Retro Replay Review

Gameplay

Advanced Thinking Skills presents itself as a digital IQ test, challenging players with a series of puzzles drawn from five distinct categories: Odd One Out, Shapes, Building Blocks, Dominoes, and Number Sequences. Each timed session gives players only fifteen minutes to tackle as many questions as possible, making quick reasoning and pattern recognition essential to beat the clock. For those who prefer a more relaxed experience, separate practice modes for each category allow newcomers to learn the rules without the pressure of a countdown.

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The “Odd One Out” challenges ask you to examine a group of five items—whether shapes, symbols or numbers—and determine which one doesn’t follow the hidden pattern. This exercise is a great warm-up for more complex sequences, since it trains you to spot subtle differences in organization and grouping. Meanwhile, the Shapes and Dominoes segments require you to complete visual sequences by choosing the next item from a set of four possible options, testing both spatial reasoning and foresight.

Building Blocks tasks shift into three dimensions, showing stacks of cubes in a 3D grid where some faces are hidden from view. Players must mentally reconstruct the full structure and count all the blocks—a satisfying test of spatial imagination. Number Sequences wrap up the suite with straightforward arithmetic and logic puzzles. Taken together, these five modes offer a balanced workout for logical, spatial and numerical intelligence, ensuring variety and replay value as you strive to improve your personal best.

Graphics

Graphics in Advanced Thinking Skills are clean, functional and uncluttered—exactly what you want in a brain-training title. Shapes and domino tiles are rendered in solid, contrasting colors that make distinctions clear at a glance. The minimalist aesthetic keeps visual noise to a minimum, allowing players to focus entirely on the puzzle mechanics.

The 3D building block challenges benefit from simple shading and perspective cues that give a realistic sense of depth without distracting shadows or textures. Rotation controls are snappy, so you can quickly pan around the grid to fill in hidden sections. Animations are limited to subtle transitions between questions and brief success/failure feedback, which maintains a steady pace throughout the test.

The user interface adopts large, legible fonts and well-spaced answer buttons that are easy to select with a controller or touch screen. Feedback icons—checkmarks, crosses and progress bars—are concise and consistent, providing just enough information to indicate right or wrong answers without breaking the flow. Overall, the graphics serve the gameplay perfectly, emphasizing clarity over flash.

Story

Advanced Thinking Skills does not offer a narrative in the traditional sense—there is no overarching plot, characters or world-building. Instead, the game’s “story” is conveyed through the progression of puzzles and the player’s own journey of cognitive improvement. If you’re looking for a thematic hook or dramatic flair, you won’t find it here.

That said, the absence of a fictional storyline is intentional and appropriate for a serious brain-training tool. The game frames your progress in terms of practice levels and timed test scores, creating a personal challenge rather than delivering scripted dialogue. For players motivated by measurable improvement, this straightforward approach feels more like a workout log than a campaign.

For those who prefer some context, the “Learn” section offers short explanations of each puzzle type, giving you insights into the logic behind the questions. While it isn’t a narrative in the entertainment sense, these tutorials build a sense of mastery that drives engagement. In essence, your success story unfolds through incremental gains in speed and accuracy rather than cutscenes or character arcs.

Overall Experience

Advanced Thinking Skills delivers a focused, no-frills brain workout ideal for puzzle enthusiasts, students preparing for standardized tests or anyone keen to keep their mind sharp. The variety of question types—visual, spatial and numerical—ensures that you’re constantly challenged in new ways, helping to prevent the tedium that can accompany repetitive exercises.

The fifteen-minute timed mode provides a quick daily ritual, perfect for a commute or coffee break, while the individual practice categories let you drill specific weaknesses at your own pace. The streamlined presentation and responsive controls make it easy to jump straight into puzzles without wading through menus or tutorials.

While the lack of narrative and minimalist graphics mean it’s not suitable for players seeking an immersive adventure, Advanced Thinking Skills excels at what it sets out to do: offer a sharp, varied and accessible mental workout. If you’re looking to flex your brain and track measurable improvement over time, this is one of the most polished and efficient IQ-style titles on the market.

Retro Replay Score

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