The Keeping It Casual blog is dedicated to casual gaming, but just what is “casual gaming?” The Internet has quite a varied and conflicting list of definitions, but I think it can simply be defined as someone who can play games, not someone who has to play games, or someone who plays games which are in the “casual” genre. This genre is made up of games which are usually story, puzzle, or game focused, and contain little-to-no combat. They also tend to have fairly simple controls, like a point-and-click interface; and can be designed to be played in short bursts, or have longer/open-ended content. You’ll primarily find casual games on PCs or on mobile devices. This blog is going to focus on games in the casual genre, but will also feature some great games that are fun and easy to play.
I love playing point-and-click hidden object and adventure games, as well as simulation and RPG games. I love being able to interact with a story-rich environment without having to worry about combat, though I do find combat very enjoyable when I can spend a good amount of time developing a strategy. Casual games fit really well into my schedule as a full-time student so they will be covered in detail, but I also want to highlight some great games that can be played casually that you may not have considered before. I’ve found it easiest to get casual games from the Steam Store and from Big Fish Games; a nice added bonus is that BFG is a local company! As I write this post the 2017 Winter Steam Sale is going on and I’ve just picked up the entire Dark Parables point-and-click hidden-object catalog which I’ll feature as my first set of reviews. I’m playing a free-to-play adventure clicker game called Soda Dungeon, and the incredibly popular Stardew Valley. Those games will have some walk-throughs as well as some other featured content. Later on I’ll explore games like Guild Wars 2 on PC and Mario Kart 8 on the Nintendo Switch!
Feel free to send me a note or leave a comment with some of your favorite games!