Because of the technical problems, GameZebo cannot recommend buying this game. Stay tuned to Gamezebo and they will let you know if and when Alawar fixes these issues with a new game download or patch, or both. This is really too bad as it was one of the more enjoyable hidden-object games they have played in a long time.
Casual Review: "Magic Encyclopedia is one of the few hidden object games that really makes you feel like you're solving a mystery. The basic gameplay of the genre is there: you have a visual list of things to find, and they are hidden in a scene. The catch: things are broken into "pieces", all of which you need to collect to repair the broken item. Once repaired, you can use them to unlock, move, or smash other interactive objects in the level. The mystery comes in figuring out the secret order of things, such as which object unlocks which. Sometimes you will trigger puzzles as well, and these mini-games are REALLY NEAT, and not repetitive or boring like in other games. (In the first hour, prepare for rotating jigsaw puzzles, a Pipe Dream-type game, an inlay game, and a clever connect-the-dots one where you create constellations.) All the mini-games and hidden-object searching are intriguing but not difficult. Objects aren't rotated or hiding behind other objects, so they are usually easy to spot. Interactive objects are labeled with text. Hints are also numerous, and you can always earn some more hints by playing a quick mini-game."
Pros:
• Pretty, hand-painted scenes
• Simple but rewarding hidden object puzzles
• Fun mini-games that aren't repetitive at all
Cons:
• Sometimes hard to pick up some objects
