Timberdoodle's Chroma Cube Review

It's my birthday month!  Actually, today is my birthday.  For those that know me, you know that I really enjoy logic games and Sudoku is one of my favorites.  I have a sudoku-like, logic puzzle game to share with you today from Timberdoodle, the Chroma Cube!

Our Chroma Cube Game

This game comes with 12 multi-colored solid wood blocks, 25 cardstock puzzle cards, and a plywood tray to both play the game and store the cards.

Here you can see the 12 blocks and tray.

And here are the blocks inside the tray.

And here you can see how the puzzle cards slide into the tray for easy storage.

The block colors are black, teal, orange, mint, emerald, magenta, mustard, purple, brown, white, coral and cobalt.

Here are the blocks matched with the color legend.

I will say that without the color legend a few of the colors could be confusing, especially the ones in the green family - teal, mint, and emerald.  However, it is extremely easy to look at the color legend and match them up.  It took me a few times of looking but I eventually had it down.

Here you can see everything including the puzzle cards.

Chroma Cube is a deduction puzzle game that challenges you to find the resting place of all 12 colors in the tray grid.  It is single player and the rules are fairly simple.  To play, simply select a Chroma Cube puzzle card, set up the tray (which is your board) to match the starting pattern on the selected card, and use the rest of the clues on the puzzle card to decipher the solution.  Once you think you have a solution with all 12 colored blocks in the tray grid, simply flip the puzzle card over to see the answer.  I also want to note, that puzzles can have more than one solution.  So if your puzzle doesn't match the particular solution shown, it doesn't mean it isn't correct.  There are lots of possible combinations, as long as your puzzle follows all the rules - you solved it!  Now, let me walk you through a puzzle.

Here is Puzzle 1 with the board set up in the correct starting position.

 And here is a closer view of the puzzle card.

Your clues are:  coral and magenta are in the same column, black sits next to magenta, either teal or black sits next to cobalt, and coral sits next to white.  With the first clue, you know that coral and magenta will be in the column with orange.  You know this because it is the only column with two available spaces and you are told that coral and magenta are in the same column.  Next, you can deduce that coral will sit above orange and magenta will sit under orange because it is the only way for magenta to sit next to black, which was your second clue.  So you also know that black is under brown and to the left of purple.  In your next clue, you can deduce that teal will be on the right of cobalt based on your previous block placements.  The only things left to do is place mint in the remaining blank and check your answer.

 Easy Peasy!

Here you see B working on a puzzle card.

 And now she is checking to see if her solution is correct.

C working on a puzzle card.

The puzzle cards progress in difficulty as you go along so puzzle 1 is the easiest while puzzle 25 is the most challenging.  

Check out Puzzle Card 8, you start with an empty grid.

Also, some puzzles rely on rules that have been established in previous puzzles.  Advanced cards can be extremely cryptic.  For this reason, I would recommend completing the puzzles in order from 1 to 25.  This unique game is super fun and would make a great addition to any homeschool or home game collection.  Chroma Cube is recommended for ages 13+ and 7th grade and up.  The older kids and I are really enjoying it and I would definitely recommend it, especially if you enjoy puzzles and logic type games.  It is included in Timberdoodle's 11th Grade Curriculum Kit.

You can see the Chroma Cube circled above.

Check out Timberdoodle's video on Chroma Cube below.



Disclosure:  Huge shout out to Timberdoodle for selecting me as a Timberdoodle Blogger.  Timberdoodle sent my family Chroma Cube in exchange for our honest review.  All opinions are my own.