Brain Train

Brain Train - A train-themed one-person logic puzzle.

Brain Train is a train-themed one-person logic puzzle from SmartGames. With three train cars, 9 pieces and 48 challenges it caught my attention. Let's get on board and check this out.

Looking at the box on Amazon I wondered how difficult this would really be. After using it, I have this game pegged for my kids with moderate to mild cognitive disability. With that said, lets take a look in the box.

There are three train cars with working wheels and each car has cut out holes in them that hold the different shaped pieces (see image above). The holes are cut out in the shapes of square, circle and star. The locomotive holds one piece in the back. Then there is a car that holds three pieces and one that holds two pieces. There is nothing to hook the cars together with, although some of the pieces are tethered together with an elastic cord and if those pieces stretch across two cars, then they are pretty much tethered together. The train cars are hard plastic.

There are nine pieces and they feel just a little bit rubbery. Four of the pieces have a different shape on each end (see the individual green piece in the image above). There are two individual pieces, two strings of two pieces held together with an elastic cord and one string of three pieces held together with an elastic cord. When you look at the solution, which shows the train from a birds-eye view, the shapes of the pieces will be pictured, not the shapes of the holes in the train. For instance, a piece may be a square on one end and a circle on the other. Therefore, if they want a circle to show, you may end up putting the square end into the square hole. You just have to remember that the puzzle image will show the finished product, not the shape that is going in. The shapes in the three piece car are square, star and circle. If the puzzle shows that car with square, star, square, then you will have to figure out which way the car is oriented. You will do that by looking at the color/shapes of other pieces and there will end up being only one option that will work.

There is a spiral bound puzzle/challenge book with 48 challenges. The challenges are ranked into four categories and they get more difficult as you go, within each challenge and across challenge sections. Here is a breakdown of the challenges: 

• 12 starter challenges - This is an introduction and these show you exactly where everything is.
• 12 junior challenges - These show the order of the cars and the shapes of the holes. They are shown from a birds-eye-view. There will be anywhere between three and six holes and one, two or none of the piece colors are shown. The rest are in white for you to figure out.
• 12 expert challenges - The whole train is shown from the side and all the pieces colors are shown in a single shape and all colors are shown. You figure out the shapes.
• 12 master challenges - The whole train is shown from the side but they do not outline the cars. The pieces are shown as a single shape and one or more piece colors are shown. The rest are white and you figure them out.

Below is one example from each section, showing the first and last puzzles in the book.

They have done a pretty good job of grading the difficulty throughout the challenges. Each challenge page has a solution on the back. Solutions are all shown from a birds-eye-view and are very easy to interpret.

Object:
Place the pieces into the train cars so that they look just like the challenge.

Set-up:
Gather all the pieces and the challenge book.

Play:
Choose a challenge. Use the clues on the challenge to help you decide which pieces go where.

Try this:

• Play with the train before you start. Look at the shapes and how they fit in the holes. Arrange the pieces in the holes so that the cars are tethered together and you can pull the train around for fun.
• Practice putting the tethered pieces in the train before you start. The cord is too short to put the first piece in any direction but with the cord coming out the back. For some reason, a couple of the kids that I work with had a little difficulty figuring out this part.
• Solve the first puzzle or two from each section while the individual watches. Talk about how you decide what goes where so they can learn to apply logic and problem solve. Model how getting it wrong is not failure, it can be a trial and error process.
• Take out only the pieces that will be needed as you solve each puzzle.
• Start by giving the individual one piece, or set of tethered pieces, as needed. Let them play with the piece(s) and decide which way to put it in the train. After they are figuring it out, then add more pieces as options so that they have to decide which piece(s) to use and in what order.
• Model holding a new car still as a tethered piece is added to it. Since the wheels roll freely and the cord is short, it may be a little awkward at first. 
•  Work on visual discrimination, spatial relations, eye-hand coordination, coordinated use of both hands, logic, problems solving, visualization, executive functioning skills, process skills, play and leisure exploration and participation

In the box:  Train cars, 9 shape pieces, book with 48 challenges

If you are interested in purchasing this game or just want more information, click on the image below.