Live Arcade: Jewel Quest

What do you do when you're sick and tired of playing the last game you bought, and you just want to kill a few hours? What do you do if you're babysitting your sister's kid and all the games you have are for a mature audience? Well, you jump onto Xbox Live™ Arcade find a game there. Family friendly? Check. Easily learned? Check. Meet Jewel Quest™.

Treasures hide in dangerous tombs.

In this game, you have a grid of different colored gems and other objects. Switch neighboring objects in an attempt to line up three of the same objects in a row. Once you line them up, the three either disappear or turn into gold. Line up three matching gems, and they turn to gold. Line up three shrunken heads or idols, and they disappear, dropping the columns into the new empty space. A new item then falls into the square left empty at the top. You have conquered the puzzle only when you turn the entire thing to gold. The boards grow progressively more difficult. Jewel Quest is for one player only, but players can take turns, and it's a fun game to watch and heckle or help .

There are a number of games out there that work like this. The extraordinary element in Jewel Quest, however, is that there's a storyline underlying the puzzles. You're an archeologist and an explorer, searching through ancient sites for artifacts that will bring you great riches and fame. As you delve deeper into the ruins, however, you come upon obstacles intended to slow or halt your progress. You want to clear the board by turning it all into gold, but you may come across hidden traps and cursed items that hold you back. It's just one of the hazards of the job.

As a fun, unique and challenging puzzler, Jewel Quest is an excellent choice if you have a small amount of game time available, or if you just want to spend some time away from your game of choice. Check it out on Xbox Live Arcade.

Article by Angel Leigh McCoy