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 (89)

Hours of Fun Fun Fun
This is a great puzzle. Since it is a game only one can play at a time, my nieces, ages 6 and 8 and my nephew age 11 took turns getting the red car out of the traffic jams. They even enjoyed watching each other find the solution to each "jam". Incidently the 6 year old is almost through solving the "Advanced" puzzles and I am about to buy both additional card packs. Kids and adults will love this game.

Great "toy"
Add us to the host of folks who love this puzzle toy. I generally consult Amazon ratings before purchasing new items and any item that has this many positive ratings always catches my attention. And it lives up to the promise. My almost 7 year-old son is ADHD and I was AMAZED at the way this toy captured his attention. I expected him to become quickly frustrated and give up. But after a few successes, he was hooked. I coached him a little bit at first (and then I was hooked too!) and before I knew it, he was solving puzzles by himself and doing a better job than me! He did the first 20 in one sitting. I was amazed as I watched him begin understanding which cars had to be where in order for him to get the red car out, then he started working out his plan to get there. You have to think ahead to be successful and he was doing it!

His persistence and concentration surprised me, so if your child is having any problems sitting and concentrating on a task, don't be afraid of this toy! But, alas, as with many ADHD kids, he's also been tested as gifted, so he's already run through the first 3 levels and is now nearly done with the expert level - solving puzzles that I can't do! I have to wait until he goes to bed to even get a chance to play! There's 40 cards in the first pack. The beginning levels are pretty easy to remember the solutions, but as you go higher in difficulty, you could probably do the puzzles more than once and still be challenged. But do be prepared to buy the 2, 3, and 4 Gift Pack (a great deal for $12 on Amazon)

I LOVE the fact that you store the cards right in the bottom of the tray. However,I wish that they would put a more permanent kind of cover on the tray. Also, you cannot replace the cover when you are in the middle of a puzzle, the cars have to be in the tray in a certain way in order for the cover to fit properly. But those are extremely minor drawbacks considering the hours of entertainment my son and I have gotten.

grate!!!
I love this game and so do my familly from ages 6 - 35. you will enjoy playing this game alone at home. the greate part is that even once youv memorized this toy and all the levels (wich you will.) you can buy more cards! it is a grate present for anyone not too lazy to think a bit. everyone has their own level. Also other games such as the one croosing the river from this manufacturer are fantastic! really worth the money!

GREAT GIFT IDEA
We just got this game today and we were all instantly addicted! My 7 year old loved the challenge of the game, didn't get frustrated at all, and wouldn't even think of giving up on trying to solve the puzzles! This is a great gift idea for birthday parties, as it's inexpensive and parents will appreciate the educational value of this puzzle game.

Greatest Game Ever!
I am in the Gifted program in school and it is a lot of fun! I play this everyday. It is very challenging but an awesome game! I would reccomend it to anyone! ... Read more

Reviews (16)

Fun for the entire family!
We bought this for my 6 year old daughter for Christmas and everyone enjoyed it! I was amazed how well she did moving through the easy to more advanced levels. Her enthusiasm was contagious and everyone began trying to do the puzzles. My daughter felt a strong sense of accomplishment when she actually did better than many of the adults! It is a durable, compact, challenging puzzle that is so enjoyable that you will get hooked! In fact, I am looking for additional cards to continue the fun!
This is definitely a 5 star game that has educational value and is also appealing to kids.

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.

great toy
We bought this toy for our 3.5 year old son, because he really loved it when he saw it in the store. He's been at it all the time after he got it and needed only minimal instructions to start playing. We really appreciated the fact that the difficulty levels were so appropriately designed. My son simply moved from one level to another with great enthusiasm and would never quit playing the game on his own.

Fun & Educational
I've never played Rush Hour, but the Junior version was a big hit with my 5 and 8 year old kids (and me!) this Christmas. It has 4 levels of difficulty: beginner, intermediate, advanced, and expert, with 10 cards in each level. You pick a card and set up the grid with vehicles as depicted on the card. The object is to get your ice cream truck through the traffic and exit the grid.

The rules are: no moving cars sideways. You have to move them forward or backward based on the direction the vehicles are facing. The beginner cards typically require each vehicle be moved only once before you are able to get the ice cream truck through the traffic. With the advanced cards, you may have to move vehicles a few times as you strategically plan your escape.

This game is not only fun, but helps with organization (setting up the grid) and planning (figuring out how to get your ice cream truck out of a jam). It also gives the kids a sense of accomplishment as they move on to the more difficult cards.

I highly recommend it and we plan on buying the adult version soon!

Great whole family fun!
After reading about Rush Hour, Jr. on this website, I decided to get it for my sons, age 7 and 4. They are both a year older now, and still enjoy it. My oldest is now ready for the "adult" version but the more difficult puzzles of the Jr. game still provide some challenge. An unexpected benefit from this "game" is that my sons love to watch each other play and offer encouragement and sometimes advice, and neither gets discouraged when he gets stuck--how great is it to see that?

It also travels really well, we take it in the car for our frequent long trips and take it on the boat to play during snack time.

Parents--I definitely recommend both Rush Hour versions and the booster cards. ... Read more

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.

The best Rush Hour game ever!
This game is so much fun!Let me tell you a secret about this game.You can look on the back of the cards to get clues to beat the level that your playing if your stuck.So this game is so fun!

A Wonderful Way to Play Together or Challenge a Child
My 7-year-old daughter loves this activity. There are so many active toys available, but Binary Toys has the best strategic-play games around. We play together often with this toy; I find it as much fun as she does. But, she would just as soon sit at the kitchen counter playing it by herself. We take it on trips, and all the relatives enjoy it, too. Since the "solution" shown on the back of each card is straightforward to follow for an adult but not for a child, she is never tempted to turn the card over and "cheat." Instead, through trial and error, she eventually escapes the safari and moves to the next card. Having the wide range of skill level cards helps keep everyone interested. Having the handy cloth case for storage is appreciated as well. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Each to his own.
I do not own this specific brand so I cannot coment on its durability and fitness. However I gave it five stars seeing as none of the other reviewers had enything against it and it hasent got any pieces sticking out that can easily fall. On my make of this toy some of the colerfull covers fell off but the toy works Just as well without them and you can glue them back on easily. Even with that fualt this toy seems to be diferently bilt so that this is not a problem.
I am 12 years old and I love brain teasers.
On the fun side - this toy lets your Imagination take over and each person can do whatever they want to do with this toy.
This toy is not exactly griping and you wont be hurrying home from school just to play with it but when you are bored you can certinlly please yourself with this toy.
This gimic is also light weghit and compact and theirfore sutiable for travel.
you can hold competitions on hwo can make the nicest shape with others and when by yourself you can try discovering new ways to play with it.
I also gave this toy five stars for "Educational value" seeing as unlike video games this toy helps your imagination flow.
Also, I am peswaded that as soon as my dad sees us playing with it he will start teeching us how many diferent combinations you can make with it and more.
My three year old brother, my parents, my other brothers and me all enjoy this toy.
I think every family should try this toy.

We don't travel without this toy!
I have four children and even my 3 year old finds it entertaining. It stretches their imagination and they spend countless hours trying to come up with the most creative creatures. I've decided to purchase a second one so they can race to see who can make the desired shape the fastest. It's durable, compact, quiet and best of all, it's one of the few toys we own that requires no batteries!

Fun for everyone
This toy has been around for years, which should tell you how good it is. I don't know why children under 8 would not be able to play with it. This puzzle is made of 20 connected red and white triangles that rotate to make many things. It requires imagination and dexterity to be able to use it. A great toy for when you are bored and/or on the road.

Great toy!
This Rubik's Snake is great! It is very fun to play with when you are bored. There are an unlimited amount of possible shapes you can twist and turn this snake into! I recommend this toy to anyone who likes Rubik's cubes or anything like that. ... Read more

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 (9)

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.

More Cards Please
This is a great puzzle game. Kids learn problem solving and adults practice their own problem solving; all of this brain work is neatly disquised because they are having fun. I wish that Binary Arts would come out with more card sets for their Railroad game like they have for the Rush Hour game. I want extra puzzles! It would make it more rewarding to own.

Best Game of all Time
This game is like rush hour except a heck of a lot better. This game is so much fun. Me and my family sit around it and try to figure out the puzzles.

Trains! Trains ! and more trains!
From the creators of Rush Hour, Rush Hour2 and Rush Hour 3 comes Railroad Rush Hour, than train game. Binary has come up with yet another thinking game and another great time.

Given 40 cards, from beginner to expert, and 10 junior cards, for those under 8 years old, you'll spend hours trying to get you train out the maze and to the station.

The game includes a cloth holding sack for easy storage and travel, making this the perfect home, road or away game. Kids and parent will both enjoys the hours fun.

I like the idea of the platform blocking pieces moving in any direction, this adds the strategy. Also this gift is priced to fit any budget and makes a great gift for the hard to buy for. Congratulations Binary Arts on a job well done! ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Excellent Brian Busting Toy
The object is to get your logger from one end og the board to the other while following pretty obvious rules. 40 different cards provide a challenge for all levels. Loads of fun. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Bringing a new look to the classic peg solitaire game, here comes Hoppers. Since peg solitaire is a jumping game, what could be more natural than designing the pegs to resemble frogs? Players choose their preferred level of difficulty (from beginner to expert) and select one of the 40 cards included with the game. Following the diagram on the card, 4 to 12 frogs are placed on the game board lily pads. Then it's time to get hopping. Frogs leap over each other until there's only one left on the board. The beginner setups will be easy enough for most players to master quickly. The expert setups will take a lot of cogitation and some false starts before they're solved. If players have jumped and jumped and are still stumped, each card has the solution on the back. When play is done, frogs and playing cards can be tucked away in the nifty storage compartment beneath the game board.--Wendy Slotboom ... Read more

Reviews (7)

FUN WAY TO MASSAGE YOUR BRAIN!
This is a great toy to develop your child's strategic thinking. The game is relatively simple. Organize your frogs as per the cards, jump one frog over the other and remove the jumped-over frog. The objective is to leave just one frog. You can only jump 'adjacent' frogs along the lines (see picture).

The recommended age is 8 but younger children (supervised!) are just as enthralled. I had to improvise on the instructions, but I've taught the concepts to two 3 year olds - my buddy's son and my own. You will be amazed that they get it!

It is the greatest travel game. My son got this when he was 3 years old, and 4 years later it is still his first choice when we ask him to pick some toys for a trip........and he has a GameBoy!!

It is very durable, constructed very well and has seen no wear in 4 years of regular use. This is one of the toys that'll, literally, last you a life-time.

This is definitely a precursor for any parent looking to teach their kids Chess. Solving each situation requires you to think a few steps ahead.

This is probably the least expensive way to develop a new dimension in your child's brain.

VARIATIONS:
This toy also comes with a single "Red Frog". The objective is to leave the red frog standing.

OTHER SIMILAR TOYS:
FlipIT - This toy made by the same company, is a more difficult version of Hoppers. It is a 4X4 grid with Turtles instead of Frogs. The turtles can be placed on their bellies (green side up) or can be turned-turtle (orange side up).
One jumps over the turtles but the turtles do not come off the board - they just flip over. They flip over each time they're jumped over - green to orange and orange to green. The objective is to turn all turtles the right (green) side up.

Hop Hop Hop
Another fun game for those who can't read or who can't read English. The youngest likes to put the pegs in. It is good practice setting up the games from the cards. The little frogs can get lost, but the neat box the game makes into helps with that. And, you don't need all the frogs to play most of the set ups.

I had a Hoppin' good time!
My friend got Hoppers as a birthday present and we all played it. It was really fun and it got more challenging as we went on. What you do is: You pick a card and place the frogs on the pgs of what the picture shows on the card. Then you take one frog and jump it over one. The one that it jumped over, take it off the peg. The object it to have 1 frog remaining. It is very educational because you have to think when you play it. It is very durable because there is a pull out drawer under it that you store the frogs and the cards in. It's a great game that you can play in the car, especially for long vacations. Hoppers is hours of fun for everyone!

A hopping Good time!
Binary Arts really did a good job on this peg game. I owned Rush Hour, a other great game from Binary Arts, so I thought it would be just as fun as Rush Hour but with Frogs instead of trucks and cars. It is simple to play but gets harder as the game goes on. They give you 40 cards to play with. Each card becomes harder and more challenging. To play you must move one frog at a time. You must have only one frog left on the peg board to win a game. This game is full of fun for the whole family! I recommand this game to anyone who is looking for a rainy day game or just a fun game to play with when the kids are bored.

Frustration fun that never ends - a great time!
Every kids loves to play with frogs. Every kid has played leapfrog. Binary Arts has taken both concepts and created a game that makes playing fun, without the mess and at a great price.

The easy to follow directions will have you playing in less than 2 minutes and the easy storage of the game allows a quick cleanup after you are done. The game will teach strategy from the very beginning.

You are given 40 game cards, from beginner to expert, you arrange the frogs to match the card, then start jumping until you are left with one frog. I though this would be easy - that was until I tried it. It was great fun!

Binary Arts makes storing this game a breeze, which makes it easy to take Hoppers along in a car. Hoppers is also great for those rainy days or family night get together. Unbeatable fun at a unbeatable price! ... Read more

Editorial Review

There are only seven pieces in this puzzle, so it should be easy. Right? Guess again! Sixty puzzle cards show 60 three-dimensional structures for players to replicate using the seven pieces. Each of the pieces, based on three or four connected cubes, is unique. One is an L shape, another a T, and they get more complicated from there. If a player is stumped and can't figure out how to build the Long Wall, the Snake, or the Bad Dog, there are helpful clues on the back of the cards. Players also can use the pieces to invent their own structures. Originally known as the Soma Cube, Block by Block is an excellent way to develop and refine spatial perception skills. Includes drawstring bag for storage. --Wendy Slotboom ... Read more

Reviews (2)

I played this 30 years ago and loved it.
once you start on this you're hooked! my friends and I worked on those puzzles when we were out at sea and the images and feel of the cubes remains with me to this day.

Wow this is hard!
For the ultimate challenge in spatial relations try out this game. It's like a three dimensional tangram and it is really tough. For a great time bring this to a party and work on the solutions as a group. Personally, I think 8 years old is probably a little young for this game. I'd suggest 12+ unless the children are teamed up with an adult. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Oh, it's an "eye catcher" all right. And before you're finished withthis maddeningly, frustratingly addictive pursuit, you'll be calling it "Cross- eye catcher." It's the kind of panic-inducing, color-coded race against timethat plays as if Rubik himself went out drinking with a gang of Mensa members,then decided to design a new eye chart. Alone or in teams, players attempt tomatch the 16 colored tiles to their corresponding squares on the board in undera minute. Ah, but there's a catch: each tile is composed of four triangles, eachof those sporting one of five colors; and while one tile may contain the samefour colors as another, the colors will be positioned differently. You'll spenda lot of time twisting them around to find the perfect board match--only todiscover that yellow and purple are transposed. Perfect for solitaire or partyplay (especially the hilarious Team Challenge, where two players match and grabsimultaneously on the not-so-big board), Eyecatcher will make cockeyed optimistsout of many a gathering. --Tony Mason ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Fun at first...
This game is fun at first. Then, you get the idea, and it wears off. This is definitely NOT a party game, as each turn takes one minute to complete. If you have six or eight people playing, it can take six or eight minutes until your turn comes around. In the meantime, you, and the other players are just sitting around waiting. My 8 year old daughter likes to play it with me. It is educational for her. Otherwise, leave it.

Addictive.
I gave this game 5 stars for fun, mostly because anything that is addictive should certainly get five stars. The game is a brain (or should I say Eye) teaser. It looks simple, but it is deceptively difficult. I have not yet been able to place more than 5 tiles (out of 16 tiles) on the board during my 1 minute turn. (I'm 24 years-old and obviously must need training in color identification). No, but seriously, since there is a timing element you do not have all day to decide. My opponents are constantly tormenting me with "wrong, wrong, wrong" - which makes me even more nervous and they foil my turn. I, of course, do the same thing to them. Your opponents do need to pay attention during your turn, as it is normal for people to think they got a match, only for an opponent to point out it is "wrong, wrong, wrong". Addictive, Addictive, Addictive...they are going to have to take me or the game away. Good simple - but difficult! - fun. The problem is that you can also play the game solitaire, which makes you into a 'closet player'.

One for the senses!
Someone said this game has elements of Rubik's Cube to it, and they were right. But I think it has two distinguishing features - a timer component to add suspense, and the option of playing against others. And this latter point is key, not least because it doesn¹t matter how big your gathering might be (just take turns). When no one else is around, it is enjoyable just to play on your own and test yourself against the scoring chart on the sheet (I'm getting better all the time, though still far from reaching the top of the scale). The game is more complex than it might look, and it really is impossible to memorize the squares on the board (my family and I have adopted a policy of twisting the board around after each person¹s turn to make it even more challenging). You can also forget about trying to develop a pattern or 'system' with the game tiles because you pull each one randomly anyway! There's no way around it: you have to stay focused each and every time. Basically, it's a smart and versatile little game in a compact box.

Less than expected
I was disappointed in this game. The reviews made it sound so good! It's very easy to memorize where the pieces go as you play the game. To make it harder I suggest the board is turned 45 degrees for each turn. It would be great for kids no older than 13 or 14. It was not worth the [money]it cost with tax and shipping.

Sissy's review
this toy is very mind challenging and fun. teachers should use this game with students that have a hard time concentrating. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Colorful, fun, educational, and FINALLY magnetic!
This is a great game for the kids, or for you and your kids. It reminds alot of folks of Scrabble in that you have a rack of tiles and have to play them on a board. In Tilez!, you have to pick one of your tiles and place them to match as many color edges as possible on the board. The more edges you match the higher your score. For adults, there's a more restrictive rule - you must match every edge that you play.

This game has 80 tiles, all "L"-shaped, all different, and all magnetic. This is important because when they first published this game a few years back, the tiles were not magnetic and they slid around alot. I'm happy to report that the magnetic tiles work great and they don't slide at all. Even the scoring markers, which also had the sliding problem in the previous edition, are now magnetic. The game also has full-color rules in both English and French.

They also sell a travel edition of this game which is less expensive but the tiles are (obviously) much smaller. The full-size edition is far superior for play at home. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Fun Stuff
This is a fun toy. I took mine to a get-together with friends, and we had a lot of fun trying to, and seeing how fast we could, put it together in both d's (times ranged from five or six minutes to people giving up). Besides being a really neat idea, it's patriotic, too- something you can leave in the living room. If you like the rubik's cube (and even if you don't- I can never get it) you'll have a lot of fun with this. Definitely a 5!

Works your brain
This is a fun puzzle for anytime. I like to keep it next to the couch so that people can enjoy it when they have an unoccupied minute. It's actually quite difficult to master. Fun, though. I love the patriotic motif.

Fun!
This is a really great puzzle. It is complex enough to be a challenge, but it is good even for children. It is a cube first, with patriotic images on it, but this turns into a flat puzzle if you take it apart and put it back together in the right way. It is really fun!

awesome toy!!
This is a great toy for both the young and the old. A cube made out of various pieces can be taken apart and put back together in a flat, 2-dimensional puzzle. In essence, it's double dimensia because it will drive you crazy before you finally figure it out.

To make it even more interesting, patriotic pictures grace each side of the cube, and when you put it back together in its 2-D form, a surprise picture awaits you. Educational, fun and exasperating, it's the perfect toy for a gift or your family. I highly recommend it. ... Read more