Fun Rating: Sorta Fun

In a Nutshell: Astroslugs is a pattern recognition puzzle game. Solving the puzzles gains you fuel for your spaceship so that you may go an dominate the universe.

Developer: Bit Barons

Website: http://www.astroslugs.com/

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Verdict: Glad I only spent $25.

In a Nutshell: Lazy gameplay design choices and overuse of clichéd mechanics nearly ruin an interesting story and some amazing scenery.

(from the game’s website)

A 400-year-old clue in the coffin of Sir Francis Drake sets a modern day fortune hunter, Nathan Drake, on an expedition for the fabled treasure of El Dorado, leading to the discovery of a forgotten island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.

The search turns deadly when he and his party become stranded on the island and hunted by modern-day pirates. Outnumbered and outgunned, he must fight to survive as he begins to unravel the terrible secrets hidden on the island.

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Verdict: Nice puzzler

In a Nutshell: Block pushing, timed puzzler.

(from the publisher’s website)

“Hunters have invaded the Arctic! Mr. Big, the CEO of Globoco, has decided to drill in the Arctic. Unfortunately, Polar and his family are in the way, and he’s hired hunters to clear them out by any means necessary.

Help Polar rescue his family by battling the hunters, and Mr. Big in frantic arcade play. Use iceblocks, dynamite crates, and anything else handy to drive Globoco out of your territory. Once the arctic is safe, master all 50 devious stages of Puzzle Mode.”

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Verdict: interesting

In a Nutshell: This is a first-person shooter/puzzle and was one of the 2009 PAX 10.

(from the game’s website)

“Tag: The Power of Paint, a first-person platformer created by seven RTIS and BFA students at DigiPen, was chosen from ten IGF Student Showcase Finalists as winner of the Best Student Game Award.”

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Verdict: Rich!

In a Nutshell: This is an update to the classic platform puzzler of racing to collect all the gold before the baddies catch you.

(from the game’s XBLA page)

“It’s an all-new Lode Runner gold mine — 3-D graphics, frenzied 2-D action, lodes of modes, 220 levels, multiplayer options, puzzles, a level editor and more! Run, climb, blast blocks, outsmart enemies and grab the gold on your own or with a partner. It’s classic action with “lodes” of new twists.”

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Verdict: spooky

In a Nutshell: I can’t describe it any better than the website can.  The still-being-developed, second installment of Closure was one of the 2009 PAX 10.

(from the game’s website)

“A creepy puzzle about darkness and the unknown.”

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Verdict: A delightfully new puzzler experience.

In a Nutshell: George Washington riding a pegasus over a UFO occupied by a ninja. Scribblenauts.

(from the game’s website)

The goal is simple — help our hero Maxwell reach the starite by solving each challenge — but the mission before you can range from straightforward to downright tricky! To catch the Starite, write any object you can think of and watch as it comes to live. Try another word and watch as a completely different scenario unfolds right before your eyes. How you play and whatever object you put into use is completely up to you!

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Verdict: more please

In a Nutshell: Puzzle game involving a tree spirit and captive bears. This was one of the 2009 PAX 10

(from the game’s website)

“Puzzle Bloom is the innovative action-puzzle game where you control the tree spirit Canotila in her quest to bring back life to her island. Canotila needs the assistance of the island’s native creatures to get past the rigid machines of the world. She flies from creature to creature and uses her powers to guide them. New life will bloom into the world for each time Canotila breaks a machine, bringing Canotila closer to her ultimate goal of a return to nature.”

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Verdict: it’s a dud

In a Nutshell: A mediocre new take on a classic Windows puzzle game.

(from the game’s website)

“Minesweeper has come a long way since the days of the 9 X 9 grid! In Minesweeper Flags, you can choose to play the classic grid game if you like, but if you’re looking for real action, check out our Flags mode where you must secure the mines instead of avoiding them. Minesweeper Flags also delivers exciting multiplayer action for up to four players, deep stats to track your rankings, ratings and true skill score, fun new achievements and an all-new action packed single player campaign mode. This is Minesweeper Xbox 360 style!”

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Verdict: squintiful

In a Nutshell: Interpol: The Trail of Dr. Chaos is a collection hidden object games tied together with an international dective/spy theme.

(from the game’s website)

“Track down the evil and destructive fugitive Dr. Chaos, as you hunt down clues in the exciting seek and find game Interpol: The Trail of Dr. Chaos. As an elite agent for Interpol, it is your mission to eradicate his trail of corruption as it takes you around the world from one international city to the next. Use your investigative skills to quickly gather the evidence needed to bring him to justice.”

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