If you enjoyed the puzzles in Highlights magazine, you're going to love PopCap's Amazing Adventures: The Lost Tomb.

Ostensibly, he game casts you in the role of a researcher/ archaeologist who has been dispatched by a museum to follow clues which will lead to a legendary lost tomb. If you didn't know better, you might think this is an adventure game in the mode of Indiana Jones or a platformer like Pitfall. In fact, it's a puzzle-game built around a pretty nifty “hidden objects” engine and dressed up in khakis and a pith helmet.

This isn't, necessarily, a bad thing. The hidden puzzle screens are both interesting and inviting. Each will present you with a list of objects and challenge you to find all of them before the timer runs down. (Note: You do have the option of switching off the timer at any time by changing to the “relaxed” mode.) The clues are given in the form of words and range from the specific (Bowling Pin) to the esoteric (knife – which can include a putty knife). The level of frustration provided by these occasionally vague clues is just enough to add to the fun without driving players over the edge.

Sometimes it's nearly impossible to spot that last item. The designers thoughtfully included a “hint” button which will point players in the right direction without giving away the answer entirely. This can only be used occasionally, however, and deducts points from the player's score.

Speaking of the scoring, players can earn a speed bonus by finding multiple objects one after another. Clever players will find (but not click) several objects in order to “stack” their success and increase their overall score.

After completing the mandatory hidden objects level in one of the games many locations, players must play a mini-game that points to the next level. This include a jigsaw puzzle, spot-the-difference, memory match, and picture tile swap. Then it's on to another hidden picture level in a new location.

Sharp-eyed players might find an Egyptian scarab tucked into the hidden pictures. Collecting twenty-one of these opens the game's Secret Mode which is pure seek and find. Using the exact same locations as the main game, players will be challenged to find hundreds of objects instead of the usual six-to-twelve.

The objects are always in the same place in the pictures so eventually it comes down to memory as much as observation. This limits the replayability of the game.

In terms of content, there is nothing here objectionable for younger players. Those who are interested in puzzle games will probably find this an enjoyable outing. The system requirements are minimal and the cost ($19.95) is modest. These factors, combined with the game's overall visual appeal, make it a good bet for whiling away the time on a summer afternoon.