So you are a brave prince on your way to marry your beautiful princess when an evil, ugly witch stops all your future endeavors. Who knows why someone would curse your beloved and the castle in order to stop you from marrying? Maybe she is interested in you and wants to be your mate? In any event, you are not going to take it anymore and you go to the dragon’s lair to see if they could help you defeat the wicked witch. Who knew dragons are so helpful? It is the year of the dragon so maybe they are willing to assist you in your quest to recover your princess.

Before the dragon can help you with this, you must help the dragons raise their own “clutch”. You take on this task by clicking repeatedly on an egg to hatch, when the adorable baby dragon emerges, you must take care of it by feeding and collecting their gems. Yes, baby dragons poop out jewels. Hooray! No dirty diapers to change. Click on the gem to collect because the main dragon will give you your goals to collect a number of jewels. These gems can, in turn, be forged into magical jewelry (necklaces, rings) to sell for gold dragon coins.

The progress quest is at the upper right of the screen along with the Start of Day button. You use the button to start each day of dragon duties. The screen will darken when you day is almost over. However, before you start the day, be sure you have filled your food rack, forged your jewels, and other preparatory business you must deal with. Once you begin your day you will be kept busy feeding the babies by clicking on them when you see the bubble with the drumsticks. Collect their gems by clicking and fight off the intruders. These so called heroes will enter your precious nursery to create havoc and steal your wards. Just click on the enemy and see their clothes fly off them one by one. Once they are in their undies, they will escape your cave as fast as they came into it. But, wait. They will leave blue orbs of hero essence for you to collect. Once again click on these because they’ll come in handy later in the game.

As these sim breeding management games tend to do, they increase your duties many folds. However, you with your amazing time management skills will be able to make a lot of money raising baby dragons. Hire trolls, goblins and imps to help you with your many tasks including protecting your growing dragons, feeding and collecting the gems.

Mac sim time management game Dragon Keeper is a fun and entertaining game to while away the day. It could have been longer with different types of dragons but that may be for the next version. They produce different colors and shapes of gems, but all in all it’s basically the same. There are only 4 chapters with 3 types of dragons per chapter. The dragons and characters are adorable, the artwork good and the music is cute and light making for a great time all around. So brave prince, rescue your fair maiden and raise your dragons.

Features of Dragon Keeper:
-Tale of Good versus Evil
-Sim Breeding Management Game
-Dragons, Gems and More

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Jewel Quest III is still a lively exciting match Mac game to play especially on a rainy day to get you in the mood for more of Professor Rupert Pack’s arduous adventures into the jungles of the Yucatan. This time he is on a quest to find the cure for his and Emma’s daughter, Natalie. At the opening of his new museum, Natalie opens a box with an ancient game board in it, and it spews blinding spores planted by Dr. Pack’s arch enemy, Sebastian Grenard. The spores were intended for Pack as revenge for taking Emma away from him (all in Jewel Quest II). The search for a cure is underway in the jungles of the Yucatan and who knows where it will take you from there?

The match 3 or more icons is the same as the first 2 games, Jewel Quest and Jewel Quest II. The chain reactions are many and the flow of the game is good. The extras are the gold coins when matched will unlock the vaults. When you click on the left mouse button or control button, the gems are taken away and you can view where you need to concentrate on your game to make gold squares. If you have played the first 2 Jewel Quest games this third one is very similar. Even though it is almost the same, the game boards are new and it is still a fun play. I would highly recommend you try the first 2 games in order to be able to follow the complete storyline, but if you are not into the adventure tale, playing any of the 3 games is equally enjoyable.  Traveling around the world as the levels are unlocked, you find yourself challenged in a foreign country to play a match game against an opponent.  Also if you find yourself in Iceland, there are iced encased gems to thaw out and destroy.

In Jewel Quest III there is a Tournament mode you can play against people from around the world. It has 40 unique game boards. The sound effects and graphics on this 3rd game are amazing and worth checking out especially the beginning where the 40’s car drives up to the museum with pigeons flying overhead.  This game is very theatrical and movie-like with it's main play, but all these things add up to one great game.  Take a challenging journey into the green jungles of Central America one of my favorite places in the world or the frigid air of Iceland and be pleasantly surprised at what you may find there—possibly the fabled golden game board?

Features of Jewel Quest III:
- Fabled Golden Jewel Board
- 200 Level in 11 Different Regions
- Play Tournament Mode
- Hidden Jewels

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Sebastian Grenard is at it again. He claimed the Golden Jewel Board from Rupert and Emma’s museum belonged to his family and convinced the Feds enough to confiscate it. Now Rupert must prove the true ownership of this prized treasure by going backwards through his family tree all the way to the Aztecs.

In this fourth installment of Jewel Quest, you find Rupert once again fighting Grenard, his nemesis, this time over the sacred Golden Jewel Board. If you have followed this series you know there will be a long and intriguing journey before Rupert can reclaim his rightful board.
The game travels back in time through Rupert’s family tree discovering his relatives, speaking to various characters, and playing match games to open each branch of the family. You begin with Natalie, Rupert and Emma’s daughter and at the beginning or bottom of the tree. Here you will learn to play the game and also can return here to practice your skills. If you are new to the series, this is a great place to hone your adeptness. The games start off easily and increase in difficulty while you discover the individuals on this family tree. If you have played any of the Jewel Quest match games, they are all timed and are not easy to complete in the given span. However, practice does help increase your ability to conquer the board. Once a level is completed, you get a puzzle piece to advance the game, meet new relatives and open up more boards.

This new game has several different match 3 or more gems to destroy and turn the tiles gold modes. The classic play is to swap 2 gems to make a match of 3 or more similar items until the entire board is turned to gold. The second mode has limited number of gems to use when the gems drop from above to the lighted area, and the third play has limited number of moves to clear the board.

I liked all the Jewel Quest games and this one is no exception. The board games, as always, were entertaining and challenging since all are all timed. The different modes of play are a welcomed break from playing the same swap game over and over. The story line got a little boring even though it was a voice over rather than reading the text. Luckily, you can skip it so you can get to the plays quickly. Sorry, Uncle Percy. The music and artwork are their usual high quality work.

Features of Jewel Quest Heritage:
-175 Levels
-35 Locations
-Family Tree Going Back to the Aztecs

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Surprisingly, Mac match 3 game Charm Tale 2: Mermaid Lagoon is not a sequel to Charm Tale. The stories and plays are different and you do not have to play the first to understand the second. Dorothy in Charm Tale 2 has lived her life as a normal human being until sailing one day she finds herself underwater. To add to the mystery she does not need a mask or oxygen to travel at the bottom of the sea.

This begins Dorothy’s bizarre adventure to find answers to her peculiar powers and family history. In order for her to see clearly the inhabitants in the ocean, you play match 3 gems to fill a status bar. You chain together in one row the similar color gems. When you chain 6 gems, you get a coin that you must click on before it disappears. You have 10 seconds but that can go quickly if you are not careful. You need all the coins you can find so you can buy upgrades. There are 24 upgrades in all to buy from explosives to shuffles and lightning. Your usual power ups to help you clear your gem board. There are 2 modes of play: normal and relax. You will not need the upgrades in the untimed version since matching the gems is not difficult. The normal or timed mode will get a little challenging at times. There are also bonus gems when you match 5 or more gems. A transparent gem can be used with any color and the rainbow one will let you match 2 different colors together. The blocks can be when you cannot find a match or frozen plates that takes a couple of matches to thaw out. Oh, I almost forgot about the distinctive feature that makes this match 3 gems game different from all the rest. When you match you match 8 or more of the gems, you get a giant gem. You then match that huge gemstone with 2 or more of the same color gems. This will turn the large gem into 7 smaller gems to match.

There’s also a hint button if you should need it, but the board will start pulsating to show you a match. Sometimes this feature appeared too quickly when I didn’t need a help.

In between the match games, you are sent to the grotto for a hidden object play. You initially go there to light up the area by finding all the lanterns. Later you are sent to find the same type of items.

So there’s a little variation to this match 3 game with a story, hidden object plays and the huge gems. Even with all these things, I didn’t find the play or the story engaging. I like swapping better than linking gems together. That’s my odd preference when it comes to match 3s. I think kids can get into this match play since it is not difficult and has plenty of bonuses to help you along. Since you have to read the storyline, it will be good reading practice for children. For those reasons I give it a 3 out of 5.

Features of Charm Tales 2: Mermai Lagoon:
-8 Locations
-44 Levels
-Mermaid Tale

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Tetala Island is where Chief Aruku reigns over her Hawk tribe. For many years there have been struggles and challenges for her people. Aruku wants to better the conditions for her village. The ancients have all known about the Tear of Heaven that can grant unimaginable wisdom and enlightenment to whoever possess this talisman. With this magical power, Aruku can improve the outcome of her tribe but in order to do so she must search every island in the vicinity and complete missions to find it.

To begin your play use the tutorial which will guide you through some of the aspects of this sim/rpg/hidden object/strategy game. It’s hard to say what it is with so many options available. The important thing to remember is to read all the stone guides since these are your hints in the game. If you do not read one, it will be highlighted in yellow. Another big item in your search is the tower. Build them to defend your troops and to see further. The buildings are important to put up by clicking on the hammer at the lower right hand side to get different types of people needed in your quest. There are hidden objects and gems to find everywhere you go. You may need to revisit an island for things you may have passed by or were not available at the time. There are tasks you must perform like finding boulders and using them to make a bridge, and quests to conquer for different people you meet along the way.

Guro of Wolverine is one of them, and he resides on Mushroom Island. On this island are mushroom-like enemies you must fight off to complete a task. You will find many hostile enemies on different islands. The crossed swords at the bottom of the screen will activate your troops into fighting. The magnifying glass will help you find some hidden objects. Also sometimes these items will pulsate to help you locate them. Another huge help is the mini map. You can get to a site on the island quickly by clicking on the spot you would like to travel to. In addition, the bad guys are in red so you can spot them easily. The difficult part comes in when you cannot see parts of the screen because of a black fog. These areas open up as you go along collecting needed items and accomplishing certain tasks.

Totem Tribe Gold with its interesting graphics will draw you into its story while playing the game. The more you play it, the more you get involved in figuring out the quests and puzzles in order to help Aruku and the Hawk people. Instead of keeping your villagers healthy like in other games, you have a goal and objective to reach through the many tasks and puzzles that are waiting for you on each island. So heed Guru’s words and find your sacred totems to complete just one of your many quests.

Features of Totem Tribe Gold:
-32 Locations
-Over 200 Missions and Puzzles
-Hidden Objects

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Adventure, love, betrayal what more can you ask for in an exciting Mac game? In Jewel Quest II the saga continues in 1944 with Professor Rubert Pack. His heart is broken when Emma, his sweetheart, leaves him for the rich and dashing Sebastian Grenard. To forget his lost, he tries to enlist in the Navy but once again is rejected, this time because of his age. He signs up as engine staff on a cargo ship to southern Africa as his last ditch effort. He encounters adventure on the ship, safari, learns the history of Zimbabwe ruins, and comes across Victoria Falls.To move this story along,you must complete gem match levels within the time period and without losing your life.

The game starts with 5 lives, and when the time runs out, you lose 1 life and the level. Also you can lose a life if there are no more moves to be made. However 50,000 points will get you another life. To complete a level you must match 3 or more like icons or gems either horizontally or vertically by clicking or dragging one jewel to an adjacent square. These matched gems will disappear and the box will turn gold. Replacement jewels will fill from above filling the empty squares with more items. This part is similar to the first Jewel Quest.

Watch for the gold coins. If you are able to match 3 of these coins you are rewarded with a special move. Save these moves until you need them. Most of the special moves award you a free gold space, some uncover buried jewels and others will remove other items. To use it click on the special button located in the lower left side and then click on the space or jewels you wish to activate. There are only so many gold coins allowed on the game board so the extra ones will fall off the bottom of the field.

A new move is being able to move jewels into an empty space. This can help you strategically clear the game board. There appears to be more chain reactions that will give you higher points. If you complete the board before the time limit, you get bonus points based on how much time is left. Another new item, in addition to new gems and icons, is the buried jewel. It looks like a rock with some of the gem peeking through. To release the gem, you must make moves near the rock.

Jewel Quest II, like its predecessor Jewel Quest, has an extensive story line that can at times interfere with your game play. If you like this kind of interaction you’ll enjoy this game. I prefer to play the game more than read a story about a lovelorn old university professor. It was a little melodramatic, but if I remember correctly, so were the Indiana Jones movies that I enjoyed very much. I did like the challenging game play and the Victoria Falls background picture. The timed factor can get a little intense but is manageable. This is an enjoyable gem match game just like the first.

Features of Jewel Quest II:
-Story of Adventure, Love, Betrayal
-180 Puzzles and Boards
-9 new jewels and Power-Ups

Play more Jewel Quest games: Jewel Quest 1, 2, 3, 4 & Solitaire

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

The vast jungles of Mexico should be devoid of all the reputed rumors of massive treasures in every ancient temples rotting away in the land, but Mac game The Treasures of Montezuma 3 pushes further into the vegetation to discover yet another mysterious temple with locked chests full of unimaginable riches.

This game will take you in Montezuma’s temple to unlock these wonderful chests with your match 3 skills. There are 2 modes to play: Casual and Expert. Casual is untimed and Expert will allow you 1 minute to make your matches and score a high number. There are 5 treasure rooms, 40 chests, 160 match 3 levels, 42 additional puzzle challenges and 22 trophies to win. The match 3 play will have you swapping tokens to make 3 or more identical items in a row or column. Destroy as many icons in 1 minute by using bonuses and totems to increase your chances for a higher score and more time. Collecting gems will activate the points multiplier, more gems and more points. The gold stars are needed to purchase artifacts and totems. The Score Frenzy Mode will activate when you match tokens to fill the vessel at the bottom of the screen with sand. Points are doubled in this fast action mode. There’s a magical shop where you can buy and upgrade totems. Make consecutive matches to activate each totem. 2 consecutive matches of 3 or more red tokens will activate the red totem. The totems and power ups are necessary when you are playing the frenetic timed mode to meet your goals.

There is a puzzle game where you must figure out how to clear the board in so many moves. It starts off easy enough but will get more and more challenging to do as you progress in your game.

If you liked The Treasures of Montezuma 2, you will like 3. They are very similar. The play is the same and the music and sound effects are also. The many rooms with treasures sparkle and shine with riches and the tokens, totems and all the other artwork are colorful and drawn well. Graphically, the game is a good one. The play is also good. There are a lot of things to do and this game will make the time fly by. If you are an match 3 player, play the timed mode. If you are new to this type of game, go with the Casual mode. In any event, it will be a fun time for all. I give it a 3.5 out of 5 for the fast and addictive nature of this game. Just remember there always is a chance you may be sealed in the temple forever.

Features of The Treasures of Montezuma 3:
-Fantastic Treasures to Uncover in a Match 3
-160 Fabulous Levels, 42 additional Puzzle Challenges
-22 Trophies to Earn

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Hike into the darkest jungle of the Mac game Abundante, and find yourself deep in the midst of fun and excitement. This is a match 4 or more gems in order to complete a level game which will bring you closer to hidden secrets of this archeological hunt.

This exotic jungle adventure begins with Dr Ray Rumble’s archeological society funding a mission to find the lost temple of Nahca Rotha. The myth is that the Nahca Rothians possessed great knowledge and treasures. You are an archeologist who is on this journey to verify the authenticity of this information, and to recover the gems and jewels.

The play is a match 4 or more gems game, and by moving a wooden mining cart at the bottom of the screen back and forth, you collect the jewels embedded in brick. Click on a brick with a gem inside, catch it in the cart and slide to another area with the same color gems, make a 4 or more match by shooting the brick back up, and catch all the freed gems in your cart. You must quickly move your cart back and forth, clicking as you go, because the bricks are constantly descending during your play. If you do not complete the level before the bricks crush the cart, you lose one of your 3 lives.

This is the basic play of the game but there are more “surprises” to come. The first few levels are easy and slow to help you adjust to the game, but it becomes faster and more challenging soon after completing the first few levels. Some of the helps and obstacles in the game are the lightening bricks when placed strategically can break all the bricks in one column or row, making shapes with the placed bricks will garner you more points, and the scaffolding and moss will create some problems for you if you are not careful. Another entertaining power-up is the fireball you get into your cart and shoot up to explode any bricks nearby.

There are mini games throughout the play, and you can win prizes on top of all that. Also a very important part of the story and game is unlocking pieces of a missing amulet that are scattered all over the temple. The main game will unlock a second mode and then after the second is unlocked, the 3rd one will become available.

Abundante is a exciting gem match game that will provide hours of fun play. I initially found this game challenging, but with practice got much better at it and enjoyed it even more. With all the different levels and modes, you will not get bored and will be pleasantly surprised to find a game worth playing.

Features of Abundante:
-Fun Story Line
-Lots of Challenging Levels
-Power-ups, Bonuses, Rewards
-Surprises

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

You are now in the deepest inner sanctums of what looks like an Egyptian tomb full of precious crystals. In Crystal Cave Classic you are to dig, climb, push your way towards the crystals without being attacked by monsters or crushed by giant boulders. There are breakable walls hindering your passageway but you can put a boulder or something through it or use it to your benefit. Also available for your use are dynamite barrels situated conveniently throughout the tomb. The boulders as well as the glass blocks can be maneuvered so you can travel over them. You will also come across elevators where when you push an object on it, it will take you to another level. The eight ball and the flip tile are very useful in obtaining the elusive gems.

Crystal Cave Classic, not overly hard at first, becomes more challenging as the levels increase, but with the difficult levels there are interesting new obstacles and monsters to conquer. This logic puzzle changes in each chapter to reveal fun creatures and mindboggling barriers. Your job is to figure out how to get to the jewel without being attacked by the monster similar to Theseus and the Minotaur but without the fear factor. The monsters in Crystal Cave Classic are almost cute and funny looking even when you are attacked by one. The graphics and the short movie at the beginning are very good, but I am a little confused whether the jungles and ruins are Mayan or Egyptian. The interior hierglyphs are definitely Egyptian but the exterior pyramid looked Mayan. In any event, this puzzle is a lot of fun for all ages especially with their clear explanation of how to use objects to get to the precious treasure.

Features of Crystal Cave Classic:
-170 Levels
-4 Scenarios
-Logic Riddles
-Lots of Monsters
-Create Own Level

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
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Create your own world of magic in Mac match game Wizard Land by making matches of 3 or more to destroy. This original (that’s hard to do in match games) play will entertain you with its many levels and colorful scenes.

You begin the game like other match games by selecting relaxed or timed mode. I suggest you start off on the relaxed mode because timed sometimes will get too challenging. The match 3 or more play will let you select what type of match game you want to play. The 3 types are the group where you click on a group of the 3 or more same items. The chain is when you link together 3 or more of the same objects to destroy, and the most common (and my favorite) swap 2 items’ positions to make your match. In Wizard Land you can move from one type of match play to another while in the middle of a level. This can really help you win the level if you are stuck, move on from a group to swap or any combinations you like in order to clear all the marble tiles. Once the tiles are destroyed, a key and chain will appear. You must make matches to move the key along a path to meet the chain before your level is complete. In higher levels, the path will be split in 2 and you must take care to move your key carefully down the path. To make your moves easier or maybe harder you can rotate the board completely by clicking on the 2 arrows pointing clockwise and counterclockwise on the upper outer portion of the game board. I found this rotation of the board a great help when you are moving the key down the path. In addition, there is a shuffle button to the right of the board when you are stuck and cannot make any more moves.

Wizard Land starts out slowly but once you get the hang of this match 3 game, you will be moving quickly from one type of play to another and rotating the board like a pro. It eventually gets addictive and you can challenge yourself by switching to the timed mode if you dare. The artwork and sound effects are great. Wizard Land is a great, new addition to the other match 3 games. I give it a 3.5 out of 5 for a fun game.

Features of Wizard Land:
-90 Levels
-Rotate the Board
-Change Types of Play from Group, Chain or Swap

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Jewel Match 2 like Jewel Match is an aesthetically beautiful game with background pictures of fairytale castles and scenery. The graphics is what makes this Mac game different from other match plays.

The game is to match 3 or more gems in a row either vertically or horizontally to remove the jewels from the board. To finish a level you must make matches over the golden squares. When the amulet appears at the top of the board you must make matches below it to get it to the bottom.

Random gold and silver coins will appear and you must click on them so you can earn monies to buy useful items in the shop to use in your play. The fireball is one that will destroy gems both up and down the grid. The gem matches will fill your bag full of jewels (located in the upper right hand side). When the bag is full, you can buy a bigger chest to store your gems. The jewels are used to buy parts of the castle that you are building. Other helps are the mana for spells needed to activate and use whatever power-ups you have purchased. You just click on the mana to place on top of the screen until you are ready to use it. The hammers from the first game are again here in this second one. The hammers depending on the strength could destroy either one or all the same colored jewels. The map shows where you will be building your next castle and the levels.

The blocks are the boxes where you need to make 2 matches to clear and the single and double chains. The hours glass timer on the right is used in the timed play but not the relaxed one.

Jewel Quest 2 is very much like the first game where the graphics and background scenes are amazing, and the music is slow and soothing for a relaxed play. I enjoyed this second version better than the first with the extra play in earning coins and gems to buy extras in the shop and build castles.

Features of Jewel Match 2:

-150 Levels

-8 Power-ups

-Gather Mana to activate Power-ups

-Build 7 Fantasy Castles

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars