Game of Life

The classic family board game loved by generations goes interactive! You'll experience hundreds of dynamic animations and hours of music as you travel down the road of life.

Go to college, get a career, get married, buy a house, and have children. No, this isn't a wish list delivered by your parents; this is the classic Game of Life brought to the PC. If you are looking for some harmless, wheel-spinning fun, grab the nearest computer and get ready to play.

There are two ways to play the game, Classic and Enhanced, both with the same concept: spin the wheel and hope for a chance to gain money, not lose it. In the Classic version, you earn "Life Tiles" for certain experiences (which later equal money); in the Enhanced version, you play "Life's Little Games," which offer small puzzle-based side games for extra income. As you can see, the basic concept of Life is to finish the game with the largest amount of money. Along the way, you will encounter: burglars and natural disasters--so make sure to get insurance; Hollywood premieres and world travels--get ready to pay for your fun; stock market surges and taxes--both instant effects to your income; and the beloved Payday--the one time when wealth comes with a reliable figure.

The appealing animations, music, and side games offer a new aspect to the Game of Life, one that triggers a larger sense of chance. The network play option lets up to six players join together and make the opportunities in life a little more competitive. Since the game is based on the idealized norm (marriage, two kids, and a retirement home with a large pension), you cannot quite think of the game as comparable to life, but you can think of it as Leave It to Beaver with a twist. --Madeleine Miller

The classic family board game has gone interactive: With The Game of Life CD-ROM, you'll experience hundreds of animations and hours of music as you travel down the road of life. A "car cam" draws you into a 3-D world, taking you over mountains, across rivers, and by buildings. Enjoy the years as your musical tastes, vehicles, and hairstyles all change with time. Choose a college or a career, get married, start a family, buy a house, and eventually retire. A mixture of luck and skill will determine whether you spend your golden years at Countryside Acres or Millionaire Estates.