The 6-man indie studio known as Flashbang is back with Minotaur China Shop, a pick up and play management sim for the PC. The basic game play is nothing new – it plays very similar to the popular casual game Diner Dash (and its 10 million clones.) With several unique twists and the humor of being a spoof of the genre, this game is anything but another clone.

The game at its heart is simple. You play as a Minotaur whose lifelong dream of owning a china shop is now a reality. You manage his store by trying to please the customers day-to-day , and by spending money between days to make improvements. Although so far it sounds like other games you’ve played before, several game mechanics set this one apart.

Controlling a Minotaur is just like you’d expect: not that easy. You don’t need to be a biologist to know that bovines aren’t known for their dexterity. The difficulty of control is not a bad thing in this game, as it not only adds to the fun and challenge, but really makes the game when coupled with the other mechanics. Unfortunately for our protagonist, he is but a bull in a china shop. Since you can’t always save your store’s inventory from its proverbial fate, this is where Minotaur China Shop really improves upon games like Diner Dash. You have two options each day: serve your customers, or snap into a rage and destroy everything in sight to collect insurance money. Thanks to the controls you can’t help but break a few dishes, giving you an option of playing it straight or becoming enraged. This two-pronged game play, plus leaderboards and achievements will keep you keeping coming back for more.

Perhaps best of all, this gem is free to play. For PC users with an internet connection, you can play right from your web browser. With a quick plug-in download you’ll be smashing stuff in no time all inside your browser, as long as you’re using Firefox or Internet Explorer. For users of the new Google Chrome browser, a solution for you is on the way, but not currently available. For everyone else, head over to http://blurst.com to get your smash on. With its 3D environment, excellent music, playability, and its price (free!) Minotaur China Shop is a definite download.

Play it today: http://blurst.com

Kevin “Mello Joe” Mercer is a former radio personality and a lifelong gamer. You can find him on Xbox Live and Playstation Network, Gamertag: Mellojoe. View the world as he sees it at www.youtube.com/user/mellojoe. www.myspace.com/charlesk