Zynga has a lot going on right now, especially with its IPO hitting the main stage on Friday. To give potential stockholders another reason to buy is the company’s latest installment, ForestVille for iPad, iPhone and iPod touch. Available for download on the App Store, the game positions the player in a magical forest where they can build, doctorate and play with an ensemble of animal characters including such cute little furry friends as Daisy the fox.

Pegged as the weekend escape for CityVille urbanites, ForestVille is sure to provide an unforgettable weekend escape of exploring a lust forest where players can enlist the help of beavers to enhance their new outdoor community. As must Zynga titles, this one allows the player to design their own forest with homes, landmarks and decorations all while enjoying the liveliness it brings to the area. Skewed heavily towards the cute side of gaming, the game is one of the seven launches this quarter for Zynga, including Words with Friends HTML5, Zynga Poker Mobile Web, FarmVille Express, Mafia Wars Shakedown, Dream Zoo and CityVille Holidaytown.

FREE!

ForestVille

+ Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
Released: 2011-12-13 :: Category: Games

Thanksgiving has only just passed yet already we’re looking to the future; Christmas, to be exact. It’s only a month until Santa hops down everyone’s chimneys and we revel in a day of present exchanging and eating huge quantities of food.

The season also brings with it a good dose of Christmas-themed gaming delights. One such game is that of Zynga’s CityVille Holidaytown, the company’s first Christmas-themed app.

I was quite a fan of CityVille Hometown when I looked at it in the summer. While deeply seated in freemium elements that actively encouraged in-app purchases, it offered a solid structure of fun ensuring that players felt like they were constantly achieving things.

CityVille Holidaytown looks set to offer a similar experience but with one crucial difference: everything is in order to save Christmas! Players must help Santa rebuild the North Pole after a terrible blizzard. Enticing elves back home is vital in order to rebuild workshops and make more toys for the children of the world. Fortunately, there are plenty of fun ways to do that.

A steady supply of objectives pop up as the player grows their economy by building new workshops and harvesting magical winter crops to use. Plenty of cute Christmas themed decorations can also be placed around the area. Players can also help their Facebook friends by visiting their towns.

It’s a cute idea and no doubt one that’s bound to entice families and children alike. Further incentive comes from the special prizes that can be earned each day, plus CityVille Hometown players get an added bonus. It should all keep players entertained in the run up to the big event.

To get into the Christmas spirit, why not download CityVille Holidaytown now? It’s a free and universal game with plenty of in-app purchases available, but none vital to progression.

FREE!

CityVille Holidaytown

+ Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
Released: 2011-11-21 :: Category: Games

Following the increasingly popular trend of freemium and free to play games comes Japan Life, a new game title from Nubee.

Much like other titles of this ilk, Japan Life is all about building and growing a small city into a huge tourist spot. Japanese architecture is available throughout the game and it’s pretty stunning indeed. As the game progresses, over 100 different buildings and items can be added to the landscape with new levels introducing such things at a steady pace.

Japanese-themed decorations are one of the many things that add a great Eastern touch to the game and making it rather different from anything else. Attracting tourists is the name of the game rather than attracting new residents with shops and pleasant surroundings. Social features are also apparent with Facebook friends forming neighbours and ways of boosting the popularity of one’s tourist location.

Japan Life is a free to play game but as is customary of such titles, there’s a plethora of in-app purchases available in which users can boost their productivity via the purchase of diamonds.

Check out the Japan Life game trailer below while deciding if this is the ideal next social gaming fix!

FREE!

Japan Life

+ Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
Released: 2011-07-07 :: Category: Games