Grimm's Hatchery - Sim That Makes You Think 

Grimm's Hatchery developed by Amaranth Games is one more proof that casual games are getting serious but still remain peaceful and entertaining. This is another fairy-tale that you're to write (or play through) yourself.

Just like a fairy-tale, the game starts with a title character(and you're the one) being in a great trouble.

"Your step-father has died and left the kingdom to your evil step-brother, Lord Boras. However, if you earn 300,000 gold coins in 80 days, you can kick out Lord Boras and take the castle for yourself.

To get your kingdom back, you buy a cottage called Grimm's Farm, where you raise and breed new species of magical pets. As your herd of magical pets grows, you can buy new, more luxurious places to raise your pets as well as unlock new areas of the kingdom to explore." This is what Amanda Fitch, the owner of Amaranth Games and creator of such simulation hit as Aveyond, tells about the story of Grimm's Hatchery.

So, as far as the game task is concerned (breeding new species of animals, selling them and making money) this game is similar to LDW Software's Fish Tycoon. But, given its fairy story and plot, colorful graphics(that you might have seen long ago as a young child in books of fairy-tales), it is a sim fairy-tale, that reminds me of Fairy Godmother Tycoon.

Now let's talk about the game itself. Playing Grimm's Hatchery for the first time is impossible without tutorial and hints.

So, here's the basics you need to know about the game before you start:

1. Your journey begins in Backlands, a poor sector of the game. That's where you can sell your animals and buy them, talk to people to get some valuable information, and find some useful stuff like medicines for your pets. To talk to the inhabitans of Backlands, click on them.            

2. After exploring and meeting people in Backlands, click on the scroll(at the bottom right) to enter a map. You'll see some locked areas. Grimm's Farm is located lower than the Backlands. That's where you are to look after and feed your magic pets(dragonflies, gryphons, and geese).

3. Note also you'll have to keep them safe from monster attacks. Beware that monster can come at any time of the day and kill your pets. You can kill the monster just by clicking on it. During a day at a farm, your pets may lay eggs. Mouse click on an eggs to collect eggs.   

4. While playing, you can always access comprehensive game stats, find out the current number of pets you have, check out your current stock of animal food, breed new animals by putting two different eggs in the hatchery pot etc. It all can be done as you click on a corresponding icon on a menu on the left.

5. As you breed and sell new pets and your business goes well, you can earn more money and unlock new areas to proceed in your game.   

A very detailed game Grimm's Hatchery tutorial describing the things that you are to do and not to do, can be found here.

On the whole, this game is for the sim game fans.

In  Grimm's Hatchery, you're to become the part of the game plot and create it yourself. So, this is the kind of game that requires thinking aside from clicking from a player.