PuzzleMaster

Rush Hour

Posted on Mar 15, 2013 by Gabriel | 4 comments
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If you're an avid puzzle collector like me or remotely interested in logic puzzle games, you've probably come across Rush Hour by ThinkFun one time or another. Launched in 1996, Rush Hour took a long ride before reaching today's recognizable design, since Nob Yoshigahara's Tokyo Parking puzzle. You can read more details about the game's creation here, and more about its inventor here.

Rush Hour has something special about it that draws you in and keeps getting more and more addictive as you play. It's because of Rush Hour that I have today in my collection more than a dozen different logic games from ThinkFun and other brands.

The goal of this game is very easy to understand, although some of the later challenges can be a little frustrating. The included 40 challenge cards are grouped in different levels of difficulty, though, so you have this real feeling of progression.

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There are 16 colored vehicles (4 trucks and 12 cars). The bright red one is your car, which you should get out of the traffic jam. You start by setting up the cars as shown in the chosen challenge card. When you're done, you have to slide the cars back and forth in their direction of movement and make way for the red car to slide out the opening in the grid. One of the only rules you should always follow is that you can't lift up the cars when you're trying to solve a challenge. Sliding is the only way out.

The game is now so popular that ThinkFun has launched additional packs, each including 40 extra challenges and a new car, and even different versions, like the Rush Hour Jr. or the Safari Rush Hour. If you're a gadget geek, there's also something for you, like the Rush Hour App with a whopping 2500 challenges.

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Closing Comments:

Rush Hour has sold millions of copies since 1996, so I'm not saying nothing new by recommending you this superb puzzle game. It's suited for all ages (8 to adult) and the different levels of difficulty make it accessible for everyone to play it. When you get into this type of logic puzzle games, there's a whole world of them waiting to be discovered.

Availability: My copy of Rush Hour came from Sloyd in Finland and it's available from about €20.


4 comments:

mhuti said...

I can't remember how many copies of this game I have bought in the past (mostly second hand). It is a great puzzle for students with free time and an inclination to fiddle with something. There are some addons as well, extra cars/trucks/cards etc. Nice to see this game given a write up Gabriel.

Gabriel said...

Thanks mhuti.
It's a pleasure to write about a classic game, which in one way or another has inspired so many others.

Kevin said...

I have to say that this is one of the few puzzles that I actually prefer as an app for computer or iPhone. It makes the setting up of each puzzle so much quicker!

Kevin
Puzzlemad

Gabriel said...

Setting up the puzzles is also fun. Part of the game. Although, I understand that after a couple of dozen straight puzzles it gets tiring. The ideal is to play like 10 puzzles each session.

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