Calico

Calico

I'm a cat lover and a puzzle fan, so Calico was practically made for me. Don't be fooled by the adorable quilt and cat theme – underneath the cute exterior is one of the most brain-burning puzzles I've encountered. On each turn I'm agonizing over where to place a single patch tile, trying to meet multiple pattern goals while also attracting certain cats. When I manage to sew the perfect spot that scores for a color grouping and a pattern objective at the same time, I feel like a genius. It's immensely satisfying to see my quilt come together in the end. The flip side of Calico’s tight design is that it can be quite unforgiving. A single misplaced tile early on can box you into a corner later, making the game feel more stressful than its cozy artwork suggests. There's almost no room for error if you're aiming for a high score, and sometimes the exact patch you need never comes due to luck of the draw. Also, players who prefer direct interaction might find Calico too solitary, since everyone is absorbed in their own board.