Here's something we didn't exactly see coming. The expansion of casual gaming has drawn inspiration from every corner of the genre, but Alice HD takes the book as inspiration to create something fairly unique. Many aspects of the book are recreated exactly within the game, in the form of original art that players reconstruct as puzzles. Text from "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" plays a part in the game, but there wasn't any slavish devotion to recreating Carroll's masterpiece in its entirety. If you've tried going back to read the original, you know how much of it seems largely unintelligible by modern standards, almost a form of free association combined with archaic language in many places. The version popularized on-screen bears only a passing resemblance to what was outlined in Carroll's dreamy, free-wheeling narrative. Attempting to build a game world around Alice as a character has resulted in some interesting experiments, and Alice HD is an original product. It follows the outline of the book and gives players hidden-object challenges that reflect many of the places explored, without trying to reinvent the characters. The original art is used whenever possible, and there's a wide variety of applications throughout the game. Sound design and music is a weak spot, but that's not surprising considering the source material gives relatively no guidance in that direction.

Weaving in the narrative means taking players through the various places that Alice explores, and Alice HD starts right in with that fall down the rabbit hole. Before that, you'll look for some hidden objects around the grounds where Alice sights the rabbit, then again as you fall down into the depths. The player repeats certain activities again and again, but the context is different each time and keeps things fresh. We mentioned the picture-jumble where you try to recreate some image, and this is a fun exercise. Rather than require the sliding-tile style of play, Alice HD lets you pick up and move pieces, and rotate them as you wish. Traditional seek-and-find gameplay is solid here, with multiple layers of play that dig deeper and deeper into the image, plus some moving objects that force you to shift focus. More active styles of play involve tapping specific objects while leaving others alone, and you have to think quickly to earn points and move forward. There are even some memory games that have you turning over sequences of tiles. If it sounds like a mini-game collection, you aren't far from the truth, but the unifying principle is taking a tour through Carroll's work. This thread makes the various games within the game feel less accidental, but it's not likely to be a game you replay too often.

Some of the hidden objects are simply too well hidden. We're all for a challenge, but there's no way we could get some of these. Hints are available in levels, found not earned. You learn to use these liberally rather than get stuck on a particular obstacle, which is what younger players will figure out. The picture puzzles are also pretty obscure, but the answers are there in the form of a solved puzzle you can refer to as you work. Hint systems abound, so Alice HD won't be inaccessible to anyone in the end. We liked the additional challenge of reading through some source material, which makes Alice HD a fun exercise for parents interested in promoting reading for their youngsters. Granted, the percentage of reading to gaming is 80/20, but every little bit helps. At the very least, it gives kids an appreciation for a classic piece of literature that is worth exploring.

The full extent of the controls here are for tapping, either in the form of timed tapping games or touching places on-screen where you think you'll find hidden objects. Indicators give you visual feedback when you touch the screen during those seek-and-find sessions, making it clear whether you are on track. Pinch-and-zoom works reasonably well, but we needed a finer level of detail on those really difficult screens. We also noticed some strange behavior with zooming, where certain parts of the page seemed to "fall off" at times, until you zoomed back out. Navigation from area to area is simple, as you'll see a little icon pop up once you solve a puzzle. There were a few instances where we weren't sure about whether icons were taking us into a new screen or closing out the dialogue, but you learn this quickly and find it consistently through the game. The overall experience while playing Alice HD was pleasant, and accessible enough for young gamers. Older, more experienced players will also take some enjoyment from Alice HD, since it combines a wide number of fun, casual genres with a proven storyline. Perhaps games will now become the gateway to classic literature. Curiouser things have happened...