“C.Y.P.H.E.R. Operation, U.S. Presidents” is a wonderfully deceptive game. The reason I say this is that it will deceive you into believing it is a simple game, while in the process of playing it you will be unable to resist learning interesting facts about American presidents and history. This game covers presidents from Washington to George Bush Sr. and has some great features, such as a Gallery of Presidents, which shows quotes and maps following each president's term(s).
Also, your object is to track down Cypher agents using clues at your disposal and navigating a map based on the type of contacts you are given.
This is very similar to the Carmen Sandiego series but is on a much smaller scope. Peppered throughout this game are useful facts and quotes and you‘ll learn quite a bit while playing the game.
The street map, which serves as the point from which you navigate the game, is navigated by selecting what the street names have in common from a selection of topics. This game covers topics such as the following topics: government officials, state capitals, government agencies, election terminology, Native American tribes, and space exploration. The player is given a number of clues depending on the topic, and based on these clues, needs to determine the correct answer. For example, I was given the following clues:
1) First American president to be assassinated
2) The telegraph was invented
while this president served in office
3) This president served from 1861 to 1865.
Of course, these clues describe former president Abraham Lincoln. At the end of the game, the goal is to decipher a puzzle using cryptological techniques. You can choose from different types of encoding, such as braille or sign language and solving the clues along the course of the game will give you the tools you need to solve the final puzzle.
While this is a very educational and fun game, there are a few problems with the game. First of all, the sound does not work for me. I am not certain if this is a problem with sound card compatibility (Conexant AC-Link audio) or an issue with the operating system (Windows XP), but it would have been nice to have some sound to work with. Also, the game occasionally freezes up, but this is infrequent enough so it is not too much of a problem.
All in all, this game is a definite must play! If for no other reason than you will learn a great deal about American presidents and American history in general and have a great time while doing it, this is a highly recommended game!
