Overview
Released in 1991, Microsoft Entertainment Pack 2 is a collection of casual computer games developed by Microsoft Corporation. This collection is part of the larger Microsoft Entertainment Pack series, which was popular during the early 1990s. These packs were developed to provide users with entertaining distractions while using Windows-based computers.
Game Collection
The pack includes a variety of simple yet engaging games that appealed to a broad audience. Notable titles in this pack include:
- Pegged: A classic strategy board game where players need to jump over pegs to remove them from the board.
- Continuum: A puzzle game that challenges players to connect lines without crossing them.
- Pipe Dream: Players must connect a series of pipes to allow water to flow seamlessly from start to finish.
- Rattler Race: A game where players guide a snake through a maze, avoiding walls and collecting apples to grow longer.
Historical Context
During the late 1980s and early 1990s, personal computers were becoming more common in homes and workplaces. Microsoft recognized the potential to make these machines more enjoyable by providing entertainment software that could be easily accessed during breaks or downtime. The Entertainment Pack series played a role in demonstrating the versatility of Windows as a platform for fun, alongside productivity and utility software.
Legacy
The Microsoft Entertainment Packs, including this one, helped to popularize the notion of the casual game — simple, easy-to-play games with straightforward objectives. They set the stage for the casual gaming phenomenon that would grow in the ensuing decades, eventually leading to developments such as mobile gaming and app-based games that appeal to a broad demographic.
