Robert Abbott, Games and Mazes

I first met Robert Abbott when I was reviewing games for Games Magazine. I was amazed then as I am now by his ability to invent games and puzzles that are innovative, and profoundly challenging. One of the first and best of his games is the card game "Eleusis." It's one of the few card games I know that are based on deductive reasoning. And it's great fun. As is his "equipment-based game" called "What's That On My Head" - another example of how he manages to balance playfulness with the perplexing.

Then there are his mazes. The maze in the illustration is called "Theseus and the Minotaur." You move the red dot. The black dot is the Minotaur, and it has a mind of its own, which, in order not to get virtually gored, you have to figure out. It's one of six, different, interactive mazes that you play online. Bob is a Mensa kind of guy, so don't expect any of his games or puzzles to be "no-brainers." But definitely expect them to be engaging, innovative, and profoundly challenging.