Editorial Review

Honk! Honk! It's gridlock and the little red car can't move.The player is a traffic cop in the Rush Hour Traffic Jam Puzzle wherethe objective is to get the red car off the road. To play, pick one of40 challenge cards; solutions are printed on the back of each card.Then set up the cars and buses in a specified pattern on the6-inch-square road grid. Move the vehicles one by one (obey those trafficlaws!) until the red car can escape the traffic jam. There are fourlevels of difficulty. Kids can alternate turns with another player orjust "play in traffic" alone. The game from Binary Arts received anational award from Mensa and is used in elementary school mathclasses. The design includes clear instructions printed on the sturdybox, which can be used both as a playing tray and for storage. The gamecards stow away in a drawer in the road grid. This is a 1999 Parents'Choice recommended toy. --Marcie Bovetz ... Read more

Reviews (96)

Excellent intelligent game for all ages !!
Games has a simple objective -- get the Red car out of traffice. And boy! it is difficult and changelling at higher level. Set up the *cars* as described in cards and figure out a way to get the Red Car out.The best thing is complexity raange from very easy to very hard. So it captures kids interests and provides the extra incentive to move to the next level !!

Simple rules -- once you have placed the cars on the Grid, you can only move them forward or backward.

A great addition to this game is "Rush Hour 2, 3 and 4 Gift Pack" for less than $12/-. Each set has 40 cards or in total 120 different levels. The highest level is really really difficult. Meant for the "Pros" only !!!

Awesome Game!!
I first encountered this game at a friends house while I was house-sitting, and I tell you...without it, I think I would have lost mt mind!It is basic yet challenging all at the same time...and it really is for all ages!Since I bought it off amazon.com, my niece and my father-in-law have both enjoyed the thrill of playing Rush Hour.I would strongly recommend this game for anyone who thinks they would be too good for this game...cause they won't be!!

Great fun and awesome game!!!
My husband and I gave this game to our daughter for Christmas. When she first unwrapped the present she looked uninterested. Later that day she pulled it out and asked what it was about. We got it out and tried it out. Instantly she was hooked as was I. This game is really a great game, but it is also a wonderful educational product. It truly teaches thinking skills and as a homeschool parent I can truly appreciate that. I highly recommend this for anyone regardless of where or how your children are schooled!!!! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Board Games    2. Family Favorites    3. Puzzles    4. 3-D Puzzles    5. Strategy Games    6. Brain Teasers    7. Activity    8. Games    9. Grid Games    10. Brain Games    11. Learning   

Reviews (18)

Excellent "intelligent" game for all ages !!
Games has a simple objective -- get the Red car out of traffice. And boy! it is difficult and changelling at higher level. Set up the *cars* as described in cards and figure out a way to get the Red Car out.The best thing is complexity raange from very easy to very hard. So it captures kids interests and provides the extra incentive to move to the next level !!

Simple rules -- once you have placed the cars on the Grid, you can only move them forward or backward.

A great addition to this game is "Rush Hour 2, 3 and 4 Gift Pack" for less than $12/-. Each set has 40 cards or in total 120 different combinations are possible. The highest level is really really difficult. Meant for the "Pros" only !!!

Challenging and fun
This game is a real attention-grabber for my 5 year old. Keeps him busy and quiet--great for me, too! :)

A game help children learn to use their minds!
I bought this game for my 5 yr old.She loves it and is challenged by the game.Even some of her older cousins enjoyed playing with it over the holidays. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 3-D Puzzles    2. Brain Teasers    3. Activity    4. Games    5. Strategy Games    6. Learning    7. Board Games    8. Family Favorites    9. Brain Games    10. Puzzles   

Editorial Review

The aMAZEing Labyrinth uses a clever board design to create aseries of ever-changing mazes that one to four players must movethrough. The object of the game is for each player to collect asquickly as possible all seven treasures depicted on their individualtreasure cards. To add to the challenge, players know what the nexttreasure is only after they find the one before it. Before each turn, amaze card is pushed into the maze in a strategic place, helping theplayer make his or her way to the prize. This means that the entiremaze shifts and changes on each turn, confounding some and helpingothers. Players will need to think ahead to choose just the right spotto shift the maze in their favor. This is an excellent game to get lostin. A simpler version can be played by younger children. --LeeStrucker ... Read more

Features

• For 1 to 4 players
• Playing time 20 minutes

Reviews (3)

'Mazing
This strategy game is one of the best birthday presents my children ever got. You can play once or several times, and never grow tired of the game, as each set of mazes is different than the last.

Playing is a fabulous way to spend an afternoon or evening with your children. The game requires non-verbal skill and logic, but is fun as heck. Very often, the children do better than the grown-ups.

Highly recommended.

Good game
We love this game.It makes you think, so it keeps us all interested. This is one of the few games that we all enjoy playing together because it is challenging enough for our overachieving 8-year old, and also interesting for our 6-year old.It is difficult to find games that do all that these days, because the 6-year old is refusing to learn how to read well enough to be able to enjoy "older kid" games, and we have all become bored with the "little kid" games.This game requires no reading, which (obviously) is a plus for us right now.

Great Family Fun
Our family really likes this game.It is a great strategy game.You have to think ahead and try to plan moves to help yourself but not others.It really keeps you thinking and the kids love it when they make a move that really messes up Mom or Dad.It is not so hard however, that a younger child of 8 or 9 would get frustrated. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Games    2. Board Games    3. Mazes    4. Family Favorites   

Editorial Review

This is a strategy game with a twist--if you lose, you'relunch. You've taken your trusty Safari Rover deep into the bush; nowmaneuver it through the maze of hungry animals and get back to camp inone piece. An 8-by-7.25-inch plastic game tray forms a kind of grid foryour vehicle and the 3-D plastic animal pieces (including elephants,rhinos, and a termite mound). Draw one of 50 cards (10 of which areextra-easy, for younger players) to determine the initial board setup.Then move pieces, according to strict rules, to make your escapethrough the only exit. A cloth bag for all the game pieces is included.--Richard Farr ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Fun but bulky
Our family truly enjoys the Rush Hour game and tried this one as well - it is bigger and bulkly and convenient for travel.I alos find the puzzles to be a bit easier.The pieces don't slide as well as Rush Hour.

Good toy for everyone
I knew this game at a friend's house and love it even I was 30 already at that time.I bought several when I went back to visit my family and they all love it.When I told my mom that I would give my brother's 1st grad boy a set, she told me he won't like it since he doesn't like the brain games.But he loves it soon after my sister explain to him the rules and he enjoys to do it.My little one, almost 23 months old now, likes those animals and loves to put all of those animals to the board one by one and kind of learn the size and arrange the place.It's not only for 8 and up.

Great game; an attention grabber
I bought this for my 6 year old. She played with it for an hour the first time.It is a game she can play solo. After using the Junior cards, she went on to the beginner. She is still progressing.This is a great thinking game. I highly recommend it. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Animals    2. Wild Animals    3. Learning    4. Games    5. Board Games    6. Family Favorites    7. Brain Games    8. Puzzles    9. 3-D Puzzles    10. Strategy Games    11. Brain Teasers    12. Activity   

Subjects:  1. Activity    2. Puzzles    3. Jigsaw Puzzles    4. 100-999 Pieces   

Reviews (1)

Excellent "intelligent" game for all ages !!
Games has a simple objective -- get the Red car out of traffice. And boy! it is difficult and changelling at higher level. Set up the *cars* as described in cards and figure out a way to get the Red Car out.The best thing is complexity raange from very easy to very hard. So it captures kids interests and provides the extra incentive to move to the next level !!

Simple rules -- once you have placed the cars on the Grid, you can only move them forward or backward.

A great addition to this game is "Rush Hour 2, 3 and 4 Gift Pack" for less than $12/-. Each set has 40 cards or in total 120 different combinations are possible. The highest level is really really difficult. Meant for the "Pros" only !!! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Learning    2. Games    3. Board Games    4. Family Favorites    5. Brain Games    6. Puzzles    7. 3-D Puzzles    8. Travel Games    9. Strategy Games    10. Brain Teasers    11. Activity   

Reviews (8)

very disapointed
i bought this thinking it was going to be really cool, but it was very boring and stupid.it contains 3 puzzles all of which a 5 yr old can do and the games are the most stupid games ever.the one with the spinner only shows the objects on the puzzle move smaller as you look at it.thats the whole thing.your pupil is just going back to its smaller, regular size and it makes the picture look like it's getting smaller.and the one with the magic cards is rediculous.anyone can see that all you have to do is choose the cards that you can see the character you chose through.very disapointing.i wish i could have seen the box before i bought it.then i would have seen just how lame this was.

Fun and entertaining puzzles
These puzzles are fun.I especially like the fact that they are double sided puzzle (two puzzles in one).You get a lot for your money.If you like Harry Potter, you will love these.Each puzzle has a great scene on it.Perfect for any fan.

A bit confused
I tried playing with this game, but I couldn't figure out how to get the spiral game to work. That is the only one I have tried sp far and I've only been trying for about a half hour, but it gave me a head ache, so i gave up. But other than that, the game was a ton of fun and is sure to keep me busy for a long time. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Activity    2. Puzzles    3. Easy Puzzles    4. Round Puzzles    5. Movies    6. Floor Puzzles    7. Jigsaw Puzzles    8. 100-999 Pieces    9. Book Characters   

Reviews (11)

Its good for beginners, but NOT FOR SPEED-CUBING!!!
I think this specific Rubik's Cube is good, but I don't reccommend it for speed-cubing. Sometimes the faces are hard to turn, and the stickers aren't of best quality, but it is good for beginners. I have one of these, but when I become good at cubing I will buy a better-quality one that is made for speed. Also, do not buy the imitation cubes (such as ones you can get from the Flea Market), because they are bad quality.

If you are not going to dedicate your time to learning the algorithms (sequences) needed to solve this, I do not reccommend to buy ANY Rubik's Cube, because you will become very frustrated in a short period of time, and probably end up cheating to solve it.
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rubik's cube
The rubik's cube is a classic and I think every on should have. They are very good for wasting time.

Stickers peel off
I use nail polish to paint over peeled off color stickers. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Games    2. Brain Games    3. Puzzles    4. Brain Teasers   

Reviews (7)

MY SON LOVED THEM!
My son loved his skates, and I have not had any problems so far with the straps.

Roller Blades are terrible!!!
I didn't reseach these before I bought them, BIG MISTAKE.My 3yr. old son couldn't go two feet without the straps popping open.Don't waste your money.

A toy not a learning tool
I was not pleased with this product.My son enjoys skating, but did not like the feel of these skates.The skates were uncomfortable.He was not able to learn how to in-line skate using this product. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Skates    2. Preschool   

Reviews (9)

Great Toy!
I have two of these at home.At Christmas time, my sister and her family stayed with us.They have two very active boys who usually drive me nuts.This year I brought out my Rubik's snakes.They spent hours playing with these things.Made all the shapes in the book, and invented several new ones.This is a great toy for the hyperactive child.I highly recommend this for adults too.

the best toy
This is a very great toy!It provides fun and entertainment for the whole family.Me and my children try to solve this mind boggler all the time!

very good toy
i love it!It is a very puzzling toy that keeps me boggle! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Puzzles    2. Brain Teasers   

Reviews (8)

I am sorry I bought this game
My grandson is 11 and he just isn't interested in this game.I bought both of the River Crossing games, for Christmas, and he hasn't even looked at the second one.

River Crossing Is VERY Addicting!
I received this game for Christmas, and I hadn't even asked for it.I absolutely LOVE it.

The game consists of the main puzzle tray, plastic stumps, a little magnetic man, 5 magnetic plastic boards of different sizes, 40 puzzle cards (ranging in difficulty), and a carrying bag to store everything (which comes in handy!).

This game really gets you thinking, and you actually find yourself thinking AHEAD by many moves.The object of the game is to get the little man from one side of the river, to the other.You do so, by moving planks from stump to stump.Sometimes you have to drop a plank off at a convenient location, just to pick it up later on when you need it.

I started playing it and couldn't stop!Once you start getting the hang of it, you find yourself wanting to continue as you figure out the easier puzzles.I must say, that as they become more difficult, you REALLY need to think ahead by looking at the pieces you need towards the "end" of the crossing.Don't drag boards that you don't need (and DON'T drop them in places that hinder your crossing!).

I definitely recommend this game for people who enjoy puzzles, or games in general.The harder puzzles may be too difficult for a younger child to enjoy, and they may get bored with it.ALSO- there are MANY small parts that could be a choking hazard for small children.Make sure you keep the parts in the bag, and keep it out of reach!

River Crossing - Another hit from ThinkFun!
ThinkFun succeeds once again, with a simple idea... lay down logs to find a path from start to finish across the river.Place your logs carefully, and you'll get where you need to go, but don't get in your own way, and you can't jump over the water.40 challanges included (plus 40 more in River Crossing 2!), that will keep even adults busy for quite a while.

Highly recommended for those visual / spatial gifted kids, and thier parents ;-)Stores in it's own nylon bag, a plus, since there are more than a few loose pieces.

Carolyn K., webmaster, Hoagies' Gifted Education Page ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Learning    2. Games    3. Board Games    4. Brain Games    5. Puzzles    6. 3-D Puzzles    7. Strategy Games    8. Brain Teasers    9. Activity    10. Family Favorites   

Editorial Review

Put on your own mystery dinner theater: murder's on the menu, and everyone's a suspect in this grownup game for six to eight players. The game includes everything you need to serve up mystery, murder, and fun: a shopping list, menus, and recipes by cookbook author Sandra Gluck; eight party invitations and envelopes; place cards; secret clues; and, best of all, a murder mystery to solve. Just invite your friends to dress up and play the roles of the devious suspects (each with his or her own character booklet with roles and background info): Otto Von Schnapps, Tiny Bubbles, Papa Vito, Marilyn Merlot, Ralph Rottingrape, Hedy Shablee, Bonny Lass, and Bud Wizer. Serve up a meal or light snack, play the (included) cassette tape with its introduction, summary of events, and solution to the crime. Find out who killed California vineyard owner Barry Underwood, and why. --Rebecca Hughes ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Hours of FUN!!!
Being the first time ANY of us had ever done a murder mustery game, I was a little concerned...the blind leading the blind so to speak. Everything was laid out in black and white, so for us newbies it was outstanding!Already shopping for the next one!

Bad recipes, lame mystery
The recipes were so so, and ridiculously complicated, and the mystery itself wasn't quite as obvious as a kick in the head, but nearly.Besides which, it was scripted, you actually had to sit there and read parts, which I thought made the whole thing a little stilted.I've definitely done better ones -- keep shopping.

Thoroughly enjoyed by all
This was our first murder mystery evening and everyone enjoyed it. We all really got into our characters with costumes and voices! The only drawback to these games is that you can only play once, unless you're the host and invite a new "cast". ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Games    2. Mystery Party    3. Party Games    4. Grownup   

Features

• 300 piece puzzle.
• Great Ravensburger quality from Germany.

Subjects:  1. Puzzles    2. 100-999 Pieces    3. Animals    4. Dolphins    5. Jigsaw Puzzles    6. Activity   

Reviews (2)

great toy
We bought this puzzle for our 10 year old daughter. 600 pieces seems to be the magic number. She gets frustrated with 1,000 piece puzzles, but anything under 500 is boring because she can finish it in 10 minutes. This is a great educational toy and you can't beat the price.

Nieces and Nephew Loved It
I recently bought this puzzle for my nieces and nephews.Not only did they love the puzzle, but the whole family learned how little we knew about World Geography.Now I actually know that Cameroon is in South Africa.I recommend this for any young student or adult who desires to learn about the world we live in. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Puzzles    2. Learning    3. Geography    4. Jigsaw Puzzles    5. 100-999 Pieces   

Reviews (1)

Reto en 3D
Espectacular y maravilloso, si te gustan los retos, este es un buen comienzo. Los detalles estan perfectos, al finalizar te sientes realizado. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Puzzles    2. 3-D Puzzles   

Editorial Review

With five levels of play, from junior to expert, Railroad RushHour offers a challenge for kids and grownups alike. The puzzle consists of a sturdy plastic grid, 40 puzzle cards (with solutions on the back) for ages 8 and older, 10 junior challenge cards for ages 6 to 8, 17 brightly colored blocking trains, two blocking baggage platforms, a blue-and-white striped travel pouch, and "you," the little red escape locomotive. Trains are placed on the grid as indicated on each puzzle card. The object is to steer your escape locomotive through the freight yard and out the exit gate indicated. You can warm up your problem-solving skills by getting the puzzle out of the box. All aboard for fun! --Alison Golder ... Read more

Reviews (10)

Railroad Rush Hour - new moves, new pieces, great fun!
Like Rush Hour, Railroad Rush Hour has you "escaping" the traffic jam... this time in the railroad yard, where the traffic can include rail cars and cargo.Rearrange the pieces to get the engine out.

40 challanges included; nylon bag stores pieces when not in use.Larger than Rush Hour pieces makes this puzzle easier to handle for eager young solvers.And with the new pieces, the challanges are all new and different, even for Rush Hour lovers!

Teriffic fun, great value
This game really is great.My autistic 11-year-old gets
a good mental challenge and feeling of accomplishment out of it,
and I have fun as well.My only negative comment is regarding
travel.We've taken it on many plane trips, and it's great
because it fits in a small area to play as well as store, but
it has a lot of small parts (duh! :-), and they are easy to lose
track of when travelling.So be vigilant, and find all those
train cars when putting it away! :-)

Railroad rush hour - a great game for all
This is a fabulous game for people of all ages.Even little kids can play the easy cards.The harder ones can be very engrossing for adults.My son started playing it when he was 4 years old. I have also given it to somebody as a present for their 40th birthday.I recommend it for anybody who wants a bit of a mental challenge. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Puzzles    2. 3-D Puzzles    3. Strategy Games    4. Brain Teasers    5. Activity    6. Games    7. Grid Games    8. Brain Games    9. Learning    10. Board Games    11. Family Favorites   

Reviews (2)

Great challenge
Wonderful puzzle, not as easy as it looks, but is not redundant because of the many details in the image.It was a real brain teaser.

To remember her as she was (pre-9/11/01)!
I wanted my kids to remember NYC as she was, thus my doling out much more than necessary for a puzzle. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Activity    2. Puzzles    3. Jigsaw Puzzles    4. 100-999 Pieces   

Reviews (2)

Simpons Puzzle
The puzzle is a lot of fun, but very hard. When I saw it I thought it would be easy, but its not at all. The different people make it so difficult to place the pieces where they are supposed to go. I did find it a lot of fun, but it took a long time.

A Must for Simpsons Fans
As you can tell from the picture, this puzzle is a picture of any of the Simpsons characters from the television show.Some characters appear more than once (but only a couple of them).

The illustration is really quite nice and it is fun to try and identify the characters and their episodes.Because of the scope of the show, not every character is here but there is a good chance that your favorites will be here.

My only real trouble with the puzzle was that many pieces were not cut through completely.Leave them together, the thin puzzle stock is not sturdy enough to force them apart.The front or back will peel.

Other than the problem above, the puzzle was fun to put together and its lack of large objects made almost every piece a challenge.It provided several hours of fun. ... Read more

Reviews (14)

Good Fun.
We played Mystify at our recent game night with friends and family.Here is the scoop.Mystify is a game based around word and number scrambles.The object of the game is to be the first to solve the word or number scramble.There are 5 different card categories and for each category hints are given as to what the scramble might be. For instance, hints might be - Literary Figure; Popular First Name; Brand Name Product; Popular 70's Movie; Living Creature; Part of a human body, etc.The card reader reads out the letters or numbers (which are scrambled) and players race against each other to solve the scramble.Whoever blurts out the answer first wins the round and is able to advance on the board.The great thing about this game is that everyone plays every round.This keeps all players interested and with a vested interest in paying attention at all times.Since everyone plays at the same time this is a fantastic party game.You really can't go wrong if you want an all inclusive game to play at your game nights!

Don't miss this one.
We love word games, but all word games are based around forming words --this game changes all that.The premise of the game is based around solving word scrambles and number scrambles.There is a clue provided with each category so that the players know what direction to look in.I highly recommend this game.

I lover racing for the answer!
This is a party game if I ever did see one.Everyone plays every round so nobody is bored waiting for their turn.The board is a simple race track and sometimes we leave the baord at home and play this in the car.All players race to solve the scramble and the categories provide not only different subject areas but varying levels of difficulty.The 'numbers' category is an interesting twist.Good, old fashion fun and a refreshing change to some of the mindless game out there --I recommend it.I love word games and this is one of the best. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Games    2. Board Games    3. Word Games    4. Party Games    5. Trivia    6. Grownup    7. Puzzles    8. Brain Teasers   

Reviews (1)

Good For Begginers
This puzzle is very good for beginners. 700 pieces is perfect for children 12 or up. Even more challenging for kide around 10. It allows the builder to leard what to look for in harder puzzles to come. It like other puzzles around the same challenge level don't just require the builder to think about the shape and picture, but the color of the picture, the tine, and even the style of every single line. The lines could be dashed, dotted, or both, and the builder learns to look for these things as they progress. When they finally complete the puzzle, they WILL want harder and harder puzzles. They will also feel very confident with their problemsolving skills and might jump straight for the 3000 piece puzzle of New York City. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Puzzles    2. 3-D Puzzles    3. Jigsaw Puzzles    4. 100-999 Pieces