Puzzle Inlay

             Download demo from www.gamehouse.com

                       Review by Sue

Gamehouse are bringing out new games very quickly and this is one
of the best I've seen. Puzzle Inlay is a bit like a jigsaw and a
bit like Tetris. You have to complete a design that is divided
like a mosaic. All you have is the outline. You fill in the gaps
using gems that scroll along the bottom of the screen.

There are three different basic layouts, called Square Away, Round
World and Triangle Solving. This determines the basic shape of the
pieces used. Some pieces are larger than others and the main image
you're trying to complete has all its possible constituent shapes
shown in outline. It's up to you what combination of pieces you
use to complete it. You could start with big pieces, then fill in
the gapes with the smaller ones. Or you could just use the pieces
as they turn up. Whichever method you pick you can guarantee
you'll be left with spaces and no pieces to fit them.

What happens to pieces you don't use? They collect at the left
edge of the conveyor belt they roll along. If the belt fills up,
it's "game over" time. Luckily there are a few ways to get rid of
them.

First there's a second conveyor belt ... much shorter and it
doesn't run all the time. If you drop a piece on this, it rolls
off to the right and disappears unto Gamehouse's equivalent of
BBC2's Room 101. But because the belt doesn't run constantly,
you'll still get a build up of pieces on the main belt.

Second, there are several Magic Tools at your disposal. The Hammer
destroys scrolling gemstones while the Brake stops new ones from
appearing for 10 seconds. If you haven't got quite the right gem
for a gap, two other tools may help. The Magic Wand, theatrically
tapped on a space, will fill it with the missing stone, and the
Grinder transforms all large gems on the incoming conveyor belt
into smaller ones.

How do you get these tools? Well some gemstones have a swirling
symbol on them and using these in the mosaic gives you a bonus -
either extra points or a Magic Tool.

All in all this is a great game and one I'm tempted to register.
The demo only lets you play for an hour and that certainly leaves
you wanting more. Registration is $19.95 through the Gamehouse
site.










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