Paul Lamond Find It Where's Wally? Review
***This review contains affiliate links (see affiliate disclosure)***
Parents are often looking for a toy for their child that is both fun and that could help to develop the child's mind and Where's Wally? Find It puzzle by Paul Lamond potentially offers both these attributes. This toy is a fun variation on the famous and popular Where's Wally picture puzzles in the form of a tube with hundreds of small plastic objects contained within. Where's Wally you will likely know from the cartoon picture books in which you must find Wally in a crowded picture that can have hundreds of other people in it with other well-known characters from the books to identify as well that can be set in different locations such as on a beach or in another time like the medieval times with knights and castles.
*ad
The aim of the puzzle just as in the book is to first and foremost find or spot the Wally figurine in the hundreds of coloured pieces in the transparent tube and there are other characters and objects that are worth different points to look for as added challenges so there are 40 hidden objects in total. The hidden pieces such as the wizard and Wally are portraits of the characters and not the full body just the character from the shoulders up and they can only be seen from one side as the corresponding side is black. The puzzle has additionally 27 cards that are double-sided that offer the user extra challenges to keep them occupied in which they are asked to find certain items of use. The puzzle is one that won't take long to complete depending on your ability as it should take maybe an hour at most to find all the pieces but you may want to create a list to tick off all the characters and objects you have seen in order to avoid looking for the same thing twice because you are not sure if you have spotted it or not.
All the small pieces fit in a contained tube so you don't have to scatter them on a surface to use it so there is no chance of you treading on the smaller pieces or losing them as the puzzle is self-contained which makes it more suitable for all ages and will create no mess. As the puzzle is self-contained and light to carry it can be transported quite easily although the size of it is an issue as it is quite large in size but would easily fit in the boot of a car or maybe even a suitcase if you can make a little room by taking fewer items with you. The size is a bit of an issue and maybe the puzzle could have been smaller in order to make it more suitable for travelling as the puzzle otherwise lends itself to be transported and done on the move.
This brain teaser plaything is quite nice to look at with its blue white and red colour theme and the various interesting objects it contains and could be displayed on a shelf without it being an eyesore or taking up that much room and would, therefore, be at hand almost when you again want to play with it.
The puzzles tube has been designed in such a way that it is easy to grab a hold of with each end of the tube being an octagon shape so you can get a good hold of it at both ends to give it a good shake with it being light enough and small enough for people of all ages to use except the very youngest.
The small multicoloured pellets and the hidden Where's Wally related objects are protected within the sealed tube container and shouldn't become damaged when it is used as it is supposed to be. This is because you are supposed to just shake the tube about to reveal or manoeuvre the hidden objects within the pellets. Additionally, the pieces in the tube are light in weight and quite compact together, therefore, the pieces should stay intact even when shaken vigorously. The part of the puzzle that is at risk of being broken is the container itself for example if you were to drop it or leave it lying on the floor for someone to accidentally stand on which would be a careless thing to do anyway. The playing cards could also be vulnerable to damage as they can be bent or possibly ripped if not played with carefully and should be stored away safely when finished with.
This puzzle is very straightforward to use and the level of difficulty will depend on where the figurine ends up when shaken as they could be in plain view or hidden buried within but overall it's not a very difficult puzzle. Although the figurines are quite small and do blend in well with the other objects everybody should be able to use and solve this puzzle except for very young children.
The puzzle will challenge and help develop skills like patience as it may take a while to find certain objects in which you must resist the temptation to give up and another skill would be spotting details as this puzzle is all about spotting differences or small details that will reveal the objects as only part of the object may be visible so it could be a very small detail that reveals its location.
This can easily be done as a single-player or group activity whichever is your preference with the advantage of doing it with other people being you can turn it into a competition in which you compete against each other so you could see who can find a specific item or all the items in the fastest time or you could just work as a team to help each other find them all so is a good family toy.
The puzzle has great replayability because it can be simply shaken up and the figurines will be hidden in different places every time you do so or you can set additional challenges by challenging yourself to find all the figurines in record time or you can use the cards that provide extra activities for you.
If there are any drawbacks to the puzzle they are the game's main challenge can be repetitive once you have done it a few times even if the figurines change position every time you shake the tube up as it is essentially the same challenge over and over again. Another drawback is the objects you have to find specifically the people like Wally are not the full-bodied versions just the heads and shoulders which kind of ruins the aesthetic. If the puzzle could be improved maybe you would have everything in the tube be people or animals or objects, instead of the hundreds of pellets as it would make the puzzle more interesting to look at and increase the difficulty level as the hidden objects, as the puzzle is currently set, can be quite easy to spot.
In conclusion, ideal for a parent searching for a game for their child that will challenge them mentally whilst being enjoyable to use and is especially suitable for those who liked the books of Where's Wally as it translates well to this format. A big plus point is it can be done alone or as a multiplayer game in order to include friends or family for added fun and is a physical and visual brain teaser that has fantastic replayability whilst also being a toy to play with.
