Advocates of video and computer games have made innumerable claims about the benefits of interactive entertainment. From easing the pain of cancer to improving hand eye coordination, games are said to be good for more than sucking away your free time and emptying your bank account. Now some are arguing that a new category of games can actually sharpen your acuity through mental exercises. Grubby Games, creators of the Professor Fizzwizzle series, tackles the genre with their latest release: The Amazing Brain Train!

If you're going to remodel your home, it's probably best to save up before you take on the kitchen. It's reportedly the priciest room to upgrade. Depending on who you ask, a "minor" kitchen remodel can set you back a good $15,000! (I'm definitely in the wrong business.) If you love redesigning homes (and don't want to spend a small fortune on your own), Eye for Design is an interior decorating themed simulation/puzzle game that might interest you.

Fiona's budding photography career gets a big break when she's asked to photograph her best friend Gwen's wedding. But after a mystery culprit breaks into Fiona's studio and trashes her work, Fiona must put together a replacement wedding scrapbook by recreating the photographs through paint-by-numbers puzzle challenges. It's all part of Color Up! Wedding Scrapbook, a relaxing game designed to bring out your inner artist.

On paper, Zen Fashion works marvels, combining two favorite passions - inner peace and haute couture - into an intriguing match-three puzzler that sends you trotting about China, Japan, Korea and the bulk of the Asian continent. Unfortunately, a snappy Far Eastern aesthetic and soothing soundtrack, not to mention somewhat novel play conceit (donning new duds to mix and match powers), can't save the title from an inconvenient truth. Specifically, that the melding of these twin concepts suffers due to inconsistent level design, too-leisurely pacing and a handful of issues that'll have even the most patient player ready to kick the creators right in their dharma.

Ahoy there, casual gamer! If ye enjoy the 'ol match-3 puzzlers you'll want to set sail with Caribbean Pirate Quest, a clever downloadable game that weaves in a treasure hunting component to the core gameplay. Argghhh!

A lot of casual games masquerade as puzzle offerings. But let's be honest: matching gems and finding objects doesn't tease our brains. Ice Princess from SoWhat! Software Studios does, though. A puzzle game through and through, it'll have you scratching a bald spot into that beautiful mane of hare you brush each morning.

Everyone likes to fancy themselves a closet intellectual; intriguing new puzzler IQ: Identity Quest gives you the chance to prove it once and for all. A globetrotting brainteaser that dares you to "master the power of the human mind" according to its creators, the outing - offering a middling presentation, aimed at a younger audience and more idle amusement that must-play - won't set the casual gaming world on fire. However, it's a largely stress-free and more than adequate way to unwind in front of your PC after a long and tiring day, especially if you're looking for a low-maintenance way to keep the creative juices flowing.

Let's get something straight right off the bat: Gamezebo doesn't give out high scores - such as 4 stars - just because a game offers a collection of puzzle types under one roof. In other words, more isn't necessarily better. But in Hoyle Enchanted Puzzles, while the puzzle themes will be immediately familiar to casual games, the developer added enough of a new twist to most of these digital diversions to keep us glued to the PC for hours, forever trying to unlock additional stages.

If you're a fan of high fantasy (and match-three puzzlers to boot) get ready to hold onto your helmet: Evil sorceress Morganna's back to haunt the world once again in Arthurian-themed head-scratcher Runes of Avalon 2, which challenges you to save a peaceful kingdom from her baneful magic. As we happily discovered though, a host of new backdrops, incantations and 100 keenly-crafted levels also make a featured appearance as well, allowing you to easily while away the afternoon keeping both the pesky witch, and boredom, safely at bay.