Tantrix - a Retailer's Review

[Editor's Note: Click here to read the GameFinder entry about this game]

Tantrix has sold over 3 million of its award winning game, and with good reason. It is has become a classic classroom and family game by simply following the Golden Rule of educational games: "Simple to Learn, Challenging to Master".

When you see the swarm of pieces for the first time, you panic a little and at the same time you get curious. When you see the cold rules of the game in writing it seems sophisticated - and bungled. But the magic happens as soon as you play with the pieces and the rules are routine after ten minutes. Tantrix unfolds as a game that appeals to a 7 year old child as well as a 77 year old grandma.

Tantrix is an abbreviation of tangled tracks and that is exactly the purpose of the game: to create the longest track or loop in your chosen colour. Once you get the idea, you are hooked. But this is only the tip of the iceberg.

Educational Value

The pieces are created for games of patience, jigsaw puzzles for children and difficult puzzles for adults. And because the Game Pack takes up very little room, it is easy to take to the holiday cottage or to the beach. We found that the game is naturally appealing to school age minds and even younger children try to make patterns with the colours thereby exercising logical thinking, sense of colour, general viewing and pattern recognition.

In classroom environments, the game pack is used not only for cognitive development but, like all good games also for the development of good memory and social skills. It exercises both spheres and requires imagination, not just strategy.

The "Game Pack" represents 12 years of game development. It contains the award winning multi-player game and enough solitaire puzzles and activities to last a lifetime. The set consists of 56 unique black tiles, all numbered and colour-coded on the reverse side, a practical travel bag and a new edition of the 50 page illustrated activity guide. Inside you'll find:

• 28 Discovery puzzles
• 5 Rainbow puzzles
• The Classics: Junior, Student, Professor, Master and Genius puzzles
• The "Two Unsolved Puzzles"
• Tantrix Solitaire
• Tantrix Strategy for 2-4 players

Awards and History

Tantrix has consistently won numerous awards for both the multiplayer game and the solitaire puzzles. The game has gained international recognition for its creativity, educational value and simply that it's fun to play. A leading UK newspaper, "The Independent", listed Tantrix 2nd in its "50 Most Creative Toys". The Paris Toy Fair voted it "Best New Game" and the Discovery was awarded "Puzzle of the Year" in Australia and "Toy of the Year" in Hungary.

• UK, NATLL, Good Toy 'Gold Award', 2003
• Hungary, Toy of the Year, 2003
• Sweden, Dagens Nyheter, Best Game, 2003
• UK, The Independent, 50 Most Creative Toys, 2001
• Australia, Puzzle of the Year, 2000
• Japan, Good Toy Award, 1997
• Games magazine, Top 10 Family Games, 1996
• USA, National Parenting Honours Award, 1996
• Germany, "Spiel gut" Award, 1995
• Paris toy fair, Best New Game, 1994

Tantrix Games Australia was created in 1998 after John Hanley and Angie La Motta obtained exclusive rights to Tantrix in Australia. This husband and wife team had already been in business together for 15 years running a management training company. Their love of getting people to think at the same time as having fun, has been the emphasis of their work, which they say fits Tantrix perfectly. Recently they were awarded "Australian Puzzle of the Year" for the Discovery puzzle.

This review was written by David Trounce, from www.gamesfromeverywhere.com.au