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Players: 1-4 (ages 10+)
Playing Time: 10-15 minutes
Whether you’re playing solitaire or going head-to-head with an opponent (or three), On the Dot offers a quick and pleasantly maddening visual challenge.
There are a number of ways to play On the Dot—several of which are explained in the game’s instructions—but the object is always the same: to match the dots.
Before the game begins, each player is given a set of four transparent squares—each with four colored dots printed on it. No matter which rules you use, your challenge is always to use all four transparent squares in your hand to recreate the pattern of colored dots that’s printed on a card. That means trying to make the right-colored dot show up in the right place—while covering up the dots that you don’t need. And, as an added challenge, no matter how you play, it’s a race—either against an opponent (or two or three opponents) or against time (if you’re playing the solitaire version).
On the Dot sounds pretty simple—and, once you get the hang of it, it is—but it’s a challenge to master. In fact, once I read through the instructions the first time and started playing around with a sample puzzle, I was pretty sure that the game was completely impossible. While it’s tricky at first, though, you’ll figure out more and more tricks and hints and shortcuts as you go. You’ll figure out how the colors and patterns work on each card. You’ll learn that you need to rotate the cards—and flip them over, too—as you try to match the dots and recreate patterns.
Instead of making you think numerically or strategically—as many games do—On the Dot makes you think visually. And the fact that the game is a race only adds to the challenge—and the excitement.
Though I’m not usually a fan of frantic, head-to-head, high-speed games, On the Dot quickly became a new favorite. It’s a fun, fast-paced, and flexible brainteaser that’s great for a quick challenge—no matter where you are or whom you’re with.
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