Adventures in Odyssey and the Treasure of the Incas (Windows, Mac)

ADVENTURES IN ODYSSEY AND THE TREASURE OF THE INCAS involves helping teenagers Eugene and Connie and their employer, Mr. Whittaker ("Whit"), solve a mystery about a map to the lost treasure of the Incas. While solving the mystery, Eugene must deal with uncomplimentary rumors about his parents, two famous archeologists who disappeared when he was 7 years old.

Players help solve the mystery by making decisions for the investigatory trio. There are eight innovative logic puzzles woven into the storyline. Kids decode journals, create inventions, and solve a puzzle by placing prisms in a manner that will refract a light beam so that it can open four doors. These logic puzzles automatically adjust in difficulty as the player proceeds, and kids can practice the puzzles separately from playing the mystery game.

This is an exciting, excellent mystery game from Digital Praise, a Christian entertainment company. The game does not contain direct references to God, but focuses on educational activities and a storyline that reinforces "character values" such as trust and helping others.

However, parents should know that Digital Praise promotes itself as seeking "to glorify God" and "spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ" through its software titles. This is apparent in the game's "Extra Features" section, where kids can listen to an audio episode titled "The Cross of Cortez!" from the Christian radio series "Adventures in Odyssey" (which features the same characters found in the software). That audio episode does mention the influence of God and Jesus in a manner appropriate for Christian believers. If you're uncomfortable with the religious undertones and bonus content, you should skip this one.