Simplz: Zoo (Windows, Mac)

It’s a simple concept, but one that has been executed with care and precision. The zoo element is basic enough that middle-school kids should have no trouble designing their own menagerie, but also creative enough that parents will have fun designing, too. And while the puzzle element is deep -- there seems an almost limitless array of power-ups and mini-objectives -- all you really need do is keep matching, which isn’t too hard since there’s no time limit (unless you check a box that lets you impose one on yourself) and we never encounter game-ending stymies.

What’s more, the zoo and puzzle elements intertwine nicely. Put up an ape abode and suddenly the food tiles we match in the puzzle game turn from steaks to bananas, increasing their worth. And the conservation points earned in the puzzle game can be used to buy new animals. This symbiotic relationship keeps players interested moving from one part of the game to the next, and ensures that we stay interested throughout the surprisingly lengthy story, which lasts ten hours or more. It’s good family fun—and great value for your downloadable game dollars.