Who doesn’t want a tiger as a pet? I mean, a loyal tiger friend would be pretty useful – warm and cuddly when watching TV, yet ferocious and good for intimidation when you need to teach a lesson to that annoying neighbor who loves to keep items he borrowed from you indefinitely. But he needs your help too. In Intenium’s Bengal: Game of Gods, you have to help your new tiger friend, Bengi, shoot balls at lengthy ball chains in the jungles of India. As you traverse the Indian jungles, you’re bound to get hungry, so I’ve got a scrumptious recipe for Chicken Madras, with enough to share with your tiger pal.

Your Delightful Game:

Yes, Intenium’s Bengal: Game of Gods is another ball-shooter game. But don’t brush it off quite yet. This fun and simple game is set against a backdrop of stone ruins across India. You’ve befriended Bengi, a tiger with a mission: to eliminate all of the brightly colored balls from each of the ruins in the Indian jungles. The balls run along tracks snaking across the screen and in and out of the walls of the ruins. You direct your striped pal where to throw the ball – you want to create a set of at least three identical balls to eliminate them from the chain.

The game has a number of power-ups that you get by removing a trio like normal. Power-ups include a slow ball, which slows the movement of the balls along the tracks, and an accuracy ball, which makes you more likely to hit your targeted balls. Other power-ups roll back all the tracks or give you grenades to throw at the tracks to remove a big chunk of balls in one hit. You get bonus points for creating multiple combos at once (for example, a blue set and a red set), as well as when you make a set on the top track by shooting through a gap in the chain of a lower track.

The music sounds almost tribal, with a pulsing drum beat, which makes you feel like you’re in the jungle more than any other aspect of the game. The graphics are sharp, although the settings of each level are pretty similar. The track patterns of each level are different, sometimes twisting and tilting other times remaining stationary, moving the balls at varying speeds. The faster the chains are moving the trickier it is to get your ball to land in the right spot, which is why the accuracy and slow balls are so helpful. If the ball you’re ready with can’t match up anywhere, you can right click to switch it with the next ball. Sometimes it’s hard to always aim successfully; I was often clicking and pointing so quickly that I was just shooting two or three balls in a row in the same direction, not thinking about the fact that they were a different color.

The unique power-ups and an exotic setting of this game differentiate it from your everyday ball shooter. It definitely sucks you in and keeps you hooked. Maybe you don’t quite understand Bengi’s motives, but do you really need an excuse to run through the jungle shooting brightly colored balls at the ruins? That’s what I thought.

Your Tasty Dinner:

To go along with the Indian-theme of this game, I’ve got a delicious meal for you this week, and yes, it’s an actual dinner this time (I’ve been sort of on a dessert kick). Chicken Madras is a flavorful dish filled with traditional Indian spices. You should be able to buy the curry powder, curry masala gravy and garam masala (a blend of ground spices) in the spices aisle of your local grocery store, or else at a specialty market. Curry comes in a variety of heat (from mild to spicy), and you can use whichever you prefer. This recipe is quick and easy and a delicious supplement for this fun and addictive game.

Chicken Madras (Serves 2)

You’ll need:

- 3 chicken breasts cut into chunks
- 1 cup curry masala gravy
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 2 teaspoons curry powder (or more to taste)
- 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
- 4 cloves crushed garlic
- ½ cup grated ginger
- 5 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 5 tablespoons chopped coriander
- 1 teaspoon garam masala

1. Start by making a paste of the curry powder and chili powder with just enough water to get it wet and sticky.
2. Fry the onion in a pan with the oil until it’s translucent.
3. Add the garlic, ginger and cayenne pepper and fry it another 30 seconds or so.
4. Add the curry and chili powder mixture and stir until combined.
5. Add the chicken and fry until the chicken is cooked a bit on the outside.
6. Add the masala gravy and simmer until the chicken is cooked, stirring constantly.
7. When it’s almost done, add the coriander and stir.
8. Serve this delicious treat with a side of basmati rice.