So you think you’ve had a bad day? Well, let me tell ya pal, all Rocknor the robot wants to do is go home. Sounds simple enough doesn’t it? But somehow, Rocknor went and got himself lost and now he has to work his way through 35 levels packed with mind-bending puzzles, conniving foes and menacing obstacles.

Rocknor’s Bad Day is a refreshing desktop puzzle game that relies on your brainpower instead of your trigger finger and your gray cells with get a workout! Rocknor is without a doubt, the most addictive desktop game I have played since….well, I can’t remember when! It is literally one of those games that once you have gotten stuck on a level and can’t seem to advance any further, you exit from the game and then spend the next few hours subconsciously digesting the puzzle in your mind until ‘EUREKA’ the light bulb goes off and you need to rush back to your computer. The first time I played Rocknor, it was two hours and seven levels later before I realized I was hooked.

RBD is a game that is meant to stimulate the mind with exploration and puzzle solving. Stripped to its simplest concept, you only need to reach the exit of each level. Between Rocknor and the exit are numerous obstructions and challenges that will require creative – and sometimes quick - thinking on your part. Each progressive level is larger and more challenging than the previous level.

Each level is a side-scrolling interactive world that requires Rocknor to interactive with the objects around him to solve puzzles: blocks can be pushed to form a bridge, crops can be mowed and moving walkways and teleportation devices transport you to previously inaccessible areas. Since this is a game focused on fun, there are also unlimited lives, restarts and no time limits on each level.

Rocknor’s Bad Day was developed by Monolux a newly formed company located in Mountain View, California. Hanford Lemoore – Rocknor’s designer and developer – is that rare commodity, an ex-employee of both Lucas Arts and Disney. His pedigree includes some of the top adventure games to ever grace your desktop and he has also worked on children’s educational and entertainment software at Lucas Learning. While neither Hanford Lemoore nor Monolux are currently household names, Rocknor is a name that will be begrudgingly mumbled quite a bit over the next few months as temporarily flummoxed gamers wander from cubicle to cubicle in search of solace.

Rocknor’s Bad Day is downloadable to your desktop for a cost of $19.99 and there is a risk-free 30-day satisfaction guarantee. Before you decide to purchase it though, download the free try-before-you-buy 5-level version (www.monolux.com/games/rocknorsbadday/download/rbd-free-setup.exe). Then kiss your wife and kids goodbye, close your office door to keep out your boss and forget about catching up on your paperwork, for Rocknor needs to get home and you’re his only hope.

Final Grade: A

System Requirements:

• Win 98/ME/2000/NT/XP
• PII
• 10mb hard disk space
• 96Mb RAM
• 16-bit video card
• Sound Blaster compatible
• Keyboard