''Smart Games Challenge'' is a video game series developed by American companies KnowWare and Smart Games. Three games were released between 1996 and 1998.

Gameplay

Each game consists of a series of minigames, designed to improve cognitive function.

Reception

Smart Games Challenge

''Smart Games Challenge'' was a commercial success, with 300,000 copies sold by early 1998. ''Smart Games Challenge'' was a finalist for the

Computer Game Developers Conference The Game Developers Conference (GDC) is an annual conference for video game developers. The event includes an expo, networking events, and awards shows like the Game Developers Choice Awards and Independent Games Festival, and a variety of tutori ...

's 1996 "Best Trivia or Puzzle Game" Spotlight Award, but lost the prize to '' You Don't Know Jack XL''. It was also the runner-up for ''

Computer Gaming World ''Computer Gaming World'' (CGW) was an American computer game magazine published between 1981 and 2006. One of the few magazines of the era to survive the video game crash of 1983, it was sold to Ziff Davis in 1993. It expanded greatly through ...

''s 1996 "Classic/Puzzle Game of the Year" award, which ultimately went to ''

Baku Baku Animal ''Baku Baku'', released in Japan as is a falling block puzzle arcade game released by Sega in 1995. The game is dedicated as Sega's first ever Network Compatible PC Game. A Sega NetLink compatible version of the game was also announced, but ...

''. The editors called ''Smart Games Challenge'' "an inspired collection of every brain teaser imaginable", and a game that "promises puzzle fans an excellent mental work-out." However, it won the

Codie award The Software and Information Industry Association (SIIA) is a trade association dedicated to the entertainment, consumer and business software industries. Established in 1984 as the Software Publishers Association (SPA), the SIIA took its new na ...

for "Best Debut of the Year". PC Game World gave it 68%. World Village gave it 3/5.

Smart Games Word Puzzles

Smart Games Stratajams

Smart Games Puzzle Challenge 2

In ''

'',

Charles Ardai Charles Ardai (born 1969) is an American entrepreneur, businessperson, and writer of award winning crime fiction and mysteries. He is founder and editor of Hard Case Crime, a line of pulp-style paperback crime novels. He is also an early employe ...

called ''Smart Games Puzzle Challenge 2'' "brain food of a very high order, caviar for the cranium." He summarized it as "the best bunch of brain-busters ever." Cindy Yans of ''

Computer Games Strategy Plus ''Computer Games Magazine'' was a monthly computer and console gaming print magazine, founded in October 1988 as the United Kingdom publication ''Games International''. During its history, it was known variously as ''Strategy Plus'' (October 1 ...

'' wrote, "This is simply the most comprehensive puzzle game around. Hands down." Writing for ''

PC Gamer US ''PC Gamer'' is a magazine and website founded in the United Kingdom in 1993 devoted to PC gaming and published monthly by Future plc. The magazine has several regional editions, with the UK and US editions becoming the best selling PC games mag ...

'', Lisa H. Renninger called it "one of the best puzzle collections we’ve seen in a long time", and a vast improvement over its predecessor. She highlighted its "terrific gameplay" and "great puzzle variety". The editors of ''Computer Gaming World'' named ''Smart Games Puzzle Challenge 2'' the best puzzle game of 1997, and wrote, "Once again, Smart Games goes for substance rather than flash. But with brain-shattering puzzles like these, who needs fluff?" PC Game World gave it 80%.

Smart Games Puzzle Challenge 3

In ''

'',

wrote of ''Puzzle Challenge 3'', "Almost three years after they set the puzzle game standard, the folks at Smart Games are still the only ones doing it right." Although he felt that the designers had been forced to rely on "sometimes esoteric" puzzles, since their earlier titles included most of the accessible ones, he argued that "no puzzle lover will leave disappointed." Ardai concluded, "Unlike most series, which tend to start running out of steam by their third installment, ''Smart Games' Puzzle Challenge'' still has all of its original spirit and most of its creative spark." ''Puzzle Challenge 3'' was a finalist for ''

''s award for the best classic game of 1998, although it lost to '' You Don't Know Jack: The Ride''. GameSpot gave it 7.2/10. Gaming Entertainment Magazine gave it 70%. Absolute Games gave it 65%.

References

External links

Main page
* * * {{Mobygames, smart-games-puzzle-challenge-3, Smart Games Challenge 3 1996 video games Brain training video games Classic Mac OS games Educational video games Minigame compilations Puzzle video games Video games developed in the United States Video game franchises Video game franchises introduced in 1996 Windows games