For all of you HO games fans out there waiting for a new free game to download try Lost World of Z at MyPlayCity.com. Music, graphics and gameplay are just superb, and it's free....no time restrictions. Get it and have fun.
Great new Hidden Object game
(17 posts) (10 voices)-
Any "ads" during play?
Posted 14 years ago # -
Whiterabbit-uk
Games GuruYou need to watch out when installing MyPlayCity games. Most of the games force you to install toolbars and have your browser page changed. that's okay if you know how to get rid and/or change your home page back (though everytime you want to play the game you'll have to allow the toolbar and the home pahge hijack)Some of their games can be downloaded without these restrictions, but, as with all these sites that give commercial games away free you will get your browser opening to the sites home page (though this is usually innocuous).
tThe last time I played a MyPlayCity game it had no adverts. :)
Posted 14 years ago # -
Anonymous
UnregisteredThanks Joybar.
Dragonlair and BakerBob, MyPlayCity's software 'extras' have varied a lot over the years I've been watching them and as a rule they can't be trusted, which is why I never recommend them. However, at this precise moment in time their practices seem to be in line with sites like Gametop, FreeGamePick and MyRealGames (peer pressure?). Meaning that no toolbars are required, you can install the games relatively cleanly and only have their site opened in your web browser as you exit the game.
As little as six months ago they required a toolbar to be installed for the games to even work (forget that), but having tried them again this week I found this had changed. This weekend I downloaded about 15 of their games, including one that was 'toolbarred' before, and they came up clean, functioning exactly like a FreeGamePick game (with the "play.url" launching on exit). You can even note how the downloads are now smaller than the reported size (with the toolbar junk removed). So, I'd recommend getting games from there while the gettin's good, but be careful as always for each and every game. I should also note that for the ease of processing that many games at once I used inno unpacker to 'unzip' them instead of installing them directly. Early favorites were Amazing Pyramids (word game) and World Riddles (picross).
Also, for more hidden object games see the links in this thread: http://www.giveawayoftheday.com/forums/topic/7337
Jenkat Games is a great resource for such freebies at this time. Decline all offers during installation and you still get a free and ad-free game with no strings attached.
Quick note of mutual clarification to Dragonlair regarding the Jenkat freebies: in that thread you mentioned having no option for installation location (unfortunately) and were seeing games split into the Common Files and Program Files folders, I've seen more of this too. You also mentioned combining them, and I've found that moving the files from the Common Files folder to the Program Files folder is the way to go, overwriting if necessary and ultimately using the EXE from the Common Files for your shortcut. Once combined you can move the files to the folder of your choice of course. 'Nuff said for this thread.
Posted 14 years ago # -
Whiterabbit-uk
Games GuruYes, thanks for the in depth clarification. i've avoided MyPlaycity for quite some time, so it's good to hear they are changing their practices.
Posted 14 years ago # -
I downloaded and installed 4 HOGs. FreeGamePick (and MyRealGames) have Hidden World of Art 2 but MyPlayCity has the original.
None I've installed have even mentioned the toolbar at all. I've not gotten farther than option settings (like turning off the music) so I don't know if they're hiding in-game ads. The one odd thing is it sets the shortcut to run the game in admin mode. I simply change that property.
So Far - So good!
ZF - I figured out the shortcut of moving from Program Files\Commmon Files to Program Files and over-writing the main executable myself after a few games. Then I moved Program Files to my own location. None of the 10 games I got from them have had any problem at all. I have more but I got them elsewhere!
Posted 14 years ago # -
Alianthia
MemberLost World of Z is VERY enjoyable; thanks for pointing it our way, Joybar!
I am getting the hidden world of art 2 HOG too; might as well, especially as it apparently doesn't have the dreaded "spot the differences"(should be called the "cross your eyes looking", part..lol)
The Mary Celeste is a really good game, for those who haven't played it...
I had the Magic Encyclopedia from a game disk I got at Christmas...good game but I got stuck RIGHT at the end.
(I wish all game developers would remember to include a "skip puzzle" option.)
:)Posted 14 years ago # -
Belle
MemberLast night, and again tonight, I downloaded a game from FreeGamePick. Both times the PLAY button turned from green to gray (and the game would not run) when I unchecked the toolbar options. I know I can undo the toolbar/homepage changes but it's just not worth the hassle. Thanks, everyone, for listing the other free sites.
Posted 14 years ago # -
Belle,
If you download from FreeGamePick and skip the install of the toolbar, you need to change their shortcut for it to play. Their shortcut will not work without the toolbar for some reason. Just unhide files, find game.exe and make a shortcut from it and it works great. I did it as recently as the other day for Hidden World of Art 2.
Posted 14 years ago # -
Anonymous
UnregisteredI'm sorry for the trouble, Belle. I was puzzled at your statement at first because I haven't experienced that obstacle, I then realized it must be a shortcut issue exactly as Dragonlair explained. The thing is I never use any of the shortcuts installed by such programs and it seems that FreeGamePick is fond of the misdirecting kind so I guess I won't be recommending them anymore.
Supplementing Dragonlair's advice: If you right-click the default game shortcut and select Properties you will see the EXE that's targeted to run. In the case of current FreeGamePick games there will usually be two game launching EXEs in the game folder, the one that's the target of the default shortcut (a seperate frontend which prompts you to install an ASK toolbar or change your browser start page) and another 'hidden' one that actually starts the game directly.
In many cases I suspect you could simply change the name of the target EXE in your default shortcut to "game.exe" and it would work. Otherwise you'll need to go to the folder, unhide hidden files if necessary, and then create a shortcut to the actual game EXE (i.e. the one NOT targeted by the default shortcut), as Dragonlair has stated.
Tip: Showing Hidden Files in All Windows Versions
The following picture shows an example folder of a game I just downloaded and installed into a sandbox.
http://i.imagehost.org/0381/freegamepick.gif
In that case Game.exe has the 'hidden' attribute applied to it, which means you won't see it by default in Explorer, yet this game.exe is the file you want to launch to start the game, because the other one leads to the intermediate interface with the Play button that's only selectable if all of the checkboxes are flagged. :-/
Posted 14 years ago # -
Alianthia
MemberHi Michelle!
Yes I got the "Play!" cd set when you did or because you had told us about it; it IS a really good collection!
I use gamezebo a lot..yet the "sums" puzzle solution didn't seem to work for me..
I am a bit thick when it comes to math.
PLUS the puzzle is TIMED which makes me stress more..
Grr..
Too bad, as I loved the rest of Magic Encyclopedia!
Probably I will try it again one day.
thanks!
:)Posted 14 years ago # -
NolafromNZ
MemberTo Dragonlair and ZF, I second paf - thank you so much for the detailed instructions for installing and playing these games. I couldn't go wrong. Your image, ZF, made it even clearer and I have downloaded it into Evernote, along with the detailed instructions in case I forget how to do it in a few months' time when I want to catch up with new games. Thank you both, very much, you have enabled me to add to the huge collection of games I already have!
Posted 14 years ago # -
Joybar
MemberGlad to see some discussion from my posting, have been a bit busy lately so not been back till now. If you enjoyed "Lost City of Z" you would also like "Herod's Lost Tomb" from the same makers and same site, also "Coyotes Tale: Fire and Water" which is new on MyPlayCity. I have never had any problems downloading from their site. When you close the game you just get directed to their homepage, click on the X and you're out of it.
This is standard for FreeGamePick and Gametop as well.Posted 13 years ago #
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