Zoomates

It might look like a simple wooden puzzle, but Zoomates was one of the original games on my list when I started this blog, it's that clever. It's also the second time we've featured Gladden Design, the first being Paper Apps: Dungeon.

How it works: Like most block puzzles and tangrams, the game comes with a collection of pieces and a stack of cards containing the challenges. Each block is an animal, and each animal has specific traits. The mouse can't be placed near the elephant, the crocodile must be placed touching the water, and so on. Assemble the blocks to match the puzzle on the card, and you win!

Why it's clever: I wasn't sure there was much more "play" to squeeze out of a woodblock puzzle, but Zoomates pulls it off in droves. The simple format mixed with "real world" animal rules feels intuitive, and it makes for really charming play. For the kids too young (or adults too stressed) to play with the animal rules, you can ignore them and still play with the puzzle, or just stack the blocks.

Price: $24.99