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

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

The children’s theme, cute artwork, and the name of Mac game Chocolate Castle are very deceptive. This game appears to be a colorful, simple and fun puzzle for kids, but once you get into it, you realize that it’s a complicated strategy driven mind workout. It draws you in by its initial simplicity and keeps you engaged with its intellectual play.

The game has 4 types of animals and 4 different flavors of chocolate to be eaten by the retro looking, cute characters. To play, you click and drag the same color chocolate pieces to form a larger and connected one, then click and drag the same color animal (pig, bear, rabbit and dog) to the chocolate to be eaten. After successful completion, the animal and chocolate will disappear. Sounds easy enough, but is it?

There are many obstacles or challenges to this game. Once the same color chocolate pieces are together, they cannot be separated. However, if you do make a mistake, by clicking undo or redo or enter will allow you to do a do over. Walls cannot be moved, blue blocks can be moved but do not stick together, pink magic blocks can be moved once before they turn into walls, and white ice cubes once moved in one direction keeps sliding until it hits something. The Turkish Delight can be eaten and will explode everything in 8 surrounding blocks. The snakes do not do much, but you can drag their head around the game board. They cannot move backwards and will break in 2 by using a Turkish Delight.

There are 3 modes of play: easy, medium and hard. Each mode has 40 rooms to devour for a total of 120 puzzles. The easy mode will be suitable for young children, and I think they will be happy playing this game. The rest of the puzzles, medium and hard levels, are aimed towards older kids and adults. Solutions can be saved, and you can design and play your own creations.

Chocolate Castle is a blend of the old time board game Rush Hour (get the red, plastic car across the board with different size cars and trucks blocking your passage) , and Tetris (the now famous computer game with different shaped objects floating down to fill the appropriate space). The time just flies by when you are thinking up the possible answer to the dilemma of completing the puzzle in an orderly manner. This game is for anyone who loves to solve difficult puzzles or just want to have a fun and relaxed time playing some of the less challenging games and listening to appropriate arcade-like music. Take the time to enjoy Chocolate Castle and its many rooms.

Features of Chocolate Castle:
-3 modes (easy, medium and hard)
-Save solutions
-120 puzzles
-Retro graphics
-Design your own puzzles
-Turkish Delight

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Catwalk Countdown is an unusual sim/rpg type of fashion game. It’s a little like visual novels with tasks to complete like Date Warp and Love and Order, but with a fashion twist instead of dating. However like those sim games you must balance your social life with your professional career.

You are working for Simone a person you cannot seem to please. She finds fault in everything you say or do, so why stick around being verbally abused? You quit and now must find another job you are going to love, but in the meantime you go to work for your uncle’s fabric shop.

The different locations you travel around New York City will bring you to making decisions that will determine your fate in this unusual game. You must balance your attributes such as Inspiration, Well-being, Collection and Reputation if you want to reach the top of the fashion industry so your choices will make a difference. This must all be done while working at the fabric store, completing your fashion collection (sketch, sew and pin your designs to show), schmoozing financial backers and industry bigwigs, handling any time based tasks requested of you and keeping your health by eating, drinking, sleeping and just having fun.

Any time there is a question mark over a character, they want to speak to you and many times you must choose your responses. You also decide where you go and what activity you choose but just remember you can’t keep going 24 hours a day and must eat and sleep or you’ll fall on your face. In addition you must make money to pay for rent, food and other activities so you must return to your uncle's fabric store to work and get paid for your tasks.

The more I got into this game, the more I wanted to figure out what to do with my day’s activities, and eventually make it to New York’s Fashion Week to show off my fantastic collection of clothes. Figure out the right path to take for a successful life, both personally and professionally. The characters are good, the artwork nice, and the game play although different from your usual sim game is fun and addictive. Try out the demo and see if you can make it to Fashion Week in this different and interesting game.

Features of Catwalk Countdown:
-Make Choices to Determine Your Future
-Balance Your Attributes
-Make it to Fashion Week

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

“Happiness in marriage is entirely a matter of chance” (Jane Austen) appears to be the theme of the visual novel/rpg/sim game Matches and Matrimony: A Pride and Prejudice Tale where the decisions you make will consequently reveal an ending. This dating game is based on 3 of Jane Austen’s classic books: Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility and Persuasion. This conglomerating of separate novels works seamlessly into a romantic game where you are in control of the endings and plays even in this time and age.

As in any novel it is separated into chapters. At the beginning of each chapter you as the second daughter (Elizabeth) of Mr. Bennet can change her name to whatever you like. You and your sisters are at the age of marrying and your mother is desperate for suitable suitors. You begin your week by selecting activities to pursue each day from Monday to Friday. Each activity will then either increase your attributes such as willpower, wit, talent, kindness, propriety, sensibility and energy or decrease them. If you choose to paint one day, your talent and sensibility will increase but your energy will decrease. In order to control which gentleman you end up with, you must develop the right character. Making sure your energy is sufficient is important for special weekend activities at the end of each chapter like a ball, dinner party or parlor discussion so be sure to factor in some rest every 4 to 5 days.

Be sure you save the game as you go along because it will come in handy if you should change your mind about a decision you made prior and wish to go back. The game will save after each chapter in case you forget to do so. This game also makes it easy for you to skip through parts of the novel you already have read.

Some of the eligible bachelors in this game are Mr. Bingley (your older sister likes him), Colonel Brandon (15 years older), and Mr. Darcy (dark and aloof but in the book he’s the one Elizabeth marries). Each character has different attributes you need to develop for a happy ending with him. If you know the novels, it may be easier to find the ending you want. There are 6 suitors to choose from and 9 different endings. You can go back and play all 9 endings for a long game.

The scenic backgrounds are static and the characters all well done and stylistic. When a person is speaking, they will be on the screen with one expression until the next scene. Somehow the muted colors represent an era long past and seems appropriate for the game. The music is repetitive but fits the theme of the story. Overall the game is different and entertaining if you are into dating sim games like Date Warp, Always Remember Me, The Flower Shop and Love and Order. Also if you are a Jane Austen fan, you may enjoy this game since it is based partially on her novels. However the developers of this game did take some liberties and changed a few of the characters so if you are a diehard Jane Austen fan, you may be offended but the game does capture a lot of the author’s charm and wit. The free download will give you ample time to decide whether you are into this type of genre. Find happiness in this game.

Features of Matches and Matrimony: A Pride and Prejudice Tale:
-Game based on Jane Austen’s Novels
-6 Eligible Bachelors
-9 Different Endings

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Finally a unique logic, strategy match Mac game for all ages!  It's in a category by itself. You might say it's a little like Tetris and a little gem match 3 game. It's addictive, there's action, great sounds and fun bonuses.  Mac game Zen Stones is a smart, relaxing play for everyone to enjoy.  And, the best part is it's free online and download for only $3.99.  Not just the demo but the entire game! You can't beat that. Macgames.org is proud to offer this new puzzle to anyone who is interested in having a good time.

The game board is set up with tiles on the periphery of the square. There are a few scattered tiles on the board, and the goal is to remove all the tiles in the center.  In order to accomplish this feat you must click on tiles on the border, they will fly out either across, up or down and when you match 3 or more like color tiles, they will disappear.  When there is not a match, that tile will stay on the board with the direction arrow on it to show you which way it will go if and when it is released. In addition, if there is a tile next to an available tile on the outside of the game board, you cannot move it. If you fill the board completely with tiles, the game is over.  It's not as easy as it sounds.  It takes a little strategy, a little logic and a little luck.  The luck comes in the form of bonuses or power-ups.

As you can see there are a lot of bonuses. My favorite one is the UP button. Get it to the edge of the board and when you press it, it will take you to the next level. Of course, if you are trying to increase your points, this button is not for you. The double-sided arrow will shoot across the entire row or column eliminating all the tiles in its way. The strategy comes in when you press the black button with small squares. It will remove one tile of your choice, and it will darken the board and highlight the tiles you can take out. The direction arrows come in handy when you make this move.

The first few levels are easy, but as you continue more colors are added and the difficulty level rises. The bonuses also become fewer and far between. The challenges in these levels are more interesting to play because you must think and plan your next few moves in order to conquer the stones. The great thing about this game is the tiles are not advancing continuously to take you down in a limited time period. The game is for you to relax and enjoy the play. If you have a need for competitiveness, you can see the highest level you can complete or how many points you can garner. Maybe in the future you will be able to post your high scores or post them yourselves on Facebook or Twitter.

The tiles will sometimes stick and if you click more than once on one tile, it will eventually release 2 tiles. This would be catastrophic if not for the undo button. I found that if a tile sticks, click on an open area on the game board and one tile will release. This is a minor annoyance because the game is free online and download for just $3.99. Another thing is that this game is addictive and will take up a lot of your time so be sure you have cleared your schedule to master the Zen Stones.

We, at Macgames.org, are happy to launch Zen Stones for your enjoyment.  Also this game is being developed as an app for the iphone so be sure to check back with us for further news of its release.  Have fun and zen out.

This 4th edition of Westward is all about the train revolution in the wild west. The iron horse opened up the west for the general public and advanced the westward movement. In Mac adventure/strategy/sim game Westward IV: All Aboard a town will rise from nothing to a place full of people and with stores, and of course, the ubiquitous saloon.

Begin your play by choosing your hero either Henry a tool wielding workaholic or Anne with a sassy mouth and attitude to match her keen shooting skills Turner (siblings). Their mother is in need of assistance because the father has disappeared and the Turner railroad is in need of repair. When you have a railroad station and tracks, people will come and a town will develop along the route. Drag your hero from place to place performing different tasks and quests. People with question marks over their heads will need to speak to you person. Drag him/her to the questioner and click on that person. A screen will appear letting you know what they want. Click to the edge of the screen to move about the territory or use the map to move around the area. You can also click on the picture of your hero on the lower left of the screen to go directly to where they are.

In the beginning it is a little boring since you need to build up your resources to buy upgrades, building plans and other things to develop your town. You don’t even have enough money for a train ticket to return home. You must work odd jobs that people need you to do. Help a woman collect wood, deliver pies for someone else. When you move your cursor over something and your hand has a tool, you will be doing something at that spot. If your hand is holding a bag, you are to pick up that object. There are many quests to complete (listed at upper left), objects to pick up, buildings to erect, and gather food for the people who will show up as your town grows. If you do not vary your food for the people, they will leave your town. Variety apparently is the spice of life for them and will keep the town’s folk happy. You need to increase your experience, money and resources throughout the game.

The different scenarios or quests are more interesting than the usual business of improving your town. For instance, you are taking the train, and all of a sudden there’s a barrier across the tracks. Bandits blew up the train tracks to block your progress and are about to rob you. There is a battle between you and a deputy against the bad guys. After killing the bandits, you still need to find a way to clear the tracks of boulders before moving on. Where are you going to get dynamite? Meeting the fur trader will have you shooting deer and rabbits. Beware of the wolves as you travel alone.

Lots of things develop as you get more and more into the story and it becomes exciting as you progress. The artwork and music are good. Build up the west in this exceptional and original rpg/sim Mac game. I give it a 3.5 for a solid play.

Features of Westward IV: All Aboard:
-Over 25 Buildings to Develop Your Town
-20 Levels of Frontier Fun
-Collect, Buy, Sell, Trade for Goods

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars