Tag Archives: puzzles

Lichess

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If you ever run out of things to do, head to Lichess.org to cure your boredom. Lichess.org is an online platform where users can play chess against other players to develop a higher rating or just for fun through the Casual game mode. 

On Lichess, you can create or join a chess match and play a random opponent. You can select which mode of chess you want to play, as Lichess has many different creative chess games, which aren’t all the traditional way of chess. You can play Standard chess, along with Crazyhouse, King of the Hill, Chess960, Three-Check, Racing Kings, Antichess, Atomic, and Horde. 

In all of the different chess game modes that Lichess provides, you start with a rating of 1500 and as you win, it goes up, but when you lose, it decreases. If you beat an opponent of a higher rating, then your rating will increase by more, but if you lose to an opponent with a lower rating, it will also decrease by more. 

In the lobby, you can find chess games that others have created, and it will show the game information. For example, if it says 5+3, that means you start with 5 minutes and after every move, you get 3 extra seconds to your game clock. If one side runs out of time on the clock before the game is decided, the other player is victorious. 

You can also “follow” your friends on Lichess and invite them to matches, making you able to play chess with your friends. 

If you ever don’t know what to do, visit Lichess.org!

The Final Gambit

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This is the third book in the Inheritance Games series. The series follows Avery after she is revealed to have been left a large inheritance from a billionaire named Tobias Hawthorne. Prior to the reading of his will, Avery had no idea who he was. Avery is a teenager whose mother died and her father left, leaving her kind half-sister Libby to take care of her.

She met Tobias Hawthorne only once in a completely random, coincidental way, and has not seen him since that brief encounter when she was much younger. Although Tobias Hawthorne has now died, he leaves behind the majority of his money and possessions to Avery – along with some hidden games. However, he left everything to Avery with one condition: that she stay in Hawthorne House for one full year. Then, once she turns 18, the money and possessions will legally be hers, as long as she fulfills this condition. During this year, Avery will face many threats against both her own life and the lives of those she cares about. Meanwhile, the question remains: why Avery? Tobias Hawthorne had four grandsons: Nash, Grayson, Jameson, and Xander. It was expected that Grayson would receive the fortune, not someone unknown like Avery. Even now, months later, Avery has no idea why she was chosen to receive the inheritance.

This is an exciting book with many puzzles and mysteries to solve. There were a lot of plot twists and I definitely was not anticipating the ending of this book. I really enjoyed reading this entire series. I would recommend this book to those who like adventure, action, and romance books.

-Peri A.

The Final Gambit by Jennifer Lynn Barnes is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby.

The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

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Avery is an average, but intelligent, girl from Connecticut. Her mother died, and her father couldn’t care less about her, but her half-sister Libby (same father, different mother) cares deeply about Avery. One day, however, Avery receives an invitation to the reading of the will of the late Tobias Hawthorne, who she discovers has a net worth of 46 billion dollars. She is both surprised and confused when she receives the majority of Tobias Hawthorne’s vast fortune, despite never having known him, or even heard of him and his family, until now. However, it is revealed that Tobias Hawthorne left a puzzle behind for them to solve. Meanwhile, there are still some people who are upset about Avery’s newfound inheritance and seek to get rid of her in any way possible. She now has no idea who is really on her side and who seeks to get rid of her. Avery is now not only facing a difficult puzzle with vague clues, but she must also now watch out for any attempts others may take to harm her. 

I liked this book because of the constant suspense and the unexpected events. This was a very unpredictable book, and there were multiple riddles presented by the clues. I enjoyed attempting to solve those puzzles and following along as the characters figured out what everything meant.

The Inheritance Games is part of a series consisting of 2 books, with the third book being released later this year. They all follow the same storyline, of the aftermath of Avery receiving the unexpected and large inheritance.

-Peri A.

The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes is available to checkout from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby.

Game Review: We Were Here

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Two adventurers, stranded in the mountains. An ancient castle, full of secrets. And only a radio to talk with.

We Were Here is an indie puzzle game similar to an escape room. The two player game starts as both players are captured by an unknown entity. The players are separated, with one in a library and one in an enclosed room. This is one very interesting aspect of the game. The players are completely isolated from each other, with voice chat as the only way for players to communicate. The puzzles, which might be easy to solve normally, become much more difficult when neither player can see what the other is seeing. Good communication and descriptive wording are absolutely necessary if you want to make it out alive.

A friend and I played this together, and we had a blast. The puzzles were fun but not overly challenging. The changing scenery kept the game fresh throughout our play, and we both really loved the atmosphere of the game. We may have died once (or twice) but it never got boring. We were pleasantly surprised by this excellent game.

One thing I love about this game is that it showcases the potential shown by virtual escape rooms. When the escape room is fully digital, you can have all sorts of crazy scenarios, puzzles, and themes. Who cares if you freeze to death while playing a giant game of chess? Who cares if a murderous marionette ends your theater career early? It’s all just a game!

So, in conclusion, I’d definitely recommend checking We Were Here out. It’s a nice, simple game with a cool premise, and it’s loads of fun with a friend. Even, better, as I write this, it’s free on most platforms (Xbox, PS4, Steam, etc). So pick this up and give it a try if you’re looking for a fun cooperative challenge.

9/10

– Josh M.

Reversion the Return: Chapter 3 game review

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Reversion the Return: Chapter Three, produced by 3f Interactive, is a new and exciting story and role-playing game. The players follow the familiar protagonist, Christian, who is working with his fellow revolutionists to try and defeat the evil warlord Sergio from taking over his beautiful homeland, Buenos Aires. The game uses a simple but classic point and click playstyle, usually with inventory and puzzle-based missions. The game also uses incredible interactive voice acting as well as a hint system, for when the player is stuck. On top of that, the game’s 2d original aesthetics and challenging puzzles keep the players wanting more and more of the game

The characters themselves are very impressive. From friendly, peaceful citizens, to harsh, dangerous soldiers, the possibility is endless. This large amount of adversaries keeps the game interesting, as well as challenging. I still really enjoyed the live voice acting and performance of all the characters, and I felt that it gave each character a personality and personage. On top of that, each new environment and characters were individually drawn out and customized, based off of their personality.

The objective itself is very simple. The player must explore different parts of Buenos Aires in order to complete certain objectives. These objectives can range in simplicity and difficulty, such as the starting mission that requires you to remember a certain math equation, to one of the final objectives that require you to find and rescue your friend who was abducted by an evil military group. At times, these objectives can be tricky and confusing. At one point I was stuck for a good 30 minutes trying to find who I needed to talk too in one of the stealth missions.

To help counter these problems, the player is given the hint tool. This allows the player to receive a certain amount of hints, that will help them progress further in the level. Keep in mind that there are only a certain amount of hints that the player receives at the start of the mission, and after they use them all they must wait a certain amount of time for the hints to recharge. This system allows for the perfect amount of help to be given, while still keeping the game fun and challenging.

Overall, I enjoyed Reversion the Return: Chapter Three, produced by 3f Interactive. The simple but yet classic single-player story game really was nostalgic for me, especially since those were the types of games I used to play when I was younger.  The only thing I would improve upon is the diversity of the missions. I found that some of the missions were somewhat repetitive, so the game could become boring at some points. If the developers could somehow add a multiplayer aspect into this game, the possibilities would be endless. Besides that minor improvement, I really enjoyed Reversion the Return: Chapter Three and would recommend any puzzle-loving gamer to try it out. My overall rating of the game is it an 8.5 out of 10.

-Daniel C.

Endgame: The Calling by James Frey and Nils Johnson-Shelton

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endgame_jamesfreyAs a prominent novel of thriller and fiction, Endgame: The Calling brings a simple treasure hunt to a whole new and different level. With teens fighting teens, the entire world has no chance but to rely on the victor.

In a modern day setting, twelve teenagers carry on with their normal lives until each of them are by a meteor, a warning sign to these twelve “players” for the beginning of what may be the world’s end. Representing the twelve so-called original lines of humanity, these teenagers must play in Endgame, a hunt for three significant artifacts (this book is on the first one) that will save their lines from chaos and disaster while condemning the other eleven.

Through the eyes of each of the twelve players, authors James Frey and Nils Johnson-Shelton incorporate adventure, action, romance, and much more all into just a three book series. Characters like Sarah Alopay, Jago Tlaloc, and Christopher Vanderkamp share their perspectives on their journeys throughout the continents and how they must survive when problems and troubles arise. As clues are hidden inside the novel itself, readers are recommended to try and solve the mystery themselves, being part as one of the players on a mission to save all of humanity.

Endgame: The Calling is a suitable read for young adults ages 13-16, and with my rating of 8.5 out of 10, this may be one of the very best plot lines that I have read.

“Will exuberance beat strength? Stupidity top kindness? Laziness thwart beauty? Will the winner be good or evil?”

…I guess you will have to read and find out.

-Riley W.

Endgame: The Calling is available for checkout from the Mission Viejo Library.