Thrift Treasure: Logiq Tower Puzzle
When we’re shopping at thrift, you probably already know that we’re on the hunt for board games. At most stores the shelves are also populated with various jigsaw puzzles from all decades. We’ve only purchased one once, and only because it was still sealed. There really isn’t a good way to check an open box to see if it is complete. And no one likes putting together a puzzle, only to find out the final piece is nowhere to be found.
Another type of puzzle we sometimes grab are game-like titles similar to the ones we feature by ThinkFun. Recently we’ve purchased The Uptight Spider, Switchback and a metal example of the classic Horseshoe Puzzle. All of these challenge a different part of our brain and were worth multiples of the few dollars we spent on them.
This week we picked up Logiq Tower, a newer puzzle game by Great Circle Works, that reminded us a bit of the Tree Puzzle we bought in 2015 and which Kennedy showed the world how fast she could solve. This colorful puzzle also utilizes a wooden spoke to hold the pieces in place. These 3-D polyomino parts come in three colors for easy identification and lock together in a way that prevents the whole thing from falling apart.
There is but one goal in Logiq Tower – to create a complete multi-level tower of blocks without any gaps or extruding pieces. The difficulty is set by the number of levels you’re trying to make. From a simple 2-level stump (easiest) to a 5-level tower (hardest), each stage has an increasing number of possible solutions.
The simplest challenge only requires six pieces and has 23 possible solutions, with the next using nine pieces and features 2,294 configurations. The 4-level building uses twelve of the polyominos and can be arranged into 13,588 different ways, while the hardest version utilizes all fifteen parts and boasts 6,164 combinations!
A couple example answers are provided, but the fun comes in discovering your own solutions. There is no time limit or turns to take since it is basically a one-person challenge. A great spatial learning tool for young kids and a relaxing puzzle to work on for the rest of us. You probably won’t find this at thrift very often, but can pick up new copies on Amazon or at special retailers.
What is your favorite non-jigsaw puzzle?
