Block by Block

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Block by Block is the last one of the "By" series by ThinkFun I'm reviewing. Previously reviewed are Brick by Brick, Shape by Shape and Square by Square. All puzzles are very interesting and some, more than others, are quite challenging but fun to play with.

Block by Block is essentially the 7-piece Soma Cube, invented by Piet Hein, but with a new presentation. Sivhy Farhi was responsible for researching new shapes which are included in the form of 60 challenging puzzles. Presented in a light blue durable plastic, the game is also the most difficult in the series.

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The challenges in the other three games can be solvable in a flat surface as a 2D puzzle. However, because the challenges in Block by Block have to be built in 3D, it becomes much harder to visualize the intended shapes. The most common shape to build is, of course, a 3x3x3 cube, but there are countless other shapes you can build. You have 60 different challenges to get more familiarized with the puzzle's concept, and after that you should have your skills improved to try and make your own shapes. All challenges must be solved with all seven pieces.

The cards are not separated by difficulty, so you can choose the ones you like most and the difficulty should be about the same for all of them. If you get stuck with any of the challenges you can always flip the cards and check out the hints at the back that help you see how the pieces should be placed. Some of the challenges are a little difficult to see how the back side of the image should look like. One strategy is to try and build the shape as you see it in the image and the rest will eventually come to you. Each of the 60 challenges have multiple solutions, so there's many ways to achieve the same objective.

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Closing Comments:

Whether you prefer 2D or 3D puzzles, the "By" series have something for everybody. The Block by Block may be the hardest, but it's also the most versatile, giving you the ability to built millions of different shapes with the 7 pieces provided.

Availability: Block by Block can be purchased at PuzzlesdeIngenio.com. More ThinkFun games here.

Links:

ThinkFun's Official Website