Genius Star (2020)

About this game

As its predecessor, Genius Square, this is a race to fit blocks onto the board around a randomly generated configuration of obstacles. This time, the blocks are made of triangular cells, and the board is a six-sided star. Roll the seven dice and place a ‘blocker’ piece into the triangle matching the seven numbers that appear on the faces. Now race your opponent to fill every other space on the grid using the 11 shapes. A new feature of The Genius Star is a "double-win" bonus for forming the golden star icon while also completing the puzzle. The publisher labels this "more challenging" than The Genius Square, citing 165,888 possible puzzles, 57.4% of which have a golden star solution.

Does it fit your group?

• Group size. Works with 1 to 2. It has a designed solo mode.
• Rules load. At 1.7/5 this is a light game — explain it in a few minutes, good for a table that has not played much.
• Age. The publisher suggests 8 and up. That rates the rules rather than the artwork, so judge the box yourself for younger players.