My Kind of Traffic Jam
Written: Mar 10 '07
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Pros: A fun puzzle with enough challenges. A single-player game.
Cons: Single-player game. Temptation to cheat is immense as challenges mount.
The Bottom Line: This is a nice puzzle to have around for times when someone just wants to sit alone and mess with a puzzle. I'm sure it's educational, certainly it's a challenge.
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| rebeccad's Full Review: Rush Hour |
My 7-year-old picked this game out for his brother's 9th birthday, based mostly, I suspect, on the fact that it had cars (both of them are pretty obsessed with cars right now). I approved largely because of the ThinkFun label and the reasonable price.
What we got
The game consists of a 6" square board with a grid, 40 puzzle cards that fit in a drawer in the grid, 15 vehicles to set up the jams (puzzles), and one red car you will "drive" out of the mess. Ours came with a carrying sack into which it all fits, making it easy to haul around if desired. A slot on the rim of the grid is designed to hold the puzzle card you are using.
How it works
The cards, which are numbered from easiest to hardest, each show a starting set-up. Following the card, you place some number of the "blocking vehicles" onto the grid, facing in various directions. Your little red car always goes in the same spot in the middle of the side opposite a little break in the rim of the grid.
Vehicles (some are cars, some are trucks) can move either up and down or crosswise along the grid depending on their orientation, but not both (i.e., they move like real cars--can't jump sideways but have to move either forward or backward). The object is to shift them out of the way so you can drive your red car (which can only go forward and back across the grid) out of the little hole and escape the traffic jam.
The grid is made of raised square bumps, so there is no difficulty keeping the cars in line where they belong. This also limits the ability to cheat--the only way to move them against the rules would be to lift them up off the grid.
The key is to visualize what moves must be made to allow other moves that will eventually free your car. It is surprising what complex set-ups can be generated in the very limited space (the grid is just 6 x 6 squares) available.
Durability
We haven't really tested this. The puzzle grid and cars are made of a relatively hard plastic, so them may possibly be brittle, but I have no evidence they won't stand up to normal use for many years. Cards of course are subject to loss as well as mutilation, but they are sturdy and the built-in storage drawer should reduce loss.
What's the verdict?
My sons have both messed with the game at various times, though like most single-player and non-construction toys around our house, it's not a big favorite. But they seem to enjoy the puzzles, and are easily able to find an appropriate challenge. Based on my experiments, the first few (maybe 10?) puzzles are pretty easy. Having zipped through a couple of those, I decided to challenge myself, and jumped up to one in the high 30s. After all, I'm good with spatial stuff, right?
Well, maybe I am, and maybe I'm not, but it was soon clear I should have worked my way up and gotten a better feel for the strategies involved. Eventually I gave up. Happily, ThinkFun is prepared for that: the back of each card has a solution. For the more advanced games, just following that solution is a challenge (struggling to justify myself here. . . ).
Bottom line, I think this game will hang around a long time, getting periodically pulled out when someone feels like a puzzle. The designated age range is 8 to adult, and although I think a younger child can have fun with the easier puzzles, it is clear that the challenges are adequate for adults. It's a keeper.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 12
Type of Toy: Puzzle
Age Range of Child: Whole Family
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Epinions.com ID:
rebeccad
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Member: Rebecca Douglass
Location: San Francisco Area
Reviews written: 105
Trusted by: 52 members
About Me:
Frugal bookworm mother of two enjoys hiking, cooking, photography, eating, running, travel, writing.
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