Hotel Dash: Suite Success

It's more Flo and more of the finely-tuned time management action we've come to love in Hotel Dash: Suite Success! Flo's friend Quinn is expanding her wedding business by offering honeymoon packages, but the hotel she's booked is a bit of a lemon. Enter Flo and her uncanny ability to turn any business from failure to success in the course of one casual game!

Running a hotel can be, in the world of video games, boiled down to a simple chain of events. First, patrons will enter and wait for you at the desk. Drag and drop them onto a room to get them settled in, then bring up their luggage. Guests usually want something to eat shortly after that, sending you off to the kitchen to fetch some food. Some customers will have other needs, such as fresh towels for trips to the pool or wake-up calls, but otherwise all you need to do is gather payment, take out the dirty laundry and you're good to go!

Guests come in a number of different varieties, including large parties which must be matched to bigger rooms. They also have unique personalities which have to be taken into consideration. Some customers have lower patience levels than others, forcing you to tend to their needs first, while others make frequent visits to the pool or bring along several suitcases you'll have to carry to their room. Guests also wear colored clothing that can be matched to room colors for an extra bonus. Who said the service industry was easy?

Upgrades play a more important role in Hotel Dash than most other time management games. You can beef-up the usual suspects in the hotel lobby, such as buying better carpet or improving the scenery to keep customers happy. Now, though, you can add stars to individual rooms which will earn you a star buck each time someone stays there. This special cash is used to upgrade the honeymoon suite, which, if you'll recall, is the reason you're playing this game in the first place!

Analysis: It's hard to overlook the enormous success of the Dash series and the impact it's had on casual gaming. Where would the time management genre be without Flo and her various outings? Somehow each game finds that sweet spot between retreading old material and introducing something unique. Hotel Dash: Suite Success is no different, tweaking that time management formula just enough to draw you in for level after level of fun.

Colorful customers are another staple of the series, and Hotel Dash doesn't skimp on the character. They may not have the outlandish charm of the people in Ice Cream Dee Lites, but you'll grow to loathe the fashionista, the ghost, and the business people for their own unique quirks all the same.

The chief drawback to Hotel Dash: Suite Success game, other than its lack of originality, is the low-level of difficulty. You can charge through the story mode in a long afternoon, scoring "expert" on nearly every level without breaking a sweat. Endless mode, available from the main menu, offers a challenge if you're craving one, but otherwise its calm waters from level one all the way to the end.

It may be short-ish experience, but Hotel Dash: Suite Success for Mac and Windows scratches that time management itch you have with style. It looks great, it plays smooth, and it dials up the complexity ever so gradually, compelling you to keep playing even when you have to, you know, work or go to school or something.

Review by JohnB

Casual Gameplay

Delicious: Emily's Holiday Season

Cook and waitress Emily is back for another culinary adventure in Delicious: Emily's Holiday Season. After deciding to stay in the peaceful and cozy town of Snuggford, Emily and her long-time friend Francois find themselves having to care for five different restaurants. This latest installment of the popular Delicious series again proves to be one of the most creative and unique time management game available.

What really makes this title stand out is the rich and compelling storytelling, which includes a range of characters the likes of which you will rarely find in any other casual game. Besides Francois and Emily you will also meet most of the characters from the previous title Delicious - Emily's Taste of Fame again, as well as Emily's family and some new faces.

The story is loaded with unexpected twists and witty dialogue, and the player can even decide the fate of Emily, but I do not want to spoil anything. Just let me tell you that by the end you will have a very hard time choosing how to go on because you care that much for the characters, particularly Emily.

The basic gameplay has not changed dramatically, which is not a bad thing in a well-established series whose mechanics are already as balanced as possible. You control Emily, as well as other characters, throughout five different locations , such as the Snuggford Hotel, the Winter Fair, or Mo's Farm, and you are also able to choose between three different grades of difficulty, so that everyone should feel comfortable no matter how experienced he or she is with time management games in general. Unfortunately, Emily's Diary Mode is still absent, so you have to go without any sort of endless mode.

As Emily you are in charge of preparing all sorts of food, serving it to your guests, and cleaning tables. Customers will partly sit at those tables, and partly come directly to your counter, and you will learn what they want through images of the food in thought-bubbles above their heads. Some of them will be more patient than others, and the amount of tip you receive strongly depends on how satisfied they are with your service. Of course you are also able to buy decorations which have positive effects on either Emily or the customers.

This is basically the description of any average game of this genre, but Delicious: Emily's Holiday Season for Mac and PC, as the previous installment, manages to surpass all expectations by an apparent passion for details by the developer. It is not easy to describe what exactly makes this game so incredibly good, because this quality is not due to one special feature, but to a lot of small lovely features that work together perfectly. Besides the regular time management routine there are a lot of additional tasks to fulfill, not to speak of the story elements which embrace each level, and some quirky Easter eggs to explore along the way.

Nearly every level begins and ends with a sequence telling you the story of Emily, her friends, and her family. Often enough this story also is of importance during the level, for example when Emily burns her finger at the beginning of the level, and someone else has to replace her for that day. On another day her workmate expects some packages to arrive, and Emily has to accept them from the postman. If you fulfill those bonus tasks you will get additional money, which can sometimes be crucial to reach the expert goal.

These tasks differ greatly, and along with the other features and the true variety of locations you are going to visit, really hit home the fact that the developers are trying to entertain the player as much as possible by investing a lot of care in characters, sceneries, story, and features.

When it comes to graphics and atmosphere, the game is flawless. The animations and facial expressions of the characters during the levels and sequences are very believable and cute; sometimes you might even think you are watching a soap opera with its mandatory intrigues, varying love interests, and surprises.

What we really loved is how pervasively the developers have implemented the game's theme. After playing it you surely won't be able to wait for the holidays any longer, because the food, Santa, Francois as an Elf, falling snow, Christmas trees, ice-skating, or a cow disguised as a reindeer make you feel as if Christmas is just right around the corner.

The only thing which might be a tad disappointing about Delicious: Emily's Holiday Season game is that it is not as innovative as the previous game of the series. But on the other hand, why change a wonderful game just for the sake of change? The game is simply heaven for anyone who has a thing for time management games, and we definitely cannot wait for the next part of this fun series. Get in the mood for the holidays and enjoy the remaining time with this entertaining game.

Review by David Becker

Chocolatier: Decadence by Design

Chocolatier: Decadence by Design is the third yummy sequel of the Chocolatier series. The game tests your entrepreneurial skills through its multiple tasks and different mini games. But, does it prove to be a better delicious simulation game than its predecessors?

The Chocolatier series received rave reviews for their excellent micromanagement games. The first two games offered a taste of true business simulation to gamers through their superb chocolate theme. The third installment, Decadence by Design goes a step ahead by adding some unique features to it.Chocolatier: Decadence by Design is the third sequel developed by Blue Splash Games and released by PlayFirst. The CEO of the Baumeister chocolate company, Alex appoints you as a manager. Your objective is to maintain the smooth flow of the business, do all sorts of micromanagement stuff and prepare unmatched chocolate delicacies to attract more customers worldwide.

The basic premise of the first two Chocolatier games was to manage a chocolate confectionary, control its production, buy various ingredients, prepare and sell chocolate bars and satisfy the chocolaty craze of cocoa lovers all over the world. The third installment goes a bit further by adding some unique features and recipes.

Decadence by Design is based on the same business/micromanagement theme, but the recipe book has increased manifolds. Players not only prepare chocolate bars, but also exotics, truffles, coffee, infusions and, most importantly, their own recipes. There are also various mini-games and some very nice trivial elements added to the game.

Chocolatier: Decadence by Design game not only maintains the true business simulation essence of its predecessors, but also adds some new features. It has a single game mode, but that does it all. The initial levels begin as a tutorial, where you will have to prove your expertise as a manager by selling chocolates to different customers and making at least $10,000. Once the CEO hires you, you are set to begin the game.

The gameplay is not as easy as it seems because there are different kinds of chocolate delicacies to prepare and sell them. You are given the responsibility to manage the Baumeister chocolate company in Zurich, but you have to travel the whole world to find new recipes, buy various ingredients and sell the finished chocolate product to your customers. You will also have to interact with many customers, who will often make comments on your chocolates and ask questions about your business.

There are different mini games included in Chocolatier: Decadence by Design. You prepare your favorite recipes in the first mini game. It lets you fill the right ingredients into spinning discs. For example if you are preparing milk chocolate you will have to add some sugar, cacao bean and milk, but this becomes complicated as some recipes have more than three or four ingredients. There is also a mini game based on matching various ingredients to prepare coffee, yes coffee! The game also lets you prepare coffee. You have to match three ingredients to make coffee. The more you match the higher the production rate. There is also a casino mini game that adds more fun, although it has got nothing to do with the main objectives.

One of the key features of Decadence by Design is the ability to create your own chocolate delicacies. You will have to access a Secret Test Kitchen located somewhere in Iceland and experiment with various ingredients to create your own product. An interface lets you decorate your unique chocolate product with colors, cream, sprinkles etc. it then lets you name your recipe and save it to the recipe book. However you cannot replace your existing recipes with a new one. This unique feature is the USP of the game.The game allows you to travel to various locations like Capetown, San Francisco and Tokyo. The picturesque background of these locations is truly impressive. The hand-drawn artworks of the locations are very detailed. The graphics are similar to the original Chocolatier game.

Chocolatier: Decadence by Design has some great melodious tunes running in the background. The game has various music levels. They can be adjusted easily according to your choices. The interface click sounds are solid and good compared to other Chocolatier games.

Chocolatier: Decadence by Design is one of the best business simulation games till date. You can prepare your own chocolate recipes and add them to your recipe book to sell it to your customers. But, the mini games are not part of the micromanagement theme. They look more like arcade games that test your skills and reflexes.

Some mini-games like the casino game are totally irrelevant to the whole objective of the game. Serious business simulation game fans might get disappointed with this. But, the game has great strategic elements. You can compare prices, bargain on ingredients and produce favorite chocolate products to attract more customers. The game comes with a manual with detailed explanations on the objectives and gameplay.

Chocolatier: Decadence by Design certainly tests your entrepreneurial abilities with multiple tasks.

Review by Anurag Ghosh
Bright Hub

Sally's Quick Clips

You certainly remember well the Sally's series and I believe you've been looking forward to have the next sequel, but this time instead of time management gameplay, you'll face match 3 in time management style. You haven't misread as Sally's Quick Clips by GamesCafe is a fast-paced match-3 game that has you gathering resources to serve beauty salon clients. Be ready for some big changes!

While thinking of her successful career, Sally recollects that time when she was a fresh school-leaver and took part in the challenging hit TV Show "Styling America" with a chance to win $100,000!

To help her win, you are to arrange bubbles, scissors, dryers, hair dye tubes and other relevant items into matching groups of three or more of a kind to provide Sally's impatient customers with the special services. Each group you've matched, is added to your inventory and accumulated. When there's enough matches of a certain type, you get a service icon which is to be dragged onto customers. To complete a requested service, select a style your client like most and let him be happy. Match their tastes and make them look gorgeous! I find some shapes completely crazy and extravagant but tastes differ. Anyway, all of them are funny!
Should it take you too long to arrange a service, your customer will leave without paying. And they really lose patience quickly! There's a cup of coffee, though, to cheer people up but it takes it some time to get fully recharged.

The beginning of the game is quite easy, you will not have to read much tutorial or hints but watch out as the closing time comes very quickly, so tough contest is guaranteed for you! Try to reach the target number of hearts to complete the level before the day is over though it's not that easy from the first try! Keep in mind that excellent and rapid service is rewarded with extra hearts. Can you master the expert goal?

Of course, there are power-ups to help you when playing and sometimes they are really important. Bombs blow up all surrounding tiles, and arrows erase the whole lines in their path. You can fill up your power-ups by matching lucky clovers. Also, you can buy upgrades which make the gauges fill up faster, after each level.

In addition to the main challenge, at the end of each chapter you'll compete against another opponent, trying to make matches as quickly as you can to serve your client.

Enjoy 60 levels of Sally's Quick Clips game and 10 different salons, offering many hours of playing, very nice graphics and good music, though some of the voices get sometimes annoying and repetitive, like when every character exclaims constantly, "I don't just like...I love it!" Still, there are quite different customers, and plenty of styles.

If you like fast paced match 3 games with multitasks involved, then you'll really like to learn how Sally got her first big break although the game play mechanics are very different from those of the series.

Review from Game Mile

Valerie Porter and the Scarlet Scandal

Valerie Porter and the Scarlet Scandal is a hidden object game that has you playing as a reporter in the roaring 20s. Flapper girls, subway cars, all the romance of the 1920s...now there's a great idea for a game setting. You play as Valerie Porter, a young woman with dreams of making it big as a first rate journalist. Her first case has her investigating a murder, so it's baptism by fire. Here's my review...

You get rewarded with extra points for playing quickly, but there is no penalty for taking your time. The graphics are good, and I love the 1920s theme. In a neat twist, the lingo and styles are a pleasure, and the environments and objects make a good attempt at being period appropriate.

As far as hidden object game play is concerned, the objects fit neatly into the scenes, and are mostly hidden in plain sight. Some are small, but you shouldn't struggle too much to find them.

There's plenty of mini-games as you go along, but you can skip any of these. You will probably need to do this if you don't follow the story dialogue, since clues are given in the text which can be deduced otherwise. this might be a drawback if you don't like a lot of story in your game play. As for those mini-games, there are a number of maze like puzzles. Essentially, you need to choose the right dialogue option, but you also need to follow a series of tangled squiggly lines to know which one to choose. There are also word games, like fill in the phrase, or search a word challenges.

On the whole, this is a great game, and worth checking out. Valerie Porter and the Scarlet Scandal game launches on Big Fish Games on November 4, 2009, but will be avilable to game club members on the 3rd of November. You can get a free trial on Big Fish by visiting their website.

Review by Neroli

Xomba