In time management games the action’s about beating the clock, but it’s also about racking up the highest scores possible – forcing you to develop tactics as you rush to complete tasks before time runs out. There’s little room for error so your focus and concentration get a good work-out, too!
Not sure where to get started? Try this list of the top 10 time management games. Most of these games are available from companies like Big Fish and usually cost less than $10 for a digital download.
10. Diner Dash
Diner Dash was one of the earliest time management games and it remains one of the most prolific, with many sequels and spin-offs. In fact its main character, Flo, crosses over to appear in other time management titles as well. The reason it sits at only #10 on this list is because while the series is undeniably full of fun gameplay, there are often twists in Diner Dash titles that make them all but impossible to enjoy at some levels. The premise of Diner Dash is pretty clear: manage and grow a restaurant through levels of fast-paced play with demanding and increasingly impatient customers breathing down your neck. It may sound like a stress-inducer, but you actually enjoy a huge sense of accomplishment when you achieve an impressive score.
Pro: Lots of sequels to enjoy if you get hooked. Con: Difficult gameplay.
9. Mystic Inn
Mystic Inn is a visually attractive game with catchy sound effects. It would never ascend higher than 9th place on my list of best time management games because even for this type of game, which is repetitive by nature, Mystic Inn can be very repetitive. That’s not to say it’s boring, but after a few levels I find my eyes glazing a bit and I have to step away from the game or I end up losing focus and wrecking my scores. In Mystic Inn you play a young witch running a tavern that other witches and wizards frequent for potions. And that’s all you do: rush from table to table filling orders for potions. Periodically you play a mini-game to earn bonuses that help you complete levels, such as the ability to temporarily freeze time. For the most part Mystic Inn is a solid time management game and I would highly recommend it to any time management novices, since the gameplay experience remains pretty much the same throughout.
Pro: Lovely aesthetic. Con: Repetitive gameplay.
8. DQ Tycoon
If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to run a chain of Dairy Queen shops, this DQ-sanctioned game will give you an wholly unrealistic, but very entertaining glimpse into the world of DQ management. Although the game focuses mainly on action like blending frosty Blizzards to swiftly serving up Dilly Bars, you’re also responsible for purchasing new equipment and growing the business as the game progresses. The graphics and sounds aren’t very flashy, however, and at times the pace feels a bit lacking in the usual mania that makes time management games so challenging. However, it’s fairly easy to succeed as a DQ Tycoon.
Pro: Entertaining injection of “real life” in an unrealistic genre. Con: Slow paced
7. Roller Rush
From its spritely little 50s-inspired graphics to its perky Doo-Wop soundtrack, Roller Rush is a simply adorable adventure in serving up meals to hungry diners at a drive-in eatery. As the title suggests, you do it all on roller skates. It’s one of the best games I’ve played for color matching strategies, which add another element of excitement to the mix as you have to park customers of similar colors in the same spots to rack up points. In fact, color matching is an essential part of gameplay, which is a drawback for those who don’t enjoy a puzzle element in time management gaming. Thus, Roller Rush only achieves 7th place on my list for its lack of universal appeal.
Pro: Nostalgic aspect of the game’s theme. Con: Color strategy reliance increases with each level.
6. Ranch Rush
Ranch Rush is one of the most detailed time management games on the market. You begin with a plot of land on which you farm and ranch, and later expand to add a number of gadgets and gizmos by which you produce goods like condiments to sell to your adoring public. This is not a game for first-timers; it is very challenging and if you’re easily frustrated by having to remember to complete multiple tasks against a ticking clock, it’s not the game for you. If you’re alright with more complex gameplay, however, it’s hard to surpass Ranch Rush. Its difficulty increases at a reasonable rate, but even seasoned veterans will have to work hard at success by the end.
Pro: Complex gameplay keeps you on your toes. Con: Complex gameplay can be confusing.
5. Megaplex Madness: Now Playing
Megaplex Madness puts you in the driver’s seat of a chain of movie theatres which require restoration. You spruce them up one by one by raking in the dough from very antsy customers. You control every aspect like selling tickets and concessions, taking tickets, and even directing customers to the restroom. It’s a tough game, and another one that relies heavily on color matching. But if you enjoy the color puzzle aspect and are prepared to re-do levels multiple times, then it’s a game you really can’t pass up.
Pro: Cute graphics make it visually interesting. Con: Levels often require multiple tries to master.
4. First Class Flurry
Unlike most of the games on this list, there appears to be little effort to expand this series – and more’s the pity. First Class Flurry is a fast-paced mile-high adventure that’s just plain fun. You occupy the role of a stewardess whose job it is to meet every passenger’s multiple needs – from food to entertainment to blankets – before the plane lands. Ultimately you want to rush through servicing each customer until they are ready for a blanket or pillow, which signifies they’re going to sleep. Once asleep, they can safely be ignored. It’s the only way to thin the herd of demanding passengers who’ll make you think twice before you snap at the crew on your next flight!
Pro: Highly entertaining gameplay. Con: Needy passengers reinvent the word “annoying”.
3. Cake Mania 2
I’ve chosen the second installment in the multi-part Cake Mania series because, to me, it was simply the best of the lot. Cake Mania centers around a baker who opens a series of bakeries in all sorts of odd places, and each level involves baking and decorating custom-order cakes for often pushy clients. There’s a major bonus in that Cake Mania lets you express your own creativity by designing cakes however you’d like when you have a few spare seconds, and putting them on display for subsequent sale. It’s a fun concept that keeps the levels from feeling too repetitive.
Pro: Creativity comes into play with your own cakes. Con: Customers’ patience is very thin.
2. Burger Shop
Because of its extensive relaxed settings, which let you play the game to beat your own scores or simply for idle fun without much worry for timing, Burger Shop is a game I return to time and again despite having beaten it more than once. With the help of a burger-building robot you maintain a series of burger joints and have to manufacture the food your customers order from top to bottom. Literally – when a cheesebuger’s ordered, you’re tasked with starting with a bottom bun and adding a patty and cheese, and topping it off with whatever the customer wants – like mustard, lettuce, or onions – and finishing with the top bun. The variety of foods you can make to complete an order is very extensive, and sometimes this can leave you flustered. You’re asked to spin a lot of plates. But you are given frequent power-ups to help make things easier. It’s very possible to breeze through this game with expert scores on every level, with some concentration.
Pro: Highly detailed play keeps it lively. Con: Many options = many clicks; expect sore hands!
1. Wedding Dash
Number one on my list of the best time management games out there simply had to be my favorite, the very girly but very enjoyable Wedding Dash. You play the role of a wedding planner who has to pay special attention to clients’ requests in order to earn vital points at the start of each level. Then as play progresses, you have to deal with the needs of the wedding guests. And boy, are the guests needy! Wedding Dash allows for a lot of strategy to keep people happy and earn maximum points. This means it’s entirely possible to play the game twice in a row without playing a single level exactly the same way. It’s a game you’ll be able to beat, but a game that’ll challenge you along the way. Its graphics aren’t as good as some, but for a classic time management experience there are few games that perform as well.
Pro: Great opportunity for strategy. Con: Graphics are quite cartoonish.
From IndyPosted published on Aug 5 2010