The Brain Game Cortex Challenge unboxing and review from Esdevium games

Sometimes its fun to pull something out to play that doesn't take hours to set up, or even minutes, doesn't take ages to explain, and that can still challenge your mind, though maybe in different ways from normal strategy boardgames.  Cortex challenge is a game that can fill that role easily.

Challenge your brain in a fun game that tests your thinking, memory and speed skills! Compete with other players in 8 different challenges which will make you use all your brain power: touch tests, duplicates, logical series, mazes, colour puzzles, and more.

Cortex Challenge is the exciting new brain-busting card game by Esdevium Games, which uses the same fast-paced approach to family fun popularised by Dobble and Jungle Speed.  Cortex Challenge tests up to six players’ memory, cognition, and sensory perception. It even includes texture cards that are used during ‘Touch Challenges’, where players must guess what they are feeling, adding a unique element that is often neglected in games. Players’ brain powers are stretched to the max as they race to be the first to match symbols, correctly remember all objects on a card or find the route out of mazes, amongst many other tests! Winning challenges allows players to add pieces to their brain puzzle which they must complete before their opponents in order to win the game. Cortex Challenge is sure to tax the mental abilities of players both young and old!

 The standard version is 2-6 players ages 8 and up (Olivia was fine at 7 but do use your own judgement)

The game also comes in both Geo (for players aged 9+ years) and Kids (for players aged 6+ years) versions, making the game accessible to more specialised or younger audiences.

Lets crack the box open see what lurks within..........

 Inside the box are some brain tokens you punch out, these are in four parts that you then collect when you win a challenge.  First to gain all four parts of their brain wins.  Then two stacks of cards, and the rulebook.

 These are really quite cool, they are touch cards, with textures printed on them to feel like the picture, when a test on these is done you must feel without looking and guess, its not easy at all, Olivia did better then me on these for sure.

 The rules are a few simple pages telling what kind of challenge the symbols represent.  On each cards back they have a symbol that shows the kind of puzzle it will be when flipped over, these range from maze type puzzles where you must be the first player to call out the successful route, colour challenges, where you must pick the word of the colour that is written in that colour, for example Pink written in Pink.

Coordination one i found the hardest, being a bit of an uncoordinated beast, but again its simple it tells you which hand and which finger/s to place where on your head.

duplicates is spotting the duplicate first, pretty simple in theory, but they be different colours or sizes so its not always as simple as it may first seem.

Frequecny challenges is looking at the number that occurs most

Reasoning, its a bit like Tetris which shape will fit?

And of course we discussed the touch challenge earlier.

So you set the deck up, let everyone have a nice look and feel of the touch cards then tuck them out of the way.  Then you flip the top card over, and first to guess right wins a brain piece.  If you win it you put the card in front of you. you can only keep a maximum of 4 in front you at any time.  When you have two with the same back (same type of challenge you can exchange it for a brain piece, first to all 4 of their brain pieces wins.  If you lose the card is put on the bottom and you may not guess on the next card, so make certain you are sure before you guess!

Its a nice small box, so very portable to take round to friends, it plays fast so is a perfect filler game, or party game as well, and is perfect for non gamers as you don't need to learn any rules.  It also reminds of the old brain training game on Nintendo DS many years ago, in the way that it is working your mind out.

Oliva Says.....

It reminds a bit of dobble, its good, i like the maze challenges and the feeling ones (textures - mart) best.  its easy to play, i only had to be told once what the card type was then i was ok.



With an RRP of £12.99 this game will provide plenty of fun for all the family.  Go find your local game store and pick up a copy, or ask them to order you one in if they do not have one!