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This isn't an easy game to describe - to say that it combines elements of Knight Lore and Pacman makes it sound derivative and doesn't really do it justice. Kirel is the name of a blob-like character with bulgy eyes and a silly grin, who finds himself on a board upon which layers of blocks are arranged in complex three dimensional maze structures.

The board is eight blocks wide by eight deep and the blocks can be piled up in layers half a dozen high. This means that there's enormous scope for creating structures with the blocks and the game contains a total of 70 screens.

In addition to the obstacles created by these blocks each screen contains a number of objects that have to be collected within a time limit in order to move on to the next screen. If you don't finish the screens in time there is a lit fuse under the board that burns down and blows the whole thing up. Also slithering about the boards are strange jelly-like creatures that can drain Kirel's energy level if he comes into contact with them.

To complete each screen you have to guide Kirel to the lit bombs hidden in various corners of the maze. These are sometimes hidden beneath layers of blocks which means that even with the 'reveal function that pauses the game and give you an x-ray view of the maze you've still got to puzzle pretty hard over how to reach the bombs. Also positioned within the maze are transporter pads, arrows which, when collected, allow Kirel to build bridges across sections of the maze, cake and sweets which boost his energy and allow him to kill the jelly monsters.

So far, it might not sound like anything particularly exciting but there is one more element that makes the game wonderfully addictive. When he's wandering around the maze, Kirel can only jump up or down one block at a time but many of the objects he'll have to reach are tucked away on top of high piles of blocks or down at the bottom of pits surrounded by blocks which makes them inaccessible. So, in order to be able to get to all these objects Kirel can pick up and drop one block at a time and build his own stairways and ledges and, in effect, rebuild the maze to suit himself. This leads to some frantic scenes as you rush around the screen, moving blocks and trying to get to the bombs before the time limit runs out.

This is one of those games where you can almost see what you need to do but can't quite get it done in time, so you keep on trying to beat the speed limit or to change your tactics in an attempt to get onto the next screen. The time limit and the monsters add an element of arcade action to the game, but this is nicely balanced by the strategy and quick thinking needed to plan ahead and rebuild the maze structure as you go along.

In a game like this, the quality of the graphics and animation are less important than in most arcade games, but Kirel is nonetheless well designed and animated. All the graphics are large and clearly drawn despite the amount of stuff that is cluttering up the screen. And there are some nice touches, such as the ability to alter the viewpoint so that you can see in and around the maze, which show that the programmers have paid a lot of attention to detail.

I don't have any real criticisms of Kirel, though I do think it would have been nice to see user-definable keyboard controls, and some of the purple screens are a bit rough on the eyeballs. The time limit on the screens is a bit short too, though there is a practice mode in which you can have all the time you want.

I have to admit that I wasn't expecting Kirel to be anything special when I first loaded it up - after all, it does use elements from some quite old games and there's nothing particularly 'state-of-the-art' about the game - but it really does manage to mix all these old ingredients and come up with a brand new recipe that's highly addictive and deserves to rival the success of Football Manager.

A Monster Hit.