At least one football game viewing party has ended in heated debate that results in beers thrown and tables flipped. (Just me?) Now, it's time to settle the score of "who knows the most" with SKL, a new sports trivia game for Facebook. Well, at least it sounds like it could settle scores on paper--it might just make things worse.
Sports forecasting company AccuScore's first Facebook game, SKL will have players sign in-game contracts and advance through the ranks of sports know-how in both American college football, the NFL and the English Premier League. These tests of knowledge take place in three unique mini games like Buzzer Beater, which has players answer as many stat-based questions about their favorite teams correctly.
Another game, 4Cast, sees players use in-game currency to buy cards that represent predictions in statistics beyond just winning and losing. Finally, Challenge Mode pits up to five friends against one another in a trivia race against the clock. Of course, SKL features leaderboards to track friends' progress compared to your own--it is a contest for the top spot, after all.
SKL Buzzer Beater
However, there is also a global leaderboard to consider, and players will get to make predictions on upcoming games in their football of choice. As players progress, they'll gain power-ups to help in trivia games and predictions. Think of the Predictor feature in games like Madden NFL Superstars and World Series Superstars by EA, but blown up into an entire game. For the folks who actually buy the Sports Almanacs annually, this game could be for you.
Click here to play SKL on Facebook Now >
Do you plan on putting your sports to the test in this new social game? What do you think of sports-based Facebook games, and trivia games in general?
Saturday, December 10, 2011
CityVille PSA: Alexi's Dance Studio Goals are leaving the game shortly
It looks like Alexi is taking his love for dance elsewhere. Zynga announced on the CityVille forums that the Dance Studio Goals will soon be removed from CityVille. It was several months ago that Alexi moved to your city in search of a new place to train his dance troupe. But now, the Russian dance instructor thinks it's time to move onto bigger and better things.
So, now might be a good time to give Alexi a hand and finish these Goals. Besides, these Goals hold some interesting rewards like two new buildings: The Dance Studio and the Fine Arts Theater. (Plus, a nice injection of cash and Energy never hurt.) For your convenience, we've republished all four Goals right here. So, get to it before Alexi and his crew hits the big time and leaves CityVille behind:
Dance in the City
Have 4 Modern Chateaus
Get 3 Pairs of Ballet Shoes
Gather 3 CD Players
Fine Arts Theatre
Have one Fine Arts Theatre
Collect from any Fine Arts Theatre twice
Supply your Franchises twice
Find Lost Luggage
Have 7 Leotards
Collect from Cosmetic Stores 10 times
Have 2 Street Clocks
Ballet to Stay
Place one Dance Studio
Collect from Dance Studio 5 times
Send 40 Tour Buses
Have you already completed these Goals by now in CityVille? What do you think of how Zynga is handling the removal of older in-game Goals?
So, now might be a good time to give Alexi a hand and finish these Goals. Besides, these Goals hold some interesting rewards like two new buildings: The Dance Studio and the Fine Arts Theater. (Plus, a nice injection of cash and Energy never hurt.) For your convenience, we've republished all four Goals right here. So, get to it before Alexi and his crew hits the big time and leaves CityVille behind:
Dance in the City
Have 4 Modern Chateaus
Get 3 Pairs of Ballet Shoes
Gather 3 CD Players
Fine Arts Theatre
Have one Fine Arts Theatre
Collect from any Fine Arts Theatre twice
Supply your Franchises twice
Find Lost Luggage
Have 7 Leotards
Collect from Cosmetic Stores 10 times
Have 2 Street Clocks
Ballet to Stay
Place one Dance Studio
Collect from Dance Studio 5 times
Send 40 Tour Buses
Have you already completed these Goals by now in CityVille? What do you think of how Zynga is handling the removal of older in-game Goals?
There's nothing dreamy about eDream's 'Suitcase Game' on Facebook
Another day, another company tries to pull you into its web with a lame social "game." Today's offender is online travel site eDreams, which has launched The Suitcase Game as part of a giveaway that's offering up four free airline tickets to Madrid or Kiev.
The Suitcase Game works like this: First, choose from a selection of suitcases -- everything from a sleek modern case to the more retro sticker-encrusted model. Then, enlist your Facebook friends to do two things: lighten your load and add weight to other people's luggage. For each person you invite, you'll be given 1 kilo to distribute to the competition and for each friend who accepts your request for help -- you'll lose 1 kilo (Yeah, a kilo. This is a European company) of weight from your suitcase. Whomever has the lightest luggage by November 7 will win the game, and be able to choose whether they want a free trip to Kiev or Madrid.
I suppose eDreams should get props for attempting creativity (*slow hand clap*), but let's just call The Suitcase Game what it is -- an elaborate marketing promotion. In the case of this advergame (like most of its ilk), it's better to leave the whole 'game' thing to the professionals.
The Suitcase Game works like this: First, choose from a selection of suitcases -- everything from a sleek modern case to the more retro sticker-encrusted model. Then, enlist your Facebook friends to do two things: lighten your load and add weight to other people's luggage. For each person you invite, you'll be given 1 kilo to distribute to the competition and for each friend who accepts your request for help -- you'll lose 1 kilo (Yeah, a kilo. This is a European company) of weight from your suitcase. Whomever has the lightest luggage by November 7 will win the game, and be able to choose whether they want a free trip to Kiev or Madrid.
I suppose eDreams should get props for attempting creativity (*slow hand clap*), but let's just call The Suitcase Game what it is -- an elaborate marketing promotion. In the case of this advergame (like most of its ilk), it's better to leave the whole 'game' thing to the professionals.
Beekin looks to make social games that raise $1 million for nonprofits
Social game giants like Zynga and EA raise a good amount of money for disaster relief and other charities during events. But what if that in-game event never ended? That's what former lawyer and entrepreneur Michael Fox hopes to make possible with Beekin, his upcoming New York-based social games project. According to TriplePundit, Fox hopes to raise $1 million for nonprofits in the company's first year.
While no games were announced or detailed, the company hopes to bake an infrastructure for helping nonprofits meet their goals directly into each game. "They're the FarmVille of philanthropy," Beekin founder Micheal Fox told TriplePundit. While TriplePundit says that Fox's goal of $1 million raised for nonprofits within a year is reasonable, citing the $1.3 billion the social games industry made in 2010.
However, there is an issue of exposure. Even with changes to the Ticker and other enhancements to game discovery, it's more difficult than ever to gain traction on Facebook. Well, Fox and Beekin have a plan for that: Every social game created by Beekin will be supported by a four-pillar system: major brand support, celebrity endorsements, nonprofit interest and motivated players that become aware of the social ills each game is trying to correct.
We're not too keen on that last one, but Fox's primary company, Humanitainment, has access to immense celebrity resources. If hip hop icons Kanye West and Common showed their support for the company's New Life Project, then perhaps Fox can rally other celebrities and brands to get behind Beekin. The most daunting challenge facing Beekin is whether it can create social games that can spur players to pay up.
What was your favorite social game (or social game campaign) for social good so far? Do you think these types of social games have potential to make a difference?
While no games were announced or detailed, the company hopes to bake an infrastructure for helping nonprofits meet their goals directly into each game. "They're the FarmVille of philanthropy," Beekin founder Micheal Fox told TriplePundit. While TriplePundit says that Fox's goal of $1 million raised for nonprofits within a year is reasonable, citing the $1.3 billion the social games industry made in 2010.
However, there is an issue of exposure. Even with changes to the Ticker and other enhancements to game discovery, it's more difficult than ever to gain traction on Facebook. Well, Fox and Beekin have a plan for that: Every social game created by Beekin will be supported by a four-pillar system: major brand support, celebrity endorsements, nonprofit interest and motivated players that become aware of the social ills each game is trying to correct.
We're not too keen on that last one, but Fox's primary company, Humanitainment, has access to immense celebrity resources. If hip hop icons Kanye West and Common showed their support for the company's New Life Project, then perhaps Fox can rally other celebrities and brands to get behind Beekin. The most daunting challenge facing Beekin is whether it can create social games that can spur players to pay up.
What was your favorite social game (or social game campaign) for social good so far? Do you think these types of social games have potential to make a difference?
Woodland Heroes: A getting started guide
Woodland Heroes is a Facebook game developed by Row Sham Bow that lets you engage in strategic, turn-based combat as you control an army of raccoons battling the evil bears. Gamezebo's Woodland Heroes strategy guide and walkthrough will provide you with a quick start guide, tips and tricks, hints and cheats to help you in the battles of the Woodland Heroes.
Getting Started
Woodland Heroes is played on Facebook and you will need to have a current account to play. If you need to register for a free account click here - http://www.facebook.com
Once you have a Facebook account, you are ready to play and can click here to begin.
You will be asked to give permission to allow the developer to post messages on your profile page at Facebook. Click on "Allow" and proceed to the game.
When you start the game, the Bear King will immediately challenge you to a battle, and Little Ben will help you in this tutorial battle. This will explain the basics of the game and give you a feel of what it's like to lead an army of woodland critters to victory.
The Basics
In Woodland Heroes, you battle from location to location to free the woodland critters from the Bear King's armies. To show their gratitude, freed locations will provide you with supplies over time. These locations can however be retaken by the bear armies, so it is important to be ever vigilant.
Reading the Map
On the map, the different locations will show one of three flags, indicating the status of the location. A blue flag means that you have conquered that location. A red flag with a paw means that the enemy armies have occupied the location. A red flag with a black army means that the enemy forces have retaken the location.
Woodland Heroes Fox Glen
By scrolling your mouse over a location, you can see how many weapons you can take into that battle. When a location is still occupied, the enemy will have the same amount of weapons as the maximum number of weapons you can have. When a location was saved before but was retaken, it usually has only one weapon.
Tip: Before storming into a location with just any combination of weapons, you can also decide to do some recon first. Move just one pea slinger to the location and start the battle, to see which weapons the enemy will use. While the place on the battlefield changes between battles, the enemy will always use the same weapons in a battle. The types of weapons will only change once an enemy has been defeated in that location.
Woodland Heroes battle map
Choosing Your Weapons
Woodland Heroes has a lot of different weapons to offer, for a wide range of prices. However, the amount of resources needed to build one is not the only thing that decides which weapon is your best choice. These are the two main considerations when choosing a weapon:
Woodland Heroes Base Type and Shot Type
If a weapon has a smaller footprint, it will be harder to find by the enemy, But once it has been found, it is easier destroyed.
If a weapon has a larger footprint, it will be easier to find by the enemy. But once it has been found, it is harder to destroy.
Woodland Heroes Shot Type
If you see a weapon that has a circle with a number under it, it means that after placing the weapon's shot type, you can shoot one or more extra single block-shots.
Basic Battle Tactics
Quickly finding where your enemy's weapons are located is a good strategy. The longer it takes you to destroy the enemy's weapons, the more chance the enemy has to destroy your weapons. Rather than trying to find the complete outline of a weapon right away, try to sweep the battlefield as fast as possible, and eliminate which grid squares are empty.
In the example below, you can see how you can pinpoint on which positions on a battlefield at least one part of a four-block footprint weapon is located. That way, once you've found it, you can start to uncover the rest of the weapon.
Woodland Heroes battlefield
Woodland Heroes battle squares
In case you've hit more than one weapon, one way to figure out which weapon is where is by looking at the weapon's strength on the side bar. In the example below, we see part of a weapon with one damaged block, and part of a weapon with two damaged blocks. The weapon graph shows that the muck wheel has only 3/5 blocks left, so the two damaged blocks must be part of the muck wheel. The single damaged block is thus part of the swine slinger.
Woodland Heroes battle strategy
Advanced Battle Tactics
To give you an idea of how to apply battle tactics to more advanced situations, here is an example of a battle.
At first, you will often have to make some complete blind shots, trying to find a weapon's location.
Shot one: Since we know that a four-block square always has at least one block off the edge of the field, I try to cover as many "one block off the edge" squares as possible.
Shots two and three: As the long blocks are at least three blocks high, it means that in a four-square field, you will always hit at least two of the three blocks when you aim for the middle.
Woodland Heroes battle strategy
Shot one: Since the muck wheel has two damaged blocks, this is where that weapon must be. As the end of the shape has one block to each side, the three blocks left must be at the top.
Shot two: Looking at the missed shot on the bottom left, it can be deduced that the swine slinger is in the last three rows and the last three columns.
Shot three: Another blind shot to try and find the stacked tri-weapon.
Woodland Heroes battle strategy
Shot one: Just one more block left to destroy this weapon.
Shot two: There are only three more shots I can make before I find the stacked tri-weapon. Another blind shot in one of these three locations.
Woodland Heroes battle strategy
Found you!
Woodland Heroes battle strategy
Additional Battle Tips
As soon as you have found the location of a weapon, destroy it before trying to find other weapons. The fewer weapons that can shoot in a turn, the less damage can be done to your weapons.
Once at least half of the blocks of a weapon have been hit, the complete location of that weapon will be revealed.
Getting Started
Woodland Heroes is played on Facebook and you will need to have a current account to play. If you need to register for a free account click here - http://www.facebook.com
Once you have a Facebook account, you are ready to play and can click here to begin.
You will be asked to give permission to allow the developer to post messages on your profile page at Facebook. Click on "Allow" and proceed to the game.
When you start the game, the Bear King will immediately challenge you to a battle, and Little Ben will help you in this tutorial battle. This will explain the basics of the game and give you a feel of what it's like to lead an army of woodland critters to victory.
The Basics
In Woodland Heroes, you battle from location to location to free the woodland critters from the Bear King's armies. To show their gratitude, freed locations will provide you with supplies over time. These locations can however be retaken by the bear armies, so it is important to be ever vigilant.
Reading the Map
On the map, the different locations will show one of three flags, indicating the status of the location. A blue flag means that you have conquered that location. A red flag with a paw means that the enemy armies have occupied the location. A red flag with a black army means that the enemy forces have retaken the location.
Woodland Heroes Fox Glen
By scrolling your mouse over a location, you can see how many weapons you can take into that battle. When a location is still occupied, the enemy will have the same amount of weapons as the maximum number of weapons you can have. When a location was saved before but was retaken, it usually has only one weapon.
Tip: Before storming into a location with just any combination of weapons, you can also decide to do some recon first. Move just one pea slinger to the location and start the battle, to see which weapons the enemy will use. While the place on the battlefield changes between battles, the enemy will always use the same weapons in a battle. The types of weapons will only change once an enemy has been defeated in that location.
Woodland Heroes battle map
Choosing Your Weapons
Woodland Heroes has a lot of different weapons to offer, for a wide range of prices. However, the amount of resources needed to build one is not the only thing that decides which weapon is your best choice. These are the two main considerations when choosing a weapon:
Woodland Heroes Base Type and Shot Type
If a weapon has a smaller footprint, it will be harder to find by the enemy, But once it has been found, it is easier destroyed.
If a weapon has a larger footprint, it will be easier to find by the enemy. But once it has been found, it is harder to destroy.
Woodland Heroes Shot Type
If you see a weapon that has a circle with a number under it, it means that after placing the weapon's shot type, you can shoot one or more extra single block-shots.
Basic Battle Tactics
Quickly finding where your enemy's weapons are located is a good strategy. The longer it takes you to destroy the enemy's weapons, the more chance the enemy has to destroy your weapons. Rather than trying to find the complete outline of a weapon right away, try to sweep the battlefield as fast as possible, and eliminate which grid squares are empty.
In the example below, you can see how you can pinpoint on which positions on a battlefield at least one part of a four-block footprint weapon is located. That way, once you've found it, you can start to uncover the rest of the weapon.
Woodland Heroes battlefield
Woodland Heroes battle squares
In case you've hit more than one weapon, one way to figure out which weapon is where is by looking at the weapon's strength on the side bar. In the example below, we see part of a weapon with one damaged block, and part of a weapon with two damaged blocks. The weapon graph shows that the muck wheel has only 3/5 blocks left, so the two damaged blocks must be part of the muck wheel. The single damaged block is thus part of the swine slinger.
Woodland Heroes battle strategy
Advanced Battle Tactics
To give you an idea of how to apply battle tactics to more advanced situations, here is an example of a battle.
At first, you will often have to make some complete blind shots, trying to find a weapon's location.
Shot one: Since we know that a four-block square always has at least one block off the edge of the field, I try to cover as many "one block off the edge" squares as possible.
Shots two and three: As the long blocks are at least three blocks high, it means that in a four-square field, you will always hit at least two of the three blocks when you aim for the middle.
Woodland Heroes battle strategy
Shot one: Since the muck wheel has two damaged blocks, this is where that weapon must be. As the end of the shape has one block to each side, the three blocks left must be at the top.
Shot two: Looking at the missed shot on the bottom left, it can be deduced that the swine slinger is in the last three rows and the last three columns.
Shot three: Another blind shot to try and find the stacked tri-weapon.
Woodland Heroes battle strategy
Shot one: Just one more block left to destroy this weapon.
Shot two: There are only three more shots I can make before I find the stacked tri-weapon. Another blind shot in one of these three locations.
Woodland Heroes battle strategy
Found you!
Woodland Heroes battle strategy
Additional Battle Tips
As soon as you have found the location of a weapon, destroy it before trying to find other weapons. The fewer weapons that can shoot in a turn, the less damage can be done to your weapons.
Once at least half of the blocks of a weapon have been hit, the complete location of that weapon will be revealed.
Lunchtime Poll: Should Facebook games have content ratings?
Facebook games have always generally skewed toward an older audience than most console, mobile and handheld games. But recently more social game makers have taken that to heart, creating games that are clearly for adult audiences. While there are numerous games that we could list, two recent releases come to mind.
First, UK-based Internet security blogger Charles Conway recently pegged EA and Playfish's The Sims Social for allowing underage players to have cyber sex through the game's WooHoo feature. While The Sims has always skewed more toward older audiences, it's far from "adults only." But we'll reserve whether the two companies should further censor the game for another debate. Second is Ecko|Code's Dexter Slice of Life, which quite literally allows players to act out as Dexter--ritualistic murders and all.
Games like these have led this writer to wonder, "Is it time for Facebook games to have content ratings?" Look, there's no debate as to whether a sizable amount of Facebook game releases have been more adult in the last year. And banning them is likely out of the question for Facebook. (And, in respect of freedom of expression, this guy right here.) So, perhaps it's time to introduce an enforceable ratings system for social games. But we want to know what you, the readers, think:
Should Facebook games have enforceable content ratings?
Absolutely! This should be done at the very least.Never! That would limit game creators' rights to expression.I don't think that's enough.I don't even care about console game ratings.
VoteView ResultsShare ThisPolldaddy.com
Have something unique to add to the discussion?
First, UK-based Internet security blogger Charles Conway recently pegged EA and Playfish's The Sims Social for allowing underage players to have cyber sex through the game's WooHoo feature. While The Sims has always skewed more toward older audiences, it's far from "adults only." But we'll reserve whether the two companies should further censor the game for another debate. Second is Ecko|Code's Dexter Slice of Life, which quite literally allows players to act out as Dexter--ritualistic murders and all.
Games like these have led this writer to wonder, "Is it time for Facebook games to have content ratings?" Look, there's no debate as to whether a sizable amount of Facebook game releases have been more adult in the last year. And banning them is likely out of the question for Facebook. (And, in respect of freedom of expression, this guy right here.) So, perhaps it's time to introduce an enforceable ratings system for social games. But we want to know what you, the readers, think:
Should Facebook games have enforceable content ratings?
Absolutely! This should be done at the very least.Never! That would limit game creators' rights to expression.I don't think that's enough.I don't even care about console game ratings.
VoteView ResultsShare ThisPolldaddy.com
Have something unique to add to the discussion?
Game of the Day: Aloha Solitaire
After a weekend full of Halloween antics, you'll be glad to hear that today's Game of the Day is a very relaxing card game. So whether you're slacking off at work or relaxing at home, kick back and immerse yourself in Aloha Solitaire. You can get away from it all without ever leaving the comfort of your home. It's worth noting that this isn't actually solitaire, more of a mix of classic card games and mahjong, all on the golden sands of Hawaii.
Aloha Solitaire has two different modes, normal and hard. Power-up cards will help you get to the next level, but use them wisely because you only have a limited amount. Every level has a different challenge and a different look, keep playing to see them all!
Make sure to post your scores below. My best after two rounds was 3,772. Can you do better?
Click here to play Aloha Solitaire!
aloha solitaire game of the day aloha solitaire game of the day
Pro Tips:
Don't spend your turn overs unless you need to. Otherwise you'll have a hard time progressing past the second level.
Always play off what you see in on the board, don't use create pairs in the stack unless you have no other options.
What was your best score in Aloha Solitaire?
Aloha Solitaire has two different modes, normal and hard. Power-up cards will help you get to the next level, but use them wisely because you only have a limited amount. Every level has a different challenge and a different look, keep playing to see them all!
Make sure to post your scores below. My best after two rounds was 3,772. Can you do better?
Click here to play Aloha Solitaire!
aloha solitaire game of the day aloha solitaire game of the day
Pro Tips:
Don't spend your turn overs unless you need to. Otherwise you'll have a hard time progressing past the second level.
Always play off what you see in on the board, don't use create pairs in the stack unless you have no other options.
What was your best score in Aloha Solitaire?
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