Cogito

If there's one thing there's no shortage of for the pc, it's puzzle games. Just about everybody who's anybody has made at least one. So what's so different about this one? Well, not a lot really, except maybe the fact that you need Microsoft Windows before you can run it. Apart from that it's more or less par for the course. Each level in Cogito shows you a complete diagram, all neat and tidy and aesthetically perfect. Then the nasty computer comes along and messes it all up. leaving you to piece it all back together again. Sounds simple, and it is. at least to start with.

Using the directional arrows surrounding the playing grid, you have to move various pieces around to form the original diagram. At first, the arrows move the pieces pretty much where you'd expect them to go. but in the later stages you stare in unbridled astonishment as the arrows move parts of the screen in a completely illogical fashion.

This is very confusing to begin with but after a few levels you start to get the hang of it. You also might start to think of hanging yourself. This game is not easy, particularly when moving a piece in one place moves a whole bunch of them somewhere else. At times this is more frustrating than taxing but with a little perseverance (and a fair amount of patience) you can work it out and struggle on to the next stage.

Every time you manage to achieve the seemingly impossible and complete a level, you are rewarded with a password to the next. The shape of the pieces and colour of the boards change as French software house Atreid Concept proceeds to throw every dirty trick in the book at you over some 120 levels. You can change the backdrop for the grid: the four supplied include Happyland and Alien World: they look nice but don't do much.

I wouldn't get too excited about the fact it has a Windows interface either. There are no overlapping windows for different parts of the game or menu bars for access to extra features, so you may as well be running it as a Windowed dos session.

Cogito is not the most original game in the world, but the puzzles are quite clever and if you're prepared to spend half an hour or so getting into it you're in for a real challenge. It's deceptively easy to play but bloody difficult to beat.