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I first encountered The Genius Star when friends in Ireland bought it for their daughter — she was about 7 at the time and absolutely loved it. Later that Christmas, my parents gave me a copy too so I could try to beat her the next time we visited (I’ll admit — she was seriously good).

From the moment you open the box at events like Math Rodeo outreach or game nights with family and friends, this game has a way of drawing people in. Students, parents, and teachers alike gravitate to it. Gameplay is brilliantly simple: roll the dice, drop the white-triangle blockers onto the board, then race (or play solo) to fill the rest of the star shape. But don’t let the simplicity fool you. Each round feels fresh because you never know how tough the challenge will be; every round’s puzzle is determined by the dice roll.

What I love most is how this simple, fun game quietly builds serious thinking skills. It encourages spatial reasoning, logic, and quick problem-solving. And for those who like a deeper challenge — try to figure out why there are 165,888 possible game setups as the instruction booklet claims!

The physical components feel solid and well-made. The set includes two star-shaped game boards, a full set of dice, blockers, and nicely painted puzzle pieces so it’s ready to go out of the box. For families, classrooms, or just an evening of friendly competition, Genius Star delivers.

If you enjoy games that are easy to learn but hard to master — ones that combine speed, spatial puzzles and a bit of friendly rivalry — this one is absolutely worth owning.