Gaming All Nice and Casual Like

Gaming has gone casual in a big way.  With games on our phones, our ipods, ipads, netbooks, and notebooks, videogames aren’t just for geeks anymore.  One of the reasons for this phenomenon is that game companies are realizing that one way to cash in is to cater to the non-traditional gamer.  If companies can develop a game that appeals to not just the gaming public, but the public in general, well the market becomes huge.

I still prefer to game on a monitor or TV rather than a mobile screen, but there are times when I do want the immediate, bite size entertainment of a casual game.  But what makes a videogame ‘casual’ anyway?  My definition of a casual game is one that can be learned in less than 10 minutes, one that can easily be played in sessions of 30 minutes or less, and if the game has a story mode, it can be finished in less than 12 hours.

So, what are my favorite casual games?  I’m glad you asked.

5. World of Goo

This casual puzzler has tons of style.  Imagine Lemmings, but instead of cuddly little mindless creatures for you to save, you’ve got sticky little mindless balls of goo to rescue.  You direct your balls of goo to attach to eachother creating latticework structures in order to reach the exit for each level.  It’s a classic case of a simple concept used to perfection to create some very entertaining puzzles.

4. Angry Birds

What can I say about this highly addictive game that has become a cultural phenomenon?  This game started out on the iphone and quickly became the number one game in the itunes store.  Since then it has spread to just about every platform you can think of.  The PC version has even been nominated for Game of the Year by the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences.  Here’s an interesting article about why.  Angry Birds is really a simple game.  At its core it is your basic artillery game (see my blog about this genre), but the execution is flawless.  The brilliantly designed levels make this game more addictive than crack.  Not to mention the game music that you won’t be able to get out of your head.  If you have fallen to this viral devil, you’ll enjoy this skit.

3. Tower Defense

Now we come to the game that proves that with enough talent a lone developer can make a living writing games.  Living the dream of every hobby game writer, Paul Preece wrote Desktop Tower Defense on his own as an online browser based flash game.  According to Paul, the game is netting him around $100,000 a year, mostly through ad revenue from the game page.

The reason Tower Defense is so succesful is the gameplay.  It’s a simple game of trying to prevent ‘creeps’ from crossing the screen by placing various towers in their way that kill the creeps in interesting ways.  This simplicity is really the game’s strength.  The more strategically towers are chosen and placed, the longer you will be able to hold out against the enemy.  But towers cost money, so management of your assets is key.

2, Diner Dash

Diner Dash is the Seinfeld of videogames.  It's the videogame about nothing.  The whole game is about performing a handful of functions as efficiently as possible.  Yet this brilliant game has created a genre of its own: the time management game.  Diner Dash is all about helping the main character, Flo, run a growing restaurant business.  You direct Flo to seat customers, take orders, serve the food, get paid, and clean up, all the while entertaining the customers and making sure that they are taken care of before they get mad a leave.  It's a simple concept, but it makes for a very entertaining game that is that elusive mix of action and strategy that can build a software company.

1. Plants vs Zombies

Finally, my favorite casual game.  Plants vs Zombies simply exudes innovation.  I bought the game on sale on steam for $5.  Best $5 I've ever spent on a game.  The concept is simple, plant various plants in the back yard (and on the roof in later levels) in order to prevent zombies from crossing the screen and getting into your house.  The strategy comes in with the variety of plants and of zombies.  Some plants work better against some zombies.  And then there is the economic aspect of the game.  You use 'sunshine' to purchase your plants.  So you must strategize in order to not run out.  In some ways Plants vs Zombies is a tower defense game flipped sideways, but there are strategic differences that make it a great game in its own right.

The great thing about Plants vs Zombies is the variety.  In the game of the year edition there are several modes of play.  In addition to the story mode there are variations where you can take on challenges, play more puzzle oriented versions of the game, and even take on the role of the zombies instead of the plants.

So, when you want a quick gaming fix, remember, casual gaming is where it's at.