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/ Genres / Educational / Logical Journey of the Zoombinis

Logical Journey of the Zoombinis

Windows - 1996
Also available on: Mac - Windows 3.x

A recreation of the game has been made by TERC, available on Steam, Android, iOS, Kindle, you can get it here: https://external-wiki.terc.edu/display/ZOOM/The+Game.

How to Play

Game was made for Win3.x or Win95. You can run it by installing these systems in DOSBox, and it's quite complicated to do.

Windows 7

On Windows 7 (and probably on Win8.x), the game will work also by following these steps:

  • Install a software to mount ISO files, you may use Microsoft Virtual CD-ROM Control Panel (follow instruction in the readme file)
  • Run the setup, install Quicktime, but SKIP the system check of Quicktime (it may crash). If the quicktime setup crashed, launch it again from the CD (right click, open, then go into folder QTWSETUP)
  • Open start menu, find the game shortcut, right click one it then click on Properties. In the Compatibility panel, enable Windows 95 Compat. and Run in 640x480 resolution
  • Play!!!

With VirtualBox and Windows 98

I've been able to run the game in VirtualBox with Windows XP (can be useful for other games), you can try to follow these steps (not every detail is given) :

  • Install VirtualBox
  • Download the Win98 VMWare Image and open it with VirtualBox, follow steps to add it
  • Follow the instructions of ENT in the comments

Comments and reviews

Great Grandaddy 17 Mar. 2024

I have played this ., at one time or another with 5 grandkids. We took the game all the way to the end each time. So, I basically played with each at 3rd grade level, and beat it 5 times. It is tough and challenges even 12 graders. It teaches arithmetic skills, and many other skills like patience and determination.

3
DrKnox 20 Aug. 2022
Top comment

The one on Steam is NOT "The Logical Journey of the Zoombinis". It's just "Zoombinis", a very poorly make remake/sequal. Not at all the same thing.

20
bobblebutt 30 Nov. 2020

I found an .iso! I'm buying the new version too (as should we all), but I wanted a nostalgia trip first. https:// macintoshgarden .org /games /logical-journey-of-the-zoombinis (remove spaces)

2
Tom 10 Oct. 2020

The wayback machine link no longer has the download. somebody squeeled!

4
Taeho Kim 18 Sep. 2020

How to run this on my laptop Windows 10 ?

-3
how to get the original version 02 Jul. 2020

Go to Web Archive
https://web.archive.org/web/20170824222001/http://www.myabandonware.com/game/logical-journey-of-the-zoombinis-3ei#download

0
SortingHat 17 Sep. 2019
Top comment

Why did you remove the download? The STEAM game is NOT the original game. I want the original artwork and help files!

17
goatmaster 16 Jul. 2019

Why can't I download games here now? I do not wish to buy them especially since they are on steam, I never liked steam and never will.

-3
Pearlite 22 Aug. 2018

When I played this game as a child, the rating on the box said "Ages 10 and Up". But that was deceiving; Zoombinis was a lot more difficult than the cartoony animation and art style would lead players to believe. I used to think it was impossible.

Now that I'm a grown-up, I've come back to this and successfully mastered the game and all its puzzles, though it did take quite a lot of thinking to figure out a strategy. I can guide Zoombinis with ease, but there's still an element of challenge when several of the puzzles rely on trial-and-error to discover its rules.

2
Dana 16 May. 2018

Can anyone help me figure out a way to run Zoombinis on a Chromebook, using a chrome browser? I'm desperate for my students to play this wonderful game, but all we have at school are Chromebooks. Please help!!!!! Thank you.

0
hayleedee 10 Mar. 2018

I followed ENT's instructions below. However, the link was broken for 2.
I found this one instead: https://winworldpc.com/download/3dc3943c-c386-18c3-9a11-c3a4e284a2ef [win98 Virtual Machine]
Yeah! :)

0
Han 27 Feb. 2018

I've loved this game since I was five, I got it with my first computer in 1998. It made me love math! I don't know any math games that have been as fun as this one.

I thought I'd never find it again, but here it is!

2
Jessica Wood 26 Aug. 2017

The game is very good, i've played it once when I was in kindergarten so I know, and I want to play it again

3
hippymom 28 Jul. 2017

I,m 60yrs old, played it on PC years ago loved it why it,t good for mind. Ha why don't,t ya have it on tablet they got everything else wanted my 8 yr old granddaughter to play I want to again too

1
PsycoPants 09 Apr. 2017

im having trouble getting it to run on my comp. i have windows 10 and im not super knowledgeable when it comes to this kind of setup. is there a simpler way i coud be doing this? please help.

3
siren-girl 12 Mar. 2017

I would be keen to go so far as to say that this is the best children's puzzle game ever made. I still play this game now. It does reach a difficulty point that is tricky, even for adults.

Amazing game.

1
TheoX 28 Jan. 2017

Commenting to say that I was able to run the game perfectly using VMWare in Windows 7 by following the instructions posted by user "ENT" lower down. I copied the instructions down; if anyone can't find the comment or it gets deleted, email me at jtbswartz ((AT)) yahoo ((dot)) com and I will send the instructions to you.

Cheers ENT, I'm playing Zoombinis again. HIP HIP ZOOMBINI!

1
SnickerDoodle 24 Jan. 2017

I got this working nicely in DOSbox.

It basically went down like this.

1. I mounted the iso directory of zoombinis in DOSbox, it gave me an error saying I needed Windows installed.

2. I then found a Windows 3.1 set of floppy disk images, I extracted them all into a single folder, mounted that folder in DOSbox in its own C directory and then successfully installed Windows3.1 within DOSbox.

3. I then remounted the Zoombinis iso image to the D directory, then I started up Windows3.1 and used the file explorer to run the Zoombinis installer. It installed itself and the quicktime runtimes.

4. After running the shortcut created within windows, another error, this time about a lack of sound drivers, after fixing that it will complain about SVGA drivers. I found this wonderful guide which addresses both of these issues.

http://www.howtogeek.com/230359/how-to-install-windows-3.1-in-dosbox-set-up-drivers-and-play-16-bit-games/

After that you can play flawlessly with no weird compatibility issues.

2
Ally 17 Nov. 2016

it won't work on my Mac! any suggestions on how to get it to work!?

-1
Daniel B 07 Sep. 2016

Too poorly done to play on anything modern without huge headaches, sadly. DosBox doesn't do anything for me, neither does VM. Lame.

-1
Anna 23 Aug. 2016

Yo yo yo, this game be dope yo! Lav it! Giv us sum suga Zoombinis!

0
BBgal 29 Jul. 2016

I dont understand how to make the game run

-1
SortingHat 03 Jul. 2016

Make me a pizza! Poof your a pizza now! *Tree Stump looks like pizza*

1
Kyle 03 Jul. 2016

Your link to the Windows XP only leads to links for Windows 10. All Microsoft links now only force you into doing Windows 10 now.

Windows 10 SUCKS at any backwards compatibility and spits out CD-Roms unless it's the latest AAA game.

Windows 10 wants it so you do online gaming only where you can't do anything offline in your own private sphere. If Microsoft could they would partner with Google and make you always online with no choice.

0
branspar00 01 Jun. 2016

Where is the image file? I don't see any listed as a .iso

0
Ent 20 May. 2016
Top comment

Easiest way to play this game is in a Windows 98 Virtual Machine. Here's how I did it, works flawlessly;

1. Install VMWare Player (free)
2. load this pre-made win98 Virtual Machine https://winworldpc.com/download/3DD43CC6-18DA-11E4-99E5-7054D21A8599
3. Once running win98, on VMWare toolbar click Player Removable Devices CD/DVD settings
4. under connection in cd/dvd settings, tick 'use ISO image file:' and select zoombinis image, click ok.
5. Go to Player Removable Devices CD/DVD and click connect
6. install zoombinis
7. Right click desktop properties settings tab and set color to 256 colors

10
Morty 19 May. 2016

Love this game, I got it working on windows 3.1 in dosbox but it always seems to crash on me after I loaded the game. I have tried burning it to cd or even mounting img file still not working not sure why. Anyone have any suggestions?

0
Lainee 22 Apr. 2016

I used to play it all the time until my computer broke so I remembered the name and I couldn't stop playing it!

0
Peanuts 18 Mar. 2016

love this old gem
SOMEBODY, MAKE ME A PIZZA

3
BTOWN 01 Mar. 2016

Cool game

0
player12345 16 Feb. 2016

Please make a video explaining how to install the game, I hope you read the comment and also thanks for share this awesome game

1
Lav 15 Feb. 2016

I'm over 40 (OK, 50), and I've been enjoying Zoombinis since they came out. GREAT game!

0
Cheer Bows 07 Feb. 2016

I am trying to play this game on my computer with the old disc I have but when I put the disc into my computer, a thing pops up and I click on it and then it asks if I want to install it and I click yes but then it never installs and I don't know what else to do!

0
cryptyknumidium 11 Jan. 2016

So. The Version of this file is not compatible with your windows version just continuously pops up. for everything.

2
Portalsrule123 22 Nov. 2015

used to love this game! could never understand the patterns of some of the levels though. Would Recommend for anyone wanting a semi-challenging game with about an hour of game play.

0
Kare 26 Oct. 2015

I clicked on the Windows download link, and it gave me a .zip file with the Mac version...

-5
Liz 23 Oct. 2015

loved it

0
stephen kibozi 08 Oct. 2015

I loved this game it played zoombinis when I was in elementary school.

0
King Bob 02 Oct. 2015

I played this game on my friends IPad and Loved it!
The puzzles are so clever! I am trying to Download it on my Computer, but am having a hard time...Any tips?

-1
Foxxick 27 Sep. 2015

For the life of me I cannot get it to work on Windows 10. Tried everything I could but to no avail... Apparently The Learning Company version works just fine, but this older release by Broderbund does not. I wish I still had my copy of this game, damnit. I wanted to screw around and have a nostalgia trip with my friends at ungodly hours of the night but I guess I'll have to nab a copy on amazon or something instead...

0
JUST ME 11 Sep. 2015

WILL IT WORK ON WINDOWS 10?

2
caroleann 25 Aug. 2015

I loved to play this

0
Soapy Foten 02 Aug. 2015

I tried so hard for hours to get this game to work. I followed your instructions to a t. when the first method failed i tried the second. everything was working until the part where i had to run the game installation. i cant get the quicktime to install form the zoombinis installer nor does downloading it separately work. no matter what i do it always says i need quicktime 2.1
All i wanted was to play this stupid game and instead i've merely wasted hours of my life i could have used to do something productive with my life. I hope for very unpleasant things to happen to whoever wrote this page and it's horrible time stealing lies!!!

-8
Eilee 28 Jul. 2015

in primary school i remember crowding around the the old mac computers with the colored backs playing this game. so many memories

0
Peathbydeas 18 Jul. 2015

I loved this game when I was younger, I couldn't wait to play it again when I saw this, I think I'll be much better at it too. Oh God... I just remembered the pizza level, that was SUPER hard to figure out. Trial and error, mostly error.

0
Kiki 11 Jul. 2015

Thank you so much!! I made a lot of mistakes and couldn't figure some stuff out so it took forever to install but I finally got it and it works great :) Btw I have windows 8.1 and I used the virtualbox + windows xp method

0
James 02 Jul. 2015

This game is so cool. I used to play at school in the late 90s.. still love it now.

0
Nike girl 23 Jun. 2015

This games.was such a good game. Challenges your logical and analytical abilities. It needs to be an app

0
Badger 23 Jun. 2015

The nostalgia is over 9000!!!

1
Batfink 16 Jun. 2015

I got it running natively in Windows 7 64 bit.. It won't install.. The installer will not work in a 64 bit os, so I installed it in a virtual os windows 2000 then copied it to the real Windows 7 64.. Used Daemontools to mount the iso as drive Z and modified the path in the zoombini cfg file to point towards drive Z:.. Then you just run the Zoombini executable file.. The whole game is 95 meg.

1
addie 14 May. 2015

i love this game

0
rhi 09 May. 2015

got it to work with virtualbox! thanks!

3
gabby 06 Apr. 2015
Top comment

Me and my sister use to play this when we were little we loved it but when we got older we could never remember the name. We have been searching for ever

8
lilsperlo 03 Apr. 2015

#zoombinis

0
MB1 01 Apr. 2015

I love zoombinis

0
played this in 1st grade 19 Mar. 2015

:D

0
robinbird 15 Mar. 2015

what do u do

-3
RandomEntity 12 Mar. 2015

I have managed to get this running on a Windows XP 32-bit virtual machine run through VirtualBox on Windows 8.1. I had no success with windows 3.1 through DOSBox.

-3
whaaaatman 20 Feb. 2015

i can second the 3.1 in dosbox

-3
zoombini 20 Feb. 2015

Game is installed on Windows 95 on Virtual Box, but video card settings are apparently screwy: apparently, not SVGA 256 color, or the wrong resolution. The Struggle.

-2
the681 07 Feb. 2015

cant get this to work on windows 8 can somone please help with exact step by steps
thanks

0
rodrichu 16 Jan. 2015

It's really that dificult to play this game on modern OS? I'm pretty sure I played it at my Windows XP, but I have the orginal PT-BR version.

0
Captain_Trina 15 Jan. 2015

I gave up on VirtualBox, but I can confirm that running Win 3.1 in DOSBOX will work.

2
shane 20 Dec. 2014

hi I'm trying to use this on mac OS X using dosbox but it is saying file doesn't exist can anyone help thanks
s

-4
Captain_Trina 16 Dec. 2014

So I've managed to get the game installed on a VirtualBox running Win95, but it says there's no sound devices, and now that I've installed the sound card it keeps crashing??? And the game won't run without sound. I'm SO close to playing it.

1
admin 04 Dec. 2014
Admin

Game was wrongly labeled as DOS, it's a Win 3.x and Win 95 game. You'll have to install Windows in DOSBox or VirtualBox, check the how to page.

2
Kristen 24 Nov. 2014

I just tried downloading this file twice. The first time Boxer could not open it because there were no DOS files. The second time, it unzipped and had the MAC version instead. Please help!

2
S 24 Nov. 2014

Okay, so I have downloaded, and am trying to open in my dosbox. What file command do I do? (setup? autorun?)

3
Alcheman 08 Nov. 2014

It said It needed a Zoombinis Disc to be inserted to play, any fix?

-9
* 31 Oct. 2014

I have been wanting to find this game for forever!! Thank you thank you thank you for putting it up I loved this game when I was little!

1
Jack 23 Oct. 2014

Oh my god this is so great guys I was dreaming of playing this again

0
ttkeya 10 Oct. 2014

this is such a fun game. it gives you challenges that are super epic. you have to be pactient but you will get the zoombinis there new home.

0
Frustrated 05 Oct. 2014

Same issue as a few people have mentioned already, running Windows 8 and using DOSBOX in latest version of D-FEND RELOADED and it's unable to locate an executable. Used windows 8 auto mount in the extracted file location but you can't launch from there, and D-FEND won't allow a profile to be created (or I don't know how to do it) is there a workaround for this on windows 8?

Any replies gratefully received

1
The Nichi 04 Oct. 2014

Use a VM or DOSBox. Your 64 bit machine isn't going to run this natively.

0
moogotmilk 11 Sep. 2014

some please help me how to get this game working getting so frustrated!!

0
paulo jose 10 Sep. 2014

good grafics and fun ,for children .

0
splice201787 20 Aug. 2014

it wont let me play

0
naoj 10 Aug. 2014

cool

0
clarbear 25 Jul. 2014

so this wont mess up my computer? iv made the mistake of downloading something that brings a virus with it one too many times

-1
AJ 07 Jul. 2014

Can't seem to get it I'm on windows 7 home premium I've played this game since I was about 6 so about 5-6 years ago my sister is now 17 and she wants to play it again so do I even though I'm only 10

0
AJ 07 Jul. 2014

Me and my sister Have loved this game forever and really want to play it again because It's so Awesome

0
whatwhat 07 Jun. 2014

does the file work now

0
mayoyayo 26 May. 2014

doesn't work - the zip contains no executable file for DOSBOX to run

0
Andrea B 22 May. 2014

Can anyone tell me how to get this working on Dos-box/D-fend? When I try to add the file to D-fend, it says there is no executable file in it. If I try to add Play.exe to D-fend, it acts like it is opening it and counts it as opened, but nothing happens. Program does not run. We do not have windows XP any more.

-1
foxmulder 16 May. 2014

works fine on virtual pc 2007, windows 98. thanks!

0
Summer 12 May. 2014

Greatness

0
twisty 12 May. 2014

best game ever!

0
Tlc 04 May. 2014

Is it possible to get this on ipads????

-2
Ash 03 May. 2014

It's not working

0
bob 30 Apr. 2014

Awesome.

0
Pezman 29 Apr. 2014

Brilliant game

0
90210 28 Apr. 2014

I WANT IT NOW

0
MissTaurus87 26 Apr. 2014

This needs to be configured for macs... I was really excited to show my bf a math game that I'm actually good at. boo.

0
aub 26 Apr. 2014

It's awesome

0
Maxine 23 Apr. 2014

Memories...

0
amandakelly17 20 Apr. 2014

I want it now!

0
nice 20 Apr. 2014

nice game

0
wat 20 Apr. 2014

Good game

0
Gorshin 20 Apr. 2014

So I mounted the iso but when I try to install the game I get an error message. Anybody know how to fix this? I'm on Windows 7 64 bit.

3
zoombini fanatic 101 17 Apr. 2014

Can I get this game now???????

-1

No comment nor review for this game at the moment.

Comments posted on the beta are not kept. We delete them at 08:00 Paris time and they never reach the live site. Post on myabandonware.com if you want your comment to stay.

Buy on Digital Stores

Logical Journey of the Zoombinis is available for a small price on the following website, and is no longer abandonware.

Extras

Manual Manual 1
Extra file
Windows 587 KB English English

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