If you have a love for the old days of casual games, then Encore Software Inc.'s Hoyle Puzzle & Board Games 2009, may be the most satisfying gulp of fun you've come across in - well, at least a year.
You see, Encore published a nearly identical game set in 2008 that has almost exactly the same games. The only difference is the addition of seven Big Bang games, including Backgammon, Chess, Reversi And Mancala. Still, the addition is significant because the Big Bang games can be played against human opponents on the Internet or through your local area network.
The game set is quite impressive; nearly 50 different games are available for play. You can save your game, so you don't have to finish an entire set in one sitting. If you're a traveler, this would be a nice set of games for your laptop. The set includes some really old favorites, such as Backgammon, Chess, and Chinese Checkers, as well as some relatively new games, such as Star Collector, Battling Ships, and Zilch.
