Your computer acts as an impartial referee, so you can’t take a peek at the upcoming cards in the deck, and your friend can’t place an extra hotel on Park Place when you’re not looking. Some games warn you when there are no legal moves or let you know which moves are available. So cheating is not an option — unless you make extensive use of the undo command!
An important feature of these games is the ability to challenge the computer. There’s no need to wait for a willing human opponent — these games will happily challenge you on their own. The computer’s intelligence level can often be adjusted to match your skill level, too, so you can increase the game’s difficulty as you learn.
Many new card and board games offer extensive multi-player options. You can play against friends sitting next to you at your Macintosh, or you can challenge friends who are far, far away. Games like Chessmaster 9000, 3D Card Games, and iPuppet presents: Colin’s Classic Cards allow people to play across the Internet. (Please note that each person must own a copy of the game.)
One final — and perhaps mundane — advantage of the games is that you never need to worry about losing cards or game pieces, nor do you have to clean up the table after you’re done. Simply quit the application, and everything magically disappears!
Great deals
Chessmaster 9000 pieces.
Chessmaster 9000 (Feral Interactive) offers a definitive look at one of history’s oldest board games. Packed with tutorials, drills, quizzes, and puzzles created by some of the world’s greatest chess minds, this title features challenges for players of every skill level. You can even replay classic matches that span the years 1619 to 2002, with an accompanying glossary that helps you understand different moves employed in those contests. When you’ve honed your abilities against AI players, take on live ones across a LAN or over the Internet.
Chess is also featured in Big Bang Board Games (Freeverse), along with checkers, Reversi, Four-in-a-Row, Mancala, Tic-Tac-Toe, and Backgammon. Stunning 3D graphics, coupled with Freeverse’s whimsical sense of humor and the ability to take on live opponents over the Internet or a LAN, make this a great package for board game fans.
If cards are more your thing, choose from a variety of great titles covered in our card games feature: the dozens of solitaire variants found in Silver Creek Entertainment’s Hardwood Solitaire III and GameHouse’s Aloha Solitaire and Aloha TriPeaks; Toybox Games’ Ancient Hearts & Spades and Silver Creek’s Hardwood Euchre, Hardwood Hearts, and Hardwood Spades; and Donohoe Digital’s DD Poker 2 and Masque’s World Class Poker with T.J. Cloutier.
Burning Monkey Solitaire
Freeverse Software is well known for its cool and comical card games. The company’s collection includes casino, solitaire, and four-player games like 3D Hearts Deluxe. This witty update of the classic card game allows you to challenge a host of computer characters or play online against friends. The game supports the most popular rule variations and offers skill levels that range from easy to cutthroat. You can even put your own face in the game to stare down your online opponents.
Burning Monkey Solitaire 4
Burning Monkey Solitaire 4 (Freeverse Software) offers 30 different solitaire games, including Klondike, Golf, and even 52-Pick-up. As you play, you’re watched closely by an audience of feisty monkeys who will comment on your moves, offer random bits of wisdom, and even tell a few jokes. The game also provides an extensive cheating mode so that you can steal a win when fate is clearly against you!
Of course, some people would rather try their luck when money, real or digital, is on the line. If you’re one of them, you’ll find a variety of casino titles on the Mac, from Phantom EFX’s ReelDeal Casino’s Quest!, which challenges you to make your way through a casino and become a master at every game it offers, to Masque’s Slots and Slots II.
Stacking your deck
Card, casino, and board games have minimal system requirements and very rarely require graphics acceleration. Take a close look at the box of any game that appeals to you to be sure that it will run on your Macintosh.
Pick a card
Card and board games on your Mac bring the fun of classic tabletop games to life in a new and interactive way. You can hone your skills by challenging a computer opponent or match wits with friends over the Internet. It’s a great way to spend a quiet afternoon. Pick one up today!
http://www.apple.com/games/gettingstarted/cards/
