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Reviews

Selected for the magazine's 101 Free Games ("the best of the best")

A collection of puzzle-based board games, this shareware package is the perfect thing to run in a window that you can easily minimize should your pinhead boss wander by.
-- Computer Gaming World (December 2003 - pg. 102)

Hot Pick of the Day
The World Village, September 2, 2002

"if you do like chess, Nine Men's Morris, or Shogi, then you are in board gaming heaven."
An online review by Gamer's Pulse (where Zillions of Games received the Editor's Choice Award)

Those who have ever enjoyed a game of checkers, chess, reversi, or most any other classic-style board game can now rejoice at the arrival of Zillions of Games.
-- Gamer's Pulse, July 2002

"Zillions of Games represents one of the greatest computer game bargains of all time..."
A review in PC Today: Notebooks, Shareware, Internet Service Providers

It comes with nearly 300 board, logic, and puzzle games, but that’s just the beginning. Since the game’s adaptive AI “learns” rules that are created for it, it is possible to easily add new games to Zillions. More than 100 user-created games are already available, and more are released every month. There’s something for everyone in this package.
-- PC Today & Smart Computing (March 2001 - Volume 9, issue 3, pg. 95)

An online review in German by the German magazine,
Computerschach und Spiele, dated September, 2000.

"Highly recommended."
An online review by kickstartnews.com

Board games? Not murder-death-kill? Go-Moku, Chinese Checkers and complex puzzles? Not First Person Shooters? No! Board games. Good ones. Nice graphics. Online play. Lianne likes this sort of thing and the new version from Zillions does not disappoint. -- kickstartnews.com, by Lianne Reitter

"Zillions of Games is a great collection..."
An archived online review by ZDNet (where Zillions received 5 out of 5 stars)

The suite includes 48 basic games, with variants on each so that you may be getting close to zillions of choices. -- ZDNet, February 2001

Selected for the THE ELECTRONIC GAMES 100

Zillions is neither an anthology of shareware nor a collection of familiar chestnuts; what it *is* is an entirely new system for playing and creating an astonishing array of abstract board and puzzle games.
-- GAMES Magazine, December 2000 (pg 55), Thomas L. McDonald

Reviewed in Personal Computer Magazine (Dutch)
While the article is in Dutch (the scanned page can be viewed HERE), here is an approximate translation:

Zillions-of-Games is a must for the lovers of boardgames. Chess fanatics will be very charmed by the many predecessors, and variants of the game as they can be found in Zillions, and inventors of games will fall directly in love with the ease with which you can develop something new yourself.
-- Personal Computer Magazine, May 2000 Issue

"Zillions is a truly remarkable piece of software..."
A review by GAMES Magazine

Zillions is a truly remarkable piece of software for the board game and puzzle enthusiast. No collection of classic games has ever approached its sheer scope, quality, and flexibility. Zillions is neither an anthology of shareware, nor a collection of familiar chestnuts. It is an entirely new system for playing and creating an astonishing array of abstract board and puzzle games... It is truly an embarrassment of riches, particularly for fans of relatively obscure games and variants. At least 58 chess variants are included (Shogi alone is worth the cost of the software), as well as Reversi (22 versions), Tafl (9), Alquerque (4), Checkers (5), Morris (11), Go-Moku (8), dozens of solitaire and logic puzzles, and more! It's as though someone took R.C. Bell's books on the history of board games and made a computer game out of them.
-- GAMES Magazine, by T. Liam McDonald, May 2000

"And The Bang For Your Buck Award Goes To..."

You're tired. Your investments have tanked. Quicken just informed you that your entertainment budget for the year is $20. What do you do? Buy Zillions-of-Games. It's a strategy-game engine that has the ability to immediately know how to play a game once the rules are established. Tell it that you want all pawns to move like bishops in chess, and it'll immediately come up with tactical plans using those rules that will crush most opponents. Think of it as the Folgers Crystals of AI: Add rules, stir, and you have a fully-caffeinated opponent that at least reminds you of the real thing. Minds sharper than mine create new games for this engine all the time, from slide puzzles to mind-bending chess variants. It's also easy to find new graphics for existing games, like Western-style Shogi pieces. If you like abstract strategy games and don't have the brainpower of Deep Blue, Zillions-of-Games and its brainiac fan base will render time meaningless.
-- Inside Gaming, by T. Byrl Baker - Computer Gaming World Magazine (April 2000 issue, pg 122)

"Bottom-line: All ages and genders will have countless hours of fun with this winner."
An online review by SuperKids Educational Software Review

Our parents editor wrote that, "Zillions of Games is one of those delightful staples every parent should have on their home computer." No faint praise, given the number of programs SuperKids' editors see! "...Zillions of Games was rather addictive." The presentation venue is colorful and appealing. ...Although Zillions of Games does not have the gimmicky superficial hooks and fluff many children-oriented software programs hypnotize kids with today, once cajoled into exploring its countless offerings, all our young testers were hooked.
-- SuperKids.com

How does it stack against Harry Potter? Zillions rates the highest score given in every category.

Zillions in Maximum PC...

"...Zillions is based upon a rich custom rules language that enables anyone with rudimentary HTML skills to code their own boards and game rules. It's really a sharp little title, particularly for laptops. Check it out..."
-- "Game Theory" Maximum PC Magazine, March 2000 (vol 5, issue 3, pg 35), (T. Liam McDonald)

In March 2000, there was a detailed review put up by a Russian web magazine (in Russian). You can read it HERE.

Winner of GameDepot.com's "Must Download" Award
An online review by GameDemo.com and GameBites.com (where Zillions received a "Must Download" award)

Here is an example of how a game can be low in '3D Graphics' but high in fun. Game Depot awards 'Zillions of Games' our 'Must Download' Award because of it's combination of games, clean interface and the FUN to Files Size Ratio.
-- GameDemo.com, February 2000 (Kevin Carney)

"Definitely a must-have for all puzzle / board game afficionados"
An online mini-review by Home of the Underdogs (where Zillions received a Top Dog "shouldn't be missed" rating).

Touted as the world's 'first infinitely-expandable board gaming system,' Zillions of Games actually lives up to its lofty claim.
-- Home Of The Underdogs, February 2000

"This game is far better than any Windows-type game compilation CD-Rom I've seen yet!"
An online review by GameGirlz

I'd rate this game an 8.5 out of 10. Its good gaming fun for everyone and this isn't a game you'll play through and toss into a pile, simply because you'll have so many new things to add to it (for free!). This game is far better than any Windows-type game compilation CD-Rom I've seen yet! Its a perfect game for your home computer, and it would make a great gift for family and friends who use a computer. With 292 games to start with, then additional free downloads... it really adds a very high re-playability factor to the game, and makes it well worth the money to buy it!
-- GameGirlz.com, January 2000 (Vangie "Aurora" Beal)

"If you like classic board games, this is Zen."
A review by Games Weekly Magazine (where Zillions received an 8.4/10 overall rating)

A good board game system with a theoretically endless amount of games with quite a lot of games and variations already (sic) to hold you off until it reaches the "Zillions" limit.
-- Games Weekly Magazine, January 2000

London Calling: Zillions in The Observer...

"The engine...contains various generic routines for calculation that enable it, once given the rules, to play most board games -- and play them frighteningly well."
-- The Observer, December 26, 1999 (GM Jon Speelman -- former British chess champion and World Championship semi-finalist)

"This is a great game for that person that can't make up their mind on what to play."
An online mini-review by Tucows (where Zillions received a 5 Cow rating)

Would you like games? Here's the one for you all wrapped up in one package. Play over 48 games with the demo! Over 300, with the option to build your own games, in the full version. This is a great game for that person that can't make up their mind on what to play. You have the option to play games such as; Reversi, Checkers, Cylindrical Chess, Blobs, Vertical Tic-Tac-Toe, Mini-Go, Chinese Chess, Dodgem, Jungle, and many others!
-- Tucows, December 1999

"Zillions is probably the most surprising CD, and I do mean pleasant, to grace this reviewers desk this year..."
A review by Serious Gamers

Sound familiar, another bunch of simple games with no imagination, AI and no skill needed. Wrong! Zillions is probably the most surprising CD, and I do mean pleasant, to grace this reviewers desk this year. A multitude of games, skillful AI and addicting play are a few of the characteristics of Zillions that should make it a hit with classic games lovers and with the casual gaming public.
-- Serious Gamers, December 1999 (Terry Peters)

"I would certainly buy and recommend this software to anyone."
An online review by Kids Domain

I thought that the variety of games was wonderful. The games were very colorful and eye appealing, and there is definitely something for everybody on this CD. ...I would certainly buy and recommend this software to anyone. It provides hours of fun and challenges!
-- Kids Domain, April 1999 (Rose Barbour)

"If you like board games and card games, you’ll love this diverse collection."
A mini-review by FamilyEducation.com, May 2000 (Tom Nelson, Mary O’Connor)

"'Zillions of games in one, low system requirements, and online play? Sounds like our kind of game..."
A review by MeccaWorld

-- The Games Database, December 1999 (Malcolm Michaels)

"...this is the nearest you're going to get to paradise."
A review by CHESS (the biggest selling chess magazine in Great Britain)

Don't call us for the next couple of years please.We are glued to our pc's... We have just acquired Zillions of Games. If you're into chess variants, and we are, this is the nearest you're going to get to paradise. ...Wow!
-- CHESS Magazine, Addict's Corner, April 1999 (Mike Fox)

"A zillion games for 33 bucks? Well, yes."
A review by CompuNotes (now Kickstartnews.com)

"As if the fun you'll have playing over 300 games that don't crash your computer and don't empty your wallet isn't enough, Zillions is also educational, with a brief history and background of every game, not to mention exercising and pumping up your brain through the use of logic, strategy, clarity of thought and memory."
-- CompuNotes #146, March 26, 1999 (Bruce Darken)

"This is really cool!"
A review by Future Games Network

...young and old alike will be absolutely astounded at the sheer number of games available with this title. Zillions of Games presents a UI that is easy to understand and use right out of the box. ...If you enjoy strategy games (read chess, checkers, and son on), then you are in for a treat with this game collection. ...Zillions of Games will definitely entertain you for many hours.
-- Future Games Network (Ed Hurta)

Rated "Outrageous"!
An online mini-review by RocketDownload.com

While this program doesn't exactly feature zillions of games, it comes closer to that number than virtually any other download.
-- Rocket Download (Nick Smith)

"This software seems to be the ultimate answer to our wishes."
A review in "Variant Chess", the journal of the British Chess Variants Society.

"This sounds like a dream, but it actually works. ...the achievement of this "universal gaming engine", as the authors call it, is undoubtedly a much closer step towards artificial intelligence than the widely publicized Deep Blue win against the world chess champion."
-- Variant Chess, Spring 1999 ,Vol. 4, Issue 31 (Fabrice Liardet)

"Wholeheartedly recommended!"
A review on the Chess Variants pages by Hans Bodlaender.  Also on this site is a review of Grand Chess, a single-game (chess variant) product produced with our Zillions technology.

"Zillions of Games is a program that I really enjoy and value. It is great in use, and brings so many possibilities for playing all kinds of strange or not-so-strange chess variants... Wholehaearedly recommended!"
-- Chess Variant Pages, Feb. 3, 1999 (Hans Bodlaender)

"I highly recommend this game."
A online review by Dan Becker.

"Zillions of Games is Great! The computer program is great, as is the concept of providing an engine for creating, implementing, and playing games. Not only is it a great game player, it also provides many hours of enjoyment implementing new games and variations!"
-- Dan Becker, correspondence April 4, 1999

From our Users

"I give it a big thumbs up"
Posts and threads on the Internet newsgroups

"This is honestly the best collection of Board games the internet has to offer ...three thumbs up..."
"all the 'board games' are fantastic"
User review postings from winsite.com, Jan/Feb 2001

"You have a definite winner on your hands as far as I am concerned."
Zillions is the first product that I have seen that really addresses the needs of a true strategic gamer. For myself, well over 50% of the pleasure of gaming comes from the creation and testing of new game ideas and/or variants of existing games. The Zillions system allows free reign over all aspects of strategy game creation, while removing the drudgery of coding in a standard programming language like C/C++, Pascal/Delphi or Visual Basic. I am also sure that it will encourage the free interchange of ideas for games between talented gamers who haven't spent years "at the programming keyboard". Thank you so much for such a really splendid product at such a reasonable price. You have a definite winner on your hands as far as I am concerned.
David Gwillim
Programmer/Analyst and Ardent Strategy Gamer (E-mail comment: April 2000)

Newsworthy

A Zillions Games in One
Press coverage from Wired
(also carried by newspapers like The Boston Globe)
(Japanese)

First Universal Board Game program released
Press coverage from PC Game World

New Software Learns How To Play Chess On The Spot
Press release reported by InternetWire

"Zillions of Games" Demo Allows Board Games Enthusiasts to Play 48 Games - FREE!
Press release reported by Yahoo! News (Dec. 14/99)