Blockout

When I was in high school (15 years ago), my classmates and I were given an IQ test that required us to mentally rotate and manipulate bizarre-looking three-dimensional blocks. I was a pretty bright kid, but I scored somewhere in the 40th percentile. Now that test has come back to haunt me in the form of Blockout, a game requiring players to rotate bizarre-looking three-dimensional blocks and fit them neatly into a rectangular pit. Of the game’s three variants, the first, using a set of eight simple shapes, is fairly easy. The second, adding a few tricky cubic protuberances, is somewhat harder. The third, employing no fewer than 41 monstrous blocks, is a geometric nightmare. In other words, Blockout is a blast. It’s colorful and challenging, and it enhances your mental agility. If only it had been available back in 1976… A

Afraid that prolonged exposure to the sun at vacation time might melt your brain? Check out more video puzzle games to help keep your mind (and fingers) active this summer.