Got a few minutes to spare, but don’t want to indulge in a game that will take you much longer than you have? Too lazy to shuffle that deck of cards to play solitaire?

Sierra has the remedy or quick game fix that you are looking for. The game is called Hoyle Card Games 5, and it contains 18 card games, all based on the Hoyle rulebook, along with computer opponents and solid online support.

Sure, you know how to play Poker, Go Fish, Memory Match and Old Maid, but you are a little fuzzy on the rules of Canasta. Not a problem. Each game’s intro screen features several options, as well as a quick run-through of the game. The options include changing computer characters around the table, or maybe changing the background or wiping out the musical portion of your program, or curtailing the animations. Once you are in-game, you can’t make an illegal move – the game won’t let you. You may get a message about playing a card within a certain suit – but the intent is to teach you the rules of the game.

Other games featured in this package are Solitaire, Euchre, Spades, War, Pitch, Bridge, Crazy Eights, Cribbage, Pinochle, Hearts, Gin Rummy, as well as two new games – Skat (from Germany) and Tarot (from France). As far as solitaire is concerned, there are 50 variations of that game to choose from.

The program also features a customizable face-making program so you can create your own persona for your on-screen character. There are 12 animated computer opponents, each with his or her distinct personality.

The game also has a Hoyle rule book and strategy guide, plus a bonus game of Solitaire that can be downloaded onto Palm OS handhelds.

The animations and card games are well designed. Yes, the animations can get annoying after a while, but since the game can be played without the CD, after installation, some of those elements are disabled. Overall, though, the graphics are bright and colorful.

The sound quality is up to Sierra’s high standards, and the game controls are very simple to use.

If there is a drawback to this program, it lies in the computer AI. Sometimes, in a partnered game, your computer ally will work against you. Take, for example, the game of Spades. Late into a hand, one of your opponents leads a club. You don’t have any, and because you only have one spade in your hand – the king – you decide that it can only take one trick so you trump the club. The opponent’s partner meekly slides a club onto the table. The trick belongs to you, right? Nope. Your partner trumps your trump with the ace of spades, even though, as was proved sooner thereafter, there were other spades in his/her hand. To make matters worse, you are set by one trick.

The only thing you can really do at that point is fire your partner. Hit the options key, click on players and replace that individual.

Fortunately this rarely happens in a game feature four other human players.

While this program is moderately frustrating to play using computer players, it is a delight to play online. This program is well-supported, and you can usually find a game at any hour of the day.

As expected, this program is rated for Everyone, and features an adjustable skill level to accommodate most players.

Hoyle Card Games features the joy of playing cards without the hassle of having to shuffle decks or even hunt for a deck. It is one of those programs that you can pop up, play for five minutes, and then walk away without it nagging you about a mission left unaccomplished. This program presents a splendid way to indulge in your passion for card games.

Install: Easy.
This is a hybrid program, capable of playing on PCs and Macs. It will only take up 70 megs of hard-drive space on either machine.

Gameplay: 7
The computer AI leaves something to be desired. If it is smart enough to know that it is Thursday and lunch time (which it was at the time one game was being played), then it should be smart enough not to trump your partner’s winning trump.

Graphics: 8
The animations are good, the background textures are wonderful, and the overall graphical quality of this program is excellent.

Sound: 7.5.
To be able to turn off the sound is as nice as indulging in the repetitive phrases of the computer players, and the random musical overture. The latter two, though well done, can get annoying after several days of playing.

Difficulty: 6
Low is a good score here. While actually succeeding may be a dicey proposition, the game explains everything nicely and gives players the tools to learn and have some measure of success in a given game.

Concept: 6
Obviously (because it is No. 5), this has been done before, although the addition of the two ‘new’ games – in addition to the 16 old, tried and true friends – is nice.

Multiplayer: 8.5
The multiplayer mode is where this program really excels. It is well supported online.

Overall: 7.8
The computer AI could be better, but you can’t fault the manner in which the games are presented, or the look of the program. This is a nice program, full of great diversions.