Arx is an abstract building toy. You probably have never thought that a building toy could be abstract. That’s because you, in all likelihood, were thinking of a building-something toy. Like a toy that you could use to build a house or car or, you know, something. Arx, on the other hand, is abstract. You play with it. And then you say to yourself, “hey, doesn’t that look cool.” And then you play some more. It’s more about fascination than about fantasy.
One of the secrets of Arx that makes the whole thing so fascinating is the little floating magnets that are housed in each piece, making the  pieces are just magnetic enough to allow you to build structures that seem slightly impossible.
You don’t have to build up. You can lie them all down and connect them hither and yon. You can make things that look like flowers and things that don’t look like anything at all – except kind of beautiful. You can pay close attention to color and pattern.
You get 24 crescent pieces and two bases. Each contains a floating magnet to add to the general attraction of the whole set. Because of the graceful shape, the four different bright colors, and the odd complexities of their properties; the 24 pieces prove more than enough pieces to hold your attention for hours. Which is also unusual for a building toy. You aren’t left feeling that you will need to buy the expansion sets before you really have fun. Instead, you’ll find endless hours of gentle wonder and discovery at your fingertips.
Don’t put them in your kids’ toy box. Put them on your coffee table for the whole family to play with.
Arx is available from Fat Brain Toys.