Menseki: Area Maze puzzles Switch Review
| Platform | Nintendo Switch |
| Release Date | 12/27/21 |
| Cost | $5.00 |
| Publisher | Shinyuden |
| ESRB Rating | E |
This is actually my second draft of the review. The first draft trashed the game for being a crime to math(more on that in a second). Then I learn a bit more about the puzzles. Created by Naoki Inaba, these are more logic puzzle than geometric homework. They are apparently pretty popular. There’s been more than one book of these over the years.
You use Length X Width = Area equation. Only one problem, the answers are in whole numbers. No fractions or decimals can be used. Therefore, you get puzzles like this:
See, you need to find one side of the 13 cm area rectangle. One problem, 13 is a prime number, divisible only by one and itself. Neither one nor thirteen is the answer. So what is going on here? I will spoil this puzzle so you get the logic. See the 26, that’s the area of a rectangle you can make. 48 is twice 24, and 52 is twice is 26. 26 is twice 13. So divide the six in two and you have three, which is the correct answer.
Therefore, the puzzles are more about logic than being mathematically correct. And honestly, now I can appreciate them.
As for the game itself, Its fine. You can place sticky notes to denote other values. You can get exactly one hint. You put the answer into the box in the bottom right. It will tell you if its correct or not. The center button(the sheet of paper), changes the background.
Now that I understand the puzzles, I can absolutely say logic puzzle aficionados will love this.
Overall: Menseki Area Maze puzzles is more logic puzzle than math, and therefore that makes it extremely interesting.
Verdict: Must Play
P.S. Those looking for a real challenge can pick up Menski Genius, which has the same UI, just extremely hard puzzles.