In Games Magazine's 2004 Buyer's Guide
of the 100 best games (December 2003)

This enchanting set was designed and developed entirely by trans-Atlantic email between Mike Roberts and Kate Jones. The ideas and messages grew and flew feverishly for months, and at last we stopped at 101 beautiful and challenging figures formed by matching the boat-shaped tiles by color. The 36 tiles comprise all the ways 6 colors can be paired. Here's a sample tile. They're so nice to handle, all smooth and hand-inlaid acrylic in rainbow colors. The 13 islands in the 11" tray are fixed in place. Outside the tray 100 other exquisite lattices await. Several competitive games are included. For 1 to 4 players, ages 8 to adult.$95

The 10x10 grid of the Transpose board serves for several excellent games. In "Transpose," be the first to exit 8 checkers off the board, but watch out... some opposing pieces may switch places with yours! In "Peregrine," circumnavigate the board's perimeter to bring 5 checkers to the exit point; they can travel as stacks to advance more quickly, but also risk greater setbacks. In "Upper Hand," cover or capture all opponent pieces. And in "Amazons," block in the opponent's four pieces with arrows: where an arrow lands no move can cross, and each turn adds another block to the board. Four other good games, plus some solitaires, are included. Challenging and entertaining for 1 and 2 players, ages 8 to adult. We make the set in two beautiful styles, each 15½x18" with fabric carrybags:

Larger image of
The Game of Y and
detailed rules of play.

Rules in French—
merci beaucoup,
François Haffner!

The Board Game Kaptain's
glowing video review, 2021.

Deep, subtle and beautiful, Y has the simplest of rules: place one stone per turn, connect all three sides of the board with a continuous string of your color. No draws! Defense is exquisitely important. Rules for six other games plus solitaire variations are included. Refined over 30 years of play on hundreds of experimental grids, the definitive Y board is a curved triangle, its matrix like a flattened geodesic dome. The equipment is a tactile pleasure to use: handcrafted 15" wood board, glass go stones, velvet carrybag. For 1 and 2 players, ages 10 to adult. $95

A totally unique concept, play method and board design: the goal is to bring all 16 of your pieces onto the board. When two pieces on the board meet on adjacent points, they open a doorway for a new piece to enter on the third vertex of their triangle. Pieces of your own color that form part of a doorway get flipped over after their first use and "retire" from the board if used a second time, to re-enter on a future turn. You soon discover that your best strategies involve using your opponent's pieces to help bring your own onto the board. Profound and subtle tactics make this game fascinating and enjoyable to play again and again. Beautiful wood board, 17x17", is laser-engraved and handfinished. Dark and light wood counters have felt on one sides to show their status. For 2 players, ages 10 to adult. $65

• Complete rules of play
• Bob Abbott's whimsical robot rules

On Games 100 list, December 2007 (review).

This brilliantly original game of strategy we fell in love with the moment Bob Abbott, the inventor's friend and agent, first showed it to us: Roll 3 dice, make a maneuvering adjustment to any of your pieces whose number matches the dice, then move your 6 pieces in numerical order one step in the direction their arrows point. Your goal: to enter your pieces into your goal space, and if possible to push opponent pieces into your goal as well. Incredibly convoluted interplay of pieces, some of which may even wander off the edge of the board. See the full rules. Laser-engraved handcrafted 11½" wood board, 3 wood dice, 6 engraved handpainted wood disks per player. Average playing time: 20 to 30 minutes. A few solitaires included. For 1 or 2 players, ages 10 to adult. $49

• Larger photos and rules of play
• See three-player side of Manoover Plus board

On Games 100 list, December 2012.
First reviewed in April 2012. Read the reviews.

The beautifully handcrafted, handfinished 17" wood board is laser-engraved on both sides, with handpainted accents. The order-5 grid accommodates 8 pieces each, numbered 1 through 8, for the two-player game and comes with 4 octahedral dice that let you roll up to the number 8. Designed by popular request for a more complex version, the board also accommodates Bob Abbott's three-player version on the back. Scroll down towards the bottom of Bob's page to see his write-up. For 2 or 3 players, ages 10 to adult. $95

On Games 100 list, December 2012.
First reviewed in November 2012. Read the reviews.

Created in 1986, this ingenious double puzzle languished in our archives for 25 years. We were pleased finally to publish it on its 25th birthday. Five 4" reversible blocks of wood—handfinished, handpainted —carry two sets of laser-engraved images: partial pentominoes on one side, tangled ropes on the other. Join them to form any of the 12 pentominoes such that images match across joined edges. For hardy solvers, only all-different pentominoes will appear, or one rope will traverse all five tiles. Color combinations may vary. In compartmented green felt bag, multiple challenges and game rules included. For 1 or 2 players, ages 8 to adult.$49