From PopCap comes this beautiful and very popular, well-conceived puzzle game that is similar to games like Bust-A-Move. Gameplay consists of shooting colored beads onto the play field using the mouse for aiming and shooting, aligning three or more in a row removes them from play. The Zuma beads continue to roll around the play field until they reach the skull, at which point you lose a life.

What makes Zuma special from other games like it is the excellent Aztec Indian-themed graphics and style, its unusual and increasingly intricate spiral layouts—referred to as 'temples'—and its engaging chants and drum sounds that fit the style of the game perfectly. Special power-ups and bonuses abound that add spice and variety, as well as strategic elements, to the gameplay. It's a game that I've wanted to highlight here for some time, and it's a good example of what can be done by expanding on an established game design, thereby redefining it.

Windows:
Download the demo
Order the full version

Mac OS X:
Download the demo
Order the full version