Do you remember when you were a kid, and how much you loved playing with blocks? And then do you remember how that no good, bad apple terrible two-year-old One Tooth McGee would come over and knock them all down, chortling around his pacifier while you wept into the hem of your Elmo skirt?... anybody?... no?... oh, um, no reason. Regardless, Picture Cubes is a fun new way to play with blocks in the safety of your own home, where only the physics will bully you in this colourful puzzle game that sees you assembling pictures from blocks.

Click on a block on screen to interact with it; clicking and holding in the center lets you drag it around, while clicking and holding in any of the block's four corners will let you rotate it. Double click on a block to lift it into the air, and then on the arrows that appear to turn it to display different sides. The goal is to properly assemble the picture displayed at the start of each level, and if you forget, you can click on the bar at the right of the screen to display it again. Correctly matched pieces snap together when they get close. As you progress, the number of pieces you need to work with increases, and so does the variety of pictures you need to sort through to make the correct image.

There's nothing to really make you feel the crunch to finish a level quickly, although if you don't complete a puzzle before the bonus timer counts down you herald the end of the world at the hands of Galactus... oh, wait, I mean, you lose out on a bonus to your final score for the level. Which, while perhaps a little disheartening for those of you who worship at the altar of the high score table, is still hardly a deal-breaker.

Analysis: Man, shhh. Just... chill a moment, yeah? Picture Cubes has a particularly mellow presentation that's about as relaxing as you can get. The visuals are beautiful, the music is soft, and even the sound effects are pleasant. Picture Cubes is basically the digital equivalent of having someone standing behind you and gently massaging your temples. It's got a gentle difficulty curve, and the whole thing is just fun to play.

Which might be a good thing, since the most difficult thing about the game can be dealing with what appears to be a very sleepy physics engine. Everything seems just slightly delayed, like it's happening underwater. Which, you know, is frustrating when your high score sort of depends on moving with some sense of urgency. Thankfully, once blocks have been connected together, you can't break them apart; blocks that are correctly aligned magically snap together, eliminating trying to align tiny pixels, and then to avoid bumping them apart.

Picture Cubes isn't exactly a high-octane experience. (At least not until you unlock the rail gun.) You and six other friends are not going to be huddled breathlessly around the monitor, whooping, high-fiving, and calling each other "brah" every time someone matches a piece. Instead, it's a mellow, relaxing experience that's accessible to just about anyone. If you just want something simple, lovely, and well made to pass the time with, Picture Cubes is just what the doctor ordered.

... I mean, I assume he was a doctor. Sure the certificate was written in crayon, but he seemed trustworthy. Oh, just play it!

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Ow! My wrists! Being a shark is HARD! But finally a piece of art has arrived that not only addresses the bad rap that Jaws gave these water-bound predators, it totally annihilates it! Eat your heart out, Steven Spielberg, because if Miami Shark from Mausland teaches us anything, it's that sharks are AWESOME. Providing you are the shark. And you can drag stealth bombers down. From the sky.

In a way, though, we still have to tip our hat a little to that franchise, in particular Jaws 2, in which a shark manages to pull a helicopter out of the sky. I suppose you can also credit the recent Asylum z-movie Mega Shark vs. Giant Octopus, where a giant shark attacks an airliner. Because in Miami Shark you do both. The object of the game is very simple. Within a set amount of miles you have to chew your way through as much destruction as possible. Swim with the [arrow] keys, and bite with [ctrl] or [A]. Chomp up swimmers. Gnaw through boats. Swallow up scuba divers and packs of dolphins. Leap high into the air and drag down helicopters, Boeings and a few aforementioned military aircraft.

There is really little strategy here, though if such subtleties do exist, it's pretty easy not to notice them. You have to time leaps to grab onto flying vehicles and destroy anything bigger than a swimmer, but it's hardly as technical as it sounds. Destroying things creates combo chains, which obviously raises the score. The object is the high score at the end of the run, which you can submit. In all honesty it does get a bit stale after a while, but you won't regret wasting some time on Miami Shark. It's a slick little game that looks good and plays well. And you are a shark who eats airliners. Why are we even debating this?

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Let's just put this out there now: room escapes can seem a little... samey after a while. Although the classic room escape is still logical fun, there's even more fun to be had when things are a little quirky, such as in games like the Dr. Ichie series, where you wake up in a room with a note from the apologetic doctor (why in the world does he keep locking you up?) and then proceed to escape. Whimsy makes everything better. This is why this week's gem is a whimsical entry from Tesshi-e in Escape from the Tatami Room.

The story is told with a note (if you find it) from the staff of the Tesshi-e restaurant. They have locked you in, and will only serve you lunch if you reason your way out. Cool! Why can't I find restaurants like that around here? Oh right, lawsuits. At any rate, your task is then to wander around the space and try to figure out how to unlock the door. Not to escape, mind you, but to get that fabulous promised lunch.

Navigation is the classic bars at the sides, bottom, and occasionally top of the screen. An about item button allows you to examine your inventory items. And as this is classic Tesshi-e, you definitely need to examine the items, manipulate them, and even combine them to reach the amusing conclusion of this particular escape. There is no changing cursor to point out the hot spots, but as the space is sparsely filled, there will not be a lot of pixel hunting involved.

Analysis: Tesshi-e's escapes are, for the most part, a little on the cold, logical side, so it's nice to see this little flight of whimsy. The puzzles are logical and the construction is flat out amusing, making this a very light-hearted, fun escape. Well, not an escape, per se, unless you're talking about an escape from hunger.

Beautifully rendered in 3D, this is a very traditional Japanese space, very reminiscent of a traditional Ryokan; sparse, serene, calm, and almost ethereal. The music is, as usual, something you've probably heard before, so there's always the handy mute button. As always with Tesshi-e, there's more than one escape scenario. Two, in fact; the regular and the obligatory "happy coin" escape. Although the game is in Japanese, you don't need to be able to read it to play. In fact, at key points, English phrases crop up to point the gamer in the right direction.

Escape from the Tatami Room is not the toughest escape out there, but one that hangs together nicely with a mix of use of found objects, construction, and pure logic. Amusing casual gameplay that doesn't take a lot of time but leaves you feeling very satisfied, even if you don't really get to eat that excellent spread that is the final reward. Feeling peckish? Then get moving! Just save me some of that sushi, it looks good enough to eat.

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Amil is a good guy to have around. Sure, he may look like a footlocker and have unsettling pink bags under his eyes, but if your dog or cat or other pet should ever fall down a mine shaft leading to a subterranean geothermic engineering project of dubious provenance, Amil is your go-to fellow. Created by Robert Stone, Amil is a gravity-switching platformer with retro stylings and just a scintilla of RPG flavor.

The game begins after a brief tutorial and a slightly less brief prologue. The [arrow] keys make Amil move and jump about, while the [spacebar] lets him talk to folks, enter doors, and otherwise interact with the environment. When you finally enter the mines, the heart of the game begins, where you can switch gravity to overcome obstacles with the [WASD] keys. Avoid pitfalls, spikes, and treacherous lava flows, while escorting poor Tony's animal chums safely to the surface.

Analysis: The prologue and epilogue to Amil are a little strange, as they feel for all the world like an RPG, with Zelda-like conversations with townsfolk pertaining to the backstory of the game. Amil's world is very richly realized, and I feel like there is much more to explore, yet it all seems ancillary to the main game, which is an unadulterated action platformer. I get the sense that Amil was originally a much more ambitious project that was scaled back a bit, but as a consequence a lot of thoughtful background was rendered sadly superfluous. Perhaps we will see more of Amil's world further developed in future games.

Let's not dwell on what Amil could have been, and instead focus on what it is: a clever puzzle platformer with a nifty gravity mechanic. Now there have been a lot of gravity manipulation games lately, but Amil stands out, in part because of the controls. For simplicity, many gravity games opt to exclude jumping as a means of movement. Amil opts to make jumping an important part of navigating the levels. This is a boon, because it means there are a lot more choices than simply switching gravity to follow a pre-determined path, which allows for much more complex and satisfying levels.

It's also a bit of a curse, because you have to think about moving and jumping and gravity-switching, and it takes a bit of adjustment to keep those three modes of movement straight. There is also the perennial issue of how to orient controls; many gravity games set the controls relative to the main character, such that left and right are relative to which way gravity is facing. Amil opts for an absolute perspective, such that the [arrow] keys always move Amil in the same direction on the screen, no matter where he is standing. This works pretty smoothly, actually, but it leads to some mind-bending situations, like pressing the [left] arrow key to jump if gravity is facing rightward. I completed the game just fine, but I never did feel completely comfortable with the controls.

The game is decidedly old-school in both it's look and gameplay, even with the more new-school use of gravity switching. The graphics are colorful and pixilated, and the soundtrack is full of groovy chiptune music. The levels are chockablock with coins, hearts, spikes, and lava pits, hoary retro warhorses all. Even the prologue, with its "Welcome to Corneria" interactions with the townsfolk, facilitates the nostalgic vibe.

The levels are finely designed, with few extraneous elements cluttering up the tightness of the puzzles. It's mostly just spikes, gravity, and ferrying tiny animals from one waypoint to the next, and I appreciate the elegance. I also appreciate the difficulty; the levels are thoughtful without ever being frustrating, so you will gladly play until the end. If you have an hour or so, finishing the game should not be a problem. This is good, because the game does not really have any sort of save mechanic. There are level codes, but they are only accessible when you lose all your lives, a strange choice.

Amil is an excellent example of the burgeoning genre of gravity platformers. Moreover, it offers the promise, however imperfectly realized, of a cool new world to explore. May we see more of Amil and his world in the future.

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Whodunnit?! Was it the left-handed neighbour with the dark secret? Or the unusually strong butler with a grudge? Or maybe it wasthe lover who just happens to be an expert at lockpicking? In ClueSweeper from Nerdook, you solve grisly crimes before the time runs out through good, old fashioned... Minesweeping? Hmmm. I don't remember that issue of Batman.

Yes, as you may have guessed from its name, this little puzzler is a combination of board-game classic Clue and Minesweeper. Each game centers around trying to solve a murder. Unlike Minesweeper proper, you're not trying to avoid bombs. Instead, the numbers on the grid represent how many clues are nearby. It's your job to uncover what you need to get your suspect by finding evidence to incriminate or eliminate suspects, or win additional rewards or time. Your "time" is actually the number of moves you have left, so go slowly and think out your actions. Click on a square to reveal what's underneath, and slowly eliminate your suspects until you've figured out who the killer is. Make sure you're certain, since the real killer will get off scott free if you accuse the wrong person! The game has a different solution each time you play it, and grants you achievements based on how quickly you solved the murder, or how much cash you earned for doing so.

It's not particularly challenging, but there's something endearing and addicting about this oddball little hybrid with its simple premise and spartan visuals. Especially for those of us who keep games like Solitaire on hand for when we're bored. While it unfortunately lacks the depth to become a truly memorable experience, ClueSweeper is one of those addictive little games with simple, clever mechanics that can be relied upon to fill whatever time you have. I would love to see a much more fleshed out, engaging version with an actual storyline and characters to interact with. (And of course, every good detective story needs a good lookin' dame.) In the meantime, it's a fun new spin on an old classic. And, hey. Who doesn't want a little Minesweeper homicide in their day?

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What is it about thieves, especially those who steal priceless treasure, that elicits our sympathy? I mean, drug dealers and weapon smugglers are roundly reviled, assassins are at best "morally conflicted" despite the cool black cowls and capes, but of all the serious criminals, it only makes sense to speak of a "lovable thief." Or "lovable pirate," but that's just a thief with a big boat. Anyway, maybe it's because the "gentleman thief" never hurts anyone, and never deprives anyone of anything they truly need. It's not like Phineas Q. Vandersnoot, needs another Renaissance masterpiece; why shouldn't we enjoy it as a talented footpad helps himself to some of the loose artwork lying about?

That also might be the appeal of games like Ric Rococo: International Art Thief. Somewhat similar to Art of Theft minus the story and snazzy hat, Ric Rococo is a thoughtful game of stealth, theft, and escalator navigation that brings you the thrill of non-violent sneaking and filching in a museum full of inattentive guards, pivoting bidirectional cameras, unintuitive elevators, and highly stealable paintings.

Control Ric, looking good in his zip-up black spandex ninja catsuit, with the [left] and [right] arrows. The [spacebar] does most everything else: riding escalators and elevators, pilfering paintings, flipping switches, posing on unoccupied pedestals to elude clueless guards, and more. You can also use the [up] and [down] arrows to ride escalators and control elevators, though I find this doesn't work as well as the [spacebar]. Once you grab a painting, you have to find an open window to pass the painting off to your partner in crime. Elevators and escalators are the only means of moving from floor to floor, and they are laid out in an increasingly convoluted fashion as the levels progress. You have a limited time to collect a certain value's worth of paintings, so looking at the map at the beginning of each level and planning your itinerary is essential. Do you spend time grabbing the numerous but less valuable paintings near your point of entry, or do you risk capture to obtain the more valuable but better protected prizes farther afield?

Many browser-based stealth games have a generic "hide" ability that can be used any time, or let you hide in certain areas, like in shadows, or behind furniture. Ric specializes in the "goofy" school of non-detection, hiding either by hanging a stolen painting from an empty hook and curling behind it like a wall-climbing turtle, or by standing statuesquely on one of the surprising numerous empty pedestals like a ninja-clad Hermes or Thinker. More signs of the developer's humorous bent include the colorful, if flat, cartoony design, and the kooky treasures you buy after each level for your swinging, hyper-modernist thieves lair. Delight as you earn the likes of the World's Largest Truffle on Buttered Toast, because even grotesquely proportioned dessert items are improved with buttered toast.

Ric Rococo features only ten levels, and though the later levels are hard enough that you might have to repeat them, you may feel disinclined to do so. The pace of the game is such that there isn't much incentive to repeat parts of a level just to successfully complete it. But for the initial run through each level, Ric Rococo has it's charms. Who wouldn't want to be Ric, jetsetting to one fine, poorly-defended museum after another? It's a gentleman thief's dream.

Play Ric Rococo: International Art Thief

Ever wonder what it would be like to belong to a species of multicoloured, disembodied heads that got around by being dropped onto landscapes full of complex mechanisms to roll, flip, and float them around? Of course you have. That's why you're going to play Jolls, a physics puzzle apparently designed to satiate your strange curiosity. In fact, it's... yes, I'll say it... a Jolly good time! Bwahahahahaho cripes, even I thought that pun was bad.

Play by clicking to drop Jolls on the field. The goal is to collect all the little floating baby Jolls on the field with the matching coloured adult Jolls. You can see what colour Jolls you have left to drop in the lineup in the upper right corner. When a big Joll rolls into a little Joll, it's automatically collected. Standing in your way is terrain that looks like it sprang straight from the brain of Doctor Seuss, or perhaps Lewis Carroll; fans, moving platforms, ramps, and icons that change your gravity or size, all of them need to be accounted for in your plan to collect all the floating babies. Get stuck? Then just tap the [spacebar] to restart a level. I don't know about you guys, but this is exactly why I hated babysitting; darned floating babies, always makin' me need to roll down a wooden ramp and slingshot through a gravity-warping icon to get them ready for bed.

If the game looks familiar, it could be due to the fact that it was created by the same mind behind Civiballs. Like Civiballs, Jolls's gameplay is quick and simple and full of smiling balls with slightly disconcerting stares. (Or maybe that's just me? Anyone? Creepy?... no? Just me?) It's easy to get the hang of, and has just enough of a difficulty curve to provide a satisfying afternoon's gaming... or other time measurement of your choice. It's a tasty little popcorn snack of the game for fans of puzzles, physics, and the combination thereof.

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I don't suppose you've ever felt trapped at a really tedious party, wishing you could throw off the shackles of social convention and impale your host on a cocktail weenie toothpick, make a rope out of your own hair to escape out the bathroom window, beat yourself unconscious with the cheese tray—anything to avoid listening to some guy tell you another story about his golfing ability? In real life it's the opposite of entertaining, but in Party Foul, which took fourth place in CGDC7, it makes for a hilarious puzzle to test all your escaping power.

Party Foul is interactive fiction, so you use a text parser to interact with the game. Party Foul includes a great tutorial, so if you're new to IF, definitely type "yes" when the game asks if you'd like to do the tutorial. Otherwise, the game uses typical IF text commands, such as l/look, x/examine, take, put, the cardinal directions (n, s, e, w, nw, etc), i/inv/inventory, and so on. If you ever feel stuck or confused, simply type help, hint or about to get more information.

Analysis: Party Foul contains three major puzzles, and they don't have to be done in any specific order. So, if you get frustrated at lack of progress on one, go hack on another problem for a while. While some parts do require timing, the game as a whole isn't like, say, Varicella where one mistake puts you into an unwinnable state. This would be a good introduction to interactive fiction for a beginner, and for a pro, it's still an amusing diversion. Especially if you've found yourself in a similar social situation. After all, how many times have you really needed to escape from an underground alien lair, or a post-apocalyptic zombie outbreak?

Sometimes the parser isn't quite up to snuff. There's one point where you have to specifically "order" something. I tried about ten different combinations of "ask for" before I gave up and looked at the walkthrough. For the most part, however, the parser feels natural, and the puzzles, while not easy, are logical. The hint system is great, too. It doesn't immediately tell you the answer, but gradually gives more and more information. Sometimes your brain just needs a little nudge in the right direction, and this provides it.

The best part of Party Foul is the humor. It's very dry, tongue-in-cheek stuff, most provided by your less-than-desirable company. It's worth trying all the actions you can think of everywhere, on everyone, just to see the sort of response you'll get from your fellow party goers. I'll leave you with its opening quote, from P. J. O'Rourke: After all, what is your host's purpose in having a party? Surely not for you to enjoy yourself; if that were their sole purpose, they'd have simply sent champagne and women over to your place by taxi.

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In a world where people can't seem to see eye to eye on even the most simplest of things, it's comforting to know that we can all at least agree on the fact that hamburgers are the world's most perfect food. In the undeniably charming platformer, I Was Hungry But There Were Cannons, you will find no shortage of this most awesome of culinary delights; it's just that getting them all won't be easy.

You wear a dashing top hat, you are teal, and while you have no arms, you have a huge mouth and some crazy powerful legs, all the better to nosh on your preferred flame broiled munchies with. Controlling your dapper blue green avatar couldn't be simpler. Use the [arrow] or [WASD] keys to move, duck and jump. For each level, you'll have to use your platforming skills to scarf down as many of the floating burgers as you can in order to reach the percentage goal of that stage. Nom enough burgers and you're off to find the scale which will unlock the exit for the level.

This would be easy except, as the title so aptly points out, there are cannons in your way. There are also a ton of spikes and color coded platforms that appear and disappear when you hit their corresponding switches. Add to this springboards that launch you skyward and an ego crushing report card that will have you trying to stuff this game under your bed before your parents find out about it and now we have one flame broiled, 100% beef party!

Analysis: There's plenty to admire stuffed into this digital quest for the all-mighty slider with plenty of ear, eye and twitch reflex candy to go around. From the moment you load up this game you are treated to penny arcade style music that forebodes the whimsical fun you have in store. Whilst you bob and sway lightly to the happy tunes the rest of the sound effects work over time to grind in the game's cheerful personality. It's hard not to smile at the sounds of hamburgers getting gobbled or the first time you hear our hero declare in his prim little voice, "Oh, I'm dead." Meanwhile, Hungry would remain largely mediocre in its graphical appearance except that the main character with his fancy hat and funky running style positively drips with charm.

Don't let the overflowing likeability draw you away from the fact that I Was Hungry is also a very respectable platformer. Less adept players will appreciate that there is a generous learning curve while there are a handful of truly challenging levels for veterans of the genre. Overall, though, the focal point of the level design seems to be not necessarily to provide the greatest challenge, but instead to maximize the fun. Add to that a control scheme that is tight and responsive and hit detection that has only a few minor flaws and you have a very solid platformer indeed. There's even a decent nod to replayability here with the letter grade ranking system.

I must admit that the game feels like it could have been paced just a hair faster, and more levels or even a level editor wouldn't have hurt in the slightest. Further, with the exception of the last level which can give one fits, hardcore platformer enthusiasts aren't likely to find this title all that challenging. But overall I Was Hungry But There Were Cannons is a well rounded platformer treat for casual and dedicated fans alike.

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A digging game. A quiz game. And a game about shooting ragdolls out of cannons. It would be a challenge to find a more varied selection of iTunes App Store games. Unless one of them involved monkeys. Monkeys always win the randomness awards.

Quizarium - From the makers of Charadium comes an online multiplayer quiz game that's way too cool for its own good. The set-up couldn't be simpler: fire up the game, pick a lobby with the theme and difficulty you're in the mood for, then start answering questions. The community is great, the quiz questions varied, and the experience is as smooth as you could possibly imagine.

Ragdoll Blaster 2 - The action/puzzle-oriented physics game has returned, now with more ragdolls, more cannons, and more of everything in-between. Tap the screen to shoot a ragdoll towards the target. All you have to do is brush up against it to finish the level, but that usually involves nasty moving platforms, pushing blocks of ice, transporting cannon control, teleporters, or a number of other creative obstacles. An excellent follow-up to an already excellent game, and the visual upgrade is much appreciated!

Mole: Quest for the Terracore gem! - A digging game in the vein of I Dig It, Mole is a little more arcade-oriented and focuses on short rounds of digging and treasure finding. The goal is to pick up as much cash and metal as you can get your grubby little paws on. Dig down as deep as you dare, careful to keep an eye on your oxygen meter at the top of the screen, and gather what gems you can. Return to the surface, sell the loot, and upgrade your abilities so you can go even further down. An excellent and well-balanced digging game.

NOTE: Games listed may not be available outside of North America. Prices are subject to change and are therefore unlisted. Please see the individual game pages for purchasing info.

Nobody's a stranger to mahjong, the Chinese game of tile matching. According to legend, Confucius developed the game in 500 BC, naming it after the sparrow for the delicate symphony created by the individual tiles coming together to form a whole. Whether or not that's true, mahjong tends to be a quiet, contemplative sort of game, a mood elegantly set by the beautiful music and visual presentation of Mahjongg Dimensions Deluxe.

In this type of mahjong, you're presented with a pile of tiles decorated with dozens upon dozens of unique images. The goal is to remove tiles a pair at a time, selecting only pieces with open edges (sides that do not border other pieces). Which tiles you remove becomes important when your mahjong stack grows intricate, creating a subtle strategy that's important to the puzzle experience.

In Mahjongg Dimensions Deluxe, 3D tiles are used instead of the usual "flat" tiles deployed in most casual games. The cubes are stacked and removed just like in any mahjong game, only now you must rotate your point of view in order to see tiles facing away from the screen. Click the arrows on the left and right sides of the screen to move the stack. You can also use the [left] and [right] arrow keys or the [a] and [d] keys on your keyboard.

Mahjongg Dimensions Deluxe is played against the clock (though an untimed mode is available), and you score points based on how quickly you complete each set of four puzzles. Matching tiles quickly nets you a bonus multiplier. Special tiles appear after a few levels, such as time tiles, slowdown tiles, and gems that turn the entire pile into same-colored gems when matched. During this brief time, you can match any open gem with any other open gem, allowing you to make a serious dent in the puzzle!

Analysis: Mahjongg Dimensions Deluxe stands out of the crowd for one huge reason: its presentation. The game begins with a bit of backstory outlining the Confucius legend along with a few other pieces of flavor text. Then you're treated to a peaceful meadow scene with trees and grass and cute fuzzy animals moving around. Later, new dimensions (scenes) open up, and each is almost as captivating as the last. The music was composed by actual musicians on actual instruments, and you'll feel like you're sitting in the audience of a small symphony.

Apart from it's deliciously calm presentation, one question about Mahjongg Dimensions Deluxe springs to mind: why 3D? Doesn't that add a pointless aspect of perspective hiding to an already challenging game? No, not really, at least, not after you settle down with the game. For the first few levels you'll wonder why you have to rotate the view just to see the other tiles. This rotation adds a subtle quality of realism to the game. It gives the playing field depth, drawing you in to the soothing backgrounds and filling your ears with the orchestral music more so than your standard mahjong layout. After a few minutes of play, board rotation becomes second nature, and the game takes on a wonderful zen-like quality of peace.

Mahjongg Dimensions Deluxe stumbles a bit near the beginning of the game with a too-verbose tutorial that practically tells you what the mouse cursor is and how you can move it. A few hyper-clicks later you'll be free of most of the help text, but it persists a few stages into the game, which is mildly annoying. Also, don't look for anything more than a game of 3D mahjong here. Mahjongg Dimensions Deluxe does what's on the cover and doesn't stray from that in the name of wacky mini-games.

A beautiful visual and aural setting, Mahjongg Dimensions Deluxe literally adds a new perspective to the mahjong genre and does a quietly pleasing job at it!

Windows:
Download the demo
Order the full version

Mac OS X:
Not available.
Try Boot Camp or Parallels or CrossOver Games.

What's a girl to do, once she's traveled the world and helped her dear old granny rescue her farm? Well, buy a farm of her own, of course! Never mind that the farm is at the frozen pole. That's right; Alawar Games has brought us the latest installment in the Farm Frenzy time management series, Farm Frenzy 3: Ice Age!

Like its predecessor, Farm Frenzy 3: American Pie, Ice Age is a "side" installment in the Farm Frenzy series, where you concentrate on a farm in one location, taking the time to master all of the animals and rebuilding and restoring the facility as you go. Unlike American Pie — where there was a distinct lack of anything pie related — Ice Age has... well, a lot of ice. And snow. And polar bears. But we're getting ahead of ourselves here. Let's start at the beginning.

The heroine of Farm Frenzy is bored one day and just happens to read an advertisement for a farm at the pole. Of course that's a good idea, what are you saying? Just because it's a frozen wasteland doesn't mean there isn't some good farming possibilities there. After all, there are the penguins. And the walruses. And the wooly mammoth. Wait, what pole is this supposed to be at again? Well, judging by the creatures and by a special guest appearance, this is a pole that exists only in the imagination.

The gameplay will be familiar to anyone who has played any of the many Farm Frenzy installments. You begin with a basic farm, a well that produces food (in this case, an ice fishing hole that produces fish, not much call for water in the frozen north), a budget, and a task. The task may be to produce raw goods, or manufactured items from those raw goods, and you have a limited amount of time, money, and fish to scatter on the ground to feed your animals. Eventually you will move on to larger, more complex challenges, involving several different types of animals and goods, some of which you can produce, some of which must be shipped in by helicopter. Frenzy is an appropriate descriptor, as eventually you will be juggling a lot of different tasks at the same time, working hurriedly to beat the clock.

It starts with penguins, who produce eggs, which you can sell at the market. However, it is more efficient if you set up a plant that turns the eggs into powdered eggs, which can sell for more money. Then build a plant that can turn those powdered eggs into cookies, then turn those cookies into cakes, etc. Eventually other animals will be added: royal penguins which produce feathers that eventually become clothing; walrus who produce ivory (that can be turned into souvenirs); and eventually those mysterious, supposedly extinct wooly mammoth, surprisingly not for their wool, but for something else entirely. Danger appears in the form of polar bears which can kick away your hard working livestock as they stride across your stretch of farm. Fortunately, there are also helper animals available which can drive off the predators or help you collect products as they hit the ground.

Each level is on a timer. Finish within a certain amount of time and win a gold trophy, finish a little slower and win a silver. Even if you don't manage to win a trophy, you continue until the goal is met. However, you want to finish as quickly as possible for the bonus points, which are needed to purchase upgrades to buildings and machinery. Those upgrades are needed to move on to the next rounds, so you may have to repeat a scenario a few times to proceed further. In certain cases, the linear track you are moving on splits, giving you a decision of which direction on the map to move, breaking up the linearity of the basic game.

Analysis: Ice age is pretty much a companion piece to American Pie. Not as complex as the main Farm Frenzy games, instead concentrating on perfecting one farm, albeit a rather strange one. Playing American Pie, for instance, could necessitate raising sheep for wool, which is turned into yarn, then cloth. To turn the cloth into clothing you needed to import strange feathered neckpieces. Well, in Ice Age, you are approaching the same task from the opposite direction, as this time you are constructing the feathered goods and need to import the cloth, presumably direct from granny's farm in the Midwest. The combinations used to produce goods are similar to those in American Pie, complex but not overly so.

As usual we are looking at the standard Farm Frenzy art, cute cartoony animals against a fantasy background. Unlike the usual farms though, you're looking at a lot of ice and snow, making the whole game actually feel a little chilly while playing. Eventually even the polar bears will end up in snowsuits, so we're talking cold. A lot of the amusement and fun of the game comes from the animals, the waddling penguins, the amazingly cute walrus, the stalwart guard dogs, the elegant cats, and the adorably poufy mammoth. Despite the climactic differences, this is still a basic Farm Frenzy game.

It's all becoming a bit... same, isn't it? The game is still wacky fun, and progresses to some wickedly difficult levels, but it would be nice to see some changes introduced, other than just substituting "new" animals for a different location. Some of the goods and manufacturing processes are different due to the animals involved, and the tasks involving the mammoths (when you eventually get to that level) are cute and unexpected, but the dynamic is still very much in the Farm Frenzy groove. If you've played any of the series this will all seem very familiar.

Despite the similarities to the other Farm Frenzy games (or, perhaps, because of it) Farm Frenzy 3: Ice Age is still a rollicking good time. With tons of trophies to win and lots of levels to conquer, you're still looking at hours and hours (and hours) of casual gameplay and replay value that is fun for a wide range of ages. So enjoy the cute animals, and look out for an appearance from a very special guest star.

Windows:
Download the demo
Order the full version

Mac OS X:
Not available.
Try Boot Camp or Parallels or CrossOver Games.

Farm Frenzy 3: Ice Age is available to download from these affiliates: