Cooper Island

Cooper Island fried our brains both times we played it. It is a hard solitaire-like experience, a demanding optimization puzzle that, judging by our scores, nobody in our group has truly “got” yet. And honestly, I am happy about that.

Its core is finding the most efficient order for your actions. Every choice seems to demand planning and proper timing, as you try to arrange your moves to produce as much as possible. This is not a game for relaxed, spontaneous decisions: it makes you stare at your own puzzle and constantly look for where you lost a little efficiency.

Interaction seems to lie more in comparing performance than in direct conflict. I find it more enjoyable with three or four players, though it also holds up with two or solo. However, if one person discovers the correct action sequence while everyone else is still figuring things out, the contest can become one-sided: the experienced player simply crushes the others every time.

That is the only major thorn I see. On the one hand, the fact that we have not yet solved the optimal ways to play gives it longevity and replayability. On the other, once one player has solved the puzzle, I am not sure there is much point in putting them up against people who do not know it. Still, for fans of tough, personal optimization puzzles, this is an unreserved recommendation.