Circuit Maze

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 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 board Takeaway: Another great single player, logic game from ThinkFun. This product was provided for free in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

If you've ever used an electrical circuit "toy" then you'll be somewhat familiar with the concept of how the electrical portion of this game works. If you've ever played any solitaire logic games (Rush Hour and the like), you'll be familiar with the logic portion of the game. What a great idea to put the two concepts together! The pieces in this product are tokens (squares with metal contact strips in a variety of configurations), a start token that includes the battery power pack, and a finish token. The concept of the game is to set up the game grid using the game cards~ each card shows the start and finish tokens, as well as some other tokens in a specific set-up. There are also some missing tokens, and the puzzle part of this game is to put them in the right place in order to complete the circuit and light up the light(s). There are three beacon tokens with one green, one yellow, and one red light. One of the cards my son worked on appeared to be solved correctly, but the yellow light wasn't lighting up... hmmm... sometimes the tokens don't seat firmly and the lights flicker on/off (my only *con* with this game), but this didn't appear to be the case this time around. After fiddling around with it for awhile, he decided to put it away for the evening. The next day I asked him to pull the game out again, and retry the challenge. I also reminded him to make sure that the positive and negative sides were matching up correctly so that the current would flow. Sure enough! That was his trouble the night before. Paying attention to direction of the little + and - signs made a huge difference! I anticipate this being a good game to bring on trips and to use any time that a brain and hands require something to keep them busy for awhile, without being in front of a screen! What a fun way to get some STEM learning in without the kids even realizing that it's something other than a cool logic game! *side note ~ don't know why the photos are upside down~ they are right-side up on my computer. :p Disclosure: I received this product for free or at a discount in exchange for a fair and honest review. The opinions in this review are my own, and based on my experience with the product.

Excellent quality and value priced

it is a really good way to introduce electric circuits to small children. I recommend this product to all small children eager to learn about electricity

Excelente para que los niños se adentren en el funcionamiento de circuitos eléctricos de manera divertida. Los retos son muy interesantes y educativos.

Il gioco è molto interessante, diverso dal solito e stimola il bambino ad imparare le basi di elettronica. Nonostante le spiegazioni siano in inglese il gioco è facilmente utilizzabile Attenzione Batterie non incluse

A product easy to use for kids. My youngest son is happy to have this kind of challenging games.

Grandchild's birthday was rapidly approaching and took a gamble on this game. Firstly 10/10 to Amazon Australia for next day delivery from Melbourne to Newcastle. The game was opened and after a few hiccups with batteries into the holder, the fun and games began. Lots of little nuances to overcome with the initial excitement, but after consulting the instructions,(yes I know one should always read the instructions first, but it is rather difficult to do when they are inside the box!!) Recipient is 7 years old. The game will need adult support at the outset but after the idea is mastered the children were able to proceed unassisted. I am very impressed with the whole concept and it was received well, and continued to provide interest, challenge and excitement for many hours and days that followed. Well done ThinkFun