ThinkFun Rush Hour Shift Review

My family received this game in exchange for an honest ThinkFun Rush Hour Shift review. No other compensation was received.

If you’ve read this site for any length of time you already know that our family is obsessed with games.

One of our all-time most favorite games is ThinkFun‘s Rush Hour, which we’ve previously gushed about here and here. Folks, I didn’t think that Rush Hour could get any better, until I got my hands on Rush Hour Shift.

Rush Hour Review

Before delving into Rush Hour Shift, I have to mention the awesomeness that is Rush Hour – just in case you’ve never heard of this award-winning game. Rush Hour is a one-player logic game recommended for ages 8 and up. The game includes a grid game board, sliding blocks in the shape of cars, and a set of challenge cards. The game is simple yet extremely challenging. The four levels of play provide oodles of entertainment and challenge- it’s a game your family won’t outgrow! To play the game, you simply arrange the vehicles on the grid according to the selected challenge card and then you must rearrange the sliding cars on the grid in such a way that you are able to free your red car from the gridlock traffic. Sounds easy, right? Guess again, folks! This game is addictive. You will see your kiddo playing, and you’ll want to play. And then you will again… and again… and again.

Benefits of Rush Hour

• Rush Hour is affordable. Not only is it affordable, but it’s a game you won’t outgrow so it’s a smart investment. The four levels of play provide a wonderful challenge for all ages and abilities. There are several expansion packs available for the Rush Hour-obsessed (yes, I’m raising my hand here!), and there is also a junior version available.
• Rush Hour is educational. It involves hand-eye coordination, problem solving, logic, planning, and sequential reasoning. As a mom and homeschooler, I truly feel that this game is a workout for your brain. I count it as school, because it’s that good. 
• In addition to being educational and fun, this game provides me with quiet time (priceless!!). I can give Rush Hour to Leo and I won’t hear him for an hour. And if you know Leo in real life, this is an impressive feat.
• Rush Hour is durable. You know how board game boxes have a way of disintegrating, resulting in lost pieces? Well, Rush Hour comes in a handy little mesh bag with a draw-string closure. That means it is easy to clean up, store, and travel with. It’s the type of game you could bring to keep your child quiet at a restaurant or waiting room, and it’s a vacation staple for our family

Clearly, we adore Rush Hour. Honestly the only negative to Rush Hour is that it is a one-player game. Don’t get me wrong, I am a huge fan of one-player games but the issue with this game is that people fight over it. I was honestly, no-joke, considering investing in another Rush Hour until I heard about Rush Hour Shift.

Rush Hour Shift Review

A two-player Rush Hour? Sign. Me. Up. Folks, Rush Hour Shift is so much fun! I don’t know who in this house was the most excited when it arrived. Okay, maybe it was me.

 

Rush Hour Shift offers a larger playing space, with a shifting grid, and more game pieces. Each player has a Hero Car and the goal is to be the first to reach the opposite end of the board, escaping the gridlock traffic. How do you do that, exactly? Well, first you must arrange the game pieces according to one of the playing options outlined in the instruction manual. Then, each player is dealt five playing cards. Each playing card has a rule for play: shift the grid, move a certain number of spaces, slide one direction, or move and shift. During the game, you can move any car on the board except for your opponent’s Hero Car. This, in addition to the shifting grid, provides a fun twist on the original game. You still have to figure out how to get your car out of gridlock traffic but you also have to pay attention to what your opponent is doing, so there is an offense-defense component as well.

 

Benefits of Rush Hour Shift

• Rush Hour Shift houses all of the benefits of the original Rush Hour, in a two-player version.
• This game involves quite a bit of strategy. You must figure out how to get your hero car out of the traffic but in order to win you have to pay attention to what your opponent is doing, too. There is offense and defense involved here, plus a little luck as you have to work with the hand you are dealt.
• Just as with Rush Hour, Rush Hour Shift comes in a handy little mesh bag with a draw-string closure, making clean-up, storage, and travel a cinch.

There are so many benefits of playing board games and, while I do believe that most games are educational, not all games are created equal. We adore ThinkFun games because they are educational and fun. I have no trouble counting a ThinkFun game as a homeschool activity because I truly feel your brain gets a workout with these games. If you love Rush Hour, be sure to check out Rush Hour Shift! Be sure to check out Leo’s Top Five Reasons Rush Hour and Rush Hour Shift Are Awesome, too!

What is your family’s favorite ThinkFun game? Share here!