Red Marble Games has released Dr Lynch: Grave Secrets, a hidden-object search and find game for the Mac. Gamers play as Dr. Ignatius Lynch, a paranormal investigator researching claims of ghost sightings at an archeological dig in England. Players seek clues from a cast of characters, looking to unearth hidden objects and solve bonus puzzles.
Big Fish Games has launched Azada: Ancient Magic, the sequel to Azada. The puzzle-adventure game expands on the original's one-page puzzles, with 20 books in the sequel, along with a secret book for players who completed the original game. New villains, heroes and legends from classic literature have been added as well.
Rusty Ross has released Squaresville, an app for the iPhone and iPod touch that features picture puzzles. The images are scrambled and then reassembled using the touch screen interface to move the tiles to the appropriate spots, using just the single empty space to slide a piece into. The app allows for the user's photos to be used, or one of the built-in game images that include a dog, ocean scene, geometric shapes, alphabet, and more.
Big Fish Games has announced the release of Azada: Ancient Magic, currently only available on the PC, with a Mac edition in the works that should be released within the next month. Azada: Ancient Magic is the sequel to Azada, which was the first puzzle adventure game to be released through online digital distribution. The game allows players to interact with some of the most famous characters from literary history including Dracula, Rapunzel and Dr. Jeckyll and Mr. Hyde. In Azadad: Ancient Magic players arrive via a mysterious transport to an enchanted mansion, in the library of Uncle Argus. Titus, the guide from the original Azada, explains that a deeper, darker magic threatens their survival, and only a Master Puzzler can break the powerful spell. Players are encouraged to explore the shelves and books that contain Argus’s life work which includes more than 20 puzzle books containing classic tales.
Gala Factory has announced Code Breaker, a code-logic puzzle game for the iPhone and iPod touch. In the game, colored dots form a scheme that has to be guessed in ten tries or less. The game hints that a player's guess is the right set of colors, but wrong order, or the correct position of a specific color. It supports saving the a game in progress when switching away for a phone call, and keeps track of high scores, wins and losses for multiple players.
Game studio Codeminion has released StoneLoops! of Jurassica, a dynamic-puzzle arcade-style game set in the prehistoric Jurassic period, for Mac OS X. The game-play features explorers smashing stones while avoiding meteors and pterodactyls, spread over 75 unique levels. Players pass to new levels by destroying sets of colorful stones while working to survive dinosaur attacks, with trophies and new abilities to be discovered while exploring different levels.
Kampo Interactive has released a public beta of its new Balance Mac Beta, an accelerometer controlled puzzle game. The game, reminiscent of the wooden board game Labyrinth, tests users' mouse-control abilities. Gamers nudge playfields up and down to guide balls to targets and through obstacles. It offers over 75 levels, with community records available. Kampo has promised an iPhone version in the future. The Mac beta requires Mac OS X 10.4 or higher, with a 350MHz G3 or higher (including Intel), 128MB RAM and a 3D graphics card. After the beta period the software will be available for $20.
ByDesign games on Tuesday announced Make Bouncy Bouncy, a new puzzle game for casual gamers. Gameplay centers around players 'bouncing' their way through over 35 levels of 3D spacial mazes of increasing difficulty, collecting 'bouncy bouncys' a type of in-game credit. With easy-to-learn one-handed controls and fast game-play, ByDesign says "players do not need to quit their day job to enjoy playing... Jump in and out of the game with ease; after opening a level, pick any level to play, anytime. Players post their top scores online to see if they're amongst those who Make the most Bouncy Bouncy!". Available for any PowerPC G4-based Mac (867MHz) or later, the game requires Mac OS X 10.2.8 and has a price of $15.
PiddlePup Games on Thursday unveiled Crumb, a colorful new adventure game where players must collect magical crumbs in a quest to unveil the mysteries of the Forest Mother. Players choose one of six playable characters to venture through 50 levels in the lush Enchanted Forest, solving puzzles to unlock the secrets of the forest. PiddlePup Games is currently selling Crumb for $20, and is available as a Universal Binary download from the company's site.
Red Rover Games has announced the release of Safari Sketch a new match-three puzzler that uses exotic locales to view endangered species from around the world. Red Rover Games also announced a donation of US$2 for each sold copy of Safari Sketch to the nonprofit Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). In Safari Sketch, adventurers can gather hand-rendered likenesses of more than 50 exotic and endangered species of plants, animals and insects, including the Giant Panda, the Sumatran Rhinoceros, and the world's rarest insect, the Lord Howe Island Stick Insect. Players enter jungles, reefs, snowy mountains, archipelagoes, and other locales as they are challenged to find matches and clear the puzzle board before the "daylight" fades. The game keeps a journal of the illustrations the player has collected along with an entry containing interesting facts about each creature presented in Safari Sketch.
Gogii Games yesterday unveiled Escape The Museum on Macgamestore.com, a puzzle game from the creators of Hidden Secrets: The Nightmare. Players take the role of Susan Anderson, an employee at the National Museum of History, who brought her daughter Caitlin to work for the day. Suddenly, the museum suffers for a 7.6 magnitude earthquake, trapping both inside. Susan must solve a series of puzzles and search frantically for her daughter. Escape The Museum is available for $20.
Transgaming today announced the release of Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords for Mac, a puzzle-based open-ended RPG. In Puzzle Quest, players can either do puzzles directly, or play an RPG-themed version, where they must collect items and experience to progress farther in the game. In the puzzles, players match three of a kind of different objects which either gives them money, experience, mana, or the ability to attack the opposing creature. Puzzle Quest is available for $20.
PlayFirst has launched Dream Chronicles 2: The Eternal Maze, the second game in the Dream Chronicles series that incorporates components from hidden object, adventure, and mystery genres. Developed by KatGames, Dream Chronicles 2 continues the story of Faye's adventure between the mortal and fairy world in search of her husband and daughter. With help from Faye's mother-in-law Aeval, players must solve puzzles to unravel the mystery and restore Faye's family. Dream Chronicles 2: The Eternal Maze is priced at $20 and requires Mac OS X 10.4 or later.
Macgamestore.com today unveiled Encore's Wheel of Fortune Deluxe as a digital download, previously only offered in boxed format. As with the game show, users spin the wheel, earning the right to pick consonants or buy vowels, to solve over 2000 word puzzles created by the show's staff. Players can choose from three game modes: Road Trip, Group Pay, and Puzzle of the Day. Wheel of Fortune Deluxe is available from Macgamestore.com for $20, and requires Mac OS X 10.3.9 and a G4, or later.
Macgamestore.com recently announced the release of Akzend, a Far East-themed puzzle game for the Mac. Players are tasked with matching tiles so that they can make their way to the Temple of Time in order to lift a curse from an ancient artifact. Eight magic talismans must be unlocked to unleash powers that allow the player to further their journey. Akzend features a full screen view mode that shows off vibrant scenery artwork, and two game modes which span many levels. Akzend is available from Macgamestore.com for $20, with a free demo for download.
Freeverse today added two new titles to its Macfun game portal: Rainbow Mystery, and Hidden Relics. Rainbow Mystery is a puzzle game where players must help Lily on her quest to break a curse that is turning her world into a tainted landscape. Lily must solve puzzles through 70 levels over three different game modes by swapping and matching different flowered tiles. Rainbow Mystery’s meager system requirements call for Mac OS X 10.3.9 or later, with any G3, G4, G5 or Intel-based Mac; The game is available from Macfun for $20.
Macgamestore.com and Toybox Games have released Hidden Relics for Mac, a puzzle-based game challenging players to retrieve stolen antiques that are hidden throughout Europe. Hidden Relics for Mac features nine unique mini games, 40 secret hidden items, and high-resolution graphics. The title is priced at $20, requires Mac OS X 10.3.9 or later, and runs natively as a Univesal Binary on Intel-based Macs.
Macgamestore.com today announced the release of Venice Mystery -- a unique puzzle game designed for all ages, and Frogames released an update to Penguins Arena with a Christmas theme. Created by Gamgo Games and published by Big Fish Games, Venice Mystery challenges players to travel through Venice to solve an ancient mystery before the city sinks into the water. Venice Mystery is priced at $20, and requires Mac OS X 10.3.9 or later.
Freeverse Inc. today unveiled two news games through it's Macfun.com game portal, Wedding Dash and Tiki Magic Mini Golf, and announced that all visitors to the site are entitled to download Big Bang Reaction. Wedding Dash puts players in the shoes of Quinn, a hopeful wedding planner, where they attempt to help Quinn run her business. Following a similar game flow to Diner Dash, Wedding Dash adds in the extra challenge of keeping the bride and groom happy. Players must juggle tasks from helping the couple choose a cake and flowers, to ensuring that tipsy guests and catty bridesmaids don't ruin the reception. Diner Dash's Flo also makes a cameo appearance, standing by to help Quinn in a pinch. Wedding Dash is available now for $20, and also has a playable demo for users to try before they buy.
