Anne -

Our support page is basically for issues about the website, so you might want to post your comment on the page with the review so the gamers can see it and possibly help you out.

https://jayisgames.com/archives/2013/03/solitaire_blitz.php

You might also want to contact customer service wherever you bought the game, or the developer PopCan games to see if they have a fix for you.

Sorry if there is a better place to post this but I've been searching for a game played many years ago on jig and despite hunting through the archive game by game and month by month I cannot find it!

It was a space based physics game, moving between planetoids in a small ship, landing much like lunar lander, drilling for supplies, and dealing with particle alien "infections" that come out beneath the surface of certain planets when you land.

I thought it was part of one of the early casual gameplay competitions, and at least that old, but no luck.

Maybe I'm mixing up more than one game here, and if you guys have your hands full with the day to day of producing excellent reviews I understand, but it would be nice to finally put my mind at ease finding it again: to be bookmarked and never lost again!

@Jay.
Wow thanks Jay, I thought it was older than CGDC#5. Thank you so much!

Hola JiG... about six hours ago I played a couple of rounds on Gemcraft and Legend of the Golden Robot on the hosted server. Now I'm back, with exactly the same settings, and though the ads load, the games are not loading. I get a big white screen. I have this site and playwire allowed, just like always. Nothin' doin'.

Battle Panic and Min-Hero, which don't seem to use playwire, loaded just fine.

Hi Shudog! Have you tried clearing your cache? One of us had this problem the other day and that seemed to fix it.

Well I dunno what happened, but Golden Robot is loading now, with my old save file. Cheers~

(I just thought it was odd that only the playwire games were affected, when Min-Hero is definitely a bigger file and it wasn't affected.)

how do I change my account so i leave an alias rather than my full real name?

Hi

The new Flash advertising (as of 18th Sept 2013) is blocking access to games - something is not loading properly and I cannot get past it to get to the games. This is on Chrome and Firefox 23 on Win7x64.

Is there a fix for this?

Thanks
Richard

It seems that none of the games show. I've tried at least 3 and they all appear similarly.

Also, there are many Javascript errors; this may be related, though I'm not certain.

Hi craftycurate,

I haven't experienced that problem and I have the same option. Please try clearing your browser's cache.

Hi David John Bunge,
Not knowing what browser or OS you're using, I can't really be of much help other than to say I'm not encountering any of those problems myself. Please clear you browser's cache and try a restart and see if that helps.

I'm getting really tired of these "Male Gamers Only" ads with illustrations of barely clothed females. I keep clicking to "mute" the ad, but they keep on coming. The latest ones seem to be for "Tides of Fortune" (http://tidesoffortune.com/). I've always seen JIG as a generally family-friendly site, but these ads kind of destroy that. Is there anyways to block out those ads, or at least tailor them to only show up along reviews of...less wholesome games?

Running FF 24.0 in Windows Vista with all plugins up-to-date and Acrobat.com (there was no "Adobe," so I presumed it fell under Acrobat) listed as an exception for the firewall, I'm unable to load "Poyas Odyssey" or "Return". Both games display screens stating that "a plugin is needed to display this content"; however, the plugin isn't specified, and I have Shockwave, Flash, and Java, so I'm uncertain what plugin I'd need. Thoughts would be appreciated, thanks! :)

Seriously, the Wartunes flash ad on your site advertising to "Male Gamers Only -- Warning Men Only" is over-the-top offensive to female gamers. You should block it. I have already reported it to Google AdSense.

I keep getting an error when I try to play 'The Crooked Man' that says:
the program can't start because MFPlat.DLL is missing from your computer. Try reinstalling to fix this problem.

I get it in a window and have to click OK 6 or 7 times, and then the game continues to run. I had this same problem with 'Hello? Hell...o?', 'The Mermaid Swamp' and 'Paranoiac'. I've uninstalled and reinstalled all the games and also downloaded the RPGVXAce program.
Is anyone else getting this error? What would fix it?

Also, when it loads the script in the top bar of the window is all gobbly-gook, but in-game it's not a problem so I'm not worried, just thought it could be pertinent. It only does this with the WOLF games.

hi. i've DOORS AND ROOMS installed on my SONY XPERIA J
phone but it doesnt work. after i choose a level then black screen appears nothing else.. android 4.1.2

any help plz?
i tried to post that in the game page but it didnt work lol

I tried to find the password of the social wars hack tool on the given website but when i search it on the internet it says that the file has been deleted for violating their terms of service.I need help now!

I posted a comment on a game and want to remove it, as it's not necessary; how can I do this?

The game is "Rose Temple", which appears to have just been reviewed today by elle.

Mystery Case Files, Escape From Ravenhearst.I have made it all the way thru the cave and to the bridge without realizing I didn't have the blue handle. I cannot get back to the fountain where it is located. I only get as far back as the Tank Room. Help

Hello Suport Team,

My laptop is under Ubuntu, the last version.
I used to play a lot of falsh games here on JIG, but for some time now no flashgame load here. The games I cannot play on JUG, I can play to them on other websites. It is only here on JIG that I cannot play flashgames. I got he problem with my 2 browsers, Firefox and Chromium (last versions availables for my ubuntu, last version too).

I always come here to read reviews and discover new games, but I suppose you may be interested to know of this problem.

Good luck with this

Has anyone ever found where the BiancoBianco games have moved to? every last one of their game links ends in a 404 error.

Hello for that game BLiX which is created by Gamelab. There's something wrong with that game. The link functions getting to the game, but the game itself does not work. Once I finish the level, the timer doesn't go off and winds all the way down and then do nothing after that. And I tried to click play from that game but that game didn't work at all and the Shockwave player have error and caused problems and is unable to continue which that game seems to be a problem. But I already have the latest version of Shockwave plugin from my computer which that game did not work. And I tried to use a different browsers and play that game but still didn't work at all. Sadly. Here is the link right here that the game seems to be a problem: https://jayisgames.com/games/blix/. Also is there a way to fix that game so it could work again? Or could you fix that game to make that game work so I could play that game? Please let me know.

Never mind I've got that game BLiX finally working at all. But there's another problem with that game. After every 5 levels I've complete. The password screen was blank and once I've finished all 300 levels from that game the screen was still blank and I don't know what to do. Here is the link right here that I've found it which that game seems to be a problem: https://jayisgames.com/games/blix/. Are there any suggestions to make that game work with no blank screen from that game? What should I do to make that game fully work? Or could you fix that game for me so it won't happen again? Please let me know.

How can I add my images, hosted on photobucket, for a walkthrough? The standard links I receive from them don't work...

Hi Cennetessimus. I'm not sure what problem you're encountering when you say they don't work. Can you please be more specific?

I followed the instructions listed for getting a flash game to work, but ever since then I've had even MORE problems. Frankly, I want to undo all of it. One escape game that STILL won't load just wasn't worth it.

Hi there from a long-time lurker. I added your site to my Adblocker whitelist after reading your recent post about how you earn a small amount even if I don't click on an ad (and how important that is for the continued existence of the site in its current form).

I understand that you have some control over which ads appear and make an effort to keep out the "bad" ones. I'd like to draw you attention to one that I believe should be rejected as "bad".

It's one of the many purported Dr Oz magic weight-loss foods/tricks. The url behind the img is below. I've taken out the http so I hope it doesn't contravene your rule on not dropping links.
ebdr2.com/click?pid=3045&zid=114697&aid=815497&cid=154750&advid=1714&pcid=(null)

and here's the image:
cdn.ebdr1.com/47d4b6a374cce856def405d92ec19b87.png

Anyway, irrespective of the actual merits of eating this so-called wonder-food, the site linked to is a scam site mascarading as belonging to Women's Health magazine.

I hope that you can prevent this and similar ads from appearing.

Thx

Mark

PS Sorry about the horrible Google acct Username

Hi!

Lately I can't play flash games hosted in JiG, I get the dreaded black frame. So I end up looking at the review and comments here but have to play the game elsewhere (that means it is a JiG-specific issue, nothing to do with Flash version or any blockers, which anyway I have disabled for JiG).

I am using Chrome on Ubuntu (32.0.1700.102-0ubuntu0.12.04.1~20140128.864.1) and Adobe Flash Player (11.2 r202).

In Chrome's console I get this javascript error, maybe it provides a clue: Uncaught TypeError: Object # has no method 'removeVideo' (index):431
toggleAd (index):431
(anonymous function)

need the help of friends to proceed to the next level on farm heroes , have requested many times nothing happens and I only have a few friends that play but enough that would respond and help me move on ?? also in some games after a certain time you can move on anyway ??

Hi Cathy Welch, unfortunately I'm not sure what you're asking. The only review of Farm Heroes Saga we have is for the mobile version, and it sounds like you're playing on Facebook, which operates differently. It sounds like you're either encountering a bug or having difficulty getting enough Facebook friends in the game to help you somehow, but I can't be sure. :(

Hi cu! Sorry you're having problems (and thank you for disabling AdBlocker here... we appreciate it!). Your issue is unfortunately beyond the realm of my humble word monkey capability, so I will make sure our IT person has a look!

Hi Mark, thanks for letting us know! It's important to tell us these things since there are SO many ads in rotation that we might not see all of them, especially as many are chosen randomly rather than by browsing preferences. I will pass this along to the person who manages our ads. :)

I would like to change how my name appears in posting. Would rather not have my full name appear, but cannot find the way to change it.

Your new layout broke the site on my browser (Chrome):
On the games, the "side"-bar takes up 1/3 of the width, and the rest is blank. The games are still playable, but the blank space makes me very sad.
Also, the suggested game (Top Rated/Recommended) icons don't all lead to the game page.

@Gregor, did you look in the header at 'Edit profile'?

@ishanpm, yesterday was a day of transition, is it better now?

From Dam:
When you click on the developer name, there are 4 entries for each game for some reason. One pointing at the review page, one for walkthroughs, one for comments, and one for I forget. Something's not working. I'm guessing it's got something to do with the new format, which I would also like to vote against. But I'll give it some time, maybe it'll grow on me.

@Dam:
Thanks to you for pointing it out. We are working on it.

When I browse through games in a single category I can't sort by rating anymore. I get a popup box that asks for name and password to proceed: A username and password are being requested by http://movabletype4.com. The site says: "Protected".

Hello Meraji515, the problem is fixed now. Sorry for the inconvenience.

The new layout does not allow for game submission.

From Jeff, "Dandy, the new site layout has been designed by Tatyana Orlovich (http://multadroit.com/) a good friend of Jay (they were at the same university). Tatyana has began to work on the website for Jay since a while so I suppose she perfectly knows the community spirit."

I'm unsure as to the purpose of this confused response. If it was to make me feel bad for criticising someone's work, I don't. When I said the new site layout was horrible I new someone had to have designed it. Now I just know who to blame.

The fact that she's a good friend of Jay is great. It's good to have friends. I'm sure she's a nice person. Thanks for letting me know. It reminds me of that great piece of ignored advice. Never hire family or friends.

She knows the community spirit. Um... ok. Not sure what's confused you with this one. I suggested a forum for community spirit. Meaning people who come to JIG can have discussions and socialise somewhere other than in game comments. So, hopefully you're less confused now.

The only site function I have a problem with is that there is no longer a "Turn off the lights" button when you play a game. I only recently white-listed JIG. Don't make me look at the ads while I play a game.

As a graphic designer I dislike the new layout for it's clumsy, imbalanced aesthetic and jarring colour scheme. The Banner art or game and the little spiral headed man need to come back too. They were iconic of JIG.

The "WE REVIEW ONLY THE BEST" in all caps needs to go. As relevant a tagline as that may be, it'll bite you on the buttocks when there are low rated games and give people ammunition when they hate a game. "JayIsGames, reviewing the best since 2003." See, much nicer. Less arrogance and yelling.

The redesign just isn't clean. It needs to be crisper and feel less claustrophobic and busy. Looking at the portfolio of webdesign on multadroit.com I see a lot of open, light, spacious layouts. I don't see that here.

I hope this was constructive and not cruel. Just because I hate your new haircut doesn't mean I don't love you anymore JIG. :)

Sorry about the double post, after I submitted my comment the page just kept loading and after refreshing a few times nothing was showing up. It wasn't until I resubmitted the comment that the first one showed up, hence why there are 2 minutes between the first and second comments.

Hello Dandy, thanks for the feedback.
My answers:
-The button 'Toggle Turns Light on/off' should come back in a short delay, I hope next week.
-Regarding the colors and graphics you find horrible. Well this 'new' layout is not really new, it's a layout based on a theme created by Jay Oblea for JayIsGames a while ago.
I like it very much and it was the theme I used to read JiG everyday but I can understand it does not fit your expectations.
-Tatyana changed the structure of the site upon my request.
My feeling was I found the website too confused with 3 different parts, the left column, the middle column with the content and the right colum. I want to give the priority of the content which is the value for me here. So now the left content and the middle content have merged and I really think the website is better balanced. Also, this layout fits aleady better with mobile devices and
will be used for a possible app.
-Yes the slogan is 'We review only the best'. It's not new, it's the purpose of JiG. It's not the first time we claim that, the twitter account is enough explicit since Jay opened it ( https://twitter.com/Jayisgames ). And you're right, some games might have poor or low ratings but in our minds, those games deserved to be on JiG.
-Also, I can hear and understand the comments, feedbacks but you could at least say a word for the new game page.
This last one has been really improved.

We have a list of changes/improvements we would want to implement. If you have ideas, feel free to post them too here :)

"You could at least say a word for the new game page.
This last one has been really improved."

I know I shouldn't post links but... http://imageshack.com/a/img691/2046/b7pq.png
You're kidding right? Which word in particular you would like me to say?

"Regarding the colors and graphics you find horrible. Well this 'new' layout is not really new, it's a layout based on a theme created by Jay Oblea for JayIsGames a while ago."

I remember it well. I even remember the themes before that one. It's also the same time the colour behind the review writer's photos was changed from light blue to dark blue to match. But back then Jay Oblea's artwork was larger and spanned the entire banner which gave more continuity to the night sky edges. The yellow of the JIG title and tab highlight is new however and it's garish. The gradient and black outline of the title look like they belong on a 90s website. The black bar at the top dirties the look also.
The large facebook, twitter and rss feed icons are beggingly big and don't belong in the banner. Put them in the ugly black bar.

"So now the left content and the middle content have merged and I really think the website is better balanced."

There's no more symmetry, it feels odd and displaced to have the main content not centred. The first time I saw the new design I thought the page had loaded incorrectly so I refreshed. It's not balanced. It's lopsided.

"Yes the slogan is 'We review only the best'. It's not new, it's the purpose of JiG. It's not the first time we claim that, the twitter account is enough explicit since Jay opened it."

To quote the twitter account... 'Only the best Browser, Mobile, Indie and Casual games get reviewed, discussed and recommended here. We filter the crap so you don't have to.'
That's slightly different to, 'WE REVIEW ONLY THE BEST GAMES'.
I don't have an issue with the claim. It's the reason I come here. I have an issue with the way the tagline reads. It's forceful and reads like a disclaimer rather than a philosophy.

This redesign is like New Coke.

I'm not sure why you're seeing that image, Dandy, as it displays fine for me. Looks like a problem with an AdBlocker (which I say because I don't see any ads displaying in the sidebar.) If you're encountering unusual behaviour and bugs, posting your system and browser (as well as any other specs) can be helpful to us in fixing it.

I believe Jeff's comment was less intended to make you feel bad, and more to say that the design had been made by someone who has been a part of the community for a long time. That's all. :) I feel as though both you and Jeff are misunderstanding each other due to a communication error, and it's clear that you both care a great deal about the site.

As to the rest, all I can say is for everyone to please have patience and not take anything personally. Both Jeff and out IT fellow have literally been at this for DAYS tweaking and fixing and testing, and I'm sure you can imagine how incredibly disheartening it is to be met with a flat "every single element about everything you're doing is awful" while they're trying to iron the kinks out. :) Constructive criticism is always welcome, and we're doing our best to implement all of it as best we can in this early period, so please give us a chance to get bugs ironed out and hopefully cooler heads will prevail all around.

First let me say that, on balance, I like the new layout. I've been an intermittent lurker and occasional commenter here for a long time, and have been through several previous site design changes. I've noticed over the years that whenever any website changes layout, it's jarring at first and one's memory of the previous "look" contrasts strongly with what one is seeing. I know by know that the new layout will grow on me even more over time. I definitely like the golds-vs-deep-blues color scheme. It's possible that I wouldn't like it as much if I didn't have a widescreen monitor; that star-flecked indigo in the margins is just so relaxing.

I'm glad to see the dim-the-lights feature back up on game pages (and the short-blurb version of each game's review being on the page!) but, for me at least, turning the lights back on is not working at present. I'm using Firefox 26.0 on a Windows 7 system.

--Wait, no, I just double-checked and I can toggle the lightbulb button back on... if I scroll back up to the very top of the page where it migrated to for some reason. I can see placing the button where it can be scrolled out of view during play being a feature rather than a bug, especially for games that are both dark and low-contrast. But I don't think the button needs to go quite so far, and there definitely should be some clue as to where it went for site visitors not in a 'let's help beta-test the new layout' mindset.

All that said, I do have a criticism... but I think I'll put it in a separate comment.

@Dora, My adblock is disabled (If you look at the pic again the stop sign logo at the bottom left is grey) but I have noticed there are spaces where it seems an ad should be and if I use IE (which I have to for Escape Men games) I see some ads that I don't see on Mozilla.

The new layout... is clunky. It's trying to combine old UI elements with a new style, and they clash really badly. REALLY badly.

The whole effect takes away the Established Website feel of the old layout, and instead makes things seem like just a cluncky blog with lots of ads. Especially that tiny pixely banner. Sorry, it's cute and all, but it feels like... you are doing small.

A COHERENT look and feel is really important. I don't really know what feel are you trying to do here. Taking away SOME background and borders makes it feel like you are going for a cleaner look, but then you still have the New Free Online Games banner that's still using the old style, the new banner which looks bunched up, the oversized social buttons which DO NOT belong to a banner (next to the search bar would be nicer)...

If you have to change the layout, at least have the sense to change all of it! Or at least let your friend redo the whole thing.

Thanks to you for the feedbacks. We will do some adjustments in a short time.

What? I just wake up and I see the layout has changed? And What? People complain about it?
Please DO NOT change this layout! I'm typing this message from my iPad because I tested the layout and now after so many years we can use the site on a mobile device! Oh my god.
Today is a great day!
The articles are clear and it's now easy to read while it was before near to impossible.
So please do not change!

Some websites have a mobile version different to the online version. Is that just not a viable option due to budget constraints or something that could happen in the near future? I think it's an idea to consider at least.

Also, after clearing my cache the new game page is loading correctly. Some places where ads should be are still blank, like the black bar under the banner. In IE it's a PC cleanup ad but in Mozilla it's blank. The ad to the right is showing up though.

Are the numbered tabs across the top really necessary? If I'm going to the New Games page I'm clearly looking for new games and not content from ten years ago. It seems a little redundant.

A quick question, do any of the reviewers play games when they are hosted on JIG? I assume when a game is being played for review then it's not being played here but do reviewers play any of the games they don't review here? Just curious is all.

1) Yes we would like to have a 'true' mobile version through an app but having with this layout something better using a mobile browser was an important point. Some games like html5 games ( https://jayisgames.com/tag/html5 ) are playable on mobile phones or tablets.

2) In fact you should see:
using IE: http://puu.sh/76h9l.png
using Chrome: http://puu.sh/76hd1.png
using Mozilla: http://puu.sh/76hqp.png
The button 'Toggle lights on/off' should work using Mozilla 27.0.1, it works for me: http://puu.sh/76hKd.png
We will improve the code for having it working under any browser.

3) Which tabs?

4) I don't understand your question or what you try to suppose with the reviewers playing the games on JiG?

These ones Jeff http://imageshack.com/a/img19/3118/klnh.png
Ironically those buttons are missing on the all games page and archive page.

The Chrome and Mozilla links you posted are empty pics and don't open.

Reviewers play games before they are hosted on JIG. I assume they play them on the original host site (eg. Armorgames.com).
I was just curious about whether they play the games hosted on JIG, like from other reviewers. It was more a question for the reviewers. Nothing important.

Actually, since I'm the person who handles most of the game hosting (and you thought I was a brainless word monkey), I tend to evaluate whether the game is good for hosting, then host it, and then since I have to test our version to make sure it works, I typically wind up reviewing/playing our hosted version simply because that's what I'm on.

If I'm not playing for review and it's a game we have hosted here, then yep, I'm probably playing it here. :)

The criticism I said I was going to make in my previous comment now appears as though it may be moot... and I certainly hope this is the case!

I had planned to chime in with older (pre-new-layout) complaints by ShockTheToast & Carny Asada regarding ads showing up on JiG that seem to attempt to draw in traffic via scantily-clad cartoon female bodies. In particular, I have long been annoyed by the ads for the games "Scheherazade" and "Loren: Amazon Princess" which both feature an amount of bared skin I consider un-called-for on a games site that wants to be family-friendly, and which both used to appear in the right-hand sidebar of nearly every page here.

(The 'art' was particularly egregious with the supposed "Amazon princess" game's ad, as her ...top... not only wouldn't have afforded any protection in battle, it could not have stayed in place outside of a battle situation. Poor gal would barely even have been able to walk without that scrap of fabric flashing onlookers, much less bend over or lift an arm over her head.)

If ads like those are gone for good -- or even have just been relegated to pages for orange- and/or red-rated games -- I appreciate and applaud the decision. If not, then please consider making the absence of such ads more permanent...

(PS I still love the new layout, and it's been growing on me even more!)

Hi the Jack! Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I'm surprised to hear about Scheherazade, simply because I reviewed the game and neither the ads we put out for it or the game itself features ANY scantily clad females whatsoever. Are you thinking of a different game? Scheherazade is about a young, extremely intelligent and adventurous girl in the early 1900s who goes on adventures around the world trying to uncover her parents' legacy. There is no bared skin in that game whatsoever, either in its art or in the game itself, so I'm confused as to why you would say so.

While I admit Loren IS very cheesecakey in its art, I also reviewed that game, and I feel discounting it simply based on the way characters are drawn is a mistake. Not only was it a very enjoyable RPG game, but all of the female characters (including Loren herself who appears in all the art) were very powerful and well-written. I agree that the art is a little over the top in regards to clothing and actually does a disservice in presenting the game as shallower than it seems, but trust me when I say I would not have bought and reviewed the game myself if I felt it in any way violated our quality standards. :)

As far as family-friendly goes, we believe it is up to the reader to decide what to play, which is why our ratings are important. If you are uncomfortable playing a game or would not like your children to, we make sure to rate the games accordingly. However, we also don't RESTRICT games as long as they meet our quality guidelines, so if a game isn't something a child should play, we rate it accordingly as always. We strive to keep this site family friendly, though the games we review may not always be so due to violence or what have you, but we will always rate the games as they stand so people can decide for themselves what they do and do not wish to play.

Thanks Dora and Elle for your responses. :)

Something that might want fixing... until there are enough votes, the 5 blank stars cover the toggle light button. It still works, it's just hidden.

I don't love the new layout yet, but I certainly don't hate it. I don't really like the new header--it does look rather old fashioned as another poster mentioned--and I would like to see the comments fill the space on every page as they do on the game pages.

However, in many ways I think it's a huge improvement. I'm definitely willing to allow the kinks to be worked out.

Just by waiting, and not jumping in with a knee-jerk negative response, I've seen you bring back things I liked (recent comments, for example--LOVE that) and add some functionality (the tabs at the top, for example, as well as the direct access to info and comments on the game pages). Maybe we should all just give the design a chance to shake itself out.

As a web designer I know how hard it is to migrate an old site to a new design. I'm especially thrilled to have not seen a single disgusting ad since the changes were made. Keep after it, and I'm sure even the naysayers will come around in time!

I will point out, tho, on the topic of ads that I just saw a Genieo ad for some unrevealed Mac software. Genieo is a known scam company that downloads malware onto Apple computers which is really difficult to remove. Just FYI--now that Jay is gone, I don't know how many Mac users are in your company, so you might want to block Genieo in your ad server.

Thanks dsrtrosy for the feedbacks. I use a macbook air at home so I will remove the ads from
Genieo asap. As I said too we will do some adjustments in the layout this week with a better header and a better box for the game.
Also some other changes/improvements are scheduled but we need first to fix some issues with this 'new' layout.

Thanks drstrosy. :) It means a lot to get such helpful feedback from a longtime reader. We will continue to listen to comments and do our best to tweak, improve, and fix the layout. If you DO see an ad you don't like, please be sure to let us know as you've been doing. Jeff has been working hard to curate our ads and make sure we don't have anything objectionable. (For anyone who might be seeing this for the first time, please be sure to be as specific as possible when reporting ads! You need to tell us what, specifically, the ad was for, and where on the site it was located, IE the first square sidebar ad or the long banner ad on the main page.)

I will say, in the 6+ years I've been with this site, League of Angels was the single BIGGEST PAIN ad experience to deal with... even the political ads during election season weren't that hard to remove!

Just to clarify, Dora, I haven't tried either Loren: Amazon Princess or Scheherazade, precisely because I was so turned off by the ads I saw here.

There are lots of games that get marketed with ads featuring scantily clad and/or suggestively-posed female character art despite there being no such content in the game itself; if I recall correctly, the game Evony was notorious both for its misleadingly-racy ads and for its brazen plagiarism. I make a point of not giving a game a chance if it's marketed in that manner, and while I undoubtedly miss out on some perfectly-good games because of it, for me, it's more important to me that I not send the developer the message that those sorts of advertising tactics are okay with me.

That's just me. I'm not saying nobody should play such games (though I do encourage anyone else who finds such ads as distasteful as I do to boycott them as well). There are plenty of other games I don't play for a variety of reasons, particularly those dependent on acute vision and/or quick reflexes, since I have neither.

I couldn't find a copy of the exact ad that used to show up here, but it used the same art as in the third image that appears in your review of Loren: The Amazon Princess, without the equipment-management boxes over it. I note that in your review, you warned readers that "an exceptional amount of T-and-A" [emphasis in original] appears in the game, and went on to add, "Even turning the censor option on doesn't make the characters look as if they're wearing anything approaching sensible armor, which, yes, is somewhat of an issue when they're otherwise presented as completely serious and competent warriors... who apparently don't feel the need to protect their soft, squishy torsos from blades or arrows." [ellipsis in original] I'm glad you enjoyed the game, and glad that -- taking you at your word -- it does feature multiple strong female characters, as both the FRPG genre and video games in general do still suffer from a lack of such characters. But I think we can agree that the game didn't need its characters so scantily-dressed, and that having them so detracts from the game rather than improving it. L:TAP is, after all, a game whose beta-testers complained that the art was jarringly suggestive -- which is why there is a modesty option -- and the pool of people who beta-test RPGs pre-release contains a substantially larger proportion of, shall we say, stereotypical male gamers than it does feminists.

I also haven't been able to find the exact ad image I recall seeing for the Scheherazade game, nor did any of the images from that game that I have found match the pose or expression that bothered me. If my recollection is accurate (and I'm very much aware that it might very well not be, despite my having found a match for what I remember of the L:TAP ad, memory being a notoriously slippery fish) it was less how the character in the Scheherazade was dressed than it was her pose and facial expression -- though I think she was wearing a tightly-fitted top, albeit a long-sleeved one.

What I believe I saw was an anime-style blonde girl, with her eyelids half-closed and mouth open -- the classic "look here, male gaze" expression familiar from thousands of advertisements. She might or might not have had her head tilted back slightly and/or her bust pushed forward via her back being arched in a way not comfortable to do in real life with real anatomy... but I freely admit I'm less sure about her pose, and might be conflating that in my head with some other image or images.

The fact that the name Scheherazade was emblazoned across the image of a lily-pale blonde woman also struck me as problematic, given that the original Scheherazade was the protagonist of the Thousand and One Nights. While there is some question as to the identity of any real historical figure the Scheherazade of classical literature was based on, or the ethnicity of any such model(s), neither the Scheherazade of fiction nor any woman who contributed directly to inspiring that tale would have been blonde, and it's rather unlikely she would have been pale-complected, either. In looking for a match for the ad image I was thinking of having seen, I discovered that the game's titular heroine is the daughter of European archaeologists who -- presumably, or at least plausibly -- gave her that name out of respect for a great work of literature associated with a part of the world that remains a rich source of archaeological finds.

The fact that these two games were marketed with nothing more than an 'appealing' (to someone, perhaps, but not to the very people most likely to most enjoy them, judging by your reviews of both games) image of a female character and the title of the game is what I had a problem with in the first place. Now that I know a little about the two games, the fact that they were marketed in that manner, at least in the ads that appeared here at JiG, seems more problematic to me rather than less.

Why reduce such interesting-sounding, complex-seeming games to "look, pretty girl!" as the entirety of the appeal to prospective customers? Yes, they're the title characters, and yes, the general format of sidebar ads here seems to be screenshot+title, but surely there were screenshot options for both these games that would have communicated more of each game's strengths?

(Sorry for the length and off-topic-ness, relative to the post it's technically a response to, of this comment; if you'd rather move this discussion elsewhere, Dora -- or other JiG staff -- I certainly wouldn't be offended and think it might even be a better idea.)

While I believe everyone is entitled to their own views and opinions and can make their own choices, I must say I think boycotting Scheherazade for having a 'sexy' blonde manga protagonist is like boycotting the My Little Pony games because they don't look like real horses.

I'm going to spoiler this response to Jack so it doesn't clutter up the page. :) Guess it's getting on time for us to get that forum!

... Does people really complain about the adds ? If you dont like the add, dont click on it -.- Stop complaining for stupid stuff. There would be less adds in the first place if people stop using adblocks and such. If someone doesn't use adblock yet complaings about adds, then he should probbably use it. Do you people seriously think JIG will allow innapropriate adds? Then you are wrong.

I have kinda question. I remmember back in 2010 or 2009 , not sure. Maybe it was 2011. So there were contests :3 Does you guys still do em ? I think one of the contests was a Gem hunt ha ha ha . Just wondering. Haven't seen one for years.

Thanks for your support, xxerox, but please remember that what's stupid to one person is a hot button issue to another solely due to different feelings and circumstances, and no one opinion is less important to another. :) If our audience disapproves of something, we're going to do our best to address it and at the VERY least talk it out, and if it's within our power to make a simple change that makes a difference for someone else, we don't mind doing so.

As for contests, yes, we'd love to do some more in the future! Obviously we're doing a lot of work making sure the site is functioning as best it can after the new redesign at the moment (I cannot express how much the changes have made a huge difference to us, the writers, on the other end of things), but we would love to do something in the near future. :)

Our game submission form is now working again. :)

@Dandy:

@Dora:
Thank you for that thoughtful response. I'll make a more specific and more detailed response later, but for now, I want to say, as the 'short version'?

You're right, on virtually every point; and I was mistaken, on multiple points.

(I also feel like an idiot for not thinking to spoiler-tag my own previous post. If you guys wouldn't mind throwing everything below my first paragraph inside a set of spoiler tags, I'd appreciate it. I'd edit the comment to add the tags myself if I could.)

@xxerox:

Which reminds me: Going by the IE screenshot posted by Jeff (timestamp February 22, 2014 1:30 PM), I should possibly be seeing ads on either side of games hosted here, inside the grey game-framing box? (Incidentally, only the first of those puu.sh links worked for me, either.) I don't see ads in that location, and haven't since the redesign premiered.

I don't use the AdBlock plug-in. I do use NoScript (with jayisgames.com whitelisted, and every other script-domain that shows up at least temporarily allowed, with the sole exception of social-network sites I don't use, such as facebook), and I do see the rectangular ads along the right column of most pages, below the "Recent Comments" and "Recent Top Rated Games | Recommended" elements. If this is adversely affecting advertising revenue, would it be possible to tweak JiG code such that the serving domains show up to NoScript and thus allow users like me to allow them? Or, as a stopgap measure, maybe create a 'these are our advertising partners' page that would inform users like me which additional domains to whitelist so we're not inadvertently freeloading?

Other also, a JiG forum sounds like a great idea!

Sorry to highjack the current discussion, but would it be possible to display the number of comments on the Comments-tab on game-pages, so one would know if a click will be "fulfilling" or not? Either below or above the game (or both if you are so inclined) would be appreciated.

@the Jack

Let's keep everything friendly and non-personal, gents. :) We're all here for the same reason (games, ponies, and the mandatory full facial tattoos that were in the fine print when you signed up). There's no need for personal jabs.

Just a quick note about the changes in the layout:
-the header has been modified with the sizes of the social icons, smaller and the height of the black bar, smaller too
-a background has beed added at the top ad so this ad fits better now the layout. Please note that comparing all the different versions of JiG in the past, it's the first time you only see one AD when you have the first look of the homepage (I mean without scrolling). You can compare with before:
http://puu.sh/7aZ27.jpg
-the ad 300x250 on the right has been removed, now you could find the recent comments, the favorites, the top rated etc.
-the game submission works again

Other changes are planned for today or tomorrow:
-a dark background for the game box
-the comments on the review pages filling all the available space.

Hey, look, actual support issue!

The site-search results for the TomaTea game Pearl Room currently gives the URL jayisgames.com/archives/_includes/entries/description-8736.php for the review of that game. Trying to follow the link from the search-results page causes the URL to resolve to the site's home page (jayisgames.com).

I was able to get to the review page by following the link to the game page (which came up on the search-results page as https://jayisgames.com/games/pearl-room-escape/ -- I'd been playing at tomatea.com, so I hadn't had the page here open) and from there clicking the Read-more link below the game. This doesn't seem likely to be the expected behavior; and not everyone who comes here looking for the review and/or walkthrough will necessarily be able to figure out how to get there from the search results page.

I don't know whether this issue is affecting any other games, but I imagine someone who knows the JiG back-end will have a better idea of how to test for that than I would. (I would be happy to help checking out other search results if that would be helpful, though...)

Also, the exact search string I entered was "pearl room" without quotation marks.

The "lights out" button now disappears entirely (instead of just zipping up to the top of the page) once it's clicked on to dim everything outside the game window -- for me at least. I'm running Firefox 26.0 and Flash 12.0.0.70 on a Windows 7 system.

(The darkened background inside the new light-grey game frame on game pages is showing up fine as far as I can tell, and looks quite nice, btw!)

((Also, was it just me, or was commenting disabled for much of yesterday?))

The game page for ALZ is showing the description and comments for Weekday Escape N°13.

Thanks, fixed! My finger missed a key when I was typing in the number. :)

Like the Jack, I have had the same issue with the search page sending me to the JiG homepage instead of a game I am clicking on. I'm sorry I can't remember what I was looking up the other day, but it happened on a couple of games and not on others. I will watch and see if it happens again!

Just a heads up that, when I submitted a game for review earlier today, the little pink box that popped up

• Thank you! =)
  [Submit another] [Done]

(with the [square brackets] indicating the two clickable buttons in the box) appeared, not beneath the "Game Submission Form" text that begins "Use this form to suggest a game..." in the main part of the page, but instead way off to the right in the banner at the top of the page.

It showed up far enough over that some of the text and the right-hand button were cut off, and I had to go to the page source to be sure of what was supposed to be showing. Despite that, the pink box was covering part of the artwork image in the center of the banner. In fact, on my screen (1366 x 768 resolution, browser window maximized) the pink box appears lined up almost directly under the search box.

I'm still running Firefox 26.0 and Flash 12.0.0.70 on a Windows 7 system, in case that matters.

Just to be clear, this doesn't seem to have prevented me from submitting the game successfully, but it did seem like another example of the new layout not behaving as intended. Happy bug-hunting!

Not real sure who this should go to but I have been having a bug pop up since the new layout came out. It happens when I am using the Recommended games search, something I do a lot. what happens is when I click the thumbnail I get a blank page about 40% of the time. The header reads "https://jayisgames.com/archives/_includes/entries/components-4015.php". the numbers after the word components changes from game to game. I find a lot of the games I play by clicking though the recommended suggestions. This is my favorite game site. But this bug really annoys me, anything you can do resolve this will make me very happy. Keep up the good work everyone!

Hi HrdWodFlor, thanks for letting us know! :)

How do I change my password? When I try, I get told 'failed to verify current password', but I don't see a box to input my old password...

The "New Free Online Games" section's autoscroll is annoying. Sometimes a game in that section will catch my eye, and I will click the "read more" button to see more about it, only to have it flip to the next page. If I am interacting with it to read something, it should stop scrolling.

Yes fair point Mystify. We will fix that.

Hello there,
We received mails from some readers informing us they meet problems with the website during the load of some images or during the load of the games.
We would appreciate a lot, if you meet this kind of problem yourself, you let here a message with some information like your browser, the game which did not load, your os, your region, the date (if you know it) from where you began to meet the problems and any other details you think would help us.
Thanks in advance!

I'm having problems loading Koan or J-Tubeus using Chrome, Windows 7, US. Started happening today 03/18/2014 3:20 pm CDT. It appears that everything loads except the game. All I see is a black area on the screen where the game should be.

Was there a problem with Tinysasters 2? I see that its review has been removed.

@jem99b
Can you please clear your cache (Tools=>Clear Browser Data=>Select empty cache) and try again?

@chipmunk
I think we removed it due to a bug in the first levels.

Tinysasters 2 was removed due to the fact that we were alerted by the developers that the version we had hosted from a portal site was an illegal hack. Since hacks hurt developers and their sponsors, we chose to remove and delete it immediately, and will put the article back when the developer sends us the new file today. :)

Hi guys.

I have noticed that lately the front page is really slow and clunky to load.

I am wondering if you have been hearing this from others (didn't see anything in comments) and what a possible cause and solution might be. I am using Firefox, which is and has been my preferred browser for JiG for a while now.

Also, any plans of having a more robust commenting engine, eg one where you can be alerted to replies to your comment, activity on your comment, etc?

Hello Neo,
You're right the frontpage is became a bit slower due to the lots of social buttons.
We will see how to improve the load.
And yes, improving the comments is something we plan to do within next weeks.
Thanks for the feedback.

Hey guys. I think your "All Games" page is broken.

I can't access it. I just gives me a "Requested Page Could Not Be Found" and some technical details about time and date settings your should've used, etc.

Yes thanks to you for the feedback. We will fix it asap.

The "Lights Out" button has quit working for me.

Chrome on Win7.

Hi Itt, I can confirm that this is an issue for me too on Firefox, Windows 7. I'll make sure this gets looked at. Thanks for letting me know!

How can you know how many times an article has been read? With multiple articles on the homepage it's impossible to go by pageviews and counting the amount of clicks an article gets doesn't discount people just looking at the comments or walkthroughs or coming back to reply to comments.

Sorry to be pedantic but things like that stand out to me.

We know how many times an article has been read because we only count the views from the link of the article itself (i.e https://jayisgames.com/archives/2014/04/somnium_exodus.php). So we do not count the views from the homepage and we do not count the views from people who goes to comments directly (i.e https://jayisgames.com/archives/2014/04/somnium_exodus.php#comments).