Ice Xmas

Ice Xmas is a Christmas-themed puzzle game played across a series of icy levels while snow drifts gently down the screen. The loading screen and menu set a festive mood with falling snowflakes that settle on the ground, and from the menu you can start playing, read the instructions or check the score table. In each level you steer a hero character across the ice towards the exit, collecting the items scattered around the board for points and avoiding the hazards that cost you a life. Collecting items triggers a short bonus animation, touching something bad plays a different animation and a die sound, and extra lives can be picked up along the way, so every move needs a little thought. Control buttons on the screen let you start your attempt with Go, stop it, or clear it and start again. A panel shows your current level, your score and how many tries you have left, and a Check level button lets you test your result before moving to the next level. When you run out of tries a game over screen appears, and when you complete the final level a win screen congratulates you and leads to a scratch card prize. Your name is stored with your score in a local top-five table, so friends and family can compete on the same computer. With its cheerful music, sound effects for buttons and the 650 by 500 window, Ice Xmas is a good seasonal addition to a Puzzle category, easy to understand for children yet interesting enough for adults who enjoy planning their route across the ice.