Foldology is a unique origami puzzle game consisting of paper folding brain teasers. It comes in the form of small tear-out booklets, with each page containing a puzzle to solve.

There are currently 3 different Foldology packs:

• Foldology – The Ultimate Folding Challenge with 100 puzzles across Easy, Medium and Expert difficulty levels.
• Foldology 2 – Master the Folds with 100 more puzzles ranging from Medium to Expert.
• Foldology 3 – Impossible Folds featuring 60 of the ultimate Expert++ challenges.

The goal of each puzzle is to fold the square sheet into a smaller square in a way that aligns fragmented image pieces on one side, while forming a neat 4×4 grid pattern on the back.

So you have to figure out the correct sequence of folds that complete the picture and achieve this grid alignment. The folding techniques required range from simple to very advanced.

How The Puzzles Work

The puzzles in each pack are divided into progressively harder levels. New techniques build on previous puzzles, so it is important not to skip ahead.

Start with the basics before attempting complex puzzles further into each booklet. Trying to rush into very hard puzzles without this foundation will only lead to frustration!

An example starter puzzle may require just straight vertical and horizontal folds matching coloring sections. Meanwhile, an advanced puzzle can combine diagonal folds, layering, twisting, and careful sequence planning to connect intricately-designed image pieces.

Tips For Foldology Beginners

Here are some tips if you’re new to Foldology:

• Take time studying a new puzzle before folding. Lightly crease to try ideas.
• Unfold fully and smooth out sheets if your folding isn’t working. Reset.
• Rotate puzzles for different perspectives. Fold in hands without a flat surface.
• Stuck on something? Revisit with fresh eyes later. Don’t peek at solutions!

The Foldology Experience

Paper Quality – The eco-friendly paper is thin yet deceptively durable to withstand folding. Crisp vibrant printing brings puzzle details alive. There can be minor manufacturing alignments or scuffs, but image sections remain clearly defined after repeated handling for replayability.

Portability – The tiny 5-inch pads make Foldology extremely portable to solve puzzles anywhere. Toss one in your bag or pocket for entertainment during travel downtime. No flat tables needed either – play on the go!

Progression – Making headway through the puzzle sequence is incredibly rewarding. Each packs’ gradual difficulty curve keeps boredom away and stretching your spatial thinking skills. When image fragments finally align after trying different folds, it’s an immensely satisfying payoff for your efforts!

Variety – With 3 packs totaling 260 puzzles, Foldology offers hundreds of hours of origami fun. Foldology 1 starts easier for casual play, Foldology 2 delivers harder challenges, and Foldology 3 is made for true masters seeking the ultimate brain-busting folding puzzles.

YouTube Solutions For Stuck Folders

If you do get well and truly stumped by a puzzle, don’t stress! The creators provide full video solutions to every single puzzle across Foldology 1 and 2. Only use them as a last resort since working through the sequence yourself delivers the most rewarding experience and learnings for subsequent puzzles.

Pricing And Availability

All three Foldology packs are available on Amazon, generally priced at under $20 each:

• Foldology 1 – $19.99
• Foldology 2 – $19.99
• Foldology 3 – $19.99

Various combo deals and discounts can bring these down further.

For the price, you are getting 100-60 clever puzzles and countless hours of entertainment – extremely great value for money!

The Origami Math Behind The Folds

While definitely not needed to enjoy Foldology, the puzzles showcase some fascinating mathematical concepts around folding:

• Flat Foldability Conditions – Kawasaki’s theorem gives local flat foldability rules, but global multi-vertex foldability remains complex.
• Valid Mountain-Valley Assignments – The number of ways a crease pattern can viably fold flat has combinatorial connections.
• Computational Complexity – Determining arbitrary multi-vertex flat foldability is proven to be NP-Hard.

An example of exploring these concepts is MIT professor Erik Demaine getting his computational geometry students to solve origami puzzles as assignments. The puzzles in his Geometric Folding Algorithms class are quite similar to those found in Foldology (see the Problem Set 1 for his 2017 course).

So behind the visual folding fun, there is deep and rich geometry, algorithms, and proof at play! This origami math is part of what makes Foldology an enriching mind-bending puzzle experience spanning multiple disciplines.

Final Verdict? 5 Stars For Endless Origami Fun

Foldology gets full marks for its clever design, portability, progressive difficulty curve, and sheer folding variety making every puzzle feel unique and novel.

It is extremely affordable for the number of puzzles included, making it a gift that keeps on giving across multiple holidays and occasions. Trying to complete all puzzles also flexes your mental rotational skills and spatial cognition muscles!

Just be sure to not overfold pages aggressively, and restrain the urge to peek at solutions prematurely. That discipline ensures you extract the full value out of this origami a-maze-ment!

I highly recommend snagging one or all Foldology packs to inject some screen-free portable play into your life or as gifts for any puzzle lovers in your life. Prepare to get wonderfully stuck folding paper for hours!