The sixth installation in the World Mosaic series, appropriately titled World Mosaics 6, had me chasing after a cat burglar by the name of La Forge. While running around different cities and different eras throughout history, I had the important task of solving puzzles to recover the fabled hourglass of time. 

My recent trip to Mexico was definitely less intense, but at least I had a lot of fun relaxing along the beach. Speaking of relaxing, World Mosaics 6 kept me entertained at a leisurely pace, but gamers who are new to this genre or prefer a much more action-filled game will become bored of this adventure quite quickly.

World Mosaics 6 has an intriguing story. The main character is not only quite the detective, but apparently has a background in archeology as well. It’s like a mixture of the wit of Sherlock Holmes and the grace and tact of Watson coming together to form one brilliant mind. This cat burglar definitely doesn’t stand a chance.

The exploits of the main character are chronicled in the form of journal entries presented to you after each picture puzzle is solved. It was entertaining to read the first few, but eventually I was glossing over the entries because they were becoming too tedious.

Of course, every adventurer must have a journal.

One of World Mosaics 6’s weaker points, the art style and sound, are noticeably dated. There is an option in the settings to output the graphics at a higher screen resolution, but it doesn’t make the already woeful graphics any better.

A mosaic is revealed after each puzzle is solved, but instead of an artistic illustration, you are greeted with a blocky, pixelated depiction of it.

Yes! Hera’s diadem…at least I think it is.

Needless to say, I felt like the game designers could have at least substituted a more aesthetically appealing visual of the mosaic. After all my hard work of trying to solve the puzzle, it didn’t feel as rewarding as it could have been because what I was looking at was not as enjoyable.

The sound wasn’t any better and any form of in-game music was very forgettable. With a lot of games today using sound as an integral piece to help players feel a sense of connection with a scene or the characters, the designers could have at least used a voice over or narrated the journal entry pieces to bring a little personality.

On the other hand, it did help that I was able to start World Mosaic 6 with a tutorial. This helped me get a grasp of how to play, because I had no idea what the numbers on the side of the grid meant when I first looked at the puzzles. It should also help people who are new to the series and ease the learning curve into it.

Armed with your trusty brush and shovel in your quest to catch a thief, you go around uncovering mosaics of artifacts and objects by solving puzzles. Each sweep of your brush uncovers a piece or row of the object, while the shovel marks the spots that aren’t a part of the picture.

The gameplay reminded me of playing a game of minesweeper, but with much less risk. What do I mean by that? Well, each new puzzle gives you several "lives" in case you make a mistake and damage the mosaic you are working to restore.

The player is also allowed to collect hints by collecting the sand that you brush away. I don’t know about you, but during my trip, sand was something I worked hard to wash off after coming back from the beach. These two elements combined made the puzzle solving a little too easy. I found it difficult to lose a round, because I knew I could use a hint or guess a few spots because I could take the damage.  

Fill in the grid using the numbers in the columns and rows as a guide.

The high point of World Mosaics 6 was being able to move quickly from puzzle to puzzle. This is why I felt having to read the journal entries does a disservice, because it took away from the part that was most exciting. Unfortunately, even that excitement is short lived as there aren’t a lot of variations to the puzzles. I’m sure the puzzles get larger and more challenging, but for the most part, the gameplay remains the same. 

If you’re looking for a casual game to play during the holidays while you lounge around the fireplace, then by all means give World Mosaics 6 a go. Just leave the sand at the door.