Downfall Game

We first picked this game up - the classic version - in Hamley's in London in 1992 - I love games of all kinds, and it's not sold in Canada. My husband lived in the UK for a few years as a child and had fond memories of this game, so it didn't take much to convince me.

The colour scheme has been updated for this "New" version from the institutional blue and white we bought back then. And it's been given a new, "mechanical" look that seems to go over well with the little-boy demographic in our household!

As I said, I must recommend the classic version, if you can get it, over the NEW Downfall style. I think it's a better game.

This "new" version certainly looks more exciting, but its structure is poorly conceived overall. Setting it up, it's hard to pop the cogs in properly, and heaven help you if you don't. My husband had to break his fingers prying them off (after my attempt) and snapping them back on again. I was afraid they would break at that point, but luckily, they didn't.

But the base of this version is its real "downfall" (so to speak). The upper portion snaps onto the base and snaps off for storage. The base is a narrow pointy shape, MUCH less stable than the old rectangular version - wobbles a lot and has no rubber feet, so it slips and slides across the table as you play. Plus, you need a special "key" to turn the dials, as I'll mention below.

I special-ordered the new version from the UK because we'd lost all the playing pieces. So now we have both versions, and I will be reviewing both, and - as I said - recommending the classic one.

In this version, you turn the dials by sticking in a special "key", not by turning knobs as in the classic version. The keys are a little fiddly to use and don't add much to the gameplay beyond novelty. If one key gets lost, the two players will have to share, which isn't much fun either. In families, one has to think about these eventualities... :-)

The goal is to get all your little pieces down to the bottom - (in order, for more advanced players, because it's wickedly hard to do it that way).

The theory of this version is exactly the same as the classic one - navigate the pieces through the little cogs, but watch out! You can't turn the cog used by the other player on his/her turn, so you need to plan the path your pieces will take carefully in advance and try to "trap" your opponent into turning cogs that will inadvertantly advance your pieces!

I'm giving this game - both versions - a few marks for educational value because this game encourages forward thinking and problem solving - always important skills. After a few games playing at random, you DO start to try to out-think your opponent, and it's great watching kids scheme this way.

The NEW version of the game does come with two substitute cogs that you can use if/when one player gets so good that the regular cogs are too easy for them. The substitute ones have fewer slots for pieces to fit into, so it does make winning more difficult. We have not had to use the extra cogs so far; the regular version is tough enough for us!

I am, frankly, a fan of any "old-fashioned" game that relies on kids' ingenuity rather than on batteries, DVDs, or electronics of any other kind. So happy that this game is still around and going strong!

Really wish this game - either version! - were available here in Canada (can't imagine why not!), but now that we have it - both versions - we'll continue to enjoy it, at least until all the little pieces (or keys) get lost under the sofa... :-)

Playability on Shabbat: YES!!! (no batteries, electronics or writing)