“Hay Stax” – a review of a puzzle game

Hay Stax is a continuation of a series of single-player puzzles. In the box you will find 9 animals in different colors and shapes and a deck of cards with tasks and answers.

The course of the game is the same as in other similar games of this type. We choose a card with a task, prepare a pool of animals-blocks to be arranged, and then try to fit them all into the designated outline made of squares. Some puzzles require plastic pieces to be stacked on two or three levels to form a spatial puzzle.

There are 36 challenges in the box and they are divided into three levels of advancement. The simplest puzzles consist of two elements, the most difficult ones use most of the blocks.

According to the description on the packaging, the game is aimed at children aged 6 and older. I tested this on a six-year-old who was already in contact with logical puzzles – the easiest level was not a challenge for her, only halfway through the second she had to start thinking more about the location of the animals. Multi-level puzzles gave her the most fun, and the most difficult ones were a bit too frustrating. I would like to add that it took a while for adults to complete the master level, but it did not cause a complete mental block, so even the most difficult levels should be suitable for older children.

Arranging animals is usually not a problem, sometimes 3D arrangement requires more attention. The blocks themselves are solidly made, the style of the animals is eye-friendly. The six-year-old noticed that several of the animals had unnatural builds – she particularly disliked the horse’s appearance. Here, however, the publisher had to find a compromise between the appearance of animals and abstract shapes that fit into a square grid, which he managed to do quite well. The figures themselves can then be used for other games, which is also a plus.

What I miss the most in the game is a hint system – when we encounter a more difficult challenge, we can either try until successful, or see a card with a full solution. In a game aimed at children, I would like to see an intermediate stage, e.g. the state of the puzzle with one animal added in its place. 36 tasks with three levels of difficulty are both a lot and a little – when the simplest levels are too easy and the most difficult ones are too difficult, the child is left with only a dozen that are adapted to his skills. There are similar puzzles on the market, but more adapted to the age of children.

The coolest element of the puzzles – stacking on several levels, could also be used more, and the puzzles themselves could have several solutions, e.g. two sets of animals that fit the same shape.

Finally, let me just add that the game requires a table and calm conditions – animals are placed on cards without any recesses or walls, so we won’t be able to play Hay Stax , e.g. while traveling by car.