Cherokee Trails, by Pharos Games, is a challenging adventure game that's also very educational. The story is based on the "Trail of Tears" which was the 900 mile forced march by the Cherokee Nation to a reservation in Oklahoma. I found this game to be extremely well-done. Not only is it based on excellent historical research, but it's just a lot of fun to play. You start out in a flea market, where you meet an old Cherokee woman. Ahhh, but from there you go on to a magical, mystery tour that will keep you fascinated. And busy. There are places to visit, people to meet, and many things to do.

From the flea market, you're magically transported back in time and you have an amazing journey ahead of you. And I hope you shopped wisely when you were at the flea market, because you'll be able to trade with some of the characters you'll meet along the trail. You encounter spirits from the past who will share their stories with you. Fascinating stories of the Cherokee people. They can also trade with you to give you things you need. Along the way, members of your party will get sick -- frost bite, poison ivy, pneumonia, and more. And how well you do in the game depends on how healthy your party stays. As you travel from town to town, you'll need to get some supplies from stores, and other things through trading. At the same time, you'll also have to go fishing in order to have a good supply of fresh food. Within the game you can check the inventory of all the things you have to help you through your journey.

Cherokee Trails by Pharos Games, is quite simply a beautiful piece of work. Over a year in the making, Cherokee Trails is filled with wonderful scenery, characters, animation, sounds, and music. It was obvious to me that a lot of love and care went into the creation of this fine educational adventure game. The characters you meet have fascinating tales to share. The places you go and the challenges you face, will keep you coming back, again and again. The more you play the smarter you'll be about what things you'll need on the trail. The full game is very large, so this demo is just a small sampling to get you acquainted. Over the years, I've looked at a lot of games of every different type. To my mind, Cherokee Trails is one of the very best educational games I've ever encountered. You owe it to yourself, and your children, to take a very good look at this program. And get the full version -- you won't be disappointed. I give Cherokee Trails my highest recommendation.