Review: Hotel Mogul: Las Vegas

Type: Building Management
Platform: PC
Price: USD 6.99 from Big Fish Games

Lynette is back in this follow up to Hotel Mogul. In this game, you are Lynette's assistant as she works to create a hotel empire in Las Vegas.

Gameplay
You build hotels to earn income. You can further increase the earnings from your hotels by upgrading your hotel or building special features near your hotels. To construct more buildings, you have to make sure that there are enough materials and workers. If you urgently need money, you have the option of selling your land or hotel. There are several goals in each stage which you have to fulfill which ranges from the amount of income to building a special building.

Thoughts
People who have played other building management games will find it familiar. For new players, this game does a good job of showing you the different options as you progress through the stages. There are different neighbourhoods to build in so the changes in the scenery helps to keep it from becoming boring.

Verdict ★★★★
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Review: Stand O'Food 3

Type: Strategy, Time Management
Platform: PC
Price: USD 6.99 from Big Fish Games

Riding the wave of success in his hometown, Ronnie the Chef extends his Stand O’Food chain to Tinseltown, where he meets Nikki and Mr. Clarence, and disrupts Mr. Torg’s evil revenge plans.

Gameplay
There are three types of restaurants, each serving a particular food. Each restaurant takes about 3-4 stages before you move on to the next. There are three types of difficulty settings available.

The gameplay is the same as the previous two games in the series. Parts of a food item rolls out on conveyor belts and you have to assemble them in the correct order to create burgers, lasagna and pies. Along the way, you have to try your best to fulfill the customers' side orders and remember to add sauces to increase the price of your food.

Thoughts
The graphics are better than the previous games, less clunky and cuter. The game is fast and responsive. The game does a good job of teaching you the basics in the beginning. I played under Casual difficulty and it gets pretty hectic by the 5th restaurant when the combinations are more complex. A little strategy is needed as you can't just pick everything off the conveyor belts but you also need to maintain a cool head under time pressure. The latter is the hardest thing for me to do.

Verdict ★★★★★
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Review: Fashion Forward

Type: Hidden Object
Platform: PC
Price: USD 6.99 from Big Fish Games

Risha moves to Hollywood where she discovers that the clothes are meant for skinny actresses and models. She decides to open a shop selling clothing for normal people.

Gameplay
Customers will come into your stall and request for items. The game may show a picture of the item or give a description of it. You have to pick the correct item from the messy pile. Along the way, you can use the money earned to buy upgrades for the shop and buy new sets of clothing.

Thoughts
3D games must be catching on because this is the second time I came across a 3D mode option in a game. The game starts by default with a custom cursor, which for some reason, my computer was unable to display. It made turning the custom cursor option off difficult and frustrating as I had to guess the position of my mouse without any visual cues.

Animations takes a while to happen, making the game feels a bit slow and sluggish. Customers remained in the store after I finished serving them for a few seconds longer than they should and after they left, it takes another few seconds for payment to appear. It spoils the momentum of the game.

Even though you can get to choose the type of clothes you want to sell, it has no impact other than to change the clothing in the shop. It is not always obvious what upgrades are available. If you have not bought a particular type of item before, it will be faded. However, if you have bought the item, it will appear no different from other items in the shop even though I can upgrade it further. I also have to click on an item to open a popup box to see if I can afford it. It is one step too much as many other games can show me what upgrades are affordable (through highlighting or blinking or mouse over) without needing me to click on each one to be able to tell.

Verdict ★★
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Review: Supermarket Management 2

Type: Time Management
Platform: PC and Mac
Price: USD 6.99 from Big Fish Games

Kate starts having strange dreams where disasters always seems to hit the supermarket manager. Her grandmother thinks it is time for her to run her own supermarket.

Gameplay
In this game, you are the manager of a supermarket. You start off with a few tasks, like keeping the shelves stocked, ringing up the purchases and putting the trolleys back in place. As you progressed through the levels, there will be additional counters which served as mini games. You will be able to purchase upgrades like bigger shelves and assistants to make your job easier.

Thoughts
I felt that this is a pretty decent game, fun to play but nothing earth-breaking. There is no difficulty setting in Supermarket Management 2 but overall it feels easier than Cooking Dash 3: Thrills and Spills. It never gets so hard that I cannot proceed to the next stage. I noticed that there is a 3D mode option available. I wondered if it means that the game can be played in 3D? But my monitor does not have the 3D function so I can't test it.

Verdict ★★★★
Game page for PC and Mac

Review: Jet Set Go

Type: Time Management
Platform: PC
Price: USD 6.99 from Big Fish Games

In this game, you help April to run and improve a travel agency. You will also get to travel to different destinations and make sure that the holidays go smoothly.

Gameplay
You start with a one star travel agency. To increase the number of stars, you have to make that that the gauge for Excitement, Appeal and Satisfaction are filled up.

To fill up the Excitement gauge, you have to attend to customers in the travel agency and help them book a trip. You can use the money earned to buy new and better equipment for the shop. Buying new things also fills up the Appeal gauge.

To fill up the Satisfaction gauge, you have to travel to different destinations and fulfill your customers' needs. Different destinations will require you to do different tasks. So in one place, you might need to serve food to the customers while in another place you need to take photos of them.

Thoughts
Having the player go to different destinations helps to break up to monotony of running the travel agency. They function the same as the mini games in other time management games and after a while you might find that you are doing the same tasks but in different locations. I like that you can choose different difficulty levels to match your skill level.

Verdict ★★★★
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Review: Restaurant Rush

Type: Match 3
Platform: PC
Price: USD 6.99 from Big Fish Games

After gaining success in cooking burgers, Heidi want to open a cooking school. But to do that, she will have to prove that she can also cook other cuisines besides burgers.

Gameplay
You serve dishes by matching the ingredients on the board. Each dish needs different types and different amount of ingredients. Once you've cooked a dish, you have to serve it to the customers and collect the money. The faster you serve a dish, the more money you make. You can also add a soup or drink to the dish for more money. If you serve a few customers at the same time, you will get a chain bonus which means more money.

Every once in a while, you will get a chance to enter a cooking competition. In the competition, you have to serve dishes a few times before the end of the timer.

After each level, you can choose to buy upgrades with the money you have earned. You can buy recipes for new dishes, new music or better ingredients. The pricer dishes will need more ingredients to complete but they also earn you more money while improving the quality of ingredients will earn you more money when you serve a dish that uses the improved ingredient.

Thoughts
This is a fast paced game that's really fun. The tutorial does a good job of of teaching me about the game. It's fun to see all sorts of wacky characters come to the restaurant. There's also lots of sound effects in the game which not only makes it fun but it also helps me in playing the game. I can depend on the audio cues to know when the dish is ready to serve. I also like that there are many different types of upgrade options for me to choose.

Verdict ★★★★★
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Review: Jane's Hotel Mania

Type: Time Management
Platform: PC
Price: USD 6.99 from Big Fish Games

Jane asked her niece, Jenny, to help manage her hotels.

Gameplay
You started will four rooms which you can upgrade later on in the game. As you progress in the game, you will get more facilities at the hotel. Besides Jenny, there is also a chambermaid and a porter to ensure that the hotel run smoothly. Different types of  guests will come to your hotel and request for a room. They will also make demands like getting their room cleaned or having the fireplace lit up. There is a time limit to fulfill the guests' demands and taking too long to complete it will result in no tips. If you ran out of time, it will cause the guest to lose some happiness. Depending on the type of task that was requested, you may have to call the chambermaid or the porter to complete it.

Thoughts
Despite this being a Jane's Hotel series game, Jane actually appears very little in game and the show is run by Jenny instead. I feel Jane's Hotel Mania is a friendly game for people who are new to time management games. The difficulty curve is very gentle and it is pretty relaxing to play. As the facilities increases, there are more requests to handle but it doesn't get to the point of being overwhelming. Loading times can be a little long and each level may take 15 seconds or more to load.

Verdict ★★★★
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Review: Time to Hurry: Nicole's Story

Type: Hidden Object
Platform: PC
Price: USD 6.99 from Big Fish Games

Follow Nicole as she tries to find her dream job.

Gameplay
Customers to your shop will give a list of the items they want. To serve them, you have to find the items scattered around the shop. Each customers will ask for 3-4 items and while you are serving one customer, the requests of the other customers are hidden. Sometimes you will get VIP customers and if you serve them quickly, you will get a bonus. After each level, you can play a mini game and upgrade Nicole. To upgrade Nicole, you can choose from four activities, each improving one aspect. The activity will require you to purchase 1-2 items with the money you have earned.

You start with a bare room which will get filled up with medals and items purchased

Thoughts
The game is pretty challenging. The items change places in each level and more and more items get added to the shop. I find that I have to be accurate in where I click, even a little bit off the mark is not acceptable. This can be difficult when the items are small or long and thin.

Before the start of each level, I am shown pictures of a few items so you can identify them by name. It's a good idea but I wonder at the usefulness because sometimes items from previous levels are shown and by then I already know their names. It would be more useful if it shows newly added items.

The mini games are quite fun and there is a variety of them so it doesn't get boring.

Verdict ★★★
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Review: Season Match: Curse of the Witch Crow

Type: Match 3, Hidden Object
Platform: PC
Price: USD 6.99 from Big Fish Games

The months have been captured by the evil Witch Crow to stop the coming of the new year. It is up to you to free them so spring can arrive.

Gameplay
The aim of the match 3 games are often to break the big block of ice at the bottom of the screen. To get to the ice, you have to break other barriers around it. Depending on the stage, you may or may not need to break all the barriers. Each month that you have rescued will have their own unique powers up to help you in the game. You will also play a mini hidden object game where you have to find a number of a certain object hidden in the picture.

Thoughts
Playing the match 3 games is fun. It is satisfying to set off the power ups and see them blast, destroy or blow away the gems. The hidden object game is easy and I do not have problems with it. While this is a pretty good match 3 game, what I like most about it is the artwork. The months are pretty funky dressers and I like looking at the surreal backgrounds.

Verdict ★★★★★
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Review: Woodville Chronicles

Type: Match 3
Platform: PC
Price: USD 6.99 from Big Fish Games

Build up a town in this match 3 game.

Gameplay
Play the match 3 games to earn money to build up the town. You have a choice between timed or untimed game. At any time, you can choose between 3 types of gameplay - group, chain or swap. After each game, you can choose to play a bonus game to earn more money or continue on with another match 3 game. The aim of the bonus game is to move the key to the keyhole along a determined path. You cannot move the key directly so the only way to move it is to destory the stones beneath so that the key will drop downwards.

Thoughts
Woodville Chronicles is a bright, cheery game. What is most interesting is that I can select from the three different types of gameplay at any time I wish, even in the middle of a game. Doing so resets the whole board but not the score so I can still continue on with the game. Building up the town is quite boring though. Apart for earning enough money to buy the buildings offered, there is not much else to do.

Verdict ★★★
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Review: Tulula: Legend of a Volcano

Type: Adventure, Hidden Object, Puzzle
Platform: PC
Price: USD 6.99 from Big Fish Games

You are the chosen one who has to save your tribe from the evil spirit.

Gameplay
Even though this is a hidden object game, it generally does not follow the format of most hidden object games where you are given a list of objects you have to find in the picture.

You are sent to a variety of locations to find pieces of a magical totem. As you move the mouse over the picture, the cursor will change its icon depending on what action is needed. You have to find out what hidden items you are supposed to look for by clicking on a particular object eg. broken statue, which will then display the shapes of the broken pieces that you need to find to complete it. Some of the pieces might be hidden from view and will need addition actions eg. moving away tree branches to display the piece.

Later on in the game, you will encounter optional goals like going to the spirit realm to assist gods. In between locations, you can also used the money earned to build up the village, which was destroyed.

Thoughts
Tulula is a beautiful game with a distinctive visual style right. Each location is unique and beautifully rendered. I like that the tutorials in the beginning of the game goes step-by-step through everything I need to know. It can feel a little long, especially when I'm itching to get out of the cave and get on with the game. But the pretty graphics distracted me and I often marveled that all the little details.

The game feels like a mixture of point and click adventures with some hidden objects and puzzles thrown in. At each location, I am just presented with an empty inventory and no instructions is given, no even a list of items to find. I am supposed to figure out what needs to be done. So I feel a little lost in the beginning until I found out that I have to click on certain objects to get them to display the parts that needs to be found. The hint button, which is in the shape of a lantern, helps me out a lot and refills pretty quickly so I'm never stuck for long. The game follows a lineal path so I need to follow the script and do A then B before I can do C, even though I already figured out how to solve C.

Verdict ★★★★★
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Review: The Legend of the Golden Tome

Type: Match 3, Hidden Object
Platform: PC
Price: USD 6.99 from Big Fish Games

The Golden Tome of Knowledge contains all the knowledge of the druids and is kept hidden. Guided by an old druid, you the chosen one, has to find the tome.

Gameplay
This is mainly a match 3 game but there is also quite a bit of hidden object games as well. In the story mode, you are guided by an old druid who will act as a narrator. You have to match three or more of the same color. Match four and you will be given extra points while matching five buys you extra time. The goal of each match 3 game varies a little. Sometimes you have to clear all the blocked up areas while sometimes you have to fill up the pots of paints, each representing a particular color. Power ups will appear on the board but you can't use until you have collected them. To collect them, you have to get them to the bottom of the board.

You have to play some hidden object games along the way. In fact when you start up the game, you are presented with a hidden object game before the match 3 game. You will play each background a few times before moving on to a new location.

Thoughts
I really like the old druid that accompanies me throughout the game. In the beginning, he helps me get a hang of the basics. He is helpful and encouraging, praising me after I passed each level. I know that it's all voice acting but it is nice when he sounds like he really means it.

The match 3 boards come in many shapes and sizes. Sometimes I get one big board and it's usually the easiest to play. Other times, I get strangely shaped boards or mini little boards which is harder. That's when the power ups come into use.

The hidden object games are a mixture of easy and hard. It can be easy because the picture is not crowded with other hidden items that is not necessary. Each time only the items that need to be found are hidden in the picture. So sometimes I just need to look for what is new. However, they can also be hard because the items can be hidden behind other objects in the picture and only a small portion can be seen.

Verdict ★★★
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Review: Robin Hood

Type: Hidden Object, Puzzle
Platform: PC
Price: USD 6.99 from Big Fish Games

Follow Robin Hood on his fight against the corrupted sheriff.

Gameplay
The ratio of hidden object games and puzzles are about 50-50. Hidden items are presented on a list. Some of the puzzles are optional and can be skipped. However, solving them will earn you some money. Help is provided by a cute robin in the bottom right corner. Clicking on the bird will caused a circle of feathers to appear on the screen, pointing at the area you should focus your attention.

Thoughts
The game feels rather rough around the edges. Maybe it's the graphics or the execution of the game, but in the end I did not have a lot of fun playing it. The best graphic from the game is what you see at the top of the post. Everything else looks like they are in shades of brown which is a bit dull. It took me a while to figure out that I had to click on the robin for a hint and not the info button below it. Maybe I'm just stupid.

Characters are paper cut out, and I mean that literally. Their posture and expression never change so Robin Hood always has a smile on his face regardless of whether he is fighting Little John or being chased by the guards. Puzzles are fairly easy and never posted a big challenge.

Verdict ★★
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Review : Deepica

Type: Match 3
Platform: PC
Price: USD 6.99 from Big Fish Games

Clear the living coral to reach the sunken treasure.

Gameplay
The colorful corals are clustered around a pendant-like object in the center of the screen. You can shoot a coral from the bar at the bottom of the screen to make matches of three and above. You can also bounce the coral off the top of the screen. However the coral you shoot out has a very short time limit. If it doesn't make a match of three and above in the first few seconds, it will become inert and won't create any reaction. You win the level when you have cleared all the corals.

Thoughts
The living corals are quite cute and looked similar to Chuzzle from PopCap Games and I can't shake the feeling that I've played similar games before. What was unique was that the corals are not fixed in position but move when they are hit by another object. Sometimes I hit them so hard that the force caused them to break off from the rest and rotate around the center for a while before reattaching themselves back.

There is not much of a storyline and no cut scenes in between stages. After a while it can get repetitive as I am just doing the same thing over and over again. Even though there are slight variations in each level, it does not quite get rid of the repetitious feeling.

Verdict ★★★
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Review: Mystery Age: The Dark Priests

Type: Adventure, Hidden Object, Puzzle
Platform: PC
Price: USD 6.99 for the game and USD 6.99 for the strategy guide

The story takes places 30 years after The Imperial Staff. Both of Amber's parents have passed away and she is called back to her village. Upon arriving at her village, she discovers that the villages have turned to stone and some dark priests are lurking around.

Gameplay
There are some slight differences to the first game but the main gameplay is still the same. You have to find objects shown at the bottom of the screen. Each group of objects will either help you obtain a part of another group of objects or become an item take appears in your inventory. You can also find items to add to your inventory when you explore the different areas. Each item in the inventory has a specific use and will disappear after you use it.

Thoughts
The production quality of the game remains pretty good with beautiful graphics and sound effects. I found this game to be harder than The Imperial Staff mainly because I have to keep moving back and fro between locations to look for items to add to my inventory, hidden object games or to check whether the newly added item to my inventory can be used. Sometimes it is pretty obvious but sometimes it is a matter of trial and error. Every time I obtain a new item in my inventory, I would go through all the locations to see if it works somewhere. Certain tasks, like fixing a boat so I can cross the river, will require a few steps to complete them. The puzzles also feels are bit harder but thankfully there is a skip button if you cannot solve it after some time.

Verdict ★★★★★
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Review: Mystery Age: The Imperial Staff

Type: Hidden Object
Platform: PC
Price: USD 6.99 from Big Fish Games

Amber's father left the village to find a way to stop the black rain. Fearing for his safety, Amber and her mother leaves the village to search for him.

Gameplay
You are given a list of pictures at the bottom of the screen showing the object you have to find. The picture shows the whole object, but you have to find the pieces instead. Each object is in two or more pieces and as you find a piece, it gets shaded out. Some parts are hidden and can only be revealed when you used an item to interact with something at the location. Quite often you will need to move back and fro between different locations to find all the pieces before you can move on in the chapter.

Thoughts
It isn't hard to find the hidden objects or to solve the puzzles. Although there is some difficulty on finding pieces of the object rather that the whole object. It is hard for me to focus on searching for a piece rather than a whole item. Luckily the hint button refills rather quickly and I can speed it up by finding eye marks in the locations. Sometimes I have to use trial and error to figure out where to use the items in my inventory but generally, it is not a frustrating experience.

Verdict ★★★★
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Review: Unlikely Suspects

Type: Hidden Object
Platform: PC
Price: USD 6.99 from Big Fish Games

Solve cases using the clues you've found to determine which is the murder weapon and who is the murderer. Once you are confident of your answer, go ahead and make your accusation!

Gameplay
In each chapter, you are presented with a murder victim. Search the crime scene, murder victim's home and places where the murder victim has been to obtain clues to help you crack the case. Each country will have two locations for you to search but not all the countries available as needed to solve the case. You will need to select the correct country based on the clues you have obtained.

At each location, you have to find all the objects on the list to get a clue to the murder weapon or identity of the murderer, but not all locations will hold useful clues. Using the clues, you have obtained, you can narrow down the choices and marked likely weapons or suspects with a "!". Once you have obtained three clues to the killer's identity, you have the option to search the suspects' homes to gather clues and match their DNA.

Thoughts
I really enjoyed playing this game. There is a feeling that I am actively running the murder investigation by making correct deductions. I also get a sense of the satisfaction from successfully solving the case. It's always the same suspects but a different victim and murderer each time. Each location is beautifully rendered with moving objects in the background or foreground. There is also a play of light e.g. sunlight shining through the trees, although it can get irritating when it distracts you. But overall, each location feels alive instead of being just a static picture.

The objects are well hidden but by clicking on the name, I get to see the shape of the object, which is a big help in finding them. There is a help section in the main menu which you can flip though for detailed instructions on how to play the game, but it's perfectly fine to jump right into the game and figure out as you go along.

Some people might be disappointed by the lack of a real story. Like the Cluedo game, no reason is given for the murder. You are just told that someone is murdered and your job is to find out the how and who, not why.

Verdict ★★★★
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Review: Angelo

Type: Time Management
Platform: PC
Price: USD 6.99 from Big Fish Games

Angelo is an angel in training whose job is to ferry baby angels from one cloud to another.

Gameplay
You control Angelo and has to ferry wingless baby angels to different clouds. Depending on the options you have set, the clouds may be labelled "1, 2, 3..." or by the flags of different countries. The babies will alert you when they want to move to another cloud by holding up their hand and a bubble with their destination will appear over their heads. You can pick up to three babies at one time and when you drop off more than one baby at the same time, you get a bonus. In the later stages, you will encounter challenges like fat babies who can only be ferried one at a time.

Thoughts
I find this game boring and repetitive. There seem to be little point in the game except moving the babies from one cloud to another and to another and to another. Angelo can level up but I don't think there is any difference apart from the clothes changing color. The graphics are not very pretty and there is very little animation, mostly static pictures. At times it feels like a bunch of clipart moving around the screen.

Verdict ★
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Review: Cursed House

Type: Match 3
Platform: PC
Price: USD 6.99 from Big Fish Games

Charge an ancient amulet to clear a house of evil spirits.

Gameplay
Each stage of the game has its own goal eg. getting a key to fall from the top to open a chest, breaking runes or killing bug-like demons by getting them to fall into the fire.All these are achieved by matching three or more of the same type on the board. Match four of the same type and you will fill up the magic bonus while five of the same type will fill up the super bonus. The magic bonus will destroy what is on the board while the super bonus will deal directly with the goals. There will also be obstacles like blocks of ice or stone which you will need to break.

Thoughts
Don't be fooled by the name, this is not a spooky or scary game. Although this game will make you keeping doing the same thing i.e. match three or more of the same type, the many different goals keeps the game interesting. I find that I have to apply slightly different strategies when I am trying to kill the bug-like demons in comparison to destroying the runes. The game quality is good but there's no story or explanation about the house or why the amulet is the solution, so it can feel a bit dull and repetitive.

Verdict ★★★★
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Review: Cooking Dash 3: Thrills and Spills

Type: Time Management
Platform: PC and Mac
Price: USD 6.99 for the game or USD 13.99 for the Collector's Edition from Big Fish Games

The latest installment of the popular Cooking Dash/Diner Dash series starts with grandma and Flo visiting Mr Big's theme park. It reminds grandma of the time when a teenage Flo worked at the rundown theme park restaurants. The Collector's Edition includes an exclusive venue, a strategy guide, wallpapers and screensaver. The Collector's Edition is available for PC and Mac.

Gameplay
You sit the customers in the restaurant by dragging them to the tables. If you manage match the customers with the same color seat, you will get an additional bonus. The customers will then take a few seconds to read the menu before deciding on what to he/she wants to order. It is then up to Flo to cook and/or serve the dishes to the customers before the hearts run out. Some of the dishes are ready-to-serve while others will need you to cook them first.

Cooking dishes takes at least two steps. You have to bring the raw ingredients to the stove or grill or fryer, depending on the type of restaurant. Then halfway through the cooking process, you have to click on the stove again to flip the dish that is cooking. Although this action is optional, as in the dish will still be cooked regardless of whether you remember to flip, there are benefits if you remember to do it so you should try to flip the food if you can.

Before each stage, you can play a mini game. How well you do in the mini game will determine how many of a certain type of dish you have that is ready to serve at the start of the game.

Thoughts
This game is the latest in the Cooking Dash series, so it is nice to see that the developers have improved the graphics in the game. The visual style is still there but the lines look cleaner and neater. It's all just subtle differences but it's nice when you notice it. Each restaurant has its own theme look, theme song and theme dishes. It keeps the game interesting even though I am still doing more or less the same actions.

This game is still as addictive and fast paced as ever. My main problem with Cooking Dash games is that at some point, it will become too hard for me to continue on playing. This game is as difficult or as easy, depending on your skill level, as other games in the series. I still have to handle a lot of things at the same time and it's rather overwhelming in the later stages. It didn't help that most of the dishes cannot be prepared beforehand as they will get burnt or lose their freshness.

Verdict ★★★★★
Store page (PC and Mac)