Barnes and Nobles has announced that their e-book reader, NOOK Color will now have an app store. Readers will now be able to play games on their NOOK. Astaware has announced four different games that are now available for the NOOK. The four games are Astraware Mahjong, Astraware Solitaire, Astraware Sudoku, and Astraware Casino.

Astraware Mahjong includes more than 30 different puzzle layouts and four difficulty levels. The game also has daily puzzle challenges that can be downloaded. Astraware Solitaire contains twelve different solitaire games in one package. Astraware Casino contains eleven different Casino games, such as Texas Hold’em, slots and Roulette. Astraware Sudoku has six different difficulty levels and a puzzle generator. If the puzzles are too difficult, there is also a puzzle solver. Players can enter their own puzzles, as well.

“We’ve put together a selection of titles that are ideal for people who like to both relax and use their brains – which will be perfect for NOOK Color owners!  With great features to make the games rewarding to play, and customisation to really make them your own, these will sit perfectly alongside the books, magazines, and entertainment that NOOK Color owners already enjoy!”

If you own a NOOK Color, check out the game suite from Astraware.

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The latest Mac update brought the App Store to the Mac and many of the companies that have had games out for iOS have launched titles for the Mac too. Astraware is one of those companies. Astraware has announced three games for the Mac, Astraware Solitaire, Astraware Mahjong, and OddBlob.

Astraware Solitaire is a collection of single player card games. The game contains twelve of the most popular solitaire games. Astraware Mahjong is a modern version of the old tile-matching game. The new version adds 3D graphics and thirty different puzzle layouts. OddBlob is a puzzle game. OddBlob contains unique graphics that are hand modeled clay.

“We’re eager to extend our success with iOS gaming to the Mac,” said Howard Tomlinson, CEO of Astraware. “We look forward to reaching even more customers with our new games on the Mac App Store.”

If you are looking for a new Mac game, check out the Astraware titles on the App Store for the Mac.

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Solitaire: Deck of Cods is a great Solitaire game for the iPhone/iPod Touch. The main feature that sets this game apart from other solitaire games is the theme of the game. The game has a fishing theme. As players are solving the Solitaire board, they are catching fish. Each level has a set goal that does not involve clearing the entire board. Some times players have to catch a certain amount of fish, while other times players have to catch a certain length fish and still other times players have to do both.

There are many different types of Solitaire games and really any game a player plays by themselves with cards is considered a Solitaire game. In Solitaire: Deck of Cods players have to use the face up card to “count” using the cards on the board. In other words, if there is a four face up players can use a five or a three to place on top of the four and keep going up or down from there. The longer the game play continues, the bigger the fish the player is catching. There is a draw pile for when there are no more cards in sequence.

Each Solitaire board gets harder as the game progresses. The game starts out with all of the cards showing and a good amount of cards in the draw pile. The harder boards will have less and less cards visible and a smaller draw pile. It becomes challenging to keep the cards “counting” and get the length of fish needed to pass the level or catch enough fish to pass a level. The fish need to be longer than 2 inches to get caught. Every time a card is played successfully the length of a fish grows. Players need to play at least three cards in a row to catch an acceptable fish.

The higher levels get challenging, but like any good game there are power ups to help players along. The power ups in this game come in the form of lore cards, which are wild cards, fish food, which shuffles the cards on the board and a fish finder that reveals all the hidden cards on the board. The lore cards can be used at any time and the player keeps the counting going using the number on the lore card. The lore cards are very helpful since players are able to choose the card they want to build off of. If the board has a lot of 6, 7, 8 and 9 cards showing and the player has a 5 lore card, the player can play the lore card and clear some of the other cards off of the board.

Solitaire: Deck of Cods utilizes the touch screen for the controls. Players simply touch the draw pile to have a card flip over and touch the card on the board to play the card. The lore cards and fish food are kept on the side of the screen and are used by touching them too. The controls are simple and easy to use.

The graphics in the game are nice to look at and the fish theme is displayed through out the game. The boards are all set on top of water and a boat has a fishing line hanging into the water. The fish “grows” as the user plays and the fish that are caught land in a basket in the right corner of the screen. The goal is on the basket and is marked with a green check mark when complete.

Over all, Solitaire: Deck of Cods is a fun Solitaire game that offers plenty of game play and plenty of challenge. The challenge increases nicely and is random to a certain point. Each level has a random set of cards and some random sets play better than others, but that is part of the fun. It is always satisfying to complete a goal with a less than stellar board. If you enjoy Solitaire games, you can’t go wrong with Solitaire: Deck of Cods.

Pyramid Solitaire: Ancient Egypt is a pyramid solitaire game written in flash. The game has an Egyptian theme, as you may have guessed from the name of the game. Pyramid Solitaire: Ancient Egypt is a bit different from other pyramid solitaire games. This game offers a temp slot, which makes completing the pyramid a bit easier.

Pyramid Solitaire requires players to match cards so their face values equal thirteen. Kings are thirteen by themselves, Queens are twelve, Jacks are eleven and Aces are one. All other cards are the value on the card. The cards are in a pyramid shape and players start clearing the cards. The game is done when the player manages to clear all of the cards off the board. If players get stuck, they have the rest of the deck to help match cards. Clicking the pile of cards causes three cards to flip over. Players can use those three cards to make matches of thirteen with cards in the pyramid.

Pyramid Solitaire is a great game and Pyramid Solitaire: Ancient Egypt is a great rendition of the game. The graphics are pleasing and the temp slot makes the game a bit easier to play. If you like Pyramid Solitaire games or have wanted to try one out, check out Pyramid Solitaire: Ancient Egypt.

Handmark has announced the release of Astraware Solitaire for BlackBerry Smartphones. Astraware Solitaire is a collection of 12 of the most popular solitaire games, including Klondike, Pyramid, Spider, Clock, and Yukon.

“Of all the mobile Solitaire games I’ve ever played, Astraware Solitaire delivers the best user experience,” said Cassidy Lackey, VP of Handmark Studios. “It has all the card games I love to play and it’s the perfect game for those spare moments when I’m waiting at the airport or between meetings.”

Astraware Solitaire collection has some features not seen in other solitaire games such as the ability to customize game play and choose the rule set for the games. Players can even choose their card backs. There are card backs for visual impaired players, as well. The game also includes statistics for players to see how well they have done through out all the games they have played.

Astraware Solitaire is available now for $9.99 for the BlackBerry.