by Adrienne Brunner

Created on: October 15, 2008   Last Updated: September 19, 2010

Wizards Pen

5/5

The new game, Wizards Pen, by Popcap Games, is an exciting twist on the normal hidden object games. This game combines mysteries, themes, challenges and fun into one exciting game with many levels of fun.

The player can choose to skip the story line, as it simply enhances the game and is not essential to game play. The object is to figure out what the blank pages have on them by highlighting squares of the page for the pen to reveal what is hidden there. The game play is imaginative and creative, as it has different elements to it.

The player collects stars based on how quickly he or she guesses the object. Stars are collected to unlock new books with new challenges. Each time a guess is made or a square is revealed, the candle on the left burns down, showing how many chances remain to guess the item. When the player guesses the name of an object, it is obvious that there are numerous possible answers for each item, so it is not so difficult it is frustrating. For example, if the player guesses "sailboat" and the item is a yacht, it will accept the player's answer. The items all come from the same theme, and every few pages there is a challenge round.

The creativity and innovation is also shown in the bonuses. After playing for a determined amount of time, the player can choose potions which will aid him or her in guessing the picture on the page. Also, after a determined amount of pages have been guessed, the player receives bonuses and heads to a reverse hidden object round, where the player must find a list of items that are "missing" from the page, not merely hidden. For example, the player may need to notice that there are only three legs on a stool instead of four, and the pen will draw the extra leg in.

The constant changes in the challenges provide the mind with creative twists and engage the player in ever-changing fun. The music is pleasant and fitting to the game, and the sound effects also go nicely with the game. The graphics are well done, creating realistic images of items that are being drawn or found. Although it seems like a simple game at first, this is a game that is well worth the price and would be a nice addition to anyone's game library. Children are able to easily play along in this game, as they can guess what the pictures are and also notice the items that are missing. Older children would have no problem playing this game, and it is a solid 5 out of 5 in game play and creativity.

Learn more about this author, Adrienne Brunner.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.