SmartGames Color Code — Transparent Tile STEM Logic Puzzle, Ages 5+

Honestly, I’m usually very skeptical of five-star toy reviews because I’ve been disappointed too many times after buying a “highly rated” toy that turned out to be basic, poorly made, or fun for only a few minutes. That’s why I don’t say this lightly. The SmartGames Puzzle Game is genuinely worth it! It’s fun and educational at the same time, very well made, simple to use, and offers a wide range of challenge combinations that keep things interesting. It’s mentally stimulating in all the right ways for my four-year-old, pushing her to think, try different approaches, and solve problems instead of just playing passively, which I truly appreciate. This is honestly the first toy I’ve ever felt compelled to review, and that alone says a lot. We’ve enjoyed it so much that I’ll definitely be buying more from SmartGames, and I can’t recommend this game enough.

I bought this for my grandkids a few months ago (two 5-year-olds boys and 7-year-old girl). They really like this! It's not a game, but can be used as a noncompetitive game between a child and adult - I don't think it would be fun with more than two. The small booklet that comes with it has a lot of different designs to try to copy, with the easiest ones at the beginning, working up to master-level of difficulty. The booklet is easy for children to navigate, because the levels of difficulty are color-coded. The answers are all in the back (also color-coded according to difficulty level), if you need to peek. The kids have felt triumphant as they become able to do designs that are a higher difficulty. The harder ones are challenging even for me; sometimes I've had to peek at the solutions. The kids have enjoy this so much that they want to play with it every time they come. We take turns, with the child choosing the difficulty level that they want, and with me choosing one from the back. The quality of the game is great - I'm sure we'll have this for many years. I will be looking at more of this company's games.

This game looked really fun to me. Bought it for my 5 year old to play during a road trip and it worked out really well. He likes it a lot and I feel like it is a decent mental workout for him. It's not like any other games we own, which I really appreciate. The pieces are large and attractive and there are enough puzzles to really get a chance to enjoy it. Unlike other SmartGames puzzles we own, this one is very much doable by a young child at the expert level. I'd say it's fun to play with it as an adult, but I can't see an adult actually being challenged by this game. So, rather than 5-99, I'd say maybe 4-8 max. Games like IQ link on the other hand are quite challenging for me as well as my son. I do recommend this game, it is very fun and a great idea.

I think it’s fun for both kids and adults! Has Solutions section at the end of the book

This is a great game. The easy levels are super easy, but the hard levels will challenge adults. It's a really fun game to play with your kid and you can always select an appropriate level for them. I played it with a 3-year-old and a 9-year-old and also tried myself. We all found an appropriate level. If I could give it 6 stars, I would.

We love this game! We play as a family, my kids play together and they can play it alone. It has a ton of different patterns and a lot of different tiles so you will not get bored of all the options.

My daughter adores logic puzzles and has eight of them now, seven of which are made by SmartGames. I recently went on a bit of a buying spree because we had an 18-hour car ride ahead of us (and 18 hrs back) plus her birthday is next month. This review is to address something I didn't see in any of the reviews I read--and granted I was in a bit of a hurry--which is the appropriate age range for the games as they compare to one another, ie if you are deciding between games. IN MY EXPERIENCE, the lower end of the age range is most appropriate. For example, Night and Day is listed as 36mos-6 years but my girl who turns five next month does the puzzles without having even to think about them. In other words, no challenge whatsoever. We just bought it and already it's obsolete. Luckily, inside one of the games was a "US Collection" brochure which lists all SmartGames and their target age. If you are hunting around for a logic game and aren't sure where to start, use this chart. And yes, they really are this age-specific. I can see an obvious progression in required thinking/logic skills between a recommended age 3 game, a recommended age 4 game, and the recommended age 5 games. (And no wonder she's not interested in Anti-Virus--it's for seven-year-olds! Something I failed to notice as I got caught in the "clicking around amazon" rabbit hole.) Anyway, here is the info from the catalog: 3+ Day & Night 3+ Castle Logix 3+ Trucky 3 3+ SmartCar 4+ Camelot Jr (we have gotten hours of play out of this one) 5+ Bill & Betty Bricks 5+ Color Code 5+ Pirates Hide & Seek 5+ the GoGetter games 'Cat & Mouse' and 'Prince & Dragon' (These are exactly the same game just themed differently.) 5+ Magnetic Travel Waterworld 5+ Magnetic Travel Magic Forest 5+ Magnetic Travel Busy Bugs 5+ Magnetic Travel Noah's Ark 6+ IQ Fit 6+ IQ Twist 6+ Aqua Belle 6+ North Pole Camouflage 6+ Penguins on Ice 6+ Chicken Shuffle 7+ bendit 7+ Temple Trap 7+ Anaconda 7+ SmartPhone 7+ Safari Hide & Seek 7+ Road Block 7+ Cannibal Monsters 7+ Anti-Virus 7+ Troy: Outside The Walls 8+ MetroVille 8+ Traffic Control Airport 8+ Titanic As always, I love the learning component, the progression in difficulty of the puzzles, and the quality of the games! And most fit back into the box (Bill & Betty Bricks, Camelot Jr), are self contained in that the board is also the case for the pieces (Color Code, Pirates, Dog & Cat), or come with a little zipping bag (Anti-Virus). Day & Night does not have any kind of container and the box doesn't work as a container, so that is a bit of a bummer. Specific to Color Code I would like to add that the concept hasn't captured the imagination of my girl yet, who will turn 5 next month. But she has spent hours with the 3yo- and 4yo-targeted SmartGames so I'm sure this one will become of interest as her thinking skills mature. The plastic tiles are a bit "clacky" and can be annoying. Also, while the color tiles store in the base, the instruction booklet does not. Lame.

So, you got another invite to a class birthday party...you know the birthday party....the WHOLE class gets invited!! The kids are young and you don't really know what to bring as a gift. You can pick up something at your local box store, sure but it won't last and there is no guarantee that the kid will even like it or play with it. Enter SMARTGAMES! I stumbled across this gem of a company in the Fall and purchased an age appropriate puzzle for my daughter. It was a complete hit! Our daughter LOVES to do her day/night challenge. I particularly liked that it is a one person player game. As a mother of an only child, I know firsthand how difficult at times it can be to find stimulating activities for your kiddo to play on their own. When giving a gift, I want to give something that will last and is educational. The concept of a logic puzzle, with a spin of fun to entice kids, is pure GENIUS!

One tile is missing D shape blue