The Journey to Elysium - Level 3

This is the continuation of the Journey to Elysium walkthrough. Zen has boarded an old ship is the journey towards a, so far, unknown place is en route.

Level 3 is easy, you should be able to complete it on your own, but for the sake of order, I will include it anyway.

The password for the 3rd level of The Journey to Elysium is MUSEUM PIECE

5 Challenging Brain Games

Some games are pretty dumb, and that can be ok - sometimes (rarely). For instance, if they are fun, despite of their GIQ (Game Intelligence Quotient).

This post is not about such games. (This song is not a rebel song)

This post is about challenging, intelligence-inducing online games. (This song is Sunday Bloody Sunday)

They are all free to play, and don't require any downloads nor unusual plugins.

Intelligent Game #1: Chess

Chess is the king's game of strategy and undoubtedly helps develop strategic thinking, which will in turn boost your thinking capabilities in general.

In this version of chess you can play against an intelligent computer opponent and select one of two styles of playing: either the straight down 2D view, or the isometric (pseudo 3D) view. My personal preference is the simple 2D option.
Play chess online for free

Intelligent Game #2: Knoword

This game has more to do with knowledge than with intelligence, but I claim that knowledge can help intelligence. (It's a patent-pending viewpoint.)
You start off with a randomly generated dictionary definition along with the first letter of its corresponding word. You must fill in the rest of the word to get points and more time. You can also skip words if you must. Simple & fun, especially if you are into words (like me).
Play Knoword online for free

Intelligent Game #3: Beanies

Beanies is a free online game inspired by one of the greatest puzzle games of all time. If you like to play games and have a flair for intelligence then you already know which game I mean. The game screenshot (to the right) should definitely look familiar. The little guys are falling down, and you can assign them certain actions so they can get to the exit. The actions, or tools, are different on each level.
The Beanies game has 50 super-challenging levels providing you with hours (days?) or mindful & intelligent fun.
Play Beanies online for free

Intelligent Game #4: Word Bubbles

Word games are often a nice and solid challenge for the brain, but this one is particularly nice. The graphics are kind of non-existent, but let's disregard that for now. Instead think of it as only a brain exercise and nothing else.
Well, a fun brain exercise...
Play Word Bubbles online for free

Intelligent Game #5: MasterMind

A brilliant game based on a classic board game. It has everything the classic had, but it's easier to play and allows you to practice your code breaking skills any time, because you are playing against the computer.The animated characters (again the Beanies) are a cute addition, and despite of their cartoonish appearance they don't make the game seem like a children's game. The highly atmospheric music is a nice bonus & helps get "in the zone".
Play MasterMind online for free

Give your Brain a Boost!

Your brain develops just like your muscles do. It grows only when it is challenged.
Playing the brain games above will definitely help, but there is even more you can do if you are looking to expand your mind and boost your brain power!

• Play puzzle games
• Learn a new language
• Solve a Rubik's Cube
• Draw or doodle, especially do so if you have no artistic skills.
• Write a poem, especially if you are not a poet.
• Listen to music or, better yet, learn to play an instrument. Also learn to read sheet music.
• Memorize people's names. 
• Memorize their birthdays too.
• Solve logic puzzles.
• Solve riddles.
• Watch foreign-language movies.
• Talk to people who are very different from you.
• Be curious!

These are just a few suggestions, though the list could go on and on.
If you have additional tips on how to improve brain power and develop brain function, please add them below!

10 Riddles & Brain Teasers

This is perhaps off topic but if so then only slightly, because if you like to play casual games, more than likely you have a thing for riddles and brain teasers too.

So, for all you intelligence junkies and puzzle lovers, here is a classic selection of riddles and brain teasers, including the corresponding answers or solutions.

Riddle #1

What is so fragile that when you say its name you break it?

Show answer

Silence.

Riddle #2

I'm light as a feather, yet the strongest man can't hold me for much more than a minute.
What am I?

Show answer

Breath.

Riddle #3

I am weightless, but you can see me. Put me in a bucket, and I'll make it lighter. What am I?

Show answer

A hole.

Riddle #4

The man who invented it doesn't want it. The man who bought it doesn't need it. The man who needs it doesn't know it. What is it?

Show answer

A coffin.

Riddle #5

What's black and white and red all over?

Show answer

A newspaper. Also: a sunburned penguin, a zebra painted red, or an embarrassed skunk.

Riddle #6

I can run but not walk. Wherever I go, thought follows close behind. What am I?

Show answer

A nose.

Riddle #7

What gets wetter and wetter the more it dries?

Show answer

A towel.

Riddle #8

Until I am measured,
I am not known.
Yet how you miss me,
When I have flown!
What am I?

Show answer

Time.

Riddle #9

What does man love more than life?
Fear more than death or mortal strife?
What do the poor have, what the rich require,
And what contented men desire?
What does the miser spend, the spendthrift save,
And all men carry to their graves?

Show answer

Nothing.

Riddle #10

What walks on four legs in the morning, two at mid-day, and three in the evening?

Show answer

A human.
As a baby a human crawls. In old age, a human uses a cane.

Board game classics: Ludo

Ludo is one of the all time classics. There aren't many people in the world who haven't played this game in their childhood, or later. Some call it "Ludo". You may also know it as "Parcheesi" , "Sorry!" or Pachisi, which is the name of the ancient Indian game that got it all started.
It is, and has always been, a popular game, so you will find more than one version of this game on the web, although there aren't as many as you may expect for such a famous game.

Ludo: The Good, The Bad & The Ugly

The Good: GamezArena Ludo
GamezArena has created a cute version of Ludo. In fact, playing it is so much fun that it not only brings back nostalgic childhood memories, but makes you rediscover this game and fall in love with it all over again.
The game design features cute Japanese mushrooms, of 4 different styles and colors, and the game play takes place in an abstract forest setting. Background music and all sounds effects are very original, as well as fitting, staying with the Japanese theme.
You can select your color, type of mushroom, adjust music and sounds effects (separately), the difficulty level, and also choose to play with animation on or off. Another nice feature is the score keeping. For anyone who likes to compete with friends (or others), they can now do that playing this classic game as well.

The Bad: Bandit Ludo
No, it's not "the bad" because it has the word "bandit" in it. It's "the bad" because it's a bad game.
In all fairness, I must add that it doesn't look like it was done without any thought. I do believe that the creators attempted to make a nice game. It just didn't turn out all that well. What can I say, it happens!

The Ugly: FOG Ludo
It's hard to believe, but this - the least attractive variant of Ludo, is the one that is the widest spread on the internet. The reason is simple: they give it away for free, and they do that because it's full with their own branding and button links.
They probably tried to create a somewhat classic version of the game, but it is merely bleak (at best). There is no charm, nothing interesting about it whatsoever.

The Journey to Elysium - Level 2

The password for the 2nd level of The Journey to Elysium is BORED CHAUFFEUR
In order to start the game at this or any level other than the 1st, first click on LOAD LEVEL:

 Next you need to select the appropriate image, which is the level screenshot from the scrolling menu:

This is important. The level password has to correspond to the selected level image. Makes sense, doesn't it?

 This is what the mini screenshot of the second level looks like.
Again, the password for this level is BORED CHAUFFEUR


You should be able to solve this puzzle by yourself. One of the 5 differences is a bit harder to see than the others. If you've looked and looked and you just can't make it, then this should help:

5 Magical Online Games

"And above all, watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you 

because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places. 

Those who don't believe in magic will never find it."

~Roald Dahl (British novelist & writer)

Here are five casual online games that can bring a touch of magic into your life.

The Modern Sorcerer's MahJong
MahJong is, in almost any variant, a cool game to play.The Modern's Sorcerer's version is a feast of magical symbols and tidbits. The game splash starts off with quotes on magic and even a scrollable excerpt from a book! The game offers 5 different layouts, or difficulty levels and separate highscores for each. This may well be the most magical game out there!

Play MahJong

Free to play and completely ad-free as well!

Elementals: The Magic Key

The online version of this game is limited, but if you are into hidden object games you are bound to enjoy it. The graphics are lovely!

Play Elementals

Some ads, but none to delay the game-play.

The Mastery of Symbols Mah Jong
Here is another variant of this tile game, this time featuring a variety of symbols: Zodiac Astrology (Chinese and Western), Alchemy symbols, such as the 4 elements (Earth, Wind, Water and Fire), the Philosopher's Stone alchemical glyph and the planetary symbols.

Play Mah Jong

Free to play and completely ad-free as well!

Quintessence
Quintessence is a puzzle game, created in a Steampunk design, with alchemical symbols that need to be removed in order to keep the game table clean. The design is beautiful, the music extremely atmospheric, allowing you to merge yourself with the game and properly dive in. Highly addictive!

Play with Alchemy

Free to play and completely ad-free as well!

The Journey to Elysium
If you are a regular reader of Casual Online Games then you have already heard about this particular game. It's a puzzle, it's an adventure and it is also very magical. The story itself, the quest of the game hero Zen and the illustrations are all a delight for any fan of magic.

Play the Magical Quest

Free to play but completely ad-free as well!

Game Design goes Bye-bye

When you have played games online, like I have, you'll eventually come to realize that game design is a rather neglected aspect of game creation, at least when it comes to free online games. The majority of online games look like they have been through the meat-grinder prior to being published.
Here are a few examples of popular games, from prominent games sites, and the design is nothing short of abominable.

Finding such games on major games sites baffles me each and every time. Does anyone actually play these things...?
A game on AddictingGames called "Youre Toast" (no, there is no apostrophe in the title) has had 7 thousand likes on Facebook and almost 3 million game plays on the site itself. The game is not only ugly, but also beyond dumb and yet thousands, nay..millions of players just don't care.
So game design doesn't matter, game play doesn't matter, what the heck matters?
The gore factor?

Because there are plenty of such games.... here is one:

In case you are wondering, that "thing" in the middle, towards the bottom of the screenshot is the game hero, impaled on a pointy thing, with blood spraying in all directions. 

I just had to get this off my chest, so thanks for listening/reading. It's frustrating for me, because I love a good game, but having to sift through as much trash as there is out there ends up being more work than play, or rather a complete waste of time.