IQ-Star Deluxe

‍Last year we introduced a new sub-collection, the IQ Deluxe Editions, starting with games like IQ-Circle and IQ-Square. The idea was to create a line of puzzles aimed at adults, with a clean, iconic look. Naturally, the next step was to expand the range with more titles. When I developed the original four Deluxe games, there were actually several other designs on the table that never made it through. Looking back, that was the right call: they lacked the simplicity or the strong visual identity that the finished games had. So when it came time to create a new addition to the Deluxe series, I knew I had to start from scratch. The only guideline I had was that the game should be based on a (geometric) shape. Among the shapes we hadn’t yet used, the triangle was the most obvious candidate. But triangles came with a problem: the board would end up too small compared to the other Deluxe games, since everything needed to fit in the same square packaging. That limitation was one of the reasons I rejected a triangular design last year. The solution came when I combined two triangles, which created a star shape. A star is still a clean, recognizable geometric form, and it gave me the larger footprint I needed. Once the board shape was set, the next challenge was the pieces. For inspiration, I often browse Instagram or Pinterest, and this time I came across a surface pattern based on a hexagonal grid, where diamond-shaped segments combine into star motifs. I adapted this pattern into my design. Most players probably won’t notice the hidden stars, since the shapes and colors of the pieces take the spotlight, but they’re still there if you look for them. Building a prototype revealed something unexpected: the pieces only have three orientations on each side, even though you’d expect six from a hexagonal grid. This is of course the result of the triangular shape that is visible inside each hexagon element. So in a way it's still a triangular game, but one without triangular pieces! BTW, the computer program I used to check out the possibilities only used triangles. The final gameplay gives it a certain resemblance to IQ-Perplex. But IQ-Star Deluxe is much simpler — the pieces don’t overlap, and most either fit or don’t, with just a few that can be made to fit by rotation. It’s more intuitive overall, whereas IQ-Perplex is clearly aimed at more experienced puzzlers. Because of the fact that the 6 pointed star-shaped game board has two different possible orientations when you leave out all rotation symmetrical ones, you can place it wrong when you set up a challenge. To fix this, I added a small star marker along one edge to indicate the right top side. For the material, I wanted something that sparkled — glittering pieces that would really evoke the theme of stars. But samples didn't have the look we hoped to achieve so eventually we fell back on the bright colors that have become a hallmark of many IQ games. IQ-Flow will be available summer 2026.