Best of 2008 (shared):
An anagram puzzle game from Martin Sears, presented with the distinct flavor of British educational programming. Don't be fooled by the charming hand-drawn appearance and the curiously twisted vignettes between levels; don't worry if the first few levels seem too basic. This turns into a serious brain-twister.
A dice game of luck and strategy, race against the computer (or a friend) to 10,000 points. Earn points by rolling 1's and 5's, or by rolling 3 or more of a kind, or several other special configurations worth big points. Also known under a variety of different names, Zilch is definitely one of those games that's "easy to learn, hard to master."
Why we picked them: Blocks With Letters On combines the brain flexing normally associated with a word jumble and the spatial coordination skills possessed by champion block-pushers into a hybrid that thoroughly satisfies even the most voracious puzzle solver. Each level has been painstakingly designed to vex, confound, and otherwise befuddle the poor player. As a reward for your hard work, you are treated to a droll animation of the word you have just constructed, complete with pronunciation by a staggeringly monotone British voice. It's this kind of extra touch that really endears a player to a game.
And at the end of the alphabetical spectrum is Zilch, the dice game of strategy and chance. Pulling a page from many of our own memories, Zilch captures the excitement and frustration of that critical decision: Should I push my luck just one more time? A whopping 120 achievements await the player, and the three challenging AI's bring a real sense of competition to this very addictive game. Together, they represent the best of this category from 2008.
Audience Award:
A dice game of luck and strategy, race against the computer (or a friend) to 10,000 points. Earn points by rolling 1's and 5's, or by rolling 3 or more of a kind, or several other special configurations worth big points. Also known under a variety of different names, Zilch is definitely one of those games that's "easy to learn, hard to master."
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