A Fresh Take on an Old Formula

I know what you're thinking. Here's another match-three casual game that probably adds nothing to the genre. Nearly everyone has had their fare share of games that are all too similar to Bejeweled and Jewel Quest, so what is it about Jewels of Cleopatra -- other than the Egyptian archaeological theme -- that is actually unique and brings something new to the table?

Well, unlike other match-three games that are more about twitch reactions and frantic clicking, there is a much more defined purpose in mind with each stage here. Like Jewel Quest, the goal is to transform the tiles from a drab gray into a brilliant gold, but you do not need to flip all of these stones. When you swap two adjacent jewels -- in the beginning, you only have to deal with four varieties, but this quickly increases to a dozen, making it much more challenging -- and create a matching row or column of three identical pieces, the tiles on which these pieces lay turns to gold. The objective is to pave a golden path for the main character in this title, Dr. Felicity Turnstone.

She can only walk on golden tiles, so you have to clear the road. You start at the entrance of a room in one temple, and you must create guide the attractive archaeologist through this darkened room and out the exit at the other end. There are multiple possible paths, so you may need to right-click on a tile to tell Dr. Turnstone to head in that particular direction. There is a serious sense of purpose here, and that is certainly a breath of fresh air into the match-three genre.

Exploration Leads to Riches

Although there is only one game mode to enjoy in Jewels of Cleopatra, there is still a reasonable amount of exploration to be found. Within each of the tombs, you can seek out treasure rooms that are filled with gold, gems, and other valuables. This increases your wealth and sends your top score skyrocketing. Be careful, though, because as you start exploring these mysterious rooms, you may encounter dangerous scorpions, snakes, and other nasty creatures that will send Dr. Turnstone all the way back to the beginning of the stage. The possibility of great rewards, of course, comes with great risk.

Mini Games Break Up the Action

Every so often, you'll have the opportunity to play a mini game. In between your jewel-swapping, gold-paving adventures are a couple of different side games. There are nine of each type.

First, there are scarab beetle races. You must guide your little bugger around a track, beating out all those other beetles to the finish line. Second, there are fascinating hieroglyph puzzles that will really get your noggin going. These two types of mini games add quite a bit of variety and are a welcome addition to an already addicting title.

An Egyptian Treasure

The soundtrack and graphics in this offering are absolutely incredible. The developers have done a fantastic job in recreating an Egyptian atmosphere, and each stage definitely sets the mood for archaeological exploration. It's all wildly addicting, easy-to-learn, and progressively more challenging so that you remain captivated by what this game has to offer. Collect those treasures, beat the evil Shady McGrady, and you will quickly ascend as one of the greatest archaeologists who ever lived. Yes, even greater than Indiana Jones.