Gravity Maze is a fun puzzle solving game that combines really cool looking game pieces with a neat kinetic element that is sure to bring hours of entertainment into your home. Unlike most puzzles, Gravity Maze features a unique 3D spatial design where the goal is to build a path for a marble to travel from the entry point to the end Target Tower. An included deck of cards contains 60 different puzzles to solve, with each one having only a single solution. Figuring out how to place the structures and dropping in the marble to see if you were correct is surprisingly intellectually stimulating and even a little thrilling. And, if you ever get stuck on a particular maze the back of the cards provide the solution, which is helpful for the really challenging levels or for individuals that get easily frustrated.
Gravity Maze is intended for solo play, which means it offers a great single player experience. However, it is equally enjoyable for siblings to tackle a puzzle together or for a parent to guide their child through tough maze structure placements. I found that a group of siblings, in my personal experience it was a group of three, can easily share in the satisfaction of completing a maze and hearing the exciting “plink” that signifies the marble found its way home. Another easy way to enable a multiplayer aspect is to see who can complete the same maze in the shortest time.
The educational side of Gravity Maze should not be overlooked. Sure, the fun factor will keep your child engaged for hours, but at the same time they will be improving their problem solving skills and increasing their spatial reasoning. Often, figuring out something on their own is the most rewarding part of learning for a child and Gravity Maze offers a tangible hands-on method of experimenting with cause and effect that also offers a sense of accomplishment.
If you are anything like me, it won’t take long before you start building your own mazes from scratch. The building/construction aspect of Gravity Maze is just as entertaining as solving the maze itself. For me, it brought back memories of Mouse Trap, but Gravity Maze is more polished, modern, and designed specifically for construction. While setting up Mouse Trap was certainly fun, there was really only one way to do it and the charm wore off fairly quick. Gravity Maze was created with multiple set up options in mind. Varied construction is at the core of Gravity Maze so it won’t become stale anytime soon.
The components are top notch, with the tower parts being entirely made of plastic; the same goes for the game board itself. The marbles are metal, and three come in the box, so you don’t have to worry about losing one. Storage is great, with every piece having a specific spot it can fit into. Setting up the game or cleaning it up after playing, is easy and quick; everything fits nicely in the box. The rules are very simple and straightforward. The puzzles range in difficulty so both kids and adults will find the game challenging. With 60 different, unique puzzle cards in the box, completing them all will take quite some time. Combine this with the joy of creating your own Gravity Maze masterpieces and the replayability skyrockets.
If you like solving puzzles or constructing marble mazes, and really who doesn’t, then you should definitely check out Gravity Maze. For those seeking both a challenging and entertaining single player game, Gravity Maze is certainly worth consideration.
***Update*** Gravity Maze just won Specialty Toy of the Year! Check out the details here: TOTY Awards.