Social Games

Cloning other successful game ideas is standard proceedure for some companies in the social games industry. Given that game concepts aren't really subject to copyright laws, is there any recourse for developers that have had their ideas ripped-off?

The Secret Plant Society, like many Facebook games, is all about growing things. But it doesn't take place on a farm. Instead, you'll be abe to create a blooming, beautiful greenhouse filled with all sorts of different flowers. And the key to finding new types of flowers is hybridization: the process of planting plants close to one another to...

Here are six tips to help you get the most out of your CityVille city, the latest game from Facebook developer Zynga, covering everything from storing crops to erecting buildings.

Zynga's FarmVille is possibly the biggest game of all time, with an astounding 80 million people playing it every single month. But it's not the only farming game in town. In fact, Facebook is full of plenty of agricultural simulators that are just as fun and addictive as FarmVille. So, if FarmVille isn't your thing, or you're simply looking for something new in a farming game, here are five tit…

Playfish's Country Story provides a nice change of pace from the glut of farming games available on Facebook. Instead of simply tending to your garden and looking after animals, Country Story lets you take on quests, visit shops, and much more. The game also gives you the freedom to tackle things any way you see fit. But if this seems like a daunting prospect, don't despair. Developer Playfish ha…

The criminal underworld of Gangster City is surprisingly complex. There are missions to complete, properties to manage, and, of course, cash to earn. This all makes the prospect of maintaining and growing your fledgling crime syndicate somewhat of a daunting task. Thankfully developer Playfish is here to help, offering 10 tips to make your transition to criminal overlord much smoother. Here's wha…

HitGrab's Facebook game "MouseHunt" is a deceptively simple game where the goal is to capture as many mice as possible. There are rare kinds of mice that earn more money, different types of cheeses that attract different types of mice, and you can even upgrade your trap as you progress through the game. Clearly, there's a lot to learn. Thankfully, Dave Vanderburg, a developer on the game, has gr…

Picking between Facebook games can be tough. Often times they look the same, and more often, they play almost identically. If you're looking to take the plunge into the world of mafia-themed games there are plenty of choices, but the two biggest are Zynga's long-running Mafia Wars and Playfish's fast-growing Gangster City. Here's everything you need to know to choose between the two.

With Gangster City, developer Playfish has jumped head first into the crowded world of Facebook mafia simulators. And while the game doesn't play all that different from other similarly themed games on the social network, in traditional Playfish style, it outdoes all of them in one important aspect: production values. Unlike the majority of Facebook games available, Gangster City looks good, whic…

FarmVille may be the biggest game on Facebook, with over 75 million active users, but you don't necessarily have to be on the social network to play anymore. Utilizing Facebook Connect, developer Zynga has made the farming phenomenon accessible both from its own website and MSN.com. You still need a Facebook account to play, but these options let you experience Farmville without having to be on F…

As a full-blown city building simulation crammed onto Facebook, there's quite a lot of complexity to My Empire. Balancing the needs of your citizens while simultaneously expanding your empire is no easy task. You'll have to build homes, markets, and mines, all while making sure your town is beautiful and its inhabitants are happy.

With its newest release, FrontierVille , it seems that developer Zynga is looking to build on the success of the wildly popular FarmVille. And while FrontierVille is definitely the better game, for those who have dedicated a lot of time to FarmVille making the switch is a big decision. Here are some of the most significant differences between the two Facebook games to help you decide whether or …

Building up a fun fair with lots of customers isn't easy, so here are six helpful tips to make your time in Ravenwood Fair as efficient as possible.

Having trouble on the mean streets of Las Vegas? We're here to help. Here are six useful tips to make your time in the Facebook game CSI: Crime City go by much easier.