- Jishaku
- RSV Productions, $20
The rules couldn't be simpler: Players take turns placing their pieces on the egg-crate-like foam board; the first one to run out wins. Except the pieces are all magnets, so each time you lay one down, others are liable to fly toward it and adhere themselves—and when that happens, you must reclaim not just your own piece, but any others stuck to it as well. The science lesson is hidden in there, but on the surface is an entertaining game with incredibly suspenseful moments. Don't be surprised to find yourself wiping sweat from your brow as you slowly ... gently ... carefully lower your piece onto a playing space, only to jump back in shock when an adjacent one shoots toward it. Easily frustrated younger players can use alternate rules, in which the goal is to try to pick up other pieces. —Ages 5 and up
