Great new games - Tantrix, Blokus, etc.

[roisin]

DS2 was 6 today, and he got some great new games: They are really thought-provoking. Both of them can be played at a fairly simple level, but rapidly become more complex as you learn different strategies.

Tantrix is here

Blokus

They are both £20, which is a lot for a game, but they are good quality (feel nice), and anyway I didn't pay for them!

I just thought I'd recommend them in case anyone is looking for something "a bit different".

Will second Tantrix, we've all been hooked since DS1 got it for his 6th birthday. Blokus looks good too.

This is rather off-topic, but ds's friend recommended a freeware program for animating stick figures, and since we downloaded it ds has made all sorts of funny little animations. It's very appealing and easy to use, so I just thought I'd mention it for similar-minded children! It's here .

Have your boys tried Rush Hour, roisin?

What a really good website too - think I'll bear it in mind for future pressies ! Thanks !

Tamum - no, I've only seen Rush Hour in a catalogue. Is it really good? I may put that on ds1's list for his birthday!

It's excellent, roisin. You can get supplementary sets of cards for it- each card gives you a new puzzle to set up and solve. Ds hasn't played with his for a while, but he used to play it for hours, it would always keep him happy and absorbed. Mastermind is his current favourite (the codebreaker, not the TV program!)

We bought Rush Hour for friends' ds aged 8 for Christmas and then ds was given it for his 7th birthday. ds loves it and dh has become addicted too !

Oh yes, we're Mastermind fans too - they got that for Christmas!

I like the sound of Rush Hour. Tantrix is great, because there are puzzles they can solve individually. Dss both, but especially ds1, talk constantly and it does get very wearing. When he played with Tantrix he was silent ... it was bliss!

Can someone tell me about Rush Hour? It sounds as if it might be a good one for my transport-obsessed DSs.

Dinosaur - Rush Hour is here There is a description on there, which is all I know about it at the moment. (It's a solitaire game).

Btw on that site there is a 'jnr' version (age 6-8), but it looks identical, and is the same price as the 'original version' ...?!

We got DS Tantrix in New Zealand few years ago

Never seen it over here

It is great

Dinosaur, I do recommend it, although as roisin says it's a game for one. The Junior version has much simpler puzzles, so it's the cards that are the real difference, but I think both those pictures on roisin's link are Junior! Happy Puzzle is a good place to get these kinds of games, too. Maybe more expensive, but good for browsing. FWIW ds had the non-junior version when he was 6 or 7, and he found it reasonably easy, so I would be inclined to get the proper one, especially since it has all the add-on card packs.

tantrix is online too, my ds has played it forever and I know the inventor in NZ
It has been around for ages there
We are old pros
It's is excellent also have you got Rush Hour? Excellent too!!!

Piffle - what's he like?! I just said to dh I can't imagine what sort of person would invent such a thing!

I'm completely addicted - Kids in bed and I've just spent an hour playing with tantrix on my own!

Piffle

we got our TANTRIX at this DEFFO BRILL place called

PUZZLE WORLD IIRC

IT WAS NEAR WANAKA, New Zealand IIRC

A totally brill place

Amazing you know the inventor

HAs he/she done any others?

Roisin, do you like Su Doku puzzles by any chance? I am addicted, saddo that I am, and ds really likes the easy level ones.

Mensa connections is really good too-from amazon-looks along similar lines.

I've only just discovered them, but I keep getting them wrong

I've only got some 'fiendish' ones from the Times. I think I should get myself a book with some easy ones to start with til I really get the hang of it. (I'm not even sure where I'm going wrong!)

DS1 hasn't seen them yet, but he's a whizz with logic problems - he rarely makes any notes, just mutters away to himself and then announces the answer!

I have several Tantrix sets including the large one and when we lost a tile, they sent a replacement in the post next day! I orginally bought them in Switzerland, but my local toyshop in St Albans has them now. We have the individual sets in little wooden stands!

Brilliant fun and addictive!

ds plays at www.tantrix.com as well as in the living room - if he can gets his hands on the game
ds is rated about 12th in the UK at the moment

sure put the PS2 in it's rightful place as a dust collector
ds also adores the mensa books and puzzles,and logic/pathway solutions, he is also very good with number puzzles.
We (my exboyf and I ) met the inventor .. Mike doing outdoor pursuits skiing and caving/rockclimbing (I used to be that fit) etc - we did not know it was him until a few years later we saw the game. He is a very active "busy" and clever man

If you want a family strategic board game, for more than one player, try Labyrinth from Ravensburger .