Zoombinis Logical Journey - PC/Mac

I first played this game when I was in elementary school. I loved it then and, after playing it again after so many years now, I still love it. I would highly recommend it for parents with young kids and for those nostalgic adults like myself out there. The puzzles are excellent and grow more complex and difficult as the game progresses to keep the player challenged. Furthermore, the graphics (while no longer very modern by 2008 standards) are easy on the eyes and the voices are clear and even rather entertaining at times (although, in the version I have now, the sound tends to skip every so often). However, the explanations and clues provided by the game for the puzzles are not always particularly helpful, especially since the company apparently no longer makes this game with an actual manual included. If you encounter problems in that regard, I would recommend Googling for an online walkthrough or FAQ about Zoombinis.Unfortunately, with the version I bought from Amazon.com here, I could not initially get it to play after installation. Despite what they might advertise, you may still run a chance of encountering technical errors that could render the game essentially useless. Fortunately, there are possible ways to fix this awful dilemma, at least for Windows XP users (as this is the system I use; I'm sorry, but I don't know what can be done for Mac users who are encountering trouble). You can run the Program Compatibility Wizard, which a quick Google search will bring up information about and how to start. Or, you can go to the game link on your Start -> Programs menu, right-click on it, click on Properties, go to Compatibility, and select the correct setting under Compatibility mode. I set it to Windows 95 for this game, and it appears to work just fine now. But, be warned - these methods sadly may not solve every case.Zoombinis: Logical Journey is an excellent game, if you can get it running. There are some errors that you may encounter, and the game isn't as spiffy sight- or sound-wise as the newer games you'll see on the store shelves these days. But what Zoombinis lacks in modern features, it makes up for in charming puzzles, an interesting storyline, and rather addictive game play. I would advise some caution in buying this game if you have never played or seen it before or are not at least a little technically savvy or know someone who is, as you could potentially be let down. Otherwise, I love this game and highly recommend it for those interested. I hope this review helps parents, teachers, and other shoppers alike in their purchasing decision.

I taught "information design" at a major University for over 10 years, which means I teach others how to teach or instruct in various media. Before this, I spent 16 years designing computer software interfaces, web sites, and instructional material, including dozens of national and international awards for my work. As such, I am keenly aware of both the theoretical and practical issues and difficulties in designing instructional games for children.The best-known, most-respected, and most-successful educators tell us that education for children (and for adults, for that matter) is most effective when it is fun, when it involves guided self-discovery, when it transparently and automatically adjusts the level of difficulty to match the learner's skills, and when it gives immediate feedback, especially when the emphasis is on positive feedback to the extent possible. Zoombinis excells in all of these areas.My 9-year-old son has become engrossed by the game, and now spends time helping his 6-year-old sister. They LOVE the silly aspects of the Zoombinis ("hip, hip, zoombini!!!"), and are completely unaware that they are learning some rather complex logic and mathematical concepts. I was amazed when I overheard my son explaining to his sister how to solve the logic puzzles.I tried playing it myself, and found that the animation and characters are not annoying, cloy, or childish, but possess just the right amount of levity to keep it interesting. I've found that after just a few hours of playing it, my son is already faster than me at figuring out the puzzles. He is now doing it at an intuitive level, while I still have to think it through step-by-step.Unlike other software, which usually follows a fairly simplistic, linear algorithm that is easily defeated by simple trial-and-error (click everything until it works, then memorize the right pattern), the Zoombini puzzles/problems require the learner to internalize generalizable, transferable problem-solving methods.Sorry if this sounds like mumbo-jumbo. The bottom line is that this is an outstanding educational product that teaches remarkably complex thinking skills to children while seeming to be nothing more than a really fun computer game. Buy it! You'll be happy you did.

didn't really catch the kids attention

not that great but service was great

Its not working with mac version el capitan... But it qork with my pc vista