Hoyle Puzzle & Board Games 2005 review:5 stars (Great Investment) - I bought this after previously owning the 2003 version of board and puzzle games. One major improvement is the cost. I used to pay 60 or more to upgrade each new version of Hoyle from year to year.
I like that they included MAximum pool; though you need to unplug your gamepad or joystick from the USB port or the pool game won't run. I agree that sometime it is ridiculous to pay each year to get a few new games. But I feel the Hoyle has had the most user-friendly, presentation of classic games. I don't have errors running the games though the online system has bugs in it.. Nonetheless. you get three new games from last year. The game can be installed to the hard drive without needing the disk. The pool game is great. Plus you get a few games you can download onto a PDA. 36 games for 20 bucks is a great deal. 5 stars (One New Game) - The Puzzle and Board games are both included here, on two CDs. One major improvement over the 2004 version is that after installation, the games can now be played without the CD.

There are no new characters to play with, but there is one new game. Zilch, a dice game, has been added. In addition, the Facemaker does have several new characters that can be bought with earned Hoyle Bucks. These, like the others, can talk and are animated. Hoyle Bucks can also buy some alternate game boards and alternate dice, another new feature.

These Hoyle Sierra games are highly recommended.

Hoyle Puzzle & Board Games 2005 Features:
Computer Games
Collections (Collections)
Bundle (Bundles)
Board
Puzzle (Puzzles)
CD
New Board and Puzzle games – Panic, Zilch, Triple Yacht
Over 30 Board and Puzzle games
Tutorial lessons in table games and strategy and tips books in both titles
10 interactive characters in table games
Facemaker feature allows you to customize your very own character

Hoyle Puzzle - Board Games 2005 is the CD-ROM version. The full version can be purchased by clicking on the "CLICK HERE TO ORDER" button below for around 19.99USD.