Enjoyable historical edutainment
Discovering America falls broadly into the 'edutainment' bracket, but don't let the negative connotations of such a label put you off, as it is actually an entertaining and informative little game that is worthy of investigation. As the name suggests, the game takes players back in history to the time of the discovery of the US and sees them travelling across the ocean on a great voyage of adventure. Upon reaching the new land, players must establish a colony and help it to grow into a thriving city. Of course, this requires plenty of tough decisions to be made, and careful use of your limited resources, with your colonists requiring lots of looking after if they are to survive in this harsh new environment. Discovering America is an attractive strategy game that is perfect for younger players or those new to the historical genre. While it is unlikely to appeal to hardcore fans of Total War or Lords of the Realm, it is highly accessible and provides a fair amount of tactical depth and complexity that make it highly rewarding to play. Supporting this is an intuitive and simple point-and-click interface that means the game is easy to get to grips with. Throw into this some appealing graphics, which are vibrant, well-drawn and attractive and you have a solid, well-rounded package that actually educates and entertains in equal measure and which is perfect for families to play together. Check out the Carmen Sandiego games, like Where in the U.S.A. is Carmen Sandiego? or Where in Space is Carmen Sandiego? for similarly informative and fun games.
