Ever since Rush Hour hit the United States market in 1996, a craze for single-player puzzle-solving games has gripped parents across the nation looking for an activity that will keep their kids entertained and thinking hard for hours. We call these games – which feature a simple set of rules, changeable boards and a series of increasingly complex challenges – graduated puzzles, and over the years Eureka has carried nearly a hundred different titles in the genre, ranging from games like Day & Night and Duo for two- or three-year-olds, to games marketed for the eight-and-up crowd the hardest challenges in which have stumped math professors.
Now we’re pleased to introduce the newest addition to our collection: Tilt!
Tilt is the latest release from Thinkfun, one of the most respected names in the field of graduated puzzles and the same company that produces Rush Hour. Tilt incorporates the grid escape feature of Rush Hour, whereby players navigate a shifting maze to get off the board, but with an exciting twist. The board itself is now mobile, and players have to tilt it to slide pieces across the grid. The goal is to free the green pieces through a hole in the center, without releasing any blue pieces with them.
I can’t help but fiddle with our graduated puzzle selection when I have a free moment in the store, and I can attest that Tilt is a winner. The exit through the center and the need to keep the sliding blue pieces on the board make the escape route itself an obstacle, and by the time you reach the more challenging cards the game involves thinking quite a few moves ahead – or a good deal of trial and error. And the mechanic of manipulating the board itself is a great interactive feature. If your child enjoys solving puzzles and you’re looking for a game that will hold his or her attention, Tilt is an excellent pick!
Be First to Comment