Spooky Spirits
Developer and Publisher/Distributor: Legendo Entertainment

Spooky Spirits is a cute cooperative, dropping-block, puzzle game with a Halloween theme. Becky and Tim are wacky spirit wardens banished to Earth to deal with Spookies, runaway naughty ghosts who have escaped (thanks to Becky and Tim’s neglect) from the Netherward. You need to help Becky and Tim get them back before they wreak havoc. Along the way you get to visit a variety of haunted locations, including Egypt, Mexico, and England. At the top of the play screen colored blocks appear, some of which contain a Spookie inside, and you use Spookie blocks to destroy a string of the same-colored blocks. You manage everything through the keyboard. There are three ways to play: Panic Mode, a timed mode where you solve puzzles as fast as you can; Puzzle Mode, a more relaxed game where you have a limited number of drops; and Eternity Mode, which plays just like Panic Mode but has just a single backdrop while the game speeds up as you match. Five different attractive backdrops are available in full widescreen mode, with entertaining music and sound effects adding to the fun.

Mystery Case Files: Madame Fate
Developer: Big Fish Games
Publisher/Distributor: Alawar Entertainment

Within the mushrooming hidden object puzzle niche, Mystery Case Files: Madame Fate really stands out. The mysterious fortuneteller Madame Fate foresees her own demise at midnight, and so she asks you to investigate 15 carnival workers in colorful locales to find the potential killer. Certain scenes contain smaller scenes inside them that can be independently investigated. As you investigate Madame Fate’s carnival for clues, you encounter fascinating personalities, all of whom have motives for wanting the fortuneteller dead. Each location is littered with bizarre objects (some of which can change appearance) which you need to find before time runs out. Once you have done so, you bring them to Madame Fate so she can use her crystal ball to rule out innocent suspects. Along the way you get to solve intriguing mini-games and brain-bending puzzles. The audio effects are great, and the graphics and numerous embedded animations are both colorful and compelling. The creative play value packed into this offering is nothing short of incredible.