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Fed up with banging your fingers frantically on your Beeb keyboard until they're numb? If so, you might find this excellent piece of software a pleasant and most relaxing change.

The object of the game Pentiles is to completely cover a red target area of a grid of squares with a series of Pentiles. What's a Pentile? I hear you ask. It's a series of five pixels joined to form a variety of shapes, for example a T or a +. The target area size may be specified by selecting a depth of 3, 4, 5 or 6. As each target area is a constant 60 pixels in size, the width and length will vary accordingly. For example, selecting depth 3 will display a target area 20 pixels long and three deep. Depending on the skill level (1, 2 or 3) chosen you are offered either a single Pentile or a group of five from which to select one.

Once selected, the Pentile may be rotated through 90 degree intervals by pressing the Y key until the desired orientation is arrived at, at which point the N key is pressed. The Pentile can now be moved and fixed on the target area using the cursor control keys. Press the COPY key and the Pentile changes colour from white to yellow. Once a Pentile is fixed it effectively becomes out-of-bounds to other Pentiles, which can only move around it, not over it. The game is finished when you have completely covered the target area (not so easy), when fixed Pentiles obstruct your path and you cannot fix any more, or you have exhausted your Pentile supply.

Scoring is simple. Each Pentile has a fixed value ranging from 10 to 100 points, determined by the thickness of the Pentile walls, and its value is added to your running total as you fix it. If you fix the Pentile entirely within the target area you get a further five points; and other points are added - or deducted - according to how long you take to complete the game, and the number you leave unfixed.

Pentiles is written in Basic and played on a Mode 5 screen. The graphics and colour, though simple, are pleasing and very good use of the sound facilities is made throughout the whole game (they can also be turned off).

The cassette insert describes Pentiles as 'A game for the family, requiring skill, logic, memory and chance'.

I admit to being addicted to this game now, as I find it a good way of unwinding at the end of the day. I suggest you leave the invaders alone for a while and buy a copy of this.