Yahoo! Games: Best of 2006 Awards

We scrutinize all of last year's releases and hand out the Best of 2006 honors.

By YVG Staff

Best Casual Game
Go to Most Innovative Casual Game

Best Casual Game

NOMINEES:

Diner Dash: Flo on the Go

Developer: Playfirst

Building upon its mega-popular predecessors, PlayFirst's addictive strategy arcade game once again stars Flo, an apron-donning restaurateur, who, despite being on vacation, agrees to help serve food to hungry passengers on a cruise ship, moving train, airplane, and other locales. Once again, players are challenged to multitask by seating customers, giving out menus, taking orders, serving food in a timely manner and then busing the tables to make room for new faces. Available for both Windows and Mac users, Flo on the Go doesn't stray far from what made its predecessors so popular, but adds a few new twists to keep the game-play fresh and fun.

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Mystery Case Files: Prime Suspects

Developer: Big Fish Games

Because of your savvy work as a master detective in Big Fish Games' Mystery Case Files: Huntsville, the FBI tapped you once again -- this time to retrieve the Queen's Hope diamond, which has been stolen while on display. Your job is no easy one: to catch the jewel thief by investigating 20 sketchy suspects. Not unlike the Where's Waldo books, game-play involves traveling to various locations to hunt for cleverly-hidden clues, all of which are listed along the side of the screen. Great graphics, humorous writing and high replayability all make Mystery Case Files: Prime Suspects an undisputable hit.

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Luxor 2

Developer: Mumbo Jumbo

MumboJumbo's wildly popular sequel is bigger, better, and more beautiful than the original Luxor, luring both novice and seasoned gamers into its addictive click n' shoot game-play. You know the drill: chains of colored orbs snake out onto the screen, and you must aim and shoot with a mystical winged scarab so that they touch same-colored spheres; when three or more touch (one of which must be your own), they explode. Every few levels, players will be treated to a Galaga-like arcade-like bonus stage, whereby a number of colored spheres pour out onto the screen and you must shoot daggers to destroy as many as possible. Luxor 2 is one of the few must-play casual games of 2006.

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Virtual Villagers

Developer: Last Day of Work

Many of us are closet control freaks, but few games let us unleash our inner megalomaniac. Last Day of Work's Virtual Villagers, however, has created a "life simulation" that lets you manage island castaways. Your goal is to help this hapless tribe eat, build shelter, stay healthy, mate, work and evolve into a more advanced civilization. Virtual Villagers is unique in that it takes place in real-time, therefore the events on the island continue to evolve even after you've left the game. Controlling these little castaways is simple, so players can concentrate at the tasks at hand, which includes solving the 16 main "milestone" puzzles, such as learning to find a new type food to build a new structure. Because of its innovative and fun game-play, it's no wonder Virtual Villagers caused quite the buzz inside the passionate and vocal casual games community.

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Cake Mania

Developer: Sandlot Games

Now this was a delicious surprise from Sandlot Games when it debuted in March. This tasty casual game -- which borrows elements from PlayFirst's Diner Dash series -- proved to be as addictive as chocolate (and with none of the calories)! The game introduces us to Jill, a young woman who returns to her hometown after culinary school, only to find her grandparent's once-thriving bakery has been shut down due to stiff competition from the new Mega-mart superstore. As told by the comic book-style storyboard, your job is to bake and sell cakes to raise enough money to reopen the bakery. Take a customer's order by clicking on the desired cake shape, number of layers, icing color and any finishing touches. Be careful, though, as mistakes mean you have to ditch the cake and eat the profits. In no time, you'll be able to afford new equipment, including additional ovens and frosting stations, and TVs to entertain those in line.