Foros Game Review

The Basics:

  • For ages 4 and up (publisher suggests 6+)
  • For 1 to 4 players
  • Approximately 10 minutes to complete

Geek Skills:

  • Counting & Math
  • Logical & Critical Decision Making
  • Pattern/Color Matching
  • Strategy & Tactics
  • Risk vs. Reward
  • Visuospatial Skills
  • Bluffing and Misdirection

Learning Curve:

  • Child – Easy
  • Adult – Easy

Theme & Narrative:

  • Creative thinking and problem-solving with colored blocks and time-honored gameplay

Endorsements:

  • Gamer Geek rejected!
  • Parent Geek approved!
  • Child Geek approved!

Overview

Some of my earliest memories as a child include playing with blocks. I would build them into castles, forts, mountains, and walls, screaming with delight when they fell or yelling angrily if one of my little brothers knocked it over. I’m pretty sure I got in a fight in preschool over blocks, too. Even today, I still play with blocks through Legos and games where wooden cubes are used to build, record, and control. In this game, blocks return us to a simpler time of creative play and problem-solving.

Foros, designed by Ken Scheel and published by Softsports LLC, is comprised of  24 hardwood cubes, 24 hardwood cylinders, and a double-sided wooden game board. The pieces, being made out of wood, are very durable. The wooden board has spaces for the blocks to fit snuggly, making playing the different games Foros provides all the easier.

One Box: Several Games and Activities

At its core, Foros is a derivative of Score Four or even Tic-Tac-Toeif you want to be specific. Which is to say, it’s all about aligning your pieces in order before your opponent does. We’ve all played games like this in our youth, and you’ve most likely even played games similar in nature just in the last few months. Foros takes a different spin by providing a more freeform approach with multiple playing methods.

The three different games are summarized here.

The Wall

The Wall has the players placing their wooden blocks in a central row. Players take turns stacking their blocks, one on top of another, until one of the two players has four blocks diagonally, horizontally, or vertically aligned.

Stonehenge

Stonehenge has the players placing their wooden blocks in a ring. The victory condition is the same, with the new twist of players evaluating their alignments across a much larger area.

The Grid

On the other side of the wooden board is a four-by-four grid. Again, players take turns placing their wooden blocks but must pay special attention to the added dimension of play.

Game Variants

The three games summarized above are just the start.

The game’s instruction manual also suggests players take the blocks to create unique designs. Several visual examples are provided.

In addition, several 3D puzzles are described, challenging the player to build objects based on limited information via an illustration.  For those who get stuck, solutions are provided.

Finally, several other activities are also summarized in the instruction manual, providing suggestions on expanding the use of the game’s wooden blocks to sharpen memory, communication, and visuospatial skills.

To learn more about Foros, including access to additional ideas on leveraging the game’s components to create new games, visit the game’s webpage.

Final Word

Foros only held the attention of our youngest Child Geeks, and not for as long as any Parent Geek would have hoped for. The wooden blocks lend themselves way to creative play, meaning the youngest of Child Geeks learn how to play the three games and then promptly forget all about them to stack the blocks, build forts, create shapes, and even come up with their own game (which was basically Checkers, but with the Foros’ wooden blocks on the grid side of the game board). This is all good, considering the game’s intent is to engage the creative side of its players. But did it? According to one Child Geek, it did. Per their summary, “I liked what was in the box. It came with games and activities I liked doing on the floor.” Another Child Geek said, “I like the Tic-Tac-Toe and the circle game the best, but not when we played it like a wall because my brother kept knocking down the pieces.” When the last block was in place, the Child Geeks took a vote, and all agreed that this wooden block game was solid.

The Parent Geeks didn’t care for any of the games, finding them rather dull and not engaging for their adult minds. They enjoyed how much their kids were playing the game and getting into the creative elements. This allowed them, in turn, to participate and experience the joy of the game through their Child Geeks. As one Parent Geek put it, “A great game for the kids, and more of a game box of options and possibilities than a real game. I thought it rather clever and enjoyed watching my kids play it. As an adult, however, I wasn’t at all interested. I’ve become jaded, I suppose.” Another Parent Geek reported, “Great for your kids, and we had to rescue one piece from our dog before he started to chew on it: solid quality and many fun opportunities for creative play and problem-solving. I highly recommend it for kids, but not an adult game.” When the Parent Geeks took a vote, they gave it their full approval from a parenting perspective but said “no thank you” as a game for adults.

The Gamer Geeks listened to my pitch, played a game, and were more than happy to give their opinion. One Gamer Geek said, “No.” A few others said just as little, but one Gamer Geek provided a rather insightful bit of commentary. She said, “Here is a game too simple for my tastes, but it is the foundation of the games I love today. The simple approach in which the game is played, but with the added complexity of having to think your way to victory step by step and dimension by dimension, is the basis of what we elitist gamers call depth, strategy, and tactics. I appreciate the game for what it is, what it is not, and most importantly, what it opens a mind to. This could be the game that starts a young player’s interest in math, science, visual arts, and, of course, board games.” When all the Gamer Geeks took a vote, it was an overwhelming, but most respectively given, “no thank you.”

Foros is unapologetic about its simplicity, which is precisely what I would expect from an abstract game intended for an audience as young as six. However, it can be enjoyed by even younger Child Geeks. The game provides nothing more than detailed options. Options, I must add, they are all completely – well – optional. A family can have fun with Foros without playing any games summarized in the instruction manual if they choose. The game’s intent is to focus more on creative freedom through abstract play rather than concrete rulesets and defined boundaries.

The game has this, but it’s not to the point where the owner of Foros is locked in. Go off and create a new game if you like. Build onto an existing game idea if you feel like it. All is possible and even encouraged. The only limitation is the player’s creativity and imagination.

If you are looking for a game to play with your youngest Child Geeks that will teach them the importance of attention to detail, thinking creatively, and problem-solving using multiple methods, look to Foros. It’s exceedingly well made and will last a lifetime. It won’t blow your mind as an adult, but it will most certainly strengthen the minds of your Child Geeks.

This game was given to Father Geek as a review copy. Father Geek was not paid, bribed, wined, dined, or threatened in vain hopes of influencing this review. Such is the statuesque and legendary integrity of Father Geek.


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About Cyrus

Editor in Chief, Owner/Operator, Board Game Fanatic, Father of Three, and Nice Guy, Cyrus has always enjoyed board, card, miniature, role playing, and video games, but didn't get back into the hobby seriously until early 2000. Once he did, however, he was hooked. He now plays board games with anyone and everyone he can, but enjoys playing with his children the most. Video games continue to be of real interest, but not as much as dice and little miniatures. As he carefully navigates the ins and outs of parenting, he does his very best to bestow what wisdom he has and help nurture his children's young minds. It is his hope and ambition to raise three strong, honorable men who will one day go on to do great things and buy their Mom and Dad a lobster dinner. Cyrus goes by the handle fathergeek on Board Game Geek. You can also check him out on CyrusKirby.com. Yes, he has a URL that is his name. His ego knows no bounds, apparently....

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