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The Hexagon has quite an interesting design, and contrary to many other Cast Puzzles, its goal is pretty clear right from the start (remove the three pieces from the frame). However, just because its mechanism isn't ambiguous it doesn't mean that it's not a difficult puzzle. Classified as a level 4/6, you can be sure that this isn't a puzzle you'll be solving in just a couple of minutes.

When seen in its initial state, all three pieces form a shape that resembles three hexagons put together. Moreover, even before you've made your first move, the pieces look like they have the same overall shape. That's not the case, as you'll soon verify after the first two moves - all three pieces have a different configuration.

Solving the Cast Hexagon requires creative thinking and finding the correct sequence. It requires a total of 24 moves to remove all three pieces, but I reckon you'll need a few more on your first time, as it also happened to me. The pieces slide quite easily around the frame, although they're locked inside the small area until you remove them. The empty space is very small, so you'll have to keep those pieces moving and rotating them quite a bit to make room for the next move. It may sometimes be a little frustrating finding that there's no space for a move you wanted to make, but just keep trying until you remove the first piece. After that it's a piece of cake to remove the remaining two.

Putting the puzzle back together can be even more difficult if you don't have a guide. Be sure to know the order the pieces were removed and you'll eventually will be able to put it in its original state.

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Hanayama never disappoints when it comes to their flagship series, and the Cast Hexagon is no different. I was a bit skeptical at first, because of its unusual design, but after playing with it, I have nothing negative to say about it, and I can recommend it to anyone who likes Cast Puzzles.

Availability: I got the Cast Hexagon from the Spanish store PuzzlesdeIngenio.com. Others in the series can also be bought here.