Hour Maze
http://www.hourmaze.com
Grade: B+

Date reviewed: 12/26/07

It's a much simpler puzzle than it first appears, but that doesn't mean it's easy!

Here's the deal: all of the numbers from 1 to 12 have to be entered into a maze. Some numbers are entered already to get you started. For every two adjacent squares that aren't separated by a maze wall, the numbers in those two squares must be neighbors on a clock face (for example, a 1 could be next to a 2 or a 12). You have to use each number the same number of times - so if there are 36 squares, for example, then each number will be used exactly three times. That's all there is to it!

Inventors Mike Reilly and Jenks Norwalk have designed almost a hundred of these unique challenges. The interactive application helps you keep track of which numbers you've used already, and a check function will tell you where you've gone wrong. The interface is surprisingly intuitive to use. Don't let the available three pages of rules, instructions, hints and strategies fool you -- just play with it for five minutes and you'll get the gist, and then you'll be hooked for sure.