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Forgotten Riddles: The Mayan Princess
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

I chose this game for review thinking I might learn a lot of Mayan history through cryptic riddles. However, this game is mostly composed of picture puzzles of semi-modern objects that you must find the answer to a non-Mayan related and often verbose riddle. Typical word play includes using words like arachnid instead of spider. Granted. I think I'm not the target audience. I could see parents with a grade school aged child playing this with their child to increase their vocabulary in a fun way. You do learn SOME Mayan/Conquistador history but after playing for 60 minutes I can say that it is a somewhat minor part of the overall game and appears to mainly be the theme the word/picture puzzles are wrapped in. After solving enough word puzzle riddles you then get to rearrange a Mayan related photo whose solution results in the revelation of a journal entry from the supposed last princess of the Mayan tribe.

The graphics were not outstanding, but they weren't bad either. The sound was low-key enough to add ambiance and not be annoying. The game play was fairly simple and you were able to choose if you wanted to play at the level of an Archaeologist or their Assistant. The Assistant level was easier and gave you hints via a little red gem you could select. I only used the hint button once, only to discover that I had been looking right over the top of the item I knew just HAD to be there somewhere.

Overall, I think this game would be a creative way to encourage vocabulary growth in a grade school aged child around grade four to grade six. Parents might need to assist for children to move on and complete the game, but they should find enough of the puzzle answers on their own to move forward. I found the hardest part was finding the item in the picture puzzle that you knew just HAD to be the riddle answer "where is that umbrella?" and similar phrases were often running through my mind during the game. (Incidentally, I doubt a Mayan Princess would have had a modern umbrella?)

You do learn a bit of Mayan history, but I wouldn't count on your child being a Mayan genius when they complete the game. Likely, girls will be more attracted to the princess title than boys will but boys would enjoy the riddles and word puzzles just as much as the girls - in my opinion.

Learn more about this author, Suzanne Wesley.
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