A beautifully crafted adventure game set in the mystical land of Egypt developed by Kheops Studio and published by Nobilis. The game is set in the historical time period when there is a civil war in the country between Cleopatra and her husband-brother Ptolemy. Unlike other adventure games, this one has a captivating story line and interesting characters together with fun puzzles and scenic locales. The events of the game all take place before her stint with Caesar and Mark Antony, in the city of Alexandria. The story focuses on an age when Cleopatra needs assistance to overcome her arch rival Ptolemy but the pivotal character is Thomas. You play Thomas’ role, who is a young Chaldean studying under the guidance of foremost astrologer of the time, Akkad. Even as blood and gore ruled Alexandria, the-then capital of Egypt, the astronomical observatory and its environs were a haven of peace. But the game’s storyline takes a surprising turn when one morning Akkad and his daughter Iris both disappear. Thomas decides to unveil the mystery behind their disappearance and embark on a mission to gather clues and put puzzle pieces together. He soon finds out in the course of his investigations that Cleopatra herself had asked Akkad to make a specific divination, and that the partisans of Ptolemy are behind the kidnapping. The Queen and Thomas enter a pact where she promises that her guards will find Akkad and Iris while Thomas needs to look for some items she specifies. The game begins in the beautifully sunlit Observatory Garden. There are five or six such unique locations but each one with its perfect setting and vibrant atmosphere is a joy to explore. Movement in the scenery is rare but extremely well done when used, from the ripples in the water to the slowly opening jaws of a crocodile. Before starting a new game, a zodiac appears, allowing you to choose a sign to represent your character. Depending on your choice, there will be good days during certain puzzles, and bad days at others. The bad days present obstacles and a puzzle takes longer to complete. There are ample hints to help you all the way and the level of difficulty builds up slowly through the game as you cross levels. You would love to interact with plenty of new characters all through the game and their attire perfectly complements the Egyptian setting. The game offers a mix of inventory, mechanical, and logic puzzles which flow naturally from the story. The inventory holds the items you collect as you explore. An interesting feature of the game is that some objects are combinable and add to the challenges of the game. The map serves as an easy pointer and clicking on a specified location takes you there. Cleopatra allows 360 degree panning, so that you can search large areas fairly quickly. The easy interface, diverse characters and a perfectly themed background score make the game too good to resist.