BioWare's Dragon Age Games

The original Dragon Age game won the hearts of role-players and Game of the Year nods in 2009, spawning one of the most exciting RPG franchises I've picked up in a long time. 

Several titles in the series have followed, from short lived casual games to full AAA releases. Fans are eagerly anticipating the next installment.

If you're new to the series and are wondering which titles are worth your time, read on.

Rune Factory 4 Beginner’s Guide

Rune Factory 4 is the most complex RF I’ve played yet.  While it has some great tutorials to cover the basics, there are still many starting “secrets” which can be easy to miss.  

How you get your starter tools and unlock more seeds at the shops is a bit different than fans of the series might expect, as well.  

I’ve written this guide to help new players get the best start possible.

Astral Diamonds Guide (and Free Zen) For Neverwinter

Cryptic’s Neverwinter is a blast to play, but as any new player quickly discovers, you need Astral Diamonds to buy anything really interesting, and AD don’t drop.

You can make nearly unlimited amounts fairly early in the game, however, if you know how.

 Which is why I’ve written this guide.

Rune Factory 3 Relationship Guide

Like its predecessors in the Rune Factory and Harvest Moon series, RF3 enables your character to befriend villagers and court eligible girls. Getting to know the villagers results in more requests and the chance to learn more of their stories, so it adds a lot of depth to the game. Courting an eligible girl can lead to marriage and a family.

In fact, in RF3, your courtship is woven into the main story so deeply that it plays a part in finishing the storyline.

Easy Beginner Alchemist Guide for Skyrim

In The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, alchemy is a fun, profitable skill. With the right potions you’ll soon be relieving the town merchants of their daily allotment of gold. As it’s one of my favorite ways to earn in Skyrim, I’ve written a quick and easy beginner guide featuring recipes, ingredient lists, and alchemy apps to help you make a serious profit from your very first moments in the game.

10 Games Like Harvest Moon

Harvest Moon is one of my favorite series. I love the farming life simulation, the relationships you can build with the villagers and wildlife, and the fantasy adventure elements. It’s so relaxing to step into a small village and live a rural life for a while.

If you’re looking to expand your game library with similar games, I have a few suggestions for you.  Some are farming simulation, others are fun role playing games with romance and NPC relationships; all are intriguing escapes into a different reality.

10 Fun 3DS Games for Girls

My preteen had a (pink!) 3DS on her birthday wishlist the year I wrote this article. Despite the passage of time, it's still one of the best gaming consoles (handheld or not) for kids. The 3DS has the broad appeal, and has, over time, built up the best game library for kids. Plus, it plays normal DS games, too, so she can play her old favorites and the great DS games we hadn’t gotten around to picking up yet.

This list was partly my shopping list for my eleven-year-old daughter for her birthday and christmas, but mostly to help others like me researching the best 3DS games to buy for girls.

Quick Dragon Age 2 Conversation Icon Guide

The general theme of your character’s conversational responses in Dragon Age 2 will affect the tone of voice and personality of your character, though choosing other types of choices often enough will swing it the other way again, so nothing is set in stone. If you’re wondering what those icons mean as you make your way through the conversations, here’s a quick list:

Dragon Age 2 Companions Guide

The companions of Dragon Age 2 are not just quiet stereotypes who assist you in battle. They have strong personalities, with their own goals and motivations. This can lead to a rivalry or friendship with your Hawke, even while they work together or fall in love.

Romance is possible with most of the companions. Whether you’re on a rivalry path or a friendship path with that companion will not prevent romance, but will influence its tone and events.

Here’s what you need to know:

Free Neopoints and Items

Neopets is a popular, long-running virtual pet game.  Caring for your pet takes Neopoints and items, though, which can be difficult to find, when you're first starting out.  If you know the right places to visit, however, even the newest account can find free Neopoints, items, healing, and food for their pet. That’s why I compiled this quick little list. But be aware that if your account is brand new, some of these Neopian sites will not work for you until your account ages a certain period of time (24 hours to 30 days, depending on the site).

Dragon Age Origins Tips and Secrets

Dragon Age: Origins is an amazingly deep masterpiece of a roleplaying game from Bioware, available on PS3, PC, and Xbox 360.  In fact, it has so much hidden depth that even after reading walkthroughs, the wiki, and tip pages, and playing through countless times, as I have, there are still more secrets to discover.  To help you get the most out of it, here are the best walkthroughs, guides, resources, and secrets I’ve found.

Harvest Moon: Tree of Tranquility Storyline Walkthrough

Tree of Tranquility has a fantasy-style story line with intriguing puzzles.  In fact, it’s one of my favorite Harvest Moons to date.

Here you’ll find the rainbow restoring recipes, where to find all the necessary ingredients, where to find the Seedling of Hope, and how to make it grow.

Learn everything you need to rescue the Harvest Goddess and restore the island.

Rune Factory Frontier Storyline Walkthrough

Rune Factory Frontier is a fantasy title in the Harvest Moon series, which means you have a farm to run, but there are also RPG elements and a lengthy storyline. Because of this, a walkthrough is almost critical. I did try to limit spoilers, though, so you can discover the mysteries for yourself as you follow this path to unlock them.