Your eyes go narrow, and you start to sweat. 3! Your fingers feel tight, ready to move fast. 2! You look around, seeing other players, blocks, and cards. 1! It is about to start. You quickly move blocks on the table. Your hands move fast, and your eyes switch between your blocks and the game cards. Sometimes, you observe what others are doing. What are they trying to create? There is no time to think! Someone shouts, “Match!” and it wasn’t you. You were almost there. The player who won looks at you and says, “This is not a simple game. This is Match Madness!”

Do you enjoy racing your friends and Family to create unique patterns using blocks? How quick are you in matching and solving puzzles? Well, here’s a review of the Match Madness game for you! Remember, it is not just your usual puzzle-solving game; there are multiple difficulty levels throughout to keep you on edge and enjoy the whole family together! 

Match Madness Game: What Is It?

Match Madness is a fast-paced tabletop game where players race against each other to arrange or manipulate blocks according to patterns displayed on cards. You need quick reflexes, strategic thinking, and observational skills to spot and recreate patterns before your opponents. 

The game’s primary goal is to twist and turn your blocks until you find a match, and the first player to do so would declare a “match.” This action is central to the gameplay. If you don’t like that sound, this game might not be for you. But if it excites you, especially if you are fast, you are in for a treat.

Match Madness is a straightforward yet entertaining game for kids and adults. It is fantastic seeing children engage their problem-solving skills, rotating blocks to match the pattern shown on a card. With several blocks looking quite similar and multiple ways to form a pattern, it brings an exciting challenge.

Playing Match Madness encourages players to think on their feet and explore alternative solutions if their initial idea does not work out. This reinforces persistence, a valuable trait to nurture from a young age!

How To Play Match Madness?

There are two official modes to play Match Madness as given in the instructions — “Quick Play” and “Total Madness.”

No matter which mode you pick, the starting step is for every player to have their individual set of blocks. Each block’s ends are labelled (1-5), ensuring players can quickly verify they have the complete set.

Every block demonstrates 4 unique pairs of symbols, different on each one. Thus, the game’s primary challenge, irrespective of the chosen mode, is to pinpoint the correct symbol pairs for the designated spots.

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The Quick Play

In Quick Play, you shuffle all the pattern cards together. Together, the players decide on the number of rounds they want to play. Then, take that many cards from the deck and lay them face down in the center of the table.

When the top card is flipped, everyone races to replicate the pattern using their blocks. If you are the first to match the pattern, shout out your “match” and take the card.

Be careful! If you take a card without creating the correct match, you must return the card and wait while the others keep trying.

The game wraps up once all cards are claimed. Whoever collects the most cards occurs as the game’s winner.

And what if there’s a tie-in card numbers? The player holding the most level-5 cards wins. If a tie still remains, continue comparing the following levels until a winner is determined.

Total Madness

In Total Madness, you first organize the pattern cards by their difficulty levels and shuffle each group separately. Then, from each deck, draw cards equal to the number of players and place them in the center of distinct level stacks, face-up.

When everyone counts to three, you all dash to recreate any visible patterns you choose.

Once players believe they have made a match, they yell “Match” and point out the corresponding pattern. Everyone takes a brief moment to verify. If there is no dispute, that player claims the card, revealing a new design beneath, and the game continues.

The game ends once all cards are taken. Next, it is time for scoring. Cards from Levels 1 & 2 earn you 1 point each. Level 3 cards fetch 2 points each, while cards from Levels 4 & 5 grant 3 points each.

In case of a tie, resolve it as described in the Quick Play version.

How Do We Like The Matching Board Game?

There is a unique pleasure in handling a physical puzzle. Shifting the pieces in your hands and examining them from various perspectives differs from doing it on a screen. The blocks of Match Madness, made of lightweight plastic, boast flashy and enticing colors. Players like to frequently pick them up, rotate them, and observe the various patterns.

What we particularly enjoyed was the option to adjust the game’s difficulty. The more challenging puzzles can be tricky, offering just a single solution requiring precise block orientation, especially since many blocks have similar sides. On the other hand, the more straightforward puzzles, while being noticeably easier, still posed a good challenge for young kids.

However, if the race-like nature and competitive element differ from your taste, the Match Madness game is also an engaging solo puzzle activity.

Match Madness Extreme

The Match Madness Extreme expansion introduces an additional sixth block into the gameplay. Accompanying this are 60 fresh and bright cards for players to navigate! Given that this new block is a single rather than a double, it amps the challenge, offering even more diverse pattern configurations.

Though the expansion adds a fun twist, it is not mandatory, considering the ample card variety in the main game. On the upside, if you decide to get the expansion, just discard the insert from the original box. This way, all the blocks and cards from both versions will neatly fit in, conserving some valuable shelf space!

Final Thoughts

Match Madness is an excellent puzzle game that sharpens players’ quick thinking and problem-solving abilities.

Its straightforward rules make it ideal for home and classroom settings, allowing kids to play independently and confidently. It is also a fantastic solo activity! While it is primarily designed with kids in mind, it is equally entertaining for the entire family. Parents will undoubtedly have a blast joining in and competing with their children!

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