Dashing pirate extraordinaire Guybrush Threepwood returns in the second episode of the (so far) successful Tales of Monkey Island series. Like other Telltale games, Tales of Monkey Island is an adventure point-and-click puzzle game divided into five mini-episodic games, with plans to release one each month. The first, Launch of the Screaming Narwhal, received many positive reviews. Unlike past Telltale games that had standalone episodes, the stories in each chapter of Tales of Monkey Island are linked, like short film serials during the heyday of film. As of now, the game is only available on the PC but will be released for the Wii in the near future.

The Siege of Spinner Cay picks up where the first episode left off. Guybrush manages to track down his pirate wife Elaine to the merpeople-inhabited Jerkbait Islands, but not before losing his hand to the beautiful but deadly Morgan LeFlay. The creepy mad scientist the Marquis de Singe has hired LeFlay to do a few dastardly deeds, which include absconding with this appendage. Minus one hand, Guybrush sets anchor at Jerkbait Island and finally meets up with Elaine.

Their happy reunion is short-lived, as they have a voodoo pox to cure, a plot point carried over from the first episode. An infected pirate captain named McGilicutty is desperate to know the location of La Esponja Grande, a legendary sea sponge said to be able to cure this affliction. The chieftain of the Jerkbait Islands, who knows the ceremonial words to reveal the means of locating this MacGuffin, refuses to cooperate with McGilicutty . With the help of Elaine, his trusty first mate Mr. Winslow, and an unlikely new partner, Guybrush must get to La Esponja Grande before McGilicutty and his crew do.

The Siege of Spinner Cay retains much of the charm and humor found in the first episode. Although the colorful graphics and cartoony drawn characters make the game kid-friendly, there is enough subtle adult humor that makes grown-ups chuckle.  Admittedly however, some of the running gags eventually wore thin, a great example being the talkative Pyrite Parrot. Near the end of the game, I was wishing for it to shut up as much as Guybrush did.

The puzzles in the The Siege of Spinner Cay are not brain-busting difficult, but not ridiculously easy either. However, if you’re having a little trouble, there is a hints option that you can turn on. Most of the time you can quickly uncover what you need to do in a certain situation, then spend the rest of your time figuring out how to do so. This includes clicking on every item in a scene, trying out every item in your inventory, combining items in your inventory, trying to give items to certain people, and sailing back and forth among various small islands to explore. 

It’s a shame that the game was so short, because it was overall enjoyable. A puzzle veteran can fly through The Siege of Spinner Cay in about 3 hours. Additionally, there is sadly little replay value in terms of mini-games or collectibles since there are none. Still, it’s not a bad way to spend $10 bucks and an afternoon.

Grade: B