Fool Errand, The

The Fool's Errand is a game that everyone should play at least once. Following the adventures of the protagonist Fool, the game takes the form of a narrative about his misadventures to complete his quest. Every character the Fool encounters has an associated puzzle, which range from word searches to mazes to picture rearrangements, but each is done in a unique and well-executed fashion.
When each puzzle is completed, more are unlocked in a sequence, so that many story arcs are available to start, which only get deeper as you play more.

It is fairly non-linear, with a variety of puzzles and story available from the start, but the game is best played from start to finish so that a cohesive narrative is achieved. The story itself is based on Tarot myth, so that each character you encounter (such as Death or the Page of Wands) is thematically related to other characters in the narrative. As much fun as the puzzles are to play, the story is equally a motivating factor for continued play. A picaresque feeling of a cohesive story combined with myriad puzzle varieties creates an atmosphere in which the player seldom, if ever, gets bored - if a puzzle is too hard for you, just move on to another until you feel ready to come back to it. I have played this game far into the night time and time again, just going from puzzle to puzzle and reading the engaging story.
Replay value on the game is unfortunately a little lacking, as none of the puzzles have a random element to them that would create a challenge for someone who has beat it in the recent past. But I have enjoyed this game from childhood, and it has been a rewarding experience going back and doing the same puzzles now that I did as a child and having similar issues. Some of the puzzles are just plain *hard*, but all are logical in their layout and execution. There is nothing that you will need to use an outside guide for, but several of the puzzles are real head-scratchers.
Once again, The Fool's Errand is a recommended experience for everyone who has ever read a book or fooled with a crossword puzzle in the past. It will tickle your brain in all the right ways, exercising both the left and right halves in a union of pleasure.