Kanoodle puzzles
Beginner
Kanoodle (original)
I blame TikTok for this. Someone was on Live was going through the challenges on the handbook, and it looked like something that was right up my alley. The original Kanoodle puzzle is compact, perfect for travel, and comes with 12 pieces and a 48-page puzzle book. The “noodles” are made up on smooth, round orbs. If you look at other Kanoodle puzzles, the noodle segments differ in texture and shape.
There are two ways to play Kanoodle—2D and 3D. The 2D challenges are played on the rectangular grid inside the case while the 3D challenges are solved in pyramid form on the grid outside the case.
Mini-xo is required to solve two challenges before he can play on his Switch for the day. I found that Level 3 was the perfect difficulty for a 6-year-old to start on, and so far his solve time has only gotten faster the more he plays. Soon he will be ready to move on to Level 4, and eventually to the 3D challenges.
Kanoodle Jr.
This puzzle is my go-to present for the kids in my life (my nephews). This was also Harry’s first Kanoodle. The case/puzzle board has a handle (so cute!) and the pieces are made of square segments that are much larger than the original puzzle for ease of use for little hands. The guide that comes with it contains 60 challenges with increasing difficulty. It was fun to watch Mini develop his problem solving and critical thinking skills while playing with the Kanoodle Jr. Unlike the other Kanoodle puzzles, Jr. doesn’t have 3D challenges.
Kanoodle Pyramid
Pyramid is not pocket-sized; it’s bigger than the other Kanoodle puzzles—about as big as Kanoodle Fusion. It comes with nine pieces with large square segments (3x bigger than the original Kanoodle’s) and a puzzle guide that contains 200 2D and 3D challenges. The base comes apart to allow you to solve flat or in pyramid form.
Intermediate
Kanoodle Fusion
My only battery-operated Kanoodle. Like Pyramid, this also comes in an extra-large case. The grid has a light underneath, allowing the 13 puzzle pieces with round translucent plastic’s colors to blend when stacked. While this puzzle is an artist’s dream, I am not thrilled about the need for batteries and the limited number of challenges in the puzzle book (only 50!).
Kanoodle Cosmic
The 12 shapes in this puzzle are unusual and asymmetrical, which allows for 200 challenges in the puzzle book. The case is only slightly bigger than the original Kanoodle, which makes this puzzle just as portable. If you have solved all of the original Kanoodle challenges and are looking to level up, Cosmic would be the perfect follow-up to the original version.
Advanced
Kanoodle Extreme
Extreme is a tad fiddly, and slightly bigger than the original and Cosmic cases. The 12 pieces are almost similar to the original noodles, but the spheres are textured. The game board is unique in that it allows for 303 2D, 3D, and sliding 2D puzzles. The container exterior acts as a tray for 3D pyramid challenges, while the interior can be. used for 2D challenges, or sliding 2D where you insert the guidebook into the lower tray and move the upper tray to the left to slowly reveal different challenges with increased number of pieces to setup. Like I said, it’s fiddly, but the number of solvable challenges makes up for it.
Kanoodle Genius
The 7 pieces of Genius are similar to the ones in Extreme, as well as gameplay mechanics (but less fiddly) where the interior tray is for 2D puzzles while the exterior is for 3D pyramid puzzles. The lack of “sliding” means Genius’ guide book only offers 202 puzzles, but that’s still plenty to have fun with. In a way, Genius is simply an advanced version of the original Kanoodle—similar pieces but textured, segment orientation more diagonal than parallel.
What’s Next?
There are more Kanoodle puzzles that I don’t have yet: Ultimate Champion, Head-to-Head, Gravity, Flip, Duplexity, and SudoQube.
Verdict: YAS
The following Kanoodle games were all purchased from Amazon in May 2022:
Kanoodle - $13.99
Kanoodle Cosmic - $12.17
Kanoodle Extreme - $14.99
Kanoodle Genius - $12.99
Kanoodle Jr was purchased online from Target for $12.99 in December 2022 as a Christmas present for Harry.
Kanoodle Fusion may have been purchased from Barnes & Noble Natomas before it closed its doors in January 2023.
Kanoodle Pyramid was purchased online from Amazon for $14.68 on June 17, 2025.