Hamburg - Whether your child dreams of travelling through space and time, starting a career in fashion, riding horses or working on a farm, this season's computer games for children have something to offer everyone. Children can travel through world history accompanied by Felix the rabbit - the star of books and movies - in Felix Und Die Wundersame Reise Durch Die Zeit (Felix And The Wonderful Trip Through Time). The game includes visits to the ancient Greeks and Romans, the Mayas and Chinese as well as to the German knights of the Middle Ages.
The wonderful trip begins in Felix's room when a book suddenly blows in through the window. Intrigued, the rabbit opens it to discover a map of the world. On closer inspection, the children can see people strewn across the map. But the people are in the wrong eras and locations. The game starts when the child helps Felix put the people back in the right time and places.
Along the way, the player learns about these bygone eras and faraway places. In addition, there's a game to play in every country. In China, there's mahjong. In the Middle Ages, players had to gather sharp objects to help a dragon breathe fire again. All games come with two difficulty levels.
Published by Hamburger Medien Haus (HMH), the game costs around 20 euros (29.40 dollars).
There's mystery waiting with Tieragenten (The Pet Detectives), a new title from Rondomedia. Anna, Sophie and Leon have to solve the mystery of a rabbit who disappeared on a farm. There are mysterious footprints around the cage, a bit of fabric stuck in the fence and no rabbit in sight. That's when it becomes clear to the children that the rabbit has been kidnapped.
First they inspect the stables. A detail of the stable immediately pops up packed with hidden clues. Indeed, clues to solve the crime are hidden everywhere. Anna keeps a diary of the events and the findings which are all designed to help the child sitting at the computer solve the crime.
The detectives have to sort through 20 of these highly detailed pictures to solve the crime. There's little point in clicking about wildly ... players actually lose points for mouse clicks that don't result in clues. The perception and concentration game costs 15 euros.
Abenteuer Pferdecamp (Adventure Horse Camp), a new game from Tivola, is set in a horse-riding camp. Players take on the role of Maria, first helping her choose a horse and then leading her through a scavenger hunt.
It takes some orientation skills to find your way around the huge compound, and there are 16 stations where challenges must be met, ranging from show jumping to a chasing event. On top of that, there's a quiz. The player gains more time by doing well. And there's a training option which allows you to enjoy the game at your leisure. That mode also gives the player a good chance to try out different horses.
The game, part of Tivola's series Die Schoensten Pferdewelten (The Beautiful World of Horses), retails for about 25 euros.
For girls who dream of designing their own clothes, Ubisoft offers Sophie's Freunde - Mode Designerin (Sophie's Friends - Fashion Designer).
Clara Willard, a student at a fashion academy who gets a chance to show her stuff at the renowned Style-Factory fashion and cosmetics agency, is the game's main star.
In the game's adventure mode, the player gets a series of small projects. Depending on performance, the player may eventually take part in a fashion show. Creativity is key to the freestyle mode. The player participates in several workshops with Clara and learns how to make her own creations.
The game costs around 30 euros.
