Funzzle is a collection of four bamboo interlocking puzzles, quite challenging and affordable. These puzzles are made by Y. Gong, and even though it says on the box that he is the designer, I have to warn you that they are based on original works by Stéphane Chomine, Yavuz Demirhan and Tamás Vanyó. They were made without the consent of their original designers, so it's up to you to decide if they are worth it, because these are cheap copies.

Leaving the copyright issues aside for a moment, I'll move on to the actual puzzle. The model you see above is called Beta and it's based on Stéphane Chomine's Quadripole. It's made entirely from bamboo wood, which gives it this lighter color and makes it lighter in weight as well. I like the appearance of bamboo in some puzzles, but in all honesty, it does make them look cheap and low quality.

Made with just four pieces and locked tightly inside a wooden frame, the puzzle is as hard to solve as they come. To solve the puzzle you need to remove the pieces one at a time by shifting them around the tight space of the frame. You also have a hole at the bottom to help you move the pieces. Rotations will be needed, as you struggle to find the correct arrangement to remove just the first piece. As soon as this is accomplished, the other three pieces will, more or less, be easily removed.

I spent some time to solve the first part of the puzzle (taking it apart), but so far the reassembly has taken the best of me. The process is just the reverse of the first part, however it has to be done with more planning and a good analysis of each piece. I'm not very good at interlocking puzzles, so this will probably be left as is. It's definitely not a puzzle for beginners. If you like them extremely challenging, this one's for you.

Closing Comments:

The Beta puzzle by Funzzle is an average puzzle at best. The quality is not very good and the fact that it's a copy of the original by Stéphane Chomine is enough to stay away from it. If you don't care for any of this and like difficult puzzles, then it's an affordable way to get a good challenge.

Availability: The Beta puzzle is available at PuzzleMaster for $15 CAD.