Puzzle Game for Tablet PC

Puzzle Game can be played with a mouse, but it is a great game for the Tablet PC because you can lay the Tablet PC flat and manipulate the game pieces with the pen. Figure 14.12 shows what Puzzle Game looks like when it starts.

Figure 14.12. Puzzle Game starts in the Easy mode, where you have just four pieces to put together.

The Easy mode (level 1) has only four pieces, whereas the Difficult mode (level 5) has 130 pieces. You can change the difficulty level of the game by tapping Options, and then Difficulty. When you do, you will see a dialog box like the one shown in Figure 14.13, where you will be asked to enter a number from 1 to 5 representing the difficulty level you desire.

Figure 14.13. To change the difficulty level, enter a different number in the text box.

In addition to changing the difficulty, you can also change the picture on which the puzzle is based. To do so, tap Game, and then Select Picture. You will then see a dialog box asking you to locate the picture you want to use. You can choose from several image types (JPG, BMP, and so on). Figure 14.14 shows a picture I took on a trip to New Mexico being used as the basis for the puzzle.

Figure 14.14. You can use your own photographs or other images as the basis for your puzzle to make it more interesting.

After you choose a picture and set the difficulty level, you can change a couple other settings. For example, if you tap Options, and then Outline Pieces, you will be able to see outlines on each of the puzzle pieces to help you align them better, as shown in Figure 14.15. You can also display or hide the key picture, which is the thumbnail view of the picture in the upper right corner of the game screen.

Figure 14.15. Choosing the Outline Pieces option lets you see the shape of the pieces more clearly.

When you start the game, you will need to drag the puzzle pieces around the screen to match them up. If you drag the piece from the center, it will stay in the same orientation, whereas if you drag from an edge, you can turn the piece to rotate it the way you want. When you get the puzzle piece aligned with another one, and they match, push them together until they join. When they join, you will be able to move the pieces together. You cannot unjoin them.

As the game progresses, the Total Time counter will increase as, hopefully, the Pieces Remaining counter decreases. Challenge yourself and others to beat your previous low time scores for a more challenging Puzzle Game experience.

When you're ready for a new puzzle, or want to do the same one again, tap on Game and then choose Reshuffle. You will then start over.