What do Chuzzle, Jewel Quest and Fairies have in common and why are they so fun?

Three of the most popular online games out there, Chuzzle, Jewel Quest" and Fairies, may appear to be quite different, but in reality, share a very similar game architecture and strategy component. What's different? They all have a unique theme and visual appearance. With Chuzzle, it's the cute little fuzzy characters. With Jewel Quest, it's all about turning sand into gold, and with Fairies, its rescuing the whimsical and hunted fairy ladies. All appealing, and all extremely addictive!

So what are these games really all about?

Chuzzle

This relatively new and extremely fun puzzle game features rows of fuzzy "Chuzzles" that you must drag up and down, and left and right, to match a variety of colors. Once you do, the Chuzzles will pop in dramatic fashion and return to their little test-tube home. Choose from four play modes: Zen mode, Speed mode, Classic Chuzzle and Mind Bendex mode. It also features two difficulty levels.

If you're good, and make a high level of Chuzzle color matches, you get to go on to the next level where the game gets tougher, the Chuzzle locks come more frequently. But there's an upside - the bonuses get higher.

So what's the verdict on Chuzzle? It's a super fun game with non-stop action and lots of exciting pops! If you haven't tried it, give it a whirl!

Jewel Quest

Like Chuzzle, the object of Jewel Quest is to score as many points as possible by matching items and turning sand to gold. However, with this game, there are six different items that need to be lined up horizontally or vertically in groups of 3 or more. Once you do, you have a match! What happens then? The matched items are removed and new items will fall into the empty spaces from the top of the board.

A few key points to keep in mind with Jewel Quest:

• Making moves in rapid succession will give you a higher score.
• Matching both items that you swap and in multiple directions can result in the best chain reactions.
• Matching items towards the bottom of the board gives more opportunity for chain reactions.
• The most difficult spaces to turn into gold are the four corner spaces.

Your Jewel Quest journal will help give you the wisdom of the ancient scripts and assist you in discovering the fabled Tonatiuh - The Temple of the Fifth Sun. And it will also give you hours and hours of fun!

Fairies

Have you ever been to a Renaissance Fair? Well then, perhaps you will enjoy Fairies. This appealing online game takes you to a place of fabled legends and magical reality. You become the almighty and powerful wizard, given the rare chance to rescue the troubled group of fairies who have been captured by an evil force.

Again, like Chuzzle and Jewel Quest, you'll see the similarities. But, with its whimsical, other-world feel, it's more different than alike. With Fairies, you are seemingly transported to this other world and asked to be the hero. The question is, will you save the troubled fairies? And how many will you save? If you complete the hundred individual levels, you'll be sure to restore balance to their world and have a ton of fun in the process!

So, what specifically do these great games have in common?

They are all classic match-style games. Simply put, your job is to find the commonality between the individual pieces, and put them together. Why is this basic premise so mentally stimulating? Because our brains are conditioned this way in the first place. It's one of the key qualities our mental faculties possess to help us make sense of the world. Grouping things together into their rightful places is an important skill to use - and get good at. Think about it: when you're putting groceries away, what are you doing? When you plan your Saturday schedule with the kids, what are you doing? When you're deciding what to wear in the morning, how are you going about it? That's right - you are putting things together in logical places, in logical order or the way you think things will compliment other things.

The popularity of these games continues. Other games like Super Collapse III have similar game play, and with the third edition to the Super Collapse series coming out, these games continue to earn the interest and dedication of game playing fans.

Why are Chuzzle, Jewel Quest and Fairies so fun?

Charming graphics, simple strategy, catchy music and they relax and stimulate your mind at the same time. A great escape!

- Jon Wuebben

Jon writes select pieces about online games & game download web sites played on sites like www.iWin.com.