Remember the wooden triangle and golf tees puzzle? This is a lot like that, with a twist. Patience, problem solving and puzzling skills are put to the test as players jump over a field of blue pegs, one-by-one, until only the orange peg is left.

New diabolical solitaire game pattern defines which way a player can jump, increasing the level of difficulty. Challenges start simple then build in complexity as players develop their strategies. Guaranteed to keep players entertained for hours and improve sequential thinking skills.

Check out other great puzzles from Thinkfun!

Blokus is a game that our staff agreed instantly, is very, very good. Each player is trying to put more of her blocks onto the board than anyone else. We sometimes say that Blokus is a hands-on multi-player Tetris.

Each player has a selection of differently shaped pieces. One piece is a single square, others are 2,3,4 and 5 squares in different configurations. A player's pieces may only be put down such that their corners touch. Pieces of one color may not line up along an edge. Naturally you will want to put down your pieces in a way that stymies the competition and keeps your options open.

Easily learned and fun to play. Adapts readily to 2,3, or 4 players (All four colors are played in every game). If there are fewer players, they take turns placing the "neutral" pieces on the board.

This two-player game has been a staple of The Game Preserve's Head-to-Head department for almost ten years. Perhaps its popularity is attributable to the substantial feel and charm of the wooden pieces, perhaps the spatial challenge inherent in the play.

The board is a grid, representing the layout of a medieval city. Each player has a set of differently shaped wooden buildings; one set is stained brown, the other left blond. A grey building--the cathedral--is placed on the board to begin the game. Players try to enclose areas of the city with their own color buildings; once an area is enclosed, only that player may place his buildings within that area. Play ends when the board is filled, or when the buildings left over cannot be fit into any of the space left open on the board. The player with the fewest buildings left over is the winner. Cathedral takes 15-30 minutes to play, and is especially popular with fans of spatial-relation puzzles! If you put Cathedral out on the coffee table, it WILL be played.

Originally produced in Australia, this game has gone through several versions in the last decade--it was first a very classy-looking wood board game, then appeared briefly in a plastic version, and is now back to its original look. Though we sometimes get requests for plastic Cathedral, it is no longer available this way.

The object of the game is to align your four pegs in a row, while preventing your opponent from doing the same. In order to zigzag around the game board and maneuver your pegs into position, you must bridge the gaps between holes with "roads" only you can travel on. Be the first you align your four pegs horizontally, vertically, or diagonally-and zigzag your way to victory.

You and an opponent take turns trying to make patterns from the two kinds of game pieces. The more complex the pattern, the more points you win. The pattern of circles on the game board forms the ancient symbol called the Flower of Life, inscribed on pyramid walls by the Egyptians over 6,000 years ago and studied in depth by Leonardo Da Vinci.

2005 Best Game Award Winner for: * Mensa Select Award * Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Platinum Seal * Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Gold Seal * Parent's Choice Approved

Contains: Game board, score pad, 144 playing pieces, instruction sheet and historical notes

This brain-teaser starts easy and gets harder as you progress. The object is to build perfect units called "pentas" by placing a certain number of Pentaminos on the board.

The game comes with 10 different pentominos, which are wooden shapes equivalent to five attached cubes. Also included are 8 smaller pieces the sizes of 1, 2, and 3 cubes. The 12 x 5.5 inch wooden game board is a grid, which you limit by placing the "setting stick" progressively further along.

The two player version entails dividing the board with the setting stick. Players take turns placing pentaminos on their own sides. Last to place a pentamino wins.

Rumis is the Incan word for stone. In this game, each player tries to use the most pieces in building a structure. It is similar to our old favorite Pueblo, but simpler. Some folks liken it to 3D Tetris; others, to 3D Blokus.

Each begins with eleven "stones" made up of between 2 and 4 wooden cubes. In turn, they try to place stones on the board, carefully observing three rules: A stone must touch a previously placed stone of one's own color (except for the first round, where a stone must touch a previously placed stone of any color). The height of the structure must not exceed the limit shown on the board. And, hereís what makes planning tricky, overhangs are not allowed.

Any player who cannot place a stone according to these conditions passes for the rest of the game. Once all have passed the final score is calculated by counting the number of cubes of each color visible looking at the top of the building and subtracting the number of stones of that color, which could not be placed. The player with the most points wins the game. The box contains four boards with different levels of difficulty requiring different tactics.