Venture Arctic Educational Title Released for Mac

Pocketwatch Games has released Venture Arctic for Mac OS X users running Panther or higher. The Tycoon title doesn't feature any human beings and players aren't asked to build necessities for the animals right from the get-go. You simply pick up on the game and create your own ecosystem - "nature is at your command."

"Extreme seasonal change defines the cycle of life in the northernmost reaches of the globe," Pocketwatch Games notes. "In Venture Arctic, the player controls the forces of earth, sun, wind, and water to bring summer and winter to polar bears, orcas, and more."

So, here's how you play:

- Collect the "spirits" of departed animals and spend them to control the forces of nature; blow the smells of a beached whale to a starving wolverine or blanket the tundra in snow and ice to weed out the weak musk ox from the strong.
- Experience the effects of climate change and mass extinction. Experiment with how animal relationships change when the weather is unseasonably warm or when a species is knocked out of the food chain.
- Finally, unlock the traditional legends that form the basis for the game's storyline.

According to the makers, Venture Arctic is filled with fun information about marine and terrestrial animals of the northern reaches. The game teaches players strategies for success, which revolve around understanding the authentic animal behaviors and the challenges of ecosystem stewardship. This is why educators can receive discounts on any of the developer's titles, Pocketwatch says. Three titles bought grant a discount. You can download the trial version of Venture Arctic, see how it plays and how it can impact the youngsters. If the parents agree, buy and activate the games over at your school.

System Requirements call for Mac OS X 10.3 (Panther) or later, 1GHz processor and 512MB of RAM.

Venture Arctic is a digital download. This means the game will not be shipped out to you. A software product is not physically shipped out to you upon purchase. Instead, you "Download" the entire game from the Internet. After downloading it, you install the game as usual and run it from your Hard Drive. Digital Download purchases are non-refundable.