I got this for my 8yr old son, he loves it. he said its a little bit hard but would play all day if i let him. There are printables that he likes. I have Vista so i had to install with compatibility wizard.

My parents bought this game for us kids for Christmas. I was 10 then and still remember it like it was yesterday. With all the Technology kids have these days, the only game I want my kids playing on the computer is Zoombinis. It is so fun and you don't even know you are memorizing and learning. The ages say 8 and up, but my 5 year old loves it. My 2 year old loves the music and colorful activities. This is a must have game and will stick with you forever.

Other reviewers warned this game might not be compatible with my newer PC. However the description and the packaging plainly state it is compatible for Windows XP. After installing the game, when we clicked on it to start, my computer froze and I had to re-boot. I must have installed and un-installed this game 5 times not to mention all the times I had to totally shut down the system. I've finally given up. Very disappointed. I bought this for my granddaughter and had hoped that it would help improve her math skills.

The manufacturer evidently doesn't offer support for this product, and the company that they referred us to is hard to reach / get help from.

Sad to say, that after playing "Email-Tag" with the vendor and continually trying everything advised to me, I still couldn't get this game to work. I also have XP and eventhough I set the compatibility mode to one of the younger windows versions, windows shut down on me and I wasn't able to get the disc out of the driver. To retrieve the disc I had to restart my computer. What a disaster! I am just glad I didn't pay major bucks.

I am glad that I tried to set this game up before my grandson came for the weekend. It is definitely not XP compatible. I followed their instructions for converting the XP settings on my computer to a compatible setting. The game did start to work but was very choppy and incomplete. I also did not like the theme of the game. Creatures doing mean things to other creatures. I was very disappointed with Broderbund and The Learning Company. Customer service was also very poor.

I first played this game when I was in elementary school. I loved it then and, after playing it again after so many years now, I still love it. I would highly recommend it for parents with young kids and for those nostalgic adults like myself out there. The puzzles are excellent and grow more complex and difficult as the game progresses to keep the player challenged. Furthermore, the graphics (while no longer very modern by 2008 standards) are easy on the eyes and the voices are clear and even rather entertaining at times (although, in the version I have now, the sound tends to skip every so often). However, the explanations and clues provided by the game for the puzzles are not always particularly helpful, especially since the company apparently no longer makes this game with an actual manual included. If you encounter problems in that regard, I would recommend Googling for an online walkthrough or FAQ about Zoombinis.

Unfortunately, with the version I bought from Amazon.com here, I could not initially get it to play after installation. Despite what they might advertise, you may still run a chance of encountering technical errors that could render the game essentially useless. Fortunately, there are possible ways to fix this awful dilemma, at least for Windows XP users (as this is the system I use; I'm sorry, but I don't know what can be done for Mac users who are encountering trouble). You can run the Program Compatibility Wizard, which a quick Google search will bring up information about and how to start. Or, you can go to the game link on your Start -> Programs menu, right-click on it, click on Properties, go to Compatibility, and select the correct setting under Compatibility mode. I set it to Windows 95 for this game, and it appears to work just fine now. But, be warned - these methods sadly may not solve every case.

Zoombinis: Logical Journey is an excellent game, if you can get it running. There are some errors that you may encounter, and the game isn't as spiffy sight- or sound-wise as the newer games you'll see on the store shelves these days. But what Zoombinis lacks in modern features, it makes up for in charming puzzles, an interesting storyline, and rather addictive game play. I would advise some caution in buying this game if you have never played or seen it before or are not at least a little technically savvy or know someone who is, as you could potentially be let down. Otherwise, I love this game and highly recommend it for those interested. I hope this review helps parents, teachers, and other shoppers alike in their purchasing decision.

The kids picked it up in no time (ages 9 & 6.) Me, I couldn't figure it out but at least they enjoyed it. However they beat it in one day.

My 6 year old granddaughter enjoys this game, and I (the 65 year old grandma) have been impressed
with the 'thinking this through' skills that are introduced - and both us are
fascinated with the silly little sounds those Zoombini creatures make!

The game arrived in a timely manner. The overall game itself is a little complicated but otherwise fun.

This is an excellent learning game, my 8 year old son was playing it at school and it was all he talked about, I had trouble finding the game in town and finally found on the internet. He has not stopped playing it, HE LOVES IT!!!!

I consider myself computer savvy, but I could not get this game to work.

The system requirements match, I have Windows XP. The installation was completed without problem, but the game would not play. I really wanted to children to use this game, the reviews are so positive; I really think it's a shame.

Software Customer support from the Learning Company is nearly non-existent, and then they tell us to contact another company that I wasn't able to contact either because in the process of getting a customer support ticket, their registration page would not let me get past the mailing address field.

What a shame.

Although this product states it works with Mac OSx...it does not. Both of our macs spit the disk out promptly as it was incompatible and/or unreadable. It looks like a great game but, we'll never know. Hopefully the developers will address this issue.

"Mia's Math Caper" might be a great alternative to this title if you're a Mac user.

I just purchased this software based on the reviews, but no matter what I did I could not get it to work on my computer. I did everything support websites advised, and nothing worked. I think this software is for six year old computers and systems, not updated ones.

I bought this for my 5 year old that just turned 6 last week. She has played it a lot and enjoys the way she can make the Zoombinis look anyway she likes. She caught on very quickly on how to play most of the journeys. Some journeys are harder than others so she asks for help with those but then once she understands it she has no problem.

Thanks for your quick mailing. I plan to use this CD with second graders, and the game should fit their age group nicely.
JH

I grew up on this game when I was young, and I recently started looking for it again, but couldn't find it....i love it! it's still one of my fav games! i can't believe people are selling in for .01!! It's worth the penny! trust me! i think i may have to invest in a new one! :)

It is suppose to be a great game, but there was a hitch during installation & so far we have not been able to install it!

I bought the Zoombini Mini 2 pack for my daughter, who is 6 years old, because she no longer found her Clifford and Starflyer games Clifford The Big Red Dog Thinking Adventures,StarFlyers Royal Jewel Rescue,StarFlyers Alien Space Chase challenging anymore. She played with the Zoombinis Logical Journey CD for the first time yesterday evening and was completely hooked. A few of the challenges (e.g. encounter with the Pizza Troll) were more difficult than others, but they were not off-putting nor too frustrating, and it wasn't long before she discovered how to apply logic and pattern recognition to overcome those difficulties. The game occasionally pauses now and then, but it could simply be due to my computer and not the software design. Fortunately I installed it on my Dell without any of the problems described by other buyers. Overall, the game is fun for younger kids, but I can see how older kids might find the game repetitive after a while. In any case, my 6-year-old enjoys the game very much. The first thing she said when she woke up this morning was that she couldn't wait to come home from school so she could continue to play her Zoombinis game. The 2nd CD, Mountain Rescue, is reportedly slightly more advanced, so I'll wait a few more weeks before introducing her to it.

I used this as part of my home-school curriculum for my 1st and 2nd graders. It is great for teaching children critical and logical thinking skills. For example, in order to get the Zoombinis from one side of the river to the next you have to arrange them in a certain order according to certain characteristics. Usually, the player is given a clue as to what are the acceptable characteristics. The goal is to get all of the Zoombinis to the destination.

My girls LOVE this game and play it frequently for long periods of time. Sometimes, I have to read the clues given and explain them to the girls before they can proceed, but more often than not they are able to figure it out on their own.

IF you are looking for a fast action, thrilling, whiz-bang, cool graphics game, this is NOT what you're looking for. This is more of a game of strategy and thinking than run around and kill the aliens kind of game. Your child or student will have to be fairly independent to play this game and be able to do a lot of problem solving and thinking on their own. Also, if you're child/student has a low tolerance for frustration, you might not want to purchase this game. Frequently, it takes several tries to get the strategy or riddle figured out before the player is successful. There are several difficulty settings, but even at the lowest setting your child/student probably needs to be at least 5 or 6 years old to play on his or her own.

Some buyers are having trouble because the Zoombinis they're inadvertantly getting old versions that give them problems on Win XP.

I purchased the Zoombinis Mini 2 Pack from rksglobalbooks thru Amazon Marketplace and both DVD's downloaded with ease on our XP. So if you want to get a current version that gives you no problems, check out rksglobalbooks. I got the cd's today, popped them in the computer and my son is playing as we speak.

Rksglobalbooks offers expedited shipping (if you want it). I got the item in 3 business days (priority mail). So if you want this specific Zoombinis product, this is the merchant to go with. I am very happy.

Just a note: One reviewer also said that with the older cd's you should say "yes" to loading Quicktime 2.1 when the option appears and then there should be no problems running the program.

My 10 year old son loved this so much at school we ordered a copy for home - and for his 72 year old grandmother who also loves it. Teaches logic while having fun. A must have!

I have a [...] boy and he is in the game-playing age, what I found is that it's REALLY hard to find educational games. So between bad games and crap like "investigative math" from school, he is not learning much other than reading.

This game really fill the gap and it's designed to be FUN and challenging at the right level for kids. My son likes it so much, I just purchased the "Island Odyssy" title from Zoombinis.

Hi, my name is Manuel, I am 6 years old and I like Zoombinis a lot because of all the adventures they go through to pass activities and discover new lands. I also like them because the stories are very exciting.

Hi, I am Naima (Manuel's sister), I am 7 years old and I also love Zoombinis because there is a lot of fun and action. Zoombinis are very colorful, the stories are short but nice, and the game is very challenging.

This is one of the very few computer games where there are no glitches. The graphics, sound, and over all logic of this game are wonderous. Though some people may say it is for younger kids- they are wrong, my olmost fourteen year old cousin loves it- and even adults like it! It's not the same puzzle over and over agin either- clear directions and changing goals and directions give this game a little lift. There is so much more I could talk about with this game- but I don't want to bore you- overall this game is great!

I was probably 14 when I played Zoombinis. My aunt had it for my cousins and well for her too, and thought that I would really like it. Not only do you learn and have fun it's so addicting. The best part about it is that you don't even realize you are learning. I am now 24 and recently purchased the game for myself. Not because I need a refresher course but because I enjoyed it so much. I think that this is a great game for the classroom. I've encouraged many of my friends that educate to install into their classrooms.

I bought this game for my daughter and of course I had to try it out first. It was not only addictive for me, but when my daughter started playing it I had to fight her to stop! She played it for three days straight until she was completely finished with the game. It really made her think. This is an excellent game and I would recommend it for anyone, child or adult.

I brought this item for my grandchildren ages 4 and 6 they enjoy it and I might buy others

I'm a 15-year old who rediscovered Zoombinis after it was left on the shelf for about six years. I'm in a math/science magnet and at least half my friends played this game when they were kids. I'm having the time of my life not only playing the game, which is still hard enough to challenge me at this age, but I'm also trying to duplicate it in my own spare time--figuring out how to generate and manipulate the puzzles in my own version of the program. The logical thinking is present and wonderful--many people don't see where the algebraic thinking is coming from (Mirror Machine, of course, where various transformations are used to make the Zoombinis appear alike), or where the graph theory is present (Stone Rise demands that the Zoombinis be connected by similar attributes), or coordinate systems (Mudball Wall and Hotel Dimensia, of course), but clearly, it is present and it is very, very, effective.

I have a brain illness and often I can't concentrate or remember things. It isn't demintia or Alzheimers, but sometimes it is frustrating to be an adult who simply can't follow through with my thoughts.

I used both of this games to kind of kick-start some of my cognitive processes.

They helped -- at least enough to tell you that I enjoyed them and was addicted to them. And I write this review two years later!

This game set is fantastic. It is very high interest with students in 5th and 6th grades. The price was fantastic compared to any other site on the net.

This game originally came out in 1996 and the cheap versions you see listed came out THEN, and are designed for computers with older "stuff" for playing sounds and graphics (windows 95 instead of XP or 98).

I am trying to do a school project with this software and I feel like an angry monkey trying to use it on Windows XP, and trying to follow the advice of other users. If you are just a regular person (like maybe a school teacher trying to do a report for grad school!!!!!) then DO NOT order this version. I am sure there is SOME way to get this to work, but I can't figure it out and I do not feel like crashing my computer. I have just ordered the version Amazon sells at this time for $7.97 that says it is made for Windows XP. I will write a review of that one to let you all know how it works out, and save you folks the anguish and shipping costs of an obsolete disc. You're welcome.

I am currently seventeen and I have been playing this game ever since it came out back in 1996. It's such a wonderful fun-filled educational game (which is hard to find nowadays.). The puzzles and levels aren't simple but not extremely complicated either. Sometimes they'll be so obvious and sometimes my mom isn't even able to figure them out (and she's a CPA!). But it overall does even out between the two, creating a great game. If you are a parent of kids eight and up, I'd definently reccomend this game. Younger children can play, too, but it may be a bit tough for them still, especially when they reach the "Very, Very Hard" level (Trust me, this part gets tough!). Even as parents, you may even find yourself playing this game! Overall, this is an excellent game that is not only fun, but indeed educational.

I bought this game for my grandson he was 4 years old.... he like it very much... all the time he is asking me to put the game.... and he plays.... now he is 5... and he enjoys a lot....is very good for logical understanding.. and mathematics
I recomend this play....

My almost 7-year old seems to like the game well enough. He has plenty of time to grow into it too. He's a little disappointed that he is not able to finish the game in a sitting, but I explained that is exactly what the game is supposed to do...it's a puzzle that makes you smarter as you figure it out slowly.

We had a minor problem. Our copy that we bought this month is from 1996! During installation, we were prompted if we wanted to add Quicktime 2.1. That's an old program, we didn't know if we needed it, where to get it, etc., so we clicked "no" first. (There was a mention of looking at the list to see what programs were necessary. Problem, is, we saw no such list.) After installation, the program wouldn't work. I decided to unload and reload the program, this time so I could click yes to getting Quicktime 2.1. I hoped blindly that this program was included on the CD-ROM, and that it would solve our problem. Bingo! Program works fine, on our XP laptop. FYI for anyone in a similar situation.