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Christmas Stories – Clara and the Guiding Star is a Hidden Object Adventure title from the popular Elephant Games catalogue.  This review is based on the Collector’s Edition version of the title which bundles various extra items to supplement the main game.  These bonus items include the opportunity to replay the game’s 13 Hidden Object scenes and 13 mini game puzzle games plus tackle a bonus chapter, embark on an expedition and visit a secret room.

With the usual adjustable gaming environment features and the ability to play the game in a choice of difficulty levels selected from Casual, Advanced, Hardcore or Custom, you are cast in the role of Clara Stahlbown, a young woman skilled in the art of toy making and repairing items.  On a visit to Mr. Persivald’s Toy Shop, Clara has an accident, spilling all her goods and giving the game a chance to introduce the player to the available tools and options available with this games in the guise of an optional tutorial.

The mouse pointer will change shape to indicate when different actions are possible.  You will also have access to certain tools arranged across the base of scenes,  These tools consist of map showing available locations and where required items might be found, the current task, inventory items collected with an indication which ones require work before use, Strategy Guide and a Hint feature.

While this product’s title might indicate this adventure is a game within a game, I felt the overall appeal of the title’s content was more like a game within a game within a game as it progresses.  The reason for Clara initial mishap was due to the after-effects of the appearance of a portal that linked Clara’s world to that of a Nutcracker inhabited world.  This portal has appeared due to an attack on the Nutcracker world by the forces of the evil Mouserinks who enjoyed turning the captured population into toys.  Fortunate a Nutcracker with a damaged arm managed to escape this fate and was able to ask Clara for help in defeating the Mouserinks.

Working together and aided by a magical amulet and a collection of items such as golden snowflakes, Clara and the Nutcracker have to undertake a number of tasks starting with gaining extra help from the Droselmeyers family and its use of the world’s tallest Christmas tree, escape from mice by flying and winning battles.  Various Hidden Object scenes, displaying required items in text format, outline shapes, paired items and parts of scene plus the replacements of items will need to be carried out as part of the task.  You will also need to travel through a maze and avoid obstacles as Clara practises her skill to achieve victory.

Christmas Stories – Clara and the Guiding Star can be downloading r40m Gamehouse.com where it is priced at $19.99 or from Big Fish Games priced at £11.92.  The game requires  a 2.5 GHz processor with 1024MB of RAM and 702MB of hard disk space running Windows 7 and later in order to complete this Christmas story.

Christmas Stories: Clara and the Guiding Star Collector's Edition | Big Fish

Christmas Stories - Clara and the Guiding Star Collector's Edition | GameHouse