Thrift Treasure: Pentago

Four times a year Barnes & Noble puts a good selection of games on sale. They have limited shelf space for games and they regularly clearance them out to make room for new issues. They begin at 50% off, move to 75% off a few weeks later and then are finally blown out for a couple bucks each, regardless of the original MSRP.

Each time we drop by our B&N, I take time to wander through the game aisles to see both the new titles and ones I think might hit the clearance bin. One I’ve noticed for some time is Pentago by MindTwister USA. Having been issued originally in 2005, I was sure it would eventually be available at 50% off. But each time the sale hit, it was still on the regular shelf.

This is one time my patience paid off as I found a copy at our local Goodwill for under $3 ($2.88 to be exact). Pentago is an abstract game (yes, my favorite type) and is unique in that it also doubles as a travel-friendly game thanks to the included plastic lid.

You might think of Pentago as Tic-Tac-Toe on steroids. Your goal is to get five in a row of your color while preventing your opponent from doing the same. But not only do you place a marble on the board, you also rotate one of the quadrants on each turn!

This feature alone makes it so much more difficult to plan ahead since your opponent will obviously turn the board to their favor (or in a manner that will prevent you from an ideal move). You also need to be able to visualize possible turn combinations since most wins come from the turn, not the marble placement.

Expect a round of Pentago to last only 20 minutes or so and is correctly advertised for ages 6+. Pentago is the recipient of a number of industry awards, including the coveted Mensa Select and Creative Child Magazine’s Game of the Year!

Find your own copy on Amazon for under $20 or pick one up at your local Barnes & Noble! MindTwister USA has a number of versions of Pentago in different colors and even one for more than two players! Let them know you’d like to see more of their products covered on SahmReviews!