When you're bored, it can be tough to decide what game to play. There are so many great options out there! If you're looking for something to occupy your time, here are a few of the best games to play when you're bored:
1. Candy Crush Jelly Saga: This popular game is perfect for when you need a quick fix of Entertainment. With its easy-to-understand gameplay and vibrant graphics, Candy Crush Jelly Saga is a great option when you're looking for something to pass the time. It's also free unless you just absolutely have to pay to get more power-ups.
2. Words With Friends 2: If you're a fan of word games, Words With Friends is the perfect option when you're bored. You can play against your friends or random opponents, and there's even a solo-play mode if you want to practice your skills. Wordament and Wordle are also great options in this genre.
3. Tetris Effect Connected: This is a great option when you're looking for something challenging to play. It's easy to pick up and play, and it's a great way to keep your mind active. Tetris Effect Connect includes great music, and special effects, and has single and multiplayer.
4. Monument Valley 2: This beautiful puzzle game is perfect for when you need a break from the mundane. With its stunning graphics and unique gameplay, Monument Valley is a great option when you're looking for something to play.
Warcraft Mobile could have delivered the WoW-like action some gamers have sought on the go, but... the desired terms didn't ultimately match up. I think it's weird though, because wouldn't you agree on such terms ahead of development?
How in the hell do you get 3 years deep into development with more than 100 developers covering objectives for the title before terms are finalized? Once it's set, it's set... is how I think it should be prior to moving forward (that's how I structured agreements between small devs & publishers). They may have put it on the backburner as far as finalizing the agreement, but if Activision Blizzard & NetEase are going to continue their relationship... they may have to take a step back and revise things.
I think a revision would be better than potentially axing such a money maker, but I understand how things can change if the money gets... funny. You already know who Blizzard is, but if you aren't familiar with NetEase... they're China's #2 game company. NetEase is also the co-creator of... Diablo Immortal.
I hope the relationship survives and changes are made for the better because game projects shouldn't go... poof this far in, and sadly this isn't the first time head-turning projects have been tossed.
For more info on this, check out the Bloomberg article, I just had to chime in and give my two cents.
The merger of EA and NBCUniversal might have been a huge discussion in the gaming industry.
Electronic Arts (EA) CEO Andrew Wilson had negotiations with NBCUniversal CEO Brian Roberts to combine their companies together, however, no conclusion was made about this deal.
A report that EA also had discussions with Amazon, Apple, and Disney was also in the recent past. The timeline was not stated except for Disney where they were said to have been held as recently as March of this year.
However, the discussion between NBCUniversal ultimately fell through in the last month because of a lack of approval over price and structure, having talked to four close sources about the matter.
After weeks of negotiations, the merger between these two companies would have seen NBCUniversal take most control of the newly formed entity, which is headed up by Andrew Wilson.
EA has not commented on the speculation associated, while Apple, Amazon, and Disney refused to give comments.
The persistent pursuit of a sale has been the theme in recent years of EA, but why?
Lastly, Ubisoft's CEO, Yves Guillemot has debunked the reported news of his company being for sale. In an earnings call following their FY2022 financial results, he said they intend to remain independent. As long as the developers don't end up in the wrong has to limit our platform options and quality, then there shouldn't be anything to worry about.
A new policy at Apple will now require app developers to update within a certain time or risk being deleted from the App Store. I find that this is a good thing and a bad thing. A good app that has no issues doesn't need an update often, but a bad app with no updates deserves deletion.
Overall, this may be a short-lived policy or Apple may turn off developers and risk having a smaller selection. If developers are able to maintain all their apps or most of them, this could help customers with apps that maintain their polish. Unfortunately, this is not true for everyone. Indie developers sometimes have to fight through trial and tribulation to reach the release date, and now they have to risk their hard work being deleted. This is a bad thing.
Protopop owner, Robert Kabwe, feels that it's an unfair barrier for indie developers. He said that there are no specifications on what updates need to be made in order to avoid deletion. The risk is now raised on the App Store, and this is why we feel this new policy may be short-lived. It's only fair for Apple to share what updates are necessary in order for apps to be compliant prior to deletion.
The apps have to function as intended, follow current review guidelines, and not be outdated. The first one is practical, but... if the guidelines change a month after an app is released, that would suck royally. I can't say that it would happen like that, and I would assume Apple would let it be known beforehand, but who knows. Also, when it comes to apps being outdated... I think two years is fair, but it's still going to pluck potentially awesome apps.
I don't want to take over this article, but for the Developers: If your app is bringing in the revenue that would allow you to put something aside for updates, consider it a worthwhile investment to keep the money flowing. If you don't wish to do that, just make peace with your apps being removed from the App Store if you can't maintain them. This isn't to be cold, it's more so something to prepare for... if you don't wish to do that. If you read the details, it's not all bad because you can bring your apps back as long as the updates are approved. Get clarity from Apple... ASAP. - Blu
Shout out to Good Shepherd for supplying Transport Fever 2 for this review.
We're going... we're going... we're going on a trip... Trains, Ships, Planes, and Automobiles... Transport Fever 2... is... here!
Transport Fever 2 is a business simulation game focused on the transportation industry, and your job is to make the road, water, railroad and airways work for the citizens + industries in the surrounding areas... without crashing and burning financially.
Tip: If you're new to Transport Fever, I recommend starting off in the campaign so that you can get a good feel for the gameplay while being walked through the UI (which still has a bit of a learning curve to it).
That said... I urge newcomers to get nice and familiar with the interface so that your investment in Transport Fever 2 is worth it. The campaign will get you started but... I still recommend having an interface reference on hand until you're able to flow without one... trust me, it just makes the experience better.
One thing this game should have... is a digital manual to get newcomers over that hump with the UI, because some people get turned off by the learning curve in some games. It doesn't have to be a full blown manual... but have something to make sense of the UI so the focus can be on the gameplay.
I have spoken with the development team, and i'm happy to report that they're working on a Wiki for Transport Fever 2 (soooo... stay tuned)!
While in-game hit "ESC" and then go to "Settings"... followed by "Controls" to access the key mapping. I took some time to list the default key map here:
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1988964654
Fun factor: Sims aren't games that I normally play (in the traditional sense)... but when I do, I want them to be enjoyable, and Transport Fever 2 checks out with addicting + challenging gameplay. It doesn't get me hype like some of the big action titles, but it definitely keeps me engaged for a lengthy period of time (unlike some of the action games that get me hype)... to the point that I have to set a timer to make sure that I'm not playing into the wee hours of the morning.
I love constructing roads and tracks in this game, making bridges and all that good stuff (use "," to go higher and create bridges, use "." to go lower and create underground tunnels). Watching the world come alive and grow in Transport Fever 2 is pretty cool, and as an artist... setting up locations with a beautiful looking layout is quite enjoyable (especially when its a functional design).
Oh yeah... there is a part of Florida with a huge circular road... (huge) which will probably end up being in my next layout if I can get everything placed just right. If it can work in reality, i'm curious to see how well it would work in a digital city.
Another thing I like about Transport Fever 2 is that you have a good variety of assets available.
Assets can be placed in your layout to pull off your desired look. You aren't just laying out the transport routes, you can place a variety of assets like trees, rocks, hills, mountains, canyons, valleys, benches, fences, etc.
Etcetera's are part of the replay value... so i'll get to those later.
Setting things up... super fun... no one taking the bus... frustrating, but keep at it if you're trying to create something beyond a basic layout.
I will help you out with getting those stubborn city slickers and townsters to your trains: 1st... You need to connect a road to the train station (duh of the day). 2nd... Add a bus or tram stop near the train station, and then follow up by placing additional bus and/or tram stations around the cities. 3rd... Add a Depot for road vehicles. 4th... Click on the Depot so that you can buy some Passenger vehicles (buy at least 2 or 3 based on the size of your city or town). If it's a small location, perhaps 1 would work to get you started. Nothing wrong with slow and steady, especially if it helps you get a flow before you build upon that. 5th... Go to Line Manager and set up a line that goes to each of those bus or tram stops and over to the train station (you're basically creating a circle). *Make sure the stops are on the side of the road where the bus or tram will reach them easily so that they don't have to go on the opposite side of the street and slow things down. Pat yourself on the back from that point... you should have successfully set up a route for your citizens to utilize the train.
Just a heads up: While you're having fun building away... don't forget that you have a loan that needs to be paid off, so you have to aim at getting some income going ASAP so that you aren't paying more in interest than necessary. My account is currently doing a dance between 5 and 6 million in the game as I get things leveled off, if your earnings remain in the blue... you're holding steady. If it dips, don't fret... because once the passengers begin to pour in and your city grow, it should shift (if not, just find out where transportation is needed for passengers and/or cargo).
Visuals:Transport Fever 2 is visually cool in both low and high res. Clearly it's going to look better in higher res, but... if you need to go to that lower setting, I don't think you're going to miss much. I didn't notice much of a change as seen below... minus the lines and shadow looking a little less clean in the low res image (leaves and grass have a bit more depth in high res but... you don't really notice).
By the way, you get the option of taking a tour of your transportation layout (so make it look good, i'd probably recommend high res for the tour... since it takes you ground level). It would be great to actually check out the inside of the trains and what not... but who knows what updates are down the track.
Low resolution:
Highest resolution:
The User Interface is nice and is simple enough not to feel overwhelmed, but you still have to get nice a familiar with it... to avoid being lost in the sauce. That's crucial, because you'd be surprised how quick certain games are abandoned by some gamers based on how complicated the UI is. Start out slow on a small scale so that you're able to get a feel for the UI, you could still get that feeling of being in the deep end if you bite off more than you can chew so pace yourself and get a good rhythm going.
Another thing I love visually about this game is just seeing the world transform as once transportation in the area starts to pick up... as well as when the time progresses (communities grow, but also you will see some locations go from a small structure to a freaking skyscrapper). You can also click on buildings and find out the year they were built.
(Look at the account amount... things got real bad before the turn around.)
Replay Value: When it comes to replay value, you get tons and tons of it! You're able to customize your layouts to your hearts content, the map generator gives you unpredictable results to challenge yourself but... also the etceteras (like the mods in the Steam Workshop).
Mods range from scenarios, vehicles, stations, tracks/streets, depots, buildings, assets, and more. Did I forget to mention that you can create and share your own mods here as well? Well... you can! I think this would be a really cool plus not only for the gamers who enjoy new content, but also inspiring game developers who want to show off their mods.
The map generator allows you to change up the amount of Hilliness, Water, Mainland, Forest, and Islands (based on what type of terrain you prefer). All you have to do is a tiny shift of the bar and you will see a change to the lay of the land.
Temperate (Easiest to start with)
Hilliness (Eliminate these completely if you want to get a good feel of how to make things do what they do... before jumping into more challenging maps.)
Water
Forest
Dry
Canyons
Mesas
Ridges
Water
Forest
Tropical (New to the franchise and allows you to get more use out of your ships)
Hilliness
Mainland
Forest
Islands
In addition to these options for your map, you also get to choose between vehicle types... based on location (Europe | USA | Asia).
____________________________________
The campaign is presented in chapters, like in Chapter 1... you have 6 missions. So you aren't just doing your own thing...you're being put to the challenge.
By the way... shout out to the team for this Editor's Note:
"The campaigns aim to portray key milestones in the history of transportation, as vividly as possible in their historical context. They also deal with dark chapters in the world's events, whereby the corresponding episodes are never supposed to be downplayed, and the victims within them never ridiculed. After all, it shouldn't be left by the wayside that the history of transportation was often and still is a story of conflicts, oppression, and sometimes great suffering. Accordingly, the value judgments conveyed in the individual missions do not reflect the developers' own values."
The starting dates range from the 1850's to the year 2000, but no worries... time goes beyond the year 2000 (so game on!). It's crazy to think about the year 2000, because some of you weren't even born then.
Oh yeah... when it comes to the music, it was just okay for me. It wasn't really something I could get into, I end up just playing something in the background.
One con that I could give it regarding the learning curve... should be taken care of via the pending Wiki (which was also created for the first installment), but before the launch of future installments they should have a UI map available regardless. Also, a suggestion I would give the team is... give us the ability to change up the transportation routes. I don't want to do new lines, and if we do have the option to alter those routes... it needs to be easier to identify.
Price: Transport Fever 2 rolls in at $39.99, which is sweet. I noticed that it was almost 50% less than it could've been and instantly gave it a thumbs up (after my experience of course). There is plenty to enjoy at this price point, especially with the level of replay value in the game and in the Steam Workshop so make that... two thumbs up! By the way, you get 61 achievements to unlock.
Overall, I had fun with Transport Fever 2... even in the height of my frustrations... I came back again and again. One of my biggest goals is to make one of the smallest little big cities I can that just rakes in the income like crazy, but there is still quite a bit for me to learn... so when its time for me to cross that bridge...I'll be ready. It's time for me to do some more tinkering, so until next time... game on!
Fun Factor 3 (This took a hit based on the learning curve)
If you haven't heard... Apple has responded to Google (indirectly) with their own gaming platform.
Yes, folks, the Apple Arcade will be launching Fall 2019... but how will it compare? I guess it doesn't really have to compare, but I've seen... more promise from Google's Stadia platform.
I won't crap on Apple Arcade, because who knows what will be released on it. The Pathless... looks pretty good, so does OCEANHORN 2: Knights of the Lost Realm, Beyond a Steel Sky... which has a Borderlands meets Fallout vibe to it... and more. So who knows.
Apple Arcade will be an... All You Can Play subscription service.
No ads... No in-app purchases. 100+ games will be available.
Playable on iPhone, iPad, Mac, and... Apple TV (including offline... anywhere).
One plus I see with this is the ability for 6 family members to use the subscription. So families that use Apple products faithfully (which wouldn't be me)... they can game on one subscription.
Can they game all at once? Who knows. That... would be a question worth knowing, because taking turns would suck... royally. If everyone can game simultaneously, that's multiplayer action without the need to fish through a server (if you can game online with this).
Overall, I think it's good, because... both Apple and Google are giving their customer's more options. As long as the price is right... they should be fine, but I still think that Google has the upper hand as far as core gamers are concerned... just feels like there's more there. Doesn't mean it makes for better games... but Stadia caught my eye so much more than Apple Arcade.
I'm not buying Apple products for that. Either way... if it means more people gaming, thumbs up!
The countdown is on! With only a few weeks left until the worldwide release of The X-Files: Deep State mobile game and the return of The X-Files television series, can't wait to share the latest news with you with more details upcoming.
Celebrating the 25th anniversary of The X-Files, this exciting new mystery investigation game, The X-Files: Deep State will have you investigating mysterious crime scenes that defy explanation. Uncover hidden clues, collect evidence, solve puzzles, interrogate witnesses and suspects to solve the case. Brought to you by Creative Mobile and FoxNext.
The Monster
Meet your new partner Agent Garret Dale and investigate the death of District Attorney Karen Cooper.
Trust No 1
You and Agent Garret Dale are dispatched to question Dr. Gordon Dillahunt, a suspect in a double homicide.
In Corpore Sano
You and Agent Garret Dale are assigned to the X-Files Unit by SC Bowman. Your first case is a series of mysterious deaths in Lexington, Kentucky.
The Leper King
You and Agent Garret Dale are contacted by an influential US Senator who claims to be blackmailed by the mysterious hacker known only as 'The King'. Assisted by Cyber Division Specialist Zhang Su, you are dispatched to investigate.
The X-Files: Deep State will host an 'Agents Mixer'
X-Fest will be held at Celebrations 150 in Utica, IL on Saturday, March 3rd, 2018 and will feature a celebrity convention, Q&A panels with the stars, as well as episode screenings of some of the most popular episodes of the series.
On Friday, March 2nd, X-Fest & The X-Files: Deep State will host an 'Agents Mixer' evening event that will give convention attendees a chance to meet fellow Agents, Aliens and X-Philes and will give you a great opportunity to preview the game, have some refreshments and get ready for X-Fest from 5-9PM CT
Please note that there will be no celebrity guests on Friday evening March 2nd.
