John "Widgett" Robinson    
Needcoffee.com
May 2003

“Heed my warning. Do not be fooled. Sure, they look like quaint little games--but these are really subversive mindbenders--and are powerfully addictive. You see, there's a reason three of them were chosen to be among the five Mensa Select-honored games this year (Quadtria is the odd game out, but it's no slouch either). First up--none of this cardboard fold-out game boards crap. These are wooden boards with elegantly simply pieces. You take care of these games and they will last you for a long time. Second, reading the rules a few times over, you think--oh, this is going to be easy. Wrong. You will be forced to think. You will be forced to strategize. And you will be forced, in many cases, to try and screw your opponent over. Sounds like something just up our collective alley, yes? For example, in Cityscape, you're trying to use different sized blocks to build a city that looks like your secret plan dictates--which is all well and good until your opponent starts counter-building to foil you. And Chinese Checkers is to the game Octiles what Pixie Stix are to crack cocaine. Get your pieces to the other side of the board first--again, simple--until you realize that the board you have to cross is a different whacked-out maze every game. We love these things. Any puzzle or game lover on your list will devour them.“

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