Nine casual PC games you must try

Casual games. These games don’t require any prior gaming experience. You just sit down in front of the computer and get addicted. Some games are as simple as the free games that come with your OS, others are just silly and delightful (like Tasty Planet or Insaniquarium), while others blur the lines between casual games and “serious”/”hardcore” games.

But there are so many casual games. Where to start? Well, you could follow the list of nominees for Zeeby Casual Game of the Year. Here’s a quick look at nine PC games that are worth playing.

Delicious Deluxe. One of three titles in this list that belong to the “customer service” genre, Delicious Deluxe from Zylom stars petite, freckled gal Emily. The game mixes elements from Cake Mania and Diner Dash, with an emphasis on the actual serving of customers. You gotta make sure you get their orders right and serve it on time before they storm off.

Super Collapse 3. The Super Collapse series has been around for some time now, and by the third installment, GameHouse had to re-invent the title, and re-invent they did with the new Quest mode (you travel along a map going from mission to mission). You earn coins along the way to purchase various items in the shop or take a spin in one of the 10 mini-games in the Casino. On top of you basic Super Collapse mode of eliminating same-colored blocks, there are more surprises and unique content.

Cake Mania. It’s all about serving your customers in Cake Mania from Sandlot Games. This game might be familiar to some of you who’ve played Diner Dash (more of that in a bit) and the concept is pretty much the same. Customers come in, you take their order, prepare the dish, serve, and collect money when they’re done. There’s some mad click-click-clicking here, so better get your fingers warmed up.

Six more games after the jump! Just click on the “Full Article” link below.

Casual games. These games don’t require any prior gaming experience. You just sit down in front of the computer and get addicted. Some games are as simple as the free games that come with your OS, others are just silly and delightful (like Tasty Planet or Insaniquarium), while others blur the lines between casual games and “serious”/”hardcore” games.

But there are so many casual games. Where to start? Well, you could follow the list of nominees for Zeeby Casual Game of the Year. Here’s a quick look at nine PC games that are worth playing.

Delicious Deluxe. One of three titles in this list that belong to the “customer service” genre, Delicious Deluxe from Zylom stars petite, freckled gal Emily. The game mixes elements from Cake Mania and Diner Dash, with an emphasis on the actual serving of customers. You have to make sure you get their orders right and serve it on time before they storm off.

Super Collapse 3. The Super Collapse series has been around for some time now, and by the third installment, GameHouse had to re-invent the title, and re-invent they did with the new Quest mode (you travel along a map going from mission to mission). You earn coins along the way to purchase various items in the shop or take a spin in one of the 10 mini-games in the Casino. On top of your basic Super Collapse mode of eliminating same-colored blocks, there are more surprises and unique content.

Cake Mania. It’s all about serving your customers in Cake Mania from Sandlot Games. This game might be familiar to some of you who’ve played Diner Dash (more of that in a bit) and the concept is pretty much the same. Customers come in, you take their order, prepare the dish, serve, and collect money when they’re done. There’s some mad click-click-clicking here, so better get your fingers warmed up.

Bookworm Adventures. A follow-up to one of PopCap’s ever-popular Bookworm word game, Bookworm Adventures takes you for one squiggly role-playing ride through various word fights with different opponents. The goal of this game is to conjure long words from a grid at the bottom. In your regular RPGs, your party members cast magic spells, but in this game Lex the worm casts word attacks. Sort of like a spelling bee competition, but more like spelling worm.

Diner Dash 2: Restaurant Rescue. PlayFirst’s Diner Dash smash hit had many a gamer playing into the wee hours of the morning. Diner Dash 2: Restaurant Rescue will have you controlling Flo once again, as she tries to rescue the ailing establishments of her friends. Just as long as you keep on dashing through their diners and serving the customers, you can keep the restaurant’s popularity and prevent it from being demolished.

Mystery Case Files: Ravenhearst. Here’s another detective game from Big Fish Studios that’s as immersive as Prime Suspects. In Mystery Case File: Ravenhearst, the Ravenhearst Mansion is shrouded by rumors of strange goings-on, and the recently acquired diary of one Emma Ravenhearst just might be the key to solve the secret of the mansion. Pages of the diary are missing, and you have to search for more clues through all 32 rooms of the house…

Mystery Case Files: Prime Suspects. You’ve got to be your own detective in this other casual puzzler from Big Fish Studios. Mystery Case Files: Prime Suspects has 22 levels and all the clues to last you a lifetime. You must find out who stole the Queen’s Hope Diamond. There are tons of clues to find littered all throughout the levels. The only thing you’ll need more of is time.

Luxor 2. The goddess Isis needs your help to foil the evil plans of Set. Luxor 2 from MumboJumbo will have you seeing colors, quite literally. As Set’s scarab minions start pushing spheres closer and closer toward your pyramids, you need to destroy all of those balls of death. Eliminate same-colored orbs, and thwart Set’s evils plans.

Virtual Villagers. Developed by Last Day of Work Software and published by Big Fish, Virtual Villagers is a sim game. You manage an island village where you help the villagers grow and thrive by teaching them how to farm, build, heal, and so on. As you overcome challenges, you trigger other events on the island. The game calculates things in real time, meaning that you can turn off your computer, and when you come back to it, growth and events are simulated based on the time that has passed by.