National Geographic’s Herod’s Lost Tomb is based on a TV show of the same title, and scenes from this show are interspersed in this Mac game giving it an authentic and realistic feel to the story. You are the world famous archeologist searching for Herod’s lost tomb in this hidden object play.

The game can be played in timed or untimed mode. This hidden object and seek and find game takes you to many ancient sites where his tomb may be hidden. At each scene you click on the objects listed at the bottom of the screen. In many instances if you click on the word it will show you an image to assist your search. Also you may need tools to unveil objects hidden under or in a covering. Gold coins will give you 30 seconds to your play.

There are many mini games to play and add to the search. One was to restore an image by rotating tiles until you can see the picture.

If you are a hidden object fan you may enjoy Herod’s Lost Tomb with the video story of this infamous king. I enjoyed the story about his life and all that he did during his notorious reign and the hidden object game. It’s a little different because of the TV scenes, but I think it adds to the whole picture.

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Fashion Dash is another exciting Mac game in the Dash series of sim plays. This one is in the fashion industry where Coco, a friend of Flo’s, gets laid off from her dream job of dressing stars on a TV dance show. If getting fired wasn’t bad enough, they pay her in fabric left over from the show. Of course, waitress Flo, overhearing her customers, finds that there is a huge need for a dress maker. She talks Coco into starting her own dress business.

The play is to click on the waiting customers, drag them to the dressing area, click on the catalog, click on the person when ready take their measurements to the spinning ticket stand, the seamstress makes the dress, click on the dress or suit, click on the waiting customer once again, get paid and finally click on the hanger to take it to the stand. Be sure to seat a guy next to a girl because they will flirt with each other and their happiness level will stay good for a while longer. Also the guys dress faster so you can get them in and out faster.

The 2 modes of play is Story and Endless. In Story you follow Coco’s career and life, and in Endless you play through a stream of customers serving them as long as you can keep customers happy. If they get angry and leave, you lose 1 star and when you lose all your stars, the game is over.

All the Dash games are very similar with a fun and interesting story and quirky working characters. The play is always enhanced with great upgrades and challenges. Fashion Dash is just as entertaining as any of their games. Enjoy making your fashion statement with this Mac game.

You may also enjoy:

Diner Dash 2

Wedding Dash

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Nanny 911 is a Mac sim game for both parents and kids. This game will teach you how to behave as a mother, father or kid. To play this game is deceptively easy, however with more actions needed in higher levels, it can be challenging.

To play you begin by selecting your nanny who will not only advise you along the way, but will grade you after each level. When a parent is not acting appropriately, he/she will be outlined in red. For example if the mother should go and take a nap when the children are acting up, you click on the thumbs down button and then on the mother to change this behavior. Unfortunately she may not learn on the first click and you may need to discipline her more than once. This procedure is also true for praising a parent who may be doing a good deed. The parent will be in a green glow and you click on the thumbs up this time to let the parent know they are doing well. To discipline a child when that tot is up to some kind of mischief, you click on the parent button and then click on the child. If the parent is doing a good job talking to the child click on the thumbs up and then the parent. If the parent is yelling and in a red glow, click on the thumbs down to let him/her know. There are goals to meet such as cleaning and disciplining each day and night. In addition you will be given letter grades for how well you play.

If you should need a break, there are mini games in between some of the levels. One such game is a match play where you connect like objects in a chain to destroy. You will definitely need the break from the main game since it will get hectic and challenging as you get to the higher levels. The children are messy and undisciplined and the parents are lazy with bad habits like talking on the phone or napping during inappropriate times.

Nanny 911 is not a game for me. I could not wait until I finished this play. It reminded me of the sim plays like Baby Sitting Mania and Nanny Mania goes to Hollywood. The first I didn’t like, the other is good only because it had more of a story line. In Nanny 911 the parents are introduced but you didn’t feel warm and fuzzy towards them. Nanny does give reasonable advice and I can imagine some people will need it, but do you want to be scolded and graded by Nanny over and over again? Parental behavior modification, although tempting, is not for me. Some of you out there will get into this play so try it out for yourselves and have fun.

Rating: 2 out of 5 stars

Have you ever watched old men playing mahjong? They smack the tiles down with a loud clatter. Apparently mahjong translate to clattering sparrow. Mac game Smack Mahjong with its many layouts and different tiles has a lot to offer when it comes to this type of play.

The goal of the play is to clear the game board of all the tiles by making matches of 2 of the same tiles (or the same set). The tiles are formed in different patterns such as the blimp, chains, buildings, fence, etc. There are many options to choose from. Tile types can be changed to whatever you may like. The available tiles are highlighted so you know which tiles can be used to match. Tiles must be free on 2 sides to be able to make a match. You do not need to know which tiles are available since they are highlighted with the unavailable tiles in shadows. It’s very clear and easy to identify, except the black tile set. These dark tiles are difficult to make out and it becomes a challenge just to figure out which tiles are usable.

The mahjong classic tiles are the 4 seasons, directions (north, south, east and west), numbers in Chinese characters, flowers and foliage. The flower tiles and season are a set of tiles known as 8 guardians. There are a lot of inner meanings to this game, but the play in Smack Mahjong will guide you on the instructions and make your time fun and entertaining to spend a relaxing afternoon.

The background scenes are very plain and simple. Making the background subtle helps you concentrate on the game at hand. My favorite part of this game is the highlighted tiles. This makes finding the right tile so much easier. In addition to the beautiful tiles, you get good music (somewhat Asian like and repetitive) and good sound effects. Try this basic mahjong game for a great time.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Cursed Valley is an interesting seek and find Mac game that gives you an option to choose between the short or long version of this mysterious tale. The extreme short version of this story is that you need to save this valley from the dark curse that has fallen over them, and your only help is the Magician’s Handbook to unveil secrets. In each chapter you have a new spell to complete.

The play is to meet your spell goals listed on the right to find objects to cast spells. You need to use the map to travel to different areas in the valley looking for hidden items. At the scenes you find pieces that are listed, in addition to finding the magician’s coins with the letter C in the middle will unlock a secret surprise.

A side game for completing potions is a match game you chain the like items together up, down, and diagonally. After completing this puzzle you get the repel distractions spell that helps get rid of flying books at the scenes you are trying to find the hidden objects. This part of the game is Harry Potterish.

Cursed Valley is your typical hidden object play but with a few surprising twists. I liked the flying books, spells and the mini puzzles. I recommend this game to people who enjoy hidden object, find and seek and even match players for all the different plays in this unique game.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Hotshot Jessica Braxen walked away from her 6 figure advertising executive position to follow her diving passion. In order to sustain her life style she plans to search for shipwrecks and treasure. You are to help her find riches and maps by playing match games.

You must match 3 or more like items to destroy them. In addition you need to bring pieces of a puzzle, diver and a treasure chest to the bottom of the game board. After completing that task the level is over. In between the levels there is an intense story developing with ancient people who lost their treasure in the sea, but who should Jessica believe? There are conflicting stories among the people she is encountering.

The match game is your usual swap pieces to match 3 or more items play, but this one is enjoyable and fun to play. The underwater sound effects were good and helped enhance the deep sea diving aspect of the game. Match items (crabs, fish, octopuses, black sea anemones, etc) reminded me of the Chuzzle characters with the expressive eyes. The sound is also similar and maybe that’s why I liked this game. The only part I could do without was the story, but overall this is a good game.

You may also enjoy:  Fishdom

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Explore jungles, outer space, temples, and the deep sea in Xplorer; a fast paced hidden object game that has no storyline or characters, just straight maps and objects. Scroll from left to right across big pictures to find all the items on the list and continue onto the next scene. Keep up the pace and explore all the maps in Xplorer.

A simple game, Xplorer consists of hidden objects scattered around some pretty random backgrounds that span the globe. A list is given and you must find and click on every item to complete the level. Not much else can really be said about Xplorer except for the scrolling across the picture thing which doesn’t really add much to the game because you only really need to scroll right to get more of the picture, not left. The power up to help you find things is standard and the magnifying glass just makes stuff blurry and not clearer. Other than that if you like finding junk on a pretty background, this game is for you. I give Xplorer a 2.5 out of 5 stars. Cool spelling of the word explorer.

Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars

When you don’t need a story in a match 3 play, you go to Mac game Swap from Phelios. It is a basic match game with many, many options to change the look of the board.

The play is to swap 2 items to match 3 or more objects of the same thing in a row vertically or horizontally. Swap has a lot of items to select from and many background or skin scenes to change. Some of the tokens or icons are gems, flags, hearts, shapes and rounds. The backgrounds are subtle but I think that’s best because if the background scene is too busy, it will take away from the play. Some of the skins are called Simply Pink, Cool Blue, Classic, For Her, For Him, Fresh Green and Flower Power.

There are 4 games to play: Rush you have 60 seconds to beat the high score, Classic gives you 5 minutes, Million you play until you reach that score and Relax is untimed. There are 4 modes of play you can choose from: Crazy, Easy, Normal and Hard. You select the level you are most comfortable.

The powerups are the cross where when the tokens are swapped will explode the items across horizontally and vertically. The lightning bolt will destroy a row or column whichever way it is facing. The bomb will blow up a few of the surrounding tokens.

In addition to all these choices, you can also design your own token sets and play them on Swap.

The playability of Swap is endless. With so many options, you can change your play in how it looks and how it plays. You will enjoy this game if you are a match 3 fan and like good, fast paced music. Take a challenge or relax and have fun in this versatile match 3 game. I give it a 4 out of 5 for an enjoyable play.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Ancient Tripeaks 2 has 16 different tripeak games with unlockable levels and combo-based scoring. This game with a Greek mythology theme is an addictive and enjoyable card play.

The goal of each play is to remove all the cards from the game board within a certain time period. You use your pile to remove a visible or a card face up that is higher or lower than your card. If you do not have one that fits the criteria, you must use the reserve pile (the number on top of these cards tell you how many cards you have left) to the left of your cards. If you use all your reserve cards before clearing the board, you lose the game. This will take a little strategy and a little thinking to complete the many configurations that are presented. Combos are rewarded more points, and the screen outlines all the statistics for you to view quickly while playing.

Ancient Tripeaks 2 is just as good as Ancient Tripeaks. The difference is the story line. The original version explores the tales of the ancient peoples of South America, and Tripeaks 2 is about Greek mythology. Zeus in a jealous rage destroys 8 statues of Greek heroes. Your job is to complete the puzzles within the time period and build the statues at the same time. It’s fun seeing the little people erecting the heroes at the left of the screen while you conquer the cards. All the games are fun but many are more than challenging in their formations so you get a lot of playability in this addictive card game.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Dinertown is going healthy, and it opened the Brick Gym for its citizens. Fitness Dash is part of the Flo the waitress Diner Dash series of sim Mac games. All the Dash games are fun and entertaining, and Fitness Dash is just as good. Going to the gym never has been so enjoyable with its new machines and added upgrades.

The play is to keep everyone happy by providing all the needs of the clients. The requests of the customers appear next to their faces and their hearts show you the level of their happiness. The EKG symbol signifies that this client wishes to workout on one of the cardio machines. The tutorial is so good you do not need to know how to play this game and will pick it up immediately. In the story mode you must satisfy so many customers to complete the level. In the Endless play the clients stream in until you make too many clients unhappy and you lose stars. Lose too many stars and the game is over. Happier  you make the customer, more they will be willing to pay you. Color bonuses will be given when you match the client’s color to the machines. The many upgrades will make your life easier with faster machines and bigger washers.

Like the other Dash games, Fitness Dash is very entertaining and pleasurable game to spend a quiet evening. If you like Flo and her gang, have fun with Fitness Dash.

You may also enjoy:

Diner Dash Seasonal Snack Pack

Wedding Dash

Diner Dash 2

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

The best way to play Chocolatier 2 is by eating French chocolates at the same time you are playing this Mac game. This interesting sim management game is both action and negotiation. You do not drag your person around to different tasks. This one has a lot more action play when making the chocolates, you get to shoot the necessary ingredients into the factory machines. You go from factory, to headquarters and to distant cities and countries to sell your chocolates and to buy ingredients.

There are 2 modes of play in Chocolatier 2. The Story mode you follow instructions at each location you visit. Your quest is to restore Baumeister Confections by buying ingredients from all over the world, bring them back to your factory, make your different chocolates, and then sell your finished goods. The game is quite clear, and it will guide you through each step of the way.

Chocolatier 2 is a different sim play from County Fair or Doggie Dash. Just from the name itself you know it’ll be good or at least delicious. You will need to read a lot so if you do not like to do that in a game, this play may not be for you, but if you don’t mind, this is a fascinating story and fun, shooter play with 20’s music to keep you moving quickly.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Learn to be an animal expert by playing the enjoyable Mac puzzle game Animal Genius. Use your vast animal knowledge to beat the game and win an animal. Go to different continents searching for and learning about the native animals in that area from steamy jungles to the frosty arctic.

There are many entertaining plays to try to outsmart the game. 25 points is needed to win a dolphin and you get different amount of points for each game depending on how well you do. So in order to get enough points, you must do the math by adding up the points you get from each game. The Creature Collector will give you a description like furry and you click on the animal with fur when they come out of their holes. This game is similar to hitting the groundhog on the head arcade game. Scratch and See will have you using your cursor back and forth to scratch out the gray in order to see what animal is hidden behind the paint. If you do not do this quickly, you may not be able to identify the subject behind the shield since it’s timed. Another game is the Maze Munch. This is where you run around a maze until you get to an opening and you try to catch a fly with your mouth. Ugh! No, the gecko catches the flies. Match-o-matics is another fun game. You match the coating of an animal or lizard to the animal. You will be presented bumpy, hard green coating, and you will be given animals at the bottom of the screen to match its skin. Another game is 10 questions. You will be asked 10 questions about one animal and you are to answer either yes or no before time runs out.

Animal Genius is an exciting and amusing as well as educational Mac game. The artwork and photographs are colorful and clear, the music lively and children friendly. The moves are simple and easy for kids to learn and enjoy. The narrators, both male and female, enunciate and speak clearly with enthusiastic voices. Kids can learn about different types of animals and also do a little math while playing the games. Animal Genius is full of fun games where your children can learn and have an awesome time.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

You will be flipping houses and making a profit in this sim time management Mac game. You go from town to town and the mayor will give you instructions and goals to meet for  each town.

There are 2 modes of play: Casual and Career. There are many ways to earn income in this play. You can collect rent on units you already own, you can buy and sell homes, and upgrade your houses to get more money. You must also figure in your costs for the property, the materials, the workers and blueprints. The game is straightforward. You click on the property then click on the type of home you have available to you and can afford. The rent takes care of it itself and you can hear the register when you have the money. That’s the best part of the game.  There are always repairs to be made and that will cost money. If you can afford to do so, you can demolish your old home and rebuild.

The game board is drafted so it is easily accessible to get all your information quickly and efficiently. At the bottom of the screen there are tabs you get your information from such as your money and goals, workers, material and blueprints. When you click on each tab it will give you data for your next move. Sometimes you will not be able to build because of locked houses or lack of money.

Build a Lot is your typical sim time management play and is a good one to start with if you are new to this kind of play, but is difficult enough for seasoned veterans. Not to say it is easier, but it appears less hectic than sim plays like County Fair. Build your own town and collect your rent and commissions for a fun and educational sim play.

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

In Diner Dash-Flo on the Go, Flo and her friend Darla go on a cruise after working so hard in their restaurant all year long. Upon reaching the ship, all of Flo’s clothes are tossed overboard accidentally by striking food service personnel. Now what does poor Flo have to do to get new outfits for her dream vacation of a lifetime? She and, unwittingly, Darla volunteer to help the ship’s crew in the different restaurants since they are so short staffed, and Flo needs to earn money for new clothes.

The play is the same as all the other Diner Dash series where you click and drag customers to their table, click when they put their menu down and take their orders, click in the rotating ticket order stand, click on the food, take it to the correct table, click to be paid and finally click to clean the table. This is done over and over until the restaurant closes, and you meet your goals. This is all in the Story mode. The Endless mode is played exactly the same, however the customers come in streams and the game is only over when all the stars at the bottom of the screen are gone. To lose a star a customer must be angry and leave.

Although all the Diner Dash Mac games are similar with different locations and different outfits to try on, you have fun with Flo and her friends playing this sim time management game on a luxury cruise ship with the tropical winds of the blue seas blowing in the air near the equator.

You may also like:  

Wedding Dash

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Hidden object games should be all very similar to one another, but they are not. Some are deep, dark mysteries and others far lighter and carefree. Miss Teri Tales is both. It’s a mystery and funny story mixed up with clever hidden object plays with integrated mini games.

The premise of this story is a novelist who while looking for her next inspiration stumbles upon a neighborhood full of strange, quirky characters who are all under the suspicion of dognapping. Jason, the beloved Chinese Crested dog belonging to Abigail Kingsley, is noisily dognapped one night. Who could have done such a dastardly deed? It is up to Teri Tales to search for clues in her neighborhood. Teri is excited about a prospective topic for her next novel and proceeds to break into people’s homes in order to find out who took Jason. On top of all that a cyber villain is blackmailing Teri to find the answers before the end of the week.

The story is moved along with the hidden object searches, Teri’s computer and the Gazette, the local newspaper. In order for Teri to get into her neighbors’ homes, you must figure out the entry codes for each house. This logic puzzle will give you access into the homes. The scratchpad will list all the items you need to find for more clues. If you need help finding an item, you can click on the clovers for assistance. If you run out of clovers, you can go back to your office and find 2 more. You can only collect 5 clovers at the most.

Even though this is your typical hidden object game, it is fun to play this well organized plot. The artwork is clear and interesting. The characters are all quirky, creepy and funny. Find Jason and unveil the criminal behind the computer and bring him to justice playing Mac game Miss Teri Tales.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

What makes a good hidden object game? Is it a good story, lots of hidden objects, mini games? Maybe it’s clear and beautiful artwork or charismatic characters? Some people like funny and others enjoy dramatic mysteries. It’s never just one formula to a great HOG.

What one person considers a good game, another may find it boring. I can’t really make up my mind on Nightfall Mysteries – Curse of the Opera. It has the premise of a scary whodunit, but falls short of the terror or mystery. The artwork is great, but the characters are not pleasant looking. They have a lot of wear to their look and their personalities are mostly boorish, if not downright conceited. Why is an opera company booked in a deserted, ghost town? Why is the stagehand handling all aspects of a murder? Luckily it’s you and you may be able to escape this crazy town and your fellow travelers.

There are a lot of hidden object scenes to search and find items, but you do return to the same scenes many times. The search is fairly easy but you may need some hints to find a few objects. The hint buttons fortunately recharges quickly. The sparkling lights will lead you to your next search and discovery. The mini puzzles are challenging, but can be skipped if you want. It may take a little while to solve, but it is well worth your time. You’ll be proud of yourself for finishing.

So you crash on a deserted road leading to the town where you are suppose to meet the rest of the opera company, and you must seek and find yourself through different clues until you reach your people. Finding your way to your company may not have been a good thing, since the makeup girl turns up dead. Many suspects wanted her gone, the only communications to the police is not working and it is your responsibility to find help. What do you do? It sounds more intriguing than I found it. Some of the objects did not relate to the story, and I felt the story was a little forced. If you are up to it, try this game to see what you make of it. I’m still on the fence at 3 stars out of 5.

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Bust-a-Move has nothing on Luxor Amun Rising. Its fantastic continuous play will keep you captivated for a long time. That is if your hand, eye coordination is intact enough to shoot at the oncoming coils of colorful orbs.

The play is exactly like the other Luxor games with you shooting an orb at the snaking rows of balls. You shoot your sphere at a group of 2 or more like colored orbs to destroy and extinguish them from the row of balls before they wind quickly into the pyramid. In addition to avoiding the unthinkable, you must catch gems for points and symbols to activate power-ups. You can also right click to swap out your current ball for the next one if it is advantageous.

Speed and accuracy is the name of the game so you need to flex your nimble hands to ready them for the challenge of this shooter arcade Mac game. Don’t let the balls snake into the pyramid or it’s all over. Have a good time with Luxor: Amun Rising or any of the Luxor products. They are all good.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Travel ancient lands of the Mediterranean in this match Mac game, Rise of Atlantis. There are 7 powers needed to come together in order to raise the magnificent lost city of Atlantis. The jewels when put together at the altar of Poseidon will bring about the Rise of Atlantis.

The Play is your usual match 3 items to destroy game with pieces of a puzzle spewed throughout the game board for you to bring to the bottom and release it to the outline on the left. The hearts on the left show how many lives you have and all earned power-ups are displayed on the lower left and by clicking on it you can drag to the game board to use as needed. If you see a hour glass in a square, make matches below it, bring the clock to the bottom of the game board, you will get extra time for your game.

Rise of Atlantis is a relaxing match game with a good story line. The play is fun, but it is much like many other match games, and everyone knows I enjoy my match plays. It really didn’t have that extra something I look for in a match play. It is almost identical to Call of Atlantis which is not a bad thing, but I would have liked something more.

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

With a name like Fairy Treasure you would expect a light, slow moving magical game with lots of sparkly pixie dust. This Mac game is nothing like that. It’s fast, explosive and extra awesome. An arcade play with a story about good and evil, royal gems and fighting witches.

A breakout play with the bat shooter at the bottom of the screen. You move the bat right and left, click to shoot up at the bricks and walls surrounding gems, power-ups, good and bad bonuses. You cannot lose your ball into the river below or you lose a life. When you lose all your balls, you lose and the game is over. However when all the bricks are destroyed, you complete the level. Customize the difficulty for your own skill level and figure out how to shoot around the many obstacles.

The play is a fun arcade action with 120 levels plus bonus levels, lots of power-ups and bonuses both good and bad. The graphics are dark and gloomy looking—just right for this story of wicked, ugly hags, trolls and goblins. Even though I didn’t get into the tale much, I liked the game. This fast-paced, action packed shooting play is good fun for both casual and hardcore gamers.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

You may also enjoy: Bricks of Atlantis and Ricochet Lost Worlds

QuantZ is a different kind of match game with colorful spheres shooting across the dark atmosphere. There are 3 modes of play: Action, Strategy and Puzzle. With each variation, you can choose the mode you like or pick all three for a relaxing, fun game.

The Action mode gives you random orbs shooting towards a cube with different color spheres attached to all the sides. You control the cube with your cursor to rotate towards the incoming orb. Your goal is to match 4 of the same color orbs to destroy and eliminate from the cube before the energy runs out. The Strategy mode lets you shoot a set number of orbs toward the cube, and the Puzzle has sets of orbs on the cube and you’re challenged to rid all the spheres.

Advantages you have in this game are the 3 popping QuantZ explodes into a fireball. Fireballs burn the same colored Quantz, and burning QuantZ make fireballs.

The only action you will see is when you get power ups during the game. Most of the play is very relaxing and you have plenty of time to complete your goals. Strategy and Puzzle will take some planning and thinking to complete the level in order to advance to the next one. The game is designed nicely and takes the match game to another level, but there is very little action, and I found the play too slow. If relaxation is what you are seeking, then QuantZ is the game for you. I give it a 2.5.

Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars

Viola Majesty contacts you in Ghost Hunters: The Haunting of Majesty Manor to investigate the haunting of her home. Are you up to the challenge of proving whether it is a haunting or a hoax?

You will search each room of the manor for evidence of ghosts. In each scene you will click on the item listed to the left of the screen. If you need help, click on the hint button to activate the wand, and when you are close to an object, you will hear faster clicking sounds. In between the levels you get a list of suspects, and some of them could be deceased.

Ghost Hunters didn’t  draw me into the story or play very much. It could have been that when I opened the full screen option ¼ of the bottom was not visible. I played it on the small screen mode. It could have been my computer, but this is the first time it has happened. I like to be more involved in the story when playing a hidden object game. If you like just to play hidden object games with less of a story line, you’ll enjoy this one.

Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars

Walter and Scarlet’s first pet spa Doggie Dash is a sim time management Mac game for children and casual gamers. There is a daily goal you must meet to pass a level (there are 50 levels) and 20 upgrades.

The play is to click on the pet at the entrance, above the pet’s head will show you what they want done, click on the correct station and when finished Walter will pick the pet up and take it to the counter to be paid. The 3 stations are the bath, trim and pampering. When you have enough money, you can buy upgrades for more stations to speed up your procedures and earn money faster.

There are 2 modes of play: Story and Endless Shift. The story is the tale of Walter and Scarlet trying to make a living running a pet spa and meeting daily goals. Endless is an endless stream of customers. Each angry customer  you keep waiting will cost you one star and when all the stars are gone, the shift is over.

As you know by now I am not into these types of sim games, but I think kids and some casual gamers will enjoy this play, especially pet lovers. I like cats, but the constant meowing is a bit much. Upgrades are a great help and you really need them to continue to please everyone. The artwork is simple and colorful and music is upbeat which makes for a pleasant time.

Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars

Channel your inner child when playing Bob the Builder Can Do Zoo. This is definitely a kid’s educational and recreational Mac game. It’s colorful with simple artwork to keep any toddler captivated and engaged in this interactive play.

There are many different plays to choose from and your child will be interested in all of them. There are working trucks with funny names like Scoop, Roley and Muck. They all work together with Bob so they can build a wonderful zoo for all the children. Most of the plays are matching color to color and the more difficult game is to put the blueprints in order. Others like finding the tool at the top of the screen and matching it with one under the stack of yellow and orange leaves will peak their curiosities. The cute zoo animals will intrigue your youngsters while looking for their homes.

All the games will let you choose the level of difficulty for your child so not to overwhelm them. In addition Bob will give oral instructions and encouragement to make things pleasant for the little ones.

Bob the Builder Can Do Zoo an awesome game for young children will be a happy play with many educational features. Bob is such an iconic figure to kids that they will enjoy interacting with their friend, the trucks and the zoo animals.

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Elythril – The Elf Treasure is an original and different kind of match 3 Mac game. Leorna daughter of elf king Halgora is upset over the discord among the elf people. I didn’t know there are so many different kinds of elves, but there are. They are the wood, river, wild, mountain, moon, fire, high, underwater, underground, flying, emerald and elves of the twilight. She decides the only way to unite the many elves is to search for the Elythril, an ancient elf treasure. With this treasure she can bring happiness and accord among the elves.

In order for Leorna to reach her goal she must solve many mysteries. There are locks to unlock in this game of 80 levels. You must surround 3 or more like colors to fill in the empty area. To complete the level all the spaces must be filled in. You will be presented with a board with intricate patterns to color the areas. You move the discs by clicking on it and then clicking on an empty spot on the board to move it. Click at least 3 of the same color discs to surround an area and it will fill in the color of the discs.

That’s the basic play of the game, but there will be obstacles with other colors appearing in spots where you need to reach. Sometimes moving discs around can cause more problems in maneuvering. A bomb bonus will help you move off anything in its path. There are 2 modes of play: easy and hard.

I didn’t find this game engaging but it became more than challenging in the hard mode, but I didn’t really want to go on with the play. I thought the most interesting part of this game was the different elves. They should have developed the story more. The artwork is nicely done. The play is a different type of match 3 but was more a thinking and strategizing game than a fast action exploding gems match 3. Perhaps you have a different opinion so try out the demo to see if you like it.

Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars

Dream Chronicles 2 is the sequel to Dream Chronicles. This is a seek and find plus many mini puzzles game. DC2 is very much like the first game where you are searching for Fidget, Faye’s husband, who is taken by Lilith the Fairy Queen of Dreams. In this game Lilith has put Faye in prison so she, the Queen of Dreams, will be free to marry Fidget who was once promised to her long ago.

There are 50 scenes, 25 story chapters and 80 mini puzzles. Throughout the play you must also seek jewels scattered in every background and part of the collection of jewels you’ll need to progress the game. Each completed dream jewel hold the power to answer a question.

In the main play each scene you must pass several puzzles before you can exit the location. For instance, in the pool area you must choose the correct stones to step on to cross the water. In addition there are wall puzzles to solve. Fortunately you can return to a puzzle if you need to do so.

Dream Chronicles 2 I found not as engaging as the first Dream Chronicles. The difference I think is because in the first one Fidget spoke directly to Faye even though it is in riddles and dream like state it drew you into the story more and made you wonder why he was taken, and in the second Faye is trying to escape prison with only someone’s diary to help her, and she already knew why Fidget was taken. It still is interesting with beautiful artwork and soothing music to try it out for yourself and help Faye escape her puzzling prison.

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Luxor 2 is very similar to the first Luxor with its ancient Egypt theme and shoot at orbs to stop the snaking balls from falling to the enigmatic darkness of the pyramid, but why change a good thing, right? Luxor 2 has the same intense color and music to heighten the level of your play.

There are 3 exciting modes of play. Adventure levels can be played in Easy, Normal or Expert difficulties. In addition you can trek through the dusty, arid desert of the Sahara. Survival mode is an endless onslaught of snaking orbs, and Practice is any map unlocked by Adventure.

In each game you are to shoot the orb into the meandering rows of spheres of 2 or more like color balls before they quickly disappear into the gaping entrance of the pyramid. When the balls collide they may release power-ups and ankh coins. The different reactions of the power-ups are reversing the spheres, slowing, temporarily stopping, increasing shooting speed. There are lightning that destroys everything in its path, and daggers that demolish spheres they strike.

Luxor 2 has a lot of action and lots of excitement in its play. It’s not that much different from Luxor, but I still like it none the less. Have a good time with this arcade Mac game and shoot your way to a good time.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Fishdom H2O is a fast paced hidden object Mac game taking place under the sea. Jennifer a marine biologist needing some extra cash decides to dive for sunken treasure and items to sell. She is planning to build a fantastic aquarium in order to impress a bigwig so she can get a job.

The hidden object play is fantastic with colorful undersea scenes with many curious items for Jennifer to collect. Even though you are underwater, the waters are crystal clear and the objects are easy to find. If you are having difficulties seeking your items, there is always the hint button to assist you in your search. To get more hints, you need to find seahorses in the underwater scenery.

Creating the aquarium is a fun part of this hidden object play. You can design your tank the way you see fit. Get all the exotic fish, turtles, sharks and plants to impress someone who owns the best aquarium around. The mini games are a fun addition to the main play. You need to click on all the gold in the scene or the same kind of objects like guitars. Also there is a game where you have limited air in your tank so you must scurry and click on the needed objects as fast as possible.

You can play the game relaxed (untimed) or timed. Even though the time is limited to 3 minutes (very fast in the hidden object world), you can find all your items in that timeframe. Keep your eyes on the time and if need be, use your hints!

I liked Fishdom H2O for its awesome undersea sceneries and clear pictures. I even liked the timed factor because it kept the play quick and interesting. The story line is not drawn out and boring, and it keeps the tale light and cheery. The building of the aquarium is an added plus with a screensaver for you to use, and the mini games are fun to do. So dive into the clear blue waters and find all the hidden treasures in this Mac game Fishdom H2O.

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Kate is ready to conquer the world by expanding her car repair and rental shops. Her 2 sidekicks, Steve and Martin, are there to help her fulfill her dreams of world domination. Can it be done? Will Steve and Martin put down their petty differences and try to work together, join her in repairing broken down jalopies and rent the finished product for a nice profit?

Take the world tour first to Mexico where you buy or reject cars from citizens who are in need of another vehicle. You decide whether the money they want for their cars is reasonable or not. If you are satisfied with the cost, you click on the green check to accept the wreck. If they are asking too much for the car, reject it by clicking on the red X. Drag the car to your lot. There are parking spaces available to place your recently acquired vehicle. If the car is in need of repair, drag it to the repair shop and wait until it comes out. It may need a paint job so drag it to the next building to get a new coat of paint. Afterwards take it to the rental lot to make available to the public. When someone sees your newly refreshed car, they will give you an offer and you can either accept or reject the bid. In addition to all those tasks, you must make enough money to buy parts to fix the cars.

An added bonus to this game is to fix up Kate’s new mansion. You add on and fix this compound to Kate’s liking. Another interesting aspect of this game is the environmental friendly paint and air filters, and monster trucks.

The play is easy for a sim time management game and the tutorial is good. The game is repetitive, but isn’t that the nature of sim time management plays? The story is amusing and the play enjoyable even though it may not challenge many gamers. Help Kate out and takeover the world by buying, repairing and renting out cars in Fix-It-Up World Tour.

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Go back in time to help Grandpa save the past from his kids mistakes! Travel throughout history, from Ancient Greece to the Moon landing and try to right what was made wrong by those mischievous children. There are twenty missing kids, and over one hundred levels to search through, so there will be no shortage of gameplay in your time-traveling.

There are three main types of game. The first is a usual hidden object game: find the objects that do not belong. This is harder than it sounds because some of the levels try to trick you by making technology look old or putting in objects you wouldn’t even think twice about (like a wall clock). The next level is the find and replace where you find objects by looking at their shadows and putting them back into their proper place. The final type of level is the kid finding level. Once you manage to find all the parts to the different machines, you use the machine to track the kid’s footprints and return them to the present.

Normally, I do not really like these types of games, but this game was actually pretty good. The gameplay was not necessarily original, but was definitely user friendly (with helpful hints) and did not get old after one level. I thought the graphics were phenomenal as well and could only hope that more games would take the kind of effort this game did to make it shine. It also appealed to me because I am a nerd after all and what is better than videogames about history. Each level, after you beat it, gives an informative blurb about the event in history that you just saved. Fun and educational! I would give this game four out of five stars.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Diner Dash: Seasonal Snack Pack is a fun and happy Mac sim time management game. The goal is to keep customers happy by seating them properly, taking their order, putting their order into the kitchen, taking the food to the table, collecting the money and cleaning up. This would be quite an ordeal for just a few customers, but the clients keep coming in to eat and your aim is to please everyone before closing time.

There are 2 modes of play in this casual game: Story and Endless Shift. The story is about Flo who wants to help Cookie the chef so they pool their talents together to run an outdoor snack café in a water park. The daily goals are important for the restaurant to flourish.  In the Endless Shift the customers stream in and you need to keep the customers from getting angry, because it will cost you 1 star for each client who leaves. When you are out of stars, your shift is over.

Keep an eye out for the flashing upgrade  button. At that point you can buy something to help work faster. Also when you have enough money you can buy snazzy clothes to wear on your work shift.

This is a fast moving, quite involved casual sim play in a colorful, pleasant environment. It’s broken up with other plays (dressing Flo and buying upgrades) to enhance the Mac game. I thought this game would be a great one for children (there’s an easy level) and casual gamers with a lot of variety such as 5 different restaurants and 50 levels. The upbeat music keeps you moving quickly to please your customers. This game is part of the Diner Dash series with Flo as the main character. The developers do a good job on all their games through their artwork (very colorful and funny cartoons), music and game play.

You may also like:  Wedding Dash

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars