How it plays
Everyone has three test tubes, each holding two balls of the same colour. Once a challenge card is turned over, everyone transfers balls from tube to tube at the same time, without touching them, until the tubes match the picture. Tubes may be swapped or turned upside down. Whoever finishes calls out “Eureka!” and gets the card if everything is correct. Anyone who touches or drops a ball or calls out wrongly is out for that card. Five cards win the game.
What it can help develop
Each card is a small planning puzzle, reminiscent of the Tower of London, a planning test used in neuropsychology. Which ball has to go first so that the right one ends up at the bottom? Because the balls stay where they are, each card starts from a different position; keeping the plan in mind demands working memory. Force control comes in too: tilting the tube so that only the intended balls roll. Rushing backfires: a falling ball costs the round.
Especially suitable for
- School-age children who enjoy puzzling things out and working with their hands
- Short games for a quick break
- Siblings with similar skills
Less suitable for
- Mixed-age groups, if adults do not hold back
- Children who cope badly with hectic play and being knocked out
Our verdict
Dr. Eureka is a worthwhile choice for school-age children who enjoy small hands-on thinking challenges, and for short games between siblings of similar dexterity. Its strength is the mix of dexterity and planning, with solid components. Its limitations are the hectic pace, being knocked out after a mistake and the gap in mixed-age groups when adults do not make allowances for the children.
Getting started
- From the start, make use of the fact that tubes may be swapped or turned upside down; no more than four balls are allowed in each tube.
- If adults are playing, hold back deliberately so that the race is not decided in advance for the children.
In detail
Variants and player count
According to Pegasus (German edition 2016, licensed from Blue Orange), Dr. Eureka was designed by Roberto Fraga and is intended for 2 to 4 people from age 6. Pegasus gives the playing time as 10 to 20 minutes. According to the Pegasus rules, everyone tips balls from tube to tube at the same time without touching them; turning tubes upside down and swapping two tubes are allowed. Anyone who touches or drops balls or calls out “Eureka!” wrongly is out for the current card; 5 cards win. A variant in which players announce the number of moves appears only in the European Blue Orange rules, not in the Pegasus rules.
What reviewers say
The Finnish toy association Suomen Leluyhdistys lists Dr. Eureka under “Vuoden Lastenpeli 2017” (children’s game of the year in Finland); the jury calls it easily accessible. In 2016, Brettspielbox (Pegasus/Blue Orange edition) praised sturdy components and a very easy start, but considered age 6 rather too low and eight better. According to the review, parents have to play with a great deal of consideration. In 2015, Reich der Spiele called it quick to explain and not very demanding, a game for a spare moment. The retailer website Jeux de NIM praises perfect components and calls it very easy to explain.
How it compares
Chairs (from age 6, 1 to 3 people, about 5 minutes) has the same skill areas as Dr. Eureka, fine motor skills as well as logic and planning. Chairs suits short games with almost no explanation; wobbly tables are less suitable. Bellz! (from age 6, 2 to 4 people, about 10 minutes) shares the age, the number of players and fine motor skills with Dr. Eureka, but has impulse control instead of logic and planning. Dr. Eureka suits school-age children who enjoy puzzling things out and working with their hands, and siblings with similar skills; it is less suited to children who cope badly with hectic play and being knocked out.
Sources
- Pegasus Spiele: Dr. Eureka (publisher’s page, in German)
- Pegasus Spiele: Dr. Eureka rules (PDF, in German)
- Blue Orange: Dr. Eureka rules, European version (PDF, in Spanish)
- Suomen Leluyhdistys: Vuoden pelit 2017 (in Finnish)
- Brettspielbox: review (in German)
- Reich der Spiele: review (in German)
- Jeux de NIM: retailer page (in French)
Frequently asked questions
What age is Dr. Eureka suitable for?
Dr. Eureka is recommended from age 6. Children who enjoy handling things and working out puzzles and who stay calm when play gets hectic or when they are knocked out for a card are ready. One review considers 8 the better minimum age and expects parents to show a great deal of consideration.
How long does a game take and how many people can play?
A game takes about 15 minutes. The game is for 2 to 4 people, who play against each other. Everyone works on the same challenge at the same time; whoever calls out “Eureka!” first and is right gets the card, and five cards win.
What skills can Dr. Eureka help develop?
It can help develop fine motor skills as well as logic and planning. Each card sets a thinking challenge: in what order do the balls have to move? On top of that, tilting the tubes takes a steady hand.
Do adults and children play well together?
It works better when the adults hold back. One review expects parents to show a great deal of consideration; it works better among siblings with similar experience.
