I’m sure you’ve heard of the Rubik’s Cube; some may even have tried solving it. But have you heard about the Rubik’s Gridlock?
The responses bring us to today’s topic – Rubik’s Gridlock Review.
Given the popularity of Rubik’s brand in Singapore, Rubik’s puzzles, except for the Rubik’s Gridlock, remain well-liked amongst many puzzle enthusiasts, students, and hobbyists who enjoy solving cubes for fun and competition.
But why is that so?
In today’s review, my team and I will be going through the play mechanic of the Rubik’s Gridlock game, followed by a deep-dive coverage, and then ending it with a conclusion as to whether this logic puzzle is the right one for you, your family, or your little child.
And while Rubik’s Gridlock isn’t widely coveted in Singapore, your mind may change after reading this.
Let’s dive right in!
What is Rubik's Gridlock?
Rubik’s Gridlock is a clever, strategy-based puzzle game that puts a brand new twist on the classic Rubik’s 3 x 3 concept, or even the brand itself.
Instead of twisting and turning a cube, you would flip over a challenge card (found inside the packaginng), place and position fixed starter pieces on the gaming board, then use your spatial reasoning and logic to fit the remaining blocks into place without moving the starter pieces.
There is only one correct answer to each puzzle, and there are altogether 88 unique challenges across four difficulty levels – beginner, intermediate, advanced, and expert.
The objective of the game is to fit the remaining coloured blocks onto the gaming board, alongside the starter pieces (without moving them), to form a complete coloured board.
What Is Included In The Box?
Inside the Rubik’s Gridlock game set, you’ll find everything you’d need to solve the logic puzzle:
- 1 Game Board / Travel Case
- 11 Puzzle Blocks
- 88 Challenge Cards
1 Game Board
This is the base or the foundation of what the entire game is built upon. All the loose pieces for every challenge will be placed and arranged here.
11 Puzzle Blocks
These are the coloured pieces that you must fit onto the board for each difficulty challenge.
88 Challenge Cards
A variety of cards showing the puzzle challenges – from setups to clue patterns across four difficulty levels.
1 Instruction Manual
Not sure how this puzzle game works? Rubik’s has got your back! An instruction manual provided inside the packaging allows for ease of understanding of the game before you or your child starts playing.
How Does Rubik's Gridlock Work?
The goal of this family-fun, logic game is to fit all the remaining colored blocks onto the grid so that the board is completely filled without moving the starter blocks.
This may sound straightforward and easy, but trust me – it’s not!
As you progress through the game and difficulty levels, the challenge increases, making it a fun test of your spatial reasoning and logic.
To understand how to play the Rubik’s Gridlock completely, we’ve come up with a separate How-to Guide on how to play in a kid-and-parent-friendly way!
Further Reading:
How to play the Rubik’s Gridlock
Benefits Of Playing Rubik's Gridlock
Solving the Rubik’s Cube does bring about its own set of challenges, and of course, its cognitive benefits.
(I can already brainstorm a few of the key learning benefits that it helps develop while writing this review.)
The good news is that Rubik’s Gridlock is no exception.
Some of the educational benefits from playing Rubik’s Gridlock include:
- Strategic Thinking
- Spatial Awareness
- Problem-Solving
- Independent Learning
- Screen-free Brain Engagement
- Patience and Persistence Building
In fact, I would argue that some of the educational benefits and cognitive pros that your child gets from playing this puzzle game are the same as those that they would get from playing instruments or reading a map.
Educational and Cognitive Benefits
Strategic Thinking
- Your child must think ahead and consider how each block that’s being placed will affect the rest of the grid. As a result, what Rubik’s Gridlock teaches is that your child would learn a strategy-first approach when it comes to solving a challenge, thus helping them learn to evaluate options before acting.
Spatial Awareness
- Rubik’s Gridlock helps strengthen your child’s ability to visualise shapes, spaces, and how every piece fits and/or complements together. Your child would learn to mentally rotate and position blocks, improving spatial reasoning and awareness, which is a
Problem-solving
- Each difficulty level presents a unique puzzle with only one correct solution. As a result, your child has to learn to analyse clues, test hypotheses, and adapt a trial-and-error approach when something doesn’t work.
Independent Learning
- Your child can learn to play and progress at their own pace with every challenge! With the self-guided challenge cards provided in the packaging, they definitely help build autonomy without the ened for constant supervision when learning.
Screen-free Brain Engagement
- As a hands-on, family-fun puzzle, this game offers mental stimulation for your child without the use of screens. This will be a great way to keep their minds active while reducing their screen time!
Emotional Benefits
Patience and Persistence Building
- Some puzzles and difficulty levels are made challenging intentionally, which got me to take multiple attempts to solve. Hence, I feel that Rubik’s Gridlock encourages you or your child to stay calm, try different strategies and never give up when faced with challenges.
Quality And Design Review: My Honest Opinion
Material Quality and Durability
The Rubik’s Gridlock is honestly sturdy and solid in hands. That goes without saying, as it is built with sturdy, well-finished plastic pieces! Here are a few findings I have:
- The blocks don’t bend easily, and the challenge cards are made from thick material that can resist creasing with regular use.
- They are suitable for repeated use and play in either a classroom or during travelling, as they hold up well.
Visual Design and Clarity
The puzzle pieces are distinctively vibrant with a very colourful theme. This bold colour choices make Rubik’s Gridlock easy to distinguish from the rest, at a glance.
Each challenge card includes clear diagrams that is easy to follow for your child, and show exactly where the starter pieces should go on the board!
In my opinion, this is an intuitive and well-thought-out design from the Rubik’s team that helped me stay focused on solving the puzzles and spend more time thinking than deciphering instructions!
Compact and Travel-friendly
When it comes to pocket-sized travel board games, the size matters to me a lot. The game’s components are packed neatly into the compact board (your game board), which makes it easy for me to bring along my trips, and I’m sure it can do the same for your child’s school trips.
One thing which I adore so much about the design is the latch or the lock mechanism that helps keep everything inside the game board in place, and not falling out when opened.
According to the Rubik’s offical page, this is an “innovative latch system” that lets you close the board securely so that the pieces don’t fall off when you bring the puzzle game along for travelling etc.
Overall, this Rubik’s Gridlock game doesn’t take up much shelf space, and yet still provides so much fun and educational value. So worth!
Pros and Cons: What Are My Honest Opinions
Pros
Wide Difficulty range
With its puzzles that span from beginner to expert levels, this Rubik’s Gridlock can challenge you and your child in so many ways. Your child can start off with easier challenges, while you can tackle more complex logic tests.
That’s what you get for a kids-friendly puzzle game!
Compact and Travel-friendly
The entire board game goes into a neat case, making it easy to bring along on your trips, whether it’s plane journeys or bus rides to school. If you’re looking for a pocket-sized, friendly board game, this can be added to your list too!
Builds Real-world Skills From Young
Adding on to the cognitive skills and educational value that playing Rubik’s Gridlock would impart, this game helps develop your child’s learning and skillset from a young age.
Parents and educators alike – Are you looking for play to have learning values? Look no further!
Cons
May Be Challenging For Younger Kids
I’ve lost count of how many times I got stuck at certain higher-level challenges, without checking for clues. To me, some of these higher-level puzzles may be frustrating for your younger child, who hasn’t yet developed strong logic or patience. Therefore, certain difficulty levels may require adult guidance.
Primarily Single-player
Most of the challenges for Rubik’s Gridlock are designed for one person to solve at a time. For those who are looking for cooperative problem-solving games, you may be disappointed.
The game isn’t structured for shared or cooperative gameplay in the way some board games are.
Family-fun Cooperative Alternatives:
Is The Rubik's Gridlock Worth Buying?
I personally feel that the Rubik’s Gridlock is a thoughtfully designed logic puzzle that delivers high educational and fun value for both you and your child.
However, when deciding whether it deserves a spot on your game shelf, you should evaluate how well it delivers thse values as compared to other logic games from Thinkfun.
If you’re getting for someone who enjoys challenges that are brain-stimulating such as Sudoku, then the Rubik’s Gridlock will be able to deliver a satisfying play experience for them. This game allows for the development of critical-thinking skills and test different approaches – soft skills that extend beyond playtime.
Next, with over 40 unique challenges that span across four difficulty levels, there are more than enough puzzles of varying levels that help keep the experience fresh and engaging over time. Definitely great for repeat play!
Finally, as a parent or educator, if you’re looking for a reliable, screen-free puzzle game that is portable, yet engaging and fun, look no further than this. Overall, I’d rate this puzzle game a 9/10 for its educational value and travel-friendliness.
Note:
You may shop at Lancashire Toys e-store here if you’re interested in picking up the Rubik’s Gridlock.
Who Is It Suitable For?
In my opinion, the Rubik’s Gridlock is perfect for:
- Puzzle lovers who enjoy thoughtful challenges
- Parents who are looking for screen-free, pocket-friendly games that build skills
- Educators who are seeking engaging logic activities
Who May Not Enjoy It?
- Players who prefer social and group-based games
- Younger children without guidance
- Players who want a game story or a theme
- Fast-paced gameplay players
- Players who don’t enjoy repetitive games
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