MindWare Qwirkle Board Game

This has quickly become a family favorite! I would call it a mix between sudoku and dominos where you have to match colors and/or shapes without repeating any color or shape in a row. If youre lucky enough to get all 6 of either a shape or color in one turn, you get the maximum points which is called a Qwirkle. There is a lot of strategy involved and you have to look in all directions to make sure you are getting the most points possible. A couple of times weve noticed that someone had actually repeated a shape or color and no one noticed for a couple of turns which was quite funny, but we kept on and finished anyway. There are 6 shapes and 6 colors with 3 of every tile so the possibilities are endless!! It takes about 20-30 minutes to play depending on how fast or slow some of the players are, so it doesnt take forever. Weve found even some young kids are able to pick up on this although they might need a little bit of assistance. Great family game!

I only have one complaint, I wish the cubes were a different color, the blue from the green are very hard to see because of the black cubes, at least at my age. We mostly play in the evening at my dinning room table with the lights above. Outside in sunlight probably would be better. This game is a great family and friends game, no matter the age!

I like that it makes you think.

Our four-year-old was able to play it (with just a little help). Good for all ages.

Nice

Great game I had found in a classroom and thought it was a great gift for my 4th grade granddaughter.

We bought this game for a couple that we exchange gifts with at Christmas every year. I had never heard of the game before but thought it was worth a try. We get together every couple of months and play games as 2 couples or sometimes adding a few extra. Our friends absolutely love this game. They play it almost every night in their home. They are in their late 60s. We are in our 50s. The last time they came over to play games we added our daughter-in-law who is 25. Together it was such a fun game to play across the age spectrum. 3 of us were just learning and were able to jump in and repeatedly laugh at each other as we learned. The game has great strategy to it in lining up colors and shapes to make 5 in a row but is not overwhelming in trying to learn it. I would highly recommend this as a mid-teen to seniors game!

got this for a gift

A lot of people are talking about receiving the game with missing instructions & pouch. Mine was also missing the instructions & pouch. However, I contacted Amazon, and promptly received a replacement along with a free-shipping RMA. To my surprise, the new one was very different. First, the box is much bigger. It also has different labeling on the front. Most importantly, it seems to be made by different companies. The original smaller box (missing instructions & pouch) is made by Smart Elephant, where the new larger one is made by MindWare. There are also a few other differences in the front. The backs are completely different. I wont detail each difference, but I will post pics showing the differences. After seeing the pouch and instructions, I dont see how the Smart Elephant version *could* contain the pouch alone, not to mention the pouch *and* instructions. The tiles are such a snug fit in the box, it would have to bulge in order for the folded pouch -- and particularly the draw-strings -- to fit. And this is even though the bottom-front cover of the Smart Elephant box clearly states Instructions Included, and the back also lists 1 bag and 1 instruction booklet in the list of components. So Im not sure if this is a counterfeit or if its just poor production. Regardless, if you dont get the MindWare version, you should probably contact Amazon for a replacement. If anyone has the Smart Elephant version and it contains the instructions and pouch, please post in the comments. As for the game itself, I think its great. Its sort of a mix between Scrabble and Uno, where you have 6 sets of shapes and 6 sets of colors (36 total unique tiles x 3 of each tile = 108 total tiles). When you place a tile, it has to match *either* the shape *or* the color of the set of all adjacent tiles. You score a point for each tile in any set(s) you create/extend (similar to scoring in Scrabble), plus a bonus 6 tiles for any sets (of 6 colors or shapes) you complete. The set youre creating/extending cannot contain two of the same shape (for a color set) or two of the same color (for a shape set) -- each set has to be made up of 6 or less unique tiles of the same color or shape. Regarding age, the game is rated for six and up, though it could probably be played by an even younger audience. Of course, younger players may not be able to use strategy to the same level older players can, but most will still be able to have a good time. Our six-year-old actually was able to pull off some pretty clever moves against us (beating the three of us in the end), but at other times, he struggles. The other thing to take into account is the level of patience some younger players may need while everyone else is trying to figure out their move. It may make sense to play less strategically in the interest of speed to keep their interest. This may be the biggest issue for us, and depending on the mood, a more fast-paced game may be more appropriate. Regarding quality, the tiles (in the edition as of this writing) are painted wood. We havent played enough to determine if they will eventually wear, but they seem of good enough quality. The pouch (assuming you get one!) can be used to store the tiles when not being used, as well as being used to draw from during play.

Love this game. Easy to learn and lots of fun!