Coyote Tales is a very complex story about saving the world from annihilation. There are 2 sisters who come across 2 gods, one a coyote and the other Max. The 2 sisters are commissioned to save the world. You choose one of the sisters as your person. Tlethl is the impatient sister of fire and the game is timed. The other is Alt and she is the calm sister of water and hers does not have a time limit.

Long ago the gods kept the world in order but there was an unbalance and problems needed to be solved. You must challenge the 15 gods to earn the right to face them. This is a hidden object game with excellent graphics and interesting colors to reveal the mysterious items. If Max feels you need help or you messed up, he will surround the item with petals. In addition to that help you need to look for flowers since every 5th flower will get you a heart to help you look for objects (all on the upper right side of the screen). A great help is the list where you view the words or the picture of what you need to find if you are having trouble locating any one item. If you are looking for a pumpkin and when you change the list to view image and find the pumpkin is green, then you look for the green background to search for it. This really helped a lot. After finishing your level, your magical staff gets more powerful so you will soon be able to face the gods.

The hidden object play is the main part of this game, and there are many side puzzles to solve as well. One side puzzle is to match 3 or more items game, and another is to fill the water jugs to the precise measurement. Some of the mini puzzles are more than challenging, but you can skip them and continue on with your main play.

Coyote Tales has great hidden object games with many mini puzzles. All the games are interesting and clever, but the dialogue from the cartoon characters is a little annoying. Of course, if you are into that kind of cocky humor, this game may entertain you. However, you will find the puzzles themselves are good, solid plays in Coyote Tales.

Features of Coyote Tales:
-Aztec Theme
-17 Mini Games
-Save the World

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

The tale of the wicked spider continues in Rainbow Web 2 at the royal palace. This time the play is varied with a mix of mini puzzles interspersed among the match plays. The match games are very similar to the first Rainbow Web where you click on an orb to match 3 or more of the same colored ones on the web. You are to match the balls with the letters to retrieve the names of magic things the spider has stolen from the castle.

The only blocks in this game comes when there is a break in the link of the web (same as the first game). This will interfere with you making a match. I noticed there are more chain reactions in this game and the sound effects when the orbs popped are better.

After each level you receive your statistics: # of balls you used, # of combos, score, time. This is a new feature to the game. I don’t know if it is needed, but it is interesting to note your scores. Also in between the plays are mini puzzles to breakup the matches. One is a puzzle where you slide the pieces to form a picture of a clue. Another was a hidden object game.

Whereas this Rainbow Web 2 game is much better than the first, I never felt challenged in doing the match games even in the timed ones. The 2 modes appear the same. It is a relaxing game to sit back and play, so if you need some R & R, try Rainbow Web 2.

Features of Rainbow Web 2:

-82 Levels

-7 Web Patterns

-Mini puzzles

-Fun Story Line

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

It’s bingo. No, it’s slots. It’s SLINGO QUEST! This Mac game is a marriage of bingo and slots joined together to make one fun game. You do not have to move too much so it’s really, really relaxing.

This bingo and slots with a strange twist will hold your attention for a few hours with its easy and addictive play in Quest or Classic modes. In Quest you travel from island to island on your adventure for treasure and ,of course, points. There are different play cards to Slingo Quest: Multicard, 7x7 and Pirate Fortune. You begin by customizing your own character. If you don’t, then you have a choice of a blond cartoon boy or girl. The object of this game is to get as many Slingos as you can in 20 spins. You click on the spin tag or right mouse or space bar and numbers in circles will show up at the bottom of the card. If any of the numbers match the card, then you click on the number on the card to place a star on top of it, and if you make 5 in a row, up and down, left to right or diagonally then you have a Slingo. Also there are some red squares forming patterns and if you get all the red squares that also is Slingo.  Classic is just straight  play and no story line.  It's also timed.

There are a lot of extras and bonuses along the way. Look for Cell Super Jokers, multipliers, Slingo Vision, Bounce Slingo. Also a secret key can open Bonus levels and gold coins gives you points automatically. When you complete certain Slingos, you get stamps similar to passport stamps. These little extras add to the fun play of this game. Your character is helpful in that she/he will cry if you do not have a match. Also the spin button will blink when you need to spin again.

I found Slingo Quest to be relaxing and sometimes hypnotic like playing slots. If you ever sat in front of slot machines, you know you do not have to think much but wait for your return. Slingo Quest doesn’t give you a big jackpot, but you still wait for the gold coins, stamps and points for your gratification. You can save a lot of money playing Slingo. The sound effects were excellent and the graphics with its deep, bright colors and cute cartoon characters were great. I would recommend playing Slingo Quest for a entertaining evening.

Features of Slingo Quest:
-60 Levels
-5 Slingo Stars
-New Game Modes
-New Stamp Rewards
-Power-ups

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

Who wouldn’t want to grow up in a magical pet shop? Tommy Broombucket is not living up to his full potential as an up and coming wizard apprentice to his Uncle Artem the pet shop owner. All Tommy has to do is deliver pets to customers, clean bat cages, feed unicorns and do well in wizard school. Alas, Tommy does not do well in any of those things upsetting his uncle so much that he puts Tommy in a book of spells to fend for himself.

It is up to you to help Tommy escape this imprisonment by creating a word path to exit the book. In a Scrabble like fashion you make up words from the given letters at the top of the screen. Each new word must connect to the old words forming a link or path to the gate to the right. You click on a letter and drag it to the game board, place it on a square  and when a word is made the pink letters will turn green. There is a Stamina gauge that goes down when you do not make a word, but will fill up again when you do form a word. The more dots on the letter pieces will garner you more points. The helps on the right top are locked until you save an animal by forming your words to their island. The helps are hammers, clear, magic tile and hint hat.

There are 2 modes of play in Thomas and the Magical Words: Adventure and Survival. In Adventure the time fills up when you make a word and you can easily complete a level at your leisure. The Survival mode is locked until you pass several levels in the Adventure mode. The Survival mode has the Stamina Gauge continuously running out so your play must be made quickly or you will lose the level. In this mode there are a lot more extras and is a more exciting play. There are certain squares on the game board that will give you more points (2x, 3x, etc.).

In between the levels are mini puzzles to give you a break from thinking up words and to try and get more helps. The game is to guess what the keyword is at the top of the page. You get certain number of guesses on what the letters might be in order to figure out the keyword.

Thomas and the Magical Words is a wonderful and educational Mac game for both children and adults. It can be easy if you make very short words, but the trick is to make the longest word possible from the letters given to you, and on top of all that rescue cute little animals and Tommy on the different islands throughout the Book of Spells. I really enjoy playing the Survival mode with its many extras and the timed factor. Try out both modes and see which one fits you the best, but do try it. Don’t let the cartoon characters and story line hold you back. They are just as fun to view as playing this Scrabble like word game.

Feature of Thomas and the Magical Words:
-Adventure and Survival Modes
-48 Levels
-Guess the Word Mini Game
-Unravel the Exciting Story

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Phelios the maker of Pixie, Doulber Gold, Kaijin and many more  Mac games made Abracadabra a few years ago. We are reviewing this simple but popular game for all those who may have missed it the first time around.

Abracadabra is an action packed arcade platform puzzle game. You take the little wizard through a magical trip finding gold, potions, keys and evil creatures. The wizard with his enchanted wand uses it to make or break bricks and can help save his life. You do not want to see him die. You use the arrow keys to direct him through all the mazes with many obstacles to prevent him from proceeding to the next level. Find the key and exit through the door. The space bar will let you use his wand, and use the arrows with the wand to direct the appropriate action to the right object or creature.

It takes a little practice for non-gamers to get used to the key movements but can grasp the play very quickly just by doing. It is a great starter game for all who are new to Mac games or video games, because the tutorials (in many languages) will take you step by step through the play. However, the higher levels are quite challenging and entertaining enough for even the seasoned gamers.

This game is reminiscent of the very first 2D Mario games, and you know they are always entertaining to revisit and play again. Abracadabra is just a fun play when you do not want to think too hard. I say too hard because there are some mazes you have to strategize to exit the platform. An added bonus is the easygoing jazzy music and colorful scenes to enhance your mood to play. So meet the spellbinding challenge with Abracadabra and spend some time playing this old time Mac game.

Features of Abracadabra:
-115 Levels
-Fun Arcade, Action Puzzles
-Wizards and Mystical Creatures
-Tutorials in Many Languages

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Did you ever play the Pokemon series? Well it was easily one of my favorite games ever and when I first started playing Zamby, I was immediately struck at how it reminded me of those old games. Maybe it was just the strange made-up words that the game uses, but I was definitely interested. Now don't misunderstand me, there is no violence or fighting in this game, it is only remininsent of certain parts of Pokemon, most notably the puzzles that you had to solve in caves and at boss gyms. If you have never played Pokemon, forget this first paragraph and move on to the next one.

Zamby is a puzzle, adventure game that asks you to skip along your merry way and collect all the mystical crystals in the level. Once you collect all the pieces, you can continue on to the next stage. However, it is not that easy! You must avoid enemies that block your way. These bad guys include wizards and other evil forest creatures that turn you to stone when they see you. In order to circumnavigate these foes, you can push wooden crates in front of their path to get to where you need to go.

Even though it can be considered a adventure game, it is a puzzle game at heart. The first few levels are so easy you do not even have to worry about where you need to go. However, as the game progresses, every move you make could have dire consequences later in the stage. Zamby quickly becomes a challenging and thought-provoking puzzle that forces you to think two steps ahead of every move.

These games have always been something that I enjoy, and Zamby was definitely enjoyable. This game is fun for the whole family, as there is no violence, and the music reminds you of a more whimsical time, when there were no worries in the world (except wizards that threatened to turn you to stone). That of course is a joke, but Zamby the game does not mess around. It is a solid puzzle, adventure that I give three and a half stars out of five.

Feature of Zamby:
- 150 Unique Levels
- Non-Violent, Fun For The Whole Family
- Unlock Secret Missions And Ancient Wisdom
- Make Your Own Levels

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Hidden object Mac games and story lines are not my thing, but I’m starting to warm up to them. Miss Teri Tale is one of those games that is changing my mind about I spy plays. This particular one is a lighthearted dognapping tale and hidden object game. It begins with Miss Teri a novelist living in quiet, crime free suburbia being blackmailed by an internet villain who wants her to find the neighbor’s dog, Jason.

Your play brings you to Peeking Town, USA where the entire neighborhood is suspect of kidnapping a favorite pet. Miss Teri must break into people’s homes by figuring out their security codes. Clues are given to her to be able to do this fairly easily. Once in the home she searches rooms for clues. This hidden object game has clear and good graphics making the game more pleasurable. If she clicks on too many wrong objects, she is warned she is making too much noise. The list of objects she needs to find is on the left side. While in the different rooms, you hear clear and accurate sound effects like the water dripping, telephone ringing and rain falling.

There are many helps in this hidden object game. One is the Gazette, the local paper, will when you click on the newspaper in her house, give articles pertaining to the kidnapping. Mini puzzles like the memory cards will also give clues. The email messages from the blackmailer will help the play along.

This hidden object game is different from some of the other murder mystery games. First it is not as dark and ghastly as Women’s Murder Club: Death in Scarlet or as involved as Agatha Christie’s: Peril at End House. Miss Teri Tale is more on the comedic and happy side, if you will, of kidnapping. The rooms you need to search are easily identifiable and not dark and murky. I enjoyed both realistic murder mystery and the more cartoonish themes of hidden object games, and I liked Miss Teri Tale. The story is a silly premise, but it is a relaxing and enjoyable play without the murder theme for a change of pace.

Features of Miss Teri Tale:
-Investigate Neighbors’ Houses
-Hidden Items
-Comedic Theme
-Discover the Mystery of Jason’s Kidnapping

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

What is it with physics based puzzlers and puzzles in general that keep you playing over and over until you get it right? You know what I mean. There’s not too much to the game but you can’t stop. Think Angry Birds, ThrowUp and Mummy’s Treasures, just to name a few great puzzles. Mac game Paper Munchers is a fun game involving monsters and falls into the category of addictive puzzlers.

There are 5 different environments in Paper Munchers from starry night, desert, underwater, icy snow and green jungle. These 5 worlds have 15 levels each. The goal for every level is to feed the wide mouth Paper Munchers. The number of large eyed little monsters you need to get into the Munchers is located at the top of the screen. You need to try to place the same color little monsters into the same color Munchers to get more bombs. You begin with so many bombs to place in the perfect location to blow up the little monsters into the waiting mouths. Getting more bombs is a must if you want to complete the more difficult levels. When you are out of bombs, the level is over. If you fail, you can start over or go on to different levels. You can also redo a level for a higher score.

The levels begin easily but get challenging quickly. Be sure to start with the first level to get the instructions. Placing the bomb in just the right position is important to pop the little monsters into the mouths. Placing it next to a little monster will only move the yummy morsels sideways. Placing it below and a little askew will move it up and to the right or left. Figuring out the correct vector for the path of the little monsters will take some practice and patience but that’s what makes this game fun.

The colorful paper torn look of the landscapes and the monsters are done on an appealing manner. The sound effects, although done well, the burping when you pass a level is a bit much for me. The music is good. Other than the satisfying your stomach sounds, this game is a fun and enjoyable. Play this innovative, colorful and simple game and see if you can feed the hungry Munchers enough little monsters to satisfy their appetites.

Features of Paper Munchers:
-75 Levels
-5 Different, Colorful Environments
-Physics Based Puzzles

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
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I guess it was the title that drew me to this Mac game Geeks Unleashed. I thought I better check it out and found a challenging strategy puzzle augmented with really geeky cartoon characters.

You initially choose your main character and the story begins with your person (a geek type) who loses an auction bid on a communication device used by Commander Info in episode 64 of Star Quest series. Everyone has an acquaintance, relative, co-worker or best friend like that. If you don’t, then it’s you. Your character finds a Collectors’ Convention and knows that there will be the item she wants there.

However, before she can purchase the device she is thwarted by a geek dressed as a wizard. She must play against the geeks to reach her ultimate purchase. The main game is a strategy puzzle. She is to choose items from the highlighted row or column to fill her own Geek-o-Meter by completing sets of items. She and her opponent take turns filling their own boards. If she completes a set and on her next turn must pick the same object in the set, she must start that set over again. The items without numbers or a star is a single item. If there are numbers listed, then she gets that numbered amount on her board. If there is a star, it fills your set. Whoever finishes their sets first is the winner. Just remember the geeks have more experience playing these games than she does so it isn’t always easy to beat the geek. The red squared item is a block and should be avoided if possible. Your character must go from geek to geek to ultimately finish the game and unlock the prize.

There are 3 modes of play to this Mac game: Story, Quick Play or 2 Player Mode. The Story lets you play against a geek, and the geek constantly makes comments related to science fiction, dungeons and dragons and other favorite geek topics. This is a little annoying and it slows down the play. The Quick play eliminates the bubble talk, but stay away from choosing Precious as an opponent. She makes kissing sounds when choosing her items-more than annoying; it’s just creepy. Some of the other characters are locked and cannot be accessed until you complete more levels. The 2-player mode lets you play against another person and not a computerized geek. Of course, if your friend is a geek, you might get beat.

There are mini puzzles interspersed throughout the game. One is the memory game where you click on 2 squares to match them, and another is a pachinko type play where you drop a ball down a pegged board.

The main game is challenging but you can outsmart some of the geeks. Even though the game looks basic and easy, it is not. The mini puzzles are a welcome break from playing against the geeks, and the goofy characters are amusing and funny. If you like a difficult but fun play, this Mac game is worth trying out.

Features of Geeks Unleashed:
-Funny Storyline
-3 Modes of Play including 2 Player Mode
-Wheel of Mini Puzzle

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Pop-A-Tronics is a pop 3 or more combos of bubbles and fill the goal meter to complete the level Mac game. It is fast-paced and exciting with all the peripheral movements and lively music.

There are 4 modes of play in this game: Marathon, Puzzle, Lock-Out and Self Destruct. This pop 3 bubbles game is similar to others like Agua Bubble, but the difference in this game is that you can click to pop or inhale to move the bubbles with your Energy Needle not shoot at them from a stationary spot. This needle can move around the game board and when you wish to make a 3 or more match, you hover over the bubbles and click. To inhale you must either right click or control click to take in the bubble (only one at a time) and place it in another spot by control clicking again. To the right of the bubbles is the Goal Meter that tells you when you have reached your level and below it is the Combo Flask when full of orange goo will provide you with a Purifier. This device changes color every second and when you click on it, it will destroy all the bubbles of the current color. A Charge Bomb will explode in 4 seconds and when you continually click on it, it will give a more massive explosion. A Color Transmutational Device or CTD will hover and copy any bubbles near by to the same color and will create a huge combo explosion and garnering you a lot of points.

A block in this game is the locked bubbles created when you click on bubbles that cannot be matched. It will then change that bubble to a locked one. Also if you see a bubble shaking and quivering, it is ready to change into a locked one so you must try to use it in a match as soon as possible.

The Puzzle mode begins with a full screen of bubbles, and you must pop 3 or more bubbles of the same color until the board is cleared. In this mode the inhaler is inactive. In the Lock Out mode you must quickly match all the bubbles before they are locked out slowly from the bottom. The Self Destruct mode you can utilize only the inhaler. Each of the different modes is fun in its own way and formidable to complete.

All the modes have something of interest to the player and can be very challenging at times. With some practice and strategy, you should be able to play this game easily. I found this game difficult but still enjoyable. The funny squeaks and pops enforced the game play and made the game pleasurable. So if you like match games and want a different twist to the game, try Pop-A-Tronics, and pop yourself to bubble land and have some fun.

Features of Pop-A-Tronics:
-Power-Ups
-4 Modes of Play
-Great Sound Effects and Music

Rating: 3 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 magical forest of Phantasia is under siege by the evil wizard who captured and encapsulated the peaceful nation of dwarves in bubbles in his ominous towers in his dark and dingy castle. Alas, one, lone dwarf managed to escape and find you to assist him in rescuing his fellow citizens. It is up to you to save the lives of these wonderful dwarves and bring them back to the land of Phantasia.

If you should accept the challenge, you will be shooting balls up to where the dwarves are encased. You shoot at 2 or more of the like color balls to pop the bubbles, release the dwarves and catch the gold and silver coins. The coins will boost your score. The dwarf who found and convinced you to help him will provide you with bubbles on the lower left of the screen. You will see the colors of the balls coming down the conveyor belt so you can strategize your next move. The castle is large and there are many levels to conquer in this game.

The power-ups are the bombs (will destroy the balls around the area you shoot), fireballs will shoot straight up and rid all the balls in its path, one color ball (changes color of one ball), change balls, one row destroyer. In addition to the bonuses, there are stone balls to block your successful rescue. Of course, the bubbles on the game board are continuously descending to prevent you from winning. This action is similar to the Mac game Abundante!

This arcade game is a fun way to spend a few hours in the afternoon with the kids or alone. Keep an eye out for the funny characters popping in and out of the top and bottom of the screen.  The play is easy enough for children and casual gamers, and the story line is amusing. I think the only thing that bothered me was the pleading of the dwarves in the bubble. You feel a little guilty when you do not save them fast enough because you are trying to figure out the best possible way to release the most balls. So shoot away and save the nation of dwarves in the land of Phantasia.

Features of Phantasia:
-Valuable Coins
-Bonuses
-30 Unique Levels
-Hall of Fame

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Women’s Murder Club: Death in Scarlet is more than a hidden object game, much more. It is based on the characters from James Patterson’s bestselling murder mystery novels by the same name. Your job is to track down the coldblooded, barbaric serial killer. The first victim is a young Asian woman found beneath the Golden Gate Bridge in foggy San Francisco. You must uncover evidence as you play through several investigations. At the end, you will be able to solve the ghastly crimes of this bay city.

The investigation begins with a cartoon strip prelude to the murder mystery. The phone call goes to Lindsay Boxer, homicide detective. You are there with her at the murder scene under the bridge. You are to find objects from the list in Lindsay’s notebook. Within all the hidden object games are different types of mini puzzles. These puzzles also advance the investigation and will help reveal information.

Objects found are labeled and put in the Inventory Pad as useful or important clues and sometimes used to advance the play. A twig found on the scene is later used to distract a crab who had a diamond stud earring, an important clue. In the Investigation Docket Tab the key pieces are organized here and helps check the progress of the inquiries and what remaining pieces you may need. In the Investigation Card section the evidence cards are classified in file folders by subject and can be inspected anytime. In addition, there are 5 hints per investigation so you need to be careful and conserve these items. The number of hints is shown on the police badge in the upper left hand corner of the screen.

The investigation can move from the murder site with Lindsay Boxer to her police station or lab with Claire Washburn, the forensic examiner. The game is full of characters from the novel, even a newspaper reporter to a police translator. It also takes you step by step of police investigations and what tests and procedures they go through.

This Mac game is so involved and detailed you need to block a few hours of quiet time for yourself so you can give your full attention to the investigations. It will draw you into this murky, deadly world of murders with not only the hidden object sections but all the different mini puzzles. I found that some of the objects were difficult to make out, however the dead body was a little too realistic for me. It gave me the creeps. It is not for young children due to the subject matter and the graphic and realistic pictures of dead people. If you are a James Patterson or murder mystery novel fan, then you will be entertained filtering out the criminal in the Women's Murder Club: Death in Scarlet. Enjoy yourself in this hidden object with lots of other puzzle games in the misty, shadowy background of San Francisco.

Features of WMC: Death in Scarlet
-New Storyline
-18 San Francisco Locations
-9 Unique Investigations
-Many Different Puzzles

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Kwazi’s kingdom is under attack by 3 ferocious and merciless dragons in Mahjong Quest. Help Kwazi bring normalcy back to his homeland through 12 different locations with help from spirit guides and special tiles. This mahjong Mac game has more twists and turns to the basic play and will bring pleasure and excitement to occupy your time.

The basic game starts by clicking on 2 matching tiles. You continue to do this until the game board is cleared. If you are stuck, you can utilize the hints located at the bottom of the screen. If there are no more matches to be made and the board is not cleared, you must undo tiles or start over. There are 3 modes in this game. The Classic, Kwazi’s Quest and Puzzle modes all have 5 different play options. The Classic mode has 80 classic styles. Within the Classic mode is the Classic option using the standard rules. The Speed is when all visible tiles can be immediately matched and done so quickly. The Scramble is when the tiles randomly move or when you take too long to make a match. This is a fun choice to play. The Memory tiles are completely blank and the face of the tile will appear only when the cursor hovers over them, but take care because once you click on them the tile face disappears. The Ghost play will make the tile visible but will slowly fade out. Quite a challenge, won’t you say?

Playing Kwazi’s Quest mode will give you more of a storyline while playing mahjong. The simple characters and artwork, although well done, is a contrast to the beautiful Chinese background of landscape (farmlands, rivers, mountains and pagodas). It is your job to play the puzzles and continue on the many levels to save Kwazi’s land. The third mode is the Puzzles. The layouts are untraditional patterns and surprisingly challenging.

I found Mahjong Quest very relaxing with the Chinese type string instrument music and fun to play. I also enjoyed the different twists to this game such as the blank, shuffling and new patterns. The blank tiles are more than a challenge since you must look at Chinese characters to remember. The story of little Kwazi and the evil dragons is an amusing tale and did not distract from the play.

Features of Mahjong Quest:
-Fun Storyline
-Hundreds of Different Layouts
-3 Modes

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Big Kahuna Reef 2: Chain Reaction is the sequel to Big Kahuna Reef, but the developers went way beyond the scope of follow-ups to make an action filled and fun Mac game. Yes, it has the same music, exotic fish and the scenic reef, but it goes further than the first game by adding a lot more chain reactions, new fish, new reefs and a lot of explosive pieces making it a more dynamic play.

The game has 2 modes, Action and Relaxed. Action is timed and your time is up when the fluid in the Kahuna Tiki head runs out. You begin with 3 lives and if you do not finish a level, you lose a life. You can also use a life to extend your time. Relaxed play lasts until the board is cleared. There are 3 areas of difficulty. You begin the game at Kahuna Quest where you must match 3 or more sea items in order to complete the level. After completing a set number of levels you unlock the next section, Tiki Challenge. It has a lot more difficult levels to play. This section is not only challenging but can also get a little demanding with the Tiki jumping and making noises. The third group is the Other Adventures, and it is where you will find over 600 themed levels created by players around the world. In addition to the hundreds of levels to play, you can create your own and submit it to be used in the game.

There are many extras to this game play, some similar to the earlier version and many new surprises. It feels like the game play moved along faster due to more chain reactions, dynamite, regular and nuclear bombs. The larger the explosive, the bigger the area cleared. The explosives are best used after manipulating the play so they are in the best possible position for the most effective use. As well as the helps in this game, there are many obstacles to clear the game board: steel boxes (need 2 matches to clear), single and double chains (2 and 3 matches to clear), and the ominous Kamehameha Skeleton fish (creates more boxes when matched). The puzzle boards are different and more challenging. The irregular shapes make it more dangerous to haphazardly make matches. Strategy must be used to avoid leaving boxes in hard to play corners. Other new bonuses are the shark eating license plate level and diving penguins.

Although Big Kahuna Reef 2 had all the familiar themes of the first game, there are a lot of excitement and movement to this new version. I enjoyed BKR 2 so much more and know you will too. So if you liked the first version, you will like this second one even better. Try it out and see for yourself.

Features of Big Kahuna Reef: Chain Reaction:
-Oceanic Adventure
-40 Exotic Sea Creatures
-over 750 levels
-Quest to become the Big Kahuna
-Save games

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Ladybugs is a Mac game for very young children. You will have a lot of fun with your little toddler “working” on the computer. There is much opportunity here to teach your child the basics of the keyboard and mouse and have loads of entertainment as well.

There are short instructions where you can practice reading letters and words with your child. The white letters outlined in black make it easier to clearly see and read out loud, however it would have been more age appropriate with block lettering. Very young kids are able to learn so much it's almost unbelievable. They can learn their letters and words if given a chance, enough instruction and patience on your part.

The game has 3 modes of play and each one should be enjoyable for your child. Color Trouble is a section where you match the color of your ladybug to her house. Following the flower path, you guide the ladybug to the same color house. In the Ladybug Race you are racing the blueladybug to the houses. I think the blue ladybug is a little confused because she sometimes loses her way. This will give your child a chance to beat her. In the Tangled Maze you guide your ladybug through a maze to her like color house.

All 3 games will help your child with color recognition, coordination, direction and learning to win or lose. Even if you must control the mouse and keys for your tyke, I think a 2 year old would still appreciate the cute ladybugs and colorful scenery. All of these factors are very important in the development of young children. I think it would have been perfect if the developers added a memory game mode to the puzzles. It is incredible how much a toddler remembers.

The simple graphics, large cursor and the happy music will set the stage for a lighthearted afternoon of fun while at the same time learning new things on a cute, joyful game like Ladybugs. An extra bonus is the priceless bonding with your little one.

Features of Ladybugs:
-Fun Hands on Play
-Colorful, Cute and Simple graphics
-Happy Music
-3 Modes of Play
-Non-violent

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

How can you go wrong with a name like Pirate Poppers? Aaargh! With its pirate theme and music what else is left but a treasure map and riches? You need to piece together a map for the location of the legendary treasure of Isla Calabera.

There are 3 modes to play in this pirate game: Adventure, Puzzle, and Arcade. The Adventure mode has 77 levels of play. In the Puzzle mode you must clear the row of balls with only a limited number of cannons, so you must figure out exactly how and where you will place these balls on the rail. In the Arcade mode you get a number of lives before losing a level.

The play is to simply shoot cannon balls at groups of colorful balls rolling on a track towards a barrel. You must aim for like color balls and shoot while the chain of cannons continues to move forward. When the balls are blasted and disappear, the cannons on either side will come together and if they are the same color and are 3 or more, they may also explode and clear the game board.

There are a lot of power-ups in this game. Some of the extras will change the color of the balls to blasting a whole slew of cannons with an explosive one. With some of the other features, the balls will move backwards giving you extra time to figure out your strategy. There is a spyglass when you are able to shoot faster and more accurately. On top of all that there are many extras you can catch with your cannon. The many jewels and treasures will give you extra points and the skull medallions will increase the number of lives.

Pirate Poppers is very similar to Zuma, Sweetopia and Luxor where you shoot at orbs coming down a tube-like conveyor belt. This is an action packed arcade Mac game with pirate cannons, treasures (gold, silver and jewels) and much more. You’ll have fun just sitting back and shooting cannonballs out into the chains of multicolored spheres. This game takes some strategy and thinking, but on the most part it is just an enjoyable game to kick back and shoot.

Features of Pirate Poppers:
-Pirate Theme
-6 Power-ups
-Treasure
-77 Levels

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Have you ever wanted to go back in time to the 80’s and relive the retro games of that era? Well, now is your chance to play an exciting old time feel arcade game Varmintz. This game with its 2D scenes and colorful characters will take you back to that time where things were a lot more simplistic but still fun and exciting.

With that said, this game is no walk in the park. There are more obstacles and enemies blocking your Varmintz’ way. The goal is to get 5 of your cute critters across diverse environments to their den and safety. When you accomplish this feat, more worlds will unlock. Use the arrow keys to move each one from side to side and up and down avoiding crazed dogs, joggers, skateboarders, mean looking lumberjacks, crazy cowboys, mad ducks, people with shopping carts and more. To speed up the pace use your spacebar. Travel through different environments gathering golden eggz as you go along. Get large points and an extra life for every 50 eggz. This may sound easy but when you are faced with crossing a highway full of speeding trucks, cars and motorcycle, you have to be extremely careful. Other dangers are water, cliffs, and construction sites. Each level has its own obstacles and dangers to face with its own set of enemies. Helps you will find along the way are platforms where you can jump on to get to another place, potions to get you passed enemies and freeze them with another potion.

There are 4 major environments: Suburbia, Old West, Forest, and Highway. Within each colorful scene you’ll find quirky enemies and baddies attempting to stop you at every turn. Your 5 wards are Binki (clever, daring), Shady (sneaky, devious), Lulu (sweet, fast), Bean (shy, kind) and Rubin (happy, strong, burly). All with their own individual personalities and sounds. It’s purported that each one of the Varmintz represent the 5 developers.

Varmintz is a great game with colorful scenes, fun characters and a purpose to traversing through dangerous routes. The music is upbeat and happy. Get your fingers limbered and get the 5 critters back to their den safely. I give it a 3.5 out of 5 for one awesome retro game. Give it a try and save Binki, Shady, Lulu, Bean and Rubin.

Features of Varmintz:
-50 Exciting Levels
-Many Fun Obstacles and Enemies
-Amazing Environments

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Heartwild Solitaire Book 2 like the first version is beautifully drawn and displayed. The storyline continues the romantic tale of an artist and his lover (this game is for mature audiences like the first). In this second story the current lover becomes jealous over the artist’s search for a perfect model to help inspire him.

The play is similar to mahjong solitaire where you match 2 identical cards to clear the board. At the bottom or side there is the draw pile and you must match cards that are higher or lower. If the draw card is an Ace, you can match a King or a 2 to clear the cards. The joker is wild and can be used with any card. There are other wild cards you can take over to the next level. The level is over when there are no more moves. Each card left on the board will be deducted points. If the total score is 0 or better, you go on to the next level. If the score is negative, you must retry the level.

The Bonus meter fills up when you remove cards. The faster you remove, more points you garner. The Long Sequence meter fills when you remove cards in a sequence. When filled, you’ll get extra points for each card. Restore cards helps you when you are stuck by restoring some of the cards back on the deck. Powerup cards will appear with special labels, remove them as usual to receive powerups such as undo, bonus fill, reveal, restore, and wildcard.

The bonus games will help increase your score. Once such game is to memorize the card pattern, it will scramble and you need to restore the original pattern. It’s timed but there’s plenty of time to restore by clicking on 2 cards to move their positions.

Heartwild Solitaire Book 2 is a relaxing and enjoyable game to play. The storyline is not as engaging as Book 1, but the tale is not intrusive since you only come across it every 10 levels or so. The memory game starts out easy, but does get harder in higher levels. This break in the solitaire play is nice since there are 280 levels and at times gets repetitive. The artwork is stunning with its intense color and background. The music is appropriate for the time period and conducive for a delightful play. If you enjoyed the first Heartwild Solitaire, you may like the sequel to that game. Try it out for a pleasant time playing cards.

Features of Heartwild Solitaire Book 2:
-280 Levels
-Powerups and Mini Games
-Romantic Story

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars