SmartGames is of all trades. Besides the kitty puzzle game Cats in Boxes, with a strong theme, it also publishes abstract puzzle games. One of these is Perplex – be amazed at the 120 challenges to fill a hexagon with colored pieces. Will you puzzle the hexagon together, or will you dissipate in sanity?
Perplex contains different plastic cubes that can be combined in at least 120 ways to form a hexagon. The difficulty level determines how many pieces are prearranged in the hexagon. The trick of this game is that each piece contains three-dimensional shapes, but all have to be placed two-dimensionally. As a result, you have to think carefully about how you can and should place each piece.
Unlike Tower Stacks or Cats in Boxes, from the same publisher, here the theme is non-existent. It is a real abstract puzzle with different shapes. This means that the game must draw all its strength from the puzzle mechanism. That mechanism is well thought out – you can tell by the endless possibilities. But if you’ve played it a few times, you might get the hang of the trick faster. Then it is very tempting to “bruteforce” every puzzle of this game: trying different combinations until you get the right answer. So don’t play it all at once.
The starter and junior difficulty levels are ideal for children. The expert difficulty level is a good starting point for adults. Perplex is a fun abstract puzzle game and stimulates your spatial understanding. In other words, it makes you perplex … for a puzzly moment.
