Stop Scout from flushing her toys in Mr. Rooter advergame on Facebook

Ok, this has to be one of the most "out-there" advergames I've seen released on Facebook to date. The people at Mr. Rooter plumbing have taken a humorous look at clogged drain with "Scout's Game," available to play by liking the company's Facebook page.

Scout's Game asks you to stop a young girl named Scout from flushing her toys down the toilet, thus clogging the drain. This arcade-style game isn't really the traditional Facebook game, being played in short sessions of a minute or less, requiring you to work on your own, rather than anything social. Still, there's a humor here that can't be matched. Scout will throw items towards the toilet, and you'll need to simply click on them with your mouse before they land in the bowl. Once the toilet overflows or you run out of time, you'll need to "call Mr. Rooter," ending the game.

You'll have power-ups to watch out for as you play, including plungers that lower the toilet's current clog level, along with those that make the toys bigger or slow them down, thus making them easier to hit. There are even leaderboards to submit your scores to. Will this game attract a mass audience, or even come close to competing with the big boys? Probably not, but if you're in for a humorous few minutes of fun on Facebook, you could do much worse.

Play Mr. Rooter's Scout's Game on Facebook -->

Have you tried Mr. Rooter's Scout's Game?

Orbitz 50 Faves Facebook 'game' offers luxury vacations giveaway

Is Orbitz 50 Faves really a game? Every press release out there certainly says so, but I beg to differ. What we've got instead is a Facebook app that has you coming back daily, making you nag your friends to help out so you can unlock new areas and gain points for bids. I know what you're thinking -- that does sound suspiciously like a Facebook game, doesn't it? But Orbitz 50 Faves isn't so much a game as it is a glorious raffle board.

Social games are so huge right now that even banks and TV broadcasters are adding Facebook games to their official fan pages and creating games portals. So, it's understandable if they want to bring more attention to an app by labeling it as a "game". Moreover, this approach works, because it's certainly caught our attention.
Orbitz Games Hovernaut
Before we turn away, it seems this internet travel company does indulge in social games. Orbitz.com launched Orbitz Games in 2001, before making it a standalone website in 2005. Now it comes complete with Facebook integration and carries a large selection of simple games. Currently, the top 5 games on the site are Shuffleboard (on a cruise ship background), Orbuku (a travel-themed Sudoku), Home Run Hero (a baseball game), 8-Ball (a pool game), and Air Dog (snowboarding). But you've also got weirder titles such as Hovernaut (pilot a hovercraft), Where's My Hotel? (a spatial game), and Shove Your Love ("Give family members a loving shove down the street and try to outscore your opponent!").

Orbitz Games Where's My Hotel?
But none of these Orbitz Games are going to let you win up to a $15,000 luxury dream vacation to places like Dubai, Cancun, Rome, Fiji, and the list goes on. Given this, I think most of us could care less about Orbitz calling their app a "game."

Orbitz 50 Faves destinations on Facebook
Click here to start 'playing' Orbitz 50 Faves and get your shot at one of 50 dream vacations! This "game" will last until Sept 18.

[Source: Orbitz Blog]

Are you going to participate in Orbitz's 50 Faves game? Have you ever played through an advergame on Facebook?

This Hess Toy Truck advergame on Facebook is actually ... fun?

But--but that means everything I've learned about advergames is a lie. That's not true. That's impossible! Ahem, anyone else remember getting a toy Hess truck every Christmas from gramps? At least this writer does, but that's not all that makes this brand new Facebook advergame a blast to play. Titled simply Hess Racer Game, the game throws players behind the wheel of digital versions of the 2011 Hess Toy Truck and Race Car.

And--get this--you don't click a single thing to play but the "Play Game" button to start. To guide either the Race Car or Toy Truck across a cityscape, mountain highway or an interstate, use either the "W" and "D" keys or the arrow keys on your keyboard. The goal of the game is to last as long as possible without hitting any cars or guard rails. The game allows you to take just a few hits.

Pressing the space bar activates turbo boost, which nets you more points but reduces your handling. Once your run is through, you can post your results to Facebook (with no confirmation). You'll earn coins from your races that you can spend on collectible, digital cards featuring throw backs to classic toy Hess vehicles from the last 47 years. Players can also challenge their Facebook friends to beat their high score for extra coins.

And once you reach around 30,000 points, boy is this game a challenge. Hess Car Racer, developed by Sticky Studios, is available for free on Facebook, iPhone and iPad right now. (An Android version is coming Dec. 2.) Sure, it's an advergame, but at least it's a fun one.

Click here to play Hess Car Racer on Facebook Now >

How do you feel about advergames on Facebook? Do you remember getting Hess trucks every Christmas as a kid?