For Sale: Includes large retail box, CD rom, jewel case, and instructions. Instructions have a bit of writing on them from previous owner. From Dreamcatcher Interactive.
Review by Raymond Ivey found on the web:
Part of the puzzle game series DreamCatcher Interactive acquired from Discis, Quest for Karma is a retooled, revamped, and renamed version of Karma: Curse of the Twelve Caves.
The game is of a piece with DreamCatcher's other two irresistible puzzle adventures, Jewels of the Oracle and Jewels II: The Ultimate Challenge. This time around, we're not in a newly discovered ancient Sumerian site, but rather in a series of caves hiding an ancient Chinese well. The well is supposed to have magical qualities, but a demon has sealed it up with a devilish series of 14 puzzles.
This, of course, is where you come in. With a wise old ghost for a guide, you work your way through a series of caves that contain puzzles, with the ultimate goal of freeing up the well.
As I said, these puzzles are similar in format and construction to the ones in the two other games. However, there are only 14 of them, making this more of a hip-pocket version of the same idea.
I enjoyed most of the puzzles, which included a game of concentration, a classic Hanoi towers conundrum, a flipping tile puzzle worthy of The 7th Guest, and a fun "switch the two colors of turtles" puzzle.
In addition, there are some puzzles that are arcade (shooting moving targets with an arrow, using an air gun to move a soap bubble, and one of those tilt-the-marble-into-the-correct-hole puzzles. Some players may be put off by these challenges, but I enjoyed them.
There's also a puzzle that's literally a game you play against the computer, and it's a real toughie.
My favorite puzzle was a music puzzle, and it simply involved listening carefully to a series of instruments. I always like music puzzles, but I feel obligated to specifically mention this one because some players I know absolutely hate them.
The most devilish puzzle in the game is one of those move-the-huge-block-out-of-the-frame puzzles. This one is fair, but it's a real nail-biter just the same.
As with Jewels and Jewels II, the puzzles are graced with lovely graphics, atmospheric music, and a thin story to tie them all together. And as with those two games, these elements add to the gaming experience and make it more compelling than simply flat series of puzzles. It's a fun, intriguing, relaxing, and compelling environment to hang out in while you tackle these challenges.
If you've finished both Jewels games, and you've completed the mountain of puzzles in Pandora's Box, but you still need to scratch that particular itch, Quest for Karma could be just the ticket!
Final Grade: B
System Requirements:
486SX 25 MHz (486SX 66 MHz recommended)
8 MB RAM (16 MB recommended)
256-color SVGA Graphics
2x CD-ROM drive
Windows 3.1 or Windows 95/98
Mouse
Send your zip code for ship cost - should be between $4.99 and $5.99 if you are in the continental US (listed August 2013).
