The program begins with Sam lamenting the fact that it's been raining all day. What's a boy to do when he's finished all the levels in his Pajama Man console game? After opting to pull out a board game in his closet, Pajama Sam falls through a portal (lucky he's wearing his cape!) and arrives in a place where his board games come alive.

Each game (with the exception of Puzzle Games) can be enjoyed by either one or two players and can be set to any of three difficulty levels. There's a demo mode designed for children who'd like to see how each game is played, but even for those who just want to dive right in, the games are simple enough (and, in most cases, familiar enough) to get the hang of quickly. Characters from Pajama Sam's junior adventures are around to play as kids' computer opponents, offer instructions, and add some fun commentary.

Most of the featured games will be familiar to kids. For example, Cheese and Crackers is a variation of Tic Tac Toe, only the X's and O's are replaced with cheese and crackers, and single player mode involves playing against the character called Darkness (who is really quite personable). We found each game in the collection rather engaging, but our favorite was 4-Cheese Pizza in which players move tokens along a game board in a race to capture four slices of cheese.

Kids need not be familiar with the characters to enjoy this program. Gameplay is simple and simply fun. Whimsical touches include a pizza-cutter spinner and pepperoni tokens in Four Cheese Pizza and game pieces that smile and wiggle as they wait their turn. There is no record-keeping, but most kids are unlikely to miss it. Though the games are presented in fun ways, they play much as expected, without particularly innovative variations in gameplay. Kids with fair-sized software libraries are likely to own programs that feature some of the ones here, such as concentration, puzzles, and tic tac toe.

This program is best for children approximately ages five to eight. Children nine and up will enjoy more variety and challenge in Hoyle Kids Games (see our review) or Hoyle Board Games (see our review).

Technically Speaking
Minimum system requirements are Windows 95/98/ME/2000/XP, Pentium 166, 16 MB RAM, and 4X CD-ROM. Mac users require a 132 MHz PowerPC or higher, System 7.5.5 or higher, 32 MB RAM, and 4X CD-ROM. No hard disk space is required, as the game runs directly from the CD-ROM.

Skills Covered
Memory, strategy, turn-taking.

Educational Value
Unsurprisingly, there are no academic lessons to be found in this collection of virtual board games. However, many children will be motivated to master the games, and they'll need to use some strategy and thinking skills in order to increase their odds of winning.

Entertainment Value
Favorite board games are presented in fun ways, with lively commentary, Pajama Sam-style touches, and plenty of opportunity to play with or without a friend.

Design
An excellent design makes it easy for kids to play the game without help, right from the start. Installation is not required--the program runs directly from the disc. Each game can be played alone (against an animated computer opponent) or with a friend. Some audio instructions accompany the games, and demonstrations of each game are available.

Replayability
Children who enjoy board games will return to the program often. Seasoned little gamers, however, may find the games in this collection overdone.

Dollar Value
The suggested retail price is $20 US.