"Charming" best describes this software title starring Charlie Brown and the Peanuts gang. Once children have selected to play along with either Charlie Brown or Lucy, they embark on an adventure in problem-solving filled with clues to uncover, problems to solve, and mini-games to enjoy.
The story begins as follows: Charlie Brown offers to keep Linus' security blanket safe while his grandmother is visiting, but the beloved blanket goes missing. Players help either Charlie Brown or Lucy find the blanket. Though their motives for finding the blanket are different, both Charlie Brown and Lucy are determined to solve this dilemma by searching in and around Charlie Brown's home. Of course, kids will get a more considerate host of the game in Charlie Brown, and a rather crabby one in Lucy! The choice is all theirs.
As children explore Charlie Brown's house, the library, computer lab, Schroeder's house, and more, they must click on as many things as they can find. Some useful items can be collected and stored in the program's inventory bar, while other objects transport children to another environment altogether. Players uncover mini-games as they progress through the adventure, and each activity can be played at either of two difficulty levels. In order to get past a robot at computer camp, for example, kids need to answer a series of mathematical questions. After Snoopy scatters Schroeder's musical notes around the room, kids are asked to find the notes Schroeder is playing. Players have to help Snoopy steer the bus to computer camp, and in so doing, they complete a logic puzzle.
No matter which path players choose to follow, Snoopy makes an appearance from time to time. Children have a secondary task of keeping Snoopy fed and cared for, and they keep track of Snoopy's state by monitoring the Snoopy Meter in the task bar.
The game can be played in English or German, and players have a chance to toggle between the languages at any point in the game.
At some points in the game, children will get frustrated when they don't know what to do next. The box states the program is designed for children ages 4 and up, but ages 6-9 is probably more reasonable. Younger children may be able to play the game with help from parents or older siblings, however. Transitions can sometimes be slow, and some non-interruptible sequences are repeated. For example, clicking on a scarf prompts the same sequence in which Lucy or Charlie Brown react with surprise when the scarf falls on their heads. We would have preferred hotspots with multiple responses. However, the program captures the unique personalities of each Peanuts character well: Charlie Brown's understated wit, Lucy's impatient and crabby nature (true to form, she refers to Charlie Brown as a "blockhead"), Snoopy's independent streak, and Sally's dreamy sensitivity. The games are generally brief but fun to play, and the story is quite charming.
