thegameslist.com is a newly launched casual game site that contains flash casual games. The site has many different games that should please any type of game style. The games on the site fall into almost all of the casual game categories, for instance, arcade, skill, puzzle, platformer, shooter, adventure, sports, strategy, driving and multi-player games.

TheGamesList.com combines the social networking aspect and flash games. Users are able to rate the games and bookmark the ones they like. The ratings of the games are really simple and happen when the user is done playing the game. As soon as you leave the game, another window pops up and asks you to rate the game you just played. The highest rating is 5, which stands for awesome and the lowest rating is 1, which stands for not good. Users have the option to rate the game, it is not required. There is an option to close the window and not rate the game.

Like any true social networking site, users have the option of creating profiles. The profiles contain information about the user as well as the games they have bookmarked. Users can find other users that are interested in the same types of games as they are.

TheGamesList.com also offers users the ability to add games to the site. The ability to add games requires users to create a username and password and register on the site.

If you are looking for a good flash game or a social networking site based on flash games, check out thegameslist.com. I am sure you will find a fun game to help waste, I mean pass, time.

Here are a list of this weeks games available from Game du Jour. The games are available at a discount price, which is the percentage number right by the game name.

Monday January 14th Swarm Assault 60%

Swarm Assault is a real time strategy game that requires players to control beetles, ants, spiders, scorpions and wasps. The object of the game is to attempt to control the landscape using the insects.

Tuesday January 15th Build-A-Lot 40%

Build-A-Lot is a strategy/time management game. The object of the game is to “flip” houses. The player buys land and run down houses and makes turns them into houses that people want. The bigger the house the more rent people are willing to pay to live in the house and the more money the player makes.

Wednesday January 16th GeBal 60%

GeBal is a breakout game with ten dynamic environments spread over 100 different levels. There are 11 levels guarded by bosses that must be defeated to progress to the next level. Players can play in either timed or relax mode.

Thursday January 17th Determinance 50%

Determinance is a multiplayer sword fighting game. The player controls the sword with the mouse and the sword responds to each movement of the mouse so players can slash wildly or have calculated hits.

Friday January 18th Jumba 50%

Jumba is a puzzle game that requires players to clear the levels and leave only one ball at the end. The players accomplish this task by jumping over balls. Each ball that is jumped over disappears. Players can only jump horizontal and vertical.

Saturday January 19th Twistingo 50%

Twistingo is a combination of two games in one: bingo and an action game. Players have the choice of two game modes that have players solving bingo-based puzzles.

Sunday January 20th Jewel Quest Solitaire II 40%

Jewel Quest Solitaire II is the second installment of Jewel Quest Solitaire and Emma and Rupert return to Africa. Players have to match cards and swap jewels in this mystery solving adventure. Players need to play their cards wisely or their journey may come to a premature end.

If you see a game you like, head over to Game du Jour on the correct day and get the game at a great price.

Now that the holiday season has past and 2007 is all done and we are moving on with 2008, I would like to know what you thought the best casual game of 2007 was. Head over to the Casual Gamer Chick Forums and post your thoughts on the best casual game of 2007.

I will select a random winner from all of the “thoughtful” posts. The post needs to have content and more than “I think blah is the best game”. I would like to know why you feel that particular game is the best of 2007. The winner will be selected on February 10th 2008.  I will email the winner to let them know they won and to find out which game they would like.

The winner will be able to choose from three MumboJumbo games. The games are Luxor 3, ZoomBook, or Concentration. The winner will get a registration code for one of the above games.

Head over to the forums and let me know what you think.

Electronic Art’s (EA) casual games division president, Kathy Vrabeck, is not phased in the least by bad reviews for some of EA’s casual games.  Kathy feels that casual gamers do not care about reviews and from a certain perspective I will have to disagree with her.  I think casual gamers do care about reviews for casual games, but I don’t think casual gamers are entertained by the same game elements that entertain a hard core gamer.

It seems Kathy was referring to reviews provided by IGN and game ratings provided by other sites that are dedicated to hard core gaming and not casual gaming. Kathy went on to say:

It’s a little bit amusing, in that it’s people reviewing games against measures that are important to core gamers yet are not important to casual gamers…The concept of a one-size-fits-all evaluation tool isn’t as relevant…The measurement [of a game's appeal] for women aged 25 to 34 would more likely be whether or not they’d hang up on their girlfriend to play this game. ‘Would you hang up a phone conversation for this game?’ That’d probably be a truer measure for that target audience.

I think this comment is on the mark for the most part except for the remark about hanging up the phone.  I think that comment is a little stereotypical and as we have seen in past studies isn’t necessarily the make up of the casual games audience.  I definitely agree that casual gamers don’t measure games in the same way that hard core gamers do, but you shouldn’t go around insulting the audience you make games for.

Thanks Kotaku

www.mostfun.com offers full versions of casual games with no time limits. The games are free and all of the games are the full versions, but for the free play time you have to deal with advertisements. The advertisements are in the beginning and end of the game and they are short commercial type ads. Some of the games also have advertisements in the middle of the games as well.

A few of the games that mostfun.com offers are Chocaltier, Alice Greenfingers and Big City Adventures:SF. All of these games can be played for free with no time limits. If you are tired of paying for games and don’t mind advertisements in your games, head over to www.mostfun.com and check out what they have to offer.