In the test: Pool Party - a first-person-real-world puzzle game

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Pool party puzzle game

A few days ago, I received – completely surprisingly – a package with a game and a little greeting from a reader: “Thanks for the great blog! From: Angela”. This is the first gift someone has sent me from my Amazon wish list and I am really, really happy. Since the game is a lot of fun and really nicely done, I figured it was worth contributing.

Angela, thank you for the great gift! (Photos: Sir Apfelot)
Angela, thank you for the great gift! (Photos: Sir Apfelot)

 

Puzzle game for one person - and everyone else

The Pool Party game is a “real” game. Really with figures you can touch and a board that you can put on the table. Sounds a bit futuristic, but I've heard it used to be more common.

The game Pool Party from Smart Games has become a highlight in our games cabinet. If you don't feel like doing Sudoku and Tangram anymore, this is a new game experience.
The game Pool Party from Smart Games has become a highlight in our games cabinet. If you don't feel like doing Sudoku and Tangram anymore, this is a new game experience.

But like most iPhone games, Pool Party is a one-person game. The only difference is that you have everyone in the room immediately gathered around you and everyone offers you help. Why? Because it's an absolutely cute puzzle game.

Unfortunately, these cute penguins are constantly in the way and you have to try to cleverly place the blocks around them.
Unfortunately, these cute penguins are constantly in the way and you have to try to cleverly place the blocks around them.

The playing field - penguins, sea and ice floes

If the inventors of Pool Party hadn't made an effort with the figures and the game board, the game would be only half as captivating, because you have to love the little penguin figures right away. And of course we want to help you out of the misery you are in.

They float in the water and you have to build some “land” around them with iceberg blocks to get them out. But that turns out to be more difficult than it sounds.

The playing figures, icebergs and instructions fit on the game board and can be closed with a lid - perfect for stowing away and taking with you.
The playing figures, icebergs and instructions fit on the game board and can be closed with a lid - perfect for stowing away and taking with you.

Puzzle with iceberg blocks

The game comes with a booklet in which 60 puzzles and their solutions (only for losers!) Are printed. The puzzles show the playing field and the position of the penguins, so that this structure can be recreated.

Then the puzzle starts, because now you have to place the four iceberg blocks around the penguins on the playing field. Since the blocks have different shapes and lengths, you are faced with a tangram-like challenge.

Everything you need for well-cared-for puzzles: penguins, icebergs and a playing field on which you have to accommodate everything.
Everything you need for well-cared-for puzzles: penguins, icebergs and a playing field on which you have to accommodate everything.

Between despair and ecstasy

The puzzles in the booklet are divided into difficulty levels: Starter, Junior, Expert and Master. In practice, however, the gradation is less pronounced, because some master puzzles are solved quickly and are happy about their own intelligence, while some junior puzzles bring you back down to earth.

Finally a game with instructions that you quickly understand - even at almost 50, when the first brain cells are already defeated by the ravages of time.
Finally a game with instructions that you quickly understand - even at almost 50, when the first brain cells are already defeated by the ravages of time.

The nice thing about emotional roller coaster is that you usually always get support from people close by. The playing field and the penguins just look so cute and appealing that everyone wants to know what you're doing there. And since the rules of the game are explained in one sentence, everyone participates immediately and likes to do their own puzzles or give tips.

We have already agreed in the family that help from others will only be given after explicit request, otherwise you cannot play for five minutes in peace.

In the booklet that is included, there are 60 assembly options for the penguins. How the ice blocks are used is the riddle. But for very desperate moments there are also solutions in the back of the magazine.
In the booklet that is included, there are 60 assembly options for the penguins. How the ice blocks are used is the riddle. But for very desperate moments there are also solutions in the back of the magazine.

My conclusion: a must-have game for all ages

The game “Pool Party” costs about 16 euros and it is really worth every one of them. Here are a few reasons why you need it too:

  • it doesn't cost the world
  • the design is lovely
  • it's as fun for children as it is for adults
  • 5-year-olds already understand how it works
  • there are only 60 puzzles, but you can hardly remember how they are all solved ... so the fun lasts a long time
  • you can do the puzzles alone or with several (alternating)
  • it is a perfect souvenir for children's birthdays
  • you don't have to be super-intelligent, because often it's luck and you can solve a difficult puzzle
  • there is something calming about puzzling and it brings you down - like Sudoku for some people

If you are still pondering whether “Pool Party” by Smart Games is the right choice, you may not be the right audience. In any case, I'm so excited about the game that I'm going to add a few more games from Smart Games to my wish list.

The cute little ones don't look as if they could rob you of your nerves, but sometimes you get really upset when you sit on a puzzle for 5 minutes, can't find a solution and then someone else takes over and places the icebergs correctly in seconds.
The cute little ones don't look as if they could rob you of your nerves, but sometimes you get really upset when you sit on a puzzle for 5 minutes, can't find a solution and then someone else takes over and places the icebergs correctly in seconds.

And if you like my blog and would like to read something about such a game again, you know, was zu tun ist. My children are looking forward to new food ... and of course I will play for you and report. ;-)

You can find the game here”Pool Party” at Amazon, which is really good if you want to play a bit without an iPhone or iPad:

SMART Toys and Games GmbH SG431DE Penguin Pool Party, colorful
SMART Toys and Games GmbH SG431DE Penguin Pool Party, colorful
  • Smart Games Penguin Pool Party SG431DE
  • Contents: 1 pieces
18,47 EUR Amazon Prime
Buy it at Amazon Price includes VAT, plus shipping costs (updated: 17.04.2024 at 12: 00 clock)

 

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