Pyramid Review
ZenBenders
Published by Out of the Box Publishing
Designed by Ariel Laden, Ellen Winter, Mark Osterhaus, Al Waller, & Matt Mariani
Illustrations & graphics by John Kovalic & Cathleen Quinn-Kinney
Eight picture cubes, one Out of the Box "die," instructions, 36 puzzle diagrams, plastic container; $9.99
Remember the tile puzzles of youth, with the pieces that slide about? With only one open space, there were just so many ways those squares could be shifted. Success meant completing a picture of some sort, but in the meantime one constantly had to give up what precious progress he had made to find the solution. Those puzzlers have graduated now, with Out of the Box's new ZenBenders.
The object of this one-player game is to complete the puzzle in as little time as possible.
The two biggest differences between the toys of yesteryear and this new breed of noodle-scratchers are a) the variations available and b) the addition of a third dimension. The puzzle is a round, handheld plastic base with space for nine playing pieces in a three-by-three arrangement, but instead of simple tiles the game uses "dice" or picture cubes. One of the nine bits is just a placeholder with the Out of the Box logo on it; it keeps everything firmly packed during delivery or storage, but gets set aside during play.
There isn't a single picture to be formed with these devices. Rather, a selection of associated images covers all sides of the eight cubes and, depending on the puzzle card used, the target . . .
This article originally appeared in the second volume of Pyramid. See the current Pyramid website for more information.
Article publication date: July 18, 2008
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