Game Review by Ryan Ambrose
Game Rating = 5/5 Balls
Download Free Game Trial
Buy The Game Now $19.99
Wizard’s Pen by Popcap is a thoroughly enjoyable hidden object game. I give it a 5/5, and if you’re a fan of hidden object or puzzle games in general, it’s worth your while to get it.
Download Free Game Trial
Buy The Game Now $19.99
The game starts with the wizard’s pen writing in the wizard’s work book to tell you he’s gone missing. The objective is to find the wizard by guessing the objects and clues revealed in pieces on the pages of that book. Each time you guess correctly, you earn stars that help you advance through the game.
Each puzzle revolves around an object, which is either hidden or blurred in some way. Every guess you make brings the pen dancing back to the page, where it either draws in a portion of the object or makes the picture clearer. Each guess causes the candle next to the book to shrink, and you have to guess the picture before its gone entirely.
Download Free Game Trial
Buy The Game Now $19.99
The objects are broken down into groups of 16, which are all related to some subject. Once you’ve guessed them all, you’ve cleared the group. After you’ve done that, you go to a picture game where you try to guess where the missing objects listed should be placed. It gives you hints, but it costs you stars every time you use one.
You can earn potions which can help you as you try to work through the sixteen items in a subject. You get a new potion every time you clear a group, and you can choose up to three. The potions do things like freeze the candle, give you hints, or increase your drawing area per guess.
Download Free Game Trial
Buy The Game Now $19.99
The sound and graphics are magnificent, and contribute beautifully to the medieval wizard’s tower atmosphere. The music is repetitive but pleasant, and goes well with the theme. The graphics and cut scenes, such as watching the tower sprout like a plant, are well-drawn, and the wizard’s pen is so well animated it almost seems to have a personality of its own.
The interface is point and click, or typing your guess into the line below each picture. It’s simple enough so that it take no time at all to learn how the game works and is fun besides. Each time you click the mouse, you get a flash of magical sparkles or an animation from the pen as it helps you guess the objects on the work book page. When appropriate, the game tells you to click in order to continue.
Download Free Game Trial
Buy The Game Now $19.99
All in all, this game is easy to learn, has a fun ‘medieval’ feel about it, and is just plain enjoyable. I recommend it to any fan of hidden object or puzzle games.
Popcap created the downloadable puzzle game Wizard’s Pen.
System Requirements
OS: Windows 2000 Windows XP Windows Vista
Memory: 256 MB
DirectX: 8.0
CPU: P700
Video: 16 MB
