Take a Quest

"Align the relics you can see, across or down in groups of three. Turn all squares to solid gold, the path to riches will soon unfold." This is an excerpt from an ancient script in the world of Jewel Quest. You assume the role of an Indian Jones-like explorer who is looking through an old journal he kept while searching for the Fabled Tonatiuh - The Temple of the Fifth Sun. He claims that the adventure brought him great fortune, but the puzzles nearly drove him insane. How will you fare? Will you be able to come out of Jewel Quest with your sanity intact?

Relic Hunter

In Jewel Quest, you must match relics in rows of three or more to eliminate them. You do this by clicking on a relic and then clicking an adjacent relic to swap places. It's not exactly rocket science. If you know your way around puzzle games, you'll instinctively know how to play this one. That isn't to say that it isn't fun, however; quite the contrary. What this game might lack in originality it more than makes up for in good, solid gameplay.

The objective in this game is to turn all the background squares into solid gold. I felt the need to put "solid" in there because this is, in fact, a treasure game. In order to turn squares to gold, you must match relics in front of them. As you match relics, more will fall in from the top, giving you an endless stream of opportunities to turn those squares and beat the round. What's nifty about the constant streaming game pieces is that occasionally those pieces will fall into place just right and create more matches, triggering massive combos. Some times, completely void of player interaction, combos will pull themselves off one after another and earn you buckets of points. It's moments like this that keep Jewel Quest from being just another puzzler.

Each stage in separated into five rounds. As you progress through the rounds, you get tidbits of the story told in journal entries. It comes off well, because it feels as if you are the explorer going on the expedition. When you beat a stage, the explorer gets another clue (in the form of a statue or other treasure) and it's off to another location! Each new stage introduces a new relic piece, making the puzzles substantially more difficult.

Welcome to the Jungle

Jewel Quest's strongest suite is definitely its presentation. The explorer story, while not as in depth as a King Solomon's Mines, is entertaining enough to make your journey through the game an enjoyable one. Graphically, the game mixes cartoony and realistic visuals nicely and they play well off of each other. The sound, however, is where the presentation really shines. The jungle beats that the game offers can and will get stuck in your head, and before you know it you'll be completely immersed.

A Gem of a Game

While it may not the be the best of its kind, this particular puzzler will find a place in your heart before long. With its immersive jungle atmosphere, clever story, and addictive gameplay, there's very little to not like. Before long you'll be hooked, and you won't be able to tear yourself away, even when the real world beckons.