Kanoodle vs IQ-Puzzler

‍Kanoodle versus IQ-Puzzler Pro: A Detailed Comparison

‍

‍At first glance, Kanoodle and IQ-Puzzler Pro look very similar. Both are compact brainteasers with multiple levels of 2D and 3D challenges. In both games, you use a set of 12 ball-shaped puzzle pieces to completely fill a grid in 2D mode or to build a pyramid in 3D mode. However, once you look closer, the similarities quickly end. So which puzzle game is the best?

‍

‍Kanoodle by Educational Insights

‍

‍Game Board

‍Kanoodle is based on the classic Lonpos 101 game, using the same set of puzzle pieces and a polypropylene game board. This makes production affordable, as the housing is molded in a single piece and polypropylene is a cheap plastic. The downside of this design is practicality: the plastic hinge tends to bend slightly backwards, so the lid rarely lies completely flat on a table — something that can be annoying during play and makes it impractical to use the lid as a storage for unused puzzle pieces.  There is a second 5x5 grid on the bottom side of the game board for the 3D pyramid challenges. For these challenges it’s of course completely impossible to use the lid as a temporary storage space for your puzzle pieces. Another downside of producing the game board in one part, is that it also looks cheaper. You can see marks of ejector pins (to push out the part during production) everywhere. 

‍

‍Puzzle Pieces

‍The pieces are identical to those in Lonpos 101. The set includes several very easy pieces, such as a cross-shaped piece and a square piece. These pieces don’t change shape when rotated or flipped, which significantly reduces the options you need to try. There’s also a straight piece that can easily roll off the table — and since the lid isn’t suitable for storage during play, it’s easy to lose. Color is of course a question of personal preference, but I am not a big fan of the very light pink, white or grey puzzle pieces which look almost identical.

‍

‍Challenges

‍The first edition of Kanoodle featured the same 101 challenges as Lonpos 101, but they later expanded it to 200 challenges. The original game didn’t include solutions because many puzzles had multiple possible answers — sometimes more than 50! However, the newer Kanoodle version with 200 challenges has unique solutions. But users still need to  download them from Kanoodle’s website, because they are not included in the booklet as far as I know.

‍

‍Difficulty

‍Despite the larger number of challenges, most Kanoodle puzzles are extremely simple. For example, the first level includes 12 challenges that ask you to place only a single piece on the board! This means the total count of 200 challenges is misleading — many are far too easy for puzzle fans. At its hardest, Kanoodle’s difficulty peaks around what would be the Expert level in IQ-Puzzler Pro, which also has a Master and Wizard level. The toughest 2D puzzles require placing about six out of twelve pieces, while the hardest 3D pyramids only require finding the position for three — the rest are already given.

‍

‍Variation

‍Kanoodle’s puzzles tend to feel repetitive. Most 2D challenges are arranged similarly — pieces clustered on the left side of the grid with open space on the right. This makes setup easy but leads to limited gameplay variation.
In fact, some challenges are nearly identical: puzzles 196 and 200 have the same solution, and 197 differs only slightly. The 3D challenges also suffer from low variation since only six of the twelve pieces can be used at the pyramid’s top layer.

‍

‍Conclusion

‍Kanoodle offers a high quantity of challenges but low overall difficulty. It’s better suited for very young kids or beginners rather than puzzle enthusiasts. The gameplay leans more toward matching what’s shown rather than solving a true packing problem, which may disappoint players seeking a real brain workout.

‍

‍Interestingly, the original Lonpos 101 — on which Kanoodle is based — featured more difficult and varied puzzles. Educational Insights seems to have traded complexity for accessibility, possibly to encourage upgrades to pricier versions like Kanoodle Ultimate Champion, which cost almost twice as much. The popularity of the unofficial “Kanoodle challenge,” where players shake the board to create random setups with 1 or 2 puzzle pieces, reflects this gap. It can create the missing, interesting challenges— though it often produces unsolvable configurations, leading to frustration.

‍

‍IQ-Puzzler Pro by SmartGames

‍Disclosure: I was involved in the development of IQ-Puzzler Pro for SmartGames, so my perspective is naturally a bit partial ;-) 

‍

‍Game Board

‍IQ-Puzzler Pro’s board is made of three sturdy ABS plastic components, giving it a more solid and quality feel. The transparent lid opens 180° and lies perfectly flat — ideal for holding unused pieces while you play. 3D challenges are played in the central part of the rectangular grid for the standard 2D challenges. This means that when solving these pyramid challenges, you can also use the transparent lid as a temporary storage space for your puzzle pieces. Uniquely, the bottom side of the board includes a third grid, rotated 45°, which adds an entirely different way to play 2D challenges.  

‍

‍Puzzle Pieces and challenges

‍Some of the pieces resemble those in Kanoodle, but the set is more refined. There are no simple symmetric pieces like the cross or square, and no rolling straight piece to lose. The rounded ball connections look smoother and feel higher quality, giving the set a more polished aesthetic. IQ-Puzzler Pro includes 120 puzzles across five well-defined difficulty levels. Easier puzzles start with 9–10 pieces already placed, while the hardest show only 2. Every challenge has a unique solution, and all solutions are conveniently printed in the back of the booklet. The difficulty curve is smooth and overall higher than in Kanoodle.

‍

‍Variation

‍The inclusion of the third 45° grid dramatically increases variation. The set includes:

‍• 40 2D puzzles on the standard rectangular grid

‍• 40 2D puzzles on the 45° grid on the bottom side

‍• 40 3D pyramid puzzles.

‍The layouts themselves are more diverse too — some start on the left, others on the top or scattered around the grid. This variety gives stronger visual cues and encourages more logical deduction rather than random trial and error. In 3D mode, 10 of the 12 pieces can appear at the pyramid’s top, offering far more structural possibilities than Kanoodle’s 6. BTW, there is also a PDF available with 48 extra challenges for free, that you can download from the official SmartGames website.

‍

‍And if you want something else than the typical puzzle game based on ball shapes or cubes, there is also much more variation to be found in  the rest of the IQ-collection of SmartGames.

‍

‍Conclusion

‍If you’re looking for a portable, high-quality, and genuinely challenging puzzle game, IQ-Puzzler Pro is the clear winner. It offers more meaningful variety, better materials, and a smoother progression of difficulty — all in a compact, thoughtfully designed package.  Although it’s sometimes slightly more expensive, it gives you more value for your money and will keep you entertained much longer.