Constellation Games

In the very near future, aliens arrive. They’re friendly and want to share with us and learn about us. While the world’s governments freak out and human society starts adapting to not being alone in the universe, video game programmer and reviewer Ariel Blum comes up with the crazy idea to play and review the alien’s collection of video games.

( Mild spoilers and speculation. )

Overall: Do you like video games? Do you enjoy amusing video game reviews, particularly the sarcastic and acerbic kind? Are you, or have you ever been, a geek? Then you’ll like this book. You can catch the tail end of the serialization (which at this point means getting the ebook compilation) direct from the publisher or just buy the paperback from Amazon.

Disclaimer: I know both the author and the publisher personally. Also, my wife had been hyping this book to me ever since she read an early draft in their writing group.

Tap Dragon Park

A classic “make the numbers go up” casual game for Android devices. You are charged with defending the kingdom’s treasure pile by raising dragons to fight off the trolls that come attack it. It’s a little bit Pokémon, a little bit SimCity, and a lot like Farmville or, for us old-school types, having a Tamagatchi.

( What happens when an MBA dissects a game devised by other MBAs. )

Overall: If you’re patient, it’s a cute little time-waster if you like two-minute phone-based gaming breaks and the satisfaction of a growing empire. If you lack patience and/or are a completist, you could blow a ton of money on this. In three weeks of playing I’ve probably only put in two hours of active playtime, and I think I’ve seen about everything noteworthy that I can for free.

Disclosure: I was introduced to this by a friend who works at Pocket Gems, the folks who made the game.