Video Review Link – https://youtu.be/2x-ZYWReIIo
Dr. Eureka
MFG: Blue Orange Games
#of Players: 1 – 4
Age Range: 8+
Overall Construction: This is a different kind of game. There are 12 “Test tubes”. The reason I put this in quotes is because, they are a hybrid of Test Tubes & Graduated Cylinders. They are made of a nice durable plastic. There are 24 balls/marbles that are perfectly sized for the tubes. They appear to be made of a highly durable plastic, which is a good thing because they fall on the floor a lot. I have yet to see one get chipped or broken. The cards are small and square, of decent card stock, and not so small that they’re difficult to shuffle. Lastly, the rule book is the same size as the cards, has an accordion design, & has very clear, easy to read graphics and rules.
Gameplay: Each player has 3 test tubes with 2 balls each. 1 set red, 1 green, & 1 purple. Look at the rulebook for the starting configuration. Shuffle the deck of cards and flip the top card, revealing the configuration that you need to achieve. All players compete to make their test tubes match the ones on the card. When they do, they shout “EUREKA!” and their handy work is checked. If they are correct, they win the card. If they are wrong, they have to wait until their opponents finish the round. You want to collet 5 cards. If you want to play a longer game, you can always try to reach a higher max of cards.
This doesn’t sound hard to accomplish, but you are not allowed to touch the balls with your hand & they are not allowed to fall to the playing surface or lower. You are allowed to flip your tubes upside down to match the patterns if need be, just make sure you don’t lose your balls.
Yes/No Recommend: Yes, Yes, Yes. This is a great game for the budding science geek or people just wanting to race their way through a game. The kids I played this with rated it an A+ for fun. It’s funny watching the clever ways that people shift the balls around to match the patterns. It helps build up your hand eye coordination, as well as puzzle solving skills.
I will say that I have seen games like this in the past, but the way it is presented with it’s Science motif makes it really stand out. This is another game that I would play with kids who are under the recommended age limit, even if we’re not playing by the rules, because I feel that the basics of this game can aid in the development of young minds.
Where To Get It: This game is basically brand new, so it might not be available in many places yet. The first place I will send you to check is your local game stores, if they don’t have it, they can at least order a copy. If you would like more information on this game and other Blue Orange games feel free to check out their website here http://www.blueorangegames.com/games/dr-eureka
