To anyone who spends a lot of time on Facebook, the top 5 Facebook games may be pretty obvious. Chances are, you’ve got dozens – if not hundreds – of friends filling your update stream with details about their latest in-game achievement or requests for help. As Facebook now has more than 500 million users, some Facebook games are currently among the most popular video games in the world. Love them or hate them, Facebook and its popular social games are a force to be reckoned with.
It’s worth noting that all of the top 5 Facebook games are created by the same publisher, Zynga. This company seems to have a great grasp of the simple, addictive games that Facebook users want to play – or love to hate, depending on how you feel about Facebook games. Chances are, if your friends are hooked on a Facebook game, Zynga makes it. A notable exception to this is Bejeweled Blitz, which is a Facebook-specific version of the popular “match 3” game Bejeweled by PopCap Games. PopCap are no strangers to addictive games either, boasting other hard-to-put-down titles such as Peggle and Zuma in addition to Bejeweled. Check out the top 5 Facebook games:
Top 5 Facebook Games
FarmVille
FarmVille is easily the most popular of the top 5 Facebook games. According to CNN, the game had more than 118 million installs in February 2010 – meaning more than 20% of all Facebook users have FarmVille installed on their accounts. To illustrate just how big that number is, there are more Facebook accounts with FarmVille installed than the entire population of Mexico, equal to about 1/3rd of the population of the United States or 1/10th of the population of India.
FarmVille is a farm-simulation game. Players start by creating an avatar, then turn their attentions to cultivating their plots of land. Through in-game currency known as farm coins, players can purchase animals, seeds, equipment and buildings. The game also offers social networking incentives such as gifts and trading among friends, which is what encourages people to harrass their non-playing friends to hop on the FarmVille bandwagon. FarmVille, like most successful Facebook games, can be played with whatever spare moments a player has. This makes it a big hit among bored office workers or anyone who spends idle time on Facebook.
Top 5 Facebook Games
Café World
Café World sets you as the chef at your own restaurant. Learn and cook recipes, then serve them to your customers. Give your restaurant its own unique design with the hundreds of design options for layout and furniture. Again, the game relies on a social networking component too – allowing you to visit the restaurants of friends to see how their fare is faring. Performing tasks rewards you with “café points,” which help you advance in the game.
Top 5 Facebook Games
Mafia Wars
Mafia Wars centers on the world of organized crime. Choose from one of 3 playable classes (the Maniac, Mogul or Fearless) to unlock different jobs. Like in RPGs, each class has its own advantages and may exclude players from portions of the game or pursuing certain jobs. Starting in New York City, players can later unlock the opportunity to travel to exotic locations such as Bangkok and Moscow to carry out their dirty work. Missions and tasks to help increase your level in the game are done against a timer. In late June 2010, rumors suggested that a Mafia Wars movie was planned for production. As reported by gaming outlet IGN, the rumors proved untrue – but Mafia Wars remains the most likely candidate of the top 5 Facebook games to inspire a feature film.
Top 5 Facebook Games
FishVille
Zynga really likes “Ville” games: FishVille, FarmVille, YoVille….how long until we see VilleVille? In FishVille, players start out with an aquarium and some baby fish. Decorate your aquarium, feed your fish and help them grow – then move on to more exotic fish for your aquarium. Lots of customization options are available between fish types to tanks and decorations, helping you create a totally unique place to keep your fish. This works using much of the same type of gameplay as FarmVille, just in the aquatic kingdom.
Top 5 Facebook Games
Zynga Poker (or Texas HoldEm Poker)
There are lots of social poker games available for play on Facebook, with Zynga Poker at the top of the heap. This was also Zynga’s most popular game before FarmVille came along. The game uses Texas hold ’em rules, and even features game chips. Though more chips can be purchased (allowing a real-world money component), the game is still considered to operate within legal guidelines – no illegal gambling here, folks. Though FarmVille and other similar games with collectible, cutesy elements are most popular among females, 75% of Zynga Poker’s players are male.
Though Farmville remains the #1 Facebook game, the rest of the list seems to fluctuate on a monthly basis. The data in this article was collected for a CNN article in February 2010. For updated statistics on the top 5 Facebook games, check out the applications stats at All Facebook.
Sources:
Doug Gross. “The Facebook Games That Millions Love (and Hate).” CNN.
Jason Lieberman. “UPDATED: A Mafia Wars Movie?” IGN.
“World Population.” Wikipedia.
