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puzzle game posts

Filed under: Fun, Games, Kids, Time-Wasters, Web

Destroy the Wall 3 - Time Waster

Destroy the Wall 3Destroy the Wall 3 is a straightforward puzzle game. Your goal is to throw a ball so that it knocks down a wall (or walls) in such a way that a specific number of blocks fall out of the level, without losing your ball out of the level. The challenge is that you can only grab the ball in a small pink area, so you really have to actually throw the ball in the direction you think will cause the most destruction.

The more difficult levels later in the game can involve using levers to knock the blocks about, or pushing larger balls around. There are even levels featuring teleports that move your ball about the screen in confusing ways.

The somewhat random result of throwing the ball using your mouse (this is not a game that plays well when using a trackpad) means that even though you might have the right idea, it can take multiple frustrating tries to pass the level. The game unfortunately does not remember your progress, but you can start from any level, so you're not stuck back at square one if you reload the page or come back to the game at a later date.

Destroy the Wall 3 is one of the more addictive time waster's I've tried recently. Give it a shot, and let us know what you think. What levels are the toughest?

Filed under: Fun, Games, Kids, Time-Wasters, Web

Dynamic Systems - Time Waster

Dynamic SystemsDynamic Systems is a physics-based puzzle game. As is common for this type of game, your goal is to get the ball into the goal. In this case the ball is metal, and the goal is a cup. You move certain objects into place and rotate them into the correct orientation to allow the ball to roll, bounce, or otherwise be moved into the cup. Thankfully, unlike most puzzle games, Dynamic Systems offers solutions to each level's puzzle right in the game.

The feel of the game is somewhat like Collider, with floating metal bars and dirty industrial graphics everywhere. The background music in Dynamic Systems is relatively soothing, but as the game gets more challenging, the repetitive nature of the music becomes pretty frustrating. Thankfully, you can turn it off.

The difficulty in Dynamic Systems grows slowly but steadily, making it a fun game to come back to.

Filed under: Fun, Games, Kids, Time-Wasters, Web

Savanna Blocks - falling block puzzle Time Waster

Savanna BlocksSavanna Blocks is a falling-blocks puzzle game created by Clockwork Monster that uses a fresh take on a tired genre. In Savanna Blocks your goal is to draw a line through groups of blocks that are touching either horizontally or vertically (not diagonally) to clear them from the board. As soon as you release your mouse button, the blocks that you've drawn on will disappear, but if you draw outside of the group of touching same-color blocks, your line will disappear.

Adding to the challenge is the fact that while you're busy connecting 10 blocks together, rows are being added to the bottom of the screen, shifting the blocks in play and potentially ruining your current line.

There are also special blocks available that will slow down the addition of new lines, blow up an entire line, or simply give you bonus points. The special blocks can be added on to any adjacent grouping you are making.

Savanna Blocks takes only seconds to learn, but I was surprised at how addictive the gameplay is given how tired I am of falling blocks games. Give it a try, you might be surprised too.

Filed under: Fun, Games, Kids, Time-Wasters, Web

This is the Only Level - Time Waster

This is the Only LevelThis is the Only Level is a fun take on the traditional platform game. You play through multiple stages, but each one looks the same - they're all "level 1". The trick is that in each stage there is something different; sometimes it's obvious, like the controls have been reversed. Sometimes it's not obvious at all.

The game is infuriating at times, but like any good puzzle game you feel like a genius when you figure out a particularly tricky stage. This is the Only Level could stand to be a bit prettier, but the basic graphics do give it an inimitable sense of style. The music, on the other hand, needs to go. It plays a short, happy little loop over and over again, mocking you as you try to figure out the next stage's secret.

Show this game to a friend that you want to get back at for something.

Filed under: Games, Freeware, Time-Wasters, Web

Johnny Rocketfingers 2 - NSFW mature Time Waster

Johnny Rocketfingers 2First things first, we need to put up a big Not Safe For Work / Kids warning on this one. This Time Waster is strictly for adults 18+. Johnny Rocketfingers 2 is a point-and-click puzzle game that follows the story of the title character through an adventure that involves mature themes, situations, violence, and naughty language. If you're easily offended, you'll probably want to take a pass on this one. And if you're not at least 18 years old, please don't continue reading.

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Filed under: Design, Games, Macintosh, Apple, Freeware, Time-Wasters, Mods, Web

Download OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard's desktop pictures now

Snow Leopard desktop picsIf you're anxious for Snow Leopard to ship, you might be excited to know that you can grab copies of the built-in desktop images, thanks to the developer previews and a crafty blogger over at Uneasy Silence.

While there are four images out of the set of 35 that feature leopards, the rest of the images run the gamut from beautiful landscape photography to classic pieces of art. The images are offered as JPEGs, so even Windows users might like to pick up a few.

It seems to be a requirement now that major operating systems release with a relatively substantial set of beautiful images to be used as desktop wallpaper.

No longer can OS manufacturers get away with offering eight photos and a few tiling images -- remember tiling your desktop? Does anybody ever do that anymore?

Filed under: Fun, Games, Kids, Time-Wasters, Web

Minim - Time Waster

MinimMinim is a puzzle game where your goal is to deconstruct molecules until they disappear. This is done by sequentially clicking any two nodes of the same number that are linked by a single strand. The tutorial levels are deceptively simple, showing the mechanics of the games, but the puzzles become very difficult very fast. Luckily, the game is rendered in 3D, and allows you to freely rotate the molecule you are working on so that you can determine your best move.

Interestingly, Minim is the first free online Flash game that I've seen advertise that it has a companion iPhone version. This seems like a brilliant move - get people hooked on the free online version, then sell them a version they can take with them.

Minim is very pretty and quite challenging, two things that any good puzzle game must have. It's exceedingly satisfying to finish of a particularly complex molecule, and that is what will likely have you coming back again and again to play more Minim.

Filed under: Fun, Games, Kids, Time-Wasters

Prizma Puzzle - Time Waster

Prizma PuzzlePrizma Puzzle is a brain tickler wrapped up in a futuristic landscape of lasers, pyramids, and other random bluish structures. The goal of the game is to get the energy beam to reach from your energy source (starting location) to the pyramid. To do so, you must click on the energy source, then click on squares that are occupied by various types of structures. Most are simply joining structures, which allow you to pass through, but for each square you move, you lose one energy point. If you get to zero without reaching the pyramid, you lose. Luckily, there are energy-boosting dome structures, as well as ones that will allow you to increase your energy limit from 5 to 10.

Each level is a solvable puzzle, it's just a matter of figuring out what path to have your energy take. There's an added bonus by solving each level quickly, so you will benefit by studying the board ahead of time and then quickly executing your plan once you start.

While somewhat repetitive, the slow, puzzle-like gameplay is good for moments where you don't want to be frantically trying to race around or kill zombies, or other anxious video game fodder. Prizma Puzzle may be wrapped up in some fancy looking graphics, but it is a straight-up puzzle game.

Filed under: Fun, Games

Chronotron- Today's Time Waster

Chronotron
Chronotron is a trippy puzzle-solving game where your player's movements are recorded and then repeated when you warp back in time. It may sound confusing, but play a level or two and you'll quickly understand.

Basically you move around the level and carry out a set of actions that should ultimately help you collect the circuit board required to "skip" to the next level. The problem is, those actions won't be enough on their own, so you'll have to warp back in time. When you go back in time, your previous movements are replayed, but you can also move independently of those movements to work in tandem with yourself (or multiples of yourself).

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Featured Time Waster

Graveyard Shift - zombie-busting Time Waster

With Halloween fast approaching, it's a great time to get in some practice defending your territory against zombies. In Graveyard Shift, you take aim at zombies and other creepy-crawlies, blasting them into splatters of cartoony green guts. It's a casual first-person shooter, and it's very easy to get the hang of - use the mouse to aim, click to fire. Graveyard Shift has at least 15 levels, and it might even have some secret stages I haven't unlocked yet. They key to getting good at Graveyard Shift is learning to use ...

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