Do you have a genius in the family that loves to play logic games and solve puzzles? Why not put them to the test with a tabletop game that can be played by a single player, racing against an opponent as a two player game or even play with a group of other players over the internet, a game that puts logic and problem solving skills to the test. The Happy Puzzle Company have a range of worldwide award-winning games that allow players to do just this and the first game in the series is The Genius Square.
I love logic games and we play several in our house. But most logic games and puzzles are for single players, games to challenge yourself. The Genius Square is very different. It is a logic game for 1-2 players, aged 6 and upwards, with a Genius Level rating of 3 out 5 lightbulbs (suitable for the whole family). And there is ALWAYS a solution to the possible 62,208 puzzle combinations.
In the box:
- 2x Genius Square Grids
- 2x Sets of Nine Coloured Shapes
- 2x Sets of Seven Blocker Pieces
- 1x Set of Seven Dice
- Instructions
As I have already mentioned, The Genius Square is a logic game that has a possible 62,208 puzzle combinations and each one of the puzzles will ALWAYS have at least one solution. As the game comes with 2 boards and pieces to fill both boards, it can be played as a solo game to challenge yourself or two players can race against each other to see who can finish the board in the quickest time (and it can be completed in as little as 30 seconds).
The idea of The Genius Square is to place the seven blocker pieces on to the grid (you get the positions for the blockers by rolling the dice) and build your shapes around them to completely fill the grid. You can play to beat your best time or challenge another player and see if you can beat your opponent (you can even combine your set with other players and play larger tournaments). With the many puzzle combinations, you should always be playing a different game and can be playing for years to come. And there will never be a puzzle combination that cannot be solved.
To set up and play The Genius Square is easy. There is only one set of dice in the game, so one or both players take a Genius Square grid board, seven cylindrical blockers and a set of nine coloured polyomino shapes (made up of square blocks) and you are ready to play. One player rolls the seven dice (they are not normal numbered dice; they have grid references on them that relate to the board) and then place the seven blocking pieces on the grid references that you have rolled. Now the race begins. If you are playing solo, you may want to time yourself to see how quickly you can solve the grid by placing all nine coloured shape pieces around the blockers, or if playing a two player game the first to solve it first is the winner. As it can be a very quick game to play, once finished, roll the dice and play again – as each roll of the dice will give you a different combination you should always be solving a different puzzle and not get bored.
Overall, I think that The Genius Square is an excellent brain-teasing logic puzzle game for solo or family games. It uses a lot of different skill sets: Sequencing, Spatial Awareness, Speed of Thought, Strategic Planning, and Visual Perception to be enable players to successfully solve the puzzles, which also make it an excellent education STEM game. It is the perfect game to challenge your brain and skill sets, whether playing by yourself against the clock or against other players.
The components of the game are very good quality. The game board is made of plastic with a grooved grid that prevents the pieces from moving around the board. The blockers and coloured polyomino shapes are made of wood and are a good size to easily grab, hold and place on the grid.
The Genius Square is a fast and frantic game when competing against another player or the clock or it can be a nice and sedate puzzle if you remove the competitive nature and are just trying to solve the puzzle in front of you. I love that it comes with 2 boards and all the pieces so that it can be a fun and competitive game for family game nights.
With so many combinations to play that always have at least one solution, The Genius Square is indeed genius and is great fun to challenge yourself, friends and family. It is as much fun for children as it is for teenagers and adults. Brain-teasing enjoyment for the entire family.
If you like a challenge to get those brain cells firing and want a game that can be played solo or together, then I can highly recommend The Genius Square from The Happy Puzzle Company. The Genius Square is a very Happy Puzzle indeed (and there is even an XL version of the game if you like to play your games on a bigger scale).
Rating: 5/5
RRP: £19.99
For more information or to buy, visit www.happypuzzle.co.uk. Also available to buy from Amazon here.
Disclosure: I received this item for free for the purposes of writing an honest and impartial review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. This review uses an affiliate link which I may receive a small commission from if you purchase through the link.
