The Rubik’s Cube (originally designed as an educational tool and called the Magic Cube) is a toy that has been around for nearly 50 years – in was invented in 1974 by Ernõ Rubik, a Hungarian architecture professor. We have all played it with success and failures and it is still being played with by children today. The only difference now is that there are various incarnations of the famous cube. We have several Rubik’s Cubes in our house, and they are always being picked up and played with – especially by the 10 year old, she loves trying to solve it. But the Rubik’s Cube is a solitary toy, therefore we were absolutely delighted to try out Rubik’s Race – a fast-paced game for two players to get your brain and fingers racing.
Rubik’s Race is a two-player game where you go head to head with your opponent to shift and slide the tiles on the game board to be the first to make the 3×3 centre to match the pattern on the scrambler.
In the box:
- Game base and Centre Frame
- 48 Coloured Tiles
- 9 Coloured Mini Cubes
- Scrambler
- Instructions
As this is a game based on one of the world’s best ever selling toys, the Rubik’s Cube, it is a game of moving coloured squares around to complete the pattern. Rubik’s Race is a board with two 5×5 grids divided by a centre 3×3 square. The idea of the game is that two players play together, and the winner is the fastest that can recreate the tile pattern shown on the scrambler in the centre of their board as fast as possible (when they pull the centre frame down the correct 3×3 pattern should be visible in the frame centre cut-out).
Overall, Rubik’s Race is a really enjoyable and fun game where players go head-to-head. A very competitive game that requires concentration, skill and speed.
Rubik’s Race is very simple to play. Two players sit at opposite ends of the 5×5 grid board and move the centre frame into a vertical position so that each side is separated. The Rubik’s scrambler is shaken so that the 9 mini cubes within it are mixed up and give a 3×3 pattern of different colours. Players they have to create the pattern of colours in the centre of the board so that when the centre frame is pulled down on to their board the scrambler pattern is proudly displayed in the 3×3 cut-out. The first and fastest player to create this pattern wins.
This really is a fun and enjoyable game – us adults have enjoyed it just as much as the children. You really do have to concentrate on the board and the coloured squares and use forward thinking to quickly move tiles around the board into their correct positions. The speed of the game does make it very competitive, but lots of fun.
It is a game that not only challenges players but gets their brains working and brings out their competitive sides. The only thing that we feel is missing from it is a drawstring bag to make it a more portable game.
A challenging and exciting game that would make an excellent gift for any Rubik’s fan to be unwrapping on Christmas morning.
Rating: 5/5
RRP: £24.99
For more information, visit www.johnadams.co.uk. Available to buy from Amazon here.
