Lattice, the last one in the anodized metal series by PuzzleMaster and designed by Jerry Loo. This time, I saved the best for last, which is to say, the hardest to last. It's a magnificent puzzle that should be played by anyone interested in puzzles.

Superbly presented in a beautiful chrome blue, the Lattice will surely capture the attention of even the most distracted. Consisting of just eight pieces, compared to the similar 12-piece Dirty Dozen, this puzzle is actually more difficult to solve, since the eight pieces are not identical like those in the Dirty Dozen. A true test to your solving skills.

One of the coolest things about these puzzles is how they open (or stretch), so to speak, without having the pieces fall apart. You can clearly see how they interlock, but also carefully analyse where to remove the first pieces... At least in theory. In fact, it's not that easy to remove the first piece, since it involves a less straightforward movement than just sliding it off. After that, the rest of the puzzles can be disassembled pretty quickly without much effort.

As you may have guessed, the real challenge comes when you try to put the puzzle back together. Since you have different pieces this time, it's not as easy to assemble as the Dirty Dozen. You need some planning to see how to connect each piece, and in my case, some trial and error. Rated as a level 10, you should expect a great challenge, but also a fun one.

Closing Comments:

Lattice is definitely a great puzzle that anyone should try. Even if it's difficult, the movement of the interlocking pieces is so satisfying that you'll want to play with it anyway. Still trying to put mine back together, but I'm in no rush, since it's fun to play with it.

Availability: The Lattice is available at PuzzleMaster for just $24.99 CAD. Check out the anodized series for more metal puzzling.

Denksport, a cleverly designed puzzle by Jean Claude Constantin for the sport enthusiasts. With multiple solutions, it will keep you entertained for a while. You won't be exercising your body, but instead your brain.

Denksport has a different twist on the 2D puzzle principle, where instead of just randomly placing polyominoes on a frame, you'll need to think ahead and strategize how each pieces is used. With eight pieces and a 6x6 frame, there will still be six empty units around the frame. With those empty spaces, you have to come up with a solution where after placing all the pieces, only identical images are shown. It's more difficult than it looks, but a very interesting concept nonetheless.

At the bottom of the frame, different images related to sports are shown scattered around. Each type of image has duplicates at different positions, so when you decide which image you're going for, the pieces have to cover all other images and leave six identical images. There are six different solutions, one for each sport represented.

This puzzle can be really challenging, since the area you can use for the pieces is always invisible and you have to picture it in your mind. You might want to actually draw the grid in a piece of paper and black out the squares that belong to the images you selected. That way you'll be able to work out better the solution.

Closing Comments:

Denksport is a really nice puzzle with multiple solutions. Although challenging, it remains fun since there are many ways to do it. It makes for a great gift for the sports fan.

Availability: Denksport is available at PuzzleMaster for $26.99 CAD. You can also browse many other interesting puzzles by Constantin.