Free Games - Cafe.com Online Game Blog

Halloween!

Halloween's so close, I can already taste all that free candy (of course, I've been munching from the candy jar at the office, so that might have something to do with it). If you're lucky, this entire week has already been a non-stop run of fun for you, leading up to one of the biggest party nights of the year. Bonus that it's a Friday this time around!

I'm going to keep things short and sweet today (sweet, get it?), so let me leave off by saying pull on your costume, grab all the candy you can, and party all night. Happy Halloween!

Got something to say?

Do you have something you'd like to say to Cafe.com? Got a problem, a review, a suggestion, or a gripe? Did you know that you can get yourself heard by visiting getsatisfaction.com/cafecom? It's true! You don't even have to register with the site, and they've got a handy system already set up that makes it easy to report a problem, share an idea, or give some praise. Especially praise (we really like praise. It makes us feel all warm and tingly).

T'is the season to get your voice heard (So don't forget to hit the polls November 4th)!

It's a hit!

Temple of Mahjong 2, Cafe.com's recently released sequel to its classic tile game, is quickly becoming the sites newest most popular game. If you haven't tried it out yet, it's never too late!

Winner Announced

And the winner of the Cafe.com Halloween 2008 Manor Mystery Contest is...(drum roll please)... ILANDLY, with an impressive 96,075 points. Ilandly will recieve a $100 gift card to Amazon.com, and the bragging rights that go with being the third-highest scoring Manor Mystery player of all time.

Congratulations ilandly, and enjoy!

Last Day For Contest

Just a reminder that today is the last day for the Manor Mystery contest, and your last chance at that $100 gift certificate to Amazon.com.

The high score for the week is currently held by ilandly, with 96,075. Winners will be announced tomorrow morning, so if you want to take the lead, now is the time!

Updates

You may have noticed some updates to the site recently, folks. Well, there have been!

The following changes have been made:

- Enhanced search navigation added (arrows keys now work in the search box)
- New header/menu on game portal
- General bug tweaks to site
- General bug tweaks to all games
- New games uploaded! The Word Tour games return as:
     ~ Hidden Word Adventure: Capitals
     ~ Hidden Word Adventure: Europe
     ~ Hidden Word Adventure: America

In other news, only one day left in the Cafe.com Manor Mystery contest. Remember, highest score for the week takes home a $100 gift card to Amazon.com, perfect for last minute costumes.

Halloween Give-aways

I love October. Pumpkin Pie, Oktoberfest, horror movie marathons - not to mention a new party every weekend (or day, even)! Yup, the whole month is pretty much a 4-week fun-filled extravaganza, leading up quite possibly the awesomest holiday ever invented anywhere: Halloween.

Ok, admittedly, maybe its just my jones for Milky Ways and spandex (two things which, by the way, should never be allowed to mix at any other time of year), but seriously whats cooler than Halloween? It doesn't even matter what age you are, and it just gets better the older you get. Toddler? Cool costume. Child? Cool costume and free candy. Adult? Cool costume, free candy, free beer, and the best parties you're likely to attend all year.

Of course, Cafe.com can't let this most glorious of events go by unnoticed, and what better way to celebrate than with a Manor Mystery contest? From Tuesday, Oct 14 until Oct 21, just log on and play to be automatically entered for a chance to win. The top scorer for the week will take home a a $100 gift card to Amazon.com! Special bonus: Amazon is offering free shipping on orders over $25 until October 23, making it perfect for costumes and all other things Halloweeny.

Well? Get going!

A New World

Today, countries in North and South America celebrate the day that Italian explorer Christopher Columbus - sailing under the flag of Queen Isabella of Spain - first arrived in the America's on October 12, 1492 (Julian calendar: October 21 on the modern Gregorian calender).

In many Latin American countries, it's celebrated as Dia de la Raza (Day of the Race), and other countries have their own name for it (Discovery Day in the Bahamas, National Day in Spain), but here in the US of A we just call it plain old Columbus Day. Fun fact? The first Columbus Day was held in New York City waaaay back in 1792, to celebrate the 300th anniversary of the landing in the New World! Does that make Columbus Day the second oldest American national holiday (after Thanksgiving)? Someone should check on that.

Celebrations differ from state to state, but usually involve the closing of government offices and public schools, Italian-American heritage events, and of course parades! We've got a big one right here in NYC, but the honor for longest-running parade goes to Denver, Colorado: 101 years!

Enjoy your day off if you're one of the lucky ones who has it! And think of what a different world this would be if Columbus hadn't discovered the New World*.

*Leif Ericson would have gotten the credit instead!

A sweet new year

Here at Cafe.com, we believe in lots of things: That fun should be free, easily accessed, and shared with friends. But we also believe in something even more important: learning something new every day. In that regard, I'd like to take a moment to point out a significant event that starts today.

Tonight begins a very important day to millions of people across the world: Yom Kippur, the holiest day on the Jewish calender. Called "The Day of Atonement" in English, Yom Kippur comes 10 days after Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish New Year), and is a more serious event: Where Rosh Hashanah is celebrated with short blasts of the Shofar and the eating of honey, Yom Kippur is observed with a day of fasting, contemplation, and more services than a traditional day (5 instead of 3).

The most important event of Yom Kippur marks the beginning of the holiday and takes place tonight: the singing of Kol Nidre, which asks forgiveness for wrongs and broken vows that have occured in the last year, or that may occur in the coming one. Interesting fact? Kol Nidre is still written in its original Arameic, NOT Hebrew. Wow! Talk about sticking to tradition.

The holiday will end tomorrow night, when the Rabbi blows a long, single blast on the Shofar.

So, that was our "the more you know" for today. An east fast to all those who observe Yom Kippur, and a good day to everyone else!

Feeling the Pinch

The Dow Jones dropped 800 points yesterday, finishing at a loss of 347. Gas is almost $4 a gallon. Don't even get me STARTED on the cost of a gallon of milk *gazes sadly into her milk-less coffee*

Fortunately, casual games are still awesomely free!