Truth be told, Buried in Time – the latest interactive offering from I-play -- should get a failing grade. About three or four hours into the adventure, it's possible to hit a roadblock that prohibits you from continuing the game -- and leaving you no option but to start all over from the very beginning. How about that. We'll get this serious design flaw in a moment, but let's first highlight what's good about this new sim.

If you took a life simulation, a la The Sims, and dropped it into a blender with a copy of a time management game, such as Diner Dash, you'd end up with Life Quest, the latest from Big Fish Games that proves to be a charming (but not challenging) digital diversion for your mouse-clicking finger.

Whether you're a fan of hidden-object games (HOGs), point-and-click adventures or romance novels, there is something for all three types in PassionFruit Games' Tiger Eye: Curse of the Riddle Box, the first of two downloadable computer games based on the Tiger Eye novel by best-selling author Marjorie M. Liu.

Think it's easy to start a new town and attract residents and businesses alike? Put your mayoral skills to the test with HappyVille: Quest for Utopia, a new city building sim from Gogii Games. While we like the tried-and-true premise -- plus it adds a personal touch by giving residents names and desires -- but frankly, the game feels unfinished because a handful of random issues that mar the overall experience.

Sherlock Holmes isn't just on the silver screen this month -- you can also catch Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's fictitious detective on the small screen, as well, thanks to Legacy Interactive's hidden-object game (HOG) The Lost Cases of 221B Baker Street (also known as The Lost Cases of Sherlock Holmes 2.)

If you've ever walked around your local shopping mall and complained about the store selection (or lack thereof), salespersons not suited for their job or litter on the ground instead of in trash cans, you can now put your mouth where your mouse is in Mall-A-Palooza, a new game that tests your skills at managing a mall. While not perfect, this game delivers a fun and challenging experience for sim fans.

Even after solving the mystery in Veronica Rivers: Portals to the Unknown, the daring rescue pilot doesn't have time to relax on a Japanese vacation. A vision disturbs the heroine's trip, and so she hops on a plane to Europe and takes on a brand new case to avoid a threatening disaster -- while also confronting a mysterious nemesis who's been haunting her. 

This is the premise behind Veronica Rivers: The Order Of Conspiracy, the second in the polished hidden-object game (HOG) series with adventure game-like elements. 

Games like HipSoft's Build-a-Lot not only resurrected city simulations, popularized in the early '90s with games like SimCity, but it raised the bar high for others who want to take a stab at this genre. G5 Entertainment's Virtual City does a good job at delivering a challenging and attractive city building game - but it's not a flawless sim either.

While not one of the better hidden-object games (HOGs) to debut in 2009, Alawar's 1001 Nights: The Adventures Of Sindbad is a decent adventure for younger players or those new to the HOG genre. Seasoned players, however, might find this digital download simply too easy.

The fictitious story surrounds Sindbad the Sailor, his amazing adventures and how he met (and saved) his true love. Inspired by the adventures penned in 1001 Arabian Nights, this enjoyable tale includes many wild locations, monsters and supernatural foes. In the game, you must help Princess Chalida locate the seven gems of her royal crown in order to break an ancient curse that has trapped her in a wooden body.