Super Collapse Puzzle Gallery

$8, Windows*, Mac OSX

Teaches: logic, geometry, problem solving, math

CTR Rating: 88%

CTR Review

While this discount CD for Windows computers ($7 at www.gamehouse.com) isn't designed for classroom use, don't be surprised if you find creative teachers using it to provide an engaging mathematical problem solving experience, say, to an older child who has finished her homework early. Before you read much further, note that there are many varieties of this game, both free and available as an installable download. (Free versions are loaded with ads and other gimmicks. We tested a Windows version, installed from a CD-ROM.)The best part about this game is the simplicity. After you sign in (to save high scores and record which puzzles you've unlocked), you see a collection of game boards, each designed with a pattern. Your goal is to click on an area of similarly colored blocks in order to remove them from the screen, in as few steps as possible. The process requires planning, spatial thinking and a lot of problem solving, and as a result could be useful teaching material. Content on the purchased version includes 600 game boards, with different designs and challenge levels, plus the ability to save high scores. Created by Mumbo Jumbo for GameHouse Studios.