Anodized metal puzzles have a really striking appearance, and the Phantom, with its shiny bright red, surely delivers on that front. Designed by Mr. Gong, this three-piece interlocking puzzle is tougher than it looks. It's indeed a scary phantom...

I've been reviewing several of PuzzleMaster's anodized metal puzzles, and I absolutely love them. The different colors make for a superb display of sheer beauty in any shelf. But so do their challenges, which you can experience with each and everyone of them differently.

The Phantom is simply a sphere made out of three different discs that interlock thanks to their notched cut outs. Their not put there randomly and they have a purpose, whether you're taking them apart or reassembling them.

The first time you pick up the puzzle, it gives you the impression that it's going to fall apart on the spot, but as you soon find out, its movements are limited and blocked by the others' notches. Granted, taking it apart is way easier than putting it back, since you're not worried about carefully positioning the discs to form the original sphere. It's putting it back that will truly put your solving skills to the test.

Difficult-wise, the Phantom is rather challenging, rated as a level 8/10. After taking it apart and trying to reassemble it, I strongly agree with the rating. It will depend on how well you do with interlocking puzzles. They're definitely not my strongest suit, but I still find them quite fascinating, especially as a collector.

Closing Comments:

The Phantom is a really fun puzzle to play with, even if you're just fidgeting with it. Together with the other anodized puzzles, the contrasting red color among others will certainly make it stand out. It's a lovely design and challenging puzzle that will not disappoint.

Availability: You can get a copy of the Phantom puzzle at PuzzleMaster for just $19.99 CAD. Check out the other puzzles in the anodized metal series.