The lucky few of us who have a mobile phone that has 16 or more inbuilt games, of course, won't have a clue as to what we're talking about. But eventually they will; how many variations of those simple games can you play without getting bored?

Don't despair. Here's something that might possibly restore your faith in the mobile phone becoming a personal entertainment device. Check out the latest SMS-based game by Hotlink from Maxis, called Chabomzie II.

This Cluedo-like game is your classic whodunit with a simple yet refreshing take. The only catch is that you must be a Maxis subscriber – prepaid or postpaid services – to play the game.

Blue-eyed mouse

If the game Chabomzie II rings a bell, that's because the first instalment, Chabomzie, was launched on a small scale by Maxis last month. But no worries if you didn't guide the hero of the game, a blue-eyed detective mouse, on his maiden quest.

He is back, wittier and stealthier than ever. This time, you guide him as he tries to solve the case of the missing 186-carat African Kahinoor diamond.

The crime scene is set in the luxurious SunStar cruise liner and the usual suspects range from the ship's captain to the guard.

Your task is to correctly identify the thief or thieves who stole the diamond and reveal its hidden location somewhere on the ship.

There really isn't a simple way to do this, except to follow the clues and collect as much evidence as you can.

As you scoot around for clues, you'll pick up points in the form of cheese. So if you happen to meet a character that will offer to trade information for cheese, use it! But ultimately, you should follow your gut instinct before you start trading anything.

It's only words

Although Chabomzie II moves away from the banal and structured games, it is really about getting back to basics. There are no graphics to accompany the text so a whole lot of imagination is required from the player.

If you want to get a picture of the scenes and characters in the game, surf to the Hotlink website – www.activateyourlife.com.my – where you can view an animation depicting the events leading up to the incident. There are also pictures of the suspects.

Another important thing you should check out is the command codes. You would need to enter these simple codes to guide Chabomzie – yes, that's the name of the blue-eyed mouse – through the various nooks and crannies of the game.

Watch out for traps though because if Chabomzie walks into one, you'll be forced to start the level all over again.

Developed by local games developer UnrealMind Interactive Sdn Bhd, Chabomzie II does a brilliant job, given the limited resources, i.e. bandwidth, at detailing the various scenes of the game. It's a pity though that Chabomzie II is solely based on text.

The game incorporates the right amount of suspense and story build-up while tossing in a few stressful moments for players, especially when sniffing for evidence in a suspect's room.

Our only gripe is that at times the narration seems a bit confusing and rushed, leaving you a bit baffled by what's unfolding. But the trick really is to stay focused and to read through the clues and narration carefully.

Think big bucks

Here's my two cents worth. The key to success is strategy, IMHO. Jot down your moves on a piece of paper or get a phone with a massive amount of memory to store your SMS messages. Trust me, there will be times when you'll need to do some referring.

As Chabomzie II is an SMS-based game, you basically send an SMS with the game commands to the message server, and a reply detailing your moves and location will be sent to you.

There are no nifty savings packages, so an SMS sent while playing the game will cost you the usual 15 sen. Seeing that I'm no games whiz, it took me about 117 messages to complete the 20 levels.

It pays huge dividens to take your time playing this game. And worry not, the number of cheeses and completed levels will be saved if you decide to take a break from the game.

Chabomzie II is certainly a break from the mundane, taking handphone-based games several notches higher. It is more interactive than the usual built-in games, but until network and handset capabilities increase, we're stuck with text and must depend on the power of imagination.

That's a small price to pay for more interactivity, I suppose. But think about this – you win RM20,000 if you help the mouse identify the felon and recover the diamond. Isn't that worth putting on your thinking cap?
Hurry, though. The contest ends Oct 15.