In Brief

By Anita Hamilton

As hard as I've tried to fathom the peculiar fascination many men (and a few women) have with gory video games, I'm still stumped. Why would anyone want to waste hours on end blowing up imaginary bad guys? Have they no shame? Then again, maybe I'm just jealous. Ever since I overdosed on Tetris in the early '90s, there just haven't been any games that thrilled me for more than an hour or two. Until now. The elegant and addictive Pandora's Box (Microsoft; $35)--which, not coincidentally, was created by Tetris designer Alexey Pajitnov--has kept me up until 2 a.m. and turned 15-minute coffee breaks into 2 1/2-hour obsessions. Consisting of some 10 different puzzle types that morph into 350 unique games, Pandora's Box combines problem-solving fun with the visual richness of fine art and photography. For long sessions I follow the mythical story line, which takes players from Cairo to Maui and beyond in search of the missing pieces of Pandora's Box. For a quick break, I can select and solve my favorite puzzles in any order I choose. Along the way, I've ruminated over Renoirs, cursed at the New York City skyline and outthought The Thinker, as I diligently pieced together each masterpiece. So let the guys have their mindless fun with Age of Empires or Myth II. I'm sitting pretty with Pandora's Box.

--By Anita Hamilton