This is not an easy game. The goal is to match blocks to free the cute little boogying Ouba's but to do so you must also avoid causing the blocks to freeze or the game itself to crash entirely. Addicting and annoying. Would be a super game if it didn't crash and was less laggy.

PeaceMaker is a revelation. By letting you play both sides in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict it makes you really confront the complex issues involved. After playing it, the news from the region will be viewed with a new light of understanding.

Stepping into the shoes of the Palestinian President or the Israeli Prime Minister and negotiating the shifting winds of public favour and the rough seas of violence of both sides makes one appreciate the delicate balancing act of building peace both within and without your people.

Making the policy decisions, negotiating with radical and conservative parties, choosing where to spend money and dreading the next outburst of violence makes the issues stick in your mind long after finishing the game. More understanding comes with doing than reading magazines or watching TV.

Playing the game is a fast and efficient way of learning about the seemingly neverending Middle-East conflict. In just a few hours the player will make many illuminating connections between the often conflicting actions and speeches of the participating groups - and the consequences of the actions. When the same findings are shown daily in the international news it makes you really appreciate the work that has gone into PeaceMaker.

The game is fun and engaging to play and encourages deep thinking about the conflict. A strategy game has seldom felt so alive and current. PeaceMaker proves that the real world provides subjects many times more interesting than the usual fantasy fare offered in the name of entertainment.

Above all, PeaceMaker provides hope. Hope of the conflict being solvable, hope of mutual understanding and respect being possible. Hope of finally setting aside the myriad legitimate grievances of both sides and working together to achieve peace. Hope of people from both sides to mostly view each other as people first and members of a different group second. A game couldn't aspire to higher ends.

It does not even matter if you agree with the assumptions the game makes or the accuracy of the many facts presented. You will think, and you will learn. And you will have fun.

The game adds a large range of water items including pools, slides and many more. This makes the original rollercoaster game much more enjoyable and fun. You can also make laser and water shows which can be shown in your park at night.

Recommend to anyone who owns RollerCoaster Tycoon 3.

The game is a nice concept poorly executed. It is unrealistic because it papers over the core reasons for continuing conflict.
For example The game states that the goal of the militants (Hamas etc) is to end the "Israeli occupation". If only it were that simple! The clearly stated goal of Hamas (in its manifesto) is to end Jewish sovereignty over the whole of Israel, not just the West Bank & Gaza. Similarly it states that the economic & political development of the Palestinians is a core goal of the Arab states. Unfortunately this is not true of many Arab states. Their goal is to keep the current Arab regimes in power. The Arab states, despite their oil riches, contribute very little to PA economic development. The EU and US contribute orders of magnitude more.
The game also fails to deal with the history of the conflict pre 1920 or even mention the Holocaust as a factor in Israel's creation. The pre 1920 history of the conflict is very important to both Arabs and Jews and shapes their understanding of current issues to a degree not easily understood by the West.
Its a real pity that this game didn't have more depth, complexity and accurate goals. It might have made it harder to win the Nobel Peace prize but would have been far more educational.

i have had this game for 2 months, and i must say, this game is amazing, it was much better then age of empires 3, and works on more computers.... microsoft did a amazing job on this game.
CAUTION, ITS EXTREMELY EDICTING!!!!!!

This is the king of micromanagement games and it can be incredibly daunting trying to get into it, but when you do you are rewarded with a game so deep and rich you may never stop playing. If not for its awkward interface I'd put it up there with classics like Civilization. A.D.D. kids need not buy.

I bought this as a fan of the classic console game Aerobiz and was not disappointed. While I will say that the game can be a little hard to make sense of at first, it becomes fun and interesting after a few plays and I'm still enjoying the occasional afternoon with it.