Parents' Guide to Zoombinis

Although the Zoombinis are cute little creatures, this creative logic game has plenty of tough puzzles in store for kids and adults. Kids are likely to be inspired by the idea of leading Zoombinis to freedom, and the wacky characters they meet along the way make the puzzles playful. Frustration is definitely possible, since the game gets more difficult as kids solve puzzles. But, even when some Zoombinis are left behind, kids know they can return with a future group and pick up any stragglers, so a temporary loss doesn't mean failure; it'll actually help kids push through frustration and persevere. Despite the educational arguments for not providing any sort of tutorial, a bit more help would be nice. Even a stronger introduction -- less about the narrative and more about how to play -- would go a long way to making this accessible for those who haven't already experienced the game. In terms of going from a computer screen to a mobile device, some of the images are quite small, making them a bit tricky to discern on a phone, so a tablet is probably the way to go. Don't let these few drawbacks hold you back from trying this addictive yet highly educational puzzler: It was groundbreaking when it launched, and it definitely withstands the test of time.