Games.com's Top 10 Facebook Games of 2010

top ten facebook games 2010 games.com
This year has been both a turbulent time and a renaissance for social gaming. The first half of 2010 showed immense growth and opportunity for almost everyone involved in this brave new world of gaming. There were multiple stories of buyouts and new development studios cropping up at least once a month for quite a while with new games being released twice as often. And even in the midst of drastic changes to the way we discover games, developers kept cranking out hits with tens of millions of players flocking to the social game of the week. While most of these games competed for the same audience using slightly perfected design each time, there were a few that dared to be different and tread new ground. And with that, we've present our back at our Top 10 Facebook Games of 2010.

top ten facebook games it girl
10. It Girl
Crowdstar
For girly girls who want to get their shop on without opening their wallet, It Girl from Crowdstar is the way to do it. Customize your very own It Girl and then take her shopping, doll her up and then flirt to find a boyfriend. Use your style prowess to win showdowns against other It Girls. It's The Hills meets the Kardashians meets a Facebook game (if you're into that sort of thing). Even if you're not a fashionista, you'll be surprised at how easily this game sucks you in.


top ten facebook games mighty pirates
9. Mighty Pirates
Crowdstar
Hunt for treasure by digging, chopping, and slashing your way through tropical islands, searching for goods and fighting off the undead. Deck out your ship with crew members, weapons, and decorations. Then take your deadly war vessel out on the high seas and do battle with the meanest pirates the world has to offer. There are a number of pirate games on Facebook, but Mighty Pirates distinguishes itself from the rest with its epic mixture of action and adventure.


top ten facebook games robot unicorn attack
8. Robot Unicorn Attack
Adult Swim Games
"Always, I wanna be with you, and make believe with you, and live in harmony, harmony oh love!" If you know the song, you certainly know the game. This addictive, simple, two-button platformer starring a unicorn that zaps enemies with rainbow beams made a seamless transition from Adult Swim Games to Facebook. With weekly tournaments, leaderboards, and of course the new Heavy Metal Version, Robot Unicorn Attack will continue to capture our imaginations and our free time for many moons to come.


top ten facebook games flutter
7. Flutter
Runaway
Reminiscent of high-concept video games like Flower and flOw, Flutter brings a refreshing approach to social gaming with a heavier focus on exploration rather than maintaining a farm, city or other type of property. Flutter's smooth animation, soothing music and extremely detailed visuals are a sight to behold as you guide butterflies through a rainforest interacting with wildlife and completing quests. In what might be a first for social games, there's no pressure to be the best in Flutter, just be.


top ten facebook games city of wonder
6. City of Wonder
Playdom
Until the recent release of CityVille, City of Wonder was our favorite 'city' game out there -- mostly because it's the closest a Facebook has come to recreating one of our all-time favorite PC games, Civilization. You start out building a city and, while keeping your population growing (and happy), you learn new skills that will enable you to trade with and/or go to battle with other civilizations. Make allies to fortify your city and be prepared for enemies attack -- you'll need might and mettle if you want to give it back.


top ten facebook games pocket god
5. Pocket God
Frima/Bolt
The game that made a name for itself on the iPhone got ported to Facebook and managed to keep its main premise in tact -- you play a vengeful god to an island of pygmies -- while adding in some clever social elements (like being able to turn friends into pygmies and kill them) and a slew of brand new powers. Let the pygmy torture commence.


top ten facebook games ravenwood fair
4. Ravenwood Fair
LOLApps
Deep within the mysterious, dark forest of Ravenwood, a fun fair is under construction. Build rides, decorate your world and build games to attract friendly animal folks to your fair. But be wary, evil lies in the forest. Abandon your fair for too long and those creepy trees you originally beat back will slowly reclaim their home. Though Ravenwood Fair was struck by controversy and shares a lot in common with FrontierVille and other Facebook games; its charm, simple features and cute fantasy setting make the world of Ravenwood one worth returning to again and again.


top ten facebook games cityville
3. CityVille
Zynga
We all knew that Zynga's last release for 2010 was going to be huge regardless, but to dethrone FarmVille in monthly players in less than a month? That, for lack of a better word, is insane. Though, CityVille sure does deserve it for taking the stale city-building game and making it fresh through more social features than you can shake a friend request at. While the game's Reputation system and Franchises are nothing new (see FrontierVille and Millionaire City, respectively), Zynga gave them their signature polish to attract close to 78 million monthly players in December alone.


top ten facebook games zuma blitz
2. Zuma Blitz
PopCap
Let's face it -- PopCap's "Blitz" approach to Facebook gaming just works. Zuma Blitz is no exception, bringing back the gameplay that folks on the run crave for combined with the lasting satisfaction of traditional social games. Being pressured into scoring as many points in 60 seconds as possible demands quick skill and critical thinking that most social games don't even bother making a crack at. Top it all off with weekly tournaments, leader boards and impressively smooth gameplay for one of Zynga's most formidable opponents.


top ten facebook games frontierville
1. FrontierVille
Zynga
Zynga's Wild West game FrontierVille took us off the farm and plopped us down in the middle of a wilderness that we had to tame and turn into a thriving frontier town. Aside from the fact that we love Fr'ville's setting, the real reason this rootin' tootin' game sits at the top of our list is because it was one of the first Facebook games to integrate a series of quests, introduced us to characters and reminded us how fun it is to pick up stars, coins and other loot that drops after performing an otherwise mundane task. Oh yeah, and then there's the game's racy Facebook wall messages that give us a good laugh (and always manage to raise an eyebrow or two). FrontierVille set a new standard in social gaming, and we're already starting to see other games (CityVille, Ravenwood Fair) follow the same trail that this pioneering game blazed before them.