Who here has been in Webkinz purgatory like me? Anyone? For those of you who don’t have the pleasure of raising a precocious little nine-year-old girl, let me acquaint you with the twisted cuteness of Webkinz.

Webkinz are little Beanie Baby-like stuffed animals that come with a special code contained within a plastic heart-shaped hangtag. When you get the adorable little critter home, you snap open that hangtag and access Webkinz World, where you can play assorted animal-themed games. Playing the games earns Webkinz dollars (Kinz Cash), which can be used to buy ballerina tutus and hair bows for your virtual pet (that’s an avatar of the plush you purchased).

The games are variations of normal games that you might play on any game site (solitaire, Mah-jong, etc.), except they have ramped up the cuteness factor by theming them around cartoony animals.

As you can see, I’m quite a Webkinz expert based on the fact that Chloe the Chihuahua, Magenta the Pony, and Fred the Frog have moved into virtual apartments on my daughter's C drive.

I mention Webkinz because Spirits of Mystery: The Dark Minotaur sort of reminded me of a sophisticated (and engaging) adult version of Webkinz. The backstory is that you are a princess with a royal menagerie. In the dark of night, an elusive figure breaks in and steals four magic animals, your childhood companions and dearest friends. Not only must you save them, but you must also learn more about the Dark Minotaur who threatens the magical world.

I like the fact that the gameplayer takes on the persona of the princess (it's so nice to see a royal get her hands dirty, if you know what I mean). Plus the "save the animals" plot is a nice touch.

I mentioned how much my daughter loves animals in my recent "Gaming with Kids" article and wondered about her and me playing this one together. Now that I’ve fully vetted this game, the answer is a resounding "Yes!"

The graphics are lovely and the game developers do an incredible job of setting mood.

For example, in the beginning when the animal thief breaks into the menagerie, you simply see his menacing stride from the knees down in his jackboots, as well as the savage creature that accompanies him held by a sturdy chain.

For those of you who love Hidden Object Areas, I will warn you that they are few and far between. At one point, nearly an hour into the game, I was sure that I had misunderstood the nature of the game because I had yet to encounter an HOA. If you want heavy HOAs, you may want to rethink this one.

The mini-games are on the easy side so you might want to play at a higher difficulty level.

Consider choosing Spirits of Mystery: The Dark Minotaur if you love animals yourself or happen to have a daughter like mine who simply adores anything with four paws and big brown eyes.

And, if you have been in Webkinz purgatory, redemption is as close as the download button for Spirits of Mystery: The Dark Minotaur.