Game Classification

The basic concept of this puzzle game is rather simple: you have a square playfield, which is filled with different types of items. Now your job is to create a row of at least three identical items, by exchanging adjacent items. Once that happens, those three or more items will vanish and the items on top of it are falling down to fill the gap.

However, you can only exchange items that will create a row. So you can't create a row from scratch (one item). This becomes more difficult when a bunch of different items and Blockers are in the game (higher game levels). Once all possible rows are used up, you lose a life, and the playfield resets.

The game offers four different game modes, two of them are time- and level-based, the others are single level / strategy-based:

In Classic Mode, you play exactly like mentioned above. One single level, no time limit, and new items dropping in from the top. You also have only a single life, so as soon as there are no possible movements, you have lost.

Strategy Mode is exactly like Classic, but with one major difference: the drop-in direction of new items changes, by rotating clockwise, so the first time new items dropping in from the top, the next time from the right, and so on.

In Arcade Mode, you play different levels. The first level has a 6x6 playfield with a few different items, but this increases later to a 8x8 playfield with plenty different items. In each level you need a certain amount of movements to proceed to the next level. The time limit comes in effect, when you take to long to find something for exchanging. First it only lowers your score, but when you take to long, you lose a life. In this mode you can have multiple lives. Items are dropping in from the top, like in Classic Mode. Finally, there are also Blockers in the game, which can't be exchanged. You can remove them by aligning three of them in a row, but you must do this by removing normal items, and let them fall in a row.

Action Mode is the same as Arcade, combined with the difference from Classic to Strategy; the rotation of the drop-in direction. This is the most complex game mode.

Finally, after a certain amount of levels in the time-based game modes, you have the chance to play a Bonus Level, where you have as much time as you need, but all new drop-in items are Blockers, so that you have to think more to get as much score as possible out of this level. [source:mobygames]

Distribution : Retail - Commercial
Platform(s) : PC (Windows)

Links

• http://www.mobygames.com/game/zauberstein/