Kanoodle Gravity

My 8-year-old daughter and I have another version of Kanoodle (Kanoodle head-to-head, Amazon product ID: B078XHBSLT) and loved it. It helped give her a better understanding of shape and spatial awareness whilst at the same time being a fun little game. And this version, Kanoodle Gravity does the same.This Kanoodle is again pocket-sized (bonus as it takes little storage space unlike many another board game, and also makes this a portable game), with a connect-4 style (albeit much smaller) 6-by-5 grid with ten Tetris-style pieces which can fit inside it. The “gravity” part is because the pieces can only be inserted at the top and then fall to the bottom. There is also a game booklet that can sit inside the Kanoodle game board between uses (so shouldn’t get lost).There is a one-player mode (or co-op as we have been doing) and a two-player mode. The one-player mode sees the player setting up the board as per one of 40 layouts in the instruction-book. These layouts fill part of the grid with some of the Tetris-style pieces with the player having to fill the rest with the remaining pieces without leaving any gaps. At the end there should be no pieces left over. The first of these layouts are easy as there is only one piece left over which is used to fill the gap (I think they didn't need to start that basic but that's maybe just me), but the layouts become progressively more difficult, and the more difficult ones took us some time to do.The two-player game sees the players take turns in inserting pieces to the grid. The first player to go above the top of the grid loses so the object of the game is to force the other player over the top. This is a great game because a child can beat an adult at it, and my daughter does indeed beat me as much as I beat her. I prefer this to other games where the adult has an unfair advantage due to experience or dexterity even though this is a game of skill rather than luck.Overall this is a learning tool that is also a fun little game. It successfully makes learning (of shape and space) fun for children and it also doesn't have any batteries which is refreshing in this day and age.

Offers a good range of play activities for younger children (pattern matching) to older (strategy and outcome based). Nice to also have a physical toy for a change rather than a digital one - good for travelling and just generally a bit of different mentally challenging play.

This game is deceptively great.On the one hand, it seems a bit simple, not much to it, but it kept us very entertained over the Easter weekend, even my young niece enjoyed it, just sliding the piece in and out of the cage.The game is essentially Connect 4 crossed with Tetris. Players take turns to slide pieces in (and they're all the shape of classic Tetris pieces. If you can't lay a piece that lays wholly in the area of the frame you're out. To be honest, this doesn't really require much skill, yet it remains entertaining and great fun.More challenging is single player mode. The game comes with 40 different puzzles, each with the pieces in different orientations The puzzle is to get all the others to fit in. It starts off very easy, but becomes quite challenging, especially for children (aged from around 7 upwards).The whole family enjoyed playing around with the Kanoodle Gravity. It's compact and easy to store, so perfect for travelling. It's challenging without being annoying. It's a simple idea, perfectly executed.

There's a few different types of player that should enjoy this physical puzzle game.For two players, it's a quick fire "take that" game, where players will not just try to fit a piece of Tetris-type shape in to the drop down frame (a la Connect Four), but will also be working out how to prevent their opponent from doing so. The younger players will probably only be doing the former, trying to fit what comes next.Both approaches are a little limited due to the the small amount of puzzle pieces, however a larger game would be more daunting for children. Once you memorise which large pieces are played early, it's quite simple to fill the grid completely, meaning games are often decided on who starts. Maturer players enjoying the "take that" approach, will just frequently be counting pieces to see how the game will end, or counting spaces and working out options which can cause a little analysis paralysis. However, games are so quick, this is a very simple filler.Where it shines most, is the rafty of single player puzzles it offers. They range in difficulty and provoke a mental workout as the player works out whcih pieces are needed in which order to complete the frame. This means the game is suitable for very young players to get a better grasp of shapes and how they fit, all the way to adult players after a little mental stimulus, with the benefit that it offers social play if requried.It's well made, certainly robust and sturdy. The outer sleeve does not need to be retained. The puzzle guide can be kept in the folded up game itself. Pieces cannot be lost whilst folded and can easily be carried with the handle which is a part of the frame. Well conceived.Overall, a fun little puzzle for two. Great for kids as a learning aid too, but limited for adults unless as a single player distraction.

This is a simple travel game. Small enough to fit into a bag or even a large coat pocket. Well made and strong. The game is well thought out and has good basic instructions. Says for 7 year olds plus. Adults will enjoy too. (I did). Probably suit a you teenager on a train journey. Good value for money.