If there's one kind of interactive entertainment absolutely guaranteed not to corrupt your little ones, it's probably puzzle games. After all, what's the worst anyone has suffered from playing a puzzler? Maybe a bad case of "thinking" or secret doodles of stacked blocks and popped balloons. And that's why puzzle games have always earned the ESRB's coveted "E" stamp, which means they're safe for absolutely everyone -- even the wee ones.

But now Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords, a new take on Bejeweled-style gem-matching, has snapped the puzzle genre's long running E-streak with -- gasp! -- an E10+ rating. That means you're advised to keep it out of the hands of any youngsters who have yet to take up prime numbers or factoring in school (or technically, anyone under 10-years-old).

Why the (negligible) rating hike? Puzzle Quest weaves in a few role-playing elements -- storytelling, item collection, character growth -- between each puzzle, which means the introduction of swords, ogres, and the occasional reference to boyfriend/girlfriend lovey-dovey stuff. It's pretty tame, and it seems doubtful that Puzzle Quest's content could negatively affect anyone -- even the very young. That said, it's just as well that little kids don't play this one -- there are plenty of other puzzle games out there that deliver more immediate and sustained gratification.

But it's a welcome change of pace for slightly older players. Rather than just clearing puzzle board after puzzle board players also get to experience a tidy little story about saving a fantasy kingdom from an evil menace. The plot is a little trite, but the writing is solid -- would that could be said of even half the standard role-playing games currently on store shelves.

The RPG-like twists don't stop with the narrative. Each puzzle is equated to a fight against a rat, troll, zombie or some other sort of nefarious beast. Both you and your foe have a set number of hit points that decreases each time three skull pieces are cleared from the board (this is done the same way one matches three gemstones in Bejeweled). While skulls are the most important game pieces to keep track of, all of the objects on the board have some value. For example, colored spheres represent magic, which needs to be collected to unleash spells that can harm or disable your opponent. With each puzzle/battle players earn experience and money, which is used to buy weapons, armor, and other items that might affect how much damage you can dish out or take.

Admittedly, it takes a bit of imagination to get used to the idea of puzzles supplanting battles, but Puzzle Quest can be an oddly satisfying experience for players who manage to wrap their brains around the concept. And it's a surprisingly long-lasting play, providing dozens of hours of entertainment for players interested in seeking out and engaging in each and every quest the game has to offer (and that estimation doesn't include two-player wireless multi-card play).

So while Puzzle Quest a little weird, that's no reason to shy away from it -- assuming you're of at least cheek-pecking age.