CogniToys 5 Card Dash Hits the Mass Market

ACTON, MA. July 31, 2002 5 Card Dash, an exciting and addictive new game from CogniToy, has made its debut on RealNetworks RealOne Arcade, the all-in-one Internet games service. In 5 Card Dash, players position cards as they fall into poker hands described in the Rulebook. Rows that meet the rules or the minimum hand are scored and eliminated. Players advance to the next level by completing all the hands in the rulebook. The game ends when there are too many cards on the board for the next new card to be dealt.

In the slower paced "Regular" mode, the player controls the drop speed of the cards. There is no time pressure, which appeals to many solitaire and puzzle lovers. Players have time to make the best possible hands with the cards they are dealt. In "Pro" mode the cards fall relatively slowly at first, but pick up speed as the player advances through the levels.

"We were excited by the initial feedback that both Tetris people and puzzle people really like this game", said Kent Quirk, CTO of CogniToy, "We worked hard to create a game that fits CogniToy's reputation -- fun and easy to learn, yet has a depth that will continue to challenge experienced players."

There are a number of special cards, jokers, wild cards, and bonus scoring possibilities that keep the game exciting and challenging. Some levels allow the player to build up rows of hands and score them all at once; in other levels some of the cards are turned face down after an initial preview to challenge the player's memory.

High scores are kept for all the players on their local computers as well as worldwide high scores through an Internet connection. There are 32 different levels in 5 Card Dash, and the player can choose the starting level. In the Pro mode the game will loop back through the levels at faster speeds for unlimited play.

RealOne Arcade is distributing a demo of this game where you can play for up to 60 minutes free. Then, if you like the game, you can buy a registration for $19.99. RealOne Arcade is available at http://www.realonearcade.com. CogniToy is also distributing the game directly at their own website: https://cognitoy.com.

About CogniToy

CogniToy is an independent software game developer, headquartered in Acton, MA. Their first game, MindRover: The Europa Project, received critical acclaim for its creativity, addictiveness and replay value. 5 Card Dash is their second original title aimed at both the casual and core gamer. More information about CogniToy and 5 Card Dash can be found at https://cognitoy.com

About RealOne Arcade

RealOne Arcade offers consumers a fun and compelling way to discover, acquire and play PC games -- bringing together a wide array of games and services in a single, easy to use environment. RealOne Arcade provides play-before-you-pay access to the best in downloadable games, free online Web games, broadband games, and Palm games. RealOne Arcade also recognizes and manages the most popular retail CD titles and top shareware games, giving users an all-in-one service for any game on their PC. Features such as download and installation management, automatic testing of systems requirements and integrated e-commerce make acquiring online, downloadable games a fun, easy and reliable experience for consumers. GamePass, the new subscription offering from RealOne Arcade, offers consumers the chance to permanently own their choice of games from RealOne Arcades catalog of world-class downloadable games at savings of up to 75%. RealOne Arcade is available for immediate download at www.realonearcade.com.