Venus Williams stars in stalker-evading video game

Women's world number 3 Venus Williams has lent her likeness to a new downloadable computer game, Venus: The Case of the Grand Slam Queen, which provides players with a legitimate way to get to know the tennis star better while at the same time uncovering the intentions of a mysterious in-game stalker.

The game, which runs on Windows or Mac computers, sees the overlap of Williams' professional tennis career with her interests in fashion design and charity work, while real-world Venus continues recuperating from a knee injury.

The Case of the Grand Slam Queen is part of the popular Hidden Object Game (or 'HOG') genre, in which players search scenes for items or clues - rather like an interactive version of the Where's Waldo? books - amidst a smattering of minigames reminiscent of spot-the-difference, Breakout and Pong.

Classic rock group REO Speedwagon released a Hidden Object Game in 2009, giving it the same title as their 2007 album Find Your own Way Home. Against expectations, it proved that celebrity-endorsed HOGS didn't have to be hogwash - Andy Chalk of video game magazine The Escapist said "The fact that it's actually pretty damn good is absolutely mind-boggling."

Counted among other HOG tie-ins are those for the TV detective series CSI: NY and film Shutter Island. Popular series include the Hidden Expedition, Hidden Mysteries, Dream Day, Magic Encyclopedia and Laura Jones titles.

The free trial or full version of Venus: The Case of the Grand Slam Queen can be downloaded from Big Fish Games.com.