Customer Reviews

ThinkFun Izzi

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This puzzle is fascinating to my kids. As you can see from the picture, each side of the black and white square can be all black, all white, or split black/white or white/black. The object is to match sides and create a square using all of the pieces.

Granted, we rarely build the entire puzzle using all the pieces - in fact, we've probably lost a handful. But the kids just build as far as they can, they like trying to match up sides, particularly when they must match up 2 or more sides. Sometimes they'll race each other, to see who is first to build a 5x5 puzzle, but usually this game is a cooperative effort to see how many pieces they can place.

I love this game because it can productively entertain the kids for 15-20 minutes, I enjoy helping them, and it's a great value b/c you can lose some pieces and still play it. Plus it is portable; we often keep it in our "wait bag".

Izzi is a great puzzle that interests multiple ages. My 3- and 5-year olds enjoy trying to match up the pieces and just see how big they can build it. Adults are challenged to put the whole puzzle together. It's easy till you get close to the end, then fitting those last pieces in becomes a fun challenge.

Just saw this toy in a Barnes and Noble store for $5.95. Amazon is selling for $6.71. The Think Fun company makes it and says the list price is $5.99. Amazon claims the list price is $9.99.

The game looked like fun. I will go back to the store to purchase it.

In the future I will be more careful before assuming amazon.com offers the best bargain.

It takes quite an amazing product to get a five star rating out of me, so Izzi gets four stars. I'm of the mindset that "A"s in school are handed out too freely, as well, which should help explain my thought process. Basically, this is a great product. It's just not OUTSTANDING enough for me to give it the highest possible rating, which I feel should be handed out infrequently. Please don't let my possibly too-high standards lead you to believe that this is not a terrific game.[ BTW, my 10 y.o. definitely gives Izzi the full 5 stars.]

My daughter plays this game with her ALPHA classmates. ALPHA stands for Accelerated Learning Program for High-Level Achievers and is the Florida equivalent of Horizons in Ohio (basically additional advanced instruction for the brightest kids). Now I'm not bragging (it's anonymous, right?). I'm indicating that the smartest kids in the school LOVE this puzzle. And so do the rest.

It's as easy as Sudoku to learn (easier, really), but challenging to master. And therein lies the fun. So much fun that my daughter begged to have it here at home. Okay, she begged for two years and I never got around to ordering it (shame on me). She's a 10 year old fourth grader now and still loves it. So do I! We played together the very day it arrived...after she stopped jumping up and down in celebration, that is!

It is only cardboard, though and so needs to be taken care of. Just don't spill a drink on it and you're fine. You need a flat surface of about 2 ft. square to play. Games go relatively quickly so it won't sit around like, say, a large puzzle might. Enjoy it with children of all ages and abilities and with adults. It's really fun!

My girls (ages 5 and 7) both loved working on this, together or alone. Because this game is so flexible, you can choose to do the 8x8 square or you do a 4x4 square etc., depending on the child's age and interest level. This is a fun thing to do as a fmaily because there is no winner - everyone works together to solve the problem. This teaches kids to work together and cooperate.

This puzzle is both relaxing and challenging. Younger children can use an assortment of puzzle pieces to make shapes or follow the puzzle structure on a smaller scale. To increase the difficulty, use all of the pieces to make a square (or rectangle) where the edges of each piece match the pieces beside it. For a further challenge, make a diagonal line or a border around the edge using solid colour. This is VERY tricky!

What is nice about IZZI is one or more can participate and there really isn't just one solution. It is challenging to use all 64 tiles to form a square. We finally made a square after a dozen tries.

Okay, so when I was out at the bookstore trying to find a $5 item to add to my son's $20 so that he could get a free bear with $25 purchase, I found this game. Immediately I was drawn to it and knew I had to have it. It's been years since I've put puzzles together - puzzles kept me busy daily as a child. This is similar to a puzzle, but yet not. It's much more addictive! We sat down as a family tonight to play it, and found that it makes you frustrated, it makes you laugh, it makes you think, and it lets you have fun all at the same time. Of course my husband and son gave up but I had to sit and try and try and try to finish it - which I still haven't done yet! But you'd better believe this is one game that I can't put down :) I'll return to it tomorrow to try and finish it again. And after telling a few of my friends about it, they went out and bought some for Christmas gifts - I'm thinking I'll probably do the same!

I had a friend recommend Izzi but the box we got seems to be defective. The game consists of little cardboard squares. I think our set was not cut properly. There is a tiny line of black next to a lot of the white cards. So we weren't sure if we play the card as if it is white (and the black is barely there because it was not cut properly) or if it really has a black edge. We get into too many debates and it ruins the whole game.

This puzzle came on the market in 1992.It came out a year before IZZI 2 (see my review dated April 8,2010);and made by the same company Binary Arts Corp,which has come up with a lot of well made,and entertaining games or puzzles for all ages.If you are familiar with the name of Binary Arts;and wonder how come we don't see new puzzles from them anymore;fret not .This company has now been renamed ,among other things,and now goes by the name of ThinkFun,and continues to come out with excellent games.
IZZI consists of 64 tiles,each 2 X 2 inches.The tiles have various Black and White designs.The challenge is to place the tiles next to each other so that colors are matched.There is no single solution,even when all tiles are used to make an 8 X 8 tile square.Smaller squares can also be attempted,especially for the younger set.This game is almost without limit in the challenges that can be made,and even competition between players;both in the size and shape as well as time challenges.The package indicates how challenging versions can be tried.There is no booklet with IZZI with challenges as is the case with II 2.
One will never exhaust the possibility of games that one can make up.
However;the tiles are made of cardboard,and will wear in use.It is a shame that a little more quality wasn't put into making the tiles of plastic.But even so;this game will provide years of enjoyment and creative play for all ages;and can be enjoyed by one or more people.