Thank you for this game that first seemed very pleasant, but :
- the mouse cursor (Win XP) always blinks, and walks jerkily, it becomes too boring after a few minutes,
- and I also get "Cannot switch mode because of incorrect screen resolution"
it is really a pity.

files.giveawayoftheday.com is not coming up. All I see is "Waiting for files.giveawayoftheday.com". Did anyone else have this problem?



...........................Moderator Comment.....................

Are you clicking on the correct link?

Sometimes I wonder why I take the time to make posts on GAOTD. I'm certainly glad I didn't put much time into one today. I posted a short comment at 12:20 and it still hasn't been moderated over six hours later.



...........................Moderator Comment.....................

Swampy, usually I'm the only moderator here, but since moving house I've been extremely busy, so can't be sitting in front of the computer just to moderate a comment when it comes in. Also my wife had been using my computer a lot over the weekends recently because her lap top is broken and she needs to work on new worksheets and booklets for the subject she teaches. That takes up most of each afternoon, so I'm unable to moderate as much as I'd like to. Also three of my other computers are all awaiting new parts (got too many other things to sort at the moment so those won't be sorted at least until early spring).

Please remember I'm just a volunteer. I still spend a lot of time trying to help. The reviews alone can take me up to four or five hours to complete. today's for example took me from 7.30 am to 2.30 pm to complete, working with no breaks.

As al;ways any post (assuming it's related to the game) is very much appreciated. All posts are moderated and apart from a few posts that are usually full of expletives all are let through moderation. Even the ones with swearing may be let through once edited.

Hi, i'm a french player and I don't speak english very well.
I have a poblem in the fourth restaurant, I can't click on a column which is hidden by "stats" (in the corner)... Does somebody has the same problem?

@2
"Cannot switch mode because of incorrect screen resolution"
I try to switch from displaying ok full-screen to windowed.
IF I would have some strange resolution monitor (it's standard Medion laptop ?x?) then I expect the full-screen to have problems.
Not the windowed mode, which resolution the program can choose for itself... right?

thanks for this 'different' game. Enjoying it!

Hi, sweet Game today, sweet Alawar graphics as usual, fun to play (even if, as Stephan puts it - "Cleaning up dirt isn't very fun".. Virtual dirt? Any time!, ha ha)

For Dr.Who Fans - just figured out how to play this doodle Game offline, here is my link: http://www.google.com/logos/2013/drwho/drwho.html

If not sure how to complete (dr Who) go here: http://geekyandfreaky.wordpress.com/2013/11/22/doctor-who-google-doodle-walkthrough/
,but only after trying Your own chances!...:)



...........................Moderator Comment.....................

Thank you for your feedback Fran. :)

Downloaded and installed fine on Windows 7. After every 15-20 minutes of game play, it throws me back to my desktop. Games still running, just have to click on taskbar and wait a few seconds for game to reappear. Anyone else having this problem? Thanks.



...........................Moderator Comment.....................

Thank you for your feedback Cathy, sounds like something running in the background may be causing this problem. I had a similar problem some moths ago when i had an HDMI cable installed between my monitor and computer. every so often a small window would appear with the words HDMI. If I was playing a game (any game) it would minimize to the task bar. i just had to click on the icon in the task bar to open it up. It was an annoyance; and, when playing games like Ricochet Infinity, I'd end up losing a ball.

This is the most involved hidden object/task management game I've ever played, I'm impressed. Some folks might find it a little tedious I suspect though. The game installed and ran perfectly on windows 8. There wasn't any noticeable lag, glitches or stalling. Artwork is good too. Thanks for the great download!


...........................Moderator Comment.....................

Thank you for your feedback Mikki

downloaded again and unpacked, still get error "Giveaway of the day has stopped working". This is the first game that won't install for me. Using Win 7 and meet all game requirements


.........................Moderator comment......................

Hi chris, check my comments above re using a different file archiver. That may solve the problem. I've had the same problem previously (twice) and both times using a different file archiver solved the problem.

http://www.giveawayoftheday.com/forums/topic/11647

Wow! It's a smorgasbord of trash-cleaning fun! Wait! Smorgasbord and trash are not supposed to go together.

Hi, thanks for this game. I downloaded Gourmania from here earlier (January) this year. I'm not really into hidden object games but I enjoyed playing Gourmania & like the graphics, I've only played the earlier parts of this one & I think the first one (Gourmania) is better.

I downloaded and installed this game with NO problem. I have WinXP. I started the game and when the game was "Loading", it all of a sudden disappeared! Tried it again. Same thing. So, I rebooted my computer, temporarily turned off my Norton, and tried again. The same thing happened. There was no error message or anything.
I would really like to play this game, as I like Alawar games. I also like HOGs and I finally find a game that's a TM, but has a Relax mode. (I don't like the strict TMs)
Please help.
Thank you.

Although I have only played the first bit of the game it seems to work ok on my windows 8 touch screen tablet. Thank you.

I already own this game!! Love it!! Alawar games are usually great games with good graphics and sound and wonderful gameplay.
Thank you GameGiveAway and Alawar.

Wow guess MAKING work "fun" leads to typo. em

Downloaded 3 times and get this message The archive is either in unknown format or damaged, also game can't be found on their site how strange ??????????????????????????????.

..............................Moderator Comment.....................

See my comment to Brian above

Makeing WORK "fun"!? Pass. Thanks guys check Sunday.

It says "the archive is either an unknown format or damaged", so it won't load


..........................Moderator comment...........................

Hi Brian, check out the FAQ's section over in the game discussion forums. I've forgotten to link to it this week. will add the link to my review after I've had lunch. There's a section that deals with this problem. Usually using a different file archiver like 7-Zip or j-Zip cures it. I've linked to several free archivers in the thread.

"Overall I did find d this game a little tedious"

Purely FWIW, WR, watching my wife enjoy these time mgmt games, at least in her case the tasks aren't all that important -- it seems in many cases the tasks themselves are different from one game to the next more-or-less to justify having more than one game. To her this sort of game can be relaxing when she's unwinding after work, focusing on the mechanics of it rather than whatever specific tasks she's supposed to be performing. If I were to play arm-chair psychologist, I'd suggest that by keeping some parts of the brain busy it lets other parts rest.


.............................Moderator comment.........................

There are some TM games that I really enjoy such as the Farm frenzy games, but I find most quite stressful, that said I realize that some community members will love such games. My wife for example loves the tycoon games especially Roller Coaster and Zoo Tycoon, with Ski Tycoon coming a close third. Other games she just finds either too violent or uninteresting. I did get her to play World of Goo and Peggle last year, but she's been so busy leading up to the house move that I don't think she's played a game in over 9 months. :)

This game installed well on windows xp. Can anyone tell me how to
uninstallate this game? My english is not good enough for playing this game.

.........................Moderator comment..........................

Follow the install path (check my review above) Should be found in the games folder, and delete it. There's no uninstaller included with the game. Deleting the game folder gets rid of it totally. (There may be a few reference's in the registry, but those relate to the downloaded zip file and unpacking it. There's no game data stored in the registry. There's also a save folder in (C:) > Users > name of your windows account > AppData (hidden file) > Roaming > Gourmania2. you'll need to open up the control panel and click on folder options (select small or large icons as opposed to category, then click on the Folder Options icon. This opens up a window, click on the view tab then scroll down till you see 'Show hidden files, folders and Drives. Make sure that's selected. you can then see the AppData folder. Once you've deleted the appropriate folder un check the Show Hidden files etc.

It could have been a nice, little game of the sort I like - but it blocked itself in endless repetitions (watering flowers). Task manager did not help. I erased it.
Barbara

I cannot get this to extract/open. If I download a 285 meg programme I would expect it to work for me. I look forward to these giveaways so, trust me when I say ...I AM NOT HAPPY"


............................Moderator comment........................

Another community member has had similar problems. Try using a different file archiver to unpack the game. (e.g. 7 Zip. I've linked to several free ones over in the game discussion forums (in the sticky section,) look for the FAQ's thread (not the one in the main forums)

Let me know if it worked or not. There are a couple more suggestions in the thread.

Hey, Stephen, did you play the Doctor Who 50th anniversary Google Doodle (their biggest ever)? It's on the U.S. Google search page today. It's easier using the mouse. I found the info Giveaway of the Day needs to get voting under control on their main site, I'll send it to them later today when I'm more alert.


..........................Moderator comment............................

Seen, but not interacted with it yet.

We are really looking forwards to the 50th anniversary program this evening. My son wanted to go to see it at the cinema, but they were fully booked. I've been subscribed to the Dr Who DVD files for a couple of years now. Every fortnight I get a magazine (builds into one of those trashy encyclopedias - but I'm considering having them properly bound) plus I get a DVD covering one of the many stories from all doctors. I have around 120 discs now covering most of the latest series (since it restarted with Chris Eccleston), plus loads from all of the other doctors.

cannot play windowed: "incorrect screen resolution" ?!??
In full screen: 10% mouse (flickering)
Before starting to play with programming packages: Learn about PC's PLEASE

.........................Moderator comment........................

It's not about PC's its about programming. Some programmers are just lazy, or it may be that the game doesn't support the resolution because it may not have been available when the game was created. There has been almost 3 thousand downloads already this morning, with only yourself reporting this problem. I'd like to know what computer/monitor you are using? It may be that it's your hardware that's the problem?

Gourmania 2. Great Expectations:




In Brief




Gourmania 2 serves up a smorgasbord of Hidden Object fun as you manage quaint cafes in three locations around the world! Clean up cluttered storefronts, repair broken down bars and outfit your restaurants with the finest furnishings available as you prepare for your grand openings. Then find the ingredients for the meals your customers order and prepare a feast fit for a king!


Brought to you by the Game giveaway team thanks to the generosity of Alawar games. (thanks guys)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Installation:

Gourmania 2. Great Expectations downloads as a 285 MB zip file that unpacks to a read me and a wrapped setup file (the orange colored file with the key symbol), plus there's a setup file with security (setup.gcd) that's protected from being hacked (because the previous giveaway system was easily cracked). This file may case some security software to alert the user to a possible malware attack, but it will be a false positive.

The game giveaway team check all game giveaways for malware using several well known anti -malware suites. There has never been a game giveaway infected with malware since the project started back in Dec 2006. (The owners know that allowing such things would compromise their business, so they make sure all software given away via the giveaway and gamegiveaway sites are thoroughly checked for all types of malware before allowing community members to download any files.


Some community members have been having problems installing games since the security software was added. It's been found that turning off your security temporarily or configuring it to accept the setup.cgd file usually sorts the problem out.

To register and install the game, click on the orange colored icon. The installed game requires 286 MB of disk space and installs to the following path (depending on whether you have a 64bit or 32 bit system by default:

C:\Games\Gourmania2_game

Shortcuts are not installed to either the desktop or the start menu programs list, nor is there an uninstaller. To uninstall the program you just have to delete the installed folder located by default via the path above.

(If the install path shows the last game giveaway installed you need to clear your internet cache) you'll also find a shortcut in the Start Menu for an uninstaller.


Gourmania 2: Great Expectations works on both my Win 7 (64 bit) & Win 8.1 (64 bit) computers. I've not reinstalled Vista or XP yet.

Introduction:


You can get Gourmania 2: Great Expectations free 24/7 from MyPlayCity or Jenkat Games . Just be sure to uncheck any checkboxes that may appear during installation and, in the case of MyPlayCity (MPC), whenever you boot up the game. Otherwise these games are okay. Personally I’d go for the Jenkat games as opposed to MPC games.

Are you a frequent guest in snack bars? Of course, food there is quite unhealthy, but when you want to regale yourself with fried potatoes or roasted chicken, it's difficult to find the better place for such unhealthy meal. And what if to open your own bar and become the head of the restaurant empire in your country? Good idea, - thought Candy, the main character of the new game Gourmania 2. Great expectations and asked her uncle for job in his grill house. She got the job but soon ran into difficulties: the shabby building didn't attract visitors' attention, so at first it was necessary to put the grill bar in order, remove trash, plant flowers and put flower beds near the grill bar, color the roof and strengthen the facade of the building. Finally the renovations were completed and the business went into overdrive. Be ready to create new dishes to please all the visitors with their different unusual tastes. In the new game Gourmania 2. Great Expectations you have to fulfill lots of quests in the genre "hidden object" and cook delicious food. Improve your skill in cooking, learn new recipes of tasty dishes and cocktails and travel all over the world! In the sunny Maldives you'll study how to cook fruit salads and delicious mousses, in France - thick soups and seafood snacks. Come back to your grill house and impress the visitors by new menu and there will be no end of clients. Play the game Gourmania 2. Great Expectations and make your grill house the best in the country!

Reference accessed HERE 22nd Nov 2013

The Game:

If you don’t do enough chores in the real world, try Gourmania 2: Great Expectations

It’s interesting that Alawar chose to give Gourmania 2: Great Expectations such a subtitle as I went into the game with the same – great expectations. Unfortunately, even for the appreciated mix of hidden object and time management gameplay styles, Gourmania 2 is a fairly disappointing game that focuses more on cleaning and building repair than on fun.

Gourmania 2 tasks you with repairing restaurants from drab and even abandoned states to look as though they were brand new. This is done through a combination of gameplay types, including hidden object scenes and time management, if you choose to play the game in a “Timed” mode. Incredibly similar to games like Time to Hurry: Nicole’s Story and Shop-n-Spree, the gameplay here sees you completing each new day by serving a number of guests in your current restaurant.

Guests will order particular food items, which can be found in the incredibly cluttered hidden object scene to the left of their orders. For example, if a customer orders a hot dog, you’ll need to find an individual hot dog, hot dog bun, and even ketchup and mustard bottles, depending on what the customer orders. If you choose to be timed, customers will lose their patience over time (represented by hearts), and will pay you less for their food, whereas in the relaxed gameplay mode, customers will never become unhappy.

You’ll work through a group of customers in the same way each day, and will pass the level if you reach the monetary goal. You’re then able to use your accumulated funds to fix up the restaurant itself. While you can never lessen the clutter inside the restaurant’s kitchen, you can fix up the outside with new coats of paint, new tables, decorations, flower beds and so on. In this is the game’s biggest problem, as instead of simply purchasing these items and moving on, you’re required (in many cases) to put in the physical labor to clean the walls, paint the roofs, grow the flowers, etc.

You’ll need to use some of your money to purchase industrial strength cleansers, scrub brushes, and so on, and then use these expendable items to physically clean surfaces (click and drag your mouse), among other tasks. The last time I checked, picking up garbage off of the sidewalk and scrubbing graffiti off of a wall wasn’t very fun in the real world, and it isn’t very fun here either; this is compounded by the fact that you’ll need to spend even more money on cleaning supplies when you use your first batch up. This money would be much better suited to purchasing decorations for your restaurants, but I digress.

Breaking up this day-by-day serving and cleaning are short instances of more traditional hidden object gameplay, which see you working outside the restaurant to find items like legal documents that will help you stay in business, as but one example. These do a nice job of breaking up the monotony, and are fairly entertaining as well.

Where the hidden object scenes are flawed, however, is in the kitchen scenes themselves, as the scenes may look static, but in fact change over time, moving items from one location to the next on the fly. As an example, you may see the bread that you’ll need for your next customer before it is their turn, only to have that bread disappear by the time you actually need it, forcing you to find it all over again. While this isn’t an issue in the relaxed, untimed gameplay mode, it can be a real frustration when every second counts.

All told, Gourmania 2: Great Expectations seems to focus on all the wrong areas. With more gameplay time spent scrubbing walls or sweeping floors than actually serving guests, this is one game that’s better off as a demo, rather than a purchase.


Reference accessed HERE 22nd Nov 2013

Video & Images:


You can see a slide show of around 60 plus images showing the initial tutorial screens, plus in game screen capture of various aspects of the game play HERE .

You can also see you a few You Tube videos of game play HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE



System Requirements:

OS: ---- Windows 95, 98, 2000, XP, Vista, 7 (it also works on Win 8 and 8.1)
CPU ---- 1.7 GHz
System RAM ---- 1 GB
Video RAM --- 256 MB
DirectX 8.0 or higher

Conclusion:

Overall I did find d this game a little tedious, but that’s probably because it incorporates the two genres that I find the least attractive game wise. (i.e. Time Management and Hidden Object games; though there were some mini games thrown in for a little more variety. I’m certainly a little biased. That said I have tried to detach myself from my bias when scoring the game below. I think it’s a fair assessment of the game overall. I much preferred the original Gourmania, which I Beta tested for Alawar several years ago.

It’s a well construct game (as you’d expect from Alawar). If you like TM or HOG games, then I’d recommend this game whole heartedly. Purists will probably consider it pretty poor, but the average gamer should have a decent few hours of game play to enjoy on a wet weekend.


Pro’s:

Colorful, pleasing graphics. Simplistic game play. Choice of game play difficulty.

Con’s:

Lack of originality. Cleaning up dirt isn’t very fun.







Score:

Gameplay: 7
Graphics: 7.5
Audio/Sound Effects: 7
Help/Tutorials: 8
Originality 6.5
Replayability: 7

Total score out of 60 = 43 which is equivalent to 7.2 out of 10

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Games, Games, and yet more Games plus Download, Installation & Game play Problems:


If you're looking for something other than today's game check the didimatic site via THIS link for some brilliant deals.

Steam weekend deals include 50% Europa Universalis IV (released Aug 2013) and 75% off Rage (plus dlc) as well as play for free until Sunday afternoon (PST) The 48hr deal is 75% off Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit, and yesterdays is 80% off the ArmA franchise (minus the latest one Arma 3)).

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If you prefer to buy from GreenMan Gaming, they have a 25% off coupon for a lot of their digital games apart from excluded titles (usually those that already have a large discount). 75% off X-Com: Enemy Unknown, Captain Morgane and the Golden Turtle 66% off, Heavy Fire: Shattered Spear 50% off . You'll find the deals HERE.


You'll find many more game deals onDesura , Gamefly, Gamestop, and GOG; some of which you can find via the Didimatic site, which I've linked to above.

To be honest there are too many game deals around to list them all. Just visit the sites I recommend above and I'm sure you'll find something that suits you for a very decent price.


Check out the Game Discussion forums for details of other games, either free or on deals such as the Indie Game bundles, (there's at least 5 or 6 bundles live at the moment plus regular bundles such as the Humble Weekly Sales and the Bundle Stars bundles (at least four of those are still live) including Groupees. You'll find links to all of these bundles in the Game discussion forums HERE All of the indie bundles are amazing value.


The latest IndieGameStand game is Little Racers STREET, a the top-down racing genre. Offering a whole 3D city with lots of different tracks and environmental effects,You can find it Here. There's a DRM free download, it's on Steams Greenlight project, so you could get a Steam key later and there’s a Desura key; plus if you pay more than the average, which stands at $1.65 at the time of writing you'll also get two more games called Zombie Football Carnage (with Desura Key) and Infinity Danger, . This deal ends on Sunday 24th Nov around 5am GMT.

There are small indie bundles available over at Indiebundle.org. Each bundle has three games and costs $5 each for the basic bundle plus a few dollars more for extra games. Check the Indie bundles HERE. There’s still several other bundles active such as the Weekly humble bundle which this week is Zen Studios brilliant pinball tables (Pinball FX2 Core Pack, Pinball FX2 Zen Classics Pack, Pinball FX2 Earth Defense table, Pinball FX2 Paranormal table, and Pinball FX2 Epic Quest table, Pinball FX2 Marvel Pinball: Avengers Chronicles Pack, Pinball FX2 Star Wars Pack, and Pinball FX2 Marvel Pinball Original Pack – you do need a Steam account for this deal). You can find most deals HERE (I count 20 bundle deals live at the moment, ranging from a dollar to several dollars – all of these deals are unbelievably cheap, its one way to stock up on loads of games for less than the price of a few coffees at the local Starbucks.