My mom recently asked me if I knew of any good games for her to play on her laptop. My mother is an avid gamer. No, she doesn't go around getting killing sprees in Halo. My mother is a puzzle master. Some of her favorite games include Agatha Christie: Death on the Nile and Bookworm Adventures. She has played almost every match 3, hidden object, and puzzle-based game there is on Big Fish Games. So, I gave her access to my Steam account and let her loose to find what games she might like. Here are some of the Steam recommendations I gave her:
1. Eventide: Slavic Fable
Description: "Eventide: Slavic Fable is an exciting adventure game inspired by Slavic mythology. Set in a contemporary heritage park where mythical Slavic creatures co-exist with humans, the adventure begins when the protagonist, a famous botanist, receives an alarming invitation from her grandmother, the park's curator. The protagonist is tasked with saving an endangered plant, but this turns out to be the least of her concerns. Her Grandma is kidnapped by the mysterious Boruta, who is plotting to conquer and destroy the world using the park's ancient magic. The protagonist must seek alliance with the creatures living in the park, in order to defeat the villain, save her Grandma, and prevent worldwide calamity. Will she be able to stop Boruta and his evil forces?"
Mythology meets mystery in this beautiful game. Play a powerful female scientist in a supernatural world and try to save your family.
2. Hidden Folks
Description:"Search for hidden folks in hand-drawn, interactive, miniature landscapes. Unfurl tent flaps, cut through bushes, slam doors, and poke some crocodiles! Rooooaaaarrrr!!!!! A strip of targets shows you what to look for. Click on a target for a hint, and find enough to unlock the next area."
An interesting take on a Where's Waldo type of game, where the people even move as you search!
3. Space Legends: At the Edge of the Universe
Description:"Some places are best left alone even if advances in space travel make visits to remote parts of the universe a possibility. See what's at the far end of the universe and plan your escape. A breathtakingly exciting expedition to a distant world ventures into uncharted territory - on a faraway planet, total destruction threatens ALL. Join Elizabeth Campton and her close colleague Steve on a routine voyage that turns into a real adventure. As an exobiologist and space explorer, Elizabeth is no stranger to danger. Still, the threats she encounters are more than she thought could ever face all at once, especially with her dear friend Steve by her side. From bad weather, to emergency ship repairs, to landing in jail, to healing a princess – Elizabeth has found herself in a series of binds. Then, it gets worse! A comet is on a collision course with the planet! Everyone is in grave danger. Elizabeth gains permission to visit a forbidden deserted city, where she finds a transport ship that can save everyone, but it's in disrepair. You can save the entire world. In a new dimension where the future, past and present intertwine, only your skill and cunning can bring you back home. An exciting galactic drama will challenge your every move. Escape from the Far End of the Universe!"
Save yourself and save the world by solving these SciFi -inspired puzzles before there isn't a world to save anymore.
4. Nightmares from the Deep: The Cursed Heart
Description: "Would you like to enter a thrilling Pirates world where danger lurks in every corner? You are a museum owner pursuing an undead pirate who kidnapped your daughter. You quickly realize that the villain is entangled in a tragic, centuries-old love story, and wants to resurrect his mistress with the girl's life force. You feel sorry for the pirate, but you have to stop him before it is too late for your daughter… You will leave the modern museum quickly, and find your way to rundown pirate settings, all of them three centuries old. Since the time of the golden age of piracy, the locations have become neglected, deserted and overgrown with plants. Full moon, bones laying on the ground, and a skull-shaped rock add to the dark atmosphere of the mysterious island. What tragic events took place on the island before your arrival? What evil powers can make an old, rotting ship sail? Is the horrifying, undead pirate really as evil as he seems? You will find answers to these questions during your trip through the ghost ship haunting the seas of the Caribbean, the grim Skull Island where pirates' bones cover the ground, a ruined fortress ridden by cannonballs and catacombs stretching below the island's surface. Are you strong enough to save your daughter? Will you dare to lift the curse?"
What could be spookier than ghost pirates? Face your fears, find the secrets, and lift the curse.
5. New York Mysteries: High Voltage
Description: "New York City, sometime in the 1950s. A wave of mysterious murders has swept through the city. At each crime scene, only a pile of ash remains. Witnesses claim to have seen a ball of lightning. Could a human being be capable of such a thing? Who is behind the cryptic killings? Are they connected with a strange incident which took place during an execution at the Sing Sing penitentiary? The police are unable to answer any of these questions... and so the White Stone Order takes the reins. Fearless journalist Laura is again brought in to investigate murders nobody can explain! Immerse yourself in an exciting crime story and visit uncharted locations from 1950s New York!"
Nobody better to solve a mystery than an avid New York reporter at a crime scene. Time to find the truth, no matter the risk.
6. Mystery Case Files: Return to Ravenhearst
Description: "Emma`s soul is free. But her ghost has delivered a dire warning: evil still lurks in Ravenhearst Manor. Big Fish Games Studios takes you deep inside the cursed estate in Mystery Case Files: Return to Ravenhearst™, the thrilling sequel. Experience Ravenhearst`s spectral halls as never before with new immersive adventure-style game play and an epic original soundtrack. Feel the floorboards creak as you move from room to room solving puzzles and seeking out clues in over 150 detailed scenes."
Explore the Manor and try to find clues to help you get rid of the evil inside.
7. Lost Lands: Dark Overlord
Description: "Susan had just stepped away to answer the phone, but when she returned she saw something pulling her son Jimmy through a shimmering portal. It closed before she could pull him back. To save him, she must find a way to this other world. Before Susan lies a world that no one else has ever seen before... a world where magic is real and anything is possible. Find out who took Jimmy and what they want in Lost Lands: Dark Overlord!"
Enjoy this fantasy world as you follow clues to find your missing son. Can you make it back to your own world with him?
8. Bejeweled 3
Description:"The biggest, brightest Bejeweled ever! Discover all-new ways to play the world's #1 puzzle game. Find your perfect match with 8 breathtaking game modes that meet all your moods — ease into Classic Bejeweled for cascades of fun, journey through 40 challenging Quest puzzles, charge into the electrifying Lightning for non-stop action, and tailor your experience in Zen for a revolutionary new way to relax. Enjoy the amazing sights and sounds and engage in endless gem-matching fun, and earn flashy achievement badges as you soar to dazzling new heights!"
A classic match 3 game where you collect gems and find as much treasure as possible.
9. Jewel Quest III
Description:"Rupert and Emma have settled down and opened a museum to display their many artifacts. While playing with a mysterious jewel board, their daughter unknowingly pops open a secret compartment. Suddenly, the air is filled with spores, and Natalie's vision fades. Desperate to save their daughter's sight, Rupert and Emma search the globe in search of the fabled Golden Jewel Board, rumored to hold the antidote that will cure her, but does it even exist? Guided by cryptic clues left by a shady stranger, Rupert and Emma encounter new challenges; wild monkeys to capture, powerful pearls that can alter the jewel boards, and head-to-head competition that pit you against renowned experts, Hani and Sebastian. Time is running out! It's up to you to follow the clues and find the cure!"
Collect clues by matching jewels to save your daughter from the museum!
10. Zuma's Revenge!
Description:"An irresistible force has taken our fearless frog to an island where the ribbeting puzzle-action of Zuma has evolved in amazing ways… but evil spirits and tenacious tiki bosses rule the land! Survive the ire of the island by firing stone spheres to destroy the deadly stream of balls. Conquer over 60 levels by staying sharp and avoiding hidden traps. Slide and hop for smarter shots; hit targets for exotic bonuses; detonate new power-up balls; battle six imposing tiki bosses and guide your agile amphibian to victory in four all new game modes! Will you succumb to the perilous pitfalls, or can you tame the jungle in this PopCap ball-blasting challenge?"
This frog makes a cute twist on a classic bubble popper game. Explore this tropical island and defeat the tikis!
11. Faerie Solitaire Harvest
Description: "Earn Pure Gold by clearing cards to power up your adventure. Grow your combo and collect mana for Wild Shards to reach amazing solitaire matching heights. See the Faerie World with 40 locations, 360 unique layouts, and 32 pets to hatch, evolve, and collect! Faerie Solitaire Harvest is a match-2 solitaire card game. This means you match two cards of the same value to clear them from the board. King with a King, Ace with an Ace, and so on. Don't let the apparent simplicity fool you, there is still depth, strategy, and luck involved in this game. Faerie Solitaire Harvest is designed to be fun no matter how you choose to play it. If you've played match-2 solitaires before and were unimpressed, let Faerie Solitaire Harvest be the game to change your mind about how good this kind of game can be!"
A fun new game mode within the simplistic solitaire system, explore the faerie kingdom and collect mana to grow your matching magic.
12. Critter Crunch
Description: "Critter Crunch is an award winning, arcade-style puzzle game, starring the lovable Biggs. Using his long, sticky tongue to grab critters from vines above, he feeds them to each other until they burst, dropping tasty jewels for him to gobble up. Using Critter Crunch's 'Food Chain' mechanic, players will eat their way through a smorgasbord of levels and gorge on a feast of modes, including Co-op and Versus multiplayer. Oh, and barf. Rainbow barf!"
This bubble popper adds fun critters and interesting new power ups to make gameplay feel fresh, fun, and fluffy.
13. Little Inferno
Description: "Congratulations on your new Little Inferno Entertainment Fireplace! Throw your toys into your fire, and play with them as they burn. Stay warm in there. It's getting cold outside! Burn flaming logs, screaming robots, credit cards, batteries, exploding fish, unstable nuclear devices, and tiny galaxies. An adventure that takes place almost entirely in front of a fireplace - about looking up up up out of the chimney, and the cold world just on the other side of the wall."
An unusual combination game where putting different toys on fire together create clever puns!
14. Lucid
Description:"Discover a new way to match blocks in this otherworldly, Zen-like, relaxing puzzle experience. Lucid is the world's first Match-All puzzle game, in which you clear areas by combining all the blocks of an area. Enjoy the stunning visuals and relaxing sound effects as you make combos and hunt for the next perfect area to clear. Gain score multipliers by chaining Color-Tasks and earn Lucid-Blocks to use later on for clearing up the whole play field to get you out of a tough situation. Come up with new strategies to get high-scores. Earn additional special Area-bonuses for square shaped areas, inside the group you have cleared."
Click and collect groups of blocks, blasting away whole portions of the board. A relaxing game everyone should have in their library.
15. Strata
Description: "A truly unique puzzle experience that embraces simplicity, elegance, and challenge. Strata paints a simple yet challenging puzzle game onto a sophisticated canvas of color and sound. Test the limits of your brain by completing complex weaves of color to solve the puzzles. The goal of Strata is to strategically layer colored ribbons to match a pattern. Using forethought and strategy you must sequence your moves correctly. Over time patterns emerge and your tactics may evolve, but Strata will keep you on your toes with increasingly difficult puzzles."
Perfect for the person who loves knitting or crocheting. Connect these colorful ribbons to overlap in the correct order!
16. ABZU
Description: "ABZÛ is a beautiful underwater adventure that evokes the dream of diving. Immerse yourself in a vibrant ocean world full of mystery and bursting with color and life. Perform fluid acrobatics as the Diver using graceful swimming controls. Discover hundreds of unique species based on real creatures and form a powerful connection with the abundant sea life. Interact with schools of thousands of fish that procedurally respond to you, each other, and predators. Linger in epic seascapes and explore aquatic ecosystems modeled with unprecedented detail. Descend into the heart of the ocean where ancient secrets lie forgotten. But beware, dangers lurk in the depths. "ABZÛ" is from the oldest mythologies; AB, meaning water, and ZÛ, meaning to know. ABZÛ is the ocean of wisdom."
A simple exploration game with a few puzzles and a lot of beautiful ocean visuals.
17. The Secret of Monkey Island
Description:"The game's twisty plot leads our naive hero on a hilarious, swash-buckling search for the fabled secret of Monkey Island. Tales of pirate wealth lure him to the port of Mêlée with high hopes, no money, and insatiable curiosity. If clever enough, he will win the confidence of Mêlée's pirates and find himself blown by the winds of fate toward the terrifying and legendary Monkey Island -- an adventure that would chill the bones of even the most bloodthirsty buccaneer."
More of an adventure puzzle game, talk with characters and explore the island. Curiosity killed the cat, but satisfaction brought it back. Good luck adventurer.
18. World Of Goo
Description: "World of Goo is a multiple award winning physics based puzzle / construction game made entirely by two guys. Drag and drop living, squirming, talking, globs of goo to build structures, bridges, cannonballs, zeppelins, and giant tongues. The millions of Goo Balls that live in the beautiful World of Goo are curious to explore - but they don't know that they are in a game, or that they are extremely delicious."
Connect your little goo balls together to build bridges and escape into the pipes! An exciting game of physics.
There are many more games my mom might like on Steam. She's open to trying Steam after watching my sister and me play Morrowind our whole childhood. She may also enjoy games like Portal if I am able to play with her. But going by the classics she has adored in the past, these puzzle games will be right up her alley. I've already gotten her hooked on Bejeweled and World of Goo. I know what I am getting her for Christmas this year!