Mindware Marble Circuit
(Mindware $24.95)
They call this a logic game of paths and possibilities and that's just what it is. It's a brainteaser with a sloping playing board, with tiles that are arranged to match the challenge card for each round of play. Those challenge cards show you where almost all the tiles go, but a few spaces are left blank, on purpose. The player must choose the missing tiles that will create pathways to allow the metal marbles to land in the slots below. Oh, yes, did I mention the card also says how many of those tiny marbles should end up in which slots? Next, player must place the long barrier above the tiles and drop one metal marble in each space above the barrier. Ready? Pull the barrier slowing to the right and watch where the marbles fall. Players do need dexterity to handle the tiny metal marbles and to turn the tiles. There are 64 challenge cards that get progressively more difficult. Happily, you can check your mistakes or get the answer by turning the card over and seeing the solution. So, this is a self correcting game, which can make it less frustrating. Seeing some of the solutions can help players begin to see new ways of thinking with their next challenge card. This game is a lot like another game we liked this season, MarbleMaze, which has bigger marbles and barriers that form the pathways. We think that one is a bit younger and this will be fun for slightly older players.
Ages: Tweens
Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Gold Award 2019
