downloaded and installed and registered fine..
program will not run, all I get is the tile in the taskbar.
Operating System
Windows 8.1 64-bit
CPU
Intel Core i5 4460 @ 3.20GHz 34 °C
Haswell 22nm Technology
RAM
8.00GB Dual-Channel DDR3 @ 798MHz (11-11-11-28)
Motherboard
Acer Aspire TC-605 (LGA1150) 37 °C
Graphics
SANYO LCD (1920x1080@29Hz)
Intel HD Graphics 4600 (Acer Incorporated [ALI])
Storage
931GB Western Digital WDC WD10EZEX-21M2NA0 (SATA) 35 °C
Optical Drives
HL-DT-ST DVDRAM GHB0N
Audio
Intel Display Audio
Operating System
Windows 8.1 64-bit
Computer type: Desktop
Installation Date: 2/19/2015 2:20:43 PM
Serial Number: KTJTK-DCNG2-K7XWM-34PRT-P7HPD
Windows Security Center
User Account Control (UAC) Enabled
Notify level 2 - Default
Firewall Enabled
Windows Update
AutoUpdate Download Automatically and Install at Set Scheduled time
Schedule Frequency Every Day
Schedule Time
Windows Defender
Windows Defender Disabled
Antivirus
avast! Antivirus
Antivirus Enabled
Company Name AVAST Software
Product Version 10.0.2208
Virus Signature Database Up to date
Windows Defender
Antivirus Disabled
Virus Signature Database Up to date
.NET Frameworks installed
v4.5 Full
v4.5 Client
v3.5 SP1
v3.0 SP2
v2.0 SP2

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

Hi Mike, have you checked the FAQ's thread? I've linked to it in comment #1.

Y'know what would have made a nice change? *Bob* doing the waitressing while *Katy* did the Barkeep job and managed the place.

Are the free game sites listed above completely legal??

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

Hi Fahim, yes they are. I wouldn't post details otherwise. They earn money through the toolbars, advertising etc. Everytime you close down a game from those sites your browser is opened to the sites home page. They earn money for that as well. They pay the developers a retainer for being allowed to give away the games. Whether this is per game downloaded, a weekly, monthly bi annual fee etc I don't know, but those sites seem to have thrived over the last several years, so the developers must be getting some income from their games via this source.

Before I have a chance to try it, it does strike me that some of your reservations about some of the non-standard playing mechanics in this game, WR, could be seen as mistakes or as additional challenges to a player. That said, you know far better than I that a game must balance several things, including challenge with playability. I suspect that I will find some of these things annoying, as I suspect you do, but some may find them challenging. I'm going to try it and see.

Thanks and thanks GOTD.

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

You are right Watcher, I find them annoying. Time Management games are for me the least liked genre of games around (with some exceptions such as the Farm Frenzy games), though I also find a lot of the Otome visual novels a little boring and a little expensive for what they are (then again I'm sure some community memebrs will dislike some of my favorite genres for example, first person RPG's, shmups, breakouts, FPS games and RTS games.

Ordinarily I do not like time management games, but Katy & Bob is an exception! First, I loved how I did NOT get BLASTED with sound as soon as the game began loading. The soundtrack is subtle and pleasant. The graphics are nicely focused (not blurry), the colors are cheerful and the overall feel is a happy one. The game loads quickly and does not feel sluggish at all. The "cut scenes" are quick and easy to bypass and I adore the "easy" mode!

This will be a game that I use to de-stress between computer projects, like the Fishdom franchise. THANKS to GGOTD and Immanitas! -Cyn

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

:)

Nice little family game.

A comment to WR about Gamextacy -- are those game ad-supported? That site has NO contact us point and I can't tell.

Yes, it seems to have most of the better (but older) games from Alawar -- the ones that have been retired for one reason or another.

Some -- like "Curse of Montezuma" still work but you have to take care to NOT get it moving too fast or cascading too much -- it will crash the game and you will lose THAT level but only that level.

It might be a way to fill in -- if it is truly safe.

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

I don't kow Diane. all I know is that when a game was removed from alawrs main site it then appeared on their Gamextacy site. All the games I purchased from Gamextacy also put an alawar link on the desktop and the older Alawar games put a Gamextacy shortcut on the desktop.

I've given away many of the Alawar games I used to have, but still retain some of the older breakouts. Can't remember which games added the gamextacy shortcut as it's been several years since I last installed any of them.

http://www.bigfishgames.com/games/7225/katy-and-bob-way-back-home/

At BF this TM game has 4 starts, 87 reviews.

Interesting. Immanitas.com offers a long list of games, but no way to buy or download them. This makes me not want to install Katy and Bob.

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

There's nothiong sinister about the game. The giveaway team have checked the game for malware throughly. They may have a similar system to Alawar, who only show the latest and most popular games on their main site. They have a second site called Gamextacy where you can find all of their old games, most of which used to be featured on their main site. I don't know why Alawar do this. I haven't found out whether Immanitas have followed Alawars lead, but if they do, it will explain why you don't see these games on their main site.

Lovely graphics and game. Easier than the traditional Dash series game. Waiting on the tables. If you like Time Management game, then get it now.

Katy and Bob: Way Back Home

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Installation:

The zip file once downloaded should be 129 MB size and when installed to the default path mentioned below is also 129 MB in size. Installation is a breeze; the unzipped setup file installs the game to the following path:

C:\Games\KatyAndBobWayBackHome_Game

Once installed you can delete the wrapped setup file (for those that are new to the giveaway project that's the orange colored file with a key symbol on the icon; you can also delete the Setup.gcd security file and the read me document.

There no desktop icon created during installation so you will have to create your own via the above path or via which ever path you chose for yourself. If you also want a start menu shortcut you will have to go into Documents and Settings which is found in the root directory (C:\).

i.e. C:\Documents and Settings\name\Start Menu\Programs\ (XP) or C:\Users\(User-Name)\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\ (Win 7 & 8 and Vista)


Where 'name' equals administrator, or whatever name you use for your account. Just create a new folder within the program folder and add a shortcut from the games executable file. (right click and select create shortcut then copy that to the folder you've just created - you can also use the same shortcut and copy it to the desktop or select send to desktop {create shortcut}).

There is no music folder inside the main game folder, so there's no way of changing the music directly. You can turn off the music via the options menu, then play your own music via a media player if you wish.

Katy and Bob: Way Back Home should work on all iterations of Windows, though I've not personally tested it on XP or Vista.

Introduction:

Katy and Bob’s vacation has gone awry and it’s up to you help them find their way back in Katy and Bob: Way Back Home. You will help Katy and Bob earn their way home by building up your tropical bar. Prepare a variety of cocktails and entertain your customers with breathtaking fireworks. Grow your own fruit to make juice and add business upgrades in this exciting Time Management game.

Reference: accessed HERE 26th April 2015




If you miss Katy and Bob: Way Back Home, you can still get it HERE 24/7 from MyPlayCity.

The Game:

While summer might mean endless days of lounging in the sun for the more affluent among us, one pair of siblings, Katy and Bob, are learning the hard way that money doesn’t magically appear out of thin air. In Katy & Bob: Way Back Home, these spoiled young adults are tricked into taking a “relaxing vacation” that turns into more of a glorified work camp, as they’re stranded on a island where credit cards mean nothing, and must work for their money to get back home.

Katy & Bob: Way Back Home offers standard time management gameplay that’s incredibly similar to Diner Dash. You’ll be placed in charge of a tropical restaurant on the beach, serving cocktails and other refreshments, ice cream and more. A variety of customer types will flood the restaurant on each level, and combo points are earned by completing similar tasks in rapid succession without breaking the chain (serving five menus in a row will earn you more cash than serving two menus and then a dish, for instance).

Katy is placed in charge of the waitressing, while Bob makes cocktails at the bar, but you can upgrade both to become more proficient at their tasks. Katy, for instance, starts with a carrying capacity of two items, but that can be upgraded to three items as you start to earn money (interestingly, her character model never actually changes to “hold” these items).

Other upgrades include additional cocktail making stations, juice stations and more, with each giving you an increased level of productivity. Most upgrades are purchased with the cash you accumulate on each level, but you’ll also be able to use special golden coins to purchase Artifacts that have overarching changes on the gameplay, like increasing Katy’s walking speed or increasing customer patience. It’s just unfortunate that many of these items are locked to a specific level and not available from the start.

You’ll need all of the help you can get as the game progresses, as many of the standard customer types (surfers, scuba divers, lifeguards, etc.) are incredibly impatient, making racking up the aforementioned combo points and cash equally difficult if you’re not experienced with the genre. Luckily, you’ll be able to choose between two difficulty settings if you’re really having trouble meeting each stage’s monetary goal.

While most of the game works as designed, there are a few problems that crop us as your restaurant becomes increasingly full of cooking stations and gadgets. Once you’re given the ability to garnish drinks, you’ll need to make sure to only carry one item around at a time (obviously slowing your productivity a great deal), or else the garnish will accidentally be placed on the wrong item. Furthermore, when customers start ordering more than one item per person, you’ll have to serve these items in a specific order, regardless of what you might be carrying. For instance, if a customer wants an ice cream cone and a pink chilled cocktail with a lemon wedge, that’s a three-step process (make a pink cocktail – chill it in the freezer – garnish it) that must be completed before ever handing them their ice cream cone. If you accidentally pick up items in the wrong order, you’ll simply have to trash them and start again, wasting precious time in the process.

For all that can be said about the game working against you, these issues are mostly balanced by the multiple abilities to raise all of your customers’ patience levels before they bail entirely. One customer type will automatically refill all others’ patience levels when they leave, and you can set off fireworks after you’ve pleased enough patrons that will achieve the same end. Still, both of these require either luck or skill to achieve, so it’s not a perfect system.

Reference: accessed HERE 26th April 2015



Video:

You can see video of game play HERE, HERE and HERE

System Requirements:

OS: Windows XP/Windows Vista/Windows 7/8
CPU: 1.0 GHz
System RAM: 512 MB
DirectX: 9.0
Hard Drive: 136 MB




Conclusion:

For the most part, Katy & Bob: Way Back Home is an enjoyable time management game, but it doesn’t contain any elements that really make it stand apart from the countless other restaurant-themed games in the genre. Furthermore, the story makes little sense, as these two should be able to make it home after just one level, as you can easily walk away with over $3,500 in a matter of minutes (just how far away from home are they stranded anyway?). Still, the game contains dozens of levels that will take you at least a few hours to complete, so if you’re looking for a way to spend an afternoon, you could definitely do worse than this, especially when it's free. :)

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

Problems:


If you have any problems installing or getting Katy & Bob: Way Back Home to work please go HERE for help. I've posted all of the common problems and solutions in a FAQ thread, which you can find in the sticky section of the forums by following the above link.


If you are posting late in the day I would also suggest posting in the main giveaway forums, in the game discussion section because I cannot moderate 24hrs a day over the weekend. I've created a thread HERE for that purpose. If you've installed the game but it won’t work for some reason, it should still be registered, so someone may be able to help at another time. Unfortunately if your problem is actually installing it then once the giveaway period is over there’s nothing that can be done until the game is given away again (though that isn't guaranteed). Sometimes you can still register the game after the giveaway has ended so long as you managed to start the download before the giveaway ends. I've tested this and the grace period lasts for up to 1 hour.



It’s always worth checking out the free games sites because sometimes the games we get here are also available for free from them. MyPlayCity (MPC) has the most with over 1000 games to choose from. Other sites include Gametop and FreeGamePick. Katy & Bob: Way Back Home is available from from MyPlayCity. (See link in the introduction section above). I've not checked the other free game sites (partly becasue i'm way behind in posting this review today


If you do download any games from MyPlayCity, Gametop or the other free game sites 'do' watch out for toolbars etc. Make sure you un-check the check-boxes during installation, and, in the case of MyPlayCity, every time you boot the game up, (this may have changed now as these free game sites tend to change the format frequently. .. I've posted links to all of the common free game sites below in the games, games games section. :)http://steamcommunity.com/app/263200
For now I won't be recommending you download games from Jenkat Games. They have changed the way you get games from their site. Diane has posted information about this over in the game discussion forums. If I have time or remember, I'll link to it.

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

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




There are 414 games on sale over on Steam this week, ranging from 10% to 90% off. There's also a Sega sale this week with up to 75% off publishers prices. You can find a full list of all sale items HERE.

You'll also find some excellent deals over on the following Game sites.

GreenManGaming
Gamersgate Summer Sale
GOG (DRM free games)
Desura
Gamestop
GameFly (soon to be sold off)




Free Game Sites:


MyPlayCity (over a 1000 games to choose from)
Gametop
FreeGamePick



To be honest there are too many game deals around too 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. If like me you prefer Steamworks games, many of the above sites also sell steamwork games.

If that's not enough, check out the Game Discussion forums HERE for details of other games either free or on deals such as the Indie Game bundles (there's over 20 of them - If you purchased all of them you'd be paying around $80 for around a thousand dollars worth of games); or check out the four day sales at IndieGameStand. you'll find the indie bundles thread HERE. The thread is outdated, but all of the links will still take you to the latest bundles.








The latest IndieGameStand game is Sword of the Stars: Ground Pounders:

Ground Pounders is a hex-based, turn-based strategy wargame. Inspired by classic strategy games like Panzer General, and steeped in the lore of the Sword of the Stars universe, Ground Pounders offers a new generation of gamers an updated taste of turn-based strategic warfare. Best of all, you can play it cross platform between desktop machine and mobile devices.

Ground Pounders lets players control an army from one of two factions. Each army is comprised of dozens of different unit types. You will lead your ground pounders across a variety of worlds, increase their experience levels and abilities over the course of two campaigns, and use them to unlock special action cards that can add special effects to single-player games, or to up the stakes in your cross-platform multi-player battles.

FEATURES

- Control one of 2 armies – Human and Hivers
- 80+ units covering land, sea, and air
- Battle across alien worlds on exotic battlefields, including airless moons, lava plains, and meteor-blasted wastelands
- Seize orbital superiority and call down bombardment on your foes
- Build airfields, fortify areas, and repair or destroy bridges
- Improve your unit’s experience and abilities over 2 campaigns
- Unlock and collect combat cards, including faction-unique cards!
- Build unique combat card decks and even tune them for specific battles
- Ten scenarios to play in skirmish mode or cross-platform multi-player
- Enjoy a SotSdex filled with Lore details on famous units, personalities, battles and weapon systems


PLUS, if you pay over the average, which at the time of writing was $2.19 you will also get Ground Pounders: Tarkan Campaign DLC, Sword of the Stars: The Pit, and the Ground Pounders High Rez Map Pack. All come with Steam keys and drm free download links. You can pay as little as $1 for the game if you wish. This bundle ends around 5am (GMT) Wednesday 6th May.


The latest Daily Indie game is called Chronicles of a Dark Lord: Episode I Tides of Fate:

Enter a world of shadowy intrigue where stained pasts collide with the present in an explosive confrontation that will define one young man's dark destiny, as he attempts to thwart the machinations of a true evil beyond all imagining...

- Immerse yourself into a dark and complex world of intrigue with over 25 hours of Gameplay
- Includes the previously released "Nightmare Vision" DLC content
- Enhanced retro graphics melded with HD-quality background animations offers a more unique graphical styling presented within a dark atmosphere
- Side-view active-time battle system (ATB) reminiscent of the classic 16-bit RPGs
- Optional quests and bonus dungeons
- Critically-acclaimed soundtrack from independent artists such as Kevin Macleod, Chris Hurn, zero-project, and Sketchy Logic. Also featuring the track Day to Fall, written and performed by Marielle Thomas.
- Decisions you and your party make will affect later events and even whether townspeople live or die by your hand and much more!


You can get two keys if you pay more than the average of $1.13. One key to share with a friend or family member perhaps? You'll find that deal HERE. They also have four bundles of several games that'll cost you less than $1.50 each HERE (DIG Bundles 25, 26 and 27 plus Desura bundle 4). You get Steam keys for all of these games apart from the Desura bundle. Though some of the games are on Valves Greenlight project and should get Steam keys if Greenlit. The single game deal ends Midnight Tuesday (GMT) and will be replaced with Chains a challenging puzzle game with a unique feel and distinctive vector graphics style.





Most of the other bundles retail for around $5 give or take a few dollars (apart from the Daily Indie bundles that only cost $1.49 for six games), but you can pay as little as a dollar for some.
The free game from Origin has changed to the original Syndicate from 1993. It's been optimised for todays computers. Well worth getting, especially if you are into classic games from the 1990's Check it out HERE

========================================================

A Request for helpl>:

Developers rely on good feedback to improve their games. If you download this game please take some time once you’ve played it a while to leave some constructive feedback either positive or negative. The more constructive feedback we get, the more likely developers are going to give more games away. The giveaway site already has a very good standing with the search engines. Developers want their products out there on the WWW, this site has the potential to do that. The game giveaway project gives away on average between 9 to 17 thousand downloads for each game depending upon what genre and how obscure the game is. That’s a lot of homes these games are being downloaded into and a lot of 'potential' cash that’s being lost by the developers. If we get better games because of better feedback, the community are likely to continue to benefit from the generosity of the developers. Satisfied community members are then more likely to visit the home sites of those developers and purchase games that they may not have bothered with before they discovered the developer via the game giveaway site, thus giving the developers more incentives to give away even more decent games.

Please leave some feedback once you’ve checked the game out. It can be positive or negative, but please explain what your reasons were for the feedback you post. You could also leave suggestions for improving the game, for example, this game could do with more block types for the levels editor, add more power-ups, describing the ones you think would be suitable, add some mini games (which seem all the rage in some arcade games now) or enable the user to be able to change the in game music easily.

Thank you in advance to all those who take the time to post a constructive comment.

Regards

Whiterabbit aka Stephen