Parents' Guide to

Chronicles of Mystery: Curse of the Ancient Temple

By Christopher Healy, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 11+

Dan Brown-like mystery solved through puzzles and pointing.

Game Nintendo DS 2009
Chronicles of Mystery: Curse of the Ancient Temple Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this game.

Community Reviews

age 17+

Based on 1 parent review

age 17+

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: (1):
Kids say: Not yet rated

On the plus side, Chronicles of Mystery: Curse of the Ancient Temple does a nice job of varying gameplay. One level might be an I Spy-style treasure hunt, while the next might be a steady-hand maze challenge with the touch-screen, and the level after that may be a math-centric brainteaser. All of these puzzle challenges come in between the regular storytelling scenes which play out as point-and-click adventures (point at a match and then click on a candle to light it, for instance). Where the game falls flat is the storytelling. The plot is very engaging in the beginning, and there are plenty of hard-to-see twists and turns, but the more the conspiracy gets revealed, the harder it is too follow. The plot may be too convoluted for many kids to keep up with. The ending is also sadly abrupt and, as a result, anticlimactic. A bonus multi-level scavenger hunt game, called Hidden Worlds, adds replay value, but those types of games have also been done better elsewhere.

Game Details

  • Platform: Nintendo DS
  • Available online?: Not available online
  • Release date: October 28, 2009
  • Genre: Adventure
  • ESRB rating: E for Violent References
  • Last updated: August 31, 2016

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