Review of Sudoku Challenge
It's difficult to find someone who hasn't heard of the very popular Sudoku game. From being in newspapers and magazines, to a popular downloadable program on the internet, many people are turning into Sudoku fanatics. In fact, upon the writing of this article, twenty-four games with the word "Sudoku" in their name are currently in the www.boardgamegeek.com database - all designed and published in the last two years! Now I enjoy the puzzle - although not to the rabid extreme that some do - yet still repressed a small sigh when I first saw Sudoku Challenge (SimplyFun, 2006 - Reiner Knizia). I was pleased to see that the game had a Zoodoku challenge for smaller folk, but still - another Sudoku game?
Sadly, even though I thought that the great game designer Knizia might have some new thoughts for the Sudoku genre; this game fell completely flat for me. There was very little challenge or thought put into each decision of the game, and a game that is built on logic seems to be completely based on luck here. The Zoodoku version is an interesting challenge for children, but the main game was a huge disappointment and falls into the category of "games I will never play again." Nice components and a fun time for children will keep me from discarding the game, but I cannot recommend it.
For the main game, a nine by nine grid board is placed on the table, divided into nine rows, columns, and regions (three by three areas). Each player takes a scoring piece in their color and places it on the "0" space of a tract that winds around the board. Nine special tiles (marked from "1" to "9") are placed on the board such that each is in a different row and column. Another pile of seventy-two tiles (also numbered "1" through "9") are shuffled and placed in a pile near the board. The player who knows the most Japanese goes first, with play proceeding clockwise.
On a player's turn, they simply draw a tile then place it on the board. They must follow the basic rules of Sudoku, which state that each row, column, and region may not have the same number in them. After the player places the tile, they score one point for each other tile in the same row, column, and region. After moving their point marker accordingly, the next player takes their turn. The game continues until one player draws a piece which cannot legally be placed on the board. The player who has the most points at that point is the winner!
Zoodoku is very similar, except that there the board is divided into six regions, columns, and rows. Instead of numbers, the tiles have pictures of animals on them: squirrel, deer, monkey, etc.
Some comments on the game…
1.) Components: As with all SimplyFun games, the bits are superb and of the highest quality. The board looks a bit bland, although it can be difficult to spruce up the cold logical look of a traditional Sudoku board, and is functional. The tiles are high quality, thick, matted tokens, with the starting tiles having a different front and back. The four scoring pieces are plastic Japanese arches, and many "40" point tiles are included if the tiles circle the track more than once (they will!). The kids' version looks very nice, with the animal pictures providing some interesting eye candy, especially when compared to the more drab numbers. Everything fits inside a small, square box - easy to carry around.
2.) Rules: If you notice above, the rules are extremely short; and the rulebook is only four short pages, including pictures and examples. Even for SimplyFun, known for the short rules in their games, this is a simple rule set. Most people easily pick up on the game - even if they haven't played Sudoku before. For those who have, this game is extremely easy.
3.) Sudoku: But just because fans of the puzzle will understand the game, they won't necessarily enjoy the game. Sudoku is a puzzle that celebrates logic, as players must use it to narrow their choices down until they solve the puzzle. Sudoku Challenge is rather a game in which players must simply locate the best place to place each tile. In the puzzle, placing a number in the wrong box can cause it to later on become insolvable. In the board game, this doesn't matter, a player should simply play tiles to gather the most points for themselves.
4.) Strategy: There really isn’t any. One simply scans the board until they find the most lucrative space to place their tile. With a limited amount of spaces, this is actually quite simple and easy, and players frankly don't have much of a choice. One could argue that you could set up the board for future tile placements; but this is a hollow contention, since no one can really tell what they are going to draw in the future.
5.) Randomness and Fun Factor: And this is frankly the most frustrating part of this game. Since there is usually only one optimal placement per tile, the game comes down to the tile that you draw. And if you draw better tiles than your opponent, you'll win the game. So why not program a computer to draw and play your tiles for you and just check the score at the end? Honestly, when a player draws the exact same number as the player before them and then has to take the second best position, this can be annoying, especially when it happens several times in a row.
6.) Zooduko: The children's game version has the exact same problem as the original; but because of the nice graphics, it can be used as a logical tool for a child - to help ease them into harder puzzles. I had a decent, enjoyable time with my daughter this way, but I would not buy the game because of this - there are other alternatives that are a better use of my money.
I enjoy most SimplyFun games, but this one just falls flat for me - not only because the theme is getting cliché and tired, but because there is simply not a shred of decent decision-making in the game. Sudoku lovers will be disappointed, because the game uses the rules of Sudoku but mixes them up with randomness to create an unsatisfying experience. Those who are wary of Sudoku won't find anything to attract them to this game, which is best left alone; just play the version in the paper - it's free.
Tom Vasel
"Real men play board games"
www.thedicetower.com
Sadly, even though I thought that the great game designer Knizia might have some new thoughts for the Sudoku genre; this game fell completely flat for me. There was very little challenge or thought put into each decision of the game, and a game that is built on logic seems to be completely based on luck here. The Zoodoku version is an interesting challenge for children, but the main game was a huge disappointment and falls into the category of "games I will never play again." Nice components and a fun time for children will keep me from discarding the game, but I cannot recommend it.
For the main game, a nine by nine grid board is placed on the table, divided into nine rows, columns, and regions (three by three areas). Each player takes a scoring piece in their color and places it on the "0" space of a tract that winds around the board. Nine special tiles (marked from "1" to "9") are placed on the board such that each is in a different row and column. Another pile of seventy-two tiles (also numbered "1" through "9") are shuffled and placed in a pile near the board. The player who knows the most Japanese goes first, with play proceeding clockwise.
On a player's turn, they simply draw a tile then place it on the board. They must follow the basic rules of Sudoku, which state that each row, column, and region may not have the same number in them. After the player places the tile, they score one point for each other tile in the same row, column, and region. After moving their point marker accordingly, the next player takes their turn. The game continues until one player draws a piece which cannot legally be placed on the board. The player who has the most points at that point is the winner!
Zoodoku is very similar, except that there the board is divided into six regions, columns, and rows. Instead of numbers, the tiles have pictures of animals on them: squirrel, deer, monkey, etc.
Some comments on the game…
1.) Components: As with all SimplyFun games, the bits are superb and of the highest quality. The board looks a bit bland, although it can be difficult to spruce up the cold logical look of a traditional Sudoku board, and is functional. The tiles are high quality, thick, matted tokens, with the starting tiles having a different front and back. The four scoring pieces are plastic Japanese arches, and many "40" point tiles are included if the tiles circle the track more than once (they will!). The kids' version looks very nice, with the animal pictures providing some interesting eye candy, especially when compared to the more drab numbers. Everything fits inside a small, square box - easy to carry around.
2.) Rules: If you notice above, the rules are extremely short; and the rulebook is only four short pages, including pictures and examples. Even for SimplyFun, known for the short rules in their games, this is a simple rule set. Most people easily pick up on the game - even if they haven't played Sudoku before. For those who have, this game is extremely easy.
3.) Sudoku: But just because fans of the puzzle will understand the game, they won't necessarily enjoy the game. Sudoku is a puzzle that celebrates logic, as players must use it to narrow their choices down until they solve the puzzle. Sudoku Challenge is rather a game in which players must simply locate the best place to place each tile. In the puzzle, placing a number in the wrong box can cause it to later on become insolvable. In the board game, this doesn't matter, a player should simply play tiles to gather the most points for themselves.
4.) Strategy: There really isn’t any. One simply scans the board until they find the most lucrative space to place their tile. With a limited amount of spaces, this is actually quite simple and easy, and players frankly don't have much of a choice. One could argue that you could set up the board for future tile placements; but this is a hollow contention, since no one can really tell what they are going to draw in the future.
5.) Randomness and Fun Factor: And this is frankly the most frustrating part of this game. Since there is usually only one optimal placement per tile, the game comes down to the tile that you draw. And if you draw better tiles than your opponent, you'll win the game. So why not program a computer to draw and play your tiles for you and just check the score at the end? Honestly, when a player draws the exact same number as the player before them and then has to take the second best position, this can be annoying, especially when it happens several times in a row.
6.) Zooduko: The children's game version has the exact same problem as the original; but because of the nice graphics, it can be used as a logical tool for a child - to help ease them into harder puzzles. I had a decent, enjoyable time with my daughter this way, but I would not buy the game because of this - there are other alternatives that are a better use of my money.
I enjoy most SimplyFun games, but this one just falls flat for me - not only because the theme is getting cliché and tired, but because there is simply not a shred of decent decision-making in the game. Sudoku lovers will be disappointed, because the game uses the rules of Sudoku but mixes them up with randomness to create an unsatisfying experience. Those who are wary of Sudoku won't find anything to attract them to this game, which is best left alone; just play the version in the paper - it's free.
Tom Vasel
"Real men play board games"
www.thedicetower.com
