Visionary at work
Trio Vision from the Dr Wood Challenge Centre is a cunning game of logic, visualisation and strategy. The instruction sheet assures me that it will vastly improve my arithmetic skills as well. The disarmingly innocent looking 4x4 play grid didn’t deceive me for even a moment.
I’ve come across way too many brutal games of strategy, built on such guile. The eight pieces (two each of yellow, blue, red and green) are set up in fixed positions at the start of play. The vision deck of 60 cards is shuffled, and 12 cards are neatly arranged around the sides of the grid.
All players go simultaneously, scanning the vision cards, and figuring which of the 12 patterns they can match by moving just one piece to any unoccupied square on the grid. The first to set up a match claims the vision card. A fresh vision card takes its place. The winner is the player who collects the most cards. Sometimes, you come up against a dead end, where no match is possible. The first to call the situation (which is usually followed by intense scrutiny by the other players), gets to move two pieces to help break the log jam.
Trio Vision works in single and multi-player modes. The instructions suggest some play variations as well. I can immediately think of a few people will struggle with this game.
They have an intense aversion to games that require abstract reasoning, and seeing patterns in the mind. Trio Vision doesn’t allow you the luxury of physically trying out a move. You have to be able to move a piece in your mind’s eye. And then looking at the vision challenges spread out across the table, must be able to plot at least a few moves ahead.
The eight pieces on the grid are tightly packed. At any moment, anyone might unexpectedly squeeze themselves into a position you didn’t even consider possible. You have to think on your feet. And quicker than the others around you!
— The author may be contacted at arup_kavan@yahoo.com
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