Turns out, the answer was “no” to both of those questions. The game in question, “Godville”, is a zero player RPG. Yes, you read that right. You do not need to do ANYTHING to play this game. You just sign up, name your god (you) and name your follower. Then you send them off into the world to quest, make friends, fight monsters, collect treasures and level up. They generously keep a journal of all their goings on for you to read (only the last 10 events, mind you). You don’t even have to have friends to play this game, although you can invite people if you wish.

You don’t grow or build anything; there is no obsessively checking in to make sure it’s going okay. Although you CAN be involved in your follower’s life if you choose. Your follower will start off as neutral, but the alignment changes based on your interactions. You can “encourage” which heals your follower, and you can “punish” which smacks them around. As you can guess, one action turns your follower toward being good and thereby healing more easily; the other makes your follower mean and lets them do more damage to monsters.

There are other commands that can be used in game, but it’s no guarantee that your follower will get the message or listen to it. The best place for information on how the game works and what commands are useful is the Godville wiki. As you move up, you join guilds, train skills and get pets. It’s all random, but you can still try to use your influence and speak in the voice of god. Again, you don’t have to. That’s the beauty of it. Your follower will even self-resurrect after a couple days if it dies.

The game can be played through Facebook, but it does not have to be. There are apps available for free in iTunes and the Android Market. There were some kinks early on with the Apple version, particularly for the iPad, but I haven’t heard anything recently about problems. The Android app has been pretty much flawless. The publisher listed is Godville Games Unlimited, and there is a Russian version as well.

Oh, and be prepared — this game is heavy on the puns, pop culture references and humor.

Simple game play is matching of cards for points. There are power up cards that get you more chances to solve the variety of solitaire layouts. It is anything but traditional solitaire, though you get more points for removing cards from the boards in sequence.
The soothing new age music in the game was very well done. It is floaty enough to reduce stress. While not sounding ominous or churchy.

Heartwild Solitaire is a good value in a casual game. It looks amazing on iPad, and it is hard to put it down. You can get a good sized Free Lite version, but the full game is inly .99 cents.

Geek Woman: From what I understand there were only two people on the development team for this game?

Carolina Moya: That’s right, Legend of Fae was developed over the coarse of two years by a team of two.  There are a few freeware sound effects we used and some help proof reading the script but aside from that it was just Kyron and myself.

What aspects of the game did you work on?

My main role on Legend of Fae was Creative Lead. This means that while Kyron is also an artist, I had final say on anything that was art related. But specifically, I painted all of the background art, designed most of the characters and took on the grueling task that was designing the game’s complicated interface. I also worked in a couple of other areas. That’s the beauty of two person team. It’s really easy to have input in every part of the game’s creation.

Legend of Fae has two distinct play fields, one on top that has the main character and the elementals that she summons for battles. Then the lower part is the matching game. Was that the result of both of you having a different game in mind?

Not at all. Legend of Fae actually evolved from an earlier project from years back that also had a split screen layout. The original game was called ‘Hellements’. It was a two player puzzle/fighting game where your attacks against your opponent were initiated by matches on the puzzle board. It was basically inspired by Capcom’s Puzzle Fighter but we wanted to make a game where your character’s actions where directly affected by the puzzle game. Ever since we worked on ‘Hellements’, we wondered what that game would be like if we exchanged the enclosed arena for an adventure game.

Were there many compromises?

At the start of the project we argued over design decisions a lot. The danger of having only two people is that two is an even number! We didn’t always agree and without a third person to tilt the scale we argued until one of us refused to make dinner or change the kitty litter. As a result the game’s production would be at a stand still. So the compromise was to split the power in two. I was named Creative lead and Kyron was Game design lead. That extinguished any lingering tension and eventually we were more receptive when listening to each other’s concerns.

Did it make it easier having a two person team?

Yes and no. Making a game is a huge undertaking. It involves many art disciplines. Most developers hire out the production they cant handle themselves to someone else who can. We’d prefer to learn how to do each task ourselves. It’s easier for us to have control over what we want for our game if we get to create it.  Still, there are areas of game production we wouldn’t do as skillfully as someone who has years of training but it sure does make it easy on our wallet if we can handle it internally.

How many hours a week did you work on the game?

When we were working full time we were extremely dedicated to the project. Most times we’d work from 10 am to 8 pm.  Some nights we stopped at 2 am! Looking back, it wasn’t all that healthy. Luckily we both learned to do things faster which will be good for our next projects. We also realised that both of us are workaholics who become really invested making art and we should probably schedule a break in there somewhere.

What background did you have that prepared you to work on video games?

There were two things I’ve done since I was little. I started drawing when I was 4 and I started gaming probably around the same time. Both of those hobbies prepared me for work in games.  However I didn’t know from the beginning that I would eventually work on games as a career choice. It was more like the of the natural progression of circumstances. As an artist I was unsure which field to take as a career.  So through out my life I experimented with fine art, illustration, animation, comics, 3d… you name it.  I didn’t really know it then but my uncertainty in a career path led me to become a versatile artist which is great for game development.

What is harder, making the game or selling it?

Most definitely selling the game has been more difficult.   Since we both have experience making games already, developing the game felt like second nature. Development wise, I knew everything that had to be done and even pitfalls to look out for but selling is a different story.  I look back at my experience working at Gamelab and I really wish I payed more attention to what my producers were so busy with toward the end of a project!

What projects do you have coming up next?

Working on a game for two years is a long time and so it’s only natural that during the project we’d occasionally daydream and think up other ideas. Well we daydreamed a lot, so we have around 5 different in depth game design docs to choose from. We are still in talks about which to work on next but in the meantime we’re working on a mini project to update our freeware shooter game ‘Sky Princess Nimbus’. Soon after we’ll reveal our next big project!

PlayFirst has opened Diner Dash for early beta business on Facebook, inviting players and their friends to help spunky waitress Flo to keep her diner customers happy. Facebook game players will be able to experience complete Diner Dash original time management gameplay on Facebook with all of their favorite features and characters.

“Diner Dash is the first Facebook game to embed robust time management gameplay in a truly social environment,” said Eric Hartness, Vice President and General Manger of Social Games at PlayFirst. “We’ve taken the addictive gameplay that has made Diner Dash so popular on PC, Macs and iOS mobile devices and accented it with a rich ensemble cast and narrative elements that bring new depth to the Dash experience. Diner Dash propels restaurant games on Facebook to an entire new level! ”

In the Facebook version of Diner Dash, all of the stars from the past games come together to continue their legendary fight against Mr. Big, who attempts to destroy DinerTown park, dumping all of his broken down bulldozers, cones, flat tires, oil spills, and other construction and factory debris, taking the appeal of the park away from the city, causing beloved restaurants to shut their doors for lack of patrons. So not only will players keep restaurant patrons satisfied, but help clean up the park as well, in order to unlock more DinerTown restaurants and keep the community thriving.

“We’ve brought together all the compelling Diner Dash elements that have made it the number one time management franchise and married that to the social experience of Facebook,” said Mari Baker, CEO of PlayFirst. “Diner Dash on Facebook points the way forward to a new class of time management game while retaining the authentic Dash gameplay that made the series so popular.”

With new content added in the coming weeks and months, Diner Dash for Facebook will continually evolve and challenge players with new activities. Visit the Diner Dash Facebook page for more details!

Legacy Interactive has announced the development of a hidden object form of the intriguing CBS television series (and one of my mom’s favorite shows) Criminal Minds. With some of the darker storylines on TV, it will be interesting how the mood of the show will translate into an interactive experience. The game will feature brand new stories that stay true to the show’s nature and is slated to be released on PC and Mac later this year. Here’s a peek at the “developer diary” by game producer Ryan Modjeski.

(August 17, 2010) – I admit it. I was late to the game. I never really started watching the Criminal Minds TV series until about a year ago when I caught a marathon of episodes late at night. I couldn’t tear myself away! Each episode was captivatingly creepy and refreshingly different from the vast majority of the other “cop” shows on television. Little did I know that six months later I’d be tapped as the designer and producer for a light adventure/casual game version of the Criminal Minds license. Obviously I was met immediately with a very unique set of challenges in trying to translate a show that revolves around an elite team of FBI profilers who analyze and hunt down the country’s most twisted criminal minds into something the intended audience of gamers would enjoy as much as I do. The show is darkly lit, contains disturbing themes, features a large cast of characters at different locations each episode, and plots that are driven primarily by very abstract psychological profiling. Where to begin?

I decided to approach the restrictions as a challenge. The Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU) travels to a new city every episode? Great! We decided to make the game contain three distinct episodes (instead of just one as most games do), each in a different region of the US: Texas, Florida and the Pacific Northwest. Each episode would follow the same format that has made the series a ratings success.

Dark lighting and large primary cast? A big challenge for this game is to meet the casual game audience on their terms. We carefully examined what works and doesn’t work in some of the “darkest feeling” casual games and have learned to play with colored light and to make the brightest spots brighter rather than make the darkest spots darker. As you can see below, the result is a colorful but darkly moody feeling.

And our crack team of artists found a gritty, but realistic style for our characters that I think both fans of the show and casual gamers will enjoy.

Presenting an interactive experience that contains disturbing themes? Bring it on! Most (if not all) Criminal Minds episodes deal with some pretty dark plot lines. Tune into a random episode of the show and the BAU team is likely to be hot on the trail of a sick-minded serial killer who probably has some issues that can be traced back to a bad childhood. While this is admittedly titillating to watch on TV, I don’t think most people want to be immersed “up close and personal” in that world. The addition of a cursor on the screen, the digital embodiment of the player’s presence, and active hidden object gameplay (now you’re touching the stuff!) to a story like that could be a real turn-off to most casual game players. After reviewing years of Criminal Minds episodes, we hired some of the best writers around to come up with three brand- new cases that the license holder (CBS) would love and scripted them in a way that could translate into exciting gameplay that doesn’t take things too far. Below you can see an example of the hidden object gameplay from our first case where the BAU team has to track down an UNSUB (Criminal Minds-speak for “unknown subject”) who has apparently been killing random women and posing their dead bodies as his own twisted work of art. This particular scene is from the city park where two of the victims were known to have gone jogging. Perhaps we can find a common thread between the victims and in the objects on the screen. Hmm…

Keep an eye out here at GamingAngels.com to find out more!

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Fugazo has released it’s hits PC/Mac game, Cooking Academy for the iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad.  Play as a student in the kitchen of a prestigious culinary school and learn to prepare to prepare over 50 different recipes.
“Fans of the Cooking Academy series have been asking for Cooking Academy on iPhone and iPod Touch for a long time” said Andrew Lum, CEO Fugazo, Inc. “And thanks to the touch screen and accelerometer, Cooking Academy has never played better.”

Cooking Academy features:

• Over 50 Unique Recipes
• 5 Courses to Master: Appetizers, Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, and Dessert
• Over 35 Different Mini-Games
• 8 Trophies with 4 different ranking

Cooking Academy is available now on the Apps Store for $1.99 US.

We’ve had BioShock, which was, to an extent, influenced by literature. Then, earlier this year, we got Dante’s Inferno, based directly on literature.

Today, Alawar Entertainment announced the launch of “Hamlet,” a stylish PC puzzle game with 25 levels, or, as they call it, “the last game without MMORPG features, shaders and product placement.”

Alawar’s description:

Mayhem and hilarity ensue when a scientist travels back in time and gets mixed up with characters from William Shakespeare’s play, Hamlet! Guide the man from the future as he embarks on a mind-bending mission to save Hamlet’s girlfriend, Ophelia, from the clutches of the evil Claudius. Solve a variety of cunning point-and-click puzzles and advance from one sidesplitting scene to the next as you defeat bosses and overcome mental obstacles. The story will have you in stitches and the fresh challenges will captivate you from beginning to end!

Hamlet features a “try before you buy” demo that gives you an hour to play before you’re cut off. If you do choose to purchase the game, it’s only $9.95. Both the demo and the full game can be downloaded here: http://www.alawar.com/game/hamlet/

Diner Dash is available on both the PSN and XBLA. This review is based on the PSN version of the game.

BUY

Start out with a run-down hole in the wall

One of the best known series in casual gaming history, Diner Dash is the one that started Flo’s gaming superstardom. Flo’s job is stressing her out and she decides to open her own restaurant. You will control the new and improved 3-D version of Flo, running around the restaurant seating your guests, taking checks to the pass, waiting on tables and cleaning up once they have enjoyed their meals. Its all about utilizing your time and figuring out how to serve the most amount of customers without sacrificing excellent service.

As with the original version of the game, you start out with just a few tables in a run-down hole in the wall. As you meet and beat your goals, more tables and upgrades to your restaurant will be awarded to you. Eventually you will have several 2-tops and 4-tops to service. Create chains for added bonuses by performing the same action several times in a row. Each level gives you a regular goal which you must meet to clear the level, as well as an Expert goal which gets you the Gold Trophy “I really ate the whole thing!” for achieving this rank on every level.

Flo is now 3-D, which moves the player away from the original point and click play of the computer versions that started the Dash craze. Using the left stick you will run around the restaurant and try to earn as much as you can in the allotted time. My only issue was some minor collision detection. If I wasn’t standing in exactly the right spot, I couldn’t interact with the diners or tables, having to waste precious seconds trying to find just the right spot. I also found myself bumping into the tables quite a bit and wasting time trying to run in a giant arc around them.

Long lines in the Tiki restaurant

And then I discovered there are shortcuts. You can tell Flo to bring an order up by pushing Square, take her to the counter to pick up orders with Triangle, and bring the dishes to the cart with Circle. If you decide you want to change what you are doing while Flo is heading in one of those directions, simply move the left analog stick to regain control. Keep an eye out for the flashing upgrade icon in the top right corner. Once you have enough money and it starting blinking away, hit the Select button and choose which upgrade you would like to add to the restaurant.

There are four restaurants in career mode for you to complete, as well as added features of Endless Mode and multiplayer modes. You can choose Head to Head mode or Team Dash, allowing up to eight players to compete for bragging rights. I played Tip Wars and Endless Mode online, and both ran very smoothly. (Which is a nice change of pace for me, as most of my PS3 online play has  been brutal in the past.) One of the control modes we tried during this time was Cursor mode, where there is a giant arrow you move around instead of Flo. This mode was a bit clunky and hard to get used to, so I don’t recommend it.

Bringing a game such as Diner Dash to the PSN and XBLA is a great move. It makes the game accessible to people who are not that big into casual games, as well as brings casual gamers to a console where they can play with their loved ones. Nothing is lost in translation from PC to console, which is a huge plus.

*Review code was provided by Hudson Entertainment, and does not affect the outcome of this review.*

Gotcha! Celebrity Secrets is now available for download on PC or Mac from PlayFirst.com and allows players to take on the role of Gaby, a budding celebrity blogger, and search for informants (not objects – therein lies the twist) to boost the dish and scoop the competition on the hippest boy bands and confidential plastic surgeries!

Gotcha! features:
* 40 Hollywood themed search screens
* 1200 wacky, unique characters to hunt and find
* 40 unique puzzles and mini games to play
* 15 ways to customize your celebrity blog