There is no doubt about it, Uncle Albert was...eccentric. He counted stars, conducted unusual experiments, traveled a lot (but mostly in his head), and was a great storyteller. He carried a secret album with him wherever he went. The good news is that you've discovered the album and there is a treasure hiding in it. Your job is to find the treasure, but it won't be easy. Photos have been eaten by wood lice, and there are "dangers" along the way.
Tom, a friendly animal, has been trapped in this album for years, and he acts as a guide throughout the adventure. There are 13 bookmarks that allow you to jump through the pages of this special album, and kids will soon learn that there are more hidden pages that will "open up" for them as they progress through the adventure. There are many mysteries to solve within these pages — riddles to answer, unusual little creatures to discover, secret passageways to open, and traps to avoid.
Scattered throughout the pages of the album are various tools (such as the camera and jack hammer) and objects (like keys) that are essential to the game. Many can be moved to the side of the book so they can be used on other pages. Living animals can be found everywhere, and players must get to know them and their behaviours in different environments.
The camera is an essential tool, and can be used to take "real-time" photos of anything the player drags the camera over. Many of these photos will be useless (and can be fed to the wood lice for recycling), but some will play important roles in the game. The printer tool, once discovered, can be used to create and print a child's own magical album.
Kids travel to a laboratory to analyze objects they have found and to learn interesting facts about the world of natural science. Players place any of the animals, plants, and objects they have collected onto the experiment plate to find out facts and hints. Animals can even be transformed in the laboratory. At the racetrack, kids place 3 animals onto the starting blocks, click on the gun to start a race, and observe which animal wins. After experimenting with all the animals, the "champion" can be determined and photographed.
Many of the pages contain a crumpled-up note that gives players a hint, and each page contains a suitcase with a video of Uncle Albert who explains the mission for that environment.
The possibilities are endless with this program! There are multiple solutions to problems and experimentation is not only encouraged — it is essential. Players are constantly discovering new things. For example, once they have found the two gloves, they will be able to handle dangerous or fragile animals; it is useful to discover that most animals (with the exception of the dragon, of course) are afraid of fire, and that is where the flame tool comes in handy; use the watering can to get the snail to come out of its shell (snails are drawn to water). "Destinations" include a treasure island, a cave, a desert, Egypt, and more.
