17 of the Best Casual Games To Play in 2017
There is something to be said for the casual game. In the world of hardcore gaming, it can be easy to scoff at such frivolous gameplay. However, I believe there is room in all of our lives for a bit of meaningless, fun filled hours of entertainment. For that reason, I have compiled a list of 17 of the best casual games in 2017. Proceed with caution; Contents may be addicting.
17. HuniePop
HuniePop is a hybrid tile matching game and dating sim with an “adult” flair. It is available in censored and uncensored versions due to its strong sexual content, but let’s be honest, that’s half the fun.
You play as the main character who is basically a pathetic, unemployed loser who is drinking alone in a bar. One night you attempt to hit on a cute little brunette and of course, fail miserably. This is the moment your life is changed forever. The girl you hit on is Kyu the “Love Fairy” who decides to help you in your sexual conquests.
Your goal is to take different women on dates, where you will play a tile matching game to earn points. You must earn enough points to complete the date before the time runs out. Each successful date will raise the game's difficulty. After 3 successful day dates with a woman, you will then be able to take them on a date at night, and if you are able to use your powers to win her over on that date you are rewarded with a final tile matching in the bedroom. You have unlimited moves in the bedroom, but the score meter constantly drains over time, so in order to effectively please the woman the player must make matches quickly until the meter is full. Thus resulting in her ultimate pleasure.
HuniePop offers a refreshing and dangerously addictive take on the classic dating sim as well as classic tile matching. Although enjoyable for the adult content it is also a shockingly good puzzle game.
16. Bejeweled 3
This is the biggest and best Bejeweled yet! It takes all of the good things from Bejeweled 2 and adds more fun ways to play along with a major boost to the graphics. This game is as beautiful as it is addictive. The core gameplay itself hasn’t changed but with 8 game modes and 40 challenging quest puzzles, the hours of entertainment will be endless.
Quest mode becomes almost like a tutor. You learn new techniques along the way and become better through your failure. There are so many new ways to play this classic favorite, from Butterflies mode that is designed to test your perception to Eliminating bombs with hastily ticking timers. Perhaps the best addition is Zen mode that provides a whole new way to relax and unwind.
15. Metal Slug 3
The four elite Sparrows Unit are back in Metal Slug 3. You must prevent General Morden from creating the New World Order. Metal Slug 3 is a run-and-gun game that has been called “one of the best PC games available.” With its violent graphics, amazing level design, inventive weapons, and difficult challenges it remains a genre masterpiece.
You can play the arcade version of “Metal Slug 3” and explore 5 challenging stages featuring branch paths to new areas. Mission mode allows you to play your favorite stages alone or with a teammate in previously unlocked missions, and Online Mission lets you connect to Stream and play missions with other players.
Metal Slug 3 is very challenging, but can be especially rewarding and nostalgic for gamers and hardcore arcade gamers alike. It is beautiful and creative with its intricate dot-pixel graphics. With a long history of thrilling fans, Metal Slug 3 will not disappoint.
14. Gems of War
From the creators of puzzle quest comes a puzzle/RPG/strategy mash-up known as Gems of War. This is a free to play puzzle game that is still considered casual, but has enough depth to keep you enthralled. It is a match-3 game that is played on a compact 8x8 grid with various colored gems that represent fire, magic, health, earth, attack and armor. You battle against epic bosses or other players using swords, and sorcery in the form of a puzzle board.
Much like Puzzle Quest, Gems of War uses a roleplaying component. You build your army of warriors, mages and other specialists to defeat all for members of the other player’s team. There are 17 different kingdoms and for each kingdom, there are 35 challenge matches.
The content of this game is impressive, there are several different game modes including Arena mode and Treasure map mode. The game’s optional multiplayer components extend the game even further.
Gems of War can be described as a mix of Bejeweled and Magic the gathering all rolled into one impressive match 3 game.
13. Lost Lands: A Hidden Object Adventure
The goal of the game is simple; help the stranded elf people survive on a lost island. Due to the destruction of their land, the Elves were forced from their home and onto the open sea in search of a new place to settle. As it often happens they fell victim to a vicious storm and washed up on the shores of the lost island only to discover the island is filled with danger and due to the impenetrable magic storm that surrounds the island the elves are forced to stay and survive.
Lost Lands: A Hidden Object Adventure is a Free-2-play game created by the developers of New York Mysteries. The game features over 200 exciting quests with different puzzles and mini games. You will explore new locations and help the elves fight off dangerous enemies. It is your classic hidden object game with the twist of helping to restore a city and protect its people.
12. Left 4 Dead 2
Left 4 Dead 2 is the highly anticipated sequel to the award-winning Left 4 Dead. Set in the zombie apocalypse this co-op, horror, FPS puts you right in the middle of the chaos. You play one of four survivors trying to make your way through cities, swamps, and cemeteries of the Deep South.
Armed with a wide array of classic and updated weapon you and your fellow survivors will make your way from Savannah Georgia to New Orleans Louisiana across five expansive campaigns. There are over 20 new weapons to choose from and 10 impressive melee weapons that make for even more gruesome gameplay.
The improved AI Director adds a whole new level of difficulty with the ability to change the weather and the pathways you will take. It tailors the enemy population, effects, and sounds to match your performance level creating a completely customized gameplay that is different every time.
Further new additions include a new multiplayer mode and Uncommon common infected. Each of the five campaigns contains at least one new uncommon common zombies that are exclusive to that campaign.
Left 4 Dead 2 recaptures all the best of the first game while adding new and improved additions. Will you and your comrades survive the Green Flu, or will you too join the ranks of the infected?
11. Pinball FX2
You don’t need to be a pinball wizard to have fun with Pinball FX2. Although some tables can be quite challenging there are plenty of tables that will satisfy all levels of skill.
There are 23 tables to choose from at launch, including themed tables such as Star Wars and Marvel. New tables are released regularly so the fun can be never ending. This game includes several new features, such as local multiplayer and the ability to tweak table settings. Players can also import tables from Pinball FX that they have previously purchased.
The gameplay is the same basic concept as a physical pinball machine. You fire a steel ball with a plunger onto the playing feel and the assume control of the flippers. You can even nudge the machine to influence the path of the ball. As the game progresses the tables become more and more advanced. Additional tables can be purchased individually, or in compilations providing hours of replay value. All of the tables look and sound amazing. Pinball FX2 is sure to be your next addiction.
10. Stardew Valley
Stardew Valley is an amazing, in-depth, country-life RPG. The basic story is you inherit your grandfather’s old farm plot in Stardew Valley. You have nothing but some hand me down tools and a few coins to turn your overgrown field into a prosperous farm. But don’t let that fool you. This game is so much more than simply cultivating a farm.
You can level up in five different areas: farming, mining, combat, fishing, and foraging. You can also learn cooking and crafting recipes and customize your skills by choosing from many different professions.
There are over 30 unique characters in Stardew Valley and you must strive to become a part of the community. They are complex characters with in-depth stories, but socializing and making friends is relatively simple. You even have the ability to court and marry a partner to help you with your farm.
You can also unlock new areas to explore, including vast mysterious caverns housing dangerous monsters, powerful weapons, new environments, valuable gemstones, raw materials for crafting and upgrading tools, and more mysteries to be uncovered. One of the best things about Stardew Valley is there is so much to see and do and it is all intertwined into one unique story.
This RPG meets farm sim is exciting, compelling, and effortless. You will truly get lost in the story of Stardew Valley.
9. Hearthstone
Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft is an online collectible card game developed and published by Blizzard Entertainment. It is free-to-play and builds on the lore of the Warcraft series. Player use decks of 30 cards in this turn-based game. It is a game between two opponents and each player will choose a hero, each with its own unique power. Players use mana to cast spells or summon minions to attack their opponent. The goal is to reduce the other player’s health to zero before they reduce yours. Winning matches earns you gold, new cards, and other prizes.
Players start with basic cards but can of course purchase rare or more powerful cards. Hearthstone is designed to exclude card trading but allows players to disenchant unwanted cards and use the arcane dust the destructed card creates to craft new cards. The player can then customize their deck to their preference.
There are several ways to play including casual and ranked matches, as well as daily quests and weekly challenges. Each match is a one-on-one battle between two players. Each player's turn is limited by a timer. If the timer counts down before the end of their turn the player can no longer take action so you must think quickly.
Each player is represented by a Hero of their choosing. Each Hero starts with 30 health. When their health is reduced to zero the Hero is essentially defeated and the Hero is destroyed. Players can choose to play with a preassembled deck or one that they have made. Winning a match gives you hero experience which gives you access to additional cards.
Hearthstone has a user-friendly design and offers depth without being too complex. Even without experience in such a game Hearthstone is worth a try.
8. Ikaruga
Ikaruga is a vertical manic shoot ‘em up game developed and published by Treasure. All characters and enemies in the game were named after various bird species. The gameplay is the polarity mechanic. This means all of the enemies and bullets in the game are either black or white and you can switch your shield between these two colors at will. The bullets that are the same color as the player will be absorbed for energy while the other will hurt the player.
This game can be played in single-player mode or with others. The main challenge in Ikaruga is knowing when to switch polarities. This is especially true during boss fights because they fire bullets in either color and the player must adapt mid-fire. There are also navigational challenges when you have to maneuver through a stream of constant weapon fire using a shield to absorb the appropriate color while avoiding the other.
Every color change of your shield and the enemy’s bullets requires your eyes and brain to flip as well. It demands a trance-like level of concentration. Ikaruga features full three-dimensional landscape and a great soundtrack. Critics consider it one of the best Shoot ‘em up games of all time.
7. The Sims 3
The Sims 3 is a virtual life simulator. This version is certainly familiar but much improved over its predecessor. There is expanded customization tools, additional tools for interaction with other sims, and more tangible goals and rewards. The best improvement is the now free to explore the town. Now the entire virtual society flows seamlessly together. For even the most experienced Sims player the list of new features is impressive. Plus, the effect of the now open town allows even more of a sense of community and realism.
The Sims has new social options and new aspirations and balances its rewards well, not only with aspirations but with career, finances and progression. Just like in your real life your sims will start with meager means, but you will soon choose a career path and work your way up the financial and social ladder.
There are many great items ready to download as soon as you register your account. This includes the town. Some official content will require you to spend Sim points, which do cost actual money. However, the game is enjoyable even without these upgrades.
6. Guns, Gore, and Cannoli
Prepare to be transported back to 1920 in the height of the Prohibition to Thugtown.
This is a non-stop, action-packed, survival horror with a wise guy attitude. This is a faced paced platform game that is set in the roaring twenties right in the middle of the gangster hay-day.
Beneath Thugtown, which just happens to be overrun by zombies, you follow the Vinnie Cannoli and his mob family. Get wrapped up in the conspiracy and look for your lost friend all while avoiding the zombies and looking for the reason for the outbreak.
This game is full of action and features hand-drawn 2D graphics and animations that beautifully tell this story. Play by yourself or in co-op mode with up to 4 friends. Not only is this game challenging, it is hilarious with an engaging storyline.
5. Nation Red
This is a game made for playing in a group. Grab your friends or make new ones online and buckle up for this intense fight against thousands of zombies and their bosses. Nation Red is an ultrafast infinite play arena-based shooter with up close and personal gameplay.
There are many different modes to play already with more to come. You can also choose from a barrage of deadly weapons including, machetes, axes, jack hammers, dual Uzis, flame throwers, grenades, poison, and a dozen more. There is even a Steam Hammer which rips the skin off of your opponent. The developer is constantly releasing patches and improvements to ensure his players that their opinions are being heard.
Customize yourself, choose your weapons, choose your team and get ready for this frantic, bloody, Ultra-fast action game that will have you on the edge of your seat.
4. Zuma deluxe
This is by far my favorite match 3 action puzzle games ever! It is challenging and insanely addictive. The purpose of the game is to find the secrets of Zuma and protect the ancient civilizations. You must defeat a line of colored balls quickly making their way to a stone frog in the middle. You stop the balls by making groups of three or more using a colored ball that shoots from the frog’s mouth. If you are skilled enough you can rack up combos and special bonuses that will help you along the way.
It sounds simple, but you must think quickly and aim well or you will be hopelessly consumed in a rainbow of colored gems. The stunning sound and 3D accelerated graphics transport you back in time to the world of ancient civilizations. There are over 20 temples to explore. You can explore in Adventure mode or test your skills see how long you can survive in the Gauntlet of never ending balls.
Zuma Deluxe was designed by PopCap games, the creators of Bejeweled so you know you are in for a treat. It is the perfect blend of strategy, action, and precision.
3. Shoot Many Robots
Shoot many Robots is an action platformer game packed with humor and riffs on the redneck theme, from the clothing down to the bottles of beer that are used to restore health. You start out in an RV where you will equip your character. You choose one weapon that has unlimited ammo and a special weapon with limited ammo. You also pick your hat, pants, and a backpack that can boost your performance.
Just as the title infers the object of the game is to shoot many robots. There are two types of stages. The most common is to go through a level from beginning to end and face a final boss or a large rush of robots. The other way to play is a survival stage where you will attempt to last as many rounds as you can as the enemies get harder and harder to defeat.
The robots themselves also have special abilities such as slow-moving but powerful bullets that can only be stopped by melee and sending them back to the robot that fired it. Others are impervious to attacks on one side but are vulnerable on the other. When the robots are killed the drop nuts which are the games currency. Once the player is back in the RV they can use the nuts to buy new equipment.
Shoot Many Robots can be played alone or in a co-op that can be played in groups of two and four. This is a 2D side scrolling, light-hearted shooter that is inspired by old school action games.
Shoot Many Robots ~ All Bosses
2. 1917- The Alien Invasion
This is a memorization shooter combined with the fast action of classic shoot ‘em ups. You play the role of Dr. Burnhield Stahlmuller who is bent on avenging mankind against the alien world.
It features extravagant pixel art, intense action with highly polished gameplay, bloodshed and gore, and a psychedelic soundtrack to match. You will play through 5 stages with huge boss battles at the end. It is a nice combination of the action and indie genres. The casual tag is used a bit lightly with this game because of the difficulty level. However, the gameplay itself is relatively simple. The premise of the game is to maneuver your aircraft through hordes of enemies destroying as many as possible all while staying alive.
The user interface I well designed and overall, it’s a well-made and challenging retro game.
1. Hope Lake
In Hope Lake, you play private detective Kelly Wells who is sent to the abandoned boarding school of Hope Lake. All of the girls who attended the school have gone missing and it is your job to figure out why. As a detective, you must investigate the strange events that took place on the grounds.
There are 48 beautifully detailed locations, 18 hidden object scenes, 26 unique mini-games, an interactive map to aid in your investigation and 6 hours of intense gameplay. Hope Lake is far more sinister than the average HOG. It exists to evoke a whole new feel of horror. The evil in the game is not some scary beast, but the beast of a psychopath.
This is a dark and intense story with carefully crafted puzzles and HOG screens that maintain the mood throughout the game. You are sucked into the mystery and consumed with the feeling that you must do something quickly or things will go horribly wrong. Hope Lake is full of well-constructed puzzles and is perfect for lovers of the intense and creepy.
While some of these games are a bit more intense and in depth than others, each of them offers their own unique gameplay to cater to any mood. All of these games require no real commitment and are the perfect distraction from the monotony of daily life.
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