These days, it seems like virtually all toys are either digital or plastic. I have games galore on my tablet, and my favourite kind are logic type games and jigsaws. I have no idea why I find these types of game so satisfying and appealing, but if I want to kill a bit of time, they are the ones I reach for. So I’m not sure why it seemed like such a novelty when I was sent a wooden pentomino set to try out by Project Genius, but I was really excited to play one of these games for real instead of on a screen.
For those of you who don’t know, pentominoes are a set of twelve differently shaped but identically sized tiles, which, when you consider rotations and reflections, give 63 different shapes which tessellate together – think Tetris but in a box.
The Project Genius pentomino set come in a lovely wooden lidded box and are made up of solid and brightly coloured pentomino tiles. The leaflet contains a number of different types of challenge, from making geometric 2D shapes, animal shapes, differently proportioned 3D cuboids and more.
The set is great fun and the challenges that are set in the instruction book are an awful lot more challenging than they look. I have sat for nearly an hour trying to solve some of them and it’s a really peaceful and low-tech way to spend a Sunday afternoon with a cup of coffee.
This product is aimed at children, but it is just as suitable for an adult with an interest in puzzles like these. My children are 6 and 9, and whilst suitable for the nine-year-old, all of the puzzles are a little beyond the patience level of my youngest. The quality of the product is excellent and because it comes in such a nice, solid wood box, it is ideal for taking away on holidays or to pass the time on a long train journey. There is also a suggestion for a two-player game, so it would make a great alternative to a pack of cards for a way to spend an evening.
A really nice set and a lovely gift idea for a puzzle fan.
Rating: 5/5
For more information on this and other Project Genius puzzles visit www.projectgeniusinc.com.
DISCLOSURE: I was provided with this puzzle for free for the purposes of writing an honest and impartial review. All opinions are my own.
