Zig-Zag Knot is a very interesting interlocking puzzle designed by Ronald Kint-Bruynseels. If you played and solved the Gordian's Knot by ThinkFun, then you'll have no trouble tackling this newer variation, which is in my opinion a bit easier than its predecessor.

The Zig-Zag Knot is also comprised of six interlocked pieces, but the design is different enough to provide a new experience. For example, the Gordian's Knot has a configuration that lets you see much better how the pieces interact with each other. In the Zig-Zag Knot, the pieces are tightly connected and it's much harder to see what's going on inside. The color scheme is also a bit different, but the idea remains the same, each piece has a different color. The goal is to slide the pieces in any direction and find the correct sequence of movements to free them all. There's only one way to do this and a million wrong ways. Can you find the right way?

I always found interlocking puzzles a bit intimidating. Not because they're hard to take apart, but because most of the times they're much harder to put back together. I remember solving the Gordian's Knot a few years ago, and how difficult it was to solve and reassemble it, so it's understandable I was a bit apprehensive to try this newer version.

To my surprise, the puzzle was actually easier to solve than I was expecting. There are a few reasons that might easily explain this, but ultimately, I found it even more fun and less frustrating than the Gordian's Knot. One of the main reasons for the easiness of the Zig-Zag Knot compared to the older version is the number of necessary moves to completely solve it. The Gordian's Knot needs a minimum of 69 moves, whereas the Zig-Zag Knot needs only about half of them. 37 to be more precise. Although you can't see much inside the puzzle, the difficulty level is still lower. Another reason could simply be that I'm much better now at solving puzzles than I was a few years ago. Either way, I strongly believe the Zig-Zag Knot is much easier to solve.

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The Zig-Zag Knot is a much bigger improvement over its predecessor. The design is more attractive and elegant, but the real important factor is that it's much more fun to play with. Even if you're not experienced at solving puzzles like these, I'm sure you'll love it.

Availability: You can find the Zig-Zag Knot at PuzzlesdeIngenio.com. Worldwide shipping available.