It's Christmas time and you are a property tycoon!

Country Cottages is a tongue-in-cheek business game, in which each of two players buy, rent and sell their real estate.

Being hilarious to play and refreshingly different, the length of the game is determined at the start. Each player's financial assets (or otherwise!) are displayed regularly throughout the game.

This menu-driven program is simplicity to play. With numerous hazards, including fire, storm and tempest making it infuriatingly difficult to win. The helpfulness of a very friendly Bank Manager is often upset by the weird but funny tenants that occupy your cottages.

Clever use of the sound commands, producing instantly recognizable real-life effects, allied to a new concept in computer graphics all add to the enjoyment of this well-designed game for all the family.

Although laughing so much meant missing some of the screen messages, at times adding to the comedy of errors, pressing a key to move on would be more practicable.

This humours program should find its way into many a Christmas stocking this year.

D.H.