IQ Focus, from Smart Games, is a true test of brain power. This fun and challenging single-player puzzle game is the perfect way to develop and improve all sorts of cognitive skills as kids–or adults–play.

The game includes 10 multicolored blocks, each shaped similarly to a block that you might see in Tetris. The object of the game is to fit all of the pieces on the game board so that the colors in the nine center squares match the image shown in the challenge booklet. The booklet features more than 120 different puzzles of various difficulty, ranging from starter to junior to expert to wizard. The game board itself doubles as a nifty case for all of the game pieces to make the brain-bending fun compact and portable. Players can also check their solutions by closing the lid and seeing if the colors in the transparent square match the challenge.

IQ Focus is a challenging game that helps players of all ages level up their brainpower in a unique way. Working out a solution can take some time and a tantalizing number of attempts. Once, I found myself incredibly proud to have fit all the pieces at once for a solution only to find that I completely missed a piece that I couldn’t place properly. And more often than not, I found myself desperately wishing that I could just cram a piece into a space where it didn’t belong to even get one step closer to solving a challenge. But being able to figure it out in a brief but invigorating “A-ha!” moment can be incredibly gratifying, and working your way towards 119 more “A-ha!” moments will make you feel like a true genius developing their concentration, problem solving skills and logic. Though I could probably give you a better idea once I figure out that darn second challenge.

If you’re feeling especially stuck on a puzzle, the challenge booklet also comes with solutions for each puzzle, but do your best to do it on your own for those sweet, sweet bragging rights! IQ Focus is an excellent puzzle game that’s easy to pick up, hard to master, and incredibly satisfying to solve.

About the author

Carlos Cadorniga

Carlos Cadorniga

Carlos Cadorniga is an editorial intern at Adventure Publishing Group and a recent journalism graduate from Stony Brook University. He crafts weekly toy reviews for The Toy Insider and contributes to the Toy Book trade magazine. His hobbies include watching cartoons, singing, playing video games, creative writing, and bragging about his trip to Japan. His favorite color is pink and he will not let you forget it, and his favorite sport is seeing how many episodes of The Office he can rewatch on Netflix in one sitting.

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