ThinkFun Tilt

I got this for my 11 year old for Christmas so that everything wasn't camping related or a book.Imagine my surprise when this little game turned out to be a hit with all three of my boys (ages 11, 8 & 5).

It is a little like Rush Hour in that you are trying to get a piece (or pieces) off the board, but it has a few more elements to it. The game consists of base with a concave top, the game board with a hole in the middle that has convex bottom to rest on the base, a deck of 40 cards with the challenges on one side and the solutions on the back, 6 gray blockers, 2 green sliders, 4 blue sliders and a draw-string storage/carrying bag.

One you set the game up in the configuration on the challenge card you are ready to start tilting. Your goal is to get the green piece(s) to fall out through the middle hole.Here are the catches: the blue pieces can not fall out or you have to start over (they can't even fall out right after the green ones do) and you have to tilt the board ALL the way to one side.In other words, it is not about dexterity, it is about strategy.You must use the placement of the blockers and the other sliders in order to position your green pieces properly to beat the puzzle.

You may tilt the board up/down, or left/right, but not diagonally. The pieces that move must move all the way to the side you are tilting it to no stopping halfway. Yes, I'm harping on that point, but I've watched quite a few children play it, and they have a tendency to take the easy way out.Once they understand the rules though, the fun and frustration begins. The cards start with beginner puzzles and progress through 4 levels to expert.Solving the puzzles takes some serious planning as you progress through the levels.

One problem I noticed many kids having is over-tilting the board so that the pieces move too fast and go flying out.If you keep the board on the base, this is unlikely to happen. However, my children and I like to play the game while holding the board so it took some time to get used to how far and fast to tilt it in order to get the sliders moving without gaining too much momentum.

Storage of the game is easy with the enclosed carrying pouch, and the whole game tucks easily into a bag to take with you.The pouch lists all the game pieces on the outside of the bag so you won't be wondering if you left any behind.Unlike one of the other reviewers, I found the game easily fit in the bag provided.I put the blockers and the sliders on the game board and then put the base on top of the board to hold everything in place.This easily slips into the pouch with the deck of cards and the drawstring bag locks closed with one of those spring sliding locks.

My 5 year old has made up his own set of rules and his own puzzles, but he can keep himself entertained for a good 20-30 minutes at a time with this game. I take it along to one of our home school co-ops and it is definitely a hit with the kids.The older kids will gather around the child playing and call out ideas so it doesn't have to be a solitary game,although I have to admit to playing it by myself after the kids are in bed.

Another splendid new think toy from the ThinkFun people is Tilt, where pieces slide from one side to the other, and you get to decide in what order to move them so the green ones drop in the pocket but the blue ones don't go through. As soon as this game arrived in our home, my son appropriated it and found it totally absorbing. He got very good at it, so this review is really his:

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TILT

Reviewed by Eric Bare

What a delightful pastime, a gem of a board game! It gave both my mind and hand-eye coordination an entertaining workout. In this age of virtual gaming, it's refreshing to physically feel the game in action; an alternative to the lifeless sensitivity of a mouse, or joy-stick.

The rules are simple to follow and it doesn't take but a few rounds to master the flow between balance, timing and one's own dexterity. The design is flawless and the pieces slide effortlessly when the correct angle is achieved. The advanced challenges, on the other hand, are not for the inexperienced as one works through the deck of easy-to-read cards (with the solutions on the back....but don't peek). Sharp minds will zip through the top of the deck, and although they will find all the levels fun (some solutions even made me giggle), they may find the advanced challenges more to their liking. This makes the game perfect for all ages from 8 and up.

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Kate's further comments:

The designers clearly gave much thought to the mechanics of the game, so that it can tilt only forward, back, left and right. No cheating by diagonal moves! The grooves in the board guide the pieces with little pegs as they slide, and all the parts feel very nice to handle. Tilt is another worthy companion to ThinkFun's superb River Crossing and Pathwords. Kudos to the designers for providing the world with so much good brain fun and benefits.

Buy ThinkFun Tilt Now

Perfect for travel and entertaining a child (or adult the challenges get super hard as you progress through the deck of 40!) for hours! Tilt challenges players to slide tokens back and forth, navigating around obstacles, all to get a specific token into the exit hole while keeping the others out!A great exercise in spatial and sequential logic, I keep one on my desk for a quick computer break and brain tuneup!

Read Best Reviews of ThinkFun Tilt Here

My 12 year old daughter loves this toy and the best thing about it, is that she can play it by herself.It is easy to learn and educational from a strategic thinking point of view and hand-eye coordination.

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Got this for my son for his twelfth birthday. He jumped right to the expert cards and got them all on the first try. I was sure he must be doing something wrong, so I tried it, as well. Ridiculously easy. I got his twin brother Rush Hour; I hope it's not as lame. Can't recommend at all. The game is recommended 8 to adult, but 8 seems like it should be the upper limit.

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