Following in the visual footsteps of one of 2010's Mensa Select Seal winners, Dizios, is the enjoyable pattern-finding game Acuity.
Two or more players lay out a six-by-six grid of tiles, upon each of which is found a two by two array of bi-colored shapes, such as a red-and-maroon diamond or a blue-and-cyan circle. One player then turns over a tile from the draw pile, and everyone tries to find the exact pattern of shapes and colors on that tile within the six-by-six grid. Patterns are allowed to involve two or four grid tiles, and players may even rotate a single tile by ninety degrees in either direction to make the patterns match. The player with the most matches once the draw pile runs out wins.
As mentioned earlier, Acuity's stylings are nothing new, and neither is the gameplay, as it comes across highly reminiscent of the quick-thinking dynamic of card game Set. This unoriginality is by no means bad. In fact, it's often very rewarding to finally find a pattern after several minutes of wracking your brain and eyes, especially when that pattern involves all four colors.
Set's biggest drawback, unfortunately, also carries over: The person who is the strongest visual thinker often quickly emerges from the pack, building a big lead with little risk of ever relinquishing it. Therefore, Acuity is best for groups of four or five in which everyone has about the same level of visual skill. This game, as produced by Fat Brain, retails for approximately $17.
