The Lost Inca Prophecy v1.1.104

Acua has been having vivid dreams of the New World, and wakes up to find she has drawn a map of a place she has never been to! Travel to the New World and help Acua prevent a devastating prophecy from occurring, restore demolished temples, and save the Inca civilization! The Lost Inca Prophecy can only be deciphered and understood using your Match 3 skills, and by following Acua`s mysterious dreams!

Features:

• Help Acua and her friends save the Incan Empire
• Choose from three great puzzle modes: Swap, Group, and Chain
• Select your favorite board shape: Hexagon, Square, or Mixed.
• Solve nearly 200 original levels
• Search for hidden objects in 16 bonus levels

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Wizards Hat

Clear out and clean up the cluttered Magic Glades using a magical Wizards Hat and your fantastic Match 3 abilities! Piece together crazy combos to create special potions with incredible abilities, and helpful powers. Carefully plan your moves to start huge chain reactions and earn as much money as you can to unlock upgrades like magnificent magic wands, shiny cauldrons, and the ultimate Wizards Hat!

Features:

• Gripping gameplay
• Powerful upgrades
• Save the Magic Glades

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Snippets and whippets

Complete Annihilation

Apparently the Spring mod Complete Annihilation is rather good, although it's about to be renamed and not quite fully free of its ties to the original Total Annihilation content. The goal is to be totally Free. And it's pretty complete(ish) as a game already. There's lots of lovely screenshots.

Glest Advanced Engine 0.2.12 got released. They also got a Sourceforge project for GAE.

Q3Rally

Fun racing games are always, er, fun. Well, in demand as well. So maybe Q3Rally can strike a chord with the Free gaming public? Apparently the original Quake Rally was the best Quake mod ever, although it was never completed and all that is left of it is Quake Rally: Leftovers. There's plenty of maps and cars and it is billed as a mod for OpenArena so should be totally Free. \o/


Here's a promotional video for Q3Rally that makes it look rather ooo aaah:

Dark Phear, a classic Phantasy Star-like RPG, as reported in the Ubuntu forums. Go there for links, screenshots, and more information.


Oolite, the Elite cloney-but-better game, is getting purty with shaders it seems.

The Privateer Gemini Gold team have been fairly quiet but work is ongoing and the next version will contain much better videos / graphics to make it even more immersive. Some of it can be seen on their youtube channel although the videos are currently just very short showcases.

The Adventures of Mary Ann Lucky Pirates

Take control of the entire Caribbean by becoming the King of the Pirates! Sail the dangerous seas and battle your way to the top in this gripping Match 3 game. Complete different quests, expand your arsenal, and collect powerful artifacts as you explore the Caribbean islands in multiple gameplay modes. Battle perilous pirates, outrageous octopuses, and sinister squids in Lucky Pirates!

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Brain Train Age v3.91

Brain Train Age TM features activities designed to help stimulate your brain, like solving a series of simple, rapid-fire math equations as fast as possible, counting interesting icons and many other easy, but interesting and helpful games, Brain Train Age is the very PC game for you to exercise your brain in a simple, efficient and fun way.

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Mystery Age The Imperial Staff

After a powerful storm threatens your village, your father has decided to venture out in search of it`s cause. This exciting Hidden Object Adventure game will have you track down the pieces of the ancient Imperial Staff to stop the mysterious black rain, and save your father from an evil spirit! Explore the wilderness and solve perplexing puzzles as you search for this mythical weapon in, Mystery Age – The Imperial Staff.

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WORLD of WARCRAFT: Cataclysm

World of Warcraft: Cataclysm (following Wrath of the Lich King) - the 3rd expansion set for the massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) World of Warcraft. It was announced at BlizzCon 2009 on August 21, 2009, even though details leaked earlier. It adds a substantial amount of content to the game world, including two new races (Goblins for the Horde, Worgen for the Alliance), new race/class combinations, entirely redesigned zones, flying mounts in Azeroth and guild leveling and achievements. It also raises the level cap to 85.

From World of Warcraft: Cataclysm FAQ on the official website
"While the attention of the Horde and Alliance remained fixed upon Northrend, an ancient evil has been lying dormant within Deepholm, the domain of earth in the Elemental Plane. Hidden away in a secluded sanctuary, the corrupted Dragon Aspect Deathwing has waited, recovering from the wounds of his last battle against Azeroth, nursing his hatred for the inferior creatures that infest the surface realm...and biding his time until he can reforge the world in molten fire. Soon, Deathwing the Destroyer will return to Azeroth, and his eruption from Deepholm will sunder the world, leaving a festering wound across the continents. As the Horde and Alliance race to the epicenter of the cataclysm, the kingdoms of Azeroth will witness seismic shifts in power, the kindling of a war of the elements, and the emergence of unlikely heroes who will rise up to protect their scarred and broken world from utter devastation. The face of Azeroth is altered forever as the destruction left in Deathwing's wake reshapes the land and reveals secrets long sealed away. Players will be able to re-experience familiar zones across Kalimdor and the Eastern Kingdoms, rewrought by the cataclysm and filled with new opportunities for adventure."

WORLD of WARCRAFT: Cataclysm Trailer:

Just a small puzzle game update: Zaz 0.2.6

Zaz is a puzzle game, a 'clonespiration' of Zuma, one of PopCap's notorious proprietary (casual) games. You are confronted with a stream of differently colored balls and have to put three of the same type next to each other to destroy them. There are power-ups, you're under time pressure, you have to aim, that's fun actually.

The game has nice music and good sounds, though I couldn't find author information on any of the game data. EDIT: Ha, I looked in the source directory, but not on the menu screen! So gfx & sound is by Remigiusz Dybka (who also programmed the game) and I guess it's GPL3-ed. The music tracks are (remixed?) CC-BY-NC-SA Nine Inch Nails music.

What I'm *very* much impressed with is that the game has a in-game menu to create a recording of a game you played! It even captures audio! Usually I use glc for recording video/audio in OpenGL games.

When you record a game using Zaz' internal recorder, it creates a Vorbis/Theora .ogv file. Only problem is that you can't do anything while the recording process (you have to watch the replay, while it records and can't even switch to another window) See an example video that I recorded below.

PS: Since I'm a big wuss when it comes to playing puzzle games in which you have to aim games, I have a wish for Zaz (besides nice background images :) ) and that is to have an indicator, what ball will be affected by me pressing or releasing the mouse button. I don't like aligning the Grappling hook with the balls.

Torys Shop n Rush v1.0.0.104-TE

When Tory’s uncle retires and leaves her his store, she wonders if she has what it takes to succeed in the retail game. Give Tory a hand by stocking shelves, cashing out customers, cleaning up after messy teenagers and helping old ladies remember what they want to buy. You’ll also need to keep an eye on the thief or he’ll steal your goods! Between shifts, you can spend the money you earned on additional staff and upgrades for your store. Keep your customers happy in Tory’s Shop ‘n’ Rush and you’ll live to play another day!

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Evidyon, HackWars, and SlothRPG: FreeGamer MMO Time!

So, here we go! First post from scary old uncle TheAncientGoat ;)

Evidyon, MMO from Reddit-way

Evidyon

Evidyon is an interesting 3D MORPG recently gone Open Source under the advice of the reddit community, releasing a whole slew of content, tutorials and documentation of how they went about making it in the process. This is a very admirable move, we'll all agree, so show them some love. Unfortunately, it's windows only, relying on DirectX (not VB though, thanks for the fix Nerrad), and I haven't gotten it running under Wine as of yet, but hopefully a few smart alecs can help port it.

Like most other mmo's it has a fantasy setting, as you can see in the screenshot and video, it also sports a Diabloesque style of combat

HackWars: MMO where you craft by programming

HackWars

Here's one for you scriptmonkies, Hackwars, a Java MMO where you play as a hacker (or cracker, more accurately), breaking into pcs by attacking their ports for massive damage. An interesting aspect of this game is its crafting system, you program your own programmes, either in Javascript or the game's built in HackScript, to make scripts that either help you fight or just entertain you. It has both a 2d and 3d interface.

This was also found via reddit and the author wrote some pretty interesting commentary on developing such a game (which you'll see if you follow that link). Also, why not post upcoming FOSS games on our little corner of redditOpenSourceGames and we'll try and cover them if we have the time.

SlothRPG

SlothRPG

SlothRPG is a fantasy 2D MUD -like RPG, also written in Java. It has recently been re-invigorated, so it's worth checking for updates. Unfortunately it doesn't have any servers online at the moment, so you'll have to host your own if you want to check it out

Pink Pony 1.2.1

I wanted to write about Pink Pony for a long time, but never came around to it. It's a Tron-like racing game and features hearts, ponies (also ai-controlled ones), graphic shaders and split-screen multiplayer support. Your aim is to collect hearts and to not run into your foes' trails. Last pony standing wins!

Download it for Win32 or as an easy-to-compile source tarball.

Unfortunately, the game does not support older graphics cards. If you are capable and willing to add legacy support, you can find the source repository . If you have ideas for more features, please post them (or just comment this blog article).

Pink Pony development was not a one-man ride: While the game concept and code is by ginkgo, tornado created the pony model and textured it, then Skorpio added animation to the pony. A sky render by brisingre is used in the game and I contributed two textures to it. Edit: I forgot to add that MCMic programmed the AI and that Renich's music is used.

I believe that Pink Pony now is the best child-friendly open source game, regarding visuals and gameplay. Most free software games friendly for kids I know try to be education software. Then again, maybe I should give Tux Racer another try.

Pet Playground

Help two young fairies, Eugene and Ellen Moonlight, care for a variety of adorable pets! These critters have been neglected for far too long, and need Eugene and Ellen to lift their spirits using their Pet Playground. Unlock unique upgrades and powerful magic as you master each level in this cute Time Management game. Cure these lonely hearts as you travel across Wonderia, and bring happiness to the animals!

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Hide and Secret 3 Pharaohs Quest v1.0.0.2-TE

Help reunite two ancient royal lovers by returning their stolen treasures to their tombs! Travel all over the world to track down and find these priceless artifacts in this expansive Hidden Object game. Use your wits to collect different pieces of the puzzle and place them in the correct locations to appease the Pharaoh. Solve timeless riddles and perplexing puzzles in Hide and Secret 3 – Pharaoh`s Quest!

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Final Fantasy XIII E3 2009 Extended Trailer

Final Fantasy XIII - a console role-playing game developed by Square Enix. Exclusively released for PlayStation 3 in Japan, and on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in Europe and North America. First appearing at the 2006 E3, the game features futuristic elements and is set in a high-tech world.

Final Fantasy XIII is the flagship title of the Fabula Nova Crystallis Final Fantasy XIII collection.

Due to the frequency of rumored release dates appearing on the Internet, Square Enix's official website issued a statement reminding consumers that any "confirmed release dates" reported by sources other than Square Enix are "erroneous and should be disregarded".During Microsoft's media briefing at the 2008 E3, Square Enix announced that Final Fantasy XIII would be released first in Japan on PlayStation 3 in 2009, then released in North America and Europe on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. The latter would start development only after the Japanese PlayStation 3 version is completed, and the 360 version will come on multiple discs. A Japanese release of the Xbox 360 version of the game is not planned.

Final Fantasy XIII E3 2009 Extended Trailer

Soul Calibur: Broken Destiny

Soulcalibur: Broken Destiny - a fighting game in the Soul Calibur series for PSP. It was announced by Namco Bandai on April 28, 2009. It plans to use a lot of the features of Soulcalibur IV, including its character customization mode. One of the goals of the game is "to target beginners and novice players with SC IV's content". The game is known to introduce at least two new characters to the series, including Kratos from the God of War series, and Dampierre, a new original character.

Soul Calibur: Broken Destiny E3 2009 Trailer:

Soulcalibur: Broken Destiny will include over 30 characters including a new character named Dampierre. All regular characters from Soulcalibur IV return, but the bonus characters and Star Wars guest characters from Soulcalibur IV are absent. At the 2009 Electronic Entertainment Expo, Namco Bandai revealed that they will be replaced with a different guest character, Kratos from Sony's God of War series. more on wiki

PopCap Bejeweled 2 Deluxe

Get set to play the PopCap game that set the standard in casual gaming! Match sparkling gems three at a time to make them burst in showers of color and points. Match four or more to create flashy power gems that boost your score and your mood with brilliant cascades and combos. Soar to gem-matching heights in Classic mode, or speed through matches against the clock in Action. For even more dazzling fun, bump up your brainwaves with multi-faceted Puzzles, or enter the Zen state of Endless play. Every match is high-carat fun!

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Iron Roses v1.0.3.12 Cracked-F4CG

Go behind the scenes and get the real story of how Iron Roses™ became the world-famous band they are today in this music-themed, problem-solving adventure from Sandlot Games!

Alex’s true love in life has always been music, particularly the music of her former band, Iron Roses. After an acrimonious split, her former bandmates went their separate ways and Alex drifted from job to job, still dreaming of one day making it big in the music industry.

Help Alex navigate a bustling urban landscape as she frantically searches for her former bandmates and tries to convince them to enter the upcoming “Battle of the Bands”. Track down their lost equipment, interact with intriguing characters, and use all of your problem solving skills as you make the long, hard climb to the top!

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Bumble Tales v1.5

Adorable adventures of match-3 family fun!with a town of memorable Bumbles! Follow the unique stories of Springleton’s 35 fully-animated characters! Bursting with colorful creatures, vibrant graphics, full voice-over, and upgradeable powers, BumbleTales relaxing and engaging for all ages!

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James Patterson Womens Murder Club Twice in a Blue Moon

Women’s Murder Club Twice in a Blue Moon poses a perplexing question: “Who am I?” Enter a criminal’s mind as you decipher cryptic messages and reveal his identity before it’s too late. Uncover evidence to stop a killer in his tracks.

We enter Women’s Murder Club Twice in a Blue Moon on a violent night in the murky streets of San Francisco, a cryptic message becomes key to unraveling a gruesome investigation:

“If you want to catch a killer, I can tell you where…Who am I?”

Leading police on an intense chase, there is little time to stop a killer before he strikes again. Join the Women’s Murder Club as you unravel a murderer’s tribute to the past by uncovering clues, gathering facts and revealing his identity before it’s too late. Immerse yourself in this thrilling seek and find adventure.

A truly shocking James Patterson adventure. Third in the online game series, Women’s Murder Club Twice in a Blue Moon will leave you trembling

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OpenMW interview with Nicolay Korslund

Early OpenMW GUI implementation

OpenMW is a re-implementation of the (non-free) TES3 Morrowind game engine, written in the D programming language. The engine makes use of OGRE and other open source libraries, features an own scripting language called "Monster" and the latest release has the version number 0.6.

Out of curiosity, I asked Nicolay Korslund (the lead developer) one year ago what his motivation for writing OpenMW was. Later I decided to ask some more and now you can finally read the interview, in which Nicolay tells us about Git, OpenMW's development and whether or not to expect original games as a result of the OpenMW project.

The interview

Q1: What is your motivation for writing OpenMW?

Initially the project was started a few years ago (somewhere around 2004-2005, don't remember exactly), out from desire to improve a game I loved and from frustration with bugs and issues that made it less fun than it could be. Having been a programmer for about a decade, I felt that most of the bugs were unnecessary and could easily have been fixed if Bethesda has devoted the resources to it. I started getting that curious 'I could do this better myself' feeling, that you sometimes get when you've been doing a craft for years and aren't satisfied with someone elses work. (Not that I think Bethesdas coding is shoddy in any way, they're a company with limited resources like any company, and sometimes you just don't have the money to improve thing ad infinitum even though you would like to.)

To keep up (or even start) a big project such as OpenMW, though, you'll usually need more than just one big motivation to drive you and keep you going. For example, I knew from the outset that this project was something that others would get excited about, and that's a big motivating factor. The amount of positive feedback I've gotten on OpenMW since release has been pretty stunning, and it really helps to know that what you're making will affect others in a positive way. I had always wanted to contribute to open source software, but so far hadn't found any project I burned for, and none of my own projects ever made it to the point of release.

Another motivation you'll need of course is the joy of working on it - it's a hobby after all. I love programming, I love improving things, and I love reverse engineering file formats. Thee big pluses when you're doing a reimplementation. It also forces you to learn new skills - I've always wanted to learn more game development, such as using a 'modern' 3D engine, but I never had any real motivation to do it before I started OpenMW. On top of all that I had just fell in love with the D programming language, which blew me away to the point of abandoning C++ literally over night. D had (and still has, to some degree) a desperate need for more attention getting projects, and I wanted to help with that. I knew there would be challenges with using such a new language, but I was determined to show that none of them were show stoppers.

Q2: Are other people involved in OpenMW or Monster?

Yes, quite a few really. I started a mailing list for OpenMW about a year ago, after initially getting very positive feedback on the project. The list now counts over 130 members, and even more pay attention to the project through various forums. Only a very small fraction of those have contributed code of course, but many contribute other things like testing, knowledge about the file formats/mods, or simply through feedback and ideas. For Monster I've intentionally run a somewhat lower profile, but there are a few of early-adopter-type developers who are using it in their own engines. If things go as planned though, the two projects will become much more intertwined in the future, and I hope that Monster can contribute a lot to OpenMW (and make my job as lead developer a lot easier.)

Q3: How did you find those people? Or was it them who found you?

I've done very little 'advertising' for my projects - I think I posted about OpenMW on exactly one forum (the OGRE forum), the rest took care of itself. I had to create the mailing list simply because I couldn't keep track of all the individual conversations any longer.

Q4: Are you going to make OpenMW usable with non-Morrowind content, so that new games can base on it? If yes, will you make such a game?

It's very possible that the project will spawn an engine that's usable for other games, but we don't have any specific plans for that right now. Although we are on friendly terms with another project that uses much of the same technology, called DungeonHack. It's very likely that our two engines will share some code in the future.Even though we're not working on making a generic game engine, it will likely be possible to make much more extensive Total Conversion mods for OpenMW than for the original Morrowind engine. And the scripting features we're planning will let you bend the rules to the point where you would probably not consider it to be the same game anymore. Personally however I have very little talent for game creation (except for the coding part), so I don't think I'll be behind any of those mods myself.

Q5: You've picked OGRE as OpenMW's 3D engine. What about the alternatives (Irrlicht, jMonkeyEngine, Crystal Space, writing an own 3D engine...)?

I think probably all those (and many others) would have been good choices, except the last one. Writing a new engine and getting it to a point where it could compete with OGRE et al. would have taken years, and IMO it's usually a complete waste of time unless you're doing something really unique with it. There are so many good and free off-the-shelf alternatives out there (too many already...), and if you need some feature that they don't provide you can usually add it in yourself in 1/100th of the time it takes you to write a new engine from scratch.

Q6: You recently switched to Git from SVN. What motivated the switch?

Popular demand :) But after trying out Git (and taking the time to understand how it works), I fell completely in love with it myself. SVN is now ancient technology as far as I'm concerned. And with git-svn, Git is even a better Subversion client that Subversion is. However since it's so easy to integrate the two, we are keeping the SVN repositories on-line for the foreseeable future, and existing SVN users don't really need to change anything. I know it takes a real geek to obsess this much over a version control system, but that's how it is :)

More development information

You can find some technical details about OpenMW's codebase on its ohloh page.

Latest OpenMW video

OpenMW terrain test2: skydiving

2D Sonic the Hedgehog Game in 2010

Check this out Sonic the Hedgehog fanatics - Sega announces plans to release a 2-D Sonic game with high definition graphics. According to Gamedaily.com - Sega will finally return Sonic the Hedgehog to his roots. The company dropped a bombshell on the gaming world by announcing an all new 2-D video game in high definition. Codenamed "Project Needlemouse", this new project will play similar to the classic Genesis games. Here's a teaser trailer below.