ThinkFun Circuit Maze Game - Brain-Boosting STEM Toy | Teaches Circuitry Through Engaging Gameplay | Toy of The Year Finalist | Ideal for Boys and Girls Age 8 and Up

I am an avid board game fan with a collection that spans well over 100 core boxes, expansions, etc. But, before ThinkFun, I didn't own any sins.cgle player board games. Now I'm awash with single player board games, and Circuit Maze is the newest addition to the fold. And, did I mention...? It's electrified!In the box is a blue 5x5 game grid, 60 challenge cards, 2 legend cards, 1 linked positive/negative token, 3 beacons, and 13 pathway tokens. You use the challenge cards to layout each puzzle. You're then given a list of the pathway tokens you must use to light up the appropriate beacons. Each challenge card gets progressively more difficult. Now, in solving your electrical circuit puzzle there are a few things you must avoid so as not to damage your tokens/beacons. But, don't stress too much, these are explained in relatively simple language with accompanying illustrations in the instruction booklet. To that end you'll also learn some of the basics about electricity, current, resistance, all why the game builds on your sequential reasoning and logic skills.Because this is an "electric current" logic game, you will need 3 AAA batteries which, unfortunately, are not included. Don't let that stop you. The game is fun, and at the higher challenge levels it can be a formidable brain teaser, which I absolutely love. I did have some issues with the blue game board being a bit too squishy, which meant the pieces weren't always completely seated, they would occasionally pop out of place or give a false negative on an otherwise successful solution.Pros:- Challenging puzzles- Educational difficulty curve- Quality materials (for the most part)Cons:- Batteries not included- Possibility of frying your pieces- "Squishy" game boardTakeaway:Another great single player, logic game from ThinkFun.This product was provided for free in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

I got two sets for classroom use. My students love it and are so proud of themselves when they solve the puzzles. My students range from 10 to 14 years old. It seems to be most popular with the 11 year olds. In general, only one students uses them at a time, but sometimes they like to work together to figure the puzzles out. These are durable and have held up under consistent use and some pretty rough handling.

I tested it before gifting it and everything was working great. I had an unused small drawstring bag for brewing looseleaf tea, that I put over the main piece after putting in batteries. Other reviews say if a circuit accidentally forms in storage it can drain your batteries so really, a bag/box for isolating the power should be included. Changing the batteries is a bit of a pain (needs a screwdriver) so you don't want to risk draining them.The game itself seems pretty fun. I was bad at electricity back in highschool Physics classes, which is why I wanted to give my young relatives this game to help them get electricity concepts into their brains early on. But even a dolt like me can readily understand this game. I really don't think you even need to read the instructions, just dive in, as it's obvious what to do. You can read the instructions for ideas when you have trouble winning a round. My point is that even though electricity is confusing and complicated (to some of us!), this game is not.Aside from the twists the electricity adds, this is similar to games like Sudoku or Tetris. You are arranging a set of items according to simple rules. I love those sorts of games so I liked this a lot too.I also like that it is silent. It may have been more appealing to some kids if sound effects went off when the lights do but parents, and even some kids, get very tired of noisy toys.Fun, educational, peaceful... it's really an ideal gift. We gave it to 9 & 11 year olds but it seems like it would be great for a clever younger child (maybe as young as 7?) or a playful adult.

I bought this for my six year old son for Christmas. He loves mazes and loves science so I thought this would be the perfect combination for him. He absolutely loves this. The game gives you starter cards so you put the specified tiles down and they give you the rest of the tiles to use so you can create a full circuit. The solution for each card is on the back as well so you don't have to go searching for the answer if you can't figure it out.My only grievance with this game, and the reason for losing one star, is that the tiles don't fit perfectly in all cases. I've attached a photo. They're supposed to snap into place it seems but when you have a congestion of tiles, theyre a little too cramped to fit perfectly. It's more annoying than anything because if you hold most of the tiles in place you can still light up the lights.Other than the fit of multiple tiles, this game is fantastic and I'm very pleased with it.

We love all these games! Great quality, engaging and educational. Adults will also want to play.

Muy buen juego, de intermedio en adelante desafiantes... encontré una solución alternativa al nivel 17...

The idea behind this product, and the build of this product, are great. It's a shame that it all goes down the tubes in the instructions. The instructions are great. The child builds all of the things in the instructions and then the product is of no further use--because the child doesn't understand what happened. If the instructions were changed to actually teach what each component does and then demonstrate that component's capabilities before using it in a more complicated circuit, then the child would actually be learning rather than just following mindless instructions putting "magic" blocks together.