Laurel typically enjoys quite a bit of generosity from her relatives during the holidays, so in the Christmas aftermath, it's particularly impressive when one thing captures her attention. And, well, ours too. This year, that thing is Katamino. Including an adjustable-sized playing board (increasing the size of the playing space increases the difficulty), different wooden shapes (pentaminos), and an impressively varied instruction manual, this game inspires seemingly endless spatial puzzles for one or more players.
Much like the Perplexus, Katamino has captured the attention of both the big and little people in our house. We're all busy taking turns, attempting to solve the individual levels (and yes, like the Perplexus, Laurel has already surpassed me on a couple of levels) that we haven't even gotten to the multiple player games. As we recover from the holiday season, it's been lovely to have a game that is simple and battery-free and also inspires quiet time! Added bonus: it's compact enough (yet with chunky wooden pieces that are easy to hold on to) for car travel too.

Also, a side note about the Perplexus (since many of you were pretty excited to learn about that game): Laurel mastered the classic version I wrote about and has moved on to the Perplexus Epic -- which will definitely provide challenging fodder for a while. I recommend getting the Epic if your family has mastered the Classic. We also bought my father-in-law the Classic and it was a big hit...it was fun to pad into the kitchen the morning after Christmas to find him playing it at the kitchen table!