I'm comfortable with college-level math: linal, multivariate calc, set theory, various logics, geometry, proofs, and tensors; in the contexts of pure mathematic

I'm comfortable with college-level math: linal, multivariate calc, set theory, various logics, geometry, proofs, and tensors; in the contexts of pure mathematics, compute science, and physics. I've experienced rote memorization, free-form exploratory learning, and much in between. I agree that most people never get the opportunity to learn how fun and beautiful math really is, and believe it's a tragedy that proofs and problem-solving are so seldom explored. That said, the mechanical process of algebra is an important tool--one that can be honed by repetitive training. Having those physical patterns of grouping, distribution, cancelling, ingrained into your brain can make more abstract explorations easier. It's like learning how to walk in order to backpack the Wonderland Trail, or practicing strikes in martial arts to gain a better understanding of partnership. To that extent, games like these can be a fun and useful part of exploring math.