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Pattern-Matching, or more precisely Edge-Matching puzzles, are simple concepts, but can take a a while to solve. The Color Match Triangle is one of these puzzles.

First produced by Lagoon Games and known simply as Tri Puzzle, the Color Match Triangle is comprised of 16 triangular wooden tiles, each with a colored dot in its three edges. There are six different colors scattered in  several tile configurations. While matching the triangle edges, you also need to take into account having to match them with the color configuration on the tray.

This concept reminds of the Triazzle, only it has colored dots instead of pictures and it's a lot smaller (about 15cm edge long [6"]). Another difference is that in this puzzle there are a few identical pairs of pieces, which simplifies the total number of possibilities. Still, the total number of possibilities is astronomical, so you won't notice the difference. What's surprising is that in this type of puzzles, despite the large amount of possible arrangements, usually there's only one solution.

As a fan of pattern puzzles, I always like to try different designs and this one was quite interesting. I already had a similar puzzle with colored dots in my collection, although different in shape and less complex. After I have solved the Triazzle in a relatively short amount of time, I figured this one wouldn't be so different, giving the similarity in concept. Wrong assumption... It took me quite a while to solve it. About an hour and a half to be exact - contrasting with the 15 minutes needed for the Triazzle, it's as lot. If you want to take a look at the solution, click this link.

My take on this is that finding a solution is more about luck than skill. You just have to be persistent and have patience, because with systematic attempts you'll eventually solve it sooner or later. What's more frustrating is that when you're close to the end, and you're left with four or five pieces and unable to fit them, there's no way of telling if you just need to swap one of the tiles in the middle or close to the end. Better yet, if none of the previous attempts work, you need to start again from the top.

The Color Match Triangle is available at Brilliant Puzzles for $8.95 USD.

Closing Comments:

This is a type of puzzle that ultimately needs a lot of patience on your side. There's not a particular strategy, at least to my knowledge, that can be used to simplify the solving process, which can throw off some people that like to take full control of their skills and not be put entirely to the mercy of mere luck. It's a recommended puzzle for the casual puzzler.

Links:

Interesting mathematical analysis about this puzzle