">HERE</a> and .NET 2 SP2 <a href="http://www.microsoft.com/download/en/details.aspx?id=1639">HERE</a>. The installers will let you know if you have these already installed, if you haven't, you may need to reboot your computer after installing these. jobjol on "Week 166 - Good Games to Grab - Bennu (action platform)" http://www.giveawayoftheday.com/forums/topic/10770#post-97077 Mon, 21 Nov 2011 18:15:41 +0000 jobjol 97077@http://www.giveawayoftheday.com/forums/ Hi graylox, My downloads include nothing special. They are just the original files without any ad-ware or toolbars. All the files can be downloaded without any of that and it is completely free. I cover the costs with ads on the site. Job graylox on "Week 166 - Good Games to Grab - Bennu (action platform)" http://www.giveawayoftheday.com/forums/topic/10770#post-97059 Mon, 21 Nov 2011 14:21:06 +0000 graylox 97059@http://www.giveawayoftheday.com/forums/ Hi, jobjol, welcome to the forums. Yes you are right, the original website is slow. But I have some remarks to your post. First - normally we consider it as spam if a website owner posts links to his site. Second - I had a look at your site and found a nice collection of freeware and shareware games. As an example I found "Spirit Of Wandering" - you are announcing it as Freeware. But fact is, it is still sold by Bigfish and others. That game is free to download for example on Gametop, but normally those free downloads include some form of ad-ware, like toolbars, hijacking of your homepage, etc. My question is, what do your downloads include? I couldn't find any Terms&Conditions or Privacy Policies, FAQ or something alike. Otherwise, I understand your site is still in development. But as one of the admins of these forums, I have to keep the forums clean of piracy and threads. I'm looking forward to hear of you. graylox jobjol on "Week 166 - Good Games to Grab - Bennu (action platform)" http://www.giveawayoftheday.com/forums/topic/10770#post-97058 Mon, 21 Nov 2011 13:31:42 +0000 jobjol 97058@http://www.giveawayoftheday.com/forums/ since the website for the download is slow, i provide this download link: <a href="http://springfiles.com/games/puzzles/misc-puzzles/bennu">http://springfiles.com/games/puzzles/misc-puzzles/bennu</a> Pookie on "Week 166 - Good Games to Grab - Bennu (action platform)" http://www.giveawayoftheday.com/forums/topic/10770#post-97051 Mon, 21 Nov 2011 01:35:29 +0000 Pookie 97051@http://www.giveawayoftheday.com/forums/ Interesting game, I like it a lot. Thanks Chazzo. delenn13 on "Week 166 - Good Games to Grab - Bennu (action platform)" http://www.giveawayoftheday.com/forums/topic/10770#post-97042 Sun, 20 Nov 2011 19:38:27 +0000 delenn13 97042@http://www.giveawayoftheday.com/forums/ Thanks Chazzo. Awesome sauce....Fun game! Takes some getting used to but worth it. Great graphics too. Whiterabbit-uk on "Week 166 - Good Games to Grab - Bennu (action platform)" http://www.giveawayoftheday.com/forums/topic/10770#post-97029 Sun, 20 Nov 2011 12:28:14 +0000 Whiterabbit-uk 97029@http://www.giveawayoftheday.com/forums/ Thanks chazzo. This looks like a very well made game. chazzo125 on "Week 166 - Good Games to Grab - Bennu (action platform)" http://www.giveawayoftheday.com/forums/topic/10770#post-97017 Sun, 20 Nov 2011 00:45:43 +0000 chazzo125 97017@http://www.giveawayoftheday.com/forums/ Bennu (88.4Mb) This is a stunning action-packed physics based puzzler, where you swing a ball on a chain and try to destroy blocks of matching color. The color of the ball and hence blocks destroyed is determined by swinging the ball through a colored flame to change it from its original color. <center><img src="http://www.indiegamereviewer.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/Bennu-game-screenshot-you-want-a-plot.jpg"></center> This is very much better, as in way much better than yesterday’s GAOTD. It was an Xbox Live Indie game, but the PC release is freeware; so it is well worth giving it a try! Here's what’s been changed in the PC version:- Improved controls (more accurate pointing, faster rolling), Keyboard controls (and mouse on menus), Improved tutorial, New and missing levels (the harsher ones of the first world were removed and have been replaced by easier ones), and some minor changes to the dialogue. <center><img src="http://www.indiegamereviewer.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/Bennu-game-screenshot2-this-level-will-drive-you-mad.jpg"></center> It puts an altogether new swing (!) on Arkanoid break blocks games, and it deserves a lot of credit for its completely new and innovative approach to this type of game! It has a fun menu and excellent game and level intros that can be skipped if you wish. The game’s mechanics do take some (worthwhile!) time to get used to. <center><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_ilOjS7A_kk4/SlF38I9KIuI/AAAAAAAAAjo/7SwwodlUjX0/screen3_Web.jpg%5B13%5D.png"></center> Bennu has a blue beak and can only cast chains out at right angles to his beak. The chains to swing from are restricted in length and hence have a restricted reach, and you can only have one chain attached at a time. The chains only stay attached while you keep pressing the ‘O’ letter key. You can rotate Bennu and hence the direction his beak is pointing in by using the ‘L/R’ arrow keys and which also affect the direction of swing while a chain is attached. Using the ‘P’ key rolls Bennu along the floor or platforms as decided by the direction key used along with the ‘P’ key. You can exit the game at any time via the menu. You’ll sometimes need to cling to a wall and climb up it. True Bennu style! <center><img src="http://www.cloft.co.uk/images/ben%201.jpg"></center> The levels are so cunningly and cleverly designed that what would otherwise be a quick run through of the about 30 levels will take you at least a couple of hours or so, as you try to perfect your way through the levels. To add variety (and difficulty!) the different colored energy flames to change the ball's (Bennu's) color are scattered across the levels, but sometimes also pose as obstacles to pass through with no way back, meaning if you haven’t cleared all of the blocks of a particular color, there may be no way to complete the level without trying again! <center><img src="http://www.cloft.co.uk/images/ben%202.jpg"></center> Later in the game these color change energy flames are loose, and you can push them along, or have to catch one as it’s falling and swing with it before it disappears below into the nether. In the final stages, some new block types are introduced that I shall leave as a surprise - and that demand considerable skill and accuracy to navigate around. You can choose levels to play in each 10 level band should you wish to miss out some levels you find trickier at first, and there are two difficulty levels, normal and hard, to give some extra replay value. Further groups of 10 levels on the map are unlocked (and saved as unlocked) as you complete each preceding block of 10 levels. Levels completed are indicated in a darker color and levels not yet tried show as pulsating orbs on the map. There’s a timer for each level and you’ll have to restart the level if the timer runs out. The first level acts as a tutorial to get you used to moving Bennu about, swinging on chains and rolling left or right; and to getting Bennu’s ball to change color. <center><img src="http://www.cloft.co.uk/images/ben%203.jpg"></center> The download file is simply named setup.exe, you might want to rename it to whatever suits before you download the file. You can hear other music by ‘The Guilty Ones’ who made the game’s soundtrack <a href="http://www.myspace.com/theguiltyonesmusic">HERE</a>. If you’ve a streaming audio recorder program you can make a copy of the game's fantastic soundtrack from the video on the game’s media page <a href="http://www.onceabird.com/Media.aspx">HERE</a>. (It’s that good!) <center><img src="http://www.cloft.co.uk/images/ben%204.jpg"></center> On install, you might wish to change the install to C:\Games rather than the default ’Program Files’ especially for those with Vista. It plays full-screen in XP, Vista and Win 7 but does need a modestly fast (1.8GHz+) CPU and preferably 256Mb of video RAM. The graphics and sound are absolutely first-rate, based around an Egyptian theme. This may not be one to return to too often, but it’s one to savor and enjoy while you are playing it, and is definitely a keeper for me. If it eventually gets a level editor, it will boost Bennu’s popularity even further! <center> <img src="http://www.cloft.co.uk/images/ben%205.jpg"></center> If it looks deceptively simple, you’ll be surprised at how tricky and challenging even the basic levels are, and it just keeps on getting harder as you go up through the levels! This is a brilliant game to play, though it does take some practice to get the hang of getting Bennu about the screen. Once you can accomplish this properly, you’ll enjoy the game immensely! Whoever thought ball's and chains could be so much fun?! Video <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZ_J_uFIuyY"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZ_J_uFIuyY" rel="nofollow">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZ_J_uFIuyY</a></a> Sorry, no walkthroughs at present. Download (Game Home Page) <a href="http://www.onceabird.com/">HERE</a> Whiterabbit-uk on "Week 165 - Good Games to Grab - Karoshi Factory (puzzle platform)" http://www.giveawayoftheday.com/forums/topic/10769#post-96999 Sat, 19 Nov 2011 08:04:48 +0000 Whiterabbit-uk 96999@http://www.giveawayoftheday.com/forums/ Thanks Chazzo chazzo125 on "Week 165 - Good Games to Grab - Karoshi Factory (puzzle platform)" http://www.giveawayoftheday.com/forums/topic/10769#post-96995 Sat, 19 Nov 2011 02:04:23 +0000 chazzo125 96995@http://www.giveawayoftheday.com/forums/ Karoshi Factory (7.6Mb) Mature Theme - Unsuitablefor children This is the third free game in the Karoshi series. Again it’s discretion required as the theme is strictly non-child suited. You can find the first two <a href="http://www.giveawayoftheday.com/forums/topic/10751#post-96900">HERE</a> . So what is new, well, this time you have to get your team mates help you kill off your player (or your real-time boss if you like, in your imagination! Or anyone else who annoys or upsets you! Just imagine you’re playing as them - cuts down the melodrama when your player goes ‘pop’! Much better than playing as yourself!). But you also have to kill off your co-workers as well as your own player. Perhaps they’ve all, like you, had a bad day! And you need their assistance! It really must be a pretty boring place to work! It has 25 challenging levels (well it starts off easy enough!), and the usual unusual Karoshi boss fight to conclude the game. Graphics are similar to the other Karoshi games being decidedly retro, but this time suiting up your co-workers in different colors. It is probably by far the most challenging game in the series to go on and complete without any extra help. As in the previous games in the series it’s important to investigate the physics of the various objects. Without giving too much away, also remember it takes time for some events to happen! It may not have quite the cheekiness and humor of the first two games, but it’s a very competent sequel; and one which you’ll surely enjoy playing if you’ve enjoyed the previous Karoshi games. You switch between players with the ‘Spacebar’, use the ‘L/R’ arrow keys to move, the ‘Z’ key to jump and the ‘X’ key to shoot. ‘Esc’ key to quit. It plays full-screen (or windowed from the menu) in XP, Vista and Win 7 and it has a great catchy and very tuneful soundtrack to play along to. As with the previous two Karoshi games, you might need to set your desktop to 800x600 to play the game. If it still won’t start, try closing other open programs including your browser to increase available RAM/videoRAM. This game has multi-tired and bored businessmen so fed up with their work and workplace, they’ve a death-wish for themselves and you! So this time you’ve a whole bunch of players including your own to kill and finish off. And it isn’t easy to even bump off one of them, let alone all of them in later levels! Great fun! (also at the iPhone app store). Video <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yYk_oMj6jbE"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yYk_oMj6jbE" rel="nofollow">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yYk_oMj6jbE</a></a> Video walkthroughs are available on YouTube Download <a href="http://sandbox.yoyogames.com/games/50136-karoshi-factory">HERE</a> delenn13 on "Week 165 - Good Games to Grab - Karoshi 2.0 (puzzle platform)" http://www.giveawayoftheday.com/forums/topic/10751#post-96977 Thu, 17 Nov 2011 23:55:41 +0000 delenn13 96977@http://www.giveawayoftheday.com/forums/ I should be able to win this game fast. I, usually, end up getting my character killed off quickly..sometimes, too quickly. Thanks, Chazzo. Whiterabbit-uk on "Week 165 - Good Games to Grab - Karoshi 2.0 (puzzle platform)" http://www.giveawayoftheday.com/forums/topic/10751#post-96906 Mon, 14 Nov 2011 10:55:58 +0000 Whiterabbit-uk 96906@http://www.giveawayoftheday.com/forums/ Thanks Chazzo. :) chazzo125 on "Week 165 - Good Games to Grab - Karoshi 2.0 (puzzle platform)" http://www.giveawayoftheday.com/forums/topic/10751#post-96900 Mon, 14 Nov 2011 03:25:24 +0000 chazzo125 96900@http://www.giveawayoftheday.com/forums/ Karoshi 2.0 (8.7Mb) Mature Theme - Unsuited for children Karoshi 2 is an excellent and offbeat 2D platform game with an unusual premise. Discretion is advised though and this is so not suitable for children - as to complete a level you have to solve puzzles and engineer your player’s own bloodthirsty and macabre demise. Once you have gotten your player killed, you have to repeat this act many times over for each succeeding level. This is the second in a series of games, the first being a deservedly very popular PC flash game ranked 5th in flash game popularity in 2008 (also version now available for the iPhone and Android). There’s a short paragraph later on about the flash version 1, and where to play it online. Karoshi Factory, the third in the series, which does have some interesting differences in the gameplay, will be posted hopefully later this week. The game’s name "Karoshi" is derived from a Japanese word meaning "death from overwork". Karoshi, by Jesse Venbrux, is partly a satire on a new phenomenon in Japan, where businessmen have been dying suddenly from overworking, and partly a satire on the gruelling, deadly effects of being a corporate drone. Death from being pushed out from work by immoral corporations is less of a phenomenon, but a much more likely occurrence. Anyway, back to the “overworked to death” theme. Or as corporations are finding out, you can’t flog a dead horse! But the employee might decide first, they would rather die than carry on working for the corporation! Hence this game. You get to play a disgruntled and disillusioned Japanese office worker that has lost his will to live, and you need to help the poor fellow on his way, out of the game! Karoshi is a series of puzzle platformer games in which the goal is to get your player to die. This is not as easy as it sounds! There are many obstacles in the way of getting your player to commit Hari -kari. You walk and jump with the little salaryman, push crates, pull switches, find keys, use guns and explosives and more to find a way to ultimately off yourself, or at least your player. Again and again in every level. Killing yourself in a game was never this much fun! [center] So who can come out tops on getting their player to top themselves? We’ve been taught all our lives we need to survive and how to continue surviving. We need to reach the goal, save ourselves a princess and be the hero or champion. That’s all well and good, but it’s getting boring, at least in this game. And who says it has to always be this way?! It is of course only a game, and please, whatever you do, don’t as in do not harm yourself in real life. There’s a lot of humor in the game and the graphics while still delightfully retro, are much improved over the first game in the series. The music and sound effects are great, too. If you’re not sure if you will enjoy the game, try the earlier flash version online first. There are plenty of original puzzles to solve and the difficulty increases as you go up through the levels. It does get demandingly difficult after a while. It also involves a fair measure of platforming dexterity and it really encourages lateral thinking, as levels do not necessarily have the same sort of sequence, and you will need to find new and innovative ways to get your player 'topped'. Some levels require a complicated sequence of events (though not nearly so complicated as the Quadrax series). Do be warned though there is blood (and dismemberment) in large measures when you succeed in getting your player killed. The game has 42 levels, an again unusual boss level, a level editor and 12 extra custom levels included. It also has a Karoshi 1 speedrun mode where you have just 7 minutes to complete all of the original levels from Karoshi 1. One level (level 4) of Karoshi 2 that describes itself as the first real puzzle is not at all intuitive and you might need help just for this level. By all means try it first a few times, but if you don’t happen upon the solution, see the text walkthrough. Controls for Karoshi 1 and 2 downloaded are -, use the Arrow keys = walk; Z = jump; X = shoot (need gun first); R = restart level and Esc = quit. The gun only lasts for the present level, if there, until you get another one. The graphics are starkly utilitarian. Everything is drab grey, with important objects labelled in bright colors. Notably of course is the use of blood-red; well I’ll leave that to your imagination. Try the game and you’ll see why! I’ve deliberately not said too much about the puzzle solving itself, so as not to spoil the surprises! Suffice that it is possible to complete all of the levels and if you constantly fail at a level or can’t see what to do, you’re missing some essential action or sequence or reasoning. Complete walkthroughs are available (see below), but don’t give up too easily, as it’s all too easy to cave in, accept defeat and spoil some of the fun of finding out how to solve the level for yourself! "Mo-ichi-do" means "one more time"! Says he, on his 100th or more attempt! Well, you’ve got to keep trying, with this game, it's so addictive (as well as sometimes being very funny!)! And if you get bored, no, I'm not saying anything! It plays from the extracted folder in XP, Vista and Win 7 full screen (or windowed from the game main menu screen). Depending on your graphics card, you may need to temporarily reset your screen resolution to 800x600 to get the game to play and possibly adjust the lower compatibility settings to see what works. {If it won’t close after play, for instance if you’ve reset your screen resolution to normal with the game open, use ‘Ctrl’ + ‘Alt’ + ‘Del’ (hold all three at the same time) to call up Task Manager, right click on the Karoshi process and click on ‘end process’}. You can give yourself a grimace when you succeed. Ok, some of the humor is black, but it’s in a comic sort of way, apart from the grisly parts! Ps It's even more (as in oodles more fun!) fun to play if you imagine your player to be your boss. Just don't tell them you're ritually sacrificing them multiple times every coffee break! Kill your player off-ee in style, it’s sometimes way more difficult than it looks! Great coffee time waster at work and good all-round fun for when you’re bored and in need of a good game to play! Video Karoshi 2 <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QZTS_zGIb8Y"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QZTS_zGIb8Y" rel="nofollow">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QZTS_zGIb8Y</a></a> (contains spoilers) Download Karoshi 2 <a href="http://gmc.yoyogames.com/index.php?showtopic=369491">HERE</a> (download link partway down below images) Text walkthrough Karoshi 2 <a href="http://forums.yoyogames.com/forums/5/topics/11835">HERE</a> Video walkthrough Karoshi 2 <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tV98dhOc940"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tV98dhOc940" rel="nofollow">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tV98dhOc940</a></a> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Video original Karoshi 1 <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Su1BiYGjPvM"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Su1BiYGjPvM" rel="nofollow">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Su1BiYGjPvM</a></a> (minor spoiler) Video walkthrough downloaded Karoshi 1 <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UU0n3nj-9to"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UU0n3nj-9to" rel="nofollow">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UU0n3nj-9to</a></a> Download original Karoshi 1 (25 levels plus an unusual boss fight) (4Mb) <a href="http://gmc.yoyogames.com/index.php?showtopic=362308">HERE</a> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Online flash version of the original Karoshi This has been improved to include 50 levels as the original Karoshi was considered a little on the short side. Controls for Karoshi 1 online are simple, being the ‘L/R’ arrow keys to move and the ‘Up’ arrow key to jump, plus Spacebar to shoot (need gun first). Play original Karoshi online <a href="http://www.mindjolt.com/games/karoshi-suicide-salaryman">HERE</a> or <a href="http://www.newgrounds.com/portal/view/462774">HERE</a> Video walkthrough Karoshi 1 online <a href="http://www.5min.com/Video/Karoshi-Suicide-Salaryman-Walkthrough-105618040">HERE</a> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- If you want even more variety there’s Super Karoshi online <a href="http://onemorelevel.com/game/super_karoshi">HERE</a> This even sometimes restricts your use of the keyboard controls for even more fun and bewilderment! (Walkthroughs for Super Karoshi available on YouTube) ================================================================================================== delenn13 on "Week 162 - Good Games to Grab - Mr. Cleaner AIT (sokoban)" http://www.giveawayoftheday.com/forums/topic/10635#post-96422 Sun, 30 Oct 2011 01:18:35 +0000 delenn13 96422@http://www.giveawayoftheday.com/forums/ Thanks, Chazzo. Awesome, awesome, awesome. Love Sokoban puzzles. and the graphics..beautiful. Whiterabbit-uk on "Week 162 - Good Games to Grab - Mr. Cleaner AIT (sokoban)" http://www.giveawayoftheday.com/forums/topic/10635#post-96333 Wed, 26 Oct 2011 21:20:37 +0000 Whiterabbit-uk 96333@http://www.giveawayoftheday.com/forums/ Nice one Chazzo. This has gorgeous graphics for a freebie. Thank you. chazzo125 on "Week 162 - Good Games to Grab - Mr. Cleaner AIT (sokoban)" http://www.giveawayoftheday.com/forums/topic/10635#post-96308 Tue, 25 Oct 2011 22:06:02 +0000 chazzo125 96308@http://www.giveawayoftheday.com/forums/ Mr. Cleaner (238Mb) Mr Cleaner is a very competent free 3D Sokoban clone game. The game’s full title is Mister Cleaner Adventures in Time. It of course has nothing to do with cleaning PCs, but everything to do with clearing up radioactive nuclear waste that is (once more!) threatening our planet and our very existence. Sometimes I’m lucky and just find and stumble across, or happen upon a game that is crying out to be posted here, which is just what happened with Mr. Cleaner! In a laboratory located sometime well into the future, a Scientist is conducting experiments on time travel. Unfortunately, during the experiment, a large amount of radioactive nuclear cores are accidentally spread through time, through different ages . In order to save mankind from massive radiation poisoning, he sends a Robot into the past, present and future to clean up all this mess, and return the radioactive cores to his lab. The robot is Mr Cleaner, and he is tasked with cleaning up all of the dispersed throughout time radioactive nuclear hazards! <center><img src="http://www.cloft.co.uk/images/mr%20c3.jpg"></center> Mister Cleaner has 49 original Sokoban puzzles, split into 7 stages, featuring 7 different eras that the player can travel through, being the Stone Age, Ancient Egypt, Ancient Greece, the Middle Ages, the Industrial Revolution, the Post Nuclear Age and the Distant Electronic Future ... Mr.Cleaner is based on a transport objects puzzle, known as Sokoban, in which the player pushes boxes around a closed maze. In order to enhance the challenge and game experience, some complimentary features have been added, such as bombs, portals and elevators. A replay of your level attempt is stored and the time and number of moves is recorded. Progress is saved on completing each level. Levels are locked until you complete a level which unlocks the next level. <center><img src="http://www.cloft.co.uk/images/mr%20c%202.jpg"></center> The graphics are very well up to modern standards, including complex shaders and a rich lighting scheme, with realtime shadows and volumetric atmospheric rendering. Mr. Cleaner is powered by a fully-featured 3d games technology to give the most beautiful experience to date, for this category of puzzle games. The audio is finely tailored as well, with 20 music tracks from various audio artists, in a very large range of styles. Controls are keyboard or gamepad/joystick. The game has a tutorial to get you started. Controls details : - Rotate Counter Clockwise, Clockwise : ‘Left, Right’ arrow keys, More forward : ‘Up’ arrow key, Move back : 'Down' arrow key, Validate/Trigger Bomb : ‘Spacebar’, Return to main menu : ’ Esc’ key. To play you'll also need to note :- Rotate camera around player : 'Ctrl' + 'Arrow' key, 'Spacebar' to select in menus and to start a level, and you may need to tap 'arrow' keys twice to get between base menu items. <center><img src="http://www.cloft.co.uk/images/mr%20c1.jpg"></center> There may be a hidden bonus stage when you have completed all of the levels! If you like Sokoban you should love this one! The game plays windowed (via the config.exe) or full-screen in 32 bit versions of XP, Vista and Win 7 and runs without install for the game exe from the extracted folder. You’ll need at least a P4 2GHz processor and it works best with a decent NVidia or ATI/AMD video card. Some integrated onboard Intel Video cards may struggle or fail to run the game. There are two essential installs included for Open AL, and for MS Visual C + + 2010 redistributables before the game will run if you haven't already installed these . (Note - It isn’t designed to run in x64 Windows versions.) It is quite a large download, and needs 400Mb hard disk space to run. When run and loading you'll see a command window. This is a normal part of this game loading and is not harming your PC! I found that I had to set all of the options on, and anti-aliasing set to high with my graphics card as otherwise it was only showing part of the mazes! Adjusting the config values using the config.exe options sorted this (minor!) problem. <center><img src="http://mrcleaner-thegame.com/img/thumb_era_07.jpg"></center> Mr Cleaner was programmed in 2011, to try out the Gamestart 3D engine, and is something we can all be very grateful for, as it has resulted in us having this really most excellent freeware game! Can you better Homer Simpson and get Mr Cleaner to clear up all of the nuclear waste? Video <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=kPCj8TY5WbI"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=kPCj8TY5WbI" rel="nofollow">http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=kPCj8TY5WbI</a></a> Download <a href="http://mrcleaner-thegame.com/index.html">HERE</a> delenn13 on "Week 159 - Good Games to Grab - Crazy Over Goo (arcade)" http://www.giveawayoftheday.com/forums/topic/10565#post-95967 Tue, 11 Oct 2011 02:21:34 +0000 delenn13 95967@http://www.giveawayoftheday.com/forums/ Any game with the word "Goo" in it has to be good. :) Thanks Chazzo. chazzo125 on "Week 159 - Good Games to Grab - Crazy Over Goo (arcade)" http://www.giveawayoftheday.com/forums/topic/10565#post-95949 Mon, 10 Oct 2011 22:55:49 +0000 chazzo125 95949@http://www.giveawayoftheday.com/forums/ Glad I found this one, WR! It's fun to play and quite a challenge later on in the game! Whiterabbit-uk on "Week 159 - Good Games to Grab - Crazy Over Goo (arcade)" http://www.giveawayoftheday.com/forums/topic/10565#post-95935 Mon, 10 Oct 2011 21:10:05 +0000 Whiterabbit-uk 95935@http://www.giveawayoftheday.com/forums/ Thanks Chazzo. Missed this one. :) chazzo125 on "Week 159 - Good Games to Grab - Crazy Over Goo (arcade)" http://www.giveawayoftheday.com/forums/topic/10565#post-95854 Sat, 08 Oct 2011 01:03:50 +0000 chazzo125 95854@http://www.giveawayoftheday.com/forums/ Crazy Over Goo (3.8Mb) The object of the game here is to guide a yellow elastic ball to a red flag to complete a level. There are new tiles, rules, hazards and obstacles introduced every few levels and the game has 50 levels. Control is effected by using the mouse to launch the goo ball forwards or upwards. The new tiles, new rules and new hazards/obstacles such as rotary catchers, opening/closing spiky jaws and sticky tiles etc. introduce a good puzzle element into the game. If anything, it could do with a higher difficulty available (not that it's easy!), perhaps with two goo balls to control instead of just the one. That said, it’s an enjoyable and challenging game that’s certainly well worth downloading/giving a try. There's also an online version which can also be downloaded and played offline. <center><img src="http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b136/BanovG/ygl_lvl6.png"></center> You move the mouse pointer to aim and set power (longer arrow displayed = greater power), and click the left button to project the goo ball. You can move the ball in mid-air in blue zones, but in orange zones you can only move off platforms. There are clickable signs to act as a tutorial. It starts off with a small screen-size - click F4 at the menu screen to enlarge the game size. You can switch the music in-game between 4 soundtracks or switch the music off using the ‘Up/Down’ arrow keys ('0' and '+''-' keys in the flash version). 'Esc' key to return to menu(s). You can download high quality soundtracks for the non-flash version. The game was originally called Yellow Goo Love and has been enhanced by 30 additional levels (43 more in the flash version), improved graphics, and there is now a level editor that is unlocked after completing 15 levels (available immediately in the flash version). Up to 3 levels can be skipped using the ‘L/R’ arrow keys in-game (or see screenshot below for flash keys). It plays in XP, Vista and Win 7 and saves progress in the game folder for the non-flash version. It will also run from a USB pen drive. <center>Flash Version</center> It has a lot of similarities to the game Vertix, reviewed by wizzard in week 58 <a href="http://www.giveawayoftheday.com/forums/topic/6394">HERE</a>. Warning - Crazy Over Goo can be extremely frustrating and highly addictive to play! Please don’t complain if you end up tearing out bald patches of your hair! Crazy Over Goo is a fun simple arcade platform game with short but gimmicky levels, with all that’s best of smaller-level platform games! Video <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xpXsCqJzFoo"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xpXsCqJzFoo" rel="nofollow">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xpXsCqJzFoo</a></a> ----- Video Walkthroughs available at YouTube ----- Play Online <a href="http://www.newgrounds.com/portal/view/567950" rel="nofollow">http://www.newgrounds.com/portal/view/567950</a> (level editor and time attack mode immediately available! 63 levels and number of shots recorded and medals to earn) or play online <a href="http://armorgames.com/files/games/crazy-over-goo-11356.swf" rel="nofollow">http://armorgames.com/files/games/crazy-over-goo-11356.swf</a> (‘save page as’ to download flash version! (will only play offline in browser) 5.2Mb) Download (non-flash version) <a href="http://gamejolt.com/freeware/games/platformer/crazy-over-goo/171/ ">HERE</a> BentlyTCow on "Week 156 - Good Games to Grab 3rd Anniversary - Portal (flash puzzle platform)" http://www.giveawayoftheday.com/forums/topic/10534#post-95789 Wed, 05 Oct 2011 14:31:42 +0000 BentlyTCow 95789@http://www.giveawayoftheday.com/forums/ I think I waited for sales on both games and got them each at half-price... But that's only because I'm broke, not because I'm patient :) Speaking of Portal, Steam's Midweek Madness sale is featuring both Portal 1 and 2 on sale to accompany the free (co-op) DLC of Portal 2. You can buy both games for just £11.49 ($17.49) or just Portal 2 for £9.99 ($14.99). Or you can get the Portal 2 two-pack for you and a friend for £17.49 ($27.49). Portal 1 is still the standard price of £6.99 ($9.99). <a href="http://store.steampowered.com/app/620/">Any way you count it, Portal 2 is 50% off for another 32 hours :)</a> Whiterabbit-uk on "Week 156 - Good Games to Grab 3rd Anniversary - Portal (flash puzzle platform)" http://www.giveawayoftheday.com/forums/topic/10534#post-95748 Mon, 03 Oct 2011 08:17:19 +0000 Whiterabbit-uk 95748@http://www.giveawayoftheday.com/forums/ Thanks Bently, I'll check that out. It was thanks to the free version that my son got into portal and when the second one came out he'd already saved for it. I told him to wait for a few months as he'd be able to get it for half price, did he listen (just like his dad). About 4 weeks after he'd purchased it it was on offer for 40 to 50% off. BentlyTCow on "Week 156 - Good Games to Grab 3rd Anniversary - Portal (flash puzzle platform)" http://www.giveawayoftheday.com/forums/topic/10534#post-95729 Sun, 02 Oct 2011 17:39:21 +0000 BentlyTCow 95729@http://www.giveawayoftheday.com/forums/ I love this game and have played it through several times since I found it a few years ago. If you have the full 3D version, from when Steam gave it away last year, 'We Create Stuff' has made a free map pack add-on that's identical to the 2D version. Just click on the MapPack link in the bottom right hand corner. <a href="http://portal.wecreatestuff.com/" rel="nofollow">http://portal.wecreatestuff.com/</a> It's very interesting to see how they've translated a 2D game into a 3D world without losing any of the puzzles. It's every bit as devilish as the original :) Whiterabbit-uk on "Week 156 - Good Games to Grab 3rd Anniversary - Portal (flash puzzle platform)" http://www.giveawayoftheday.com/forums/topic/10534#post-95714 Sun, 02 Oct 2011 03:04:05 +0000 Whiterabbit-uk 95714@http://www.giveawayoftheday.com/forums/ Thanks Chazzo, this is excellent delenn13 on "Week 156 - Good Games to Grab 3rd Anniversary - Portal (flash puzzle platform)" http://www.giveawayoftheday.com/forums/topic/10534#post-95710 Sun, 02 Oct 2011 01:25:50 +0000 delenn13 95710@http://www.giveawayoftheday.com/forums/ Cussing, BSOD and Portal all in the same paragraph. My kind of game. Thanks, Chazzo!