A vicious cycle of shards
Three challenge levels of Hiss! from Thinktank Games had me struggling with serpent segments. Stretching them out to the maximum length possible, coiling them into a tight ball and finally trying to get the tail in the mouth. I didn’t make much headway then, and didn’t do any better months later with Round Up either.
Retailing at a modest `129, Round Up from Thinktank Games has nine frosted acrylic shards that you need to urge into a circle.
The instructions dare you to solve the mystery in 15 minutes. You know you’re in trouble when you begin to see unresolved issues in your life symbolised in the disjointed pieces of a brainteaser. Working the shards at a furious pace, I hoped all would magically fall into place. They didn’t. Shifting to a more measured manner, I tried to set boundaries and work my way in. What seemed like a promising start quickly dissolved into a senseless scatter. The frustrated mind turned critical. I marvelled at the arrogance of the designer, who took a basic shape, shattered it into nine fragments, and made their re-assembly into a circle, worthy of marketing as a profound game of skill. Round Up is volume 15 of a seemingly endless series of brain teasers. Great buys. Great gifts. But I’m more convinced each time, that the biggest challenge is to get folks to spend time on these hugely stimulating exercises.
The author may be contacted at arup_kavan@yahoo.com
Post new comment