If you haven’t checked out the offerings from PlayFirst, you definitely should. They are a homegrown software company with a reputation for building fun downloadable arcade -type computer games.
The games that they offer are all very family friendly with rules that are simple to learn. My six-year-old son enjoys playing them, and they are teaching him not only a wicked sense of eye-hand coordination but also how to place priorities on different tasks.
Most of these games are based on the premise of juggling multiple tasks. Ever see those old time performers who spun various plates on the ends of pole and had to keep them all spinning or they would drop? If you like to challenge your multi-tasking abilities, then these games are for you.
The colorful graphics and peppy music are ideal for younger gamers, but challenging enough for adults. Girls will especially like the mostly female main characters.
You can try the games out for free and then purchase them later if you want to play them permanently. I’ve also seen the popular Diner Dash available in a Best Buy store.PlayFirst generally runs different deals on their website, so you can buy multiple games for a discount. The games are available for both PC and Mac.
Here are some of the favorites:
Dinner Dash (and now Diner Dash 2 and Flo on the Go). This is the game that started it all. In this game, you get to ditch your day job for a go at running a diner. With some hard work serving customers, Flo can build up from diner to Tiki Lounge to five star restaurant. And there is a great surprise waiting for her at the end of it all.
Plantasia
In this game, you are in charge of restoring old gardens back to their glory. You’ll plant seeds, water plants, pull weeds and watch out for garden pests. This game features 50 levels of gardens and more than 35 different types of plants to grow.
The PlayFirst website can be explored at http://www.playfirst.com/
Look for more gaming information in future articles.
Mary Ann Romans also writes for the Frugal Living Blog here at Families.com, where she shares money saving tips for today’s families.
Related Articles: